iPhone 3G S has yellowish tint

Yup, I have yet to learn the rules here 🙂

So, I've made some comparative screenshots of the 3G and the 3G S. I've found the 3G S to have a more washed-out screen. (Actually, that is the only disadvantage of the 3G S compared to the 3G I could find.) A guy at HowardForums also stated he finds the screen paler than that of the 3G.

To show you what I mean, I’ve made some comparative shots using my standard photo test suite. All the shots have been taken using the largest backlight level. Incidentally, the lowest and the highest backlight levels are the same on the two models, which is definitely a plus: on many competing smartphone operating systems – e.g., WinMo –, the minimal backlight level is considerably higher with many popular models than on the iPhone, which makes some of these phones useless for bed-time Web browsing or reading. No such problems exist with the iPhones. Note that the difference in color saturation, backlight leaking, gray levels etc. are consistent with all backlight levels; I’ve used the highest so that I can easily take shots of them with as low ISO as possible. (A shot of the first image with the lowest backlight level is at http://winmobiletech.com/0720093gs/IMG_2996.JPG – hence the ISO 800 and loads of chroma noise because of my point-and-shoot. As you can see, the difference between the 3G and the 3G S is equally visible.)

First, two shots that show warm colors. It’s also here that you can easily see both the 3G S’ (the upper one in the case) having less saturated colors and backlight “leaking”. In real life, the difference isn’t this pronounced but is clearly visible, even if you don’t directly compare the two screens. On the second shot, pay special attention to the color of the hand and the egg. The original JPG's of the images are at http://winmobiletech.com/SCREENQUALITY/kotona4Lasta.jpg and at http://winmobiletech.com/SCREENQUALITY/muna.jpg .

http://winmobiletech.com/0720093gs/IMG_3006.JPG

http://winmobiletech.com/0720093gs/IMG_3011.JPG

Now, another shot showing how much better for example brown colors are rendered by the 3G:

http://winmobiletech.com/0720093gs/IMG_3016.JPG

Finally, a shot of the home screen. Here, compare the color saturation of the icons; most importantly, the iPod, Calendar, Weather ones:

http://winmobiletech.com/0720093gs/IMG_3021.JPG

(3G S on the right.)

Nevertheless, the screen quality is still good – and, of course, the new anti- fingerprint coating is working great. Fortunately, the other parameters of the screen (most importantly, the viewing angle) hasn’t changed and you surely won’t run into polarization problems like on the Dell Axim x50v / x51v and several other Pocket PC / Windows Mobile handhelds / phones.

(Disclaimer: the above links are strictly JPG links. I don't know whether it's possible at all to include inline images here; hence the links. The host where they are hosted is just a database end without any activity. I get absolutely no money for putting my files on it and, then, posting links to it as the site has no active homepage any more - I've stopped updating the front-end some 3 years ago.)

My phone looks exactly like yours (the yellow or the "warmer" one). What I don't understand is that people around me are getting 3GS iPhones with perfectly white "colder" screens. And I really don't understand why the iPhone in the advertising's and on the homepage are all showing a real "white".
If this yellow ("warm") screen is in spec, so it would be nice if Apple could replace the advertising with phones showing the yellow "warm" screen. Maybe a note @ the technical spec page would help as well.

I have had a perfectly iPhone 3G with a perfect screen, a well fitting bezel and great battery performance.

I've lost all of this with the new 3GS. The only thing I got is a faster phone with more flash.

Yes, I know it is just a phone. But it is one of the most expensive phones I know. So is it wrong to expect that an 3GS (which has been greatly introduced as the best iPhone ever) provides at least the same quality as the older 3G?

I'm not looking for perfection. But I'm expecting quality that relates to the price I've paid for the phone.

Finally!

For the last and FINAL time today I replaced my black 32GB 3GS. This is the 11th phone I have had. Yes, you read that right. The 11th phone. People were calling me crazy at this point. My brother was telling me NOT to switch it out again. However, I could NOT deal with the phone I had. Washed out colors, yellow for white and gray blacks.

I am happy to say, my new phone is as perfect as I will ever get. It's like I have my 3G again! The whites are crisp and clean, the colors POP and the best thing of all - the blacks are BLACK. Not gray. This seems to be a problem. I can also tell that the glass on my screen does not have any funky colors when it's turned different angles. You know, like the heavy yellow/brown color.

I was ready to just give up and call it quits. Thankfully I did not! I won Apple - I FREAKING WON! BWAHAHAHA! Yeah, it only took me 11 tries!

Guess what week this perfect phone is?? Week 23. Go figure. It replaces a week 30 phone.

Now here is some info for you all..

1 - Factory number means nothing.
2 - The week made means nothing.

I have had the following weeks.. 21, 22, 23, 24(x2), 25, 26, 27, 28, 30(x2)

Like some have said - it's a lottery. Good luck playing it. I won't be doing this next year. Either Apple has an OLED screen or I am not buying. Period.

SpurtSpanker wrote:
Finally!

For the last and FINAL time today I replaced my black 32GB 3GS. This is the 11th phone I have had.

Congrats. But honestly, no force on earth could compel me to return any consumer item 11 times. MAYBE 3 times and that's a stretch. After the 3rd return I'd figure "This must be how they are supposed to be" and forget about it, or get a refund and buy a different item all together.

Not for nothing, but returning a phone 11 times to get a "good" one seems more than a bit odd to me.

Micah D. wrote:

SpurtSpanker wrote:
Finally!

For the last and FINAL time today I replaced my black 32GB 3GS. This is the 11th phone I have had.

Congrats. But honestly, no force on earth could compel me to return any consumer item 11 times. MAYBE 3 times and that's a stretch. After the 3rd return I'd figure "This must be how they are supposed to be" and forget about it, or get a refund and buy a different item all together.

Not for nothing, but returning a phone 11 times to get a "good" one seems more than a bit odd to me.

I agree with you 100%. However, I have several reasons for doing it. I love the phone. Nothing compares period. I have AT&T and just switched my entire family over. The main reason I have AT&T is the iPhone. I have been a very happy customer up until this whole BS 3GS yellow screen problem.

Another reason for doing it is I had a good screen 4 phones ago. It had to be returned because the battery was pure crap. Not even lasting a day. My brothers phone is PRISTINE. So I know there HAD to be a good phone out there.

Anyways, I am not going to kid myself. I got lucky again. Thankfully. If I was not so lucky, I would have been done and accepted defeat. I would have waited to see if Apple resolved the issue a few months down the road.

It just got to the point where the screen was just so crappy, I didn't want to look at the phone. That's how bad it got. So I decided to try 1 last and final time. I am thankful I did.


Some might call me crazy for doing it 11 times. call it what you want but I strive for perfection and that's what I want. Within reason. My past phones have been so sub par - it's not even funny.

If i had an apple store near me I would return it till I got a good one too. I cant even get an apple rep to call me back. They keep saying there puting a ticket in and will call me back but I have not gotten 1 call. I may have to suck it up and drive 2 1/2 hrs to get this done. I mean if Im going to pay 400.00 It needs to look at least as good as my 3g.
If I go to the store will they activate so I can look at it? Or will they just hand me a box and tell me to leave. Cause I might have to go thru several to get a good one. And Im not driving back home without a white screen.

mjpearce023 wrote:
If i had an apple store near me I would return it till I got a good one too. I cant even get an apple rep to call me back. They keep saying there puting a ticket in and will call me back but I have not gotten 1 call. I may have to suck it up and drive 2 1/2 hrs to get this done. I mean if Im going to pay 400.00 It needs to look at least as good as my 3g.
If I go to the store will they activate so I can look at it? Or will they just hand me a box and tell me to leave. Cause I might have to go thru several to get a good one. And Im not driving back home without a white screen.

They will activate it in the store. Especially if you are swapping out. As far as getting a new phone, not sure. I think they just give you the box and you activate at home. However I am sure they would be happy to do it at the store as well.

Good luck. ***** that this is even happening to people. Believe me - I know the time, energy and frustration.

@ SpurtSpanker: Congrats man. 11 phones, ouch. 5 was a horror story for me - I can't even imagine 11...

mjpearce023 wrote:
If I go to the store will they activate so I can look at it? Or will they just hand me a box and tell me to leave. Cause I might have to go thru several to get a good one. And Im not driving back home without a white screen.

To see (test) another you'll have to pay for it. So if you're going to go this route, prepare to return the phone for a full refund. Be sure to check with the store by phone to make sure they have stock of your preferred color and capacity.

So basically you'll return your crummy screen 3GS for a refund. Then you'll buy a new one and the Apple retail guy will activate it on the spot for you. That's your chance to quickly examine the screen, comparing it to the store displays if necessary (make sure both are max brightness with auto-brightness OFF).

If the new replacement phone is defective, say so (comparing to a display phone to make your case). If it's obvious, the guy will likely not argue. He'll refund you and then open up a new one and go through the same process. If the next is also bad, be prepared to be told you'll have to go through the Genius route, as they "can't keep opening new boxes all day long".

At that point your situation is going to get complicated if you're only going to accept a screen that is white to your eyes. You may have to either take what you've got in your hand by the 2nd swap or go to another brand or try another store (which doesn't sound like an option). Perhaps a slightly warmer screen than you prefer is not so bad as you may not have much choice...

Thanks for the tips. I will have to go back to AT&T bec thats where I bought it. The last time they said I couldn't return it bec the screen was defective and apple would have to fix it before I can return it. I think I'm going to return it to AT&T and get the 32 white because it looks like people are having more problems with the black ones. If it's yellow I'll return and wait till I'm around apple store and get one there.
I think in 2 or 3 months all the screens will be white. I just can't believe these apple reps keep telling me they are checking into it and will call me back and I haven't gotten 1 call in 7 days.

mjpearce023 wrote:
I will have to go back to AT&T bec thats where I bought it. The last time they said I couldn't return it bec the screen was defective and apple would have to fix it before I can return it.

ATT LIED to you and is trying to TRICK you. If you have the screen replaced by Apple, it will no longer be the original phone that they sold you, and then they can say you cannot return it, as it has already been modified. Doing NOTHING to alter it in any way, returning it in the original packaging with all accessories & mini-manuals & having the receipt = You can get a full refund within your 14 (or 30 day) trial period.

You can return the iPhone to ATT for ANY REASON whatsoever (within your grace period), including you don't like how heavy it is, how it looks, how it sounds, heck anything! If it's defective with a bad screen, that's ALL the more reason to return it and have a great reason to do so.

You will have to pay a 10% restocking fee though which is mandatory with ATT & cannot be avoided (it's the reason they will never have my business again to purchase a phone or accessory). Also be sure the manager resets your account so that the promotional (subsidized) rate will be renewed so you can buy another directly from Apple (although don't tell them you'll buy from Apple directly) with the discounted price...

Just got my screen replaced after some dust got under it.

My original screen was bright and very sharp but the one they replaced it with was very yellow, dull and ugly.

I brought it back and they fixed it and gave me a great looking display. They told me that some of the screens they get are simply "bad".

Perhaps try going to your local apple store.

Should I go visit the genius bar now or later? I'm hoping they will get better screen replacements in the upcoming weeks.

I would probably go soon, some reports indicate the screens are getting worse (more yellow) not better.

Yeah, exactly! This is still an issue. My story:

Purchased my first 3G S from an AT&T store on Fri 7/31. It was verrrry yellow! It was a week factory 86, week 30. Called Apple, although the support guy was real nice, wasn't really helpful. Would not let me send it in for repair/replace. Acted like if I was closer to an Apple Store, they would be of more help. He tried to ask me how yellow it was, and of course, how can you describe that? He asked me all these different things to try, and of course, I already tried em all. He then asked if I could take pictures of the phone along with my 3G phone, to compare so I did. The pictures really didn't do it justice, but I sent them anyway. My iPhone 3G is immaculate. He then stated he would "work with their engineers" on this matter. Whatever that is supposed to mean, and that he'd get back within 5 business days, so we'll see on that. I highly doubt it. This call was last Wednesday. Of course he did state the 3GS is supposed to have a more warmer tone, but my phone was waaaay to warm. It grossed me out every time I looked at it! He also suggested I try to take it back to the ATT store I got it at. Although I originally dismissed that idea, thinking there was no way in he** they'd do that, Friday rolled around, I decided to give it a try, and miraculously then did exchange it, for brand spankin new one! They were real nice and courteous, no questions asked! But, the new one, is of course warmer than my immaculate 3G phone, but it is better than the first 3GS. It is a week 31(August) factory 84 phone. So, don't know what to do at this point, I think I might be able to get use to this one. Not sure I want to drive 3 hours to an Apple store to play the lottery again.

I think it is possible to give a slider bar to adjust tone, why won't they do that?

Oh, also, in email correspondence back and forth with Apple tech guy, I asked exactly what he meant by "working with engineers". He replied back:

"I honestly don't have many answers at this point. I am consulting with our engineering team for more information and will let you know as soon as I hear back."

very reassuring, 😟

I'll jump in again, also, and add to my sad tale (which is recounted way back on page 50 of this opus...)

I've learned to co-exist with my yellow-tinted - oh, I'm sorry, I mean "warm" - phone but am still grousing about the horrible treatment I received at the hands of the so-called geniuses (and one in particular hasn't heard the last of this - yes, I'm looking at you, Jason...) However, a couple of recent events have gotten me all riled up over this horrible product again.

I work as an entertainer and encounter many people in my work. Just last week, I was among some businessmen and one was playing with his iPhone. "What model do you have?" I asked him. "The 3GS," he replied and I asked if I could see it. It had a perfect display, just like my previous two iPhones (the first gen and the 3G) had. It turns out that he writes apps and he obtained the handset directly from Apple as part of a development kit. I took out my phone and he was amazed at the difference in the displays. In the meantime, a colleague of his joined us and saw that we were discussing iPhones and took the opportunity to show off his, which, as it turns out, had a yellow-tinged display just like mine. However, the difference in the "developer" phone and ours was not a subtle difference and several others commented, also.

On a day trip to an adjoining state, we stopped by a huge shopping center to nose around and, lo and behold, they had an Apple Store. Unable to resist the siren's song, my wife and I went in and I began looking at the 3GS display models. One of the sales guys (the orange shirted individuals) came over and asked if he could help me, not being aware of the ire that question was going to raise. I told him about my ordeal and he asked to see my phone. He walked over to a display phone and held them side by side and though the color temperature difference in the two displays was plainly visible (my wife, who is far less fussy about tech products than I could see it), he said, "These are exactly the same..." with a completely straight face. Not wanting to get into this all over again - I was on a trip and trying to have some fun - I said, "OK...whatever...," reclaimed my phone and marched out.

Just a few stores down, there was an AT&T store so we went in and they only had one 3GS on display but it had an even better display than those in the Apple Store. With brightness set at 50% and auto-brightness on, it looked exactly like my much-missed 3G (which my wife now has and hides at night so I won't reclaim it...) I was so P.O.'d by then, I went back to the Apple Store and asked the concierge if there were any Genius appointments available. She said there wasn't until much later that day but then asked me if there was something she could help me with. After I recounted the entire sad affair once more, she took my phone over to a display model and set the brightness on that one to match mine. Even from several paces away, it was obvious that my display was dull, discolored and much, much less vibrant than the demo. Finally, I thought, perhaps I have a sympathetic ear. She studied them and then began to shake her head. "These are identical," she finally pronounced. My wife and I exchanged puzzled glances and I said, "Are you kidding me? You don't see any difference in these two phone." "No, not really," she said, and in that instant, I could see that this was the party line. She (and her orange-clad colleague of earlier) have been coached to parrot this response to any and all who are complaining about this issue, even to the point of them looking like imbeciles with no visual acuity whatsover.

The final incident was a reunion of some old high school buddies the other evening, a few of whom I hadn't seen in 20 years. One of them had a 3GS he just bought two days before and - you guessed it! - a startlingly white, pristine display, just like the good old days.

I'm using my phone - I have no choice - (and I have no further recourse with Apple - refer to my earlier post on page 50) but I dislike it intensely and I'm sorry I made the upgrade. I hold out some dim hope that they will fix this with a firmware upgrade as they did with the 3G but I'm not optomistic. Apple really screwed the pooch with a seemingly large number of these phones.