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Other Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up
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Be curious if they respond for further followup at some point.
Out of interest and ensuring advocacy is being conducted properly, could you send me a copy of the letter you sent?
Thank you
Dear Ms. Iliana Ivanova,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is , and I am writing to express my concerns regarding the widespread use of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technology in screens by major companies.
PWM is often used to control the brightness of screens in devices such as smartphones, tablets, and monitors. While it is an efficient method, it can cause significant discomfort and health issues for a substantial number of users. Symptoms such as headaches, eye strain, and dizziness are commonly reported, impacting the well-being and productivity of affected individuals.
The European Commission has a commendable track record of advocating for the interests of users, such as in the case of the standardized charging ports for electronic devices, which has greatly benefitted consumers across Europe. Inspired by these successes, I believe that addressing the adverse effects of PWM in screens could lead to better standards for screen technology, ultimately benefiting a large number of people.
Given your role as the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, I urge you to consider initiating research or policies aimed at encouraging the adoption of more user-friendly technologies that mitigate the adverse effects of PWM. Such actions would further reinforce the European Commission’s commitment to improving the quality of life for its citizens.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to any actions that may be taken to address these concerns.
.
Best regards,
If I were the one who wrote it I would have backed it up with further citations, but I'd say that was a good job 
Well go ahead. You can also send an email. With more people the stronger our case will be. I also send an email to some executives at Apple.If I were the one who wrote it I would have backed it up with further citations, but I'd say that was a good job
Still enjoying my magic 6 pro without issue. Miss iOS though.
I’m at the point where the third-generation iPhone SE is beginning to feel dated, although with no OS-level lagginess whatsoever, and I do want to upgrade to an iPhone 16 in the fall.
Our only option, short of an email campaign to Apple executives and politicians, is to hope once again that there is some sort of major revamp to the display brightness controllers.
Or, we can start a wider email campaign. I’m just dejected since it is possible to reach those upper echelons of Apple, but it hasn’t become a priority to eliminate PWM from displays. It’s only made display engineers more cognizant of it.
Our only option, short of an email campaign to Apple executives and politicians, is to hope once again that there is some sort of major revamp to the display brightness controllers.
Or, we can start a wider email campaign. I’m just dejected since it is possible to reach those upper echelons of Apple, but it hasn’t become a priority to eliminate PWM from displays. It’s only made display engineers more cognizant of it.
Commissioner Ivanova thanks you for your letter of 1 July 2024 to which she has asked
me to reply.
I would like to thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the use of Pulse Width
Modulation (PWM) technology in screens and appreciate your recognition of the European
Commission's efforts to continually advocate for the best interests of users of novel
developments and technologies.
Your suggestion for increased research and innovation actions aimed at screen
technologies and policies encouraging the adoption of more user-friendly and healthier
technologies has been duly noted.
The European Union has established an extensive framework of thematic programmes and
regulatory actions around the protection of the health and well-being of citizens from
environment-related risks and impacts, including those stemming from the use of various
products or technologies. Said framework aims to protect public health under the current
trend of increasing environmental pressures and rapid emergence of new technologies.
The EU framework programmes for research and innovation provide the scientific
evidence to support these initiatives. Over the last 20 years it has funded seven hundred
multinational research projects in the environment and health area alone, with an EU
contribution close to three billion euros. Through this, the EU has provided funding for
projects investigating the health impacts of using digital technologies. For example, the
SCREENS project (2017-2023) sought out to better understand the potential effects of
digital screen use on our health and behaviour. Another notable example is the CLUE-H
cluster (2022-2026), four projects working to provide insights on the impacts of
electromagnetic fields (e.g., radiofrequency) on human health and well-being, including at
the level of user devices such as smartphones.
2
The European Commission, and in particular the Directorate General for Research and
Innovation, remains fully committed to continue supporting, with the best available
evidence and tools, actions that aim to reduce environmentally related health threats,
including those from digital technologies.
Yours sincerely,
Great, great work!
The perfect response may involve reminding the EU of their current regulations on flickering lights, as the smartphones that most people are spending a majority of their day using exhibit flickering that’s worse than the lighting being regulated.
Everyone go at 54.45
www.youtube.com
OnePlus Summer Launch Event | 50 minutes of livestream, 250 lucky winners. Starting 6:30PM
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www.youtube.com
“No PWM at 1% brightness”
Why does the video say that? The video shows PWM even at full brightness.
Haven’t had a chance to dig into this, but I assume they are just using a higher PWM refresh rate? Maybe 3800-something Hz?Everyone go at 54.45
OnePlus Summer Launch Event | 50 minutes of livestream, 250 lucky winners. Starting 6:30PM
Join us for the OnePlus Summer Launch event on July 16, 6:30 PM as we launch the all-new #OnePlusNord4, #OnePlusNordBuds3Pro, #OnePlusWatch2R & #OnePlusPad2W...
"bluelight filter" and "eases OLED flicker in low light" = this is just a filter and not a solution/fix for PWM flicker. We already have truetone which does nothing. Marketing.
The Moto Edge shows some promise as some sensitive users have been able to use last year's model. Will await real-world reviews.
The Moto Edge shows some promise as some sensitive users have been able to use last year's model. Will await real-world reviews.
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I wonder how the new Motorola Razr fares. Those are fantastic smartphones that offer a form factor not available on iOS. Unfortunately, the 2023 model was only slightly better than an iPhone for me regardless of if the Reduce Flicker setting was enabled. Easier on the eyes to look at, but still caused headaches and migraines afterwards.
The next iPhone SE will probably have an OLED display, so if we don’t see a solution this generation then smartphone manufacturers have basically given up on us.
Yeah I don't think the flicker setting does anything on the Moto. But my foldable '23 Razr Plus is the only phone I have been able to use somewhat comfortably in years. I'm using it way more than i thought....I thought like 60 minutes but it's really more like 2-4 hours/day when I see my stats. It's not completely strain free but close. But, if I have to concentrate for an extended period on the phone, forget it. It's coming up on a year and very pleased with it. The hinge mechanism still works well and don't see signs of wear. The '24 Motos have just been released but I don't see any info on PWM.
BTW, I would encourage anyone that uses an iPad to get the last the LCDs if they are still out there. I bought a Pro just a few months before the OLED version was introduced. And I can't look at that thing for more than a few seconds. Love the LCD Pro.
BTW, I would encourage anyone that uses an iPad to get the last the LCDs if they are still out there. I bought a Pro just a few months before the OLED version was introduced. And I can't look at that thing for more than a few seconds. Love the LCD Pro.
(Warning: Tinfoil hat conjecture below)
I’ll bet that for those who don’t experience negative nervous system issues while staring at OLED screens- they are experiencing something very different caused by the flickering - over stimulation which creates addiction.
This topic has been touched on before by others - the craving for stimulation.
From those people, you’ll often hear them describe OLED screens as looking “fantastic”. — which is a red flag right there.
Hate to break it to everyone, but real life in the physical world lit by sunlight doesn’t look “fantastic”, it just looks “normal “.
I think display manufacturers and themselves are very aware of the addictive nature of flickering OLED screens for most people — which is why they ain’t going nowhere and flickering is here to stay.
I’ll bet that for those who don’t experience negative nervous system issues while staring at OLED screens- they are experiencing something very different caused by the flickering - over stimulation which creates addiction.
This topic has been touched on before by others - the craving for stimulation.
From those people, you’ll often hear them describe OLED screens as looking “fantastic”. — which is a red flag right there.
Hate to break it to everyone, but real life in the physical world lit by sunlight doesn’t look “fantastic”, it just looks “normal “.
I think display manufacturers and themselves are very aware of the addictive nature of flickering OLED screens for most people — which is why they ain’t going nowhere and flickering is here to stay.
I loved the Motorola Razr+. I would have admittedly kept it if it caused no eye strain.
My favorite app ironically was Apple Music. It’s trippy to see on an Android smartphone, and being able to flip it closed and use it either way made me downright giddy. In fact, the display size almost made it better than the iPhone SE app, which doesn’t benefit as much from animated album covers. Motorola makes really well-built phones with a fantastic foldable UI that I’m not sure a more minimalistic Apple would attempt to create with all its whimsy and variety.
I’d probably try the 2024 Razr+ if iPhone 16 continues to be unusable.
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Interesting review from Nick on the CMF Phone 1: CMF Phone 1 Review
Not a high PWM frequency at low brightness, but Nick is quite PWM sensitive, so the fact that he can use it sounds promising.
Not a high PWM frequency at low brightness, but Nick is quite PWM sensitive, so the fact that he can use it sounds promising.
I’m tempted to take a punt at this phone, don’t suppose you’ve taken the plunge?