Screen cracked by thin line after exposure to sun

[paulrberg]

Today was a hot day and I was working with my MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar on my lap (directly exposed to the sun) when I suddenly saw a thin line cracking the screen into two halves.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Nothing fell onto the screen, nothing touched it or scratched it; the MacBook was simply sitting on my lap. I attached some photos below. It's weird but the left-hand side of the screen is somewhat darker now.

Does this fall under the limited warranty offered by Apple? I don't have Apple Care. If it doesn't, how much would it cost me to repair it?

 

[satcomer]

This something that authorized repair can fix for under $400!

 

[paulrberg]

Thanks @satcomer .. It's still quite a lot. I'd rather save up the money to make an upgrade. Dammit.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Take it to an Apple Store and have them look at it. If they deny the repair under the warranty coverage, they will quote you a price for the repair. If you don't like what they say, take it to an Apple Authorized Service center and see what offer they will make. Then make your decision.

 

[Wando64]

If you are still under warranty, why wouldn’t Apple repair it for free?
I have not seen any warning from them about sun exposure and the usual temperature operating limits refer to the electronics, not the glass.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

I seriously doubt the display cracked because of exposure to sun. How often does that happen to glass windows, for example? The best theory I can come up with is that there was an existing crack that only became visible in the bright sunlight, or an existing scratch/flaw that finally reached the breaking point because of excessive stress.

But it's all theory and guesswork. Apple is not likely to repair it for free, whether in or out of warranty, as broken glass is normally assumed to be accidental damage, not a manufacturing flaw.

 

[AZhappyjack]

If you are still under warranty, why wouldn’t Apple repair it for free?
I have not seen any warning from them about sun exposure and the usual temperature operating limits refer to the electronics, not the glass.

There is almost always more to the story than is first told. Doubtful that mere exposure to the sun would cause an LCD panel to crack. Again, maybe I'm just suspicious, but first post comes with a tall tale...

 

[Apple_Robert]

You will need to pay for the repair, or just get a new machine.

The sun (in and of itself) did not crack your screen.

 

[Wando64]

What I am hearing is that the glass panel should not crack just with exposure to the sun.
I think we all agree with that, and I am also sure that Apple would agree with that.
Therefore, IF that is what happened, Apple should replace under warranty because, IF that is what happened, it would be very much the symptom of a manufacturing defect and that doesn’t seem particularly far fetched to me.

By the way, if there is no impact sign, nor any sign of bending, how could the OP have accidentally broken it?
I am sure I remember similar stories about iPad screens that got replaced under warranty.

 

[paulrberg]

I seriously doubt the display cracked because of exposure to sun. How often does that happen to glass windows, for example?

If the sun didn't in and of itself break this, it certainly accelerated the process.

It's true that I carry my laptop in my backpack quite frequently. I do keep it in a sleeve, but even then, I don't think it's unlikely that sometime, somehow, the screen in the top-left corner might have pressured by "turbulences" caused by being cramped in a backpack for hours long.

In any case, what I did see and cannot forget is the screen cracking in half in real-time in front of my eyes, while the MacBook was sitting on my lap.

I'll got an authorised service and see what I can do about it. Cheers guys.

 

[T2Rife]

If you go to an authorized reseller, they will not be able to offer free warranty work. Only an Apple store can do that.

 

[hobowankenobi]

As others have stated, if you are within the 1 year warranty, Apple will look at it. They will look closely for any sign of damage that would show that abuse or neglect caused the crack (scratches, dents, chips). If there is zero physical damage, they might cover it. No way to know until it gets inspected. If not covered, they will give you an estimate to repair. If too costly for your tastes, your only other option would be to find the part and try yourself. There are some vendors that sell used parts, like beetstech.