[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Thijsvr:
I know exactly what you mean. I have this exact problem. It almost looks like a printed image. Like you printed a grey image really quick, you also see difference in intensity.

Unfortunately I also have a brighter spot on the left of the screen. I don't see it in regular use, but when the screen is entirely grey or blue for example I see it really clearly. I'm still debating over whether I should return it. It'll leave me without a phone for at least another two weeks.

---------- Post added at 09:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:11 AM ----------

After reading in to this topic I've been playing around with the phone a little bit. I can see the banding in the thumbnails of the Gallery for example, but when I open the picture I can see it's being rendered again and then the banding is gone.

In some apps I see it, in others I don't. I think it has to to with the quality the images are rendered in. I have no problems with banding in video or pictures. Some apps show it, others don't. As a graphics designer I've seen even seen banding happen on prints for huge brands. Just because the graphics designer decided to try and use a low quality jpg as an image. Or people who save photos as GIF's. I think the problem is due to problems on the side of dev's and not with Samsung. They can't help it that their screen shows all errors in the images on the device. Resolution and colour reproduction have to do with this ;)

Also the fact that some images have to be upscaled to fit the resolution, won't really help with the banding problem. I'm sure ICS will offer a good solution to this.

I also have no problems with video. I've been playing MKVs, AVIs, MP4s and 3GPs and all look great.

I do have this pattern or something on the screen. It reminds me of what these e-ink screens look like. You can see a texture or something. I don't know what it is. It doesn't really bother me. It's makes the screen a little more relaxed to look at compared to a regular LCD, in my opinion though.

I am still bothered by the difference in brightness over the screen. I have this bright spot on the left of the screen. The thing is I only see it in fullscreen colours. In pictures, videos, menus or whatever I don't see it. Even when I really really try to search for it (and trust me I've tried, I looked like an arse in the office, looking at the phone from every angle). Only on grey and grey adjecent full screen colours I see the problem. The only app I could actually find it in is the market. When you load this, it get's this grey screen. I don't see it in the calculator for example.

I don't want to return it, I'm pretty sure that it won't solve the problem or other problems will occur. I bought it online so the return process will take time and I don't want to be without the phone for another two weeks. I think I'll let it be. I've never sold a phone after I was done with it, so the resell value won't really be a problem. I do find it sloppy of Samsung though. You'd think that they do a little more quality control on their high end devices. Then again, I notice but I'm a smartphone lover, you all notice. But they sold more than a million of these devices I heard a few weeks back. So maybe the issue is not this huge for most regular users.