I am still using an iPhone 4. Out of five iPhone 4/4s I bought only two are usable. The three other ones triggered eye strain in just a few seconds. However, the iPhone is getting slower, and the screen size is not really what you use nowadays. Do you have a Smartphone with current technology that is perfectly usable throughout the day?

I use a Note 3 SM-N900W8 (purchased Oct 24th 2013, was having issues with PWM then, got a migraine from being in the store too long :() I never bothered to check for PWM as it was less of an issue in phone displays back then but I never had problems with the display. Recently checked with Canon T5i and it shows up as higher frequency than usual >300hz which is a safe zone normally. And I cannot detect PWM using pen test (insert S-Pen joke here) However Samsung phones made in 2014 and after have terrible PWM worse than this. Friend got a headache from trying the S5 in store, think later batches of the Galaxy S4 may be affected, etc.

I am iPhone 4s with iOS 7.1.2, and it's smooth enough because I don't usually use apps on it. (I surf the web on computer) I think iOS 6 is better on iPhone 4. :>

@"JTL"#p236 I hate Samsung mostly because of the screen. The same feeling as yours.

I've got a LG LGL34C for about a year now and haven't had any issues with it. Dunno if it's fast or not but it's usable... so that's good enough for me!

@"Slacor"#p251 Heh. I had a LG-C55 about four years ago running Android 2.2. Think was laggy as crap but it didn't use PWM, took 10 seconds to open the dialer, etc.

Did anyone try the BlackBerry Leap?

I use an iPhone 4s and I hate it :( It gives me instant eye strain + headaches. Its original OS (I don't remember which one it was) seemed a lot better than the new updated ones. I wish I could revert it back to how it was.. but oh well.

Yes, that is true. I had to downgrade my iPhone 4 to iOS 6 because on iOS 7.1.2 I got severe eye strain and headaches. I switched back and forth several times to be sure. I think there is a newer hack tool that allows you to downgrade iPad 2 and iPhone 4s to iOS 6.1.3. I read about it in reddit's jailbreak section. I believe it is called something like Odysseus. But I can not guarantee that it is safe to use and free of malware. I think iOS 5 was the original OS.

Also I might be able to go to a phone store soon with my fast shutter speed DSLR to test for flickering in newer smartphones. Also people on my family also own, alongside the Samsung's I mentioned. - LG Nexus 5 - iPhone 6s (I don't like iPhone's :P) will test those later.

I tried the BlackBerry Leap now. It is not the worst LED device I ever used, but it still starts to hurt a little after 1-2 minutes. At night the minimum brightness is a little too bright for me.

Usable Smartphones?

Maxx

Just got the Motorola Moto G100 as my G 5G plus dropped to the floor and the glass cracked.

The 100G is like an improved version of the 5G plus, with maybe just very slightly worse screen, but PMW and 65% like in the Plus.

Does not irritate. Is easy as the Plus, provided that brightness is over 65%

Very fast, snappy phone with actually decent camera. Now I can have a real smartphone and phograph my kids also. The Plus had such a weak camera that I didn't really want to take photos.

Please try it.

Maxx

QlaGzr This is BS. This has the exact same PWM when adjusting the brighness, as the Android system brighness.

Maxx

QlaGzr isn't tv exactly the same as a computer monitor. If a TV panel refresh is 60Hz or 100Hz, but you view what ever video signal from youtube or digibox, then the panel refresh stays at the default 60Hz or 100 Hz. Only the video signal frame changes are visible in e.g. 24hz or what ever.

Sunspark

Maxx Not exactly the same, depends how it is configured.. most TVs are set up to be 4:2:2 or 4:2:0 chroma instead of the 4:4:4 computer monitors use, this is part of what causes blurry text on a TV when used with a computer. TVs also have a fair bit of post-processing running which can include smooth motion in addition to picture adjustments. If you set chroma to 4:4:4 and disable all processing, then it does function as a computer monitor.

Maxx

Yes, this is clear (and yes, as a flicker sensitive person I need to disable all black frame insertion and motion tech) But the point was that if 60hz panel refresh gives problems then it will still be 60Hz even if you watch a video signal that is 50Hz or 24 Hz. Some tv's have some sync tech that you can sync the panel refresh to 24hz if watching 24hz signal

Asimiv

Hi! So I've read a lot of answers on this thread, but there are sooo many, so could somenoe who's up to date with everything ennumerate the things you found cause eye strain?

I know it's not flickering, contrast or warmth in my case (sth went wrong with something - don't remember what - on my phone, so now it occasionally flickers veeery visibly, and it causes no eye strain at all). I also tried changing the contrast and warmth, but nothing changes. I can only compare the phones and laptops that cause it.

My HTC 620 is perfect in screen-terms, never gives me problems. I need to uprade my phone because of work, and really want to stick to HTC, but when I tried HTC 10, it caused severe eye pain withing 5 mins (as some of you have already mentioned). If I remember correctly, it did have those floating icons somebody here mentioned. But then again, I was using my boss's old ThinkPAD laptop for a few months, and it caused the same eye strain, but it took a while to get there. Though after those few months I started feeling i within minutes too. And this didn't have any floating thingies. Also, it all started with that laptop (I tried HTC 10 about half a year after returning the ThinkPAD). Also, when I would switch to my personal laptop (Dell Latitude E5570) after work (ThinkPAD), my eyes would stop hurting, though they would feel exhausted after all that pain. Both laptops are low in contrast, just as both phones are strong in contrast (HTC 10 a bit more, but then I have a pro photo monitor from BenQ, really strong contrast and everything, but it's a gem for the eyes. No problems whatsoever)

All in all, I need to change my phone sooner than later, and wouldn't actually mind staying on HTC 620, it still works fine, but the apps I need for work now are slowing it down when I use them. I'd love to know what the solution to this screen problem might be

Maxx

Asimiv It would help if you would not be so adamant that your source of problem is not flicker.
Flicker is the problem for most people who ger eye strain from displays.

Most people just cannot get around the fact that the flicker that causes the eye strain, is so high frequency, that it just cannot be seen, only the optic nerve senses it.
Most people cannot 'see' flicker over 100Hz. Most devices that are problematic, flicker at 240Hz-100KHz.

My eyes absolutely get strained by 2500Hz flicker PWM.

Then there is the temporal dithering type of flicker that nowdays is present in all modern laptops with high color reproduction screen.

Try the Motorola Moto g100 and use it at brightness above 65% and I promise to you that it will not irritate your eyes.

Asimiv

Maxx well yeah, I'm pretty adamant it isn't because I've already gone through this option. The mentioned ThinkPAD is a pretty old one, and from what I got by googling, it doesn't use PWM. And it still caused severe eye strain. As for the temporary dihtering in high color reproduction screens, it didn't have high color reproduction at all. It should have an even lower sRGB percentage (50ish %) than my Dell (88%). Plus, my BenQ monitor has 100% sRGB coverage and 99% AdobeRGB coverage which is basically as high as it can get, and it doesn't strain the eyes at all (I mean, it is built with that purpose, so that might be the reason, but still, nothing really fits with flickering being the problem).

Also, from what the specs say, HTC 10 has a pretty low refresh rate (60Hz-90Hz), just as my HTC620. So again, this shouldn't be the issue.

And it's definitely not me not being able to get around that fact (because that would be a more logical problem/solution if you ask me than e.g. color reproduction, as some people mentioned changing the ICC profile helped them). But it just doesn't fit considering everything mentioned.
And as you said, it's a problem for most people, but not all. I know a lot of people who have eye pain from flickering. They can't stand waiting in hospitals for example, or working in offices that don't meet the required light standard (meaning they don't use flickering lights, and the color temperature has to be just right), and most hospitals in our area don't meet the standard. And it causes them eye pain, but I don't have a problem with those. So again, it just doesn't seem to be the problem in my case. Not that those lights are super comfortable (but then, the only comfortable light source for me is the sun), but I've never had a problem, nor do I have it now (and I've been to places with flickering lights several times after this eye strain problem started occuring).

I don't want to switch to another phone manufacturer for a reason (I just didn't have good experience with the performance and durability of any phone other than HTC [Nokia 3310 not included, lol], so switching to another would just be a waste of money and a source of frustration). But I might go to a store to try out the Motorola you mention just to see if it causes any eye pain.

HAL9000

Maxx

I used the Moto G 5G which has pretty much the same screen, mine had PWM when it should not. Even at full brightness I could not use it and I could not detect PWM with my other camera at full brightness, I did make a posting about it on here somewhere.

Even devices that dont have PWM can cause issues. They must flicker in other ways.

Maxx

Asimiv Difficult to find an old low screen quality ThinkPad without PWM. Even Notebookcheck review report PWM incorrectly quite often.

But anyways, if the problem is so minor that changing phone brand is bigger issue, then it might not be a real problem after all. For us who get red irritated eyes, we would use any phone that just is available for purchase, just to have a phone that can be used, even for occasional email or such, not even heavy gaming or internet browsing.

tomek

After almost 3 years of using iPhone XS, decided to buy new phone. I was affraid of buying iP12 Pro becose when first models came to store they had yellow and dull screens. Was even topic on Macrumors. So I've ordered one with possibility to retourn. Supricesly screen is almost identical as my old XS. Whites are white and Colors are Ok. Now 3rd day of usuing and I fell it can be whole day driver as old one. I have to use this with polished matte screen protector as XS without strain as in old device. So if somebody can use iP X or XS I can recomend this device.

zlhr

Currently gone back to Galaxy S6 (latest stock firmware, using on max brightness) and it is so much more comfortable than really anything that I've used before (HTC M8, S3 mini, J3 '16, 4S) except for Palm Pre 2 I've used previously and old Samsung Spica.

Weird because it has really bad PWM, but I'm now partial to migraine theory that someone here posted and to finding the right frequency for my brain that will make it not tire my (dry) eyes.

No sharp pain, only my eyes get tired so much faster compared to my computer (HD530, W10 1803, TN).

olgomar

Another update: can add another monitor to my usable list - The Dahua LM32-SA 31.5 inch QHD IPS display, works with both my S540-13ARE laptop and my S20-FE 5G/256 phone, no flicker.

ensete

Seems my phone somehow auto updated even though I disabled every auto update feature I could find and the brightness is now roughly triple what it used to be and is giving me headaches. Thanks for the update, Google. Really worth it

Is there any general consensus for a 5.5 inch-ish phone that is good for us?

Nickonomic

ensete

iPhone XR is safe as it uses IPS screen. But it is 5.9 in size.

Alyosha2001

I am using HTC U11, and although at first I rejected it, now I can tolerate it,with nightshift on and low brightness. I bought it at the recommendations from this forum

P650SE

Alyosha2001

I bought HTC U11 several months ago but the display on mine has a fair bit of motion blur whilst scrolling on dark backgrounds. The screen seems relatively comfortable to my eyes, but ultimately I find it to be unusable because the ghosting trails are so noticeable. Also, when the display is set to the sRGB mode it makes all of the grey colours (like the background to the quick settings panel) look more like dark green. I saw lots of people commenting about this and it seems to be due to the way HTC calibrated the sRGB colour mode.

Quad43

Nickonomic

Is this confirmed? Iphone SE still gives me issues

Alyosha2001

When you enable night mode, the color profiles are greyed out. Mine has no ghosting and no off colors, neither in srgb or vivid. Maybe you have an aftermarket display?

P650SE

Alyosha2001

I did suspect the possibility of an aftermarket display, I bought the phone second-hand from eBay and in the lower-left corner of the screen there's some backlight bleed which seems far too bad to have come from the factory like it. But the thing about the grey colours looking greenish (in the sRGB mode) is something I have seen many people complaining about on forums.

When I boot the phone into download mode and select 'system info' it shows the LCD is a JDI S6D1HA2 - which I found out to be a genuine screen the phone comes fitted with, but then I don't suppose this info would update itself if the screen was swapped with a third-party unit.

Here's a pic I attached to how a comparison between my ZUK Z2 and the U11. The background here is supposed to be grey but it has a definite green tint to it on the U11. Yet all the other colours look natural. You can also see in this picture the light bleed I was talking about in the lower-left corner.

Alyosha2001

Here are my colors, HTC is on the left, on the right it is a Huawei P20. In the first picture HTC in night mode on, in the second sRGB mode

I also let the laptop screen as a reference

P650SE

Alyosha2001

Hmm! That's really interesting, thanks for taking the time to take those pictures and upload them. I actually used to own the P20 for a short while so I am familiar with that device and the colours of the display. In your pictures it looks like there are no differences, whereas with my U11 the grey tones only look normal like that when I switch to the vivid colour profile; same as I heard from other people on various forums.

Maybe it is a software thing, which firmware version are you running? Mine is saying 3.40.454.2. I have the Japan model.

One thing I just remembered, I did a battery replacement on this phone a while back and when I dismantled it - it still had the warranty void sticker over the screw on the inside that was completely untouched. The sticker puts an imprint on the plastic when you remove it, and cannot be stuck back on, so it seems that it must be the original display despite the problems.

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