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Apple Extends Free Repairs of Anti-Reflective Coating on Select MacBook and MacBook Pro Models
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I can confirm that the document is correct if you're an Apple US or Apple Japan customer. You're entitled to a free replacement for any display with that issue until the repair program is over.
I learned this last weekend when an Apple employee showed me the zeroed out invoice and documentation in GSX and told me I can keep coming back four years out from purchase.
I'm still covered as this will be my SECOND display delamination and concerned that if it has to go through again whether or not to request a replacement machine as a repeat repair.
I was also told these replacement clamshells come from an entirely different stock that has a newer coating, but who knows...
I learned this last weekend when an Apple employee showed me the zeroed out invoice and documentation in GSX and told me I can keep coming back four years out from purchase.
I'm still covered as this will be my SECOND display delamination and concerned that if it has to go through again whether or not to request a replacement machine as a repeat repair.
I was also told these replacement clamshells come from an entirely different stock that has a newer coating, but who knows...
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So glad I saw this article. My 2015 MacBook has the reflective coating coming off and I thought I was screwed cause it happened after the 1 year warranty
Well, the cause is faulty lamination process: The layers separate and essentially flake away in time. And once it starts, it just kind of spreads. Mine started out as tiny specks (that I thought were moisture spots) and evolved into the mess you see today; cleanliness of the display and no matter how soft the cloth you use to wipe it, at that point doesn’t matter.
Possibilities are endless because of faulty processes. One tech asked me what soap I use, what cleaners I might have in the house, and a few have discussed it being a combination of heat and oils.
Got 2014 MacBook Pro it is flawless. Only thing it had was a swollen battery a couple months in. Got sorted under warranty and haven’t looked back.
Yes will do. I won't remind them of the previous repair, given your experience... let them work it out for themselves if they notice.
If they come up with that excuse to me, they'll end up with a fight on their hands. The item is defective regardless of how many times it has been replaced and the numbers of people experiencing the issue is testament to that fact. Therefore, it is faulty and therefore, is covered regardless... You should challenge that decision, IMHO they are in the wrong and you entitled to a replacement.
My 2013 MBP has spent most of its life with the display open, tethered to an external display and with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard and it still developed the de lamination around the edges.
My 2015 15“ Retina MacBook Pro started having the antiglare coating coming off 11 months after purchase. It was purchased new in July 2016 with AppleCare.
I’ve been a member of the following Facebook group since June 2017, and it currently has more than 12,200 members:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/607572909386595
There you can read first-hand reports of people who have had their screen replaced by Apple three or four or even five times, only to have the problem return again.
The following is from Apple’s discussion forum on the subject:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/32560478
Don’t try to mention the Staingate website or the Facebook group in Apple’s forum or your post will either be deleted or edited by Apple. Don’t try to advise people in Apple’s forum to even send MacBook Pro Feedback to Apple on the issue or your post will be edited by Apple. Even the mention of “social media“ rather than use of the word “Facebook“ will get your post edited by Apple.
Trust me, there’s nothing you can do to prevent the antiglare coating problem, as I describe in detail in my video here:
I am also wary of screen protectors. I have read reports on Amazon where the screen protector can actually start pulling off some of the antiglare coating:
http://amzn.to/2hn6dc6
That is why I decided to use a soft microfiber cloth over the keyboard, rather than using a screen protector. (And no, I did not use any cleaning products or even water with my microfiber cloth to wipe-down my screen.) But as my video above shows, even that still did not prevent the problem.
Some have argued that it could be heat induced, especially because I use my MacBook Pro closed a lot of the time. But consider that Apple's iOS devices do not have the same problem. I have many such iOS devices and I've never had a coating problem nor even read about one. And I use my iOS devices rather harshly and in very hot environments too. Perhaps iOS coating durability is due to the anti-fingerprint coating which helps keep the underlying antiglare coating from coming off. That's only speculation on my part, but what other explanation is there?
Regardless, the fact that iOS devices do not have antiglare coating problems proves that Apple has the technology to prevent the coating problem on the MacBook Pro. And yet Apple is refusing to use iOS display tech on replacement screens for the MacBook Pro, as evidenced by the numerous reports in this Facebook group. We who own these very expensive Apple notebooks should not allow Apple to get away with it, even though they are "kindly" replacing screens for free. Apple should only be replacing the screens ONCE and for all, but as you can easily see from reading posts on this group, many people have had their screens replaced two or three times are still seeing the same problem over time.
It seems very odd to me that Apple, who is very concerned about the look of its products, should not be more concerned about this antiglare coating problem, especially because we MBP users travel the world with our Macs showing others just how awful of the screens look when the coating starts to come off! If Apple really is so concerned about the look of its products, that should be all the inspiration they need to take quick action and provide a real solution to the problem. But Apple is not doing that.
Again, iOS devices prove that Apple has the technology to make a better screen replacement for the MacBook Pro that will not have its coating come off for any reason. Apple is simply refusing to use it on replacement MBP screens, instead willfully deciding to give everyone the same old type screens that potentially have the same problem of the screen coating coming off.
Apple has hundreds of billions of dollars in it's cash hoard and hundreds of thousands of employees. It also has the technology to solve the problem. How can they stand by and allow us to continue to swap out MacBook Pro displays time and time again? It costs both us and them time and money, and it's extremely bad for PR too. And now in our Facebook group we are hearing reports that it affects even the 2017 models! I kid you not.
Before some of you think I'm being excessively harsh on Apple, consider well that I've been in love with Apple and its products since my Macintosh 128K in 1984. I never defected to Windows. I've always been a Mac guy. But that doesn't mean I'm blind to reality or some kind of yes-man. I've also been an investor in AAPL stock since 1999, never having sold a single share during that time. But sometimes you have to step up and do the right thing. And I personally do NOT believe that litigation or class-action lawsuits are the best way to provoke positive change.
It's time for Retina MacBook Pro owners affected by the problem to stop doing what we’ve all been doing — which is pretty much nothing. STOP going back to your Apple store to get that stained display replaced time and time again. START doing something different. WRITE to Apple about your experience. The more people do this, the more likely Apple is to finally do the right thing and resolve the problem by redesigning the screen lamination.
Please send Apple calm but pointed feedback to the following two channels:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
tcook@apple.com
Yes, Tim Cook will read your email and ponder it, as per his own words:
https://youtu.be/43UzfpcqiEU?t=39m20s
Lastly, those of you who own a Retina MacBook Pro and who have never experienced the problem are in a good situation that you can be truly thankful for, but your situation of being blessed in no way implies that we who do have the problem are personally at fault for causing the problem. Even though you may not have experienced the problem doesn’t mean there’s no problem with the antiglare coating on the display. There is really the same potential for it happening to your rMBP as anyone else. As such, we who have the problem would appreciate your empathy rather than chastisement or advice tips on care. We did not induce the problem ourselves, and the problem can occur even when you handle the machine very delicately.
Thank you and best wishes.
I’ve been a member of the following Facebook group since June 2017, and it currently has more than 12,200 members:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/607572909386595
There you can read first-hand reports of people who have had their screen replaced by Apple three or four or even five times, only to have the problem return again.
The following is from Apple’s discussion forum on the subject:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/32560478
Don’t try to mention the Staingate website or the Facebook group in Apple’s forum or your post will either be deleted or edited by Apple. Don’t try to advise people in Apple’s forum to even send MacBook Pro Feedback to Apple on the issue or your post will be edited by Apple. Even the mention of “social media“ rather than use of the word “Facebook“ will get your post edited by Apple.
Trust me, there’s nothing you can do to prevent the antiglare coating problem, as I describe in detail in my video here:
I am also wary of screen protectors. I have read reports on Amazon where the screen protector can actually start pulling off some of the antiglare coating:
http://amzn.to/2hn6dc6
That is why I decided to use a soft microfiber cloth over the keyboard, rather than using a screen protector. (And no, I did not use any cleaning products or even water with my microfiber cloth to wipe-down my screen.) But as my video above shows, even that still did not prevent the problem.
Some have argued that it could be heat induced, especially because I use my MacBook Pro closed a lot of the time. But consider that Apple's iOS devices do not have the same problem. I have many such iOS devices and I've never had a coating problem nor even read about one. And I use my iOS devices rather harshly and in very hot environments too. Perhaps iOS coating durability is due to the anti-fingerprint coating which helps keep the underlying antiglare coating from coming off. That's only speculation on my part, but what other explanation is there?
Regardless, the fact that iOS devices do not have antiglare coating problems proves that Apple has the technology to prevent the coating problem on the MacBook Pro. And yet Apple is refusing to use iOS display tech on replacement screens for the MacBook Pro, as evidenced by the numerous reports in this Facebook group. We who own these very expensive Apple notebooks should not allow Apple to get away with it, even though they are "kindly" replacing screens for free. Apple should only be replacing the screens ONCE and for all, but as you can easily see from reading posts on this group, many people have had their screens replaced two or three times are still seeing the same problem over time.
It seems very odd to me that Apple, who is very concerned about the look of its products, should not be more concerned about this antiglare coating problem, especially because we MBP users travel the world with our Macs showing others just how awful of the screens look when the coating starts to come off! If Apple really is so concerned about the look of its products, that should be all the inspiration they need to take quick action and provide a real solution to the problem. But Apple is not doing that.
Again, iOS devices prove that Apple has the technology to make a better screen replacement for the MacBook Pro that will not have its coating come off for any reason. Apple is simply refusing to use it on replacement MBP screens, instead willfully deciding to give everyone the same old type screens that potentially have the same problem of the screen coating coming off.
Apple has hundreds of billions of dollars in it's cash hoard and hundreds of thousands of employees. It also has the technology to solve the problem. How can they stand by and allow us to continue to swap out MacBook Pro displays time and time again? It costs both us and them time and money, and it's extremely bad for PR too. And now in our Facebook group we are hearing reports that it affects even the 2017 models! I kid you not.
Before some of you think I'm being excessively harsh on Apple, consider well that I've been in love with Apple and its products since my Macintosh 128K in 1984. I never defected to Windows. I've always been a Mac guy. But that doesn't mean I'm blind to reality or some kind of yes-man. I've also been an investor in AAPL stock since 1999, never having sold a single share during that time. But sometimes you have to step up and do the right thing. And I personally do NOT believe that litigation or class-action lawsuits are the best way to provoke positive change.
It's time for Retina MacBook Pro owners affected by the problem to stop doing what we’ve all been doing — which is pretty much nothing. STOP going back to your Apple store to get that stained display replaced time and time again. START doing something different. WRITE to Apple about your experience. The more people do this, the more likely Apple is to finally do the right thing and resolve the problem by redesigning the screen lamination.
Please send Apple calm but pointed feedback to the following two channels:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
tcook@apple.com
Yes, Tim Cook will read your email and ponder it, as per his own words:
https://youtu.be/43UzfpcqiEU?t=39m20s
Lastly, those of you who own a Retina MacBook Pro and who have never experienced the problem are in a good situation that you can be truly thankful for, but your situation of being blessed in no way implies that we who do have the problem are personally at fault for causing the problem. Even though you may not have experienced the problem doesn’t mean there’s no problem with the antiglare coating on the display. There is really the same potential for it happening to your rMBP as anyone else. As such, we who have the problem would appreciate your empathy rather than chastisement or advice tips on care. We did not induce the problem ourselves, and the problem can occur even when you handle the machine very delicately.
Thank you and best wishes.
"We've learned that Apple has supposedly prohibited support advisors from mentioning details about the anti-reflective coating repair program in online chat sessions, so visiting a store may be required."
Wish i knew this ahead of time. All they said to me was "Its was normal"
Wish i knew this ahead of time. All they said to me was "Its was normal"
Have an early 2013 MBP with the screen issue. I missed the first repair cycle so I did a support chat tonight and they confirmed the issue and set up a repair appointment for next week at my local Apple store. The report is about the extension is legit.
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Well this is a relief. I won't be in the states until spring 2018, so I will be good to get my Early 2015 13 inch MBP fixed. Was starting to get worried. Really impressed with Apple's commitment to customer service like this. It has gotten extremely bad since purchase in October of 2015:
Are they just replacing the screen, as in the LCD panel, or are they replacing the entire top case (metal outer shell) as well?
Apple has done a pretty bad job optimizing MacOS High Sierra for the Mid 2012 Retina as well. Overall disappointing treatment of an otherwise capable machine, and as far as I know it uses the same lid that the later models use so there really is no excuse not to service it..
The full lid gets replaced as it's all one glued-together part (but not the top case with keyboard & trackpad).
I also bet on heat and oils!
Mine has gone from Okay to really bad this summer when I worked out on the field and had to leave the laptop in the hot car several times. Anyone else noticed if seasons have anything to do with it?