Hello, fellow MacRumors users. 🙂
I am opening this thread to bring to your attention a "problem" I have been noticing for the last couple of weeks on the display of my MacBook (Air 15", M4).
About 2cm to the right of the notch, a perfectly vertical line has appeared, starting from the connection point between the display and the upper casing gasket and descending down the screen for about 10cm; it is about 1mm thick and has wavy edges, almost looking like the trail of something that dripped straight down due to gravity and faded along the way. The line is only visible in strong diffused backlight, when the panel is lit by the sun or a wall light; if I point a flashlight directly at it, it cannot be seen. It has a pale, whitish appearance, and it is lighter than the rest of the surrounding panel.
It does not seem to affect the image at all, which looks great without any alteration, but it appears to be a more superficial optical defect compared to the display's liquid crystals that sit underneath; it can be noticed both when the screen is off and when it is on, provided the panel is lit under the conditions I described above.
Initially, after noticing it, I tried cleaning the screen with the microfiber cloth (dry and soft) that I use to very gently dust the MacBook screen every 2-3 days, thinking it was just a curiously shaped smudge; however, it does not come off, and the result does not change when using a damp cloth. In everyday use, it does not bother me particularly, although I admit that, since I have a large window behind my workstation and I read a lot from the display, it is slowly starting to get to me, if only because of the idea that it is a defect not directly caused by me.
As a matter of fact, my MacBook is only 10 months old and has not been "heavily used"; it is stationary on my desk, is never transported, and is treated with almost obsessive care as it is a graduation gift from my beloved father. I am so careful about how I treat it that before closing the lid I place the thin sheet of paper from the original packaging between the screen and the keyboard to prevent the keys from imprinting their shape on the panel's anti-reflective coating - a tactic that has worked wonderfully, given the screen is immaculate and in pristine conditions.
Amyway, last week I went to an Apple Authorized Service Provider (unfortunately I don't have an Apple Store here), but the technician who inspected the machine was not able to see the problem because the lights in the shop were not good enough. Having 2 months of Apple Limited Warranty left (I don't have AppleCare+ because I knew I would never transport the MacBook and therefore risk accidental damage, being a very careful person), he advised me to speak to Apple directly. I contacted them and, thanks to a photo (albeit of very poor quality) sent via chat, they organized a home pickup. Now I am supposed to send the machine to Pegatron in the Czech Republic for a more thorough inspection, they say; but they emphasize that if the defect is labeled as cosmetic, I will get nothing.
Now, the point is that I do not necessarily want such an imperceptible defect to lead to the replacement of a display that is otherwise excellent and perfectly functional; in fact, I am more afraid that the machine might come back to me with scratches or impact marks, according to reports about this European repair center found online.
I was wondering instead if any of you have ever encountered something similar on your panels. The technician at the AASP center I visited told me it could be the anti-reflective coating starting to come off; however, I am quite skeptical because the perfectly geometric shape of this small defect and its position - not to mention the precautions I take - are not compatible with delamination caused by contact between the panel and the keyboard or the edges of the trackpad (and in fact, the line falls inside the trackpad area when the lidis closed). I also imagine that superficial delamination should be visible by pointing a flashlight at it, which is not the case here.
My opinion is that this is an internal delamination of some sort, between the layers of the panel; thermal cycles might have reduced the adhesion between the layers that make up the LCD-polarizer-glass-AR coating sandwich, which is therefore delaminating along some line of internal tension in the materials (hence the perfectly straight shape). My opinion, however, does not count as I am not an engineer/technician, and I certainly cannot convince a Pegatron technician to replace a display for an optical defect that they likely wouldn't even see if they observed the panel closely with a direct light like a flashlight.
I am very torn. On the one hand, I would like to send the machine for an accurate check because, although the defect is minimal and does not alter its functionality, we are talking about an 1800€ machine that I would like to be structurally impeccable, barring damage caused by me; on the other hand, the chances of it being returned to me with a "No Faults Found" - or, worse, accidentally scratched - are very high (I'd like to resell in the future). I doubt that a check at Pegatron would be thorough and meticulous enough to identify a defect of this type. Let's say I would like the certainty that it is nothing serious, beyond the cosmetic impact, whether negligible or not, and that I'm not feeling confident they could provide me with an accurate answer.
What would you do in my place? What do you think it is? Have you ever seen an anti-reflective coating delaminate in this pattern?
I am attaching some pictures I took this morning of the line I mentioned, although it is very difficult to capture it; in person, it is much more visible under the excellent lighting conditions in which I took the photos.
I know I sound a bit OCD, but I would really like some advice on what to do.
Thanks to anybody who will take the time to read my message.
Have a nice day!
I am opening this thread to bring to your attention a "problem" I have been noticing for the last couple of weeks on the display of my MacBook (Air 15", M4).
About 2cm to the right of the notch, a perfectly vertical line has appeared, starting from the connection point between the display and the upper casing gasket and descending down the screen for about 10cm; it is about 1mm thick and has wavy edges, almost looking like the trail of something that dripped straight down due to gravity and faded along the way. The line is only visible in strong diffused backlight, when the panel is lit by the sun or a wall light; if I point a flashlight directly at it, it cannot be seen. It has a pale, whitish appearance, and it is lighter than the rest of the surrounding panel.
It does not seem to affect the image at all, which looks great without any alteration, but it appears to be a more superficial optical defect compared to the display's liquid crystals that sit underneath; it can be noticed both when the screen is off and when it is on, provided the panel is lit under the conditions I described above.
Initially, after noticing it, I tried cleaning the screen with the microfiber cloth (dry and soft) that I use to very gently dust the MacBook screen every 2-3 days, thinking it was just a curiously shaped smudge; however, it does not come off, and the result does not change when using a damp cloth. In everyday use, it does not bother me particularly, although I admit that, since I have a large window behind my workstation and I read a lot from the display, it is slowly starting to get to me, if only because of the idea that it is a defect not directly caused by me.
As a matter of fact, my MacBook is only 10 months old and has not been "heavily used"; it is stationary on my desk, is never transported, and is treated with almost obsessive care as it is a graduation gift from my beloved father. I am so careful about how I treat it that before closing the lid I place the thin sheet of paper from the original packaging between the screen and the keyboard to prevent the keys from imprinting their shape on the panel's anti-reflective coating - a tactic that has worked wonderfully, given the screen is immaculate and in pristine conditions.
Amyway, last week I went to an Apple Authorized Service Provider (unfortunately I don't have an Apple Store here), but the technician who inspected the machine was not able to see the problem because the lights in the shop were not good enough. Having 2 months of Apple Limited Warranty left (I don't have AppleCare+ because I knew I would never transport the MacBook and therefore risk accidental damage, being a very careful person), he advised me to speak to Apple directly. I contacted them and, thanks to a photo (albeit of very poor quality) sent via chat, they organized a home pickup. Now I am supposed to send the machine to Pegatron in the Czech Republic for a more thorough inspection, they say; but they emphasize that if the defect is labeled as cosmetic, I will get nothing.
Now, the point is that I do not necessarily want such an imperceptible defect to lead to the replacement of a display that is otherwise excellent and perfectly functional; in fact, I am more afraid that the machine might come back to me with scratches or impact marks, according to reports about this European repair center found online.
I was wondering instead if any of you have ever encountered something similar on your panels. The technician at the AASP center I visited told me it could be the anti-reflective coating starting to come off; however, I am quite skeptical because the perfectly geometric shape of this small defect and its position - not to mention the precautions I take - are not compatible with delamination caused by contact between the panel and the keyboard or the edges of the trackpad (and in fact, the line falls inside the trackpad area when the lidis closed). I also imagine that superficial delamination should be visible by pointing a flashlight at it, which is not the case here.
My opinion is that this is an internal delamination of some sort, between the layers of the panel; thermal cycles might have reduced the adhesion between the layers that make up the LCD-polarizer-glass-AR coating sandwich, which is therefore delaminating along some line of internal tension in the materials (hence the perfectly straight shape). My opinion, however, does not count as I am not an engineer/technician, and I certainly cannot convince a Pegatron technician to replace a display for an optical defect that they likely wouldn't even see if they observed the panel closely with a direct light like a flashlight.
I am very torn. On the one hand, I would like to send the machine for an accurate check because, although the defect is minimal and does not alter its functionality, we are talking about an 1800€ machine that I would like to be structurally impeccable, barring damage caused by me; on the other hand, the chances of it being returned to me with a "No Faults Found" - or, worse, accidentally scratched - are very high (I'd like to resell in the future). I doubt that a check at Pegatron would be thorough and meticulous enough to identify a defect of this type. Let's say I would like the certainty that it is nothing serious, beyond the cosmetic impact, whether negligible or not, and that I'm not feeling confident they could provide me with an accurate answer.
What would you do in my place? What do you think it is? Have you ever seen an anti-reflective coating delaminate in this pattern?
I am attaching some pictures I took this morning of the line I mentioned, although it is very difficult to capture it; in person, it is much more visible under the excellent lighting conditions in which I took the photos.
I know I sound a bit OCD, but I would really like some advice on what to do.
Thanks to anybody who will take the time to read my message.
Have a nice day!
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