Is a cracked MacBook bezel considered a cracked screen?

Apple considers the Bezel part of the Display Assembly, so an official Apple repair will involve replacing the entire Display Assembly which is very expensive.

Technically it is possible to replace just the Bezel, but this would be an unofficial repair & require an experienced tech so that the numerous & fragile display cables beneath the Bezel are not damaged. I have performed this operation many times, but I also had years of experience dealing with the adhesive & the easily shattered glass Apple uses since I've had to do similar types of repairs for older models (removing the whole glass from the display of non-Retina Macs in tact, as well as iPads & iPhones). Most techs will not be able to do this repair without lots of practice since their first attempts will likely result in damaging the delicate display cables. The Bezel is inexpensive, but due to the difficulty Apple doesn't trust their own techs to be able to replace just the Bezel.

No, the little strip at the bottom of the screen is strictly cosmetic in function and can be replaced without replacing the screen.

The crack in the Bezel can get worse over time as it is now a weak point even if it is a single crack. I would not call it a scratch. A scratch is considered a cosmetic issue. A crack is a bit more than cosmetic even if it does not currently impact functionality. There is also a possibility that there is damaged to a cable beneath the cracked Bezel, but it may be intermittent. I had a laptop where I thought the Display was fine. After replacing the Bezel I was testing the laptop and discovered the Display would have intermittent issues. I am 95% certain I did not damage the cable during the repair. I may not have tested the laptop enough prior to the repair to be sure the Display was Ok since the issue did not reveal itself right away (I still had the laptop in my possession performing some basic tests). I did not see any damage to the cable so there is no way to know when the cable was damaged.

My MacBook Air M1 A2337 experienced a screen crack within less than six months of gentle use.

Apple's proposed solution was to charge $500 for repairs, justifying it as a fair diagnostic fee. This is unjustifiable considering the premium price of $1100 that I paid for a product expected to be durable.

It's concerning that a high-end MacBook would exhibit such a significant issue in such a short timeframe, suggesting a potential design flaw.

Apple needs to acknowledge this issue, recall all defective products, and provide free repairs for their faulty devices!

Until then, I strongly advise against purchasing Apple MacBook.