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

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9,625 replies

Jan 13, 2014 9:34 AM in response to PB

PB, I have a mid 2013 Air with the top of the line spec and capacity. First one had light bleed very badly, second had keys grind, third had bleed and a urine yellow colored screen, and 4th was good, a little warmer color than the 2010 air it was replacing and a hair dimmer. But otherwise, I've had good luck with it. And it's no slouch with the SSD and dual core intel i7. You might like it unless you are doing very heavy graphic intensive stuff. But it's otherwise great on battery and other functionality.

Jan 13, 2014 10:18 AM in response to jk2020

I bought mine within days of release. So I'm not sure if that helps.


Also, Apple has a tendency of earlier product having a bluer color screen and as new refreshes occur, like the iPhones, they tend to make the color point shift towards to the yellow side. But their variances are across the board. I got a iPad mini retina that was terrible and one that was much brighter. They just have a very wide allowance in their QC.

Jan 13, 2014 10:37 AM in response to BarrettF77

Wow BarrettF77, frightening experience there! I hope it was only bad luck but to me it raises one more red flag and calls for investigation (if it is widespread like in the case of rMBP).


So, how does this MBA feel in everyday tasks? Of course a fast SSD cannot replace a fast CPU but it may ease many storage-bound data operations. The applications I have in mind are: some cartography (QGIS, MagicMaps), diagramming/drawing software (e.g. OmniGraffle), light image processing, browsing with eventually many tabs open, X11, one Windows virtual machine running through VMware Fusion; perhaps some more that I don't remember now. I tend to work with many applications open at the same time. Therefore much memory is needed which means that I should buy a fully loaded machine.

Jan 13, 2014 10:42 AM in response to BarrettF77

BarrettF77 wrote:


Also, Apple has a tendency of earlier product having a bluer color screen and as new refreshes occur, like the iPhones, they tend to make the color point shift towards to the yellow side.


There have been many claims about units produced earlier being better or units producted later being better; I don't think there's any evidence to support these claims. And there have been occasions where I had preordered an iPhone or iPad in the first few minutes that Apple started taking preorderes and I ended up with a green-tinted iPhone 4S or a pink-tinted iPad 3. I really don't think that when you buy a product has anything to do with its quality so long as it's the same model.

Jan 13, 2014 11:17 AM in response to PB

PB, I think it's really just sliding QC standards. Since I've over a decade gone from just picking one out and using it to scouring the unit for known issues, that might have some bearing. As far as performance is concerned, the processors will ramp up their speed and the machine is very capable. The fans may ramp up depending on what your doing, but that's no different than the MBP. I'd say 16 gigs is plenty of ram. It's what I have and it's great.


I don't know if getting it early helps or not, but it's just a theory

Jan 13, 2014 11:28 AM in response to BarrettF77

Just made a manual calibration and it atenuated yellowing a bit, but now I have a more contrasted profile (which probably harms dynamic range for editing pictures) while it's a bit on magenta/cyan side (just a little bit, pretty comfortable), but the disparity is almost gone. I think Apple could fix the yellowing by software allowing an uneven calibration. This should atenuate the problem making consumers a bit less harmed.

Jan 13, 2014 12:24 PM in response to MacOSX10.6

MacOSX10.6 wrote:


I think as long as it not gonna explode or implode or burst into flames everything is fine in Apple candy land:


http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/vodafone-store-evacuated-after-ipad-ex plodes/story-fn6vigfp-1226755945189


I returned my iPad Air because it ran hot. You can go in to an Apple store and touch all the iPad Airs and Retina iPad minis and they're all hot. I don't understand the logic of selling a product that you're supposed to hold in your hand that runs hot. Yeah, some people put it in a case. But I'm no longer buying phones or tables that run hot in your hand because it's very uncomfortable to use. The iPad 1 and 2 weren't hot.

Jan 13, 2014 12:29 PM in response to MacOSX10.6

LOL! It was probably them using a non Apple charge cord. At least that's what has always been claimed by Apple PR when that stuff happens.


I know the Apple store told me one time when I was inquiring about why the iPad 3 ran so hot and how it was a concern. They said several of their display units had to be replaced every few months due to the heat causing the display front to crack. Was kinda shocked the employee even told me that tbh. But it's normal for these things to get hot if you push them hard enough. And considering they are being charged and have the power on and running all day long, they are gonna run warm. I've never had my iPad Air or Mini retina get uncomfortably warm. My iPad 3 I had used to get really bad at that and was by far and away the biggest offender.


If it helps you any, try turning the brightness down a hair. That will help some with how hot the device gets.


Just out of curiosity, does anyone know when the iMac and the MBP Retinas were last refreshed. I think it was July for the iMac and the MBPr was updated in October? Going to try and hold out until the next refresh which hopefully might be this summer I'm guessing.

Jan 13, 2014 12:48 PM in response to MacOSX10.6

I agree 1000%


It's as though accepting fault or foulup is beneath them. Like it was posted before, I used to tell everyone to buy Apple. Now I speak to what it can do and what the problems are with it and the magic has since gone.


I like the designs of their product and think the outwardly materials used are great. But the heart of what made these products a leap above the rest has been lost to 2nd and 3rd rate screens and other various QC issues.

Jan 13, 2014 1:19 PM in response to BarrettF77

I'm trying to take courage to return my rMBP again to AppleCare... this round it will be harder since I doubt the technicians here where I live (Porto Alegre, southern Brazil) will note the "subtle" yellowing.


Here in Brazil a base retina macbook 15" costs around USD 4000,00, so it's REALLY premium priced here. Replacing these screens isn't the kind of repair they do everyday. Most consumers I see there are iOS ones...

Jan 13, 2014 1:46 PM in response to brdeveloper

I was on a business trip for 5 weeks in Sao Jose dos Campos and thought I will buy a new laptop while visiting Sao Paulo. I was taken aback by the preposterous high retail prices everything Apple related. I think they introduced some kind of punitive import duty for goods from America.


Apple stuff in the UK is not cheap either compared to the US$ retail prices though but nowhere near as bad as in Brazil.

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MacBook Pro Retina display burn-in?

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