Wootever, NOBODY knows about this issue. My coworkers literally look at me like I have 3 heads whenever I bring it up, or return a laptop because I can't use it.

  • JTL replied to this.
  • JTL likes this.
    8 days later

    I have the same problem as many of you. I've had this for 20 years. CCFLS with PWM caused some problems, but LED and AMOLEDs worse. I've thus far identified it to be only PWM. I get red eyes and in the morning my eyes feel like I have sand in my eyes, if I've used a PWM display for some hours during the previous day.

    I had Sony Z3+, which was completely problem free, but I got frustrated with it's bad battery, since I then to use the phone quite a bit. I got first LG G5 based on Notebookcheck review that stated it would not have PWM. Turned out that it has a high frequency PWM at lower than 35%. But for some reason, I was unable to use it even with higher brightness without problems.

    I got the Huawei Mate 9 also based on the Notebookcheck review. I confirmend with my DSLR that it does not have a PWM. I also tested with some high shutter speeds at a camera store like 1/8000 and 1/32000 but I was not able to see any PWM. I tried to use it for 2 weeks, but my eyes were so red and irritated constantly, that I had to return it.

    I got a Sony XZ again based on the Notebookcheck review and based on the fact that Z3+ or Z2 or my Sony Android TV do not give me any problems. For the 2 first days I thought it is OK, but then after the Nougat upgrade, I started noticing the same eyestrain and now after 5 days, my eyes are again very red and irritated. I checked with my DSLR and noticed that again, contrary to the Noteboockcheck review, it does have PWM at lower that about 30 % (There is no value on the slider so cannot say exactly at which % it does start). But now I've tried to use it at higher brightness but it still causes eye strain. I'm baffled, as I have not had any dithering or driver issues before, but now it seems that either the Huawei Mate 9, LG G5 and Sony ZX have some dithering or driver issue in Android Nougat, or then they actually do have some very high frequency PWM that I cannot detect with my DSLR. But clearly non usable devices.

      I get severe, immediate eye strain from most smartphone screens. I don't understand why they work, but I have found that Skinomi and Techarmor screen protectors completely, 100% cure the issue. Give them a try. I have tried about a dozen protectors, but those are the only 2 that work

      autobot

      Just saw this, sorry. the two that have 100% worked every time are the Skinomi brand (they are clear) and the Techarmor anti glare (they are matter)

          Maxx

          There is no value on the slider so cannot say exactly at which % it does start

          For such measurements I use a simple app called "Brightness Manager". It shows a white screen and one can adjust brightness in absolute Android values (0 to 255).
          https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tsypa.brightnessmanager

          And I have to agree notebookcheck's PWM tests are extremely incomplete and sometimes wrong. I noticed it after I had bought my OnePlus 3 based on a review that said their previously released OnePlus X had no PWM above 25% brightness (which luckily was true for the OP3 as well).

            JTL

            What's the status with you V20? I would need to find a usable phone urgently, as my Sony XZ is really killing my eyes. Strangely enough, this seems to have started with the Android Nougat update - what is the version on Android in your V20?

            • JTL replied to this.

                ensete I note that there are two types, film and glass. Glass is a higher quality product in general, but would also have different physics properties compared to plastic film. What kind are the ones you like? Plastic film or tempered glass? Thanks!

                  Wootever Man, you're genious - this really works =)

                  The last usable OLED phones from Samsung (for me) were Galaxy S2, Galaxy Nexus and Note 2. Those weren't causing any discomfort and I was able to look at those displays for 4 hours straight without problems.

                  Discomfort and eye strain started with Galaxy S3 and Note 3 for me and are still present with latest models like S7 Edge, which I confirmed today before flashing your kernel.

                  It would be very welcome if we could get your patches included in major custom kernels for Samsung devices (at least), so this fix becomes standard =)

                  I'd like to donate, please let me know your paypal id or advise alternatives you might prefer.

                      optix Maybe a /sys or /dev interface for changing frequency as well 🙂

                        7 days later

                        optix Can you use your Galaxy S7 Edge all day now without eye strain?

                            KM It is substantially better now with Wootever's pwmfree kernel, but still not completely symptoms free. I'm guessing there's not just PWM that's causing me discomfort, but something else as well. I can almost certainly exclude remaining 60Hz PWM as the cause, because Yotaphone2's AMOLED display doesn't cause me any problems whatsoever.

                            Getting Oneplus 3T today or tomorrow, will check that one as well.

                            • KM replied to this.

                                optix Perhaps a software issue. On my OP3 I had to turn off all overlay software, namely brightness apps that change colors, and in-built color-changing functions like "sRGB Mode" and any modes that change colors over time. Even a few apps may cause trouble. For me noticeably Firefox and Opera Mobile (Chrome is OK). I can imagine some games use special hardware functions, too, that may result in eye strain. I don't game much, but I realized that RetroArch (an emulator collection) is pretty much unusable on any platform I tried. Maybe even some launchers are affected. I also turned off button lights, which may flicker. Don't give up and try everything until you're sure. I almost returned my OP3 before I recognized those software traps.

                                    What I have now noted is that as my eye strain got quite bad with a PWM phone, now my eyes are really killing me with any phone or display, as they seem to be somehow more permanently irritated. I'm trying now to not use any displays during the weekend and try to minimize using any devices (except for work I cannot) for a couple of weeks.

                                    so what I'm saying is that testing different devices once you have had your eyes badly irritated by one device, might not yield correct results.

                                    • KM likes this.
                                    7 days later

                                    KM excuse me,i have become silent reader for years from apple forum eyestrain on macbook,and until now i have not find a solution,i cannot use pc or nb or phone product after 2009,i am so desperate and very stress because of this because my work and my entertainment are from PC and smartphones, and for me it;s not eyestrain but headache behind my head like throbbing maybe migraine and make me discomfort and can last for 1-2 days depend on how long i use a pc or smartphone that make me headache ,i already test to max 100 brigtness but i still got headache so PWM is not my issue,i think my issue is maybe dithering or graphic driver so i want to ask about OP3,what detail setting on OP3 that you can use it without eyestrain or headache,is disable surface dithering setting ?,sorry for my bad english i'm not native speaker

                                        hansennn I don't use developer settings. They didn't help me at all and I somewhere read they had an effect on older Android versions or older apps only.

                                        Here's what I did:
                                        - disable the buttons' lights (in case they flicker)
                                        - don't use any "overlay" brightness apps or other "overlay" apps (you recognize them when they ask for permission to draw over other apps)
                                        - don't use sRGB mode or any other color altering system settings like "ambient light" or "night mode"
                                        - set brightness manually to at least 65/255 (CyanogenMod 13) or 68/255 (OxygenOS pre-Nougat) to stay away from PWM; for example use this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tsypa.brightnessmanager
                                        - don't use apps that can cause eye strain; this one is trial and error (I had trouble with Firefox and Opera Mobile - Chrome is totally OK for me, some games hurt over time)

                                            hansennn Not everyone's eye strain is caused by PWN or dithering. Some are senstive to that, some are not. In my case disable both did nothign at all to improve my eye strain. Mine is caused by something being emitted by the screen, I know this because I have found 2 screen protectors that block whatever it is. They are the TechArmor anti glare matte screen, and the Skinomi screen. Try them out and see if they help

                                                ensete I'm thinking - if my eyes are perfectly fine, as in I've slept well, I'm not dieting to lose weight or have had a flu or anything, I'm able to watch any screen that does not have PWM for any period of time without problems. Now as my eyes are somewhat constantly irritated since my last new phone try out, I do seem to get symptoms from my old Sony Z2, which was problem free previously.

                                                The eye doctor noted that my eyes are slightly dry, which might not cause symptoms. Also the meibomian glands were slightly infected, inferring that they oil based lubricants that they secret, are not secreted adequately.

                                                Maybe the Z2 has some mild temporal dithering and when my eyes are already a bit dry and irritated, then my eyes are not able to tolerate even mild irritation.

                                                Could it be that ensete you have similar situation, but more chronic, so even any mildly irritating screens cause problems. Oh well, then again, good screens should be exactly as a book when read in natural sunlight. Do you get any eye irritation when reading a book?

                                                  dev