Retina MacBook Pro Users Complain of Anti-Reflective Display Coating Wearing Off

[brianvictor7]

Apples quality control has been on a downhill spiral, and they don't help themselves with poor in store and phone support that basically tries to either get you to go away, or buy a new product.

since i have owned Macs the newer ones have had more and more problems until now i wont buy apple anymore, i don't trust them anymore, and the more they make them all one piece ,with soldered down ram and proprietary drives and ports makes me trust them even less for the price they are charging i expect QUALITY, not cheap crap

i have a Mac Mini Power PC, still running as a media and file server, has never been switched off or moved for years no problems

My Macbook Pro, Died , GPU issue (not apples issue technically, but the fact that they denied there was an issue and tried to sell me a new mac book when i took it in store, despite the fault being widely know, had to threaten legal action, Macbook was 1 week Out of Applecare)

My iPhone 3G, "melted" is the only way to describe it.. battery got so hot the plastic back warped... again, had to fight with apple to get it replaced, and that was IN warranty, 8 months old, they argued that I had pierced the battery

My iMac HDD died, the drive was on the list of faulty parts seagate listed as covered under a recall, i didn't get an email from apple because their system listed my drive as "ok", again had to fight for a replacement when it DID fail, creeping bad sectors that i had to use third party smart software to detect as apples own diagnostics lied and said the drive was fine, whilst the recall was still in effect, and they STILL ARGUED that the drive wasn't covered and i should pay "as parts fail" despite the drive being a little over 3 years old (around 3 months out of apple care), again had to threaten legal action and supply a statement from seagate that the drive WAS listed under the recall


now its not bee all bad, My 1st Gen iPhone is still going strong, and my mother is still using it, the battery even still lasts 2-3 DAYS rather than the less than one day that all the other iPhones ive had have lasted

My iPad 1st gen , again still going strong, and again used all the time by my mother.

I have since built a big, expensive PC for gaming, kept the iMac for Office and productivity, though i now run from an External SSD as my boot drive and use the internal storage for stuff i don't mind losing, if it fails again, im going to take it out and leave the iMac diskless internally.

I likes Apples OS, i love it, compared to windows its my OS of choice for productivity, i just hate that is on Apple hardware, because the hardware is awful, its cheap crap, built cheaply, and sold at a massive markup to be desposed of and replaced in an endless churn to appears shareholders..

That wasn't what apple was when it created the products i enjoyed using..

It would appear the old saying "power corrupts, Absolute power corrupts absolutely" can also be applied to money, as the more money apple has made, the crappier its products have become , more and more like polished turds, they sell you $200 netbook in a shiny case and charge you $1000

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If it was Dell or HP id have probably got a screwdriver out, popped down to scan, picked up a part and replaced it myself if it was out of warranty..

Proprietary parts for no other reason than to cut off user upgrades and service and force sales is just poor service and evil

A couple of observations: I've had similarly frustrating experiences with my 2009 iMac: bad Hard-drive, bad superdrive, bad screen. Some of it was fixed under AppleCare. Some of it came out of pocket. Yes, had it been a Dell we might have fixed it ourselves, but one of the chief reasons I bought an iMac (and MacBook) was because I liked the look of the hardware. It has aesthetic value for me which few other manufacturers can match. I prefer the OS X look and feel to Windows or Chrome or even Linux.

 

[theden1974]

I've had this problem for over a year now

It started in the middle of the screen with the keys showing, I've tried using screen protectors but this made the edges come off and therefore worse.. I hope future generations will be different.

 

[HenryDJP]

This is totally a result of their obsession with thinness. 1 millimeter of space between the keyboard and screen would have solved this.

It has nothing to do with thinness. Apple's notebooks, even when they were much thicker, have been designed whereas the keyboard touches the screen when closed. Only the Powerbook G4 Aluminum series had a gap when closed but it was always uneven and people complained about it...then came along the Unibody machines and we're back to square one.

 

[WilliamLondon]

Gotta love MacRumors for facilitating yet another (yawn!) gathering of pitchfork and torch-wielding villagers, my how they all come so quickly, ka-ching!

 

[FuNGi]

stop complaining about cleaning. THIS is not the case here. The problem is Because people use to put heavy objects on their laptop and the entire chassis touch the screen.
Try in an Apple store and stop this non sense
It's a user that put pressure on the screen when is closed

Your gold iPhone in your signature disqualifies your opinion.

Gotta love MacRumors for facilitating yet another (yawn!) gathering of pitchfork and torch-wielding villagers, my how they all come so quickly, ka-ching!

We'll see how you feel when you have a problem.

 

[kycophpd]

Look at the bright side: at least your keys and trackpad are anti-reflective now.

 

[Mak47]

Having spent many years working in the optical industry I'm very familiar with anti-reflective coatings. It makes sense that they be applied to these displays, but I've been curious to see how they would hold up. They're often very delicate and can be sensitive to a lot of chemical and environmental factors.

AR coatings on camera lenses, eyeglasses and the like are not intended to be handled, touched or tinkered with on a regular basis. When they're applied to a MacBook or an iPad screen that will certainly be different--whether Apple has taken that into account remains to be seen.

On some of these pictures it looks like the heat generated from a closed display may have played a role in deteriorating the coating. In others, it looks like simple wear around the areas that one would often touch--the top of the display where it's opened.

I can't conclude from looking at these pictures that this is a defect, improper care or a combination of both--but here are some realities:

AR coated materials should only be cleaned using clean cloth and water. No paper towels, napkins etc. Those materials can be rough enough to scratch the coating, once it's scratched, it's all downhill from there.

Water is really all that's needed to clean it, however, an eyeglass cleaning solution made up of 90% water, 10% alcohol & a light detergent will streak less and leave behind less residue. Diluted like that, it shouldn't have a negative effect on the coating.

Cleaning solutions like Windex will destroy the coating, windex wipes and other antibacterial wipes will likely do the same. Windex in particular will absolutely destroy it. The ammonia in the window cleaner has a reaction that breaks down the molecules in the coating. If you've used windex to clean your AR coated screen, sorry, it's not Apple's fault--you wrecked it.

Heat can also play a role, so users who keep their lids closed while working might want to reconsider that.

Lots of handling can also wear away the coating--this is why I'm remaining skeptical of it on the iPad. it's a wonderful idea, but I'm just not convinced that it's going to hold up.

 

[Alloy201]

I'm in need of upgrading soon and this entire thread has scared the hell out of me. This is both scary and unacceptable. It's a joke that many are in need of a screen replacement less than a year after purchasing. I'm no longer buying anything until I see how the new 2015 models hold up.

 

[newellj]

This is totally a result of their obsession with thinness. 1 millimeter of space between the keyboard and screen would have solved this. It is a design flaw as much as it is a "feature."

BTW, sorry about your loss (RIP Jasper). 14 is way too young.

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If you have applecare, don't accept this. Take it in to the nearest store and make them fix it!

That is correct. That's why if you ask about keyboard covers, etc., the answer is that the tolerances are such that keyboard covers will scratch the display. Good thing, bad thing?

My rMBP late 2013 does not have any problems, but I have a decision coming up about Apple Care. I guess this tilts me toward buying AC to extend the warranty.

 

[brianvictor7]

To be honest I don't think there's much Apple can do in regards to the anti-reflective coating other than to instruct their customers properly on how to care of the screen.
I have a new Panasonic and a Samsung Plasma and the forums are always talking about properly caring for the screens when cleaning them as the anti-reflective coating can come off from using just plain water. It's generally recommended to use distilled water.

If it's the keys on the MBP touching the screen then it's most likely human skin oil that is causing the coating to wear off, alongside improper cleaning. For that matter it's best to place a microfiber cloth in between the screen and the keys.

About a microfiber cloth between screen and keys: this is actually something Apple Genius bar recommended against. There isn't enough room there.

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It has nothing to do with thinness. Apple's notebooks, even when they were much thicker, have been designed whereas the keyboard touches the screen when closed. Only the Powerbook G4 Aluminum series had a gap when closed but it was always uneven and people complained about it...then came along the Unibody machines and we're back to square one.

Probably right. One way or another, they have the keyboard touching the screen and in this case that is bad.

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That is correct. That's why if you ask about keyboard covers, etc., the answer is that the tolerances are such that keyboard covers will scratch the display. Good thing, bad thing?

My rMBP late 2013 does not have any problems, but I have a decision coming up about Apple Care. I guess this tilts me toward buying AC to extend the warranty.

I strongly encourage AppleCare warranty for these expensive Mac computers. Maybe not for an iPad or iPhone or MacMini, but definitely for a $1000+ MacBook.

 

[ernestc]

My 1st gen MacBook Pro with Retina display is almost 3 years old and the screen is still gorgeous. Sorry to see people are experiencing anything otherwise.

I have a 1st gen rMBP and my screen has suffered the same problem. First time (out of the 1 year warranty) they replaced it for free. The symptoms of it happening again are appearing.

 

[dumastudetto]

glad this is getting some front page attention

Given we don't know if the cause is the application of toxic screen cleaners, I think it's extremely dangerous to front page stuff like this until Apple has a chance to fully investigate potential cause.

 

[Mak47]

And you'd be wrong. Good cleaner. Good cloth. And mine went in for repair this morning.

The good news is that I asked them to expedite the repair as I'll be on the road this week and just got my email that it's ready. 2 hours from drop off to email. Amazing.

EDIT: If this was a glass cleaner problem we'd be seeing the coating come off all over the glass. Not starting on the edges most of the time. So it's either oil breaking it down or the flex on the edges of the display..or both. It's a bad coating. Simple as that.

That's not necessarily how it works. There's an oleophobic/scratch resistant coating over top of the AR. First that has to get weak, once there's a weak spot, the chemical reaction from the glass cleaner and the AR will take hold. That can happen anywhere and once it does it grows from there.

 

[brentsg]

Given we don't know if the cause is the application of toxic screen cleaners, I think it's extremely dangerous to front page stuff like this until Apple has a chance to fully investigate potential cause.

How much time is enough? Without media attention, people will be left to the whim of individual Genius opinions. That just results in uneven treatment.

 

[brianvictor7]

I'm surprised Mac Rumors covers this but not the screen yellowing issue which has 100x more posts. Both screen defects on the 15" rMBP.

Sounds like they should cover both. The reflective coating defect for my MacBook 13" retina irritates the heck out of me so you have my deepest sympathies.

 

[Trahearne]

Late 2013. 1 year since unboxing. Plenty of time in clamshell mode, but still no sign of wearing off yet. Cleaning the screen is always alcohol free, and if my memory serves me well, I (most of the time) have used only the cloth shipped together with the rMBP to clean it. Maybe just one or two times with cooled boiled water.

Anyway, I understand that the issue is real. Just wanna leave a snippet here for those without any issue but are worrying about it, ehm.

 

[brianvictor7]

How much time is enough? Without media attention, people will be left to the whim of individual Genius opinions. That just results in uneven treatment.

Agreed. This has been an issue since at least August 2013. I bought my MacBook Pro Retina back in March 2014 and there were screen-coating issues 3 months later. The retina screen was a huge selling point for me and doubtless many other consumers. Apple prides itself on customer service (and largely achieves excellence in this regard in my personal experience). This is something that needs attention until it is resolved.

 

[bluush]

Those who've been following this story for years know that this problem can arise with nothing other than water and a microfiber cloth. It has nothing to do with off-brand screen cleaners. The theory right now is that if there are little (even microscopic) pieces of fiber/dust/debris on the cloth, in the water, or already present on the screen, rubbing this abrasive material into the screen will cause the oleo coating to rub off.. and once a patch has rubbed off its very easy for that patch to grow bigger.

This is clearly a design flaw and a major one. If it hasn't affected you, great! But to suggest because it hasn't happened to you it's not a real problem is like when Stephen Colbert (jokingly) declared "I just ate a huge dinner, so world hunger can't be an issue because I'm full!"

 

[Serban]

Your gold iPhone in your signature disqualifies your opinion.



We'll see how you feel when you have a problem.

Your comment just show how such a kid you are...i have a perfect macbook pro since late 2013...so facts are better than words

 

[brentsg]

Your comment just show how such a kid you are...i have a perfect macbook pro since late 2013...so

Clearly if you don't have a problem, there is no problem. We should probably just close the thread.

 

[brianvictor7]

Having spent many years working in the optical industry I'm very familiar with anti-reflective coatings. It makes sense that they be applied to these displays, but I've been curious to see how they would hold up. They're often very delicate and can be sensitive to a lot of chemical and environmental factors.

AR coatings on camera lenses, eyeglasses and the like are not intended to be handled, touched or tinkered with on a regular basis. When they're applied to a MacBook or an iPad screen that will certainly be different--whether Apple has taken that into account remains to be seen.

On some of these pictures it looks like the heat generated from a closed display may have played a role in deteriorating the coating. In others, it looks like simple wear around the areas that one would often touch--the top of the display where it's opened.

I can't conclude from looking at these pictures that this is a defect, improper care or a combination of both--but here are some realities:

AR coated materials should only be cleaned using clean cloth and water. No paper towels, napkins etc. Those materials can be rough enough to scratch the coating, once it's scratched, it's all downhill from there.

Water is really all that's needed to clean it, however, an eyeglass cleaning solution made up of 90% water, 10% alcohol & a light detergent will streak less and leave behind less residue. Diluted like that, it shouldn't have a negative effect on the coating.

Cleaning solutions like Windex will destroy the coating, windex wipes and other antibacterial wipes will likely do the same. Windex in particular will absolutely destroy it. The ammonia in the window cleaner has a reaction that breaks down the molecules in the coating. If you've used windex to clean your AR coated screen, sorry, it's not Apple's fault--you wrecked it.

Heat can also play a role, so users who keep their lids closed while working might want to reconsider that.

Lots of handling can also wear away the coating--this is why I'm remaining skeptical of it on the iPad. it's a wonderful idea, but I'm just not convinced that it's going to hold up.

I baby my MacBook Pro Retina 13" like nobody's business. I touch it with literal kid-glove materials (the lint free cloths that Apple products come with). Every single time I open the Mac, it has oil smudges from where the screen has touched the keyboard. This is a design flaw. That isn't to say others might not be mishandling their macs, but I can personally attest to this being an manufacturer's issue that needs fixing. I don't care how they do it, even if they have to give me a brand new machine.

 

[Serban]

Clearly if you don't have a problem, there is no problem. We should probably just close the thread.

yes i agree...people only knows to cry...such an easy thing to do

 

[scottwaugh]

Sad to see this affecting those poor folks that this has happened to.

Ugh Apple, would it have been that hard to continue to give us a the good old matte option? That doesn't normally scratch off.

 

[Serban]

there is a rubber all around the screen to prevent it to touch the keyboard and have a 1-2 mm gap between screen and other object. So the only way to touch the screen (closed lid) with other things is to put pressure. So this is an user problem

 

[AdonisSMU]

Gotta love MacRumors for facilitating yet another (yawn!) gathering of pitchfork and torch-wielding villagers, my how they all come so quickly, ka-ching!

Apple did this on their own. MacRumors putting up this article will ensure the issue will get the attention it deserves from Apple.