[Q] How to read the screen in daylight? - T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II SGH-T989

I'm new to this phone and new to smartphones.
The reviews of the SGS2 rave about the bright, readable screen - even outdoors. But, I can't even tell if it is turned on without ducking back inside! The screen appears black to me.
I'm panicking because I invested in the SGS2 (full purchase price!) largely as a navigation aid for bicycle touring. I need to be able pick out fine detail on a Google Earth image. It's beautiful stuff indoors, but under the sun...
So, please assume nothing and give me all your tips, settings and strategies - basic and otherwise - on using the phone in bright sunlight. Thanks,
Stan

what is your screen brightness at? I've had mine set at auto brightness and the phone does a pretty good job of adjusting the brightness up when i move into sunlight so that the screen is still readable.
if you're having a hard time seeing the screen outside, try turning the brightness up. you might have it set too low

It definitely should not look completely black when outdoors. Either there is something wrong with the screen or with your eyes. Try setting it to max brightness and see if there is any difference.

if you have it in auto, it would automatically adjust to match the lighting conditions
SMAOLED screens are super good in directly sunlight you can still read bright and crisp even when the sun is cooking your head at 35c outdoors in a hellish summer shine

Related

Washed Out Screen Color?

I'm writing to see if anyone here might have the same issue I'm having with my Note 4.
When it's bright outside, sometimes, the screen not only amps up the brightness, but for some reason all the colors on the screen appear really washed out. Facebook's logo is now neon blue, Evernote is like a pale lime, etc. All the colors are horribly ugly. If I open an app, or the drawer, the screen goes back to normal color, still bright though.
This ONLY happens (thus far) when I've turned the phone on while being in direct sunlight.
If I manually turn my brightness level ALL the way up, the colors still appear fine, I can't make the screen wash the colors out like that manually (not with brightness levels or adaptive display modes).
This also doesn't happen every time I wake the phone up while in direct sunlight, but about 50% of the time.
So, anyone else have this problem? Is it normal, or should I try to get a replacement? Course, since I can't replicate it on demand that will be a PITA.
Thanks
Happens to me as well. I even went to far as to disable the "dynamic screen adjustment" or whatever it is, and it still happens. Just like you said, only in direct sunlight.
It's too make the screen more viewable in direct sunlight.
washing out the colors is normal in order for the phone to be bright enough to see in direct sunlight. I, for one, love that they did this because i can see the screen perfectly in bright sunlight.
nyydynasty said:
washing out the colors is normal in order for the phone to be bright enough to see in direct sunlight. I, for one, love that they did this because i can see the screen perfectly in bright sunlight.
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Click to collapse
I'm with you on this one, I think it's an awesome function. Heck when I found out it did I was showing everyone lol I have noticed that it's only sunlight cuz I tried using my note 3 flash light to do the same thing but to no avail.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
589
Yes if you have your note 4 set to auto brightness, in direct sunlight the phones backlight will push the brightness all the way up to 750nits of brightness. It will wash out the colors, but it makes the screen very visible in direct sunlight. I personally love the feature, no need to cover your hand over your phone to see a text message or something else anymore. If you don't like, like myself, I manual adjust brightness myself. Half brightness is plenty bright for any other time of the day.
This happened to me yesterday and I thought my phone was going bad. It was a wtf moment for sure. Glad to know it's a feature and not an issue with the screen. I turned the screen off then on and it went away (might have been walking indoors).
I had this happen in the day time while I was in the car multiple times, so I just turned off the automatic brightness, solved my issue.
This is the first phone that has ever been bright enough for me to read books with in the noon day sun. So I'm loving this feature bigtime. I think the automatic feature could use some fine tuning because indoors it dims the brightness too much for me but otherwise... loving it.
Freaked me out the first time it did that to me outside, but quickly realized it was on purpose to make it more viewable since it was so bright outside. Love that feature tho
nyydynasty said:
washing out the colors is normal in order for the phone to be bright enough to see in direct sunlight. I, for one, love that they did this because i can see the screen perfectly in bright sunlight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love that they did this. 1st phone I've had that I can easily see the screen in direct bright sunlight. Good job Samsung.
I was shocked when I first saw it this morning... then did a google which led me here... thank God it aint faulty...
I was shocked when I first saw it this morning... then did a google which led me here... thank God it aint faulty...
I think I have this issue but idk. Dark pictures on my screen show horrible and like blocky when there's blacks. The Samsung boot screen has a yellowish greenish tint to it. My colors look washed but it isn't horrible just the dark colors and blacks get to me
NexusS4gFreak said:
I think I have this issue but idk. Dark pictures on my screen show horrible and like blocky when there's blacks. The Samsung boot screen has a yellowish greenish tint to it. My colors look washed but it isn't horrible just the dark colors and blacks get to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For example this is how my blacks show

weird problem

I don't know if this is some kind of new thing to make the screen easier to see in sunlight, but every time my phone is exposed to full sunlight the screen goes super high contrast, now I know the back light goes full brightness to help viewing the screen in full sunlight, but this is totally different, it only happens when the sensor is exposed to the sun, anyone else noticed this, or do I have a faulty auto brightness sensor, super high contrast, turns my fb messenger blue color a light blue etc etc.
yep it's normal. does it to make it easier to see. only works on auto brightness mode.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using Tapatalk.
Nevermind, it's normal lol found a review mentioning it! Moderator delete this thread!

Considering a return because of the ambient screen :(

It's a shame really, since I love EVERYTHING else about this watch - good price, snappy processor, GPS, WiFi (not even sure what that will bring eventually), NFC.
But with this thing serving primarily as a watch on my wrist, I just can't stand the ambient screen. From pretty much any angle it is a low-contrast, mustard-y yellow.
I'm looking at the LG R watch now. It's $50 more, and is missing a bunch of features, but the screen is GREAT. :'-(
I really wanted to like this watch! Please XDA, talk me into keeping it!!
** Delete **
loneBoat said:
It's a shame really, since I love EVERYTHING else about this watch - good price, snappy processor, GPS, WiFi (not even sure what that will bring eventually), NFC.
But with this thing serving primarily as a watch on my wrist, I just can't stand the ambient screen. From pretty much any angle it is a low-contrast, mustard-y yellow.
I'm looking at the LG R watch now. It's $50 more, and is missing a bunch of features, but the screen is GREAT. :'-(
I really wanted to like this watch! Please XDA, talk me into keeping it!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The LG P-OLED screen can burn in... Otherwise I possibly had bought it aswell.
I love the sw3 and especially the ambient mode screen and GPS. Its looks like a compromise between a e-ink and LCD..
But maybe it's a kind of different tastes.
Send with Tapatalk on Sony Z2
djgodlike said:
The LG P-OLED screen can burn in... Otherwise I possibly had bought it aswell
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point about the burn-in. I just searched over on the LG R watch forums and there's some horror stories of burn-in after just a week. :-o That may be a deal-breaker for me.
Hah! You may have talked me into staying on SW3 just as I requested - thanks! :highfive:
It's a garbage screen on a first-gen looking product. I returned mine for the same reason.
foxfire235 said:
It's a garbage screen on a first-gen looking product. I returned mine for the same reason.
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Click to collapse
I haven't gotten mine yet but have played with it in store. I wouldn't say it's garbage. Is it on par with other android wear devices? Probably not. However, just as another user stated above, its sort of a mix between e ink and color. It seems to be helping to deliver great battery life with it too. Also, with the update it seems you guys can turn off the feature of activating the screen arm movement. So with this screen you can leave it on always on mode and still be able to see the screen without killing battery. All the android wear devices are first gen tech, but the Sony SW 3 still offers so much more than any of the other watches. For that, I can certainly deal with the screen negatives. Even though it does offer positives so its not completely bad, therefore back to my point that I wouldn't call it garbage.
I like the screen...in my office or while outdoor, I can look at it at any time and almost any angle and can see the time w/o artifiially tilting my arm, or pressing a button. The screen is always on and I get easly 2 days...that is worth a lot to me. My 2 cents....
No matter how you look at it the pro's outweigh the con's.And if you can't live with then just return it and I'll keep mine.
techrider6262 said:
No matter how you look at it the pro's outweigh the con's.And if you can't live with then just return it and I'll keep mine.
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Click to collapse
+1 :good:
---------- Post added at 10:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 AM ----------
djgodlike said:
The LG P-OLED screen can burn in... Otherwise I possibly had bought it aswell.
I love the sw3 and especially the ambient mode screen and GPS. Its looks like a compromise between a e-ink and LCD..
But maybe it's a kind of different tastes.
Send with Tapatalk on Sony Z2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. It's a major flaw of OLED screen. SW3's transflective screen is the perfect choice for ambient mode. It's more readable in bright sunlight. Honestly, transflective LCD is born for outside activities.
I got my first SW3. The screen is too yellow with a small dark spot at the bottom of the screen. I returned it immediately and now the 2nd one is really good.
I disagree. Try taking your smartphone and let the sun shine on the screen (or a bright lamp) and lower the brightness. The whites and blacks will be very similar in color to the SW3's screen. I'm currently using the Odyssey watchface and sometimes it takes a while for the full watchface to turn on so I get the opportunity to seen the ambient screen with the backlight on. Whites are white on it. What I would like is for the ambient light sensor to turn on the backlight at minimal brightness in low light conditions.
my device is very white. It is of course no OLED screen that are over saturated mostly but i definetly see no yellow tint there on white (maybe a really tiny bit more yellowish but really nothing i notice at all in normal use).
And having the watch always on is such a huge + in my opinion. Yes you can't see the screen in low light situations. But honestly.
People are never happy. When the backlight would be always on some people would complain that the watch is always making light in the dark.
(which would annoy me probably more)
If you want correctly displayed colors you would need to calibrate your screens.
Who does that for home usage here?
It's definitely not first gen. I had first gen smartwatch from Sony, this one is ten times better
I would like the option for a low backlight on low light (current low backlight settings are too bright to begin with). I suppose that's what custom ROMs/root apps are for.
I like it on mine. The default faces are pretty bad on it in ambient mode, but I built ones for it on Facer that make it really easy to read.
vitaminxero said:
I would like the option for a low backlight on low light (current low backlight settings are too bright to begin with). I suppose that's what custom ROMs/root apps are for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure if you had something like this in mind ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=57615301 ) ...but I'm using this app and it lets me lower the brightness down to where it's much more comfortable for using my watch in bed at night. The developer is letting us try it out for free until 12/21... but I went ahead and bought it for a buck from the Play Store.
Grown to love ambient mode, except for complete darkness I can read the watch fine.
I have a Gear Live, try to go out in the sun and read the time, this watch no problem.
I purchased Facer, made myself a digital watch face with huge numbers that makes the watch even more visible in direct sun
vitaminxero said:
I disagree. Try taking your smartphone and let the sun shine on the screen (or a bright lamp) and lower the brightness. The whites and blacks will be very similar in color to the SW3's screen. I'm currently using the Odyssey watchface and sometimes it takes a while for the full watchface to turn on so I get the opportunity to seen the ambient screen with the backlight on. Whites are white on it. What I would like is for the ambient light sensor to turn on the backlight at minimal brightness in low light conditions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed! I live in Florida (the sunshine state) and spend lots of time outdoors. Our days are long, it's almost always sunny, and the sun is INTENSE! I got this watch specifically because of this display. Try reading an OLED display outdoors in Florida sun. Even my Note4 with its high-brightness outdoor mode is barely readable. Yet my SW3 is clear as day, with or without the backlight. Yes, it definitely doesn't look as pretty indoors as the OLED screens, but for my use its perfect. Not like I'm watching movies on it or anything. I'm glad Sony decided to carry over the transflective tech from the SW2...it was a bold move but it's one of the things that sets this product apart. If you don't like it, there are plenty of competing products on the market.
I just wish there was a way to disable the backlight under any ambient light conditions, like my SW2. One of the firmware updates for the SW2 introduced a smarter backlight that stayed off, even when in use, when there was enough ambient light, like outdoors. While it makes no difference in appearance, it helps conserve battery.
Calvin Gross said:
+1 :good:
---------- Post added at 10:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 AM ----------
Good point. It's a major flaw of OLED screen. SW3's transflective screen is the perfect choice for ambient mode. It's more readable in bright sunlight. Honestly, transflective LCD is born for outside activities.
I got my first SW3. The screen is too yellow with a small dark spot at the bottom of the screen. I returned it immediately and now the 2nd one is really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Transflective screens are also installed on all Garmin outdoor standalone GPS: if you want a well readable screen on EVERY situation you need a transfective.... NOT a AMOLED.
Amoled is much contrasted and wonderful on artificial light or on low natural light, but is a pain during summer outdoor activity (and need maximum power consumption to be barely readable)
heavyhms said:
Transflective screens are also installed on all Garmin outdoor standalone GPS: if you want a well readable screen on EVERY situation you need a transfective.... NOT a AMOLED.
Amoled is much contrasted and wonderful on artificial light or on low natural light, but is a pain during summer outdoor activity (and need maximum power consumption to be barely readable)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The transflective display is one of the big selling points of this watch if you ask me. It's visible in pretty much any light except very low. I don't have to turn the backlight on to see it (saves battery) and it's viewable in direct sunlight. This is a huge plus for anyone taking this thing out for runs or bike rides. I'm a long distance runner and use this watch exclusively for tracking and music, it works great!
The screen on the Sony Smartwatch 3 is the best, hands the fak down!! Always on and viewable, just as watch suppose to be.
Its comical sporting a watch thats turned off until you put it up in front of your grill to turn ON...gayness to the fullest.

Outdoor visibility (max brightness)

Rate this thread to express how well you can see the Samsung Galaxy S10+'s display outdoors. In case you've been playing Minecraft for 18 months straight, you might not known how to get outside anymore. Well, find the door and walk through it. A higher rating indicates that it has very high maximum brightness and thus fantastic outdoor visibility in direct sunlight.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
it's pretty dim, to be honest, i wish we had screen brightness like some of the older motorola phones did when android motorola was still for the cool kids instead of the soccer moms.
Best device ive used in direct sunlight. I work outdoors in the Texas heat and I have no problems seeing the screen.
10/10 for the display, its gorgeous.
Agreed, the brightness when in direct sunlight has much improved over the S9+. It's very usable on a bright sunny day
The display blows the note 9 outdoor usability - Florida sun.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
I have S10+ and can't see anything while in my car or outside. The comments above saying it's so great make me think eventhough we have the same phones, that they are talking about a different phone. I think it's awful and now regretting my decision to get this phone because this drives me completely insane. Rating 2.
No problems her in crazy sunlight. Phone does get warm because of the max brightness and direct sunlight but still very clear to read.
Its excellent
Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
It works really well under sunlight and yeah the phone does heat up a bit but it's ok I can see and read well my screen
On max brightness it's bright. Inside it blinds the crap out of me. Outside I can see it pretty well.
Put it on adaptive brightness. I guess there's a limit to how bright we can manually set it versus how bright it gets automatically.. I played around with these settings myself and it does get brighter when you turn on adaptive brightness. Try it! I'm sure you'll like it better! Because I was thinking three same thing you said, house the hell are these people thinking it's great in the sunlight?! Way better with adaptive enabled!
Lou™Airgod said:
Put it on adaptive brightness. I guess there's a limit to how bright we can manually set it versus how bright it gets automatically.. I played around with these settings myself and it does get brighter when you turn on adaptive brightness. Try it! I'm sure you'll like it better! Because I was thinking three same thing you said, house the hell are these people thinking it's great in the sunlight?! Way better with adaptive enabled!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are CORRECT. This has been from the very start. Only adaptive brightness will give you the max potential of the brightness of s10+'s screen.
For s10+, high brightness mode is entered when sensor reads 40,000lux, and its exited when sensor reads below 8000lux (it used to be 5000lux but it must have been changed at some point). When sun hits the screen, screen is very visible and good. When you are outside but sun isnt on the screen, you can turn your phone towards sun to activate HBM, but it may exit once you turn it back to yourself.(quite annoying as manual max is very limiting at 300nits).
There is a HDR bug, only works on android 10, you can trick the phone to stay at HDR brightness(brightness is still adjustable all the way from 1.6nits to 700), so you can manually adjust it to max brightness(700nits) whenever you want. This is the reason im staying at android 10 lol. Had to downgrade from android 11. If bootloader version turns to 10(currently 9) you wont be able to downgrade(maybe with root you can, i dont know) so its good to consider doing it
Ive always auto brightness turned on,
after installing the UI3.1 , under a bright light, it doesn't go so bright...but under sun light, or in dqy light, its just brighter and its get sooo much better...,
It's like sensors understand where u r
rezadentevil said:
Ive always auto brightness turned on,
after installing the UI3.1 , under a bright light, it doesn't go so bright...but under sun light, or in dqy light, its just brighter and its get sooo much better...,
It's like sensors understand where u r
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was on 3.1 for 2 3 months and it enters at 40.000lux just like 3.0, i doubt they increased the thereshold cuz its already too high.
theblitz707 said:
I was on 3.1 for 2 3 months and it enters at 40.000lux just like 3.0, i doubt they increased the thereshold cuz its already too high.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that puts a lot of wear on the display fast.
Avoid using in direct sunlight or at least limit it to seconds.
blackhawk said:
Yeah that puts a lot of wear on the display fast.
Avoid using in direct sunlight or at least limit it to seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
İm actually staying on android 10 to use a hdr bug that lets me use max brightness whenever i want. Its not a suicide mission like everyone imagines

Ghosting on screen

Hey all,
I was looking at my phone, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, and I noticed some kind of ghosting or burn in or something. It looks like the image of icons that were on the screen, and are burned in. Any ideas? I included a pic I hope will explain better.
Running it in sunlight and/or brightness over 50%?
The pixels are wearing out from use. Blues go first, reds last generally from wear.
Use manual brightness control. Avoid use in direct sunlight. Keep brightness no higher than needs. Use dark mode and dark wallpapers.
Rotate widgets and icons.
My homepage and settings tweaked to minimize premature display wear.
Test it and see what you got:
Thanks for the insight. Is there any way to fix what has already happened?
Negative. It's a normal wear thing.
It's possible the manufacturing quality of that display wasn't good. See if you can badger Samsung into a warranty repair or reduced repair price. There have been a lot of issues across the board with variable refresh rate displays. One reason I stayed with the N10+.
Using dark mode and dark wallpapers will make less noticeable.
In the future take steps to prevent this with a new display. Yeah they get very bright but organic LEDs aren't as robust as their thicker non organic counterparts. Limit max or near max brightness to seconds not minutes. Avoid using in sunlight whenever possible. A 50% max limit except for some vids is sensible and helps a lot. Use lower levels in dimmer light, don't burn your retinas or display out.

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