It is no secret that the iPhone X comes with new 5.8-inch OLED screen that Apple calls the Super Retina display. However, it looks like the new screen technology comes with few disclaimers. In conjunction with the release, Apple earlier today published a new support document regarding the device’s Super Retina OLED display. In this new support document, Apple says that it is normal to see some screen burn-in over time. The document further adds that users may notice shifts in color when looking at the iPhone display from an off-angle.
Similar to other OLED displays, when you look at the iPhone X at off-angles, you will notice shifts in color and hue. This issue is noted in many early reviews as well. However, this issue is inherent to OLED displays and not specific to the iPhone X.
Apple also says iPhone X has the best OLED display in the industry with the Super Retina display, but burn-in can still occur under certain circumstances. Specifically, screen burn-in might appear in some cases, a situation that arises when an image remains on a display for so long that it remains stuck there.
If you look at an OLED display off-angle, you might notice slight shifts in color and hue. This is a characteristic of OLED and is normal behavior. With extended long-term use, OLED displays can also show slight visual changes. This is also expected behavior and can include “image persistence” or “burn-in”, where the display shows a faint remnant of an image even after a new image appears on the screen. This can occur in more extreme cases such as when the same high contrast image is continuously displayed for prolonged periods of time. We’ve engineered the Super Retina display to be the best in the industry in reducing the effects of OLED “burn-in”.
Prior to iPhone X, Apple has only used OLED on Apple Watch and Touch Bar on MacBook Pro but the 5.8-inch Super Retina display on iPhone X is a very different use.
Apple’s wording suggests screen burn-in is going to be a rare occurrence. However, Apple notes that users can reduce the likelihood of burn-in by using the Auto-Brightness setting, reducing the duration of the Auto-Lock timer. Finally, Apple recommends against showing static images at full brightness for extended periods of time with Super Retina display on iPhone X.
