iPhone 11 iPhone 11 impressions from someone who suffers from PWM

[The.Glorious.Son]

Out of curiosity, have you tried setting display zoom to zoomed? It’ll make the iPhone 11 display the same amount as the iPhone 11 Pro. The standard zoom displays equivalent to the 11 Pro Max.

Yeah I did. I didn’t like how it made my icons feel cramped. Small little gripe for sure but no matter what settings I tweaked I just wasn’t satisfied. I returned it for the Pro Max. I don’t get the bad symptoms like migraines or even lasting headaches. It’s not much worse than how the 11 was making me feel, it even at all, so I might as well use the one I really like.

 

[tonybarnaby]

Yeah I did. I didn’t like how it made my icons feel cramped. Small little gripe for sure but no matter what settings I tweaked I just wasn’t satisfied. I returned it for the Pro Max. I don’t get the bad symptoms like migraines or even lasting headaches. It’s not much worse than how the 11 was making me feel, it even at all, so I might as well use the one I really like.

I’m thinking about trying to “get over it” for the 2020 6.7” iPhone. Glad you got the one you wanted man

 

[The.Glorious.Son]

I’m thinking about trying to “get over it” for the 2020 6.7” iPhone. Glad you got the one you wanted man

Thanks brother. It’s only been a day and the results are a mixed bag. I’m with you on the 2020 models. Especially if LCD is no longer an option. I’m hoping that since some on here have mentioned that the Pro models are usable when the prior were not, that maybe any improvement on the flicker rate will all us back in the game pain and strain free.

 

[tonybarnaby]

Thanks brother. It’s only been a day and the results are a mixed bag. I’m with you on the 2020 models. Especially if LCD is no longer an option. I’m hoping that since some on here have mentioned that the Pro models are usable when the prior were not, that maybe any improvement on the flicker rate will all us back in the game pain and strain free.

I couldn’t use the Xs max and returned it. I was cool with my wife’s 11 pro during setup, but now even 5 minutes gives me a bad headache so it doesn’t seem like anything changed. At least not for me.

I have a weird pwm style gripping headache which makes no sense as the 11 has no pwm. Hopefully it’s better tomorrow or I’m boxing this phone up and done with Apple for the year

 

[tonybarnaby]

I’m getting towards the end of a 16 hour day here at work and my head is BUMPIN! This feels 100% like a pwm headache. I have zero eye strain/dry eyes/hard to focus, but the back of my head feels like it’s being squeezed. This is exactly how my Xs max made me feel. I am thinking this the end of the line for me. I already paid full price for my 8+ at launch, and then full price ($100 off) last year. I’m not willing to pay full price for a third 8+. One thing I find funny is Apple no longer seems to carry the 8+ in 256gb, but now they have it in 128gb. Pretty cold blooded of them to now offer it in the ideal 128gb storage size when they know the vast majority of buyers will be looking to the XR and above.

I’m not sure what to do, and it’s very frustrating. It’s bad enough I can’t use the 11 pro max, and now it appears for some freak reason the 11 is also a no-go. My only other phone is a $250 pos android that I usually use for work. I kept it at home today because I wanted my eyes to only focus on this iPhone 11. I have 5 hours of screen time and just now started to get a more serious headache within the last hour. My eyes are 95% normal (small tingle but no issues focusing)
I have been with my wife for ~15 years, and my pwm headache with my Xs max was the first time she ever recalls hearing me claim to have a headache. I’m not someone who deals with migraines or has anything that would cause a phone to hurt my head like this. Hopefully new screen tech is on the way

 

[Stig722]

Unfortunately after a week with the regular iPhone 11 I have constant light headaches and dry eyes. I'm getting rid of the 11 and going back to my 8 Plus. Hopefully the next iPhone will be usable for me.

 

[aakshey]

FWIW if I don’t use TrueTone on my X/10.5 I get headaches and eye strain. But with TrueTone it’s fine. I don’t have this issue with iPad 2018 or iPhone 7 regardless.

 

[Stig722]

I have true tone on all the time. Still feeling bad.

 

[tonybarnaby]

My head feels weird today and kind of have that gripping pwm feeling, but not like yesterday. When I had pwm headaches it would take 2 days to feel normal again. I received this phone on the 30th, so I have some time to keep testing it. I have heard of people who got used to the xr, but not the Xs. I’ll give it another few days and see. This is unfortunate as hell.
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Yeah I did. I didn’t like how it made my icons feel cramped. Small little gripe for sure but no matter what settings I tweaked I just wasn’t satisfied. I returned it for the Pro Max. I don’t get the bad symptoms like migraines or even lasting headaches. It’s not much worse than how the 11 was making me feel, it even at all, so I might as well use the one I really like.

How’s the pro max?

 

[jm31828]

Unfortunately after a week with the regular iPhone 11 I have constant light headaches and dry eyes. I'm getting rid of the 11 and going back to my 8 Plus. Hopefully the next iPhone will be usable for me.

Dry eyes? So interesting you mention that- I’m experiencing the same thing with my 11 (not pro)! For a few minutes after using the phone my eyes feel as if I’d been staring at a really bright screen, even with brightness down to almost nothing.

I’m well past my 14 day return window, though.

Have you tried covering the sensors in the notch? I’d heard that the flashing if one of the sensors there may play a part in this..

 

[tonybarnaby]

My head is pounding now. I'm not willing to mess with my health like this over a phone I had to make a few compromises to have, so I'm returning it tomorrow. Hopefully apple does something next year where I can use their products. I'm not willing to buy a third 8+, so there are no options left.

 

[The.Glorious.Son]

How’s the pro max?

So far the pro max is ok. It is hit or miss as far as what feels like anxiety when I use it. I truly think for me it is mental. I have not had any headaches or anything like that even after prolonged staring at it. Even if I were to take it back, I would ride out with my 8 Plus. After trying the 11, I realized rather quickly I have no use for that phone even with the advantages it has over the 8 Plus. But I am going to give the pro max the full two weeks and see where I land. Sorry that none of the new phones worked out for you. I could end up in the same boat, with the difference being I still have my 8 Plus.

 

[cdcastillo]

I feel bad for all the countless people out there who own an oled iPhone and have no idea where their headaches are coming from. Imagine how many expensive doctors visits you could potentially go to if you tell your doctor you have unexplained headaches. A lot of people who don’t know anything about their phone besides who makes it would never put 2 and 2 together...

For the last couple of years I made an habit of asking my "new-headache" patients if they recently changed phones and what kind of phone they use.

 

[tonybarnaby]

For the last couple of years I made an habit of asking my "new-headache" patients if they recently changed phones and what kind of phone they use.

Can someone "get used to" a new phone or PWM?

 

[Beelzbub]

After reading about PWM, I feel sorry for those who suffer from this. I don't know if I suffer from this or not, I have an 11, but I have received headaches from my iPhones in the past, and two of the things that gave me massive headaches are True Tone and Reduce Motion. The Reduce Motion started for me way back when iOS 7 was released, all that animations or zooming in and out made me sick, I had really bad headaches and felt nauseated, and then Apple released a fix allowing you to turn that off and my headaches went away, like someone flipped a switch. So I have always had to turn on Reduce Motion. And when True Tone was released, that was another thing that messed with my eyes, had this problem on my 8 when I got it, when it was on, it was as if my eyes were struggling to read things and was causing me headaches. When I disabled True Tone, again it was if someone flipped a switch and my headaches went away. Makes me wonder what would have happened had I gotten the 11 Pro. After reading about PWM and knowing what my issues are with Reduce Motion and True Tone, I am actually glad AT&T did not have any Pro's in stock when I got a new iPhone or I feel I may be in the same boat as others.

I feel sorry for those who don't know anything about this and have headaches as a result. I know back when iOS 7 was released and I updated to it, my wife and friends thought I was crazy when I kept complaining of all the headaches I had, all over a software update. I am jut glad I can disable those two things.

 

[cdcastillo]

Yes, but it is very rare. Usually the ones that "get used to it" are the ones that had very mild symptoms to begin with.

 

[phgreer]

Unfortunately after a week with the regular iPhone 11 I have constant light headaches and dry eyes. I'm getting rid of the 11 and going back to my 8 Plus. Hopefully the next iPhone will be usable for me.

My eyes are getting dry too put I am having to turn on the heat in the house.

 

[ghanwani]

My head is pounding now. I'm not willing to mess with my health like this over a phone I had to make a few compromises to have, so I'm returning it tomorrow. Hopefully apple does something next year where I can use their products. I'm not willing to buy a third 8+, so there are no options left.

Are you switching to Android then?

 

[tonybarnaby]

Are you switching to Android then?

I've had 2 phones for the last year, so it wouldn't really be switching so to speak. I have my 11 at home on my desk shut off. I will turn it back on Thursday or Friday when I have been pain free for several days. At this point I am starting to get a head cold, but I'm 99% sure the phone caused my headaches. I have until November 11 to return it.

 

[tonybarnaby]

I haven’t used my 11 for more than 5 minutes this week. I’ve had a lingering headache since Saturday, but I’m getting more sick by the day due to a bad cold I picked up from my 7 year old. I’m using my 11 today, and it appears to be making my headache even worse. At this point I think I am going to bring it back to Apple tomorrow and get my refund. It seems like if you get any pain from these phones, that’s it and you will not get used to it or get over it.
If Apple LCD is bugging me (8+ I have no issues) then it appears my/our best bet it whenever microLED screen technology comes out. It’s a shame, because the 11 does so much right. If I were infatuated with it I think I’d give it more time, but at this rate I’m frustrated and working 16 hour days at work so I don’t have time for this. Good luck to anyone else struggling through it.

 

[ghanwani]

I'll get my $800 refund and wait it out. The only issue is I don't know how this works, as I traded my 8+ in to apple. Will that affect my refund? I'll update this tomorrow or Sunday.

They will probably issue a gift card for the value of the trade in and refund whatever they had previously charged to whatever your original form of payment (credit card, cash, etc.).

 

[tonybarnaby]

Not having an iPhone sucks. I think our only hope is microLED, but that will probably be YEARS from now. Until then I am back to Android only. Not a big deal, as the 8+ was my first ever iphone. Just crappy that not even the 11 works for me like the 8+ did. I wish there was some evidence on what is giving us headaches from a screen with no PWM, but no one will probably ever know.



It's not the resolution (one of my Androids is 720p and 6.2" and I have ZERO issues)

It's not face id or any of the sensors

There is really nothing to point the finger at. Thankfully Apple has a 2 week trial period so I don't lose $50 like I did at TMobile with my xs max.

 

[ghanwani]

Thankfully Apple has a 2 week trial period so I don't lose $50 like I did at TMobile with my xs max.

It's coming up on the holiday return period where a customer has almost 2 months to return something.

What kind of screen do your Androids have?

 

[tonybarnaby]

It's coming up on the holiday return period where a customer has almost 2 months to return something.

What kind of screen do your Androids have?

I have an LCD and an OLED Android phone. The only phones to ever give me a headache were the xs max and now this 11.

 

[oVerboost]

I have an LCD and an OLED Android phone. The only phones to ever give me a headache were the xs max and now this 11.

You aren’t experiencing PWM from an LCD display it will be something else. It may be eyesight related if you’re suddenly getting headaches and other issues from the LCD or it could be the face unlock sensor that is causing you an issue?

Try turning off Require Attention to unlock and increasing brightness of the screen when in use and see if that improves things.