My HTC 10 is running on the latest released version (Android 8) and I have no strain. The updates from Android 6, 7 to 8 bring no changes to my eyes. My device ist also rooted and running the Leedroid-ROM. The used ROM does not make any diffrence. I can recommend you to buy the HTC 10. Please give us a feedback if it works for you. :-)
@Gurm Do you also suppose dithering as eye strain cause?
Usable Smartphones?
Markus Absolutely. It's either dithering or something else about pixel rendering. There is no other explanation for why software or firmware updates cause the strain to occur and can be immediately fixed by rolling that software update back. I don't know if it's temporal dithering per se, or some other rendering artifact, but I strongly suspect the dithering.
Markus What devices and operating systems/software do cause you to strain? I'm curious how alike our symptoms are, because your list of phones that worked is remarkably similar to mine - I used HTC One X, One, One m8 all with no issues. But some software on the m8 didn't work well - the m8 for Windows was no good. Also Marshmallow was no good but not because of the OS, rather because of the firmware update that came with it.
@Gurm I never had strain after updating a phone to a newer firmware/rom. My HTC one M8 was running on Marshmallow, but because using a custom ROM (Viper) I am not shure if I upgrade the Firmware with the Marshmallow ROM. It is possible to run the Marshmallow ROM on Android Lollipop firmware. The question in that case would be, what cause the dithering ROM or firmware?
Since 2 weeks I am forcing me using a Pixel 2 XL, because that is the phone I like to use. Independant of the straining phone I choose there is no big difference in strain strength. I see no solution for a solution in the next future. Every current device strain me. :-(
On desktop I use and Dell U2412 with Ubuntu 16.04 without any strain. But I recognized that current PWM free IPS-Panel like Eizo EV2455-BK also causing me strain. I am not shure if my Dell causing me a little strain running Windows 10 or if it is just because reading in the forum something about different os can cause strain or not? :-)
Of course you can count on me funding for more research so get a solution for the strain.
Is there a certain setting you guys are using on the HTC 10 that makes it eye friendly? I had eye strain and headaches with that device. Ever since I got rid of my Galaxy S4 it's been nothing but headaches for me.
ThaCMaster
Panels may come from different manufacturers, so one may be good while other not.
I'm using mine with RGB color profile (vivid one is straining) with screen temparature set to warmer at around 1/2 of left side of scale. Also brightness is set to adaptive with level around 1/4-1/3 of the whole scale. When used with high brightness this screen may be hard to use.
I hope these panels don't vary as I plan to buy another HTC 10 when battery dies on this one. I remember there was an issue with pink tint during first few weeks due to glue used for the screen, so it could have some effect too. Now I don't notice it, so it's probably dried off.
I might buy it again to give it another try. I don't want to keep buying and returning though on these accounts because I've returned a lot of phones and electronics lately because of eye strain and they start restricting your account haha. I bought it because based on what I read on it, it seemed to be the one with the best chance of not hurting my eyes.
Markus Samsung S2 and Yotaphone 2 both OLED give me no eye strain. I eventually want to buy another OLED phone as that's the only time I have any luck. I'm using Yotaphone 2 right now.
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jasonpicard Have you looked at an iPhone X for any length of time? I got instant weird feelings in a shop, like worse than most things and even older phones there. It's supposed to be OLED and I think the XS newer model is as well but I've not seen one. I've not spent enough time with any Android OLED phones to be sure but a Samsung OLED tablet did seem hard to look at...or maybe just different but I already had strain that day. I was hoping OLED would be some magical solution at one point even if it was gonna be a while before laptops and desktop monitors were common. Clinging to my Windows Phone Nokia 635 for now as its comfortable.
hpst keep in mind every single Samsung phone and tablet uses pwm except the S2. I heard the apple OLED phone doesn't use PWM at 50% brightness. Every other brightness it does. There is a test of it somewhere in the internet. I have not tried it though. I still have hope for OLED because I have had the most luck with it.
jasonpicard I heard the apple OLED phone doesn't use PWM at 50% brightness
I've heard it still does
Has anyone tried Galaxy S9 or Pixel 3? Verizon is offering $400 off for Black Friday.
hpst You may want to check the XS as unexpectedly gave me no problems over 20 min. I tested the X months ago when it came out, and it was dreadful with long lasting suffering. I have no idea why the XS would be better than the X though. It would be nice to hear a confirmation and find out what they eventually differ by.
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ryans I used an S9 briefly and it was tolerable for short usage. Don't know how it would fare over the long run, but I might check out this deal on Friday... it's currently $33/mo. but with the $400 credit that'd be more like $15/mo. which is much more palatable...
They're running the deal on the LG V40 ThinQ as well, I might check that out since some people thought the G7 ThinQ was good, and I know someone (JTL) was using the V20 without issues.
With XS I think it depends from screen factory, I had one from Apple store online, and it was surly better then one I have now. I had to return it and then I've tried XR from Apple online and it was 100% worse than XS as I wrote before.
So I've bought for me XS and my wife XR in other store in my town and when I compare this two now XR seem to better for me. Not perfect but better. After two weeks of usage XS I can use this for 30 minutes some day longer some day not.
XS is better for me than XR with size and two cams. I will give it some time if not I will change this with my wife's XR. I use this now with mate screen protector and it dont help a lot. I ordered also some expensive ZAAG screen protector with blue light filter, but I don't think it will help and I hope they return 30 days policy work as they wrote..