How to Fix the Red Tint on a Samsung Galaxy S8 Smartphone
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The high-resolution, high-tech displays Samsung builds into its smartphones have consistently been among the best a consumer could buy, and have often earned top scores in our ratings. That's likely to continue with the new Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones, the company's new flagships, which boast ultra-sharp, borderless displays.
But as the first S8s began rolling out on April 18 in Korea, local news outlets reported that the displays on a number of phones had a color-balance problem, which produced a subtle but noticeable reddish tint.
Consumer Reports bought eight of the phones, evenly split between the S8 and the S8+, and in our labs we likewise saw the problem. Our display evaluators noted that displays of four of our test models appeared slightly more red than the other four—you can see the difference for yourself in the image below. (We've already published initial test results on the Samsung S8 and S8+ cameras and other features. And, separately, we've reported on the phones' unusual aspect ratio and Bixby digital assistant.)
Samsung acknowledges that some S8 phone displays will look different from each other, citing "natural variations." However, a spokesman said, "Samsung has listened to feedback and has decided to release a software update as early as next week which will provide customers with a further enhanced ability to adjust the color setting to their preference."
In the meanwhile, consumers can adjust the colors on their S8 and S8+ displays to address the issue. Here's how.
How to Adjust the Color Settings
1. In Settings, open the Display submenu.
2. Tap Screen Mode, and then tap the color balance menu at the bottom of the screen. You'll see three horizontal sliders, allowing you to independently control the red, green, and blue hues shown on the display. By default, all three colors are set to maximum richness, so your initial maneuver be to slide the red one partway to the left.
3. Check the Blue Light filter, which is also in the Display submenu. This filter is similar to the Night Shift feature on Apple iPhones, which promises to help you sleep better by giving the screen a warmer hue; some experts say that the bluish tone normally given off by displays can interfere with sleep.
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