Just got a brand new Pixel 2 XL (April '18 build), still has blue shift

[p_rod80]

Hello,

Long time lurker, first time poster here. I'm upgrading from my 2 year old HTC 10, which, despite its flaws, is the best phone I've owned to date. The battery degradation had become unbearable, however, with less than an hour of screen on time and the much reported boot loop issue anytime the battery dropped below 50%. I thought about just taking it somewhere to get the battery replaced, but after getting a couple quotes of $100+, screen deposits, etc, and after reading a few horror stories of people who took their HTC 10 in for battery replacement, only to get it back with broken screens, fingerprint scanners, or even completely bricked, I opted to upgrade instead.

After much research, I went with the Pixel 2 XL, despite several personal compromises I would have to make with this choice (I had told myself I'd never buy a phone without a headphone jack or sub-par audio, never buy a phone this big, and never buy a phone without expandable storage, etc). I almost went with the LG V35 when Amazon had it's prime day special. For $600, it ticked almost all of my boxes, especially on the audio side, but I wasn't convinced by it's gimmicky-seeming AI camera, and ultimately I was lured by the Pixel's glowing camera reviews, unlimited photo storage, and the promise of a buttery smooth, pure Android experience (even more pure than my almost-pure HTC 10) and timely updates. Furthermore, more recent reviews had assuaged my fears about the 2 XL's display problems...it seemed like Google had addressed the dreaded blue shift issues with more recent hardware builds and software updates. During Google's $100 off sale last week, I pulled the trigger.

Well, I unboxed my new Pixel today, and I'm here to tell you that my brand new Pixel 2 XL (unlocked 128g Panda version purchased directly from Google) still has a VERY noticeable blue shift when held even at slight angles, not just "extreme" angles as Google would have us believe. Thinking maybe they shipped me an old device, I checked the build date, and lo and behold it is April 10th, 2018. Installing all updates and changing the display mode to "saturated" did little to improve the problem.

So I'm having a bit of buyer's remorse. My question is, should I return it? Should I exchange it for another one and roll the dice? Should I just try to ignore it and get used to it? The rest of the phone seems great. Maybe I'm only hyper-aware of the issue because I read so much about it? I know that to some extent this is a common characteristic of most OLED displays, and all my previous phones have had LCD displays. Maybe I'll just get used to it over time if I ignore it? I've never been someone who particularly cared much about display quality. The HTC 10 didn't exactly get glowing reviews for its LCD display, but it always seemed fine to me. I REALLY notice this blue shift thing though, and at least right now on day one, it bugs me. I feel that for the price, I shouldn't have to "get used to" a bad display. Is it really still just a hardware crapshoot 9 months later? Or am I just more sensitive to the blue shift than other people? Anyone else with a more recent hardware build have this issue? Am I overreacting?

One other question I have pertains to security updates. I've installed all updates, and my phone now says my system is up to date, but the security patch level is May 5, 2018. Haven't there been more recent security updates? I'm on Verizon, if that matters.

I appreciate any and all constructive input!

Cheers,
-Phil

 

[Jay Sacks]

Hello,

Long time lurker, first time poster here. I'm upgrading from my 2 year old HTC 10, which, despite its flaws, is the best phone I've owned to date. The battery degradation had become unbearable, however, with less than an hour of screen on time and the much reported boot loop issue anytime the battery dropped below 50%. I thought about just taking it somewhere to get the battery replaced, but after getting a couple quotes of $100+, screen deposits, etc, and after reading a few horror stories of people who took their HTC 10 in for battery replacement, only to get it back with broken screens, fingerprint scanners, or even completely bricked, I opted to upgrade instead.

After much research, I went with the Pixel 2 XL, despite several personal compromises I would have to make with this choice (I had told myself I'd never buy a phone without a headphone jack or sub-par audio, never buy a phone this big, and never buy a phone without expandable storage, etc). I almost went with the LG V35 when Amazon had it's prime day special. For $600, it ticked almost all of my boxes, especially on the audio side, but I wasn't convinced by it's gimmicky-seeming AI camera, and ultimately I was lured by the Pixel's glowing camera reviews, unlimited photo storage, and the promise of a buttery smooth, pure Android experience (even more pure than my almost-pure HTC 10) and timely updates. Furthermore, more recent reviews had assuaged my fears about the 2 XL's display problems...it seemed like Google had addressed the dreaded blue shift issues with more recent hardware builds and software updates. During Google's $100 off sale last week, I pulled the trigger.

Well, I unboxed my new Pixel today, and I'm here to tell you that my brand new Pixel 2 XL (unlocked 128g Panda version purchased directly from Google) still has a VERY noticeable blue shift when held even at slight angles, not just "extreme" angles as Google would have us believe. Thinking maybe they shipped me an old device, I checked the build date, and lo and behold it is April 10th, 2018. Installing all updates and changing the display mode to "saturated" did little to improve the problem.

So I'm having a bit of buyer's remorse. My question is, should I return it? Should I exchange it for another one and roll the dice? Should I just try to ignore it and get used to it? The rest of the phone seems great. Maybe I'm only hyper-aware of the issue because I read so much about it? I know that to some extent this is a common characteristic of most OLED displays, and all my previous phones have had LCD displays. Maybe I'll just get used to it over time if I ignore it? I've never been someone who particularly cared much about display quality. The HTC 10 didn't exactly get glowing reviews for its LCD display, but it always seemed fine to me. I REALLY notice this blue shift thing though, and at least right now on day one, it bugs me. I feel that for the price, I shouldn't have to "get used to" a bad display. Is it really still just a hardware crapshoot 9 months later? Or am I just more sensitive to the blue shift than other people? Anyone else with a more recent hardware build have this issue? Am I overreacting?

One other question I have pertains to security updates. I've installed all updates, and my phone now says my system is up to date, but the security patch level is May 5, 2018. Haven't there been more recent security updates? I'm on Verizon, if that matters.

I appreciate any and all constructive input!

Cheers,
-Phil

Was there a charge for the "enhanced" blue effects?
Anyway, you should have the July update.
Return the phone. There is zero excuse for this screen flaw. Sounds to me like Apple‘s excuse for bad reception that users were "holding the phone improperly".

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! The fixes that Google pushed were more for issues regarding color saturation, not for the blue shift. My understanding is that the blue shift is inherent with the OLED panel, and that certain panels have more shift than others -- it's more of a hardware quality control issue than a software fix issue: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/15/16889854/pixel-2-xl-lg-display-oled-blue-shift. (It's also worth mentioning that this doesn't just affect the Pixel 2 XL: http://www.idownloadblog.com/2017/1...es-iphone-x-super-retina-display-color-shift/) If it's really bothersome, contact Google and ask for a replacement. On mine, the blue shift was noticeable at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly (especially since I don't really care how it looks at an angle). The phone's performance, battery life, and most importantly, the phenomenal camera easily make me forget about this minor flaw.

The phone should definitely be on July security, though.

 

[dc52ltr]

Welcome to Android Central! The fixes that Google pushed were more for issues regarding color saturation, not for the blue shift. My understanding is that the blue shift is inherent with the OLED panel, and that certain panels have more shift than others -- it's more of a hardware quality control issue than a software fix issue: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/15/16889854/pixel-2-xl-lg-display-oled-blue-shift. (It's also worth mentioning that this doesn't just affect the Pixel 2 XL: http://www.idownloadblog.com/2017/1...es-iphone-x-super-retina-display-color-shift/) If it's really bothersome, contact Google and ask for a replacement. On mine, the blue shift was noticeable at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly (especially since I don't really care how it looks at an angle). The phone's performance, battery life, and most importantly, the phenomenal camera easily make me forget about this minor flaw.

The phone should definitely be on July security, though.

Welcome along, my phone has always had a little blue shift but as I use my phone "head on" it's never bothered me in the slightest. I think you may have got a dud if it's really bad, return it for a replacement. This is a seriously good phone so I hope you get this problem sorted soon

 

[Morty2264]

Welcome to Android Central! I'm so sorry that you are having this issue. I too recommend returning your Pixel 2 XL and optong for a replacement.

 

[Mr Segundus]

I've installed all updates, and my phone now says my system is up to date, but the security patch level is May 5, 2018. Haven't there been more recent security updates? I'm on Verizon, if that matters.

I am having this exact problem. I purchased a 128GB black Pixel 2 XL on July 19 and went through all the updates and I'm still stuck on the May 5, 2018 security patch even though it says I'm up to date. I'm also on Verizon. This is frustrating.

 

[jlp0209]

Really strange, maybe it's a Verizon issue? I also received a Pixel 2 XL last Friday from Google (Google unlocked version) and am on Verizon. My build date was Feb 2018. Also could not update past the May update. I side-loaded the July update and all is fine. Actually running the latest P beta now and it is fantastic.

My screen has minor blue shift and little grain. The more annoying issue is uniformity. The top half of the screen is a tad darker than the bottom half. I have seen FAR worse and I have no dead pixels. So I am not going to return or exchange it. I'm sure a replacement will be worse. If anything I'll wait until it gets discounted again and just sell mine and re-buy if it really bothers me.

 

[straygator7]

After reading dozens if not hundreds of posts in this forum about the "blue shift" issue with the Pixel 2 XL, I'm skeptical of claims that there are really any inherent differences in the degree of the tint from one unit to the next, based on build date or any other factor. I believe it's more likely that the presence of the "blue shift" is not a defect or flaw in some phones, but is a uniform characteristic of the OLED displays used on this device, and that the reports of varying intensity are simply the result of differing subjective impressions.

In any event, when I purchased my Pixel 2 XL (with a December build date, FWIW) in March, I was not surprised to find that there was a perceptible blue tint in the display when I viewed a predominantly white page at an angle. Like many others, however, I was so highly satisfied with the features and performance of the phone that I quickly forgot about the blue shift; and since that first day or two, I've only thought about or noticed the tint when I read about it here.

I recognize that for some users, the blue tint may be a more significant problem; and if it is a sufficiently distracting issue to interfere with their use of the phone or substantially diminish their overall satisfaction with the device, I certainly don't fault them for deciding to opt for a different product. If the blue shift was noticeable to me at all during normal use of the phone, or when viewing videos and photos, I'd probably be disappointed, too. But for me, and evidently for many other happy Pixel 2 XL owners, the presence of this characteristic has become completely inconsequential. If you keep the phone, I hope that after using it for a few days your experience will be equally positive.

 

[Mike Dee]

After reading dozens if not hundreds of posts in this forum about the "blue shift" issue with the Pixel 2 XL, I'm skeptical of claims that there are really any inherent differences in the degree of the tint from one unit to the next, based on build date or any other factor. I believe it's more likely that the presence of the "blue shift" is not a defect or flaw in some phones, but is a uniform characteristic of the OLED displays used on this device, and that the reports of varying intensity are simply the result of differing subjective impressions.

In any event, when I purchased my Pixel 2 XL (with a December build date, FWIW) in March, I was not surprised to find that there was a perceptible blue tint in the display when I viewed a predominantly white page at an angle. Like many others, however, I was so highly satisfied with the features and performance of the phone that I quickly forgot about the blue shift; and since that first day or two, I've only thought about or noticed the tint when I read about it here.

I recognize that for some users, the blue tint may be a more significant problem; and if it is a sufficiently distracting issue to interfere with their use of the phone or substantially diminish their overall satisfaction with the device, I certainly don't fault them for deciding to opt for a different product. If the blue shift was noticeable to me at all during normal use of the phone, or when viewing videos and photos, I'd probably be disappointed, too. But for me, and evidently for many other happy Pixel 2 XL owners, the presence of this characteristic has become completely inconsequential. If you keep the phone, I hope that after using it for a few days your experience will be equally positive.

I agree that there aren't differences we can't pin on build dates. My panel is better than some others I've seen in side by side comparisons so there are differences. I don't have any complaints in my end.

 

[p_rod80]

Thanks for everyone's input! After my first 24 hours with the phone, I have indeed begun to stop obsessing over the blue shift. I still definitely notice it, but as long as I avoid off axis viewing angles its fine. It only takes about a 10 to 15 degree shift of the screen away from my face for the blue tint to appear, but straight on it looks good, and I haven't noticed any of the other screen issues like graininess or uniformity problems that others have reported.

Everything else about the phone feels fantastic. After spending some time with it and customizing it to my liking, it definitely feels worthy of the hype, screen issues aside. The camera is fantastic. I'm really impressed by how fast the HDR processing happens. My old HTC 10 had a pretty great camera, but the HDR function often seemed to take 5 seconds or more to process, and the results were not as good as the Pixel, which seems to process HDR in less than a second. The pure Android UI feels perfect. Everything is super fast, no bugs or glitches to report. The fingerprint scanner is super fast, and I like the added swipe for notifications feature on the scanner. Battery life is excellent so far. The stereo speakers sound a bit tinny, but they do get impressively loud. The bundled headphone adapter doesn't sound as bad as I expected it to, but on a side note, I splurged and upgraded the wired headphone audio significantly with a NextDrive Spectra 32-bit/384kHz DAC headphone amp. They just started shipping a USB-C plug and play version of these, and they are great. Soundstage and separation are drastically improved.

AND...interestingly enough, as I type this, my Pixel is now downloading the July security patch. After checking for updates multiple times yesterday only to be told repeatedly by my phone that it was up to date with it's May security patch, I checked today, and mysteriously there was a new update ready to install. Not sure if this was a weird Verizon bug or what, but those of you stuck on the May security patch...I guess maybe try checking again? I did sign up for Google Fi last night with a new number just to try it out, and the phone was switched over to that network for a short while, not sure if that had anything to do with the update magically appearing today. I'm guessing not since the update appeared while switched back on my Verizon SIM. I must say that the eSIM thing is pretty slick. I can switch back and forth between networks in seconds.

I think I'm leaning towards not exchanging it. If it's such a crapshoot with getting a good screen, I feel like there's a good chance I could just be sent another one with equal or worse screen issues. I'll give it a few more days, but at this point I don't think the blue shift is bad enough to be worth the hassle of exchanging it. I would be curious to compare it to some other Pixel 2 XL screens though. I've definitely seen a couple YouTube videos comparing screens on different XL Pixels where one had way more blue shift than the other, so they seem to prove that it's more than a personal perception issue.

 

[speedfreek64]

I was excited for the Pixel 2 XL release then disappointed by the reviews on the display quality. Like you I'd been reading alot of the release issues had been addressed so a few months ago when Verizon had a $300 off promotion I pulled the trigger. Mine does have the blue shift but I hardly notice it & rarely think about it. If it bothers you to the point of buyer's remorse maybe you should look elsewhere.
I came from a Samsung Note 5 and the Pixel does almost everything better. Love the battery life of the Pixel and the camera along with Google Photos. I wish a good glass screen protector wasn't so hard to find. I miss the S pen sometimes. My biggest Pixel complaint is the speakers. I get some distortion from the earpiece during some calls that is annoying. A Google search found some other Pixel customers complaining of the same thing. Overall I'm a happy Pixel owner

 

[Vega007]

If you really like the phone, I would definitely return it and hope for a little bit better of a panel. Like Mike says, there are differences, as I too have seen some that look better than others. The great thing about Google is you have 30 days to return it so give it a week or two and see if you get used to it. If by 2 weeks you still get annoyed by the blue shift, send it back.

I used the HTC 10 for a while and the HTC 11, and even though I prefer OLED, HTC makes a really nice LCD panel. It WILL take getting used to, even if you get a better panel then the one you have now.

Good luck!

 

[Morty2264]

Thanks for everyone's input! After my first 24 hours with the phone, I have indeed begun to stop obsessing over the blue shift. I still definitely notice it, but as long as I avoid off axis viewing angles its fine. It only takes about a 10 to 15 degree shift of the screen away from my face for the blue tint to appear, but straight on it looks good, and I haven't noticed any of the other screen issues like graininess or uniformity problems that others have reported.

Everything else about the phone feels fantastic. After spending some time with it and customizing it to my liking, it definitely feels worthy of the hype, screen issues aside. The camera is fantastic. I'm really impressed by how fast the HDR processing happens. My old HTC 10 had a pretty great camera, but the HDR function often seemed to take 5 seconds or more to process, and the results were not as good as the Pixel, which seems to process HDR in less than a second. The pure Android UI feels perfect. Everything is super fast, no bugs or glitches to report. The fingerprint scanner is super fast, and I like the added swipe for notifications feature on the scanner. Battery life is excellent so far. The stereo speakers sound a bit tinny, but they do get impressively loud. The bundled headphone adapter doesn't sound as bad as I expected it to, but on a side note, I splurged and upgraded the wired headphone audio significantly with a NextDrive Spectra 32-bit/384kHz DAC headphone amp. They just started shipping a USB-C plug and play version of these, and they are great. Soundstage and separation are drastically improved.

AND...interestingly enough, as I type this, my Pixel is now downloading the July security patch. After checking for updates multiple times yesterday only to be told repeatedly by my phone that it was up to date with it's May security patch, I checked today, and mysteriously there was a new update ready to install. Not sure if this was a weird Verizon bug or what, but those of you stuck on the May security patch...I guess maybe try checking again? I did sign up for Google Fi last night with a new number just to try it out, and the phone was switched over to that network for a short while, not sure if that had anything to do with the update magically appearing today. I'm guessing not since the update appeared while switched back on my Verizon SIM. I must say that the eSIM thing is pretty slick. I can switch back and forth between networks in seconds.

I think I'm leaning towards not exchanging it. If it's such a crapshoot with getting a good screen, I feel like there's a good chance I could just be sent another one with equal or worse screen issues. I'll give it a few more days, but at this point I don't think the blue shift is bad enough to be worth the hassle of exchanging it. I would be curious to compare it to some other Pixel 2 XL screens though. I've definitely seen a couple YouTube videos comparing screens on different XL Pixels where one had way more blue shift than the other, so they seem to prove that it's more than a personal perception issue.

I'm so glad that you are enjoying it and that the blue tint isn't as noticeable now! Giving it another day or two is a good idea. And that's great that you are not experiencing any other type of screen issue; as any of those would warrant an immediate exchange, IMO.

And yes, the camera and UI are amazing! I liked my phone cameras but was never a junkie per se; and now I find myself taking pictures almost every single day and loving it! Enjoy!

Keep us posted!

 

[B. Diddy]

AND...interestingly enough, as I type this, my Pixel is now downloading the July security patch.

I also encountered this with my Pixel C (the last tablet Google made). It was stuck on May into mid-July, then suddenly got June and July updates back to back. Not sure why it happened, but glad that the updates finally came through!

The camera on this thing is really phenomenal. It's so awesome being able to rely on my phone camera when I'm on vacation, instead of lugging a separate camera. I've been able to get some truly spectacular shots with this phone. Enjoy!

 

[Theot]

The extra $200 and the screen issues plus I like to one hand my phone are why I went with the smaller Pixel 2. I don't blame anyone for getting the 2 XL as I'd love the screen size but i just didn't want to risk it.

The camera was my main reason for getting a pixel and it has not disappointed. Best camera I've ever owned period. It actually has me taking more pictures than ever before.

 

[Mike Dee]

I also encountered this with my Pixel C (the last tablet Google made). It was stuck on May into mid-July, then suddenly got June and July updates back to back. Not sure why it happened, but glad that the updates finally came through!

The camera on this thing is really phenomenal. It's so awesome being able to rely on my phone camera when I'm on vacation, instead of lugging a separate camera. I've been able to get some truly spectacular shots with this phone. Enjoy!

Where are those pictures from Wally World?

 

[andrew_ackley]

Thanks for everyone's input! After my first 24 hours with the phone, I have indeed begun to stop obsessing over the blue shift. I still definitely notice it, but as long as I avoid off axis viewing angles its fine. It only takes about a 10 to 15 degree shift of the screen away from my face for the blue tint to appear, but straight on it looks good, and I haven't noticed any of the other screen issues like graininess or uniformity problems that others have reported.

Everything else about the phone feels fantastic. After spending some time with it and customizing it to my liking, it definitely feels worthy of the hype, screen issues aside. The camera is fantastic. I'm really impressed by how fast the HDR processing happens. My old HTC 10 had a pretty great camera, but the HDR function often seemed to take 5 seconds or more to process, and the results were not as good as the Pixel, which seems to process HDR in less than a second. The pure Android UI feels perfect. Everything is super fast, no bugs or glitches to report. The fingerprint scanner is super fast, and I like the added swipe for notifications feature on the scanner. Battery life is excellent so far. The stereo speakers sound a bit tinny, but they do get impressively loud. The bundled headphone adapter doesn't sound as bad as I expected it to, but on a side note, I splurged and upgraded the wired headphone audio significantly with a NextDrive Spectra 32-bit/384kHz DAC headphone amp. They just started shipping a USB-C plug and play version of these, and they are great. Soundstage and separation are drastically improved.

AND...interestingly enough, as I type this, my Pixel is now downloading the July security patch. After checking for updates multiple times yesterday only to be told repeatedly by my phone that it was up to date with it's May security patch, I checked today, and mysteriously there was a new update ready to install. Not sure if this was a weird Verizon bug or what, but those of you stuck on the May security patch...I guess maybe try checking again? I did sign up for Google Fi last night with a new number just to try it out, and the phone was switched over to that network for a short while, not sure if that had anything to do with the update magically appearing today. I'm guessing not since the update appeared while switched back on my Verizon SIM. I must say that the eSIM thing is pretty slick. I can switch back and forth between networks in seconds.

I think I'm leaning towards not exchanging it. If it's such a crapshoot with getting a good screen, I feel like there's a good chance I could just be sent another one with equal or worse screen issues. I'll give it a few more days, but at this point I don't think the blue shift is bad enough to be worth the hassle of exchanging it. I would be curious to compare it to some other Pixel 2 XL screens though. I've definitely seen a couple YouTube videos comparing screens on different XL Pixels where one had way more blue shift than the other, so they seem to prove that it's more than a personal perception issue.

Believe it or not the blue shift on my p2xl is VERY close to the blue shift on my s9 plus.

 

[B. Diddy]

Where are those pictures from Wally World?
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Close enough.

 

[Morty2264]

View attachment 287252

Close enough.

Those are beautiful pictures!

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

View attachment 287252

Close enough.

Stunning photograph!