Definitely has screen-door effect...

[Glod]

I am in that "its not so bad" crowd as well.

The difference in the screen is obvious to many; even if slightly. At least its not over-saturated like the epic. At least you can read the screen in sunlight for the most part. This shouldn't be the deciding factor not to get the phone.

Personally, I am totally over it; after all I didn't base my decision to get this phone so to run around telling people how l33t my screen is, if I did want to run around bragging about my screen this isnt the phone; obviously.

I bought this phone to have an attractive, powerful, well constructed, highly productive smartphone with 4G that is also a good PHONE (with a little bit of bragging rights mixed in) to replace my poorly designed Evo 4G. F!#@ the screen issues.

I think something that doesn't help give the phone's screen justice is the color gradients motorola used in their GUI seem to be using low colors making a low pixel appearance, somewhat cartoony.

owell. there are bigger issues with the phone we should be talking about.

 

[MidwestDrummer]

After 24 hours I've decided to return my Photon and go back to my EVO. The pentile screen is just awful. It's just so terribly pixelated and grainy, and I can't put up with it anymore. At first I thought I could overlook it or just get used to it, but every time I look at it, it's the first thing I notice.

This may just be my opinion, but it's still good to see that a lot of people are enjoying the phone.

Looks like I'll hold on to my EVO just a little bit longer, until the Within comes out.

 

[Thrasherx2k1]

After 24 hours I've decided to return my Photon and go back to my EVO. The pentile screen is just awful. It's just so terribly pixelated and grainy, and I can't put up with it anymore. At first I thought I could overlook it or just get used to it, but every time I look at it, it's the first thing I notice.

This may just be my opinion, but it's still good to see that a lot of people are enjoying the phone.

Looks like I'll hold on to my EVO just a little bit longer, until the Within comes out.

I already deactivated mine and am back on my Nexus despite its poor reception. You're right the pentile display is just awful...

 

[SporkLover]

For anyone that doesn't notice it. It's there. Pay close attention to the status bar....

Picasa Web Albums - Robert M

Zooming in on it exaggerates the issue for me.... for the most part I don't see it (only if I am actively looking for it).

 

[bxnym]

For anyone that doesn't notice it. It's there. Pay close attention to the status bar....

Picasa Web Albums - Robert M

Zooming in on it exaggerates the issue for me.... for the most part I don't see it (only if I am actively looking for it).

I see it more on the picture than on the device itself lol...so this is what everyone is talking about tiny little squares if you have clear eyesight my guess is that you will see it for people who don't have clear eyesight like me we won't be able to tell at all. Screen looks very clear to me, now I remember seeing those pixel things on the PSP(older model) I guess that was pretty bad but I really can't tell on the Photon...

 

[busted bones]

Definitely is a possibility, but not for me.

The first time I picked up the Epic, I had no idea what screendoor effect referred to. I also had never heard of PenTile. All I knew was that a lot of people were raving that it was SAMOLED and the screen was to die for.

I walked into my Sprint store shortly after Epic was released and took a look. First thing I noticed was that the screen was very bluish. Next thing I observed was that the colors were very saturated, a little too much for my taste. Kinda like postcards. Unnatural colors designed to wow, not represent what you see with your own eyes.

And something bugged me about the text. I had a hard time focusing on the letters. So I took a really close look and the best I could describe at the time was this diagonal mesh, and I could see red, blue and green glows around the edges of the white text. I assumed it was some artifact of OLED.

Only after more research did I learn about the PenTile RGBG matrix, and everything made sense. It was only after observation that I concluded that PenTile really disagreed with my eyes.

And to clarify, I'm not here to bash the Photon and to praise my Evo 3D. In fact I think Photon vs Evo 3D comparisons WRT screendoor effect is completely irrelevant here. What ought to be compared is qHD LCD with PenTile vs qHD LCD with traditional RGB stripe. And a truly meaningful comparison needs to be done with a blind test, something that really isn't practical in a forum setting.

So, yes, some psychological factors come into play here. We are emotionally and financially vested in our new phones, so there's always a tendency to downplay our phones' weaknesses while finding more fault with other phones. The observant objective, and scientific person will never allow psychological factors determine what is true.

Definitely a great post. I did notice the affect on the Epic as well but on the Atrix it was all by gone. I have yet to look at the Photons screen but will be playing with one tomorrow. I do realize with the larger screen that it may have more screen door effect than an Atrix will though. We could do another EarlyMon style test and rig it to see who can tell and who cant as last time he said only one person correctly figured it out.

 

[brushrop03]

Unfortunately I see it too. Solid colors make it more pronounce. I see it in the battery indicator. I notice it very much when watching netflix. It seems more grainy when compare to my Evo 4g. Whenever I see a greyish/white screen I can see the even spaced pixels on the screen while my friends cannot. I guess if you see it, you see it. If you don't, you don't. I'm not forcing myself to see it, but my eyes just notice it naturally.

I was watching a youtube video and did notice that the Evo was a little bit brighter

When watching the Office on Netflix I noticed that there was a little more saturation. Skin tones were a little red. Skin tones were noticeably more accurate on the Evo 4G

As far as performance, it is a little bit more snappier than my Evo 4G, but it's hardly a huge deal.

I'm going to hold on to this until the Galaxy comes out and, more than likely, switch over. One thing I do like about the Motorola is the size and feel in my head. Very comfy to hold, not very heavy, and it looks pretty good.

 

[southberm]

Hey guys I've been monitoring these boards ever since I bought the Photon yesterday.

Here were my impressions of the screen on Day 1:
When I first gave the device a whirl, the "bluish" effect soured my purchase decision. I had just traded in the evo 4g for the photon, and while I was expecting a significant improvement with the display, I found the colors and clarity to be a step back. Furthermore, the occasional presence of blocky pixels (esp in the web browser) brought back memories of the pixel nightmare that was the first PSP. Still, the phone was a pleasure overall.

Day 2:
I've been browsing through the phone, using the web, and installing apps for about 3-4 hours. My renewed impressions are that despite a slightly bluish hue, the phone is a friggin BEAUT! Once I stopped putting the display under a microscope, It became apparent to me that the color quality is quite vibrant and very responsive. Overall, I'm pleased with the phone and wont be considering returning the device.

My only advice for those of you displeased with the phone's screen issues are to put the idea on the back of your mind, and use your phone as you normally would for a few days. You just might find that once you've adjusted to using the phone, your opinion of the screen just might change.

Those are my two cents.
-Brett

 

[brushrop03]

Hey guys I've been monitoring these boards ever since I bought the Photon yesterday.

Here were my impressions of the screen on Day 1:
When I first gave the device a whirl, the "bluish" effect soured my purchase decision. I had just traded in the evo 4g for the photon, and while I was expecting a significant improvement with the display, I found the colors and clarity to be a step back. Furthermore, the occasional presence of blocky pixels (esp in the web browser) brought back memories of the pixel nightmare that was the first PSP. Still, the phone was a pleasure overall.

Day 2:
I've been browsing through the phone, using the web, and installing apps for about 3-4 hours. My renewed impressions are that despite a slightly bluish hue, the phone is a friggin BEAUT! Once I stopped putting the display under a microscope, It became apparent to me that the color quality is quite vibrant and very responsive. Overall, I'm pleased with the phone and wont be considering returning the device.

My only advice for those of you displeased with the phone's screen issues are to put the idea on the back of your mind, and use your phone as you normally would for a few days. You just might find that once you've adjusted to using the phone, your opinion of the screen just might change.

Those are my two cents.
-Brett

I think the best time to compare is asap after buying. You still either have your old phone, or remember it well enough that you can tell the difference.

Saying that, I noticed while watching a Youtube video that it looked "different". Not quite as crisp and clear as my Evo 4G. Then I loaded the same video up on both of them and could see a huge difference. Lots of pixels on the Photon and overall color reproduction pretty bad imo.

 

[HotDawg]

Yes I'm 41. And my eyes are very sensitive, being an artist.

Simcha, glad to hear your opinion as this describes me as well.

 

[gmrpnk21]

I played with one in the Sprint store for awhile, mainly to see if my eyes would pick up on the screen door effect. The colors felt like looking at a printed photo, but if I focused hard on icons or solid colors I felt like I could see the pixels moving. I am not sure if I could get passed this or not, and the e3d didn't impress me like my ogevo. I was pretty disappointed walking out of the store today, and I don't understand WHY MOTOROLA WOULD CHANGE SCREEN TECHNOLOGY? I looked at my coworker's Droid x today, and thought "the screen has a really decent picture". Why would they fix what wasn't broken? Now I have to wait on Samsung to release the s2 for Sprint and hope for the best.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

I checked out this phone at the Sprint store today. I was with two friends, and they both immediately noticed the Pentile display with the dots. I compared it to my Evo and I noticed it as well.

I've seen Pentile screens on my Samsung Captivate, but this screen is probably much more noticeable than my Captivate. I know I couldn't live with it...

 

[clgwli]

I notice the screen door effect pretty easily. In fact I can see the pattern on the screen when the phone is not on in bright light. I have eagle eyes as people say and I pick up on things like this.

That said, it doesn't bother me at all.

In fact I find the Super AMOLED+ screens to be more obnoxious to my eye. Yeah it's brighter indoors, and smoother in a way, but honestly it's over saturated and really not easy to look at a lot. I'll take the "grainy" look any day.

After using Samsung phones the bright screen is great indoors but absolutely sucks outdoors. I mean even on the brightest it is almost unusable outside. I can't stand that.

I had Netflix up last night on both my Samsung LED TV as well as the MoPho, and looking at it from a proper distance both looked fantastic to me. Both had some pixelation in the background when blurred but the rest looked equal.

I love my Samsung TV for how natural it looks with color. I feel the same with the MoPho.

I also loved the feel of the phone in my hand. The reception is outstanding and the touchscreen is perfect for my teeny little hands.

So that said, it's all what you can handle. Hate the PenTile screen? Fine don't get the phone. But it has to be a personal choice. Don't let the reviewers sway you one way or another. I almost passed on this awesome phone because of the PenTile screen, but really looking at my Asus Transformer (great screen) I see pixels. On my HD Alienware laptop I can see pixels... I don't care

 

[okamotos]

My co-worker and I immediately noticed the checkerboard effect on my Photon. He's got a pretty keen eye and said it's really bad. If you have one, try downloading Flikie Wallpapers HD and watch the pixels dance on the app's homescreen. wow. might cause seizures to unsuspecting little boys. let me know if yours isn't bad - maybe i just got a bad one.

 

[ScrapMaker]

I notice the screen door effect pretty easily. In fact I can see the pattern on the screen when the phone is not on in bright light. I have eagle eyes as people say and I pick up on things like this.

That said, it doesn't bother me at all.

In fact I find the Super AMOLED+ screens to be more obnoxious to my eye. Yeah it's brighter indoors, and smoother in a way, but honestly it's over saturated and really not easy to look at a lot. I'll take the "grainy" look any day.

After using Samsung phones the bright screen is great indoors but absolutely sucks outdoors. I mean even on the brightest it is almost unusable outside. I can't stand that.

I had Netflix up last night on both my Samsung LED TV as well as the MoPho, and looking at it from a proper distance both looked fantastic to me. Both had some pixelation in the background when blurred but the rest looked equal.

I love my Samsung TV for how natural it looks with color. I feel the same with the MoPho.

I also loved the feel of the phone in my hand. The reception is outstanding and the touchscreen is perfect for my teeny little hands.

So that said, it's all what you can handle. Hate the PenTile screen? Fine don't get the phone. But it has to be a personal choice. Don't let the reviewers sway you one way or another. I almost passed on this awesome phone because of the PenTile screen, but really looking at my Asus Transformer (great screen) I see pixels. On my HD Alienware laptop I can see pixels... I don't care

eh for color reproduction accuracy you'd likely go with kumo or panny plasma, definitely not LCD. I don't care what the salesmen say, it still doesn't look as natural as CRT or plasma... maybe that's why your photon looks fine to you. For me, the colors looks really grainy especially during any motion.

My co-worker and I immediately noticed the checkerboard effect on my Photon. He's got a pretty keen eye and said it's really bad. If you have one, try downloading Flikie Wallpapers HD and watch the pixels dance on the app's homescreen. wow. might cause seizures to unsuspecting little boys. let me know if yours isn't bad - maybe i just got a bad one.

Seems they are all like that. It is just the design...

Hey guys I've been monitoring these boards ever since I bought the Photon yesterday.

Here were my impressions of the screen on Day 1:
When I first gave the device a whirl, the "bluish" effect soured my purchase decision. I had just traded in the evo 4g for the photon, and while I was expecting a significant improvement with the display, I found the colors and clarity to be a step back. Furthermore, the occasional presence of blocky pixels (esp in the web browser) brought back memories of the pixel nightmare that was the first PSP. Still, the phone was a pleasure overall.

Day 2:
I've been browsing through the phone, using the web, and installing apps for about 3-4 hours. My renewed impressions are that despite a slightly bluish hue, the phone is a friggin BEAUT! Once I stopped putting the display under a microscope, It became apparent to me that the color quality is quite vibrant and very responsive. Overall, I'm pleased with the phone and wont be considering returning the device.

My only advice for those of you displeased with the phone's screen issues are to put the idea on the back of your mind, and use your phone as you normally would for a few days. You just might find that once you've adjusted to using the phone, your opinion of the screen just might change.

Those are my two cents.
-Brett

I tried to ignore the screen but the dancing pixels gave me a SEVERE headache after an hour or so...

 

[clgwli]

eh for color reproduction accuracy you'd likely go with kumo or panny plasma, definitely not LCD. I don't care what the salesmen say, it still doesn't look as natural as CRT or plasma... maybe that's why your photon looks fine to you. For me, the colors looks really grainy especially during any motion.

I gotta say I really don't like that kind of attitude putting people down. We were going to buy a plasma TV until we saw this LED next to the plasmas. Unfortunately we had to pay more to get this good of a quality but the good LEDs hold their own to plasmas. Only bad for LEDs is if you have a bright room they aren't quite as good. Regular LCDs were bad by comparison to both IMO.

No salesman sold us on anything, we used our eyes, looked at the TVs and then looked at the type and price.

I'm not saying the Photon isn't grainy but it isn't that much worse than anything else I see.

After all I said I am on a big HD screen here for my work - highly photo intense where color and natural look is #1 importance for my job and I can nit pick to see the pixels even on this forum.

I also said I DO see the effect but it isn't that much of a distraction to me. So my opinion is just as valid as yours

 

[EarlyMon]

+ 1

Says it all.

Further expression of the idea that people are necessarily ignorant or deficient because their choices don't agree with someone else's will be folded, spindled and mutilated.

 

[ScrapMaker]

I gotta say I really don't like that kind of attitude putting people down. We were going to buy a plasma TV until we saw this LED next to the plasmas. Unfortunately we had to pay more to get this good of a quality but the good LEDs hold their own to plasmas. Only bad for LEDs is if you have a bright room they aren't quite as good. Regular LCDs were bad by comparison to both IMO.

No salesman sold us on anything, we used our eyes, looked at the TVs and then looked at the type and price.

I'm not saying the Photon isn't grainy but it isn't that much worse than anything else I see.

After all I said I am on a big HD screen here for my work - highly photo intense where color and natural look is #1 importance for my job and I can nit pick to see the pixels even on this forum.

I also said I DO see the effect but it isn't that much of a distraction to me. So my opinion is just as valid as yours

I didn't mean that as an insult, I just know a lot of people who are convinced by a lot of marketing crap like the fake contrast ratio and all that. Sounds like you did your homework, however there is a reason why you have to pay top dollar for a real Kuro

It all comes down to whether or not a person has good enough vision to see the problem, (which you do,) and whether or not the artifacts which clearly exist bother you enough to return the phone. I'm glad this discussion is staying civil because it is giving people a heads up before blindly buying the phone. Honestly after seeing the posts from the Pentile tech owner in these forums, I was convinced it was the best thing since sliced bread. Hearing real world experiences always trumps tech white papers and theories though.

Enjoy your phone!

 

[Bek]

To those who are seeing issues with the Pentile screen, please check the phone's Display Brightness settings.

If set to 100%, please try changing it to something lower like 50% or to Auto Adjust.

When I was in the Sprint Store yesterday, the demo model was set to 100% and the screen door effect was horrible. I changed it to Auto-Adjust and it was BARELY noticeable.

Please try this and share your experiences.

 

[clgwli]

ScrapMaker I appreciate your post. I really did think that you were kind of insulting in your post towards me, so I appreciated you coming back to clarify. I think everyone has to do their homework with phones (and all electronics).

Bek raises a good point though that I didn't even think about. I keep my screen set to the lowest brightness possible at almost all times. Even outdoors I didn't have the need to kick it up to the highest. When I do put it on the highest level it is *far* more noticable.

Since I keep all my devices (save my work laptop which I need accurate) on lowest brightness and adjust to brighter only if need be, I probably am not bothered by it near as much as others.

I think 100% brightness is an unnecessary battery drain in general. The screen on this is also extremely bright at 100% so I think most will be happy at about 30%-50% in most lighting.

I do dislike Auto as well because I find that also to be a big battery drain, so I would personally try to find the right balance and adjust only when needed.

 

[jayfitt]

To those who are seeing issues with the Pentile screen, please check the phone's Display Brightness settings.

If set to 100%, please try changing it to something lower like 50% or to Auto Adjust.

When I was in the Sprint Store yesterday, the demo model was set to 100% and the screen door effect was horrible. I changed it to Auto-Adjust and it was BARELY noticeable.

Please try this and share your experiences.

This.

I traded in my 3vo for the Photon last night. I didn't notice the screen-door effect in the store, but after playing with it for a few hours last night it's all I see now! Setting the display to Auto Brightness definitely helps, but doesn't eliminate it.

I feel Motorola really dropped the ball with Blur. The colors used throughout the UI makes the screen-door effect pop even more. Furthermore, parts of the UI are inconsistent and look unpolished. For example, a menu screen that only has 2-3 options is half black and half light grey.

If they left the status bar and menu backgrounds black, the screen-door effect would be much less noticeable.

 

[brushrop03]

This.

I traded in my 3vo for the Photon last night. I didn't notice the screen-door effect in the store, but after playing with it for a few hours last night it's all I see now! Setting the display to Auto Brightness definitely helps, but doesn't eliminate it.

I feel Motorola really dropped the ball with Blur. The colors used throughout the UI makes the screen-door effect pop even more. Furthermore, parts of the UI are inconsistent and look unpolished. For example, a menu screen that only has 2-3 options is half black and half light grey.

If they left the status bar and menu backgrounds black, the screen-door effect would be much less noticeable.

For me its video playback. HTC phones just look so much better when I'm watching youtube videos. My friend didn't believe me, but when we compared his 3vo to my Photon he could see a huge difference. The colors were more rich on the Photon, but the pixelation made the video look blurry and some colors were oversaturated (Like a LED TV on Vivid/Dynamic mode).

Compared it to the Samsung Charge last night also with Super AMOLED screen. I would say the video looked much crisper than the Photon. Some saturation but not as bad as the photon. Noticeably different.

I may end up waiting for the Galaxy 2 and switching to that.

 

[whipped99]

Moved from the EVO 4G over to the Photon and so far I love this thing! I do slightly see what has been described as the screen door effect but its not bad. I think it has to do more with the screen res being so hight that it brings out the faults of the low res UI and web graphics.

For arguments sake do this..
Go download Robotek HD (free) or Riptide GP and look at how amazing these games look on this phone. I dont see any ghosting or screen door when playing these. I think we need a UI resolution overhaul. Not sure about the web textures, maybe sometype of smoothing or resampling to make the web look a little better? I think the text looks amazingly crisp/sharp.

Overall the Photon is way faster than the EVO. Just open up Google maps side by side. The Photon just flies through it where EVO is slow and waiting on map redraw. Also the Photon locks a solid 6 bars where my EVO would bounce between 2 and 3 at the house.

I skipped the EVO 3d due to the washed out and lame colors. The original EVO screen looks better IMHO. Also the 3d effect isnt as pronounced as say the Nintendo 3ds even if the screen res is lower on the Ninty.

 

[mitchedo]

I went to the Sprint store last week and spent about 15 minutes with the Photon. It was across the room from the 3VO, so I could not compare side-by-side. No doubt, the screen and OS goodies on the 3VO were superb, but I'm not buying a phone with 3D and a weak cellular radio. I could overlook the 3D (maybe) if the call radio was strong.

Disclaimer: I am 51 years old, and my eyes ain't what they used to be. I do, however, have brand-new bifocals.

I thought the screen on the Photon was simply gorgeous. I can see bad things on the AMOLED PenTile screens, but for the life of me, I couldn't see any of them on the Photon.

I've been waiting for the Galaxy S2 since, what, April? I think I'm going to try to give it one more week for an official announcement, but I'm leaning HEAVILY toward the Photon.

It seems the RGBW PenTile screen is somewhat more power efficient. It seems the PenTile screen has far superior visibility in direct sunlight. It seems the cellular radio on the Photon is the best around. The Photon has enterprise-level Exchange security (my employer does not allow Android, but maybe I can sweet-talk them on the Photon). It seems Motorola has a much better record with software updates.

What does the GS2 have? Samsung's *cough* stellar reputation for software support. A lower res screen (a big plus for me, actually), A somewhat faster SOC, and a lower build quality. I don't like the AMOLED screens I've seen. They all look like they belong on a child's phone. They are over-saturated to the point of being ridiculously cartoonish. Viewability in direct sunlight is questionable.

Do I care if my colors are not perfect. No. Do I care if I can detect some pixels? No. Do I care if I can make calls in a fringe area? YES! Do I care if I can see the screen in direct sunlight? YES! Do I care if the screen gives me even an extra hour of battery life? Yes.

It's a phone, fer cryin' out loud! I'll trade perfect colors and perfectly-smooth images for direct sunlight viewability, better battery life, and a strong cellular radio any day of the week. ...assuming those things are true, of course. I would not trade that away simply to save fifty bucks on a phone, however.

 

[brushrop03]

It seems the RGBW PenTile screen is somewhat more power efficient. It seems the PenTile screen has far superior visibility in direct sunlight. It seems the cellular radio on the Photon is the best around. The Photon has enterprise-level Exchange security (my employer does not allow Android, but maybe I can sweet-talk them on the Photon). It seems Motorola has a much better record with software updates.

What does the GS2 have? Samsung's *cough* stellar reputation for software support. A lower res screen (a big plus for me, actually), A somewhat faster SOC, and a lower build quality. I don't like the AMOLED screens I've seen. They all look like they belong on a child's phone. They are over-saturated to the point of being ridiculously cartoonish. Viewability in direct sunlight is questionable.

Do I care if my colors are not perfect. No. Do I care if I can detect some pixels? No. Do I care if I can make calls in a fringe area? YES! Do I care if I can see the screen in direct sunlight? YES! Do I care if the screen gives me even an extra hour of battery life? Yes.

It's a phone, fer cryin' out loud! I'll trade perfect colors and perfectly-smooth images for direct sunlight viewability, better battery life, and a strong cellular radio any day of the week. ...assuming those things are true, of course. I would not trade that away simply to save fifty bucks on a phone, however.

It's actually MORE than just a phone. If I wanted just a phone i'd get a blackberry or a nice flip phone. And I would hope they have good software updates considering they are being stick in the muds about the bootloader.