This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](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)
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
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.
Just ask them: "why were the late SP4s free from the issue then, as confirmed by numerous examples from all over the web"...
Also ask them, if compromises must be made will they compromise on price as well?
I was thinking of getting a £3000 Surface Book 2, but I'm worried that it might come with a compromised screen!
Just ask them: "why were the late SP4s free from the issue then, as confirmed by numerous examples from all over the web"...
I am currently dealing with Microsoft on the 3rd faulty device I've received. This was their official response:
"I would like to provide you with a detailed answer that hopefully covers all your queries and concerns regarding your Surface.
I will begin by saying that the electronics industry has certain standards, in accordance with these standards there are certain thresholds to which a given "flaw" can fall under what we call "tolerance".
I can confirm that it is expected from all Surface tablets to have backlight bleed, up to a certain limit, of course. This is not acknowledged by manufacturers as a "defect" but as a technical limitation that’s to be expected from all LCD displays. I can also share my personal experience: at work we have two brands of monitors
– HP and Lenovo – at home I have a BenQ monitor, regardless of the brand every single one of them has backlight bleed, especially visible when black is displayed on the screen (LCD displays cannot show true black colors). If backlight bleed is a huge issue, then AMOLED displays might be a better choice when purchasing a laptop / tablet / smartphone etc.
In addition to this, Surface tablets are ultra-thin devices with powerful hardware installed. During the design phase certain compromises had to be made to achieve a certain balance, such as: performance to battery consumption ratio, performance to cooling capabilities, display performance to display perfection."
It looks to me like even the new Surface Book 2 devices are somewhat affected by this backlight bleed. A picture posted by Panay himself seems to benefit from the same compensation I've used for the Surface Pro. See for yourselves:
Original:
Compensated:
Diff:
I went through four Surface Pros (all of them had horrible bleed along the bottom edge) before finally giving up in disgust on Microsoft and getting a 15" MacBook Pro. Yes, it's a traditional laptop, but I couldn't be happier with it.
I really can't believe that Microsoft STILL has not acknowledged this display problem and addressed it! Looks like I made the right decision, and I feel for those of you who are still dealing with it. Really I do. What a disappointment.
