Which MBP do you have? I had the 2017 MBP with Touch Bar and it was definitely slightly dimmer once I went 3 ticks down, but nearly equal 2 ticks down. Is it possible there are still 2 screen manufacturers for the Air.. I remember Samsung and LG would make old screens, and the Samsung panel was better.
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Macbook air 2018 screen brightness
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Which MBP do you have? I had the 2017 MBP with Touch Bar and it was definitely slightly dimmer once I went 3 ticks down, but nearly equal 2 ticks down. Is it possible there are still 2 screen manufacturers for the Air.. I remember Samsung and LG would make old screens, and the Samsung panel was better.
raqball
macrumors 68020
That's cool, you just got it recently. What made you switch.. or was it a secondary laptop? For me, I just switched completely to the Air. I always found the MBP too thick from the front, and when my gf said the same thing.. I knew it wasn't me overthinking. Plus I like the gold model and better battery.... if they didn't add the fingerprint I wouldn't have gotten it though.
raqball
macrumors 68020
I really wanted to love the Air... touchID without this crappy and gimmicky TB and the iconic Air wedge design... I just could not deal with the screen on it no matter how hard I tried.....
It's interesting because hearing people's complaints scared me about the screen too. I don't blame you, if my air was less bright than the MBP 3-4 notches down it would be unacceptable for me too. I actually used to keep my MBP 2 notches down anyways because it was so bright, so the fact it was the same on the Air at max brightness made it acceptable. I really do wonder if there's 2 different panel makers though.
newellj
macrumors G3
Yeah, the problem is that I really love the MB/MBA profile. I have used MBPs for lots of years and I have always hated that cliff-like sharp edge. The wedge profile is a lot more comfortable to type on.
It's interesting to see a few people mention this. I honestly had never given it a second thought before as I've only had an MBP or other blockier windows laptops before and figured it was all pretty much the same. The tapering of the MBA and (MB) really does make a difference and it is so much more comfortable to type on for me too. I finally understand why this is such a popular form factor. For people like me who type for hours at a time, it's actually a feature and not just a design style ( which is what I thought before I actually bought one 😳)
newellj
macrumors G3
Couldn't agree more. Really on the fence about this.
I really love the form factor (saying it again). The wedge front is really comfortable. It weights 3/4 pound less than my 2015 rMBP, which matters to me.
I love the portability of the rMB but 12" vs. 13" makes a difference with a couple of spreadsheets or docs open (more than you'd think, at least to me).
The CPU is ok. I process raw pix on the rMBP but I can usually do that on my Mini quad, so no issues there.
I've come to prefer the Gen 2 and Gen 3 butterfly Kbs to the old chicklet (which I NEVER thought would happen).
I've learned to deal with the single USB-C port on the rMB so having two on the rMBA is just fine.
But the display... I've profiled it myself, downloaded profiles from other places. I'm not happy... (Like Apple had some obligation to make me happy, LOL! 😉 )
Nice write up! With the MacBook Air, it’s as if Apple is determined to keep as the Air’s “signature feature” it’s subpar display....relative to other modern MacBooks.
I mentioned this yesterday that I thought if they put a better display and cpu in the MBA, it would completely bump off the nTB Pro, which as of right now it's main selling point over the MBA is it's better performance and display. For a similar price you can choose better specs OR average specs with better features ( Touch ID, gen 3 keyboard, slightly better battery etc) A better MBA would also cut into their upsell for the TB MBP's as then you could all have the same features (minus TB which people seem to hate) and without the extra $400 price tag. As a consumer it sucks, but coming from a sales and marketing perspective it makes sense. Choose what's most important at the lower price point or get it all for "only" a few hundred more.
darkmatter343
macrumors 6502
For the money Apple charges, the display is actually decent. Not great, but decent. It is arguably far more better than the other crap out there in the same price bracket. The problem is you're comparing the screen to a higher end Pro, and even the MB which both sell for more. The Air is the entry level laptop, and as such they aren't going to stick a 500 nit P3 display in it. Regardless what you think you deserve for the money you spend, that's why we have different laptops tiers with all manufactures. In a perfect world, we'd get high end screens no matter how much we wanted to spend, but you bought the Air which is a entry level, so you really can't expect the screen quality to match that of the Pro line. But IMO for what it is, it's a decent display. Just my opinion. In 2018, yeah, Apple should be using 400nit displays, but as with all companies, it's corporate greed and bottom line.
QCassidy352
macrumors G5
Well that’s a different claim. For the most part, people have been claiming the 2018 air screen is inadequate because it’s not as bright as the 2018 pro. Which I find a hugely underwhelming “issue” since that’s true of almost every current and past Apple and PC laptop screen.
If you’re now saying it’s substantially dimmer than the 2013 MacBook Pro, that’s quite different, and not consistent with the specs Apple has posted.
Well as someone who came from a late 2013 MBP to a MBA I didn't find that to be case at all ( at least with mine). I sat there and compared them side by side in my home at various settings with bright light, natural light, dim light and could not see any significant difference between them. People have compared two MBA's side by side and found they had varying brightness so it's possible there is a discrepancy with different panels. Perhaps I got lucky and got a good display. Perhaps I've just had a crappy display on my MBP for 5 years and never realized. Who knows but at least in my case, the MBA was not worse at all.
darkmatter343
macrumors 6502
No two panels will ever be exactly the same, there are always small manufacturing variances from panel to panel. On top of this, Apple is sourcing its panels from two suppliers.
darkmatter343
macrumors 6502
Apple has two suppliers for each part in every product. They have for a long time, as they don't want to rely solely on one supllier. Really sucks for the supplier if Apple cuts it's forecast like they did for the XR and half's the production, because then both suppliers are only working at half capacity, in stead of giving all the business to one.
But yes, all the panels, in all the laptops, are sourced from two different suppliers. In the original Air it was LG and Samsung, and later some other company as well.
Anyone else confused with which MacBook to purchase in the current lineup? Due to the similarities in size, weight, features, battery life, and price - I have no idea whether an MBA, ntb MBP or tb MBP makes the most sense for me. I’d really like to be “future proof” as much as possible and go for a 16gb RAM/512gb SSD configuration - but maybe it doesn’t make sense to spec an MBA so high, and I should just go for a 8gb RAM/256gb SSD configuration. But for “only” a few hundred dollars more, I could have all the bells and whistles with a 2018 tb MBP. The screen brightness issue of the MBA lingers in the background too. If one was a clear “discount” winner and one a clear “luxury” winner maybe that would make a difference, but all the models are priced pretty similarly based on how you spec them out. Add in pending Black Friday sales that mess with the narrow price differentials as it is and I am just completely confused. Help?😱😱😱
blairh
macrumors 604
I don't know your computer needs or what kind of pricing you can get on the market right now or with BF deals.
In terms of simply a computer model I would get a 13" nTB MBP. It has the best screen of the 3 different MacBook models. What configuration is up to you. Personally I see the TB as something to avoid. I would rather have physical function keys.
newellj
macrumors G3
The rMB is not more expensive. Price them with the same SSD and the rMBA is $100 more, and has a more accurate, brighter (400 nit, rather than 250-300 nit) display. I won't argue about whether it's decent - I guess it is, and it's way better than the obscene TN panels in the 2017 and earlier MBA models, but for the money I think Apple could have given us a better display.
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I have said the same, though referring to my early 2015 rMBP. The rMBA compares poorly to the "old" retina MBP displays - and to the rMB display.
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And there have been problems with the TB...though I need to say I like the TouchID sensor on the rMBA, even though my Watch usually unlocks it.
I used to think that the two USB-C ports on the nTB MBP were a problem, but I've gotten so used to managing the rMB that having two (as on the rMBA and the nTB MBP) really isn't a problem - it feels like all I need, though YMMV.
Can I try your profile calibrated using your pro calibration tool? I just finished setting up my new air and yes the screen is more green tinted than my mid 2014 13" MBP (got its screen replaced a year ago from the coating replacement program). And yes, with naked eye, the brightness of the air is slightly lower than my old MBP.
Same with others, love the wedge design, okay with CPU gimped, not okay with GPU gimped (but thats intel's fault) because MacOS UI lags. And is trying to love the purchase by calibrating the display to make it look on par with the old 2014 MBP or the Macbook 12".
Can I try your profile please? Thank you!
newellj
macrumors G3
Sure, I'll put in in a DropBox folder later today. The other thing to try is the NotebookCheck.com profile that's in their review of the rMBA. I didn't find any of the four I've tried (original profile, original profile calibrated with System Preferences, NBC.com profile or my i1Display Pro profile) more than subtly different. Profiles don't change basic luminance, so they can't really improve basic contrast ratio.
EugW
macrumors P6
The colours not being as good on the MBA as the MBP shouldn't come as a big surprise, since the MBA doesn't have the wide colour gamut screen that the MBP has. This is to be expected. You'll see the same differences between the MB vs. the MBP, since the MB doesn't have a wide colour gamut screen either.
The surprising part is the fact MBA is dimmer than even the MB.
In average indoor lighting the dimness of the MBA probably won't matter much, but in a bright windowed room it may matter and outdoors during the day it would definitely matter.
The surprising part is the fact MBA is dimmer than even the MB.
In average indoor lighting the dimness of the MBA probably won't matter much, but in a bright windowed room it may matter and outdoors during the day it would definitely matter.
I'd like to chime in on this. I just got my 2018 MBA. The first thing I noticed is that the screen doesn't seem to appear as crisp and "contrasty" if compared to my 2016 15" tMBP. It turns out that calibration is completely off from factory. I did a manual advanced calibration and now it's pretty good (not excellent, but good).
What I also noticed is that it's indeed less bright (but that was to be expected). However, if I compare it to my 2015 12" MB (which I now sold as I replaced it with the MBA) it's about the same.
So far I can say that the MBA's brightness is more than adequate for regular office work. But I already noticed that it's indeed a bit dim to be used with bright ambient light (for example on public transportation on a sunny day).
The reason why I went with the MBA (instead of an MBP) is that I need to carry my MBA back and forth to/from work on my long daily train commute. The MBP's non-tapered design is just too bulky for me to always carry along, and yes, that little weight difference does matter to me. I also like the additional battery life.
I hope I won't regret the choice. I guess I will only find out next summer, when ambient light will be really bright during the evening commute. Oh well.
What I also noticed is that it's indeed less bright (but that was to be expected). However, if I compare it to my 2015 12" MB (which I now sold as I replaced it with the MBA) it's about the same.
So far I can say that the MBA's brightness is more than adequate for regular office work. But I already noticed that it's indeed a bit dim to be used with bright ambient light (for example on public transportation on a sunny day).
The reason why I went with the MBA (instead of an MBP) is that I need to carry my MBA back and forth to/from work on my long daily train commute. The MBP's non-tapered design is just too bulky for me to always carry along, and yes, that little weight difference does matter to me. I also like the additional battery life.
I hope I won't regret the choice. I guess I will only find out next summer, when ambient light will be really bright during the evening commute. Oh well.
Finally checked out the air tonight at Best Buy, and ended up leaving with one. The one on display at my local BB didn't have any color/yellowing issues that I've seen some people mention and see in some pictures posted here. Yes, the colors on the air aren't AS nice as the pro, but that's to be expected since it doesn't have P3 color. As a person who does light Java programming and browsing the internet, I already don't really notice the difference anymore after just a few hours using it instead of my ntb 2016. The only time I really notice it in the short time I've used it, is that discord seems more grey than dark blue/grey now. Side by side the ntb 2017 at BB, the air was the same brightness (maybe even the tiniest hint brighter) when the ntb was turned down 2 notches. With my 2016 ntb, I'd almost argue the difference is 1 notch. My BB didn't have a 13" tb or 12" macbook on display and I didn't bother comparing to the 15" tb. The air I left with has a screen on par with the one that was on display.
I'm in no way saying maybe some screens being dim is a real issue, but after tonight I can definitely say that it isn't a guaranteed fact. There are definitely airs with screens calibrated the same as the pros and there are definitely screens that I would argue get to a good 400 nits at max (assuming both pros I compared to where indeed maxing 500).
EDIT:
I remembered reading a post here about someone saying the screen looked closer to the pro by just changing the white point from native to 7000. After trying it myself, I can definitely agree and its now even harder to see a difference (the only place I was noticing it, discord, now looks the same color wise at 7.25K-7.5K). Comparing discord and my website (which has a fair bit of blue) side by side with my ntb pro and air, I'd say 7.25K-7.5K makes the screens feel nearly identical, at least to my eyes.
I'm in no way saying maybe some screens being dim is a real issue, but after tonight I can definitely say that it isn't a guaranteed fact. There are definitely airs with screens calibrated the same as the pros and there are definitely screens that I would argue get to a good 400 nits at max (assuming both pros I compared to where indeed maxing 500).
EDIT:
I remembered reading a post here about someone saying the screen looked closer to the pro by just changing the white point from native to 7000. After trying it myself, I can definitely agree and its now even harder to see a difference (the only place I was noticing it, discord, now looks the same color wise at 7.25K-7.5K). Comparing discord and my website (which has a fair bit of blue) side by side with my ntb pro and air, I'd say 7.25K-7.5K makes the screens feel nearly identical, at least to my eyes.
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