The screen outside CAN'T be this bad for everyone using an N1.

[RBasil]

honestly, I think this issue is getting blown up to big. I am a school teacher and would primarily use my phone indoors. Maybe it is just me, but I don't consider this to be an issue. Sorry, not hating but appreciating an awesome phone.

So it works for you and that's great (for you), but the problem is it does not work for people who choose to use their phone outdoors. I'm sorry, but I don't see how HTC or Google could have missed the dismal display outdoors. Maybe they just don't care. I guess that's where Apple is different... they want the display to look great everywhere, not just inside.

The N1 is such a great phone, I love everything about it except for it's display while using it outside. If I didn't love the phone I would not bother complaining and looking for a fix, I would have just sent it back and went back to my iPhone.

 

[pnd4pnd]

wow - how you take that as hating is amazing. just pointing out for those of us who need to use the phone outside, it's pretty much unusable. i'm in sales and am constantly on the go. my smartphone is my connection to the office and if i'm blind its not worth it. i like the android platform (although very immature compared to iphone) but this is a glaring mistake by google/htc. the new phones announced at ctia this week won't have this problem or it should be substantially reduced.

my question is whether to suffer through it or just stick with the iphone till something better comes out. for $577 i expected much better. if it was a $200 subsidized phone i might not be as upset.

eric

 

[KCphotog]

So what you are saying is that the only 2 phones that work better outside are the iPhone and the BlackBerry. These are the two main competitors for Android and the N1... I guess as long you are are better than everyone, except for your main competition then everything is ok. Nice.

Its called observation...lol Read into it what you want.
I wouldn't call Blackberry a direct competitor and the iphone in my eyes has run its course. That's a another topic though...haha You can take a old flip phone or a new HD2 and have problems in direct sunlight. Then you will get that one odd ball that looks fine. Its not about who is competition or what compares to what. Its a matter of what they are doing different. The storm 2 looks better then both the N1 or iphone outside but will never compete with either in terms of screen quality or resolution. They all just have different tech used on their screens. The N1 and the Samsungs with the AMOLED screens are all the same outside. But they look great! I do not think its a deal breaker on a device at the end of the day. Just my opinion though.

Manufacturers seem to ignore this problem and have for many years. I have been in the mobile electronics field for over 14 years and have yet to see a LCD of any type perform great in direct sunlight. Some good but none great. Nice glass or even plastic over a LCD = glare and reflection. What can ya do! This is why you see matte finishes on factory Nav units. Or you get that old school dot matrix type screen that can handle what you throw at it like many radar detectors.

On a side note...
I am interested to see if apple improves their screen in the new device. I am betting that things take a turn and we see the same problem. There will always be trade offs. Great screen with poor outdoor performance or average screen that does well in all environments. Who knows.... they may pull off a perfect screen. If they do it will be a first.
To each their own! I am loving my N1 and happy to have left the 3GS for it.

 

[cesjr02]

Wasn't there an outside/sunlight comparison video between the N1 and the Droid a while back? Obviously one could make a better conclusion in person but I couldn't tell much difference between them.

I'm not saying the N1 isn't bad in sunlight only the Droid didn't seem that much better.

 

[Channan]

wow - how you take that as hating is amazing. just pointing out for those of us who need to use the phone outside, it's pretty much unusable. i'm in sales and am constantly on the go. my smartphone is my connection to the office and if i'm blind its not worth it. i like the android platform (although very immature compared to iphone) but this is a glaring mistake by google/htc. the new phones announced at ctia this week won't have this problem or it should be substantially reduced.

my question is whether to suffer through it or just stick with the iphone till something better comes out. for $577 i expected much better. if it was a $200 subsidized phone i might not be as upset.

eric

$577? It's $529 and there was no tax.

 

[anon(13322)]

The Droid screen is equally bad as the N1 in the sunlight.

 

[MRGQ]

$577? It's $529 and there was no tax.

there was tax...cause mine was totalled at 562.06..u probably meant that there was no shipping..

 

[maxiang]

Well this is discouraging I'm outside or in the auto for 90% of the day and use google maps on my BB 9700 pretty often.

 

[twinturbostang]

Anyone have an outside picture simulating what it looks like in sunlight?

 

[nugga]

It is pretty difficult to use in the sunlight but by no means is it unusable. If I am outdoors I am generally doing something other than using the phone so when outside I just tap the brightness button and turn it up...it is a compromise but to me it is one I am willing to make.

I havent had any issues in the car.

 

[RBasil]

Well this is discouraging I'm outside or in the auto for 90% of the day and use google maps on my BB 9700 pretty often.

Then don't purchase an N1. You will unfortunately be very disappointed as I am.

 

[mobilemedic20]

Just checking - are you guys using Auto Brightness? So that in daylight it should turn the brightness up, possibly to the max, automatically? When I was demoing the Droid I had this turned on, and while outside viewing wasn't great, it was certainly usable (albeit at the expense of some battery life).

 

[RBasil]

I just don't see how anyone can use the N1 outside. Mine is unusable. I'm starting to think I might have a defective phone. I wish I knew someone near me who has an N1 that I could use side-by-side mine with to compare it with to check.

Anyone here live in the Phoenix area?

 

[this_is_kyle]

As some one said earlier, I would love a pic or video of the screen in sun light.

Being able to see (or not see) the screen in the sun light is not a deal breaker for me. Having said that, if it is as bad as some of you are saying then I would have to start looking into other phones.

 

[gchild00]

The is issue does not call for that much drama. You can turn up the brightness and also get a screen protector with anti-glare and that helped me a lot! You can buy one from androidcentral...i think it's from smartphone experts.

 

[Corey]

The is issue does not call for that much drama. You can turn up the brightness and also get a screen protector with anti-glare and that helped me a lot! You can buy one from androidcentral...i think it's from smartphone experts.

Would a screen protector really help this issue? If the N1 screen issue is anything like what I experience with my Droid, it's not so much an issue of glare as much as the screen just washing out completely in the sun. Cutting out the glare might help a little, but even when I block some of the direct light with my hand, it's still pretty washed out and difficult to see.

 

[GenericMessage]

One of the many problems with CHEAP AMOLED.

 

[RBasil]

The is issue does not call for that much drama. You can turn up the brightness and also get a screen protector with anti-glare and that helped me a lot! You can buy one from androidcentral...i think it's from smartphone experts.

This issue does call for this much drama for those of us who have to use their phones outside more than we do inside to the rate of about 80/20. Turning up the brightness does not work for me and a screen protector will not work as all it does is cut out the glare, it does not help a screen that is entirely washed out.

The fact remains that in today's day and age people should not have to go out of their way to make a product like a cell phone that costs over $500 usable outside.

 

[thezo]

if the screen is so bad outside i dont understand how european people are using their nexus one's outside just fine. Looks better than my Storm.

YouTube - This is Google Nexus One on The Strip
YouTube - This is Google Nexus One on The Strip

maybe you just have to be Danish to see the screen

i also saw another review done outdoors by a british girl looked great

 

[pnd4pnd]

if the screen is so bad outside i dont understand how european people are using their nexus one's outside just fine. Looks better than my Storm.


YouTube - This is Google Nexus One on The Strip

maybe you just have to be Danish to see the screen

i also saw another review done outdoors by a british girl looked great

watching that video i can tell it was never in direct sunlight... if you are happy with it that's great. i just find compared to the iphone, it's terrible.