Microsoft is looking into reports of Surface Laptop 3 cracked screens
Windows 10
For the past couple of months, a number of Surface Laptop 3 customers have been reporting the screens of their new devices were cracking, allegedly through no fault of their own. Microsoft has been advising the majority of those users that they will have to pay out of pocket to replace the devices, according to various forum posts. However, the company has begun investigating what's going on.
Some users on Reddit and Microsoft's Answers forums have been reporting for the past month or so that their Surface Laptop 3 PCs, which they've only had for a few months, have been cracking along the corners or the entire fronts of the screens. The issues may be affecting the Surface Laptop 3 devices with aluminum cases, not the ones covered with Alcantara fabric.
One Redditor, "Bluehaze013," said he believed the issue, which affected his device, could have something to do with Microsoft "removing the gasket between the glass and the metal."
As noted by tech writer Barb Bowman on digitalmediaphile.com, one user said s/he had had luck getting Microsoft to agree to replace an aluminum 13.5-inch model for free. But others have said Microsoft reps are telling them the cracked screens are their own responsibility and they are liable for the repair costs.
Microsoft announced Surface Laptop 3 in early October and began shipping devices at the end of that month. Laptop 3 devices are available with a choice of sizes (13- and 15-inch) and CPU types (Intel and AMD).
I asked Microsoft for an update on the situation and got this statement today, February 18, from a company spokesperson:
"A limited number of Surface Laptop customers have contacted Microsoft and have reported screens that have cracked through no fault of their own. We are evaluating the situation and investigating the root cause of the claims."
In 2018, following some Surface Pro 4 users complaining of screen-flickering problems, Microsoft offered to replace affected devices for free.
As a happy Surface Laptop 3 customer myself, I have to say this situation has me concerned. I have been carrying my Surface Laptop around in various bags with no sleeve for a couple months and have had no screen cracking problems, knock on aluminum. Any readers here having any kind of screen cracking with their new Surface Laptops?