Auto Brightness is best in sunlight!

[tigmd99]

Hey all, i am sure that most of you already know this.

Link: Galaxy S4 Display Technology Shoot-Out

"The Galaxy S4 uses one innovative approach to overcome this – when Automatic Brightness is turned on, the Peak Brightness becomes significantly brighter in high ambient lighting than is possible with Manual Brightness, up to as high as 475 cd/m2, which is 34 percent higher than is possible with Manual Brightness."

Now, this is with S4. So, i tested this out on my Note 2. Mind you, i have rarely used AUTO since i bought the phone because the auto setting is too conservative (too dim). I went out in bright sunlight. And it is TRUE! In AUTO setting, my screen got brighter than when i use the slider to MAX brightness manually!! Very noticeable!

So, yeah, if you want maximum visibility outdoors, then use AUTO BRIGHTNESS! Shocking (for me)!

BTW, the link above also mentioned (briefly) how accurate our Note 2 is in terms of color presentation. S4 still have us beat in overall brightness.

Here is some apples-to-oranges comparison b/w DisplayMate testing (above) and CNET: http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-57540240-85/screens-test-part-2-galaxy-note-2-vs-apple-iphone-5/

For me, i have it now on AUTO Brightness and NATURAL display screen mode setting. (Movie mode is most accurate, but washes out easier in daylight. Standard mode is way too saturated and unnatural. Natural mode seems best compromise for me and with AUTO setting. As the Displaymate article pointed out, the more saturated settings work better outside.)

Sorry if everyone knew this, but it is news to me!

 

[girolez]

Hi

If you use juice defender I think the brightness range can be set to be dimmer and brighter than with the standard settings

Roger.

 

[Frisco]

Nice find, tigmd99.

 

[dave1812]

the brightness increase with Auto selected, is barely perceptible on my Note 2.

 

[tigmd99]

the brightness increase with Auto selected, is barely perceptible on my Note 2.

Try and focus on a letter and make the change. You will see a noticeable difference. I think that I was just a bit overenthusiastic in my initial post. For me, the Note 2 is not great in sunlight...so, every noticeable change is a huge thing IMHO.

 

[Bren S.]

Nice discovery. Thanks

 

[lcneed]

I need to test this out....

 

[lcneed]

It works! I don't know if it was 34% brighter, but it very noticeably brighter. It is actually useable under directly sunlight.

 

[Frisco]

I've tested it too, and sure did notice a difference.

One other thing I noticed was the time it takes for the brightness to settle back to normal after bringing it back indoors; it took quite a while.. a few minutes (I did not time it).

I'm thinking that the usefulness of this discovery is mainly in having a personal setting remain (non-auto) unless heading outdoors, then changing to the auto to allow for the extra brightness.

Too bad there are no brightness profiles that can be quickly toggled.

 

[tigmd99]

I've tested it too, and sure did notice a difference.

One other thing I noticed was the time it takes for the brightness to settle back to normal after bringing it back indoors; it took quite a while.. a few minutes (I did not time it).

I'm thinking that the usefulness of this discovery is mainly in having a personal setting remain (non-auto) unless heading outdoors, then changing to the auto to allow for the extra brightness.

Too bad there are no brightness profiles that can be quickly toggled.

I wonder if there is an app for that??

Since this discovery, i have been using AUTO more often. I still find that it tends to be on the conservative side indoors. I think that using AUTO also means that you should use SMART STAY. Ever so often, in AUTO mode, the screen would dim for no apparent reason if i am looking at the screen on the same page for a length of time. I wonder if SMART STAY would help prevent this dimming effect since it sees that i am still looking at the phone?? Well give feedback once i use it more.

 

[tigmd99]

@Frisco

I found a FREE app that you (and me) are looking for: 2way Brightness (by Lono). Basically, it is a widget that you can pre-select the brightness that you want. For me, i select 100% and AUTO. That way, when i click on the widget, it goes from 100% to Auto or vice versa. (As noted, you can preselect more settings than just two if you want.) This way, if i am at night (in bed) or walking outside, i click on this widget and my screen brightness goes from 100% to AUTO. (AUTO is great at night because it dims the display to prevent blinding your eyes!) And once i go inside, i click it again and my screen goes to 100% (from AUTO). (I love 100% brightness inside...in a well-lit room.)

 

[Frisco]

@Frisco

I found a FREE app that you (and me) are looking for: 2way Brightness (by Lono). Basically, it is a widget that you can pre-select the brightness that you want. For me, i select 100% and AUTO. That way, when i click on the widget, it goes from 100% to Auto or vice versa. (As noted, you can preselect more settings than just two if you want.) This way, if i am at night (in bed) or walking outside, i click on this widget and my screen brightness goes from 100% to AUTO. (AUTO is great at night because it dims the display to prevent blinding your eyes!) And once i go inside, i click it again and my screen goes to 100% (from AUTO). (I love 100% brightness inside...in a well-lit room.)

Nice find, tig. ^

 

[lcneed]

@Frisco

I found a FREE app that you (and me) are looking for: 2way Brightness (by Lono). Basically, it is a widget that you can pre-select the brightness that you want. For me, i select 100% and AUTO. That way, when i click on the widget, it goes from 100% to Auto or vice versa. (As noted, you can preselect more settings than just two if you want.) This way, if i am at night (in bed) or walking outside, i click on this widget and my screen brightness goes from 100% to AUTO. (AUTO is great at night because it dims the display to prevent blinding your eyes!) And once i go inside, i click it again and my screen goes to 100% (from AUTO). (I love 100% brightness inside...in a well-lit room.)

I can see this could be useful for 3 or more settings, but if you only have 2 settings and one of them is AUTO, why not just using the one in the notification screen? That's what I do now. I have indoor set to around 38% and when I am outside, I just check the AUTO box.

 

[tigmd99]

I can see this could be useful for 3 or more settings, but if you only have 2 settings and one of them is AUTO, why not just using the one in the notification screen? That's what I do now. I have indoor set to around 38% and when I am outside, I just check the AUTO box.

Quicker this way. I am a man of efficiency!