[Trekker]

.

 

[Supercrone]

Don't forget that a bunch of K1s had this problem, too, so it seems to be a screen problem and not a K2 problem, unlike the contrast that some people are having issues with (not me). I wonder if the other e-readers that use the same screen have had this, too? If this poll gets enough participation, it'll be interesting to see what the percentages actually are. I have a gut feeling it's rarer than it appears to be.

 

[ak rain]

does temperature play a factor? I have had some sun but not above freezing. I did try reading in sun but not for long. I am assuming that no sun problems with me.
sylvia

 

[pomlover2586]

No fading at all here............temp does not seem to play a factor- though I do not let my k get super hot [i.e. sit in the sun, hot car etc]

 

[BookBinder]

I've tested mine in the sun, turning pages, and don't seem to have a fading issue.  However, since I live in the northeast, we do not yet get the really strong, 80 or 90 degree sunlight, so I guess I wiil have to wait until summer arrives before I will know for sure.  Right now, I'm getting 45 - 50 degree sunlight.  Would there be a difference?  Something to consider in my case.     

 

[Harmakhet]

I've seen some slight fading but as I don't read in the sun often it hasn't bothered me.

 

[DD]

Ok...I'm curious to see the percentage of K2's that may have an issue with the text fading in the sunlight. Here is a quick and simple test which should only take a few seconds.

1) Make sure it's sunny out - no clouds hiding the sun.
2) Take your K2 outside, open a page in any book, angle it so that the sun's rays are directly on the K2's display and start turning pages.
3) The first page turn should show some fading if your k2 has the problem. Go forward about 5 pages and view each page to see if fading gets worse. You can then go backwards to return to your original place.

You must turn pages in order to get the problem to show up. Just holding it in the sun on a single page won't do it.

Please vote in the poll. Any comments/pictures are appreciated. Note: Using the Alt-Shift-G method of taking a screenshot does not work. You must use a camera to "see what the eye sees."

The purpose of this poll is to get a rough idea of the percentage of K2's that have the "fading text" issue.

Note: If you had a K2 with this problem but got a replacement that works, you can still vote "Yes."

Thanks for participating!

Mine doesn't fade in the sunlight, but the text on my K2 is noticeably lighter than on my K1 all the time. It is causing more eyestrain for me. I contacted Amazon by email and got an email back that I should call and they would go through some 'troubleshooting' steps with me. Does anyone know what they do? I haven't had the time to make that call yet but I wonder if I should leave well enough alone since everyone seems to think the text is a little lighter and I may get a replacement that has other problems.

 

[Zeronewbury]

I voted 'yes', because I had one that did wash out in the sun.  As noted in these pages, GeekBook™ replacement works well in sun.

 

[DD]

I just removed my vote for NO and changed it to YES and unacceptable.  I didn't really notice the fading but I live in sunny SW Florida and today I was waiting in the garage for my husband to come down from upstairs.  I was reading my K2 while waiting.  We stepped out side into the bright sunshine and in a few seconds, I couldn't read the screen.  It was that bad.  It got worse as I turned pages and even menus were affected.  I stepped back into the darker garage and no improvement right away.  I had to turn a page to make it start to improve and then it gradually came back to normal but it took a good 10 minutes to come back to normal.

I called Amazon and they are overnighting me a new unit.  The CS rep said to try it out and see if I have the same problem.  It sounds like Amazon does not have a handle on what is causing this yet.  They are just replacing units and hoping that the problem is not on the replacement.

So, bottom line, for me anyway, the fading was nonexistant or unnoticeable at first but then got much worse with time.  (I've had my K2 for 6 wks.).

 

[sbell1]

Only had my K2 for two days and it has to go back. I checked it yesterday (clouds and sun) and the text faded somewhat but I decided I could live with that. Today it is very sunny and the text becomes unreadable! Amazon is shipping a new one out today. I hope it doesn't turn into the 3 or 4 replacements that some have gone through! 

Thanks to the info on this board that was one of the first things I checked.

 

[pidgeon92]

Sorry to hear about this happening to so many units.... I took mine out again today, for about 40 minutes in the sun, and it's not showing any indication of fading.... I think this was my fourth time out with it, it's finally starting to warm up a little here in Northern Illinois....

 

[Annalog]

My first Kindle 2 had the sun fading issue. The text in about 1/3 of the screen was significantly faded with 1/6 of the screen completely faded on the first page turn or page refresh in the sunlight. I re-tested over the course of one day at temperatures from 45 to 80 degrees F and had consistent fading. I did not have consistent fading on an overcast day. CS sent me a replacement and that Kindle does not have the sun fading issue.

 

[Googlegirl]

The very first time I used my Kindle was out in the sun during my son's soccer game. It was in the high 70's that day and VERY sunny, not a cloud in the sky.
I didn't notice any fading. I haven't been outside with it since but I may try it out again this weekend, just to make sure. 

 

[DD]

That's why I was hoping people would perform the test in the way I described in the first post. It has to be a very sunny day, the sun has to be hitting the kindle directly (so you can see the sun reflected in the display) and you have to turn the pages in order for the fading to show up. That's the best and quickest way to tell if you have a defective K2.

I have my 3rd K2 but haven't been able to test it yet because it's been cloudy out.

I also got a reply to the email that I sent Jeff Bezos. It was someone replying on his behalf but one of the things they said was:

"I'm truly sorry to hear your Kindle 2 showed signs of fading text after taking it out in the sunlight. We designed these to perform in direct sunlight, and the issue you noted appears to be specific to the units you received. "

So, for those of you with fading problems, DO NOT let a customer service rep try to tell you that the fading is normal or that the K2 wasn't really designed to be read in direct sunlight (one rep told me that.)

I'm hoping for some sun so that I can see if I finally got a good one.

Well, Amazon is replacing mine, so I got what I wanted from the call. But when I mentioned their ad showing the woman sitting on the beach reading the Kindle. He actually said to me, "Well, it shows a Kindle screen, but we don't really know if she's reading." Can you believe that? I didn't want to confront him about it because I was getting the resolution I wanted but I thought what in the world are you supposed to do with an ebook reader - read or just sit in the sun and look at the Kindle?!! Yeah, she's probably not reading because she can't see the text!

Yes, Trekker, I did the test just as you described. My fading was instantaneous as soon as I went into the sun before I even turned a page. It got worse when I turned a page and even the menus including the one showing the different text sizes was unreadable. When I returned to the shade, it didn't get better automatically. I had to turn a page first and then it only started to improve. It took a good 10-15 minutes to come back up to normal. The CS rep actually had me walk outside my house into the sun with him on the portable phone and describe to him what was happening. It is quite dramatic. Today was a good day to do the test because it was very sunny but cool for SW Florida (only in the high 60's). So that eliminated the possibility that heat was affecting it.

I hope I don''t have to go through multiple Kindles before I get a good one. I'll tell you what - I won't be putting any skins on it until I'm sure it's OK.

 

[DD]

My first Kindle 2 had the sun fading issue. The text in about 1/3 of the screen was significantly faded with 1/6 of the screen completely faded on the first page turn or page refresh in the sunlight. I re-tested over the course of one day at temperatures from 45 to 80 degrees F and had consistent fading. I did not have consistent fading on an overcast day. CS sent me a replacement and that Kindle does not have the sun fading issue.

Good news, Annalog. I hope I get as lucky and only have to go through one replacement.

 

[DD]

Only had my K2 for two days and it has to go back. I checked it yesterday (clouds and sun) and the text faded somewhat but I decided I could live with that. Today it is very sunny and the text becomes unreadable! Amazon is shipping a new one out today. I hope it doesn't turn into the 3 or 4 replacements that some have gone through!

Thanks to the info on this board that was one of the first things I checked.

I also am hoping to get lucky and only have to do the replacement thing once!

 

[kindle zen]

i just tested my kindle 2 in direct bright sun and there was no indication of fading while turning pages or not.  i never read in direct sunlight so i wouldn't have known of this issue had it not been mentioned in forums. evidently this problem affects a huge number of units, including the replacements so obviously they aren't being tested prior to shipment. 

 

[Googlegirl]

I just checked mine again this morning.
I'm in Southeastern NC, it's a warm 61 degrees, FULL sun on my back deck and no fading issues. I made sure I got some glare on the screen to make sure I had the full effect.

 

[vg]

I had definite fade issues with my Kindle - almost a total washout within a few pages.  Amazon sent a replacement, but I need some advice.  It doesn't do a total fade, but if I cover half of the screen I can tell a difference.  The side in the sun is a little lighter and some of the letters seem thinner.  When I call up the menu the letters are not always the good solid black, it's almost like someone had randomly lightly run an eraser across some of them.  People are saying that a "perfect" no fade is possible.  Mine is really close, so am I expecting too much?  Is there anyone who can cover half of their screen, turn the page and see absolutely no difference?

 

[Annalog]

I had definite fade issues with my Kindle - almost a total washout within a few pages. Amazon sent a replacement, but I need some advice. It doesn't do a total fade, but if I cover half of the screen I can tell a difference. The side in the sun is a little lighter and some of the letters seem thinner. When I call up the menu the letters are not always the good solid black, it's almost like someone had randomly lightly run an eraser across some of them. People are saying that a "perfect" no fade is possible. Mine is really close, so am I expecting too much? Is there anyone who can cover half of their screen, turn the page and see absolutely no difference?

I wish you hadn't asked that! I just did the test you requested with the font on the smallest size. (EDIT: I chose the smallest font as I thought it would be easier to see the difference.) I covered the left side and the right side was uncovered. The result for me is that the letters on the uncovered side are slightly fainter and thinner while the letters on the covered side are the normal thickness and darkness. The fading on the uncovered side is consistent for all of the letters on that side. Now I am wondering also.

EDIT: My test was at 10AM in Tucson, AZ. Very thin clouds over the sun but shadow on ground was sharp with good contrast.