Is The Paperwhite Screen Degrading Over Time?

Binko · 10-26-2012, 04:04 PM

I've had my Paperwhite for almost a month now. I use it for one to three hours a day.

Like all Paperwhites it has some minor screen issues. There are dark and light areas at the bottom by the LEDs. Also there seems to be a very faint mottling effect across the screen, but you have to really focus to see it. All in all my screen is probably one of the better ones.

But now I'm starting to feel like it is slowly getting worse. The dark and light areas at the bottom seem more pronounced and the mottling effect seems more noticeable. It's possible that the screen layer that disperses the light is degrading as it ages. Or the LEDs may be emitting light in a slightly less regular pattern.

On the other hand, it's also possible that I'm simply imagining this effect due to all the forum posts and reviews that I've read. I may be more sensitive or critical than I was when the device first arrived.

I really love the concept of the light. It's wonderful to be able to read in dim or dark surroundings. Even in fairly bright ambient light the built in light helps increase contrast. But if there is any chance at all that the screen will degrade over time I'll send it back now. My window for returns is almost closed.

Has anybody else seen a noticeable change in their Paperwhite screen since they first bought it?

jswinden · 10-26-2012, 04:09 PM

My first replacement looked fairly good when I first got it but withing a few days it turned pretty bad.

Blossom · 10-26-2012, 04:12 PM

I've read in the threads here people who have had issues with the screen changing over time. This is one of my biggest concerns.

sparklemotion · 10-26-2012, 04:56 PM

I noticed my screen seemed worse when reading on it last night, but I don't know if it's my mind playing tricks on me or what. Today it seemed alright, but it always seems fine in the day.

AnemicOak · 10-26-2012, 05:12 PM

Mine looked really good when I got it, but a week later I ended up returning it because it started showing the colored splotches which looked horrible and were distracting.

pidgeon92 · 10-26-2012, 07:08 PM

I got mine on 10/10, and have not noticed any screen changes. I read on it 2-3 hours per day.

Barty · 10-26-2012, 07:26 PM

Well, considering the light diffusion layer is, according to Amazon, comprised of fine fiber optic strands weaved together by elves (don't quote me, I'm hazy on the details), I guess it's not crazy that if you keep touching it, that may exacerbate any flaws that were there from the start.

jswinden · 10-26-2012, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barty

Well, considering the light diffusion layer is, according to Amazon, comprised of fine fiber optic strands weaved together by elves (don't quote me, I'm hazy on the details), I guess it's not crazy that if you keep touching it, that may exacerbate any flaws that were there from the start.

Elves gone bad. They must be descended from the evil elves Tolkien wrote about in The Silmarillion!

I've always heard of "ghosts in the works" so maybe Steve Jobs is having some fun.

sirmaru · 10-26-2012, 07:57 PM

My PW screen is still good over the last 3 weeks.

weatherman · 10-26-2012, 08:08 PM

Having just received a replacement, I can't say for sure but it's an interesting thought that they might degrade with constant tapping being applied. The best thing to do (for everyone, I would think is to photodocument as best you can what your screen looks like as soon as you get it (or now, if you haven't already) and then take an update pic week after week.

If these screens do seem to be degrading over time, Amazon might not be willing to exchange after 6 months without some proof.

vxf · 10-26-2012, 09:15 PM

Something is affecting my screen as well.
When I first got it, it had a section in the upper-middle that was pinkish. After a couple of days of intense use, it was gone. Then, a couple of days later, I noticed pink spots elsewhere on the screen.
Next day, the screen looked very even - and it has been like that since.

I am not sure what it is - but the screen seems affected by something - humidity, temperature, battery level? Who knows...

xendula · 10-26-2012, 09:18 PM

My first replacement unit had holes and light issues, but no rainbow. The coloration appeared one or two days later. Today, I received one again. Paranoid as I am, I paid close attention when I set it up, and there were zero pink and green patches. By the time I was done setting it up, it had turned mostly green, with pink in it. I know I did not imagine this because I was paying extra attention, having gone through my share of replacement units.

In the beginning, I did not want to use any of them because I felt that they were not "mine" as long as I was still requesting replacements. Then when Amazon Andrew got in touch with me and told me to hold off on any more replacements while he was looking into the issue, I finally gave in and started using one of them to do extensive reading on. I have not noticed any degrading on that unit after putting it through many hours of reading per day. But it was very blotchy from the get go.

Binko · 10-27-2012, 01:12 AM

Changes in the light dispersion layer could be caused by a lot of things besides the touch taps. Like vxf said above it could be temperature or humidity or who knows what.

It's obviously a very very thin layer of some kind of material that has to disperse the light from the bottom of the Kindle all the way to the top. It could turn out that this method of screen lighting is fundamentally flawed. The light dispersion layer could change after a few hundred hot and cold cycles, or after a few thousand taps or just as it ages.

My wife and I both sent our Paperwhites back today. It was very hard for me to do and I'm feeling somewhat depressed about it. But I just didn't feel like I can trust the screen. I was always peering at it to see if something had changed or something was wrong.

So back it went. My wife also has a Fire HD which she has no problem reading on. Perhaps I'll borrow that for a couple of long term reading sessions and see if it would suit me. I think, if it turns out that there is a backlash against the Paperwhite's lighting, it might be near the end of the line for eInk. Tablets are improving radically while eInk devices seem stuck.

xendula · 10-27-2012, 03:40 AM

Binko, I hope you are very very wrong about your e-ink prediction. I hate reading on my tablets.

SeaKing · 10-27-2012, 04:20 AM

I like the idea of more screen contrast and built in lighting very much. I am waiting for them to get the bugs out. I waited on my KB Kindle as well.

Now that I am comfortable with the old e-ink, I am still leery of "new" e-ink.

10-26-2012, 04:04 PM	#1
Binko Member Posts: 15 Karma: 500156 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle	Is The Paperwhite Screen Degrading Over Time? I've had my Paperwhite for almost a month now. I use it for one to three hours a day. Like all Paperwhites it has some minor screen issues. There are dark and light areas at the bottom by the LEDs. Also there seems to be a very faint mottling effect across the screen, but you have to really focus to see it. All in all my screen is probably one of the better ones. But now I'm starting to feel like it is slowly getting worse. The dark and light areas at the bottom seem more pronounced and the mottling effect seems more noticeable. It's possible that the screen layer that disperses the light is degrading as it ages. Or the LEDs may be emitting light in a slightly less regular pattern. On the other hand, it's also possible that I'm simply imagining this effect due to all the forum posts and reviews that I've read. I may be more sensitive or critical than I was when the device first arrived. I really love the concept of the light. It's wonderful to be able to read in dim or dark surroundings. Even in fairly bright ambient light the built in light helps increase contrast. But if there is any chance at all that the screen will degrade over time I'll send it back now. My window for returns is almost closed. Has anybody else seen a noticeable change in their Paperwhite screen since they first bought it?

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10-26-2012, 04:09 PM	#2
jswinden Nameless Being	My first replacement looked fairly good when I first got it but withing a few days it turned pretty bad.

10-26-2012, 04:12 PM	#3
Blossom Treasure Seeker Posts: 18,708 Karma: 26026435 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kobo HD Glo, Kindles, Kindle Fires, Andriod Devices	I've read in the threads here people who have had issues with the screen changing over time. This is one of my biggest concerns.

10-26-2012, 04:56 PM	#4
sparklemotion dangerous when cornered Posts: 1,855 Karma: 22891237 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: USA Device: Kobo H2O, Kindle Paperwhite	I noticed my screen seemed worse when reading on it last night, but I don't know if it's my mind playing tricks on me or what. Today it seemed alright, but it always seems fine in the day.

10-26-2012, 05:12 PM	#5
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Mine looked really good when I got it, but a week later I ended up returning it because it started showing the colored splotches which looked horrible and were distracting.

10-26-2012, 07:08 PM	#6
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	I got mine on 10/10, and have not noticed any screen changes. I read on it 2-3 hours per day.

10-26-2012, 07:26 PM	#7
Barty doofus Posts: 2,535 Karma: 13088847 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	Well, considering the light diffusion layer is, according to Amazon, comprised of fine fiber optic strands weaved together by elves (don't quote me, I'm hazy on the details), I guess it's not crazy that if you keep touching it, that may exacerbate any flaws that were there from the start.

10-26-2012, 07:57 PM	#9
sirmaru Wizard Posts: 2,426 Karma: 6561538 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle PW 2013, HDX 2013, Galaxy S5 2014	My PW screen is still good over the last 3 weeks.

10-26-2012, 08:08 PM	#10
weatherman Addict Posts: 385 Karma: 1010052 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: (previous: Kindle 2, Kindle Fire) Kindle 4 WiFi, K3K, KPW	Having just received a replacement, I can't say for sure but it's an interesting thought that they might degrade with constant tapping being applied. The best thing to do (for everyone, I would think is to photodocument as best you can what your screen looks like as soon as you get it (or now, if you haven't already) and then take an update pic week after week. If these screens do seem to be degrading over time, Amazon might not be willing to exchange after 6 months without some proof.

10-26-2012, 09:15 PM	#11
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	Something is affecting my screen as well. When I first got it, it had a section in the upper-middle that was pinkish. After a couple of days of intense use, it was gone. Then, a couple of days later, I noticed pink spots elsewhere on the screen. Next day, the screen looked very even - and it has been like that since. I am not sure what it is - but the screen seems affected by something - humidity, temperature, battery level? Who knows...

10-26-2012, 09:18 PM	#12
xendula eBookworm Posts: 2,300 Karma: 4525746 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: East Coast brrrrr Device: Kindle 4B/K ~ Nexus 7 ~ Kindle Paperwhite 1&2 ~ iPad Air	My first replacement unit had holes and light issues, but no rainbow. The coloration appeared one or two days later. Today, I received one again. Paranoid as I am, I paid close attention when I set it up, and there were zero pink and green patches. By the time I was done setting it up, it had turned mostly green, with pink in it. I know I did not imagine this because I was paying extra attention, having gone through my share of replacement units. In the beginning, I did not want to use any of them because I felt that they were not "mine" as long as I was still requesting replacements. Then when Amazon Andrew got in touch with me and told me to hold off on any more replacements while he was looking into the issue, I finally gave in and started using one of them to do extensive reading on. I have not noticed any degrading on that unit after putting it through many hours of reading per day. But it was very blotchy from the get go.

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10-27-2012, 01:12 AM	#13
Binko Member Posts: 15 Karma: 500156 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle	Changes in the light dispersion layer could be caused by a lot of things besides the touch taps. Like vxf said above it could be temperature or humidity or who knows what. It's obviously a very very thin layer of some kind of material that has to disperse the light from the bottom of the Kindle all the way to the top. It could turn out that this method of screen lighting is fundamentally flawed. The light dispersion layer could change after a few hundred hot and cold cycles, or after a few thousand taps or just as it ages. My wife and I both sent our Paperwhites back today. It was very hard for me to do and I'm feeling somewhat depressed about it. But I just didn't feel like I can trust the screen. I was always peering at it to see if something had changed or something was wrong. So back it went. My wife also has a Fire HD which she has no problem reading on. Perhaps I'll borrow that for a couple of long term reading sessions and see if it would suit me. I think, if it turns out that there is a backlash against the Paperwhite's lighting, it might be near the end of the line for eInk. Tablets are improving radically while eInk devices seem stuck.

10-27-2012, 03:40 AM	#14
xendula eBookworm Posts: 2,300 Karma: 4525746 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: East Coast brrrrr Device: Kindle 4B/K ~ Nexus 7 ~ Kindle Paperwhite 1&2 ~ iPad Air	Binko, I hope you are very very wrong about your e-ink prediction. I hate reading on my tablets.

10-27-2012, 04:20 AM	#15
SeaKing Frequent Flier Posts: 1,282 Karma: 2058993297 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: KB kindle aboard, Galx Tab 7.0 Plus, trying out Droid 1 as mini-tab	I like the idea of more screen contrast and built in lighting very much. I am waiting for them to get the bugs out. I waited on my KB Kindle as well. Now that I am comfortable with the old e-ink, I am still leery of "new" e-ink.