This MacBook Air took a very hard hit to the screen just to the right of the center of the display. The hit was hard enough to cause a white spot that was visible even after the cracked LCD panel was replaced.
Cracked Display Repair
The display was still mostly usable when the computer came in for screen repair, but many times cracks like this will get worse with time. I told the customer it was very likely to have a white blemish after I replace just the LCD panel and gave them the option of replacing the entire display for an additional fee if the white spot would bother them.
The customer asked if I would put a replacement LCD panel in and send them some pictures of the blemish so they could decide if it was worth the extra money to replace the entire display. These are the pictures of the white spot that was visible after the repair.
Visible White Spot Even After Repair
You can see the white blemish on the bottom left of the display. Different backgrounds cause the spot to be more or less noticeable. Usually, a background that is a solid light color will show the blemish more than a photo or other type of multi-colored background.
These spots are caused by the backlight sheets being marred by the hit that causes the LCD panel to crack. Basically, there are white sheets right behind the LCD panel that the backlight reflects off of through the LCD panel. If there is any damage at all to those sheets, you may be a white blemish in certain scenarios. The backlight sheet damage usually only happens when the hit that broke the screen was very hard and centered on a particular point.
As you can see in the pictures there are some backgrounds that really hide the white spot, while others almost show off the cosmetic defect. Overall the damage was not too bad and the customer decided they could ignore the blemish and would rather save the money on the repair.
White spots like this do not get worse over time, so if you think you can live with it, there isn’t a reason to replace the entire display except for cosmetic reasons. Everybody is different and some people can live with the white spots with no issues, while others really can’t stand them!
Will Your MacBook Air Have A White Blemish?
If you would like to know if I think there would be a white spot present after the repair, please send me a picture of the computer screen with a description of what happened that caused the damage. If the damage was caused by a twisting motion, there almost certainly won’t be any backlight damage. If the damage was caused by a hard hit or a hit with a sharp point causing the damage, the chance of a white spot is present.
If I ever see a white spot present during an LCD-only repair I take pictures and double-check with the customer to make sure they want to continue with the LCD-only repair. Most decide to just live with the white spot and are happy to spend less on the repair, but some do decide to go with a new display assembly instead and I am able to complete that repair as well.
If you need help with your MacBook Air screen, please check out my MacBook Air pricing page or contact me with any questions you have.
Thanks!