Spottergate.

[IIIce]

::Sigh:: Fellow Droid enthusiasts. I for the longest time owned a Droid Charge, I loved it. It did everything I needed it to and more. I had the phone stock rooted and was able to over and underclock the processor, the phone just was great. After a while the phone would no longer charge, the batteries were a bit old, however the mechanism in the phone just would no longer take a charge (ironic right? charge,...not charging). So I decided it was time for a new phone. I found the Galaxy S3 for a great deal at Best Buy, which sort of surprised me. I got a lot of cool swag and the phone for a great price. This phone simply put is amazing, it is really better to ask what doesn't it do, then what it can do.

So I have my shiny new beautiful galaxy s3 and my "HD" shield and cool case, and I am loving it. Later that evening after I had let the battery wind down and let it charge up again, I decide to watch a movie. I go to my Samsung media hub and throw on "True Grit". As the screen darkens I see a black half moon blotch on my screen and think "OH CRAP" I squeezed it too hard getting the case on I have damaged the display. BUT! instead of freaking out, like an intelligent Droid enthusiast I do a little research to see if anyone else has had the same issue, it turns out they HAVE.

And that this issue is not a software but a hardware issue with the amoled display. I downloaded an app called amoled test from the play market. Basically what this app does is light up on screen different colors to test the quality of the display and you can flick to the next color with a finger swipe. As I did this to the black color, again this is done in a dark room, I see the half moon splotch clearly on my display and a bunch of other little black specs. I have to say I am thoroughly disappointed in Samsung, this is NOT ACCEPTABLE in a flagship Android phone. It is great in so many ways, but this is too annoying to ignore and needs to be fixed.

Since I have noticed that several people have had this same issue, i have taken to calling the problem the "Spottergate Scandal" in honor of the famous watergate debacle. Samsung you owe us brand new replacement devices, and you need to check your batch of phones and fix this immediately. WE ALL WANT this phone to be way better than the crApple iphone, so let's fix this and move forward yes?

 

[music life]

:icon_eek: just did the test and seems like mine is ok. Just see a black screen...

Sucks to hear this is becoming a bigger problem..

 

[IIIce]

Update: I have contacted Best Buy who said they will replace the phone. Still, I believe Samsung needs to answer to, and take some accountability on this.

 

[kyle10]

Ok I did the test and I found two very small blotches at the bottom of the screen when I examined closely and a few dots around the bottom too. This isn't necessarily bad is it?

Sent from my rooted galaxy s3

 

[FoxKat]

The frequency with which phones demonstrate this problem is so great that even if you replace it with a brand new phone, you'll likely have a similar issue with the new one, splotches, maybe not as pronounced or in the same places, but still they'll most likely be there. Truth is, the SAMOLED screen WITHOUT spots or splotches is rare, and often even those who thought theirs didn't have spots or splotches, eventually report back that under the right conditions they too see them.

The best test I have found is to download https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sapps.android.NoWallpaper&feature=search_result, set your wallpaper to black using that application, then download https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.geekyouup.android.thecleaner&feature=search_result, go into a dark room with no light, tap on the Cleaner icon and once the screen goes completely black wait about 10 seconds or so until your eyes adjust. You'll soon realize the screen isn't totally black but has a very dim greenish olive hue and then the spots will be visible. It also helps to shield your eyes from the lighted capacitance buttons at the bottom of the screen (if your phone has them).

Some examples:

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/...0YtIAMmjRHPsQkH1Cg3XVZcdnIX48eO8kiYuKcPIFNCIS
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/...NFKKTxT3mAQJxgdIxMkIt-SxzkNjiIAl4zqZ4HgrF8MMQ
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/..._H376DauGIHyEmtkOa4oDe_atDDU5-UExT0JNQA4X6IXv
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/...ErA6K0y9wqcbVcvKGMCxqmuJY5mvfyd0IzgHy83AH9Zqz
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/...udQIwnuPO0ITKhcquDLQq131J3MyFhp7j4ccJB_UAbiBQ
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/...VPEDyiuybcE6ll5Mf32VfDUP-k8ZRQm_sM1CDv0n0N9Tg
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/...AmEdar_lQgbUBp_oGuUfHd9KqSPZumDzZDqXAOFb1DoMw

 

[IIIce]

Ok I did the test and I found two very small blotches at the bottom of the screen when I examined closely and a few dots around the bottom too. This isn't necessarily bad is it?

Sent from my rooted galaxy s3

Bad depends on your definition. To ME personally this is unacceptable manufacturing for a flagship Android phone. It is visibly noticeable watching a movie on a black back lit screen in the dark, and it is extremely annoying. As far as what Kat said I will testing the replacement using the same amoled test to see if there is spots and I simply wont take a new one until I find one without or with very little noticeable spots.

 

[FoxKat]

In a couple of the examples above, there were Droid RAZRs, Samsung phones, and even the SONY VITA (the real bad one that shows in landscape).

Google "amoled black splotches" to see them in large size.

 

[IIIce]

WOW!! Kat those examples you posted are really extreme! I would be livid as a consumer if those were my devices. I think the bottom line is that this is inexcusable and needs better QA. The last thing anyone should do is to "accept" that this is part of those displays it is a defect and it needs to be corrected!!

 

[FoxKat]

IIIce, I agree that in some cases the splotches are extreme, but those pics are in some cases far more enhanced than the actual screen appears to the naked eye. The one of the PS VITA is obviously taken with a very slow shutter speed or a very high ISO setting likely taken on an SLR Digital camera. By opening up the lens and slowing down the shutter speed or increasing the ISO, it causes the picture to "show" more light. The bright Green display would look very dim to the naked eye, but the pictures being enhanced do show the obvious contrast between the splotches and the screen areas that are not affected.

The so-called "explanation" for these splotches is that during the manufacturing process, the backs of the screens have an adhesive applied to them to adhere them to some sort of backing material. In the process of pressing the two pieces together, the assembly line personnel will "rub" or "press" on the backing material to aid in the adhesion. It's these areas where they pressed or rubbed too hard that cause the adhesive to leech into the back substrate and discolor the OLED, leading to the splotches visible in low light. It's a product of the solvent in the adhesive from what I understand.

My first Droid RAZR had circular "rings" of the black in three distinct areas of the screen as if someone had pressed a quarter or nickel on the back and the raised ridge running the circumference of the coin left an impression on the back of the display. There can be "patterns" to these splotches (perhaps due to whatever was used to press the two substrates together or perhaps aberrations in the bench they are working off of at the factory), and yet more often than not, they are apparently completely random.

I agree with you that this is really a manufacturer's defect and a flaw in manufacturing, but apparently since it's only visible in extreme situations, the manufacturers have deemed it "acceptable", similar to how in the early years of LED displays, it was "acceptable" to have one or more burnt or stuck pixels. In some cases the manufacturers had a specification that if for instance more than 5 pixels were burnt or stuck in an area that was 1 square inch, it was considered unacceptable, or if it had more than 10 burnt or stuck pixels in total it was also considered unacceptable.

Today, even ONE burnt or stuck pixel is considered unacceptable but that's a product of better manufacturing processes and greater QC. I believe these OLED displays will also evolve to the point where these splotches are a thing of the past, but since we as the public demand rapid advancement in technologies, I think sometimes it causes manufacturers to rush production before all the bugs are worked out, just like the burnt pixels issue which is now a thing of the past.

 

[IIIce]

Great post. I sincerely hope that is case, I however would like to see a coming together of consumers affected to evoke a more direct and rapid response on the part of the Samsung. I can see what you mean after looking again at the examples and various others on line. In the one picture it looks as if someone took a stylus and scribbled down on the screen? :facepalm: Even on my personal device it is only noticeable when I am watching a movie in the dark against a dark display, but very noticeable to my eye and extremely irritating nonetheless.

Out of curiosity where did you find this so called "explanation", I did call and chat with a Samsung rep directly but both of them claimed they have not heard any such complaints before. I do also appreciate the need to fill demand, make a profit and corporate deadlines. Often I think people are too unaware of this as they criticize games, as it not a simple process by any means. That said I believe a standard of excellence for high priced tech is far from asking too much.

 

[FoxKat]

Actually I can try to track down the explanation but ATM it escapes me. The claim that they've never heard of such complaints is the canned response they're told to say, so don't take it seriously. :blink:

 

[IIIce]

Update: Upon returning my first device to Best Buy, it turns out ALL the models in the store had it just as bad or worse. I took one with the least amount of specs and lineage, it was mostly on the edges and wasn't SO BAD that I would blatantly see it while watching a movie. I spoke with the Best Buy manager at the Best Buy in Moline, IL. His name is Frank, and he said that they will be returning all the phones to Samsung and calling other stores to run the amoled test on their models as well.

 

[xmguy]

My RAZR maxx has this SAME issue. Its a issue with the AMOLED display.

Sent from my Motorola (Droid) Bionic.

 

[James9109]

mine has two small dots across the entire screen, sounds like im in the good!