In recent years, a strange and frustrating issue has swept through the smartphone world: a single vertical green line appearing out of nowhere on high-end phones, especially those with OLED screens.

It all seemed to begin around 2020, with reports surfacing from users of devices like the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, OnePlus 8 and 9 Pros, and even the iPhone X. Over time, the issue snowballed.

By the time we reached the Galaxy S21 Ultra era, vertical neon lines, especially green ones, had become a widespread headache. Today, even as we step into the age of the Galaxy S25 and OnePlus 13, these bright, thin stripes haven’t gone away.

Green is the most common, but pink, white, and even purple lines have joined the party, leaving many users asking the same thing: what’s going on with our screens?

Anatomy of an OLED Failure

To grasp the root cause, it helps to understand how OLED displays work. Unlike LCDs, which rely on a backlight, OLED panels use millions of tiny self-emissive pixels, each controlled by thin-film transistors (TFTs) and delicate circuitry. When even one transistor fails, the results can be dramatic. For instance, if a green sub-pixel column locks itself in the “on” state, it can light up a perfect vertical stripe of green across your display. This isn’t a software glitch; it’s a physical defect.

Most experts agree that these lines are the symptom of a hardware-level failure. In many cases, it’s due to a bad solder joint, a weak display connector, or a flaw in the panel itself that only surfaces after months of use. In other cases, heat plays a role; literal thermal stress from charging, gaming, or even installing a software update can push an already vulnerable component over the edge.

Ironically, one of the biggest triggers for green lines appears to be software updates. Countless users have reported their displays failing right after an OTA update. However, the correlation is likely circumstantial. Updates stress the system, require reboots, recalibrate display drivers, and can briefly spike internal temperatures. If your OLED panel is on the brink, this may be enough to cause visible damage. The issue is not the update itself but the stress test it represents.

Which Phones Are Affected?

The list is long. Samsung’s Galaxy S20, S21, and S22 series are some of the most widely affected. The S20+ and Note 20 Ultra became poster children for the issue, with Reddit threads and Samsung forums flooded by users posting their glowing green stripes.

OnePlus phones, particularly the 8T, 9R, and 9 Pro, also saw widespread failures, enough for the company to launch a lifetime display warranty in India. Even Apple wasn’t immune: some early iPhone X units suffered from a “green line of death,” although Apple quickly treated it as a hardware defect and offered replacements under warranty.

The issue isn’t exclusive to a single brand or region. Pixel 6 users, Oppo and Vivo users, and even some Xiaomi owners have spotted similar problems. What they all share is the same core ingredient: an OLED screen.

Manufacturing Defects

Another possible culprit is inconsistency in manufacturing. Some batches of OLED panels may be more prone to failure than others, especially as companies push for thinner displays, tighter bezels, and higher refresh rates.

Any small defect during production, whether it’s a hairline crack in the circuitry or a slightly misaligned flex cable, can manifest months later as a bright, unwelcome line.

There’s also some evidence that climate plays a role. Reports tend to spike in regions with high heat and humidity, such as India and Southeast Asia. OLED panels are sensitive to both moisture and thermal cycling, so extended exposure to harsh environments could accelerate wear and tear.

What Can You Do About It?

Here’s the tough part: there’s no software fix. If your phone develops a green line, it’s almost always permanent, and the only real solution is a full screen replacement.

Some manufacturers have stepped up. Samsung has offered free display replacements for affected Galaxy models in India, and OnePlus’s lifetime warranty program in some regions covers the issue regardless of warranty status. But these remedies aren’t universal, and many users are left navigating support channels on their own.

The green line epidemic has become a wake-up call for the industry. As OLED continues to define the visual experience on smartphones, manufacturers are now under pressure to ensure long-term reliability, not just vibrant colors on day one.

Some reports suggest that newer AMOLED panels being produced from 2024 onward include design changes to minimize this type of failure. Still, that’s cold comfort for users already stuck with a bright green stripe running through their screen.

At this point, all you can really do is hope your display stays intact.

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The post Why Green Lines Occur on Smartphones? appeared first on Gizmochina.

Update: OnePlus reached out with an official clarification regarding this incident, which also added more context. The statement reads, “We would like to clarify that the Reddit post referenced in the article presented a one-sided account and was shared before we had the opportunity to fully investigate the issue. We understand such situations can be frustrating for users, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to customer satisfaction.”

It further adds that “Our R&D team is awaiting the device for a thorough examination, and we are committed to sharing transparent findings once the root cause is identified.” The original story continues below.

Just over a month after its unveiling, the OnePlus 13s (Review) is already being plagued by the infamous green line issue. This frustrating glitch is related to the display and has already affected many older OnePlus smartphones, ranging from both flagship to mid-range models. Now, it seems that even its compact flagship model isn’t safe.

The First OnePlus 13s with Green Line Issue is Already Here

One Reddit user shared an image of his OnePlus 13s, which had developed a green line on its display just a while after its purchase. The Reddit post talked about his experience with this issue, customer care support, and his entire ordeal. While the initial response from the OnePlus service center was less than desirable, the Chinese brand quickly made things right and even shared a statement with PhoneArena.

To recall, OnePlus offers the industry’s first lifetime warranty against green line issues in India. However, it had failed to immediately help the OnePlus 13s owner. The company is now claiming that this was an isolated case, that the issue has been resolved, and that it will continue to commit to both customer satisfaction and product quality. But leaving aside the entire service center fiasco, it’s surprising to see yet another OnePlus phone face this issue such a short while after its release.

To be fair, any device with an OLED display, like smartphones and TVs, can develop green lines. However, OnePlus faced the most backlash over this issue, which prompted it to offer a lifetime display warranty against this problem. So seeing a brand new premium model being affected by this issue once again raises concerns. If there are any kind of quality issues with the screen, we can expect to see more reports surface. Hopefully, OnePlus continues to provide robust support to its customers.

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The post [Update] OnePlus Responds to OnePlus 13s Green Line Issue: Investigation Underway appeared first on Gizmochina.

Over the years, OnePlus has gained a strong reputation in the premium smartphone segment. However, a persistent issue that has troubled some OnePlus users is the green line display issue. While there are many factors that cause this problem, it is something that can affect any OLED panel. So here’s a list of all premium OnePlus models that have been plagued by this problem.

OnePlus 8 Series, OnePlus 9 Series, & OnePlus 10 Pro

One of the earliest models to face the green line issue was the OnePlus 8 series. These annoying lines on the display started affecting owners of the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro, and OnePlus 8T. Similarly, even the OnePlus 9 lineup that consists of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9R. So for compensation, the brand announced that it will be offering a free lifetime screen warranty for affected users.

Depending on the region, the company also gave out vouchers that allowed users to replace devices since some of the older models were already at the end of life cycle and OnePlus did not have ample spare parts. Expanding on its initial lifetime replacement, OnePlus also included 2022’s OnePlus 10 Pro in this list.

OnePlus 11 & OnePlus 12 Series

Unfortunately, OnePlus hasn’t managed to eliminate this issue from even the newer generation OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 12 lineups either. This issue can affect any AMOLED panel but OnePlus has garnered quite a bit of backlash for this frustrating problem. But once again, the lifetime warranty for replacements is also applicable on the OnePlus 11, OnePlus 11R, OnePlus 12, and OnePlus 12R as well.

OnePlus Nord models

This issue isn’t limited to the brand’s flagship phones alone as OnePlus also sells certain mid range devices that sport an AMOLED panel. Great examples of this include the OnePlus Nord CE 4, Nord CE 3, Nord CE 2, Nord 2, Nord 3, and Nord 4. To accommodate these models as well, OnePlus’ green line worry-free solution with a lifetime warranty is applicable to every device from the brand, including the latest OnePlus 13 model.

This is also valid on smartphones that have reached the end of their warranty as well. OnePlus has provided solutions in the past, but this offer ensures that new and existing customers don’t have to worry about buying or upgrading to a new OnePlus phone.

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The post Here’s Every OnePlus Phone That Faced Green Line Issues appeared first on Gizmochina.

Over the years, Samsung has been known for producing some of the best smartphone displays in the industry, employing high quality AMOLED panels. However, a recurring issue that plagues these displays that has frustrated many users is the infamous “green line” screen defect.

These are visible lines that appear on the display, even if the smartphone didn’t suffer from any damage. Reports have suggested that this issue is linked to OLED panel degradation, software glitches, or manufacturing defects. So now, here’s a list of known Samsung Galaxy phones that faced green line problems.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Series

Just earlier this week, we covered a report where Galaxy S23 series users like the Galaxy S23 Ultra and base Galaxy S23 were complaining about their flagship devices suffering from the green line issues. Images were also shared on X (formerly Twitter) that showed these annoying lines appearing immediately after a software update.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series

Owing to older flagship smartphones like the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22 facing green line issues, Samsung began offering free display replacements for these models. The issue affects the high-end Samsung phones since these feature Super AMOLED panels. This was a one time free screen replacement.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

While this model is a part of the Galaxy S21 series, it deserves special mention since one of my colleagues directly faced this issue on the Galaxy S21 FE. He even outlined his entire service center experience when he got his device repaired as well.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

The issue isn’t restricted to just the Galaxy S series and also affects the ultra premium Galaxy Z lineup of foldable devices as well. One of the more recent models to suffer from green lines is the Galaxy Z Flip 4. But affected users were quite disappointed considering the expensive price tag they paid for their smartphones. The problem surfaced on models which were only 5 months old as well and were still in warranty. However, Samsung had claimed that the screen wasn’t covered in their warranty.

Samsung Galaxy S20, Note 20

Lastly, we have the five year old Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 lineup of devices. Samsung has been inconsistent in handling the problem since it offered a free screen replacement for the out of warranty Galaxy Note 20 Ultra but not the Z Flip 4 model. Apart from these, even the Galaxy A71 was spotted with white line issues in the past.

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The post Here’s Every Samsung Phone That Faced Green Line Issues appeared first on Gizmochina.

First up today, OnePlus is playing the hero in India with free screen replacements for those pesky “green line” issues.

Xiaomi’s making waves not once, but twice this week. They’re bringing Qualcomm’s shiny new Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 to India first, and they’ve somehow ninja’d their way into China’s top 3 monitor brands.

And for all you drone enthusiasts out there – DJI’s got a surprise up its sleeve. Ever wished your Mini drone was, well, mini-er? Your dreams might be coming true with the leaked DJI Neo.

All the juicy details on these stories are in today’s roundup below.

OnePlus Offers Free Screen Replacements for Affected Devices in India

OnePlus has introduced a free screen replacement program in India for specific smartphone models experiencing the “green line” display issue. The initiative targets OnePlus 8 Pro, 8T, 9, and 9R models, offering users a replacement screen at no cost.

Xiaomi to be the first to bring Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 to India

Xiaomi is confirmed to be the first manufacturer to bring the Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 in the Indian market, likely integrating it into their Redmi line. 

The Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 shares the same 4nm manufacturing process and core configuration as its standard sibling, but Qualcomm has dialed back the performance of its high-performance cores to 2GHz. This places it between the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 and 4 Gen 2 in terms of performance.

Xiaomi breaks into top 3 as China sells nearly 5 million monitors in H1 2024

In a surprising market shift, Xiaomi has surged into the top three monitor brands in China, according to the latest report from Runto Technology. The company’s strategic focus on office productivity monitors has paid off, as overall monitor sales in the country saw a modest growth of 0.8% (4.95 million units) in the first half of 2024.

Leak shows the DJI Neo mini camera drone is smaller than the DJI Mini

A new video leak and certification details indicate that the upcoming DJI Neo mini camera drone is smaller and lighter than the DJI Mini. The video leak illuminates the yet-to-be-released DJI Neo while the FCC certification leak confirms the model is close to an official release.

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