I've been unable to use any OLED iPhone since the X and I been trying every year. The worst symptoms I've suffered have been migraines which have lasted for days as well as eye strain and motion sickness. Until the 13 series I could always tell my eyes and brain hated the OLED screen within the first hour.
The best result I had last year was with the standard 13 which I was able to use for a week but it kept making me feel sick in my stomach with constant burping. The feeling of unease and discomfort had me return the phone.
This year the 14 Pro didn't give me eye strain while I used it for the first evening although when setting it up I immediately felt a sweeping sensation of tension across the right side of my head. The next day I woke with an awful migraine that wiped me out for the day and the back of eyes felt like I'd been in a boxing match. So the 14 Pro was out like every year before it.
I waited a few days then tried the standard 14. I didn't feel eye strain or migraines but I did feel discomfort with my vision in the sense the screen light was bothering me while reading, something was off. It's like I can see a shimmer in my vision like someone is flashing a torch across my eyes. I've experienced the same sensation when using the iphone 11 and ipad Pro 12.9 M1 with miniLED.
I had a general feeling of unease while using it which after a few days I decided I didn't want to live with so I've returned it.
PWM and dithering are a big issue for me and I'm stuck on my 7 Plus for the 5th year. It leaves me not buying a new ipad or Macbook as these can also be problematic. It's frustrating beyond believe as I love tech and have used iPhone since day 1. Being on a 1080p phone there is no way I want to downgrade to an XR, 11 or SE 2022 with they're 828p displays.
Since the X left me feeling very unwell I started on this journey of finding out about PWM etc. Now the world is filled with PWM issues from the flashing lights in my office to the lights and screens they put in cars. It's depressing.
I've tried reduce motion, reduce white point, high brightness, attention aware off etc. Nothing makes these OLED iphone comfortable to use. In the spirit of full disclosure I am short sighted and wear contact lenses otherwise I have zero health concerns or issues. I genuinely believe it's the technology being used that is the issue, staring at flashing light cannot be good for anyone no matter how fast it does it.
