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symphony

macrumors 68020
Aug 25, 2016
2,232
2,641
I had an issue with my iPhone XS models because a lot of them had a yellow-tinted display. I finally found a an iPhone XS model that was acceptable and on par with my iPhone X’s display. It wasn’t perfectly the same, but it was tolerable. Last year’s iPhone XSs were more yellower than their predecessor.

Now I bought an iPhone 11 Pro and the screen is more yellow than my iPhone XS.
 

Harthag

macrumors 68020
Jun 20, 2009
2,018
2,574
U.S.
Proof
You can also see it when you look at the screen from the side. They don’t have the same technology.
Still a semi-speculative article, I read that one before. I’ll eat my words as soon as I see a tear down and hard evidence that LG screens are now used.

I don’t doubt that LG phone OLED screens are trash from what I’ve seen and used. Google took serious flak for LG screens on the Pixel 2XL and Apple will get it even worse if there are objective differences between panel suppliers with iPhones Pro. We’ll see.

If you aren’t happy with the screen return the POS within 14 days, don’t get stuck in exchange / genius hell. Return and re buy if possible.
 
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symphony

macrumors 68020
Aug 25, 2016
2,232
2,641
But wow True Tone is even more harsh with the warming.

It feels like the iPhone XS debacle all over again.

But I’m loving that my model doesn’t have a color shift so... I might just keep it.

I hope Apple gives users an option to adjust the intensity of True Tone
 

UKapple

macrumors regular
Nov 9, 2012
163
75
I guess this is the risk you take when being the first to buy a new model, you always run the risk of being the first to pick up any manufacturing issues. If there are widespread issues they generally adjust the process/supply of components to iron out the problems in the weeks/months ahead.

Could do without this issue tho as the phone itself is perfect and other than the display issue I’m ver happy with it.
 

Mattym62

macrumors regular
Nov 27, 2003
241
75
Palm Beach, FL
There is absolutely no doubt that my 11 pro Max iPhone is tinted more yellow than my XS MAX. It doesn’t really bother me but I happened to notice the difference while transferring my data. I’ll see how it goes for a few days. If it gets worse or it bothers me then I’ll exchange it. This is the first iPhone I have ever received that had any major variance in color. I’ve never had to do a return/exchange so let’s see what happens.
 

praxis219

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 22, 2018
51
61
Got mine. The 11 Pro Max is definitely warmer than my Xs Max. However, it's soo bright!

I always tend to use my phone at full display brightness. This is the first phone that literally hurts my eyes doing so.
 
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Cyberius11

macrumors 6502
Oct 20, 2011
418
369
So, I don't have a Max, but I have the regular 11 pro, and the screen has a yellowish hue to it. I've placed my X and 11 Pro side by side and the pro looks like crap in comparison to the X. True Tone is OFF on both of them.
 

Mattym62

macrumors regular
Nov 27, 2003
241
75
Palm Beach, FL
I put my XS max and Pro Max next to each other and it really shows the warmer colors of the Pro Max. Funny thing is my XS Max is almost brighter than my Pro Max. Isn’t the pro max supposed to be MUCH brighter?
 

DanRyb

macrumors regular
Jun 27, 2007
101
100
Orange County, CA
For the first time ever I actually left True Tone ON (for now) and it's looking pretty good! I didn't compare it for a very long time with the XS Max though but I've definitely always thought True Tone looked disgusting since it was introduced. But for now, very happy with the Pro Max! Hope everyone finds a device they're happy with. I've definitely played that phone/screen lottery game before. Not fun.
 
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Donnation

Suspended
Nov 2, 2014
1,686
2,083
I went through this last year with the XS Max. I returned 3 different phones because the displays were trash. They were totally yellow and looked horrible. My fourth one was a little better than the previous ones but still yellowish.

I was pleasantly surprised that my Pro Max this year has a beautiful, crisp, bright white display. I see no hint of yellow and there is no screen changing colors when I tilt the display. I have not a single complaint with it.
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
16,144
17,056
I went through this last year with the XS Max. I returned 3 different phones because the displays were trash. They were totally yellow and looked horrible. My fourth one was a little better than the previous ones but still yellowish.

I was pleasantly surprised that my Pro Max this year has a beautiful, crisp, bright white display. I see no hint of yellow and there is no screen changing colors when I tilt the display. I have not a single complaint with it.

In all likelihood you won the screen lottery

Can we get some pics
 
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thomasfxlt58

macrumors regular
Sep 14, 2014
178
70
People need to stop saying this. Do you really think people posting on a tech forum who are picky enough to be examining screen color temperature aren't smart enough to turn off a feature that's been part of iOS for several years now?

I spent an entire career in color management and the new screen is no more “yellow‘ with true tone off than the X or Xs.
 
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kirk.vino

macrumors 6502a
Oct 27, 2017
667
1,013
My new 11 Pro is definitely slightly warmer than my X. Nothing too dramatic and only noticeable side by side. However, the new one has a slightly more pronounced color shift while tilting. Again, not too dramatic. The new one is only brighter when I remove the brightness cap in Accessibility. When it’s on, the X is actually brighter.
I gotta say that my X was cherry-picked 2 years ago out of 4-5 phones and has one of the best screens with almost zero color/tint shift and bright crisper whites. So considering this, the new phone holds up well. I remember the first X’s 2 years ago, they all had disgusting horrible screens with multiple issues. All store units looked bad everywhere for the first couple of months. Apple seems to have improved this aspect for the 3rd generation of this screen design.
 

Mattym62

macrumors regular
Nov 27, 2003
241
75
Palm Beach, FL
0D6EC5EF-E4C4-4A53-B1C6-63FEC2285466.jpeg
iPhone Pro Max - Top
iPhone XS Max - Bottom
Max brightness with white background. True Tone On
 

kre62

macrumors 68020
Jul 12, 2010
2,373
1,248
Maybe one day...ONE DAY..people will realize that every single year, the first batch of phones has displays that lean yellow dinge.

This is an issue a few veterans have been fighting for 11+ years now.

Always the same arguments - Maybe its intentional. Maybe it's more accurate. Maybe its glue. maybe its....no dude. It's lax manufacturing tolerances in the first batches in order to maximize production. I am 100% convinced that "true tone" was invented just so those lax tolerances could be better masked, and justified by naive "geniuses".

That being said, I haven't seen too many Apple OLEDs I've liked. There are a few that get close to the white point I enjoy, but not many. The display 11 pros I saw today were standard dingy launch phones - they will be swapped out for clear beautiful displays within days. Consumers wont get those clear displays for a few months.

Luckily the XR, and now the new 11, have a much better, clearer, beautiful color calibration. Picking one up to replace my XR tomorrow.
 

Kristine

macrumors 6502a
Feb 21, 2005
599
174
View attachment 861343

iPhone Pro Max - Top
iPhone XS Max - Bottom
Max brightness with white background. True Tone On

Similar experience for me (except I don't use True Tone).


I went through 16 iPhone XS Max last year to get a perfect screen. Finally after two months of the XS Max being out I got a good one. For $2000 AUD I expect a perfect screen (just like my X had). I'm not doing the screen lottery again. After one iPhone 11 Max Pro, I am sticking with my XS Max for another year.

Both the XR I purchased last year had great screens (I know, different technology) and I would of stayed with the XR if it had the same camera as the XS Max.

Currently also have two Note 10 Plus in the house. Both have perfect screens first go.
 
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praxis219

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 22, 2018
51
61
. I am 100% convinced that "true tone" was invented just so those lax tolerances could be better masked, and justified by naive "geniuses".

True Tone is asinine in my opinion. I don't want my screen to look like a piece of dingey white paper in all lighting conditions. I want it to look like a computer display, to which I prefer cooler colors. I can set the white point on all of my other computing devices, why not iOS?

What's particularly insulting is that True Tone is adjusting the white point by itself, and sometimes you can see that it "fixes" warm screens into cooler screens in certain lighting conditions. We just need a manual override.
 

sparkles61785

macrumors regular
Jun 13, 2009
141
26
My 11 Pro max is noticeably warmer and dimmer than my XS Max. I am pissed! The 11 pro max is more even throughout than the XS Max though. I feel like returning it and keeping the XS Max honestly, as the exchange process can be tedious.
 

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Macalway

macrumors 601
Aug 7, 2013
4,191
2,940
I'm surprised. At the factory they have a separate inspection conveyor belt to weed out this issue. They are very strict about it. There's even a YT video of them working at this, turning on a phone, then shaking their head and tossing the iPhone over their shoulder into a bin marked 'yellow'.
 
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