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'Flexgate': 2016 and Newer MacBook Pro Users Report Display Issues Due to Fragile Flex Cables

This is now the norm not the exception.

What was that quote from First Man? “We need to fail down here so we don’t fail up there”.

Words never spoken at any new Mac product development meeting anytime in the last 5 years.
 
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This is actually not very new. The first MacBook Pro with LED backlight had this problem back in... 2007 I think? Some iMac models were suspect to such a problem as well. I don't think all these problems might have been for the same reason, but it seems that making durable displays is quite hard.
 
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My first Mac laptop, an iBook in 2001, had a similar problem where the hinge would cause the cable powering the display to be cut. It was extremely frustrating, but luckily this problem was covered under warranty, which surprised me since I had purchased the laptop used.

I figured they'd have solved this problem for good by now, They had for many years, but now it's back, and highlights a lack of automated tested. They should have robots opening and closing the lids repeatedly for days... this problem would have shown up. Clearly they did not test enough.
 
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I own Apple laptops since some 25 years. MBP's being durable is just dead wrong. Apple had some great survivors (2008, 2012 and (in a way) 2015 models are still serving my business, family and me well on a daily basis). But don't get fooled into thinking that every Apple product will last forever. There were infamous model years characterized by hinge failures, burning batteries, graphic card failures, display failures, corroding boards or close to irreplaceable parts like glued in batteries, to name a few.
More often than not Apple made up to it by a free repair/replacement program. So I'm generally very much at peace with Apple on this. But now? Keyboard issue (I can't buy that. I eat(!) while I work; worse than that occasionally I work from the beach house). Apple still hasn't stated that they fixed the keyboard issue, thus I remain in doubt that they really fixed the problem. Now hinges surfacing - again - but in an even worse reiteration than in the past. Come on, Apple you must be kidding.

I'm typing this from a 2012 retina MBP, 5 and 6 years later there were display, GPU and battery replacement issue. Some of those repairs I got free/steeply discounted by Apple, the other bills I gladly paid.

If I pay 8K for a new MBP, I need to trust that there is a reasonable chance that the laptop survives some 5 years or so. Hinges that inevitably fail after some x-times opening the lid, and keyboards that fail within a week on the beach or 6 month me eating while doing my work, feel like a guarantee for an early death. Previously Apple managed to design (some) MBPs that easily survive sand and breadcrumbs and work like a charm many years after I bought them. Sometimes you need brute number crunching power in the format of a laptop. The last laptop I bought (in 2018) was a 5K$ HP, which comes with 5 years 24h on site free replacement guarantee. I simply couldn't convince myself to spend the 8K for new MBP, when I don't trust it.

This has been typed on a 2012 MBP. I so much hope it survives until Apple sells me a MBP that fits my needs.
 
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Elijahg said:
It seems like this generation of MacBook Pros is turning out to be a bit of a lame duck. To anyone in the UK, remember that the Consumer Rights Act entitles you to a repair or replacement of a product if it's not of "satisfactory quality or fit for purpose" up to 6 years after purchase. The flex cable is obviously not of satisfactory quality.
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If only the US offered those kinds of consumer protections.....


jezbd1997 said:
Seems like their push for thinness is biting the consumer hard yet again. And trying to cut costs with cheaper parts...
Click to expand...

Fixed that.
 
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BlunaLuna said:
I own Apple laptops since some 25 years. MBP's being durable is just dead wrong. Apple had some great survivors (2008, 2012 and (in a way) 2015 models are still serving my business, family and me well on a daily basis). But don't get fooled into thinking that every Apple product will last forever. There were infamous model years characterized by hinge failures, burning batteries, graphic card failures, display failures, corroding boards or close to irreplaceable parts like glued in batteries, to name a few.
More often than not Apple made up to it by a free repair/replacement program. So I'm generally very much at peace with Apple on this. But now? Keyboard issue (I can't buy that. I eat(!) while I work; worse than that occasionally I work from the beach house). Apple still hasn't stated that they fixed the keyboard issue, thus I remain in doubt that they really fixed the problem. Now hinges surfacing - again - but in an even worse reiteration than in the past. Come on, Apple you must be kidding.

I'm typing this from a 2012 retina MBP, 5 and 6 years later there were display, GPU and battery replacement issue. Some of those repairs I got free/steeply discounted by Apple, the other bills I gladly paid.

If I pay 8K for a new MBP, I need to trust that there is a reasonable chance that the laptop survives some 5 years or so. Hinges that inevitably fail after some x-times opening the lid, and keyboards that fail within a week on the beach or 6 month me eating while doing my work, feel like a guarantee for an early death. Previously Apple managed to design (some) MBPs that easily survive sand and breadcrumbs and work like a charm many years after I bought them. Sometimes you need brute number crunching power in the format of a laptop. The last laptop I bought (in 2018) was a 5K$ HP, which comes with 5 years 24h on site free replacement guarantee. I simply couldn't convince myself to spend the 8K for new MBP, when I don't trust it.

This has been typed on a 2012 MBP. I so much hope it survives until Apple sells me a MBP that fits my needs.
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Thank you. I think Steve Jobs was a business genius who brought a lot of innovative ideas to life. I also think he had his share of clunker hardware. A lot of people on this board have turned Steve Jobs into a demigod who never released products or software with problems or before they were ready, ever.
 
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MacsRuleOthersDrool said:
While I disagree with Apple's decision to directly bond these Flex-Strips to the display unit, I do not think that the use of Flex-Strips vs. conventional wires is necessarily a bad design.

Every single dot matrix and inkjet printer has a Flex-Strip carrying the signals to the MOVING print head assembly. These cables flex back and forth every single time the print-head moves across the page. That design has proven successful for decades. There is something wrong here (my guess would be too small of a bend-radius; or perhaps just a defective batch of Flex-Strips).

Since this problem doesn't manifest itself immediately, all Apple could do was trust the "number of cycles" that the Flex-Strip manufacturer stated. That also doesn't rule out a defective part from the supplier.
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This still shows shoddy engineering and/or QC. There is no excuse for the number of issues with this design.


lazard said:
don't close your laptop lid, problem solved.
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Don’t buy a 2016 or newer Apple laptop. Problem solved.

Unfortunately I have had to advise people against buying this generation of Apple portables, if for no other reason than the unreliable keyboard which every Mac portable now possesses.
 
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its shocking but not surprising they dont have an extended warranty program for flexgate

My 2016 nTB got it, luckily it was within warranty, but I reached the same conclusion as iFixit when I researched it: its a cheap cable that could be swapped out, if not for the machines not being easily repairable so they have to replace the whole toplid. Absurd

Not very eco friendly either,

Right now I'm inclined to not buy another Mac for a variety of reasons, and just get a middle of the road Windows laptop for when I need to use a computer (mostly on iphone and ipad these days, or work computer)
 
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Experienced this hardware failure as well, first with a 1,5 year old Macbook Pro. Had to pay 450 euro to had it replaced at the Apple Store in Amsterdam. Now with another Macbook (same model, bought 2 1,5 years ago for my business) also which is being repaired right now. Very pissed off, hope they will refund these costs when someday they will hopefully open a program.
 
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It is beyond ridiculous if they cannot make a laptop that can open and close its lid properly.
Tim must have saved an entire half dollar on this part or maybe hoped to make you buy a new one with some BS explanation in a year
 
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I will be keeping our 2012 MacBook Pro going until it entirely, completely, catastrophically gives up.

I will then be replacing it with whatever ends up being the last non-retina iMac - because Apple has proven they can't make reliable portable devices unless you buy AppleCare, cover their products in cases and protectors, and carry them bags and sleeves lined with pillows and feathers.
 
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clauzzz203 said:
It is beyond ridiculous if they cannot make a laptop that can open and close its lid properly.
Tim must have saved an entire half dollar on this part or maybe hoped to make you buy a new one with some BS explanation in a year
Click to expand...

To be brutally honest 50 cents per computer would mean a lot of extra profit. GM knowingly continued to install faulty keyswitches until forced to do a recall and having to pay something for 124 deaths. I think the part savings was also less than 1 dollar per car, but over millions of cars that’s a lot of extra money. This isn’t ancient history, the recall was in 2014.
 
EdT said:
To be brutally honest 50 cents per computer would mean a lot of extra profit. GM knowingly continued to install faulty keyswitches until forced to do a recall and having to pay something for 124 deaths. I think the part savings was also less than 1 dollar per car, but over millions of cars that’s a lot of extra money. This isn’t ancient history, the recall was in 2014.
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I think we should all take note of this reasoning and spread the word to non tech people that this crap is what they are buying. Nothing like a return to bankrupcy to shake back some innovation into the bloat
 
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[QUOTE="kwikdeth]Is there any recently introduced Apple computer without problems? [/QUOTE]

If you’re talking laptop, thats a hard no.

Unless/until they rebuild the keyboard to make it reliable again (you know, like keyboards have been since the 1940’s, until Apple decided to get clever and **** them up)
 
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clauzzz203 said:
I think we should all take note of this reasoning and spread the word to non tech people that this crap is what they are buying. Nothing like a return to bankrupcy to shake back some innovation into the bloat
Click to expand...

Accountants who figure out where the profit/loss point is on these items and the lawyers who defend a company’s decision to sell crap knowing that everyone in management has at least some idea that the parts are sub standard should be the 2nd and 3rd groups prosecuted. Upper management should be first.
 
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clauzzz203 said:
I think we should all take note of this reasoning and spread the word to non tech people that this crap is what they are buying. Nothing like a return to bankrupcy to shake back some innovation into the bloat
Click to expand...

In my office people tend to look at me as the ‘mac guy’ and whenever someone asks which laptop to get for personal use I do warn them about the 2016-2018 models.
So I’ve already been doing my part! ;)
 
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Spock said:
This is unacceptable for any notebook at these price points. Apple really seems to be losing it with the MacBook, glad I still have my 2015 retina.
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Fingers crossed APPLE follows Nintendo and Sony to release a retro-2015-Macbook-Pro
[doublepost=1548261629][/doublepost]
BigBoy2018 said:
In my office people tend to look at me as the ‘mac guy’ and whenever someone asks which laptop to get for personal use I do warn them about the 2016-2018 models.
So I’ve already been doing my part! ;)
Click to expand...

I just bought a 2017 MacBook Air brand new for 800 euros ...

I hope it doesn’t have the flex cables ...
 

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