Samsung insists Galaxy S8 red screen just needs a software fix

The Galaxy S8 is already receiving its fair share of criticisms not even a week into its launch. But aside from the crippled initial Bixby launch, the most glaring, almost literally, complain has been around some screens. Some users have reported have reported seeing a red tinge on their screens, at least more than normal and definitely more than what is comfortable. While some market watchers theorize it might be a problem inherent in Samsung's Super AMOLED hardware, the Korean giant is insisting it's simply a software calibration problem. And to prove that, it will soon be releasing a software update "fixing" the issue.

Those subscribe to a hardware problem theory say that Samsung might have overdone its pixel balancing act just wee bit. Its Super AMOLED screens make use of "half" pixel structures in red-green and green-blue pairs. There have been complaints before on how those screens had too much green so Samsung allegedly stepped up the red to compensate.

For its part, Samsung downplays the hardware angle, insisting it's just a calibration problem. It advised affected users to simply adjust the settings on their Galaxy S8 and S8+. The problem is that users also insist that they've done so already and are still getting reddish screens. This, in turn, led to the belief that the problem is, indeed, hardware-based.

Samsung, however, isn't backing down from its position. It did at least acknowledge the fact that some users are experiencing what is a legitimate problem and has promised a software update that will address the issue. How? By giving users a bit more control over color settings. To be fair, Samsung's Super AMOLED screens have been known to have vibrant colors but also aggressive color settings, so there might indeed be a basis to the company's defense.

And to be clear, the red screen tone isn't a widespread problem. It has just affected enough people that have made a lot of noise to get noticed. Overall, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ remain a solid and impressive smartphone, albeit with a few disappointing quirks and problems.

VIA: Korea Herald