Brightness poll for 16” Macbook Pro 2019

[ndouglas]

Hello I’d really appreciate learning a bit from MR folks about your usual* brightness level. Ideally from users with my same laptop, Macbook Pro 2019 16” (intel) with the base config and graphics cards, but hearing from other 16” 2020, 2021, etc user would be great too, and even 14” or other configs/sizes of Macbook Pro would be interesting also.

My reason is, I am kind of frustrated by having to turn my brightness to nearly 100% most of the time to see it well. I use it indoors always, in normal indoor lighting, so I don’t understand why I have to use like 90% of the “nits” or segments of the max possible. Also, having a Macbook Pro 2013 before this, it was usually at ~50% brightness and was plenty bright/visible. I love this bigger 16” laptop in most all the ways, for nearly all purposes (most web browsing and word processor apps). And again I use it at home and never outside, so I’m just puzzled about the screen having to be almost at max brightness for my to see it well. Maybe I’m just getting old and my eyes aren’t great?

All input and experiences from others is appreciated! Even if you have (for example) a Macbook Air or other laptop, that would also be interesting to know in terms of your usual brightness level.

 

[thv]

I had that laptop for a little while but now have the 2021. I always put brightness at 100%, unless I just woke up w/ my phone or have a headache, similar. Right now when it's 11 PM and my room is entirely dark I could go down to 80%ish? comfortably (certainly less harsh than 100 right now but I hate auto adjusters). But even now with no window etc. light 50% is not something I would be okay with.

I'm not a hardware person but I don't exactly understand the problem unless 100% wasn't bright enough. Imo computer features including brightness and battery power and whatever else are meant to be used, idk. 50% means halfway to entirely black so I don't expect it to be great visibility.

I do wear glasses all the time & have been ignoring those text reminders to go in for my yearly exam...

 

[T Coma]

I think I turned my new 16” all the way up to 50% for the first time today. I brought it into a very bright kitchen and was standing up, farther away than normal. Otherwise, normally the brightness is much lower when it’s at the desk, regardless of ambient light.

 

[ndouglas]

Thanks all for the responses and votes. Even though it’s a small data set, it confirms my suspicions and experience that I might just have a bad display, or a relatively poor one. That being said, it’s another thing to consider whether an Apple store staff member would even potentially help me in terms of replacing or fixing it. So, I guess for the short-term future / next 1-2 years I’ll just continue to enjoy it since it’s fine for me in most ways. And hope the next replacement I get has a more “normal” display and range to where I can use it at 50-70% brightness vs. 90% that I do now.