Other Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up

[jimmy_uk]

It's a strange one as the 13 Pro and 13 Mini gave me a migraine but the 13 after 4 days of light usage so far is still OK but I'm torn.

The years of trying to get a new flagship iphone and failing created a huge amount of built up stress and anticipation, now I have a phone that could work but still makes me feel a little uncomfortable and queasy.

It's made me realise the stress and anguish over a phone is totally crazy despite it being a device I use all day everyday. The iOS experience is the same across all of these products so any of them should be good enough.

Not being able to use OLED iPhones gave me a greater appreciation for LCD. Now I'm not so sure I even like OLED. It's too warm and gives off a weird shimmer - I just don't think my eyes and brain like the appearance. The 13 I have is more red than yellow and shifts to blue/green. The weird mix of colour makes black text look lighter and less sharp which I dislike.

I think the queasy feeling (empty and sinking feeling in my stomach which makes me feel gassy and want to burp) I have as a reaction to the display is a strong sign I shouldn't stick with the 13 which brings me back to having few options. I'm almost prepared to just get an SE 2020 and reduce my reliance on a phone as a content and communication device. It's really triggering my indecisiveness and making me question my priorities and needs (and no, it's not about the cost). 😩

 

[now i see it]

As I see it, (says now i see it) the screen quality is the most important. It gets the highest priority beyond everything else in regards to importance. In my book, the iPhone with the “best” screen is the flagship and the one to get - even if it was manufactured years ago.

If you take the camera out of the iPhone equation, they’re all the same except for screen size and screen quality. I think the thing that’s tripping people up is the camera. They want the better camera.

But just think - if you owned a Go-Pro action camera, iPhone advancement would suddenly become irrelevant since every year the big marketing push is always the camera while little else changes significantly.

I think if a person gets over the idea that their iPhone must have the latest camera technology, the choices become a lot easier as to which one to buy — THE ONE WITH THE BEST DISPLAY

 

[jimmy_uk]

As I see it, (says now i see it) the screen quality is the most important. It gets the highest priority beyond everything else in regards to importance. In my book, the iPhone with the “best” screen is the flagship and the one to get - even if it was manufactured years ago.

If you take the camera out of the iPhone equation, they’re all the same except for screen size and screen quality. I think the thing that’s tripping people up is the camera. They want the better camera.

But just think - if you owned a Go-Pro action camera, iPhone advancement would suddenly become irrelevant since every year the big marketing push is always the camera while little else changes significantly.

I think if a person gets over the idea that their iPhone must have the latest camera technology, the choices become a lot easier as to which one to buy — THE ONE WITH THE BEST DISPLAY

from the last 5 years+ of flagships that would be:

7 Plus
X
XS/XS Pro Max
11 Pro/11 Pro Max
12 Pro/12 Pro Max
13 Pro/13 Pro Max

Not a great pick for those sensitive to PWM.

 

[AJAAY]

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.

If your eyes are sensitive to PWM, you'll never get accustomed to it. You'll learn to tolerate it or ignore the symptoms, but the sensitivity will never go away. I've had mild/tolerable symptoms using the XS Max and 11 Pro Max over the course of two years. My symptoms never completely went away. They just didn't bother me enough to stop using the devices.

As for permanent eye damage. It could be possible, but I don't think it's likely. For me, I had multiple eye check ups and my eyes were always healthy with no issues. And I wear glasses/contacts and my vision stayed the same. So I don't think using PWM-induced phones had any negative affect on those aspects

 

[RobinYerbank]

It's a strange one as the 13 Pro and 13 Mini gave me a migraine but the 13 after 4 days of light usage so far is still OK but I'm torn.

The years of trying to get a new flagship iphone and failing created a huge amount of built up stress and anticipation, now I have a phone that could work but still makes me feel a little uncomfortable and queasy.

It's made me realise the stress and anguish over a phone is totally crazy despite it being a device I use all day everyday. The iOS experience is the same across all of these products so any of them should be good enough.

Not being able to use OLED iPhones gave me a greater appreciation for LCD. Now I'm not so sure I even like OLED. It's too warm and gives off a weird shimmer - I just don't think my eyes and brain like the appearance. The 13 I have is more red than yellow and shifts to blue/green. The weird mix of colour makes black text look lighter and less sharp which I dislike.

I think the queasy feeling (empty and sinking feeling in my stomach which makes me feel gassy and want to burp) I have as a reaction to the display is a strong sign I shouldn't stick with the 13 which brings me back to having few options. I'm almost prepared to just get an SE 2020 and reduce my reliance on a phone as a content and communication device. It's really triggering my indecisiveness and making me question my priorities and needs (and no, it's not about the cost). 😩

Your description of the symptoms the 13 is causing you sounds really similar to what I went through, especially that weird feeling in your stomach.

I could never get used to it and the symptoms never seemed to improve for me, which is why I gave up and returned it (twice).

I totally agree with your complaints about the look of OLED as well. Beyond the flickering issue, I genuinely think LCD just looks better. It looks ‘purer’, with no weird tints or colour shifts, no pixel shimmer, no strobing effect, no smearing etc.

OLED is only superior in two areas: displaying pure black and displaying true HDR content (especially peak brightness). It’s worse in every other way. When it comes to a phone, flicker-free LCD is a much healthier and more pleasant alternative.

The Mini LED displays in the new MacBook Pro has proven to me that there’s display tech that can take the best of LCD and OLED and combine them. The only issue is shrinking it to fit in a phone, but I’m personally not bothered because my phone will never be my main content consumption device.

Of course, I won’t say no to microLED replacing OLED and being better than both! As long as it has high-frequency PWM or DC dimming (ideally), it’ll be my dream display tech and it’ll allow me to buy flagship iPhones again. Fingers crossed.

 

[jimmy_uk]

While I think alot of you have ducked out now until next year I'll give my final update on my iPhone 13 experience. Unfortunately I cannot get past the queasy, uneasy feeling this phone gives me and after a week of usage I feel like I'm getting some brain strain that's brewing a migraine. So it's boxed up for a return to store tomorrow like the 13 Pro and 13 Mini before it.

What's most annoying is this is closet I've ever been to switching to a new generation iphone and I really learned to love it's fluid speed, speakers and battery life. Never have I been able to use an OLED iphone for this long so the PWM is much improved but I guess my brain still hates it, thinks something is wrong and makes me feel sick. What's really weird is the queasy feeling caused burping that evolved into yawning?!

I have learnt I'm not really a fan of OLED on a phone having used it for the week as the colour shift is very distracting and the reddish hue (true tone is off) is trash. Also I think I've realised I'd likely prefer a slightly smaller phone, but this maybe the boxy design of the current phones which are not that comfortable (although the 13 Mini was just right).

Sadly it's really made me hate on my 7 Plus which feels sluggish and constantly refreshes apps and Web pages. Even at 91% battery health I still have to charge twice a damn day. That said I do prefer the rounded edges which are so much better for ergonomics and the double tap for reachability which works every time.

Right now it's stick or SE 2020 (with battery concerns)....gaaa

So, so close 😵‍💫


*just returned from the Apple store - SE2020 is a hard no, body is a good size but screen is too small. Iphone 11 is still a no due to size coupled with its low resolution. So another year with my 7 Plus 😩

 

[Tmacc47]

I'm getting an 11 pro refurbished from Apple and it comes in the mail tomorrow. I don't know if I will be sensitive to PWM, but I hope not, because I don't want to return it.

 

[now i see it]

Virtually everyone who’s concerned about PWM and contributes to this thread ends up returning their OLED iPhone

 

[Tmacc47]

Virtually everyone who’s concerned about PWM and contributes to this thread ends up returning their OLED iPhone

I believe you, I hope to be an exception. The 11 isn't delivering until December now.

 

[Newjack171]

I went back to the XS for another week and felt fine after a bit. But now I want to go back to my 11 for the screen size and camera. I spent some time comparing cameras and yeah the 11 is the obvious winner there.

Lol I hate being so indecisive about this.

 

[Tmacc47]

I went back to the XS for another week and felt fine after a bit. But now I want to go back to my 11 for the screen size and camera. I spent some time comparing cameras and yeah the 11 is the obvious winner there.

Lol I hate being so indecisive about this.

In this case, I'd pick the 11 just for the battery life lol.

 

[DJTaurus]

I was setting my sisters iPhone 12 and i got head pain after only 15 minutes of using it. The yellowish / dirty screen effect of oleds is awful. It’s night and day looking at an LCD. Much clear/sharp experience like on TVs. I noticed that 13s have brighter screens overall…. i ll take the risk and try 13 pro.

Is there any user that had issues with 12 and none with 12 pro ??

 

[Newjack171]

In this case, I'd pick the 11 just for the battery life lol.

Yeah battery is definitely better but i don't mind the XS battery life either. It's not great but it lasts longer than I thought it would.

 

[DJTaurus]

Played 15 minutes each on 12,12 pro,13 and 13 pro.

13 pro was by far the most comfortable to my eyes. The least yellowish and brightest of all. For example on 12 i even feel/notice a minimal flicker. 13 and 12 pro didn’t notice differences in picture quality but 12 pros felt more relaxed to my eyes. 12s was the worst by far. Instant feel of incoming nausea. 13 pro didn’t feel anything and seemed by far the most clear/sharp image….we shall see in the long run.

 

[RobinYerbank]

Guys... I have a confession to make. I'm not happy with the iPhone 11! ? It's a decent phone, but it really bugs me that I've bought a two-year old model, and I'm really starting to notice how much slower 4G is in London! And although the LCD is pleasant enough, the low resolution is quite noticeable, especially when watching videos or looking at photos.

From experience, I know I can get on with the 13 Pro (not the Max or other models). The main reason I decided against it last time is that I got the 512GB model (it being the only one available), which is overkill for me. I'm already using 2TB iCloud to store my photo library and all sorts of stuff, so I'm only using 60GB on the phone! It also had some cosmetic flaws that left a sour taste for such an expensive device.

So I've ordered a 256GB 13 Pro from my carrier, which also provides lower monthly payments than Apple's financing. It's within what I can comfortably afford and it's obviously the current model, which is all I want when I upgrade. I intend to keep it for the next few years and will pay it off in full once I've dealt with some other stuff.

While I think the 13 Pro's display isn't perfect in terms of PWM comfort, it's definitely at a level I can get used to and very close to LCD for me. I reckon I can adjust to it within a days or weeks.

As for my 11, I may sell it to a friend or to Music Magpie, or keep it as a backup. We'll see. I should get the 13 Pro within 1-2 weeks.

 

[Boyyai]

While I think alot of you have ducked out now until next year I'll give my final update on my iPhone 13 experience. Unfortunately I cannot get past the queasy, uneasy feeling this phone gives me and after a week of usage I feel like I'm getting some brain strain that's brewing a migraine. So it's boxed up for a return to store tomorrow like the 13 Pro and 13 Mini before it.

What's most annoying is this is closet I've ever been to switching to a new generation iphone and I really learned to love it's fluid speed, speakers and battery life. Never have I been able to use an OLED iphone for this long so the PWM is much improved but I guess my brain still hates it, thinks something is wrong and makes me feel sick. What's really weird is the queasy feeling caused burping that evolved into yawning?!

I have learnt I'm not really a fan of OLED on a phone having used it for the week as the colour shift is very distracting and the reddish hue (true tone is off) is trash. Also I think I've realised I'd likely prefer a slightly smaller phone, but this maybe the boxy design of the current phones which are not that comfortable (although the 13 Mini was just right).

Sadly it's really made me hate on my 7 Plus which feels sluggish and constantly refreshes apps and Web pages. Even at 91% battery health I still have to charge twice a damn day. That said I do prefer the rounded edges which are so much better for ergonomics and the double tap for reachability which works every time.

Right now it's stick or SE 2020 (with battery concerns)....gaaa

So, so close ?‍?


*just returned from the Apple store - SE2020 is a hard no, body is a good size but screen is too small. Iphone 11 is still a no due to size coupled with its low resolution. So another year with my 7 Plus ?

Please give 11 a chance. It’s not a perfect phone but it’s the best phone out there for those of us who are affected by PWM. It took me about a year to come to deal with its weight. But now I am enjoying the 11 without having to worry about its weight an size. So, it’s an easy recommendation from my side.

 

[now i see it]

but I guess my brain still hates it, thinks something is wrong

Because something definitely IS wrong with these displays

 

[!!!]

Sadly it's really made me hate on my 7 Plus which feels sluggish and constantly refreshes apps and Web pages. Even at 91% battery health I still have to charge twice a damn day. That said I do prefer the rounded edges which are so much better for ergonomics and the double tap for reachability which works every time.

I feel you. In the short time with my 13 Pro I managed to have a screen-on time of over 4 hours with the battery still at 80% at the end of the day. For comparison, my 8 (not plus) lasts 2 and a half hours, with me needing to charge it 2 or 3 times. I noticed that my 8 has also become more sluggish with iOS 15 (as well as the constant closing of webpages/apps due to the pathetic RAM). I was also never able to get reachability to work right on the X-style iPhones.

 

[scandinavia3]

Fellow PWM sufferers -- I am currently using an iPhone SE (original -- not 2020 version), and am in desperate need of a new phone. I'm running out of memory (have 128 gb), and the battery is starting to go. I've tried the 13 series in the store. I seem to get a quick migraine with the 13 Pro. The 13 seems okay. I feel a litle "off," and maybe the beginnings of a headache, but not the full-on dizziness that I feel when I look at a 12. I definitely feel like the 11 is much easier on my eyes, but it only goes up to 128 gb. Does anyone know if it's possible to obtain an 11 256gb anywhere? Or if you can pay extra to the Apple store to increase the memory (like with MacBooks)? I assume not, but...

 

[Tmacc47]

Fellow PWM sufferers -- I am currently using an iPhone SE (original -- not 2020 version), and am in desperate need of a new phone. I'm running out of memory (have 128 gb), and the battery is starting to go. I've tried the 13 series in the store. I seem to get a quick migraine with the 13 Pro. The 13 seems okay. I feel a litle "off," and maybe the beginnings of a headache, but not the full-on dizziness that I feel when I look at a 12. I definitely feel like the 11 is much easier on my eyes, but it only goes up to 128 gb. Does anyone know if it's possible to obtain an 11 256gb anywhere? Or if you can pay extra to the Apple store to increase the memory (like with MacBooks)? I assume not, but...

The 11 used to come in 256gb, but it was discontinued. You should be able to find one pretty easily in the used/refurbished market, though.

 

[now i see it]

From a product standpoint, the iPhone 13 and other OLED iPhones is a disaster (for those of us who can’t tolerate their flickering). It’s an utter failure. The only thing Apple has going for it is that those horrible screens don’t bother most people- so they stamp them out for the ma$$e$ and continue churning out garbage year after year.

 

[JM]

Still doing okay with the 13 mini after four weeks. The mild eye strain I've almost completely forgotten. Every once in a while I'm reminded, "Oh yeah, it does bother my eyes a little bit." But mostly, I've adjusted. It certainly is better than the 11. (Which sounds ridiculous, but true. I don't get the same kind of long term eye "blindness" or "fatigue" I got with the 11.)

I do miss the wonderful screens of pre-8 days... before they introduced the Wide Color screens.... I suspect that was the start of everything terrible.

 

[now i see it]

I do miss the wonderful screens of pre-8 days... before they introduced the Wide Color screens....

Yes definitely.
My 6 Plus has much more natural looking color (though worse contrast) than my 8 Plus. The color pallet on the 8 Plus is borderline obscene. Colors are way too saturated for my liking.
I dislike the over saturated colors so much in the early morning that I usually switch the screen to grayscale for a while.
Then when I get used to that, I switch back to color and blammo! The over saturated colors are shocking.

Example: watching the movie, “The Martian” which has an orange cast (because of Mars dust) looks right on the 6 Plus. On the 8 Plus it looks horrible- way too orange everything. Color looks messed up.
Same with “The Matrix”. Looks right on the 6 with slight green tint, but pretty horrible with a bright green swamp color tinting everything on the 8 plus.

 

[DJTaurus]

Still doing okay with the 13 mini after four weeks. The mild eye strain I've almost completely forgotten. Every once in a while I'm reminded, "Oh yeah, it does bother my eyes a little bit." But mostly, I've adjusted. It certainly is better than the 11. (Which sounds ridiculous, but true. I don't get the same kind of long term eye "blindness" or "fatigue" I got with the 11.)

I do miss the wonderful screens of pre-8 days... before they introduced the Wide Color screens.... I suspect that was the start of everything terrible.

Did you use any of the 12s ?

 

[JM]

Yes definitely.
My 6 Plus has much more natural looking color (though worse contrast) than my 8 Plus. The color pallet on the 8 Plus is borderline obscene. Colors are way too saturated for my liking.
I dislike the over saturated colors so much in the early morning that I usually switch the screen to grayscale for a while.
Then when I get used to that, I switch back to color and blammo! The over saturated colors are shocking.

Example: watching the movie, “The Martian” which has an orange cast (because of Mars dust) looks right on the 6 Plus. On the 8 Plus it looks horrible- way too orange everything. Color looks messed up.
Same with “The Matrix”. Looks right on the 6 with slight green tint, but pretty horrible with a bright green swamp color tinting everything on the 8 plus.

That’s quite the adjustment. Haha ? did you read the article some years ago where the author was encouraging desaturate ALL the time? It helped him not be addicted to the phone, since he was professing that iOS was purposely making their home screens as colorful as possible so you would get addicted and want to look at it all the time.

With the live wallpaper, I think he had a point. Why on earth would you turn on your phone just to touch it and watch the screen jiggle?

Wait, no, silly question…. I remember listening to trance and watching the iTunes visualizer in college for obscenely long times ?