iPhone 17 screen flashing and flickering issue on iOS 26.2.1 (New iPhone)

iPhone 17 screen briefly flashes when taking phone away from ear / waking screen with Sleep Focus - bug or normal?

Hi everyone,

I’m using an iPhone 17 on iOS 26.2.1 and I’ve noticed a very brief screen flash/flicker in two specific situations:

1.During a phone call — when I take the phone away from my ear, the screen turns on and there’s a split-second flash before the call UI appears.

2.When Sleep Focus is enabled — occasionally when waking the screen from lock, there’s a momentary brightness blink before the dim lock screen shows.

3.While on own contacts card especially on yellow background while scrolling down.

Important details:

• It happens only during these transitions

• It lasts less than a second

• No flicker during scrolling, videos, or normal use

• Restart / force restart doesn’t change it

• Display looks perfect otherwise (no lines, color issues, or repeated flicker)

Questions:

• Is this a known iOS / OLED wake behavior with proximity sensor & Focus modes?

• Do other iPhone 17 users see the same thing?

Appreciate technical insight from anyone who’s noticed this?