In sunlight - Google Pixel 3a Questions & Answers

Can anyone report on how the screen displays in the sunshine? I've read that pictures turn out well in bright sun. On my N5X, I could barely see the screen to take pictures outside. I live in Florida so sun is usually there.
I read a Tom's Guide review which reported that 3a XL was not so great in the bright sun.

Just for in from taking my kid to the bus stop and it performed better than my Nexus 5x did.

pbanj said:
Just for in from taking my kid to the bus stop and it performed better than my Nexus 5x did.
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These "positives" for my needs are pushing me to buy! It's the wifi calling I really need but wanted to be able to see the screen in the sun. Because of the rising costs, I never thought I'd be looking at a Google phone again. I guess i'm not cured from the Google bug.

I didn't have any issues with my screen in sunlight.

DirgeExtinction said:
I didn't have any issues with my screen in sunlight.
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Appreciate your input.

Same here, no issues. I came over from the LG G7 which had a crazy bright screen at around 1000 nits on its highest setting. Yes, the Pixel 3a is not as bright, but it is just fine. I am very impressed by the quality of the device and the screen overall. Very happy so far! Also, the performance of the phone has been great. Hard to tell that it is using a slower processor unless you are literally comparing it side-by-side with a phone that has a SnapDragon 845 or 855.

Related

[Q] Viewing Angles

What are your screen viewing angles like? Mine seems to be quite poor, it washes out off centre quite a lot. Im wondering if I have a bad unit or if its just normal for the N5.
Looks good to me. Haven't received mine so I don't know if it's a bad unit.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
Marck527 said:
Looks good to me. Haven't received mine so I don't know if it's a bad unit.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
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Not compared to what im used to it isnt. My last few devices have been AMOLED screens (no comparing to these, just a comment) or the HTC One LCD3 which has perfect viewing angles with no changes to the screen at any angles at all. Its somewhat worse than my Nexus 10.
ChrisM75 said:
What are your screen viewing angles like? Mine seems to be quite poor, it washes out off centre quite a lot. Im wondering if I have a bad unit or if its just normal for the N5.
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What wallpaper is that? please can you post it or a link to it.
mith500 said:
What wallpaper is that? please can you post it or a link to it.
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I got it from the Zedge app.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7xdq7abvf7q400m/Multicolor abstract_1.jpg
ChrisM75 said:
What are your screen viewing angles like? Mine seems to be quite poor, it washes out off centre quite a lot. Im wondering if I have a bad unit or if its just normal for the N5.
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That's normal for LCD, that's called backlight. Nothing faulty here. I also own the HTC One and it has the same effect as well when you tilt the screen.
EDIT: I see what you mean now, when tilting the screen exactly like you do (45 degrees vert/hor). It still is not a faulty unit, it's just that LG has less prevented the backlight from coming through. Maybe its because of the slim bevel. I have seen it on other LG devices before though.
To answer your question, I think it's normal for the N5 .
DevShaft said:
That's normal for LCD, that's called backlight. Nothing faulty here. I also own the HTC One and it has the same effect as well when you tilt the screen.
EDIT: I see what you mean now, when tilting the screen exactly like you do (45 degrees vert/hor). It still is not a faulty unit, it's just that LG has less prevented the backlight from coming through. Maybe its because of the slim bevel. I have seen it on other LG devices before though.
To answer your question, I think it's normal for the N5 .
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Well my HTC One doesnt change at all at any angle. The screen is perfect even if you look at it from the edge of the phone all colours and lighting are perfect!
Im fine with it if its normal for the N5, but if there are better units id prefer one of those.
ChrisM75 said:
What are your screen viewing angles like? Mine seems to be quite poor, it washes out off centre quite a lot. Im wondering if I have a bad unit or if its just normal for the N5.
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what clock and weather is that
hello00 said:
what clock and weather is that
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Both are HD Widgets with colorform add-on.
This does not seem right. Now i don't have my N5 yet, but on my N4 i can look at it from almost 180 degrees and it loses almost nothing no matter how i look at it.
I have the same problem. When I turn my Nexus 180° my screen isn't visible anymore. Is it normal?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Tunatje said:
I have the same problem. When I turn my Nexus 180° my screen isn't visible anymore. Is it normal?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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I see what you did there.
But on topic, when you see a phone screen is IPS you kind of expect it to look great from off angles.
Outrager said:
I see what you did there.
But on topic, when you see a phone screen is IPS you kind of expect it to look great from off angles.
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I totally agree with you. But dude, it looks great in any way.It has also to do with brightness. Throttle your brightness slider all the way to right en your N5 has perfect viewing angle. Even with 90 degrees. I had the Z1 before the Nexus 5. I must say the Nexus 5 does a waaaay beter job than the Z1. So I ain't complaining right now.
Might be a personal thing. After all, everything looks beter than TFT(regarding viewing angles).
Tunatje said:
Might be a personal thing. After all, everything looks beter than TFT(regarding viewing angles).
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Yup. I spoiled myself since my first LCD monitor was an IPS screen so when I look at TN screens I can't stand them.
The poor viewing angles of my Nexus 4 has been one of my biggest gripes with the device. I popped into the carphone warehouse today to check the viewing angles of the Nexus 5 and from what I can see it suffers from the same problem Not as bad as the Z1 but not as good as devices like the HTC One from what I can see. Shame.
Getting my N5 today so i'll do some experimenting. my N4 has perfect viewing angles from anywhere. only very slight discoloration. nothing like OP's picture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYt7EPfdsYc
Thats big ****!
neok44 said:
my N4 has perfect viewing angles from anywhere. only very slight discoloration
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So good displays are out there on the N4... I'm on my second device but both have had pretty terrible displays
yeah i guess i just got lucky, and if that video comparing it with the oppo is legit that i'm insanely disappointed. If the screen is that bad i'm returning mine. I'd love to have the better camera and some of the other features but i'm not going to keep a garbage screen.
neok44 said:
yeah i guess i just got lucky, and if that video comparing it with the oppo is legit that i'm insanely disappointed. If the screen is that bad i'm returning mine. I'd love to have the better camera and some of the other features but i'm not going to keep a garbage screen.
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Crappy screen is a no go. I will receive mine on saturday. If it also has this **** angles, i will return it.
FU LG for producing such a ****ty Display. I want HTC to produce the next nexus!!

A fix for the yellow-ish display

I really like the phone and think the screen is fine in most areas...but it's very yellow. The whites aren't really whites and, compared to my HTC One, the difference is striking. Yes, I know the One has an extremely cold screen while the Nexus has a warm screen, but there has to be a happy medium here, right? I think this is clearly just a calibration problem that can be fixed with a software tweak, so does anyone have any ideas? It's literally the only thing I'm not happy about.
jtc276 said:
I really like the phone and think the screen is fine in most areas...but it's very yellow. The whites aren't really whites and, compared to my HTC One, the difference is striking. Yes, I know the One has an extremely cold screen while the Nexus has a warm screen, but there has to be a happy medium here, right? I think this is clearly just a calibration problem that can be fixed with a software tweak, so does anyone have any ideas? It's literally the only thing I'm not happy about.
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Maybe it can be adjusted for in software, but I don't believe this is just a calibration issue. I also don't think it's color temp, precisely, because that should be either bluish cold or reddish warm, not urine yellow (sorry, best way to describe it). I've seen this on many devices over the last few years, from ASUS Transformers to iPads to the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. The only device I've bought where I didn't have at least one with a yellow screen was my Nexus 4, and I'm pretty sure I was just lucky the first time out--plenty of people complained about this on their Nexus 4s.
I think it's some kind of manufacturing variability, with the intended design specs (and software calibration) to have truer whites and deeper colors (washed out UI colors go along with the yellow tint). Personally, I can't accept it--the problem also shows itself as a lack of contrast in UI elements, such as the browser address bar against the background gray, or text fields in Hangouts. On the yellowish displays, there's almost no contrast, and so the fields can actually be hard to make out sometimes.
Thing is, if you never have two devices to hold side-by-side, then you may never notice the issue. You'll just think that colors are washed out, because that's more obvious by itself than the off-color whites.
I went through four iPad 3s before getting one with true whites, and more Nexus 7s and Nexus 10s than I'll admit to. I just hate it, personally, and honestly the Nexus 5 hasn't been so great so far that I'll go through the same number to get one that's acceptable. I have a replacement on its way (my audio output is also a bit distorted), and if that one's the same then I might give up on this year's Nexus and get an LG G2 instead.
wynand32 said:
Maybe it can be adjusted for in software, but I don't believe this is just a calibration issue. I also don't think it's color temp, precisely, because that should be either bluish cold or reddish warm, not urine yellow (sorry, best way to describe it). I've seen this on many devices over the last few years, from ASUS Transformers to iPads to the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. The only device I've bought where I didn't have at least one with a yellow screen was my Nexus 4, and I'm pretty sure I was just lucky the first time out--plenty of people complained about this on their Nexus 4s.
I think it's some kind of manufacturing variability, with the intended design specs (and software calibration) to have truer whites and deeper colors (washed out UI colors go along with the yellow tint). Personally, I can't accept it--the problem also shows itself as a lack of contrast in UI elements, such as the browser address bar against the background gray, or text fields in Hangouts. On the yellowish displays, there's almost no contrast, and so the fields can actually be hard to make out sometimes.
Thing is, if you never have two devices to hold side-by-side, then you may never notice the issue. You'll just think that colors are washed out, because that's more obvious by itself than the off-color whites.
I went through four iPad 3s before getting one with true whites, and more Nexus 7s and Nexus 10s than I'll admit to. I just hate it, personally, and honestly the Nexus 5 hasn't been so great so far that I'll go through the same number to get one that's acceptable. I have a replacement on its way (my audio output is also a bit distorted), and if that one's the same then I might give up on this year's Nexus and get an LG G2 instead.
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Interesting. Yesterday I was actually angry and posted the phone on Swappa. Today I've been much nicer toward the subject. But if it's really due to the manufacturing process, I might just swap it for a Moto X. Either way, I'm not sure. I still need to decide.
jtc276 said:
Interesting. Yesterday I was actually angry and posted the phone on Swappa. Today I've been much nicer toward the subject. But if it's really due to the manufacturing process, I might just swap it for a Moto X. Either way, I'm not sure. I still need to decide.
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Best thing would be to wait for the dev's and see what they come up with. They did great with the N4, so I'm hoping it'll be the same on the N5. I do think the display is incredibly warm. Having it side by side with my N4 is striking.
wynand32 said:
Maybe it can be adjusted for in software, but I don't believe this is just a calibration issue. I also don't think it's color temp, precisely, because that should be either bluish cold or reddish warm, not urine yellow (sorry, best way to describe it)
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A warm white balance is yellowish not red. At low levels my N5 is massively warm next to my N4
MrBelter said:
A warm white balance is yellowish not red. At low levels my N5 is massively warm next to my N4
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Yes, thanks, you're right--color temp does go through yellow as it gets warmer before getting to red. So, thanks for the correction.
That said, it's not a _consistent_ thing, or at least hasn't been in the past with other devices. I have a Nexus 10, for example, that is much colder (with white whites, not blueish, so I'm calling it right in the middle) than many others that I tried out side-by-side. It also seems to get better with given devices as the manufacturing process goes on--for example, it was a problem early in the lifecycle of the iPad 3 but then became consistently over time (if forum complaints about it can be taken as evidence).
So, personally, I think that it's simply very difficult to make consistent LCD panels with these resolutions and at these price points. Perhaps someone like LG does a better job of quality control in making their higher-priced G2 than they do screens for their Nexus 5; I haven't read about this being a problem with the LG G2's screen, which I think is similar technology.
Anyways, it definitely makes an impact on the quality of the experience. I might be much more sensitive to it than others, and some people might actually prefer their screen warmer--although I wonder if they would if they hold it next to a screen that has truer whites. Really, the difference in contrast is what's most striking, to me at least.
---------- Post added at 08:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:00 AM ----------
MrBelter said:
A warm white balance is yellowish not red. At low levels my N5 is massively warm next to my N4
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Oh, and, I think you're right about the brightness levels as well-it does seem to get a touch better when the screen is brighter.
this also happened with the iphone 5s..it was fixed a few weeks later..our phones have only just been made and the glue takes on average 2 to 3 weeks to dry completely and then become transparent..relax
Here's a really good article discussing what's going on here: http://www.eizo.com/global/library/basics/color_temperature_on_an_LCD_monitor/
Look at about 3/4 down the page, they have examples that demonstrate what we're seeing quite nicely. Not only are whites more yellow, but to my eyes colors wash out the warmer the display.
hello00 said:
this also happened with the iphone 5s..it was fixed a few weeks later..our phones have only just been made and the glue takes on average 2 to 3 weeks to dry completely and then become transparent..relax
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This guy is right. Give it a week and it will get better. Not perfect, but it won't be as yellow.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
hello00 said:
this also happened with the iphone 5s..it was fixed a few weeks later..our phones have only just been made and the glue takes on average 2 to 3 weeks to dry completely and then become transparent..relax
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Unfortunately, I don't think this is the same as the glue issue. That's typically only on parts of the screen, and I've seen this too many times on other devices where out of the box one is terribly warmer than another and it never resolves.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
wynand32 said:
Unfortunately, I don't think this is the same as the glue issue. That's typically only on parts of the screen, and I've seen this too many times on other devices where out of the box one is terribly warmer than another and it never resolves.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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You're right , when it's a glue problem usually there's just spots, not a solid yellow tone over the screen, so what can we do? try to exchange the phone, are there nexus 5 with colder screen or are they all so yellow?
I had a galaxy nexus with a terribly yellow screen, let me tell it NEVER got better , even after months of use :crying:
This video shows the difference between the N4 and N5. Wait until it gets to the browser speed comparison, you can see the screen is yellower on the N5 and the UI contrast is less. Note that the apparent difference on mine is much greater, so either this is variation or the video mutes the difference.
http://fullyc.com/watch-speed-test-every-google-nexus-phone-see-wonders-nexus-5/
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
wynand32 said:
Unfortunately, I don't think this is the same as the glue issue. That's typically only on parts of the screen, and I've seen this too many times on other devices where out of the box one is terribly warmer than another and it never resolves.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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other n4 had it and later was fixed..i remember when i had it on mine
hello00 said:
other n4 had it and later was fixed..i remember when i had it on mine
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You mean with new batches of the phone?
hello00 said:
other n4 had it and later was fixed..i remember when i had it on mine
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Fixed by Google or by a custom ROM?
wynand32 said:
Fixed by Google or by a custom ROM?
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both
Chad_Petree said:
You mean with new batches of the phone?
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Probably not. I don't think anything is wrong with the screens of our phones. They're just calibrated wrong by Google or LG.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Comparing my Nexus 5 by eye to my calibrated (sRGB, 6500k white point) monitor, the Nexus 5 has a very slight blue push. The Nexus 4, however, is INCREDIBLY blue. Like 9300k blue. If you're used to the Nexus 4, the Nexus 5 will look yellow, but it's the Nexus 4 that is out of whack in this case.
Return it. No yellows here.
caribouxda said:
Return it. No yellows here.
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Could you post pictures comparing it to other phones ? Your laptop maybe ?
Gesendet von meinem Nexus 5 mit Tapatalk

Outdoor screen visibility

For those who own the phone how is the screen in direct sunlight. I work outdoors and hate having to shade the phone to see the screen. I was pretty set on this phone until the article about the s5 having a great screen and has a ridiculously bright screen. I really wasn't thinking about the s5 until that article came out now i'm torn.....really want the build quality, speakers, and lightning fast camera shutter with no hardware home button. On the other hand I really need a screen that can give me the best outdoor performance.
I work outside all day and leave the brightness around 50 and can see it fine
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I can see completely fine in direct sunlight without the brightness being all the way up. LCD is much better than amoled
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
As the others have said, it's fine. Only catch is don't bother if you're wearing sunglasses, you'll barely be able to see.
LCD is much better than amoled
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If you have ever looked at an LED TV next to an LCD you'll know thats incredibly wrong. If you have a brightly lit room for a room with a lot of sunlight, you basically can't buy LCD. Its the same for phones, my friend has the m8 and i have a gs4, my phone looks 10x better than his outdoors.
achmedclaus said:
If you have ever looked at an LED TV next to an LCD you'll know thats incredibly wrong. If you have a brightly lit room for a room with a lot of sunlight, you basically can't buy LCD. Its the same for phones, my friend has the m8 and i have a gs4, my phone looks 10x better than his outdoors.
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Which is strange considering the one has almost twice the lux of the galaxy s4.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
I have a gs4 and m8, and I can see the m8 much easier outdoors.
Guess my eyes work differently than yours. *shrug*
M8 vs S4
achmedclaus said:
If you have ever looked at an LED TV next to an LCD you'll know thats incredibly wrong. If you have a brightly lit room for a room with a lot of sunlight, you basically can't buy LCD. Its the same for phones, my friend has the m8 and i have a gs4, my phone looks 10x better than his outdoors.
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My daughter seems to think her S4 lacks the brightness in direct sunlight that I have on my M8. Her face was frowning and drooling as she peered into the gorgeous Super LCD3 screen, which seemingly mocked the direct sunlight shining down upon it.
sfreemanoh said:
As the others have said, it's fine. Only catch is don't bother if you're wearing sunglasses, you'll barely be able to see.
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Depends on your luck with the device. There appears to be more than one screen manufacturer or something. My wife and I got our M8s at the same time, but while polarized sunglasses are not the slightest problem for me, with her phone the display vanishes in portrait orientation wearing them.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using xda app-developers app
I think the m8 is easier to see than my s4. You always have the 30 return policy. I'd get the m8 and if you don't like it return it for the s5
Sent from my S-Off HTC One M8
Tangent_ said:
Depends on your luck with the device. There appears to be more than one screen manufacturer or something. My wife and I got our M8s at the same time, but while polarized sunglasses are not the slightest problem for me, with her phone the display vanishes in portrait orientation wearing them.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using xda app-developers app
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Yeah, I've looked at 6 different M8s with sun glasses on, some were hard to read and some were not. Which certainly leads one to think that there are different screen manufacturers, or coatings, or something. (most likely different screens though)
Jason

That light bleed along the lower edge...

After trying and failing with the S8/S8+ I decided to go for the U11.
I ordered two phones from Amazon, one for myself and one for family. They were the amazing silver. We powered them on, and then noticed backlight bleed along the lower edge. The guy on this review is the only reviewer who mentions it and shows the problem:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/0...pretty-good-phone-if-anyones-still-listening/
Not only that, but both phones had a dead pixel on the screen (But I think that's just my bad luck . I took it on myself to watch reviews on youtube, and I think the lower edge problem has been there on every review unit, but no reviewer mentioned it.
I really am considering a switch to the U11, but I have a serious screen OCD so I wanted to put it to you guys... Do you all experience this? And is it terribly bad on every day performance?
Thanks
evak2979 said:
After trying and failing with the S8/S8+ I decided to go for the U11.
I ordered two phones from Amazon, one for myself and one for family. They were the amazing silver. We powered them on, and then noticed backlight bleed along the lower edge. The guy on this review is the only reviewer who mentions it and shows the problem:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/0...pretty-good-phone-if-anyones-still-listening/
Not only that, but both phones had a dead pixel on the screen (But I think that's just my bad luck . I took it on myself to watch reviews on youtube, and I think the lower edge problem has been there on every review unit, but no reviewer mentioned it.
I really am considering a switch to the U11, but I have a serious screen OCD so I wanted to put it to you guys... Do you all experience this? And is it terribly bad on every day performance?
Thanks
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I don't have it at all that I can see. Sorry for your luck but my device is flawless.
EtherealRemnant said:
I don't have it at all that I can see. Sorry for your luck but my device is flawless.
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Thanks for the quick response. Check this thread:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u11/help/minor-issues-stuck-pixel-sound-static-t3621512
A guy posted a picture as a response. See the shadow along the bottom edge? If you don't have that, at all, this gives me hope. What color is your device if you don't mind me asking.
evak2979 said:
Thanks for the quick response. Check this thread:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u11/help/minor-issues-stuck-pixel-sound-static-t3621512
A guy posted a picture as a response. See the shadow along the bottom edge? If you don't have that, at all, this gives me hope. What color is your device if you don't mind me asking.
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No shadow, no dead pixels (just went through a full pixel test - jeez this backlight will blind you on full!), no scuffed glass, nothing. It's the first device I've ever gotten from HTC with no complaints about the screen (my M7 had a yellow tint as did the M8 and the first few weeks of owning my 10, the glue hadn't settled so it was pink tinted and I had to have the Sprint store open up 8 EVOs before I found an acceptable screen to give you an idea - never had a dead pixel except on AMOLED ironically enough).
It's the Sapphire Blue.
EtherealRemnant said:
No shadow, no dead pixels (just went through a full pixel test - jeez this backlight will blind you on full!), no scuffed glass, nothing. It's the first device I've ever gotten from HTC with no complaints about the screen (my M7 had a yellow tint as did the M8 and the first few weeks of owning my 10, the glue hadn't settled so it was pink tinted and I had to have the Sprint store open up 8 EVOs before I found an acceptable screen to give you an idea - never had a dead pixel except on AMOLED ironically enough).
It's the Sapphire Blue.
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Thanks mate I do love the phone, and am considering another go. My guess is you are -very- lucky, most of the units I've seen myself on youtube (if not all), have it to a certain extend. Treasure and keep it !
evak2979 said:
Thanks mate I do love the phone, and am considering another go. My guess is you are -very- lucky, most of the units I've seen myself on youtube (if not all), have it to a certain extend. Treasure and keep it !
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Yeah out of all phones I've ever ordered, this one is by far my favorite. Ridiculous battery life, no lag, great screen, no gimmicks (edge sense is actually quite useful - I use it to launch my camera immediately when I'm out and about), excellent camera, doesn't overheat, crystal clear call quality, loud speaker set up... Only thing I don't like is News Republic chewing up my battery and not being able to disable it.
I haven't even rooted it yet. Every other phone I've rooted within a week, oftentimes the day I've received it. I ordered it May 16th from HTC on pre-order and got it on June 9th. No phone has ever been in my possession that long without being modded somehow, even if it was just changing the launcher.
The light bleed problem affected every review unit as you said, and there have been several threads here mentioning it. My conclusion is that nearly every U11 has the problem although it's rather subtle so not easy not to notice if you don't know about it.
Personally I'm rather OCD about screens and I'm not happy about this defect but I'm now used to it. The location is just one that you don't look at normally. In fact I think we've grown used to ignore the lowest part of the screen as it's where ads normally sit. Also it kinda helps that the bleed gets reduced a lot depending on the angle you look at the screen from.
x_d_n said:
The light bleed problem affected every review unit as you said, and there have been several threads here mentioning it. My conclusion is that nearly every U11 has the problem although it's rather subtle so not easy not to notice if you don't know about it.
Personally I'm rather OCD about screens and I'm not happy about this defect but I'm now used to it. The location is just one that you don't look at normally. In fact I think we've grown used to ignore the lowest part of the screen as it's where ads normally sit. Also it kinda helps that the bleed gets reduced a lot depending on the angle you look at the screen from.
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Thanks. I am considering getting a device regardless. I will ponder it over the weekend - and if you are OCD and can live with it, so must I. If you can help with advice on how to deal with such impulses (over screens), do drop me a message. I am desperately trying to drop that habit off.
evak2979 said:
Thanks. I am considering getting a device regardless. I will ponder it over the weekend - and if you are OCD and can live with it, so must I. If you can help with advice on how to deal with such impulses (over screens), do drop me a message. I am desperately trying to drop that habit off.
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I'm very OCD regarding LCD screen and the phone itself. The phone is perfect except for the light bleeding, a stuck pixel and some sound static in earphone. Otherwise the phone is perfect like the camera, sound, battery life and performance.
As I bought the phone from Hong Kong its a pain in the... To return it. So with a 10% discount off that seller gave me I learned to enjoy and love the phone.
My HTC One X, M8x, 10 U11 and the S8+ all suffered from flaws being the S8+ the worst (random restarting and pinkish screen tone) so I'm not a lucky person about phones.
@evak2979 i sent you a message but basically it's about accepting defeat when it comes to small flaws, unfortunately there's not more to it. Although of course, if your phone has serious build issues that no one else has it should go back to HTC.
I have is as well. Actually this is my second unit (Black), the previous (Silver) had it as well. I can see it in display test application but I would say it is not affecting normal usage. Overall I am happy with display quality.
KejPi said:
I have is as well. Actually this is my second unit (Black), the previous (Silver) had it as well. I can see it in display test application but I would say it is not affecting normal usage. Overall I am happy with display quality.
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Click to collapse
Like I told my new pal on PM, I got the S8+ new for a very good price (539, UK).
If that sinks, I'll bite the bullet and return to HTC. It's funny because I don't mind scuffs, or scratches, or what. I just want a normal okay screen. I remember being happy with Note 4, with S5, With M8, With M9.
Then this new fashion started with every display being the dumbs
And the S8+ arrived with dust under the glass.
I've fought for a long time with my OCD to accept that AMOLEDs will never have consistent whites (though my one plus 3t is perfect, the one phone I've kept over the months). As of late with the S8 it's also been, full red edges, dead pixels, dust specs.
Let's try the U11 again. If it just has light bleed and no dead pixels I'll keep it...
I don't have light bleed.
I use edge to launch my calendar.
Sound through the earphones is shockingly good!
It looks dated in any other color but blue or red.
Those bezels? Ug.
The screen is beautiful and they've coated with oleophilics that feel INCREDIBLE.
The camera is excellent.
It's a very VERY good phone.
I have it on mine, but It's hardly even noticeable... Definitely not a game-changer for me. It's not enough for me to return it for a new one.
Just updating that I received my HTC U11 black, and I sent it back with a dead pixel. That's the third U11 with dead pixels, the first two having been silvers from Amazon.
I have also encountered issues with S8s (dust under glass), but not so much or frequent.
I want to get a U11 more than I do an S8, but I am really really skeptical about a few things - the build quality of the panel. The reports that some of the units are not so water proof (The solar reds apparently, a youtube search I did testified to that.
Sorry for diverting this thread from its original post, but I am really curious about you guys' opinion. I agree to having screen OCD, and that I should lower my standards when it comes to white consistency on AMOLED, for example. Or even some light bleed on LCD panels.
But dead pixels? Dead pixels on 649 pound devices, top end flagship? What is going on with QC and how lost must we drop our standards.
And if anyone thinks I am lying I am happy to provide with pictures...
If anyone from the UK has a relatively faultless HTC, please tell me where you bought it from so I can buy from there myself. And which color variant.
Thank you.
Hi, I believe you as I have the same problem with my Asian version. But can you share a picture? I want to compare mine with yours.
evak2979 said:
Thanks. I am considering getting a device regardless. I will ponder it over the weekend - and if you are OCD and can live with it, so must I. If you can help with advice on how to deal with such impulses (over screens), do drop me a message. I am desperately trying to drop that habit off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
evak2979 said:
Just updating that I received my HTC U11 black, and I sent it back with a dead pixel. That's the third U11 with dead pixels, the first two having been silvers from Amazon.
I have also encountered issues with S8s (dust under glass), but not so much or frequent.
I want to get a U11 more than I do an S8, but I am really really skeptical about a few things - the build quality of the panel. The reports that some of the units are not so water proof (The solar reds apparently, a youtube search I did testified to that.
Sorry for diverting this thread from its original post, but I am really curious about you guys' opinion. I agree to having screen OCD, and that I should lower my standards when it comes to white consistency on AMOLED, for example. Or even some light bleed on LCD panels.
But dead pixels? Dead pixels on 649 pound devices, top end flagship? What is going on with QC and how lost must we drop our standards.
And if anyone thinks I am lying I am happy to provide with pictures...
If anyone from the UK has a relatively faultless HTC, please tell me where you bought it from so I can buy from there myself. And which color variant.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jadraker said:
Hi, I believe you as I have the same problem with my Asian version. But can you share a picture? I want to compare mine with yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course...Here. Same on all three, just in different positions.
Mine is in a similar position but it's not black. Indeed it changes according to the color but of course it's different from the rest. Mine is more a defective pixel than a dead or stuck one. I thought it was the same pixel issue but it's not.
evak2979 said:
Of course...Here. Same on all three, just in different positions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jadraker said:
Mine is in a similar position but it's not black. Indeed it changes according to the color but of course it's different from the rest. Mine is more a defective pixel than a dead or stuck one. I thought it was the same pixel issue but it's not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah mine is dead dead.
I am considering a 4th U11. At this point, I don't even care about the light bleed. But 3/3 with dead pixels, it can't just be bad luck. That's the thing. I mean this is very bad QC. None of the reviewers are mentioning things like this. Or the issues with the S8 screen.
I think at this point someone needs to step up and say : ok guys, these are the GOOD things about the phone. But there is also
S8 (red tints, even after patch. Bad smudges on grey. Dust particles under panel)
U11 (Dead pixels. Light bleed at bottom of the screen).
In the end, the only trustworthy review is XDA forums and its users.

My impressions/review of the phone, in small episodes

I have been putting out information about U11+ in hamdir's thread for couple of days. I thought may be I should collate all the information and create a thread. So, here it is. Note that I am going to keep adding stuff as I use the phone everyday to point out the good the bad and the ugly. Go ahead and ask questions. If its possible for me, I will try to answer.
Quick update
Very quick update folks....
I got the amazing silver in my hands now. Been fiddling with options etc. for last 30 mins.
It a thing of beauty, let me tell you that first and foremost!! Amazing silver is really a shiny light blue colour. I love it!
Indoors, its brighter than my HTC 10 Tianma display. By how much? I don't know but its uncomfortably high for me at max. I won't use it at anywhere close to max. May be around 50%. Can't compare outdoor in direct sunlight until tomorrow. Will update again.
The weight is not a concern for me, its a little bit more than my 10 but not by much. The screen is gorgeous and much better than 10!!
The FP scanner is a little bit of a problem for me because I am not used to the rear scanner. I am finding it odd to pick the phone to use it. But I knew this going in. So, some mental recalibration is necessary. I can see OCD types hating this aspect, but I am fine with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couple of more quick updates:
1. Speakers are much better than HTC 10. Louder and clearer. You would be very pleased to hear these if you upgrade from HTC 10. Just saw the infinity war trailer on it and listened through Thriller....
2. Lowest screen brightness gets very low. Good for night time, in-dark browsing. Much lower than HTC 10.
3. The screen gets much blacker than HTC10 in "day dream" or "always on" mode in the complete darkness, which may help with battery if you are thinking of keeping AOD on always. The "light bleed" associated with LCD panels is still there through. In fact, its little uneven compared to HTC 10. On HTC 10, you can clearly see that the whole screen is lit up but only the text is brighter. On U11+, the lower left part of the screen is almost complete black whereas the right side shows more light bleed. I don't know if its a defect in my unit or its just something impossible to achieve during LCD panel manufacturing. Not perfection but not a big deal for me.
The default is not AOD but it is turn on the dimly lit display when you pick up the phone.
Double tap to wake works (someone asked earlier). On display button let's you put it to sleep in case you don't want to press power button to lock/put it sleep.
So far, thrilled to get this phone. I hope we work out TWRP really quick, root and I can move to this phone as my daily driver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GSMArena got the battery life wrong on this phone or they tested a different phone. I have been setting up, installing apps, syncing email accounts and generally fiddling with this phone for past 3-4 hours with 1h40m of SOT (screen brightness at 50% with Auto on, my typical setting for HTC 10) and it has consumed about 16% of battery. Haven't got that kind of battery life from any phone I have used or seen anybody else use in practical terms (I don't believe in artificial benchmarks). I think there is nothing to worry about battery life on this phone. This will last even the big time users through the day (10-12 hour day) easily.
One thing i notice is that its idling very well when turned off. My HTC 10 did not do that very well. So, the wifi chip seems to have been fixed up.
Note that its running 8.0.0 with Oct 1st patch. So, this has to still get the 8.1.1 release, which potentially should improve things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its still morning here in bay area and not afternoon sunny yet. But with the morning sun behind me, I can clearly say that U11+ is better than my HTC10. With HTC camera app, I looked through a chain of balconies shaded by trees, and sun behind me, to see how far each screen shows me. Side by side, I could see more detail and farther in U11+. This is highly unscientific but the brightness in sunlight is an upgrade from HTC10 Tianma to U11+. I will try to get some photos of the two phones' camera app in sunlight later in the day.
I think brightness jump is not huge from HTC 10, but its big enough for me to say I feel more comfortable taking photos/videos outdoors. Note that Camera sensor may also be playing a role in this. HTC 10 has a smaller f/1.8 aperture. So, more testing may be needed on the screen brightness in general. But practically speaking, I browsed around and I had no trouble reading text with sun behind me, falling directly on the phone. That's good for me, 500 nits or not.
I tried with both Auto brightness enabled and disabled, at max brightness. Results are same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone asked about the FP gestures earlier. I did not find any settings for them and moving the finger around on FP in any direction or double tapping it, does not do anything. So, no gestures on FP, yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone had asked for 4G/LTE support in the US. At least in the area I am in (bay area, CA), the coverage is same as what I got in HTC 10 on T Mobile.
Regarding the wifi, its much better than HTC 10. I compared side by side and HTC10 needed to be closer to the router by about 10 feet to be able to do speedtest from the point where I could speedtest on U11+ and still get full 90Mbps download speed. U11+ has an excellent wifi range and throughput. I get around -71dBm (signal strength) from my router at a spot where my HTC10 gives me -83dBm. At that spot, U11+ maxes out the internet traffic, whereas 10 is limited to about 45Mbps. So, anyone with HTC 10 will appreciate the huge jump in performance of wifi.
Also, the idling issue found with HTC 10's wifi is not there in U11+. It does not eat through battery while idling on wifi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couple of more inputs:
1. I went to work with the phone but unfortunately I did not have the other phones with me to click the photos in bright sunlight but I can tell you, the screen has no problems in the sun. It is very bright and very usable for me. Unless you have a defective unit, the brightness of the screen should not be a concern at all. My experience is only HTC 10 vs U11+, and I am loving the brightness upgrade.
2. Usage with my sunglasses. I can not use HTC 10 in portrait mode with my sunglasses on. It goes complete dark. I did not have any issues with U11+ in both portrait and landscape orientations. Am I thrilled to wear my sunglasses in the car again? HELL YEAH!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jmitr said:
Sound wise, nothing so far has beat my M7 for in ear quality. If the U11+ proves a worthy successor in that area as well, my M7 may sit in the desk drawer for the first time in over 4 years!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make your M7 a cosy bed in that drawer because its going in there for sure and for a long time.... U11+ is big upgrade (from M7 and 10, both of which I own) in sound department, both the speakers and the USB-C headphone jack, through the bundled earbuds. I have found the bundled USB-C earbuds to be of very high quality. I usually throw away packaged earbuds because they usually fall off from my ear but these fit in my ear very well. And boy they block the noise!!! I have no complaints about the missing 3.5mm jack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for all these info. Looking forward to receiving my unit as well and start testing! I have high hopes for this one and I believe I will not be disappointed.
Thanks for all very detailed and useful things mentions.
It’s positive that more and more people having the device and the general impression is in very good level at all aspects despite all that crap GSM arena mention with their tragic review.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Did you hook it up to the TV yet? I wonder why nobody does that. It's a very useful feature that not many modern smartphones offer unfortunately.
I wish HTC would advertise this special feature a bit more... It's underrated and underreported.
Thank you for all this info.
I Pre-Ordered one but I was skeptical with THE BAD review that I read.
I was thinking of canceling my order but now I just can't wait to get my hands on it
lebigmac said:
Did you hook it up to the TV yet? I wonder why nobody does that. It's a very useful feature that not many modern smartphones offer unfortunately.
I wish HTC would advertise this special feature a bit more... It's underrated and underreported.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I don't use this feature anymore. In fact, with casting feature working so well (AC wifi) and its so very convenient compared to the wire, casting gets used most of the time. I used to do this but I never bothered to buy the USB-C cable with my HTC 10.
May be I will try this again. Try some gaming on the big TV screen, fun fun fun!!
screen casting with chromecast or similar technologies always has a noticeable lag of 1-2 seconds. With direct cable connection there is no lag.
lebigmac said:
Did you hook it up to the TV yet? I wonder why nobody does that. It's a very useful feature that not many modern smartphones offer unfortunately.
I wish HTC would advertise this special feature a bit more... It's underrated and underreported.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you want to know?? I did it. But is like mirror screen
Not have desktop mode like Mate 10
detritu5 said:
What do you want to know?? I did it. But is like mirror screen
Not have desktop mode like Mate 10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is the video and audio quality? Is it real-time or is there any noticeable lag?
And what cable did you use? Thanks.
So can you please describe us the AOD(always on display)feature how it works with HTC.
Does it have the same customization option as with Samsung or LG(v30)with variety of clock or colors option,image background support,music control(play-pause-forward) and if support notifications from any kind app.
Also when receiving notification and hit it on the screen does it open directly the specific app or not.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
AptX HD and LDAC and display
devsk said:
I have been putting out information about U11+ in hamdir's thread for couple of days. I thought may be I should collate all the information and create a thread. So, here it is. Note that I am going to keep adding stuff as I use the phone everyday to point out the good the bad and the ugly. Go ahead and ask questions. If its possible for me, I will try to answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi, i have two question
first i'd be appreciated if you tell us how is the bluetooth headphone quality on u11+ ? beacuse i know u11+ has AptX HD and LDAC
and my second question is about the display
is the display quality, color range, black colors, ... near amoled display ?
paatha13 said:
So can you please describe us the AOD(always on display)feature how it works with HTC.
Does it have the same customization option as with Samsung or LG(v30)with variety of clock or colors option,image background support,music control(play-pause-forward) and if support notifications from any kind app.
Also when receiving notification and hit it on the screen does it open directly the specific app or not.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AOD on HTC U11+, in my opinion, leaves a lot to be desired. Few observations:
1. It only has two modes: a. show dimly lit clock/lock screen when picked up, b. always on mode, which is fixed 24/7 or on a time schedule. It lacks the mode "show dimly lit clock/lock screen when notifications arrive and repeat every 5 mins until cancelled".
2. Always On mode is a hog. Nearly 2% per hour idling. Not very useful. Its darker than any LCD I have seen before but it still show most of the display in complete darkness.
It does not provide any customization in either mode. You get 4 types of clock and that's about it. It shows apps (including music app) and their notifications with icons on small area and clicking takes to the app after unlock.
e_georgia said:
hi, i have two question
first i'd be appreciated if you tell us how is the bluetooth headphone quality on u11+ ? beacuse i know u11+ has AptX HD and LDAC
and my second question is about the display
is the display quality, color range, black colors, ... near amoled display ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have bluetooth headsets to test this sorry.
But the display is the best LCD I have seen. It can not be equal to amoled in terms of blacks, but its the closest that an LCD has come in terms of blacks. I think the LCD technology does not allow this any better compared to amoled in terms of blacks. The contrast is amazing and the brightness is very very good. The usage in direct sunlight is very comfortable.
Unless you want to knit pick (like always on display has slight light bleed, which is the result of them trying too hard to emulate "black"), you won't have any issues with this display.
lebigmac said:
How is the video and audio quality? Is it real-time or is there any noticeable lag?
And what cable did you use? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I specifically bought the HDMI->USB-C cable from Amazon for $19 (one of the most expensive cables I have bought) and tested it. It works great. No lags in the video (my TV is 1080p). The sound through my sound system sounded great.
The link to cable: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075JGM4W8
Idle drain is very minimal
It looks like wifi draining the battery when idling that was seen and documented by me on HTC10, is gone on U11+. I left the sync ON, data and wifi ON overnight. And I lost 2% battery in about 10 hours. This is how it should be.
Very very pleased with the battery and the phone overall. For me, this phone gets almost everything right. It will get better once I get hold of root on it.
devsk said:
I don't have bluetooth headsets to test this sorry.
But the display is the best LCD I have seen. It can not be equal to amoled in terms of blacks, but its the closest that an LCD has come in terms of blacks. I think the LCD technology does not allow this any better compared to amoled in terms of blacks. The contrast is amazing and the brightness is very very good. The usage in direct sunlight is very comfortable.
Unless you want to knit pick (like always on display has slight light bleed, which is the result of them trying too hard to emulate "black"), you won't have any issues with this display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how about the audio quality of headphones ?
Does the phone get hot with brightness on max? Or during heavy downloading of Apps or charging?
How long does a full charge take?
Are you using a case / cover? Noticed any scratches on the back?
Does YouTube allow you to stretch to full screen?
Thanks!
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
Great feedback on this device. Thanks for doing this @devsk
I am in SF also. I have been seriously torn about buying a international no warranty phone. I jumped to the LG V30, purchased from B & H then cancelled the order a couple days ago.
However, I ordered the U11+ last night from Amazon - NGP Store USA. They get decent reviews but have a really strict return policy. I tried the U11 earlier this year but returned it. The U11+ had all the U11 was missing + more. [emoji3]
-- Who did you buy from and did you entertain buying a warranty? If so, from who.
-- Cases seem to be limited. Do you purchase one?
Thanks.
johninsf said:
Great feedback on this device. Thanks for doing this @devsk
I am in SF also. I have been seriously torn about buying a international no warranty phone. I jumped to the LG V30, purchased from B & H then cancelled the order a couple days ago.
However, I ordered the U11+ last night from Amazon - NGP Store USA. They get decent reviews but have a really strict return policy. I tried the U11 earlier this year but returned it. The U11+ had all the U11 was missing + more. [emoji3]
-- Who did you buy from and did you entertain buying a warranty? If so, from who.
-- Cases seem to be limited. Do you purchase one?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I bought it off of amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077PJXZFK
I did not buy a warranty. I took a chance and its been fine so far. The quality of the device and manufacturing is very very high. I am very pleased with the whole experience. Do not believe anybody who disses this device. It checks pretty much every box I had. Biggest thing is Treble. I expect to run well supported AOSP on this thing.
I am using the bundled transparent case and I am fine with it. Its minimal and it shows off the amazing silver very well.
iad77 said:
Does the phone get hot with brightness on max? Or during heavy downloading of Apps or charging?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This phone does not get hot under any circumstances (brightness or extended play). I have it in the bundled minimal case, and I played racing games for extended periods of time (connected to my TV using a USB-C to HDMI adapter). It drove the TV's 1080p display without any delay and with great sound! It felt warm after an hour of play but I would qualify that a lukewarm. My HTC 10 definitely gets much warmer than U11+. So, its an upgrade for me.
iad77 said:
How long does a full charge take?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never measured this from 0 to 100%. I am not worried about this though. All I can tell you is it charges very fast.
iad77 said:
Are you using a case / cover? Noticed any scratches on the back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using the bundled minimal case. Its transparent and shows off amazing silver well.
iad77 said:
Does YouTube allow you to stretch to full screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on the video's aspect ratio. For example, Inifinity War Trailer filled the screen but apple sway ad did not. It does not stretch in general and I think that's the right thing to do. I would not like videos with a different native aspect ratio than 2:1 to stretch and show all stretched faces etc.

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