New Xperia mini – screen is flickering

[#1]

Just got my new mini (ST15i) yesterday and after initial set up it works like a dream. QWERTY and easy tethering are just a couple of points. A huge step up from the E10i. But there is a cloud in the sky as the screen slightly flickers when ambient light is not high. As I'm a graphic designer, my office is dimly lit and the ambient light sensor is having a hard time deciding how much to reduce the screen brightness. So here's to wishing there will be a software update that either has the brightness levels change smoothly or with higher tolerance (less sensitive to changes in ambient light and adjusting the screen accordingly). Anyone with me?

[#2]

4.0.A.2.368 here. Experiencing the same issue.

SI 1248-8668

I have noticed that the phone's backlight turns on and off (or to a step lower brightness then back to step higher brightness) at a high frequency - though low enough to be evident by naked eye. I only notice this indoors during the day and at night with the lights on. No light doesn't seem to reproduce the issue. I haven't tested the phone under direct sunlight. The brightness level in settings doesn't seem to affect it, I have tested 25%, 50% and 100%.

I am confident it has something to do with the light sensor, because I usually hold the phone with my left hand's index finger touching the phone on the top side (preventing the lamp light from directly reaching the sensor). If I notice this and then move my finger the phone stops flickering. I haven't been able to reproduce at will though.

I tried recording the issue, managed to get the screen flickering for 2 seconds while browsing the Android Market  but the X10 mini's camera didn't capture the flickering.

[#3]

Hi Johan,

2.3.3

8x55A-AAABQOAZM-20302204-34

2.6.32.9-perf

SEMCUser@SEMCHost #1

4.0.A.2.364

1226-6581.2

It doesn't happen all the time at low ambient light, but possibly only when there's a single concentrated light source such as a single desk lamp (energy saving flourescent bulb, perhaps?) which is a preety common configuration for working at home at night. It seems to be flickering at something close to 5-10 Hz.

Also try typing in landscape mode with your thumbs and with the home button at your left, so that your right thumb is hovering above and moving around the light sensor, you'll see that the light sensor is trying to regulate the screen brightness instantanously and continuously as your thumb is moving about, also giving the impression that it's flickering.

Thanks for your prompt action. Hope we can help make this problem go away!

[#4]

Yes probably need to lay off the Angry Birds a little...:smileywink:

I've noticed maybe it's the packet data radio transceiver that's sapping all the juice. I went roaming for a few days switched off data and i noticed the battery life was fantastic! Would have been close to 2-3 days, which is similar to what I used to get with a 2G Nokia 6300 on an 850mAh battery. The Xperia Mini may be small, but it has a 1200mAh battery as compared to the standard 1500mAh on larger smartphones.

As soon as I was back and 3G data was back on, disaster. It darined its remaining 50% of power in maybe 5-6 hours, during which I hadn't even touched the phone.

I have gmail plus the standard google/facebook/Sony Ericsson account on sync (which you cannot change the sync frequency). I'm also runnning Whatsapp, Viber and Skype, which I cannot switch off connection with out uninstalling. Maybe these are the culprits for the power drain???

Also try this: the phone is using so much power during WiFi Hotspot tethering, the battery is losing charge despite being plugged into the standard charger (which is already quite a powerful one, 850mA). It went from 100% charge down to 80% charge during about 2 hours of WiFi tethering. It's the first time I've seen this happen on any phone that can tether through WiFi.

[#5]

My friend is having the same problem, but I've been unable to reproduce it when she was at my place, which would suggest that either its completely random, or that it depends on the source of the light (if that's even possible). She tells me there is no apparant pattern in when it begins or stops, and she only does relatively light stuff such as whatsapping, browsing and listening to music.

A bigger problem, which I haven't seen mentioned anywhere yet, is that the screen backlight sometimes doesn't come on at all. The entire phone is responding to everything, there simply is no image. This has happened 4 times since she got the phone last week, and is only solved by removing and reinserting the battery. It also seems to be happening at a completely random time, but always after the screen has been off and is turned 'on' again.

Considering she has been/is being very careful with it (pretty expensive 2 year plan), I would also like to point this out as a hardware/software glitch.

(I do not understand why the option to disable/enable automatic backlight has been removed from the rom, btw, and I hope to see it back in 2.3.4.)

Phone info;

Manufactured 11W30

SI 1249-0768

build .2.368

...02204-36

[#6]

Hi!

I'm using Xperia mini PRO (11w31)

Basing from my "experience":

Mainly the flickering of the Screen will happen if you set the Brightness below 50%, same issue with Xperia ARC.

Try setting your brightness to 60% and you'll be ok. Hopefully..

[#7]

Mmm, no. I've had my mini at 60 and mostly at full steam - flicker all the way. But honestly it doesn't disturb me anymore, it's not THAT bad. But I won't mind it getting fixed, either, of course.

[#8]

the most important issue to be resolved is the insect noise ^^

[#9]

You're right - pls contribute: http://talk.sonyericsson.com/thread/22121?tstart=0 

However, cricket noise is an issue of Mini Pro as far as I know

[#10]

You're probably right. It's an issue only with the ST17i Mini Pro No noise from my ST15i Mini.

[#11]

the flickering issue on xperia mini - seems fixed by the new update