iPad iPad 3 - screen seems dull

Are you used to the iphone 5 or ipod touch 5 screen by any chance?

I have the ipad 3 and then got the ipod touch 5 and noticed the ipad does seem less bright/less saturated (i guess you could say "dull") than the ipod.

That was one of the first thing I noticed about a retina display is that you have to turn the brightness up a tad bit more than on non-retina displays. It actually took a little getting use too at first, but of course the vivid colors and crisp text make it all worth it.

I am running an iPad Mini right now and though many have complained about the display... I think it works just great for the purpose in which I am using it.

One of the first things I did with my 3 was to turn off Auto Brightness and set it manually. You might try that and see if that helps.

I found the iPad2 I tried to be too bright even on the lowest setting...I like the brightness on my iPad3 to be right above the "g" unless I'm in bright, direct sunlight.

Cheap panels usually have a bluish or cold tone which gives it a sort of "pop". Most people think that it's a good thing, and don't realise its very unnatural and that it causes eye strain when reading for long periods of time.

On the other hand, when people see a professionally calibrated monitor for the first time, the first thing they think of is that it looks dull or yellow or lacks the 'wow' factor. This is what happens when manufactures know that the bluish screens that give it a 'pop' sell better than more accurate 'yellow' screens.

The retina ipad screens often has extremely accurate representation (yes I know there is a lot of defective panels out there), so OP might just have a very good panel which takes time getting used to after looking at a thousand cold screens which look "white"

Having said that, I haven't seen his ipad, it's quite possible that's it's just not a very good screen.

I have the opposite, my 3 has more "pop" / white to it than my 4 which is a bit duller / yellower in comparison. At full brightness the 3 is brighter than the 4. Though neither are remotely comparible to brightness and whiteness of the iPhone 5.

My wife and I were comparing photos on the two ipad screens the other night and both were falling in favour of the 3 as it looked more like what we expected / remembered the scene looking like. (My wife didn't actually know which screen was which). It seemed like the 3 pulled a little more detail out of the photos (one example was the back of an iPad 1 with some scratches and dents, they seemed clearer on the 3)

Whether that's more accurate, or the luck of the draw I don't know. The yellower is certainly a bit softer on the eyes though the contrast isn't as high.

Why would you compare the screen from the 4 with yours? Wouldn't you want to compare it to a non refurbished 3 instead? Just thinking up load here. IMO, the screen of the 3 is top notch in every aspect. Certainly not dull.

Loyola said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I turned off Auto Brightness and increase the brightness. That does seem to help. Should I really have to almost put it a the max setting to get the brightness I need? Will this deplete the battery faster?

I think the screen is very clear. So far I don't seem to have some of the other issues I have read about concerning the screen.

I am thinking about going to the Apple Store or Best Buy to compare the screen on the 4. It should give me a good idea if my screen is "normal". My expectation concerning the screen may not have been reasonable.

Kevin

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The auto brightness in ios 6 works differently to previous versions. On a new device, you have to first "train" it according to your preferences. I.e set it to your preferred brightness in outdoors, indoors, and at night with the lights switched off. It will then remember your preferences in the different extremes and adjust accordingly.

Also you should be fine to compare with ipad 4 panels, they are made to the exact same spec. Just beware that there is always some variation between different individual pannels.

In regards to brightness and battery drain, yes the brighter the screen is the quicker it will drain, and in a very big way. Maxing out the brightness you're reducing the running time by half (if not more) vs keeping it at about the half way point.

If you're finding you have to max out your brightness that that's not normal under normal conditions. I usually have brightness at around only 1/4 the way up under normal ambient lighting. Almost never more that half way unless I'm outside. Remember that you only need it as bright as you can read it without it being to dim, any brighter is causing you eye strain.