iPhone 14, complained about horizontal lines displayed when the screen starts. Apple’s response: not a defect

Reported mostly on the iPhone 14 Pro Max series, the appearance of horizontal lines when the screen starts up gives users the jitters. But Apple comes to allay these fears, confirming that the “phenomenon” is the result of a software bug that will be fixed in the next iOS update.

Apparently, the issue that manifests itself when the screen turns on after a longer period of inactivity is an unintended consequence of power saving features. Even though incorrectly turning on the screen induces visual artifacts very similar to those manifested by phones with faulty screens, Apple gives assurances that this is not the case for service center visits.

While the iOS patch is pending, more and more iPhone 14 owners are reporting the problem on Reddit and other platforms, describing similar but not quite identical symptoms. Thus, the number and colors of horizontal lines tend to differ from device to device, disappearing after about a second.

“We are aware of the problem and this is due to the drivers […] It is definitely a software issue and an update is expected to come soon,” says an Apple support representative.

According to Apple’s independent investigations, visual artifacts only manifest on iPhones with LG screens, not those equipped with Samsung-supplied displays. Although initially suspicion hovered over the iOS 16.2 beta version, reports are beginning to surface for devices equipped with other iOS 16 revisions as well, the exact cause cannot be pinpointed.