WOW, big difference in carrier vs unlocked screen color/quality

[Risley88]

Hi all,

I am testing the AT&T Note 8 and US Unlocked version.

In the picture the Note 8 on the left is the AT&T, right is unlocked model.
Both are set precisely identical to each other in terms of display settings.

Even when the phones are powered completely off, the color of the actual OLED panels differ greatly. The AT&T OLED panel has a darker black hue and the unlocked model has darker green hue. Really big difference.

I thought Apple was the only manufacturer that used different displays??

Personally, and I know this is subjective. The unlocked model blows the AT&T version away. MUCH brighter whiter sharper and cooler. The AT&T as you can see has a terrible red tint and nowhere near as bright.

 

[Risley88]

Sorry, don't know why the photo got turned when uploaded. The AT&T model is on the bottom now.......If a moderator can edit my post and turn the picture it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Mdm23]

Must be because of different panels or within the tolerances of the manufacturing process. My wife and I both had AT&T S7 Edges and our panels had that same difference. Hers was brighter and cooler while mine was more yellowish. So I think it's because all the panels aren't the exact same or the difference is within Samsung's tolerances. I don't think it's because one is unlocked and one is AT&T.

 

[Jaycemiskel]

I agree with MDM. Just normal variance.

 

[eshropshire]

I doubt there is any difference between carrier and branded. I think you could find the difference between any two Note 8s.

Also, the term unlocked vs carrier does not work well in the US. All Verizon phones are unlocked.

 

[vincey2kr1]

BS ! I’ve got unlocked and here it compared to a Verizon model. Mine is on left , same full brightness , same settings. Samsung needs to step it up. I’m sending mine back to Samsung total pain .

 

[sjgoten6]

May depend on where it was manufactures at. Aren't some built in China and some in S. Korea?

 

[Risley88]

May depend on where it was manufactures at. Aren't some built in China and some in S. Korea?

So far every AT&T version I've seen is made in Korea and every US factory unlocked version is made in China. You can see the labels on the boxes of each. Personally I find this color difference very disturbing as I can alter the advanced color settings to make the whites appear a little less red/pink/warm but bear in mind that this throws the entire gamut off, especially when both devices are set at factory defaults and you have to change one of them to match the other, having said that.....

I have slightly changed the color setting sliders but it doesn't help that much at all, this color difference between the two models are WAY off!

 

[sjgoten6]

So you say unlocked is better but Vincey says carrier is better. Looking at his pic I'm inclined to say the carrier one does indeed look better. Can you post same picture like his where it shows the vegetables?

 

[Deke218]

Suppose to be the same display but my S8+ screen looks better than my Note 8 screen. S8+ has brighter richer colors.

 

[andrew_ackley]

I don't see the big deal if u can only tell the difference when compared to another phone.

 

[anon(782252)]

I don't see the big deal if u can only tell the difference when compared to another phone.

Exactly. TV panels have the same issues where no two panels are the same. You don't see people comparing the same model of TV side by side.

 

[Risley88]

Exactly. TV panels have the same issues where no two panels are the same. You don't see people comparing the same model of TV side by side.

Believe me....You'll know just booting the phone up without another one by its side. The start-up Samsung Galaxy Note8 / Powered by Android name is either noticeably whiter and brighter or noticeably pinker and not as bright.

 

[Risley88]

So you say unlocked is better but Vincey says carrier is better. Looking at his pic I'm inclined to say the carrier one does indeed look better. Can you post same picture like his where it shows the vegetables?

Hi sjgoten and Vincey,

To update: I swapped the AT&T Note 8 out for another. We powered up 3 of them in the store and I picked the whitest brightest one. Took it home and it is so close to the unlocked one (a good thing) that I can barely tell the difference. However... The new AT&T Note 8 has a slightly darkish band running along the entire right side where the glass curves, only noticeable on white screens, but noticeable.

So this shoots my theory down regarding factory unlocked screens being better (brighter/whiter). It officially appears to be a lottery crapshoot if you get a display you like. For a display rated BEST EVER by Display Mate I've seen more issues like wavy distorted glass, different white temps, dust and dead pixels, uneven color and screens with unresponsive areas.

Will post a pic tomorrow (Monday) of the Unlocked and second AT&T Note 8.

 

[biswasd]

displaymate is a samsung shill -- everyone knows that.....full of c r a p o l a......i find the s8 screens to be consistently "whiter" than the note 8 screens.... just my $.02 - i'm sure others will disagree...:

 

[Risley88]

As promised here is the picture showing the original US factory unlocked version and the second replacement Note 8 from AT&T. Almost identical whites as opposed to the first AT&T I compared to in my previous picture.

This puts to rest that either the US factory unlocked or a carrier or a China vs Korea manufactured one has a better screen than the other. Its a lottery crapshoot with Samsung now.

Very inconsistent calibration and manufacturing processes at the factory regardless of where it was made or what model designation the Note 8 is.

 

[Risley88]

And does anybody here know why all of my attached pictures are turned 90 degrees to the left once I upload them?

Thanks in advance

 

[anon(782252)]

Panel manufacturing has been a crapshoot for a while. Phones to monitors to televisions, no 2 panels are exactly the same.

Glad you ended up with one that's more to your liking.

 

[Jewels81]

And does anybody here know why all of my attached pictures are turned 90 degrees to the left once I upload them?

Thanks in advance

That's a good question. Some of my pics do that too. Not sure but I'm sure it has something to do with this site.

 

[jjinal]

This is the reason I like my S8+ but I don't love it. My screen has a slight pink that can be corrected with the edge setting but it still bothers me that it has to be altered to be right. The screen technology Samsung is using seems very inconsistent these days.