It looks like the Galaxy Note 7 debacle all over again as Samsung Galaxy S8 phone users begin seeing red — and not just figuratively.
Some users in South Korea have reported that the displays of their Galaxy S8 units are a little red than normal. Samsung has responded that this is not unusual given the technology it used for the OLED panels, and the issue can be fixed easily.
Samsung released the Galaxy S8 on March 29. So far, last year's controversy regarding the Galaxy Note 7's exploding batteries has not affected the success of the new flagship, but this red tint display issue can get out of hand if Samsung does not act fast.
Galaxy S8 Users See Red
As reported in one Korean news site, early adopters have raised complaints about their phones having red displays. Some even uploaded photos in online communities to show the phone with the reddish screen side-by-side a regular one.
"After I read articles that there are many reddish panels, I checked mine. I was also unlucky. Should I change it?" posted one user. Others asked to check if his phone was really red.
Samsung responded by saying that it is an easy problem to address as it can be fixed on the phone itself. If the display is still reddish, the company encouraged the users to go to service centers. The company even offered a refund or a device exchange if the problem is on the hardware itself.
"To offer a variety of color options for our users, we have added the display color optimization mode to the devices, allowing them to change the tone to their own preferences," a Samsung Electronics official said.
However, the users said the screens remained red even after correcting the display settings.
According to an industry watcher, the reddish tint could be caused by an imbalance in the color configuration. The Galaxy S8's OLED screen uses two subpixels: one red-green and one blue-green (unlike other LCDs that use red, green, and blue subpixels).
This configuration is more prone to having color imbalance problems because there are two greens, so Samsung used a deeper red to counterbalance this and improve the color. The glitch in this process may explain the reddish tint that users are having.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Preorders Close To 1 Million
Samsung's latest flagship Galaxy S8 is reportedly closing in on 1 million in preorders in Korea, setting a record in the domestic market. The most recent official number as of April 12 is 728,000 phones. A Samsung official said that while it is hard to reveal the specific figure, the company is almost there. If it happens, Samsung will reach the 1-million preorder target in South Korea that it set earlier.
