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Other Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up

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Are you experiencing this issue?

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AJAAY said:
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you (except the recent eye exam, I need one as I'm running out of contacts!) Anyway, I'm coming from an XS Max which I somewhat got use too, and now with the Pro its pretty much hit and miss too. Not nearly as bad as the X.

I just picked up an 11 just to see if it was the same as the XR, and I have to say I'm disappointed. Of course I still get some strain with the 11 (like I did with the XR), but the screen on the 11 was not as bright as the Pro Max (even with both set to 100% max with auto-brightness turned off)and the left side of the screen was slightly dimmer than the right. Also I most certainly notice the "720p" screen, youtube videos blurry and the "fuzzy" around the text.

I'll stick with the Pro Max for now.
Click to expand...
Once I ruled out the regular 11 (as you mentioned not nearly as bright, lower resolution is noticeable to my eyes, dislike narrow phones, the grey letterboxing of videos given it cannot achieve deep blacks was not pleasant, some tinting and shadowing of the screen, etc), I gained some additional peace of mind. But that left me with my 8 Plus or my Pro Max.

Where I am at now is, what degree of discomfort is worth dealing with in order to gain the advantages of the new phone. I know for many, that answer is zero. For many, no discomfort is worth keeping a phone. I did comparison shots last night using my 8 Plus and Pro Max cameras. Man, I used to think so highly of the 8 Plus photos I took but the Pro Max embarrassed it. The battery life is insane, the special audio is fantastic for watching video or listening to music without headphones. The screen, when not causing pain, is gorgeous. So, I am stumped. Another year on the trusty ol 8 Plus knowing it will still do all I need it to do, just not on the level of the Pro Max.....or keep the best phone I have ever used in every capacity but knowing at any moment I could get dry scratchy eyes.
 
ARizz44 said:
Another year on the trusty ol 8 Plus knowing it will still do all I need it to do, just not on the level of the Pro Max.....or keep the best phone I have ever used in every capacity but knowing at any moment I could get dry scratchy eyes.
Click to expand...

Charging this thing every 2 days (literally) is a blast.

And this:

IMG_0197.JPG


Can´t believe this photo was taken by a phone at night.

Maybe you can use less your phone, to avoid getting eyes issues, but I also had to say is a little dump having a 1000 dls phone and don´t use it...

The problem is that you already tasted the best haha

Also a year pass really fast... only you can decide.
 
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austyn23 said:
Charging this thing every 2 days (literally) is a blast.

And this:

View attachment 870244

Can´t believe this photo was taken by a phone at night.

Maybe you can use less your phone, to avoid getting eyes issues, but I also had to say is a little dump having a 1000 dls phone and don´t use it...

The problem is that you already tasted the best haha

Also a year pass really fast... only you can decide.
Click to expand...

You guys are right, it really is a tough decision. I returned my Pro, BUT my wife has no problems with hers, so I did have the knowledge I can just grab hers when we're on vacation or whatever to take some pictures with that great phone (or of course she'll be taking great pictures as well, but she even admits I'm better with the camera. :) )
 
I got my hands on a Pixel 4XL. I thought others might be interested in seeing what the PWM looks like on a 90hz screen as Apple may do the same next year. Seems better than the iPhone 11 Pro as the scan rate is crawling pretty slow. And its seems pretty easy to keep most of it at bay when close to 100% which is not so bad because the screen is not very bright so 100% is almost normal brightness in most situations. Below are 2 recordings with my iPhone 11, one in normal video mode and the other in slo-mo video mode.

Normal Video
https://www.dropbox.com/s/znge3bfwznq9otw/normal.mp4?dl=0

Slo-Mo Video
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7bsap3pjt0ugrfh/slomo.mp4?dl=0
 
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orbitalpunk said:
I got my hands on a Pixel 4XL. I thought others might be interested in seeing what the PWM looks like on a 90hz screen as Apple may do the same next year. Seems better than the iPhone 11 Pro as the scan rate is crawling pretty slow. And its seems pretty easy to keep most of it at bay when close to 100% which is not so bad because the screen is not very bright so 100% is almost normal brightness in most situations. Below are 2 recordings with my iPhone 11, one in normal video mode and the other in slo-mo video mode.

Normal Video
https://www.dropbox.com/s/znge3bfwznq9otw/normal.mp4?dl=0

Slo-Mo Video
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7bsap3pjt0ugrfh/slomo.mp4?dl=0
Click to expand...
Thanks, but as a reminder, the screen refresh rate (60 Hz normally, or 90 Hz in this case) is not the same as the PWM frequency.

It is too bad manufacturers continue to use PWM.
 
Dejected said:
Any updates for those who bought the 11pro ?
Click to expand...
From what I have seen in my extensive research on this topic, pwm sensitivity is not something you can get over. If you buy a phone and have headaches from it, your eyes/brain will not ever adapt to it. Most people don’t have any pain at all, but I have yet to see even ONE person who had headaches from their oled iPhone (or even the xr/11) and found a workaround to make it pain free. It all depends on how badly you want to keep it, and how often it happens. We know pwm is a real thing, but the more confusing part to me is the xr/11 also causing strain. I wonder if it’s something both phones share in common that can be narrowed down. The fact my 11 gives me the same headaches as my max did makes me think there is some common denominator here. It’s not the resolution, it’s not Face ID, and it’s not the size of the screen. I am stumped.
 
It IS the resolution.
I have an iPhone 8 (not plus) and an iPhone 6 Plus. I can stare at the 6 Plus all day long (and have for years) and it doesn't bother my eyes at all. The 8 on the other hand, I start getting eyestrain after a couple hours using it. Sometimes much sooner. Happens every time.
There's something "weird" going on with the 8 screen compared to the old 6Plus, and the only thing in the specs show that it's the lower resolution.
(BTW, my iPhone 7, 5 and 4S also give me eyestrain)
 
now i see it said:
It IS the resolution.
I have an iPhone 8 (not plus) and an iPhone 6 Plus. I can stare at the 6 Plus all day long (and have for years) and it doesn't bother my eyes at all. The 8 on the other hand, I start getting eyestrain after a couple hours using it. Happens every time.
Click to expand...
The phone I’m using now is a 6.2” 720p lcd and I have ZERO issues using it 6 hours a day. My 6.1” 828p lcd iPhone 11 gave me pwm feeling headaches. Even before the headaches, I knew within a minute that the 8+ looked better. I notice zero difference between my 720p android and my 8+, but my android is wider than the iPhone 11 and that is the only difference.
 
now i see it said:
I have an iPhone 8 (not plus) and an iPhone 6 Plus. I can stare at the 6 Plus all day long (and have for years) and it doesn't bother my eyes at all. The 8 on the other hand, I start getting eyestrain after a couple hours using it.
Click to expand...
Have you used any oled before ?
 
I played with a friend's XS Max for about 5 minutes and couldn't tolerate the visible flickering. I'm very intolerant to flickering lights- like all those damn led taillights on modern cars - abomination. Apple's OLEDs (to me) are like staring at the taillights of a Cadillac Escalade- horrible. Sure the colors & all look great- but man that flickering is horrible. I couldn't get near it. I asked my friend if the flickering bothered him and he said no, no headaches or eyestrain. Yet to me it was a disaster display. So go figure
 
I just had a chance to play with 11 Pro and I must say that for the first time I felt some kind of pressure in my eyes and on the spot right between my eyebrows. I've never used a phone with OLED screen, at least not this extensively like this one (played with it for about 2-3h). I'm starring at my PC quite a lot at work and when I get home so maybe I'm just experiencing eye fatigue or my eyes need some time to adjust to OLED screens... I didn't get a headache though.
 
SuperOperator said:
I just had a chance to play with 11 Pro and I must say that for the first time I felt some kind of pressure in my eyes and on the spot right between my eyebrows. I've never used a phone with OLED screen, at least not this extensively like this one (played with it for about 2-3h). I'm starring at my PC quite a lot at work and when I get home so maybe I'm just experiencing eye fatigue or my eyes need some time to adjust to OLED screens... I didn't get a headache though.
Click to expand...
Yes, it's a real issue, and judging by the rumors coming out, it looks like we're only going to see more OLED in future models. Very worrisome.
 
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Stumbled on this thread, I’ve had the X since launch and definitely have the thing where I have to blink a couple times when I look up to focus on things. That said, I’m going to an optometrist next month for a professional to tell me if I’m just getting old.
 
21apple said:
9to5mac.com

iPhone X screen cracked? Turns out you don’t have to pay OLED prices to replace the display - 9to5Mac

iPhone X on left with orig. OLED display, with iFixit LCD on right iFixit has been offering OLED screens for...
9to5mac.com 9to5mac.com

Looks like you can get an LCD replacement for iPhone X, XS, and XS Max.
Click to expand...
Now that’s pretty interesting. Would it still use PWM to regulate the brightness though? I’m really curious if it would be a good fix for us, but testing it would require buying one of the phones, getting the screen replaced, and then being stuck with it permanently even if it doesn’t solve our problem :confused:

I *AM* pretty tempted to buy an X with a cracked screen off of eBay to try this out though...
 
How much time in a day you are using your iPhone?

I have been feeling the same when I used to work on my Mac for hours and then use my phone. But with doctor's advise I have started using anti-glare lenses and its all fine for me.
 
codeablemag said:
How much time in a day you are using your iPhone?

I have been feeling the same when I used to work on my Mac for hours and then use my phone. But with doctor's advise I have started using anti-glare lenses and its all fine for me.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I'm having difficulties understanding your comparison here.

In this thread, people are complaining about a change in display technology that makes them feel fatigue after looking at it for only a few minutes. The same people who used their phones/screens for hours without any problems.

I'm glad you're feeling better using anti-glare lenses, but this is not what the topic here is about.
 
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