Surface Pro 2017 Backlight Bleed

Anonymous
2017-07-08T04:33:15+00:00

Question: Why isn't Microsoft acknowledging the new Surface Pro 2017 display backlight bleed defect and ignoring its customers after the launch of the product? When will they solve the problem? Because all of the units have the defect and replacing it at the Microsoft store is not a viable solution at the moment.

My new Surface Pro 2017 core i7 8GB (lot 1722) has backlight bleed on the whole bottom edge and left side of the screen. You don't normally notice it in landscape mode because the black taskbar hides it, but if you read a white background fullscreen article in portrait mode it's pretty obvious with one side of the screen being brighter than the other side.This light bleed is most noticeable in the colours blue and white and harder to see in black colours (which are usually used in backlight bleed tests).

The quickest way to test and see if your screen has this problem is to press CTRL+ALT+DEL and bring up the blue screen. On the bottom of the blue screen you should see a bright blue/white bar compared to the rest of the screen which is the defective light bleed. All the showcase models in the Microsoft Store I looked at had this problem. I have yet to see a new Surface Pro without this defect. Can anyone post a picture of their CTRL+ALT+DEL screen without the light bleed?

I think people who claim not to have it aren't looking close enough to notice it. Is Microsoft going to acknowledge this display defect and are they working on fixing it in future batches?

Also, if I wait more than one month to exchange my Surface Pro would I get a refurbished model or a new one? If they are going to give me a refurbished model I might as well just return this defective device and get a full refund. When we pay premium prices we expect premium quality. This defect would have been acceptable on a cheap tablet, but not a Microsoft product. Please fix the issue as soon as possible!

Tip: If you want to test your screen on different colours go to http://www.deadpixelbuddy.com/ and choose a colour then switch to fullscreen (win key+shift+enter on Edge or F11 on Chrome) and view the fabulous results and take a picture and post it here so we can prove that it's a universal problem.

I AM NOT THE SOURCE OF THE PICTURES BELOW, THEY ARE FROM REPLIES TO THIS POST OR REDDIT LINKS GIVEN BELOW. THE FIRST PICTURE (WHICH HAS BEEN USED IN TECH NEWS WEBSITES) BELONGS TOWALMART MARKETING TEAMUSER ON REDDIT! I HAVE ONLY GATHERED THEM HERE.

Subreddits discussing this topic:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/search?q=backlight+bleed&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=month

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6nyb28/light_bleed_dark_spots_and_other_display_issues/?utm_content=title&utm_medium=hot&utm_source=reddit&utm_name=Surface

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6iji8k/surface_pro_2017_backlight_bleeding_survey/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6k94qe/just_bought_my_new_surface_pro_2017_i_might_be/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6jggz5/is_this_light_bleed/?st=J4X9C9Y6&sh=319ae1cc

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6jigz0/whats_your_surface_pro_2017_lot_number_any_issues/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6kv9ky/light_bleed_on_surface_pro_2017/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6ia9ow/so_2017_model_has_worse_backlight_bleeding_issue/?st=J4X991Y6&sh=ce9fea3f

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6i8lcz/backlight_bleeding_surface_pro_2017_i5_8gb/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6k0bvh/dark_bar_on_new_surface_pro_backlight_bleed/?st=J4X99C5T&sh=3cf086b6

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6m4mbb/does_anyone_not_have_any_backlight_bleeding_on/?st=J4X9AR3G&sh=f74b2d3d

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6ite0s/new_surface_pro_light_bleed_not_solved/?st=J4X9B9PD&sh=c24b21d7

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6m2b55/report_surface_pro_2017_backlight_bleed_here/?st=J4X969LQ&sh=1df2eab6

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6j8hau/picked_up_brand_new_surface_pro_i7_512gb16g_ram/

As you can see there are A LOT so do not deny the defect and claim it's a minor issue in a few models. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY MICROSOFT!

Edit: I just realized I posted the original issue as a discussion post and therefore it didn't have the requirement for it to be responded like a question, so I'm editing it so people can also click the "Me Too" button until we get an official/semi-official response from a Microsoft representative. I've also added more subreddits and pictures.

UPDATE (17/07/2017 11:25 AM GMT): The broken image links have been fixed.

**ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:**A lot of tech websites have reported the issue and especially used the first image in this post and attributed it to me. I must note that none of these images are mine and they all come from the reddit posts I linked below them. The specific top image is from the user WalmartMarketingTeam

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/6k94qe/just_bought_my_new_surface_pro_2017_i_might_be/djk79ga/

http://imgur.com/vbofsSa

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-09-04T21:49:59+00:00

    So I still want Surface Pro and I went to the local tech shop to get one. All displayed models (from the cheapest to the most expensive) had the light bleed quite prominent. So anyways to try my luck I buy one (i7, 8GB, 256GB this time) and open it up right there and power it on. The light bleed was even worse than at displayed models. So I just walk up to returns and talk to people there. They said that Microsoft does not consider this faulty product so they could give me another one to try but after that I must accept it or return the product as it is not considered faulty. So I just return it as all the Surfaces I have ever seen had this issue. Also Surface Laptops. 

    Thanks Microsoft!

    This is exactly why folks who say "I have a terrible screen, but I'll let my 30-day return window expire and then claim a warranty later" are making a serious mistake. Their warranty claims will be rejected because "Microsoft does not consider this a faulty product."

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-09-04T19:14:10+00:00

    So I still want Surface Pro and I went to the local tech shop to get one. All displayed models (from the cheapest to the most expensive) had the light bleed quite prominent. So anyways to try my luck I buy one (i7, 8GB, 256GB this time) and open it up right there and power it on. The light bleed was even worse than at displayed models. So I just walk up to returns and talk to people there. They said that Microsoft does not consider this faulty product so they could give me another one to try but after that I must accept it or return the product as it is not considered faulty. So I just return it as all the Surfaces I have ever seen had this issue. Also Surface Laptops. 

    Thanks Microsoft!

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-09-04T03:13:56+00:00

    This is what my Surface Pro 2017 looks like when I use the proof-of-concept solution in the post linked above (find the original one on page 16, to read more easily). Try it and see if works for you.

    Promising, no? If you don't want to try the whole thing, just try the test screenshots from my other earlier post (also on page 16), and see if those look good on your device.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-09-02T08:34:27+00:00

    I had two devices at the same time and I've been able to compare them side by side. I can assure you, the gradient was different. And to be factual, you did state in your previous post that it's an "exact same error". If you're not saying that everyone is the same either then I would suggest you avoid using hyperboles.

    Whilst I appreciate you're trying to solve a problem and the time you spend to do so. Spreading mis-information that this issue is uniform across all devices, is not helpful.

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  5. Anonymous
    2017-08-29T10:34:09+00:00

    Following a call with Microsoft, they've verbally confirmed they are not seeing this as an issue they are looking to address / fix, which i find to be a bizarre position to take.

    They've acknowledged some units will have this light bleed but are suggesting this is consistent with all devices -  some they think will not affected basically, but would not be drawn as to how big or small a percentage of units are affected by this issue. They seem to be suggesting most people will not be concerned with a small amount of light bleed.

    I've ordered my third unit, this time from a retail store, so will pick up today and see if it has the issue - my previous two were direct from Microsoft.

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