Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
@impulse462 any chance you can take a picture? A little more yellow shouldn't be a big issue. I compared my MBP 16 with an iPad mini 4. Again, the white on the iPad mini 4 looks brighter than on the MBP 16. Only when I bump up the brightness to 100% on both devices, the difference becomes less apparent. As soon as you go as below 100%, let's say 70%, the display on the new MBP 16 is rather dull compared to the iPad mini 4 at 70% or the MBP 2012 at 70% brightness.
 
I received my MacBookPro 16 inch last week as an upgrade coming from the initial MBPr 15 inch (mid-2012). Coming from this early model I thought the display would at least be on par but I immediately noticed the colours were less expressive on the 16 inch MacBook, also there seems to be a yellowish hue compared to the older MacBook (see attachment, both MBPs are set on 75% brightness, automatic brightness and True Tone disabled). I ran through the calibration tool to adjust the colour temperature, but to no avail. To improve the contrast, I ran the calibration tool in expert mode which certainly improves the contrast and colours, however the yellow/greenish hue still remains. I can only compare with an older model which I found to have a slight reddish hue but this seems to pop the whites, which I miss on the new MBPr. Does anyone have the same experience or is this related to the particular panel used in the 16 inch model. I checked and it seems I have an LG panel inside. On the older MBP I had a Samsung panel, this might explain the difference. I am just wondering, is this normal (on the left MBPr 2012, on the right MBPr 2019) for the new models or is there something wrong with the screen. Can someone send in a picture of a 'correct' panel (or at least what you objectively see as how a normal panel should display white)?
Notebook Check gives the color profile they tested with, if you want to try it:

ICC File (X-Rite i1Pro 2)
 
@impulse462 any chance you can take a picture? A little more yellow shouldn't be a big issue. I compared my MBP 16 with an iPad mini 4. Again, the white on the iPad mini 4 looks brighter than on the MBP 16. Only when I bump up the brightness to 100% on both devices, the difference becomes less apparent. As soon as you go as below 100%, let's say 70%, the display on the new MBP 16 is rather dull compared to the iPad mini 4 at 70% or the MBP 2012 at 70% brightness.
at work right now but i'll take a picture when i get home tonight
 
@impulse462 any chance you can take a picture? A little more yellow shouldn't be a big issue. I compared my MBP 16 with an iPad mini 4. Again, the white on the iPad mini 4 looks brighter than on the MBP 16. Only when I bump up the brightness to 100% on both devices, the difference becomes less apparent. As soon as you go as below 100%, let's say 70%, the display on the new MBP 16 is rather dull compared to the iPad mini 4 at 70% or the MBP 2012 at 70% brightness.
Not sure what are iPad mini 4 specs but iPad Pro is rated at 600nits and I can see the difference at full brightness. Depending on this 70% on iPad & Mac may not be the right comparison.
Load notebook checks profile after calibration and see yourself - this one is really dull
 
A quick update from my side. I tried the suggested color profile but to no avail, the display is still leaning towards yellow/green. While shopping I passed by an Apple store and checked to see if the in-store model had the same warm tone. It could be the lighting used in the shop but it seemed that the white was the correct white (not too warm/not too cold) and actually the display seemed to be a lot more accurate than my previous MBPr 2012. Too be sure I disabled true tone and automatic brightness. The screen was on 100% brightness which presented a correct white, while lowering the brightness the white remained quite consistent (a bit more greyish due to the low brightness). On my MBP 16 the screen becomes even more yellow when lowering the brightness. I'll bring my MBP 16 to the store and see how it compares to the one in-store.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sanpete
It might be the lighting. I did the same with mine and compared with two available in store. Both were identical to mine. I stopped searching around - happy with my new Mac - keeping it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sanpete
I just received my 16 inch today. I've read people complaining about lower brightness and some other screen issues. While I can't comment on the brightness my screen definitely has yellowish tint and colors seem duller compared to 15 inch models from 2016 and 2017 I have on hand. Overall it's a great upgrade and so far I'm happy with everything except for the screen which I consider to be worse. I'm a bit disappointed, I expect technology to get better over time not worse!

I'm thinking of getting it exchanged for another unit but I have suspicion that all units are like this. Can someone confirm that all screens are like mine? I took some photos for comparison. True Tone and Night Shift were disabled, calibration using built-in tool didn't help.

1000% Unacceptable
 
I got my new 16" MBP a few days ago. For the past 20+ years I have moved to a new 15" MBP about every two years, so I have seen a lot of MBP displays. This display by far is the easiest on my eyes. I feel a lot less eye strain from the whites on this new MBP than I what I felt on my 2017 MBP. I'm sure this is due to True Tone.

That being said, I don't like how greenish/yellowish the whites look with True Tone on at 70% or less brightness. If I crank up the brightness to 80-100%, the display looks great. Problem is that I work in a darker environment, so I would go blind if I worked 10 hours at that brightness. I turned off True Tone today to see what the whites would be like and it looked too blue. My 2018 iPad Pro with True Tone has whiter whites than this new 16" MBP.

I keep thinking something isn't right. Is it True Tone? Is this an inherent property of the panel? Can this all be fixed with a reworked color profile?
 
I just received my 16 inch today. I've read people complaining about lower brightness and some other screen issues. While I can't comment on the brightness my screen definitely has yellowish tint and colors seem duller compared to 15 inch models from 2016 and 2017 I have on hand. Overall it's a great upgrade and so far I'm happy with everything except for the screen which I consider to be worse. I'm a bit disappointed, I expect technology to get better over time not worse!

I'm thinking of getting it exchanged for another unit but I have suspicion that all units are like this. Can someone confirm that all screens are like mine? I took some photos for comparison. True Tone and Night Shift were disabled, calibration using built-in tool didn't help.

My 2007 iMac is very similar to this. It also looks yellowish (white looks yellow). I dont know if I should buy a new 16" MBP or an older one whose screen isnt yellowish.
 
I've come to accept and maybe even at times prefer a little warmth to my panel vs. completely cold sterile color temperature. just easier on my aging eyes... but to a point. Not at the expense of vibrancy and brightness.

This looks like cheap jaundice-y crap. I'd send it back in a heartbeat

Apple is off the wall regularly shipping panels like this (imo), I wouldn't even be that thrilled about it in a cheap notebook. And these aren't cheap.

I think laptop screens are especially important because most people don't treat their laptops like disposables. I've used the same computer for 3.5 years now, and had to have the panel replaced once due to the display ribbon deteriorating and getting spotlight effect at the bottom. I was terrified I was gonna get a bum one, but I didn't I miraculously got as clean of one as I had. so I hope to not roll the dice again for a while, even though I do feel due for an upgrade once this thing starts giving me keyboard issues or whatever. But even then, still covered for another year till end of the year with Apple's extension program.
 
I would not agree with you. I have used a colorimeter to measure color accuracy and calibrate my display. It seems to me, and others having access to professional color tools, that the accuracy is fairly good with the factory calibration.

Caveat, switch of true tone, if you have not already done it.
 
I have got use to it now. For me, this could be the best MBP display I have had so far, and I have had lots of MBPs over the years.
 
Last edited:
That's the thing, I would never do after spending 3 to 4k on a laptop - Apple bills itself as a premium laptop, and if you're not getting a premium experience because of an inferior or defective screen, I'd send it back.
Do you want a display that when measured with professional profiling equipment is proven to be extremely colour accurate out of the box and matching the almost ideal display colour temperature of 6500 Kelvin but looks warm when comparing to older MBP displays?

Or, do you want a wildly inaccurate display that has a native colour balance off the chart that mimics the colour temperature of the moon (exaggeration)?

I'm not sure how much more premium Apple can make the 16" MBP screen.
 
Do you want a display that when measured with professional profiling equipment is proven to be extremely colour accurate out of the box and matching the almost ideal display colour temperature of 6500 Kelvin but looks warm when comparing to older MBP displays?

Or, do you want a wildly inaccurate display that has a native colour balance off the chart that mimics the colour temperature of the moon (exaggeration)?

I'm not sure how much more premium Apple can make the 16" MBP screen.

I’ve looked at tons of screens over the years. Both from owning tons of devices with screens and from examining screen variation within each model

I would take my clean looking xr and 13” non touch bar panels that output p3 color gamut and vivid colors any day of the week over a warmer iPhone 11 (non pro) that’s pretty common, though not terrible, and especially over the jaundice-y photos I’m seeing of the 16”. I’ve compared colors
On my xr to a warm 11 side by side and not seeing the benefit in added color depth the panel looking dingier.

there is just no benefit to my eyes to getting a display that strikes me as inferior right off the bat. I don’t care if you run a colorimeter up to the display and it’s 6500k on the dot whereas my preferred panels are in fact 6600k. And I don’t like a cold sterile panel either where whites are clean but the colors are obviously off and not saturated either. There’s a balance and Apple has hit that balance in the past... while achieving brightness too, so why can’t they continue to do that? Who was complaining in the past that displays were just a smidge off from 100% accurate and now everything’s perfect even though the initial impression is : meh?

it’s not acceptable, most people don’t use their laptops exclusively to watch movies or for photo work.. where it’s tuned to be true to film, even if these are marketed as “pro” machines and surely some production people use them for that— they still surf a white backdrop website or ten every once in a while, and they still use expert monitors that hit the mark in other ways when doing photo or film work: 6500k or not. It’s just an excuse imo for bad quality. These panels whipped out of a Foxconn assembly line at a million miles an hour for bottom dollar when economies of scale ramp up, isnt with the professional consumer’s benefit in mind (imo) that’s how it’s being spun though
 
Last edited:
I’ve looked at tons of screens over the years. Both from owning tons of devices with screens and from examining screen variation within each model

I would take my clean looking xr and 13” non touch bar panels that output p3 color gamut and vivid colors any day of the week over a warmer iPhone 11 (non pro) that’s pretty common, though not terrible, and especially over the jaundice-y photos I’m seeing of the 16”. I’ve compared colors
On my xr to a warm 11 side by side and not seeing the benefit in added color depth the panel looking dingier.

there is just no benefit to my eyes to getting a display that strikes me as inferior right off the bat. I don’t care if you run a colorimeter up to the display and it’s 6500k on the dot whereas my preferred panels are in fact 6600k. And I don’t like a cold sterile panel either where whites are clean but the colors are obviously off and not saturated either. There’s a balance and Apple has hit that balance in the past... while achieving brightness too, so why can’t they continue to do that? Who was complaining in the past that displays were just a smidge off from 100% accurate and now everything’s perfect even though the initial impression is : meh?

it’s not acceptable, most people don’t use their laptops exclusively to watch movies or for photo work.. where it’s tuned to be true to film, even if these are marketed as “pro” machines and surely some production people use them for that— they still surf a white backdrop website or ten every once in a while, and they still use expert monitors that hit the mark in other ways when doing photo or film work: 6500k or not. It’s just an excuse imo for bad quality. These panels whipped out of a Foxconn assembly line at a million miles an hour for bottom dollar when economies of scale ramp up, isnt with the professional consumer’s benefit in mind (imo) that’s how it’s being spun though
Your post makes absolutely no sense.

Preferring Apple to release displays that are wildly inaccurate with colour temperatures in the 8000K+ region and render skin tones and colour hues completely unrealistically sounds preposterous.

People have been complaining about Apple displays for years who demanded accurate colour and why there is such a large industry for reference displays. The old Apple Cinema displays had native colour temeratures of over 9500K from memory and putting a 16" MBP next to something like a 30" Cinema Display would obviously make the MBP look like it had a sepia tint to the screen.

Look at any screen for long enough and your brain automatically adjusts your colour perception to neutral. The only way people here are noticing the warm screen is they are obsessively comparing it to something else rather than just turning the machine on and using it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sanpete
Your post makes absolutely no sense.

Preferring Apple to release displays that are wildly inaccurate with colour temperatures in the 8000K+ region and render skin tones and colour hues completely unrealistically sounds preposterous.

People have been complaining about Apple displays for years who demanded accurate colour and why there is such a large industry for reference displays. The old Apple Cinema displays had native colour temeratures of over 9500K from memory and putting a 16" MBP next to something like a 30" Cinema Display would obviously make the MBP look like it had a sepia tint to the screen.

Look at any screen for long enough and your brain automatically adjusts your colour perception to neutral. The only way people here are noticing the warm screen is they are obsessively comparing it to something else rather than just turning the machine on and using it.

it doesn’t not make sense at all. I’ve stated I don’t like wildly inaccurate displays with awful colors. One can have both a not dingy display and one that displays good colors. I’ve also stated I’ve compared colors side by side a dingy perceived display with what I deem a good one, not just a white backdrop, and I’m failing to see any of the benefits

this is a forum where we openly discuss: not a Genius Bar appointment , trying to preserve the image of the brand and stockholder value and dodge additional work like a toplid display swap or retail exchange

Additionally - Reviewers in the past have never complained about display inaccuracy on most recent models.. like ever. so why is it that it’s only now retroactively an issue when dingy is the new norm?

You just seem to be in denial and validating the expensive purchase you secretly have issues with. I cannot abide.
 
Last edited:
Lack of ghosting would be a good start
Sure a faster response display would be nice but I personally see no negative effects of the ghosting in actual day to day real world use. Wobbling finder windows around my desktop or running YouTube responce tests are not part of my day to day workflow sorry.
 
The only way people here are noticing the warm screen is they are obsessively comparing
I don't think that's the case, I've had a yellow display on an external monitor and I wasn't obsessively comparing and yet using my iphone, iPad or even tv higlighted how offputting it was.

but I personally see no negative effects of the ghosting in actual day to day real world use.
Given what's being stated here, the 16" display panel is performing/behaving worse than the 15", and I think ghosting can and does impact everyday real world use, whether you're playing a game or watching video.
 
You just seem to be in denial and validating the expensive purchase you secretly have issues with. I cannot abide.
How can having the facts make me in denial?

A colour meter does not lie and I would much prefer to trust a instrument designed to achieve colour accuracy over eye balling a couple of displays I've got lying about the house.
 
Let me just add, the yellowed display that that OP posted about is horrible. If it were me, I'd be very upset/disappointed that my 3,000 to 4,000 laptop looked that bad. I have no idea what the OP will or will not do, but I'm just putting myself in that situation
 
Sure a faster response display would be nice but I personally see no negative effects of the ghosting in actual day to day real world use. Wobbling finder windows around my desktop or running YouTube responce tests are not part of my day to day workflow sorry.

ah yes always be cognizant of how quickly you use the included trackpad to scroll through websites. Wouldn’t want to observe any smearing or hardware deficiencies!

this is a laptop not someone’s offspring
[automerge]1583846684[/automerge]
Let me just add, the yellowed display that that OP posted about is horrible. If it were me, I'd be very upset/disappointed that my 3,000 to 4,000 laptop looked that bad. I have no idea what the OP will or will not do, but I'm just putting myself in that situation

it looks like someone took a leak on it at the factory

but to some, they can be pissed on and still call it rain! Frankly- That’s why Apple “gets away” with this crap is because it’s always the users fault. They’ve gaslit themselves into thinking THEYRE the problem. It’s incredible

I’m genuinely not speaking about any one individual or even any MR Users it’s a common collective problem

earpiece crackling on your new phone whereas the previous few didnt?Get your ears cleaned!

active noise cancelling not as good with forced firmware updates on AirPods pro as it was at launch? The shape of your ears changed in that time and it’s no longer a good synergy!

makes total sense to me

I would love for Apple to roll out a jaundice-y display at a keynote in a dark room and have laptop backlight glowing journalists in the room oooo’ing and ahhhhh’ing over its dinginess and low effective brightness and typing away at how it’s the “perfect 6500k calibration” fans have been begging for
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Hallonskalle
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.