Samsung Galaxy S8 to get software patch for “red tint” issue

Enlarge / Two Korean Galaxy S8s with the red tint issue. (credit: Daum)

Samsung's newest Android flagship, the Galaxy S8, launched last week. As the device trickled out to users, some customers complained about a "red tint" to the screen. It was most noticeable on a white screen, but basically, the whole color balance of the display was off. Now, just a weekend later, Samsung says it will issue a software patch to fix the red-tint complaints.

The Galaxy S8's existing white balance controls.

The red tint isn't a universal issue (Ars' review unit is fine, though it was probably hand-picked), but judging from side-by-side pictures online, it does seem like some Galaxy S8 screens are redder than others. The advice for any day-one defect like this is usually "return it," but Samsung says it will be able to fix the problem via software. The Galaxy S8 already has a "Color Balance" setting that lets you adjust the red, green, and blue values of the display, and in a statement e-mailed to the Wall Street Journal, Samsung said the update would add "a further enhanced ability to adjust the color setting to their preference."

As far as recent Samsung defects go, this is a small one. The Galaxy S8 is Samsung's first flagship phone since the launch of the Galaxy Note 7, which will probably go down in history as one of the biggest product launch catastrophes ever. The Galaxy Note 7 shipped with a defective battery that could explode or catch fire, and after two recalls, Samsung ended up pulling the phone off the market. After dealing with that situation for six months, a small patch to fix the screen color balance is nothing.

Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments