All doesn’t seem rosy for OnePlus‘s foray into the premium flagship universe. The OnePlus 8 Pro launched with statistically the best display on the smartphone market according to DisplayMate (think DXOMark of the display world). With a JNCD (just noticeable color difference) of 0.3, the OnePlus 8 Pro’s display was touted to be the most color-accurate AMOLED panel on a smartphone. However, immediately after launch, users complained of a “green-tint” in a supposedly “color-accurate” display (the irony is quite ripe, I tend to agree). Though, the issue was seemingly fixed with a software update, a new crop of issues have popped up from early units.
Dark scenes during video playback on some OnePlus 8 Pro display(s) show a rather pixellated and “crushed” appearance. This problem was reported promptly on the OnePlus forum with a couple of other users reporting similar complaints in solidarity. This issue has been christened the “Black Crush” and is doing its rounds on OnePlus forums with prospective buyers scared to jump the gun on their purchase. Early production units are the ones that are seemingly afflicted with the “Black Crush”.
According to a customer service text session with a OnePlus representative posted on Reddit (here), this issue is classified as a hardware niggle. On further reading, the representative recommends the OnePlus 8 Pro user to apply for a replacement or get the issue resolved at a nearby OnePlus service center.
It isn’t uncommon for early production units of mass-produced products to have QC issues on their initial runs. Manufacturers tend to iron out the issues within days of catching wind of them and alternatively replace the early adopters’ units without question. So don’t let this put you off from buying one heck of a good smartphone.