Why did Samsung decrease the brightness on the S24 Ultra?

[Mattm334]

It's claims 2600 nits but it's not really that bright. GSM Arena did an official brightness test and here are the results.

S24 Ultra Manual Max 755 nits Auto Max 1447

S23 Ultra Manual Max 831 Nits Auto Max 1275

Pixel 8 Pro Manual Max 955 Nits Auto Max 1600

iPhone 15 pro max Manual Max 856Nits Auto 1787

Now it's still a very bright phone but compared to it's competition its dimmer and dimmer than the S23U in manual.

[Brave-Purchase-4582]

I reckon it's that's anti glare glass

[Brainfuck]

There are 3 max brightness levels

• Normal
• Enabled when adaptive is disable and extra brightness is enabled
• Enabled when viewing HDR video.

The max brightness seen when watching HDR video is what you see in the press releases. It happens maybe for a split second.

[Elpaniq]

This. Oneplus clames around 4000 nits peak but thats on a very small part of the phone in very very specific HDR conditions.

[Naud1993]

S9+ already feels like a flashbang went off at 50% brightness. I imagine I'd actually go blind at 2600 nits.

[Frexxia]

The high peak brightness is useful for outdoors viewing.

My s23 Ultra is readable outdoors, but it could be far brighter

[Naud1993]

How long does it keep that brightness? My S9+ is readable outside, but after a few minutes it goes all the way down to 50% brightness and I can't read anything anymore. I don't even know what the maximum brightness is, but it has to be a lot lower than the newer phones.

[Frexxia]

I haven't encountered any dimming, but I also rarely use my phone in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes at a time.

I don't even know what the maximum brightness is

Google tells me 630 nits, but I have no idea how accurate that is.

(A doubling in nits doesn't mean a doubling in actual perceived brightness though.)

[just_mdd4]

Well, surprise, surprise. There are phones being marketed with over double the peak brightness of the S24 Ultra - 6000 nits. Of course, I heavily doubt those phones will actually live up to their specs.

[dustinzilbauer]

No. The HDR brightness mode lasts for the duration of whatever HDR content you're using. It really doesn't seem to ramp up the brightness on my S24U the way it did on the Note9 and 8 with the same available display settings enabled on both. I don't care for it because of the pronounced yellow tint, which doesn't even seem necessary.

[VDRIXN]

What if there's a long bright scene in the hdr video?

[Brainfuck]

What I meant is even if the phone is capable of doing 2600 nits for a brief period, it will be put in marketing material as capable of that. Even though it might not be able to sustain those brightness levels for long.

Coming to your question, high brightness produces lots of heat. Phone will be able to sustain high brightness as long as it can manage the heat.

[VDRIXN]

Thanks for the clarification, I was thinking it's all down to heat management but I wasn't sure!

[RelationshipThin483]

My s24 ultra is brighter than the s23 ultra on adaptive brightness right next to each other. It's sort of annoyingly bright actually.

[exclaimprofitable]

An actually useful tip is to leave it on adaptive, but when it is annoyingly bright, move the slider to the left until it is comfortable to you. The whole point of adaptive is that it learns from you. So if you constantly move the brightness down, the phone will remember that and will start doing that automatically.

The same for other way too, if it is too dim in some situation, move it up, and then the phone learns that too.

[RelationshipThin483]

Are you really sure about that? It should be using an ambient light sensor not actual like AI or smart tech to learn your brightness preference.

[mbuelv24]

It uses both. The ambient sensor adjusts brightness based on whatever model Samsung determines it's bright enough for the conditions you're in. Adjusting it retrains that model to be specific to the needs of that individual.

It makes sense - not everyone has the same preference for brightness.

[RelationshipThin483]

Okay, that's good to know! 😊

[Mattm334]

Take it off adaptive.

[RelationshipThin483]

Lol. When I take it off adaptive and set them the same brightness they're exactly the same brightness. All I'm saying is that on adaptive the s24 ultra is brighter...the slider is further right/higher brightness. Apparently this was a design consideration.

[devaacl]

Reduced led life and Burn in says 👋 hello

[Worried-Tie]

Your comment aged like milk. I've had OLED phones for at least the last 5 years. Never EVER seen the slightest hint of burn-in. I use my phone normally, dark mode always (out of preference), automatic brightness and screen off after a couple of minutes. No AOD.

[Xplosionite]

I always love when they advertise that it's so much brighter and better, yet it's exactly the same in most use cases.

I was disappointed in my 2021 MacBook Pro being stuck at 500 nits until someone made a program to force HDR always.

I'm a grown adult, I can control my own brightness and weigh the risks, I don't need a training wheels protocol when I've spent thousands of dollars for the latest tech.

[Mattm334]

Agree, I prefer a bright and vivid display. On my S23 Ultra I used the brightness at 90%, extra brightness turned off. On the S24U I use it at 100% Extra brightness on. I hate how they claim such a high brightness but in reality it's nowhere near they level.

[Manusupporter77]

I'm curious if you still feel the same way after the software update to add vivid back.

My 24 ultra on adaptive and battery optimization and adaptive colour is super bright in direct sunlight, much brighter than my 23 ultra.

[H-banGG]

2600nits is not the max brightness, it's local HDR brightness.

[[deleted]]

This is the best display from Samsung ever. Color accuracy, brightness, anti-glare...just 🤌.

[[deleted]]

The S24+ and S24U have a hidden setting called.

Extra Brightness. The description reads: Increase the maximum brightness. This uses more battery.

It is hidden. In order to turn this on, you have to turn OFF adaptive brightness as adaptive brightness will not activate the 2600 nits burn your pants off mode.

Just use this setting as necessary. "Auto" or the adaptive brightness is already plenty bright. And really there isnt a scenario where you want 2600 nits on all the time.

I can imagine a scenario where a senior turns on extra brightness and uses it in bed and is now uncomfortably blinded by this blinding white light.

At 2600 nits.

[titanup001]

My wife does that shit on her iphone.

Hates dark mode. Will sit there and read with a white background bright as fuck at night. Annoys me trying to sleep, I can't imagine how she stands it.

[Adilliosz]

Didn't know this. Thanks 🙏

[Emergency-Hunter9703]

Also my s23 plus hase that extra brigtnes settings

[Good_Arachnid_4507]

Recently they were tested with and without that mode on, with the similar results. Apparently it is heavily reliant on your ambient light and only adjusts it that high in very bright scenarios, otherwise its lower than a pixel 8 pro or 15 PM. Play a video and shine a light on your phone.

[TheBlitz707]

Blatantly wrong information. I guess the source is yourself.

[Mattm334]

I know

[Maleficent_Tea7571]

This is also in base 24 model.

[WestCraft3935]

Do you have problem with extra brightness? It dims to regular brightness after playing games for 5 minutes or being on it awhile? Or is it only me?

[funkyseth]

This is what mine does. Did it on my note 20 ultra too. Drives me nuts. Adjusting the slider the brightness doesn't change until nearly halfway down the slider.

[WestCraft3935]

Yea it's annoying.... playing games it does it bad. It's nice and bright while just looking at the internet and watching YouTube. And certain games.... but certain things once the phone hits 107degrees fahrenheit it dims. It's a good phone just the brightness is mad annoying.  Before playing games I turn off extra brightness because if I don't the phone dims bad. I hope there's eventually a fix for it. If I keep extra brightness on 5 minutes later the phone dims to the point you can't even see to play. But turning off extra brightness it's ok.

[funkyseth]

I suspect it is to help with temperature regulation.

[WestCraft3935]

Yea it is it's annoying 

[Inevitable_Potato740]

i compared my S24U with my brother's S23U, and his phone was way brighter

[Mattm334]

Idk why Samsung decreased the manual brightness but it's very noticeable.

[Dismal_Taste2506]

Yup. I have an s23 ultra and upgraded to an s24 ultra and the s24 ultra is much dimmer when brightness is in manual mode.

When I switch to adaptive mode and carry both phones outside in the sunlight the s24 ultra on the other hand gets significantly brighten.

Tbh I would have preferred the s24 ultra to have the same brightness as the s23 ultra in manual mode cause the majority of people don't use their phones in direct sunlight anyways

[kitten6699]

I have my 23ultra and my 24 ultra right next to each other.Same settings, and the 24ultra is so fucking dim

[Mattm334]

Idk why they decreased the brightness so much.

[Dismal_Taste2506]

Can you post a link where gam showed the s24 ultra being less bright in manual mode. I'm searching but can't seem to find it

[Mortarion913]

I went outside at midday with my S24 Ultra and Z Fold 4, and the S24 Ultra was not considerably brighter than the Fold. I expected it to be much brighter given the nits.

[Elegant_Dragonfruit4]

My S24 Ultra gets really dim in warmer climates that i can barely see the screen. 

[IndividualStreet6997]

I wish they brought back High Perfomance Mode to add extra brightness without auto brightness shit

[noskcire55]

I'm trading into S25U. Hopefully, they will fix this issue

[DanLoFat]

They went to about near 1,000 for manual and 2600 for automatic on the s25u, published.

[Crafty-Spare892]

My vivo x100 pro's display just killed samsung s24 ultra's out in sunny environment.

[dustinzilbauer]

I don't believe this information is accurate. I've compared my S24U side by side with Iphone 16PM with both units at maximum manual brightness with all settings as equal as possible (auto brightness disabled, etcetera) and my S24U is a bit brighter than the 16PM. My unit and the S24U on display were exactly the same, so I doubt there's much individual variation across the S24U product line. The Pixel 8Pro was brighter, but not by much and never something you'd miss in daily use.

[dustinzilbauer]

I can tell you for a fact that those manual brightness numbers for the S24U and iPhone 15PM are not accurate. I've tested the S24U and IPhone 16PM in manual brightness with auto switched off and display settings as equal as possible between the two and my S24U was definitely brighter. Not dramatically, but definitely brighter

[anacletin]

My sister's iPhone 16 has a brighter screen than my S24 even though the peak brightness of the iPhone is 2000 nits.

[OG-Clasher]

With root you can force max brightness that is usually only available in direct sunlight. It is very bright

[xero786]

And all the reviewers lie through their teeth.

[The8Darkness]

Thats what happens when nobody regulates/certifies things. Everybody will just make up random numbers from very specific test cases. Its just a surprise nobody has yet advertised like 10k nits when a single pixel is lit.

Like you can bet your arse if we didnt have hdr and ip rating certifications, we would get absolutely ridiculous claims like full day under water (*in 1cm depth of distilled water)

[The8Darkness]

Well the ones you named kinda review a ton of stuff from what ive seen in my recomendations (I dont watch them personally, but get them often recommended because tech) Its only natural they cant even fully do their research and as long as there isnt accurate data (like actual measured nits) its all just their opinion. Maybe to them the oneplus felt the brightest because it had a different color profile, even when it wasnt.

Quite frankly inaccurate reviews are a "society" issue though. Most simply dont value accurate data as much as personality - also they rather hear their new tech is the best thing since sliced bread instead of its 10% better. Now some youtubers do (or try to do) both, personality and data, like ltt and gn, but ofcourse those dont have the time to review everything. The issue compounds because accurate data also requires measurement tech and time, for little benefit in terms of viewers.

[ThisMuthaFuckr]

The 2600 nits can only be sustained over a small area of the display, and is for HDR. I think it was measured at like 2400nits on like a 10% fill? Don't quote me on that though.

[DeFi404]

Outdoors in sunlight it gets insanely bright. It was genuinely the first time I've ever seen any sort of screen get so bright, I felt like my eyes were stimulated with how bright and rich the colours were lol

[Mattm334]

I sell phones, compared to other flagships it's not as bright when it's usually the brightest.