Microsoft deployed a pretty swift fix for the flaw which affected the new Surface Pro that meant the device randomly went to sleep, but there’s another issue with the hybrid which has reared its ugly head: excessive backlight bleeding with the display.
Now, first off we should point out that LCD screens will, generally speaking, have a little light leakage at the very edge of the screen, but some buyers are complaining that their Surface Pro has a seriously off-putting amount which becomes a real distraction at times.
Check out the image below from one affected user, which shows a Surface Pro 4 on top, and the new model below, with a bright blue bloom rising up from the bottom edge (and getting worse towards the middle of the screen, basically looking something like the fading sun on the horizon).
This issue is more prominent in certain situations, like when there’s a solid blue background as in the above pic, or a white background, and when in portrait mode – because in landscape, the black color of the taskbar largely masks the issue.
Backlight bleed levels will vary from device to device anyway, depending on the exact quality of the panel.
Apparently, there are unacceptable levels of bleed for some users, particularly considering that the Surface Pro is a premium device (where a premium panel is expected to be used, with quality control levels that should avoid any glaring issues like this). Also, folks are unhappy that Microsoft hasn’t acknowledged that this is an issue in any way.
Bleeding hell
As one customer on Answers.com (Microsoft’s support site) puts it: “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?”
A slightly older thread on Reddit cites the same problem of ‘considerable’ backlight bleed, again stating that it’s hard to notice when the black taskbar is present – and also worryingly observes that of the Surface Pro models on display at the Microsoft Store and Best Buy, six out of seven of the hybrids exhibited this problem to some degree.
Naturally, some chatter on the net revolves around the counter-argument that this is the sort of thing you’ll only really notice if you’re looking for it – and if you just get on with using your Surface, you won’t be bothered by the bleed. But looking at some of the pictures online, it seems like there’s a definite problem with some models.
As mentioned, though, Microsoft isn’t saying anything on the matter right now.
If you have bought a new Surface Pro and are unhappy with the display, and it’s still less than a month before you made the purchase, then it’s worth contacting Microsoft and trying to get a replacement hybrid sent. Apparently, some people have managed to do this, but they’re in a minority according to On MSFT, which initially spotted this problem.
- We’ve picked out the best all-round laptops of 2017 right here
