New 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pros Feature 20% Brighter Displays

[MacRumors]

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models announced by Apple today feature 20% brighter displays for standard content, according to Apple.

Apple's tech specs for the laptops indicate that all of the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models provide up to 600 nits of peak brightness for SDR content, which is a 20% increase over the 500 nits maximum on the previous models. For HDR content, all of the models can achieve peak brightness of up to 1,600 nits, which is unchanged.

"The Liquid Retina XDR display is the world's best laptop display, with an exceptional 1000 nits sustained and 1600 nits of peak brightness for HDR content, impressive contrast ratio, vivid colors, and an outstanding viewing angle," said Apple. "SDR content is now displayed at up to 600 nits, which is 20 percent brighter than before."

The new MacBook Pro models are available to order starting today, and they will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, November 7. Read our MacBook Pro announcement coverage for more details about the laptops.

Article Link: New 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pros Feature 20% Brighter Displays

 

[JamieLannister]

That's 20% more nits than the regular M1/M2? I read the same 1000 nits on the previous models though?

edit: I read wrong - SDR 500 nits vs 600 nits for the new.

 

[perplx]

This isn't a hardware feature, there are a bunch apps that can increase the SDR brightness. I use BetterDisplay to do 160%.

 

[Joe Rossignol]

That's 20% more nits than the regular M1/M2? I read the same 1000 nits on the previous models though?

14" / 16" MacBook Pro with M3/M3 Pro/M3 Max: Up to 600 nits (SDR)

14" / 16" MacBook Pro with M2 Pro/M2 Max: Up to 500 nits (SDR)

 

[Jarutais]

I wonder if you guys actually use your displays at peak brightness...

 

[JamieLannister]

I wonder if you guys actually use your displays at peak brightness...

I can't handle higher nits like up to 1600. I've seen HDR at full brightness it's way too bright. My personal perference but most would disagree.

 

[appleguy123]

How does this differ from the Vivid app? Is it new hardware?

 

[dumastudetto]

20% is a blindingly brilliant increase in raw nitage.

 

[anshuvorty]

500 nits is good enough, IMHO…

 

[anshuvorty]

Not worth upgrading for, if you already have the M1 Pro or M2 Pro versions of these MBPs. Save your $$$…

 

[bumblebritches5]

I can't handle higher nits like up to 1600. I've seen HDR at full brightness it's way too bright.

In all seriousness though, I agree, my eyes are sensitive to light.

The downside of having blue eyes, I guess.

 

[zakarhino]

I wonder if you guys actually use your displays at peak brightness...

Yes when it's plugged in and next to my external monitors I crank the display up to full SDR brightness. I don't use any of those hacks to achieve peak HDR brightness for SDR content because that's too much and I don't want to burn the display.

 

[4odomi]

Not worth upgrading for, if you already have the M1 Pro or M2 Pro versions of these MBPs. Save your $$$…

Very much worth upgrading if you have the 13" MacBook Pro, M1 or the M2, which is what I'll be doing.
Sad the Touch Bar is gone though 😒

 

[switz]

My M1 14" MBPro Max also has 500 nits max as did the M2 series.

As an interesting exercise, go to the Compare Mac models and put in M1 14" MBPro Pro and Max, M2 14" MBPro Pro and Max and M3 14" MBPro Pro and Max. The hardware changes are not great between each year.

 

[Mr. Dee]

The displays were already amazing, this is just icing on the cake at this point.

 

[Aston441]

LOL



In all seriousness though, I agree, my eyes are sensitive to light.

The downside of having blue eyes, I guess.

This. Light eyed people need sunglasses to not be squinting at these crazy bright displays.

 

[anshuvorty]

Very much worth upgrading if you have the 13" MacBook Pro, M1 or the M2, which is what I'll be doing.
Sad the Touch Bar is gone though 😒

As I said, M1 Pro or M2 Pro versions…

Yes, absolutely worth upgrading if you still have an Intel MBP or a base M1 or M2 MBP…

 

[james2538]

How does this differ from the Vivid app? Is it new hardware?

Peak (1600 nits) and sustained (1000 nits) HDR brightness are the same as the M1/M2 MacBook Pro so I'm gonna guess that nothing with the hardware has changed. This is just Apple bumping up the maximum allowed brightness in the software.

So no, nothing different than Vivid.

 

[anshuvorty]

Yes when it's plugged in and next to my external monitors I crank the display up to full SDR brightness. I don't use any of those hacks to achieve peak HDR brightness for SDR content because that's too much and I don't want to burn the display.

But only during the daytime, right?

You would be insane to crank that nit level at night!

 

[james2538]

My M1 14" MBPro Max also has 500 nits max as did the M2 series.

As an interesting exercise, go to the Compare Mac models and put in M1 14" MBPro Pro and Max, M2 14" MBPro Pro and Max and M3 14" MBPro Pro and Max. The hardware changes are not great between each year.

I mean there weren't exactly a lot of drastic changes year over year during the Intel generation either. Most of those updates were just simple processor spec bumps, exactly what this is.

 

[lix220]

Am I the only person thinks this is Apple's distraction tactics hoping to salvage the iPhone 15 disaster?


Overheating, wireless charging malfunction, shutting down overnight... none of that is ever fixed by iOS 17.1 updates.... But suddenly no one is talking about it, so new buyers may think it doesnt exist..... I mean the 15 inch M2 just came out 3 freaking month ago... now they throw at you a 14inch M3 for basically the same price....

felt like the government giving you 5 bucks subsidy to tackle the declining birthrate.... do you think I'm that stupid....?

 

[klasma]

If only they could make Siri 20% brighter.

 

[jamesf1]

My M1 14" MBPro Max also has 500 nits max as did the M2 series.

As an interesting exercise, go to the Compare Mac models and put in M1 14" MBPro Pro and Max, M2 14" MBPro Pro and Max and M3 14" MBPro Pro and Max. The hardware changes are not great between each year.

interesting that the M2 Pro actually has better memory bandwidth and one more core in the GPU.

 

[julesme]

I'll stick with my MBP 14" M1 Max for now, since it's more than enough for what I need, but man, I'm envious of anyone who gets to order one of these M3 Max MBPs for video editing, 3D work, coding etc...they look amazing, and 3 nanometers has been the dream for a couple of years now.

 

[erikkfi]

up to 1,600 nits

Or as we call it: 1.6 lottas.