Pixel 8 Pro display - real-life peak brightness and analysis
18 October 2023, 11:39:48
The official Pixel 8 Pro specifications state that the display of this smartphone delivers 1600 nits of brightness in high brightness mode and the peak levels reach 2500 nits. In our in-depth Pixel 8 Pro review of the display, we put the screen of this model to the test and measured it diligently. In the display review, you can see all tables, graphs, and measurements. Here we will simply provide a short recap of this information for quick reference.
The Pixel 8 Pro display uses the latest M13 AMOLED material by Samsung and has a Diamond PenTile sub-pixel arrangement. In this type of sub-pixel architecture, the number of green subpixels (small and elongated) is the same as in a classic RGB stripe one, but the number of red subpixels (mid-size and diamond-shaped) and blue subpixels (large and diamond-shaped) is twice as less. Hence, the panel uses subpixel rendering to preserve the number of pixels as in classic RGB stripe displays with only 2/3rds of the number of dots.
In general, OLED displays drive more power to each pixel with every decrease in the white area that has to be displayed on the screen. In order to assess more accurately the brightness of OLED panels, the Average Picture Level (APL) is used. When smartphone brands advertise their peak brightness levels, it is usually measured at 2% APL. This means that only 2% of the entire screen displays white and the other 98% is black.
In both the Adaptive and the Natural Display Mode, when the Adaptive Brightness toggle is off, and the device operates in normal light conditions indoors, the Pixel 8 Pro delivers a maximum brightness of around 950-1000 nits in all APL levels from 10% to 100% with 10% increments between them. (Graph 1) This is not a typical OLED display behavior. Usually, the lowest APL % delivers a much higher brightness than the 100% APL. Our dedicated guess is that in order to provide consistent brightness no matter the displayed content, preserve battery life, and protect the OLED display from overheating, the Pixel team has applied a technology that caps the highest and lowest levels of brightness to ensure a manageable brightness level that's high enough. For example, Asus uses such a technology for the OLED display of one of its big-screen monitors called Uniform Brightness.
Once you switch on the Adaptive Brightness toggle and expose the device to intensive light conditions, the display starts behaving more like a normal OLED screen and delivers around 2155 nits of peak brightness at 10% APL and 1451 nits at 100% APL. (Graph 2) In this context, we believe that in lab conditions with more sophisticated instruments, the display is capable of delivering 2400 nits as specified but at a lower APL. Usually, smartphone manufacturers specify the peak brightness at 2% APL. Another interesting observation is that once the display hits these peak levels, it refuses to deliver them again, even if you maintain the same measuring conditions. You have to restart the smartphone and measure again in order to see the real peak brightness levels are confirmed. This is another instance, in which the intentionally capped peak brightness enters the stage.
The verdict: yes, the Pixel 8 Pro is capable of delivering promised peak brightness levels but only in specific conditions and for a limited time. Think of it as a brightness-burst mode. Still, you get an extremely bright display that's a pleasure to interact with in any ambient light conditions.Related news
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