Apple Intelligence is now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac!

📢 Newsroom Update

Apple unveils the new iMac with M4, supercharged by Apple Intelligence and available in fresh colors. Learn more >

📢 Newsroom Update

Apple’s all-new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

I first noticed this after my MBP [Retina] had gone to sleep, but: when returning to the login screen (since I have it set to require a password whenever the computer is idle long enough) I noticed what appeared to a very faint ghosting primarily noticeable on darker backgrounds.


After messing around with it a bit, there seems to be a fairly consistent in-display ghosting that occurs without much time at all; I was able to leave my screen on (a little above half-brightness) for about 10-15 minutes and the ghosted "burn" would be of the screen I left it on (which I deliberately reconfigured so that everything would be a new position).


Has anyone else experienced this? Is this a normal thing that I just have to get used to? It's not really noticeable at all in standard use.

MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012), Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jun 16, 2012 10:26 PM

Reply
9,629 replies

Aug 31, 2012 6:03 PM in response to lionhoho

Exactly Lionhoh --


Personally I feel anyone with this major of a problem should get an instant replacement, and if that customer has a "custom" order you order it for them and swap it when it gets in. My problem did not show up for a month, that is what really irritates me, if only I would have noticed anything wrong the first 14 days I would not be in this situation. Like I said, I know how to make sure I get a Samsung display on my next laptop - buy a Samsung laptop

Aug 31, 2012 6:11 PM in response to Apples_8212

Apples_8212 wrote:


Wow, that is teriible joekljk! Worst I've seen so far. How long did you have the MBP before IR started to be visible? I sent my LG screen back after just 11 days after I started to see faint IR after 5 minutes. But 1 minute - that is shocking. How can Apple expect people to accept this as "normal" - it's BS!


Good luck at the store tomorrow. Which country are you in?

That is pretty bad, especially after 1 minute, but the worst I've seen so far is this one...

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/539292_515577015124742_1535760932 _n.jpg


Now, that's gross!

Aug 31, 2012 6:48 PM in response to joekljk

joekljk wrote:


I am being offered a repair, no replacement even with Apple Care. Also the repair would take 2 weeks and there is NO way to expedite in any way. School just started and I sold my old macbook a week ago. Now I will have no computer for school or work for 2 weeks (possibly longer) to get a replacement screen. I am completely screwed for 2 weeks, I have no idea what I am going to do for school have to borrow a friends or something.



If you can still use your laptop for normal use despite the image retention (and I expect you can), you can wait until a more convenient time to have the repair done (say over a school break).

Aug 31, 2012 7:17 PM in response to mittense

Hey guys, so I loaded the bank with some cold hard "cash" today, gave in to my gadget craving that i've held out on over the past week (doh!) and took the plunge. my brand new shiney awesome, fault free (hopefully) MBPR will be here between 11 - 13th Sept.


I JUST CAN NOT WAIT!


Just HOPE TO GOD that it is a Samsung and not a HORRIBLE LG - makes me sick to see some of the issues you guys are having!


Hope that everyone can find a Samsung.


Man I AM SO EXCITED - finally getting a macbook pro machine after I took my 2010 back when I bought it cause of a few issues, have been waiting since then.


man i'm pumped!!!!!

Aug 31, 2012 7:17 PM in response to mittense

I was the one who was told to wait for a software/firmware fix. It had been a week.


I called Apple Store in Lexington today for any updates. They said there weren't any updates from Apple, but they could swap my mac. Unlike everyone else I preferred them replacing just my screen. I wouldn't have to setup all the apps and countless software again. I have a custom built. So they can't swap it in-store. I'd have to wait 5 days for the new custom built to get here. Just replacing the screen would have been easier.


But from what they said, it seems I would definitely get another LG if I replaced the screen. I had a better chance replacing the entire machine.


I'm in Kentucky now and I'll be going back to Louisiana on 3rd Sep. There isn't a Apple Store in Louisiana near my college. So they worked out a solution. I really appreciate the store manager doing this for me. They took in my mac at the store in Lexington. They gave me a gift card worth exactly what I'd paid for the mac. And I placed an order online for a new MBPr with the exact configs from the store and put my Louisiana address in for shipping. That way I get my mac on 4th September in college.


The Good: They didn't take back the VGA, Ethernet adapters that I had got with my mac. Although they gave me back the money for it, they let me keep them. I think I also get another free $100 gift card for the app-store (not sure though). Kudos to the manager for taking the mac in in-store, giving me a gift card and letting me order online. Hopefully I'll have the mac in before my classes start.


The Bad: The first genius to meet me was not initially informed of the swap although I had talked to the manager about it over phone just a few hours ago. He actually questioned me -- 'who told you that we'd swap it?' The second genius who handed me the gift cards-- looked like it was his first day on the job. And after handing me the gift card, he never helped me make the new purchase online.


The Ugly: All the while I was there the first genius kept telling me it was a software issue. He told me it was a problem with 'all' retinas and it was a 'graphics card issue'. He said Apple is still working on a software fix. He told me that swapping will not correct the issue. I told him that as far as I know, some of them are alright (Samsung Screens) and I was willing to take a gamble and swap it once.


Hopefully I'll get a Samsung on Tuesday/Wednesday. Hate to go through all that setup again. I do use a lot of software.

Aug 31, 2012 8:32 PM in response to joekljk

joekljk wrote:


@ lionhoho


How many minutes did you leave it on for those pics?


It probably took more time than yours "joelljk", so the two of you are kind of tied for worst case of IR. One minute is really pathetic, but really, this shouldn't be happening at all. Samsung displays don't appear to be suffering from this, so none of them should...period.

This is starting to get really sad. Apple needs to solve this ASAP. It's about to hit critical mass and grow exponentially in notoriety, so they need to rememedy this soon. Tech news sites are going to start covering this, followed by mainstream news sites, and then they will have an even bigger problem on their hands.


Anyway, don't forget everybody, if you haven't done so already, please go to the Facebook page...


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Apple-Please-Recall-Retina-Macbook-Pros-with-LG-Di splays/515441551804955

..."Like" it, and post a description and any good photos you have of your IR issue. If we get enough "Likes" it should really start to take off in terms of general web-visibility.

Aug 31, 2012 11:45 PM in response to deepanjan91

I didn't read through 2000+ posts but here are some of my thoughts. I'm taking delivery of a maxed out rMBP next week. Although I'm able to take advantage of a 25% and $500 discount it's still a large chunk of change for a laptop. If it's an LG display it's going back. I find it interesting to read that some people were getting hassled on exchanges, and forced to do a refund, even though they were within their 14 day return period. According to Apple retail's return policy the 14 day return period should give you NQA for either a return or exchange. An exchange is nothing more than a return and a new purchase. How can the retail guys possibly allow a return but block an exchange ?


I find it apalling that Apple is suggesting that there is a software fix for this. Image retention (image persistence is more correct) is a widely known issue in the LCD industry. Some panels have it while others do not. There have been many studies and publications on this phenomena. I used to have an old LG desktop monitor that had image persistence. This has absolutely nothing to do with firmware. It's intrinsic to the crystals in the display. If Apple could solve this industry problem with a few lines of firmware code they should patent it and license it to vendors.


Apple is not going to be responsive to a couple thousand posts on a forum. That's enough to make them take notice but not make a change to the manufacturing process and vendor contracts. Apple did not react to antenna-gate until there were serious class action lawsuits forming. Although there are many people on here complaining about the issue there are 10x more who don't even notice. I was at an Apple store the other day checking out the rMBP and chatting with the Apple sales guy. I mentioned how I appreciated Apple finally putting an IPS screen into a laptop. He replies, "what's IPS ?" This Apple employee is representative of many customers who only care about how shiny the product is.


On a side note, I was at the Palo Alto Starbucks last month and bumped into Tim Cook. He was by himself. It's unfortunate that I didn't have a rMBP with an LG panel back then. Otherwise I could have pointed out the issue to him directly. BTW, if you guys are by the Palo Alto store the middle rMBP is an LG panel while the one to the right is a Samsung. You can do an direct comparison between the two.

Sep 1, 2012 12:09 AM in response to quintex

I agree, this is basically an unknown issue for 95% +/- of the people who own rMBPs. And while the issue might be reaching some eyes and ears in Apple, it's not even close to a threashold that would justify any action. As Apple shows us in their videos, they test the hardware they sell under every condition and so they most likely knew about this issue during manufacturing.


There is no firmware update, there is no fixing the LCD and one week to the next the issue will vanish. The bottom line is Apple cuts its product and only real junkies pick up on it. I am most interested in seeing if the problem is in the 13 inch. Then we know that this is an issue is going to be a part of this product line until a change takes place in manufacturing down the road.


If the story hits a major news channel like CNN, then that 95% will shrink and Apple and attorney's who like to file class action against Apple might react.


I have been following this thread daily since it's inception and it has prevented me from buying one and I recomended to the people I consult to hold off. I can not recomend a product that could potentially cause them work flow issues.


It's a shame you didn't have a rMBP with you.. would have been interesting to see how Tim reacted.


It's also a shame Samsung didn't respect their partnership with Apple

Sep 1, 2012 1:15 AM in response to quintex

If there is 2000 posts, plus its also been in several Mac fan sites that Apple is very aware of of so they are absolutely aware of it at high levels. What's silly is that it seems that everyone here seems that the LG screens are all bad. That is utter nonsense. I've been to a couple of Apple stores in my area, turned the rMBP screens to grey and played around for well over 20 minutes and didn't see any ghosting at all. I know its happening, but generally LG screens are high quality. You are talking about a 1000 bad screens in how many units? I'd rather have a LG screen (without the notorious problem) than a Samsung, better color fidelity. But, continue on. Mine's coming Tuesday. If it has a problem, I'll report it here. Wish me luck!

MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.