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Backlight quality and "spotlight" effect

For those of you receiving your new 735XT's, I'm curious to know how you're finding the backlight quality and "spotlight" effect, if any. I've mentioned this in other threads, but I'm coming from a 235 and I don't recall it being quite as uneven with as much of a "spotlight" effect coming from the bottom of the screen. That being said, I had the watch almost 6 months before selling it last week, so it's possible that the display evened out over time. Or I may just not have paid as much attention since it was a $270 purchase (on sale) versus a $500 purchase (735XT run bundle).

I've also been looking at the fenix 3 screen and backlight the past couple of weeks, so that may be unfairly skewing my expectations.

I've uploaded two shots – one of a primarily black screen, and one white. These were shot in the worst case scenario – total darkness – though I'll note that the spotlight effect is also noticeable to me in better lit environments. I'm just curious where my watch falls within the spectrum and whether it's worth it to try to exchange it for a more evenly backlit one at some point.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Personally I found it more pronounced on the 235, so suspect there is a subtle difference in manufacturing tolerances.

If it were me and it bothered me I would get is exchanged asap as what is the worst that can happen, it is the same, best case it no longer bothers me.

0 timgrose over 9 years ago

Just comparing my 630 and 735 under the table (so very low light) then looks fairly similar to me.

Same "spotlight" but my display looks fairly "even" on both.

Have always viewed these lights as relatively dim but, for me, does the job fine of seeing the screen in dim or dark conditions.

0 PatrickNSF over 9 years ago

Thanks for the feedback, John. I'll probably wait it out and see if it evens out, or see if others are reporting more even coverage. For a $500 purchase, I don't mind trying to exchange it out once. But I also don't want to end up with something worse :-/

0 PatrickNSF over 9 years ago

Same "spotlight" but my display looks fairly "even" on both.

Thanks for checking, Tim. Are you seeing the same kind of "spotlight" effect I'm seeing on mine? Apart from that bright spot at the bottom, I guess the rest of my screen looks fairly evenly lit.

I probably wouldn't have thought much of it except that my 235 didn't seem quite as bright at the bottom.

0 timgrose over 9 years ago

Looking at my Strava Suffer Score data field in the dark (or near dark) and at a certain angle then yeah it does look fairly similar to your picture.
Data field pages look similar on my 630.

So don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with your one. If you are doubtful best best is to try and find somebody else with one and compare.

0 PatrickNSF over 9 years ago

Thanks again, Tim. Once one of the local retailers have them in, I'll probably swing by and take a look just to satisfy my curiosity. Too bad the 735XT arrived a day late. I would have liked to have compared it to the 235 that I sold the previous day.

0 kalamarios over 9 years ago

I have a 630 and a 235 and the "flashlight" bleed is much more pronounced on my 630. That said, the 235 is not uniform either, just less obvious. My guess is that this is just manufacturing tolerances and such.

Also (and I don't want to start another OCD debate) the vibration motors have a very different feel too. I feel the buzz much easier on the 235 than the 630. Again this is just on the copies I have and my personal perception :-)

0 PatrickNSF over 9 years ago

I have a 630 and a 235 and the "flashlight" bleed is much more pronounced on my 630. That said, the 235 is not uniform either, just less obvious. My guess is that this is just manufacturing tolerances and such.

Hmm... My theory – completely speculative – is that the 235 may show less of the "spotlight" effect because the border/bezel around the data screen is slightly larger. I'm pretty sure the 630 is slightly smaller than the 235, and that was noted on the DC Rainmaker site as well. A small difference, but maybe enough to account for the variation I think I've seen.

Also (and I don't want to start another OCD debate) the vibration motors have a very different feel too.

Too late! I'll be sending myself text and emails all evening!

...joking

...not really

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Hmm... My theory – completely speculative – is that the 235 may show less of the "spotlight" effect because the border/bezel around the data screen is slightly larger. I'm pretty sure the 630 is slightly smaller than the 235, and that was noted on the DC Rainmaker site as well. A small difference, but maybe enough to account for the variation I think I've seen.

No that's not it. It's just variance in the manufacturing process. I'm on my second 235 and the new one is noticeably worse than the first for backlight. It's bugging me a lot to be honest (along with a number of other quirks) as the spotlight brightness extends into the middle of the screen. My first one had the spot at the bottom but was otherwise quite even across the rest of the screen when worn normally.

0 PatrickNSF over 9 years ago

Oh, ok. Mine seems pretty even apart from the "spotlight", so I'll just assume it's as good as it's going to get.

Still, for a $450 watch that they encourage you to wear 24/7 for activity and sleep tracking you think they could improve the backlight a bit :(