Report: Some iPhone 12 units affected by display tinting and flickering issues

Apple’s latest flagship line is affected by display issues, according to reports from users and an internal memo from Apple.

MacRumors reportedly obtained an internal document shared with Apple service providers. The document suggests Apple is aware of reported green or yellow tints and flickering issues present on some new iPhones.

Apple has allegedly asked service centers not to perform surgery on these phones to remedy the problems, suggesting the company believes it’s a software issue rather than a panel problem.

Users on Apple’s official forums first highlighted the issues in early November. One user claims the tinting problem occurs on an iPhone 12 when the display brightness is lower than 90%. “Black pixels are not turning off in dynamic scenes. In static scene, black pixels turning off after [a] few seconds,” said the poster. You can see an example below.

Another user on Reddit claims that the display on their iPhone 12 Pro Max flickers under certain conditions. “Definitely not noticeable when watching videos or movies even with the black bars on the sides, but now that I’ve seen it, I’m actually a bit bothered,” writes the user. Reddit has many other posts of users claiming similar problems with their brand new iPhones.

The iPhone 12 wouldn’t be the first phone to face screen issues this year. Samsung’s Galaxy S20 FE has also come under fire from some owners for jittery touch registration and zoom animations. Samsung has since issued three firmware patches to fix the issue, but some users are seemingly still facing problems. Previously, devices like Google’s Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3 series, and OnePlus 8 all exhibited some color tinting issues.

It’s unclear when or how Apple will address these iPhone 12 display maladies. If you own an iPhone 12 and are experiencing tinting or flickering problems, let us know in the comments.

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