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Nexus 4 annoying visible IPS sensors

Hey guys,
I've had my nexus 4 for a week now and I am super pleased by it. The phone runs like a dream.
The only issue I seem to be having is that I can see the IPS sensors even with the screen on!.
I'm talking about the little transparent-gray squares all over it, not about the super awesome dots that you can see with direct sunlight.
This is flipping me out!
Is anybody else having this problem with it?
I can't appreciate the beautiful screen because of this.
Also, when displaying single color frames specially dark ones, like on the clock app , the colors are not really solid.
I get this vertical stripes that are approximate to the color but not quite it.
Im posting a screenshot but I don't think that youll be able to notice it since it may be a hardware problem.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

That's a hardware thing, not visible in screenshots. You'd need to take an actual picture.
Are you referring to the dot grid that is visible in direct sunlight? Everyone has is. It's because of the fact that the screen is integrated into the glass.
I think it looks kind of cool but that might just be me.
Edit: Gotta read the whole thread first I guess you're not talking about the dots. I have no idea what you're talking about then.
Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 4 using Tapatalk²

Question to the OP. Do YOU see anything wrong with those images, or is it a hardware problem? I can't see any difference between your screen shots and my phone.

Damn it man, now i see them too -.-
I went to the clock app, and i can see some stripes on the left but mine are vertical.

kcls said:
That's a hardware thing, not visible in screenshots. You'd need to take an actual picture.
Are you referring to the dot grid that is visible in direct sunlight? Everyone has is. It's because of the fact that the screen is integrated into the glass.
I think it looks kind of cool but that might just be me.
Edit: Gotta read the whole thread first I guess you're not talking about the dots. I have no idea what you're talking about then.
Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 4 using Tapatalk²
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Hello after using my nexus for almost 2 weeks today i noticed some vertical line (of Dots) on my screen under direct sunlight...these dots very moving and can be seen with screen off also..
is there any thing to worry..

ramkumar2000 said:
Hello after using my nexus for almost 2 weeks today i noticed some vertical line (of Dots) on my screen under direct sunlight...these dots very moving and can be seen with screen off also..
is there any thing to worry..
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Haha Dude that's the digitizer. Don't worry. It's all cool.

Chill out people.. Its just the digitizer that you can see, so close to the screen for better touchscreen responsiveness. The most likely reason you can still see it with your device screen on is that you have your brightness too low.. Put it up

even amoled screen are also the same

davidang said:
even amoled screen are also the same
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I first got my Nexus4 the weird screen was the first thing that popped out at me. Between the visible digitizer matrix that glints when it catches the sun wrong, to the odd rectangles that can be seen behind the screen I was initially bummed and thought about returning the phone. It doesn't even bother me anymore
This is my 8th android device and the first one that has a funky screen like this, but it really isnt a big deal. Under 95 percent of conditions it looks really nice

I have been able to see the digitizer on every single capacitive screen i have ever owned.

@David_Azar I have to agree.. initially I was disgusted by how prominent the digitzer pattern was, I've never had ANY screen show it as much as the Nexus 4 does.
However, the vertical stripes you're referencing is commonly referred to as "banding". I have this on my Nexus 4 as well, most visible on grays (especially darker grays).
I have been doing some research and I believe the banding issue will reduce over time. If you check your screen when displaying a white background at max brightness, such as gmail or chrome browser, you should see a slight yellowing of the whites. It appears this can be due to the adhesive they used to glue the digitizer to the screen not curing completely. After several weeks of use, the heat from the processor will help cure the adhesive causing the yellow to disappear after a while.
I cannot say for certain that it will completely resolve the banding issue, but I have noticed that the worst banding is in the areas where the yellow tint is most prominent. I have also been testing my display every day to monitor any changes, and I am happy to report I do see a minor reduction in both the yellowing and banding (I've only had my Nexus 4 for five days so far).
Give it a couple of weeks, run some intensive games to get the processor to heat up every day. Keep brightness at max for the next few weeks and let us know if you see any improvements.
As for the pattern of the digitizer in the glass.. it's not going anywhere so get used to it. I don't like it much either but it seems to be less prominent once you start becoming used to it.
Good luck, let us know how it goes

Hey man,
Curiously enough I've never had the yellow tints everybody's complaining about. I'm used to The digitizer matrix ( rectangles) buy at first it was really weird. I was coming from a non HD display ( a RAZR Maxx) so naturally, I expected that my N4 would have a perfect screen.
I've had my N4 for almost two months now and the banding has not reduced. I made some research over the last month and I found that with some kernel settings for saturation the banding is reduced. I'm not sure if it is really reduced or the clear gray tones that have the banding just don't appear anymore because of the saturation.
The Trinity kernel reduces this a bit but like I said, your screen will look life a f*** ing AMOLED.
Right now I'm using the kernel provided by the 123 FAUX CLOCK project. I'm using the LG factory presets and for the most part I'm really happy with the screen. If you or anybody else comes up with a different solution, let others know on this thread.
Peace brothers.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Just for kicks, if you stop by a T-mobile location compare your screen with the display model and see if you can spot the yellow tint on either screen (on a white background)
I will update this thread with my phone's progress (or lack thereof if it stops improving).

I get banding issues also, more noticeable in grey backgrounds; but I can I see them in other colors if I look hard enough
I use a dark black theme to avoid looking at those bands

I can say this. I've had a ton of devices..latest was s3 and I'll just say I'm stoked to have IPS over pen tile. Just knowing HD was plagued by this alone was enough for me to ditch Sammy all together especially after seeing rgb on note 2 was no better. This is my opinion of Samsung's design ...I know why they chose it but I can't and won't buy another amoled until they get another tech in order. So now I say kudos on IPS but I'm surely a screen purest and I found these hardware screen/digitizer artifacts you speak of and to me its so much less noticeable. Your not alone. You just like good clean HD like me. Lol HTC one should be a nice one to check out...
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

That would be a little like kicking myself in the nuts. Nothing good can come out of that.
If I spot the yellow tints once, then I will always look for it. I hate doing that with the banding but it's an automatic thing.
I dunno why but it really bums me out whenever I have a problem with my phone.
Let's keep posting of someone finds a solution or something .
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I've got the quite visible digitizer rectangles too. In anything less than a dark room if the phone is not on a perfect angle they are visible.
I can't really tell if "everyone's" is like that, or just some are "worse" than others.
visibledigi1.jpg
Here's an image with them visible with the screen on (and at an angle) - difficult to take a photo of - but much easier to see with the naked eye.
visibledigi2.jpg
visibledigi3.jpg
Few more with the screen off.

sargorn said:
I've got the quite visible digitizer rectangles too. In anything less than a dark room if the phone is not on a perfect angle they are visible.
I can't really tell if "everyone's" is like that, or just some are "worse" than others.
visibledigi1.jpg
Here's an image with them visible with the screen on (and at an angle) - difficult to take a photo of - but much easier to see with the naked eye.
visibledigi2.jpg
visibledigi3.jpg
Few more with the screen off.
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Click to collapse
Went and checked out an Optimus G today (Nexus 4 isn't actually released in Japan). Given that a Nexus 4 is just a remodeled Optimus G I thought it'd be worth comparing screens. The digitizer matrix is barely visible on the G I was looking at with the screen OFF. With it on you could almost see it at some angles. It is much more visible on my Nexus 4 which you can almost always see with the screen off and at an angle and often with the screen on.
I'm leaning towards my phone being "less than a perfect example of a Nexus 4" and not the "norm" at the moment.

they are much more noticeable in Rev 11 devices and they where barely visible in Rev 10, i am sure that there is a technical reason behind it

DynamicRam said:
they are much more noticeable in Rev 11 devices and they where barely visible in Rev 10, i am sure that there is a technical reason behind it
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See that explains it a little more. Not sure I see the logic in putting a screen with pretty decent viewing angles on a device and then sticking a really visible digitizer on it though.
I've contacted the seller and I guess I'll wait and see what they say in regard to it.

Faint White/Grey Lines

My second S4 in a row has 1 or 2 very faint lines that span vertically across the screen. They are more noticeable when auto-brightness is enabled but the more I pay attention to them the more environments I can see them in. I took a few pictures of it but the lines are hard to make out in the photos.
The easiest way to see it is on the stock messenger app with auto-brightness enabled in a dark environment. If you delete all your text threads you are left with just a dim white background and in my case, can see a few straight faint white/grey lines spanning the screen vertically. With full brightness it is near impossible to see but with a trained eye I can still make them out.
I've looked all over the web and the only community who seems to relate to this is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus community. There are quite a few threads about it saying it's inherent to OLED technology but I have not seen any threads involving the Galaxy S4. I have had three phones side by side and was able to see these lines on two of them. I would be interested to see if anybody can replicate this or has noticed this. Thanks in advance.

I can see the very same thing on my AT&T Galaxy S4. I actually returned my first unit for this reason and the replacement was the same. I can really only notice the line on a light gray back ground and wallpaper like the stock blue Galaxy wallpaper (the one without balloons or airplane wings).
I recall my Galaxy Nexus actually being quite a bit worse. It's annoying but I'm learning to live with it. I do think that this is just one of the downsides of amoled screens. Some are worse than others.
At the end of the day I honestly don't notice it unless I'm trying to see it...so I've stopped looking for it!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

RSC10 said:
I can see the very same thing on my AT&T Galaxy S4. I actually returned my first unit for this reason and the replacement was the same. I can really only notice the line on a light gray back ground and wallpaper like the stock blue Galaxy wallpaper (the one without balloons or airplane wings).
I recall my Galaxy Nexus actually being quite a bit worse. It's annoying but I'm learning to live with it. I do think that this is just one of the downsides of amoled screens. Some are worse than others.
At the end of the day I honestly don't notice it unless I'm trying to see it...so I've stopped looking for it!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
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Exactly, I don't notice it when I'm actually using my phone to do something important. But if I'm just goofing around I immediately go to it like "damn, why are you on my screen!!!" And yes I can easily see it on the stock blue wallpaper as well. I really only notice one line but sometimes if I'm looking hard enough I think I can see other faint ones, might just be my eyes playing tricks with me though.

Screen issue or is it just like this?

My Galaxy S4 screen is strange. The top of the phone seems to be lighter than the bottom. As in when im texting the and I turn the phone sideways the blue bar that is there is a lighter blue on the left than it is on the right. This annoys me to no end and I want to know if this is normal or not. I also notice this in a ton of other apps when in landscape and it has a bar. Like Youtube.

Easton999GS said:
My Galaxy S4 screen is strange. The top of the phone seems to be lighter than the bottom. As in when im texting the and I turn the phone sideways the blue bar that is there is a lighter blue on the left than it is on the right. This annoys me to no end and I want to know if this is normal or not. I also notice this in a ton of other apps when in landscape and it has a bar. Like Youtube.
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Hmm just checked for myself and don't notice it. Can u screenshot or perhaps snap a photo with a camera if ss doesn't reveal?

Take a screen ahot and flip the image chrck if it still look the same to you... if not then you have a hardware problem
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

niceppl said:
Take a screen ahot and flip the image chrck if it still look the same to you... if not then you have a hardware problem
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
it doenst look the same to me. This is my 3rd S4 already, The first one the charging port went, then the second had a dead pixel. Now this...

im terrified to send it back because they will send me an updated bootloader version back.... its not a bad issue the screen still works. its just really annoying. Custom roms and Kernels i will take over anything.

Easton999GS said:
im terrified to send it back because they will send me an updated bootloader version back.... its not a bad issue the screen still works. its just really annoying. Custom roms and Kernels i will take over anything.
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If I were you, I will go and get it exchanged even if it get you one with the new firmware. Rooting is less important than quality of the phone to me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

sharpehenry said:
If I were you, I will go and get it exchanged even if it get you one with the new firmware. Rooting is less important than quality of the phone to me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
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Plus in time (not guaranteed) Usually there will be an exploit hack to get root. I'm sure someones working on something. Especially since some were able to keep root after updating

I can replicate the issue you are talking about in the messaging app. About an inch of the screen at the top is slightly darker. But only noticeable on certain colors. I tried all sorts of pictures and other things, I can only see it in the messaging all. The issue is there with all screen modes.
The S II had a very similar issue. There was a triangle of screen that was lighter than the rest, and under certain circumstances you could see black splotches. But both issues were only apparent when you worked hard to see it, but never under "normal" use.
From what I understand having a little inconsistency in AMOLED screens is unavoidable. I would rather have this issue than the washed out colors of an LCD screen, personally. I would wager the issue is probably there on every S4 if you look hard enough, it was on every S II I ever saw.
The only issue I saw that I felt was worth getting a new device was burn in. On the Captivate it happened after about 6 months, the S II about 9 months. I'm hoping that Trend (each phone lasting longer than previous gen until it burns in) continues with the Note, S III, Note II, on to the S4.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337

This seems to be a common issue. I'm on my third s4.
Phone 1: vertical lines
Phone 2: pink tint at bottom (screen darker at the bottom)
Phone 3: pink tint at top (screen darker at the top)
You can try exchanging it but there's no guarantee you will get a better screen. In fact you may get a worse one.
The qc on these phones seem to be pretty awful.
If the problem isn't too bad I would just keep it and try to get used to it.
The galaxy s2 had an issue where the left side of the screen had a yellow tint compared to the right side. Samsung eventually came out with an update to fix this issue. Hopefully they do the same with this problem.

dwang said:
This seems to be a common issue. I'm on my third s4.
Phone 1: vertical lines
Phone 2: pink tint at bottom (screen darker at the bottom)
Phone 3: pink tint at top (screen darker at the top)
You can try exchanging it but there's no guarantee you will get a better screen. In fact you may get a worse one.
The qc on these phones seem to be pretty awful.
If the problem isn't too bad I would just keep it and try to get used to it.
The galaxy s2 had an issue where the left side of the screen had a yellow tint compared to the right side. Samsung eventually came out with an update to fix this issue. Hopefully they do the same with this problem.
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Touché - I'm on my FIFTH S4 already. I documented the 1st 3, but I've lost patience now... I don't know what to do further???
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s4/304256-s4-screen-uniformity-issues.html

This has been common with quite a few of the phones I've had. It's more of a yellowish tint at the bottom. I read that its most likely the glue that they use and that it will correct itself with time. I just never waited long enough to see if that was the case and always exchanged them.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

where is your phone made from? mine is made in korea, it works perfectly. I heard the ones that are made elsewhere has lower build quality.

[Q] Can you check your screen for me, please?

Ok so sunday i got my first Note 3. I got home and i noticed that part of the screen was darker (or lighter depending on your perspective). I found this issue on the S4 forums under "yellow tint" name. So basically the upper part of the screen has a yellow tint, and the lower is darker. I got a replacement the next day, but it seems this one is acting up too. To notice it just open a browser page or contact , to have a better look keep the phone in landscape mode and look at the statusbar. It's gonna be gradient. Its easier to spot it in a dark room. I am asking because i don't know what to do, either exchange the phone again or getting some other phone.

I don't notice it on my phone

Didnt notice it before but i also have it on my note.

kaka92 i'm sorry for pointing it out. My first device had this fault and it was very visible, the replacement is better, now i'm afraid of asking for a replacement again, because i might get a faultier device and changing the phone over and over is not fun.

Dont worry Lordbhaal. Im sending mine back it is more visible in different situations. I have paid 700 euro so I will let them take a look at it. If its annoying you should bring it back.

Im afraid ill get a worse one, i dont think ill send it back

Not visible here

Same here, I cant see any differences between upper or lower corner. Screen is amazin, the black is BLACK. When im in a dark rom I cant see the phone screen when i try lcd test

+1..its happen to me too..its clearly can see in this xda app when using darker theme..
Since changing it would not make different..i consider it as normal problem with this product..
To those who want to check their screen..go to play store n download Dead pixel detect n fix (free) 1.82..select color grey..you will see the differences between top n bottom display..
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app

Got my 2nd note today. But it is still the same :s.

LordBhaal said:
Ok so sunday i got my first Note 3. I got home and i noticed that part of the screen was darker (or lighter depending on your perspective). I found this issue on the S4 forums under "yellow tint" name. So basically the upper part of the screen has a yellow tint, and the lower is darker. I got a replacement the next day, but it seems this one is acting up too. To notice it just open a browser page or contact , to have a better look keep the phone in landscape mode and look at the statusbar. It's gonna be gradient. Its easier to spot it in a dark room. I am asking because i don't know what to do, either exchange the phone again or getting some other phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
look here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2463786
i'm on my 3rd device now, all of them have this issue, although on different sides.
the first one was by far the worst, the left side had a very bad shift in gamma...

I just come back from samsung center n i can say their display unit the screen is much much better than mine
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app

[Q] G2 Screen issues?

I saw an interesting issue with 2 G2 Phones when I went to upgrade today and I wanted to see if others saw the same artifacts.
1.) When holding the screen under bright light, it looks like you can see "through" something and it appears like you can see a pattern of some sort either on the LCD itself or maybe some sort of polarizer. If this was the only thing I noticed it wouldn't have been an issue.
2.) When on a dark or black screen, you can see vertical "stripes" of dotted white lines. This was the deal breaker for me. I purchased the upgrade, they handed it to me and all I could see were these vertical stripes of white dots across the screen.
The other G2 did this as well. Were these a bad batch of G2s? Is this some sort of artifact of the IPS screen? I was coming from a Droid HD which had nothing of the sort but it isn't nearly as high resolution of a screen.
I ended up with a Note 3 because of this. It wasn't my first choice, but there was no way I could look at those stripes for 2 years!
Are any others seeing this artifact on the screen?
Thanks!

It's the digitizer. All G2's are that way I believe. Not a defect. Some phones you can just see it more than others.

OP let me get this straight, you don't like the phone because of the dot matrix you see when the phone is off and in direct sunlight?
You are right I couldn't live with looking at my phone while off for 2 years
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app

shook187 said:
OP let me get this straight, you don't like the phone because of the dot matrix you see when the phone is off and in direct sunlight?
You are right I couldn't live with looking at my phone while off for 2 years
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
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It's when the screen is BLACK or DARK while the screen is on. I think whomever suggested the digitizer is probably right.
One of the artifacts didn't really bother me, I was more so fascinated by the pattern than anything else. To see that one the light had to be intense and direct (screen on or off) so very low likelihood of that impacting day to day use.
The artifact that really bothered me was, for lack of a better explanation, the white dots on the screen that looked like backlight bleeding through tiny vertical perforations in the LCD panel. I'm sure that's not actually what it was, but that's what it looked like to me. I'll probably end up with a G2 in addition to the Note, but I wanted to know if the ones I looked at were part of a defective batch or not.
Thanks