After extensively testing the iPhone 13 Pro Max yesterday, I had a headache and nausea. I sent the iPhone 13 Pro Max back straight away. I am now pleased that my iPhone 12 Pro does not cause me any complaints, even if only occasionally very slightly. I'm very happy with it, and it's not the worst smartphone either. It is now eagerly awaited for next year, and it is hoped that Apple will finally change something about this unbearable situation. Good luck to all of you with your smartphone search. I check back regularly, and maybe Samsung will do better with the S22.
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Other Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up
- Thread starter Kitkad
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I’ve sent back all the OLED phones I was testing and I’m happily living with my 11 now.
A feeling of normality and contentment easy to take for granted, much like with anything health-related. I’ve had enough first-hand experience with PWM woes to really appreciate just feeling good!
I’ve also now got a warm LED lamp at my desk in the office, which is helping alleviate my eye strain from the horrible fluorescent strip lights.
My own health and comfort is now my priority. The 11 is easily the ‘best’ iPhone in my eyes (pun intended). 😂
A feeling of normality and contentment easy to take for granted, much like with anything health-related. I’ve had enough first-hand experience with PWM woes to really appreciate just feeling good!
I’ve also now got a warm LED lamp at my desk in the office, which is helping alleviate my eye strain from the horrible fluorescent strip lights.
My own health and comfort is now my priority. The 11 is easily the ‘best’ iPhone in my eyes (pun intended). 😂
Snap on the desk lamps. I've setup two either side of my Mac to give me warmer and more comfortable lighting in the area I'm looking.
So far all my company has done to help with the overly bright pwm ceiling lights is to take some away, so I still have lighting that affects my vision but now I have less light! 🤦♂️ Just perfect for Autumn/Winter darkness.....
Glad you have found your comfort.
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That sums it up, your own health should be a priority. For me, the iPhone 12 Pro is no worse than an iPhone 11. Despite OLED, Apple managed to produce a tolerable display for the iPhone 12 Pro. At least for me it is. With the iPhone 12 Pro, I have a state-of-the-art smartphone. 120Hz is not important to me, nor does it make much difference. The iPhone 12 Pro camera is also an excellent camera. The performance of the iPhone 12 Pro is also impeccable, so what more could you ask for? I am now glad that I have tried everything and that the subject will be dealt with for me until the next iPhone.
The PWM frequency for the iPhone 12 Pro and the 13 Pro Max are the same at 238 Hz. So it sounds like it is the ProMotion that is affecting you on the 13 Pro Max.
If you are being affected health wise, by the 13 series, send feedback to Apple and let them know your situation. This year Apple did put a new display engine in the A15.
So can we all agree that the 13 Pro Max has the worst screen ever in iPhone history?
The iPhone 12 Pro has a different type of DC Dimming than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. You can read it at Notebookcheck. So I wouldn't necessarily say it's because of the motion display.
I’m super curious about the Pixel 6/6 Pro. I so nearly ordered one, but I gave Android a really good go a couple of months ago and just couldn’t get on with it.
Do let us know how you get on!
Do let us know how you get on!
I also hope that with the next generation OLED LTPO Display from Samsung Display it will get better. The S22 Ultra could be really interesting with his integrated S-Pen. With the Software it uses the bigger screen better than Apple does on the Pro Max. Here Apple could do more.
I have ordered the 13 Pro with the extended return time. After i had the 13 Pro Max and have tested the 13 Pro and 13 in Store 2-3 Times i am confident that the 13 Pro is my best opportunity that could work. The Displays don't bothers me for 15-20 min in use. How it will work with longer and regular SoT i will see. It's worth to try because the 13 Pro is a nice device although i like smartphones with bigger screens.
Quick update from me - two evenings of play on the standard 13 and doing ok so far.
The first hour or so of usage has a very, very slight gritty/stingy feeling in the upper areas of my eyeballs. I do find that my stomach is reacting slightly (a little like motion sickness/gas) which can cause me to burp occasionally - a very weird experience! Also, there are areas of my brain that feel a little warm and tingling and not areas I associate with headaches (upper back area, right side) - so this is also very weird!? While these feelings are not continuous I'm a little concerned these mild reactions are a bad sign of possible longer-term damage/issues, my body is reacting and I should probably not ignore it? But no headaches or searing eye pain which is positive over previous experiences!
The take so far is: ok but doesn't feel 100% comfortable.
I'm taking a little more time with more breaks to see if I can train my brain to cope (or decide if this is a good idea or not). Will update further later.
The first hour or so of usage has a very, very slight gritty/stingy feeling in the upper areas of my eyeballs. I do find that my stomach is reacting slightly (a little like motion sickness/gas) which can cause me to burp occasionally - a very weird experience! Also, there are areas of my brain that feel a little warm and tingling and not areas I associate with headaches (upper back area, right side) - so this is also very weird!? While these feelings are not continuous I'm a little concerned these mild reactions are a bad sign of possible longer-term damage/issues, my body is reacting and I should probably not ignore it? But no headaches or searing eye pain which is positive over previous experiences!
The take so far is: ok but doesn't feel 100% comfortable.
I'm taking a little more time with more breaks to see if I can train my brain to cope (or decide if this is a good idea or not). Will update further later.
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Went from iPhone 11 to iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Zero problems with this, and I get 10 hours screen time daily.
Zero problems with this, and I get 10 hours screen time daily.
This sounds similar to my experience with the 13, although my feeling of nausea was more intense. Definitely couldn’t live with it in my case!
So bizarre how this model may be more prone to causing nausea. I really wish more research would be done into the effects of PWM!
I've been using the iPhone 12 Pro again since yesterday at noon, what a blessing.
It's so nice when you can work with your smartphone without any discomfort.
I'm grateful that I can even use a high-end smartphone with OLED and the latest technology.
It's so nice when you can work with your smartphone without any discomfort.
I'm grateful that I can even use a high-end smartphone with OLED and the latest technology.
No, thankfully. Sounds like a nightmare in this OLED world we are living in
Quick update on the regular 13! After 2 days of 20 min per day usage i got some discomfort but not that much. This morning using it for 10 min and got the same feeling as with all other pwm iphones ? i think its not any better bit just a bit different. I go into a pain free weekend now? (put all iphones away) and will try on monday one time before i decide to send it back
After a decent break, I had another go with the 13 Pro today for about an hour. It affected me a lot less than the first time. Still feel like I can hardly focus on the screen and it affects my focus at distance, but it goes away fairly quickly. Plus no nausea or tiredness this time.
I am wondering
- what's the consensus on the possibility of permanent eye damage from using a PWM screen for those who are sensitive?
- have others got used to the screen after a while and become completely accustomed to it?
I don't want to take any risks with my eyesight, but also if it's case of getting used to it over a few days of use and then being completely fine with it, then I'd love to use it.
I am wondering
- what's the consensus on the possibility of permanent eye damage from using a PWM screen for those who are sensitive?
- have others got used to the screen after a while and become completely accustomed to it?
I don't want to take any risks with my eyesight, but also if it's case of getting used to it over a few days of use and then being completely fine with it, then I'd love to use it.
Based on my experience with CRT monitor eye strain, which I suffered with for years and years, the more you use a display that strains your eyes, the weaker and more sensitive they get to it.
In my experience at least — the more hours I put in staring at the monitor, day after day, month after month, year after year, my pain symptoms got worse and my sensitivity to the screen increased. It got to the point that I couldn’t even tolerate catching a CRT monitor on in my peripheral vision.
When I’d take a break from computers for months, my eye strain would slowly diminish and vision would get better, but my eyes never returned to the state they were before ever using a computer.
So…. will using an irritating iPhone screen wreck your eyes? Probably not. Will it create sensitivity to it? Probably. Will using it long enough even though it bothers you strengthen the eyes and nervous system so that you can tolerate it better? In my experience, absolutely not.
In my experience- symptoms will get worse the more you use it.
Everyone is different and adapts to stresses differently, but in my case as least, that was my experience.
I bought an iPhone 13 Pro about a week ago, and unfortunately I had to return it as my eyes just weren't comfortable. Whenever I went back to my 8 my eyes just felt so much better, and it quickly turned into me just not wanting to use my new phone at all. Really sad, as I got amazing battery life (never went below 70%) versus my iPhone 8 which needs to be charged twice per day.
Has anyone who couldn't handle the Pro tried the regular 13? Thinking of testing that out since I'd really like to get the best battery life and camera (as I've heard about the 11's lens flare issues). I can't buy the SE as I need 256GB of storage (because of course they remove that right when I need it most).
Has anyone who couldn't handle the Pro tried the regular 13? Thinking of testing that out since I'd really like to get the best battery life and camera (as I've heard about the 11's lens flare issues). I can't buy the SE as I need 256GB of storage (because of course they remove that right when I need it most).
