The original images are back but now some newer images have dead links. I posted in the forum you recommended about the issue in general.
Surface Pro 2017 Backlight Bleed
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Anonymous
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/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/6i8lcz/backlight_bleeding_surface_pro_2017_i5_8gb/
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
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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Anonymous
2017-07-17T13:30:20+00:00 -
Anonymous
2017-07-17T14:26:09+00:00 I've gone through a SP4 and 2 SB that have had this issue. When I tried to exchange it again, I got this response by a Microsoft Store employee (note I'm paraphrasing):
"I can't exchange this for you since all Surface products have this issue"
Let's get something clear though. I'm OK with backlight bleed. What's not acceptable though is that we're paying a premium price for a premium product that shouldn't have these problems. I can't exchange my SB anymore, but if I had known this issue would come up on every single device, I would have skipped over the entire Surface line.
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Anonymous
2017-07-17T14:43:13+00:00 I've also noticed the problem on all Surface Laptop display models I've seen. I've seen it on some Surface Books too but it wasn't as bad. I think it has to do with the manufacturing process for the latest generation of screens (Surface Laptop and SP2017).
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Anonymous
2017-07-17T14:47:22+00:00 I got 2 replacements, both with the same problem. I'm waiting for Microsoft to say something before I do another exchange. Given the competition, I'd rather have an SP2017 with a screen flaw than any other device, except maybe the Lenovo X1 (looking into it).
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Anonymous
2017-07-17T18:06:50+00:00 I have to say that I in all honesty I lost faith in MS Hardware products.
I was planning to order the LTE variant but after all what I'm reading and after a bad experience with the surface pro 4, which I bought December 2015 and had it replaced 6 times in two different stores in Chicago and finally returned for a refund, I am never going to reconsider the surface line products again. Although it maybe the best in it's category (the 2in1) but it's not the only one.
To answer some questions I saw earlier in this forum..
when you replace your device after the first initial 30 days from the purchase date, you will not be able to do that at MS physical store ( only in stores that offer maintenance service), online MS will acknowledge your problem and offer a replacement which will be most probably a refurbished unit and there is no guarantee that you will get a new one.
Replacing your device within the first 30 days will NOT reset your 30 days (whatever you have been told is wrong, even if it was a MS Representative in MS store) ask an online one, they know better.
As for other promising choices, I found the HP Elite x2 1012 G2 to be the most appealing one, maybe the battery life is not as long as the Surface but at least I can replace it easily when it start acting up or when they release a better one.
There is also the Eve V if you want to try an unknown company.
both offer i7 16gb combination.
I was hoping this post will get a response from MS but I forgot that they didn't care when the SP4 first launched why they heck they will now.
And I have no idea if they repaired the light bleeding issue on the SP4 line and if they did (I assume they did from the photo above) I don't know when they had that done.
I created this account just to speak my mind so I won't be passing by again. Anyway, best of luck for whoever choose to stick with the Surface line, but money doesn't grow on trees, and if they did surly not to be spend on a QC-less device with a high price tag.