What do screen nits mean, and why are they important when purchasing a phone?
Manufacturers highlight this in their specifications, so you'll eventually hear that a mobile phone screen has an x or y number of nits. A prime example is the recent Galaxy S24's screen, which has 2600 nits, making it an incredible display. But are nits important? The answer is yes, because higher nits indicate a brighter screen and thus a better viewing experience.
In this post, we'll explain in detail what luminous flux is and why it should be larger on your screen. This way, you'll understand how important these things are and be aware of them when buying a mobile device. You'll also know why the number of lumens on your screen matters. Without further ado, let's look at all the information.
What are nits?
Before we tell you what nits are, you need to understand how the quantity is measured and why it exists. The standard measurement of an object's brightness is the lumen, which has a somewhat complex definition. A lumen is a unit of luminous flux emitted from a focal point with a candela intensity at a rigid angle of one steradian. Yes, you might not understand what we're talking about, but that's the precise definition of a lumen.
We will explain what a candela is and then give you a basic understanding of what nits are. A candela is a unit of luminous intensity that is equivalent to the surface area of 1/600,000 m² of a black body at the platinum fusion temperature (1770 degrees Celsius).
You probably don't know anything we've just told you because you're not an engineer in the field. But in short, a candela measures the luminous intensity of an object of a certain size, and a lumen measures the amount of light an object emits in a particular direction. That is, when these two units are combined, they create quantity, intensity, and volume. What are nits called? They're a way of designating candles per square meter (combining lumen and candle). On the other hand, the term "nit" comes from the Latin word "nitre," which means luminosity.
What do nits mean on our screen?
Nits are used to measure the amount of light emitted from a specific area (the screen). Generally, the higher the nits, the brighter the screen. However, the number of nits can vary depending on the manufacturer and the screen model. Remember that higher nits generally mean a brighter and better-looking screen. This also has a downside: higher brightness increases battery consumption.
We recommend manually adjusting the brightness based on ambient light to conserve battery life. In conclusion, nits are measured in candela per square meter and represent the light emitted in a specific area. Ultimately, the higher the nits rating of your phone, the better it will look outdoors, as the screen will be more visible in sunlight, but this will negatively impact battery life.