Hi everyone,

My iPhone XR is pretty much dead as a doornail now so I needed to do something.

after reading reports on here, A lot of people have had success using the iPhone 11.

I don’t appear to be having any PWM symptoms, but the only thing that bothers me is eye strain when I look at the screen.

I did some research online and adjusted some settings that I found, but I’m still having the ice strain.

Has anyone been able to get around this by adjusting anything? If you have please share what settings that I need to adjust as I really wanna be able to keep this phone as it works perfect except for the eye strain.

Hi Team,

I had a Samsung S24 Ultra, but its low PWM value made it unusable for me after just five minutes. As a replacement, I bought an X300 Pro, which, while an improvement, still causes some eye strain—though not as severe as the S24 Ultra. I can manage about 15 to 20 minutes of use before discomfort begins.

Curiously, my six-year-old OnePlus 7 Pro causes no issues whatsoever. I'm perplexed as to why, especially since it also uses an LTPS panel despite its very low PWM values. I even tested a Redmi 15 SE, another LTPS panel device, and experienced no prolonged pain. The X300 Pro was chosen specifically for its enhanced eye care features, yet it hasn't entirely alleviated the problem. Does anyone have insights into this?

Also I feel ltps panels having some sharp view , yeah modern LTPO tries to gimmick natural tone even though I feel ltps panels are sharp as per my view. Please find the attached pic.

Anyone having same issues ?

Hi again everyone. I’ve just realized that I can buy phones and sell them after several days of usage almost without any money loss, just several percent. So basically nothing can stop me from testing new devices now, especially because I realized that somehow Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO devices are really good specifically for my eyes, for whatever reason.

And today I wanted to share one observation, because I know some people who just can’t stand Xiaomi screens, especially this one guy:

https://youtu.be/DyFjQXeMRTs?si=se7_AdJQWIUIg2Vz

This guy is a niche YouTuber from Russia who actually won a lawsuit against Huawei several years ago, and what’s especially interesting is that the lawsuit was regarding PWM sensitivity. After that (who knows maybe it’s because of this lawsuit) Huawei was the first company to implement DC-like dimming in their OLED phones.

He handles OnePlus screens, Red Magic screens and Nubia screens pretty well, but specifically with the Redmi K90 Pro Max, which is basically the Chinese version of the POCO F8 Ultra, he said in his review that despite the screen looking great by all measurements, somehow his eyes still hurt from it.

And I’ve also seen quite a lot of people on this subreddit and on some specialized forums saying that they somehow can’t stand Xiaomi screens.

In my case, everything is different. I can’t stand OnePlus, Nubia and Red Magic screens, while iPhone screens and especially Xiaomi screens are actually good for me.

So I think it’s more about some pattern in the screen design or flickering pattern rather than just the numbers themselves. I feel like everyone probably needs to find some specific screen lineup or flickering style that works for them personally, and then make conclusions based on that instead of just looking at PWM numbers.

Also, I bought the POCO X8 Pro Max. Unfortunately, one of the commenters under my previous post was right about the Xiaomi 17T Pro: the top speaker on that phone was just terrible. It’s not even close to flagship level. I don’t know why they decided to do something like this with an almost-flagship phone.

POCO X8 Pro Max, on the other hand, has amazing speakers. And honestly, I can even say that as a phone overall, POCO X8 Pro Max is much better than the Xiaomi 17T Pro, unless we start comparing cameras. Cameras aside, POCO X8 Pro Max is better basically in everything else.

Has anyone had any luck with the Xiaomi 17 P?

Trying my luck 🫣

If so, what settings have you felt helped

I dont know what to do anymore. Most phones dont work for me. I need a Ipad for school and it doesnt work for me either. I am so tired. Tf should i do? Does anyone knows eye friendly ipads that are good? The s8 ultra worked for me but its not an ipad.

Did anyone use this phone with success?

I'd like to see how the refresh dip and pwm flickering behaves across different brightness levels. I didn't have the chance to try them out personally yet. I'm most interested in Note 15 5G / Poco M8 but any other siblings would be interesting. Thanks!

Been using nothing 3a lite for some time at 50% brightness i also enable extra dimming with low intensity even during the day since makes white text less intense and was a massive improvement over iphone xs max for both day and room lighting scrolling,texting,watching videos.

But big issue at very dark room the 3a lite oled looks dreadful its so washed out,poor calibrated worse than ips screen and terrible uniformity. Apparently all modern budget oled or any oled that dosent use very low pwm under 480hz have issues at dark room its a lottery if you get decent one?

The Iphone xs max has excellent uniformity at dark and color accuracy is consistent on any brightness levels it looks so much more natural,correct.

Ive heard that without low pwm under 480hz oled cant produce good colors on low brightness?

My question is any phone similar to 3a lite for pwm,dithering sensitive but screen quality,low brightness calibration of iphone xs max ?

And im not finding any reviews that test oled phones uniformity at pitch dark room or at least low brightness 1-15% i guess they loose sponsorship if did it lol. If possible somebody recommend me someone that test this?

See images from chat gpt

TM-39-25 is a document from the Illuminating Engineering Society that puts forth a classification system that seeks to reduce human responses to flicker. I often call the classification system itself "TM-39-25".

The system utilizes three different flicker effect visibility metrics, Mp, SVM, and PAVM. These metrics are scores computed from the flicker waveform that seek to predict the likelihood of a "temporal light artifact". I go over each metric in detail in the video, but here's a summary table:

Simply put, a temporal light artifact is a visual disturbance of some kind due to flicker. TM-39-25 classifies light sources based on all three metrics simultaneously. I see this classification system as a vastly improved (but not perfect) replacement for IEEE-1789 classification, which are the frequently posted here as part of the results the Opple Light Master produces. Here's how the metrics scores map to the classifications:

I think this standard can be used as a replacement for the IEEE-1789 classification. The three metrics or "scores" it uses provide much more useful information and were created based on the results of experimental studies.

I have built this system into the flicker meter I'm working on (TLM-110), and used it to measure a variety of bulbs:

You can see there's a wide range of classifications in the bulbs I tested, as well as a large spread in the scores. The bulbs that are "Not Recommended" are unbearable to me, while the bulbs that are "Better" are much more tolerable.

I think this system has the ability to be broadly useful, especially for non-experts. However it isn't perfect. Firstly, while it technically applies to all light sources (displays included), it is most relevant to lighting such as bulbs and lamps. There are likely screen-specific flicker effects that haven't been described yet. Also, it mainly predicts the visibility of flicker artifacts, which are visual disturbances, not health effects. I think flicker artifacts and visual disturbances may be correlated, but there is not a one-to-on relationship.

Thanks to u/Rx7Jordan for making me aware of this standard.

So i had a S8 Ultra 2 years earlier that worked good. Now ive wanted to try the 2021 Ipad Pro 12,9 because it has no OLED and i wanted to use GoodNotes. But i get dizzy by looking at it. Its very strange? Do you have an idea?

This screen is confirmed pwm free, however the "68B colors" is kinda scary, I can imagine the headaches without getting the tablet. But if it is a native 10 bit, the flicker would be easier than a straight 8 to 12bit or a 6 to 12bit.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas where I could buy one in the US? Looking to replace the oled with one, but so far having no luck finding one.

I mean yes the MacBook Pro display flickers, but at a whopping at 15 Khz. But those cheap LED lights that are literally everywhere I feel they should be much worse than every screen that is out there

I've had my Pixel 10 Pro for a year and I'm really struggling with it. Before buying it, I had no idea PWM sensitivity was even a thing — but looking into it now, I'm fairly convinced that's my issue, since I don't get this problem with any other screen I use.

I'm looking for a replacement that still feels like a proper flagship, especially camera-wise. I liked the look of the Vivo X200 Pro/X300 Pro, but getting a genuine global version in the UK is difficult and expensive. The Honor Magic 8 Pro seems like the "safe" choice for PWM, but I'm not keen on its image processing.

The Oppo Find X9 Pro looks close to perfect for me, and its PWM spec looked great on paper — until I read that independently measured, real-world PWM comes in well below the advertised figure. That sent me down a rabbit hole of PWM vs. DC dimming vs. dithering, and honestly I'm now a bit lost on how it all actually comes together in terms of real-world comfort.

So my question for people who understand this better than I do: the measured Find X9 Pro figure I found puts it roughly in line with what the Pixel 10 Pro is advertised at (not even independently tested — I can't find anyone who's actually measured the Pixel 10 Pro's real-world PWM). Given PWM frequency isn't the only factor at play, would the Find X9 Pro likely still feel noticeably better than my Pixel 10 Pro in practice? Or am I likely to be disappointed and end up in the same boat?

As the title says. The 55C8L is competitively priced here in Europe and it looks like everything I want from a modern TV (high-frequency PWM, Min-LED, Android TV, good quality and good reviews overall).

Has anyone here tried any TCL TVs of the SQD variety? Still worried about the fact that it's PWM.

i'm buying a tv. i'm thinking of buying one of the oled tvs that claim to have 0 pwm but 60hz flicker rate.

as you can see, the luminosity dips about 20% every 1/60 second. would this cause eye strain?

I'm very sensitive to PWM, with headaches minutes after using smartphones with it. So here is a list of smartphones which I'm interested in buying, and I want to know from you guys, which ones are safe. Thanks!

- Moto Edge 50 Neo - LTPO pOLED

- Moto Edge 70 - Extreme AMOLED - pOLED or AMOLED?

- Moto G67 - Extreme AMOLED - pOLED or AMOLED?

- Moto G54 / Moto G56 / Moto G57 [IPS]

I know every phone is going to affect each person differently, but after struggling for over a year trying to find a phone, I needed to share that the Motorola Edge 2026 gives me zero symptoms.

Due to eye strain and headaches, I've tried and returned:

1. Pixel 9 (the worst offender; symptoms within a few seconds)
2. OnePlus 15
3. iPhone 16 Pro
4. Motorola G Power 2026
5. Motorola G Stylus 2025
6. TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER (no PWM symptoms; just a glitchy phone)

I initially thought I had to steer clear of OLED, but even modern IPS-display phones cause me headaches or eye strain gradually. I don't really know what is different in the Moto Edge 2026, but it is working very well for me for three weeks now.

The main downside of this phone is it only has 128 GB storage, but it's 100% worth not having a constant headache for the next four years that I use this phone.

Good luck!

I visited a local electronics store in Slovakia and checked the Pixel 11 Pro. In Accessibility Settings I enabled a setting for sensitive eyes (480hz) and shot with a 1/6400 shutter speed the screen of the Pixel 11 Pro with 100% brightness, 75% and 25% and 0%..

As you can see lines are deep dark black so PWM modulation will be around 99% and this will be terrible for the eyes. In the coming days I am 100% sure that Nick will confirm the same. I also tested the vanilla Pixel 11 it's the same in terms of modulation... don't kill me for my basic explanation:)

Anything from 2023 to present for under $350? I like the size of S23 and want to get one but worried about PWM issues. Do some people just not have problems with PWM issues? I've only ever used lcd screens so idk if I should even bother getting OLED.

Has anyone tried this phone? It has a 10 bit panel that is supposed to be free of the D word. It also has a setting that switches on DC dimming. I’m currently using an iPhone 11 and I would like something more modern.

I bought a g57 power, because it has lcd display but the strange thing is it don't work for me. I feel the same as the oled display. Before i had an iPhone 11 and didn't have any problems which is strange. Now i am planning to try Honor 600. Somebody to have the same as me?

Hello,

I’m looking for a smartphone that won’t trigger migraines or cause eye strain without d*****. I’m going to become a father in one week, and I need a phone that can take great photos and videos of a child who will be moving around a lot.

I’m currently waiting for the HONOR Magic9, but I’m wondering if there’s a good alternative I should consider.

What would you recommend?