Green tint flickering issue on iPhone 12 Pro in September 2021
This is what I’ve experienced so far regarding this issue on my iPhone 12 Pro:
It was December 2020 when I first noticed that my screen flickers a greenish dim glow. This is frustrating as the whole screen would flicker when using dark mode, where the backgrounds are black. It is also very distracting when watching videos with black bars on the side, which would flicker a dim green glow. I immediately went on the internet to look up this issue, and many articles popped up stating that Apple is apparently aware of this issue and is working on fixing it with a software update. I also learned that the previous iPhone 11 models experienced a similar green tint issue, which was fixed within a few months.
A few days later, I decided to contact my local Apple Authorised Service Provider (since there are no official Apple Stores in my country). I sent them photos and screen recordings of the issue, and they asked me to come in person to get my device checked out. I had to leave my device there for about a week, only to find out after that they weren’t able to reproduce the issue themselves. So I got my device back, still with the issue, hoping that an iOS update would fix it.
Surely enough, in April 2021, iOS 14.5 came with the following in the patch notes:
‘iOS 14.5 includes an optimization to reduce the appearance of a dim glow that might appear at reduced brightness levels with black backgrounds on iPhone 12 models’
However, like the note says, this update only reduced the appearance of the green glow, meaning that the issue still persists, and is still very noticeable to the eye.
In July, I decided to go to my local Apple Authorised Service Provider once again, this time with more evidence and a more vivid explanation of the issue. They agreed to replace my display, which by the way, took almost two weeks since they had to order parts from another country. So after two weeks, I got my device back and the issue was finally fixed, or so I thought. This moment of joy only lasted a few weeks because slowly but surely, the green tint flickering issue came back.
I contacted the Service Provider again, and explained about how the issue reappeared on my device. Earlier this month, I brought it in again for service, and they told me that they were going to perform a ‘Rear System Replacement’ which essentially means entirely new components inside and out, except for the display and camera. They stated that the display wasn’t the issue as the issue still persists even with a brand new display.
So then I got my device back, and the first thing I checked when I got home was the display. Surely enough, the green tint flickering issue was still there. I immediately called them up to let them know about it, and their response was that there is nothing else they can do from their side, and that my only option would be for me (the customer) to send a ‘complaint letter’ directly to Apple, demanding a device replacement. How does one even do that?
I am clearly very frustrated about this issue that I have been experiencing for almost a full year already, still with no fix. This is a very disappointing experience especially after paying $1000 for it. What else can I do? Am I stuck with this issue until I upgrade to a new device?
