'No choice but to bear with it': Complaints about lines appearing on phone screen double, says Case

Ace Chew discovered about five green lines on the screen of his Samsung Note 20 Ultra early this year, around three years after he purchased it.

The 24-year-old student told AsiaOne that although the lines did not affect him while texting, they did prove bothersome when he watched videos on his phone.

"I had no choice but to bear with it," said Chew, explaining that he did not have money to get his screen repaired or replaced at the time.

He added that he knew others, all Samsung users, who faced similar issues with their mobile phones.

Despite this experience, Chew has recently switched to a newer Samsung model, the Samsung S24+.

This is because he is already accustomed to Samsung's user interface and wishes to "stick to what he knows", he said.

Complaints have more than doubled: Case

Chew is not alone in his experience - complaints of coloured lines appearing on mobile phone screens have increased by over two times according to statistics from the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case).

As of Nov 14, the consumer watchdog has received 31 complaints, compared to 14 similar complaints in 2023 and four in 2022.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Case said on Thursday (Nov 21) that all but one out of the 49 complaints were against Samsung.

The remaining complaint was against Chinese brand OnePlus.

Besides green lines, some consumers also reported pink or white ones appearing across their screens, said Case president Melvin Yong.

Affected consumers sought free repair or replacement from the manufacturer or its agents.

As of last weekend, six people who complained have asked Case to help negotiate on their behalf with the manufacturer or agent, to resolve the dispute.

Various reasons for lines appearing

Consumers generally complained that the vertical green lines appeared across screens after they updated their mobile phones' software, said Yong.

Some customers on Samsung Singapore's community page suggested that a software update could result in phones overheating, causing hardware issues and producing a green line.

It can also happen if someone drops their phone, others pointed out.

A Samsung spokesperson told CNA that the company is committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences.

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

The company encourages customers facing such issues with their devices to visit an authorised service centre for help.

It is said that Samsung has offered free, one-time screen replacement for selected Galaxy phones in other countries such as India, reported CNA.

• Additional reporting by Jordan Tan

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com