Threads like this make me glad I've held on to my Series 3... Feel so sorry for you guys having to go through all this!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Anyone else affected by screen bleed/uneven tint on Series 4? [MERGED]
- Thread starter viperGTS
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have zero regrets in my AW4 SBSS and not noticed any problems with the display. In fact, it is the best of all my Apple Watches. I admit that I do not climb into dark closets to check but from everyday use my AW4 display seems perfect.
That is what really matters.
So no jumping in and out of the closet for you then?
To be fair, there were even some Series 3 owners that were finding uneven displays, but the Series 4 gained more attention once others had an understanding what they actually understood to look for. OLED panels generally have some variation of unevenness depending the background, but I think the average consumer really doesn’t know what to look for, it’s just those who are more prone to reading threads like this and who are more tech oriented.
I don't notice anything on my 40mm S4 that I got at launch, so it's not all watches.
I would just get a replacement if I did have an issue.
I would just get a replacement if I did have an issue.
Before i even begin a new thread, i am gonna post my story as it may be related.
I was supper happy to get the series 4 44mm space gray model on 28 of September. I was "lucky" to get one on the first day of release.. After half day of usage, i saw that the grey regions and boxes where somehow trembling. I started to be nervous about the quality and started checking on solid background colors. To my suprise when i imported a white, a light gray and dark grey photo i found the following issue: There was a vertical pale-red line on the middle of the display.
After a technical review procedure that took really long time(you would be suprised by the dead on arrival policies on Greece), i got a full refund and i placed a new order from another shop on Wednesday. This morning i was glad but also terrified to receive the second unit. Unfortunately i got the exact same issue. On full brightness the issue is not fully visible but at medium or low brightness it's visible even from a small distance.
Has anyone else noticed something like that? (The image i attached describes the position of the red line). I am having trouble capturing it with my iphone because the red line is pale. In the second photo there is an oval that surrounds the area. It also seems that the colours of each side don't match. Again i am not able to capture the full effect with my camera. But importing some coloured background photos can highlight the problem.
I was supper happy to get the series 4 44mm space gray model on 28 of September. I was "lucky" to get one on the first day of release.. After half day of usage, i saw that the grey regions and boxes where somehow trembling. I started to be nervous about the quality and started checking on solid background colors. To my suprise when i imported a white, a light gray and dark grey photo i found the following issue: There was a vertical pale-red line on the middle of the display.
After a technical review procedure that took really long time(you would be suprised by the dead on arrival policies on Greece), i got a full refund and i placed a new order from another shop on Wednesday. This morning i was glad but also terrified to receive the second unit. Unfortunately i got the exact same issue. On full brightness the issue is not fully visible but at medium or low brightness it's visible even from a small distance.
Has anyone else noticed something like that? (The image i attached describes the position of the red line). I am having trouble capturing it with my iphone because the red line is pale. In the second photo there is an oval that surrounds the area. It also seems that the colours of each side don't match. Again i am not able to capture the full effect with my camera. But importing some coloured background photos can highlight the problem.
Attachments
Thanks for your reply!! I have already contacted the store and the new technical review is about to begin. My thoughts are about ordering a new one or just asking for a refund. The first one was produced on last week of august while the second one was produced last week of October. But i got the same problem. If it's something wrong with the display manufacturer it should be addressed. The really dark UI of the watch sometimes hides such kind of issues. And that's the reason i am asking if someone else has noticed the same problem or i should just blame my luck and get over it..
Don’t let it ruin you Apple Watch experience. Get it replaced and move on. You will love your watch.
it is winter time - and most of the time the day is dark, so no closets needed. enough annoying to see uneven display anywhere if not under the bright light. that is not what i expected to see when bought the watch. i thought i bought ”apple watch”, not ”a chinese apple watch”.
if apple hasnt fixed this issue, just keep away from it. and im quessing they havent fixed it because ”this was the first time we heard about it” when called them...
Sorry. It I do not see an issue for Apple to fix. Maybe because I live in Florida and even in the winter the day is light! I refuse to dwell on what I can not see we using my watch from day to day.
If you think your watch is defective, take it to the Apple store.
i could take to the apple store if there was any in my country. but because there isnt, i called them and they send me a new one. they literally said, that if the screen isnt even, then the screen is faulty and needs to be changed - but they also said that it was the first time they heard about it... well, lets see what happens... somlet see how many times they need to send a new one, and when they stop saying ”oh, this is the first time...” and actually fix the issue.
then it is time to refund if they cannot manufacture anything else than faulty screens.
If you want a refund, you better check with who ever you bought and see what their rules are.
Maybe the device is not for you and you should move on.
bought from apple store.
or maybe you should understand that faulty devices are not accepted. im quessing you have apple shares - because no one else would defend faulty devices and blame customers having problem with them...
I am saying that they can not make everyone happy. If they send you several watches and you have the same “perceived” problem, that is just how the watch is. It is not perfect even though you think the money spent should make it so. Every device has it’s limits. I sold my stock over a month ago, thank God.
Best of luck to you on your search for perfection.
Sorry to interfere but it's not about searching for the perfection. The problem is that the problems we have described are not a case of perception. They are issues that may or may not arise depending on casual usage of the device. For me, it's not about making a fuss about the issue, but it's about getting the premium quality that we have paid for. So far i have never ever had a single problem with my apple devices. Except the ipad mini 2 lg panels image retention problem. Don't get me wrong apple watch is an incredible device that i really really like but if there is a single problem with the quality of the display, apple has to find a way to fix these issues. When a similar problem arose with ipad minis, later batches were fully functional and the problem got away. Maybe something similar has to be done with apple watch too.
Apple is a multibillionaire company that has offered premium devices of great quality throughout the years. I have never been interested in getting a feature first from apple. I was really happy to receive perfectly implemented features whenever the were released. That's what apple has offered throughout the years. And that's what we, as consumers should always pursuit for.
The problem i described in my previous post, is affecting a bunch of users, as it has been reported in another thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/vertical-line-on-apple-watch-series-4.2146521/
Let's accept your way of thinking and accept that there will not be perfect devices. What if these problems become worse and worse over the time? What if these issues is just early signs of defected displays. I am sure that apple stores or official resellers are gonna refund or replace the device but the problem should be addressed at its root. If there is a problem with a display manufacturer, then something has to be done. If there is a problem with the quality assurance, then something has to be done. Why should these devices remain for sale?
Apple's stance on such kind of issues (replacing or refunding) is a really good policy that shows that the company respects the consumers. But sorry my pals these kind of issues are not a matter of perception. It's not a quest of finding the perfect device. It's a matter of getting the excellent screen that we have been promised and paid a specific price. Don't get me wrong, the device is really really really good.
Apple is a multibillionaire company that has offered premium devices of great quality throughout the years. I have never been interested in getting a feature first from apple. I was really happy to receive perfectly implemented features whenever the were released. That's what apple has offered throughout the years. And that's what we, as consumers should always pursuit for.
The problem i described in my previous post, is affecting a bunch of users, as it has been reported in another thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/vertical-line-on-apple-watch-series-4.2146521/
Let's accept your way of thinking and accept that there will not be perfect devices. What if these problems become worse and worse over the time? What if these issues is just early signs of defected displays. I am sure that apple stores or official resellers are gonna refund or replace the device but the problem should be addressed at its root. If there is a problem with a display manufacturer, then something has to be done. If there is a problem with the quality assurance, then something has to be done. Why should these devices remain for sale?
Apple's stance on such kind of issues (replacing or refunding) is a really good policy that shows that the company respects the consumers. But sorry my pals these kind of issues are not a matter of perception. It's not a quest of finding the perfect device. It's a matter of getting the excellent screen that we have been promised and paid a specific price. Don't get me wrong, the device is really really really good.
Actually, Apple is a $1 trillion dollar company. Regardless, they do you make some of the best devices on the market, and I’m willing to believe the majority of consumers will never notice what others do on here with uneven displays, etc. I’m not saying it’s not an issue, it’s just not an issue for those who simply don’t care and use their Apple Watch every day without even knowing what to look for. The best thing you can do, is report it to Apple and hopefully their engineering team can make the necessary adjustments for the Apple Watch in the future.
I couldn’t see it on my S4 until I downloaded the reddit image and tried it. Then it was pretty obvious. Bummed me out for a while then I deleted the image. Seems like it happens most with a specific shade of grey. Looks just fine on every other colour I try. I suspect most folk who don’t think they have the issue haven’t tried the reddit image. Think I can ignore it. For this year.
I really understand what you are saying. For me it's not about if i can withstand the issue, it's about what could this issue lead to. If these kind of problems are just early signs of faulty screens and after a year(when my warranty will be over in Greece) i would either have to pay for a new device or a pricey repair. Let me explain how it got worse over a day for example:
When i got my device, i did not notice any kind of problems. As the time went on, i used my apple watch clueless about the issue. When i used some apps with the grey info boxes(health app for example), i got a weird feeling that the boxes were trembling. something bothered me when looking at these regions. Then i got anxious and checked solid colour backgrounds. I immediately found out the vertical line which got worse over the day. I upgraded watch os, reduced motion and transparency but nothing changed. Next day the technician that checked my device found out some weird checkboard like patterns on some app screens. It was like there was a problem that was getting worse and worse with usage!!!
When i got the second one, i knew what to look for.. this time the issue is a little less obvious but still present. How could i be sure and calm about the screen and it's future functionality? Thanks god this time i got it from a store with really great customer support and service and i hope i will not encounter any issues. But should i just order new ones hoping that someday there will be a device with normal display quality? Should i skip this generation? I just sent a feedback about the issue per your suggestion.
I know Apple will address the issue either on later batches or on next Generation. But by what standards are such kind of issues considered normal? What should a customer accept as a normal behaviour? Is there a specific tradeoff for using ltpo oled screens?
I have a general consumer stance especially with rich companies. If consumers start considering faulty devices as a normal behaviour just because the technical procedures are time wasting (especially in some countries like mine) or just because the issues are not so obvious, then rich companies will lower their standards because they always get away with it.
Apple throughout the years has offered the exact opposite from what i described, and i hope that's the way it stays in the future.
Sorry for the long posts and if by any way i have offended any of you with my comments. Also sorry for any errors in my messages.
Last edited:
I noticed it when scrolling through grey menus, like the messages inbox and the settings app. I didn't realize how bad it was until I put a grey image on it and checked the uniformity. But it looks great on every other color just as yours.
The place where it becomes really obvious in regular use is when I turn up the brightness slightly in a dark room using the crown. Then the right side of the display is much brighter than the left. This is at the lowest two or three brightness steps, then the left side catches up.