AppleInsider Staff
A small number of users are reporting a potentially serious issue in which the LCD screens of Apple's latest M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro are easily cracked or damaged.
Owners outlined the supposed problem in an Apple Support Communities forum thread that aired multiple claims of cracked screens on recently purchased M1 MacBook Air or 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro devices.
The post's creator asserts the problem manifested overnight "for no apparent reason."
"I left my computer on the top of my desk during the night and the next day I opened it the screen had 2 small cracks on the right which damaged the functioning of the screen," they said.
Specialists at an authorized Apple repair facility said the damage, described as a "contact point crack," did not fall under the company's standard warranty and would therefore not be covered. Others who experienced identical issues and took their unit into an Apple Store were informed that the damage was a "point of contact crack," suggesting a piece of debris was sandwiched between the display and the top case. At least one user was told that a "pressure crack" from mishandling caused a fracture in the display glass.
For most, the explanations provided were unsatisfactory as they claim no errant crumbs or waste were present before closing the clamshell computer. Others said they were using the device normally and did not exert undue force on the display. While Apple covered repair costs in some cases, many users were forced to pay for an out-of-pocket repair or screen replacement amounting to more than $500.
Nearly 50 people responded to the original post saying they encountered the problem. A Reddit thread referenced in the Apple Communities post seemingly corroborates the issue with initial disclosures dating back to December 2020.
9to5Mac reported on the topic earlier today.
It is unclear how many MacBooks are impacted by the screen cracking anomaly, and its cause is unknown. Some speculate that the gap between the screen and top case is too narrow, allowing for even the smallest pieces of debris to press against the LCD.
Multiple members of Apple's support forum claim the company is concealing the issue, but there is no clear evidence that Apple is aware of a widespread problem or has instituted a policy to deny related repairs.
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Amber Neely
Malcolm Owen
Christine McKee
Chip Loder
Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
85 Comments
My ex wife put a binder on top of her iBook way back when and the screen stopped working. In this age how many would know they did it and claim otherwise. 50 out of 10 million. Sounds about right. Especially when they can go online and find a great excuse to blame someone else.
Apple needs to step up or this will result in yet another lawsuit... potentially class action.
I have worked on industrial designs where we had to take significant precautions to prevent cracking of a clear plastic lens. While a notebook computer would not experience the same level of physical stress, incorporating clamped plastic in a design can be quite tricky.
I wonder how many iPhones spontaneously developed cracked screens over the years, when in fact people started carrying them in their back pocket.
Fyi, Apple Watches burn your skin, iMacs are crooked by fraction of a mm that hurts one's neck, people killed! from airtags, etc etc etc etc
There is a cottage industry of free money grabbers and media attention creeps that make every product mysteriously break, crack, blow up or try to harm you. What these slimes have done is make most people believe very one of these stories you hear are just grifters look for the aforementioned. You see that with stories like this and dimwits like a previous poster claiming he wonders how many iPhones did this too!
Just fools and grifters harming consumers from getting recompense when an actual, and rare, problem arises.