M1 Air - display uniformity (again)

[dasilv]

Hello everyone,

just want to know your opinion. Usual/unusual... OK/not OK for you personally.

Pinkish on the left side vs. yellowish/greenish on the right side. In reality, the lower on the screen you go, the difference is more obvious. If you don't see anything on first sight, just change focus from left to right side, back and forth.

It affects mostly light grey-colour tones and it's pretty obvious while reading text on white background when my eyes goes thru pink to yellow - when I look at pinkish or yellowish part, the eye can adapt (if the whole screen would be like that), but switching between or going thru areas with different tint, is pretty obvious and eye catching. The whole screen is also pretty "dirty", it's very obvious when moving window with a text or Finder window or so... but I saw "dirty screen" on most Macs, actually much often then other monitors/laptops.

To clear things up, I know this topic about LCD panels-lottery is over and over the same. I also don't want from anybody to make a decision if I should keep it, I completely understand it's me who will have to use this if I keep it. It's my decision. But it would be my 4th return (from bended unit, bright stains on screen, lid not in the line with a base to cracking hinges and more - every unit actually had at least two issues affecting usability in some way), so I hope you understand I'm asking. I'm a bit tired and kind of desperate already on this "famous Apple quality (urban legend) thing" + this unit is the first one with acceptable spacebar with not so wobbly cheap response. Besides that, it has "just" two slight scratches on the lid and small pit in the aluminium above keyboard (but, f.ck it, don't care anymore for these "minor" things like its not affecting actual use).

Thanks!

 

[Scott M]

My M1 Air definitely has that "dirty screen" effect, which I notice when scrolling through text and like you said, when moving a window around, as you can see the window/text get slightly darker over these patches. Also, if I move a window side to side at the bottom right portion of my screen, I can faintly see what looks like a flex-gate stage light shaped shadow.

I think if you really look, you will find flaws on almost every single product and unfortunately, I am one of those people that can't help but to look for these problems and therefore find them and then get annoyed.

I've owned an iPhone 5s, 6s, XR, an iPad Mini 3, a couple of iPod Nanos and a 2008 MacBook Pro, 2015 MacBook Pro and an M1 Air and I found an "issue" with every single one. I recently sent back an iPhone 13 Pro due to a tiny spot on the back glass. I have the same problem with pretty much everything I buy, whether it be shoes, a wallet/card holder, a sofa, a TV, etc. I always find a flaw!

Just gotta live with it, I guess. I'm trying to get better at not letting it bother me.

 

[dasilv]

At first: "Also if I move a window side to side at the bottom right portion of my screen, I can faintly see what looks like a flex-gate stage light shaped shadow."
- can confirm I have the same thing, but nothing like that on previous units.

Appreciate your answer. I understand and I probably have a same problem... I guess people like us don't have it easy... But I supposed, I'm not so picky when want a not bended laptop that sits on all four legs, without cracking sound in hinges or even with lid align with a base when closed etc... I also supposed that I can have some reasonable expectations, when comes to Apple, which considering itself as a "premium" brand and they actually act like that. Everybody out there, especially whole Apple's marketing department of youtubers, constantly saying superlatives about Apple, they compare them to the Mercedes in IT industry. But I don't know if I would buy a Mercedes with bended front axle or with a doors what don't match. And I'm definitely sure, even if this ever happen, it would't be considered as "normal" by any measure or constantly excused by a so-called fans.

I also think the flaws I had with these machines aren't something what I actually have to look for too much... like some weird OCD detective or something... I simply can see them pretty obviously. Well, maybe I'm an alien or something and majority of people would be fine with that, IDK...

I always thought I'm just unlucky or something. But this is not my first Apple product, I'm buying them for about two decades, just simply because I like how they works and even with HW/SW flaws over the years I still considering them like best choice for me. It's also not about the price, even 4000 Euros machine can have the same flaws in my experience (for my 16" Intel MBP I have headache till now and hair color similar to Craig's - just not so much hair anymore haha). I don't think anymore it's just about "luck". This happens over and over again. I also buy other products and I figured out that somehow those flaws are more frequent when comes to Apple, what is sad.

When we take this globally, there is no Mercedes in IT. Computer is not a car, it's not about safety of people, it's nothing serious, so all this "premium" game is just a phrase to raise price tag. It's mass production electronics with cheaply made components, like everybody else does. I think there is no actuall quality control (except base functionality - computer turned on, interfaces working, it's ok), they just rely on the production process and rely on the fact that a lot issues most people don't care or notice... you can just pray then for more or less suitable results of manufacturing, that's all.

I even don't care about dirty screen anymore, but I'm still not convinced, if I should keep a laptop screen with one side pinkish and other yellowish. Not just because "I can live with that", or that I can say to myself I use it with external display a lot anyway, or that I sell it after 2 years anyway... but mainly on principle, related to Apple's claims and superlatives about their displays... At same time I'm already afraid, what I'm getting next. And I can assure everybody, I don't enjoy this. I just want buy at least a "suitable" computer and use it without being distracted.
________
And it's always like that with Apple in my experience... especially when it comes to superlatives and marketing mainly performed by barely-adult youtubers (especially on "Pro" machines it seems kind of funny to me... but again, maybe I'm an alien).

Just one example for all... "the best speaker on the laptop" -thing from last years. Every MacBook has the best speaker, it's simply astonishing and mind blowing, right? (haha)... Well, never get that hype actually. I think a laptop speaker is just laptop speaker and I don't care about this too much, so I never understand why suddenly everybody pay so much attention to this crap. It's one of the last parameter I would ever care about... it just sounds bad for decades, no matter how "good" it is, in my opinion...

Then I heard this "masterpiece of engineering" few times on several machines and I find out pretty CLEARLY, that every Apple's best-laptop-speaker-on-the-market I ever heard recently, is cracking/distorting/whining pretty badly from right speaker (kind of interesting, it's always from that side) while playing PIANO... Anything else, no prob, but piano solo is like dead end... Well, but who am I? I'm probably wrong anyway, because Apple's marketing department of youtubers always repeating like parrots it's best speaker on the planet, so it has to be true, right? But more likely, it's the same bullsh.it like "the best screen on the laptop" = if you will be lucky enough 1 of 10 could be fine, haha.

 

[drdudj]

"$h!t happens!" no rhyme or reason. have 2 sons, when they were little we would buy them similar but different gifts for bdays, xmas. the older one would get a la rams helmet radio, the younger one would get a redskins helmet radio. the young one's radio quit working, older one's worked forever. bought them radio controlled cars, right out of the box the older one's worked, the young one's worked off and on. that kind of karma followed the younger one for years. "play the cards you're dealt" "roll with the punches" ""$h!t happens."

 

[dasilv]

I don't know what to say... Maybe "cool story, bro!"

And thank you, u made me smile.

But if we still talking displays in some way, I said above, I kind of don't think anymore this have something to do with me being "unlucky" or have "bad karma".

I honestly figured out over the years, the Apple screens are uneven and dirty or with variety of colors tinting on regular basis. Thats what it is, it's their "nature". And many topics and pictures on this forum I go through proves me right. I don't know what quality they ordering, but it's certainly nothing "premium". I have this experience with MacBooks, iMacs, iPads and iPhones and never seen such a widespread uniformity issues on the products of other's companies - laptops/monitors/phones I ever bought. Sure, you can experience this as well, but you swap one and get usually something suitable. On the other side you can swap five Macs and get bad or even worse results and experience bunch of different flaws as a bonus. Maybe it have something to do with a loads of Apple suppliers to be able to cover huge demand. To be fair, no other company needs to buy such amount of components for something so succesfull, as MBA M1 certainly is.

I also figured out in many cases, that superlatives what are said about Apple, are simply not a true. So again, I'm not considering yourself "unlucky". It's mainly well-driven and well-performed marketing. And it's the sneaky one - it's trying to be natural and quietly spreading through communities and then by communities itself. Even if it's mostly a lie or partly a lie. It is no coincidence that Apple is said to be a religion in some way. And of course, a faith of the sheeps have to be massively supported by money or free devices for their youtube evangelists.

Maybe it not looks like that, but I like Apple. I like them maybe more than a lot these so-called fans who constantly apologizing them for everything or defends them to their last breath. I'm not considering yourself as a fan either, Apple successfully cured me after years from this "yay-attitude", and thanks to them, I'm just numb user now... but who always want them to be better... the best.

Well, I like the Apple ecosystem, so if I have to use them, I should probably use to live even with uneven screens.

Still wondering. Maybe I keep this one. The screen overall, the brighness, the colors are "nice for a price". It's a cheap laptop anyway, right? ... and I have only one nerves to dealing with potential new issues.

 

[dasilv]

If anyone care, the conclusion is it was returned.

I really tried to use it, I failed. Color shift was way noticeable for me. It's not just about white, the light color tones were horrible too, the color accuracy was completely messed up with a tint, especially light grey or light blue. Even simple webdesign was a pain on this display. And read the text from pink to yellow is just frustrating, if nothing else.

The only thing I don't like about this particular return is that I bought this unit from a reseller, not directly from Apple, and I personally don't considering fair to return them stuff. Because it's the reseller's problem now, not Apple's, as it should be primarily (they've already sold this crap from their point of view).

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Hello everyone,

just want to know your opinion. Usual/unusual... OK/not OK for you personally.

View attachment 2103479

Pinkish on the left side vs. yellowish/greenish on the right side. In reality, the lower on the screen you go, the difference is more obvious. If you don't see anything on first sight, just change focus from left to right side, back and forth.

It affects mostly light grey-colour tones and it's pretty obvious while reading text on white background when my eyes goes thru pink to yellow - when I look at pinkish or yellowish part, the eye can adapt (if the whole screen would be like that), but switching between or going thru areas with different tint, is pretty obvious and eye catching. The whole screen is also pretty "dirty", it's very obvious when moving window with a text or Finder window or so... but I saw "dirty screen" on most Macs, actually much often then other monitors/laptops.

To clear things up, I know this topic about LCD panels-lottery is over and over the same. I also don't want from anybody to make a decision if I should keep it, I completely understand it's me who will have to use this if I keep it. It's my decision. But it would be my 4th return (from bended unit, bright stains on screen, lid not in the line with a base to cracking hinges and more - every unit actually had at least two issues affecting usability in some way), so I hope you understand I'm asking. I'm a bit tired and kind of desperate already on this "famous Apple quality (urban legend) thing" + this unit is the first one with acceptable spacebar with not so wobbly cheap response. Besides that, it has "just" two slight scratches on the lid and small pit in the aluminium above keyboard (but, f.ck it, don't care anymore for these "minor" things like its not affecting actual use).

Thanks!

I’m afraid I can’t help you with your decision

However I just needed to say that I agree with you that apple godlike QC is ******** and a terrible lie. I went through 3 MacBook Pro 16 M1 Pro (which cost 2800 euros mind you !)

1st was wobbbly and not straight when put on the desk , due to the shape or the pads idk

2nd was very very yellowish , and much more dull than usual , probabaly due to coating

3rd had several dead pixels ( or dust ) right in the middle

All of them were brand new btw

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

If anyone care, the conclusion is it was returned.

I really tried to use it, I failed. Color shift was way noticeable for me. It's not just about white, the light color tones were horrible too, the color accuracy was completely messed up with a tint, especially light grey or light blue. Even simple webdesign was a pain on this display. And read the text from pink to yellow is just frustrating, if nothing else.

The only thing I don't like about this particular return is that I bought this unit from a reseller, not directly from Apple, and I personally don't considering fair to return them stuff. Because it's the reseller's problem now, not Apple's, as it should be primarily (they've already sold this crap from their point of view).

Oh are you getting a new one ?

 

[dasilv]

At first... I love your nickname, I feel it the same way actually haha

So your 4th was OK/acceptable?

What I remember, I had dust or some dirt straight from the manufacturing in the screen of one of my old iPad (4th I think), iPhone 5s/6/X, 5K iMac and also on MBA 2019 (everything was replaced back then ofc). It's also pretty common issue with Apple.

Screen looks like complete lottery and I don't understand like something, what comes with such hype everywhere, and considering it's a PRO machine for all those photographers and designers and so on, can have significant yellow tint then or something and is sent like that to the customer. It actually affects the usability of the machine for anything more serious than writing emails... As you said, especially for the price it's disappointing.

And yes, I'll try again... but in about two weeks... don't have enough time rn.