iPhone 12 Pro Yellow Screen/Tint? Display seem "Warm"? Check here first!

[chrizzz09]

My second replacement;
iPhone X on the left / iPhone 12 pro on the right.

edit: True Tone off on both and nightshift is also off; max brightness.

Looking at it straight on I can see a slight difference:
View attachment 984839

Viewing at an angle:

View attachment 984840

Considering keeping it but in two minds.

Your 12 Pro looks way more correct in white point than your X. Your X looks too cool and has a blueish tint to it.

As someone that lives in a house with correctly calibrated monitors and OLED TVs for years now, I can assure you that A LOT of people are way too used to the (incorrect) white balance profiles of countless consumer electronic products and are used to what one has to describe as "blue" displays.

When I got every monitor and TV in my house calibrated by a professional I thought something was wrong with my monitors since everything seemed way too warm, but they were, in fact, perfectly calibrated to D65. After a couple days of getting used to them, now every TV, monitor, or even phones I see in electronic markets look so grossly blue its not even funny. Other people don't notice it because that's what they were used to their entire lives, so a deviation from their "trusty blueish display lifestyle" entices them to think something is wrong with their product (= the "its disgustingly yellow" comments).

Lastly, the are two things I want to mention:
1. True Tone on the 12 models is way to aggressive compared to previous models, so for now I wouldn't use it. It may get fixed in a future software update.

2. The hyperbole in this thread is disgusting.

 

[kre62]

Your 12 Pro looks way more correct in white point than your X. Your X looks too cool and has a blueish tint to it.

As someone that lives in a house with correctly calibrated monitors and OLED TVs for years now, I can assure you that A LOT of people are way too used to the (incorrect) white balance profiles of countless consumer electronic products and are used to what one has to describe as "blue" displays.

When I got every monitor and TV in my house calibrated by a professional I thought something was wrong with my monitors since everything seemed way too warm, but they were, in fact, perfectly calibrated to D65. After a couple days of getting used to them, now every TV, monitor, or even phones I see in electronic markets look so grossly blue its not even funny. Other people don't notice it because that's what they were used to their entire lives, so a deviation from their "trusty blueish display lifestyle" entices them to think something is wrong with their product (= the "its disgustingly yellow" comments).

Lastly, the are two things I want to mention:
1. True Tone on the 12 models is way to aggressive compared to previous models, so for now I wouldn't use it. It may get fixed in a future software update.

2. The hyperbole in this thread is disgusting.

how about a screen that measures significantly less than 6500 K and has an overall yellow cast completely muting colors with reduced brightness and contrast? Is that also more accurate? Lol.


I 100% guarantee that if you took a screenshot of that settings screen and put it on one of your calibrated monitors, it would look like the phone on the left (the X). The settings screen is supposed to look bluish gray and white. Not overall yellow cast. The yellow phone is 100% not accurate, not D65, not 6500K.

 

[ak99]

I received a new iPhone 12 Pro yesterday to replace my launch day phone that was severely yellow with low contrast. The new one is a hair less yellow (but still very noticeably yellow), with much better contrast. I went to the Apple Store today to return the initial phone and check out the display models to possibly swap again if I saw anything that looked any better. All of the display models were slightly less warm than the replacement phone I had, but also all had much lower brightness at maximum brightness than my initial phone or the replacement phone (with True Tone and auto brightness off). One of my friends works at the store and he agreed that there was a very noticeable difference, and then I showed him how that compared with the pure white calibration of the iPhone 11's and other iPhone models and the difference in color temperature was super dramatic. Makes the iPhone 12/12 Pros look terribly warm in comparison. I know some people in here have argued that the warmer tone is technically more accurate, and that may be so, but it's just incredibly annoying working on my iMac, MacBook, or other Apple device and having the color be one consistent temperature, and then looking down at my phone and having it look orange because the color temperature is so dramatically different from everything else. Not to mention I do photo and video work for my job, so I don't want to edit something on my phone and then have the color look totally different on other devices, or vice versa.

I ended up just hanging on to my replacement phone for the time being since I didn't have any confidence that I'd be able to get anything better. I might try again in a month or so if some people in here start having any luck getting better screens, but until then I'm just having to use a color filter so that the colors don't look all dingy, even though it's not an ideal solution.

 

[kre62]

I received a new iPhone 12 Pro yesterday to replace my launch day phone that was severely yellow with low contrast. The new one is a hair less yellow (but still very noticeably yellow), with much better contrast. I went to the Apple Store today to return the initial phone and check out the display models to possibly swap again if I saw anything that looked any better. All of the display models were slightly less warm than the replacement phone I had, but also all had much lower brightness at maximum brightness than my initial phone or the replacement phone (with True Tone and auto brightness off). One of my friends works at the store and he agreed that there was a very noticeable difference, and then I showed him how that compared with the pure white calibration of the iPhone 11's and other iPhone models and the difference in color temperature was super dramatic. Makes the iPhone 12/12 Pros look terribly warm in comparison. I know some people in here have argued that the warmer tone is technically more accurate, and that may be so, but it's just incredibly annoying working on my iMac, MacBook, or other Apple device and having the color be one consistent temperature, and then looking down at my phone and having it look orange because the color temperature is so dramatically different from everything else. Not to mention I do photo and video work for my job, so I don't want to edit something on my phone and then have the color look totally different on other devices, or vice versa.

I ended up just hanging on to my replacement phone for the time being since I didn't have any confidence that I'd be able to get anything better. I might try again in a month or so if some people in here start having any luck getting better screens, but until then I'm just having to use a color filter so that the colors don't look all dingy, even though it's not an ideal solution.

You should return it man. Send a message.

 

[ak99]

You should return it man. Send a message.

If my previous phone was an 11 or an X I definitely would have just returned both of the 12 Pros today and used my old phone for another month or two until all the screen problems get sorted out. But my previous phone is an old worn out iPhone 7, so I really just don't want to go back to it. I'm totally happy with everything else about the 12 Pro, the screen calibration is the only thing I absolutely hate. I'm just going to monitor the forums over the next couple weeks to see if things get any better and probably initiate a return on the 14th day. Just kinda worried that I'll end up getting something even worse if I try again.

 

[jmanuel28]

Do you guys think that the 12 Pro Max is likely to show the same problem?

 

[kre62]

Do you guys think that the 12 Pro Max is likely to show the same problem?

Initially

 

[alisalem]

Your 12 Pro looks way more correct in white point than your X. Your X looks too cool and has a blueish tint to it.

As someone that lives in a house with correctly calibrated monitors and OLED TVs for years now, I can assure you that A LOT of people are way too used to the (incorrect) white balance profiles of countless consumer electronic products and are used to what one has to describe as "blue" displays.

When I got every monitor and TV in my house calibrated by a professional I thought something was wrong with my monitors since everything seemed way too warm, but they were, in fact, perfectly calibrated to D65. After a couple days of getting used to them, now every TV, monitor, or even phones I see in electronic markets look so grossly blue its not even funny. Other people don't notice it because that's what they were used to their entire lives, so a deviation from their "trusty blueish display lifestyle" entices them to think something is wrong with their product (= the "its disgustingly yellow" comments).

Lastly, the are two things I want to mention:
1. True Tone on the 12 models is way to aggressive compared to previous models, so for now I wouldn't use it. It may get fixed in a future software update.

2. The hyperbole in this thread is disgusting.

The 12 Pro that I returned was significantly more yellow than my 2019 5K iMac and 15" MacBook Pro. Are those bluish too? Probably not.

 

[guesq]

Your 12 Pro looks way more correct in white point than your X. Your X looks too cool and has a blueish tint to it.

As someone that lives in a house with correctly calibrated monitors and OLED TVs for years now, I can assure you that A LOT of people are way too used to the (incorrect) white balance profiles of countless consumer electronic products and are used to what one has to describe as "blue" displays.

When I got every monitor and TV in my house calibrated by a professional I thought something was wrong with my monitors since everything seemed way too warm, but they were, in fact, perfectly calibrated to D65. After a couple days of getting used to them, now every TV, monitor, or even phones I see in electronic markets look so grossly blue its not even funny. Other people don't notice it because that's what they were used to their entire lives, so a deviation from their "trusty blueish display lifestyle" entices them to think something is wrong with their product (= the "its disgustingly yellow" comments).

Lastly, the are two things I want to mention:
1. True Tone on the 12 models is way to aggressive compared to previous models, so for now I wouldn't use it. It may get fixed in a future software update.

2. The hyperbole in this thread is disgusting.

Indeed. I have not bought the iPhone 12 Pro yet just because I read some reports of the yellow tint issue. I went to a local Apple Store and compared 20 - 30 12s and 12 Pros with my iPhone X after more than a week of the launch day. All of them are warmer than iPhone X with True Tone, Nightshift off. But iPhone X is warmer with True Tone on than the display ones with True Tone off. A reviewer measured an iPhone 12 screen and reported 6538k with True Tone off, 2644k - 6032k with True Tone on. If the native white point is 6538k, the calibration is correct. My iPhone X (with True Tone off) has some blue / green tint comparing to my calibrated monitor. But True Tone seems to make the screen warmer only. The reviewer did not mention the light environment of the testing. So I don't know what the screen will be like in a 9000k light environment with True Tone on. I could not recall that True Tone could make my iPhone X cooler than the native color temperature. Maybe the previous iPhone models have a cooler color temperature than D65 natively, so they make True Tone shifting white point to warmer side only. But if iPhone 12 is calibrated to D65 and the algorithms of True Tone are not changed, the display will be warmer than previous models with True Tone on. If True Tone could shift white point to cooler side, for example 3644k - 7032k instead of 2644k - 6032k, or they could provide a slider to adjust the color temperature manually, and the native white point is D65, it would be perfect. Of course, if the screen is warmer than D65 or brightness reducing, the device is defected and should be returned.

 

[M5RahuL]

Comparison pics with my XS ( right ) vs 12 Pro ( Left )

1. Both devices set to Max brightness
2. Both devices have TT and Night Shift set to off

PS *edit* - The pictures def exaggerate the color production. The XS is def not so warm while the 12 pro isn't anywhere near as ... red ( it's more like milky white vs a little warmer on the XS )

 

[kre62]

Comparison pics with my XS ( right ) vs 12 Pro ( Left )

1. Both devices set to Max brightness
2. Both devices have TT and Night Shift set to off

PS *edit* - The pictures def exaggerate the color production. The XS is def not so warm while the 12 pro isn't anywhere near as ... red ( it's more like milky white vs a little warmer on the XS )

Looks like you got a bad XS and a great 12.

Great example of this exact issue on the XS. Same exact yellow film, same grungy colors. 12 looks perfect.

People dont get that we arent talking about a normal looking phone with a slightly warmer calibration. Its a dingy yellow film that pollutes the entire display.

 

[Denzo]

I’ll just say the store display iPhone 12 pro had a screen which was brighter and not warm like mine. That’s why I’m returning it.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

That is just a stupid reply.

You will notice it alot. The 12 pro is a pro device. Pro. Its not just meant for media consumption but media creation. For that purpose the 12 pro screen has to be close to the screen that its media output is going to be shown on.

It’s hilarious and on the verge of blatantly stupid to accept a less than perfect screen on a device as the iPhone pro. I guess you could live with it if you only watched Netflix and porn on it, but why buy a pro phone then.

Isn’t the screen the same on the 12 and 12 Pro? If you’re going to demand the perfect screen then it should be across the board.

 

[jonnyb098]

Can anyone with iOS 14.2 confirm some of the rumors that True Tone is much less aggressive? In bright light or outdoor light its fine but indoor like fluorescent and nighttime its super yellow.

 

[ghosttrooper]

Can anyone with iOS 14.2 confirm some of the rumors that True Tone is much less aggressive? In bright light or outdoor light its fine but indoor like fluorescent and nighttime its super yellow.

I'm curious about this as well. Also hoping apps like Instagram add iPhone 12 support soon, the comically large story icons are getting a bit annoying.

 

[floriano8812]

Can anyone with iOS 14.2 confirm some of the rumors that True Tone is much less aggressive? In bright light or outdoor light its fine but indoor like fluorescent and nighttime its super yellow.

It is not, I tested 14.2 GM.
Exactly the same as before with True Tone.

 

[thadoggfather]

It is not, I tested 14.2 GM.
Exactly the same as before with True Tone.

color temp without TT unchanged too? I hope so

wouldn't trust software to 'fix' this

 

[jonnyb098]

It is not, I tested 14.2 GM.
Exactly the same as before with True Tone.

Yikes thats not good. Probably be returning my 12 then. Its on the cool side with TT off but super warm with it on, way more aggressive than my XR or iPad Pro

 

[jonnyb098]

It is not, I tested 14.2 GM.
Exactly the same as before with True Tone.

Did you test in very low light? Thats where I notice it gets the most yellow.

 

[Cakefish]

The default warmer white calibration is intentional I believe. I’ve noticed that my 12 Pro screen can sometimes appear warmer if I turn True Tone off under certain lighting conditions. So True Tone can make the display cooler as well as warmer.

 

[floriano8812]

Did you test in very low light? Thats where I notice it gets the most yellow.

Yes, in every condition, at least inside my house.

 

[ghosttrooper]

The default warmer white calibration is intentional I believe. I’ve noticed that my 12 Pro screen can sometimes appear warmer if I turn True Tone off under certain lighting conditions. So True Tone can make the display cooler as well as warmer.

I feel like I noticed this the other day. I had true tone on and set my philips hue bulbs to a cold white, and my screen got surprisingly blue. Like colder than with true tone off (so it seemed).

 

[myllian]

The 14.2 update changed nothing unfortunately, I can confirm this.

 

[Alfieg]

My Macbook Pro display which I think is perfect, has a white point calibration option. I have to dial it down from 6500k (Native) to 5500k for it to match the 12 pro. Anyone else with a Macbook display seeing similar results?

 

[rmarinheira]

Have you tried going into Settings - Accessibility - Display & Text Size - Color Filters , turn Color filters on, selection Color tint and adjust the two bottom sliders as per your preference?
You'd be surprised with the end result!