Mobile

Does your Galaxy S2 have that yellowish tint too?

Abe Olandres Editor-in-chief July 12, 2011 · 2 min read

Listen to article

Instagram now lets users reorder their posts on their profile iOS 27 Adds Native Baybayin Keyboard to iPhone: Here is How to Enable It AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE announced GPD MicroPC 2 with Intel Core 3 N350 announced Nintendo Direct to unveil Switch 2 games for second half of 2026

Learned about numerous reports of the yellowish tint on the display of the Samsung Galaxy S2 a couple of weeks ago but since I no longer have my review unit with me, I wan’t able to personally check it out and thought it was just an isolated case.

However, since the release of the SGS2 by Globe and after the 300 pre-ordered units were shipped out last July 2, more people have been reporting the problem.

A very long thread on TipidPC discusses the issue here, as well as in another local forum over at Istorya.net here.

One of our readers has been following this issue very closely and adds:

My personal testing and store scouting gave me an insight that all units are affected some severely others not, so far I’ve test over 20 units and I’ve found only one that barely affected.

The artificial conditions like darkroom or zero brightness or even grey screens were not required during my testing as they were very evident in white images (unless its over 50% brightness) very noticeable on the virtual keypad, quite annoying in movies actually since my 2nd unit has this issue quite severely, apps/websites that use white or grey colors on the left side will show this issue.

Other screen related issues are random white spots on grey colors, visible dark rings on light colors, strong red tinting almost over the entire red screen and massive color shift due to the glass coating (rare issue but I had this on my first phone).

I’ve tested/seen over 20 units from different stores, out of 20, maybe 6-7 have minimal yellow tinting.

– Earl Benson

I am told Samsung Philippines have been informed of this issue but they have not publicly responded nor acknowledge it as such.

In any case, if you have a Galaxy S2 now, do share with us if you also see that yellowish tint on your device.

What is the yellowish tint issue on the Samsung Galaxy S2?

The yellowish tint is a display problem reported on many Galaxy S2 units, visible on white images and virtual keypads.

Are all Galaxy S2 units affected by the yellowish tint?

According to a reader's testing of over 20 units, all are affected, but some more severely than others.

What other screen issues are reported besides the yellowish tint?

Other issues include random white spots on grey, dark rings on light colors, strong red tinting, and color shift from glass coating.

React to this article:

galaxy s2 yellow tint

Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and is considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines.

8,007 Articles

View all posts by Abe Olandres →

158 Comments

Ced · 15 years ago

Hi, I’m planning to buy a Samsung Galaxy S II, but I’m worried to experience the same inconvenience others had. Is the yellowish tint still present in units being sold today? Cause I was thinking maybe the tint problem was only present in the first few batches, and I’m hoping that they’ve tried to fix it in the newer units. Thanks and more power!

Tuncay · 15 years ago

I had also this bad issue. It is very very annoying. Samsung please value your customers and take back these faulty handsets. I cannot explain how much it suffered me …

lynkchiz Tipidcp · 15 years ago

para maiba naman ang usapan :) im selling Case Mate Tough Cases for our Samsung Galaxy S2 :) reasonably priced po :) please contact me at 0927-3688-449, click my handle to visit the item for sale thread at tipidcp

thanks po sa lahat and magandang araw po :)

lynkchiz Tipidcp · 15 years ago

para maiba naman ang usapan :) im selling Case Mate Tough Cases for our Samsung Galaxy S2 :) reasonably priced po :) please contact me at 0927-3688-449 or visit my tipidcp.com for sale thread at:

http://tipidcp.com/viewitem.php?iid=2924266

thanks po sa lahat and magandang araw po :)

supes · 15 years ago

Asan na kaya si LugiMD lololol

light · 15 years ago

my friend has a yellow tint on his sgs2 but for some reason I’m the only one who notices it.

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Thats perfectly understandable, not everyone has the same vision level or an eye for detail. Having this kind of eye is actually a very big curse.

But thanks to XXGKG2 the issue is alleviated already, not fixed though but massively alleviated.

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Perfect screen specimen :D

[img]http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z330/EarlZ088/GSMA_pic-2.png[/img]

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuouV_wABE8

GSMA’s review unit has no yellow tint, flawless unit as you can see on the 1080p version of the video.

Wakocoke · 15 years ago

poor apple fanboys, pati yana poo ni steve jobs iwoworship nyo din hahahaha

fboi · 15 years ago

^ yes to iphone <3
=))
unlike this same old plasticky handsets dumbphone style..

kwan · 15 years ago

Seriously, how old are you? nine? You talk like one..

à² _à²

Bb · 15 years ago

I hate samsung!! Cheap

idroidsteroid · 15 years ago

waste of money,it’s better to buy a phone built in cali!

Sourav · 15 years ago

I am from India and have had my handset for about a week now but I have not spotted anything wrong with the screen.. have performed the LCD test on mine… plus checked with brightness down to 10% but no yellowish tinge or any dark spots .. I might be lucky but Samsung should address this issue soon..

razorous · 15 years ago

Where could i find a â€œthings to check before purchaseâ€ kind of list para maiwasan mga issues ng sgs2? I hope sir abe could create a separate blog for this, gusto ko na bumili, ang dami ko lang kasi nababasang issues and hard to capture which functions to check 1st bago ko bilhinâ€¦ :(

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Just test the basic functionality of the phone, for the screen you need an eye for detail to spot some problems outright, only buy from a store with a 7 day in store replacement policy.

The yellow tinting is the only wide spread issue and a lot of people are in denial of this issue as well.

Prince Joe · 15 years ago

Dial this:
*#0*#

this will run the diagnostic test on all galaxy s2 functionalities..

mark · 15 years ago

mine,,parang wala parang meron..hehe… i love my galaxy S2.. yung battery life lang.. 24hrs only on normal usage.

jericho · 15 years ago

mura kasi kaya ganyan. hehehe

boy · 15 years ago

Yellow tinting is passable and only noticeable in low brightness conditions. Immediately saw it when I bought it but heck who cares. It’s only a nuisance at best.

For the wifi sharing battery drain bug I suggest you root your phone and install titanium backup. Then freeze both wifi sharing and wifi sharing manager.

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Its actually visible regardless of brightness level, low brightness level also happens when your in a dark room, a lot of us care because its a nuisance and a defect for a flagship device.

But dont let me expectation on the device be yours.

jason · 15 years ago

hi everyone,
i also found out that aside from my FM radio not working.. the yellow tint on the left is present when i check it on a dark room and i took a picture using my dslr and it shows..
http://i54.tinypic.com/2gv6ft5.jpg
:(

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

My first unit absolutely had minimal yellow tinting but it had some white spots on the screen and a little reddish on the lower left side of the screen, had it replaced with another unit, yellow tint is quite visible like in your picture.. still waiting for another replacement stock to arrive from Samsung.

I recommend you have that one replaced.

erb · 15 years ago

Does your galaxy s2 heat up? Mine does. Is that normal?

Prince Joe · 15 years ago

mined does especially if you constantly use wifi. no heat when texting though…

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Only when playing HD games for extended amounts of time, WIFI use barely warms up the phone. My first unit actually ran cooler than the 2nd one I have now in both charging and usage, but nothing to be alarmed about its pretty normal but it DOES accelerate screen degradation as heat damages AMOLED cells.

Prince Joe · 15 years ago

I got mine last July 6 at Globe Glorietta. Unlike makenzo who tested his phone for 2 hours at CMK, I bought the device without even testing the unit. That’s how confident I was with the product. The globe officer who assisted me was not familiar with galaxy S2 so I told him I’ll test the unit myself. The box was not sealed, the Globe sticker has been removed but he said that all units are being checked before they sell it to the public.

Anyhow, I tested the unit at home and HAVE NOT noticed any screen discoloration. No yellow/pink tint or white spots. The only issue I thought I had with this phone was the usb charger and earphone jack not locking into place. I got a jelly case for my galaxy. It turned out to be an issue with the case it self, it was blocking the opening. I took the jelly case out and voila! Earphone and usb snapped into place. So that problem never really existed after all.

I don’t see any other issues with my galaxy other than the short battery life which have been explained in numerous blogs. The overall performance is superb!

After reading jayson’s comments about the weak FM signal, i immediately grabbed my iPhone earphone to test if mine works. It did! I guess I’m one of the lucky ones.

My phone is 6 days old, I have tested almost all applications and have not found any major or minor issue.

I noticed a common denominator though, people who grabbed their units from retails stores have this yellowish tint issue / FM issue. On the other hand, customers like myself who got it from Globe are not experiencing any defects.

I hope Samsung address this problem soon! I’m happy with phone and I’m glad I made the switch from iOS to aOS!

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Interesting theory about the Globe vs Retail units. AFAIK they are all from the same batch and supply chain but probably globe got better units.

Since you are confident that your screen does not have the issue, may I ask you ( and anyone else ) to post a picture of the phone while the notification bar is dropped down or showing the stock virtual keyboard, I have no doubts that your unit has no issues as its been proven that there are rare units that really dont have the yellow tinting.

We just need to see pictures and the dropped notification bar is the easiest to perform. Just post a link when you can, really appreciate you contributing to the data and facts.

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

What I mean is I have no doubts that your unit has issues, no edit button to correct the typo =(

Prince Joe · 15 years ago

Hi Erb!

Here you go:
http://i54.tinypic.com/1zdcdg0.jpg

Just cropped the images to focus on the screen. Brigthness set to 100%. Look at the clock interval, photos taken at different lighting.
Sorry for the quality, I used my iPhone 3G to take pictures. Will look for someone in the office tom with a better camera phone and post the HQ image here.
Let me know how else I can help.

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Thanks for doing the effort to take pictures, at 100% brightness this issue gets drowned down by the sheer brightness of the screen, would you be able to take it at 0% and 30% brightness with a better camera? Thanks!

At 0% brightness in a dark room the yellow tint is pretty obvious on some units, and this is nor an artificial condition unless you absolutely dont use automatic brightness and dont use use your phone in dark rooms.

For people who dont have the yellow tint issue, please post a picture of your phone so we can use it as proof to Samsung that there are rare units with no issues.

Prince Joe · 15 years ago

earl, i woke up this morning and checked for yellowish tint / white spots with all of my lights turned off (curtains closed, very minimal sunlight).

i tested it under 0, 30, 50 and 100% brightness. sorry to disappoint you but mine doesn’t show the slightest hint of screen discoloration. i don’t have an SLR camera, too bad I can’t share it with you.

off topic – i left my Data Packet on last night, woke up with 47% battery (i was fully-charged before I went to sleep). does this mean data packet when left enabled drains battery as well?

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Im not exactly sure why I should be disappointed if your phone does not have any yellow tint, if its some form of sarcasm its not really translating well.

No need for any of those condition, just take a picture at 30% and probably 50%, as you said you wanted to help and look for a better camera.

By posting a picture here your actually helping a LOT of people that have this issue, there are units w/o this issue and yours seems to be one of them.

If you can please post a picture so I can send it over to Samsung as they’ve been in touch with me lately.

TIA!

Prince Joe · 15 years ago

It was meant to be a joke, cool ka lang. Don’t take it personal.
I’ll post it once I have a better camera.

Van · 15 years ago

mine does. on the left side. i got it last july 2 @ rockwell. there’s a yellowish tint. but you won’t notice it unless you view the gray background. i contacted Samsung about it, no response yet.

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

I initially noticed it on menu’s with white ( like choosing ringtones and such ) then on the virtual keyboard, the left side seemed darker than the right side and also noticed it with the XDA apps and movies that had half of my screen with a tinge of yellow.

All this noticed w/o having a heads up on the issue, i came from both the Galaxy S and the Wave so the odd color shift was very eye catching.

lsg · 15 years ago

can we drop this if you have problems pa warranty nyo this is pointless

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

Would you elaborate as how this is pointless, id like to hear your insight on the issue. You do have the phone right?

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

For those who really dont have the yellow tint issue ( yes there are very rare units that are not affected by this defect ) then good for you, as well as those who dont notice it.

For the most part, like what Yuga quoted above on my post, it does not require any artificial conditions like dropping the brightness level or anything, each unit is affected differently others more sever while others are very acceptable.

Some people may perceive this as the left side of the screen is darker than the right, coming from a Samsung Wave (SAMOLED) , Galaxy S (SAMOLED) this issue is very noticeable since those screens really provide uniform colors.

One of the main selling point of the phone is the SAMOLED Plus, it is marketed as the best 4.3″ mobile display, the wave and SGS1 never had this issue so why would this acceptable on the SGS2?

Im afraid Samsung might never admit to this issue since a lot of people are just complacent about this issue, accepting this defect on a 29k device.

Despite this screen issue, the SGS2 is the best among ALL the dualcore devices out there has the very least of issues.

Earl Benson · 15 years ago

For those who want to read more about this issue and read real feedback from different owners

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1079444

other news articles that covered this issue:
http://mobile.engadget.com/2011/05/30/is-your-galaxy-s-iis-display-yellow-on-the-left/

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_ii_display_plagued_by_uneven_brightness_yellow_tint-news-2719.php

http://pocketnow.com/android/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-screen-problems-trouble-in-paradise

http://www.onlinesocialmedia.net/20110531/samsung-galaxy-s2-s-ii-screen-problems-users-en-masse-report/

Vin · 15 years ago

Luckily no issues at all :) I love this phone! anyway I got my SGS2 from Globe.

ricardo · 15 years ago

wala wey

pero everyday nag-checked ako ng screen wala talaga

ricardo · 15 years ago

english ba dapat post dito lol..

bryan mania · 15 years ago

as one of the members of tipidcp, i didnt get a yellow screen but its more of a cool blue :)

what bothers me is the Android OS Bug that this Galaxy S2 phone is experiencing at random, AOS bug put in short term is it eats battery even when it is in sleep mode, though you can see it in the battery usage app the quick fix will be to reboot the system, google galaxy s2 AOS bug. but i think this has been resolved with gingerbread 2.3.4 which has been leaked already for the galaxy s2, though i havent installed it yet and still waiting for the official release of the 2.3.4 :) anyways i highly praise iOS for being an almost perfect mobile OS, too perfect i got bored with it, now with android i can do more with my phone this is a much better phone overall in my opinion, truly deserving of the title “smartphone” :) not a toy

marko-sama · 15 years ago

nothing on mine. is there any chance this issue will appear later? wag naman sana.

overblown · 15 years ago

Definitely not an issue for me and my phone. Got it from globe.
While defective screens may truly exist in some units, I believe this issue is way overblown by others. I have a friend who didn’t notice any problems with her screen before but after knowing the issue, she seemed to be overly anxious with her phone that now she’s seeing some very slight difference with the grey textures on the notification area under low brightness settings. When we asked our friends about this issue, they don’t see any issues at all after repeated inspection under the same settings without them knowing
the said issue. Others seem to just jump with the issue without even owning one. Plastic material is well built and lowers any death grip issues compared to other phones. Plus it makes the phone light as well.

overblown · 15 years ago

Definitely not an issue for me and my phone. Got it from globe.
While defective screens may truly exist in some units, I believe this issue is way overblown by others. I have a friend who didn’t notice any problems with her screen before but after knowing the issue, she seemed to be overly anxious with her phone that now she’s seeing some very slight difference with the grey textures on the notification area under low brightness settings. When we asked our friends about this issue, they don’t see any issues at all after repeated inspection under the same settings (without them knowing rhe said issue). Others seem to just jump with the issue without even wowning one.

jason · 15 years ago

i got my unit from the Samsung Galaxy S2 promo last july 2 in rockwell, and i found out recently that my FM radio doesnt work. i thought it was the low FM radio signal where i live.
but i reset to factory settings a few times already and tinkered with the settings, but to no avail.
I also checked the receipt which says it’s only replaceable within 3 days.
would you guys know where the best service center in metro manila for samsung is?
im one of the few unlucky ones who received this phone.

xx · 15 years ago

have you tried putting the headset first? kasi the headset will serve as your antenna I think (like most other phones).

jason · 15 years ago

ofcourse. i tested the FM radio using my own headset (which i use for my media players) and it didnt work, at first i thought because i used a different headset other than the one that came with the unit, so i tried the original headset and it still didnt work.
i also checked the FM radio of my friend’s SGS2 which he also got from the SGS2 promo in rockwell, and he can scan radio stations easily, mine can scan 1 radio station that is a random number, but still static. :(

xx · 15 years ago

Oh I see. Some people also had a hard time with the headset as either the port is defective or the headset (or sometimes hindi lang na push ng mabuti yung headset sa port). If you’ve tested that the headset works fine and the port works fine (using other headsets) then I guess there’s really something wrong with the phone (software or hardware wise).

razorous · 15 years ago

Where could i find a “things to check before purchase” kind of list para maiwasan mga issues ng sgs2? I hope sir abe could create a separate blog for this, gusto ko na bumili, ang dami lang kasi ko nababasang issues and hard to capture which functions to check 1st bago ko bilhin… :(

Oni · 15 years ago

Plastic design and now this para atang nkktakot ng bumili ng SGS2

Matt · 15 years ago

I don’t know what you meant by “plastic design”. The exterior back is entirely plastic and I think it’s a better design than putting metal. Why? The phone heats up when used over longer periods of time (like any other phone/gadget). Putting metal at the back will only intensify the heat. Plastic is a better insulator of heat and quickly dissipates it versus metal, so I think the design is good.

Also, plastic is lighter than metal. The weight of the SGS2 was put to the minimum, which adds value to it. I prefer something light than something heavy, but then, that’s a personal preference. To me, it’s easier to handle something when it’s lighter as compared to something heavier.

Yes, there were reported issues on the SGS2, but like any other gadget, there’d be issues here and there. It’s best to do research and read as many reviews as you can.

In the end, it’s really up to you, the consumer, whether a product sells or not. You either buy it (the marketing strategies and what-not) or move on to the next interesting product.

Mark · 15 years ago

I pre-ordered my unit from Samsung’s website and I don’t see any issues with my unit. I’m not sure why a lot of people have been reporting these issues, but I guess a number of us are lucky.

Jonaflormicfren · 15 years ago

Samsung should take care of this issue because it affects them and their products.

fboi · 15 years ago

Look out for IPHONE5..
ANDROID = GENERIC OS = CHERRY MOBILE

stg · 15 years ago

IOS5 (which will be in iphone5) = IOS4 + ANDROID…

Apple doesn’t have anything new to show anymore so they’re just copying features from OSes WAY BETTER than theirs.

fboi · 15 years ago

Define copy???ur telling that android os pioneered this?? Aside sa hipon, beans, pork, eh pati pla androids can cause memory GAP

Pinoy Persuasion · 15 years ago

It’s true, I’ve been reading that iOS is copying Android. One of the copied areas is the pull-down notification curtain that is reported to be found in new iOS release. That is just one example.

fboi · 15 years ago

GENERIC OS FREE e.g. CHERRY MOBILE = ANDROID
EXCLUSIVE BRILLIANT OS = iOS

kwan · 15 years ago

hey troll..

1. just shut the hell up

2. be on-topic.

OT: slight yellow tint can be seen when the brightness is set to 50% below on mine.

stg · 15 years ago

ANDROID – Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola and Cherry Mobile. Still doesn’t change the fact that it’s BETTER!
IOS – iPhone…wala na! Wala pulldown notifications d tulad ng Android. gaya gaya IOS5 :P
ANDROID causes memory gaps cause all those features can’t be contained by the brain. IOS on the other hand causes, blindness, stupidity, irrational behavior and delusions.

fboi · 15 years ago

@kwan
well i got my own topic..
the hell you care.. lol create your own issues..
sincerely,
troll

Jim · 15 years ago

Let’s just understand the troll… He spent a fortune for his beloved iPhone…

Jim · 15 years ago

iOS = dictatorship

Android = democracy

Wakocoke · 15 years ago

LOL iSheep on the loose!

fboi · 15 years ago

Ok kayo na ang may freedom and cherry mobile-ish improved with yellow tint phones. You already. Lol.. im not a hater, just a fanboy.. ;)

Jim · 15 years ago

Apple fanboys are the slaves of their Dear Leader Steve Jobs

xx · 15 years ago

No yellow tint screen issues on my phone and my friend’s.
Both from Globe.

jen · 15 years ago

no issues whatsoever with my SGS2 =)
highly recommended smart phone!

makenzo · 15 years ago

checked the frequently reported issues about sgs2 on blogs, video reviews and made a checklist before buying one. bought mine from cmk and i had to pick the best one that has no issues and tested the unit there for 2 hours. so far im very pleased with my rooted phone.

djgoer · 15 years ago

Off Topic: What mod did you use to root your sgs2?

Jepotski · 15 years ago

You mean some of the S2 units in CMK have some issues? Could you please post the list of issues you have checked, it will be a great help since I am planning to buy one. Thanks.

makenzo · 15 years ago

I installed litening rom via odin software. It has a built in root in its firmware. The main issues were mostly related to camera and display. Dead pixels, yellow tinting for displays while pink spot at the center, wavy lines, black spots on camera. Yellow spots on notificaton background. after I check the bluetooth, wifi, headset ports, apps, etc. the only feature I didnt check was the dlna sharing.

James S · 15 years ago

I bought mine last Saturday at Hello in Rob Manila. As far as I can tell there’s nothing wrong with my unit. Loving this phone!

bongskie · 15 years ago

no yellow tint, i bought my sgs2 at CMK

Mark · 15 years ago

I have not noticed any yellow tinting on my unit. however i do have a white spot on the bottom middle of my screen that i need to contact Samsung about. Do you think they will replace it or are they not acknowledging any of the complaints?