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iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro - grainy screen
- Thread starter mikiotty
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I don’t have a 15 pro rn since I returned mine because of a dead pixel but the “grain” was visible with/without True Tone and night shift
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I just keep returning the device and buying a new one. Social awkwardness be damned, I’m not paying so much money for a device that’s going to bother me. I’ve never returned them to the same person twice anyway, and I’ve gone through the process several times myself (I think I went through 4 11 Pro Maxes?).
For what it’s worth, I have never had this issue on an iPhone, but my Series 4 Apple Watch had it bad. It wasn’t enough to bother me on a watch, but I would definitely not accept it on a phone.
Update: I swapped mine yesterday at a (different, just in case) Apple Store, and the new unit doesn't have this issue thankfully.
Before approaching somebody, as a sanity check, I compared my affected 15 Pro with the display models, and – though difficult to tell under the bright store lighting (and the fact that the display models seem to have their brightness driven higher at the same % vs non-display models) – I could see that they weren't affected.
The person I spoke to was happy to do the swap without me trying to illustrate the issue, but I ended up showing him anyway (by using a screenshot of a home screen with blurry photo background– the same image side-by-side, on both my old 14 Pro and the affected 15 Pro, with brightness set to the same % via Siri).
Unlike, say, a bright green strip across the screen, it's super difficult to convey the grain issue to somebody else (especially under the aforementioned bright store lighting), but the colour gradients that made up the blurry background photo seemed to show the 'speckled grain' the most clearly when side-by-side with an unaffected unit. I explained that it was incredibly faint, but something that was hugely obvious when, for example, in bed & using the device at low brightness, close-to-face. I mentioned that the 'speckled grain' almost looked like the screen had a matte screen protector on. He agreed that he could see what I saw, but I'm unsure if he was just being polite. Either way, the outcome was that I now have a 15 Pro with a screen without grain, which is consistent with my years of comparable OLED-based iPhone experiences.
It remains a mystery to me how prevalent the issue really is– i.e. are you more likely to get a grainy iPhone, or a non-grainy one. I presume, though have no way to verify, that a device from a different batch/store/delivery is the best bet when swapping (versus just continuing to swap from the same store, from stock that arrived all together in one batch/delivery).
Details, just for reference: I bought the affected iPhone from Apple directly (online, picked up in-store); so it was handled as a regular return/exchange within 14 days– i.e. not a Genius Bar swap/repair/etc. The process was simple, and the people in store are seemingly used to swaps for things like this.
Thanks again all for putting into words your experiences in this thread. A reminder, because coming across this helped me: it's a lot of money you're spending, and you shouldn't have to live with a subpar product.
Before approaching somebody, as a sanity check, I compared my affected 15 Pro with the display models, and – though difficult to tell under the bright store lighting (and the fact that the display models seem to have their brightness driven higher at the same % vs non-display models) – I could see that they weren't affected.
The person I spoke to was happy to do the swap without me trying to illustrate the issue, but I ended up showing him anyway (by using a screenshot of a home screen with blurry photo background– the same image side-by-side, on both my old 14 Pro and the affected 15 Pro, with brightness set to the same % via Siri).
Unlike, say, a bright green strip across the screen, it's super difficult to convey the grain issue to somebody else (especially under the aforementioned bright store lighting), but the colour gradients that made up the blurry background photo seemed to show the 'speckled grain' the most clearly when side-by-side with an unaffected unit. I explained that it was incredibly faint, but something that was hugely obvious when, for example, in bed & using the device at low brightness, close-to-face. I mentioned that the 'speckled grain' almost looked like the screen had a matte screen protector on. He agreed that he could see what I saw, but I'm unsure if he was just being polite. Either way, the outcome was that I now have a 15 Pro with a screen without grain, which is consistent with my years of comparable OLED-based iPhone experiences.
It remains a mystery to me how prevalent the issue really is– i.e. are you more likely to get a grainy iPhone, or a non-grainy one. I presume, though have no way to verify, that a device from a different batch/store/delivery is the best bet when swapping (versus just continuing to swap from the same store, from stock that arrived all together in one batch/delivery).
Details, just for reference: I bought the affected iPhone from Apple directly (online, picked up in-store); so it was handled as a regular return/exchange within 14 days– i.e. not a Genius Bar swap/repair/etc. The process was simple, and the people in store are seemingly used to swaps for things like this.
Thanks again all for putting into words your experiences in this thread. A reminder, because coming across this helped me: it's a lot of money you're spending, and you shouldn't have to live with a subpar product.
Let me know if you get one with a Samsung screen. I’ve gone through 4 15 pro’s all with the LG and grainy screens. Black if that matters.
I thankfully got “lucky” and got a normal iPhone 15 pro 125 GB in white. I went as far as to go to my nearest target and compared the replacement phone to the in store models just to double check the grainy screen AFTER comparing the replacement phone to the defective phone.
For those wondering how to check your display manufacturer...
You can run sysdiagnose on your phone (press volume up, volume down, and lock button) all together for around a second. You will feel the phone vibrate. Wait a couple of minutes and then go to Settings -> Privacy and Security -> Analytics and Improvements -> Analytics Data.
You will then scroll down and look for a file titled: sysdiagnose_XXXXXXXX
You will click on that file and then click the arrow in the upper right hand corner and scroll down and click "Save to Files"
Once it is saved you will go into your files and click the file to unpack it. Within the folder that is unpacked you will click on the folder "ioreg" and then click the file "IODeviceTree". You will then use the magnifying search glass in the bottom right hand corner to search "raw-panel". It will then give you a serial number.
I have an LG display which has the beginning letters of GVC.
You can run sysdiagnose on your phone (press volume up, volume down, and lock button) all together for around a second. You will feel the phone vibrate. Wait a couple of minutes and then go to Settings -> Privacy and Security -> Analytics and Improvements -> Analytics Data.
You will then scroll down and look for a file titled: sysdiagnose_XXXXXXXX
You will click on that file and then click the arrow in the upper right hand corner and scroll down and click "Save to Files"
Once it is saved you will go into your files and click the file to unpack it. Within the folder that is unpacked you will click on the folder "ioreg" and then click the file "IODeviceTree". You will then use the magnifying search glass in the bottom right hand corner to search "raw-panel". It will then give you a serial number.
I have an LG display which has the beginning letters of GVC.
Don’t laugh but where is the lock button on a 15 Pro, there is volume up and down, the new mute button and the power button.
if it’s the power button it does not work, as I get two sliders, one to power off and one for emergency call.
if it’s the power button it does not work, as I get two sliders, one to power off and one for emergency call.
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It is the power button.. you have to press them all at the exact same time until you feel a buzz. It only takes a second and you usually end up taking a screenshot as well.
If you mean me then I don’t see a problem with it at all. If I was being insanely picky then I would say there is the most minimal of blurriness on the clock in the top left, but not enough to notice without being anal.
I just wanted to add to the discussion here. I’ve been dying to change to a bigger iPhone after a year with a 13 mini.
Just got a 14 a straight away notice grain on the screen, especially noticeable when scrolling past blocks of colour.
I think this is an OLED characteristic because I have noticed it to varying degrees on other devices but usually only on dark greys. I’m seeing it on this forum, and can even see it on white backgrounds!
Unacceptable for the cost of the device. My 13 mini does have it, but I haven’t noticed it for a year! And I have to really really squint and look for it.
So guys you’re not alone. I imagine some panels are better than others, maybe different manufacturers. For what it’s worth, this iPhone 14 has fantastic viewing angles - very little colour shift off axis, whereas my 13 Mini will tint blue really fast.
In case it’s helpful to anyone, my panel serial number starts GVH.
Just got a 14 a straight away notice grain on the screen, especially noticeable when scrolling past blocks of colour.
I think this is an OLED characteristic because I have noticed it to varying degrees on other devices but usually only on dark greys. I’m seeing it on this forum, and can even see it on white backgrounds!
Unacceptable for the cost of the device. My 13 mini does have it, but I haven’t noticed it for a year! And I have to really really squint and look for it.
So guys you’re not alone. I imagine some panels are better than others, maybe different manufacturers. For what it’s worth, this iPhone 14 has fantastic viewing angles - very little colour shift off axis, whereas my 13 Mini will tint blue really fast.
In case it’s helpful to anyone, my panel serial number starts GVH.
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