Severe Eye Strain due to OLED PWM Dimming

Hello , i have been using iphone for 10 years or so and with changes after iphone X which uses OLED , i am really unable to use my iphone due to PWM dimming which causes severe migraine and dizziness for me in 5mins. I have been stuck on iphone 11 due to LCD panels but i am worried whats going to happen in future since LCD is gone now. Can Apple implement DC dimming via software Update? i have tried 14 pro and it had same problems even though flicker has been reduced but doesnt help. I tried every accessibility option like reduce white point , keeping 100% brightness.

Posted on Mar 29, 2023 1:26 PM

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Posted on Apr 14, 2023 10:43 AM

  1. I don't believe we're going to get DC dimming for OLED screens as updates.
  2. For those who don't understand what PWM is and how it affects a small groups of people, before asking them to go see an eye doctor, at least read a few articles about how PWM affects their eyes, and in some cases, dizziness and vertigo. Here is a start: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Why-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-is-such-a-headache.270240.0.html
  3. Currently only iPhone SE 3 have LCD screens. The plain iPhone 11 is the last big display iPhone that have LCD and users who are affect by pwm can only use these 2 phones (that is if they can buy an iPhone 11 model). Note that iPhone 11 Pro & Pro Max uses OLED. And any thing from 12 onwards uses OLED.
  4. I am in the same boat as you because I am also affected by the pwm. If apple changes everything to OLED then I just have to say goodbye to iPhone. We are such a small group and I don't think they really care.

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Apr 14, 2023 10:43 AM in response to GmXplode

  1. I don't believe we're going to get DC dimming for OLED screens as updates.
  2. For those who don't understand what PWM is and how it affects a small groups of people, before asking them to go see an eye doctor, at least read a few articles about how PWM affects their eyes, and in some cases, dizziness and vertigo. Here is a start: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Why-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-is-such-a-headache.270240.0.html
  3. Currently only iPhone SE 3 have LCD screens. The plain iPhone 11 is the last big display iPhone that have LCD and users who are affect by pwm can only use these 2 phones (that is if they can buy an iPhone 11 model). Note that iPhone 11 Pro & Pro Max uses OLED. And any thing from 12 onwards uses OLED.
  4. I am in the same boat as you because I am also affected by the pwm. If apple changes everything to OLED then I just have to say goodbye to iPhone. We are such a small group and I don't think they really care.

Oct 6, 2023 2:22 PM in response to GmXplode

i bought an 14 pro max iphone last week , it's my first experience with OLED screens , the next days i started having a terrible headache all the day without any reason , after 3 days i started researching for the relation between iphone usage and headache , so i found that the PWM technology used in Oled screens gives headache for PWM sensitive people so i was oblige to sell my new iPhone because there is no option in settings that allow to turn off the flickering , so I hope that Appel take this minority of PWM sensitive people in consideration , and put some options in settings to turn off the flickering in the new iphones because it's impossible for us to use these products even for one day .

Oct 9, 2023 8:10 AM in response to GmXplode

Don’t think the 15 models are any better! I tried the Plus for 3 days. Seemed like it was better but then my headaches and eye strain came back. Really was hoping it would be better but it’s not. Went back to the 11. Looks like I may be jumping ship to Samsung soon if they don’t update a dimming solution or make an LCD phone for us sensitive eye people

Apr 6, 2023 12:51 AM in response to GmXplode

Same here. Please include an iPhone with Liquid Retina LCD display ASAP. I am also stuck with SE for long and can't enjoy the 13 or 14 generations. This issue led me to use my MacBook Pro 2017 as desktop for a while but I am grateful that Apple released the air version with M2 ship and LCD screen...

Anyone who google the web for PWM, flicker, sensitivity, OLED will find out that there's large number of people now having similar issues with several brands' OLED. Hopefully, Apple listens to its brand lovers and provides iPhone with large Liquid Retina display soon.

Apr 25, 2023 4:36 AM in response to GmXplode

After using our iPhone 6 for almost 8 years, we have bought the iPhone 13 mini one for me, and one for my wife last month. Now both we have serious eye problems just after looking to the screen for minutes. Tapping up the brightness to maximum which helps for higher pwm is not useful and feasible indoors.

We have bought the mini, just because it was similar size to 6, but we wouldn’t buy them if we were aware of that screen discomfort. Now i see iPhone se2 with same a15 chipset would be a better option with us.

In addition to that, we have been using our iPads for years without any eye discomfort like the iPhone 6’s, so there is obviously a problem with these oled displays.

Mar 30, 2023 8:59 AM in response to GmXplode

GmXplode wrote:

Can Apple implement DC dimming via software Update? i have tried 14 pro and it had same problems even though flicker has been reduced but doesnt help. I tried every accessibility option like reduce white point , keeping 100% brightness.

No one here in this user-to-user forum would know what Apple can or will do. However, you can let them know your concerns here:


Product Feedback - Apple


Mar 30, 2023 8:28 AM in response to SravanKrA

Well as i said, it has nothing to do with Ophthalmologist , Why don't i have this problem while using iphone 11 or any other LCD phone , why just OLED. It has been proven that OLED causes migraines to sensitive users , same is the case with my samsung tv but if i watch in Movie mode which makes dimming @ 960hz frequency then there is no issue its perfectly fine , Manufacturers just need to use high freq PWM.

Severe Eye Strain due to OLED PWM Dimming

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