Apple Revises 2018 MacBook Air Display Brightness to Up to 400 Nits After macOS 10.14.4 Release - MacRumors
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Apple Revises 2018 MacBook Air Display Brightness to Up to 400 Nits After macOS 10.14.4 Release

As noted on Reddit, Apple has updated its tech specs for the 2018 MacBook Air to indicate that the notebook now has a display brightness of up to 400 nits, compared to up to 300 nits previously.

macbook air display
We've confirmed with Apple that this increase is tied to the macOS 10.14.4 software update released on March 25. Apple's release notes did mention that the update "corrects the default screen brightness" for 2018 MacBook Air models, although no specific details were known at the time.

Prior to macOS 10.14.4, Laptop Mag found that its 2018 ‌MacBook Air‌ review unit maxed out at a brightness of 234 nits, while NotebookCheck determined an average value of 315 nits. It's unclear why there is such a big discrepancy there, but it'll be interesting to see how much the number increases in subsequent testing.

Battery life stats for the 2018 ‌MacBook Air‌ remain unchanged on Apple's tech specs page.

(Thanks, Aaron!)

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Air (Neutral)
Related Forums: MacBook Air, macOS Mojave

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Top Rated Comments

igroeg Avatar
97 months ago
So they can actually tweak that via software. Great! I'll buy the MBA once they include 2 additional CPU cores in a future MacOS update.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
97 months ago
Not going to be satisfied until the screen can vaporize debris trapped under the keys.

EDIT: Never mind, the difference is amazing! :eek:



Attachment Image
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
97 months ago
Seems like everybody out there wants two things: brighter displays, and dark mode.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
97 months ago
Apple overclocked its own display! Stopped innovating my a$$!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RightMACatU Avatar
97 months ago
Wish I could increase MY brightness level with a simple update :p
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
97 months ago
Oh and suddenly it’s possible for Apple to deliver better “hardware”.
They wanted to keep that “feature” for the next gen model, but according to the sales, they had to act
You’re WILDLY overestimating consumer purchasing decisions if you honestly think an average person has any idea what a nit is.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)