Customers complain about iPhone 4 screen discolorations (Updated)

Some folks are reporting that the iPhone 4's famous "retina display" is a bit jaundiced. Reports have surfaced on Apple's support forums of brownish or yellowish colors, "blobs" or even bands on the iPhone 4's screen.

It's not the first time a new iPhone release has had screen issues, or at least, reports of them. As one of the commenters in one support forum thread noted, "I was one of the many yellow screen 3Gs purchasers." Even in 2008, when the iPhone 3G was introduced, there were questions about the screen.

There are other threads in the support forum about the same issue (1, 2).

Issues such as these might be expected when a new device hits the market. However, particularly when it comes to screens, and one as highly-hyped as this one, people are extremely critical, and they'll even pay for a perfect screen (witness the no-dead-pixel options you can see when buying certain types of high-powered laptops, for example: Sager.

Whether or not the issue is widespread is still unknown. We can confirm that our iPhone 4 does not have this issue.

Some have mentioned they have already made appointments to exchange the devices, but it's also true that with the iPhone 4 in such short supply, many have been told they will have to wait until next week for an exchange.

Update: it appears that someone who should know says the discoloration will disappear, given time. He says:

Apple is using a bonding agent called Organofunctional Silane Z-6011 to bond the layers of glass. Apparently, Apple (or more likely Foxconn) is shipping these products so quickly that the evaporation process is not complete. However, after one or two days of use, especially with the screen on, will complete the evaporation process and the yellow "blotches" will disappear.

How do I know? I was involved in pitching Z-6011 to Apple.

Of course, assuming this is true, and time will tell, Apple could have shut down the complaints by responding itself ...