Now that I've been using the OnePlus 3 for over a month since my last post here, I feel safe to recommend it. I can't promise it will help you but it helped me so I think it's worth a try. I think Samsung is the only display supplier so issues like "different displays, different eye strain" probably won't happen.
You just need to stay outside of the PWM range. The safe zone is 68-255 for the stock ROM and 65-255 for CyanogenMod.
The setup guide may use PWM until you set a higher brightness when you're finally in the OS.

The adjusted minimum brightness is not that low, but to my surprise I can use it even in totally dark rooms. All my other devices and monitors I had to set to 0 brightness to avoid headaches. But here, no headaches at all. I use the device like 7 to 8 hours a day (screen-on time).

When I'm outside and its sunny, I set the brightness to 255. I think there is a difference between stock ROM and CyanogenMod. Since I'm using CyanogenMod I can bear full brightness. Or my eyes have somehow adjusted to it - can't say for sure.

Just thought I should recommend this now for I know how hard it is to find a working device. And how much money it can require. I still have some BlackBerries and my unlucky HTC One M8 lying around which I should probably sell in time before they become worthless. I think you could send the OnePlus 3 back if you don't like it. I read something about a 15 day period.

A downside currently is customers may have to wait some weeks for delivery.

  • JTL replied to this.

    KM Would it be helpful if someone figured out how to adjust the PWM frequency for the other settings? I've had some ideas.

    • KM replied to this.

        JTL Would be very helpful. If not for this particular device but certainly for AMOLED devices in general. Not sure how much Hz we need though. The values we need might be out of the device's safety zone.

        • JTL replied to this.

            KM Alright

            Think I'm going to use my mother's old Galaxy S4 as a testing device when she replaces it. It's on an ancient bootloader version too.

              20 days later

              Harrison

              Harrison, sorry to hear that HTC One M9 causes you eye strain as well. I dont know why it causes eye strain to you, because it works find for me. Maybe it is true that HTC has 2 different panel manufacturers, one causes eye strain and the other doesnt. Or maybe everyone suffer from multiple causes of eye strain, so a device that works for one person may not necessarily work for another person.

              By the way, what version of android does your HTC comes with? Mine is on Lillipop 5.02. As you know, software or different OS versions may cause eye strain as well. If Marshmallow causes eye strain, then I am not going to update my phone software. I dont want to risk getting eye strain on my phone (HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera Edition). This is the only phone model that I can use with eye strain whatsoever.

                  hey Kray

                  We already talked about that, but I'll share the information for all of you here:

                  I've tried HTC One M9 (normal edition and supreme camera edition), but both weren't really good for my eyes. So I decided to purchase another HTC One Mini 1. This was the phone I'd used for 2 years now, however the battery has broken and it's not that easy to swap that battery. Moreover it's difficult to get such an old phone here. Nevertheless I bought a secondhand refurbished HTC One Mini at Amazon, but this one has some defects and I've sent it to the HTC Support in order to have a "new" HTC One Mini1. Thought the support just sent me back an new HTC One Mini 2. The first days and hours were really hard for my eyes, but now it seems that I don't have any problems any more with this new HTC One Mini 2, but do not count your chickens before they are hatched.. Maybe my eyes also need some adjustment with every new display. So Maybe there's a chance to also get used to newer HTC One M9.
                  Also I've to say, that I've never get used to any display after some time so far.

                  Long story short. Maybe there are different HTC Display manufacturers, maybe also the Android versions counts and last but not least you guys ever should give your eyes to "adjust". So always test a new system for at least a hole week before you say that you are getting eyestrain.

                    Although most people here (like me) are Android or iOS, has anyone tried any windows phones with success?

                    I've looked into the Lumia line and it looks like the budget model (Lumia 550) uses an LCD display according to the tech specs. Curious to know if it's actually a ccfl-type display being used..

                    • Gurm replied to this.
                      6 days later

                      iPhone 7+, few minutes with demo unit at store = hard eye pain. No change with Apple at all.

                      • KM likes this.
                      4 days later

                      Hi All
                      This is Special request and i Desperate for help , i have a smartphone screen problem i trying to use many of smartphone from a lot type and company all of the screens that i use make me extremely eye strain I notice after about 10 - 15 mins of use, I get dizzy and my eyes hurt like they are burning ,the only phones that I can use without eye strain are “Stupid Phone” like Nokia 108/105 I visited many eye doctors over the years and none of them could explain this issue,It all started with the first iPhone in 2007 over the years Smartphones were more useful and allow us to be connected all the time, I began to realize that sooner or later I'll need to use smartphone and i started to make a research to figure out this problem i've tried to turn the brightness down all the way and instell app thet dimming the screenand Nothing of it helped,With every screen I feel diffrant pain and i triyng to understand What makes my eyes Get hurt from the screen
                      Maybe its type of screen or the Refresh rate or screen technology,maybe you can advise from your experience have any idea here ?

                      Many Thanks
                      BoB

                      Hi Bob, it's frustrating, but we're all still trying to figure it out as well.

                      Do you have issues with any other digital devices besides phones? What about LED computer monitors?

                      Hi MagnuM
                      Yes, i have some eye strain from LED computer like Macbook/iMac some of Samsung Computer screen
                      And even LCD screen and some LED TV,for me digital life its so Complicated and uncomfortable
                      But smartphone screen its the most hard for my eyes and Very Painful, i try many type of Creative ways to
                      figure out this problem, I use Yellow screen protector on the screen,use Mirror to look on the screen
                      2 layer of screen protector Without any success, i really don't know what to do

                        BoB Hi Bob, unfortunately, I don't know what to do either. Later that day during my last post, I went to a friend's house that just bought a new HP Laptop. I could tell right away by looking at it that it was an LED screen, and I got symptoms right away just by looking at it for a few minutes. It's the strangest thing in the world, and i can't explain it. I have no idea how people can look at these things all day long, when it gives me such a sharp pain in my eyes and head after only a few minutes.

                        • JTL replied to this.

                            MagnuM Which model of HP laptop? Screen quality can differ from absolute flickering garbage to decent IPS panel.

                                MagnuM I would see a long afterimage after closing my eyes, of what I saw on the screen. It feels like it's as bright as the sun or something!

                                Huh. This would make me think it's an eye problem.

                                  KM The first options I set were "Force GPU rendering" and "Disable HW overlays".

                                  Why do these options help ?

                                  • KM replied to this.

                                      autobot They don't help me. I originally set them because it was recommended elsewhere, but after some weeks of testing I'm sure they don't help me in any way. Maybe they were useful in older Android versions. I'm using my device for many weeks now without changing any of those options' defaults.

                                        Hi All
                                        This is Special request and i Desperate for help , i have a smartphone screen problem i trying to use many of smartphone from a lot type and company all of the screens that i use make me extremely eye strain I notice after about 10 - 15 mins of use, I get dizzy and my eyes hurt like they are burning ,the only phones that I can use without eye strain are “Stupid Phone” like Nokia 108/105 I visited many eye doctors over the years and none of them could explain this issue,It all started with the first iPhone in 2007 over the years Smartphones were more useful and allow us to be connected all the time, I began to realize that sooner or later I'll need to use smartphone and i started to make a research to figure out this problem i've tried to turn the brightness down all the way and instell app thet dimming the screenand Nothing of it helped,With every screen I feel diffrant pain and i triyng to understand What makes my eyes Get hurt from the screen
                                        Maybe its type of screen or the Refresh rate or screen technology,maybe you can advise from your experience have any idea here ?

                                        Many Thanks
                                        BoB

                                        Unfortunately, there are many things that can cause eye strain. Chances are, you are affected by multiple causes of eye strain, which makes it difficult to find a device/phone that does not have all the things that is causing you eye strain. I suggest you do your investigation, see the list of known causes of eye strain...try and see if one of more of these one thing at a time, identify/eliminate one thing at a time. It is a difficult and tedious process. But you have to do it, know one else, even most doctors, wont know how to solve it (at least not yet).

                                        If you have not been able to use any smartphone without eye strain at all, that means you have quite a severe eye strain problem, which makes it harder to find a solution. But, keep trying. I have tried many different smartphones at the store to see if I get eye strain or not. Those models that are not available at the store, I bought and import from overseas, only to find I get eye strain from them and sold them again. Many times I did this until I find one that I can use without eye strain. Its hard having this kind of problem, but gotta keep looking and keep trying. Good luck.

                                        5 days later

                                        Sorry for the long delay, guys.

                                        I definitely cannot use MM on my HTC one m8. Intriguingly, the problem started BEFORE installing MM, after just flashing in the MM firmwares prior to installing the OS itself. So there's definitely something that happened in the driver layer of the firmware that drives the screen differently on the MM firmware.

                                        The firmware that works for me is the VZW firmware package that includes:

                                        HBOOT 3.19.0.0000
                                        RADIO 1.14.20.0930
                                        OpenDSP v51.2.2-00593-M8974_FO.1015
                                        OS 4.17.605.9

                                        • Gurm
                                        • KM replied to this.
                                        • KM likes this.

                                          diop there is absolutely no chance of finding a CCFL-backlit phone. To my knowledge one has never been produced, ever. LED screens are still LCD. All displays that aren't plasma or OLED or Laser... are LCD. LED screens are simply "LED lit".

                                              dev