iPhone 14 Pro Display Gets Two Times Brighter When Outdoors in Sunlight - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iPhone 14 Pro Display Gets Two Times Brighter When Outdoors in Sunlight

Have you ever been outside and found yourself unable to use your iPhone because it's too dim in the glaring sun? For those upgrading to Apple's latest high-end models, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are able to get significantly brighter when used outdoors in sunlight, thanks to more advanced displays.

iPhone 14 Pro Display Two Times Brighter Feature
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature Super Retina XDR displays that Apple calls the "most advanced displays in any smartphone." The new displays have a peak brightness of 2,000 nits when used outdoors in sunlight, two times the peak brightness of previous models.

When viewing HDR photos, videos, and movies, the new displays can reach a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, higher than older iPhones. With 1,600 nits of brightness, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max now deliver the same level of brightness as the high-end $4,999 Pro Display XDR when watching HDR content, according to Apple.

Apple is able to deliver these higher brightness levels thanks to a more advanced OLED panel and a new Display Engine in the A16 Bionic chip that powers features like Dynamic Island, always-on, and the 120Hz variable refresh rate.

There are also smaller changes in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max displays compared to their respective predecessors. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 2,796 by 1,290 resolution compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 2,778 by 1,284. The iPhone 14 Pro also gets a small bump in resolution at 2,556 by 1,179 compared to 2,532 by 1,170 for the iPhone 13 Pro.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, alongside the lower-end iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, were made available for pre-order earlier today and will begin arriving to customers on Friday, September 16. The iPhone 14 Plus will begin shipping on Friday, October 7.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 18 pro blue%402x

iPhone 18 Pro: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, and Dark Gray Chassis Leaked [Update]

Thursday June 4, 2026 5:18 am PDT by
Update: Since publication, new information has come to light suggesting the images have been AI-manipulated and are not in fact iPhone 18 Pro chassis parts. The original article follows. The color options Apple is reportedly planning for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max have appeared online today in the form of images of chassis parts of unknown authenticity....
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...
iOS 27 All the New App Features

iOS 27: All the Rumored App Features

Wednesday June 3, 2026 3:48 pm PDT by
Siri is getting a major overhaul in iOS 27, but Apple also has some big updates planned for apps like Camera, Photos, and Wallet. There are multiple new AI features in the works, plus some non-AI upgrades. Camera Apple is moving Visual Intelligence from the Camera Control button to the Camera app in iOS 27, according to Bloomberg. There will be a Siri mode that will be available alongside...

Top Rated Comments

49 months ago
The question is for how long. Even today it stays bright for 2 minutes and then dims all the way down because it's too hot. I can't imagine that at 2000 nits it's going to do much better.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
49 months ago
The power of the sun in the palm of my hand
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
49 months ago
This was a big problem with previous-gen iPhones. I'm glad, Apple looked into this and fixed this. It was hard to see what was going on with your iPhone in the sunny daylight sun. Hopefully, that won't be a problem anymore.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
49 months ago
That sounds awesome. I use my iPhone 13 Pro Max outside a lot. I actually bought a phone cooler off Amazon, it is a couple fans that attach to the back of the phone. I find just keeping the phone cool does a lot to make the display more readable since a lot of the problem is the device dimming itself when it overheats.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
49 months ago
It will be pointless because the phone will dim because of heat. Hot summer sunny days in Santorini made my iPhone 13 Pro’s screen so dim while taking photos. And GPS made the phone warm so screen dimming again.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclardy Avatar
49 months ago

That sounds awesome. I use my iPhone 13 Pro Max outside a lot. I actually bought a phone cooler off Amazon, it is a couple fans that attach to the back of the phone. I find just keeping the phone cool does a lot to make the display more readable since a lot of the problem is the device dimming itself when it overheats.
Yeah, overheating from the sun usually ruins any brightness gains the screen gets. I'm hoping the A16 is more efficient to hopefully have more headroom before overheating from sunlight (Given it didn't get much in the way of performance gains.)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)