It appears that Apple has exceeded expectations this time around.
For the past seven years, the majority of iPhone models have come with an OLED screen. This was a long-anticipated transition for some users who had already enjoyed the vibrant colors and deep blacks seen in Android devices utilizing the technology. While this significantly improved picture quality, it also presented an unwelcome surprise for some: headaches and eye strain due to PWM dimming.
This year, Google introduced a new accessibility feature meant to assist users who experience discomfort with OLEDs, but unfortunately, the company didn’t address what users truly required. As it turns out, Apple was working on a solution as well, and according to Mac Rumors, the iPhone 17 series includes a new accessibility option that completely disables PWM dimming.
The new feature, located in the Display and Text Size section of accessibility settings in iOS 26, states, “Disables pulse width modulation (PWM) to offer an alternative method for dimming the OLED display, potentially resulting in smoother display output at lower brightness levels. Disabling PWM may influence low brightness display performance under certain circumstances.”
Mac Rumors highlights that while the new option is available across all iPhone 17 series devices, it’s uncertain whether older iPhone or iPad models will receive this setting. We have contacted Apple for further details regarding this new feature and will update this article once we receive a response.
Why this matters
From the wording, it seems that Apple’s accessibility option closely resembles what Motorola introduced with the Motorola Edge Plus 2023. This means that the device does not utilize PWM dimming at all. Instead, it will employ DC-like dimming to adjust brightness, making it considerably more accommodating for all users, not just those who are sensitive to PWM.
Details on how the new setting operates are still unknown, but there is a distinct contrast in the terminology compared to Google’s Pixel 10 Pro series. Google’s accessibility setting mentions that it “adjusts emission frequency” to assist users with sensitivities; however, this merely doubles the PWM frequency from 240Hz to 480Hz. Studies indicate that PWM dimming needs to be at a minimum of 3000Hz to assist most users effectively, making Google’s solution less adequate.
Many smartphones from Chinese manufacturers have provided options to adjust or disable PWM dimming for years, with companies like Honor using dimming up to 4320Hz in their latest models. Since many of these brands are not officially available in the US, users who are sensitive to light flicker, such as PWM dimming, have had limited options. Significantly, the three leading brands—Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel—offered no solutions for these users until now.
This development should help advance the entire OLED industry and make OLED screens more user-friendly for everyone. I wasn’t sensitive to PWM until 2022, and it took me several months to realize that my phone’s OLED screen was the culprit. Many users are unaware that their devices’ displays rapidly flicker to regulate brightness, and likely do not recognize that this is what has been causing their headaches.
It is estimated that up to 20% of individuals experience some degree of flicker sensitivity and may not even be conscious of it. Since the flickering is “invisible” to the naked eye, most people are oblivious to the rapid on-and-off cycling of LEDs or some fluorescent bulbs for brightness control, though our brains register this, making some individuals “allergic” to it. It’s similar to being gluten-sensitive without realizing gluten is present; you would continually endure discomfort without understanding the source, while most people around you do not share the same issue.
By integrating this new accessibility option, Apple’s action will hopefully encourage Samsung and Google to enhance their OLED displays and provide all users with dimming alternatives that are gentler on the eyes.
