I think the 11 is a great phone. Hopefully Apple will work on their screen issues so that when I need to put my 11 out to pasture I have some options.
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Other Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up
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Yeah, really hoping to avoid being a green text guy
Hahaha I know! That green text—such an abrasive, screamy green.
Okay. Got a Pro. Will return the Pro Max. But might play with both for a bit to see if I can feel any difference in using them and whatever frequencies we learn they have.
Well fam, my 14PM is boxed up and I am replacing my 82% battery in my 11 tomorrow at the Apple Store.
Could I have kept the 14 PM? Honestly, maybe? It wasn’t ‘that’ bad. Not like in the past. I think my resistance to change and longing for my paid off, there to capture my two pups and almost one year old (at 46 😳) sentimental 11 won me over….for now.
I do plan to monitor everyone’s analysis of the various phones. Maybe the regular 14 will draw me in? Who knows. But for now, this gives me some peace and that’s what I need. Come late November, when Apple gives that holiday return period, maybe I’ll give another try.
I’ll be lurking while also staying away for a bit to normalize things in my life and re-prioritize (something I personally need to do). I hope you all find what you are looking for, one way or another.
Remember. We are not crazy. We are not blowing things out of proportion. We are simply a very small minority (at least in the sense of having knowledge of the subject as I assume many suffer and don’t know why) who have done nothing wrong. We just want something we enjoy, and can afford, to work for us like it does for others. I wish you all well!!
Much love,
Mike aka finn5975 aka ARizzo44 (I should get a new name since my guy was traded to the Yankees last year lol) soon to be Siamese_Dream.
Could I have kept the 14 PM? Honestly, maybe? It wasn’t ‘that’ bad. Not like in the past. I think my resistance to change and longing for my paid off, there to capture my two pups and almost one year old (at 46 😳) sentimental 11 won me over….for now.
I do plan to monitor everyone’s analysis of the various phones. Maybe the regular 14 will draw me in? Who knows. But for now, this gives me some peace and that’s what I need. Come late November, when Apple gives that holiday return period, maybe I’ll give another try.
I’ll be lurking while also staying away for a bit to normalize things in my life and re-prioritize (something I personally need to do). I hope you all find what you are looking for, one way or another.
Remember. We are not crazy. We are not blowing things out of proportion. We are simply a very small minority (at least in the sense of having knowledge of the subject as I assume many suffer and don’t know why) who have done nothing wrong. We just want something we enjoy, and can afford, to work for us like it does for others. I wish you all well!!
Much love,
Mike aka finn5975 aka ARizzo44 (I should get a new name since my guy was traded to the Yankees last year lol) soon to be Siamese_Dream.
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Using iPhone 11 since release
Last year tried the 13 Pro and had nausea after an hour of use. Didn’t get better for days so returned.
Tried the 14 Pro Max and 14 Pro in store just now. I can’t gauge the feeling but it’s not as bad as the 13 but still feel off. That’s also with Apple Store bright lighting.
When stock comes back in my area will try the pro max and give it a week.
Hopefully this is the one. Keeping an eye out for other experiences on the thread
Last year tried the 13 Pro and had nausea after an hour of use. Didn’t get better for days so returned.
Tried the 14 Pro Max and 14 Pro in store just now. I can’t gauge the feeling but it’s not as bad as the 13 but still feel off. That’s also with Apple Store bright lighting.
When stock comes back in my area will try the pro max and give it a week.
Hopefully this is the one. Keeping an eye out for other experiences on the thread
New video surfaced on YouTube check this out
Thanks for sharing.
I can't say these types of videos help us now as we've proven that everyone's personal experience is different and must be felt through real-world usage.
For me there is a night and day difference between the 14 non-pro and the 14 Pro, this was also felt last year. So for example, the only OLED iPhone I could use for the longest was the standard 13 last year, but after a week of a queasy stomach feeling and involuntary burping, I gave it up and wrote it off as causing mild motion sickness. This year the 14 Pro wiped me out (like every previous year) but the standard 14 seems ok now but there is some underline discomfort, a slight unease and my eyes feel like they are a little tired/slower to focus on the edge of my vision the next day. I suspect this may manifest into a bigger/worse feeling in the days ahead and I may need to return.
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My problem seems more "complex" than yours because I have also been sick with LCD screens so my problem is not simply related to OLED technology.
I have three OLED phones at home that do not give me any problem: Iphone X, Pixel 4A and Samsung A52S (it's a 120HZ). Knowing my problem with displays I never tried to change the iphone X until now, with the iphone 14P which I can't use. Zero eye strain, I don't seem to have trouble focusing or anything, but it causes me brain fog/disorientation.
First time in my life that I have problems with an OLED.
Other devices I have had problems with: MBA 2018, MBP 16" 2019, and Ipad Pro 10.5". All three LCDs.
Moving to windows, my desktop (RX480 + Alienware aw2518hf 240hz flicker free) never gave me any problems, until I upgraded windows to 20H1! After that upgrade I was devastated, I had to take 10 days off from work because I was no longer able to look at any display. So I restored a backup and a year later I upgraded to 21H1 which is not giving me any problems and I blocked the updates.
The work PC is a Dell latitude 7420, which I can't use so I connected it to a portable 17" external monitor via USB-C, for almost a year everything was fine, in August it upgraded and I couldn't use the external monitor anymore either. I tried changing the cable from USB-C to HDMI and the problem disappeared!
So in my case it seems to be an interaction problem between software and monitor, not simply the monitor itself! The two macbooks I tried were making me sick with their display and also connected to my alienware.
I will stay another year with the iphone X, then i'll try the iphone 15 and if it doesn't work out I will go back to android with pixels!
I have three OLED phones at home that do not give me any problem: Iphone X, Pixel 4A and Samsung A52S (it's a 120HZ). Knowing my problem with displays I never tried to change the iphone X until now, with the iphone 14P which I can't use. Zero eye strain, I don't seem to have trouble focusing or anything, but it causes me brain fog/disorientation.
First time in my life that I have problems with an OLED.
Other devices I have had problems with: MBA 2018, MBP 16" 2019, and Ipad Pro 10.5". All three LCDs.
Moving to windows, my desktop (RX480 + Alienware aw2518hf 240hz flicker free) never gave me any problems, until I upgraded windows to 20H1! After that upgrade I was devastated, I had to take 10 days off from work because I was no longer able to look at any display. So I restored a backup and a year later I upgraded to 21H1 which is not giving me any problems and I blocked the updates.
The work PC is a Dell latitude 7420, which I can't use so I connected it to a portable 17" external monitor via USB-C, for almost a year everything was fine, in August it upgraded and I couldn't use the external monitor anymore either. I tried changing the cable from USB-C to HDMI and the problem disappeared!
So in my case it seems to be an interaction problem between software and monitor, not simply the monitor itself! The two macbooks I tried were making me sick with their display and also connected to my alienware.
I will stay another year with the iphone X, then i'll try the iphone 15 and if it doesn't work out I will go back to android with pixels!
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My 14 pro is going back 
I've really tried to get on with it as it's such a great phone and camera but it just makes me ill and I don't feel like it's going to get better. Eye pain, headaches, motion sickness, tiredness. I've gone back to my 11 now, which is so much easier on the eye, and I need to decide whether I keep that and hope Apple change something next year or go over to the other side.....
I've really tried to get on with it as it's such a great phone and camera but it just makes me ill and I don't feel like it's going to get better. Eye pain, headaches, motion sickness, tiredness. I've gone back to my 11 now, which is so much easier on the eye, and I need to decide whether I keep that and hope Apple change something next year or go over to the other side.....Would it be crazy to return the 14 when I take back the 14 Pro? While the 14 Pro definitely didn't work for me, the 14 non-pro seems ok so far (not a fan of the overly yellowish screen and have a display filter on + motion reduced) but I have realised I much prefer a Plus-sized phone. 🤦♂️
I say crazy because after 5 years of trying I may have a phone in my hands that currently appears to be working for me and my PWM sensitivity (won't count my chickens just yet) - I might just be gambling that away by returning it and ordering a 14 Plus!
The Pro Max would have been a no go last year and this year (far too heavy, too low PWM frequency) so I should accept the 14, but with the Plus now being an option......
.....my friend said I always want the thing I haven't got!
Of course, I'm hoping the 14 plus PWM etc is the same as the 14 non-Pro, but that's the gamble. My thinking is if the 14 Plus doesn't work for me a 14 non-pro can easily be repurchased. But with the display lottery, as it is, the one I have in hand might be the only one that works for me and I should be grateful for just that. 😳 I'm on the ledge.
I say crazy because after 5 years of trying I may have a phone in my hands that currently appears to be working for me and my PWM sensitivity (won't count my chickens just yet) - I might just be gambling that away by returning it and ordering a 14 Plus!
The Pro Max would have been a no go last year and this year (far too heavy, too low PWM frequency) so I should accept the 14, but with the Plus now being an option......
.....my friend said I always want the thing I haven't got!
Of course, I'm hoping the 14 plus PWM etc is the same as the 14 non-Pro, but that's the gamble. My thinking is if the 14 Plus doesn't work for me a 14 non-pro can easily be repurchased. But with the display lottery, as it is, the one I have in hand might be the only one that works for me and I should be grateful for just that. 😳 I'm on the ledge.
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@jimmy_uk
In recent years, the Max iPhones have always been worse than the normal ones. If the normal 14 works for you, be happy and use it. Maybe wait for the results of Notebookcheck, then you can be sure whether the models have the same frequency or not. Be happy about the normal 14 and enjoy that you can finally use an OLED iPhone.
My 14 is coming this afternoon. I hope it's good and I can use it. It would be a big leap to my 12 Pro. But I don't want to complain, because I can already use an OLED iPhone.
In recent years, the Max iPhones have always been worse than the normal ones. If the normal 14 works for you, be happy and use it. Maybe wait for the results of Notebookcheck, then you can be sure whether the models have the same frequency or not. Be happy about the normal 14 and enjoy that you can finally use an OLED iPhone.
My 14 is coming this afternoon. I hope it's good and I can use it. It would be a big leap to my 12 Pro. But I don't want to complain, because I can already use an OLED iPhone.
That last sentence is something I’ve just started realizing today… If Apple doesn’t release something with an LCD in the next year, then my next phone may not be an iPhone… =/My 14 pro is going back
Fingers crossed for your 14. 🤞 I know you will report back 🙏
The trouble with waiting is the 14 Plus isn't out until Oct 7th which would be outside of my returns period for the 14. Notebookcheck will be a long way behind this date to report PWM. It's not that I don't like the 14, but I am much more used to/comfortable reading with a wider display and my hands can grip the wider phone better (the smaller phone is causing some hand cramps with a different claw-like grip). I've got long fingers + fat thumbs, I don't know where to put them on the smaller phone!
I can only use the 14 in the evenings this week as I'm back in the office on my 7 Plus, so this adds a bit of pressure to decide. Guess I should see how it goes this week....
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Day 4 and I still don't know if I'm affected by PWM or not. (As I mentioned before, I used XS and 12 Pro for years without any issue).
All I know is that the 14 Pro feels different when I use it. And sometimes during the day I feel a some slight discomfort, slight dizziness, like I had a drink and when I look around it feels slower but I can't really can make a connection between that and the phone.
Maybe the screen and scrolling is to fast and my brain can't comprehend the fluid motions, I already disabled 120 hz for a few hours but it feels different than a natural 60 hz display like the 12 Pro. The motions and animations are weird too (like unlocking when the screen goes up and back).
I disabled the motions and like it better. Furthermore I disabed now True Tone and Auto-Brightness. (Again, all three were on all the time on my XS and 12 Pro before) and will try out more.
I think I'm getting crazy because of this and I don't know what I should do. I don't have another iPhone laying around. How long should I not use the phone to "reset" me to know that I'm not just sick or something, it could be a coincidence and I'm just working myself up into that matter because I know that it exists.
All I know is that the 14 Pro feels different when I use it. And sometimes during the day I feel a some slight discomfort, slight dizziness, like I had a drink and when I look around it feels slower but I can't really can make a connection between that and the phone.
Maybe the screen and scrolling is to fast and my brain can't comprehend the fluid motions, I already disabled 120 hz for a few hours but it feels different than a natural 60 hz display like the 12 Pro. The motions and animations are weird too (like unlocking when the screen goes up and back).
I disabled the motions and like it better. Furthermore I disabed now True Tone and Auto-Brightness. (Again, all three were on all the time on my XS and 12 Pro before) and will try out more.
I think I'm getting crazy because of this and I don't know what I should do. I don't have another iPhone laying around. How long should I not use the phone to "reset" me to know that I'm not just sick or something, it could be a coincidence and I'm just working myself up into that matter because I know that it exists.
The only reassurance to stay in the ecosystem for us is the current SE if we really wanted a newer chip (although the rest would feel like a downgrade).
But I’d be more than happy with a new SE next year in the XR/11 body to keep me going through the OLED years. I hope this happens.
I’m also tempted to try a regular 14. But my migraine hasn’t fully eased since yesterday so I want to give myself a break first.
But I’d be more than happy with a new SE next year in the XR/11 body to keep me going through the OLED years. I hope this happens.
I’m also tempted to try a regular 14. But my migraine hasn’t fully eased since yesterday so I want to give myself a break first.
FWIW I am super glad to give up the 14PM now. The migraines last way too long. My excitement clouds my judgement. It’s just not worth it. I’ll deal with my slow phone with the ****** camera for now. I want good pics of my kids but the phone makes me feel so ****** it sacrifices the quality of my time with my kids.
I would love the body of an 11 with upgraded internals and cameras. Lol or an iPhone 14PM with an LCD… but I bet this is a common wish in this thread.
Well the good news is that the 14 seems to be mildly improved from the 13, so just a few more years and we should be good to go!
Maybe temporal dithering is affecting you? I couldn't use XS back in the day, i had no issues with Xr, while i have mild discomfort using iPhone 11...two options: my sensitivity is getting worse with age or smartphone usage (i have Samsing S21 ultra with dimming app always on to counter pwm, but maybe it's still working its "magic"), or I'm sensitive to temporal dithering too (don't know if xr used it or not)
For those of you affected and feel like you are missing out on technology here is some reassurance:
- The iPhone 11 lcd has a lower resolution screen however the fact that is is easy on the eyes and doesn’t cause a migraine is a big plus.
- the A13 Bionic chip still runs smoothly and the phone can run ios16 without a hiccup. You are still experiencing the latest iOS.
- Unlike 5 years ago, the new iOS or Apple ecosystem does not have many core features that cannot run on the iPhone 11.
*Dynamic island - nice to have but not essential.
*very few other iOS features are unavailable on the 11
- the hardware of the 11 supports Bluetooth 5.0 which is more than good enough to connect AirPods Pro or newer peripherals.
- the camera on the 11 is very capable for most situations. I’ve bought a mirrorless camera for the same money I would spend on an iPhone and now I can have professional pics without the fake blur etc.
- the design of the 11 is still comfortable to use without a case.
Go out and buy a new MacBook Pro 14inch and enjoy the tech on that machine. Phones are overpriced and overrated. Make your phone your functional device for communication.
Wait for the SE 6.1inch next year and enjoy that device when it comes out (new chip, ram, cameras etc).
OLED is not worth the hassle for us with sensitive brains/eyes.
- The iPhone 11 lcd has a lower resolution screen however the fact that is is easy on the eyes and doesn’t cause a migraine is a big plus.
- the A13 Bionic chip still runs smoothly and the phone can run ios16 without a hiccup. You are still experiencing the latest iOS.
- Unlike 5 years ago, the new iOS or Apple ecosystem does not have many core features that cannot run on the iPhone 11.
*Dynamic island - nice to have but not essential.
*very few other iOS features are unavailable on the 11
- the hardware of the 11 supports Bluetooth 5.0 which is more than good enough to connect AirPods Pro or newer peripherals.
- the camera on the 11 is very capable for most situations. I’ve bought a mirrorless camera for the same money I would spend on an iPhone and now I can have professional pics without the fake blur etc.
- the design of the 11 is still comfortable to use without a case.
Go out and buy a new MacBook Pro 14inch and enjoy the tech on that machine. Phones are overpriced and overrated. Make your phone your functional device for communication.
Wait for the SE 6.1inch next year and enjoy that device when it comes out (new chip, ram, cameras etc).
OLED is not worth the hassle for us with sensitive brains/eyes.
Can you explain what you mean with temporal dithering? I’m not a native speaker and I’m not familiar what this exactly means in combination with a smartphone. Thanks.
FWIW I’m not having the same constant migraine-inducing experience I’ve had with past iPhones. I should have returned my 14” MacBook Pro at the first sign of a headache, as I feel like that could contribute greatly as to why I wake up with a migraine.
Regardless, it’s just not comfortable to stare at this display for hours every day.
Maybe iPhone 15 will finally be 2000Hz with an Accessibility setting programmed into the brightness controller? I do feel that Apple is making progress, albeit slowly and this has to be fixed at a hardware level.
Regardless, it’s just not comfortable to stare at this display for hours every day.
Maybe iPhone 15 will finally be 2000Hz with an Accessibility setting programmed into the brightness controller? I do feel that Apple is making progress, albeit slowly and this has to be fixed at a hardware level.
I wish you all the best.
Mine did cause me a headache on Saturday but I was overusing the phone. The headache went way on its own fast enough.
Unfortunately I now have no way of fairly evaluating the pwm effect of the phone because my health took a big crash Sunday evening, unrelated to pwm.
I’ve got a migraine from having to suddenly withdraw from caffeine. That’s brutal, I hate those.
I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, because all I’ve done is go to a lab. My doctor didn’t even see me, he only talked to me on the phone. That’s the way it is now. He went from a office with regular 5 days per week hours down to 4 days per MONTH and from what I can tell, those need to be scheduled about a month in advance. I guess you have to plan in advance when you’re going to be sick? 🤪 I mean I was in excruciating pain and unable to sleep and it wasn’t considered an “emergency” so…
So anyway, until the lab results are back, my doctor is basically guessing kidney stones or UTI and meanwhile I am avoiding coffee to avoid aggravating my condition further.
And I was not able to take pain medication of any kind until today because my stomach was in pain from acid reflux and hiatal hernia. Thankfully THAT calmed down and I could take aspirin and an ibuprofen a few minutes ago.
I’m a big mess, so I’m just using my phone because I can’t possibly feel any worse. Since I couldn’t sleep Sunday night I was up early enough to watch the Queen’s funeral on my phone. The display is amazing. Even more so than that of my S22 Ultra which is also amazing. Samsung really needs to return to fully flat panels. I did not notice any discomfort from watching the funeral. My headache came much later after my body realized I wasn’t going to get any coffee that day!
Speaking of Samsung S22 Ultra, I can NOT comfortably switch between using the two displays. It makes me feel a bit woozy on top of the abject misery my other ailments are visiting upon me. We will see how that all works out when I’m less sickly.
Oh goodness! Thank you for the reminder! I assumed mine was off because I had it turned off on other phones. But transferring settings from an SE3 meant it defaulted back to “on”. Yeah Attention Aware always makes my eyes feel a bit odd (gritty and dry). I definitely felt dry eyed lately but thought that was from the change in weather.