[Q] Screen Brightness - Samsung Galaxy S (4G Model)

I find my SGS4G unusable in bright sunlight. With brightness at max its ok in the shade or on a cloudy day. I think this is normal for the model.
I've seen some postings for other newer phones that say they are readable in direct bright sunlight. Is there really different display technology that allows this?

Thats odd. I leave auto brightness on for my phone and I think its completely readable in direct sunlight..
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA

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Screen cant be seen outside in sunglight help

Hi. I'm having problems seeing my screen outside in any sunny environment. I have my phone on max brightness and it is incredibly difficult to see my phone. I am currently using the Berserk 1.3 ROM but have tried various ROMS and I always have problems seeing the phone outside.
I cant quite recall, but I think my gingerbread ROMS were overall much brighter than my ICS ROMS. Is there anything I can flash to my phone to allow the screen to reach a higher brightness?
No. This is entirely hardware. The Sensation has a display that is quite simply not bright enough for outdoor use (you can check GSMarena for the Sensations display stats-its max brightness and contrast ratio aren't enough to be visible in bright light). It has nothing to do with your ROM, and there is no difference between Gingerbread or ICS ROMs. The only thing you can do is run Sense ROMs, as they tend to have a brighter color scheme than stock ICS. The good thing is that LCD tech has improved a lot and evidenced by the One X they can be quite visible outdoors.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA
The Janitor Mop said:
No. This is entirely hardware. The Sensation has a display that is quite simply not bright enough for outdoor use (you can check GSMarena for the Sensations display stats-its max brightness and contrast ratio aren't enough to be visible in bright light). It has nothing to do with your ROM, and there is no difference between Gingerbread or ICS ROMs. The only thing you can do is run Sense ROMs, as they tend to have a brighter color scheme than stock ICS. The good thing is that LCD tech has improved a lot and evidenced by the One X they can be quite visible outdoors.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA
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I call BS on that, although I do like GSMArena. Max brightness and max sunlight mean I can see the screen. It can be kinda hard, but I can see detail down to the pixel.
sshede said:
I call BS on that, although I do like GSMArena. Max brightness and max sunlight mean I can see the screen. It can be kinda hard, but I can see detail down to the pixel.
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Call BS on what? The Sensation's screen is hard to see in direct sunlight because it simply is not bright enough at max brightness. That's a simple fact. I have compared a number of phones' stats (that are notable for being exceptionally visible or not visible in direct sunlight), and it is clear that phones that are notable for how visible they are outdoors (if they are LCD) tend to have over 500 nits brightness at their max and a contrast ratio well over 1000. I too can see the screen outdoors, but what the OP is not happy about is the fact that it is barely visible in direct sunlight. It is subjective, but IMO if you think the Sensation does just fine outdoors than you have a very low standard for displays.
Sensation: 438 nits at max brightness, 720 contrast ratio.
One X: 550 nits at max brightness, 1410 contrast ratio.
Those are measured facts, varying only slightly from one Sensation's display to another and one One X's display to another. The One X's display is far brighter and far more visible outdoors, and it is primarily due to those simple facts that at max brightness it is brighter and it has a greater contrast ratio (its blacks are far deeper). Now maybe the Sensation's screen is good enough for you for outdoor use but for others it just isn't (in fact, its poor brightness and outdoor performance has been one of my main gripes with the Sensation since day 1).
The Sensation has a display that is quite simply not bright enough for outdoor use (you can check GSMarena for the Sensations display stats-its max brightness and contrast ratio aren't enough to be visible in bright light)
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That. I call BS on what you said. You said it's not bright enough for outdoor use. Well, unless you live on the Sun, max brightness provides a decent viewing experience, it's not amazingly super-bright, sure, but it is usable. Then that thing about "max brightness and contrast ratio aren't enough to be visible in bright light". Again, the Sun constitutes bright light (usually about as bright as you'll get when it comes to smartphone use) and with max brightness, it's totally usable.
Is it as easy as being in a low light room? Hell no, but it's not impossible.
I unfortunately expected it to be entirely hardware related. Thanks for answering. And on a sunny day I find it very close to impossible to use. Sometimes its so bad I just see my reflection and pretty much see nothing on the screen itself.
sshede said:
That. I call BS on what you said. You said it's not bright enough for outdoor use. Well, unless you live on the Sun, max brightness provides a decent viewing experience, it's not amazingly super-bright, sure, but it is usable. Then that thing about "max brightness and contrast ratio aren't enough to be visible in bright light". Again, the Sun constitutes bright light (usually about as bright as you'll get when it comes to smartphone use) and with max brightness, it's totally usable.
Is it as easy as being in a low light room? Hell no, but it's not impossible.
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Ah, what you meant was "I disagree". I thought you were calling BS on the display stats (which of course would be strange to call BS on the measured results from a reputable source). Like I said, whether or not the Sensation's display is good enough for you is subjective. I can understand that for some people it is bright enough for outdoor use, but I hope you can understand that for other people (like me and the OP) it isn't bright enough for decent outdoor use in direct sunlight. I used the measured specs to show that the Sensation really is at best objectively a middling performer in brightness, which is why some people are not happy with how the display performs outdoors.
In direct sunlight outdoors, at max brightness I can in fact see the screen just like you, and I can use the phone, but:
It is extremely washed out
I have to hold it closer to my face (and I have very good vision)
It is extremely prone to reflections
It in general significantly reduces my user experience
Of course I'm not expecting it to perform like magic outdoors and be just as vibrant as it is indoors. Any display is going to look worse in bright sunlight. But what I am saying is that of the range of what we have on the phone market today, you can find a lot of other devices out there that have better displays for outdoor visibility. If "good enough" was the standard then we wouldn't have ever-increasing display resolutions, faster and faster processors, increasing RAM, increasing storage, etc.
The gist of this is that calling BS seems to denote that I said something factually wrong, as if the Sensation "factually" is good enough for outdoor use and that therefore you don't have the right to complain about its brightness. I'm just asking you to understand that it's a subjective matter and that there are a lot of people out there like me who don't think it is good enough.
Must you really be this technical? And if you really want to be this technical, you did say something factually wrong.
its max brightness and contrast ratio aren't enough to be visible in bright light
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This is simply not true, you said it yourself just now.
In direct sunlight outdoors, at max brightness I can in fact see the screen just like you
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Now this is getting out of hand. Let's just let this one go.
sshede said:
Must you really be this technical? And if you really want to be this technical, you did say something factually wrong.
This is simply not true, you said it yourself just now.
Now this is getting out of hand. Let's just let this one go.
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I meant visible enough, so im sorry that what I wrote is as is technically untrue. And I am being this technical because on my list of Sensation cons the display brightness has been one of the two biggest things. Ive also done a ton of research on display technology and specs and found that its one of the few areas of specs where the numbers almost directly correlate with user experience. People often complain that some people worry too much about specs and that the user experience is all that matters, but since for displays the specs actually mean something I take care to get info on them.
As for this getting out of hand, im not trying to be argumentative, so if my tone is that way its just the fact im typing on a keyboard rather than talking in real life, so no hard feelings.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA
Well, first, sensation has two types of screens, and their specs differ.
Second, with specs, or without them, both are unreadable what so ever in direct sunlight, even when using enormously large fonts with black on white or the opposite.
Met a few guys who said I was wrong on a trip to London last year, but it's never that sunny in London. Try Rome for sunny and you'll see nothing on your sensation.
Btw, direct sunlight is not healthy for people ;-)
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio using xda premium
@sshede... what the hell is your problem? What that guy is saying is true, those screen specs make for poor outdoor visibility. I don't get how u can argue with that? You're a very stubborn person
Sent from my Sensation using XDA
I agree with Fred. Mine works outside just fine. I can read it clearly in direct sun.
Sent from a rebel ship by storing the message in an R2 unit. (Help me, XDA. You're my only hope)
I can also read and see my screen in the sun .I live in California and It's sunny all the time here where I live. Never had a problem.in fact my old device was impossible to see in the sun but the sensation was amazing and what a difference! I can read and see just fine outside! Funny because my screen is set on almost as DIM As I can get it. I choose this to save battery! Still with
My.brightness turned down I have no problems ....
Sent from my Sensation 4G using xda premium

Anyone else notice a green / yellow tint when brightness is low?

Just like the subject says. Anyone else have this issue? When I set the brightness set to the lowest my whites have a green yellow tint to it. If I set the brightness to halfway or full it completely goes away and my whites look white.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app
this is just a normal trait of super amoled screens, just like how amoled have a hard time displaying whites (kills battery fast due to the display type)
I'm somewhat used to it now. Doesn't bother me at all. Plus, the peachy color isn't as hard on the eyes.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2
Hello, I did not experienced the change in tint because I'm slightly colorblind but there is something that disturbs me a lot, i'ts the fact that with a very low brightness, using a night mode app, on a dark or black background I can see several daker spots on the screen. I checked on a GSIII and you can also see some but it's less disturbing.
Anyone have this problem?

Viewing the moto g outdoors in sunlight

What's up with not being able to see this phone outside in sunlight? I've tried auto brightness and maximum brightness. The screen just seems so dim compared to other phones... anybody else feel this way?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2
DaKillaWilla said:
What's up with not being able to see this phone outside in sunlight? I've tried auto brightness and maximum brightness. The screen just seems so dim compared to other phones... anybody else feel this way?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2
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Yup. Just turn sideways or backwards to the sun and cast a shadow over it and it´s legible. It may be dimmer than some other phones, but AFAIK it´s not that much worse.
knizmi said:
Yup. Just turn sideways or backwards to the sun and cast a shadow over it and it´s legible. It may be dimmer than some other phones, but AFAIK it´s not that much worse.
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For me, I only realise how dirty the screen is when I use it in bright sunlight - a quick wipe down with a screen cleaner wipe and visibility is great.
Cheap screen protectors can also wreck visibility in bright sunlight.

Outdoor visibility (max brightness)

Rate this thread to express how well you can see the Huawei Nexus 6P's display outdoors. In case you've been playing Minecraft for 18 months straight, you might not known how to get outside anymore. Well, find the door and walk through it. A higher rating indicates that it has very high maximum brightness and thus fantastic outdoor visibility in direct sunlight.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Gets really bright, not as bright as Note5.
It may not be the very best according to some but I can perfectly see the screen without having to cover the phone from the sun while wearing my polarized sun glasses. This is with adaptive display turned on.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
No complaints... Better than I expected after reading some reviews
Yes
yes it has a gr8 screen
Really struggle compared to previous phones.
I have htc m8
..I see this one better and it's sunny at the moment of writing this. I guess if you're coming from a Samsung s6
Bigal77 said:
I have htc m8
..I see this one better and it's sunny at the moment of writing this. I guess if you're coming from a Samsung s6
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Not overly bothered either way, comparison was against an S5 which I thought was marginally better.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Forums
When I got my 6p, my screen was a, sort of, two-tone. A light pink hue in the top left of my screen, that faded diagonally, to a bottom right, bluer hue. I was about to rma, even called Huawei. (Let's hope no one has to go through them) I thought it may be the back light calibration. So I downloaded lux, and voila, my colors were evenly distributed across my screen. And in turn, added a lil brightness outdoors. I turned lux off and my calibration is correct now. My screen, to me, looks a lil richer now and is pretty impressive. I'm coming from the Note 4 too.
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
Better than the N6 when viewing in the sunlight...
Nice screen. Still prefer Note 5 screen.
it bright enough for me. I can see the screen in full daylight fine.
Coming from a Galaxy S4, the 6P gets More brighter, and More dimmer than the S4. Was not expecting this great of a screen after reading all the posts. Unlike the S4, your eyes wont hurt when you wanna read something in bed with the lights off!
readability
I know this is the wrong place to ask but does anybody has som feeling how the display is compared to Iphone 6 Plus in brightness outdoors?
Splifff said:
Coming from a Galaxy S4, the 6P gets More brighter, and More dimmer than the S4. Was not expecting this great of a screen after reading all the posts. Unlike the S4, your eyes wont hurt when you wanna read something in bed with the lights off!
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Totally can relate. I came from an S4 and I noticed the brightness difference immediately.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Bigal77 said:
No complaints... Better than I expected after reading some reviews
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same here! love this phone.
I feel like I'm doing something wrong, because my experience has been the complete opposite of what everyone is saying here. The screen is fine indoors or out of direct sunlight, but in direct sunlight it's crazy hard to see. I have adaptive brightness off, and the brightness setting cranked. Just prior to this phone I'd tried out the Moto X Style, and while every review I read knocked that phone for its display, I feel like outdoor viewing was significantly better, and it didn't have any of the blotchy/uneven/pink hued issues that amoleds apparently have.
Outdoor visibility is extremely poor. Worse than my Nexus 5
Also really poor sunlight visibility here. RMA?
Adaptive Brightness
My 6p is bright enough for outside, but I have to be careful not to cover the sensor or the adaptive brightness will dim the screen.

Display isn't bright?

Have had the Note 20 Ultra from T-Mobile since Wednesday and then phones been be great except for two flaws. One is native gestures still not working 100% smooth with third party launchers - which is okay, I am using FNG anyway, but another is the screen brightness.
Despite being in direct sunlight, the panel doesn't get bright. Samsung claims 1500 nits of brightness, it definitely doesn't get there through either manually sliding the brightness or setting it to auto brightness. Definitely isn't as bright as my OnePlus 8 Pro.
I've annoyingly factory reset the phone to no avail. Anyone else having issues?
Yes, it's not great .... my Note 8 is brighter in normal use.
The panel does get brighter in strong daylight but the maximum manual brightness is poor.
AhsanU said:
Have had the Note 20 Ultra from T-Mobile since Wednesday and then phones been be great except for two flaws. One is native gestures still not working 100% smooth with third party launchers - which is okay, I am using FNG anyway, but another is the screen brightness.
Despite being in direct sunlight, the panel doesn't get bright. Samsung claims 1500 nits of brightness, it definitely doesn't get there through either manually sliding the brightness or setting it to auto brightness. Definitely isn't as bright as my OnePlus 8 Pro.
I've annoyingly factory reset the phone to no avail. Anyone else having issues?
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It is some kind of protection bec extra brightness for long time damage Amoled displays so they decided to limit it in normal usage
It's bright but the white point is um, weird.
Reminds me of the Surface Pro IPS panels, always, always, too green!
And the ability to adjust RGB levels has nary an effect!
I want the ability to calibrate the display properly FFS!
I know it's a decent display but gimping the calibration ability makes about as much sense as putting bias ply tires on a Ferrari!
cpufrost said:
It's bright but the white point is um, weird.
Reminds me of the Surface Pro IPS panels, always, always, too green!
And the ability to adjust RGB levels has nary an effect!
I want the ability to calibrate the display properly FFS!
I know it's a decent display but gimping the calibration ability makes about as much sense as putting bias ply tires on a Ferrari!
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If you read what samsung say about its Dynamic Amoled panels you will understand why the white looks weird , they have implemented a Hardware blue light filter which filters the harmful blue light emissions that is why all new samsung displays show white a llitle yellowish , It might not be the best looking but is is safe for your eyes and renders a more accurate colors.
hoss_n2 said:
If you read what samsung say about its Dynamic Amoled panels you will understand why the white looks weird , they have implemented a Hardware blue light filter which filters the harmful blue light emissions that is why all new samsung displays show white a llitle yellowish , It might not be the best looking but is is safe for your eyes and renders a more accurate colors.
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What's the point of having that?
It's clearly inferior to my professional displays.
Proper calibration and white point is *everything*.
It does NOT look yellowish, it has too much green.
That looks horrible.
After using it for a day I cannot believe how much better my Mac, 11 Pro Max and S20 Ultra looks.
Can you please tell me if the screen isn't bright if adaptive mode is turned off? (120hz)
Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk
Brava27 said:
Can you please tell me if the screen isn't bright if adaptive mode is turned off? (120hz)
Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk
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Its significantly brighter with it off
mickeyleah said:
Its significantly brighter with it off
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Yeah, that is what someone pointed out. Thanks
Compared to the Note 10+ it's significantly brighter even in 120Hz, and I often need to lower it even with the adaptive brightness on.
It's somewhere around 1/5 or 1/6th of the brightness bar.

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