All iPads: Does anybody else prefer the cooler/brighter non-retina screens?

[zooby]

Now before anyone calls me crazy, let me say that I have ALWAYS loved the retina display on my iPhone 4/4s/5, but for some reason the retina display on my iPad 3 always seemed a bit... off. The colors struck me as way too warm and my iPad 4 seemed to have a half green/pink tint. I compared it to other iPads at the store and they all seemed to be the same way.

This isn't just a case of getting a 'bad screen'. When compared to *my* old non-retina iPad 2 or my retina iPhone 4S, the screen definitely had a stranger tint to it. The keyboard, the background - everything seemed to be off. Much more crisp and detailed, which I couldn't complain about, but way too warm for my liking. I always found myself preferring the cooler tint on my old iPad 2 (which I gave to my grandmother). With the retina display on my iPad I found myself having to turn the brightness up, while I could leave the brightness setting towards the middle with my iPad 2 and the screen looked fine and kept it's cool, bright colors intact.

Anyone else notice this? I am strongly considering getting an iPad Mini because I have always liked the cooler colors on the non-retina iPads.

[mac jones]

Well, that's an interesting reason to get an iPad Mini.

[bevsb2]

I had an iPad 3 with a bright bluish-white screen similar to the iPad 2. I had difficulty finding an iPad 4 with a good screen. It took 4 tries because the first 3 had yellow tinting on various parts of the screen. The 4th has what I consider a perfect screen. It has no tints and is very bright, but the screen is a "warmer" and what I believe to be a more "correct" white. I think this screen with the retina display is far superior to the bright bluish white screen on the iPad 2, but that is just my preference. From my experience and from what I've read, it is unfortunately getting harder to get a great screen on these devices.

[darngooddesign]

I prefer the iPad 4 screen which is far more color accurate.

[batting1000]

I don't notice / worry about and tints on my displays. I just use the device.

[Paulywauly]

You should give Anandtechs iPad reviews a look, they test pretty much everything about the screens. They make for interesting comparisons.

[ZZ Bottom]

Hard to appreciate well balanced screen temps when the resolution is so inferior for many tasks. It's a damn shame that Apple doesn't just give user access to LCD calibration, similar to that available in system preferences in Mac OS.

[zooby]

Originally Posted by bevsb2

I had an iPad 3 with a bright bluish-white screen similar to the iPad 2. I had difficulty finding an iPad 4 with a good screen. It took 4 tries because the first 3 had yellow tinting on various parts of the screen. The 4th has what I consider a perfect screen. It has no tints and is very bright, but the screen is a "warmer" and what I believe to be a more "correct" white. I think this screen with the retina display is far superior to the bright bluish white screen on the iPad 2, but that is just my preference. From my experience and from what I've read, it is unfortunately getting harder to get a great screen on these devices.

Really? I never found a screen with a cool tint similar to the iPad 2. Same with the iPad 4 - all had *very* warm screens, that eventually I figured this was how all new iPads are going to be. The retina display is obviously superior as it is much crispier - but the tints bother me too much. I guess it's just me - I just wish there was a way to calibrate these screens cause while I appreciate the retina display in the iPad 3 + 4, the warm and red/green tint is distracting and makes me go back to my iPad 2 or calibrated Macbook Pro. This didn't seem to be a problem when the iPad 1 + 2 was released, unfortunately.

Originally Posted by Paulywauly

You should give Anandtechs iPad reviews a look, they test pretty much everything about the screens. They make for interesting comparisons.

I am reading them right now. Thanks for the recommendation! What are your thoughts on the iPad screens - do you mind the warmer tint or does it not bother you?

Originally Posted by ZZ Bottom

Hard to appreciate well balanced screen temps when the resolution is so inferior for many tasks. It's a damn shame that Apple doesn't just give user access to LCD calibration, similar to that available in system preferences in Mac OS.

I agree completely. I really do wish there was a way to calibrate our screens. There is a jailbreak for the iPhone called "Color Profiles" but it isn't the same thing.

[Signor S.]

I find the blacks on the iPad 3 particularly pop when you press the sleep button . . . . could just be me though.

[bevsb2]

[QUOTE=zooby;16607887]Really? I never found a screen with a cool tint similar to the iPad 2. Same with the iPad 4 - all had *very* warm screens, that eventually I figured this was how all new iPads are going to be. The retina display is obviously superior as it is much crispier - but the tints bother me too much. I guess it's just me - I just wish there was a way to calibrate these screens cause while I appreciate the retina display in the iPad 3 + 4, the warm and red/green tint is distracting and makes me go back to my iPad 2 or calibrated Macbook Pro. This didn't seem to be a problem when the iPad 1 + 2 was released, unfortunately.

I got one of the first 3rd generation iPads - ordered online and picked up on launch day so maybe the earlier screens were different, but it was definitely bluish white like my iPad 2. Initially I had a hard time liking the warmer Samsung screen on my rMBP and then the iPad 4, but I learned to love the screen on the rMBP (and also the iPad 4 once I got one without yellow tints) and find them easier on the eyes. I understand your preference for the bluish white screen however and I definitely wouldn't accept a screen with red, green or yellow tints.

[Bokes]

Nope.
iPad 3 is gorgeous.

Mini looks slightly washed out when compared.

[Aspasia]

What's it to you if he/she is happy with a non-retina screen?

[mpayne2k]

I liked the super white / cool tone of my iPad 2. It was similar tint to my iPhone 4. I sold the iPad 2 back in july and bought a 3. The 3 was allot warmer than my iPhone 4 as I no longer had the iPad 2 to compare to....

I eventually traded my first 3 in an a Genius bar visit refurbed one due to screen bleed (primarily hazy pink tones along bottom of screen) which caused the whiteness to not be uniform. My second iPad 3 had a cooler tone than the first and the colors were closer to the iPhone 4, only a tad bit more vibrant. I typically ran my iPhone 4 around 50 to 75% brightness to acheive what I could get at 30% or so on my iPad 3.

Since getting an iPhone 5, which is even more vibrant than the iPhone 4 and saturated too, I now think the iPad 3 I have is allot cooler tone than others I've seen.

Even a new iPad Mini had the similar saturation as my iPhone 5. I like it, don't get me wrong, but it seems a bit too yellow when compared to my nice looking iPad 3 display.

[PattyMc]

I have an iPad 4 generation with a cool white temperature. Not sure why this one has the cooler screen when most I have seen has the warmer. I like it though!

[urkel]

Originally Posted by Aspasia

Quite nonsensical to insult the OP for stating a personal preference.

What's it to you if he/she is happy with a non-retina screen?

I'm happy with the non-retina screen. But I'd be much happier with the retina screen because in almost every way it is superior (power being the primary drawback).

So it isn't really an insult to call the OP crazy because the technology behind retina is solid and the flaws he sees are due to poor color calibration and manufacturer issues that are not necessarily going to be present in the retina mini.

[Night Spring]

I have an iPad 2, 3 and mini, and while the 3 is warmer than 2, I got used to the warmer tint quickly. Now both the mini and 2's colors feel duller than the 3. Tint aside, the colors just seem to "pop" more on the 3 -- black is blacker, blue is bluer, red and green are more red and green, etc. I don't even know if the mini has the same tint as the 2 or not, because all I notice is that the colors seem dull.

[Rodster]

It doesn't matter to me. I have an iPad 2 and the color palette is cooler where my iPad 3 has a warmer hue. I like both looks and if you do a side by side comparison they are not that far off.

[Don Kosak]

I actually prefer my iPad 2 a bit more than my iPad 4 -- mostly because of the drawbacks the Retina Display brought to the iPad.

Don't get me wrong, I like the crisper text and in general, the color and saturation of the display.

I don't like the weight, thickness and additional charge time Retina brought along with it.

I have an iPad Mini as well, and I think it's a great screen. The pixel density is higher than iPad 2 (pixels per inch) and the battery, size, and weight are really optimal.

For typing and creative work though, I like the full-sized iPad. I'm hoping that the next generation will have an improved screen that cuts down on the size, weight and power requirements.