Second M1 Macbook Air - Apple Quality Control?

[Mike45]

I am currently on my 2nd M1 MBA 8cpu/8gpu 16gb/512gb unit and I am growing concerned with Apple's QC.

The first unit was purchased from a large Apple reseller, shipped brand new from China, sealed box, etc. Upon unboxing, I noticed that one of the lid corners was dented in a bit. You could easily see it, and more so feel it with your fingers running over the edge of the device. And there was a blemish on the side by the ports that I was unable to buff out. Sent back for a refund - did not bother setting it up.

I ordered another unit directly from Apple, that also shipped directly from China. This unit is better, but still is not free of flaws. There is a small blemish on one of the back corners by the hinge which I am unable to buff out. On the front, near the lid corner (again) there is a small line/scratch running top to bottom (looking from the side in clamshell mode).Annoying, but much better than the dented unit I previously got. Upon lifting the lid of the device, there was a smudge close to the keypad that I was able to buff out easily. This appears to have been from the factory. And there was a dot on the screen that I was able to buff out, but it did take some effort.

I checked a few other things, the battery charge count shows as 1. I don't think this unit was previously used outside of the factory. I'm asking myself if I am asking too much for a 'perfect' unit, or if Apple's QC has been lacking lately? This is my first Mac purchase since my 2011 PRO which is still running and I am contemplating returning this 2nd unit as well, and going for 'third time's the charm'. On the other hand, I'm concerned if I get a unit that has other or worse issues, such as the wobble issue that was recently discussed. I started setting up this 2nd unit, but am getting slightly frustrated with the two units I received so far. For a $1500 device, maybe my expectations were too high. /sarcasm

Have your M1 Macbook Air's come with blemishes and small imperfections from the factory? Or do I have really bad luck with both of these units?

Thanks!

 

[Apple_Robert]

Mine arrived in A+ condition.

Given that millions upon millions of Macs are mass produced. There are going to be some that get damaged in shipping or are damaged on the production line that isn't obvious right away. These things happen with any mass produced product.

 

[Mike45]

Mine arrived in A+ condition.

Given that millions upon millions of Macs are mass produced. There are going to be some that get damaged in shipping or are damaged on the production line that isn't obvious right away. These things happen with any mass produced product.

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a 'perfect' unit exists out there. After two 'flawed' units, I'm not sure what to think anymore.

 

[leman]

Apple quality control is better than industry average but it’s still a mass produced product we are talking about. Sometimes you get unlucky. My devices are usually in perfect condition, although there are sometimes a blemish or two. I don’t really care anyway, it will get scratched up during use all the same.

Perfection is in the eye of the observer after all

 

[Mike45]

Apple quality control is better than industry average but it’s still a mass produced product we are talking about. Sometimes you get unlucky. My devices are usually in perfect condition, although there are sometimes a blemish or two. I don’t really care anyway, it will get scratched up during use all the same.

Perfection is in the eye of the observer after all

I can understand 1 flawed unit. But 2 flawed units one after another - makes me wonder if I am simply that unlucky, or if there is a QC issue. As per my original post - the first unit was dented and the aluminum was sharp on the lid corner due to this dent.

 

[xraydoc]

Just an n=1, but my BTO MBA direct shipped from the factory in China is a work of art.

 

[Robospungo]

I bought a 1st gen iPhone SE from a local Apple Store. Took it out of the box and there was deep "stem" scratch, connecting the leaf to the Apple logo on the back. Everything else was fine. I returned it for this reason and purchased a different model phone (iPhone 6) which is now covered in dents and scratches. I actually made a thread here and it was filled with people who refused to believe me. Apple is perfect, after all.

I still regret returning the SE and wish I had kept it.

A dent is one thing, but a small scuff or scratch isn't a big deal in my opinion.

 

[Mike45]

Just an n=1, but my BTO MBA direct shipped from the factory in China is a work of art.

Appreciate your feedback. You might be convincing me to try for a 3rd unit.

 

[Mike45]

I bought a 1st gen iPhone SE from a local Apple Store. Took it out of the box and there was deep "stem" scratch, connecting the leaf to the Apple logo on the back. Everything else was fine. I returned it for this reason and purchased a different model phone (iPhone 6) which is now covered in dents and scratches. I actually made a thread here and it was filled with people who refused to believe me. Apple is perfect, after all.

I still regret returning the SE and wish I had kept it.

A dent is one thing, but a small scuff or scratch isn't a big deal in my opinion.

I might be missing it - but why did you regret returning a flawed iPhone?

 

[Kung gu]

My 16" MBP, iPhone 8 and AW4. I got all them in perfect condition.

Apple is not perfect. If you get a flawed product, return it.

 

[lcubed]

what country are you in? when i ordered mine in the US, it was shipped to my local apple store and then couriered from there to me. arrived in perfect condition

 

[Novius89]

I have a topic about this as well. My second “repaired” unit was not fixed by Apple, but in a certified repair center, so I don’t put my problem 100% on Apple.

First MacBook Air came 26th of January, after 2 weeks of use, I cleaned the screen with a microfiber cloth, but before I started I noticed some strange markings on the screen, and a rainbow dot almost in the middle.
Contacted the webshop ( bought it in promotion there) and they told me I have spend the 14 days sight term, and I can not refund it anymore ( only 2 days longer) so they send it to an authorized repair center.
After 2 weeks I got a message, they contacted with the manufacturer of the product, and they replaced the screen.
4 days later it came back.
After being happy that I got my MacBook back, set the whole thing up again, and used it for 4 days.

When the excitement calmed down a little bit, I noticed 2 dead pixels in my replaced screen. In hindsight, I always thought the MacBook Air logo on the bottom of the screen looked a little bit off ( thinner letters, and the shine was different, but I am not 100% sure about that)

contacted the shop via chat, and on every message that I send, some other person from customer service responded to me. I couldn’t get a refund and it would go for repair again.
Thank god for some guy named Terence, in the middle of arguing with his colleagues, he send me a response : oh man, that is a really sour story about your new cool MacBook, I’m sorry man. And he made a return order/label for me.

send the thing back, and 14?! Days later I get a refund.
Bought my new MacBook in a shop, where you can actually visit if you have problems (not Apple), it was not on promotion, but my experience with this shop in the past, is very good.

checked the whole MacBook, and this one is in fine condition, it also feels better software wise, because I didn’t saw a beach ball for loading after a week of using.

I also felt angry because of this, because how can this happen with such an expensive product.
But after I calmed down, I realized I never had anything with my Apple stuff, and it’s always in perfect condition. Sometimes it is just someone in the factory who has a bad day and something slips through.

the only thing I blame Apple for (and this seller). Just send me a new unit, and it would save me a lot of stress. And in the end save them some hassle as well.

 

[Robospungo]

I might be missing it - but why did you regret returning a flawed iPhone?

I would have preferred to have the original SE over the iPhone 6 I went with.

It was a very deep scratch, but it was small, on the back, and wouldn’t have affected my enjoyment of the phone.

Doesn’t help that the the phone I went with instead (iPhone 6) is covered, top to bottom, in dents and scratches 3 years later.

 

[alessio94x]

Not perfect at all... I had to return my first MacBook Air M1 bought from Apple Store Online, because it was not sitting flat on the surfaces... they shipped the second one after almost a month later ?. Finally the new unit is perfect and all the four rubber feet are ok on the table.

 

[OnawaAfrica]

I can understand 1 flawed unit. But 2 flawed units one after another - makes me wonder if I am simply that unlucky, or if there is a QC issue. As per my original post - the first unit was dented and the aluminum was sharp on the lid corner due to this dent.

Where are u living? maybe shipping didn't took good care of the Package

 

[Quackington]

I would advise returning it until you’re happy. It’s not cheap, you should get one with any damage or blemishes. If you keep getting damaged ones, then maybe hold off for a while since you still have a Pro you can use and then maybe try again later in the year. Maybe there’ll be an updated Air.

 

[CMMChris]

Apple having issues with QC is nothing new, at least according to my experience. My worst experience was with a Late 2015 27" Retina iMac. First unit had a yellow-ish tint in the screen that did not go away.
It was exchanged and the new unit had a faulty GPU that randomly caused crashes or funny colors / patterns on the screen.
It was again exchanged and the next unit had a very visible dent on the chin area. It was exchanged again with a flawless unit that after two weeks started having issues with random kernel panics.
It was then exchanged again with a unit that was finally working properly. After two years, the unit then started accumulating dust and small insects between the display glass and the LCD.
Apple refused replacing the screen for free which was when I switched to a Hackintosh until the M1 Macs have been released.

 

[Mike45]

I ended up returning the 2nd MBA M1 to Apple. I'm contemplating if I should attempt a 3rd MBA M1 or just wait for the 14" MBP. I need a new computer ASAP but would prefer a larger screen...

 

[grator]

I truly believe that the truth is there is no, or almost no really perfect unit.
Before buying my M1 MBA, I read some topics about potential issues they can have. I saw one mentioning that, on a black background, the left is greenish, and the right is reddish. But that nobody has issues with lighter backgrounds.
So I bought one. Yeah, on a black background, left is greenish, right is reddish. Alright, I knew that.
But, on a white background, top left corner is greenish too. Well, should be an isolated case.
Replacement came : both sides are definitely reddish on bright background.
New replacement : whole left side greenish.
Replacement : bottom greenish.
5th one : left bottom reddish, and left side dimmer (measured 410cd in the middle of the screen, 340 on the left side)
6th one : left bottom reddish, right side greenish.
My point is : you will always hear that someone else's product is perfect. But it's all matter of your degree of expectation, which is not the same as other people.

 

[applefan19]

I am currently on my 2nd M1 MBA 8cpu/8gpu 16gb/512gb unit and I am growing concerned with Apple's QC.

The first unit was purchased from a large Apple reseller, shipped brand new from China, sealed box, etc. Upon unboxing, I noticed that one of the lid corners was dented in a bit. You could easily see it, and more so feel it with your fingers running over the edge of the device. And there was a blemish on the side by the ports that I was unable to buff out. Sent back for a refund - did not bother setting it up.

I ordered another unit directly from Apple, that also shipped directly from China. This unit is better, but still is not free of flaws. There is a small blemish on one of the back corners by the hinge which I am unable to buff out. On the front, near the lid corner (again) there is a small line/scratch running top to bottom (looking from the side in clamshell mode).Annoying, but much better than the dented unit I previously got. Upon lifting the lid of the device, there was a smudge close to the keypad that I was able to buff out easily. This appears to have been from the factory. And there was a dot on the screen that I was able to buff out, but it did take some effort.

I checked a few other things, the battery charge count shows as 1. I don't think this unit was previously used outside of the factory. I'm asking myself if I am asking too much for a 'perfect' unit, or if Apple's QC has been lacking lately? This is my first Mac purchase since my 2011 PRO which is still running and I am contemplating returning this 2nd unit as well, and going for 'third time's the charm'. On the other hand, I'm concerned if I get a unit that has other or worse issues, such as the wobble issue that was recently discussed. I started setting up this 2nd unit, but am getting slightly frustrated with the two units I received so far. For a $1500 device, maybe my expectations were too high. /sarcasm

Have your M1 Macbook Air's come with blemishes and small imperfections from the factory? Or do I have really bad luck with both of these units?

Thanks!

Bad luck. If possible, try shipping to store instead of home. I was unable to for my MacBook with customizations, but it turned out fine.

 

[xraydoc]

I truly believe that the truth is there is no, or almost no really perfect unit.

The truth for everything. Not at consumer prices, at least.

 

[thelookingglass]

These are mass produced products. I have three and they're all flawless in my eyes. But then again I'm not combing over every centimeter looking for imperfections. The body is made of aluminum, which is on the softer side of metals. IF you don't have a dent now, you will sooner rather than later.

 

[pshufd]

I am currently on my 2nd M1 MBA 8cpu/8gpu 16gb/512gb unit and I am growing concerned with Apple's QC.

The first unit was purchased from a large Apple reseller, shipped brand new from China, sealed box, etc. Upon unboxing, I noticed that one of the lid corners was dented in a bit. You could easily see it, and more so feel it with your fingers running over the edge of the device. And there was a blemish on the side by the ports that I was unable to buff out. Sent back for a refund - did not bother setting it up.

I ordered another unit directly from Apple, that also shipped directly from China. This unit is better, but still is not free of flaws. There is a small blemish on one of the back corners by the hinge which I am unable to buff out. On the front, near the lid corner (again) there is a small line/scratch running top to bottom (looking from the side in clamshell mode).Annoying, but much better than the dented unit I previously got. Upon lifting the lid of the device, there was a smudge close to the keypad that I was able to buff out easily. This appears to have been from the factory. And there was a dot on the screen that I was able to buff out, but it did take some effort.

I checked a few other things, the battery charge count shows as 1. I don't think this unit was previously used outside of the factory. I'm asking myself if I am asking too much for a 'perfect' unit, or if Apple's QC has been lacking lately? This is my first Mac purchase since my 2011 PRO which is still running and I am contemplating returning this 2nd unit as well, and going for 'third time's the charm'. On the other hand, I'm concerned if I get a unit that has other or worse issues, such as the wobble issue that was recently discussed. I started setting up this 2nd unit, but am getting slightly frustrated with the two units I received so far. For a $1500 device, maybe my expectations were too high. /sarcasm

Have your M1 Macbook Air's come with blemishes and small imperfections from the factory? Or do I have really bad luck with both of these units?

Thanks!

We bought one for our daughter and it was perfect. She would have told me if there were the smallest defect. We did an online order from a local store. I actually haven't had any QC issues with any Apple products that we've purchased and we have a ton of Apple stuff. Well, if you don't include the operating systems.

 

[pshufd]

I ended up returning the 2nd MBA M1 to Apple. I'm contemplating if I should attempt a 3rd MBA M1 or just wait for the 14" MBP. I need a new computer ASAP but would prefer a larger screen...

If it really bothered me, I'd buy one at the Apple Store and have them open it and then inspect it. That way they could just hand you another one if there were a problem.

 

[jdclifford]

I got my M1 MBA on Dec 9th and it was great until Jan 31st when for no reason the closed lid became hot to the touch and the battery began draining to almost 33% in a few hrs when not being used. Blah blah blah... my unit spent 2 weeks in Apple repair facility in TX and came back with almost all internals replaced: battery, M1 chip board, speakers, display etc. 1st time in 35 yrs of using Apple products (including original Mac) that I've had such issues. Frustrating, but all is well again since then. U never know!