iPhone 5S bad quality screen compared to iPhone 5

I'm glad I found this thread. I thought I was crazy that my iPhone 5s display looked less sharp than my iPhone 4S. It definitely doesn't feel like my 5s has a true retina display and it really bothers me. After using my 4S for so long it's so obvious to me that my 5s has an inferior display, but I feel like I'd have a hard time convincing the apple geniuses. I hope this issue catches more attention.

I would advise you to wait a couple months. I just went in for a replacement for this issue today, and the replacement phone had the issue as well. Wait a couple months for apple to have screen replacements available, they will calibrate the display to your phone when they replace it so it shouldn't have the refresh rate issue that causes this.

thanks for raising this... now i really need to think thrice before proceeding with my 5S order... 5S's image CLEARLY doesn't look like a true retina display...

I went through the exact same thing six times with my iPhone 5. My first phone was perfect but had dust under the screen. The subsequent SIX phones had their own share of problems, but all had interlacing. The Apple Store is no longer a happy place for me -- it just gives me bad memories of all the time wasted trying to convince the geniuses of my problem. Some were nice and swapped it out of good will. Other's actually saw the problem and replaced it with another interlaced one. The last time the manager didn't even give a **** and basically said take it or leave it.

I also noticed that the interlaced screens are warmer. My friends both have perfect screens and their screens are noticeably bluer with truer whites. So much for having the "most accurate screen calibration". The screen doesn't even seem Retina with the interlacing and it will make me definitely think twice before assuming the next Apple product is always an improvement.

This happen to me when i had an ip5. I going to replace first time for interlacing issue and was lucky got the perfect screen. 6 months later Sleep wake button doesn't work. I'm really scare to replace again because i know i may got a bad interlacing screen come to my hand. But i have no choice ... Then going to replace 2nd time for this and... Finally got a bad interlacing . So i want to try my luck for lastime before i'm going to sell it. And result is bad screen ... So i 'm selling it and wait for iphone5s which normally have improved from apple. Nowaday really disappoint why this issue still coming to 5s. And look like they spread out more this issue.

I'm sending my space grey sprint 32 5s in for this reason next week. They told me they had never heard of this issue before and that I might be the first person calling in about it, yeah right...

My phone definitely has a noticiable microscopic grid pattern over the entire screen. It is worst when viewing in landscape mode, and also when viewing images or video. large flat color spaces tend to not reproduce the problem but as soon as any motion or images are viewed the grid appears.

I think most people may not have the eyesight required to see this grid which may be why Apple let it through Q&A.

I've also read that it could be an interlacing issue with the screen and the refresh rate. Hopefully this will allow for a software fix in the future.

I will keep this thread posted on what happens.

Went to an appointment today for this issue along with someothers. They acted like I was really stupid. They wiped my phone and reinstalled the operating system and all. It still flickers, but they said the image I showed them was for an iphone 5 not 5s. They did bring another one out, but it had the flickering screen issue as well. The tech helping me tried the image on her phone and it did not flicker. I feel so stupid. I walked out with my phone which apparently is a bad one and no help for it and having made a fool of myself. Oh well. I just have to live with it. No one will help with this issue. I give up.

Okay, I thought I had the interlace issue. I had found a posting on another forum that had an image that said if you went to save the image on your iphone and it flickered, then you had the issue. I kept looking and found another posting that connected to the same image only someone else said to truly test it, you needed to save the image and set it as your wallpaper and turn off the motion. I didn't know where to turn motion off but called Apple and the tech told me and she looked at the same posting and stayed on with me as I checked it out. I found that it had no problem when I set the image as my wallpaper and turned motion off. I am very relieved and happy. The techs at the store I went to earlier, had me feeling stupid and frustrated. I am glad I kept researching and called Apple and was put with the tech that took my call. I hope everything works out for everyone else. Good luck in your endeavours to find help with your issues. Don't give up ever.

I believe you had to go to the website and then hold down on the image as if you were going to copy or save it. When you do that, the image will flicker. I've tried it on my 5s, it definitely flickers.

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6493/img1496nd.jpg

go there and hold down on the image like you're going to save it. then you'll see the flicker which i believe was proving the issue on the 4s and 5.

I found this posted somewhere else and they said that you need to save the image and then set it as your wallpaper and turn off the motion and if it flickers at the bottom of the screen, then you have the issue. When I looked at it in Safari and just touched as though to save, it flickered and I paniced. I then found this posted somewhere else and they had the statements I just stated. When I follow this, I don't see a flicker on my screen. When I tested this, I was on the phone with an Apple tech who found the same posting and waited while I tested. I was so relieved, when I did it and there was no flicker. Try this out.

Ok i've tried this. It does not flicker but that doesn't necessarily mean theres nothing wrong. I still see the grid.

Another way to test it is to save the image to Camera Roll and then roll up the notification shade. The image should flicker like crazy especially if you look at it in you peripheral vision. I have a friends iPhone with a perfect screen and his screen has no flicker at all.

Some days my screen is better and the interlacing is less apparent but it's never as good as a good screen. Even on days where the interlacing is less apparent, looking at the screen still causes strain unlike a non interlaced screen

I think the actual term for this issue is pixel walk and it has to do with voltage calibration in the factory unfortunately so a software update is unlikely. http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/inversion.php

I have the same issue with 2 grey 32GB 5s's I bought online at launch. All previous iPhones (back to the 3G) never had this issue and I counted myself lucky. Unlucky this time. I made a couple videos, one showing my perfect iPhone5 screen, and the other my 5s with the vertical lines. Check them out here:

iPhone5 (good screen):

http://youtu.be/16WWn2egF1E

iPhone5s (bad screen):

http://youtu.be/aGdPg1VUEeo

I tried to do them from the same height etc...

Hopefully this helps explain what people are seeing. It appears as shimmering lines at regular viewing distance to a set of good eyes, the video just shows it closer up.

I went into the local Apple Store and the genius claimed he could see it at first, until he got a higher-up to check it, then they both came back claiming they couldn't see it at all. He said they could do a one time swap but if I had any other issues I would be out of luck. I opted not to and to wait until I could 'prove' it to them and come back another time.

It's frustrating to see in videos, facebook images, etc... multiple times a day.

From what I can gather, EVERY iPhone 5s has this problem, its just that most people either don't know what they're looking for or can't physically see it due to poor eyesight.

Well Apple, there are a lot of us that CAN SEE IT. We appreciate the beauty of well designed and executed product. When we get sub-standard results while putting our faith and money in Apple, we feel CHEATED.

PLEASE CORRECT THIS APPLE.

I DON'T WANT TO STARE AT A FLAW FOR THE REST OF THIS PHONE'S LIFE!!!!!!!!

BTW Apple, you have to much money to even know what to do with, how about using some of it on appeasing disgruntled customers?

I can confirm I have this issue with my space grey iPhone 5s. Can anything be done?