Other Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up

[jimmy_uk]

17e 256gb Black in hand. It has an LG GVH display which appears warm yellow compared to my iPhone 11 but is very uniform. It get’s cooler on the top and bottom when tilted but doesn’t have a strong colour change (if keyboard has warm yellowish grey, it becomes a cooler blue grey). No weird shimmer or blotches that I usually see when micro adjusting in hand.

The usual adjustments:
Light mode
True tone off
Auto brightness off
Brightness at 50%
Attention aware off
Reduce motion
Reduce transparency
Display Pulse Smoothing on


Used for two hours straight while I setup and login to all apps etc, my eyes are not complaining yet. Fingers crossed……

 

[super chimp]

It seems that this is causing issues even for non-PWM sensitive people: Some Galaxy S26 Ultra owners say they had to return the phone over the display

Could be related to some type of 3D-like effect, Nick thinks: Galaxy S26 Ultra display review: Privacy at the cost of everything else

Perhaps this will kick open that door that we need kicked open to bring awareness to these screens

Thanks and why am I not surprised.

 

[BigBen2493]

17e 256gb Black in hand. It has an LG GVH display which appears warm yellow compared to my iPhone 11 but is very uniform. It get’s cooler on the top and bottom when tilted but doesn’t have a strong colour change (if keyboard has warm yellowish grey, it becomes a cooler blue grey). No weird shimmer or blotches that I usually see when micro adjusting in hand.

The usual adjustments:
Light mode
True tone off
Auto brightness off
Brightness at 50%
Attention aware off
Reduce motion
Reduce transparency
Display Pulse Smoothing on


Used for two hours straight while I setup and login to all apps etc, my eyes are not complaining yet. Fingers crossed……

Hopefully it's working out for you!

 

[jimmy_uk]

Hopefully it's working out for you!

It’s the most comfortable OLED iPhone I’ve used so far, but it’s still not 100% ideal. I’ve definitely been using my phone less, mentally avoiding issues. I’m starting to think I may need a secondary device—something like an iPad Air—to reduce my phone usage while still being able to keep the 17e.

That said, it’s still early days. I do need to retire my 11 soon, though—it really feels like it’s on its last legs. This might be my only option even if I prefer LCD.

I’m noticing some eye irritation. The inner edge of my lower eyelids and the sensitive area between my nose and eyes feel slightly irritated and look noticeably redder than usual.

 

[BigBen2493]

It’s the most comfortable OLED iPhone I’ve used so far, but it’s still not 100% ideal. I’ve definitely been using my phone less, mentally avoiding issues. I’m starting to think I may need a secondary device—something like an iPad Air—to reduce my phone usage while still being able to keep the 17e.

That said, it’s still early days. I do need to retire my 11 soon, though—it really feels like it’s on its last legs. This might be my only option even if I prefer LCD.

I’m noticing some eye irritation. The inner edge of my lower eyelids and the sensitive area between my nose and eyes feel slightly irritated and look noticeably redder than usual.

Just curious why Light mode over Dark mode? Would figure Dark mode would be less intense?

 

[jimmy_uk]

Just curious why Light mode over Dark mode? Would figure Dark mode would be less intense?

I don't like reading white text, I find it more straining.

I believe dark mode increases flickering.


"At lower brightness, the display uses a lower duty cycle PWM signal (pixels are off for longer per cycle), which increases perceived flicker amplitude. Dark mode typically drives the screen at lower average luminance, so you end up in that worse PWM range.

Light mode keeps average pixel luminance higher → higher duty cycle → less flicker contrast → fewer symptoms." - chatgpt

 

[badger1212]

Strangely I always find dark mode more comfortable to my eyes.

 

[jimmy_uk]

Strangely I always find dark mode more comfortable to my eyes.

That’s why no one can definitively tell you what works — it ultimately comes down to how the device feels to you and how your settings suit your preferences.

 

[du57in]

I read that 26.4 made some changes to reduce animations in accessibility. Anyone notice any other display changes?

 

[AshX]

I read that 26.4 made some changes to reduce animations in accessibility. Anyone notice any other display changes?

Someone on Reddit complaining 26.4 made their 17e unusable. Curious to hear how it’s affected others.

 

[BigBen2493]

That’s why no one can definitively tell you what works — it ultimately comes down to how the device feels to you and how your settings suit your preferences.

Well said!

 

[jimmy_uk]

Well, this won’t come as a surprise to anyone in this thread — a week later and I’ve returned the 17e.

Little by little, the strain crept in. It started with subtle eye fatigue, then built into that familiar temple headache and a stiff neck. As much as I wanted it to work, my eyes and brain still just can’t tolerate these PWM-driven OLED displays.

What makes this one hit harder is that, for a moment, I genuinely thought this was the one. I’d started looking at prices for an iPad and Apple Watch to go with it — already picturing myself back in the ecosystem. But without a phone I can actually use, that all falls apart.

So here I am again, back to reconsidering Android. This time I may have to properly commit to the switch, because Apple’s glacial pace on this issue just isn’t enough. Right now, there simply aren’t any iPhones I can use, while Android — at least from what I can see — seems to be moving forward much faster when it comes to eye comfort options.

Incredibly frustrating to be back here again (Over 10 years deep).

 

[BigBen2493]

Well, this won’t come as a surprise to anyone in this thread — a week later and I’ve returned the 17e.

Little by little, the strain crept in. It started with subtle eye fatigue, then built into that familiar temple headache and a stiff neck. As much as I wanted it to work, my eyes and brain still just can’t tolerate these PWM-driven OLED displays.

What makes this one hit harder is that, for a moment, I genuinely thought this was the one. I’d started looking at prices for an iPad and Apple Watch to go with it — already picturing myself back in the ecosystem. But without a phone I can actually use, that all falls apart.

So here I am again, back to reconsidering Android. This time I may have to properly commit to the switch, because Apple’s glacial pace on this issue just isn’t enough. Right now, there simply aren’t any iPhones I can use, while Android — at least from what I can see — seems to be moving forward much faster when it comes to eye comfort options.

Incredibly frustrating to be back here again (Over 10 years deep).

Welp I was hoping it would have been different for ya! What android phones are you considering?

 

[jimmy_uk]

Welp I was hoping it would have been different for ya! What android phones are you considering?

I’ve seen Nick Sutrich speak positively about both the Honor Magic 8 Pro and the OnePlus 15, so they’re definitely strong contenders on paper.

That said, what’s giving me pause is the customer experience side. Both Honor and OnePlus seem to have extremely poor Trustpilot reviews when it comes to support and order fulfillment—some people even report not receiving their devices at all. That’s a pretty big red flag, and it’s making me hesitant to go ahead with either option.

 

[ghanwani]

Well, this won’t come as a surprise to anyone in this thread — a week later and I’ve returned the 17e.

Little by little, the strain crept in. It started with subtle eye fatigue, then built into that familiar temple headache and a stiff neck. As much as I wanted it to work, my eyes and brain still just can’t tolerate these PWM-driven OLED displays.

What makes this one hit harder is that, for a moment, I genuinely thought this was the one. I’d started looking at prices for an iPad and Apple Watch to go with it — already picturing myself back in the ecosystem. But without a phone I can actually use, that all falls apart.

So here I am again, back to reconsidering Android. This time I may have to properly commit to the switch, because Apple’s glacial pace on this issue just isn’t enough. Right now, there simply aren’t any iPhones I can use, while Android — at least from what I can see — seems to be moving forward much faster when it comes to eye comfort options.

Incredibly frustrating to be back here again (Over 10 years deep).

I am not surprised. I was surprised when you said it was working.

 

[ghanwani]

I’ve seen Nick Sutrich speak positively about both the Honor Magic 8 Pro and the OnePlus 15, so they’re definitely strong contenders on paper.

That said, what’s giving me pause is the customer experience side. Both Honor and OnePlus seem to have extremely poor Trustpilot reviews when it comes to support and order fulfillment—some people even report not receiving their devices at all. That’s a pretty big red flag, and it’s making me hesitant to go ahead with either option.

What about the Bigme Color eInk?

 

[BigBen2493]

I’ve seen Nick Sutrich speak positively about both the Honor Magic 8 Pro and the OnePlus 15, so they’re definitely strong contenders on paper.

That said, what’s giving me pause is the customer experience side. Both Honor and OnePlus seem to have extremely poor Trustpilot reviews when it comes to support and order fulfillment—some people even report not receiving their devices at all. That’s a pretty big red flag, and it’s making me hesitant to go ahead with either option.

What about the Motorola LCD phones?

 

[ghanwani]

This is another interesting phone.

Punkt. MC02 5G Secure Phone

The Punkt. MC02 is a secure 5G smartphone designed in Switzerland to put privacy and simplicity first. With Apostrophy OS, it gives you control over your digital life—free from data-driven surveillance.

www.punkt.ch

Doesn't look like it has PWM or dithering (because they say 16 million colors).
This is the newer one.

Punkt. MC03 Premium Secure Smartphone + 1 year of AphyOS Subscription (Europe Version)

Experience the Punkt smartphone MC03: A minimalist, privacy‑first device designed in Europe with Vault, Wild Web and 1‑year AphyOS subscription.

www.punkt.ch

 

[johhno140]

I’ve seen Nick Sutrich speak positively about both the Honor Magic 8 Pro and the OnePlus 15, so they’re definitely strong contenders on paper.

That said, what’s giving me pause is the customer experience side. Both Honor and OnePlus seem to have extremely poor Trustpilot reviews when it comes to support and order fulfillment—some people even report not receiving their devices at all. That’s a pretty big red flag, and it’s making me hesitant to go ahead with either option.

I tried the Honor Magic 8 Pro, but to no avail.
To their credit though, they did subsequently contact me with various questions regarding my symptoms to better understand the issue. I’ve never had such a follow up from Apple.

 

[scooterdooter]

I’ve seen Nick Sutrich speak positively about both the Honor Magic 8 Pro and the OnePlus 15, so they’re definitely strong contenders on paper.

That said, what’s giving me pause is the customer experience side. Both Honor and OnePlus seem to have extremely poor Trustpilot reviews when it comes to support and order fulfillment—some people even report not receiving their devices at all. That’s a pretty big red flag, and it’s making me hesitant to go ahead with either option.

15r is the only oneplus device that looks good.

Motorola DC dimming + non-LTPO + AMOLED + disable HDR + snapdragon cpu should work for everyone here.

Moto stylus 2025 is AMOLED. I have zero issues across all brightness in a pitch black room. Screen is as comfortable has IPS and feels as good as the old AMOLED that used to work (galaxy s2/S3).

This should be the global version, but has POLED:

Motorola Edge 60 Stylus - Full phone specifications

www.gsmarena.com

Motorola Edge 70 Fusion - looks good
Motorola Signature - LTPO, but may work; flagship camera.

Phone Finder results - GSMArena.com

www.gsmarena.com

 

[MICHAELSD]

Good news. Where did you read this? And is this for the 18 line up?

Unfortunately it was just speculation for the 17e since Apple has already targeted lower modulations on LTPS panels specifically.

Early measurements oddly show that the Display Pulse Smoothing setting makes zero measurable difference to modulation or frequency on iPhone 17e, at least at 25% brightness where it would be in full effect on the 17 series. If it does adjust the sine wave then it’s an immeasurable difference.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Why? Is the 17e display (I assume, made by BOE) an LTPS? Or an LTPO?



Where have you heard -or read- such speculation?

17e has an LTPS panel. Speculation was from an expert in the field, somebody who measures each generation with a Radex, but they found 17e has no notable difference with the Accessibility setting enabled.

 

[Populus]

Guess it’s time to start the wait cycle for the iPhone 18… luckily my SE 3 still works like a charm.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Guess it’s time to start the wait cycle for the iPhone 18… luckily my SE 3 still works like a charm.

We’ve become masters of patience. I’ll wait for iPhone 18 Pro at this point. Then if that doesn’t work hold out hope for the 20th anniversary iPhone…

Man, that would mark a decade of not being able to use the latest iPhones without a severe headache response.

 

[BigBen2493]

We’ve become masters of patience. I’ll wait for iPhone 18 Pro at this point. Then if that doesn’t work hold out hope for the 20th anniversary iPhone…

Man, that would mark a decade of not being able to use the latest iPhones without a severe headache response.

My optimistic self wonders what year 2 of the PWM toggle will bring if any improvements over the first year of it? or LTPO+ screen improvements? 6 months to go!