[Update: Fixed in iOS 14.5 stable] iPhone 12 series display (yellow/green tint) issue likely hardware-related, as per some reports

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on January 20, 2021) follows:

Every once in a while a major issue decides to tag along with some device and continues to stick without receiving any fix from its manufacturers. And the display woes plaguing the iPhone 12 series are a great example of this.

Apple’s 2020 smartphone lineup hasn’t exactly been shy of scrutiny ever since its release back in September. So much so that we have an entire section dedicated to a plethora of issues associated with the device.

But perhaps, the worst in the bunch is the range of display problems associated with the series that continue to bother users to this day.

The iPhone 12 series is affected by three individual but related display issues, which for a recap, have been described below.

Firstly, there have been several users complaining that their screen doesn’t really display true blacks. Instead, the blacks appear kind of greyish – as they would on LCD panels. This is a deal-breaker for an AMOLED device at this price range.

Secondly, there’s the flickering. Many users have also complained that their display keeps flickering at brightness levels lower than 90%.

Last but not the least, there’s the now infamous green display tint issue wherein the entire iPhone 12 display exhibits an ugly green glow. This gets more apparent on darker backgrounds and lower brightness levels.

And yeah, there are also many complaints doing rounds about displays being far too warm for anyone’s taste. This is more noticeable when the device is placed alongside an older iPhone for comparison.

Apple did try to put out the fire last year by saying that they will be fixing green tint and other related display issues on the iPhone 12 series with software updates. This is as per reports by many users.

I had a chat with an Apple specialist. He said the same thing you were told: Apple is aware of the issue and working to fix it with a software update. I didn’t really buy it.
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However, with every new iterative release of iOS 14, more and more users are being led to believe that the source of the problem is in fact hardware-related – the kind that can’t be fixed by simply rolling out updates.

This is apparent from a bunch of recent reports that testify to the fact that newer iOS 14 iterations like iOS 14.2, 14.3, or even 14.4 have not led to any improvements whatsoever.

Do not put to much expectation in the next update. Even in the 14.4. Beta2 they haven’t fixed the raised black yet.
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Hence, if Apple is indeed working on a software fix for the issue, then they are being too slow for anyone’s liking.

Don’t get us wrong though as the number of complaints still represents just a fraction of the total iPhone 12 series userbase. There are plenty of others that are quite satisfied with their device.

That said, it is worth mentioning here that Apple isn’t the only OEM facing backlash for apparently “cheaping out” on the displays used on their devices.

Many have observed a similar set of issues with other devices like the OnePlus Nord or even the Samsung Note 20 Ultra.

So what could be the reason behind this? Well, the iPhone 12 series uses displays from two South Korean display manufacturing giants – Samsung and LG. And so far, screens from both OEMs seemingly have this issue.

But the companies do not manufacture for Apple alone. And the fact that there have been similar complaints from many other devices as well suggests that both OEMs may have coincidentally messed up something leading to a huge batch of defective display panels.

This batch has made its way to devices from several companies leading to widespread complaints.

Speaking of batches, it is worth mentioning here that some Redditors observed that such faulty panels are limited to certain batches and are more pronounced on iPhone 12 models that were manufactured initially.

As per them, Apple has sort of addressed the issue silently with newer batches as it has become less apparent recently. However, we were unable to verify these claims.

Anyway, hopefully, not just Apple, but all other OEMs that have shipped devices with purportedly faulty display panels, pull their socks up and address this crucial matter as soon as possible.

With that being said, if interested, be sure to also give our iOS 14 bug tracker a read for coverage on various software-related issues along with their workarounds, if any.

According to Reddit reports first picked up by MacRumors, it appears the recent iOS 14.5 beta 2 addressed the green tint (flickering) issue on affected iPhone 12 models.

Just updated, then reboot my phone… CAN CONFIRM THIS IS FIXED IN MY iPhone 12 Pro!! Normally when I restart my phone it would be true black for just a few seconds then go green-tinted, this is not the case this update.
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Can confirm in complete darkness and when restarting the phone (usually it flashes green for a second and then goes away) but it stayed black with the logo the whole time.
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The iOS 14.5 beta release notes do mention fixes related to ‘dim glow’:

iOS & iPadOS 14.5 beta 2 includes an optimization to reduce the appearance of a dim glow that might appear at reduced brightness levels with black backgrounds.
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Let us know in your comments below if the issue has been fixed for you after installing iOS 14.5 beta 2. For those not in the beta program, the wait for the stable release is still on.

Apple has finally released the iOS 14.5 stable update to the public and iPhone 12 series users would be pleased to know that the dim glow at low brightness levels with black backgrounds issue has been optimized. Check out all the details here.

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