Case: 48 out of 49 complaints in last 3 years about lines on screens related to Samsung phones

If you've ever had the problem of lines appearing on your phone screen, you're not alone.

And you're probably a Samsung user, according to statistics from the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case), anyway.

Complaints about lines appearing on phone screens have more than doubled in the past year, the consumer watchdog said, according to a CNA report.

Furthermore, in the past three years, all but one of the 49 complaints it received were against Samsung.

The remaining complaint was against Chinese phone brand, OnePlus.

However, Samsung's one-fifth mobile market share in Singapore also means it has more users than other Android-operated phone brands.

Many lines

Lines on screens were reported to appear in green, pink, and white, according to Case president Melvin Yong.

He added that the vertical green lines generally appeared after a user updated their phone's software.

According to online media reports, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series appears to be most affected, and in particular the S21 Ultra and S21 FE models.

The Galaxy A73, Galaxy M21, Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy Z Flip 3 were reported to have the issue as well.

The green lines seem to be a problem only with phones that use AMOLED displays, and not LCD or liquid crystal displays, according to website Android Authority.

However, the exact cause remains unclear, although it is most likely a hardware issue.

In response to CNA's queries, a Samsung spokesperson said that it is committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences.

"Product quality continues to be one of our top priorities," the spokesperson said.

Seeing double

Complaints of such a fashion appear to be a relatively recent development.

As of Nov. 14, 2024, Case said it had received 31 complaints of this nature — more than twice the 14 complaints it received in the whole of 2023.

And in 2022, it received only four such complaints.

Users of afflicted phones generally sought free repair or replacement from the manufacturer or its agents.

Six complainants have so far asked Case to help negotiate on their behalf to resolve the dispute, Yong added.

Top image from Reddit