Pixel 2 XL Screen Burn-In Issue Already Being Investigated By Google

The displays on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have been criticized for being dull and showing blue shifting when being viewed off-angle. Now, Pixel 2 XL users are reporting that their smartphone’s P-OLED displays have been hit with screen burn-in issues.

The very first instance of screen burn-in on the Pixel 2 XL was reported by Android Central’s Alex Dobie on Twitter. He shared a picture of his handset’s display and it appears as though the outlines of the navigational buttons are faintly present at the bottom of the display. This is what’s called as screen burn-in. This occurs when a display suffers from a permanent discoloration on any part of the panel.

Screen burn-in typically takes the form of a text or an outline of an image. In this instance, the screen burn-in on the Pixel 2 XL is for the navigational buttons. Screen burn-in happens when an area of a display doesn’t change for a long period of time. The navigational buttons on Android rarely change colors and stay in one place, which is why screen burn-in may have occurred in this area.

Since Dobie shared the picture of the screen burn-in on his Pixel 2 XL unit, many people have noticed the same issue occurring on their own handsets. Screen burn-in isn’t uncommon for OLED displays, but seeing it happen after just a week or so is a bit alarming. All kinds of displays shift colors as time goes by, but the presence of screen burn-in ages displays faster. This may indicate that the P-OLED panels being used by Google has some technical issues. The P-OLED panels for the Pixel 2 XL were supplied by LG Display, while the OLED panels on the regular Pixel 2 were supplied by Samsung.

There’s also the possibility that this issue on the Pixel 2 XL isn’t even screen burn-in at all. This could simply be an image retention problem on the Pixel 2 XL’s display, as pointed out by The Verge. Image retention, also known as “ghosting,” looks similar with screen burn-in but it isn’t permanent and usually goes away after a short period of time. However, ghosting typically occurs with LCD panels.

Android Central reached out to Google about this display issue with the Pixel 2 XL and a company spokesperson replied with the following statement:

The Pixel 2 XL screen has been designed with an advanced POLED technology, including QHD+ resolution, wide color gamut, and high contrast ratio for natural and beautiful colors and renderings. We put all of our products through extensive quality testing before launch and in the manufacturing of every unit. We are actively investigating this report.

Google is now actively investigating the screen burn-in/ghosting issue on the Pixel 2 XL. If the company sees that this is indeed screen burn-in, users may be entitled to a warranty replacement.

For Pixel 2 XL users who think they me suffering from the same issue, there’s a way to check their displays. Some users say that the screen burn-in/ghosting is easier to spot when looking at the display with a gray background. Android Central also made a quick and easy way to spot screen burn-in on its website.

Users who are experiencing this issue on their Pixel 2 XL units can’t do anything about it for now. The best thing to do is wait for Google to finish its investigation to provide users with more information.