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

[nn88]

honestly... i'm noticing it less and less...

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.

part of me wonders about the fact that the macbook pros ARE NOT OLEDs and thus the macbooks look so different.

I can affirm the same thing because I have a 2020 Macbook Pro

 

[AndrewR23]

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!

read the thread my friend. this isnt a fix, has been said 20+ times in here.

 

[baking soda]

Everyone is talking about the yellow tint but has anyone noticed a shift from a greenish to a redish tint on the screen when showing gray backgrounds in the dark?

 

[Alfieg]

honestly... i'm noticing it less and less...

part of me wonders about the fact that the macbook pros ARE NOT OLEDs and thus the macbooks look so different.

I can affirm the same thing because I have a 2020 Macbook Pro

displays are either accurate or they are not, regardless of tech used.

 

[nn88]

This will sounds nuts but today with True Tone on the screen even shifted blue somewhat in a different environment. I’m convinced it’s really just me and that the LCDs had better calibration than the OLEDs. And since many playing the replacement game have faltered that it’s really just me seeing things. I see no point in replacing right now. The screens at the Apple store I visited for the second time seem the exact same honestly.

 

[alisalem]

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?

Same. Also my 5k iMac.

 

[rmarinheira]

I still don’t understand why some people claim using color filters is not a fix. Once and for all, every display will have its own particularities. I’ve seems dozens of oled smartphone displays, and one thing is common to all of them: there is a clear greenish/yellowish tint. It happens in Samsung high end (S29, Note 20 Ultra), iPhones... you name it.
It seems a characteristic of oled displays. Sure, you might find one out of a thousand that would look better, but that’s what calibration is for. In this case, the use of a color tint filter does it. Given that you make the adjusts in very small steps, always having a reference around.it is easy to let the display weird otherwise.
When professionals buy high end monitors or TVs and pay to get them calibrated, they are doing precisely the same, or do you think they would be exchanging items til they find one they like?
According to my experience, all iPhones come with that greenish/yellowish tint, just like Samsungs.
The very first step I do after getting the iPhone out of the box is adjusting the display according to my preference.
One other detetais: while it may look that applying a color tint filter reduces brightness, I believe it’s just a matter of perception, due to the color difference of the light emitted.
Give it a try. After finding this, I just was able to enjoy my iPhones with no worries about color tint out of the box. And just for the record: I am very picky when it comes to color tinting, color consistency across the whole display and other “little” details and let me tell you this way of adjusting the display is just great!

 

[theliellama]

I still don’t understand why some people claim using color filters is not a fix. Once and for all, every display will have its own particularities. I’ve seems dozens of oled smartphone displays, and one thing is common to all of them: there is a clear greenish/yellowish tint. It happens in Samsung high end (S29, Note 20 Ultra), iPhones... you name it.
It seems a characteristic of oled displays. Sure, you might find one out of a thousand that would look better, but that’s what calibration is for. In this case, the use of a color tint filter does it. Given that you make the adjusts in very small steps, always having a reference around.it is easy to let the display weird otherwise.
When professionals buy high end monitors or TVs and pay to get them calibrated, they are doing precisely the same, or do you think they would be exchanging items til they find one they like?
According to my experience, all iPhones come with that greenish/yellowish tint, just like Samsungs.
The very first step I do after getting the iPhone out of the box is adjusting the display according to my preference.
One other detetais: while it may look that applying a color tint filter reduces brightness, I believe it’s just a matter of perception, due to the color difference of the light emitted.
Give it a try. After finding this, I just was able to enjoy my iPhones with no worries about color tint out of the box. And just for the record: I am very picky when it comes to color tinting, color consistency across the whole display and other “little” details and let me tell you this way of adjusting the display is just great!

It's a fact that it does decrease the brightness. I measured the nits.

 

[kre62]

I still don’t understand why some people claim using color filters is not a fix. Once and for all, every display will have its own particularities. I’ve seems dozens of oled smartphone displays, and one thing is common to all of them: there is a clear greenish/yellowish tint. It happens in Samsung high end (S29, Note 20 Ultra), iPhones... you name it.
It seems a characteristic of oled displays. Sure, you might find one out of a thousand that would look better, but that’s what calibration is for. In this case, the use of a color tint filter does it. Given that you make the adjusts in very small steps, always having a reference around.it is easy to let the display weird otherwise.
When professionals buy high end monitors or TVs and pay to get them calibrated, they are doing precisely the same, or do you think they would be exchanging items til they find one they like?
According to my experience, all iPhones come with that greenish/yellowish tint, just like Samsungs.
The very first step I do after getting the iPhone out of the box is adjusting the display according to my preference.
One other detetais: while it may look that applying a color tint filter reduces brightness, I believe it’s just a matter of perception, due to the color difference of the light emitted.
Give it a try. After finding this, I just was able to enjoy my iPhones with no worries about color tint out of the box. And just for the record: I am very picky when it comes to color tinting, color consistency across the whole display and other “little” details and let me tell you this way of adjusting the display is just great!

Do you also walk around with yellow tinted glasses? So you can see the world like your phone? Or why not buy a colored physical film and put that on the screen?

 

[Alfieg]

Colour filters at the settings proposed are closer to 7500k and overall colour accuracy across the spectrum is also negatively affected. Average brightness is markedly reduced.

Not what we paid for really.

Also, professional calibration of displays is a bit more nuanced than boosting a single colour, ie applying a tint. The setting is NOT for calibration, it’s for Autism, Dyslexia, Eyesight problems.

 

[klamchop]

I still don’t understand why some people claim using color filters is not a fix. Once and for all, every display will have its own particularities. I’ve seems dozens of oled smartphone displays, and one thing is common to all of them: there is a clear greenish/yellowish tint. It happens in Samsung high end (S29, Note 20 Ultra), iPhones... you name it.
It seems a characteristic of oled displays. Sure, you might find one out of a thousand that would look better, but that’s what calibration is for. In this case, the use of a color tint filter does it. Given that you make the adjusts in very small steps, always having a reference around.it is easy to let the display weird otherwise.
When professionals buy high end monitors or TVs and pay to get them calibrated, they are doing precisely the same, or do you think they would be exchanging items til they find one they like?
According to my experience, all iPhones come with that greenish/yellowish tint, just like Samsungs.
The very first step I do after getting the iPhone out of the box is adjusting the display according to my preference.
One other detetais: while it may look that applying a color tint filter reduces brightness, I believe it’s just a matter of perception, due to the color difference of the light emitted.
Give it a try. After finding this, I just was able to enjoy my iPhones with no worries about color tint out of the box. And just for the record: I am very picky when it comes to color tinting, color consistency across the whole display and other “little” details and let me tell you this way of adjusting the display is just great!

My 12 Pro screen looked warm when I first powered it on, and I thought it was normal.
I then start the transfer process from my X and it has this hazy, muddy yellow tint compared to X and I told myself it's probably true tone acting up. I disabled both night shift and TT and it definitely has a yellow tint, googled and it seemed to be a wide spread issue. I told myself I won't be holding and comparing with another phone everyday, and changed color filter to cooler color (but screen became dimmer and dull).
I stopped by Best Buy and Sam's club while doing errands to compare my screen with their displays, Sams Club had a display model that is brighter and whiter than mine. My wife who is not tech savvy also noticed the yellow tint.
I could easier go on with my life with the yellow tint, but paying this amount for a "premium" yellow tint is not worth it.

I decided to finally start the replacement lottery today, I remember doing the display lottery when I first purchased my Dell laptop around 10 years ago, hope later batch will have better display!

Attached left is X and right is 12Pro, it looks yellower in person.

 

[syphern]

This thread is longer than the iPhone 11 one!!! Apple certainly is watching!

 

[davec25]

I got my 12 pro from AT&T and am not happy with the warmth and color shift. I tried to exchange it today but there is no stock available. My only option is to return it, re-activate my 11 pro, and order one that will be to me by mid December. Kinda sucks. Feel like I’m stuck. I have seven more days to decide what I want to do.

 

[AndrewR23]

I got my 12 pro from AT&T and am not happy with the warmth and color shift. I tried to exchange it today but there is no stock available. My only option is to return it, re-activate my 11 pro, and order one that will be to me by mid December. Kinda sucks. Feel like I’m stuck. I have seven more days to decide what I want to do.

try express replacement through AppleCare. They will put a 1000$ hold on your CC and overnight you a new 12 pro.

 

[davec25]

try express replacement through AppleCare. They will put a 1000$ hold on your CC and overnight you a new 12 pro.

Seriously? Even if it’s not technically “defective?”

And I’m not sure I can do that if I got it through AT & T, can I? I will then be returning the “wrong” phone in a year.

 

[AndrewR23]

Seriously? Even if it’s not technically “defective?”

And I’m not sure I can do that if I got it through AT & T, can I? I will then be returning the “wrong” phone in a year.

What do you mean returning the wrong phone? Does ATT require the phone to be the exact same next year? Bc when you get replacements, the warranty transfers over

 

[davec25]

What do you mean returning the wrong phone? Does ATT require the phone to be the exact same next year? Bc when you get replacements, the warranty transfers over

I had to get a replacement a couple years ago because mine was stolen and it was a huge fiasco because it wasn’t the same phone. It took me months to rectify. And I was charged extra, but not the amount they initially tried to get.

 

[AndrewR23]

I had to get a replacement a couple years ago because mine was stolen and it was a huge fiasco because it wasn’t the same phone. It took me months to rectify. And I was charged extra, but not the amount they initially tried to get.

What program are you using on ATT? Im gonna do some research bc im super curious now.

 

[davec25]

What program are you using on ATT? Im gonna do some research bc im super curious now.

The At & t Next Up plan

 

[AndrewR23]

The At & t Next Up plan

Take it for what its worth lol

 

[guesq]

I still don’t understand why some people claim using color filters is not a fix. Once and for all, every display will have its own particularities. I’ve seems dozens of oled smartphone displays, and one thing is common to all of them: there is a clear greenish/yellowish tint. It happens in Samsung high end (S29, Note 20 Ultra), iPhones... you name it.
It seems a characteristic of oled displays. Sure, you might find one out of a thousand that would look better, but that’s what calibration is for. In this case, the use of a color tint filter does it. Given that you make the adjusts in very small steps, always having a reference around.it is easy to let the display weird otherwise.
When professionals buy high end monitors or TVs and pay to get them calibrated, they are doing precisely the same, or do you think they would be exchanging items til they find one they like?
According to my experience, all iPhones come with that greenish/yellowish tint, just like Samsungs.
The very first step I do after getting the iPhone out of the box is adjusting the display according to my preference.
One other detetais: while it may look that applying a color tint filter reduces brightness, I believe it’s just a matter of perception, due to the color difference of the light emitted.
Give it a try. After finding this, I just was able to enjoy my iPhones with no worries about color tint out of the box. And just for the record: I am very picky when it comes to color tinting, color consistency across the whole display and other “little” details and let me tell you this way of adjusting the display is just great!

Calibration is not the same. When a monitor is calibrated, a color profile is generated for this specific monitor. It maps the colors you want to display to the actual colors displayed on the monitor. If you want to modify the warmth of the screen, you have to set a different white point and recalibrate. This will generate a different profile. When white point shifts, the colors on the screen may not shift the same value. It's like watching a same printed picture in the different light environment. But a color filter is like covering a piece of tinted glass on the screen. Colors on the screen shift the same way and many of them lose accuracy. This is why calibration needs a color meter device not just covering a piece of tinted glass on the screen.
The iPhone "Pro" and iPad "Pro" are advertised to be "Pro" devices, but Apple never provides a way to calibrate these devices for professionals.

 

[AndrewR23]

Calibration is not the same. When a monitor is calibrated, a color profile is generated for this specific monitor. It maps the colors you want to display to the actual colors displayed on the monitor. If you want to modify the warmth of the screen, you have to set a different white point and recalibrate. This will generate a different profile. When white point shifts, the colors on the screen may not shift the same value. It's like watching a same printed picture in the different light environment. But a color filter is like covering a piece of tinted glass on the screen. Colors on the screen shift the same way and many of them lose accuracy. This is why calibration needs a color meter device not just covering a piece of tinted glass on the screen.
The iPhone "Pro" and iPad "Pro" are advertised to be "Pro" devices, but Apple never provides a way to calibrate these devices for professionals.

youll literally have to say this another 30 times before people understand but your post is 100% dead on accurate.

 

[socceryo3]

youll literally have to say this another 30 times before people understand but your post is 100% dead on accurate.

We should just compile a list of disclaimers/debunked myths/misconceptions and post it again each time the thread begins a new page.

 

[davec25]

View attachment 1082378

Take it for what its worth lol

Nice research. My former case went through Asurion so maybe that was the difference? Seems odd since that is their own insurance company.

Bottom line is that without Tru Tone, my display and whites seems on point but just so bright. Maybe what I’m experiencing is just a Tru Tone issue?

The off axis color shift becomes SO dramatic with Tru Tone on my 12 Pro, but I like the colors more. The color shift goes yellow > pink > blue though. It’s pretty annoying.

 

[VSMacOne]

My 12 Pro screen looked warm when I first powered it on, and I thought it was normal.
I then start the transfer process from my X and it has this hazy, muddy yellow tint compared to X and I told myself it's probably true tone acting up. I disabled both night shift and TT and it definitely has a yellow tint, googled and it seemed to be a wide spread issue. I told myself I won't be holding and comparing with another phone everyday, and changed color filter to cooler color (but screen became dimmer and dull).
I stopped by Best Buy and Sam's club while doing errands to compare my screen with their displays, Sams Club had a display model that is brighter and whiter than mine. My wife who is not tech savvy also noticed the yellow tint.
I could easier go on with my life with the yellow tint, but paying this amount for a "premium" yellow tint is not worth it.

I decided to finally start the replacement lottery today, I remember doing the display lottery when I first purchased my Dell laptop around 10 years ago, hope later batch will have better display!

Attached left is X and right is 12Pro, it looks yellower in person.

Really, that's the worst part of this whole thing. Not that the screen is warmer, I would be ok with that. But it has that hazy, muddy look that just take away from the richness of the OLED screen. It's literally the most frustrating thing with every yearly release.