Repairing such damage can be difficult and costly.
According to repair specialists, a new display malfunction, dubbed “Dustgate,” has become a real problem for several MacBook Pro models. Forbes reported on the situation.
When the MacBook’s lid is opened at a certain angle, purple vertical lines appear on the screen. According to Stefan Steins from the NotebookNerds workshop, the problem is quite common and repairers receive several of these devices every week.
Apparently, the problem is related to the flexible cable that connects the display to the main body of the laptop. There is a gap at the hinge between the screen and the keyboard where dust and dirt can collect. The debris then gets caught on the cable and damages it over time as the cover is opened and closed.
Purple vertical lines: MacBook Pro screens failing due to dust
Repairing such damage can be difficult and costly. Ricky Panesar from iCorrect said:
The difficulty is that damaged cables are connected on the back of the screen itself. To repair, we will have to disconnect the screen from the cover without breaking it, and solder new flexible cables. There is a high risk of breakage.
It’s easier to simply completely replace the display, which is what Apple itself usually does in the event of such a malfunction. This could cost customers more than $625 if they don’t have Apple Care’s extended warranty.
The problem affects several versions of Apple laptops – with model numbers A1989, A2251, A2289, A2338 and A2141, with the latter suffering the most. These models were released between 2018 and 2020. Experts say MacBook Pro models released between 2016 and 2020 have a similar design and may be affected by this issue.
