Spectre x360 15" OLED screen spots

[-Tj-]

I just received my Spectre x360 15t with OLED screen today and have been getting putting it through its paces. It's definitely an upgrade from the last model I saw in Best Buy, with no screen wobbles or ghosting, but there's a nagging problem with this new screen that I can't unsee.

After getting through the Windows 10 setup, I immediately noticed the screen had tiny spots all over it. They're most apparent on white, but they exist on all colors, and they don't go away when the brightness is increased. The best way I can describe it is that it looks like an inkjet print up close. Apparently it's hard to see since my girlfriend said she only started noticing it after I made her aware of it, but they're so plainly visible to me that I saw it almost instantly.

I bought this laptop with the intention of using it for graphics work, so seeing these spots and knowing how tiny an actual pixel is on this screen, I immediately thought white wasn't white, or there was some kind of pattern on the whites. But this is on ALL colors. I know it's not just in Windows because the hp logo during boot shows it too.

Do I have a defective screen, or is this just the way this new OLED panel is?

Edit:  It's also visible on the white "hp" logo during boot, and they're just about the size of the pixels themselves. After chatting with HP support, they suggested I send it back as it appears the unit has a defective screen. There's also a sticky gray pad coming out near the hinge at the top left of the keyboard that seems to be a thermal pad. The support agent commented that my unit may not have been assembled properly. Hopefully a replacement will solve both issues.

[KrazyToad]

@-Tj-

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[Higginsrac]

Wow, wow. I literally just went through the same exact scenario and I felt crazy. I was also wondering, is this how AMOLED is supposed to look like? I was googling reviews of the screen and nobody was mentioning anything about visual pixels. I was really frustrated because it was so noticeable and that was the very first thing I noticed once the computer was set up too. This is definitely not the experience you hope to go through when you buy a $2000 laptop, right? I too reached out to HP support and was told to return as well. Sorry you went through this situation too, but I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only one and feeling like I was going out of my mind. 

[-Tj-]

Absolutely! This is not what you should expect from a $2000 laptop. And you're not crazy lol.

I ended up keeping mine because the rest of the laptop is exactly what I need, but the dots still bother me.

After I talked to support and other users about the issue, I came to some conclusions. This isn't how AMOLED displays are, for starters. The dots are likely the N-Trig sensor overlay, just that for some reason they're really visible on this display vs. other displays that use N-Trig. Maybe the pixel density has something to do with it.

The dots also won't go away if you return it and get a new one. Other users have seen the same dots, and all the in-store models have them, too, from what I've seen and been told. They're probably all like this.

I've also been told by a Best Buy employee that this is how AMOLED screens look. I'm 99% sure he's wrong, because otherwise every AMOLED phone I've had and seen would have had it, too.

If I were to make an educated guess, the dots have something to do with the way N-Trig works, and they're unfortunately just very visible on HP's implementation of the technology. I really wish we could get a clear, definitive answer on this, because so far, I'm not buying that it's a screen defect, and it certainly isn't an issue inherent to AMOLED. I hope more users become aware of this issue.

[Higginsrac]

Hmm, well I’m glad you found reasons to keep it still and don’t have the hassle of returning it...

Do you know if the non-AMOLED screen version does the same thing? I mostly use computers to edit photos and the dots were just an absolute deal breaker because that’s all I saw. Otherwise the specs were really great on it.  

[-Tj-]

I'm not sure if the non-AMOLED version has the same issue, but I would love to know as well..! I actually visited my local Best Buy twice in the hopes that they'd have other variants on display, but they only had the AMOLED version.

It really is a bummer, because the screen is otherwise pretty great, as are the specs. Eventually, I plan to get a 4k monitor to pair with my laptop, which partly influenced my decision to keep it.