Reports of OLED Screen ‘Burn-In’ Surface Among iPhone 15 Pro Max Owners

By Maggie On Oct 16, 2023

The launch of the iPhone 15 wasn’t entirely without hiccups for Apple, as one of the models raised a potential concern: image retention, or “burn-in,” which leaves a faint, lingering image on the screen.

Image retention, or “burn-in,” has historically plagued OLED panels, which occurs when screen content remains static for long periods of time, effectively leaving a watermark. In recent years, advances in OLED screens and devices have greatly reduced the incidence of this problem.

While our review of the iPhone 15 Pro Max didn’t reveal any cases of screen burn-in, user complaints (reported by sources like Phandroid) suggest that the most expensive iPhone 15 model may be prone to this issue.

News of image retention has surfaced on platforms like Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and Apple’s official discussion forums. For now, the iPhone 15 Pro Max appears to be the only affected model, though the extent of the problem remains uncertain.

From images circulating online, it appears that burn-in can affect any part of the screen; observed ghost keyboards and persistent home screen icons. Many users reported that Apple replaced their units for free. If you encounter this problem with your iPhone 15 Pro Max, the best way is to contact Apple through their official website or visit your local Apple Store and ask for a replacement.

Apple has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue with the iPhone 15 Pro Max models. It’s possible that only a subset of these phone displays are affected and can be replaced fairly quickly.

While the problem may not turn out to be widespread, it’s another challenge that Apple and its suppliers would rather avoid. Apple recently addressed the iPhone 15 Pro overheating issue for which a fix was released, and there were reports of iPhones mysteriously shutting down overnight.