Clokwork I agree with JTL to an extent. Unless you've found a truly sustainable way to use modern laptops or phones without eye strain and remain productive, you're essentially just buying yourself time. So all we do is buying enough time so it lasts for decades.
We’ve already seen early LEDStrain users from the 2010s who froze their setups. Now, years later, websites and apps have moved on, and their strain free devices become unproductive (e.g. websites not showing properly).
The only sustainable solution that I can think of is remote desktop setups (if they don't strain you of course). Things like VNC, RDP, meeting software, capture cards, projectors, and so on. Some users here have solved this puzzle with systems like NoMachine or Raspberry Pi with VNC, allowing them to use almost any modern device, as long as their "safe" tech remains intact. The risk, of course, is if that safe gear fails and there are no backups.
If you've found a monitor and hardware combo that doesn’t strain your eyes, and remote desktop tools don’t bother you, and you’ve stocked up on spares, you’re probably in the safest position possible.
For me, the only way I can still use modern tech is by swapping iPhone screens with INCELL LCD replacements. It’s worked for years, and I’m still happy with it. But I still see it as buying time. Why? Because there’s always the chance phone hardware/software evolves to a point where even display outputs start including enhancements or processing that break what currently works.
Right now, I believe current iPhones are still basic enough and have very limited battery life. They’re optimised for OLED, and since Apple never offered LCD options in recent models, they likely didn’t include extra processing layers or LCD-specific tuning. That simplicity might be what helps. Then again, it could also be that a lot of the flicker-inducing behaviour is tied to the laminated screen tech, and the Chinese INCELL replacements just don’t bother replicating that. I can’t say for sure, but I’m just glad it works. Some ledstrainers here are trying to replicate that same kind of "clean signal" through OS tweaks or specific hardware setups on laptops, though that’s a lot more complex.
And we’re all different. I can tolerate a bit of flicker (I'm just not sure which one, which type if that makes sense), dithering, and LED backlight e.g. In general UHD 620 output is still okay for me, but any Iris Xe is unbearable. Others could use iPhones with original screens, until one update ruined everything. For me, I can update to any iOS and keep going just fine with INCELL. That's really personal
Also, I believe AI is going to bring tech we’ve never even thought of, in both software and hardware. Accessibility has always been there, but it was pretty basic. With AI, it can become way more advanced and a lot cheaper. And there are now EU rulings making accessibility mandatory for a lot of websites in EU countries, so there’ll definitely be more R&D in this space. That’s encouraging too.
Even though I still have backup laptops, spare screens, and use the iPhone INCELL trick, I’ve been thinking about how I could stop looking at screens completely and still get things done – just in case.
With things like voice control, audio interfaces, and AI that can do visual tasks for us, it feels like we’re getting closer. It’s not fully there yet, but it’s heading in the right direction. Even though the last 10 years were a nightmare I never saw coming, I survived, and oddly enough, I’m now living my best life because of this issue (more time outdoors, enjoying the moment, being super focused when working, etc.). It forced me to rethink everything, and I’ve stayed positive, especially with how fast AI tech is evolving now.
Ironically, the same kind of tech that caused the problem might end up offering the solution. That gives me a lot of hope.