It turns out that the beautiful Microsoft Surface 3 laptop has a big problem. Users who have purchased the laptop in the past few months have reported mysterious screen cracks and fractures that appear out of the blue. In fact, Microsoft has taken cognizance of this feedback by users on multiple online forums and say they have found the cause. It was in October last year when Microsoft unveiled the Surface Laptop 3, along with other Surface computing devices, and shipping began soon after. In fact, the screen cracking issue impacts the 13.5-inch version of the Surface Laptop 3, as well as the 15-inch version.
“We have investigated claims of screen cracking on Surface Laptop 3 and have determined that, in a very small percentage of cases, a hard foreign particle may cause a hairline fracture in the glass that may seem to appear unexpectedly or without visible cause,” Microsoft says in an official statement. They say that if you have a Surface Laptop 3 and your machine has also developed a screen crack for no discernible reason, you can contact Microsoft Support who will guide you through the repair process. The company says the repair will be free of cost.
A user on Reddit with the handle StokerPoker suggests that cracks first appear at the base of the screen, which rules out any harshness while closing the lid. It has not been plain sailing for those who may have suffered the cracked screen issue with their Surface Laptop 3 thus far. A user nightryder21 on Reddit says, “I just went through the process exchanging the laptop. It was a bit of an ordeal. Luckily, I found this post right before I went for my wife's SL3. I first I tried to argue with them that it was a manufacturing defect and not and claim for the extended warrenty. They wouldn't budge because they said they had no way of inputting a cracked screen as a standard warranty replacement.” Eventually his machine’s screen was replaced but was counted as a claim against the original warranty that comes with the Surface Laptop 3.
Another user finally had it fixed after a to-and-fro for over 2 weeks, including calling on the services of the fair-trade ombudsman in their region. “After searching the web for days, I found hundreds of people complaining about this exact same issue on their brand-new surface laptops! They are well hidden, and I imagine deliberately so by Microsoft. Unfortunately, all have simply been told its physical damage, so warranty won’t cover it! I am trying to dispute the issue but so far no one has gotten back to me from Microsoft or the store I purchased it from. I have submitted numerous complaints. I refuse to pay to repair something I did not break,” says DependentGlove5 about the ordeal.
It is good that Microsoft has finally issued a statement that acknowledges the issue and confirms that repairs will be free for Surface Laptop 3 machines that develop this crack. In fact, the users who have already paid for getting their laptops repaired can file for reimbursement of the cost. “If you have previously paid Microsoft for a Surface Laptop 3 repair that you believe experienced this issue, please contact Microsoft Support to learn about reimbursement,” says the company.
Microsoft recently launched the Surface Laptop 3 in India as well. The entry spec Surface Laptop 3 with the 13.5-inch screen is powered by a Core i5 processor with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and this costs Rs 98,999—you can have this in the Platinum and Matte Black options. The 15-inch Surface Laptop 3 with the AMD Ryzen processor paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will cost you Rs 1,16,999. This is the first time the Surface Laptop family is getting two screen size options, and also the AMD Ryzen is on the hardware options menu.
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