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Using the screen in sunlight

naviwilliams

naviwilliams

Android Enthusiast
I know you've experienced this. You're outside, you receive a call, text message or an email a notification of sorts. In doing so you proceed to unlock your screen to thus read said notification, but due to the sheer brightness of the sun, you can't see a thing on your screen (this wasn't the case on my iPhone at 45% screen brightness).

What are the best remedy's for this? I know I could make the screen brighter (I have it set to 55% at the moment) maybe even 100%, but surely there are other options, no?

Thanks in advance


Ivan
 
Using a bright wallpaper, and turning up the brightness, are the only two options I know of to make the screen more legible in sunlight.
 
Yep this is my biggest downfall about this phone, almost to the point to where I might be looking to get rid of it and I've only had it for 3 weeks. Sucks!
 
I use the Brightness Level Disc Widget. It's strategically placed. From the homescreen, I swipe to the right and I know the general area where it's places so I just push it to adjust the screen brightness. They have a 2x2 sized widget so it's pretty big and hard to miss even though you're blindly touching your screen.

It's not so helpful when people call though.
 
My only issue is the pattern screen. Auto brightness wastes power. But having manual set brightness is not without its pitfalls
 
I have trouble walking around my house in the dark, but don't want to turn the lights on......anyone have any suggestions??

Sounds like a ridiculous complaint - turn the screen up and you can see it!!
 
donas said:
I have trouble walking around my house in the dark, but don't want to turn the lights on......anyone have any suggestions??

Sounds like a ridiculous complaint - turn the screen up and you can see it!!
Click to expand...

Using your analogy, it's more akin to waking from a nap to discover it's gone dark, and now you can't easily find the light switch to turn on the lights because it's dark and you're fumbling blindly.

When you go to use the phone and realize it's too bright to see your screen, it's not easy to unlock your phone and then find the controls to turn up the screen brightness.

It's not as easy as you make it sound.
 
davoid said:
Using your analogy, it's more akin to waking from a nap to discover it's gone dark, and now you can't easily find the light switch to turn on the lights because it's dark and you're fumbling blindly.

When you go to use the phone and realize it's too bright to see your screen, it's not easy to unlock your phone and then find the controls to turn up the screen brightness.

It's not as easy as you make it sound.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I'm very happy to turn the screen up when I need. If only when I need it, I could see the screen to see the brightness control.

I feel a tasker profile coming on
 
SUroot said:
Well I did this. Event- display on, task- autobrightness on, wait 5 seconds, autobrightness off
Click to expand...

I did one also. Mine just whacks the brightness up to 255 if %LIGHT is greater than 4000 lux. I have a screen off task that resets a setting of 255 back to a default 120, otherwise brightness remains at the level I set manually with the drop down slider.

I like Tasker :)
 
davoid said:
I did one also. Mine just whacks the brightness up to 255 if %LIGHT is greater than 4000 lux. I have a screen off task that resets a setting of 255 back to a default 120, otherwise brightness remains at the level I set manually with the drop down slider.

I like Tasker :)
Click to expand...

Ooh that sounds better than mine.

Can you supply a screen shot of your variable please?
 
It's quite simple. This task is triggered on Screen On:

2012-08-12144547.png



And this task is triggered on Screen Off:

2012-08-12144644.png



The second one is just to make sure that if I forget, I don't cane the battery by leaving the brightness on max. Otherwise next screen on it will be on whatever I set it to manually with the slider .
 
i'm using an from the market called lux. it cost like 2 bucks i think but the auto brightness from this app works very well i don't think u would be disappointed
 
I managed to output my Tasker sunlight profile as an app that can be installed and used without the need for tasker!

I am trying it now, and it works while I have the Tasker profile turned off!

If anyone wants to install it and see if it solves your visibility problems, here it is:

Sunlight.apk

Disclaimer: I'm not an app developer. I used the Tasker app's ability to export profiles as apps. Although unlikely, if this screws up your phone, I am not responsible. You install at your own risk.

That said, if you have any problems, I'll try to help :)

The app works as described in the earlier post (post #16), that is:

When you press the unlock button and the screen comes on... if the lux level is greater than 4000 i.e. bright, sunlight, then the app simply whacks the display level up to max (255). You are then free to adjust it manually after this if you wish, via the pull down notification slider or the Settings menu.

Then when the screen goes off, if the display level is still set to max 255, the app will set it to a level roughly half way (123), so that next time you turn on the screen it won't be set to max (unless it is still in bright sunlight :)). This is to save the battery from draining by having the setting too high)

Otherwise the screen brightness will remain at whatever level you set it to manually.

Make sure Auto Brighness is turned off.

Let me know if it works. :)
 
You all should try the Incredible 2 in the sunlight. This phone is awesome in the sunlight with autobrightness on compared to the Incredible 2.
 
davoid said:
I managed to output my Tasker sunlight profile as an app that can be installed and used without the need for tasker!

I am trying it now, and it works while I have the Tasker profile turned off!

If anyone wants to install it and see if it solves your visibility problems, here it is:

Sunlight.apk

Disclaimer: I'm not an app developer. I used the Tasker app's ability to export profiles as apps. Although unlikely, if this screws up your phone, I am not responsible. You install at your own risk.

That said, if you have any problems, I'll try to help :)

The app works as described in the earlier post (post #16), that is:

When you press the unlock button and the screen comes on... if the lux level is greater than 4000 i.e. bright, sunlight, then the app simply whacks the display level up to max (255). You are then free to adjust it manually after this if you wish, via the pull down notification slider or the Settings menu.

Then when the screen goes off, if the display level is still set to max 255, the app will set it to a level roughly half way (123), so that next time you turn on the screen it won't be set to max (unless it is still in bright sunlight :)). This is to save the battery from draining by having the setting too high)

Otherwise the screen brightness will remain at whatever level you set it to manually.

Make sure Auto Brighness is turned off.

Let me know if it works. :)
Click to expand...

How? I can only export tasks with app factory (which seems pointless)
 
naviwilliams said:
What are the best remedy's for this? I know I could make the screen brighter (I have it set to 55% at the moment) maybe even 100%, but surely there are other options, no?
Click to expand...

Get a large black cloth, drape it over your head and the phone.
I can see it now- Seido Sun Cloth for Samsung Galaxy S3... imagine the unboxing videos! :D

But seriously, it sucks in the sun.
 
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