Bitter Apples
I would like to add to the final comment, "Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment."
Still today, Apple refuses to answer the many questions raised in the support thread on the Apple Forum, see below:
Attached my MBP 15" 2013 Retina after10 months.
Apple refuses to acknowledge this as a manufacturing error but is blaming the affected users for wrong cleaning and handling.
Users are instructed to use Apple’s microfiber cloth, but this occurs whatever means of cleaning has been used.
Having greasy and oily fingers, the remains of which is transferred to the screen when closing the laptop is another argument for why the users are responsible for the problem.
Carrying the laptop in a bag (Apples portable flagship of a laptop) and thus adding pressure on the screen is a third.
Some users experience the problem already within the first 7-10 months, others after years of use.
There seems to be no clear pattern as to how it happens; on some screens it begins slowly in spots around the edge of the screen and spreads, for others it appears suddenly in patches around the centre. Afterwards some users have tried to remove the entire coating, but until now it has proved impossible, even when using strong solutions such as alcohol and terpentine.
Apple is rejecting this problem as "cosmetic".*But the anti-glare coating is serving a specific purpose, namely diminishing the reflections and thus directly improving the quality of the screen. This specific purpose becomes even more obvious when you are looking at the differences in glare when up to around 25% of the coating has come off.
Since Apple uses carrying the laptop in a bag as an argument to why the coating comes off, how does Apply recommend carrying the laptop?
And how will Apple explain that the same has happened to laptops having been stationed on a desk, like some of the contributors to the discussion threads explain, while some laptops have the problem only in the peripheral parts of the screen, where pressure during transportation would be much smaller than in the centre of the screen?
For most users, Apple refuse to cover the screens by their one year limited warranty.
Affected users can reach as far as telephone calls from Relations Executive EMEIA in Ireland after which they are referred to the authorised dealers or to the help desk on Apple.com.
There are, however examples of one or two, who probably because of their corporate positions without any problem and discussion pass right by the gate keeper and are being contacted directly by a technician from Apple Engineering.
There may be an interesting connection between the durability of the AR coating and*the screen type (LG or Samsung).
And there may be an interesting correlation between the two different types of keyboard (high and low) that one user has observed during his testing a larger number of MBP’s.
Apple provides a one year limited warranty. Several of the users are experiencing the problem within the first year and are told that the warranty does not cover “cosmetic” issues.
There is a remarkable connection between where the laptop is bought and the willingness of the respective authorised Apple dealer to replace the screen free of charge; some users in some countries do get their screens changed without discussion. But mostpart of us do not.
When you are referred to the authorized dealer, you may choose to pay $570 - $950 (the two prices offered by Bilka in Denmark and by the authorised dealer Square One in Ethiopia respectively).
The entire screen case (upper part of the clam shell) needs to be changed, since the “glass” alone cannot be changed.
Apple refuses to let the affected users buy the new screen cheaper. Full price including labor must be paid.
Finally there appears to be no guarantee from Apple that this issue will not happen again, should you agree to pay for the change or be so lucky as to have it changed free of costs.
