[Update: Fixes released] Asus ROG Phone 3 'black crush' & 'broken refresh rate' display issues come to light

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on August 19, 2020) follows:

The Asus ROG Phone 3 is arguably one of the most powerful and feature-packed Android smartphones that you can get your hands on. It comes with the beastly Snapdragon 865+ SoC coupled with up to 16GB RAM and an impressive 144Hz refresh rate AMOLED display for an exceptional gaming experience.

Asus has packed the phone to the brim with features and high-end specifications. However, this does not really mean that the phone comes without any flaws. In fact, some of the features such as the AirTrigger macros weren’t available out-of-the-box and had to be enabled via an OTA update.

Further, the device does not yet support VoLTE on the T-Mobile network in the U.S. Recently, the Taiwanes OEM also rolled out an update which brought along a bunch of bug fixes and also enabled VoLTE on CTM in Macao.

The troubles for ROG Phone 3 users didn’t end just there since multiple reports started to surface online claiming that the AeroActive Cooler 3 was not working after a recent update. And now, we’re seeing many user reports about black crush and refresh rate issues on the ROG Phone 3.

According to users, the black crush issue is noticeable even at 100% brightness and it gets worse when the brightness is lowered. This is most evident when consuming media on the device. We’ve added a few screenshots of user reports (1, 2, 3, 4) on ZenTalk below:

Click/tap to enlarge images:

A user has also shared a few images showing the black crush issue and even comparing the display quality with the Redmi K20 Pro:

Click/tap to enlarge images:

Further, here are a couple of reports from users (1, 2) concerning the refresh rate bug on the ROG Phone 3:

According to users, the refresh rate of the display gets locked to one setting at times and cannot be changed even after selecting another refresh rate option.

Fortunately, a moderator has responded to a user’s complaint about the refresh rate issue on the ROG Phone 3. According to the mod’s comment, the issue is being looked into. Therefore, users can find some solace in knowing that the problem might be fixed soon.

As for the black screen crush problem, it appears that the issue is a common trait with high-refresh-rate AMOLED panels. This is because similar issues were noticed on the OnePlus 8 series and the OnePlus Nord.

In case the black crush issue is deemed a hardware trait, users will have to get used to the problem. However, Asus may roll out an update to improve the black crush issue to more manageable levels. As usual, we will continue to track the situation and will post an update once more details surface regarding the issues on the ROG Phone 3.

Update 1 (August 19)

It now appears that the black crush issue has also been addressed by a moderator on Asus ZenTalk. According to the mod’s comment, the issue is being worked upon. Thus, users can certainly expect to see a software update rollout which should hopefully fix the problem.

We are currently working on it. Make sure for time being your phone is updated to latest firmware version.

Update 2 (August 26)

After users reported black crush and broken refresh rate display issues with Asus ROG Phone 3 and soon after mod responding that they are looking into it, the most recent update from the mod confirmed that root cause has been identified but fix could take weeks to arrive. Read the full story here.

Update 3 (September 15)

IST 10:55 am: An Asus moderator has claimed that the bug resulting in the phone not charging and the black crush issues will be addressed via an FOTA update which is expected to rollout later this month. For more details, head here.

Update 4 (September 21)

IST 01:36 pm: Apparently, the bug on the ROG Phone 3 which prevented users from changing the refresh rate of the display in low brightness has now been fixed with the August security update for the device according to the release notes.

– Google Security Patch Update (August 1, 2020)
– Fixed an issue where the screen was set brighter when unlocking the device
– Fixed an issue where the refresh rate might not be changeable if the screen brightness is dim
– Improved display quality when playing videos
– Fixed an issue where SMS may not be sent when using a KDDI SIM card
– Update APN list
(Source)

Update 5 (September 29)

IST 03:04 pm: It seems that Asus has released a new update for the ROG Phone 3 as version 17.0823.2008.78. The update brings a bunch of fixes for certain issues found on the device including the refresh rate and display quality problems.

Here are the release notes for the new update:

– Added “Bypass charging” feature in the in-game Game Genie panel. Allows you to power the system without charging the battery.
– Enabled VoLTE/VoWiFi on ICE (Norway).
– Updated Android security patch
– Fixed the issue with display brightness irregularities after locking/unlocking device

– Fixed mobile network instability issue with HK network
– Fixed the manual screen refresh rate cannot be maintained in low brightness
– Improved display quality when playing video.
– Fixed the issue where the display brightness could become brighter after unlocking the device

– Fixed the issue where in certain instances the original charger and cable could not charge the device
– Fixed issue where in specific cases calls could not be received
– Fixed an issue where SMS may not be sent when using KDDI SIM card
– Updated APN data
– Optimize system update mechanism

Update 6 (April 24, 2021)

IST 12:21 pm: Asus users seem to have unofficially fixed the black crush, color banding, and red tinting issue on the Asus ROG Phone 3. More information here.

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