Hey guys,

Imagine the horror :eek: when I turned on my Kindle 2 while walking downtown today and the screen immediately faded and turned blotchy from the sun hitting it! Is this normal? I thought that the Kindle could be read in direct sunlight and this is only weak spring strength sunlight! :angry:

So what we have here is whenever the screen is refreshed by page turning and it's in direct sunlight, the text is washed out. But step into the shade and turn a page forward or back, and then back to the original page, it comes up fine. Although I do note some letters may be a little distorted but a pixel or two. See attached photos to view this phenomenon.

Nope..you can read the Kindle in direct sunlight. I would call Amazon.

You may have a defective unit. There wee a few folks who reported this with K1 as well. I never had that problem.

My K2 works fine in direct sunshine.

Hey guys,

Imagine the horror :eek: when I turned on my Kindle 2 while walking downtown today and the screen immediately faded and turned blotchy from the sun hitting it! Is this normal? I thought that the Kindle could be read in direct sunlight and this is only weak spring strength sunlight! :angry:
I saw a posting on the same thing from another K2 owner on Amazon forum, so should I call tech support

So second call to Amazon support got me a new Kindle to be sent to replace this one. It's obviously defective and the gal was very nice and handled the situation well. Seems they have had a few K2's being returned with this same issue. So, new K2 owners, be sure and check your Kindle out in direct sunlight before you start loading it up with all your MP3's and doc, urls. Guess I will be copying my urls to my main computer or maybe I can just cope the document folder in K2 Drive? Does that work? Hmm, good thing all Amazon purchases are backed up on Amazon.com and I will just have to put back on my FreeBooks and other freebies on the new unit. Just a minor inconvenience.

I had a similar problem with the screen looking washed out in areas. I think it was the screensaver and a partial refresh.

Will have to try the kindle in sunlight except it has been raining or cloudy non-stop.

Update: Bummer. Mine exhibits this behavior. I have a new one on the way and this will be the first thing I check after registering it.

This happens to my 505, if the sun is bright. It goes away after you turn it off.

It doesn't usually bother me (I usually get my head shadow to block the light), but I will know better when I come back from the sunny Bahamas :)

It's good to know that Amazon backs it's product with customer service

I’ve contacted Amazon customer service to return my second Kindle. Both of them had the same problem. After 30 seconds to a minute indirect sunlight the E-Ink print degraded to only partial readability. This is 2 Kindles. The first I received on Friday, and noticed the problem on Saturday. Customer service was very nice, and they send a replacement out. I received that one today, charged it, took it outside on and watched my happiness fade away. I also own a Sony 505, and although it is affected by sunlight, it only happens when the Reader gets very warm. When I tilt the screen, or refresh, the print looks all right again. On the Reader, the font seem to “thin”, and thicken again after a refresh. With the Kindle the font softens and shortly “breaks-up”. It looks like a printed page that was produced with a copier low on ink. I am not a sunbather. The Kindle problem happens when I’m outside having a coffee and reading with my back to the sun. As soon as it hits the screen the degradation starts. Customer service will send both Kindles to their “development team” and get back to me. Amazon was patient and helpful, and exhibited great customer service.

I had the same problem and Amazon replaced mine. My replacement seems to be fine in the sunshine (which is at a premium this week as I look out at the gray skies and blowing snow). Now if only the whispernet would work! I am really regretting selling my PRS-505 but I am hoping all issues will be resolved soon.

I've got three K1s and never had this problem with any of them.

Ok... so after reading this thread.... I of course ran outside to test mine in direct sunlight. Then I remembered that I live in Washington and we were in the middle of a snow storm.

So, I waited two days and then did the test. No problems here (whew!), except everyone on my block thinks I am "challenged".

My exchanged unit is fine and even better, the contrast is a bit better on the new unit. I asked a few impartial observers which had better contrast or was easier to read and they all pointed to the new unit.

Mine is showing this same problem, although not as bad as the OP's. I was just reading where Amazon CS is now telling folks to just return them for a refund instead of exchange. Don't know if I'll return it or try to get it replaced yet. It's having other issues too.

If the sun ever comes out I'll test mine but as far as I can tell mine doesn't have that problem.

I also experienced the screen fading (right side only) in direct sunlight. I called CS and they indicated they would get back to me but fired out a new unit the same day. The new K2 works fine and like others seems to have better contrast. Just out of currosity I measured the temp (IR) of the Kindle (both) while in direct sunlight and it was 95 deg or more which is right at the upper limit of the operating range. I have not had any fade on the New Kindle regardless of temp, even when I have left it laying in direct sunlight.

I just talked to Aria in Kindle CS and did you guys know it's the users causing the problem. They've "researched the problem" and when this happens it's screen damage from people holding the Kindle by the screen and breaking it or damaging it by trying to use a stylus on it. :rolleyes: So apparently the sun problem is now imaginary. I'm sure this is just her not understanding the actual issue because when I asked how the screen could go back to normal after being out of the sun if it was broken she didn't know what to say.


Anyway, mine has a slight problem like this (nothing like the OP's) and I'd have actually been fine keeping it, but mine's being replaced because the longest the battery will hold a charge is about 36 hours with Whispernet turned off. I hope the new one doesn't have a big case of this "non existent" screen problem.


All in all I do have to say that my experience with CS was nothing but pleasant though.

I just talked to Aria in Kindle CS and did you guys know it's the users causing the problem. They've "researched the problem" and when this happens it's screen damage from people holding the Kindle by the screen and breaking it or damaging it by trying to use a stylus on it. :rolleyes: So apparently the sun problem is now imaginary. I'm sure this is just her not understanding the actual issue because when I asked how the screen could go back to normal after being out of the sun if it was broken she didn't know what to say.



Maybe she was just joking with you. :) I hope she was just joking with you. :(

What's with the stylus?

Maybe she was just joking with you. :) I hope she was just joking with you. :(

What's with the stylus?


She got pretty serious about it so I don't think she was joking.


As to the stylus she said some people thought they could use a stylus on it like with their PDAs even though it doesn't come with one. Having worked doing PC support years ago I can see this actually happening.

I have a kindle 1, and it works at -20F. And in direct sunlight. Now if I just didn't hate Amazon . .

Checked the new Kindle 2; sunlight doesn't appear to be a problem. But I'm glad I knew this could be an issue, so thanks much to the original poster and those who responded!

How quickly does this happen? 10 seconds in direct sunlight? 20 seconds? 2 minutes? 20 minutes?

Also, since we've mentioned "direct sunshine", does that mean the sunshine does need to be literally direct? Sunshine through a window does not cause this reaction?

I just want to make sure that I have all the info I need to verify whether a Kindle 2 does or does not have this problem...

Thanks!

My Kindle 2 had this same issue. I didn't even realize it until an airplane flight last week where I happened to be by a window. Basically whenever I would refresh the screen (page forward, page back, alt G) with bright sunlight hitting it the newly drawn ink would be mostly faded. This happened immediately on refresh.

I called Kindle Support and they overnighted another unit out to me with no hassle. Now I just have to transfer over my Baen books that aren't attached to my Amazon account.

How quickly does this happen? 10 seconds in direct sunlight? 20 seconds? 2 minutes? 20 minutes?

It happens as soon as you hit the next page button. The new page text will be "washed out".


Also, since we've mentioned "direct sunshine", does that mean the sunshine does need to be literally direct? Sunshine through a window does not cause this reaction?

Through the window is fine; the important thing is to be *in* the bright "shaft of light". If you are worried it's still not bright enough then go outside. My intuition tells me that it's a UV-light issue.

How quickly does this happen? 10 seconds in direct sunlight? 20 seconds? 2 minutes? 20 minutes?

Also, since we've mentioned "direct sunshine", does that mean the sunshine does need to be literally direct? Sunshine through a window does not cause this reaction?

I just want to make sure that I have all the info I need to verify whether a Kindle 2 does or does not have this problem...

Thanks!

This thread (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40834), says it happens right away. I was reading in direct sunlight for an hour yesterday out near the beach and had no fading problems. I've also tested mine by just leaving it in direct sunlight until it goes to sleep with no fading.

So it seems, if you have the fading issue, it's really noticeable and immediate. If you don't, you'll see no fading at all. In fact, the Kindle will look its best in direct sun.

When my K2 experienced the sun fade it was it was with the sun to my back shining on the page I was reading. It was immediate, right side only, within seconds but the print contrast would restore when taken out of the direct sunlight and the page was changed or restored.

The new K2 they sent me has worked flawlessly. I use it daily, in the morning outdoors often in direct sunlight with no problems.