Why Apples customer and repair service rules! iPhone 5s with uneven display backlight

Well check this out: I got my "new" iPhone 5s (yes, I know, it's an older model but I chose it as it was included in my new contract with Telenor, the cell phone provider) and noticed two darker areas on the display. Since our eyes adapt quite well to contrast differences they weren't visible when looking straight at one point on the screen, say the center of it. But I saw the spots if I was scrolling black-on-white text on the screen and following it with my eyes, then the eyes would kind of travel from brighter areas through the darker spots into brighter areas again.

And you probably know what it's like: when you've first seen something like this then you will always see it. Just like that tiny dent on your new car.

Updating the software did nothing, so my theory was that it was a hardware fault.

Now, I realize this is not the end of the world or anything like that. It's almost ridiculous. The iPhone still worked perfectly fine despite this "cosmetic fault". But if I was going to do anything about it, now was the time. I think it will be harder to sell this iPhone in the future if the screen has these darker spots, so even if it made me feel a little picky I decided to try to have it repaired under warranty.

I returned it to the cell phone operator for warranty repair. The guy in the Telenor store agreed on there being darker spots so he sent it to their repair service with a clear description of the fault.

The repair company Conmodo however returned the iPhone without repair, saying "The stated fault could not be recreated". They did some software updates and also wrote that the error could be in the customers (my) backup data.

Well well. I was not happy to see the darker spots as soon as I started the device again right there in the store. I'd say Conmodo's repair techs either are to stressed or not thorough enough. Everyone can make mistakes, I'm sure they do fine work otherwise but not in this case however.

I contacted Apples chat support and after a very short wait got in contact with an advisor. He looked at a picture I sent him and immediately saw what I saw  - darker spots on the display. I guess I'm not crazy after all:

Uneven, blotchy iPhone 5s screen - easiest seen on thumbnail size.

Please pardon the poor picture, I never planned to actually use it. The darker spots are much easier to see on the thumbnail size picture, again I think because our eyes are so adaptive. Still, trying to photograph it was not easy. Tweaking the levels a bit exaggerates the differences in light intensity, again easiest seen on thumbnail size:

Adjusted image - note "blotchiness" especially along the right edge

Following the Apple advisors advice I went to an Apple Store. They too saw the fault and took the iPhone in for screen replacement. I was asked to come back an hour later to pick up my phone.
When I came back they told me that my phone did not pass the calibration machine test after changing the display. It seems there was something else at fault other than the display itself, so they replaced the unit and gave me a new iPhone under warranty!


In short - I think Apple has the best customer support there is! They seem to go to great lengths to satisfy the customer. I also think that warranty repairs - actually all repairs - are best left to Apple themselves. They seem to have the highest standards for their work.