iPhone 3G ships with yellow screen

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 14th July 2008
Comments (11) Stumble
This picture, courtesy of Ars Technica, demonstrates the difference in colour temperature between the two firmwares.

This picture, courtesy of Ars Technica, demonstrates the difference in colour temperature between the two firmwares.

Anyone who has upgraded from an original iPhone to the new 3G model may have noticed that the screen is a little warmer than it used to be.

The LCD on the latest 3G iPhone model from Apple is brighter than the original, but that improvement comes at an interesting cost – a colder white point. Whereas the original screen had a white point temperature of 8300k, according to measurements taken by Richard Baguley of Wirelessinfo.com the new screen is somewhere closer to 7000k. This translates to a yellow cast that some are calling the 'pee filter'.

MacWorld has spoken to Apple regarding the 'pee filter', and got a reply from marketing director Bob Borchers saying that “[Apple] moved the white point in order to make [the display] feel more natural.” Unlike desktop systems, the iPhone doesn't feature a user-configurable colour temperature – meaning that if you buy an iPhone 3G you'd better learn to enjoy a 'more natural' display.

There is evidence that the colour cast can be adjusted in software, even if such functionality hasn't been added to the OS yet, however. Forum users over on Ars Technica have discovered that boxed iPhone 3Gs are being sold with an outdated firmware revision – 2.0 5A345 – which has a colder white point compared compared to the latest firmware – 2.0 5A347 at the time of writing. While the latest release doesn't return the screen to the harsh clinical white of the original, it does make it look a little less like it's been dipped in horse urine.

If you want to try the latest firmware out, it's just a case of plugging your iPhone 3G into your main desktop computer, running a backup, and then restoring again. Ars reckons it'll take at least half an hour, but then you should be running the very latest firmware release. Let's hope that a future firmware features user-selectable colour temperature, and then users won't have to choose between the latest firmware and a particular white point that suits their needs.

Any iPhone 3G users reading that have noticed the new colour temperature? Does the screen feel 'more natural' now, or did you prefer the sharper tones on the original? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Quote GreatOldOne 14th July 2008, 09:28
I really can't see the diffenece between my 2G and my 3G...
Quote Dreaming 14th July 2008, 09:53
You have two?!

Anyway, I can notice the difference i the picture maginally but only by comparing the contrast with the black fascia. Think it looks ok, and it looked ok before :p. Is this even newsworthy ?! :p I think what's important in a small screen is a high contrast and (if it doesn't use too much battery) high brightness, but maybe thats because I have crappy eyes :s (but dont need glasses, so feel for those that do - I always need to increase text size on whatever mobile device I'm using otherwise its squintyville for me).
Quote xrob 14th July 2008, 10:02
the old one looks loads more yellow in that picture
Quote Gareth Halfacree 14th July 2008, 10:07
Quote:
Originally Posted by xrob
the old one looks loads more yellow in that picture
It's supposed to. As the article says, the picture is comparing a 3G iPhone with the latest firmware to a 3G iPhone with the older firmware. There isn't a 2G iPhone in the picture - if there were, you'd see that it's bluer still.
Quote BioSniper 14th July 2008, 10:40
I have the 5a345 on mine and yes, its pretty yellow but it makes it less harsh on my eyes as I never like cold whites anyway
Quote p3n 14th July 2008, 11:28
Super Monkey ball looks awesome on my good ole' iphone ... i'll be putting on the 'white' firmware if O2 ever get the 3g shortages sorted...
Quote Joeymac 14th July 2008, 11:54
They try to calibrate it closer to D65 and people bitch. From the look of the pictures the problem is the screen isn't more uniform in it's piss colour.
Quote xrob 14th July 2008, 12:08
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree
Quote:
Originally Posted by xrob
the old one looks loads more yellow in that picture
It's supposed to. As the article says, the picture is comparing a 3G iPhone with the latest firmware to a 3G iPhone with the older firmware. There isn't a 2G iPhone in the picture - if there were, you'd see that it's bluer still.

I was talking about the firmware, purely stating that the pictures shown have a big difference.

Anyway the update is vastly improved the look, god knows why anyone would want the piss filter.
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 14th July 2008, 12:10
Quote:
Originally Posted by p3n
Super Monkey ball looks awesome on my good ole' iphone ... i'll be putting on the 'white' firmware if O2 ever get the 3g shortages sorted...

Super Monkey Ball?

On an iPhone?

Oh My God...

I'm converted, I used to think the iPhone was a waste of space.. but now with 3G and SMB, you can't go wrong!
Quote ParaHelix.org 14th July 2008, 14:09
Hmm, I was expecting to see a yellow screen by the looks of the title, but from the images, no big deal.
Quote WilHarris 14th July 2008, 15:52
The Yellow Peril™ was really bugging me - did a restore this morning and it's not quite back to 2G iPhone colour but it's a lot better. Only downside is the 1hr+ to do a full restore..

Timmy: unfortunately SMB is toss on the iPhone - far too difficult to control with the motion sensor. Pick up the Mario-Kart-a-like Cro-Mag Rally instead, far better for your cash.
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