In some ways yes. The more dimming zones the better but its still backlit led. Micro led will be the end all for LED tech once its cheaper etc
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MBA 15 inch vs 14 inch MBP vs 13 inch MBA comfort
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This isn’t scientific I just closed my blinds and door and took pics from the same movie on both, but even when not in a pitch black room there’s definitely a difference for me. More watchable for lighter scenes but definitely less enjoyable imo, tho theaters these days have poop tier contrast too if not updated. (I don’t seem to mind it as much at the theater tho oddly)
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I must have a golden sample 15" then...
Off to the sides, the 15" exhibits a bit more of a tint but otherwise, unless a scene is basically all black, it's really hard to detect and definitely isn't as pronounced as what you're showing.
This is the most I can show the difference and the scene is basically all black.
XDR display is still excellent for these deep black scenes of course, but I think the difference isn't really that big to my eyes for most other scenes. This 15" definitely has the best non-XDR display I have seen in a long while.
P.S.: the video for others who want to try. It's in HDR so shouldn't be a disadvantage for the 14".
That's a very bright room, most IPS displays look a lot better in the light or at least the lackluster black levels are less noticeable. I watch movies in as dark a room as possible.
It's the iPhone trying to brighten the photo. The room is not really that bright. This is at about 50% brightness for the 14". I had to jack the 15" brightness up a bit to match because of HDR, but otherwise, neither is maxed out here.
P.S.: not that hard to cover both in a blanket and drop brightness all the way to lowest possible...
At this point, my phone is already giving up. Can we even pick out which one is which?
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Well maybe I just got a horrible MacBook Air screen who knows, but my external monitor has a similar contrast ratio and looks roughly the same. Regardless it's definitely far from miniLED.
See above for super dark photos. I went back and covered both in a blanket to basically "turn off all external lights".
My phone is giving up in that situation, but to my eyes, the 15" does lose out by about a hair in all black scenes again, but it's not as gray as you think. If there's just even a hint of white in the same scene, it's really hard to pick them apart.
Well mine looks horrible in comparison, if the 15" Air is actually that close I'd consider it more easily but that ain't how my 13" M1 MBA looks at all. Could be the movie too, maybe I'll try Interstellar in a sec and see if it's similar.
Yup just watched that Interstellar video you posted, looks gross af on my MBA lol
Yeah, black is still gray on the 15" and it's not going to win any award playing movies in pitch black darkness but for a brightly lit room, I don't think I'll be able to pick out which one is XDR and which one isn't unless it's a HDR video.
For the most part, I think Apple did a very good job with this screen. It's only in dim lighting or super low contrast dark screens that I can detect the notch. Like if I was in a pitch black room watching Interstellar, it stands out more than the grayness of the black scenes to me. Most of the time, I don't see the notch at all.
For the most part, I think Apple did a very good job with this screen. It's only in dim lighting or super low contrast dark screens that I can detect the notch. Like if I was in a pitch black room watching Interstellar, it stands out more than the grayness of the black scenes to me. Most of the time, I don't see the notch at all.
.....And the MBA 15" goes back tomorrow. Thanks for sharing that movie! I just now did a side by side with my 16" MBP M1Pro vs MBA 15" and the 4k/HDR scenes on my MBP were amazing! On the MBA? Barely watchable and the whole nuance of the cinematography was completely lost. I was stunned...MBP weighs a pound more? I just won't put a water in my backpack...
.Nothing at all wrong with the SDR Airs or the 13" MBP screens if you're just surfing the web and doing day to day tasks. Once you get onto photography/watching movies esp using the latest iPhones for photos and videos the mini led truly makes a difference. I have an LG OLED in my bedroom and a Samsung LED TV in the living room and there is no comparison in the dynamic range etc. HDR is amazing. Compare the YouTube videos "HDR Jazz and HDR Costa Rica" on HDR and non HDR screens and you will see.
If turning off the light is the only way to show off the 1000-nit XDR display, there's something wrong with the display then.
Just got back from the Apple Store yet again. Returned the M2 Max MBP 14. We are going on vacation soon and I didn't want to get stuck past the 14-day return window.
Still unsure which Mac(Book) to go with and all those HDR display comparisons leave me even more indecisive. My heart wants to go back to the MBA 15 but my head keeps reminding me "the MBP is better" if they're both 16/512 or 16/1024.
After returning the MBP 14 I hung around for 20 minutes watching 4K HDR videos side-by-side with a demo MBP 14 and MBA 15. The HDR content is brighter and colors are more vivid on the MBP 14, but not by a significant margin to me. It is akin to maybe two more clicks on the brightness meter (I already had both laptops at max brightness). I really had a hard time differentiating between the two screens and had to actively look for it. Even when the background was predominantly black, I had to look at the bottom of the bezel of the MBA 15 to really notice the subtle grayness. The MBA 15 did not look anywhere as bad as the comparisons by @lJoSquaredl (I'm not discounting what you've shared, just saying the MBA 15 looks nothing like that in-person).
The photos @lJoSquaredl shared remind me more of my first "dual scan" laptops from the 90s. If the MBA 15 looked that bad it would be an extremely easy decision, but I agree when someone characterized the MBA 15 display as the best non-XDR display. I don't recall ever thinking my M1 MBA display was bad, just not quite bright enough. I really loved that wedgie machine. I still have my 2015 13" MBP and as awesome as that laptop was, the display is markedly purplish-gray in dark scenes yet still nowhere as bad as those photos in above posts. In-store (and when I had it in-home) the MBA 15 display is pretty darn impressive for being non-XDR.
Still unsure which Mac(Book) to go with and all those HDR display comparisons leave me even more indecisive. My heart wants to go back to the MBA 15 but my head keeps reminding me "the MBP is better" if they're both 16/512 or 16/1024.
After returning the MBP 14 I hung around for 20 minutes watching 4K HDR videos side-by-side with a demo MBP 14 and MBA 15. The HDR content is brighter and colors are more vivid on the MBP 14, but not by a significant margin to me. It is akin to maybe two more clicks on the brightness meter (I already had both laptops at max brightness). I really had a hard time differentiating between the two screens and had to actively look for it. Even when the background was predominantly black, I had to look at the bottom of the bezel of the MBA 15 to really notice the subtle grayness. The MBA 15 did not look anywhere as bad as the comparisons by @lJoSquaredl (I'm not discounting what you've shared, just saying the MBA 15 looks nothing like that in-person).
The photos @lJoSquaredl shared remind me more of my first "dual scan" laptops from the 90s. If the MBA 15 looked that bad it would be an extremely easy decision, but I agree when someone characterized the MBA 15 display as the best non-XDR display. I don't recall ever thinking my M1 MBA display was bad, just not quite bright enough. I really loved that wedgie machine. I still have my 2015 13" MBP and as awesome as that laptop was, the display is markedly purplish-gray in dark scenes yet still nowhere as bad as those photos in above posts. In-store (and when I had it in-home) the MBA 15 display is pretty darn impressive for being non-XDR.
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Took 2 more pics with a DSLR, exposure was set for the Air both times. What it looks like is probably in between these 2 but both look better than my originals. Regardless both are still bad pretty bad imo for movies or editing, it’s not like I can’t actually watch a movie at all but for someone who loves watching stuff the way the directors originally intended it’s bothersome for sure. Not optimal at the very least. And yes there's a purplish tint as someone else mentioned, which the Pro model doesn't have...not sure why Apple sticks that in the Air series.
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Here’s a thought: do NOT compare the screens side by side. Direct comparisons draw out distinctions that you will not perceive in regular usage. It’s tempting to do these things, but not productive. The better bet is to just use one for a period of time and see if you enjoy the experience.
What I bet you’ll find is that the MBA screen is excellent. They both sport a P3 color gamut, so colors will be just as gorgeous as on the MBP. To me, the 120hz is barely noticeable and the deeper blacks also barely noticeable if I’m not comparing the two side by side.
What I bet you’ll find is that the MBA screen is excellent. They both sport a P3 color gamut, so colors will be just as gorgeous as on the MBP. To me, the 120hz is barely noticeable and the deeper blacks also barely noticeable if I’m not comparing the two side by side.
What the camera captures is still far greater difference than what I saw when I had both laptops in front of me. Of course I wasn't watching the same material you're sharing but, from the time I've spent with the new 15 Air, it's difficult to identify any glaring deficiencies. The 15 Air is very good performance, very good audio, and very good display packaged in a thin, light, and silent body. Look forward to your impression of the 15 Air in-person.
Even side-by-side, in-person, I felt the MBP was maybe 10-15% better based on the HDR content I watched. With SDR there's practically zero difference, or so little difference neither my wife nor I could tell.
If I've been perfectly happy with the display of the past 2015 rMBP and M1 MBA, then the MBA 15 display is honestly still an upgrade. Also, even if the MBA 15 can't do HDR on the main display, can't it output HDR through Thunderbolt to an HDR-capable external display?
For all of this back & forth, I have to wonder... Are you really buying a MacBook AIR to watch high quality 4K movies?
If one is watching content on the go, there can be sacrifices. Best picture a MBP, but not as portable. Good picture an iPad Pro, but for some it isn't the laptop device they need. A MBA is a compromise between the two, so there will be compromises in some areas that other devices excel at.
If you are watching content on a plane or train, do you really care if it's the best 4K? One can get that at home on a much bigger screen, where one can truly appreciate that quality.
It's bizarre that there was once a time when the picture on the MBA was considered high quality video, and now we can take it almost anywhere. There's a reason why there is a MacBook Pro, and there is a MacBook Air. Apple doesn't want you paying for the cheaper device if you demand higher quality specs.
If one is watching content on the go, there can be sacrifices. Best picture a MBP, but not as portable. Good picture an iPad Pro, but for some it isn't the laptop device they need. A MBA is a compromise between the two, so there will be compromises in some areas that other devices excel at.
If you are watching content on a plane or train, do you really care if it's the best 4K? One can get that at home on a much bigger screen, where one can truly appreciate that quality.
It's bizarre that there was once a time when the picture on the MBA was considered high quality video, and now we can take it almost anywhere. There's a reason why there is a MacBook Pro, and there is a MacBook Air. Apple doesn't want you paying for the cheaper device if you demand higher quality specs.
Thanks for the photos.
The photos highlight my main gripe with macbooks; glossy screens and reflections. Why can't Apple offer a non-glossy/non reflective screen option I'll never know...
didn't say that, the darkness makes the washed out mba screen more noticeable. plus the darkness of the room is a better reference for true "dark" for that true immersion of a floating screen. it isn't even about nit.
weight difference is .3lb between 14 and 15, that would be a 1/3 full bottle of water,
often times their laptop is their only source of interaction with a display, i'm a example of that, my family often dominates the living room tv, so quite often i rely on my laptop for entertainment.
yep, apple sure threw us a conundrum. sure the base mba makes plenty of sense, however due to the high price apple charge for ram and ssd, the same 512gb 16gb ram config comes out about the same for both 14 and 15. this is where the nuances begin.
your keyboard lighting is washing out the camera's sensor, but even then the guy's face in picture 2 is more natural on the mbp, and picture 4 bottom left is very noticeable.
1. That difference as it's been mentioned repeatedly in various threads is enough. It isn't only the actual weight, but the thickness as well. For me, I have the 16 inch, and that is a "chonky boy" with it's thickness. That thickness along with the weight, can make the MBPs unwieldy for some. Especially if you carrying it around one handed. The actual thinness of the MBAs is an attractive feature for some.
2. Those that are using their laptop as only source for entertainment consumption are actively steered towards the Pro over the Air. The Pro has better screens for both creative work & consumption, and better speakers to boot. If one is using their laptop for such purposes, the Pros are the intended choice. The Air a cheaper compromise that will get the job done for many.
3. The nuances are really only present if you are making the decision between a refurbished 14inch MBP VS a new 15inch MBA price wise. The "Apple Tax" isn't anything new to anyone that's even looked at an Apple computing product before. Apple seemed to make the decision to thread the needle and make an Air that's between their two Pros. A 15 inch model that finally gives those who wanted the reduced footprint of an Air, but didn't want to pay for the better screen, speakers, and chip.
If one wants to make a product that Apple positioned as a "lower tier" to their Pro product, Apple is going to charge you. All with the intent of upselling you to their generally more expensive product. The nuance comes from wanting to take a product Apple doesn't intend it to be "pro", and trying to make it "pro". Only to hear from some after all that, that even that isn't "pro" enough for them.
Note: "Lower tier" isn't to say a cheaper / inferior product, it's to say that it doesn't include some features that a customer may not need or want. So if a customer wanted a 15 inch laptop they no longer needed to go PC, if they didn't want to pay for a 16 inch MBP. The option now exists for that larger screen without the bells & whistles a customer doesn't want. If one wants to add those bells & whistles back, one is going to pay the difference, but it might be wiser to step up to the Pro.
