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

konradsa

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 25, 2014
191
10
Hi,

I really love my XR, but at full brightness (like outdoors) the bottom left of the device is noticeably darker than the right. On a light background, you can even see a little bit of shadow creeping in from the edge, which is actually most visible and annoying when you don’t directly look at it.

Has anybody ever successfully exchanged a device with such uneven backlight at an Apple store? Or will they think I am just pedantic? It’s not an obvious defect and the Apple Tech may have a hard time seeing what I am talking about.
 

cableguy84

macrumors 68000
Sep 7, 2015
1,769
2,634
Apple used to replace them don’t know if they do now.

I have owned well over ten iPhones. Every single one has had an uneven backlight. I don’t bother attempting to exchange them anymore.
 

puma1552

Suspended
Nov 20, 2008
5,559
1,947
They will.

If they won't, you have the right to return it anyway so they don't have a lot of ground to stand on to deny the exchange.

That said, I always prefer a return/rebuy so that I get a fresh 14 day return period, and a fresh receipt that doesn't show my previous exchange or exchanges.
 

konradsa

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 25, 2014
191
10
They will.

If they won't, you have the right to return it anyway so they don't have a lot of ground to stand on to deny the exchange.

That said, I always prefer a return/rebuy so that I get a fresh 14 day return period, and a fresh receipt that doesn't show my previous exchange or exchanges.

Well, I should have mentioned I am past the 14 day return period and I didn’t purchase the phone at Apple originally, it was purchased at a Costco T-Mobile kiosk.
 

puma1552

Suspended
Nov 20, 2008
5,559
1,947
Well, in that case you can try at the genius bar, but results will be dependent on the genius and their attitude that day.
 

Reno Raines

macrumors 65816
Jul 19, 2015
1,473
777
I had a similar issue with my 8 and I took it to t mobile inside the 14 day return policy and they replaced it. I am sure Apple will do something if it is still under warranty.
 

konradsa

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 25, 2014
191
10
Quick update: went to apple store, they agreed it’s an issue and swapped out the screen. The new one is still not perfect, but looks a lot more uniform.
 

zx128k

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2018
162
93
Quick update: went to apple store, they agreed it’s an issue and swapped out the screen. The new one is still not perfect, but looks a lot more uniform.

Not perfect?

I have an XR and the screen is perfectly uniform.
 

konradsa

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 25, 2014
191
10
Not perfect?

I have an XR and the screen is perfectly uniform.

Well, I may be a tad hyper critical now, but no screen is ever really truly perfect. I can still see some shading on the right and left edge of the screen, but much better than the area I had before.

OLED doesn’t have this issue, but OLED has other issues, like banding and grey uniformity.
 

puma1552

Suspended
Nov 20, 2008
5,559
1,947
It's still under warranty if OP bought it in the last year

Right, but just because OP says he has a screen problem doesn't mean the genius will agree or see the same problem.

In any regard it worked out for the OSp this time thankfully.
 

Rbk23

macrumors regular
Jul 8, 2014
123
8
I went through 5 8 Pluses and they all had uniformity issues and all 5 were slightly different tints overall. I just got the XR and it is the same, has some non uniform areas.


I am not going on a wild goose chase this time. I got used to my 8 after a few weeks and no longer noticed the imperfections. If some one says their screen is perfect, they are oblivious. Go look at all the display models at your local store. They will all have some shifted tints to some extent.
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,494
Well, I should have mentioned I am past the 14 day return period and I didn’t purchase the phone at Apple originally, it was purchased at a Costco T-Mobile kiosk.

It doesn’t matter where you purchased the phone, you’re still under warranty. With Apple. You could always take the risk of having them send you a ‘warranty device’ being that you’re out of the 14 day return, and in exchange, you send back your defective XR. If it’s a defect as you say it is, then the next XR shouldn’t really have that problem
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.