Screen interlacing serial numer starting with F2

Jack Dangers said:

Ugh this is frustrating. This is my 3rd iPhone 5. First, had headphone issues and the 2nd the screen was coming apart/clicking in the upper left hand corner. With the replacement I got last night, I noticed when I got home, the latest replacement screen looked weird. Kind of pinstriped but only certain times. It's really noticeable when I'm in the email or settings app and the blue status bar looks kind of pinstriped. It's annoying which I was willing to live with until I noticed what looks like dust or a dead pixel. Have an appointment with a genius today so hopefully they will swap it out, but I think it will be more for the dust under the screen rather than the interlacing. Just frustrated that all this is starting to happen after the 30day return period. So I guess maybe 4th time is the charm??

For the record, I have an F2 serial number.

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I think the Settings menu is supposed to have vertical lines...take a screenshot and e-mail it to your computer or something, then you can be sure what the LCD is displaying vs what the software is supposed to display. Here is mine:

cababah said:

I think the Settings menu is supposed to have vertical lines...take a screenshot and e-mail it to your computer or something, then you can be sure what the LCD is displaying vs what the software is supposed to display. Here is mine:

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the background is definitely supposed to be pinstriped. But I'm referring to the status bar where it says ATT and the signal bars are. That part looks pinstriped in my latest phone. Where my previous phones did not have that effect at all, it just looked solid.

I'm on my 3rd iPhone 5.

1st was a DN and had terrible cell reception but a perfect screen.

2nd and 3rd are F2 and have the screen flicker/lines.

I have an appointment tomorrow at a different Apple Store so hopefully they have a different batch of replacement phones.

If all they have are F2 phones then there is no point in another swap, I'll just have to wait until the stores have replacement screens and have them swap the display only.

Otherwise, the battery life on the last 2 phones killed the 1st phone.

I am usually sensitive to flickers...

DN and I don't see the flicker.

Interesting topic.

cababah said:

I would say so. If it is not something you noticed until this thread, I wouldn't worry about it especially if you don't see any symptoms during day to day operation, gaming, etc. You might really regret getting it swapped out and entering the iPhone 5 lottery...

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Good point and yes I never noticed a thing when gaming, etc.. Keeping the one I have.

When I had the iPhone 4S I had faint horizontal lines that you could see on a blue or grayish background such as settings that were even more noticeable if you moved your eyes up and down the screen. I replaced it and the replacement was fine. Is this the same that is being refereed to here?

I have serial DN and can barely see a tiny flicker with max brightness with the pic but it very faint. No scan lines at all in any direction.

FWIW, and to re-iterate from a page or two back,

I had two DN serial # iPhone 5's both with interlacing -- earlier weeks, 30 and 31 or 31 and 32 I forgot.

The one I currently have is a later F2 (week 40) and the screen looks fantastic-o sans interlacing/vertical scan lines. The volume buttons aren't mushy, loose, and inconsistent in feel between the + and - like on my 2nd phone either...

I really think it's luck of the draw all around. I've read some people with some of the newer built iPhones still with the issue.

thadoggfather said:

FWIW, and to re-iterate from a page or two back,

I had two DN serial # iPhone 5's both with interlacing -- earlier weeks, 30 and 31 or 31 and 32 I forgot.

The one I currently have is a later F2 (week 40) and the screen looks fantastic-o sans interlacing/vertical scan lines. The volume buttons aren't mushy, loose, and inconsistent in feel between the + and - like on my 2nd phone either...

I really think it's luck of the draw all around. I've read some people with some of the newer built iPhones still with the issue.

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Mine is a week 40 with interlacing so... Anyways, I'll live with it for a while to see if the issue can get settled down because knowing my luck, I'll probably receive another with interlacing. I went to the Apple Store yesterday, and only 1 phone had interlacing out of the 5 I handled.

For those of you claiming to have interlacing:

Can some of you take some pictures and upload them so we can see what you are experiencing? We all know there is sometimes a flicker with the OP's test image but some people are saying they see horizontal lines in other parts of the operating system like mail status bars and settings menus. Let's get some pictures of those please

Having the OP's image show lines is one thing...but it seems like some people who are having interlacing were experiencing it before uploading the test image.

Agreed. I think there are 2 issues here. Scanlines and flicker with the grey pic or both.

cababah said:

For those of you claiming to have interlacing:

Can some of you take some pictures and upload them so we can see what you are experiencing? We all know there is sometimes a flicker with the OP's image but some people are saying they see horizontal lines in other parts of the operating system like mail status bars and settings menus. Let's get some pictures of those please

Having the OP's image show lines is one thing...but it seems like some people who are having interlacing were experiencing it before uploading the test image.

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F2 no flicker. The screen is slightly brighter at the very bottom of the screen, however like a very small bar of light. I don't know if I should get it replaced or if its normal. My 1st 5 had the problem, then got replacement (F2 had interlacing scanlines). Strange thing is this new F2 replacement has a very similar serial number but very obviously isn't the same phone.
EDIT:
I take that back, I set it as my lockscreen and it flickers a lot. I don't have scanline problems though like my last ip5 when I use it in landscape. I'm curious as to if all iPhone 5's have this "feature"

natwister2003 said:

Mine is a week 40 with interlacing so... Anyways, I'll live with it for a while to see if the issue can get settled down because knowing my luck, I'll probably receive another with interlacing. I went to the Apple Store yesterday, and only 1 phone had interlacing out of the 5 I handled.

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Shame, sorry to hear A non-interlaced screen really is that much better imo.

But it did honestly seem like a decent amount of display models did not exhibit the issue when I took a look as well

Just got my replacement and it's a DN unit with no screen interlacing.
Held my F2 iPhone next to a store unit and it was clearly noticeable. I will admit, Apple's customer service is really great. No questions asked they just exchanged it.

yey, enjoy!

cababah said:

For those of you claiming to have interlacing:

Can some of you take some pictures and upload them so we can see what you are experiencing? We all know there is sometimes a flicker with the OP's test image but some people are saying they see horizontal lines in other parts of the operating system like mail status bars and settings menus. Let's get some pictures of those please

Having the OP's image show lines is one thing...but it seems like some people who are having interlacing were experiencing it before uploading the test image.

Click to expand...

Refer to the first attached image. The one on the left is mine and the one on the right is my friend's. In person, it's not always visible and sometimes it's hard to see even on the status bar and Safari scrollbars. It depends on the screen brightness and how long the screen has been on it seems.

I've attached other images of the issue. the worst is on light grey colours where you see the lines actually vibrating in the shape. The grey background on the keyboard is very distracting as well but very elusive and only happens sometimes.

The vertical line test image is not that helpful with Genius' because their screen flickered as well and they said "So you mean my screen is faulty too?". It was really awkward haha. Try to grab a younger person to look at the screen because everyone at my apple store was in their late 20s and up.

kockgunner said:

Refer to the first attached image. The one on the left is mine and the one on the right is my friend's. In person, it's not always visible and sometimes it's hard to see even on the status bar and Safari scrollbars. It depends on the screen brightness and how long the screen has been on it seems.

I've attached other images of the issue. the worst is on light grey colours where you see the lines actually vibrating in the shape. The grey background on the keyboard is very distracting as well but very elusive and only happens sometimes.

The vertical line test image is not that helpful with Genius' because their screen flickered as well and they said "So you mean my screen is faulty too?". It was really awkward haha. Try to grab a younger person to look at the screen because everyone at my apple store was in their late 20s and up.

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Thanks. I see most of the examples you are talking about except the one that is in the screen brightness setting where the arrow is pointing to the brightness icon. What is that supposed to be, I can't see it?

I'm so lost right now..I downloaded the picture, set it as a wallpaper just as it was, no pinch zooming or anything..

It looks like a gray background on both my home screen and lock screen. I stared at my phone for like an entire minute on both screens and I see no flickering.

It does the trippy lines effect when you switch apps though.


What's with the guy that said youre not supposed to see it as a gray background? He said it should be lines? Is that true or what?

DN launch day phone.

Just a thought

C3 Model. Week 39

I've tried it too, saw nothing. The flicker I've seen is an optical illusion, I asked other people to check my screen too and they can't see it on first look, but after staring for a while, they can.

Optical Illusion.

As for the interlaced lines in the images above by the other poster, If they look that way all the time then it's an issue, but you can see them on ANY device if you are filming or taking images of the screen, just move the camera around over the device and you will see them.

If you see them with your own two eyes, without a camera? and with just general use of the phone, then I'd say you have interlacing issues, but if you can only see this from photographs or by using a camera lens, then you need to step back from that and just stop obsessing because there's nothing there to be obsessing about.

My iphone has none of these issues, I can move my phone around, mess around with the screen and I get no lines or fuzziness at all.

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cababah said:

Thanks. I see most of the examples you are talking about except the one that is in the screen brightness setting where the arrow is pointing to the brightness icon. What is that supposed to be, I can't see it?

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I guess it's harder to see in that picture but it's the same as the other ones where you see interlacing lines through what are supposed to be solid colours.

To the poster who suggested an optical illusion, I'm no aware of any optical illusion where lines cause your brain to interpret it as flickering.

Even when looking at that image from a 20 degree angle with the iPhone on the table, you can see the screen flickering even when you can't even see the individual lines on the image anymore.

So is the image supposed to look like just a grey wallpaper or what? Without zooming in or out before i set it as a wallpaper, thats how it is. It just looks like a grey background.

Here is my assessment of this interlacing issue so far. There are 3 types:

1. People that see no flicker or interlacing. Great. You guys can move on in peace.

2. People that noticed interlacing beforehand and used the test image to validate their issue and should get their phones replaced.

3. Special case here. People that saw NO EVIDENCE of interlacing in the display but when loading the test image, saw some flickering and now deem their display faulty. I guess this side of the camp has to use a judgement call...

a. Risk getting a replacement phone that might have one of many other issues and officially enter the iPhone lottery.

b. Forget you saw this thread and carry on using your phone since you didn't even notice a "problem" in daily operation until you saw this thread.

I, myself am type 3. I thought I had a great display until I saw some flicker in the test image near the dock. I have seen absolutely no examples of any interlacing or symptoms elsewhere during the month I have had the phone and will be keeping it. I don't see any realistic situation where I would be looking at that image let alone have it as my wallpaper. The quest for a perfect iPhone is not a journey to be taken lightly. I played this lottery with my iPhone 4S and it was a long, time-consuming, patience-testing process that made me learn that when you spend enough time looking hard and long enough at anything, you will find flaws.

That being said, I do appreciate the OP taking the time to do some research and all the people who uploaded pictures for reference. Nothing wrong with gaining more knowledge on the subject.

Update:

After installing iOS 6.0.1, the flickering is no longer existent!

Try it out folks.

cababah said:

Update:

After installing iOS 6.0.1, the flickering is no longer existent!

Try it out folks.

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Mine is still interlacing.

Yeah I'm curious if it fixes it for people who have the problem.

I'm assuming mostly not.

Zeusus said:

Mine is still interlacing.

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Yeah never mind it is still there for me. I tested it in the dark and it was fine but later in a lit room I saw it back again so I can safely say the update did nothing.