M1 Air Uneven Backlight

[indezah]

So I had some issues with my hinge and got my screen replaced on my 4 month old M1 Air. It's been a month and I noticed there's some backlight unevenness in the bottom third of the display. Somewhat noticable if you look for it on a white screen. I didn't notice it for a month but now it's the only thing I see.

I'm reluctant to get it replaced again since there's no official Apple Store in my country and authorized service centers took around 45 days to replace it the first time. Which was like half a semester in my university. Scared I'd get a worse screen or the same thing again...

 

[Mike Boreham]

I know that once you see these things it is very hard to unsee them, but it doesn't look at all bad to me, from your photo. As you say, it took a month to notice and you could get a worse one. I really would try using it for real, not looking at white screens. You either have to do this or bite bullet and return it. No one else can decide that for you.

 

[mr_roboto]

I think all you're seeing is completely normal LCD viewing angle artifacts. If the axis of your eye (or camera) is 90° to a spot near the top of the screen, it might be at 70° or 60° to a spot near the bottom. LCD display tech is not perfect at maintaining identical contrast and brightness and color across different viewing angles. All these things work best at 90°, and fall off as you move away from that ideal viewing angle. You can see this easily just by rotating the whole computer left or right - I start seeing gradients in white color and intensity at as little as 30° of rotation on this 16" MBP.

With LCDs, there's always a gradient lurking somewhere and you will find it if you look for it hard enough. Use the computer and stop worrying about it and you'll probably be happy.

 

[papbot]

So I had some issues with my hinge and got my screen replaced on my 4 month old M1 Air. It's been a month and I noticed there's some backlight unevenness in the bottom third of the display. Somewhat noticable if you look for it on a white screen. I didn't notice it for a month but now it's the only thing I see.

I'm reluctant to get it replaced again since there's no official Apple Store in my country and authorized service centers took around 45 days to replace it the first time. Which was like half a semester in my university. Scared I'd get a worse screen or the same thing again...
View attachment 2132685

In your photo it’s quite difficult to make out, but I believe I know what you’re seeing. I got a new M2 MBA last week and have been seeing something similar to what you’re describing. In the image below in which I switched to an off-white desktop wallpaper the pointer is at about the center of the shadow or cloud as my wife calls it. It can be seen on the desktop as well as any open application especially those with a broad white background.

 

[mr_roboto]

@papbot You should probably return that computer inside the 2 week full refund window Apple provides, then buy a replacement M2 MBA. Or ask them to do a warranty repair. (both approaches have their ups and downs, you might prefer the return / re-buy because it gets you a new condition computer right away.)

What I wrote about explains why there are uniform horizontal and vertical gradients even on perfectly healthy LCDs. But dark blobs in the middle, like the ones you photographed, are likely to be a manufacturing defect or shipping damage.

(Or possibly you damaged it. The usual way people do this is by stacking things on top of their computer while it's closed, or putting it into a backpack pressed up against other objects. That's bad, the display housing is too thin to provide tons of protection against pressure points.)

 

[papbot]

@papbot You should probably return that computer inside the 2 week full refund window Apple provides, then buy a replacement M2 MBA. Or ask them to do a warranty repair. (both approaches have their ups and downs, you might prefer the return / re-buy because it gets you a new condition computer right away.)

What I wrote about explains why there are uniform horizontal and vertical gradients even on perfectly healthy LCDs. But dark blobs in the middle, like the ones you photographed, are likely to be a manufacturing defect or shipping damage.

(Or possibly you damaged it. The usual way people do this is by stacking things on top of their computer while it's closed, or putting it into a backpack pressed up against other objects. That's bad, the display housing is too thin to provide tons of protection against pressure points.)

I’ve only had it a week or less, nothing has been stacked on it and other than sitting on my lap it hasn’t been anywhere. I may head out to the Apple Store tomorrow to try a return and see if I could pick up another but I don’t know how that would go over.

 

[indezah]

UPDATE: got the screen replaced again. It looks alright now.

 

[call-151]

In your photo it’s quite difficult to make out, but I believe I know what you’re seeing. I got a new M2 MBA last week and have been seeing something similar to what you’re describing. In the image below in which I switched to an off-white desktop wallpaper the pointer is at about the center of the shadow or cloud as my wife calls it. It can be seen on the desktop as well as any open application especially those with a broad white background.

View attachment 2133965

My 2 month old M2 mba has the exact same display issue. Horizontal light/dark irregularities, same locations. Currently “being inspected” in an Apple repair facility.