Slight Yellow Tint (iPhone 4S)

discussions.apple.com/message/16570413#16570413

On my 3rd iPhone 4s and still have the yellow tint. Has anyone got an update on this? Is it something that will go away?

Isn't it pretty well established that it's either an LCD manufacturer difference or, more likely, a new color calibration that Apple has for the screens?

The problem on my iPhone 4 is particularly bad at low brightness levels in a dark room... and that's when I most often am reading black text on a "white" background. The cool-blue screens look fine at low brightness.

Still awaiting a new setting in iOS 5 were we can do our own color calibration and resolve this!

I bought 2 Iphone 4S - One white & one black - Verizon is the carrier. The black phone has a yellow tint, White phone is good. Is it just a black phone issue?

Went to Genius Bar today and I was told that they are aware of the issue and it should resolve itself with in 2 months or so (that’s way more than the two weeks everyone is talking about here). I was also given the option of exchanging the phone as a one time curtesy but of course they would not guaranty that it would not have a yellow tint. After that they would have to process a return if I try to exchange the exchange. Asked if anything would help like keeping the brightness all the way up and she said no, if anything that may be worst. That’s my story, I decided to wait and see. Also I notice today that if I look at the screen with my polarized sunglasses it has a pink hue while the iPhone4 does not. I don’t know if that means anything I just thought I would share.

I had sensed my 4S screen didnt seem as crisp as my 4 but it was when I had them side by side that it was really apparent. The 4S had very noticeable cream colour to any whites. At work I compared mine to a colleagues and his was fine. Out of curiosity to test something else bugging me - the battery - I ran my two phones side by side, in airplane mode, and watched the 4S battery drain faster than my old 4. Cant understand how a software update is going to fix that if its occurring when there is no synching etc going on.

Anyway, decided that for the two problems it was going back to the store. In the store I looked at one of their White demos - screen fine, and one of their black demos - screen had yellow tint. I showed the staff my 4S against my old 4 and was offered swap or refund straight away. However, after firing up two potential replacements it was obvious they had same problem. The setup menu bars were cream coloured, even before confirming it with something like a blank web page. I compared the new black 4s against the white demo in store and they were noticeably different. After looking at 2 I decided its a batch problem and took the refund option instead. The 2nd staff member said they hadnt heard of the issue and got defensive when I mentioned these forums, so I mentioned Google, these forums, articles in the press, and he got a bit hacked off.

My work colleague's looks fine so they must be out there ! Plus he says his battery is better than the 4, whereas I watched mine draining faster. Maybe not related. Anyway, why pay £500 for something that has a problem that is being widely reported. Worth waiting til sorted out, or #5

Same here, just got the phone a few days ago and it looks aweful compared to my wife's 4. Im not happy. Please tell me this will fix itself.

I took my yellow iPhone 4s to an Apple store and all I got was a "genius" asking me "Well, does it prevent you from using the screen?" I was shocked at the attitude. He also turned the brightness up to 100% on my phone to "see the problem" even after I told him I never do that and don't use it that way.

No offer of replacement, nothing about waiting for it to fix itself. All he did was run ot the back and see if "Apple had any protocol" on this issue and came back after 8-10 mins saying "no, sorry."

I've been thinking about this problem a lot and two things come to mind after seeing my phone compared directly against my GF's iPhone 4S which DOES NOT have the yellow tint. Both wer bought on the same day, same store. Although hers is a 32GB and mine's a 64GB. Both are white.

I think it has either to do with a misaligned screen that's slightly off or something called Haidiner's Brush.

Haidinger's Brush is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haidinger's_brush

As for the misaligned screen I've noticed that if I hold my iPhone 4S so the screen is facing me, but tilt it so the top is closer to me than the bottom (looking "down" the phone) and then rotate it on it's (cartesian) Y axis (if X is the screen pointing at you) [imagine a pencil pushed through the screen front to back and the phone is rotating upon the pencil] you'll see a color shift as you rotate the iPhone 4S.

For me it's more yellow the more clockwise I rotate it, and more blue the more counter clockwise I rotate it. My GF's phone is nice and crisp and white when at 12 'o clock, mine matches her when I hold my at about 11 'o clock (rotated slight counter clockwise).

ALL phones at two apple stores I visisted did not exhibit the yellow, low contrast screen. I believe it's a manufacturing flaw and I'm going to try and get it replaced even if Apple has to open up all the boxes of iPhone 4S's in the store. (I also have the battery draining problem so I'm not a happy camper).

When held side by side with one that is fine there should be no argument from Apple. Take in a comparison phone or use one of their demos (white ones seem to have less issues). To convince them, set both brightness to full, turn off auto, then look at that settings page. One is blue grey with the white vertical stripes as it should be and the other has the yellow hue and looks off. Then go to Safari and open a new tab on each. The difference is clear as one is cream in comparison.

I'm back with my 4 after a week with my dulled 4S and I feel like someone who's just had laser eye surgery and can now see clearly. The 4 screen is great so there is no reason why anyone should compromise over this and go back a step to a 4S with this problem. Its a **** of a lot of money to pay. A lot of people won't know that it should be better, and some havent noticed the change since 4, unless they see them side by side. Talk loudly about it in the shop and mention some of the press articles about it and they will be keen to sort you out and get you out of the shop before you put off other buyers. They opened 2 for me and I could tell from the startup screens that they had the problem, before confirming it as above. After 2 we left it there and I got a refund. They were from the same serial number batch so probably not worth going on.

I'm a shareholder and I have to say I'm hacked off at their silence and denial on this. They've lost my money til I've seen the 5 in operation and I've researched all the potential problems before I commit. Thats no way to sell a product.

I have the black iphone 4S, and when I first received it, it did look a little creamy compared to my iphone 4 when held side by side. I have this phone about 3 weeks, and it is as white as the iphone 4 now...I actually preferred the slightly mellower screen because I tend to suffer from eye strain...too many hours logged in front of the computer, I guess. Perhaps it really is a glue issue, and at least in my case it really was. Siri is awesome...

W. Raider wrote:

I took my yellow iPhone 4s to an Apple store and all I got was a "genius" asking me "Well, does it prevent you from using the screen?" I was shocked at the attitude. He also turned the brightness up to 100% on my phone to "see the problem" even after I told him I never do that and don't use it that way.

No offer of replacement, nothing about waiting for it to fix itself. All he did was run ot the back and see if "Apple had any protocol" on this issue and came back after 8-10 mins saying "no, sorry."

I've been thinking about this problem a lot and two things come to mind after seeing my phone compared directly against my GF's iPhone 4S which DOES NOT have the yellow tint. Both wer bought on the same day, same store. Although hers is a 32GB and mine's a 64GB. Both are white.

I think it has either to do with a misaligned screen that's slightly off or something called Haidiner's Brush.

Haidinger's Brush is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haidinger's_brush

As for the misaligned screen I've noticed that if I hold my iPhone 4S so the screen is facing me, but tilt it so the top is closer to me than the bottom (looking "down" the phone) and then rotate it on it's (cartesian) Y axis (if X is the screen pointing at you) [imagine a pencil pushed through the screen front to back and the phone is rotating upon the pencil] you'll see a color shift as you rotate the iPhone 4S.

For me it's more yellow the more clockwise I rotate it, and more blue the more counter clockwise I rotate it. My GF's phone is nice and crisp and white when at 12 'o clock, mine matches her when I hold my at about 11 'o clock (rotated slight counter clockwise).

ALL phones at two apple stores I visisted did not exhibit the yellow, low contrast screen. I believe it's a manufacturing flaw and I'm going to try and get it replaced even if Apple has to open up all the boxes of iPhone 4S's in the store. (I also have the battery draining problem so I'm not a happy camper).

Mine is yellow also. Mine does the exact same thing yours does. Looks good looking at it from the same angle as you mentioned, 11 o clock. This is annoying to me, I really wish I hadnt already sold my iphone 4, I'd just swap back and return my 4s.

Did they replace your iPhone? I see the exactly same thing as you're talking about on my iPhone 4. I thought that I'm being nuts but now...

For the record...

I had 3 replacements from the O2 store with the same issue. Decided to send it away to apple for replacment. 10 days later it came back to me with a note saying that the product was working to spec. Still unhappy with this I called apple and they arranged a replacement straight away. Got my replacment in the post this morning and Thank God!! it is a beautiful crisp, white display (not yellow at all). So my advice to all who are concerned is get on to apple. Regardless of different screen suppliers, they should all look as nice as eachother. Plus they dont come cheap!

Cheers

Ray

Nah, white 4S also has the issue. It's all luck at this point

I was handled poorly aswell. With 4 days PAST the 30day return policy I realized how stuck I was... He took my phone, we didn't clear the data on the phone he walked off with my information basically.. Came out with a phone (not in the black replacement box) just the phone. I'm starting to wonder - are these new phones we are handed? Or tinkered with refurbs..?