TL; DR
- iPhone 17 Pro models now have a toggle to enable DC dimming for reduced flicker and better comfort.
- Samsung and Google still rely only on PWM at lower frequencies, with no built-in DC dimming option.
- Chinese brands have long offered 2160Hz+ PWM or DC dimming, but for Apple, this is a big step forward from the iPhone’s fixed 480Hz setup.
Apple has made one of the most notable accessibility upgrades in years with the iPhone 17 lineup, which includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. For the first time, users can disable pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming through a settings toggle in iOS 26. This essentially unlocks DC dimming, which controls brightness by adjusting voltage directly instead of rapidly flashing the screen on and off.
For anyone sensitive to PWM flicker, or those who deal with eye strain, headaches, or fatigue, this could be a huge relief, especially when using the phone at lower brightness.
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The toggle is found under Accessibility > Display and Text Size. Apple points out that while DC dimming can make viewing smoother in dim conditions, it may slightly affect performance in extreme low light. MacRumors has confirmed that the feature is available across the iPhone 17 lineup.
Competition isn’t keeping up. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series runs PWM between 240Hz and 480Hz depending on brightness, but there’s no true DC dimming option in its settings. Users have been asking for it for years, but Samsung isn’t listening.
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Google’s Pixel 10 is even worse, fixed at 240Hz PWM, with only the Pro models having 480Hz.
Chinese brands, on the other hand, have been addressing this for a while. HONOR, OPPO, Xiaomi, vivo, OnePlus, and others already use ultra-high PWM frequencies like 2160Hz, 4320Hz, or higher, or offer DC dimming as a built-in feature.
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