iPhone 3G Yellow Screen Issue

[tttexxan]

These are the best comparisons I have seen so far!!! Mine is showing the same thing and I can tell you they WILL be replascing mine tom or Im getting a full refund...Along with many many other issues this is CRAP...My first one worked without a glitch...I will make them keep opening new ones until I get one that works right...
I am the customer hear me ROAR....
Infact last night while at the apple store at 8 they stated they were not taking any more customers and closing hours were at 11..due to their employees working all day....I told them not my problem and you should have staffed up..Hello you knew this was comming...I informed them I would be calling AT&T and Apple taking the managers name...Ummmmm he let several more people in!!!!!!!!

Some more images.

 

[D3LL]

Here are mine. The 3g iphone on the left is perfect....much much nicer than the 2G

The iphone on the left is perfect, and cant get any better its one of the few.

The two in the middle arnt nice, they look yellow. Doing the restore now, will post pics soon.

 

[sva]

So I've decided to get a replacement, I can handle the screen being warmer, but in some instances it's really bad and doesn't look right. For example, on the "slide to unlock" screen, if you look at the time - behind it is a nice little gradient, on my 2G it's back/grey but on the 3G it's black/yellow/green.

This is my story this morning in trying to get it replaced.

09:17 - Rang my local CPW store for a replacement, they have no iPhones in stock.

09:20 - Rang CPW "Customer Support", got a recorded message saying iPhone owners should return phones to where they bought them.

09:24 - Right, I'm going to try the sales number. On hold.

09:30 - Still on hold.

09:36 - While on hold to sales, rang a few other not so local stores. All out of stock. One of the guys I spoke to said there was no stock company-wide.

09:45 - Answered, I was told to simply take it into a store where it will either get replaced or repaired.

Looks like I'm not getting a replacement until the stock levels calm down a little.

 

[dungbeetle]

Here are mine. The 3g iphone on the left is perfect....much much nicer than the 2G

The iphone on the left is perfect, and cant get any better its one of the few.

The two in the middle arnt nice, they look yellow. Doing the restore now, will post pics soon.

Sorry, I disagree. The two on the end look decidedly blue, and the second one from the left looks best to me. Maybe it's just the photographer in me who's always looking at color balance, but I think the reason these screens look yellowish was because the earlier iPhones had such a bluish cast to them.

 

[D3LL]

Sorry, I disagree. The two on the end look decidedly blue, and the second one from the left looks best to me. Maybe it's just the photographer in me who's always looking at color balance, but I think the reason these screens look yellowish was because the earlier iPhones had such a bluish cast to them.

Here is Full View:
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/8166/dscn2857kn1.jpg

I'll take more photos when my Dad gets back home with his iPhone (second from the right) in Safari, so you can see the yellow tone in mine (second from the left) and in his, compared to my brothers (1st from the left).. Might be the way i took the photo that mine looks nicer...but it isnt trust me

 

[atuarre]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone else's iPhone 3Gs have a yellow screen tint?

You can see it clearly in the following photo. The iPhone 3G is on the left, my old iPhone 2G is on the right. The 3G's one is distinctly yellow and dimmer than the 2G one when set to identical brightness.

View attachment 123560

I'm on the phone to Apple Support now to try to look into this fault.

Edit: UPDATE

I've posted further down in this thread but I want to write something here for new folks in this thread.

Since starting this thread, I've returned my iPhone and have been lucky enough to get another one and its a lot better. Now, from what I can gather from this thread and people's experiences is that all 3G iPhones have a slight yellow tint compared to the original iPhone. Its not as bad on the whole as my picture indicates.

If you have an original iPhone to compare it with, set both to maximum brightness with auto-dimming off. The iPhone 3G should be brighter than the original one. Yes it will have a yellowish tint compared to the blueish tint of the original iPhone. SOME iPhone 3Gs appear to have a slightly faulty screen/backlight and appear to be dimmer and very yellow compared to the original iPhone. In my opinion, these are faulty.

I'm a lot happier with my replacement phone although I would still prefer the colours a little cooler.

If you have an issue with the yellow tint but its not as bad as I described mine to be then I suggest filing some feedback with Apple about the iPhone using the following form:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

If enough of us ask for it, we MAY be able to get screen colour temperature options and maybe even more advanced colour/contrast/gammut settings etc - something professional photographers would probably like anyway so as to showcase their work on the fly better.

Some people prefer the blue tint, some people prefer the yellow tint. If we ask Apple enough, maybe they will give us some more choice on this. I fully believe this can be far better controlled with a software update. Honestly, there's a good chance that Apple purposefully made the screen appear this way so that the icons on the dashboard and films appear to have far more colour depth and contrast and so would pop out as better to some people.

Edit 2: Some comparison shots of my replacement iPhone 3G and my original iPhone 2G are here. A montage of my first iPhone 3G, replacement iPhone 3G and iPhone 2G are here.

Edit 3: Some people have reported better colour tones after connecting their iPhones to iTunes and doing a full restore to factory settings. It appears that a slightly newer firmware version is downloaded and this seems to have corrected the colour somewhat. I add that I did this with my replacement 3G iPhone by accident too because it got messed up during Apple's server activation crash so my second 3G iPhone photos are using this new build. Make sure you backup your iPhone before trying this.

Another thing I want to chime in on...is it just me (my eyes sometimes play tricks) or is the iPhone 3G screen supposed to be the same size as the 2G? The 3G screen looks smaller, the entire phone looks smaller by comparison. Is that how it is supposed to be, or is it just my eyes?

 

[shiny-blanket]

So I've decided to get a replacement, I can handle the screen being warmer, but in some instances it's really bad and doesn't look right. For example, on the "slide to unlock" screen, if you look at the time - behind it is a nice little gradient, on my 2G it's back/grey but on the 3G it's black/yellow/green.

This is my story this morning in trying to get it replaced.

09:17 - Rang my local CPW store for a replacement, they have no iPhones in stock.

09:20 - Rang CPW "Customer Support", got a recorded message saying iPhone owners should return phones to where they bought them.

09:24 - Right, I'm going to try the sales number. On hold.

09:30 - Still on hold.

09:36 - While on hold to sales, rang a few other not so local stores. All out of stock. One of the guys I spoke to said there was no stock company-wide.

09:45 - Answered, I was told to simply take it into a store where it will either get replaced or repaired.

Looks like I'm not getting a replacement until the stock levels calm down a little.

Just been into CPW to look at their demo phones and none of them have the yellow/warm tint (same firmware). When I enquired about a possible replacement, they said they don't offer replacements. I said i'd cancel the order within my 14days, they said they don't allow that (Manager confirmed)!
I told him to he'd better check that because he was blatantly wrong. Muppets.

 

[sva]

Just been into CPW to look at their demo phones and none of them have the yellow/warm tint (same firmware). When I enquired about a possible replacement, they said they don't offer replacements. I said i'd cancel the order within my 14days, they said they don't allow that (Manager confirmed)!
I told him to he'd better check that because he was blatantly wrong. Muppets.

After writing that post, I went to my local store. Spoke to the manager, who was super nice, and he explained that they had none in stock to give me so he'd order me a replacement - he tried, but CPW seemingly have no stock at all of the 16GB (he even showed me the screen). Told me to keep ringing customer services as they'll have stock way before he does.

So now, I'm just waiting. But I'm going to ring them every day until I get one.

 

[shiny-blanket]

Just be careful when you 14 days is up, they might not be as eager to help if your locked into the contract.

From CPW:

1. You must first call our exchange team on 0845 601 0411 who will explain how to exchange the product.

2. You must return the product to us within 7 days of notifying us of your wish to change your mind or the fault.

Can you let me know how you get on with customer service (is it the above number your calling)?

 

[sva]

Just be careful when you 14 days is up, they might not be as eager to help if your locked into the contract.

From CPW:

1. You must first call our exchange team on 0845 601 0411 who will explain how to exchange the product.

2. You must return the product to us within 7 days of notifying us of your wish to change your mind or the fault.

Can you let me know how you get on with customer service (is it the above number your calling)?

Yeah, the manager I spoke to warned me about that but he did put a note on my account to say I'd been in to try and replace it, but couldn't because of the stock situation.

Don't think that's the number I rang, I'll give it a go now.

 

[sva]

Just off the phone and the lady I spoke to said I would have to exchange it in store, apparently they don't send them out anymore to make it easier for customers to just go to the local store. She said stock would probably be replenished towards the end of the week and advised me to ring the store then to make sure they keep one for me.

She put another note on my file too, saying that I would be getting a replacement from the store.

 

[lakaiordie]

mine seems fine. guess i got lucky.

 

[shiny-blanket]

Just off the phone and the lady I spoke to said I would have to exchange it in store, apparently they don't send them out anymore to make it easier for customers to just go to the local store. She said stock would probably be replenished towards the end of the week and advised me to ring the store then to make sure they keep one for me.

She put another note on my file too, saying that I would be getting a replacement from the store.

Nice, just explained this to CPW retail support and he's added note onto the system (which isn't favorable to the store I went into today). I can pickup a replacement when stock is in

 

[mceis]

How are you US 3G owners finding the screens? The lines are still ridiculous here in Atlanta so I can't even get in to see the demos.

 

[jambodoug]

I just tried a phone reset (Home button and Off/On Button held down together) - took a while to reboot, but much less yellow than before. Anyone else tried this?

 

[akula34]

Yellow 3G Screen... read why... and stop worrying!!!

Ok... yes, I'm new to the forum... long time lurker, but just joined after ordering my iPhone. I do own a 24" iMac & 2.5 MBP. I am also an advanced amateur photographer.... this is the important part.

Now for those of you that are worried about your screen.... I might urge a bit of caution for now. I wouldn't rush back to the store and demand a new phone just yet. The reason is that your problem is not hardware related... it's software.

LCD screens have something referred to as "color balance" or "white balance" and a properly "calibrated" screen is merely a change in software preferences. Most photographers have what is referred to as a colorimeter or monitor calibrator. It allows the photographer to ensure their color balance is correct on their LCD. All LCDs ship from the factory with varying color temperatures, which is why people are seeing differences in their 3G units.

Now, if people are seeing a yellowish tint or over-saturated colors, Apple may provide a solution in one of two ways. One, they may just push an update that makes your screen bluish (which is a cooler color temperature and what most of the original iphones were.) Or they may provide a calibration setting which would let you set your own color temperature.

I would recommend reading up on gadgets such as the Spyder2Express or other screen calibration devices and try to understand that it's NOT an LCD Hardware problem.

Now... if you're impatient, or really don't understand what I just stated above... try exchanging it, but I think a little bit of caution and patience will pay off in the end, especially since nothing is wrong with your phone!!

 

[thor79]

Exactly. If you have an LCD for your desktop computer, whether a Mac or PC...you likely have a color adjustment on the LCD menu. If you change it to a lower number you'll likely notice that the screen is significantly more yellow like the iPhones screen is.

You can be sure that there's a similar setting in the iPhone firmware to control the color setting. It's just a matter of time before either Apple releases an update to correct it, or someone releases an app to adjust it.

Though there is a chance that some lower quality lcds made it in and can't be adjusted blue enough to completely reduce the yellow color.

 

[taphil]

Yes, you're right. I've decided to hold off on getting a replacement. On a pure white screen, the new 3G screen is as white as white on my 30" LCD or MBP. It's the colors that have a dingy yellow tint. I doubt Apple would ever in a million years make a color adjustment and contrast adjustment option in the software, but maybe they can fix it with software somehow. I remember the old iPhone with the grid pattern was fixed, as was iPod touches with the negative black issue.

 

[Next Tuesday]

Another thing I want to chime in on...is it just me (my eyes sometimes play tricks) or is the iPhone 3G screen supposed to be the same size as the 2G? The 3G screen looks smaller, the entire phone looks smaller by comparison. Is that how it is supposed to be, or is it just my eyes?

The screens are exactly the same size. The iphone3g has a wider border around the screen than teh original iphone. So it makes it look smaller.PUll out a ruler. lol

 

[HFU]

Apple should offer color calibration feature?

Since people have difference preference in terms of color, some prefer warmer, others preferred cooler color, perhaps Apple should offer a simple color calibration feature as the one in Mac OSX, so a simple color profile will help to adjust to the comfortable level to end users.

Since each LCD screen may come with slight variation of color temporature, I would against the idea to have Apple push new firmware to make correction to all iPhone. It will either make someone's phone more yellower or more bluish. For example, I find the unit I got is quite color balanced to my eye, it's perfectly crisp and sharp, even feel more color balanced than our first gen unit. It's using the default firmware 5A345 without needing any firmware upgrade.

 

[TeddyBlack]

I think that in regards to this being only a software problem, certain problems people are seeing, like in the attached image, are very similar to the problems that I had with my original iphone v1. In this image, you can clearly see there are no details in the blacks, and a slight negative appearance to them. The screen is face on, and if you were to tilt it toward or away from you, you would find the negative effect gets only worse. It just seems that this is a different problem from the yellow/warmer screen trouble, and is not a software problem, but a faulty screen.

 

[dude2221]

Are there any Las Vegas buyers here who got a phone with a yellow screen? If so have you contacted the store about a replacement?

 

[docchris1980]

negative black

i also have the negative black effect seen in those photos above

PLUS

my screen is more yellow at the bottom than at the top, (and if you turn it upside down theissue stays so itsnot just a viewing angle thing), so its obviously not JUST a colour temperature thing

 

[akula34]

I think that in regards to this being only a software problem, certain problems people are seeing, like in the attached image, are very similar to the problems that I had with my original iphone v1. In this image, you can clearly see there are no details in the blacks, and a slight negative appearance to them. The screen is face on, and if you were to tilt it toward or away from you, you would find the negative effect gets only worse. It just seems that this is a different problem from the yellow/warmer screen trouble, and is not a software problem, but a faulty screen.

I disagree 100%. That looks very much like a screen calibration/contrast/saturation issue but if you are not happy with it, I would return the phone and try and get a new one... especially if you have no understanding of my above post. You have a right to be happy with your phone and as people return them for the screen color... a fix will come out... since it is software/setting related and NOT a faulty screen.

 

[docchris1980]

how do you explain the negative blacks effect, where true blacks are actually brighter than very dark shadows? as you can clearly see in those photos above?