The Google Pixel 3 is out now, and we've been lucky enough to have spent some time with the handset ahead of our full review. While we'll save complete impressions until then, we can say that it's one of the most delightful devices we've seen in 2018 so far; stock Android is a joy to use and the phone's camera really is something else.
There's just one glaring issue, and it's the screen.
If you followed developments surrounding the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL last year, you'll no doubt recall that a lot of Pixel 2 XL owners had serious problems with the phone's LG-made OLED screen, such as 'colour shift' and pink hues. Some phones would have screens which had a pink gradient either at the top or bottom, while others had a pinkish tone when compared to OLEDs produced by other companies.
What brought this issue into sharp relief was that Google picked not one but two display makers for its Pixel 2 models – LG made the screen for the larger XL, while Samsung produced the screen for the smaller edition. Samsung is arguably the king of smartphone OLED panels, and while its record isn't totally perfect, it seems to have perfected the production process to a point where its screens look brilliant across most devices (it supplies Apple with OLEDs for the new iPhones).
Fast forward to the present, and you might assume that Google – having seen the number of reports from unhappy Pixel 2 XL users – would have switched solely to Samsung as its display supplier. However, that's not the case, and this year the company has swapped things around; LG now creates the display for the smaller Pixel 3 while Samsung makes the one found in the Pixel 3 XL. The end result is very much the same, however: disgruntled customers.
A quick glance online shows that a worrying number of people are reporting that their Pixel 3 phones are exhibiting pink gradients on the screen, just like last year's Pixel 3 XL.
Reddit user mikehitchco commented:
"So my Pixel 3 came today, and the bottom half of the screen has really bad pinkish tone distortion. It persists after reset and is visible at all angles, including head on.
I was REALLY hoping after the Pixel 2 XL mess (I went through a bunch to get one with a decent screen) this would be solved. But apparently Google still can't manage to make phones with good screen."
Another reddit user, Mjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj, added:
"In the photo gallery you can see my OG Pixel 1, the original Pixel 3 I received from Google in the middle and its replacement on the right. I can still see some pink in the photo on the replacement device in specific conditions but it is not as noticeable as the first one, especially in person."
Meanwhile, Jrlutz31 decided to visit a store to compare the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, and found the same issue was present:
"People reporting that the top half of the pixel 3 screen is pink. I checked them out in store and noticed the same thing too. Glad I ended up going with the XL. This would drive me insane."
Another reddit user by the name of GrayBoltWolf supplied more evidence, this time on a grey image:
Tekstical was even told by Google that this fault is 'normal':
"Well I got my pixel 3 yesterday a week ahead of time and man I was excited. Looks so much better than the pixel 2, started using it and noticed the screen is 2 different colors.
Top half is white like normal and the bottom half has a strong pink tint to it that I couldn't get over. Chatted with Google help and they repeatedly told me it was normal and it's just oled shift, totally fine.
I have an LG oled tv that's not half pink so I find that difficult to believe. Well Google wouldn't RMA it, and kept telling me it's normal. So I returned it. I'm pissed, I waited for this phone and then Google pretty much just told me I'm not seeing what I'm seeing. So they would rather lose a customer rather than send me an 800 dollar phone that's not screwed up out of the box. I hope anyone else who has to deal with this has better luck than I. They were super happy to tell me to kick rocks."
Granted, these are just a handful of cases, but we noticed on our own review unit of the Pixel 3 that the same issue is present. It's difficult to see on a 'busy' display and is only barely visible on a pure white screen, but when the automatic brightness kicks in and the screen is dimmed, it becomes obvious – and, maddeningly, it's impossible to un-see once you know it's there.
Below is a shot of our review unit alongside a Galaxy S9+ sporting one of Samsung's latest AMOLED panels. Both phones are showing the exact same white JPG; night mode has been enabled and the brightness has been reduced to zero to fully show the gradient effect. You can also see how 'pink' the Pixel 3's display is compared to Samsung's.
While OLED is a trickier process to perfect than LCD and even Samsung has wobbles every now and then (a Know Your Mobile review Galaxy S7 had the same issue a few years back), it would seem that LG is really struggling to meet an acceptable standard on its displays – despite the fact that its OLED TV sets are brilliant.
According to Ars Technica:
"Samsung has been working for several years to mature its phone OLED panel technologies. LG has been working for years doing the same on TVs. LG’s display division reportedly wanted to focus on larger panels for a long time, so the company is now playing catch-up on mobile. But regardless of the manufacturer, not all OLED panels are created equal; that picture gets even clearer when comparing phones and TVs. The technology may have been around for years now, but it’s still only just maturing—especially when it comes to mobile."
The issue here is that LG is playing catch-up with phones that cost over £700 – hardly loose change in most people's eyes. Of course, a pink gradient on your screen doesn't suddenly render it unusable and many people may not even notice, even if their phone has colour shifting problems. Still, if you're fussy about these things – we know we are – then you may want to pick the Pixel 3 XL over its more pocket-sized sibling, which is a shame because the standard Pixel 3 is one of very few 'small' handsets on the market right now.
by dmcferran via Featured Articles
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