MacBook Pro owners the world over are complaining that the antireflective display coating on their mid-2012 to mid-2014 models is rubbing off. And to our eyes, the problem seems bad enough to warrant a recall.
The complaints are being made in a growing thread on the official Apple Support Communities and a Facebook group. In most cases, the issue affects MacBook Pros from mid-2012 to mid-2014, where the antireflective coating is rubbing off even under as little stress as a soft cloth.
Here’s one affected owner describing the symptoms:
I had the exact same problem, and I followed the cleaning instructions on the Apple website: a lint free cloth and a small amount of water,” writes MacRumors forum member wj2. “Was trying to remove a mark in the corner of my screen and a shiny scratch appeared on the bezel. It grew in size and it looked like the coating on the bezel was coming off like everyone is saying. Started happening at the top of my display by the camera also. I looked it up and stumbled across this same forum and realized that it was a problem that I should take up with Apple.
It appears that some customers have been able to convince Apple that this is a legitimate issue, while others have not had any luck showing up at Genius Bars and saying there’s a mass-production defect at play. So if you’re afflicted, your mileage may well vary.
We know what Steve Jobs would say: You’re wiping it wrong. Still, it looks like there are enough users afflicted here that we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple doesn’t address this complaint with a replacement program sooner rather than later.
Source: Apple Support
Via: Digital Trends
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
5 responses to “MacBook Pro owners: Check your screens”
Screen protector maybe?
John.
Isn’t this issue about Retina MacBook Pros?
I do not see the word “Retina” in your article.
MacBook Pro ’13-Inch (Mid-2012) Non-Retina Display until ’13-Inch (Late 2012) or later has a Retina Display.
I actually noticed this a few nights ago when I was cleaning my screen. I’ve been cleaning my MBPs the same way since about 2009 or so, never had a single scratch even on MBPs that I had for 4+ years. I got my mid-2014 MBP and noticed a little “scratch” right down the side of the screen. I was confused because I never touch the service with hard objects. Definitely a bit pissed that I just got one and it’s already having issues that I know they’ll blame on me. :(
mine isn’t .. perhaps people are using harsh chemicals to clean their screens .. apple recommends a damp cloth ..