Is the 2018 MacBook Pro's screen less bright?

[DeanL]

According to Notebook Check, the 2018's screen is slightly less bright than the 2017...
Every since I started using mine I could feel the difference. Am I the only one?

Here's what Notebook Check said
"Our test model of the MacBook Pro manages an average luminance of little more than 500 nits. This means it meets the advertised value, but our two 2017 test devices (especially the non-Touch Bar MBP 13) were even brighter."

 

[SBruv]

Mine’s definitely less bright than my 2016. LG in the 2018, Samsung in the 2016. Couldn’t care less, though - it’s still awesome.

 

[loby]

Mine’s definitely less bright than my 2016. LG in the 2018, Samsung in the 2016. Couldn’t care less, though - it’s still awesome.

Probably occurred to get the advertised 10 hours of battery life.....

 

[caspergirl]

how can you figure out what brand is your screen?

 

[bevsb2]

Compared to my 15" late 2016 model, my 15" 2018 model's screen is slightly warmer, but I can't perceive any real difference in brightness. My guess is that this varies just like anything else with Apple screens.

 

[Brookzy]

Since Apple started using super bright screens they have been messing with how the display chooses its brightness level, so it's hard to compare between generations. The main issue is that peak brightness will not be reached unless sufficiently bright light is shone at the ambient light sensor. Setting to 100% brightness does not necessarily mean peak brightness anymore:

A few things are going on here, to optimise battery life, and keep brightness proportionate to the ambient conditions:

• The brightness scale is now logarithmic. A one-notch jump at high brightness levels will cause a greater increase in brightness than a one-notch jump at low brightness levels.
• The brightness scale is relative to the ambient brightness. In darker conditions, this allows more fine-tuning of your preferred screen brightness - the exception is that 100% stays at 100%, hence the jump you are seeing from 90% to 100%.
• 100% isn't really maximum brightness: much like iPhone 7, the "boost" brightness (from 300 to 500 nits) is not user-adjusted but instead is automatic for situations like direct sunlight. 500 nits is positively blinding in a dimly-lit room. Thus you can only achieve peak brightness with automatically adjust brightness turned on, and when in direct sunlight (or equivalent).

[doublepost=1532283052][/doublepost]

Compared to my 15" late 2016 model, my 15" 2018 model's screen is slightly warmer, but I can't perceive any real difference in brightness. My guess is that this varies just like anything else with Apple screens.

And don't forget True Tone...

 

[donawalt]

how can you figure out what brand is your screen?

Type this command in the command prompt:
ioreg -lw0 | grep "EDID" | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r

If you see LP, then you got LG panel. If you do not see LP, then you got Samsung.

 

[caspergirl]

Type this command in the command prompt:
ioreg -lw0 | grep "EDID" | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r

If you see LP, then you got LG panel. If you do not see LP, then you got Samsung.

i get as a result
"PT?eP?@?|?@P4 ??Color LCD"
is this a samsung panel or it doesnt work with the 2017 macbook pros?

 

[macintoshmac]

Compared to my 15" late 2016 model, my 15" 2018 model's screen is slightly warmer, but I can't perceive any real difference in brightness. My guess is that this varies just like anything else with Apple screens.

Would you kindly PM me why did you upgrade to the 2018 MBP just two years on? What do you use your computer for?

 

[upandown]

But as a positive the black level is better!

 

[esaelias]

i get as a result
"PT?eP?@?|?@P4 ??Color LCD"
is this a samsung panel or it doesnt work with the 2017 macbook pros?

Maybe samsung then?

 

[SDColorado]

Mine’s definitely less bright than my 2016. LG in the 2018, Samsung in the 2016. Couldn’t care less, though - it’s still awesome.

That is my observation as well, also having a Samsung 2016 and LG 2018. More so though when running on the battery than when plugged in. I am sure that being a design choice to try to increase or maintain battery life while upping the specs.

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

In my case LG is brighter than Samsung (compared 3 machines).

 

[Aurora823]

Wow I thought I was the only one...mine is definitely less bright than my previous laptop and even a MacBook 12inch I compared it to...I hope they do a software update for that~~anybody know how the 2019 MacBook Pro's brightness levels are? More consistent?