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

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 (Buy Now)
Related Forums: MacBook Air, macOS Mojave

Popular Stories

Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
iOS 26

iOS 26.5 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.5

Monday May 11, 2026 5:09 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 26.5 after a few months of beta testing, and while it doesn't have the Siri features we were hoping for since those are being held until iOS 27, there are a handful of useful changes worth knowing about. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. End-to-End Encryption for RCS Support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and...
General Apps Reddit Feature

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Monday May 11, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit." A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...

Top Rated Comments

igroeg Avatar
92 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
92 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)
92 months ago
Seems like everybody out there wants two things: brighter displays, and dark mode.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
92 months ago
Apple overclocked its own display! Stopped innovating my a$$!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RightMACatU Avatar
92 months ago
Wish I could increase MY brightness level with a simple update :p
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
92 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)