LCD damage to Macbook Air with no discernable cause.

[sgober]

I know this is going to sound ridiculous. Please just bear with me.

So I opened up my Macbook this morning to witness this. Seems to be LCD damage because it only manifests when the screen is on, and brightness affects how visible it is. Did some research this morning and the answer I got was pressure damage - that something pressed on the Macbook and caused LCD damage.

Here's the problem: I genuinely don't see how that's possible. The laptop is only ever used on a flat surface (table or desk), and is put back into a soft briefcase-style bag afterwards. It is the only thing in the bag, the laptop fits loosely in the bag (it's not a snug/firm fit), and then kept on the desk in its bag. I am very diligent about making sure that nothing gets placed on top of the bag, and that nothing is ever pressing against the laptop in any way. I was alone in the house last night, and while I have animals - including a cat - they are all kenneled/crated at night and do not have free roam of the house.

So if pressure damage is to blame, the only explanation I can come up with is that somebody broke into my house and sat on my laptop last night.

Has anybody seen an issue like this before? Any input? I've had this laptop less than two years and am pretty put out about this.

 

[sgober]

Also, just to clarify: the display still works, just with the evident LCD damage visible. The screen is black so as to show the damage more clearly.

 

[applesith]

It looks like pressure was applied to it while closed to create the damage in the same shape of the keyboard. I've had my M2 for a year now and travel with it a bit and have not run into this.

If the pressure wasn't applied externally, then maybe the case us swelling from the battery? You'd notice that though.

 

[sgober]

It looks like pressure was applied to it while closed to create the damage in the same shape of the keyboard. I've had my M2 for a year now and travel with it a bit and have not run into this.

If the pressure wasn't applied externally, then maybe the case us swelling from the battery? You'd notice that though.

Yeah, I checked for that. No battery swelling.

I agree that's what it looks like, I'm just baffled as to how it happened. I don't think the bag I have it in is heavy enough to cause this kind of damage, but I can't think of any other explanation.

 

[Saturn007]

Is this the M1 MBA?

Could this be a forerunner of that model's contentious, sometimes occurring screen cracking problem?

 

[sgober]

Is this the M1 MBA?

Could this be a forerunner of that model's contentious, sometimes occurring screen cracking problem?

It's a 2020 M1, so yes. I am also wondering this - I posted in part to see if anybody had had similar experiences.

 

[StoneJack]

maybe it was thrown, raised up from corner, any pressure applied on the lid or something fell on top. Also might be hinge problem.

 

[Saturn007]

Yet, as the OP already reported:

I am very diligent about making sure that nothing gets placed on top of the bag, and that nothing is ever pressing against the laptop in any way.

I was alone in the house last night, and while I have animals - including a cat - they are all kenneled/crated at night and do not have free roam of the house.

 

[StoneJack]

Yet, as the OP already reported:

Someone sit on the notebook with closed lid or put something heavy

 

[DeltaMac]

Doesn't look like pressure damage, per se, but instead, is damage caused by the keycaps on the keyboard. It is from prolonged contact, plus oil from your own fingers, over time wearing an imprint of your keycaps. It causes damage to the coating on your screen. (This does not suddenly happen over one night, 'tis a gradual process)

 

[mr_jomo]

Doesn't look like pressure damage, per se, but instead, is damage caused by the keycaps on the keyboard. It is from prolonged contact, plus oil from your own fingers, over time wearing an imprint of your keycaps. It causes damage to the coating on your screen. (This does not suddenly happen over one night, 'tis a gradual process)

Spot on: one of my kids constant had the imprints until I told her to stop piling high school books on top of her macBook Air. That stopped the"bleeding", but the damage already done was permanent 😭.

 

[Saturn007]

I looked at the photo again. I originally thought you were referring to the weird glass-tearing defect at the upper left side. Elliptical, large, and more like a rock hit a windshield.

Now, I see the thin bluish lines on the screen that look exactly like the outline of the key caps that others mentioned. You could probably measure their position and confirm they line up with the keyboard and caps. Why not contact Apple support and see what they say?

Given that no one had access to your laptop overnight, not even your pets, it's obvious that no one sat on your laptop or put something heavy on it! 😁

This does fit my speculation that one of the reasons Apple dropped the wedge-shape was that they realized they were having problems with clearance and screen support.

 

[sgober]

I looked at the photo again. I originally thought you were referring to the weird glass-tearing defect at the upper left side. Elliptical, large, and more like a rock hit a windshield.

Now, I see the thin bluish lines on the screen that look exactly like the outline of the key caps that others mentioned. You could probably measure their position and confirm they line up with the keyboard and caps. Why not contact Apple support and see what they say?

Given that no one had access to your laptop overnight, not even your pets, it's obvious that no one sat on your laptop or put something heavy on it! 😁

This does fit my speculation that one of the reasons Apple dropped the wedge-shape was that they realized they were having problems with clearance and screen support.

Lol - the glass-tearing thing at the upper left is a reflection of a trash bag. Just realized, looking at the picture just now, that it looks like some kind of damage. 😅

I have reached out to support once about this already, and explained the situation - they politely implied I was lying and said that any repairs would be my responsibility. I may try them again, or just show up at an Apple store and see what happens. I appreciate the responses I've gotten here, though - at least I know I'm not losing my mind.

 

[StoneJack]

I have a very thin case on keys to protect the keyboard and it may also protect the screen as well. You may try on of these as the display imprints are indeed made by keys.

 

[naddrof]

I looked at the photo again. I originally thought you were referring to the weird glass-tearing defect at the upper left side. Elliptical, large, and more like a rock hit a windshield.

Now, I see the thin bluish lines on the screen that look exactly like the outline of the key caps that others mentioned. You could probably measure their position and confirm they line up with the keyboard and caps. Why not contact Apple support and see what they say?

Given that no one had access to your laptop overnight, not even your pets, it's obvious that no one sat on your laptop or put something heavy on it! 😁

This does fit my speculation that one of the reasons Apple dropped the wedge-shape was that they realized they were having problems with clearance and screen support.

I think they dropped the wedge shape for the same reason. I've put my experience with an M1 Mac cracked screen below. Note that I'm in New Zealand and our consumer laws seem a bit stronger so there's no way for Apple to wriggle out of the situation with a "out of warranty/applecare" excuse. As they've already released a consumer warning about the need to close the screen carefully they've pretty much admitted there's a problem. Add to that all the people complaining online, a class action lawsuit, there is no way I would've lost my consumer claim here. So they've had to accept that a failing screen from simply closing the lid is not "fit for purpose" and gone ahead and repaired for free without argument. So check your local consumer laws and mention them to Apple reps. My (longwinded) story is below.

I was able to get my cracked screen repaired by Apple, out of warranty. Saved myself $500-$1000 per what I was quoted. I posted my experience on the Apple community forum thread about M1 screens cracking and it was rejected “because it contained off-topic or non-technical posts”. So I'm posting my experience on other sites in the hope that it helps a few people. The exact (rejected) post is below:
I just had Apple replace my screen despite being 1 year out of warranty. My story is that I’m in New Zealand. I bought a MacBook M1 in 2021. I only use it for business so I virtually never close the laptop because it’s left on a desk in my home office hooked up to some screens. One day about two months ago I closed the screen to take the laptop upstairs. Upon opening the laptop upstairs, I find that the screen is cracked in the lower left hand corner and I have lines running out the left-hand side and all along the bottom of the screen. A quick google search revealed this is a common problem so although the MacBook was out of warranty, I felt I would have a claim against Apple under New Zealand consumer law. Our law here says that a product must be “fit for the purpose it is sold for” and should last for a “reasonable amount of time” in line with what a reasonable consumer would expect, and this law supersedes any manufacturers warranty. I felt that I should be able to expect my MacBook M1 to last up to 5 years given the price point and lifespan of Macbooks I’ve previously owned. I also felt I should be able to open and close a laptop without the screen breaking for no reason at two years of ownership. So I talked to Apple online and told them my thoughts & intention and they told me I have to take it to an authorised repair outlet to be assessed. So I took the computer to the authorised repair outlet and told them that I wanted the computer screen assessed, not repaired, as per Apple‘s instructions, so that I could make a small claims court case against them for the cost of the screen repair. The authorized repairer came back to me saying Apple would cover and I now have a fully repaired screen covered by Apple despite being 1 year out of warranty. I’m 100% confident I would have won the small claims court case under NZ consumer law and I’m also sure that’s why the repair was done. Good luck to others with this issue and I hope my experience gives you some hope if your country has some reasonable consumer protection laws.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I hope my experience gives you some hope if your country has some reasonable consumer protection laws.

Helpful to customers in New Zealand and Australia. Consumer law in most other areas pales in comparison.