Usable Smartphones?

HAL9000

DishaSamir

I've just realised the A32 I have is the A32 5G, which has a different screen (led) to the A32 (which is amoled)

The A32 5G doesnt have PWM, at least the one I've got doesnt. So that could be why people may have issues with A32 if its the AMOLED screen version as this will have PWM.

John615

15.5 is ok for you? I might as well upgrade my 8+ then that I cant use thats already on 15 (15.2 I think?) then, already cant use it but maybe 15.5 will be ok

SebbesApa:

Yes i also hope that it will be fine. The Dimensity 8100 is a capabel and efficient processor and it also has fast storage with UFS 3.1 Rumors says that it could start for 399€ in Europe.

HAL9000

So far with the iphone 8+ on 15.5, I can use it for messaging, gps, etc without too much trouble. I still can't read or surf on it though. It's definitley an improvement over any of the samsungs that I have (note 9, s21 ultra). I will most likely be keeping this iphone 8+ because all other devices so far cause far more headaches and eye strain.

For settings, I did what someone else mentioned in this thread:

Reduce white point, Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, use it on "Zoomed In" feature. I also made the font bold and increased the size as well. I keep brightness as low as possible without having to strain my eyes to read the screen.

I was thinking how I haven't read a physical book in 15 years. Today I picked one up and started reading in bright sunlight. It almost felt like my eyes can finally focus on something. I don't know why but it feels like for some of us we have trouble focusing on a screen. There's maybe too many layers and our eyes can't get fixated on something. Maybe that's why ereaders are more comfortable.

Phones I've tried so far:

iphone 11: No good

xperia pro 5g: My fav phone, used it for a year without problems then all of a sudden unusable, which led me to the rabbit hole of led strain.

All iphone 13's: no good

All iphone 12's: no good

iphone se 2022: no good

Samsung note 9: no good

Samsung s21 ultra: no good

Motorola: g100: no good

iphone 8+: tolerable for quick tasks (only had it for 2 days so will continue to update)

John615 I was thinking how I haven't read a physical book in 15 years. Today I picked one up and started reading in bright sunlight. It almost felt like my eyes can finally focus on something. I don't know why but it feels like for some of us we have trouble focusing on a screen. There's maybe too many layers and our eyes can't get fixated on something. Maybe that's why ereaders are more comfortable.

Try putting a matte protector from skinomi or something over one of your devices. Maybe you are trying to focus on the wrong "plane" and a matte surface will help you lock on to the right depth.

I wish I could report the panel model on my iPhone SE 2020. It is really good.. Apple uses multiple panel versions for this phone though so it is a gamble. The battery life is awful after some wear (not that it was ever good from the start). Maybe I can have the battery replaced 3rd party and find out the panel at the same time? I guess this would not help any buyer.

tustac90

Ok, here is my story (the short version). Let me introduce myself. My name is Rodimus. I have signed up especially to give notice. I am a PWM monster. I eat it for breakfast, lunch and diner. It has destroyed my eyesight, brain and body. PWM has been crippling me down for over 10 years (probably much longer). A few years ago when i became aware of this invisible monster i changed all my house lights, tv, phone etc. Inside i can tame it, outside that is another story. Like all of you ladies and gentlemen i have been searching an searching and testing and testing different phones, monitor's and tvs. I never have had a phone for longer than a few weeks ( before returning it). I gave up. A lot of Oems are lying to us. Either the phone is not fully DC dimming, or they implement PWM after an update.

I am also aware of the drivers in pc monitors, tvs and phones causing abominable eyestrain not knowing exactly what causes it, but switching or turning off the driver in developer options can get this problem solved for some phones. Also, turning off only "Animator Duration Scale" in developer options to "off" gives some relief for the sensitive among us. Don't forget to also turn off "Hardware overlay" (hardware acceleration) at every reboot. Unless you turn it off permanently via ADB or Root. The combination of disabling these two options will give relief.

Also, the trickery they use on the so called pentile 1440p screen is a hoax. It's half the pixels. The green pixels are the only ones meeting that criteria. BUT, the hole diagonal layout combined with the green pixel trickery is making what you see on the screen distorted in a subtle way, but enough for your eyes to try and focus what you see on the screen also giving eyestrain. Luckily the Xiaomi mi 11 (read further on) has the option to switch the resolution to 1080p (which in actuality is 1018p) eliminating the rest of the green pixels to light up which gives superior quality over the fake 1440p.

A while ago i became interested in Chinese phones (especially Xioami) because they where talking and promoting DC dimming a lot while letting know they are aware of the PWM phenomena and its problems. So i bought a XIAOMI MI 11 (in Holland). It offered a beautiful "Amoled" screen with a DC dimming option. Of course i turned it on immediately. After testing it with another camera "shutter speed 1/3200, ISO 6400" i noticed the PWM disappeared completely. I have used it for a few months until i gave it to my son, because he deserves the best. A few months ago i ended up with the Lenovo Legion Y90. Imported from China, (because i live in The Netherlands). A 800€ phone when released. A big mistake. It offerd DC dimming, but only partially and below 40 percent brightness. Plus it only had a fake 1080p (pentile) amoled screen wich in actuality is 764p. I ended up struggling to look at it. Also, the oled screen just wasn't crisp.

Here it comes. A few weeks ago the Redmi Note 11t pro and pro plus where promoted in China. Especially its PWM free screen at all brightness levels and the first LCD Displaymate A+ rating it got. I thought to give it one, one more try. I bought it from Giztop for 300€ and got it within a week. First impression, WAUW! I missed that quality LCD Full RGB screen. It is sooo crisp. People don't notice this, because amoled or oled is the way to go. Want premium quality go oled. What a joke. First of all, my eyes don't have to struggle because it's sooo crisp. I can see everything clearly, even within the fine details. The weren't lying about the calibration and delta_e quality. It's gorgeous to look at. Second, after testing the device it became clear it was truly DC Dimming at all brightness levels. Third, the driver itself isn't giving eyestrain or related problems. It is buttering my eyes. Fourth, it has 144hz. Using this high hertz is also (not eliminating) giving me relief to one extend over the lower 60, 90, 120hz which is also a form of (oh yeah) flickering.

At the end. I have put my 800€ Lenovo back in the box while using the 300€ Redmi Note 11T pro over it. Guys (and gals) i can highly recommend this phone for daily use. If you live outside of China and don't have a problem being it only in English and Chinese language this is the way to go. Well it's a start anyway.

Edit: I've had the opportunity to test the Redmi note 11T for quite some time now. Here is my honest answer. It is by far one the best phones i have owned. But still something is off. I don't have a clue what it is. I can't honestly tell that it is trully 100 percent PWM free (i know sony and other brands claim a screen is flicker free, but in reality they call it infinite PWM). "Very high frequency, but still a flicker barrage". Actually, calibrating a screen with DC dimming brings costs so high, the greedy OEMS will never do it. What i can confirm is, is that it takes a while before the strain (wich is very light) begins. Don't forget, i am extremely sensitive to flicker. But when i reach my threshold, it is there. No headache, but a bit of eyestrain and a bit of brainfog. Maybe from the hertz, because a screen does not stand still. It updates 30, 60, 120 or 144 times per second causing screen refresh rate flickering. I really can't say for sure. This quest for answers and usable technology is exhausting me. Maybe i should give up and accept the reality.

Take care everyone

Kind regards,

Rodimus