When the MBP screen came to the market is entirely irrelevant. I'm talking about the quality of the screen itself. The screen on the MBP blows away the new MBA screen. Period. And it's only $100 more at retail.
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Macbook air 2018 screen brightness
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No it doesn’t. It has circa 315nits with over 95% uniformity.
Have a read here.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-MacBook-Air-2018-i5-256-GB-Laptop-Review.357481.0.html
I was a lurker for years, but I actually signed up because I am using a Macbook Air 2014 for the time being, and I often find myself trying to turn up the brightness more than it can (and I only use it indoors). It's why I came looking here for reviews, it's why I took both my rMPB 2013 and this air with me to the store to compare - because I needed to see it for myself. I tested the Air out on the store, and I found that the silver version in the store had a little bit of better brightness than the gold version. Until I realised the silver one was actually the previous version. Which I know would bother me.
Is it so wrong to have this opinion? I read the comments saying people should not complain because it's the same nits as the older rMBP's and the older MBA. That's just my issue, to me it's not. Is my rMBP more nits than the expected? Maybe. Were the two test versions in store of a lower quality and lower than the 300 nits promised? Maybe. I don't know. But maybe on paper they're the same, but to my eye, they were certainly not.
So yes, I do think they dropped the ball on this.
You said earlier about comparing a 2015 screen to a 2018 screen. So I said to research when the screens where first introduced. As for the Pro it wasn’t 2018.
It appears you want to just bash Apple. I’m no great advocate of them. I wanted to get the new MBA to replace my 2015 MBP. But I would be just paying for a lighter, smaller machine with the TouchID/T2 chip. It wouldn’t perform any better than my MBP. I will probably still get one for my wife however to replace her 2012 MBP.
I could say “this MBA is crap as it’s no better than my 3yr old MBP”.
Initially I was of that opinion. But when I stopped and thought about it logically. Actually it’s leaps and bounds ahead in terms of technology.
My MBP is a 2.9ghz with 8gb 1866mhz Ram
This new machine is 1.6ghz with 8gb 2133mhz Ram
So just looking at the specs it’s amazing they can get the same performance out of a machine with a chip at nearly half the clock speed.
I just can’t understand why you and others are saying the screen is crap in comparison to the MBP. It’s not crap at all. It’s just not as good as the MBP and I fully agree (as I’ve said already and you seem to be ignoring) that it makes better sense to get the MBP over the Air unless you are hard over on TouchID and Hey Siri. But that doesn’t make the screen on the Air crap.
No it doesn’t. It has circa 315nits with over 95% uniformity.
Have a read here.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-MacBook-Air-2018-i5-256-GB-Laptop-Review.357481.0.html
Sorry, but I've seen two YouTube reviews that show the new Air with a 224 nit screen while the old Air is over 300, almost 100 nits brighter.
The new Air has the dimmest screen Apple has sold in like ten years.
The detail is noticeably less than the old 2017 13" MBP that is being sold today by BestBuy cheaper than the base Air just released.
Why would Apple put such an inferior screen on the new MBA?
Because the 12" Macbook and the non-touch bar 13" MBP are soon to be discontinued.
It's the Tim Cook screw job.
The screen of the Air isn’t crap, from what I’ve seen today it’s not bad at all. The MacBook Pro is a different laptop, it’s for professionals for a start, people who video and photo edit, they need the best screens, consumers and students who use the Air are not going to be that bothered about a slight difference, from what I’ve seen today it’s a slight difference in colour and brightness.
When using the Air in the Apple store, I noticed more that it had a retina screen that looked much better than the older Air than anything else. I don’t blame Apple for not putting the P3 MacBook Pro screen into the Air, then people on here would of been complaining because the price is even higher
Just my thoughts on all this after seeing for myself in the Apple store earlier today.
I can show a few reviews that are showing the air to have over 300nits.
I wonder if the ones you saw manually turned the brightness up or left on auto and shone a light into the sensor. It only goes max brightness when on Auto. Either that or they may have had defective screens.
I agree I think the nTB MBP will be dropped. I’m not sure they will drop the MacBook.
My 1st Air was defective and was exchanged... It had a very dim and washed out screen.... It was the i5 / 8 / 256.. I believe it also had SSD issues as boot took 3 minutes to log in...
The replacement, that I still have and need to return, is a i5 / 16 / 512 and the screen is noticeably brighter than the 1st.. Still not as bright as MBP but brighter than the 1st, no doubt. If I had to guess, my 1st was in the low 200 nit range and the one I have now is probably about 300....
Is it a roll of the dice since even some reviewers appear to be getting dim screens and others not? Some reviews mention 220 nits and others 300.... My 2 different Air's also play this out..
If that the case, then Apple needs to get it's QC in order.....
The 2015 screen you were referencing has absolutely nothing to do with what we have now in 2018. The MBP screen from today was introduced in 2016 and again is irrelevant with respect to when it came out originally.
I have no desire to bash Apple. That's not what I have done here for 11 years. I am critical of the MBA screen because it is $100 less than a far superior MBP screen. It also appears to be worse than the MB screen.
For $1,200 the screen, is indeed, crap. Apple should not be charging these prices for such an inferior screen. Like I keep saying, I wouldn't be so against it at $1,000 retail. It's insulting that Apple is charging $1,200 to start for this screen.
Don’t think anyone should be paying more money with P3 screen. Maybe Apple’s profit would be slightly less. The MBPntb has better display and components only $100 difference. Really think Apple has the new air priced to the lowest margin possible?The screen of the Air isn’t crap, from what I’ve seen today it’s not bad at all. The MacBook Pro is a different laptop, it’s for professionals for a start, people who video and photo edit, they need the best screens, consumers and students who use the Air are not going to be that bothered about a slight difference, from what I’ve seen today it’s a slight difference in colour and brightness.
When using the Air in the Apple store, I noticed more that it had a retina screen that looked much better than the older Air than anything else. I don’t blame Apple for not putting the P3 MacBook Pro screen into the Air, then people on here would of been complaining because the price is even higher
Just my thoughts on all this after seeing for myself in the Apple store earlier today.
The 2015 rMBP screen is the same as the 2018 MBA screen.
Same screen resolution
Same nits rating
Same PPI
Same colour gamut
How is it not relevant?
They’re not charging $1200 for a screen. They’re charging $1200 for a smaller lighter machine (vs the previous Air) which is slightly more powerful than a early 2015 MBP with a chip at nearly half the clock speed. Along with TouchID, T2 etc.
I do think the machine is priced £100-£200 too much.
Maybe the TouchID/T2 chip cost is more than we thought?
Now that’s interesting! Perhaps I should at least open up the i5/ 8 / 256GB ($1,199 Micro Center deal) and test it out....perhaps I got one of the brighter ones!
At least one person on here has said they looked at the 2015 rMBP and 2018 Air side by side and the MBP had the better screen. I'm also not clear what a rMBP from 2015 has anything to do with the 2018 MBA.
They are charging $1,200 for the entire package. The screen is one of the most important elements of your laptop. Do you think a T2 chip, v3 keyboard, and an average screen are worth $1,200? I absolutely don't. Others may.
The weight and size of the past MBA is completely irrelevant when you have the current rMBP in the lineup.
So I am just testing the new Air now - at max brightness, I am confident this is 300+ nits. It could be there is either defective screens, or that there are different LCD panel manufacturers being employed.
I was expecting a dimmer screen - I am starting to understand why people say there isn't much difference, but at the same time I have seen one which seemed to be quite different to a Pro...
I am confused.
I was expecting a dimmer screen - I am starting to understand why people say there isn't much difference, but at the same time I have seen one which seemed to be quite different to a Pro...
I am confused.
Give it a try.. My 1st was pretty dim and washed out. The 2nd, while better, was still nowhere close to the nTB..
I went back up the thread and couldn't figure out where this was coming from. I will say that the early 2015 rMBP display has the same resolution and the same -nominal- brightness, but side by side the 2015 rMBP is noticeably brighter and has noticeably better color than the 2018 rMBA. Which is ridiculous...
[doublepost=1542143721][/doublepost]Just for clarity, the readings in the NBC review quoted are nits. One nit equals one candela per square meter. 0014 probably knows that, but I'm posting this so we can avoid having an argument about nits vs. cd/m2.No, I said don’t compare two different technologies and expect an inferior one to perform as good as a superior one. How can you not understand that?
I never said the 2015 MBA Screen. I said the early 2015 MBP screen as it is the identical, exact same, screen tech. Which I have and said it will be fine for most people.
You do judge a new MBA against the last one, as that is what it is replacing, along with what is available now. Just like everyone will judge the 2019 MBP against the 2018 MBP. Same as people judge the 2018 MBP against the 2017 MBP etc etc.
You can try to be as obtuse as you like. They are two different price points as one is $100 more than the other! But I’ve also said it makes better sense to buy the nTB MBP, brand new, at that price.
Refurbs are a different matter as it’s a secondhand machine. Same as a Manufacturer used approved car is a secondhand and cheaper car vs a new one the refurb laptop is going to be cheaper.
You can get this in the UK refurb store.
Which is only £90 more than the MBA in the same SSD configuration.
So in that instance I would say to anyone that unless they disliked the TB like me. It would make better sense to buy the refurb.
The biggest thing most people factor in really is cost. I’ve always said to anyone when buying a computer. Unless you are going to upgrade every year get the best computer with the fastest processor and and most ram you can afford.
I said people should stop comparing the screens alone as they are expecting the inferior screen to be as good as the superior. Screens generally only matter that much to those who do editing or gaming. There are those out there who absolutely must have the best tech. But most that want the MBP screen will want it for editing photo and video. Gaming only really applies to the 15” MBP with dedicated GPU.
I could see the argument on the screen if they were the exact same technology. But they aren’t. So the argument is stupid, absurd or whatever you want to call it when comparing the screen alone.
If people came on and said
“The MBA has a decent screen, processor and will be fine for most users who only do office apps, web surfing and the occasional photo/video edit. However for $100 more you can get a better screen & processor so this would be a wiser choice unless you want TouchID and ‘Hey Siri’”
I would have no issue with that stance and fully support it.
But to say ‘the screen on the MBA is rubbish when compared side by side with the MBP’ is just stupid when they aren’t the same technology.
[doublepost=1542143889][/doublepost]I plead guilty to going a little off the deep end when I label the rMBA display as a POS, but it is -not- the equivalent of other, older!, retina displays, and that really disappoints, which is where my snark is coming from.No it doesn’t. It has circa 315nits with over 95% uniformity.
Have a read here.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-MacBook-Air-2018-i5-256-GB-Laptop-Review.357481.0.html
[doublepost=1542144012][/doublepost]The problem is that when you put the early 2015 rMBP next to the 2018 rMBA, in spite of the paper specs you quote, they simply are not visually comparable. I have both, as well as a 2017 rMB. In real life, the rMB compares very equally to the rMBP. The rMBA does not.
[doublepost=1542144173][/doublepost]I wonder if panels are being sourced from multiple vendors. Displays will vary from unit to unit, but different vendors can definitely produce displays with consistency noticeable differences compared to another vendor.
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@lambertjohn also mentioned this when comparing two MBA 2018 models side by side and also thought maybe they were using different panel manufacturers. I got the 512Gb and didn't notice any extreme dimness with mine at all. I compared it to my MBP 2013 and it seemed pretty similar. I only bring this comparison up, not to fuel a debate of a 2018 vs 2013 screen but because I have seen a few people complain that the new MBA was much dimmer than their 2013 MBP's as well. That also makes me lean toward there being defective screens or different panels used.
According to notebookcheck.net (https://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Apple-MacBook-Pro-Retina-13-Late-2013-Notebook.105035.0.html) max brightness for 2013 MBP was measured at 368 and average was 330.8.
Their review of the MBA was max brightness measured at 323 and average was 315.4 (https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-MacBook-Air-2018-i5-256-GB-Laptop-Review.357481.0.html).
I tend to agree with these reviews because they seem most consistent with what I saw as well comparing the two with my own eyes. Honestly, you could not tell the difference between the two unless you looked super close and even then it was marginal. There is no way the MBA (or at least my MBA) is 234 nits, if the MBP is 330. Now, I'm no expert but I would definitely notice a difference like that.
[doublepost=1542144173][/doublepost]I wonder if panels are being sourced from multiple vendors. Displays will vary from unit to unit, but different vendors can definitely produce displays with consistency noticeable differences compared to another vendor.
Que the ‘which MBA panel do you have’ thread. Lol
Que the ‘which MBA panel do you have’ thread. Lol
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Bloomberg had this crap Air priced at $799 USD before release.
I'm guessing someone from Bloomberg saw it ahead of time and figured with this screen it had to be $799-
Regardless, Bloomberg's price point turned out to be spot on as to what the new Air is worth. Apple plans to rectify that by discontinuing the 2017 13" MBP and the 12" Macbook so the next price point to getting some kind of Apple laptop will be $1,799-
See to me the new Air actually looks brightest there! But a bit washed out compared to the Pro. This brightness stuff is so overblown lol
[doublepost=1542163664][/doublepost]
And you ignore that the Air has Touch ID when the low end pro doesn’t. And ignore the 3rd vs 2nd gen keyboard. And ignore the weight. And ignore that the Air has IPS in the display but the Pro does not. And on and on. Both have their pros and cons.
The Pro does indeed have an IPS display. .27 lbs is a negligible weight difference.
I personally would rather have a superior screen vs the T2 chip and a v3 keyboard.
-touchID (T2) is the main reason I want to love the Air. touchID without the gimmicky TB
-3rd gen KB is fairing no better than the 2nd gen. Long thread in the Pro area on 3rd gen failures.
-Weight.. I highly doubt anyone will notice the negligible difference between the 2....
The Air has a Y processor, a subpar GPU and a lessor screen... I could deal with the CPU and GPU downgrades, not so much with the subpar screen....
According to Apple’s website the Pro does not have an IPS display. On the compare specs page
If you PERSONALLY would rather have the better screen that’s fine. The point is that is your PREFERENCE and it doesn’t change all the other things I listed that you are CHOOSING to ignore Bc you care about the screen more.
[doublepost=1542165038][/doublepost]
*I* notice the difference in weight. So do plenty of others. The entire point is that this is subjective. What you choose to care about is your business but repeating over and over that you can live w the CPU and GPU downgrades doesn’t change facts. Both lines have pros and cons. period done next.