Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 7 Screens "break in" after a few days?

DougFNJ

DougFNJ

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 22, 2008
1,485
1,212
NJ
It's an odd thing I noticed when I got the 7 Plus when it released, and now I am seeing it with the 7 I just moved to last week. It hasn't happened on every iPhone version I've had, my 4s remained yellow and needed to be swapped, and my 6s screen was perfect out of the box. When my wife got her 6s Plus it had the yellow washed out hue, a few days later....perfect.

When I got the 7 Plus on release day, the screen had the yellow washed out hue. It definitely did not appear to be 25% brighter than the 6s I replaced it with. It was a little disappointing. For years I read about giving it a few days for the glue to completely cure. After using it for a few days after that I didn't even think about it even register in my brain that it had dramatically improved. We see tons of threads opened asking about the yellow hue, and rarely see the posts following up that it cleared up. Im looking at my display right now and it is definitely brighter, whiter, and so much better than when I received it Friday.

So noticing it now, I figured I would ask those that may notice. Is there an actual break in period for iPhone screens?
 
DougFNJ said:
It's an odd thing I noticed when I got the 7 Plus when it released, and now I am seeing it with the 7 I just moved to last week. It hasn't happened on every iPhone version I've had, my 4s remained yellow and needed to be swapped, and my 6s screen was perfect out of the box. When my wife got her 6s Plus it had the yellow washed out hue, a few days later....perfect.

When I got the 7 Plus on release day, the screen had the yellow washed out hue. It definitely did not appear to be 25% brighter than the 6s I replaced it with. It was a little disappointing. For years I read about giving it a few days for the glue to completely cure. After using it for a few days after that I didn't even think about it even register in my brain that it had dramatically improved. We see tons of threads opened asking about the yellow hue, and rarely see the posts following up that it cleared up. Im looking at my display right now and it is definitely brighter, whiter, and so much better than when I received it Friday.

So noticing it now, I figured I would ask those that may notice. Is there an actual break in period for iPhone screens?
Click to expand...

The iPhone 7 definitely has a warmer tone to it and is not as stark as the 6s display. To me, it's a matter of adjusting. I own the 6s Plus and the iPhone 7/7 Plus, and the displays are different in terms of warmer tones with the iPhone 7.

But I don't believe there is necessarily a break in period for displays.
 
It's possible that the "break-in" period is simple acclimatization/adaptation. When you get a brand-new screen (or a new set of headphones or loudspeakers), you'll immediately notice it's different than the one you had. Perhaps you like the difference, perhaps you don't. It doesn't take all that long before you adjust to the "new normal."

There are enough variables in visual and auditory perception that it's hard to make objective comparisons. Even small differences in brightness or loudness, color balance or audio frequency response are noticeable. Two displays, each set to 50% on the brightness slider, may have different results; two loudspeakers, each set to "11" will have different loudness - and both brightness and loudness affect our perception of color and tonal balance - the sensitivity of our eyes and ears to various frequencies is non-linear.

To some people, any difference is bad. For others, it's good, and still others "different" is just different.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Atomic Walrus, bluespark, Speedman100 and 1 other person
Love the Megaman avatar serialtoon, used to love that game lol

I appreciate the comments. I would be very open to the possibility of my brain adjusting to the tone. We do it with the screen sizes. Try using a plus size phone and then pick up a 4 or even a 5 and you wonder how you were able to live daily with the screens on those devices.

But holding up the 7 Plus next to the 7 on Friday when I got it and the 6 that I use for work, the comparison was VERY noticeable. They all seem to be evened out now.
 
There were claims around the iPhone 4 era that the adhesive that laminated the LCD panel to the front glass would cause a yellow hue that would fade after a few days.
 
serialtoon said:
Nothing "breaks in", you simply get used to it which makes you think it broke in.
Click to expand...
That's pretty much true with LCD screens. OLED and plasma are emissive panels, and do take time to break in. So when the 8 comes out, the screen will indeed need time to break in.
 
If you have ever done a diy screen repair and used LOCA (clear liquid glue), you'll know it cures in minutes under UV light.

You are imagining the "break in" period.it doesn't take days to cure.
 
I would check if "NightShift" was turned on. That feature changes the colour of your screen in the evening, which should have the effect of helping you sleep better. So your phone will look different in the night than in the daytime. You can turn it off in Settings if you don't like it.
 
When I've compared my various iPhones to the display models in the Apple Store, I've seen variation. I set the brightness to 100%, auto brightness Off, NightShift Off on my phone and on the display models. Some are warmer, some cooler, some look like they have more light output, some less. If you don't compare them, you generally get used to what you have. My wife's 7 has a distinctly warmer, more yellow cast than my 7 Plus.
 
Pipper99 said:
When I've compared my various iPhones to the display models in the Apple Store, I've seen variation. I set the brightness to 100%, auto brightness Off, NightShift Off on my phone and on the display models. Some are warmer, some cooler, some look like they have more light output, some less. If you don't compare them, you generally get used to what you have. My wife's 7 has a distinctly warmer, more yellow cast than my 7 Plus.
Click to expand...
+1, it's just the nature of the beast. That's not to say that there aren't displays that are too yellow or too blue or too uneven, but it's rare to find two that are identical.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Atomic Walrus and Pipper99
My 7+ is "breaking in" - the overall display is warmer which is fine. I have noticed some slight tone shifts for the better over the past 36 hours.

I am thrilled with the Night Shift feature though - no eye strain!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back