Although most iPhones, for years now, have had a brightness strong enough to be easily seen on the street, sometimes, especially when they heat up and reduce the brightness, it can be a little more difficult to see.
That’s why, today, we’re going to look at a list of the iPhones with the most nits of brightness. Depending on your job, you might be looking for one with a lot of power in this regard, and it might be important to you, as it’s not often talked about and might be of interest to you.
The iPhones with the most nits of brightness
We’re going to leave the latest iPhone models on the list, as we understand that the previous ones aren’t a purchase option, since logically, they also have a much lower brightness than the current ones, and as we can see, they are improving year after year.
Model | Typical brightness | Pico HDR | Outer peak |
---|---|---|---|
iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max | 1,000 nits | 1,600 nits | 2,000 nits |
iPhone 15 / 15 Plus | 1,000 nits | 1,600 nits | 2,000 nits |
iPhone 14 Pro / Pro Max | 1,000 nits | 1,600 nits | 2,000 nits |
iPhone 14 / 14 Plus | 800 nits | 1,200 nits | not specified |
iPhone 13 Pro Max | 1,000 nits | 1,200 nits | not specified |
iPhone 16e | 1,200 nits | not specified | not specified |
iPhone SE (2022) | 625 nits | not specified | not specified |
Since the release of the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple phones have had an external peak, which means that, although indoors, that is, in our bed at night, we will not be able to exceed 1,000 nits, this will occasionally reach 2,000 nits so that you can see all the content well even if the sun is reflecting on the screen.
What are nits, and what exactly are they for?
Nits are a unit of measurement for a display’s brightness. Technically, one nit equals one candela per square meter (cd/m²). The more nits a display has, the brighter it can be, which is key for visibility, especially in direct sunlight.
In addition to overall brightness, nits also influence how colors and details are perceived in very bright or dark scenes, especially when viewing HDR (high dynamic range) content.

Nits not only help you see better outside, but also the opposite, and having a very low minimum of nits allows you to put the mobile with minimum brightness and not be bothered at night, since, between some models and others there is a lot of difference, and while some can go down to 1% brightness, others stay at 5%, being noticeably more visible, and not being able to go down any further.
And you, what iPhone do you have? Do you notice those nits? Are they enough? In my case, with an iPhone 13 Pro, being one of the lowest currently, I have no problems outdoors. However, once you try the 2,000 nits of the modern ones, you realize the difference, which is noticeable, and very noticeable, although yes, battery consumption and overheating are also related to this.