iPhone 16 Pro Max Screen brightness on 16 Pro/Max [MERGED]

[AndyDandy1]

Hi. I am just curious: can you specify the screen's serial numbers for both the 15PM and the dimmer 16PM? (e.g G9N, G9P etc.).

There are already other threads about this. It could be a settings issue. One guy didn’t realize he had a privacy screen protector on his 16PM. There are defective screens out there, chalk it up to that and just return it / exchange.

G9P, G9N, P6G, Z1K, JFC….it does not matter. The G9P vs G9N though is my favorite myth, based on one random post from some site years ago, people actually believe it as fact. I’ve owned G9P and G9N in prior iPhones, there were some terrible G9N screens despite being marked as “better chance of quality screen” by that random guy on that random site.

Same FUD this year with Samsung screens vs LG in the 16PM. I have both side by side and they are identical.

If your screen sucks or is yellow, it is just a bad screen, return it. Manufacturer doesn’t matter.

How do u know if the screen sucks? Arent all a little yellow even with True tone off?

 

[chrono1081]

iPhone 16 Pro Max screen appears washed out colors when compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This is obvious.

In addition, the iPhone 16 Pro Max looks much dimmer than the iPhone 15 Pro Max at the same brightness.

What is the reason for these?

It doesn't. Sounds like you have a setting or something on. My screens both look great.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Wonder if this has to do with the new minimum brightness. Since the brightness range now goes down to 1 nit, it's logical that 50% of the old range is brighter than 50% of the new range.

 

[Harthag]

How do u know if the screen sucks? Arent all a little yellow even with True tone off?

Usually the screen will look abnormally yellow, it is one of those things where if you've seen enough you just know. Someone posted in the other thread about the 16PM being dim, his photos clearly show the yellow screen. Take a look at those images for comparison.

Wonder if this has to do with the new minimum brightness. Since the brightness range now goes down to 1 nit, it's logical that 50% of the old range is brighter than 50% of the new range.

Could be related, in that other thread the brightness goes much lower compared to the 15PM based on his photos. I personally love this. Have always felt iPhones don't get dim enough in the dark or for reading while in bed at night. With Android there is an "extra dim" setting for this. It is much better now with the 16PM.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Could be related, in that other thread the brightness goes much lower compared to the 15PM based on his photos. I personally love this. Have always felt iPhones don't get dim enough in the dark or for reading while in bed at night. With Android there is an "extra dim" setting for this. It is much better now with the 16PM.

I feel the same. It's nice not getting blinded in the morning when I check my phone.

 

[shadowboi]

Instead of sourcing displays from one trusted and good manufacturer, they sourcing from everywhere they can get. In fact, two identical iPhones can have ABSOLUTELY different displays.

Example: my iPhone 11 Pro had OLED display that gave me serious eye strain. While it was ok in terms of color reproduction, it was unbearable to use. Also black color was way too unnaturally black, something you would usually find on Samsung phones.

One day display died, so I replaced it after a while. And no way, eye strain disappeared and the display is MUCH better and vivid than ever before. I can finally use my phone without getting rainy eyes in 10 minutes or so. And before you ask, replacement display is original Apple OLED display

 

[blackonder]

Hi. I am just curious: can you specify the screen's serial numbers for both the 15PM and the dimmer 16PM? (e.g G9N, G9P etc.).

Both of them G9P.

 

[Acceptable]

First time poster here, I thought I'd make an account and share my thoughts.
Upgraded from 15 Pro (non-Max) to 16 Pro (non-Max).
When I was setting up the 16 Pro, I immediately noticed that the screen had an obvious yellow tint compared to the 15 Pro.

So I compared them side-by-side with the same identical settings (max brightness, both TrueTone on vs off, set white point off, auto-brightness off) and it was quite clear that the 16 Pro had a yellow tint compared to the 15 Pro. At the time, I did not notice a significant difference in subjective screen brightness.

I've been using the 16 Pro for a few days now. While I do not bring my older 15 Pro everywhere with me, when I look at the 16 Pro under the usual lighting conditions that I experience (walking to and from work, fluorescent light at work, etc), I do think the 16 Pro is much more yellow than the 15 Pro (without comparing them side by side).

I was excited to discover this thread and thought to post some photos to compare them side-by-side.
Please find them below.
Both top and bottom photos were taken in RAW, same manual exposure settings, opened in ACR and directly converted to JPEGs without any custom post-processing.

To my surprise, there is no longer a marked difference in screen color temp between the 16 and 15 Pros.
The photos were taken with both phones at max screen brightness (I'm aware 25% brightness may not equal 25% brightness on the other phone).
Both phones were subjectively cool to the touch.
Auto-brightness was turned off for the test, but when turned on, the results are essentially the same relatively speaking.
No screen protectors/privacy screens on either phone.

In both the TT on vs TT off tests, the 16 Pro does look slightly more yellow.
But if anything, the 16 Pro is slightly brighter subjectively.

I also compared my 16 Pro with both a 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max display models.
Mine is essentially the same brightness and tint as the display models (again equalizing variables: auto brightness, max brightness, etc).
With TT turned on, I thought both my 16 Pro and the display models looked much too yellow under the Apple Store lighting.

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

For some reason I thought that the same screen on my 13 Pro
Had a bit more “pop” then the 16 Pro

 

[Acceptable]

After I posted the comparison above, I noticed that on both the 16 and 15 Pros, the display is bluer with TrueTone turned on.
In my experience, TT usually makes the screen more yellow.
I wonder if this was because I took the photos during cooler natural light.

I repeated the comparison in pitch black conditions, ensuring that the variables listed above are the same again this time. Max brightness.

It might be a bit difficult to capture on photo, but the 16 Pro does look slightly more yellow with both TT turned off and on, compared with the 15 Pro.

Perhaps as a result of the yellower screen, it feels like the contrast between the black text and white background is a bit stronger on the 15 Pro, and a bit more muted on the 16 Pro.

Still, this does not explain my subjective experience of the 16 Pro feeling yellower under other lighting conditions (when I don't have the 15 Pro on hand for direct comparison). I wonder if the yellower screen is due to a change in their TrueTone algorithm that might have a tendency to overshoot under certain light conditions, causing the 16 Pro to have a warmer color balance.

These photos were taken with auto brightness turned off.
With auto brightness turned on, the difference in color temperature appears to be slightly more accentuated (16 Pro is even more yellow).

Additionally, I notice that the 16 Pro has more prominent off-axis color shifts.
On both the 16 and 15 Pros, when looking at the screens at a perfect 90 deg, the center of the screen is more yellow than the surrounding penumbra.
However, the drop-off to a cooler color appears more prominent on the 16 pro.
These photos in fact capture a bit of that; if you look at the bottom-left image of the 16 Pro with TT turned on, you can see there is a circular patch of yellow at the bottom-right-ish area of the screen that corresponds to on-axis capture with the camera I used.

 

[Harthag]

After I posted the comparison above, I noticed that on both the 16 and 15 Pros, the display is bluer with TrueTone turned on.
In my experience, TT usually makes the screen more yellow.
I wonder if this was because I took the photos during cooler natural light.

I repeated the comparison in pitch black conditions, ensuring that the variables listed above are the same again this time. Max brightness.

It might be a bit difficult to capture on photo, but the 16 Pro does look slightly more yellow with both TT turned off and on, compared with the 15 Pro.

Perhaps as a result of the yellower screen, it feels like the contrast between the black text and white background is a bit stronger on the 15 Pro, and a bit more muted on the 16 Pro.

Still, this does not explain my subjective experience of the 16 Pro feeling yellower under other lighting conditions (when I don't have the 15 Pro on hand for direct comparison). I wonder if the yellower screen is due to a change in their TrueTone algorithm that might have a tendency to overshoot under certain light conditions, causing the 16 Pro to have a warmer color balance.

These photos were taken with auto brightness turned off.
With auto brightness turned on, the difference in color temperature appears to be slightly more accentuated (16 Pro is even more yellow).

Additionally, I notice that the 16 Pro has more prominent off-axis color shifts.
On both the 16 and 15 Pros, when looking at the screens at a perfect 90 deg, the center of the screen is more yellow than the surrounding penumbra.
However, the drop-off to a cooler color appears more prominent on the 16 pro.
These photos in fact capture a bit of that; if you look at the bottom-left image of the 16 Pro with TT turned on, you can see there is a circular patch of yellow at the bottom-right-ish area of the screen that corresponds to on-axis capture with the camera I used.

On your 16P do you notice that yellow splotch at the bottom right of the screen in daily use or when viewing the screen head-on? If so that’s an auto return in my book. Your 15P looks great.

 

[Acceptable]

You can see it during daily usage if you are actively searching for it, but the same applies to the 15 Pro to a lesser extent. I'm not bothered by it and I consider myself fairly picky when it comes to screens. I think most screens exhibit this bevahior to varying extents.

 

[Harthag]

You can see it during daily usage if you are actively searching for it, but the same applies to the 15 Pro to a lesser extent. I'm not bothered by it and I consider myself fairly picky when it comes to screens. I think most screens exhibit this bevahior to varying extents.

What about at very low brightness in a dark room, while viewing gray backgrounds? In my experience when there are yellow or other hues that become noticeable with TT enabled, there also is green tint or unevenness on those dark gray backgrounds.

You can drive yourself nuts by looking for problems.

 

[Fred Zed]

After I posted the comparison above, I noticed that on both the 16 and 15 Pros, the display is bluer with TrueTone turned on.
In my experience, TT usually makes the screen more yellow.
I wonder if this was because I took the photos during cooler natural light.

I repeated the comparison in pitch black conditions, ensuring that the variables listed above are the same again this time. Max brightness.

It might be a bit difficult to capture on photo, but the 16 Pro does look slightly more yellow with both TT turned off and on, compared with the 15 Pro.

Perhaps as a result of the yellower screen, it feels like the contrast between the black text and white background is a bit stronger on the 15 Pro, and a bit more muted on the 16 Pro.

Still, this does not explain my subjective experience of the 16 Pro feeling yellower under other lighting conditions (when I don't have the 15 Pro on hand for direct comparison). I wonder if the yellower screen is due to a change in their TrueTone algorithm that might have a tendency to overshoot under certain light conditions, causing the 16 Pro to have a warmer color balance.

These photos were taken with auto brightness turned off.
With auto brightness turned on, the difference in color temperature appears to be slightly more accentuated (16 Pro is even more yellow).

Additionally, I notice that the 16 Pro has more prominent off-axis color shifts.
On both the 16 and 15 Pros, when looking at the screens at a perfect 90 deg, the center of the screen is more yellow than the surrounding penumbra.
However, the drop-off to a cooler color appears more prominent on the 16 pro.
These photos in fact capture a bit of that; if you look at the bottom-left image of the 16 Pro with TT turned on, you can see there is a circular patch of yellow at the bottom-right-ish area of the screen that corresponds to on-axis capture with the camera I used.

Depends on the ambient lighting, sometimes truetone indeed makes the screen cooler but mostly not. That’s my experience.

 

[Fred Zed]

What about at very low brightness in a dark room, while viewing gray backgrounds? In my experience when there are yellow or other hues that become noticeable with TT enabled, there also is green tint or unevenness on those dark gray backgrounds.

You can drive yourself nuts by looking for problems.

Haha don’t laugh I did the following test cards at low and lowing lighting conditions.

 

[creediddy]

I’m sure Apple is aware of this issue and will provide a software update. I would like to see an update with screen brightness and battery life improvements. I’m sure it’s going to be available with the update within the next few weeks.

 

[menist]

Just got a 16 Pro and the screen is extremely dimmer with the same brightness settings on my 15PM, wtf?

Auto-brightness off, same brightness settings on both. This is not usable.

*edit* Its going back! I've never use auto-brightness and this has never been an issue with previous iPhone's.

 

[thenewlew]

After reading these 8 pages I’m more confused about what to do. I currently have an 13PM with some burned images on the the screen (apps). But the biggest frustration I have is trying to use the phone outside (especially in my car) as the screen dims to the point where it’s almost unusable. (Inside is usually fine).
So I’ve been waiting to get a new iPhone. Should I get the 15PM or the 16PM if screen brightness outside is a real frustrating issue for me? Of course I want the latest and greatest but don’t want to thrown money away. Thanks!

 

[redbeard331]

Haha don’t laugh I did the following test cards at low and lowing lighting conditions.

Your screen is super dim, I’d return that immediately.

 

[Kavik]

I visited Best Buy on Sunday and checked out the screens on the new iPhone 16 models. It was readily apparent to me that the 16 Pro and Pro Max were noticeably dimmer than my 14 Pro Max (at maximum brightness with True Tone and auto brightness turned off). The 16 and 16 Plus surprisingly were closer in brightness but still both were slightly dimmer, though probably within what be regarded as acceptable tolerances. All four phones, however, also appeared to have a lower contrast and slightly more washed out appearance and bluer cast (again with True Tone off) than my 14 PM.

To confirm, I stopped at an Apple Store last night where every 16 Pro and Pro Max display unit was dimmer and inferior to my 14 PM.

Per some of the previous comments, this could potentially be due to Apple reducing max brightness in the new models under iOS 18 in order to maximize battery life. I would be curious if those that said that their new iPhone 16 Pro/Max looked equivalent to (or brighter) than their older iPhone had already upgraded their old phone to iOS 18 (btw my 14 PM is still on iOS 17.6.1).

To throw some weight behind that hypothesis, it appears that Apple has also been throttling ProMotion to 80Hz under iOS 18, which I'm really surprised hasn't been covered by MacRumors or commented in these forums yet:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Evide...Phones-to-an-80-Hz-refresh-rate.893940.0.html

In any event, it's upsetting to see that a product marketed with the "best ever display" on an iPhone is actually a downgrade. My plan to "upgrade" to the 16 PM and iOS 18 are on hold until both issues (brightness and ProMotion) are worked out.

 

[luckyguy28]

I am going to Apple store to check the display on "Display units" my 16P is almost as bright as my 15P but not same and what concerns me the most is that I was never happy with my 15P display as it was very dim compared to other 15P I had seen at stores and otherwise but was too late to get it replaced.
Kicker is that no 16P are in stock nearby and shipping date is post the 14 day period.

why apple?

 

[Fred Zed]

Your screen is super dim, I’d return that immediately.

A bit like its owner 😂😉

 

[Corgirat]

After 30min of testing brightness on 15Plus and 16PM, I think it is a different scale range. For my eyes, under 50% the 16 is less brighter.
So, I set up brightness on both phones trought Siri, for more precision. True Tone off, Auto-Brightness off. Photos were taken on iPhone X.

15Plus vs 16PM (0%)

This! Is this normal for screen to be this bright at 0%? My 16 pro is like this and I came from 12 pro max so it doesn’t look normal to me. 12 pro max used to go all the way black at 0%.

 

[luckyguy28]

I am going to Apple store to check the display on "Display units" my 16P is almost as bright as my 15P but not same and what concerns me the most is that I was never happy with my 15P display as it was very dim compared to other 15P I had seen at stores and otherwise but was too late to get it replaced.
Kicker is that no 16P are in stock nearby and shipping date is post the 14 day period.

why apple?

So here is the update - I went to the apple store, willing to buy another buy and return this one. They had none in stock.
I compared mine 16P and 15P with multiple 16, 16Plus, 16 P and 16 PM and mine (both 15p and 16p) are brighter and have better color saturation. I never knew that auto brightness has an impact even when you set the brightness to full manually. Display phones were not really dim dim but not as bright as mine 16P or 15P, my 16P has the G9 panel if that matters

 

[Corgirat]

Is it normal for screen to be this bright at 0%? My 16 pro is like this and I came from 12 pro max so it doesn’t look normal to me. 12 pro max used to go all the way black at 0%.