yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] gaw316:
I've noticed this bar right beneath the cut out (notch) as well. So, general consensus is, it's not burn in or screen retention, but a difference between the panels?
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] lollyjay:
It's been there since I first got the phone
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] MervinsOnlineID:
It's more like bad quality control. I'm supposed to be getting my replacement this Wednesday, finally! Hopefully, it's not part of the first batch.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Nospine:
So far, that's what we believe is happening.

It definitely is not image retention or burn in, unless it came from the factory like that when they tested or loaded software onto the devices.

---------- Post added at 06:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:55 PM ----------

Right on! Don't forget to let us know how your replacement device turns out.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] MervinsOnlineID:
Sorry for late reply. Unfortunately, the replacement is showing the same thing on the right side of the notch. Although, not as noticeable as the first device. Doesn't bother me as much so I'll probably just keep it.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] androidyu:
My first pixel 3 xl had a same issue and got a

replacement new unit and this one has it also just tiny less noticable but still present.

Easiest way to check is to play this video

youtu.be/tR-__suycVQ

in full screen and not at full brightness use let's say 50 % or while you are playing drag brightness from 0 to up and see if you can see darker screen in the notch area.

It is more visible on certain colors and also not visible at all at the full brightness.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Nospine:
No worries!

I'm sure the status bar problem we're all having is a QC issue that all 3 XLs have, there's no other way around it. To add to this, a friend of mine recently got a 3 XL. I asked him to show me his screen and it was the same if not worse than mine.

At this point, getting an RMA for this issue might be hopeless.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] wazka2:
Getting an RMA is one thing but even if you get a good one will it not exhibit the same issue over the time?

My shows a little bit of it but I am not sure if it's an issue now. We do have 24 months of warranty so there is a peace of mind ;)
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] androidyu:
Burn in is not covered under warranty and warranty is 12 months in US
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Nospine:
You do have a point there, but the thing is that Samsung's OLED technology has improved a bunch during the past few years. The status bar will never look as bad as it does now with this issue, even if I used it for a year. For example, my Pixel 1 has negligible burn-in even after a year and a half of use when I got it (and that's not the newest OLED tech).

YMMV since it depends on how you use your device, but I haven't seen noticeable burn-in on my phones since the Pixel 1.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Spawn_80:
I have burn in too, on the bar. Is very low but in a phone of this price is unaccetable. I have do the RMA o this phone to chance for new one.

Enviado desde mi Pixel 3 XL mediante Tapatalk
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] c_86:
Anyone know of any screen testers that will work with the notch. Everyone I have tried on the store acts as if the notch is the status bar and will not display beyond that other then the usual back bar there
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] sn0warmy:
I still do not think this is screen burn in or image retention. I believe it's how Google has implemented the UI to accommodate the notch. As I use my phone I'm seeing that Google has implemented a ton of little instances/nuances that shade, fade or black out those areas next to the notch.

I think the subtle difference we are seeing with the status bar is an overlay that resides, even in instances where it looks like it should be fully transparent. The fact that my phone had this right out of the box and many other people reporting the same thing, helps solidify my theory.

Also, if this was premature burn-in or image retention, due to poor QA or poor panels, you'd see A TON of reports already about nav bar burn in. Yet, there have been absolutely 0 complaints of that, from what I've found.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] volaticus:
omg
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] c_86:
Are you guys sure it's just not coding where by default it's shaded there because of the status bar? Everyone is saying it's burn it whereas it could just be coded in the firmware for the screen to shade like that because of the status bar...

Food for thought?
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] sn0warmy:
Literally just said that 2 posts above yours. :laugh:

:highfive:
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] c_86:
Derp... lol fail to me
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] sn0warmy:
Regardless, I definitely agree with you
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Spawn_80:
I am very sure that is screen burn in. In my opinion this is because of the test that google's do in the factory. I think that because its imposible that burn the screen in only 4 days. The burn in is very very low in my phone, but It is. I try to fix It puting a white screen with the brightness at top during 10 minutes but It does not work.

Enviado desde mi Pixel 3 XL mediante Tapatalk
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] matssa:
Something else can help this theory. When the notch bug on the sides was present, you could definitly see that there is an overlay or UI that is made around the notch.

You can see that here is a curve on each side. So, since they use an overlay to go around the notch (and you can see on your phone when it boots, you can see some pixels whereas if the screen was cut without anything it would be smoother), they could very well adapt the screen brightness in that specific area.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Spawn_80:
I have seen now the phone of a friend and It has the same burn in like mine. Maybe it is more pronounced than in my phone. I dont know what to think alredy...

Enviado desde mi Pixel 3 XL mediante Tapatalk
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] sn0warmy:
What you just posted is the definitive proof that confirms with 100% certainty that this is not screen burn-in or even image retention. Now I can't help but chuckle at the people who RMA'd their phones because of this software related status bar overlay. :laugh:

It's not screen burn in. stop worrying about it. As I said earlier, if the status bar was burning in this easily, the navbar burn in would be FAR worse. However, no one (not a single person) has reported burn in from the navbar.

This whole thing is getting blown way out of proportion in this thread. Just enjoy your phones. There's nothing wrong with your screens. :highfive:
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Jonathan209:
SO glad I saw this thread before sending back my Pixel 3 XL. I packed it up and put the RMA label on the box and all. My screen is flawless otherwise. Now if only I can do something about the black crush that causes blotchiness in videos with dark scenes.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] uscdigital:
Wait, seriously? Definitive? I don't see the same faint line on the notch on the side (at all). If this was so solid as evidence wouldn't we also see that "burn-in" on the side notch? Saying that there is a template adds to the discussion but it doesn't prove anything, imo.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] c_86:
It probably coded in the firmware. Not software. So if you have the side notch that is a software issue. The firm ware is "hardwired"
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] uscdigital:
Fair. I'm just saying that the notch bug "evidence" doesn't really conclude anything at all. It would only be conclusive if that notch had the burn in in the same areas as well. It does not appear to have it. Nothing has been solved.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] wazka2:
Does anyone know if burn in issue is covered during full warranty period?

A friend of mine has severly burned in S8 and apparently Samsung claims it's not cover under warranty.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Spawn_80:
I dont know... for that reason I prefer to do a RMA now before the burn get worse, meanwhile Googles say something about this.

Enviado desde mi SM-G955F mediante Tapatalk
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] c_86:
It's NOT burn in
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] uscdigital:
Just had like 20 or so minutes with my co-workers device, he humors me on this sort of thing, the line on his device is so faint it is barely noticeable. For all intents and purposes, he does not have this issue. That being said, if this is software, like a lot of you want to believe, it is highly variable between units (lol). My conclusion: it IS burn in.

I also think his might be more faint because he has been using his device since launch and I just unboxed mine two days ago. maybe his has evened out a bit. the difference between our two devices was night and day.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Nospine:
When I first noticed this, I went to my local Best Buy to check their demo unit. Best Buy's 3 XL which is constantly in use and turned on also had minimal "burn-in".

Recently I got an RMA and the device was the same as mine, right out of the box, so I returned the replacement and kept my original device.

I also told a friend that recently got his new 3 XL and he sees it on his, just as bad as mine. Every time I see it on his phone I joke about it and he gets upset. I've sort of gotten past it, but it bothers me that we don't know what it is.

I don't know man, there's so much speculation going on that I wish Google would give us a definitive answer.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Spawn_80:
YOU DONT KNOW

Enviado desde mi SM-G955F mediante Tapatalk
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] uscdigital:
exactly. i'm fairly certain it is burn in considering the one I played with today at work was completely different than mine (non-existent versus very present on mine). very doubtful its a software overlay that was programmed to be shaded differently on different devices. to me, that theory is shot. I am assuming it will start to blend in better over time as the screen and notch areas get used more frequently.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Spawn_80:
Correct. I have seen two devices and in both of then the color of burn was diferent.

And the biggest proof that is not a software overlay is that the burn can see in the boot, in the Google screen boot, before load the software, so it cant be a software overlay.

Enviado desde mi SM-G955F mediante Tapatalk
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] uscdigital:
yup and let me caveat this that i do truly wish it was some weird software bug. but yup, it looks like it's burn in to me (if you asked me to pick a device I would take my buddy's with no burn in in an instant - his device looks fine). I am actually in a meeting with someone else with a 3XL might ask him to see the device and get a third view.

Edit: yup his is much better than mine and also a day 1 launch unit. my guess is it will start blending in over time. has anyone who has had it since day noticed this?
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] c_86:
Do you have burn in at the nav bar? Probably not. So explain to me why you get burn in at the top but not the bottom?

The fact that people are opening brand new devices and seeing this only proves more to the point that it's by design. The device from factory will have only been on for a MAX 30 mins for QA and programming. That is NOT enough time to cause burn in. And like I said. If it was burn it then why is it not happening at the nav bar.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] uscdigital:
how and for how long phones are imaged and/or tested is anyone who doesn't work on the team responsible's guess. I doubt you know that it's 30 minutes or anything. you are guessing. we dont know.

that negates the relevance of anything related to the nav bar. not sure how they relate. do you know what the imaging, firmware flashing, testing screens look like? nope.

we do know that some phones have darker burn in that others. we also know and can imagine that there is variance in each OLED which might make the burn in more pronounced on one versus the other. im not sure what youre going on about anymore. its probably burn in, dude. which is OK. i'm not RMAing my device its not that big of a deal and will probably even out within a couple of weeks of usage.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] alexbhood:
It's absolutely NOT software. It's visible on the boot screen, the fastboot menu, fullscreen pictures and videos, etc.

It's definitely something physical with the display. Not sure what, but it's not software.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] zetsumeikuro:
I'm on my 4th Pixel and they all have a different shade on the status bar. You can see this when you first turn on the device. So, Google decided to burn-in everyone's status bar and ship them out as new! I know! Samsung produced the majority of the display and LG produced the display for the notch area it all makes sense now! Joking aside for whatever reason it's probably by design and not burn-in move on people.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] mixedguy:
I see very faint "burn in" in the status bar area on my 3XL, which doesn't bother me but I also noticed that the nav bar has "burned in" at the bottom. It's odd because I set up my 3XL the same way as my 2XL. Same apps, same screen brightness (50%), same home screen lay out (Changes of wallpaper over time but that's it) but the 3XL still managed to "burn in" the nav bar. I thought it was just image retention at first but it still there after days.

I attached pictures of my 2XL that I took on November 8th, 2017 showing that I couldn't find a trace of "burn in" after around 3 weeks or so of owning it and two pictures of my 3XL showing "burn in" after about the same amount of time of ownership.

Not sure if I am going to RMA just yet but just found it interesting since the 3XL is set up exactly the same, with use of the same apps as my 2XL and it appears it "burned in" at a faster rate. Even after a year of use, I could only see very, very faint "burn in" of the 3 nav buttons on my 2XL but the actual nav bar edge didn't appear to be burned in like it is on my 3XL.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] sn0warmy:
Well, crap. That definitely lends toward the argument that it is burn-in after all. It's a shame to see this, especially on these Samsung displays. It may just be image retention, though. Try hiding the nav bar and using gesture controls for a couple of weeks to see if that helps it. Regardless, this is sad news and is making me change my tone from adamantly saying this was not burn-in, to now thinking it may be just that. :(
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] androidyu:
My 3rd replacement also has the issue even more noticeable and the second one has the same bottom burn after few days. I just do not understand how come iPhone with Samsung screen does not have it even in a store with demo units I was not able to see any burn in on a solid colors test.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] zetsumeikuro:
His navbar probably is burn-in but we don't know his usage patterns etc. Which is why I always use Navbar Apps so the navbar will never be black. Oddly enough after the update to the UI where Google tries to balance out screen wear with white/black navbar etc my Nexus 6's screen looks pristine now. My Nexus 6 had minimal to almost zero burn-in as well. I use the 6 to tether to prevent wear and tear on my battery of my main phone. I do wonder what type of usage and how much time spent on a black nav bar? But the status bar I'm not convinced it's burn-in. There is no way for the device to have status bar burn-in straight out of the box. If it was burn-in from the factory we probably would be able to see the nav bar as well.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] sn0warmy:
Yeah, that's been my theory all along.... if the status bar was truly burned in from the factory, the nav bar should be the same or worse. Meanwhile, I've been using gesture controls and disabled the nav bar from the first day of usage. My nav bar area has absolutely no burn-in but I do have that shade over the status bar at the top. I don't know what to believe anymore.

Regardless, this falls very squarely within the old adage, "If you go looking for trouble, you're gonna find it." I'm just going to continue using and enjoying the phone as is. Under normal daily usage you'll never really notice any of this stuff.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Atomregen:
My theory would be that they have divided the panel into several parts and in the field of notch it is a physically different one.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] perusmuro:
I got my 3 XL yesterday and rebooted my phone for update. After reboot I noticed this same light grey both side of notch. Now I am not sure when I got my phone was there this same "issue" then or not.

I asked this from Google Support and they said this is software think which helps user to notice notification area. I understand that but why I need to see this same think when I want to watch picture or video in full screen?

If you have time to talk with Google Support they will tell is this light grey burn in or software think. And also check are you running September update or this latest November. Because I am not sure if this already in September. And if this light grey shows after November update then this is software thing.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] androidyu:
It is not a software, they said maybe for the top status bar in the some app that is darker that is software but this is just different calibration from that area the rest of the screen. Some has more some has less noticable but it looks like that all have
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Declio:
I'd like to add that I got my pixel 3 xl yesterday and have this issue straight out of the box (it's most noticeable on the all white boot screen). I've done a lot of searching on here and reddit and am probably just going to keep my unit since the display is otherwise great and it seems like this is a pretty common issue. I think some people just notice it more than others. Just wanted to add a data point.

I'm curious if this will fade or improve over time.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] chudnet10:
I got my Pixel 3 XL on saturday from a Carphone Warehouse in the UK - didnt notice anything to start with because i had trimmed the screen covering to under the mic/speakers both ends until i got a screen protector - but then i saw it... faint line and discoloration under the notch and either sides of the notch so i decided to take it back today - the lady in the shop saw it and compared it to the one in their shop which didnt appear to have any discolouration but was running a demo all day long (wonder if the demo running has something to do with the line not showing???) - she did me a swap after running it through their testing machine - funnily enough the phone failed their diagnostic anyway because the app does not fill the screen (notch not included) and when it came to the zoom test she could not zoom the whole of the screen making the swap easier...

Anyway, i now have my second pixel xl3 and the horizontal line / slight off white - on boot up etc is still visible and is identical to the previous model in its shading etc. So i am just putting this down to a software "feature" - the phone in the shop may be running an unpatched OS so does not show it i dont know but given it is identical to my previous device im not running back and forward swapping until i find the holy grail of screens which i am not convinced exists...
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Declio:
something that lends to the theory that it's actually burn in--when i went in the "My Verizon" app, it filled the whole screen including the notched areas with a white background but removed notifications and clock etc. the clock/wifi/cell signal etc. are pretty clearly and badly burned in the notification bar there. i had the phone locked with only AOD for a while before that so i'm pretty sure it's not image retention. this is only my second full day using the phone.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Reuben_skelz92:
How is things going for everyone with the burn in/retention whatever it is..I just got a pixel 3 XL, got it from eBay, it has been used and I have that different shade/burn in problem around the nav bar :(
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Eudeferrer:
Have had mine since day 1 and no burn in. It must have been as faulty unit.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL
[Google Pixel 3 XL Guides, News, & Discussion] Reuben_skelz92:
Darn it. Will contact the seller, will try good too
[HTC Excalibur] JayoxD:
I didn't know which one to pick upon installing the new 6.1 rom and i chose cyberon which i felt was a mistake. Do i have to reinstall the rom? Or can i just change it somehow?

if you cant change it, how do i assign voice tags?

nevermind i just reinstalled the rom, thanks anyways
[HTC Excalibur] vwrpm:
This doesn't require a re-flash. If you want to change between the two just go to the windows folder and select VCSwitch.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] tallymatty:
I know not many of you have your phones yet, but I got mine yesterday and noticed that the sound from the two front-facing speakers sounds muffled/distorted when at lower volumes (below 50% is around when I notice it). Has anyone else heard this on their Pixel 3 XL?

Thanks!

Matt

Pixel 3 XL Black 64GB
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] :
I also noticed it on my phone too. You're not alone.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] marcocb8:
I have a buzzing/distortion coming from the bottom speaker. There are more people or Reddit reporting this issue.

I also posted about it on Androidcentral.

I will have to get an RMA soon.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] lyall29:
You might as well not bother with an RMA, Google has said that they designed the speakers to be garbage. I noticed the terrible sound right away. I will more than likely be returning mine. https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/10/18/one-pixel-3-xls-front-facing-speakers-much-louder/
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] Pure+:
Well what a load of BS. Very very disappointing
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] lyall29:
It sure is! It's almost laughable, Google must think that we are complete morons. This sucks because I like everything else about this device.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] awilson1818:
Sounds like I turned on the audio and shoved the phone in a shoebox. Sounds horrible?
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] lyall29:
Lol
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] mgymnop:
Yeah sound is not really great. Muffled and a bit background distortion. Hope they can fix this with an update.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] Pure+:
I just started watching some YouTube and the distortion sssuuuuuucccccckkkkkkkkkkssssssss!!! It sounds so like some static material had a baby with whatever comes out of the drying machines lent trap. Hadn't noticed this particular issue with other forms of media. Regardless this is something Google needs to address asap
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] theycallmerayj:
Any chance rooted users could fix this with viper? Also, I tweeted unbox therapy to see if he'd bring this to light the way he did with iPhone issues. Love everything about the device but the sound is just off.
[Google Pixel 3 XL Questions & Answers] lyall29:
I was also wondering if Viper could fix this. It would be worth a shot.