Update, July 31, 2020 (10:30 AM ET): The OnePlus Nord screen tinting issue described below will apparently get a fix soon. According to a statement from the company given to 9to5Google, a software fix is on the way. However, OnePlus would not say what the fix will do nor when it will actually arrive.
Considering that OnePlus originally stated that this tinting problem was just an aspect of OLED panels and no fix was necessary, this is a pretty big turn for the brand. That just goes to show the power of people on the internet!
Original article, July 29, 2020 (11:00 AM ET): The launch of a popular phone is typically followed by glitch reports from early adopters, and that’s clearly the case with the OnePlus Nord.
As 9to5Google reports, users on the official OnePlus forums and Reddit have noticed green, purple, or yellow screen tinting at low brightness levels, typically around the 20% to 25% threshold. As you might imagine, that could be distracting if you’re checking your phone in a dimly-lit room.
OnePlus Nord screen tinting issue
OnePlus isn’t new to these kinds of issues. Some 8 Pro owners saw tinting that ultimately required software updates to address.
However, software might not be to blame in this case. In a statement to 9to5, OnePlus said tinting at low brightness was “characteristic of all OLED displays,� and that the amount varied from screen to screen. “This is not a quality issue,� the company added. This may be inherent to the Nord’s panel, in other words, and won’t go away with patches.
See also: The best Android phone display of mid-2020
This is true to at least some degree. Screen tinting at low brightness is common on OLED screens, regardless of the phone or display manufacturer. Users have reported tinting on Galaxy S20 phones (albeit to the point that it needed a fix), for example, and you can see a mild amount of tinting on OLED-equipped iPhones if you look closely. You won’t completely avoid this trait no matter how hard you try.
The degree of tinting varies, however, and that might be the real issue. If the tinting is inherent to the display, you might just have to either raise the brightness or live with the discoloration where it’s more manageable on other phones. The Nord’s screen is better than you’d expect for the price between its 90Hz refresh rate and a quick in-display fingerprint reader, but that doesn’t mean it’s free of limitations.