Counterpoint is saying, the importance of display brightness in smartphones has been on the rise, especially with the increasing usage of mobile devices outdoors and the consumption of high-definition video content. Smartphone OEMs are competing to offer higher levels of typical and peak brightness in their devices. In 2022, over a third of premium smartphones (≥$600) had a brightness level of over 900 nits, a 171% YoY jump, with Chinese OEMs like vivo, Oppo, and Xiaomi adopting this trend.
Low-to-mid-priced smartphones are also seeing an increase in brightness levels, with Samsung reducing the share of brightness below 450 nits in its devices by about 20%p in 2022. The software’s role has become important in balancing user demands with technological enhancements for improving display brightness.