iPhone 7 Plus screen brightness issue update
Well, I received the 2nd replacement iPhone 7 Plus today, and unfortunately it is even dimmer than the first 1st replacement iPhone 7 Plus, and both are much dimmer than my iPhone 6 Plus.
Here are the results, and thoughts about going forward.
First, comparison screenshots.
Left is 1st replacement iPhone 7 Plus received 12/23/2016, right is 2nd replacement iPhone 2 Plus received 1/23/2017. The 1st replacement is clearly brighter.
Switched order to show it’s not a camera illusion. Left is 2nd replacement iPhone 7 Plus received today, right is 1st replacement iPhone 7 Plus. The 1st replacement is obviously much brighter.
Here we have the 2nd replacement iPhone 7 Plus on the left, the iPhone 6 Plus in the middle and the 1st replacement iPhone 7 Plus on the right. The iPhone 6 Plus is obviously brighter than either iPhone 7 Plus.
Again, the 2nd replacement iPhone 7 Plus on the left, the iPhone 6 Plus in the middle and the 1st replacement iPhone 7 Plus on the right. This time the view is more straight on. The iPhone 6 Plus is obviously brighter than either iPhone 7 Plus.
First, I am going to return the original iPhone 7 Plus and the 2nd replacement iPhone 7 Plus as soon as possible. I’m getting nervous about having all these extra iPhone 7 Pluses here. I have reset both of those devices and packed them up nicely in their boxes, with all the original accessories. Apple can be pick them up at any time.
I’m currently using the 1st replacement iPhone 7 Plus, which, while obviously worse than the iPhone 6 Plus is very noticeably better than the 2nd replacement iPhone 7 Plus received today. It’s even more obvious to the naked eye than it is in the photos.
As to what to do next, I don’t really know. It seems obvious to me:
1. There is great variation in the manufacturing of different iPhone 7 Pluses. I know that not just from direct comparison today, but also from seeing my American friends’ iPhone 7 Pluses last month, which I posted photos of. Theirs are clearly much brighter than mine. I am really surprised there is such variation from device to device.
2. I’m sorry to say this, but I feel that the Apple engineering team is not being honest with the liaison or with me. The iPhone 7 Plus is supposed to be not just 25% brighter but, in Apple’s words:
“So what you see will be noticeably more brilliant and vibrant.”
As I mentioned before, if something looks darker and looks dingier it is impossible to say it is “noticeably more brilliant and vibrant.” The word “noticeably” means something you can visually see. If you can’t see it, it isn’t noticeable.
I don’t know how much Apple wants to continue to try to solve the problem. But there is a problem.
I am pretty stressed out from this over the last 10 weeks. One option for me would be to just move on and stick with this iPhone 7 Plus or sell it and switch to another company’s smartphone. In that case Apple will have lost a customer, because how can I ever buy anything from Apple again with any confidence?
I would hope that Apple would stand by their word and really try to figure out what is going on here. I wonder what I should tell my friends and colleagues at this point. And I’ve still been waiting more than 2 months now to send my iPhone 6 Plus to my sister.
Anyway, that’s how things stand now. I will post again if and when I have updates.
I have to say that I don’t think you’re being unreasonable – the difference is obvious. I’m not particularly an Apple person but they certainly have a reputation for building high quality technology and any Apple product I’ve ever used has been very well made.
I’m more than a little surprised they’re treating you this way, but they wouldn’t be the first manufacturer doomed because they thought they were so far ahead nobody could ever catch up.
While depressing, I am starting to think about my post Apple life if they don’t resolve this.
It may be the environment light sensor, which adapts the screen to the location your in. — I won’t leave apple because phones are now too complicated to fix easily (I am a geek, can swap out screens, batteries, etc and I do for my old iPhones and iPads). Sony, LG, Samsung, and Google simply do not have an easy system for repairing phones or replacing quickly. Many times I had to ship my products away for weeks (and have to use an old crappy phone in the meantime). I still have a box of 20-30 pre-apple phones in a box somewhere. Every product will break. Time and the number of components will guarantee the device will fail. That is when I head to the Apple Store and say “Apple Care.” My sister dropped her iPhone in a swimming pool, and got it replaced for $79 bucks! Amazing.
It might be the light sensor. I don’t know. I think it’s the manufacture of the LCD itself. In any event, they still haven’t managed to find me one that works as advertised, and that’s after three attempts.
You have probably done this, but I’ll mention it anyway. Have you tried to manually adjust the brightness settings? To me, it almost looks like nighttime mode.
Yes, tried that too. It’s not nighttime mode either.