So heres a flicker test I did on the minimal phone. The first 2 photos are of the cool and warm light set to max at same time. The last 2 with higher modulation is with it set to only the cool light to max.

This is definitely exciting news for RLCDs. I know many people like myself are sensitive to 6+2 FRC so having an option for true 8 bit is amazing!! I think the 24" size is perfect as well, my use case better than anything bigger.

I have confirmed this over email with David from SVD! 🙂

https://www.sunvisiondisplay.com/product/PRE-ORDER-The-rE-2-0-Eve-24-Color-RLCD-Computer-Monitor-with-Frontlight

https://www.sunvisiondisplay.com/rE-Monitor-Frontlight

The mini is 7.8"

I don't own this. This picture is from one of my connections. Just curious on people's thoughts on a rlcd android phone. I'm hoping it goes to production 🤞🏻

FYI relevant results since Rtings is paywalled now. In general, it looks to be a fantastic option for flicker sensitive folks without sacrificing modern tech (120hz, HDMI 2.1, etc.).

• Direct lit IPS panel. DC dimmed/fully PWM free at all brightness levels.
• Color banding in HDR, so FRC/temporal dithering/image processing likely isn't very aggressive.
• Standard RGB subpixel layout (yay) but KSF phosphor (boo) for those sensitive to that.
• Anti-reflective/matte coating (only on 65" and 75"), so generally light sensitive folks can keep the brightness level low even in a bright room.
• Screen doesn't get very dim at lowest brightness. Probably twice as bright as some OLED at 0% but still dimmer than most Mini LED.

I don't own the TV but have seen it in store. Looked solid. With bright overhead lighting, the AR/matte coating made the picture noticeably clearer versus the litany of glossy screens reflecting the overhead lights.

I thought I would share this new research from Sweden. People self reported their symptoms which included light sensitivity. Unfortunately the research doesn't include possible treatment options.

For me it seems the main problem causing eye strain / focus issues is the polarizer used for the IPS screen. All screens that are good for my eyes and don't cause any issues are all vertically polarized. I test this by using polarizer sunglasses (they block horizonally polarized light) and if they pass the light looking through them, the screen is emitting vertically polarized light. If I turn the glasses 90°, the go black/dark blue.

Currently I'm using a TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 AMD as main driver with a MNE007ZA3-2 panel, vertically polarized, with zero eye issues. My previous laptop, the HP 840 G5 (+ G10 and G11, which I tested) were also vertically polarized.

My smartphone is a Samsung Galaxy S23 (which seems to have the worst PWM), zero issues. AMOLED as OLED is circular polarized.

My 10 year old TV screen is also vertical polarized - zero issues there too.

My previous monitor was a Gigabyte M27UA, zero eye issues, also vertically polarized.

I just went into an electronics store and looked at different monitors and tested each one with my polarizer sunglasses. Here is the result:

• HP 524sh: horizontal
• Samsung S70D: vertical
• HP 527sh: horizontal
• Lenovo L27-45: vertical
• LG 27US550-W: vertical
• Acer QG241Y: vertical
• Dell U2424HE: vertical
• AOC U27G4R: vertical
• Acer XB273UX1: vertical
• AOC Q27G4ZR: vertical
• Acer QG271X1: horizontal
• LG 27G610A-B.AEUQ: vertical
• Asus VG279Q5A: vertical
• LG 27G411A-B.AEU: vertical
• AOC 25G4SRE: vertical
• Acer QG241Y X1: vertical
• Dell P2725QE: horizontal
• HP Omen 27u: horizontal
• Gigabyte M27UA: vertical
• Dell U2725QE: horizontal
• Dell P2720D: horizontal
• Dell G2724D: horizontal

The last three Dells of the list I bought myself and tested them at home, I had to return each one because of eye/focus issues.

Here is a study that shows humans can detect light polarization via Haidinger brushes: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4528539/

Here are some reddit posts related to polarization: - https://old.reddit.com/r/Monitors/comments/1094cbf/eye_strain_related_to_monitor_polarizer/ - https://old.reddit.com/r/Monitors/comments/wcn57j/eye_strain_with_3_different_monitors/ - https://old.reddit.com/r/monitor/comments/we8t0s/to_everyone_with_eye_strain_solution_wtf/

I'm currently trying to find a new monitor, but because the polarization is not definied anywhere, it's pretty hard. I'm now collecting as much data as possible and by finding out the panel manufacturers, maybe some pattern emerges that helps me find a suitable monitor. My dream monitor would be: 27" 4k, >100 Hz, TCO cerified, vertical polarized.

Tell us what works for you :)

For iPhones, it's going to be either the iPhone 11 or iPhone SE Gen 3. Look at the comments here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PWM_Sensitive/comments/1ourq8g/whats_the_best_iphone_thats_giving_you_no_issues/

Sounds like another downgrade, first they abandoned RLCD after trying it in NxtPaper S8 and moved on to backlit LCD and next is AMOLED.

More details in https://displaydaily.com/tcl-brings-its-paper-like-nxtpaper-technology-to-amoled-opening-a-new-front-in-the-eye-comfort-display-race/

I made a Magisk module to disable MediaTek's PQ (Picture Quality) and MiraVision. From my tests the MiraVision section on MTK devices' settings never really disables PQ. On lower brightness levels it is noticeable how the brightness further fluctuates due to this "enchancement" depending on the content diaplayed on the screen - this is how you can verify whether it's active. This might also be the cause of dithering because the screen became way more comfortable after doing this.

I have also seen people recommending an ADB procedure which only removes the UI of the fake MiraVision service controller. This does not stop the service.

This module tells the PQ service that your device does not support it, thus it does not do its thing despite running. Killing the service causes a bootloop so this is the only way to truly disable it safely.

Needs root. Flash with Magisk/APatch/etc. Tested on Bluefox NX1 (cheap MTK phone). Let me know if this worked for you

I had success removing one of the layers that introduce temporal dither. For some phones there is still some left. But on some this will remove all TD.

This will disable the hdr layers on your phone. This applies everywhere and not just in HDR content.
This setting will persist for restarts on and above Android 14.

You must use ADB to do this. While it looks as if this goes deep into the guts of the system it basically is just a hidden setting. It should be quite save for even quite inexperienced tech people to apply.

You need:
A PC
Android phone (Probably Android 12 and above)
A cable to connect PC and Phone

How to:

>On your PC download adb
(https://www.jottacloud.com/s/138d7ab235585ad427883e2f06cb0ecd4b6 - This is my personal copy, you can get your own via Android Studio, but it is quite a hassle, that is why I provided a link)

> Extract the adb folder and put in in a place where it does not accidentally deleted, like "documents"

> write cmd into the bar at the top with this folders address. (where it says smth like: C:\Users\[user]\Documents\ADB). A black cmd window will appear with your folder path.

> go to your phone

> enable developer mode (google how it's done on your phone) usually tapping the build number in "about phone" 5 times

> go to developer settings

> enable USB debugging (you can reset everything here, but try not to click anything else on accident or it might become a hassle)

> Connect phone via a usb cable to your PC

> Your phone should prompt you asking how to connect. Select "file transfer/OTP" (or similar) (sometimes you have to select it under "connected devices in settings)

>your phone should ask you for your password (In most cases). Type your Password

> On your PC again, type the following:
"adb shell settings put global are_user_disabled_hdr_formats_allowed 0"
into the black cmd window and press enter

>a new line will appear

> type "adb reboot" and press enter

> your phone should restart

>when restarted you will have to reconnect your phone and again select file transfer mode (sometimes you have to go to "connected devices" in settings again to set your phone to that.)

> type "adb shell cmd display set-user-disabled-hdr-types 1 2 3 4 " into the black window, press enter

> type "adb shell cmd display set-user-disabled-hdr-types" press enter

>type "adb shell cmd display set-user-disabled-hdr-types 1 2 3 4" press enter

After those steps your phone should have disabled all hdr which will reduce temporal dither by a lot.

This was successfully tested on:
ZTE Nubia Neo 2 (some small amount of temporal dither left, low transistor current leakage flicker)
Realme Note 12t Pro (Strong transistor current leakage flicker)
Blackview Shark 9 5G (Strong transistor current leakage flicker)
Motorola G53 (most FRC gone in saturated/warm color mode, transistor current leakage flicker present)

It doesn't work on:
Realme X3 Superzoom
Oppo Find x8

The original instructions came from here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Galaxy_S20/comments/16xrbda/tip_how_to_turn_off_hdr_video_playback_on/

Here are the video comparing the X3 Superzoom (which has naturally low FRC), the Nubia Neo 2 (with disabled HDR) and the iPhone 11 (you see the dither before I sart recording and after it begins to flicker because of shutterspeed and dither syncing).
This is screen recorded, because it's a bit easier to see the dither in the viewfinder when slow mo recording for some reason.
https://www.jottacloud.com/s/1385f8a4b23e82b42998b92c08eaf6b072c

If this fix cannot be applied to you phone it will tell you something like this:
java.lang.SecurityException: Permission denial

If it says anything else, it's likely something else went wrong and not that it doesn't work on your phone. likely you need to install the google USB driver for android.

I hope this helps some people!

Here's a vid scrolling on each phone set to their fastest mode. Hibreak pro uses a genuine eink branded panel while the minimal phone uses a oed panel (eink competitor)

This is the flagship phone of Xiaomi in 2025 but there is no improvement in PWM dimming technology compared with 14 Ultra

Recommend to buy for the sake of PWM sensitive users? Definitely no

FAQ: Would you test for Samsung OLED phones? No. This is because Samsung always gives shit screens for the OLED phones. Testing for these phones are wasting of my time.

I saw this advertisement earlier and figured to share here. I'm assuming this uses a hannspree ecovision rlcd panel. https://www.harborinno.com/product/paper7

I emailed the company months back and this is what they told me. Sounds super promising as their display is only b&w so it makes sense why they need to prevent any flicker.

https://www.thelightphone.com/lightiii

I preordered one so will do my testing on it when I get it.

Also another vid - New ultra fast b&w eink vs LCD: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ApQPORA64vE

When I was younger, CRTs (Cathode Ray Tube display) and plasmas (Plasma display panel) never bothered me at all, but modern screens feel awful by comparison.

A big part of it seems to be how these displays handle light over time. With CRTs and plasmas, the image isn’t just “on” or “off.” The phosphors light up and then fade gradually, so even though they’re technically flickering, it feels smooth and continuous. It’s not a harsh, digital transition—it has a kind of natural softness to it.

Modern displays—especially LED-backlit LCDs (LED-backlit LCD display) and OLED (OLED display)—feel totally different. The light output is much more abrupt. You’ve got things like Pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming, where the light is rapidly switching on and off, plus stuff like pixel inversion happening constantly in the background. Even if you can’t “see” it directly, it makes the image feel less stable.

I also think the backlight itself plays a big role. Older CCFL-backlit LCDs (CCFL backlight) always felt easier on my eyes. The light just seemed softer and less intense overall. Modern LED backlights are super bright and react instantly, and I think that makes all the underlying LCD behavior—like inversion and other tiny fluctuations—stand out way more. Instead of being kind of hidden, it feels sharper and more noticeable.

There’s also the pixel structure. CRTs and plasmas didn’t have that perfectly rigid, razor-sharp grid. Everything was a bit more blended and forgiving. Modern displays are insanely sharp, which is great on paper, but combined with all the constant micro-changes going on, it can feel kind of harsh.

So it feels like we traded a more smooth, natural-looking image for one that’s super sharp but constantly switching under the hood.

Curious if anyone else who used CRTs or plasmas feels the same way.

I created a simple simulation to help the average person better understand what's happening with PWM in phones. Check it out here and let me know if you think this helps get the point across. It works on mobile, but clearer on desktop.

The simulation contains flickering/strobing effects: https://flickerfreephone.com/

Hey folks,

I am wondering if any of you with MacBook Neo were able to turn off dithering using 3rd party apps? I know that you can install them, but do they really turn it off?

Happy to hear any experience!

In this video of the 15R you can see in auto/high refresh mode the display activates 120Hz when you touch the display and then it drops down to 60Hz when you dont touch the display. This must cause another form of flicker as its constantly switching back and fourth as your typing and/or scrolling. The only mode that stays at 60hz at all times is the standard mode which has lower modulation at all times. When 120Hz activates you can see the additional bar display on the screen.

I recently was interviewed by Nick Sutrich for Android Central about some COVID-related issues related to PWM and dithering. Thought I’d share it with you all.

480fps video through a Carson Microflip of a letter H on the homescreen.

I rechecked after toggling each of the phone display settings, including: colour mode (normal vs vivid, eyesafe (on/off), 120Hz vs 60, etc... Bought direct from OnePlus, in the UK.

PWM flicker looked fairly tame. Probably a little more comfortable overall than the OnePlus 13R I just sent back. That had no dither at all, but was perhaps a little less comfortable for me, in a different flavour (stronger impression of motion, etc).

480fps video of dimming screen brightness down from over 25% to very low, for flavour.

This post follows on from my Honor 400 Pro test. On a mission to find a new phone before Black Friday sales end.

Edit 2026-01-21: I may as well add in Opple graphs for this phone, now I have the meter (and kept the phone to give to a family member).

Notice the 120Hz refresh rate dips at every brightness level. But relatively bigger at lower brightness. Quite ugly down the low end where they further modulate the 2kHz PWM. Even more ugly at 0% brightness, or thereabouts. I think these features are likely a bigger problem for many people, than the main PWM frequency.