My near field vision is getting worse. Normal age related stuff. Not as a result of using my phone.
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Other This is why I will not buy iPhone 12: OLED = PWM
- Thread starter lillo9546
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- flickering iphone mini oled pwm
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I agree. I happen to be impacted but acknowledge it’s a tiny, tiny subset of all users. Apple has zero reason honestly to make any adjustments just to appease the stark minority who suffer.Lmaooo let’s make up a number and say it’s 30% smh
Ok cool thanks. I have noticed that too recently. Have to hold the phone maybe 2 cm further away when reading but nothing major. Generally don't have problems with eyesight, but haven't been tested in years.
I do worry about the constant reading on the iPhone though, so much going on in the world, hard to put it down and also when I got it I found I used it more than Android phones, I think because it all worked so much better. Crazy.
Some say uptake in iodine and other vitamins helps. I'll see if I can dig out the info, but iodine seemed to be key. I don't think you can wrong keeping your zinc and magnesium levels up, if I am not mistaken they are involved in almost everything int he body.
Many have been using computers for decades, I'm amazed I still don't wear glasses and very thankful tbh.
Rule #1 is to never ever buy an LG at msrp. Their value plummets like a stone and you can get a hell of a deal if you wait
I will admit I made a mistake by trying and keeping iPhone 12 Pro Max for around a month, since it will likely take me a month or longer to recover. Hopefully by this time next month I no longer experience any migraines or tension headaches.
I could have never predicted that a new iPhone would cause me so many issues, and I suppose it was inevitable that this would happen since even in a parallel universe if I skipped iPhone X I would have eventually purchased an OLED iPhone.
That is, unless Apple‘s display team had the foresight to not implement PWM at all as they had for at least a decade with the realization that it could cause debilitating issues for its users and the premise that even those who weren’t directly affected would experience headaches and eye strain at times.
I could have never predicted that a new iPhone would cause me so many issues, and I suppose it was inevitable that this would happen since even in a parallel universe if I skipped iPhone X I would have eventually purchased an OLED iPhone.
That is, unless Apple‘s display team had the foresight to not implement PWM at all as they had for at least a decade with the realization that it could cause debilitating issues for its users and the premise that even those who weren’t directly affected would experience headaches and eye strain at times.
The new OnePlus phones will be coming out in the next couple of months. They will be big and they've in the past had a setting for DC dimming or what they call flicker free eye care. I think their latest had this removed but it's worth checking into. At this point people suffering from PWM should be happy just to have a phone that doesn't cause headaches regardless of the platform. I'm not sure how reliably this setting prevents headaches. The new OnePluses will have large batteries and good hardware. IIRC they are not known for good cameras but the new ones will be designed by Hassleblad.
The problem with DC dimming settings is that there typically is still flicker that can be captured in a slo-mo video. Calling it flicker-free eye care is a stretch. It may work to prevent migraines and without testing another phone it would be difficult to say. Oddly I had zero issues with the early PlayStation Vita which had an OLED display.
For me the DC Dimming option on the OnePlus 8 Pro didn't work for me. It's better than without but after 10-15 min i again become eye strain. Maybe the DC Dimming option on the Xiaomi Smartphones works better? Probably i will try it with the Mi 11/Pro or the new Poco Pro Modell to see how it works for me. So i could have a backup when the new iPhone Pro Max this year again will not work for me.
There is maybe one idea that might help you but I am not sure that it is worth for you to pay that much. I have worn glasses most of my life (myopia since the age of 14). As I work mostly on computer and spend most of my time on devices (DEV team lead) I have always bought glasses that have protection for such stuff - blue light protection and flickering in general. As a result I have never had issues with the devices unless I spend like 10 + hours on them (but honestly no matter the device at that point you do need to rest).
I do not see it worth buying such glasses for your phone (especially phone that expensive). However if you you have issues with your computer and especially work computer I would advise you to check them out. You do not need to have eye issues (in terms of myopia or any other condition), you can buy lenses that have only this coating and nothing else. In my case I have also coatings against reflections in general coming from light which helps me with office lighting as well. But that's me and I have other conditions that warrant these type of coatings.
It might be the reason why I have no issues with devices and their screens. I have no issues with blue light or with flickering or with lighting in general because I wear those glasses constantly.
So yeah worth checking if you need to handle issues with computer, for phone I would not suggest it.
Read here for more details and apparently even some software (have not tried it myself though) - https://iristech.co/should-i-get-glasses-with-blue-light-blocking-coating/
I do not see it worth buying such glasses for your phone (especially phone that expensive). However if you you have issues with your computer and especially work computer I would advise you to check them out. You do not need to have eye issues (in terms of myopia or any other condition), you can buy lenses that have only this coating and nothing else. In my case I have also coatings against reflections in general coming from light which helps me with office lighting as well. But that's me and I have other conditions that warrant these type of coatings.
It might be the reason why I have no issues with devices and their screens. I have no issues with blue light or with flickering or with lighting in general because I wear those glasses constantly.
So yeah worth checking if you need to handle issues with computer, for phone I would not suggest it.
Read here for more details and apparently even some software (have not tried it myself though) - https://iristech.co/should-i-get-glasses-with-blue-light-blocking-coating/
Thank you for sharing. I clicked the link and saw mention of the glasses but the primary focus and pricing seemed to be for the software. Would you mind sharing the cost of such glasses?
Take a look at Amazon - they have a broad selection of filtering glasses -
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=blue+lig...efix=blue+l,aps,232&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_6
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
It really depends on the glasses and the lens manufacturer you decide to use. I also do not know the country you live in and do you have some other prescription (like myopia, presbyopia etc). Also it depends on the frame you choose. Some frames are rather expensive. I tend to go for medium priced frames. I try to use my glasses for at least 2-3 years so I need frame that can survive my constant usage.
In general I do believe that for 50-100 dollars (EUR) you can find good glasses without prescription. Some might be cheaper (see Amazon link above) but I am rather picky for the lens manufacturer and the coatings they provide. Overall I go for those 5 brands - Zeis, Leica, Seiko, Essilor, Hoya. As far as I know they have better coating when it comes to blue light. You can even ask them to demonstrate this to you btw. They can use blue light source and show you how the different lenses react and protect from the light.
If you have prescription it is a different story. Mine for example are around 800$ but I have myopia and astigmatism, I need light and thin lenses, I need lenses that protect me from the sun etc. And plus given my prescription, mine are customer made and need to be delivered from Germany. Basically I pay for a lot of perks, hence the price.
I have blue light filter glasses and I still experience severe health issues with the oled on the 12 pro. Since switching to the 11, my eyes feel a lot less tired and my vision has improved. If you are sensitive to OLED pwm then stay away from the 12 series unless you have tested it in store for a long period (30 mins +)
Sucks that they don't help you! Indeed checking it in real life would be the best.
Has anyone who had issues with the 12 Pro NOT had issues with either the Pro Max or the regular 12?
I don’t think PWM in itself is the issue, it’s the rather aggressive implementation that Apple continues using on its OLED iPhones. I still have absolutely no issues with the Apple Watch, and I wish we could get the same PWM implementation on an iPhone.
I don’t think this makes sense. The true test would be if you bought an oled android like a new galaxy and tried that. I can’t recall coming across someone who got pwm symptoms from any kind of smart watch.
I’ll be honest. My coworker has the new s21 ultra and it is WAY more impressive looking and feeling than any iPhone. My days of paying msrp on an android are over, but if I can get an s21 ultra at a steep discount next year, I may jump on it and see what happens. I’ll give apple one last chance, but I refuse to keep using this 8+ for more than another year.
I owned both the Ultra and 12 Pro Max and was affected by PWM by both. I think. I have no proof it was causing headaches. I just know when I went back to my Note 10+ I'm fine. So my approached henceforth is to spend time with store demos before purchase. Focusing on the eyes. IMO both the Ultra and Pro Max are well built devices. In terms of the overall I'd give the edge to the iPhone with its rather cool edge design IMO.
The eyestrain from staring at CRT monitors decades ago, experienced by hundreds of millions of people, was just accepted as the price to pay for using a computer. I'll bet that's the same mentality the OLED display makers have today
No. This is not eye strain. It causes a migraine due to constant flickering of the display (pwm). The health symptoms are actually dangerous and is not something that Apple should just accept (eg. Driving or operating machinery). There should be a regulatory warning so that users can choose an lcd over oled. I personally cannot return my iPhone 12 Pro due to the return policies in my country and I have lost a lot of money.
Exactly. Eye strain I could deal with. Constant migraines are another story.
If you purchased it from Apple directly and reach out to AppleCare they might be able to help you regardless since it’s a safety issue.