iPhone 4S Release Date: 'Yellowgate' - Users Report Yellow Screen Tint Problems

By Elton Jones, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Several iPhone 4S owners are already reporting screen issues: reportedly, the screens display a yellowish tint.

Users of the iPhone 4S took to the Apple Support Forum and wrote that the screen looks washed out and that the whites look more yellow, especially when compared with the iPhone 4. Some feel the issue is specific to the black iPhone 4S, noting that the display in the white version looks perfectly normal.

One member of the site explained their situation with the smartphone's screen: "My 4S screen is less contrasty, and the whites are more yellow (beyond 'warm') compared to my iPhone 4 screen. The colors are less vibrant, and some are pretty washed out. I've also noticed that the screen is more directional than the 4 screen, and in some viewing angles it's more yellow, and in others it's more contrasty. I'm really hoping this is a glue issue, which could improve. I don't think I'll be able to get used to this."

Other commentators on the forums offered their thoughts on these new problems for Apple's latest smartphone.

Some say that the yellowish display is the result of the glue used to put the screens together not having fully cured or hardened yet.

Another forum poster noticed the same problem with the iPhone 4 last year and said it took about two weeks for the yellow tint to fully disappear.

However, some other members of the site countered the glue argument by pointing out that the screen appears washed out, which might not have been caused by the glue not having hardened enough.

Some of the users who have experienced this problem have chosen to nickname it "yellowgate."

Apple hasn't made an official statement regarding the screen reports thus far. Those affected by "yellowgate" haven't reported any problems when attempting to return their phones for a replacement unit, though.

Despite these early tech issues, the iPhone 4S is still considered a huge success for Apple. The smartphone sold 4 million copies in its opening week.