Hot on the heels of a new MacBook Pro with even more “improvements” to the cursed keyboard, Apple has launched yet another repair program—this time for the fragile display flex cable on newer 13” MacBook Pros. It only covers 13″ models from 2016, while we know other MacBook Pros suffer from this issue.
This program addresses the issue behind “Flexgate.” Newer MacBook Pros (starting with 2016 models) use flexible ribbon cables to connect their displays to a control board beneath the Touch Bar (or where the Touch Bar would be, just beneath the display, on non-Touch-Bar models). The cables’ loose wrapping around the control board tightens and loosens with the opening and closing of the laptop, subjecting them to stress. Fatigue and tearing first causes the screen backlight to partially fail, often causing a “stage lighting” effect; over time, the screen usually dies entirely.
Apple quietly made changes in its 2018 MacBook Pro by using longer ribbon cables. Presumably, these longer cables will also be present in the 2019 model introduced this week.
The program Apple announced today only covers 13-inch models. But we know for a fact that the issue also affects the 15-inch variant for 2016.
This repair program is a long time coming, and a good first step in addressing Flexgate. But we’re not impressed that Apple isn’t covering all the known affected models.
It wouldn’t be surprising, however, for Apple to quietly add more models to the program as time goes on, just like it has done with its keyboard repair program by recently tacking on the 2018 MacBook Air and Pro.
30 Comments
I have a concern and hope someone here can help me… I was one of the people experiencing this problem in my 2016 MacBook Pro with Touchbar and with the program it was replace and now my display is like new. But, I have a question does someone in the ifixit team know if the repair is with the new and longer 2mm cable or they just repair the display changing the ribbon cables with new ones but with the same length?
Eric - Reply
As a consumer, only way to find out it to look at the part no. of the backlight flex.
Aashish Shrestha -
the flexgate issue with my macbook pro touch bar 2016 came out today after 2 years of use.Thank you apple giving us a headache …i lost confidence to any future apple laptop they will be designing and will just get a heavier but reliable but older 2012 macbook pro.
steve - Reply
…..will apple fix this? for free?
steve - Reply
Having similar issue, first with keyboard then with in 2 monthes of keyboard replacement battery swollen and now after 3 monthes flexgate, apple did covered keyboard and battery swollen time but this time with flexgate is too much, let's see what they say with my 15 inch 2016 model of MacBook Pro, I hope they cover it under warranty, because this laptop is used with too much care but seems manufacturing defects are haunting the users :(
Shubham Sharma - Reply