M1 MacBook owners complain about easily cracked screens

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 85
    sflocal said: How many WinTel laptops experience the same issue?
    Laptop screens are relatively fragile regardless of the manufacturer. They can easily be damaged when closed just by weight on top of the laptop. One common scenario: put laptop into backpack that has books/equipment for work or school and then set the backpack flat on the floor or flat on a table. The weight of the other items can potentially flex the laptop screen enough to cause damage. 
  • Reply 22 of 85
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,328member
    Apple’s MacBook computers (and iPhones, iPads, iPods) are very elegant and stylish products, but there is no denying the fact that they absolutely scream “I am a very delicate instrument that needs to be handled like a newborn kitten.” As long as you heed their warning, which may include encasing them in a protective shell, you’ll probably be happy with their durability. If all of your digits are thumbs and you drop things as a hobby, you can always buy something like a Panasonic Toughbook, which is like a Ford F-250 compared to Apple’s Triumph Spitfire level of ruggedness.   

    I would be thrilled to trade off some of Apple’s delicate elegance for a bit more ruggedness. I’m not talking Toughbook or Estwing hammer level of ruggedness, but something that can handle an occasional misstep without shattering like a china dinner plate. I’m actually surprised that Apple hasn’t tuned into the “rugged look” aesthetic that’s captured the hearts and wallets of American automobile buyers. The best selling commuter vehicles in the US are 3-ton plus $55K+ massive pickup trucks with 4ft x 8ft grills and squeaky clean air-filled pickup beds that require a step ladder to look inside. If millions of ruggedness inspired consumers are lining up to purchase these rugged looking expensive behemoths, why wouldn’t Apple want to tap into those same wallets?

    Adding a few millimeters to get the screen off the chassis/keyboard and stiffening up the screen back would not disappoint me in the least even if it adds a few ounces to the weight. After all, who can’t afford to haul a few more ounces in the luxurious cabin of their urban assault vehicle?
    MplsPelijahgasdasdgatorguypscooter63MikeDZPL
  • Reply 23 of 85
    tommikeletommikele Posts: 599member
    crowley said:
    tommikele said:
    elijahg said:
    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.  

    There are plenty of spurious lawsuits that is for certain, but there are also people like you who claim no problem is ever Apple's fault. It's usually somewhere in the middle.
    "People like you"? Really dude? More like people like you who think everything is someone else’s fault or Apple or Google or whoever should have foreseen Armageddon and included it in their warranty. Archstanton is spot on. This kind of crap and denial by users and support for exploitation by buyers and lawyers needs to stop. I am tired of having that cost built in to everything I buy.. it’s not somewhere in the middle. It’s way out 5het3 on the ver6 far edges. Some people never experience these issues and some people always do. Kind of like being a hypochondriac. I coughed, oh my god I’ve got lung cancer caused by the odors coming from my spaghetti and meatballs. I must find a lawyer and sue Barilla and Ragu . They should have known this would happen. It’s definitely their fault. The fact I ate that six times a day every week for 30 years is irrelevant.
    Why would eating six times a day give you lung cancer?
    Exactly the point. Ask the lawyer who is recruiting plaintiffs for a class action law suit.
  • Reply 24 of 85
    bradmacprobradmacpro Posts: 121member
    As they did not change the bezels to something more slender on these models, if it's limited to the M1 models, one can't blame the construction. If I was buying a laptop, which has no latching mechanism, it seems it would make sense to use some sticker to the bezel or top case to introduce a tiny bit of extra space here to allow for a grain of sand to not crack the display.
  • Reply 25 of 85
    OctoMonkeyOctoMonkey Posts: 311member
    As they did not change the bezels to something more slender on these models, if it's limited to the M1 models, one can't blame the construction. If I was buying a laptop, which has no latching mechanism, it seems it would make sense to use some sticker to the bezel or top case to introduce a tiny bit of extra space here to allow for a grain of sand to not crack the display.
    Wellll...  There may be more to it.  It is possible they changed display suppliers (or added a supplier), they might have changed the manufacturing process, altered the display construction...  perhaps the torque on the tool for screwing in the display was set too high (assuming there is such a tool) at a single station for a shift or two...  There may have been a defect in the display itself, or a change at the display manufacturer.  Of course, there might have been no change at all.  We are not privy to the engineering and manufacturing details...  or at least, I am not.

    That said, there are a great many possibilities including mishandling by the consumer.
    muthuk_vanalingamasdasdh4y3spscooter63
  • Reply 26 of 85
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    tommikele said:
    crowley said:
    tommikele said:
    elijahg said:
    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.  

    There are plenty of spurious lawsuits that is for certain, but there are also people like you who claim no problem is ever Apple's fault. It's usually somewhere in the middle.
    "People like you"? Really dude? More like people like you who think everything is someone else’s fault or Apple or Google or whoever should have foreseen Armageddon and included it in their warranty. Archstanton is spot on. This kind of crap and denial by users and support for exploitation by buyers and lawyers needs to stop. I am tired of having that cost built in to everything I buy.. it’s not somewhere in the middle. It’s way out 5het3 on the ver6 far edges. Some people never experience these issues and some people always do. Kind of like being a hypochondriac. I coughed, oh my god I’ve got lung cancer caused by the odors coming from my spaghetti and meatballs. I must find a lawyer and sue Barilla and Ragu . They should have known this would happen. It’s definitely their fault. The fact I ate that six times a day every week for 30 years is irrelevant.
    Why would eating six times a day give you lung cancer?
    Exactly the point. Ask the lawyer who is recruiting plaintiffs for a class action law suit.
    I fail to see how your strange fiction has anything to do with MacBook screens cracking easily.  If they crack more easily than should be reasonably expected then that's a design fault and Apple should be held accountable for.
    elijahgmuthuk_vanalingamasdasdMikeDZPL
  • Reply 27 of 85
    stimpystimpy Posts: 18member
    I personally wouldn't care in my notebook was 18mm thick vs 12mm thick if I could just have a little more support around the display and no wear on the screen from the unnecessarily tight tolerances. I don't know why they do this. From the front using a machine it only appears 1mm thick on the display so who cares. If weight is an issue you can leave 2 ink pens out of your bag to compensate or better yet one of my 4 DONGLES.
    elijahg
  • Reply 28 of 85
    sbdudesbdude Posts: 255member
    Let’s see, 50 people piling into an Apple Forum thread commiserating over the same issue. That must equal, what, thousands of defects? Millions even!!

    Sound like 50 people commiserating over their own stupidity. Too bad the attorney(s) trolling those forums only see opportunity.
    ArchStantonlkruppJFC_PApscooter63
  • Reply 29 of 85
    sflocal said:
    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.
    How many WinTel laptops experience the same issue?  Little to no info?  It's not because it doesn't happen.  It's because they're not Apple so no one cares.  How many screens are cracking vs how many being sold?  

    I suspect its more with people not accepting responsibility for their precision piece of tech and expecting it to be Apple's problem.
    Use proper search terminology and the info is right there for you.  Even a cursory search  starting with "[specific brand] screen cracked by itself" would reveal this isn't an issue exclusive to Apple laptops.  Dell, HP, Surface, etc. have all had users making similar claims.

    Microsoft even offered free repairs when it happened to surface laptops: https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/8/21252634/microsoft-surface-laptop-3-screen-crack-free-repair

    So before arbitrarily blaming users, let the situation play out.  The same people pointing fingers at users without a shred of proof or supporting anecdotal evidence, are most likely the exact same people who blamed users for issues that Apple ultimately took responsibility for and offered some type of remedy.  



    elijahgmuthuk_vanalingamnadrielasdasdgatorguyh4y3s
  • Reply 30 of 85
    Apple is an amazing company but has a long history of stonewalling users over computer defects. Everyone has their own story. I still recall in 2005, the white iBook I owned had a graphics driver issue that caused the screen to go crazy. Apple wouldn't acknowledge it for over six months and asked me to send back the machine multiple times. Later, it was admitted to be a widespread flaw. Maybe that's not the case here, I hope it's not, but it's hard to give them the benefit of the doubt. 
    elijahgnadrielasdasd
  • Reply 31 of 85
    dewme said:
    Apple’s MacBook computers (and iPhones, iPads, iPods) are very elegant and stylish products, but there is no denying the fact that they absolutely scream “I am a very delicate instrument that needs to be handled like a newborn kitten.” As long as you heed their warning, which may include encasing them in a protective shell, you’ll probably be happy with their durability. If all of your digits are thumbs and you drop things as a hobby, you can always buy something like a Panasonic Toughbook, which is like a Ford F-250 compared to Apple’s Triumph Spitfire level of ruggedness.   

    I would be thrilled to trade off some of Apple’s delicate elegance for a bit more ruggedness. I’m not talking Toughbook or Estwing hammer level of ruggedness, but something that can handle an occasional misstep without shattering like a china dinner plate. I’m actually surprised that Apple hasn’t tuned into the “rugged look” aesthetic that’s captured the hearts and wallets of American automobile buyers. The best selling commuter vehicles in the US are 3-ton plus $55K+ massive pickup trucks with 4ft x 8ft grills and squeaky clean air-filled pickup beds that require a step ladder to look inside. If millions of ruggedness inspired consumers are lining up to purchase these rugged looking expensive behemoths, why wouldn’t Apple want to tap into those same wallets?

    Adding a few millimeters to get the screen off the chassis/keyboard and stiffening up the screen back would not disappoint me in the least even if it adds a few ounces to the weight. After all, who can’t afford to haul a few more ounces in the luxurious cabin of their urban assault vehicle?
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Qj58o87sY
    rbelize
  • Reply 32 of 85
    OctoMonkeyOctoMonkey Posts: 311member
    Apple is an amazing company but has a long history of stonewalling users over computer defects. Everyone has their own story. I still recall in 2005, the white iBook I owned had a graphics driver issue that caused the screen to go crazy. Apple wouldn't acknowledge it for over six months and asked me to send back the machine multiple times. Later, it was admitted to be a widespread flaw. Maybe that's not the case here, I hope it's not, but it's hard to give them the benefit of the doubt. 
    That is the exact reason I indicated "yet another lawsuit" in my first post.

    For all the accolades people heap upon Apple, they do have a tendency to deny design (especially form over function) problems until a lawsuit is brought against them.
    elijahgasdasd
  • Reply 33 of 85
    iadlibiadlib Posts: 95member
    The comments on this thread are by-and-large bonkers. You’re defending a corporation who has had questionable business practices over the years, from the way they treat their employees to lobbying against right-to-repair. Mind boggling. 

    Let me give you an example as a former employee, of Apple’s BS: I had a 17 inch MacBook pro and it developed bowing on the lower bezel of the aluminum display. 

    As a Mac genius (at the time) we all knew that the display assembly was too heavy for the hinges and the stress manifested along the lower bezel after normal use of opening and closing the display. 

    So I assumed that I could send it to the repair depot without worry. Because everyone knew about this issue. Instead the repair depot folks said it was “accidental damage” and when I explained everything they called my manager and accused me of using my employee status to get “preferential” treatment. 

    Y’all. Believe people when they say there’s an issue. This is just one example of the BS. Go on with your idiocy. 
    elijahgmikethemartianasdasds.metcalf
  • Reply 34 of 85
    Let the fan dance begin. First there are news reports of multiple users with the same technical issue with an Apple product (usually an iPhone or MacBook). Apple denies that it is their fault and fanboys rush in to agree with them even though they have no idea what they are talking about. Then a much larger number of users realize that what they had thought was just their MacBook was actually happening other users and the story blows up. Then Apple denies again that it is their fault. Then there is a class action lawsuit. Then Apple finally quietly admits that they made a manufacturing mistake in "a small number of products" and "strives for to make the best possible ... blah, blah, blah" and offers free repairs and refunds.

    Could we skip all that just once please Apple? For those of us considering a purchase of a new MacBook Air, we are now thinking about waiting to see how this gets resolved. If we knew that free repairs are offered, we could buy with confidence.
    muthuk_vanalingamelijahgmikethemartianasdasdrbelize
  • Reply 35 of 85
    sbdude said:
    Let’s see, 50 people piling into an Apple Forum thread commiserating over the same issue. That must equal, what, thousands of defects? Millions even!!

    Sound like 50 people commiserating over their own stupidity. Too bad the attorney(s) trolling those forums only see opportunity.

    "Thousands of defects? Millions even!" -- that is the hyperbole they'll use with their goal to get as meany people to believe the product is defective and not to buy it. Their MO is based on Apple hate and/or looking for 15 minutes of YouTube fame.
    A quick search AI  and other similar sites will show you that a vast number of Apple products are breaking, burning, bent and brazenly bad! It is the M.O. of these people. Get enough then maybe a lawyer/class action suit can be ginned up. These are very rarely won but their main goal is still usually achieved--15 minutes of fame.

    It never tangibly effects sales of Apple, Apple isn't ever tangibly hurt at all. But it tangibly effects and harms us consumers. All companies (not limited to Apple) are in bunker mentality from these scams coming from all sides. Companies would be paying out on virtually every product if they didn't fight these scammers. So in the end the scammers get their 15 minutes of fame, the company isn't hurt, we consumers get the short end of the stick if a real issue ever does arise. 
    asdasd
  • Reply 36 of 85
    XedXed Posts: 2,519member
    Every new iteration is an experiment in some regard.
    h4y3s
  • Reply 37 of 85
    brianjobrianjo Posts: 39member
    This has been an ongoing issue since the 2016 redesign.  The way the screen hinges leaves little to no tolerance of ANYTHING being in the hinge gap.  A grain of sand can get wedged in, and the pressure created by the leverage of closing the screen can cause the screen to crack.  The user won't notice any increased pressure, again, due to the leverage being created.

    While technically it's user error because that grain of sand shouldn't be there, it's poor design because in the real world, sand exists and can end up unseen in the crevice of the display.

    The previous design never created such a wedge point on the glass where this would cause an issue.
    elijahg
  • Reply 38 of 85
    doggonedoggone Posts: 377member
    Often Apple will do the repair for free if you take it to the Apple Store.  I had a situation that my dog bit through the charging cable on an MBP charger.  I went to the store to buy a replacement and was directed to one of the support staff. They gave me a new charger for free even though it was obvious this was not a technical issue.  One of the things I love about Apple.

    If the incident rate starts increasing it could be a manufacturing issue and Apple will issue a replacement program.  My only criticism of Apple is that it take some time for them to get to that stage and people end up paying for repairs that later are done for free.
    pscooter63
  • Reply 39 of 85
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    genovelle said:
    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. 
    Yep, you see this on the Apple Discussion Forums all day long. Never the user’s fault, the screen just cracked all by itself, Watch screen, iPhone screen, iPad screen, etc. Oh and scratches! The user claims to take extra special care of their iPhone yet they woke up one day and there were scratches on their screen, our of nowhere! 

    And the healdine? Oh that headline. 

    M1 MacBook owners complain about easily cracked screens


    How many users? We don’t know. How do those users prove their assertions? They can’t. It will take some professional experimentation to show, unequivocally, that there’s a design flaw or manufacturing failure. 
    edited July 2021 JFC_PAArchStantonpscooter63
  • Reply 40 of 85
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    doggone said:
    Often Apple will do the repair for free if you take it to the Apple Store.  I had a situation that my dog bit through the charging cable on an MBP charger.  I went to the store to buy a replacement and was directed to one of the support staff. They gave me a new charger for free even though it was obvious this was not a technical issue.  One of the things I love about Apple.

    If the incident rate starts increasing it could be a manufacturing issue and Apple will issue a replacement program.  My only criticism of Apple is that it take some time for them to get to that stage and people end up paying for repairs that later are done for free.
    Well, that’s the thing. Honey catches more flies than vinegar. My 2013 iMac 27” 14,2 had the mechanism that holds the head up break. A spring apparently broke. It was years out of warranty and I took it my local Apple Store for repair. After politely asking if there was warranty program for the problem I was quoted a price of $175.00 for the repair. I did not fly into a rage, I did not stomp my feet and demand a supervisor, I did not make a scene and threaten to leave Apple, I did not insist the problem was a design or manufacturing flaw. Two days later I got the call that my iMac was ready for pickup. There was NO charge for the repair. I don’t why but I suspect it was simple customer appreciation. 

    I have read posts where the customer claimed Apple hung up on them. I was in customer service for Ma Bell early in my 20’s and the ONLY time we were allowed to hang up on a customer was abusive or profane language. As long as the customer remained rational and polite we were not allowed to hang up on them for any reason. We had to keep trying to satisfy them. 
    edited July 2021 h4y3seriamjh
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