MACBOOK SCREEN LIGHTS UP BUT NO DISPLAY PRO
MACBOOK SCREEN LIGHTS UP BUT NO DISPLAY FREE

In a follow-up report on the 2018 MacBook Pro refresh, iFixit found that Apple had elongated the display cable design, ostensibly to get rid of the defect that plagued the 2016-and-later laptops that preceded that update. Image: iFixitĪpple seems to be aware that this is a problem. Although still soldered on, the new display cable (left) is 2mm longer on the 2018 MacBook Pro.

MACBOOK SCREEN LIGHTS UP BUT NO DISPLAY FREE

That means that just as your statutory rights to free repair are running out, you’re getting hit with an intolerable display malfunction. In the European Union, consumer protection dictates a two-year warranty on all products, and it seems like the Flexgate issue is becoming apparent in most affected laptops right around this two-year mark. But what about all the people who bought an Apple laptop in early 2017, expecting it to live up to the company’s reputation and last for many years? iFixit says the Flexgate flaw means it’s a matter of when, not if, your MacBook’s display cable will give out. My experience of having my MacBook Pro repaired was a fortunate one, as I already had AppleCare covering the £391 ($520) expenditure. It’s because of that habit of charging premium prices and that pedigree of excellent customer service that I expect more from Apple than I would from other manufacturers. Apple’s quality assurance and after-sales customer support also tower above PC-making rivals like Dell, HP, and Lenovo. MacBooks have long been the most reliable laptops with the longest-lasting batteries, the best touchpads, the prettiest displays, and the best construction. But in the decade since then, the mantra of “you get what you pay for” has stayed true with Apple. I couldn’t afford to even think about a MacBook during my university years, and then it was only because my first writing job demanded a Mac that I bought my first laptop from Apple. Owning a Mac has always been an expensive business. Uncovered by an iFixit report and named by one of the site’s users, this problem is dramatically compounded by the fact that the cable in question is affixed to the display - so the only means of repairing a fault with the cable is the total replacement of the display. Flexgate refers to a design flaw in the ribbon cable connecting the body of the laptop to the display: that cable is supposed to flex with the opening and closing of the computer, but it’s wearing down too quickly with conventional use. I have a late-2016 MacBook Pro, and, like many people with that generation of laptop, I recently fell victim to the Flexgate display problem.

Macbook screen lights up but no display