Yet another Galaxy S24 series display issue is spreading like wildfire

47comments
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
Yet another Galaxy S24 series display issue is spreading like wildfire
Is the Galaxy S24 Ultra the absolute best Android phone money can buy right now? Our comprehensive review of Samsung's latest crown jewel certainly seems to suggest so, but while many early adopters have taken to social media to express their delight with the camera capabilities, overall performance, and hot new AI tricks of the 6.8-inch super-flagship, a definitely-not-small number of users appear to have a big problem with the handset's display.

Make that two, three, or even four different problems, as depending on your luck and exactly how closely you tend to inspect every individual pixel on your smartphone's screen, you're likely to notice one or several of multiple weird behaviors (let's call them that) widely reported over the last couple of weeks.

Galaxy S24 Ultra is $376 off at Amazon

$376 off (26%)
The S24 Ultra is available at Amazon. You can get it at Amazon for $376 off its original price. This is the 512GB model.
Buy at Amazon

Galaxy S24+, 512GB is 24% off at Amazon

$271 off (24%)
The Galaxy S24+ is also available on Amazon. At the moment, the exciting Samsung device with 512GB of storage is 24% off at the merchant. This is the Onyx Black colorway.
Buy at Amazon

Galaxy S24, 256GB: available at Amazon

The Samsung Galaxy S24 with 256GB of storage is currently available at Amazon. Limited colors are available in new condition.
Expired

Galaxy S24 Ultra is up to $750 off with trade-in

$669 99
$1419 99
You can purchase a fully unlocked Galaxy S24 Ultra via the official Samsung store. The almighty AI genius sells for up to $750 off with eligible trade-ins. Select colorways are available right now.
Expired

Galaxy S24+: up to $500 off at the Samsung Store

$619 99
$1119 99
If you don't care much for the latest and greatest flagship model from Samsung, consider the S24+. The middle member of the S24 family is currently up to $500 off at the Samsung Store. Only the 512GB model in Onyx Black is in stock.
Expired

Galaxy S24: save up to $400 with a trade-in

$299 99
$699 99
$400 off (57%)
The S24 arrives at Samsung as well. Right now, there are no discounts available before trade-ins, but you can trade in an eligible device to save up to $400.
Buy at Samsung

What seems to be the issue this time around?


To begin with, we're going to dub this controversy "grainygate" in order to easily distinguish it from the hardware malfunctions and (not)bugs we've already extensively covered since the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra made their commercial debut on January 31.

In a nutshell, it appears that quite a lot of S24 series units purchased around the world look... off in low brightness, having big trouble displaying clear and uniform images especially on a gray or dark background. Most people who've noticed this describe the screen as presenting a grainy quality or grainy texture, while others say that it looks like there is a "layer of unmoving static on top of the darker colors."


The best and most thorough explanation comes from a Redditor who claims to be a scientist with more than a decade of experience in the OLED panel industry, but hundreds of "everyday" users with (presumably) no PhD in this field are clearly bothered by the exact same thing.

Apparently known in the industry as "mura", the issue is generally "minimized" in a phone's pre-production process to a "degree where human eyes can barely tell." For some reason, Samsung may not have done that (or at least not successfully), shipping at least an initial batch of S24 series devices with what "erodeloeht" on Reddit is calling very "low quality displays."

Are these units defective? Not exactly. Can you do anything to fix the issue once you notice it? Probably not, as it's most likely caused by improperly tested and optimized hardware rather than faulty software. Should you return your S24, S24+, or S24 Ultra? That's definitely your choice and your choice only and it might depend on a number of other factors as well.

How many issues are too many issues?


That, our friends, is the key question you need to ask yourselves before deciding whether to hang on to your Galaxy S24 series device or not. And while grainygate (or mura) may not seem like a big deal to some people, only becoming truly noticeable at super-low brightness levels for some users of some units, previously reported problems have certainly impacted more users to a larger degree.

Recommended Stories
The S24 Ultra's "muted" display, for instance, is something that almost everyone has noticed... because it's apparently intended behavior. For what it's worth, Samsung is preparing a fix... of sorts, which may or may not please the masses.


A far bigger problem were those green lines that appeared on some screens after just a few days of use and no abuse whatsoever, and in such extreme (yet rare) cases, you obviously need to return your phone to its manufacturer as soon as possible.

On a somewhat unrelated but still related note, some camera problems were also reported at one point although they didn't exactly spread like wildfire and all these display malfunctions. All in all, while it might seem like Samsung's quality assurance dropped the ball on the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra, the truth is new smartphones often have issues. Some are bigger, some are smaller, some are advertised as features rather than bugs, and some you need to decide for yourselves if they're deal breakers or not. 

If you ask us, these are still among the absolute greatest phones out there, and you should definitely consider buying whichever model fits your preferences and budget best... while keeping an eye on any and all potential issues.
Did you enjoy reading this article?
There's more to explore with a FREE members account.
  • Access members-only articles
  • Join community discussions
  • Share your own device reviews
  • Manage your newsletter choices
Register For Free

Recommended Stories

Loading Comments...
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless