Android phones are far ahead of the Apple iPhone Pro in this health metric
Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro does not set any display brightness records in our review, but with a peak brightness of over 3,000 cd/m², its OLED screen gets impressively bright in our measurements. It is still no brighter than its predecessor, however.
Beyond the raw brightness figures, a look at our pulse-width modulation measurements reveals a technical weakness that is particularly troublesome for sensitive eyes.
The iPhone 18 Pro reaches a PWM frequency of just 60 Hz in our measurements. This means the base frequency of Apple's current Pro model has dropped compared directly with its predecessor. Low-frequency flickering is often directly perceptible to the human eye and causes headaches, burning eyes, and fatigue in sensitive users.
If you are sensitive to PWM flickering, you should avoid the iPhone 18 Pro
Measurements of the Android competition show just how far Apple falls behind in this area. The Google Pixel 10 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (starts at $1,100, available on Amazon.com) operate at a significantly higher frequency of 240 Hz. When PWM dimming is also taken into account, some of the differences become substantial. While Apple uses a frequency of just 480 Hz here, most Android phones are much easier on the eyes. While Oppo uses high-frequency PWM dimming at 2,160 Hz, smartphones from Xiaomi or Honor benefit from high-frequency PWM dimming at around 4,000 Hz.
To better assess the actual strain on the eyes, the PWM amplitude must also be considered alongside the frequency of the OLED flickering. The amplitude describes the percentage drop in brightness.
The iPhone 18 Pro fares better here. With an amplitude of 12 percent, the Apple phone has a very shallow modulation depth. Nevertheless, anyone sensitive to PWM should take a closer look at the OLED flickering before buying the new Pro model. Sensitive users will generally find hardware that is much easier on the eyes among Android competitors.
Source(s)
Review: Apple iPhone 18 Pro
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