iPhone 3G S has yellowish tint

By the way, Ars Technica reported that using the 'Restore' function in iTunes actually installed a newer firmware.
This firmware removed some of the yellow-ness.

To the people still being plagued by this problem, have you tried using the 'Restore' feature? If so, can you check/post your firmware version? (I don't know where to find this)

I just help set up a buddy's new Iphone 3GS 16 GB black he bought at the same store I did. Guess what? Great looking screen. Not warm. Not yellow. But cool white like my previous 3G phone. Needless to say I'm very disappointed with this. I was almost satisfied thinking I could live with my washed out display. Maybe I should just return the 32GB and go with the 16GB and with my luck...I'll get a yellow display!!!!

I don't get it. I called 3 Apple stores in LA and the employees I talked to had no idea about a yellow screen issue. No returns or issues that they knew of.

Either Apple is requiring their employees to keep hush or this is small enough to fly under the radar.

I don't get it. I called 3 Apple stores in LA and the employees I talked to had no idea about a yellow screen issue. No returns or issues that they knew of.

Either Apple is requiring their employees to keep hush or this is small enough to fly under the radar.

Got my 3GS 32GB black on launch day in UK with yellow tint. Measured white point was as warm as 4200K at full brightness! It was more yellow than my PowerBook screen after 16000h!

Went back to Carphone Warehouse UK the following week. They looked at it, compared it with old 3G on display in store and replaced it. Absolutely no problems. They gave me their last 32GB phone in stock - respect! New one has white point of 6200K at full brightness and 6000K at 1/4 brightness. Max luminance is 460cd/m^2 (very bright!!!). That's about as good as it gets for a consumer device. Both phones are week 22.

SecretNY wrote:
Can you post the link at Ars Technica? I looked there and didn't see anything.

Oh wow sorry! I missed it by a year, that was from the original 3G release.. Sorry about that!

Edit: Perhaps the same problem is occuring now as it did back then? That store-purchased iphones carry an older firmware?
A year ago ars technica released this. If you haven't got anything to lose, maybe try this again? 😝

Again, sorry about that. I really didn't notice it was an article from 2008! (with the 3G and 3GS name being used and multiple 3G's being referred to as 3Gs xD)

Message was edited by: Jognt

Message was edited by: Jognt

I wish I was as lucky as you. Recently I tried again another 32GB made week 25 (4th so far) and still yellow (I returned it).

How did you measure the screen temperature and actual luminance? What device did you use?

Thanks!

I have already replaced my iPhone 3gs 4 times, first I had dust under the screen, 2nd the chrome was not flush on the sides, third the screen was yellow and now I am on my fourth which is perfect except for the yellow screen, they need to issue a recall on this, because looking at a yellow screen in the sun is somewhat hard to see at times. I called applecare and they told me to have anyone with a yellow screen to leave feedback on apple.com/feedback and submit it as a bug report. I was told at the apple store wait a few weeks and they should get a solution.

In case anyone is tracking geographic locations of bad batches, I can confirm that I receive a bad screen (yellowed and dim) from the Apple Store Sydney in Australia.

Week 25, black, 32GB.

The sad thing is, I bought three at the same time (the other two for relatives) - two white and one black - and mine is the only one with a yellow screen, the other two are just as beautiful as my previous iPhone 3G and my first iPhone.

Sigh. Why me? The loyalist of loyal iPhoners.

Just got off the phone with Apple Support and was told that the slightly yellowed screen is normal and replacement for a second time is not possible. It was explained, with further documented explanation being E-mailed to me, that this is because of new technology used with the new 3GS. This is a situation where I am just going to have to live with it. I am looking forward to reading a more detailed explanation of why the screen is yellow, but I am very very skeptical. My 3G phone had the same issue and when I exchanged it I was able to get a 3G phone without the yellow tint. I personally believe that whether you get a phone with the yellow tint or not is pure chance. There seems to be a quality control issue here and you could replace your phone 10 times and still would have a 50/50 chance of getting a non-yellow tinted screen. There seems to be a scramble here to explain to customers that this is normal, when it clearly is not normal. As was stated here prior, if the yellow tint was consistent throughout the screen it would be normal, but the fact that the yellow tint seems to pool toward the bottom of the screen, this is an build issue. I am at a crossroads as to what to do. Do I live with it or do I try to return for a refund and roll the dice with the purchase of a new iPhone and see if I get lucky.

Try telling Apple support that the screen is not slightly yellow, it is simply yellow.
When in an apple store compare screens, pick the yellow-est and whitest screen and ask them, is this the way it should be? *point to phone 1* or is this the way it should be? *point to phone 2*
For the amount of money you pay for it, I wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

If they say they are both the way it should be, he/she is clearly lying. It is a device that has multimedia imaging/video capabilities, WHY on earth would a company like APPLE destroy this experience by altering the way the colors reproduce?

My advice: Send in a bug report. in the search bar at the top simply fill in "iphone feedback". That should do the trick (IF enough people do this)

Wow that is probably a very good thing!

Apple is the type of company that would keep saying "It's supposed to be yellow".
If they're saying they have no information to provide at this moment, I'm guessing this means they are at LEAST looking into the issue!

Has anyone returned their phone for a refund and then purchased a new phone? Do you have to cancel your account? Do you have to then buy an unsubsidized phone? Just curious if anyone has had this experience.

HAd mine replaced this morning. Walked in with my 3G phone to compare. Once they saw the difference, they exchanged it. It was night and day in brightness and color. The replacement 3Gs is 98% as good as the 3G now in brightness, no yellow.

I returned my black 16gb. The Apple Store Genious gave me a pretty hard time and eventually replaced it. I wish I could have compared several phones and picked the best one. I didn't have that luxury. I took what I could get. My new one is a definite improvement but not as good as my brother-in-law's 3GS. I guess I can live with this one but if I had it to do all over again I wouldn't have sold my old 3G. I can't stand the yellowing gradiant toward the bottom of the screen. The Apple Genious said he couldn't see it. MY wife, friends, etc all could see it but he couldn't. Hmmm...sounds a little fishy to me.