Apple's Internal Policy on Bad Pixels Revealed

[baryon]

This does sound kind of stupid, because as a Photoshop person I need to be in control of even the smallest spec of dust on the screen. So a dead pixel in the middle would piss me off like hell.

Of course this doesn't mean that Apple doesn't replace screens with dead pixels, this may just be their official policy, not the actual practical one.

 

[DopeyFish]

As a graphic designer, I've never had the quality of my work compromised by a single pixel anomaly, no matter how annoying it may be.

doesn't matter.

screen is not a good screen with a dead pixel.

screen is therefore not displaying the proper resolutions in which it is claimed to support

screen is distracting, as a DEFECT is on the screen. Dead pixels are DEFECTS not anomalies.

 

[wordoflife]

If I buy a computer and get one bad pixel, they better replace it or I'll put some more pixels in the display.

 

[ImperialX]

I don't believe this. I've exchanged my MacBook for one dead pixel.

 

[pr5owner]

Is that why the $1200 13" model has a core 2 duo model? That's outrageous

lol the video card on that $2500 computer is some piece of trash ATi 5770 (this card only costs $120, thats not something i expect when i spend that kind of money.

 

[Somtaaw]

agreed, Apple's warranty is total crap from all angles, your already paying a PREMIUM for their products yet they dont even have a proper competative warranty

look at Asus's warranty,

2 YEARS Global Parts and labor!
1 Year accidental! (no extra cost)
0 Bright dot (no dead pixel warranty so your display is perfect)

http://promos.asus.com/US/ASUS_NB_Warranty/extend_warranty.html

Nice on paper, but a quick google search of their Customer Satisfaction pretty much shows why they can probably afford to make those claims.

Repairs take multiple weeks and Customer Service is horrible. They can afford to have 1 year accidental at no cost because apparently the company only has one technician on their payroll XD

 

[ovrlrd]

These are simply their suppliers specs. They can't guarantee something that their supply will not guarantee.

Has anyone actually seen a dead pixel in the last few years. I don't think this is an actual problem. The only thing I recall seeing is some issues with uneven backlight and "rainbow" colored black areas. Nothing is mentioned about these conditions.

I had a dead pixel on my 27" ACD, I know other people who had dead pixels on theirs. It happens, there is no way around it. Thankfully you are right that it is not very common, the one I got after exchange had 0 dead pixels so I have no complaints.

I'd say the chances are about 10% of the panels have one.

 

[ericinboston]

Soooooo...I buy an Apple product, there is a defect with the screen, I return it and the ONE APPLE REPLACES OR REPAIRS (at their discrection) may be worse off than the first?! And I can't return that?! What kind of policy is that?!

Dead pixels are the days of 2001.

 

[Somtaaw]

doesn't matter.

screen is not a good screen with a dead pixel.

screen is therefore not displaying the proper resolutions in which it is claimed to support

screen is distracting, as a DEFECT is on the screen. Dead pixels are DEFECTS not anomalies.

Defects are anomalies...unless you're using a Dell of course

 

[fxscreamer]

Apple's dead pixel policies are no different than 90% of all companies in the world. Dell has a good "stuck pixel" policy, but dead pixels are usually at least 8 or more on displays 20" and up. The premiums on Apple monitors are for the bezel and name. Those displays are from LG and Phillips, many of which go in MANY Dell Ultrasharps. It's all in your head people. It's just like hard drives. Apple doesn't make a hard drive. They take pallets of them from the highest bidder. Western Digital, Seagate, Samsung, Fujitsu, Hitachi, have all been in about every Apple product. Just because one fails doesn't mean Apple sold you a crap product.

While methods of LCD technology have changed over the last 10 years, dead pixels are very much a reality. It's still a man made mechanical machine. Things WILL break, just like your Macbook that was supposed to be immortal. Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Audi, etc all run into mechanical issues and break down, yet you paid a premium for that car! Oh my god this is absurd!!!! There are some real children on this site that SERIOUSLY need to grow up, and get educated.

 

[goobot]

You shouldn't have to buy a product that isn't the same to someone else that bought the same product. There should be 0 dead pixels

 

[mdelvecchio]

Is that why the $1200 13" model has a core 2 duo model? That's outrageous

not really. its not some crappy netbook, its a hi-quality best-of-class pro notebook milled from a single piece of metal. it has a superior operating system that is easier to use. it doesnt require anti-virus software subscriptions. it can run mac & win apps. and OS upgrades cost only $30, not $200.

seems pretty reasonable to me. but hey, im just an enterprise developer that spends all day on it coding .NET apps, what do i know.

 

[HarryKeogh]

Your an idiot =/. Another crazy apple fanboy.. I think the dead pixel policy is pretty ridiculous.. Now dead pixels isnt always an issue but it depends where it is.. I think Apple could do much better.. Some computer stores that I know of give you a replacement if theres more then 4 dead pixels..

You're right. I'm an idiot.

 

[alust2013]

I agree. I'm a big fan of Apple products and I'm happy to say I have not been disappointed so far. While I don't find there is much of a premium for certain Apple hardware (like Mac Pro) as compared to other brands (like Dell) I do pay a premium when buying certain items (like Apple monitors) so quality standards that are merely "on par" with the rest of the industry simply won't cut it.

But the issue there is that they use the same panel suppliers as the rest of the industry, so I don't see why they need to have such superior standards. Plus like another poster said, it prevents them from dealing with people returning 12 iMacs to get one that has absolutely zero flaws.

 

[slazareth]

My first iPad had a dead pixel and I took it to the genius bar. I was told that normally they don't replace ipads with one dead pixel as there's an acceptable number of pixels that may be dead in displays. Mine however was right in the center of the screen so he made an exception and swapped it out. He told me that the next one I got would probably be perfect but if it did have a pixel or two out in the corners or something that I'd have to stick with it.

 

[paulypants]

Tough nuts

Apple's dead pixel policy is pretty much in line with what LCD manufacturers QC policies are, that's where they derive the numbers from. You may not like it (I don't either), but you don't get to set what is the acceptable anomaly figure is for a tech device, the manufacturer of the device does. So it's not necessarily an Apple thing or a Dell thing, it's more like a Samsung, Hitachi, Toshiba thing.

 

[Timeraner]

My first iPod touch (2G 16GB) had 1 dead pixel. They replaced it a few months ago with no problems.

 

[paulypants]

You're right. I'm an idiot.

Haha awesome.

 

[sigma8]

I really think in 2010 that anything more than 1 is unacceptable. 1 dead pixel in the corner, or even 2 in the corner isn't a huge deal. But the position of them is important.

16 bad pixels on a 27" screen is pretty unacceptable..

As a graphic designer, even one pixel is unacceptable.

You realize LCD prices are all about yields, right? They don't all come off the assembly line 100% the same...some have dead pixels. If there's too many on a particular unit, they will ditch them. So if they were only going to put perfect units on the market, they'd have to throw a ton of LCD's into the trash in order to do so.

Of the ones they accept, they likely group them into "perfect" and then various degrees of "less perfect" and then price them accordingly...because naturally everyone wants perfect ones..

Apple isn't _that_ pricey anymore, and IMO their pixel policy sounds pretty decent. Certainly a lot better than what I'd expect to see from an internal company document. It is actually pretty reasonable and customer friendly. I was expecting more of a "try to convince the customer to shut up if they complain about any dead pixels" policy.

 

[roland.g]

So I am just about as fanatical about any Apple fan. We all love our shiny Jonathan Ive industrial design art Macs and iOS toys. However, the amount of negative votes is a bit ridiculous. You can't expect the panel suppliers, QC staff, nor Apple to have 100% perfect screens all the time and replace every one with a pixel issue.

Now I have never heard of anyone with 5 - 16 (or 15) pixels have an issue getting a replacement on a screen if they asked for it. When I got my 24" aluminum iMac in Aug 2007, it had 3 or 4 pixels stuck on red and white in the center of the screen in a cluster about the size of dime. I had it sent back and replaced, no questions, no mention of being below a 16 threshold for a screen of that size or being my one replacement shot. When I got my new machine I was a bit disappointed to have yet another pixel stuck on red. One. It is about half way up the right side, just less than an inch from the right edge. Not once did I think about sending it back. I know where it is. But honestly, I don't even know the last time I actually saw it or noticed it. Sometimes you just have to accept that as part of the nature of electronics. If it isn't bad and doesn't interfere with your enjoyment and use of the product - forget about it.

/end rant/.

 

[KingYaba]

I could understand a policy like this. You have to curb those douchebags who go through 16 iMacs before they get a perfect one with zero dead pixels but they'll probably return that one too because the Apple sticker that came in the box wasn't crease-free.

Crease-free? Don't be so dramatic. One does not pay $2,000 for Mac only to receive five dead pixels.

Is that why the $1200 13" model has a core 2 duo model? That's outrageous

No kidding. At least your screen ought to be working properly...

 

[alphaone]

To me, this policy seems woefully out of touch with the times. Dead pixels are completely unacceptable to me on anything I use all the time, such as my computer screen(s) and TV (I'm just talking in general here). Having a single dead pixel would drive me insane. The product is malfunctioning and needs to be fixed or replaced, plain and simple. I will not accept anything less. The number of dead pixels allowed should not be a function of the overall size of the display (and resulting number of pixels).

It's like if I had a problem with my car or any other piece of equipment I own. If it is not functioning as it should it must be made so that it is.

It'd be like the mechanic telling me that one of my cylinders in my car isn't producing compression, but not to worry because I have five more that work fine. Ridiculous.

 

[sigma8]

agreed, Apple's warranty is total crap from all angles, your already paying a PREMIUM for their products yet they dont even have a proper competative warranty

look at Asus's warranty,

2 YEARS Global Parts and labor!
1 Year accidental! (no extra cost)
0 Bright dot (no dead pixel warranty so your display is perfect)

http://promos.asus.com/US/ASUS_NB_Warranty/extend_warranty.html

"0 A zero bright dot guaranty:"

Hope they don't try to catch you on the technicality that "guaranty" is a piece of gibberish, thus they didn't guarantee anything.

 

[Eidorian]

It's a little more detailed than the old support documentation. Nothing new otherwise. This documentation isn't that hard to get publicly. You might have to pay for it though or lurk a book store.

Those IPS Ultrasharps are expensive for more than one reason.

 

[madmax_2069]

For the amount of money you pay for a Mac or a monitor you would think that the requirements would be way less. heck look at what a Mac is used for. do you think that the person that owns a Mac or monitor wants to do a job (that could end up losing money on) on a machine that has that many dead/stuck pixels, I would feel cheated.