I just used an iPhone 3G S and sorry, the LCD is the same...

[TheSpaz]

I seriously laughed.

Oh dear god users - we have a massive flaw! If you use your phone from an inhumanly, unnatural point - 0.01 inches from your face, there's an issue where you see faint lines if you squint real hard.

Honestly? Are you kidding me? Get over it, stop nitpicking and being ungrateful.

You obviously don't know me very well. I do not have to put the iPhone up to my face to see it. I'm using it at a comfortable difference. Fact is, my current iPhone 3G is damn-near perfect so I most likely will not be upgrading to the iPhone 3G S until they put a better screen in it. I wonder if I can put my iPhone 3G LCD into the iPhone 3G S... if I could, that's what I'd rather do. It's irritating.

 

[Dermot81]

I think I can kind of see what the op is talking about. If you look at the dark side of the blue title bar in mail and then shift the iPhone up and down slightly, faint horizontal lines appear for a split second. I am almost certain what you are seeing is an optical illusion generated from all the tiny lines of pixels in the screen. It's like those magic eye books. It's not a problem with the hardware--since it goes away when you stop moving the iPhone (i.e when the optical illusion ends and your eyes refocus on the screen).

 

[MikePA]

Anyone who has been reading posts on this forum for at least an hour knows what kind of person TheSpaz is. The sooner these OCD observations are over, the sooner he can start posting how jailbreaking causes even more lag on the 3Gs. People who obsess over inanimate objects are to be pitied.

 

[Doju]

You obviously don't know me very well. I do not have to put the iPhone up to my face to see it. I'm using it at a comfortable difference. Fact is, my current iPhone 3G is damn-near perfect so I most likely will not be upgrading to the iPhone 3G S until they put a better screen in it. I wonder if I can put my iPhone 3G LCD into the iPhone 3G S... if I could, that's what I'd rather do. It's irritating.

Really? Because it seems quite logical for a random user on the internet to know you very well. I mean, how weird.

Anyway, really, just get over it. You have (and I'm not even kidding) a mental disorder if you cannot enjoy a beautiful phone with a nice display without noticing lines and letting them irritate you. I've used numerous iPhones and iPod Touches for hours on end, haven't noticed any, nor have I cared.

Continue on.

 

[TheSpaz]

This is what I'm seeing:

Normal: (This is what it looks like when you hold your iPhone perfectly still and do not move your head)

Scan Lines: (This is what it looks like when the scan lines appear when moving)

I hope this is clearer. This Photoshop mockup above is EXACTLY how it looks on the iPhone.

 

[dccorona]

You obviously don't know me very well. I do not have to put the iPhone up to my face to see it. I'm using it at a comfortable difference. Fact is, my current iPhone 3G is damn-near perfect so I most likely will not be upgrading to the iPhone 3G S until they put a better screen in it. I wonder if I can put my iPhone 3G LCD into the iPhone 3G S... if I could, that's what I'd rather do. It's irritating.

so your not gonna upgrade to a phone thats better in any way, just because theres a small chance that you may have these "scan lines" or whatever they happen to be? your screwing yourself over there.

And lets be honest. You've been on these forums at least as long as I have, and I've seen many posts from you. Some I agree with, others seem pointless, but they ALL seem to be complaints about something, usually something insignificant. It's safe to say that whenever you DO bite the bullet on a new iPhone (this generation or later), you'll have it replaced a few times at least. So you have a good chance of finally getting the "good" screen.

Oh and also, the LCD is defiantly different. Its much cooler (bluer) than the 3G was. Seems like a totally new interface almost, because the blue is so noticeable when compared to a 3G. Smokey black glass interface elements seem to have a slight blue tint. Its different and pleasant. I like feeling like there was an ever so slight interface overhaul.

 

[mavis]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G (white): Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A341 Safari/528.16)

I seriously laughed.

Oh dear god users - we have a massive flaw! If you use your phone from an inhumanly, unnatural point - 0.01 inches from your face, there's an issue where you see faint lines if you squint real hard.

Honestly? Are you kidding me? Get over it, stop nitpicking and being ungrateful.

You obviously don't know me very well. I do not have to put the iPhone up to my face to see it. I'm using it at a comfortable difference. Fact is, my current iPhone 3G is damn-near perfect so I most likely will not be upgrading to the iPhone 3G S until they put a better screen in it. I wonder if I can put my iPhone 3G LCD into the iPhone 3G S... if I could, that's what I'd rather do. It's irritating.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you will buy a 3GS within the next month or two. Maybe sooner.

 

[TheSpaz]

I think I can kind of see what the op is talking about. If you look at the dark side of the blue title bar in mail and then shift the iPhone up and down slightly, faint horizontal lines appear for a split second. I am almost certain what you are seeing is an optical illusion generated from all the tiny lines of pixels in the screen. It's like those magic eye books. It's not a problem with the hardware--since it goes away when you stop moving the iPhone (i.e when the optical illusion ends and your eyes refocus on the screen).

An optical illusion that is not on ALL iPhones? I'm pretty sure all iPhones have the same pixel density and screen resolution. Seriously.

I'm really happy that I've got an iPhone 3G that doesn't bother me. I really am. I returned a MacBook Pro because I couldn't stand the anti-glare coating on the screen because it was distorting the pixels (like those anti-glare screen protectors for the iPhone). I'm really a visual kind of guy and I will not buy something if I don't enjoy looking at it.


Please, everyone, look at my post with the Photoshop mockup of the lines. That is what I'm talking about and also NO my computer display doesn't have this problem. I believe computer displays are higher quality and don't need to conserve battery so they're probably calibrated better.

 

[golden3159]

TheSpaz just owned every single person doubting him on the front page.

The screenshots shot a clear difference.

Spaz, get it replaced.

 

[TheSpaz]

TheSpaz just owned every single person doubting him on the front page.

The screenshots shot a clear difference.

Spaz, get it replaced.

I don't have to get it replaced because my current iPhone 3G is near-perfect. However, the iPhone 3G S (like the title says) has it much worse and I've even seen 3Gs with the same problem as the screenshot shows. Apple will not replace iPhones with this problem because I don't think Apple sees it as a problem. I just happened to be exchanging my iPhone for some other problems and I happened to finally get one with almost no screen issue.

 

[UngratefulNinja]

TheSpaz just owned every single person doubting him on the front page.

The screenshots shot a clear difference.

Spaz, get it replaced.

Good example of why reading comprehension is important

 

[TheSpaz]

The point of this thread was this:

I was hoping that Apple used a higher quality LCD panel in the new iPhone. The LCD screen in my first generation iPod touch is soooooooooo nice. I wish I could take it out and put it in my iPhone.

I guess I'll be waiting for OLED before I buy a new iPhone.

 

[Doju]

One, don't shake it period. Hold it like a normal person.

If it's still there, get it replaced, as, congratulations, you have a defective phone. I've seen many phones, and my 3G S has nothing like that. Yours is defective if it looks like that, I've never seen one and I've seen almost a dozen. Get it replaced.

Normal ones are not like that. They're beautiful, sharp, vivid screens that look stunning.

 

[5280m]

you have an eye for duds. my 3Gs is perfect!!

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

I just had a look at my 3G S and my 3G and I couldn't replicate this problem. I don't think this is a valid reason to skip over an upgrade this big. It's obviously not present in every phone.

Just my opinion.

And I'm going to agree with a poster above me. I've read a good amount of the OP's threads and I'm gonna have to estimate that about 20% I agree with while remaining percentage is obsessive compulsive drivel that nobody else would notice or care about if they did notice it.

OP: If something bothers you that bad, take it in to get exchanged. You're obviously here to complain rather than to ask for advice (cuz nobody else's opinion matters when you're on your rants here) and it gets a bit tiresome after a while.

 

[TheSpaz]

I just had a look at my 3G S and my 3G and I couldn't replicate this problem. I don't think this is a valid reason to skip over an upgrade this big. It's obviously not present in every phone.

Just my opinion.

And I'm going to agree with a poster above me. I've read a good amount of the OP's threads and I'm gonna have to estimate that about 20% I agree with while remaining percentage is obsessive compulsive drivel that nobody else would notice or care about if they did notice it.

OP: If something bothers you that bad, take it in to get exchanged. You're obviously here to complain rather than to ask for advice (cuz nobody else's opinion matters when you're on your rants here) and it gets a bit tiresome after a while.

I'm not asking you for advice. I have an iPhone I am happy with after returning it 3 times. I don't feel like going through the same thing again with the iPhone 3G S. Do you understand?

Apple will NOT replace it for this problem because almost all the iPhone 3G screens at the Apple Store (including iPod touch's) have this "problem". It's a problem for me, but obviously not to everyone. If you can't see it, I envy you... I really, really do. Yes, perhaps the problem is me, but I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who sees this.

Also, someone said "don't move the iPhone". Good tip, but it's almost impossible to not move the iPhone if you're driving or walking or simply even moving your eyes.

I'm really, really, really, really grateful that I have an iPhone 3G with a screen that I am pleased with. So grateful in fact, that it's cracking and I don't want to return it in fear that I'll get one with the lines.

It's not in my head... it's really there. I must have sensitive vision or something. Note: Some are worse than others. Some iPhones show it will the brightness up to 50% and some show it even at 25% and some will only show it at 75-100% (like when you're outdoors). Mine is the 75-100% type. I can see it more when I'm outside than when it's dimmer inside and I'm happier with that.

Why do you guys give me a hard time. This thread wasn't meant for people who don't care about lines on their screen. This thread wasn't meant for people won't don't see them. If you don't see them, then good, you're good to go. If you're like me and don't like the lines, then I'm just warning you that the 3G S has the same issue as the iPhone 3G. That's all I'm trying to get across here.

I provided a screenshot to show a visual of the kind of thing I am seeing when I looked at the iPhone 3G S.

 

[skwoytek]

TheSpaz just owned every single person doubting him on the front page.

The screenshots shot a clear difference.

Spaz, get it replaced.

How is a photoshop mock up any demonstration of what his real screen looks like.

My cousin is colorblind, if he had a photoshopped screenshot mock up of what an iPhone screen looks like to him, would that prove that the colors are all screwed up?

I just got back from the Apple Store in Fashion Valley, San Diego; I didn't see a single instance of what SpazBoy is talking about.

 

[mavis]

I provided a screenshot to show a visual of the kind of thing I am seeing when I looked at the iPhone 3G S.

No, you provided a "Photoshop mockup." Those were your exact words. And as we both know, there's a world of difference between a "Photoshop mockup" and an actual screenshot.

 

[Primejimbo]

I've never noticed that issue and I'm not going to start looking for it. I'd rather just enjoy my iPhone than to look for flaws in it.

No kidding, as long as stuff isn't noticeable for everyday use I don't care.

 

[Dented]

I found this thread by way of Google, I know it's old and in fact the OP has since been banned for whatever reason, but I just wanted to stick up for the guy - this issue is real, it's annoying, and I've seen it myself.

In fact over the past couple of weeks I've worked my way through three iPhone 3G S's to try and find one with a screen I could actually deal with. For the last year and a half I had a perfect iPhone 3G with an outstanding screen, and I expected nothing less from my 3G S. Instead, the first one my phone co sent through had a yellow gradient (white at the top, yellow at the bottom), the second had an uneven "ripple" in the backlighting in the top right, and the third (which I'm about to exchange again today) had both the yellow gradient again *and* this scanline issue.

In fact it appears the refresh rate on the screen is all over poor - just scrolling up and down in lists shows a really obvious "smearing" combined with these scan lines - they're not always clear and it depends on the backlight level/angle of view etc, but they're certainly there.

I've been quite shocked with this after my perfect 3G - it's very obvious that Apple have actually downgraded the screen and gone with a cheaper component. Not only is it much poorer than the 3G, it's also very inconsistent, with quite wide variances from one phone to another. I can understand how some people might not notice, especially if they weren't familiar with the 3G or the original iPhone, but personally I'm quite upset that I'm now going to have to put up with a really noticeably inferior screen if I want the rest of the 3G S's features.

I mean let's face it - the iPhone has always been about the user experience, not the raw specs (which still trail behind the competition). By downgrading the screen, the user experience is immediately impaired, leaving me seriously wondering why I'm bothering.

I have my fingers crossed for this next replacement - maybe, just maybe I've been working my way through a bad batch and this next one will be perfect - but I really doubt it. Quite dissapointed with Apple.

 

[boss.king]

I found this thread... [SNIP] Quite dissapointed with Apple.

Dude there are bigger things in life to worry about. If this happens to be a major concern in your life, I truly envy you, because most people worry about far greater things than the quality of a phones screen. If it really bothers you, get a different phone or wait for the 4th gen, apparently it will have a different screen from what i've read (rumors). And don't be disappoint with Apple, it's not their fault that you have the eyes of a hawk.

 

[Dented]

Dude there are bigger things in life to worry about. If this happens to be a major concern in your life, I truly envy you, because most people worry about far greater things than the quality of a phones screen.

I guess I should have expected a response like this, after reading the rest of the thread, but I still find it bizarre. I'm not equating a duff screen on a iphone to the end of the world, but it does seem like a worthwhile thing to be mentioning on an iphone forum - no? I mean, by virtue of the fact that you're also right here on this forum reading and commenting on it, you clearly don't have too much more to be worried about yourself, do you?

If it's wrong to notice or be concerned with any of the iPhone's shortcomings, then presumably we should ignore all its finer points too, right? In which case, we may as well all be carrying around the cheapest Nokia with a 1" screen, since there's bigger things in life to worry about?

If it really bothers you, get a different phone

A real classy answer.

or wait for the 4th gen, apparently it will have a different screen from what i've read (rumors).

But it won't be out for a while, and will almost certainly be more expensive. More to the point, after my experience of the 3G S, why should I be lapping up Apple's next model?

And don't be disappoint with Apple, it's not their fault that you have the eyes of a hawk.

You don't need the eyes of a hawk to notice the yellow gradient (the fact that whites at the top of the screen turn to yellow at the bottom) which I had on two of the three new phones I was sent, and you certainly don't need them for the sqiffy backlight I had in the top right of the second phone. Do you need them to notice the low refresh rate and "scanlines" I saw in the third? Well ask yourself - if I'm so hawkeyed, how come I didn't spot them in the first two phones I exchanged?

 

[VulchR]

I wonder if the OP is right but the answer lies in the visual system rather than the phone:

Mach bands

EDIT: I once panicked when my 5-year-old daughter reported double vision. I took her to an eye doctor and he spent 45 minutes testing her. It was clear she wasn't faking it but her eyes appeared normal and there were no other apparent neurological signs. After pondering this the ophthalmologist and I realized the solution: Everybody sees double all of the time, but we ignore it (just put your finger in front of your monitor when reading this and you'll see what I mean). My daughter was just being observant.

 

[jellybean]

To those who dismiss this as OCD, and regardless of whether it can be referred to as an "issue" or not, the problem of scanlines on iPhones is real.

My iPhone 3G had it. I learned to live with it, despite it at times driving me nuts. The scanlines were sometimes more prominent than at other times. I'm not sure if there was a particular reason for this or if it was just random. What disappointed me the most was that I would expect a defect like this from a cheapo Nokia made from budget parts, but not in a premium priced phone which is known for its high quality and design.

My iPhone 3Gs which replaced it didn't have the scanlines, which was a relief. Since then, I've got a parttime job as a sales assistant working in a phone retailer. I sell iPhones to people every day and part of the sales process is the activation process. I'd say about just less than half of the iPhones I sell have noticeable scanlines.

It may also be that only people with sensitive eyes are prone to noticing it, and if that's the case then I'm one of those people. On my last visit to an optician I was told that one of my eyes focuses slightly off-centre to the other. Maybe that has something to do with it.

End of the day, even though it's not much of an issue (to most people) it's still disappointing that this defect is present in a product from a company who prides itself on outstanding build quality.

 

[brn2ski00]

How'd the SPAZ ever get banned?!?! Totally forgot about that!