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Q: MacBook Air Display Issue - Half Darker, Half Lighter

Have a fairly strange problem where the screen still works fine and all other aspects of the MacBook Air seem to work fine however the screen is divided vertically exactly in half with the left hand side of the screen a darker shade than the right hand side of the screen.

Normal use isn't affected but adjusting photos is a bit of a nightmare.

Anyone else experiencing this or know anything about it?

I'm running 10.6.7.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

MacBook Air 11.6" 4GB 128GB 1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.6.7), http://www.photoswarm.com

Posted on Mar 22, 2011 4:07 AM

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Q: MacBook Air Display Issue - Half Darker, Half Lighter

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  • by geeko518,

    geeko518 geeko518 Jun 12, 2011 6:29 PM in response to MainEvent
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Jun 12, 2011 6:29 PM in response to MainEvent

    I just turned on my Air the same day to this problem! Exactly as others have described, exactly split down the middle, left side is darker than the right. It is sometimes so vauge that I don't notice it, but I'm going to may an appointment with the Genius Bar ASAP.

  • by djouliau,

    djouliau djouliau Jul 10, 2011 12:07 PM in response to MainEvent
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 10, 2011 12:07 PM in response to MainEvent

    Hello!

     

    I bougt my MBA  9 monthes ago. I notice the problem since several weeks. I'll phone to the apple support and keep you inform of the evolutions.

    Regards

  • by geeko518,

    geeko518 geeko518 Jul 10, 2011 12:14 PM in response to geeko518
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Jul 10, 2011 12:14 PM in response to geeko518

    ok, wow, totally forgot to post back. I took it to apple, and they replaced my screen and cable (the entire "clamshell") free of charge. i got it back within 5 days, and it works fine.

  • by geneseb,

    geneseb geneseb Jul 28, 2011 3:57 AM in response to MainEvent
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    Jul 28, 2011 3:57 AM in response to MainEvent

    Hi, same problem for me as well.

    French MacBookAir 11' with 128 Gb 1,6 Ghz and 4 Gb Ram.

    Everything was ok from October 2010.

     

    I can see a line in the middle of the screen, and a difference of colour on the right and left part.

     

    The MacBookAir Diagnostic was written by a StoreGenius yesterday :

    " Mac OS Version 10.6.8

    Issue Verified : YES

    Known Liquid Damage : No

    Issue : ( I translate in english ) Half of the screen flickers with a different brightness, across a line in the middle

    Issue is coming from the display

    Proposed Solution : Changement de l'écran ( screen remplacement )

    "

     

    I'm impressed about the fix price :

    661-5737          Display Module                414€

    S1490LL/A       Hardware Repair Labor       29€ 

     

    Will inform U.

     

    Regards,

    Seb, Marseille, France             

  • by geneseb,

    geneseb geneseb Aug 1, 2011 12:26 PM in response to MainEvent
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    Aug 1, 2011 12:26 PM in response to MainEvent

    Display fully replaced...

     

    Works fine !

     

    Séb, France.

  • by Kristoffer from Stockholm,

    Kristoffer from Stockholm Kristoffer from Stockholm Aug 2, 2011 1:31 PM in response to MainEvent
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    Aug 2, 2011 1:31 PM in response to MainEvent

    +1

     

    Same problems as previous users appeared this week on my Mac Air 11". Bought mine from Apple Store NY in november 2010. Plan to visit Apple store in Stockholm tomorrow.

  • by Zeno Gerakin,

    Zeno Gerakin Zeno Gerakin Aug 2, 2011 5:15 PM in response to MainEvent
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    Aug 2, 2011 5:15 PM in response to MainEvent

    I have this same issue with a 27" 2010 iMac core i7 (less than 6 months old). Going into the mac store in two days time for service. I will be amazed if they perform a screen replacement, rather than entire machine replacement but who knows. Every once in awhile the dark side of my screen flickers to the correct brightness and then back to the erroneous state. My money is on the electrical connection to the backlighting components in the display.

  • by lfhomet,

    lfhomet lfhomet Aug 5, 2011 2:33 AM in response to MainEvent
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    Aug 5, 2011 2:33 AM in response to MainEvent

    Hi, just started having the same problem few days ago. The mba was bought 8 months ago.

  • by standhsv,

    standhsv standhsv Aug 12, 2011 9:39 AM in response to MainEvent
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    Aug 12, 2011 9:39 AM in response to MainEvent

    Here is an update to my problem that was discovered on 5/12.  Finally made it to the Apple Store this week.  Details:

     

    Dropped off the computer at the Apple Store on Tuesday.

    Received at their repair facility in Houston on Thursday.

    Repaired on Thursday.

    Shipped Fed Ex overnight to arrive to my house this morning.

    Invoice says they replaced the "clamshell".  Glad it was under warranty.  All seems to be working fine.

     

    That is good service.  My first experience with Apple Repair since this is my first Mac.

  • by macfreakoops,

    macfreakoops macfreakoops Jun 11, 2012 6:16 PM in response to MainEvent
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    Jun 11, 2012 6:16 PM in response to MainEvent

    I have this same problem. Ever since the original display got crushed in my book bag, I have tried two displays, both with the right half of the display dimmer and flickering. It also seems a little grainy as well.

  • by aamir58,

    aamir58 aamir58 Jul 24, 2013 1:50 AM in response to MainEvent
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    Jul 24, 2013 1:50 AM in response to MainEvent

    Wow, I thought I am the only one but looks like this is a known issue with Apple machines/screens. Unfortunately I was given a quote of $300 when I took my MBA to genius bar. It seemed that my 1 year warranty expired by 1 week before a guy at genius bar looked at my machine. What a shame!

    First apple charges extensive amounts saying they sell quality products. And then Apple wants to charge me extra $300 because I went over my warranty period by 1 week while they knew that their product had issues with this specific model/screen (so many posts out there).

    This was my first experience of moving from Windows laptops/machines and while I enjoyed the Apple OS and all things that come with it but I am very disappointed about the quality of their products as well as their customer service. Have been using Toshiba, IBM and HP laptops and never had any such issue with them.

    Apple knows they made a blunder with the screen and they should have owned their own mistakes rather than charging customers extra $300 for replacement screens. Very poor company practices.

    Sorry Apple, you disappoint me!

    Aamir

  • by Molizabeth,

    Molizabeth Molizabeth Sep 16, 2013 1:59 PM in response to geeko518
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2013 1:59 PM in response to geeko518

    Add another MBA split gray screen issue.  Five Days?!?!?!?!?!?!? I have to leave it at the genius bar that long?  Are you serious?

    Guess I better cancel the webinars I'm signed up for....Mine is a mid-2012 model

  • by aamir58,

    aamir58 aamir58 Sep 16, 2013 9:23 PM in response to Molizabeth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 16, 2013 9:23 PM in response to Molizabeth

    Since Apple store in the area I was visiting didn't have the screen/parts so they gave me more than 5 days of time. This ***** big time!!!

  • by Radness80,

    Radness80 Radness80 Nov 9, 2013 1:25 PM in response to MainEvent
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    Nov 9, 2013 1:25 PM in response to MainEvent

    (I posted this on another thread as well)

     

     

    I am now on my 4th iPad air. It seems to be a widespread production problem. I got my replacements from 3 different locations just to be sure it wasn't a single bad batch (In the inland empire, California) Most of the screen is pinkish white with a strip of yellow going across the middle/bottom area when holding it in portrait mode. I am unable to get a refund at this point so I plan on selling it and getting an ipad mini retina. Apple corporate executive relations offices did everything they could to help me out and they earned a customer for life because of their kindness, the apple store did as well, as did target. This is out of their hands until the screen suppliers fix the problem. If you can live with it and not be frustrated every time you pick up the device then keep it. Otherwise get a refund till they fix the problem. If you keep returning them you will most likely end up with the same problem but in a different area of the screen. The genius said that they consider it within spec. Which is a round about way of saying we see the issue but our hands are tied until apple acknowledges the issue, I could see it in his expression that he saw it on the newest replacement.

     

    I have refresh rate issues with my iPhone 5c, got a few replacements for that as we'll. Out of 4 devices one was free of the issue but had extra light leakage in the top left corner. I wish I could have that device back because it's a better trade off than the refresh problems the current replacement has. My daughters new 5c is flawless, my moms 5s has the same issue my 5c has.

     

    Basically what we all may be experiencing are the perils of being an early adopter. I agree that it should not be the case, but that doesn't change the fact that it seems to be. I love apple and am unwilling to go back over to the dark side (android), but I really hope they resolve this so that I don't have to be afraid of buying a new version of their products. What do you guys think? That's just my personal point of view. I may be wrong.

  • by Molizabeth,

    Molizabeth Molizabeth Nov 9, 2013 5:57 PM in response to Radness80
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 9, 2013 5:57 PM in response to Radness80

    After I got my new screen (I bought applecare, thankgod), now my new screen occasionally goes completely black. I can make it come on again by hitting the space bar a few times, but I'm afraid of the day when that doesn't work.

     

    A funny aside - I cry with frustration every time I drive the hour to my nearest apple store. The last time, when I got there, there was another grown-a** woman crying at the counter.

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