Onyx devices use Android as their OS right?
It's conceivable that IF dithering is a problem for us, that Android based devices, because it's somehow baked into the OS, have it even if they don't need it. This is 100% speculation. If the light was on we could blame PWM as a possibilty. The Kobo Forma has PWM. Also lights being set to "off" aren't always fully "off". The Kindle Paperwhites (at least older models) would still have the light on very dim even at setting "0". We know Dasung monitors dither.

Since Kindles use their own OS maybe it's dithering, they don't do it, and that's the difference in your case...or maybe your post is Amazon marketing poisoning the well since it's Prime Day 😉

I also know that even safe devices can seem like they are straining me if I am already triggered, or afraid they will. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

    I found any animations on e-ink screen to make me feel dizzy and nauseous. Something about the grainy, uneven way they refresh I think. I had an older onyx device that never animated and that was fine for me to use, but when I tried an e-ink phone using android animations/scrolling would trigger me.

    hpst
    You might be right about the android as a cause. It's weird because e ink readers are meant to be easy on eyes. I think the ereaders companies will destroy this benefit and will end up on the same led/lcd eye strain cycle. Unfortunately improving ereaders means more eye strain.
    I am not marketing amazon in any way but i thank amazon for their real ink reader. The new amazon oasis itself has to be set 0 frontlight to be perfect. I don't understand why amazon don't produce 10 inch ereader. I wanted to switch to 10 inch that's why i tried onyx. If anyone here tried sony ereader? I am hesitating to try because it has android as well.

        Riva I used Sony T1 and T3 and never had any eye strain problems. Never ever - it always was like reading printed paper.

            Older E-Readers were better than new ones as they didn't have all the light diffusing layers and capacitive touch layers. E-Ink Pearl was the clearest I have ever used and was like the letters were printed on the surface, but everything now is Carta and those all have the extra layers which diffuses clarity and needs the light to counter even though they are higher resolution. They can look good in the store or with the light on and fonts right, but are never as clear with lights off. Sadly like most tech they are chasing bling and "features" at the expense of the core experience. It would not surprise me at all if the race for "cool" undermines the comfort of the reflective basis with PWM/dithering/whatever. It's also ridiculous that they charge 200-300 dollars for many models of this single purpose old tech device.

              KM thank you. It does seem both T1 and T3 are not using android. I am keen to try Sony DPT- CP1 10.3 inch or Sony DPT- PR1 13.3 inch which have andoid so might have the same onyx issue

                  Riva

                  Beware the DPT-R1 isn't really meant for reading books...rather notetaking and PDFs. Some of those huge niche devices have bad e-book reading/management experiences due to software not being optimized for that task. They also mostly have horrid battery life. I'd read lots of reviews...especially since that device is something like 6-800 whatever currency.

                      hpst thanks. That's why i tried onyx as i hoped it will solve the problem of small display in amazon oasis. In fact, all onyx features are perfect except the strain issue. Before i post here, i thought onyx cheated in ink display and maybe sony quality like amazon but seems andoid can be a cause. I would not mind the cost if it has zero eye strain.

                          Riva I was only speculating about Android. It could be other things like anti-reflective coatings or fonts or whatever. If you can try other Android based e-readers to test it I would do that before assuming its dithering.

                              hpst
                              I will try another one with Android and post my experience.

                                  2 months later

                                  Does anyone have any recommendations of an e-reader to buy? Are there any that allow the downloading of apps that you've used successfully?

                                    Kobo Libra H20 seems ok, played with it in the store today. Light, good ergo. You can control the brightness and the color warmth.

                                    6 months later

                                    laur5446 hpst Riva

                                    As being rink the only screen I can look at, I am a very experienced user. I use Onyx eReaders since some years and never had a problem with eyestrain, and they have had android, which saved my life. But recently I bought a eink phone with android 9, and this makes me dizzy even with the light turned off, so its possible the problem is with android 9.

                                    My older onyx had android 4 and 4.4, and the one I am using right now have android 6 (8" of screen). I really want to test the newer models with android 9 but I am afraid it can appear dizzynes with that android version.

                                    If Onyx keeps its word of upgrading my actual eReader to android 9 we will have a very valuable information about eyestrain related to android version

                                    So for now, I can say android 4, 6 and 7 (the one in my eink phone) on an eReader are a solution for me

                                            NotAlone

                                            I have a Kobo and it's fine. Also afraid to try new Android based. Which phone did you buy? The Hisense A5? There is depressing little news on it now as all the posts and threads have died entirely.

                                                vaz
                                                Hisense A2 pro has android 7 (no frontlight)
                                                Hisense A5 has android 9 (with frontlight)
                                                Hisense A6 has android 8 (with frontlight)

                                                For me, Hisense A2 pro is the phone which has saved my life, as I can use it without any problem. Hisense A5 it gives me eyestrain with or without light, and maybe itˋs worse with light on. I am not sure but I am not going to test again. I would like to buy and test the Hisense A6, but 360€ for a phone maybe I canˋt use itˋs not my idea at the moment

                                                  5 months later

                                                  I've tried many different e-readers and none have worked for me. They've all either given me eye strain or made me feel sort of strange/foggy after reading on them for only a short while. Reading on paper on the other hand has always been a relaxing and even energizing experience for me. Sad because I definitely love the idea of an e-reader, but I think I'm just going to stop experimenting with them and go back to paper. The biggest disappointment was my Dasung Paperlike, which I thought I would be able to use for programming, but that's another dream I've had to give up on...

                                                    khartoom I also noticed that if I use an eink device late at night, I find it almost impossible to go to sleep afterwards. Even lcd screens don't do this with me, even though it's now common knowledge that blue light can disrupt sleep... leads me to conclude that there's just something very unnatural about e-ink, but maybe just me.

                                                      13 days later

                                                      khartoom Which androids had the devices you tried? Any android 6 o 7?

                                                      As I said here, I only can use android 6 or 7. On the time of my last post in this thread I didn't tested android 8. Now I did and didnt work for me, but for a "just in case" it is something about the brand firmware building I ordered another android 8 phone from another brand to test again. The already android 8 tested phone is Hisense A6L (frontlight turned off) , and the up coming is the Yotaphone 3.

                                                      Will update the info here when arrived.

                                                        13 days later

                                                        I earlier posted here, that I had eye strain with latest Amazon Oasis both with light on and off. I am currently using Nook Simple Touch Glowlight (2012 or 2013 edition) and it does not cause eye strain. Before it I used first edition Nook and everything was also good.
                                                        I will need to replace my Nook soon as it is old and touch screen does not function properly, but I simply don’t know which device to buy. Earlier this month I bought All new Kindle 2019 (10th edition), but it also caused eye strain like Oasis, so I returned it. Maybe the problem is with new e-ink screens, as the older devices worked for me fine.

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