In mid-Feb ZDNet's Mary J Foley wrote about Microsoft looking into the unexplained cracks appearing in Surface Laptop 3 screens. A small number of users were complaining their products had suffered from cracked screens through no fault of their own. At the time the issue was seen to affect both 13- and 15-inch devices but with a bias towards the aluminium case, more than the Alcantara fabric, models. Microsoft began an investigation.
Image via Lukas Eisenhut on Twitter
Just ahead of the weekend there was an update on the mysterious Surface Laptop 3 screen issues. In an official note published on the Surface Support site, Microsoft said that "(We) 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".
Affected users are asked to contact Microsoft Support about their laptop screen cracks. If the product is under warranty support will initiate a free repair service, says Microsoft. I don't know where in the world a standard warranty would be so short not to cover a product launched in October 2019, but the statement might be designed to stay relevant for the next few years.
If you have already had such a fix done, Microsoft asks you to enquire about reimbursement of your paid repair fees. An updated ZDNet article reminds Surface Laptop 3 users that the free repair policy will apply only to spontaneously cracked screens - not damage incurred from dropping or similar impacts to the device.
If any HEXUS readers have had this spontaneously cracking screen issue please add your comments below.