Other Eye strain while using iPhone X and up

[ghanwani]

If they are aware it makes it worse to me 🙂. Yes Nick is a hero! But i'm more sensitive compared to him. He can enjoy modern phones. I can't use the Oppo's and Xiaomi's. I am also sensitive to dithering. Like actually w t f? How is it possible to see pixels flicker on a small screen? I'm guessing the most people on this forum and Reddit are very sensitive aswell. Otherwise we wouldnt still be here

Have you tried the new Motorolas? Based on Nick's review the latest LCD phone has no PWM or dithering. The latest OLED phone has a true 10-bit display so no dithering, and PWM is about as good as the best.

He also mentions all the settings that need to be adjusted to give the least amount of flickering (e.g. disabling color adjustment based on ambient lighting).

What are you using currently?

 

[Heman87]

Have you tried the new Motorolas? Based on Nick's review the latest LCD phone has no PWM or dithering. The latest OLED phone has a true 10-bit display so no dithering, and PWM is about as good as the best.

He also mentions all the settings that need to be adjusted to give the least amount of flickering (e.g. disabling color adjustment based on ambient lighting).

What are you using currently?

Still an iPhone 11. I tried the 14 pro, 15, 15 pro, 16, 16 pro and the 17. They all didn’t work. The 15 line up was the best for me. But I got symptoms anyway.

I also tried some android phones. And what Nick describes “DC Like dimming” is BS for me. These phones should have DC dimming with a refresh dip. But I think that’s not true. If you record these phone slowmotion you clearly see them flicker. And that’s why I get eyestrain anyway. After all I’m a flicker sensitive person. I have also an OLED tv from LG. This tv doesn’t use PWM. It’s true DC dimming with a refresh dip. So I don’t get eyestrain at all. If I record my tv slowmotion I don’t see any flicker. So the Motorola OLED phone wouldn’t work for me aswel. However I do really need a new phone. That’s why I gave up Apple and going to try the TCL nexpaper 70 or a Motorola. I have no other option. It is what it is. It did saved me lot of money last 7 years though. That’s the bright side

 

[Heman87]

Have you tried the new Motorolas? Based on Nick's review the latest LCD phone has no PWM or dithering. The latest OLED phone has a true 10-bit display so no dithering, and PWM is about as good as the best.

He also mentions all the settings that need to be adjusted to give the least amount of flickering (e.g. disabling color adjustment based on ambient lighting).

What are you using currently?

Still an iPhone 11. I tried the 14 pro, 15, 15 pro, 16, 16 pro and the 17. They all didn’t work. The 15 line up was the best for me. But I got symptoms anyway.

I also tried some android phones. And what Nick describes “DC Like dimming” is BS for me. These phones should have DC dimming with a refresh dip. But I think that’s not true. If you record these phone slowmotion you clearly see them flicker. And that’s why I get eyestrain anyway. After all I’m a flicker sensitive person. I have also an OLED tv from LG. This tv doesn’t use PWM. It’s true DC dimming with a refresh dip. So I don’t get eyestrain at all. If I record my tv slowmotion I don’t see any flicker. So the Motorola OLED phone wouldn’t work for me aswel. However I do really need a new phone. That’s why I gave up Apple and going to try the TCL nexpaper 70 or a Motorola. I have no other option. It is what it is. It did saved me lot of money last 7 years though. That’s the bright side

 

[super chimp]

Samsung is the main supplier for these screens. And Samsung is the source of evil for our problems. They really don't care. So don't get your hopes up with newer models. The Galaxy phones and Google pixel phones (also Samsung screens) are just 240hz PWM. With Google Pixel you can change the PWM to 480HZ. But still with very thick dark lines.

I thought they weren’t always Samsung screens, that they used a variety of suppliers?

 

[PwmMen]

LG, BOE, Samsung.

 

[Heman87]

I thought they weren’t always Samsung screens, that they used a variety of suppliers?

Samsung is the main supplier. LG is second. And BOE is the third with a small share. BOE is a Chinese manufacturer and makes lot of “DC like dimming” screens for Chinese phone companies

 

[user1234]

EK PRO incell LCD screen replacement for the iPhone 15 or 16? It has some flaws, but it works for some people

I may look into it. Not ideal to start by voiding the warranty but if it works…

 

[Maven1975]

I am 100% certain that they understand the problem. They choose to ignore it because they can. My guess is many people get eyestrain and headaches but think it's because of too much screen time.

We have so many device reviewers on YouTube, yet only a handful discuss PWM and none, except for Nick Sutrich, discuss dithering. And Nick's channel has a whopping 7.4K subscribers.

Nick Sutrich

Covering PWM analysis and flicker awareness on smartphones, tablets, and smart glasses. Also cover games and gaming accessories (Meta Quest, Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch 2, etc). Support the channel and get detailed, written analysis on my Substack: https://gwanatu.substack.com Send business...

www.youtube.com

The sad part is that the Chinese phone makers addressing this issue barely have any distribution network in the US. We are lucky to at least have Motorola. TCL is starting to make inroads, but I think their support network is probably still very limited and their software leaves a lot to be desired. Additionally, TCL does suffer/use dithering in certain situations as discussed in Nick's videos on various TCL phones. Oppo and Redmi don't sell at all in the US, and I think HTC is exiting the market as well.

At this point I'm convinced that for US users, the best option is Motorola. I wish there was a way to test drive one without buying it.

OEM's have made Flicker-Free displays and even mass-marketed them as such. (Eye comfort monitors for business)

So, I don't want to hear that they don't know what the problem is. OEM's clearly understand how a display's light transmissive response affects the human eye, mind, and body. Are they 100% certain of the exact cause? This I am not sure of. However, OEM's went out of their way at one point to market and sell displays that did not have these now-common side effects. 37% of users sampled in this thread claim some effect. That puts this sample past the uncommon threshold in my book.

Those that have used display tech without such issues know the difference. I feel REALLY bad for those that are suffering and have no clue. Im speaking of those that has been raised on these mobile devices from birth.

For me, displays with PWM can give me headaches, disorientation and lowers comprehension as I struggle to remain focused. Now, let's convert all of our students from books to displays that may or may not have PWM baked in. Awesome idea!

As for why they don't fix it, I have my tinfoil suspicions and will keep them to myself.

Lets do a test. Take 100 individuals and put them in a 10x10 room. Now, start turning the lights on and off very fast. Then gradually slow down the cycle and see how many are left in the room after 5 minutes. That actually sounds like a MKultra situation right? Now, lets just give them a device that does the same thing. Then, have society run most of infrastructure on said devices. Those who suffer from affects are considered casualties and framed as odd.

That may sound outlandish to those that aren't affected. However, how long did it take for consumers to finally become aware of the effects between displays and those suffering from photosensitive epilepsy? Smells rotten to me when OEM's and Medical Societies claim they know nothing.

Unless proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, forced with regulations, its not going to change. (Just like photosensitive epilepsy warnings)

 

[Heman87]

OEM's have made Flicker-Free displays and have even marketed them as such. I don't want to hear that they don't know what the problem is.

Those that have used display tech without such issues know the difference. I feel REALLY bad for those that are suffering and have no clue. Im speaking of those that has been raised on these mobile devices from birth.

For me, displays with PWM can give me headaches, disorientation and lowers comprehension as I struggle to remain focused.

As for why they don't fix it, I have my tinfoil suspicions and will keep them to myself.

Which OEM displays? I don't know any OLED screens on mobile phones without PWM. And i'm curious about your suspicions 😛