27", 21.5" iMac Owners, test your screen for yellow tint issue here

[Orme]

I just got my very first mac today an iMac 27" first thing i see is yellow, so i google that thing and here i am.
should i get another imac with this or is this not bad enough?

Image

Take it back!!
When you take it back make sure you get them to check it there and then or at least make sure they know that you're serious about this and you'll be back for another if the yellow tint is still occurring!

Hi Guys,

I'm following this thread for a while and posted some photos of my 27 inch iMac screen a few months ago.
Apple finally gave me a new iMac but I still have a yellow tint. The thing is that they won't replace my screen or whatever. Apple is telling me that there's a margin of yellow tint and that my screen is in the margin. They told me this 100 times before and they didn't want to replace/fix it because my screen was in the margin.
Did you also got the same response?
And what should I do?

Kind regards

Well depending on what you use it for.. if my career didn't depend on colors being perfect and I used my iMac for general/basic things like music, movies browsing.. I wouldn't be so bothered.
But If you're like me and you want to use your mac for design, photography, a career investment and such.. make sure you take it back and if they are going to replace your mac for you they should be responsible for resolving the problem by giving you a mac without yellow tint.. shouldn't they make sure first? Just ridiculous!

I don't know, is this yellow? To me looks very good (i5 quadcore built in November 2010)

85% BRIGHTNESS
http://i.imgur.com/CERbk.jpg

100% BRIGHTNESS
http://i.imgur.com/ofj71.jpg

Yes, a yellow tint

 

[qap]

Uhm maybe I've done a bad photos with the lights on rear the iMac and auto-white on the camera, because neither me or my friends can see it I will try again...

 

[cman-uk]

Hi All,

I bought my iMac in November 2009 [from the online Apple store].

I definitely have a yellow tint, confirmed by the details/tests in the great OP as well as, well, my eyes!

I have noticed it quite easily recently as I've been working from home and have my 'white' screened laptop sitting beside my 21.5" iMac. The difference between the two screens, when I have a white-dominated page up such as www.google.co.uk, is very very evident.

As my iMac is one of the earliest ones [from Nov 2009] - is there anything I can do about it now? I have 3 years aftercare, but has anyone had any luck with raising an issue about this with Apple so long after the initial purchase?

Any help much appreciated.

Best Regards,
cman-uk

 

[Omek]

Hi All,

I bought my iMac in November 2009 [from the online Apple store].

I definitely have a yellow tint, confirmed by the details/tests in the great OP as well as, well, my eyes!

I have noticed it quite easily recently as I've been working from home and have my 'white' screened laptop sitting beside my 21.5" iMac. The difference between the two screens, when I have a white-dominated page up such as www.google.co.uk, is very very evident.

As my iMac is one of the earliest ones [from Nov 2009] - is there anything I can do about it now? I have 3 years aftercare, but has anyone had any luck with raising an issue about this with Apple so long after the initial purchase?

Any help much appreciated.

Best Regards,
cman-uk

I haven't seen anyone in the macrumors forums or in the Apple support forums who has had success with Apple replacing the screen. In fact, most of the time, the screen tinting gets even worse. I have the original 27" iMac with a slight yellow tinge on the bottom third of the screen, and Apple still hasn't convinced me that they've fixed the issue. Your best bet is to make them replace it. But, even then, you might go through several before getting an iMac with no screen issues. I've written to Apple numerous times and Steve Jobs as well, but unfortunately, I haven't received a response. News organizations have completely dropped the story, so no one is holding Apple accountable.

That all said, in the second iMac revision, most people were saying they had fixed the 27", but that the 21" is now the worse of the two. Apple should be offering a trade-in program for those that still have the first revision duds. It's not really fair to just completely forget those users, but that's what they've done. They offer a screen replacement, but as I've mentioned before, those normally turn out worse than what you had previously.

As for the new models that were released this week. I haven't heard a peep about the yellow screen issues, so I'm guessing whatever the hardware issue was, they've fixed it. I had a feeling this would happen, but now all of us are screwed, because we're no longer in the timeframe when we can get our machines replaced. I think there was a class action lawsuit awhile ago, but it was dismissed by the judge.

Unless you have another $1,500 to $2,000 lying around somewhere to buy a new machine, you're basically screwed. :-( Thanks, Apple...

 

[Dyne]

Yellow tinting is still an issue with these new revisions. My brand new 27' has yellow tinting towards the bottom of the screen, but is only noticeable on white backgrounds. It's not enough for me to ruin my enjoyment of the system, and the iMacs I've had in the past have been much worse than this.

 

[Omek]

Yellow tinting is still an issue with these new revisions. My brand new 27' has yellow tinting towards the bottom of the screen, but is only noticeable on white backgrounds. It's not enough for me to ruin my enjoyment of the system, and the iMacs I've had in the past have been much worse than this.

I stand corrected.

I definitely agree. My iMac could have had a much worse yellow tint. But when you pay $2,000 for a computer, you should get a high quality screen with no tinting. As a graphic artist and digital photographer, it just ruins the entire machine if I don't have color accuracy. Just sayin'...

Maybe with the release of the new multi-touch Macs next year, they will fix this yellow tinge issue.

 

[Btom]

........
As for the new models that were released this week. I haven't heard a peep about the yellow screen issues, so I'm guessing whatever the hardware issue was, they've fixed it. ......

Quite a few people already complained about the yellow tint. Apparently nothing was done and a certain percentage of the screens has this problem.

The disturbing situation with the previous revisions was multiple people reporting yellow tinge on multiple replacements, often worse than the first one, which is really hard to explain.

If I was buying a new iMac now I'd go to a store with no restocking fee return policy (I don't care too much for the Apple Store "experience") and keep returning faulty computer for cash, then a few days later BUY another one.

This way I think I'd increased my chance to get one of the "perfect" ones (they apparently do exist).

Tom B.

 

[Muppi]

Omek could you take a look at this(crappy iphone pic i hope you can get anything out of it): http://i.imgur.com/JlQ0k.jpg
Its my brand new 2011 27" high-ender in a room with all lights turned off and backlighting set down to the lowest possible.

I might be blind but i cant see a yellow tint while doing that test but somehow it feels like its a bit yellow in the bottom when i scrolling around the forums. Feels like the grey borders around the posts are allot crisper on the top than the bottom.

 

[Omek]

Omek could you take a look at this(crappy iphone pic i hope you can get anything out of it): http://i.imgur.com/JlQ0k.jpg
Its my brand new 2011 27" high-ender in a room with all lights turned off and backlighting set down to the lowest possible.

I might be blind but i cant see a yellow tint while doing that test but somehow it feels like its a bit yellow in the bottom when i scrolling around the forums. Feels like the grey borders around the posts are allot crisper on the top than the bottom.

It's hard to tell from the iPhone pic. But ya, I think you have some yellow tinge on the lower third of the screen. It's not too bad though. I've seen much worse.

 

[Muppi]

It's hard to tell from the iPhone pic. But ya, I think you have some yellow tinge on the lower third of the screen. It's not too bad though. I've seen much worse.

Ok yeah, ive tried with different lightsettings and if i can barely notice it in a pitchblack room with backlight down to the lowest i guess its a keeper Plus i aint working with graphics and color-critical material so. (From what i've read the yellowness is more noticeable in those dark conditions right?)

Have a good day

 

[Uhu]

Ok yeah, ive tried with different lightsettings and if i can barely notice it in a pitchblack room with backlight down to the lowest i guess its a keeper Plus i aint working with graphics and color-critical material so. (From what i've read the yellowness is more noticeable in those dark conditions right?)

Have a good day

Move your head down until it is as high as the lower bar. -> check again -> gone?
-> viewing angle "issue"

 

[Omek]

Ok yeah, ive tried with different lightsettings and if i can barely notice it in a pitchblack room with backlight down to the lowest i guess its a keeper Plus i aint working with graphics and color-critical material so. (From what i've read the yellowness is more noticeable in those dark conditions right?)

Have a good day

If you're not using it for graphic design or photo editing, you should be fine. Since I do both print and Web design though, it becomes much more of an issue. Thanks, Apple...

 

[ttttaylor]

bought one of the new 27" imacs a few days ago (saturday), and it wasn't until i opened adobe illustrator tonight (which made my entire screen white) that i noticed i too am a victim of the yellow tint. mine is the bottom third. i'm a musician and bought the machine for its power more than its display, but for $2k i'd say we deserve a perfect product.

i don't think it's bad enough to make me go to all the trouble of getting it replaced (don't have a car, or a local apple store), but if it gets worse over time i may not have a choice. then again, i'm aware of the psychological aspect: the more concerned i am about it worsening, "the worse it will get."

sigh...

 

[Omek]

bought one of the new 27" imacs a few days ago (saturday), and it wasn't until i opened adobe illustrator tonight (which made my entire screen white) that i noticed i too am a victim of the yellow tint. mine is the bottom third. i'm a musician and bought the machine for its power more than its display, but for $2k i'd say we deserve a perfect product.

i don't think it's bad enough to make me go to all the trouble of getting it replaced (don't have a car, or a local apple store), but if it gets worse over time i may not have a choice. then again, i'm aware of the psychological aspect: the more concerned i am about it worsening, "the worse it will get."

sigh...

Here's hoping Apple finally addresses the issue and offers a trade-in once they've fixed it. However, I think that's highly unlikely. I'm assuming it has something to do with the physical hardware design of the iMac, and the only way to fix it is to completely re-design the machine. And that is not likely to happen until some time next year.

 

[ttttaylor]

Here's hoping Apple finally addresses the issue and offers a trade-in once they've fixed it. However, I think that's highly unlikely. I'm assuming it has something to do with the physical hardware design of the iMac, and the only way to fix it is to completely re-design the machine. And that is not likely to happen until some time next year.

it bugs me that this has been an issue for imacs for so long, and still hasn't been fixed. even the iphone has had some yellow screen issues.... doesn't really boost my confidence when it comes to putting up big bucks for apple products, knowing i very well may be faced with a defect out of the box.

that said, i love this thing!

 

[SFGiantsfan]

For those of you with the yellowing... Did you guys buy it online BTO, or in store? ... I wonder if that makes a difference...

 

[iSamurai]

hi! this is a photo from my brand new i5 imac.

Based on your experience do i have a problem and if yes is it a big one?

thanks in advance.

I bought my iMac last year and it took me 3 tries with the 2009 model and all of them had tint issues. I returned them and got the new 2010 model with no issues on the first purchase.

You screen looks alright, it's just that there's a bit of slight warming on the bottom right corner. The spread seems pretty distributed instead of blotchy, which I think is more tolerable when reading.

It really depends on you, if you are going to do photo editing (that's just one example), indirectly or directly related to your job or your intention on the iMac's usage.

If you want to return it, you gotta be prepared for waiting an extra week or so without an iMac for collection and delivery.

 

[spcdust]

If you want to return it, you gotta be prepared for waiting an extra week or so without an iMac for collection and delivery.

On my late 2009 iMac I went through 4 machines before finally settling on machine 5 (3 were yellow screen related - guess I was just having bad luck). On each occasion Apple were kind enough to allow me to keep my current iMac until the replacement was delivered and then I could contact them to arrange collection of the iMac I was returning. I just emphasised I needed my Mac for work / college project (take your pick).

 

[Omek]

I have a late 2009 iMac (not BTO) with no Applecare. So, I doubt they're going to let me or anyone else with my model trade their machine in for a new iMac. And clearly, they still haven't fixed the issue, so I don't think I'd want to go through that process again.

Honestly, I thought this would be fixed in a years time, but soon it will be two years since I purchased this machine. Don't get me wrong, it's been a good machine, but when you pay $2,000+ you should get a monitor without any color tinging. Again, Apple seems to not care about this issue anymore, and every tech blog out there has completely abandoned this topic, because Apple finally announced that they were aware of the issue and that they were working on fixing it. A year and half later, we're to assume that they're still working on it, and no one is holding them accountable. I really wish Macrumors or Gizmodo or some other Mac tech blogs would bring this problem back to the forefront again, because this issue is still not fixed.

 

[baker5721]

I can't even decide if I have this issue or not. I'm generally unhappy with the display regardless. Dead pixels, backlight bleed etc. The only hope of getting a warranty replacement would be this yellowing issue. I almost swear the whole display has a yellow tint. Applecare on the phone has been useless, I'm going to have to take it in to an AASP (which I'm dreading).


Can anyone determine anything from these pics? I threw my macbook pro in there for some kind of reference. I have no issues with it's display.

http://cl.ly/1B3q3i3E0V3o2k3F3a2D/DSCN0507.jpg
http://cl.ly/2P44261q2U0L442b0Y0l/DSCN0504.jpg

Thanks!

 

[iSamurai]

On my late 2009 iMac I went through 4 machines before finally settling on machine 5 (3 were yellow screen related - guess I was just having bad luck). On each occasion Apple were kind enough to allow me to keep my current iMac until the replacement was delivered and then I could contact them to arrange collection of the iMac I was returning. I just emphasised I needed my Mac for work / college project (take your pick).

I said that too, but I think Apple Australia don't do "advance exchange", one of the phone support explained regarding my iPad backlight bleeding and then he realised that it was a "normal exchange". That means they'll place a temporary charge on your credit card for another computer before the defective one has been returned to them.

 

[cheops2006]

My story is I got my LCD replaced on my MID 2010 i7 using AppleCare because it had dark patches all over and condensation, It came back and 1/3 of the screen was yellow when I first turned it on, AppleCare have now decided to replace the whole iMac with a 2011 i7 3.4 version, so I'm now waiting for delivery of this unit and transfer my Applecare over so lets hope the new one is better.

 

[theSeb]

Well depending on what you use it for.. if my career didn't depend on colors being perfect and I used my iMac for general/basic things like music, movies browsing.. I wouldn't be so bothered.
But If you're like me and you want to use your mac for design, photography, a career investment and such.. make sure you take it back and if they are going to replace your mac for you they should be responsible for resolving the problem by giving you a mac without yellow tint.. shouldn't they make sure first? Just ridiculous!

If you were really serious about colours and photography, then you would use a professional screen.

 

[qap]

I can't even decide if I have this issue or not. I'm generally unhappy with the display regardless. Dead pixels, backlight bleed etc. The only hope of getting a warranty replacement would be this yellowing issue. I almost swear the whole display has a yellow tint. Applecare on the phone has been useless, I'm going to have to take it in to an AASP (which I'm dreading).


Can anyone determine anything from these pics? I threw my macbook pro in there for some kind of reference. I have no issues with it's display.

http://cl.ly/1B3q3i3E0V3o2k3F3a2D/DSCN0507.jpg
http://cl.ly/2P44261q2U0L442b0Y0l/DSCN0504.jpg

Thanks!

It seems ok to me, I don't see yellow

 

[Orme]

If you were really serious about colours and photography, then you would use a professional screen.

I'm not a photographer, it was an example to help, but thanks for the insight. Also theres nothing wrong with a Mac Screen for photography - when they don't have the yellow tint