Author's Note: This story has been edited to correct a mistake after Dell reached out. The issue with the OLED screen stems solely from adhesive problems and does not involve any screws.
There have been reports of some Dell XPS 13 Plus laptops having major issues with its OLED screen cropping up recently.
The company has reportedly been following up with those affected, according to an official statement sent to The Verge concerning the issue. The Dell XPS 13 Plus, which we reviewed and concluded that it was a stylish yet ultimately flawed laptop, is apparently having issues with the adhesive keeping the screen attached to the chassis coming out.
There has also been a video showing a screen falling off in a Best Buy demo area, as well as numerous reports of the screen dying, showing strange colors, or the touchscreen completely malfunctioning.
According to the statement, Dell has found the issue to be caused by the third-party adhesive used and since then has been reaching out to affected consumers who may be impacted. Dell also clarified to The Verge that this issue is with OLED XPS 13 models; the old non-OLED screens are unaffected by this issue.
TechRadar reached out to Dell for comment on this story and this is the official statement concerning the matter:
Dell discovered that some screens on the XPS 13 Plus OLED systems may become loose because of problems with the third-party adhesive used, we quickly corrected the issue in our production process. Dell is proactively reaching out to customers who may be impacted to replace the screen, ideally before it becomes loose. Customers can contact our support team with any questions, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Dell Technologies places the highest priority on the quality of our products.
Dell spokesperson
Analysis: What’s in Dell’s future?
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is one of the company’s high-profile Ultrabook laptop launches, and the reviews alone have been polarizing. Our own review concluded that while it’s stylish and sleek, design choices like the touch bar and touchpad are major accessibility issues.
And with these reports coming in of major technical issues with the OLED screen, it certainly doesn’t help with Dell’s image. In fact, this could cause some serious damage to the company’s reputation if not mitigated soon. Especially since this is an Ultrabook model, which is meant to command a premium price in exchange for a high-quality build.
Hopefully, this OLED malfunction isn’t widespread, or it could affect consumer trust in Dell’s other products as well. And hopefully, the Dell XPS 13 Plus won’t go the way of the infamous HP Touchpad, which soon halted in sales after several major design flaws came to light after its launch.
