Caution: Large pics: My Screen thoughts, Droid X, S3, Atrix HD, and Fighter

[Deleted User]

So, I've had my DX for two years. Contract was up and jumped on the Galaxy S3. What a great device...spec wise.
One thing that really killed me was how a beautiful screen could be so dim. I ended up returning it. I use GPS in my car window and it was not bright enough. I've now tried 3 different S3 in 3 different stores plus the one I owned. I've had so many people tell me the screen is fine, plenty bright, you had a bad phone, it's brighter than X, Y, and Z phones, you didn't turn up the brightness on the device or the 2nd internet setting, bla bla bla.
I took it back in hopes the Razr HD would be a better screen. My thoughts were if it was a AMOLED like the Razr, it would be brighter. If it was LCD like the Atrix HD, I'd be happy if it was bright and colorful.
Well, I took my Droid X and compared it to the S3 and the Atrix HD.
If, which it should, have the same screen as the Atrix HD, sweet. This is a sure purchase.
Ive been to YouTube and other website, but no one has the same screen shot on two different devices. I installed LCD Test (Amoled ready), what ever that means, on all three phones. Here is what I saw.

Look at the difference in WHITE!!!

Looks like you cannot see the roads on the Atrix, but far from true.
Now for my Droid X shots with the S3

Droid X red SUCKS!

So does Green.

However, blue on all three were really close. Strange.

The S3 is not BRIGHT nor WHITE.

Looking forword to the Razr HD with a LCD/Color Boost.

 

[Deleted User]

Here are a few cut and paste to put the DX next to the Atrix HD. Seems pretty close in brightness, but more color i.e. color boost is apparent compared to a standard LCD.

 

[rushmore]

The demo a local Verizon had at launch was dim too, but mine does not have the issue. Not sure if setting or what on the demo.

GS3 is too bright at full settings. Looks like the auto image setting is active, or something else. I have used GPS several times on bright days with no issues at 60% brightness.

As far as the Fighter/HD, I would not get it due to about .3" or more taken up by a fixed navigation bar. Also too easy to touch by accident when gaming.

 

[Deleted User]

The demo a local Verizon had at launch was dim too, but mine does not have the issue. Not sure if setting or what on the demo.

GS3 is too bright at full settings. Looks like the auto image setting is active, or something else. I have used GPS several times on bright days with no issues at 60% brightness.

As far as the Fighter/HD, I would not get it due to about .3" or more taken up by a fixed navigation bar. Also too easy to touch by accident when gaming.

I agree as I don't care for the soft keys either. I've tried 3 or 4 different S3 and all were dim. The one in the pictures was at ATT only a couple weeks ago. I tried one at Tmobile, one at VZW, and my own and all were dim.
They have two different brightness settings: system and internet. All had them set on manual and max.
I'll see the new Note II and the Razr HD and go with the better screen.
I really like the car docks that moto releases at the same time as the phones. Samsung should follow suit.
Have you looked at the S3 side by side, with the same picture, with an LCD device? Typically reviews of multiple devices only show differnt screen shots, a red flower back ground on one phone with the other phones having different pictures. Then you also never know for the review if the phones are on auto brightness which can skew results also due to different settings for a given amount of light.

 

[Deleted User]

The demo a local Verizon had at launch was dim too, but mine does not have the issue. Not sure if setting or what on the demo.

GS3 is too bright at full settings. Looks like the auto image setting is active, or something else. I have used GPS several times on bright days with no issues at 60% brightness.

As far as the Fighter/HD, I would not get it due to about .3" or more taken up by a fixed navigation bar. Also too easy to touch by accident when gaming.

I went to VZW today to look at the Atrix and looked over the SIII, a different one again, and it was sooo dim, not even funny.

 

[rushmore]

Again, you have to change the settings. Anandtech did an actual technical review of the display and gave it a great review and the brightness was not an issue. Added: And ranked better than the Razr overall with contrast and similar brightness.

I refuse to give money for a device that has display space taken up on a phone size display with a nav bar. IMO it makes not sense and rips the user off. This is ten times worse than quoting 20" displays in the old CRT days, but the bezel took up about .4".

At least HTC listened to their customers and updated the X with an option to use the space and call the nav bar up when needed. Heck, I stayed with GB with the HTC View, since HC has a fixed navigation bar too. Too much space wasted. Pure evil.

That all said, choice is cool, so get what makes you happy!!

 

[Deleted User]

Under the internet setting, there are 4 dials to select and each gives a different brightness and one is off or disable. I forget the exact title for each level. However, the off/disable is the brightest setting. Then the internet brightness is on manual and full brightness. Then in master settings, brightness is manual and full. I do recall them being labeled as power saving modes or similar, not brightness. Yes, it is obviouse it effects the brightness, and have had those set on off/default since comparing the past 2-3 phones, but not all or even the one I returned I admit. However, the screens were captured using an LCD testing app to give pure white, not the internet so those setting "shouldn't" matter anyway. I could be wrong.
When these pictures were taken, it was set on the brightest one. I'm not out to diss the S3. I bought it, I got my money back. I have no reason to complain as I'm not out anything at all. I would have kept the phone if the screen was better. When rumors might have pointed out that the Razr HD comes with AMOLED, I got worried as my experence with the S3 was a really dim screen. I'm happy the HD will have LCD. I still prefer the much larger S3 screen, but that won't make up for its lack of brightness IMHO.
Here is a side by side. Every one of the now 5 different SIII are the same. It is this obvious. Not to be rude, but if you cannot see the difference or think this is not significant, wow.
Maybe I'm just picky, but the S3 is not acceptable and was returned. The brightness is the most significant reason for the return.

 

[mach1man]

My s3 is super bright that at night it lights up the whole car if I happen to open up the text messaging app or email app

 

[Sandroidfan]

Now it's official that Razr HD has Super AMOLED screen just like OG Razr, GS3. So I don't think it will be significantly brighter than those.

 

[Deleted User]

My s3 is super bright that at night it lights up the whole car if I happen to open up the text messaging app or email app

Try holding up to something that is bright like an LCD phone. Anything is bright in a dark environment by itself.
My watch light is bright in my room with the lights off...

 

[Deleted User]

Now it's official that Razr HD has Super AMOLED screen just like OG Razr, GS3. So I don't think it will be significantly brighter than those.

Yes, major bummer. However, I'll have to see which is the lesser evil.
G-note II is supposed to be a "little" brighter.
Razr AMOLED is brighter than the S3 (noticeable, but not significantly). I hope the extra pixels and new display of the Razr HD is even brighter than the Razr which is brighter than the S3. The HD might be my best (only) hope.
Now with a 3,300mah Maxx version, developer unlocked version, and 4.7 screen...seems decent enough to try.

 

[rushmore]

Again, my GS3 does NOT have gray white like the examples unless leaving the dynamic image and power saving on. Turn those off and the display is bright. Seems Moto would provide similar display options, so should not be an issue.

BTW, the dynamic image option is lame and harms contrast the most, hence the gray look.