Other Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up

[VadimVV]

Quick question on this- you mention the 12 Mini being worse at lower brightness than 12/12 Pro, but the numbers above show a lower percentage at 0% and 25% brightness than the 12/12Pro. Am I not reading this correctly?

You may not have noticed - this message shows the measurements for the 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max, not the regular 12 and 12 Pro. Measured results for the 12 and 12 Pro have been taken earlier (link to measurement results) - at brightness levels from 50% to 0%, the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) was approximately 8% to 10%, which is significantly better than previous OLED models, but still noticeable worse than 8 Plus and other IPS iPhones (0.7% - 1% at any brightness level).

It should also be noted that the difference not only at brightness levels from 25% to 0%, but throughout the entire brightness range from 50% to 0% - after dimming less than 50%, the pulsation coefficient begins to rapidly increase and reaches its peak at brightness of about 25%.

 

[dan98]

how about the SE 2020- any thoughts on that being a decent alternative for people who want a small phone and maybe cannot deal with the PWM on the 12 Mini? I was thinking ahead to backup plans- I still have my regular 11, but I just cannot stand that size, so if my 12 Mini just doesn't work out (fingers crossed it does, though) I am thinking the SE2020 may be the good alternative since I always liked that size back when I had the 6s and 7.

Subjectively I can't get along with the SE2020 after coming from the SE 1. Just a bit too big for one-handed use, while being heavier, worse battery life, and way more expensive. It also feels annoyingly slippery in the hand compared to the original.
For me, at least, it's a clear step backwards.

 

[jm31828]

You may not have noticed - this message shows the measurements for the 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max, not the regular 12 and 12 Pro. Measured results for the 12 and 12 Pro have been taken earlier (link to measurement results) - at brightness levels from 50% to 0%, the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) was approximately 8% to 10%, which is significantly better than previous OLED models, but still noticeable worse than 8 Plus and other IPS iPhones (0.7% - 1% at any brightness level).

It should also be noted that the difference not only at brightness levels from 25% to 0%, but throughout the entire brightness range from 50% to 0% - after dimming less than 50%, the pulsation coefficient begins to rapidly increase and reaches its peak at brightness of about 25%.

Ah thank you, yeah sorry for my mistake there.

So in your opinion based strictly on these numbers, what looks to be the best compromise for the least amount of flicker and smallest pulsation coefficient while also not being too bright? I imagine a brightness level of 50%- 75%, then some adjustment on the reduce white point- which I know you said increases flicker, but I imagine there must be some compromise amongst those three that will get the display to the best possible usability for most people who might be sensitive? (again, I know it can differ per person, but by the numbers- that was my question)

Thanks!

 

[MICHAELSD]

I've been following the threads on iPhone and PWM to create this comment.

Since I was sensitive to the PWM on the iPhone XS Max, I jumped to the iPhone 11 when that launched last year.

I was able to play around with all four iPhones this morning. Since PWM was the one thing ensuring I might not upgrade this year, my inclination was to record slo-mo on about:blank at 0% brightness, 50% brightness, and 100% brightness.

My observations:

• iPhone 12 mini had the most flickering out of the four - and it was by a noticeable amount.
• iPhone 12 and 12 Pro were one and the same. When playing around at 50% or higher, there seemed to be no difference with PWM. The flickering got worse once you dropped below that threshold and kept getting closer to 0%.
• iPhone 12 Pro Max followed a similar trajectory where 50% or higher didn't alter the amount of flickering. What is important is that the device had the least amount of flickering out of the four - and it was noticeable right away from just pointing my iPhone 11's camera at the device. To ensure I wasn't going crazy, I brought other people over to verify that I wasn't losing my mind.

Now the iPhone 12 Pro Max still uses PWM and it still flickers - but it seemed like a decent enough improvement from from what I noticed with the 12 mini, 12, and 12 Pro.

Since I also had a OnePlus 7T on me, which has a PWM of 357 MHz per Notebookcheck, I compared it to the iPhone 12 Pro Max specifically.

Man - if only Apple used DC Dimming on these devices.

At 50% or higher brightness on the OnePlus 7T, using either PWM or DC Dimming, the iPhone 12 Pro Max had a similar amount of flickering. Once you dropped below 50%, OnePlus 7T's use of DC Dimming ran circles around the iPhone 12 Pro Max's use of PWM. On the other hand - OnePlus 7T's use of PWM at 50% or less was on par to the iPhone 12 Pro Max's use of PWM.

It seems if you need a new iPhone, but have issues with PWM; the iPhone 12 Pro Max might be the way to go. The only downside is you have a physically larger and noticeably heavier device.

I have an iPhone 12 Pro Max on me, so I'm going to test it out over the next few days to see if I encounter the same issues I did with my XS Max.

Do you have a video by any chance?

I’m still torn on which iPhone to choose this year. I’d assume a benefit of visiting an Apple Store may be that they have stock of all four models for walk-ins that isn’t available as a pickup option on the site.

 

[tonybarnaby]

Do you have a video by any chance?

I’m still torn on which iPhone to choose this year. I’d assume a benefit of visiting an Apple Store may be that they have stock of all four models for walk-ins that isn’t available as a pickup option on the site.

Why not buy 2 of them and return the one that doesn’t work for you? Assuming you get the max, you would doubt if the 12 or 12 pro was better. Buy both and return one (or both) if your eyes don’t like it.

 

[timeconsumer]

After testing the 12 mini over the weekend. It seems to be bothering my eyes similarly to the way the XS did. I was able to use the 11 Pro for a year with no issues so I’m not sure why I’m having trouble.

Current settings on the 12 mini:
Reduce white point: 70%
Trying brightness at 50%, 75% and 100%.

I can only tolerate the 12 mini at 100% brightness with reduce white point set at 70%.

The 11 Pro was tolerable for me at 50% and above.

Based on the information posted by @VadimVV I am considering trying out the 12 Pro as that screen seems like it measured better. I wanted a smaller/lighter device but maybe with being thinner and having flat sides it’ll be easier to use.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Why not buy 2 of them and return the one that doesn’t work for you? Assuming you get the max, you would doubt if the 12 or 12 pro was better. Buy both and return one (or both) if your eyes don’t like it.

I’ve considered that, but I’d feel bad buying two phones when the odds are I won’t be able to keep either of them. Even though I keep and return them in mint condition. (I’m super OCD with new iPhones, probably caused by the OCD I’ve seen on forums like this and YouTube videos.)

Then there’s also the possibility of ordering iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Max and liking the smaller size but wanting the Pro features, so that ends up being three phones assuming the PWM on the 12 doesn’t bother me. I’ve considered ordering an iPhone SE as well to test, but I suppose that will come if I’m not able to use any of the iPhone 12 models. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up returning that as well and keeping my 8+ for another year, although when I tested it in an Apple Store I was super impressed with the contrast ratio Apple was able to achieve on the SE LCD — it’s better than iPhone 11.

I did ask a manager at Apple about this, and they don’t have a specific policy that limits returns like Amazon/Best Buy.

 

[tonybarnaby]

I’ve considered that, but I’d feel bad buying two phones when the odds are I won’t be able to keep either of them. Even though I keep and return them in mint condition. (I’m super OCD with new iPhones, probably caused by the OCD I’ve seen on forums like this and YouTube videos.)

Then there’s also the possibility of ordering iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Max and liking the smaller size but wanting the Pro features, so that ends up being three phones assuming the PWM on the 12 doesn’t bother me. I’ve considered ordering an iPhone SE as well to test, but I suppose that will come if I’m not able to use any of the iPhone 12 models. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up returning that as well and keeping my 8+ for another year, although when I tested it in an Apple Store I was super impressed with the contrast ratio Apple was able to achieve on the SE LCD — it’s better than iPhone 11.

I did ask a manager at Apple about this, and they don’t have a specific policy that limits returns like Amazon/Best Buy.

I’ll be honest and say I’d be surprised if any of the phones work for people who couldn’t use the X, but to some people it’s worth a try. I’m not even bothering with it because my 8+ is still solid

 

[mjb59463]

After testing the 12 mini over the weekend. It seems to be bothering my eyes similarly to the way the XS did. I was able to use the 11 Pro for a year with no issues so I’m not sure why I’m having trouble.

Current settings on the 12 mini:
Reduce white point: 70%
Trying brightness at 50%, 75% and 100%.

I can only tolerate the 12 mini at 100% brightness with reduce white point set at 70%.

The 11 Pro was tolerable for me at 50% and above.

Based on the information posted by @VadimVV I am considering trying out the 12 Pro as that screen seems like it measured better. I wanted a smaller/lighter device but maybe with being thinner and having flat sides it’ll be easier to use.

This was my case almost exactly. Went from the X to the XS to 11 pro to 12 pro to mini. Everything was fine with every other model, but the Mini created nagging issues with my eyes.

I played with the settings (Reduce White Point, Brightness and increased Display Text size), but no matter what I did, my eyes still ached and were extremely dry.

Returned it and picked up another 12 Pro 1st thing this morning. No eye issues. It’s disappointing because I really wanted a smaller phone, but may no longer be in the cards for me due to the way my eyes reacted.

No idea what is responsible for this. Could be the OLED they used, could be the transition period back to a smaller phone. I just had an eye exam recently and nothing significantly changed in my vision. Also did not need a new glasses prescription.

FWIW, the 12 Pro feels great to me. I do wish it was 5.8 inches vs the 6.1, but I can live with it. It’s not significantly larger.

 

[jm31828]

This was my case almost exactly. Went from the X to the XS to 11 pro to 12 pro to mini. Everything was fine with every other model, but the Mini created nagging issues with my eyes.

I played with the settings (Reduce White Point, Brightness and increased Display Text size), but no matter what I did, my eyes still ached and were extremely dry.

Returned it and picked up another 12 Pro 1st thing this morning. No eye issues. It’s disappointing because I really wanted a smaller phone, but may no longer be in the cards for me due to the way my eyes reacted.

No idea what is responsible for this. Could be the OLED they used, could be the transition period back to a smaller phone. I just had an eye exam recently and nothing significantly changed in my vision. Also did not need a new glasses prescription.

FWIW, the 12 Pro feels great to me. I do wish it was 5.8 inches vs the 6.1, but I can live with it. It’s not significantly larger.

Interesting!
Did you have issues with the x or xs?

I just got my 12 mini. Still playing with settings- I really, really want it to work out- so far the main thing I am noticing is dry eyes. Weird feeling!
Not sure if it’s the flicker, or the sharp brightness. On my lcd phones (most recently, a regular 11), I kept brightness down to 20% to keep it from hurting my eyes.
But on the mini, I have to keep brightness above 50% for less flicker- I have reduce white point at 80%, but it’s still rather bright.
Not sure if it will just take some time to adjust to the new display or what- I will give it another week or two.

So no symptoms at all for you on the 12 pro- what brightness level do you use on it?

 

[VadimVV]

Ah thank you, yeah sorry for my mistake there.

So in your opinion based strictly on these numbers, what looks to be the best compromise for the least amount of flicker and smallest pulsation coefficient while also not being too bright? I imagine a brightness level of 50%- 75%, then some adjustment on the reduce white point- which I know you said increases flicker, but I imagine there must be some compromise amongst those three that will get the display to the best possible usability for most people who might be sensitive? (again, I know it can differ per person, but by the numbers- that was my question)

Thanks!

Yes, I think trying to find a compromise between flicker and brightness is a good idea. But I'm not sure if this will be enough, since the sensitivity to PWM and brightness is individual for everyone.

I plan to carry out the following measurements - measure the absolute value of brightness (in Cd/m2) at a setting of about 20% brightness, and see at what level of a white point when setting a brightness of 100%, the same absolute value of screen brightness will be, and also compare, it will be whether the flicker is actually less at an equivalent absolute brightness level. Thus, it will be possible to draw an objective conclusion whether in reality a reducing white point can lead to a decrease in flicker at an equal brightness value in absolute values.

I hope I haven't confused you with this reasoning.) And I hope Google did a good job of translating)

I have constant access to only 8 Plus and XS Max, so I will take measurements on XS Max to check the principle itself, and if possible, I will do the same in a store with a 12 Pro, which I have already ordered for myself, and with a 12 Mini, as this can be useful to you.

 

[VadimVV]

For example - on 8 Plus, which I now have with me, at 20% brightness setting and default white point gives an absolute value of screen brightness about 14 Cd/m2. The same absolute value of brightness can be achieved by raising the brightness to 100% in the settings and at the same time reducing the white point to 96%. Roughly the same is most likely possible with OLED screens. And it only remains to find out where the flicker is more, at 20% brightness with default white point or at 100% brightness with 96% white point.

Thus, it will be possible to check whether the white point reduction actually works to decrease flicker.

 

[mjb59463]

Interesting!
Did you have issues with the x or xs?

I just got my 12 mini. Still playing with settings- I really, really want it to work out- so far the main thing I am noticing is dry eyes. Weird feeling!
Not sure if it’s the flicker, or the sharp brightness. On my lcd phones (most recently, a regular 11), I kept brightness down to 20% to keep it from hurting my eyes.
But on the mini, I have to keep brightness above 50% for less flicker- I have reduce white point at 80%, but it’s still rather bright.
Not sure if it will just take some time to adjust to the new display or what- I will give it another week or two.

So no symptoms at all for you on the 12 pro- what brightness level do you use on it?

No issues with the X or XS historically. I’m currently using my 12 pro at around 40% brightness, no issues to report so far, other than my eyes feeling much better.

 

[Samut]

Would anyone have firsthand experience from extended usage on how 12 pro max is compared to the 12 pro? Besides the measurements posted earlier?

 

[timeconsumer]

This was my case almost exactly. Went from the X to the XS to 11 pro to 12 pro to mini. Everything was fine with every other model, but the Mini created nagging issues with my eyes.

I played with the settings (Reduce White Point, Brightness and increased Display Text size), but no matter what I did, my eyes still ached and were extremely dry.

Returned it and picked up another 12 Pro 1st thing this morning. No eye issues. It’s disappointing because I really wanted a smaller phone, but may no longer be in the cards for me due to the way my eyes reacted.

No idea what is responsible for this. Could be the OLED they used, could be the transition period back to a smaller phone. I just had an eye exam recently and nothing significantly changed in my vision. Also did not need a new glasses prescription.

FWIW, the 12 Pro feels great to me. I do wish it was 5.8 inches vs the 6.1, but I can live with it. It’s not significantly larger.

I picked up a 12 Pro last night and will be returning the 12 mini. Not sure what it is about the 12 mini but I’m not having any eye issues with the 12 Pro. Could be the smaller size, could be a difference in the screens. I feel like the 12 Pro while being bigger/heavier has better weight distribution than the 11 Pro did. It seems fine in my hands, although I do think a 5.8” screen would have been better. I’m currently using it without a case but have an Apple leather case on the way.

 

[jm31828]

Yes, I think trying to find a compromise between flicker and brightness is a good idea. But I'm not sure if this will be enough, since the sensitivity to PWM and brightness is individual for everyone.

I plan to carry out the following measurements - measure the absolute value of brightness (in Cd/m2) at a setting of about 20% brightness, and see at what level of a white point when setting a brightness of 100%, the same absolute value of screen brightness will be, and also compare, it will be whether the flicker is actually less at an equivalent absolute brightness level. Thus, it will be possible to draw an objective conclusion whether in reality a reducing white point can lead to a decrease in flicker at an equal brightness value in absolute values.

I hope I haven't confused you with this reasoning.) And I hope Google did a good job of translating)

I have constant access to only 8 Plus and XS Max, so I will take measurements on XS Max to check the principle itself, and if possible, I will do the same in a store with a 12 Pro, which I have already ordered for myself, and with a 12 Mini, as this can be useful to you.

That would be great if you could take those measurements- so helpful for many of us- thank you!

 

[jm31828]

I picked up a 12 Pro last night and will be returning the 12 mini. Not sure what it is about the 12 mini but I’m not having any eye issues with the 12 Pro. Could be the smaller size, could be a difference in the screens. I feel like the 12 Pro while being bigger/heavier has better weight distribution than the 11 Pro did. It seems fine in my hands, although I do think a 5.8” screen would have been better. I’m currently using it without a case but have an Apple leather case on the way.

It is unfortunate, I think we have found that the Mini does have a different display- made by Samsung instead of the LG that is in the 12 and 12 Pro.... and some testing posted here does seem to show the flicker to be a bit worse on the mini than the regular 12 and 12 Pro.

Really disappointing! Besides eye pain that subsided when you went to the Pro, what were your thoughts on using the mini otherwise- did you really like it, or were you a bit disappointed in it in other ways (battery life, size/feel in the hand, etc)?


Jury is still out for me on my Mini. I really like the look and feel of it- the screen doesn't seem too small to read or use, but I find myself feeling at times like my hands are engulfing this little thing and making it just a tad bit awkward. I really like how much easier it is to throw in a jacket pocket though compared to my old 11 that felt massive in comparison....

And then there is the flicker- I have finicky eyes that take time to adjust to any new display and I get headaches a lot anyway, but I do not seem to get any new headaches or eye pain from this phone- except for dry warm-feeling eyes that develop within a couple of minutes of looking at the phone.
I am going to give it another week or so and see how it goes..... but given what I have heard about the regular 12 being somewhat smaller than the 11, and the display having less flicker than the mini and not being problematic for as many people, I am tempted to pick one up and try it out.

 

[Aleksid1]

Regrettably iPhone 12 screen flickers. I visited a local shop to check iPhone 12 and 12 Mini. I have Radex Lupin tool which can detect flickering of OLED screens and LED lights.

My measurements:

100% - 5% of pulsations.
50% - 8%
25% - 86%
5% - 29%

At 25% of brightness level I can see a terrible flickering like in all previous iPhones with OLED screens.

I saw another topic on Macrumors where user discovered that special iPhone 12 demonstrated in Apple Store have no flickering, because it's low brightness level was high (very bright), it masks the problem:

iPhone 12 is flicker free(DC dimming)!

I went to the Apple store and test the PWM flicker of iPhone 12/Pro simply with camera. No flicker is detected at all brightness level on both 12 and 12 pro. But it’s very weird that the minimum brightness of 12 is much higher than 11/11 pro. It seems that Apple limited the minimum brightness of...

forums.macrumors.com

And so here are the results of measurements:
Brightness level - pulsation coefficient (may be better translation from Russian is flicker index)

Iphone 12 Pro
1. 100 % - 6.8 %
2. 75 % - 7.7 %
3. 50 % - 8.6 %
4. 25 % - 10.0 %
5. 0 % - 8.3 %

Iphone 12
1. 100 % - 6.8 %
2. 75 % - 7.7 %
3. 50 % - 8.9 %
4. 25 % - 9.5 %
5. 0 % - 8.3 %

 

[jm31828]

Regrettably iPhone 12 screen flickers. I visited a local shop to check iPhone 12 and 12 Mini. I have Radex Lupin tool which can detect flickering of OLED screens and LED lights.

My measurements:

100% - 5% of pulsations.
50% - 8%
25% - 86%
5% - 29%

At 25% of brightness level I can see a terrible flickering like in all previous iPhones with OLED screens.

I saw another topic on Macrumors where user discovered that special iPhone 12 demonstrated in Apple Store have no flickering, because it's low brightness level was high (very bright), it masks the problem:

iPhone 12 is flicker free(DC dimming)!

I went to the Apple store and test the PWM flicker of iPhone 12/Pro simply with camera. No flicker is detected at all brightness level on both 12 and 12 pro. But it’s very weird that the minimum brightness of 12 is much higher than 11/11 pro. It seems that Apple limited the minimum brightness of...

forums.macrumors.com

So with your findings, it seems 50% brightness is the sweet spot for reducing the pulsations to a reasonable level without being too bright- and the user can then use reduce white point to darken a bit more, depending on how sensitive they are to the bright screen at that point?

25% is crazy high for the pulsations- wow! To think, 2 years ago I had an XS for a couple of weeks and kept the screen brightness at around 25%, I assume that model had similar pulsations- it is no wonder I had so much eye strain with that one!

 

[Aleksid1]

Yes,

Brightness level 50% and higher is OK regarding flickering - only 5-8% of pulsations.

For example, as I found with Radex Lupin tool that my classical 60W lamp has 16% of pulsations. But I don't see it and it's comfortable for my eyes. So it seems that honey pot for AMOLED would be pulsations below 16% at any brightness level.

Right now I strongly don't recommend to buy any iPhone 12 device for people with sensitive eyes. I still have iPhone 7 and I tend to buy new iPhone SE2 or iPhone 11 (not Pro).

 

[jm31828]

Yes,

Brightness level 50% and higher is OK regarding flickering - only 5-8% of pulsations.

For example, as I found with my Radex Lupin my classical 60W lamp has 16% of pulsations. But I don't see it and it's comfortable for my eyes. So it seems that honey pot for AMOLED would be pulsations below 16% at any brightness level.

Great findings! I think I had read elsewhere, too, that anything around 10% or less on a phone screen should be fine even for most sensitive people.

What are your thoughts or findings on using reduce white point? I ask because some- like myself- are also sensitive to screens being very bright, so 50% is far too bright for me. What I am trying on my Mini is setting brightness at 50%, then setting 80% reduce white point which sets the display to just about the right level- not too bright.

Do you find that setting reduce white point this much further enhances the pulsations- or is that minimal? I have no understanding of how the phone actually darkens the display when using reduce white point- I assume it is not just using more PWM flickering, otherwise that would be the same as just turning down brightness?

And when using dark mode, with much of the display being black with pixels simply turned off- any thoughts on whether that is easier on the eyes for sensitive people vs. using light mode, where more of the display is lit up?

 

[VadimVV]

That would be great if you could take those measurements- so helpful for many of us- thank you!

Below are the results of the XS Max measurements.
The purpose of the measurement is to determine if reducing the white point helps reduce flicker.

Let me remind you of the XS Max results on the default white point:
Brightness level - pulsation coefficient (flicker index)
1.100% - 7.3%
2.75% - 7.8%
3.50% - 9.4%
4.25% - 104.1%
5.0% - 44.3%

At 20% brightness settings, the brightness value in absolute terms is 22.3 Cd/m2 and the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) is 84%.

In order to get about the same brightness value in absolute terms (about 22.3 Cd/m2) at 100% brightness setting, we need to reduce the white point to 96%, while the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) will be 13.6%

At 75% brightness settings, to get the same brightness value in absolute terms, we need to reduce the white point to 94%, the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) is 14.1%

At 50% brightness, to get the same brightness in absolute terms we need to reduce the white point to 88%, the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) is 14.5%.

We can conclude that reducing the white point does work, but not very well, since the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) is still higher than at the same brightness settings (in percent) without reducing the white point. Accordingly, in order to obtain a low visible brightness of the screen (in low light conditions), it is quite reasonable to raise the brightness to maximum in the settings and use the use white point reduction to control the actual visible brightness. I realize this looks odd enough for a $ 1000+ device, but that's all we can do. It makes sense to find a compromise between the brightness level and the white point level in the settings.

Unfortunately, this may not be enough for many of us, since all these values, even the lowest, are still several times higher than 8 Plus and other IPS iPhones, and also higher than the maximum allowable value (according to Russian standards , the maximum permissible value of the pulsation coefficient for screens is 5%, but I think that even at 5%, people who are sensitive to PWM may experience typical negative symptoms).

These measurements were taken on the XS Max, as it is readily available, I guess the trends will be similar for the 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max. I will take measurements for the 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max next time I visit the store.

 

[jm31828]

Below are the results of the XS Max measurements.
The purpose of the measurement is to determine if reducing the white point helps reduce flicker.

Let me remind you of the XS Max results on the default white point:
Brightness level - pulsation coefficient (flicker index)
1.100% - 7.3%
2.75% - 7.8%
3.50% - 9.4%
4.25% - 104.1%
5.0% - 44.3%

At 20% brightness settings, the brightness value in absolute terms is 22.3 Cd/m2 and the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) is 84%.

In order to get about the same brightness value in absolute terms (about 22.3 Cd/m2) at 100% brightness setting, we need to reduce the white point to 96%, while the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) will be 13.6%

At 75% brightness settings, to get the same brightness value in absolute terms, we need to reduce the white point to 94%, the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) is 14.1%

At 50% brightness, to get the same brightness in absolute terms we need to reduce the white point to 88%, the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) is 14.5%.

We can conclude that reducing the white point does work, but not very well, since the pulsation coefficient (flicker index) is still higher than at the same brightness settings (in percent) without reducing the white point. Accordingly, in order to obtain a low visible brightness of the screen (in low light conditions), it is quite reasonable to raise the brightness to maximum in the settings and use the use white point reduction to control the actual visible brightness. I realize this looks odd enough for a $ 1000+ device, but that's all we can do. It makes sense to find a compromise between the brightness level and the white point level in the settings.

Unfortunately, this may not be enough for many of us, since all these values, even the lowest, are still several times higher than 8 Plus and other IPS iPhones, and also higher than the maximum allowable value (according to Russian standards , the maximum permissible value of the pulsation coefficient for screens is 5%, but I think that even at 5%, people who are sensitive to PWM may experience typical negative symptoms).

These measurements were taken on the XS Max, as it is readily available, I guess the trends will be similar for the 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max. I will take measurements for the 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max next time I visit the store.

Thank you so much for this great research and for taking the time to share!

This is fascinating stuff. And also very interesting to hear that Russian standards for pulsation coefficient is 5% or less. Does this mean that they at some point do publish these figures for things like iPhones, and there are warnings on these devices stating that they are outside of the the range that is considered acceptable/safe?

Regarding your findings- are you stating that the best recommendation is to set brightness to maximum- 100%- and then use reduce white point to find the most desirable brightness instead of setting lower at 50% and using a lower amount of reduce white point from there?

 

[VadimVV]

Regrettably iPhone 12 screen flickers. I visited a local shop to check iPhone 12 and 12 Mini. I have Radex Lupin tool which can detect flickering of OLED screens and LED lights.

My measurements:

100% - 5% of pulsations.
50% - 8%
25% - 86%
5% - 29%

Are these measurement results for 12 Mini only or also for regular 12 and 12 Pro?

If only for 12 Mini, this is similar to the results that I also got with the measuring device that you (Radex Lupin), but if it is also for the regular 12 and 12 Pro, it looks very strange, since my results measurements are very different from these at brightness levels 25% and 5% (I measured at 0% instead of 5%, but it's not that important), while I measured 12 Pro twice in different stores and got about the same results. I really hope that there is no real big difference even between two devices of the same model, otherwise it will bring complete chaos.

 

[Aleksid1]

I forgot to check iPhone 12 screen with reduced white point. In theory it may help and it firmly worked with iPhone X earlier. Probably I'll re-check again in another shop.