iPad Green/Pink tint issue - photos

[BeerdedOne]

I put together this test of the new iPad screen at 50% brightness to show you how the issue presents for me. It's very noticeable in Mail, Safari, iBooks, Notepad, etc., whenever it's necessary to read dark text against a light background. It's not noticeable for video or highly color saturated image viewing. I make no representation that this test is scientifically rigorous, so take it for what it's worth, YMMV.

The image is one single photo of the screen displaying an all white page. The photo was shot in RAW camera format, no flash and with ambient lighting, and not white balanced or other wise adjusted. I used the WB loop in my photo editing suite to zoom in on a small portion of the top right and bottom left corners of the screen and took screen shots. I placed the screen captures side-by-side for comparison.These are the boxes labeled 'pick a target neutral'.

Next I used the color sampler in my photo editor to sample the color in each location. I placed the screen captures above and below for this comparison. The results are displayed in the 'Color Picker (Foreground Color)' box. The top image shows the results for the bottom left corner of the screen (6c6766) and the bottom image shows the results for the top right corner of the screen (646a64). I think it's pretty clear that the screen has different color tints (green in the upper right corner, pink elsewhere).

 

[mcdj]

Pretty much didn't need a color picker to prove what the plain image shows. Or a new thread, really.

 

[Jackintosh]

I disagree with above post. Good to see what users are experiencing with their iPads.

The question is are you going to take it to the Genius Bar to look over for possible replacement?

 

[mcdj]

I disagree with above post. Good to see what users are experiencing with their iPads.

The question is are you going to take it to the Genius Bar to look over for possible replacement?

Wasn't suggesting for a second that the OP not share. It's just that there are a few good threads on the topic already, and it might be helpful to keep screen color issues consolidated.

 

[BeerdedOne]

Pretty much didn't need a color picker to prove what the plain image shows. Or a new thread, really.

It's an attempt (however rudimentary) to quantify what myself and others are subjectively reporting. I'm returning the device to Apple.

 

[thelookingglass]

It's an attempt (however rudimentary) to quantify what myself and others are subjectively reporting. I'm returning the device to Apple.

Thanks for the pictures, OP. Don't mind that other guy. This is useful stuff.

I also have the same pink tint problem, although it seems to go away under certain lighting conditions. I'm debating whether or not to try an exchange though. It seems like this is a widespread problem.

 

[mcdj]

If you are using Photoshop, you can use the eye dropper tool, while holding Shift, to place multiple point samplers throughout an image. Then use the Info palette to note the RGB values of your individual sample points (numbered 1-4 in the image below)

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Don't mind that other guy. This is useful stuff.

Clearly you haven't been on the forum for the past week or so.

 

[iHeartsteve]

We've thoroughly discussed this color tinting issue a lot however I think the OP presented it in a different way that others having this issue could show apple geeks that there really is color hue on a white screen.

 

[EarlZ]

The issues are blatantly obvious in your photo's with out the need for a color picker and on my screen it even looks greyish instead of a white, by MacRumor standards that IS a perfect screen and is not a valid cause for return...

 

[thelookingglass]

Clearly you haven't been on the forum for the past week or so.

I'm here everyday. Have been since iPad 1.

Taking mine in to the Apple store tomorrow. We'll see what they say.

 

[VFC]

I assume the color sampler is reading the RGB color code for each pixel. If the iPad was displaying a pure white image, all 3+ million pixels should have the same binary RGB values. If the image is pure white and the pixel values are different, that rules out the theory that the pink/green tint is caused by a poorly applied color-neutralizing coating used to neutralize the effects of the blue LED backlight or a misaligned polarizing filter mask.

Now why would the iPad have varying RGB codes while displaying a pure white image? If the OP was displaying an image that had pink and green tint in the corners, then the color sampler readings would make sense. However, if the image is pure white, then maybe Apple (Foxconn) has a screen test jig that samples each pixel for color and brightness and then is applying a per-pixel bias value to achieve an even color screen.

Very interesting........

mcdj (or anyone else) can you validate the OP's findings that there are varying RGB values while displaying a pure white image? If the pink/green/yellow is due to an improperly calculated and applied pixel bias value, then there is a possibility that the bias values can be changed and the colors evened out.

 

[thelookingglass]

I assume the color sampler is reading the RGB color code for each pixel. If the iPad was displaying a pure white image, all 3+ million pixels should have the same binary RGB values. If the image is pure white and the pixel values are different, that rules out the theory that the pink/green tint is caused by a poorly applied color-neutralizing coating used to neutralize the effects of the blue LED backlight or a misaligned polarizing filter mask.

Now why would the iPad have varying RGB codes while displaying a pure white image? If the OP was displaying an image that had pink and green tint in the corners, then the color sampler readings would make sense. However, if the image is pure white, then maybe Apple (Foxconn) has a screen test jig that samples each pixel for color and brightness and then is applying a per-pixel bias value to achieve an even color screen.

Very interesting........

mcdj (or anyone else) can you validate the OP's findings that there are varying RGB values while displaying a pure white image? If the pink/green/yellow is due to an improperly calculated and applied pixel bias value, then there is a possibility that the bias values can be changed and the colors evened out.

Interesting, but are you sure you're not over thinking it? Why can't it just be that OP took a picture of his iPad in all its green/pink tinted glory, and the color sampler on his computer is sampling the picture, not the actual iPad screen?

 

[VFC]

Interesting, but are you sure you're not over thinking it? Why can't it just be that OP took a picture of his iPad in all its green/pink tinted glory, and the color sampler on his computer is sampling the picture, not the actual iPad screen?

That could be and probably is the case. If the reading was done within the iPad, this would be a far more interesting thread....

 

[thelookingglass]

That could be and probably is the case. If was was a reading done within the iPad, this would be a far more interesting thread....

Agreed. If theory were correct, then we could all hope for a software update to fix the issue. Unfortunately, I think this is manufacturing related.

I started a poll on another thread. I'm indoors now with no natural lighting whatsoever entering this room. My screen is white as can be. That was very plainly not the case in another room earlier where lots of light was coming through the windows. My screen had a noticeable pink hue in those conditions.

 

[mcdj]

That could be and probably is the case. If was was a reading done within the iPad, this would be a far more interesting thread....

I don't think making the RGB LCD pixels is the challenge in manufacturing. They've more or less got that part down. It's illuminating them evenly that has proven tricky, and more so when illuminating them from the side with LEDs which are not pure white. Add to this the challenge of illuminating 3 million pixels in a tiny area and having them all appear at the same value from different angles. Add to this the challenge of addressing all these challenges in a timeframe that coexists within Apple's desired release date. Add to this cranking out 3 times as many iPads this year as compared to last year.

 

[nicoplanet]

Typical iPad 3rd gen screen. Return it... But I'm afraid it'll be difficult to get a decent one, but I truly wish you to get one. You'll also see some guys coming in this thread saying that's all in your head: that's typical too

 

[BeerdedOne]

I don't think making the RGB LCD pixels is the challenge in manufacturing. They've more or less got that part down. It's illuminating them evenly that has proven tricky, and more so when illuminating them from the side with LEDs which are not pure white. Add to this the challenge of illuminating 3 million pixels in a tiny area and having them all appear at the same value from different angles. Add to this the challenge of addressing all these challenges in a timeframe that coexists within Apple's desired release date. Add to this cranking out 3 times as many iPads this year as compared to last year.

I think this is more or less a spot on observation.

It's interesting to me that some other users are reporting a pink tint in certain lighting conditions / angles, but that is not the issue I'm documenting here. Honestly, if I had a uniform screen tint , I'd probably be fine with it. instead I'm talking about uneven color cast that is plainly visible in all lighting conditions and brightness levels from a normal front-on viewing angle, when viewing text on light colored backgrounds.

The purpose of my test was simply to document that measurable color temperature variations can be shown to exist in a simple photo test.

 

[terraphantm]

Typical iPad 3rd gen screen. Return it... But I'm afraid it'll be difficult to get a decent one, but I truly wish you to get one. You'll also see some guys coming in this thread saying that's all in your head: that's typical too

Mine has the issue, but it's not really noticeable to me on non-white screens. Are there any iPad 3s that don't have the pink/green tint? It's not a large enough issue to warrant returning or downgrading to the iPad 2 IMO... but if it's an actual defect in that only some iPad 3s are afflicted, then I might be willing to try exchanging.

 

[fat jez]

OK, if we (safely) assume that the panel in the new iPad is lit from the sides, is it lit from one side only or both sides?

The reason I ask is that I noticed a very slight pink tinge to the panel in my iPad on the right hand side, which comes in about an inch or so. I did the same as the OP - took a photo in raw and opened it in Photoshop. The colour sampler shows the same thing - that the colour on the left of my screen has a more or less even balance of red, green and blue, but the colour sampler on the right hand side shows more red than the other colours, roughly 10 more than the green and blue values (e.g. if pure white has an RGB value of 255,255,255, mine would be something like 255,245,245 - these are example figures, not the real ones). It's not a huge difference and I doubt I'd ever convince a genius to replace it, as I received mine on the day of launch and am well out of the 14 DMB period now and I don't often notice it. It could be that if it is lit from the left side only, the light is getting dimmer by the time it reaches the right (unlikely I know).

Alternatively, which side is the CPU on? Could it be heating the backlight and causing colour distortion? (clutching at straws here).

 

[TheWheelMan]

We've thoroughly discussed this color tinting issue a lot however I think the OP presented it in a different way that others having this issue could show apple geeks that there really is color hue on a white screen.

While I firmly believe this is a recurring issue, I could easily mock up a color tinting issue in Photoshop in two minutes and then claim it's an unaltered Image. I don't say that to discredit the claims, but just to say that this really doesn't "prove" anything to those already in doubt.

 

[fat jez]

While I firmly believe this is a recurring issue, I could easily mock up a color tinting issue in Photoshop in two minutes and then claim it's an unaltered Image. I don't say that to discredit the claims, but just to say that this really doesn't "prove" anything to those already in doubt.

Any of us could knock up a tinted screen in Photoshop, the days of the camera never lying are long gone. I think this is something you have to take on face value though. I know it's an issue on my screen, albeit a minor one that would not justify it being replaced, but it is not bad enough to convince a Genius (plus I could also end up with a worse screen and no recourse to a better one!).

Fundamentally, I think that there are probably few perfect screens out there and anybody looking for one is searching for the Holy Grail. There are probably a lot of screens out there that are well within both Samsung's and Apple's tolerances and that's what most people will have.

 

[BeerdedOne]

I think this is something you have to take on face value though.

Yes, thank you. So silly.

Fundamentally, I think that there are probably few perfect screens out there and anybody looking for one is searching for the Holy Grail. There are probably a lot of screens out there that are well within both Samsung's and Apple's tolerances and that's what most people will have.

I can live with imperfections. I have two cinema displays and neither is perfect. However, this device looks green and purple when I'm doing the things I do with the iPad 90% of the time (reading and emailing). Not acceptable.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

I think this is more or less a spot on observation.

It's interesting to me that some other users are reporting a pink tint in certain lighting conditions / angles, but that is not the issue I'm documenting here. Honestly, if I had a uniform screen tint , I'd probably be fine with it. instead I'm talking about uneven color cast that is plainly visible in all lighting conditions and brightness levels from a normal front-on viewing angle, when viewing text on light colored backgrounds.

The purpose of my test was simply to document that measurable color temperature variations can be shown to exist in a simple photo test.

Mine looked exactly like yours, and so did another one I saw this weekend - in all lighting conditions - so you're not crazy.

 

[koigirl]

The issues are blatantly obvious in your photo's with out the need for a color picker and on my screen it even looks greyish instead of a white, by MacRumor standards that IS a perfect screen and is not a valid cause for return...

I took mine in and the Apple Genius commented "wow your screen is pink compared to display units" before I said a word but then proceeded to tell me I would have to return within 14-day period as it "meets Apple's specs" and won't be returnable under Apple Care later for this issue. I just kept it - it's nice and even and I could end up with something far worse. Great QC, Apple!

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Yes, I'm done with being a Launch Day guinea pig. No more new iPads or iPhones for me upon launch. Do you think I'll be able to keep this vow?

 

[netnothing]

I took mine in and the Apple Genius commented "wow your screen is pink compared to display units" before I said a word but then proceeded to tell me I would have to return within 14-day period as it "meets Apple's specs" and won't be returnable under Apple Care later for this issue. I just kept it - it's nice and even and I could end up with something far worse. Great QC, Apple!

This seems to be the new Apple stance on this issue. It's within Spec.

I had to personally sell my 32GB Wifi version, for a loss, just so I could buy a new iPad because it had a greenish tint to it. Apple refused to replace it.

I have a new one (week 16) that to me at least doesn't have the green/pink hue....but a slight strip of each long edge seems to be a bit yellow to me. Also has a tiny dead pixel off to the side.

Sad that at this point I'm probably keeping it because I'm nervous another one would be worse

I do have 14 days though.....I'll have to see how my mood is a week in.

What's really crazy is, the one I bought this morning....I opened in the store. The back had a bunch of dings in it. I took it to the Apple employee to point this out.....he said "I assume you want a new one". Really?!? Why would you assume that?

-Kevin