A software update promises to fix most problems « in the next few weeks ».
Google has shared the first findings of its investigation into the Pixel 2 XL screen, which has been plagued with technical problems since its launch last week.
Shortly after users got their hands on the XL version of Google’s latest flagship smartphone, reports began to surface showing a swathe of issues, including faded colours and images burnt into the screen.
Some users also reported that their screens had suddenly developed a blue tint, while others complained of a ‘black bleed’, where the black edges of images would linger as you swiped up and down.
Google said it was now investigating these issues in a post on Thursday, but claimed that early results show the displays are « as great as we hoped they would be ». In spite of this, it did say a number of software updates would be released to improve the way the phone handles colours.
« We’ve received some feedback about the Pixel 2 XL displays not appearing as saturated as other phones, » said Seang Chau, VP of engineering at Google, in a blog post. « We attribute this perception to our choice to calibrate the Pixel 2 XL for delivering natural, accurate colors, taking advantage of the new color management support in Android 8.0 Oreo.
« Based on the feedback we’ve received since announcing Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, we learned that some users do want even more vibrant colors. So, through a software update to Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, we will soon be adding a new « saturated » color mode. »
Google also said that it will continue to investigate the bleed and screen burn effects, although initial testing revealed the Pixel 2 XL screen performed « comparable to OLED panels used in other premium smartphones », something that will do little to soothe the concerns of users.
It did say it will be making changes to the UI to help mitigate screen burn effects. The bar holding the navigation buttons at the top and bottom of the device will now fade out when not in use, and the screen’s maximum brightness will be reduced by 50 cd/m2, although this will be an « almost undetectable change in the observed brightness ».
Interestingly, the blue tint issue reported by many users was initially missing from the report, which drew the ire of commenters and forced Google to make an update two hours later. Google’s response? It’s working as intended:
« We want to add some info regarding the blue tint that some of you have been asking about. The slight blue tint is inherent in the display hardware and only visible when you hold the screen at a sharp angle. All displays are susceptible to some level of color shift (e.g. red, yellow, blue) when viewing from off angles due to the pixel cavity design. Similar to our choice with a cooler white point, we went with what users tend to prefer and chose a design that shifts blue. »
To appease users, Google has extended the manufacturer’s warranty of all Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL devices from one year to two, from the original date of purchase. Users still holding on to their Pixel 2 XL should expect to see improvements as part of a software update due to arrive « in the next few weeks ».
This article originally appeared at itpro.co.uk
