Can the Galaxy Note 2 get screen burn in?

RandyXoom

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Long time forum reader & AC listener, first time forum poster! Hello all!!

Anyway, I recently upgraded from my HTC Desire HD to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2...LOVE IT!!!!

Anyway, I do a lot of commuting and use the Google Maps/Navigation, plus listening to music and podcasts. I hate it when my device goes to sleep, I want to leave it on when I'm using nav or listening to music (OK, with the Nav it does stay on) but my concern is that after long term use I'll get screen burn in. Is this a problem for the Note 2 screen? Is there anything else I should worry about with this type of usage?

Thanks!
Randy
 

Cobravision

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Yes, the AMOLED screens are subject to "burn in". Technically speaking, it's not burning the screen, but it's still image persistence. The blue subpixels are shorter lived than the red and green. So if you have white areas or very blue areas constantly on the screen, after time the blue subpixels will start losing brightness and you will see off coloration in that area of the screen.

That said, it's a phone and not a TV that may be on 16 hours a day, so it's not going to happen overnight. It might never happen during your contract period. Don't worry too much about it -- you'll probably be going for an upgrade by the time you notice anything.
 

maxburn

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Yes, and you can help put it off by using the auto brightness and setting half or lower, changing the screen mode to movie (which gives you more accurate colors anyway) and enabling auto adjust screen tone. I think all of the above generally makes the display much better anyway, none of the odd really bright AMOLED colors. Enjoy it and don't worry about it too much.
 

estods3

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Yes, and you can help put it off by using the auto brightness and setting half or lower, changing the screen mode to movie (which gives you more accurate colors anyway) and enabling auto adjust screen tone. I think all of the above generally makes the display much better anyway, none of the odd really bright AMOLED colors. Enjoy it and don't worry about it too much.

Are any of those settings on the galaxy nexus? It has an AMOLED screen too

sent from my Verizon Galaxy Nexus running 4.1.1
 

Lucidmike

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If you go to your local carrier, you will see phones that has been on for probably a year. You can clearly see burned in AMOLED screens. But that is a extreme scenario. I don't think even the heaviest android user will ever experience a burnin. Only when abused.
 

maxburn

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Are any of those settings on the galaxy nexus? It has an AMOLED screen too

sent from my Verizon Galaxy Nexus running 4.1.1

Unfortunately not that I remember. Even if you turn on the auto screen brightness it ignores the level setting on that phone. Having the level setting tied to the auto brightness is a samsung tweak it seems. From what I remember of that phone the auto was rather dim by default anyway so maybe it's good?

If you go to your local carrier, you will see phones that has been on for probably a year. You can clearly see burned in AMOLED screens. But that is a extreme scenario. I don't think even the heaviest android user will ever experience a burnin. Only when abused.

Well the Note 1 that I bought used "only a couple months old" had some pretty significant burn in. Your extreme scenario only seems that way because those are meant to be on all the time. People should avoid anything that leaves the screen on with an AMOLED screen IMO. No clock or picture apps.
 

Infinity Customs

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Well I have had mine for a few months and on any white or light colored screens the burn in is horrible. I didn't know it was possible until it was too late and for me, too late was 2 weeks, because I leave my phone plugged into a speaker dock and leave the display on all the time to monitor various things (weather, time, email notifications and so on and so forth). Something I've always done with other phones. I didn't know this would happen so now I've got serious screen damage. What I'd love to know is, can anything be done about it? I mean short of waiting for my contract to expire and getting a new phone?

I also have a Nexus 7 which I know now to never leave turned on and haven't bothered to buy a dock for and I was going to buy a Note 10.1 to replace my iPad but if that has the same problem I won't get it. I like to keep my devices on and docked. Seems to me this is a very old school problem that shouldn't exist in any modern technology. When was the last time you heard of a computer monitor getting screen burn in? I mean screen savers have become old hat things that nobody uses for what they were originally intended anymore but our $600 cell phones have to suffer from this? Seems like a defect if you ask me. Or a poor design flaw.
 

Infinity Customs

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Forgot to add this link. Some people have had luck using the following app for these "burn in" (retention) issues... https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...Ftb2xlZF9zY3JlZW5fYnVybl9pbiJd&token=aoWsD52Z

I'm running it now, it can supposedly take many hours to work so I intend to let it run all night and see what happens. YMMV so if you try it, let me know if it worked for you and how long you had to run it. Might be something useful for those of us who need to be able to leave our screens on all the time, like running an anti-virus, just another annoying thing you have to do periodically.
 

iN8ter

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If you go to your local carrier, you will see phones that has been on for probably a year. You can clearly see burned in AMOLED screens. But that is a extreme scenario. I don't think even the heaviest android user will ever experience a burnin. Only when abused.

Lol. No. Those amoled screens burn in. The notification bar is an issue with them as well as the on screen buttons on stock devices like the galaxy nexus, because they are relatively static in position. The burn in is a real concern, and something to be considered as it destroys device resale value.

Someone who has not had an amoled device will notice it and those who have will look for it.

Sent from my AT&T Skyrocket using Tapatalk 2.