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When will the MBA get a brighter screen?
- Thread starter GooseInTheCaboose
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What I don't understand is why don't offer the option for a display upgrade. They already do it for other laptops (the nano texture on the Pro), so just give me a +300$, Pro Motion, brighter, mini led upgrade option for the Air.
Even if it ends up costing more than the Pro spec for spec, I suspect some would still choose the Air for the fanlessness / less weight.
Even if it ends up costing more than the Pro spec for spec, I suspect some would still choose the Air for the fanlessness / less weight.
Lol, oh, the humanity.
Meanwhile, a Dell Latitude 5350 has a wonderful 13.3", 1920x1080 screen at a whooping 250Nits.
Yeah, come on Apple, up your game...
Meanwhile, a Dell Latitude 5350 has a wonderful 13.3", 1920x1080 screen at a whooping 250Nits.
Yeah, come on Apple, up your game...
I guess, not before the MBP gets an OLED screen (possible 2026), maybe much later. But we'll see an updated MBA screen eventually, obviously. Compareable Laptops like the Dell XPS still have a 500 nits display. I guess it'll not happen until the Air either adopts some new battery technology (like silicon carbon batteries, which could be from 2026-27) or moves to OLED (probably even later).
Either way, maybe get some monitor shades or a parasol until then
. ⛱️
Either way, maybe get some monitor shades or a parasol until then
. ⛱️I actually agree. The problem though is that the MBPs are too chunky. The SD card and HDMI port needs to go. Removing them in 2018 was too hasty, but at this point, they really need to go the way of the dodo. My 2018 15” MBP weighs 1.8 kg. It’s heavy. The new 16” is 2.1 kg.
I am waiting for them to drop the heavy chassis on the MBP because I need the active cooling, so MBA is a no go.
I am waiting for them to drop the heavy chassis on the MBP because I need the active cooling, so MBA is a no go.
I had an MBA M1 2020, and I couldn't use it outside in the UK without getting a headache. The screen was not good enough to use outside. That's my experience.
I very recently - two weeks ago - had the chance to get an MBA M4 or an MBP M4. I opted for a refurbished MBP M4 with nano-texture screen, and the difference is night and day - to me. It is a delight to use outside. I can now honestly sit outside for hours using it.
I very recently - two weeks ago - had the chance to get an MBA M4 or an MBP M4. I opted for a refurbished MBP M4 with nano-texture screen, and the difference is night and day - to me. It is a delight to use outside. I can now honestly sit outside for hours using it.
at these prices the mba are really due for a refresh in refresh rate at least .
I have the 16" M1 MBP, and if it's in direct sunlight, the screen and the metal top lid behind it get boiling hot. I believe the screen will turn off if it gets too hot; but it makes me worry nonetheless.
To be fair he gave a reason for that, which you don't necessarily have to agree with, in the paragraph you quoted.
The avg nits of mid range laptops is 300-350. So 500 nits is way more than mediocre. Catering to a tiny niche of use cases with your entry product makes little business sense as it would drive up costs. This is why they have a 14” Macbook Pro (non pro cpu) - Its biggest upgrade is the screen.
Speak for yourself. Photographers especially value the ability to plug their SD card directly into the computer without having to cart around dongles all over again. HDMI ports are also still the standard way to connect laptops to 90% of projectors / monitors / TVs out there in the real world.
It never gets less tiring reading people with myopic viewpoints complain about 'legacy ports' that are still very much current and in daily use for many of us. Also what weight do you think their removal would save? 5g at most? Unless you also want the computer thinned down as a consequence, which means less space for high-capacity batteries, as well as thermal compromises. That's a huge no from just about all of us.
If you want less of everything just buy an Air, and stop asking Apple to put form-over-function on their premium laptops again. They tried that before and the result was complete sh-t.
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Yeah well, if you are not a photographer, you never use the SD card slot. Maybe they should keep it and rename it Macbook Photographer. Same with the HDMI. There are dongles everywhere for this anyway after the 2018-2020 era.
I want a slim form factor with Thunderbolt 5 ports and an audio jack that has active cooling for Mx Pro or Mx Max. Battery life is fine if it lasts 20 hours. And OLED.
And all that is probably coming in 2026, which means I have to wait.
I thought my wife’s MacBook Air was broken the screen was so dim but it turns out it was perfectly fine. But I am the outlier as people are often surprised to hear I run all my devices at full brightness basically all the time. Different people have different expectations and that is okay, so if the air is too dim I suggest getting a base pro is the best solution currently.
Just got the 15 Air M4. Screen is more than acceptable.
Used it outside just fine.
Came from the MBP 16 M1. Seems very similar to that screen.
Used it outside just fine.
Came from the MBP 16 M1. Seems very similar to that screen.
Everyone is giving non-answers to your good-faith question, so I’ll try and estimate when the MBA will get a better/brighter screen as best I can.
While the regular iPhones inherit “Pro” features quite regularly (OLED 3 years after the X, Dynamic Island 1 year after the 14 Pro, higher and lower refresh rates 3 years after the 14 Pro), Macs and iPads stay differentiated for longer. They’re not always updated every year, and they face less competition than exists in the phone space. For example, the MBA is already the ultralight for most consumers. Why add a pricier screen that only a few are clamoring for?
But they will get around to it eventually. The rumor-mill seems to believe that the MacBook Pro will be getting its first major redesign of the Apple Silicon era next year, five years after the Mini-LED model launched. It will likely adopt the tandem-OLED display from the iPad Pro. It may also be thinner and lighter, and might suit your needs better.
After this, in Spring 2027 or beyond, Apple’s 2022 MBA design will also start to look stale. At this point, I believe the MBA (in addition to the iPad Air) will be redesigned and finally adopt some of the display technologies from their Pro siblings. Perhaps Mini-LED, perhaps single-sheet OLED, but certainly something more advanced than the LCDs they’ve been using for years.
While the regular iPhones inherit “Pro” features quite regularly (OLED 3 years after the X, Dynamic Island 1 year after the 14 Pro, higher and lower refresh rates 3 years after the 14 Pro), Macs and iPads stay differentiated for longer. They’re not always updated every year, and they face less competition than exists in the phone space. For example, the MBA is already the ultralight for most consumers. Why add a pricier screen that only a few are clamoring for?
But they will get around to it eventually. The rumor-mill seems to believe that the MacBook Pro will be getting its first major redesign of the Apple Silicon era next year, five years after the Mini-LED model launched. It will likely adopt the tandem-OLED display from the iPad Pro. It may also be thinner and lighter, and might suit your needs better.
After this, in Spring 2027 or beyond, Apple’s 2022 MBA design will also start to look stale. At this point, I believe the MBA (in addition to the iPad Air) will be redesigned and finally adopt some of the display technologies from their Pro siblings. Perhaps Mini-LED, perhaps single-sheet OLED, but certainly something more advanced than the LCDs they’ve been using for years.
The MBAs might get Mini LED when the Pros get Tandem OLED, but the Pro laptops have always had better screens even back in Steve Jobs time.
Agree with you on HDMI...I travel a lot for meetings and it makes it so much easier to just plug the HDMI cord in.
I am NOT disagreeing with you on the value of the card slot... and while I am NOT a pro photographer, I do have decent cameras, and I haven't used an SD card in over six years. The camera companies have seemingly moved to faster CF express cards for their pro cameras that are NOT compatible with the apple HDSX slot. So from your perspective what market is the SD card serving?