Apple Software Lockdown Is Causing New MacBook Display Problems
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Macbook Pro M2 may have displays issues after the screen is replaced.
It’s not just the iPad Pro that might not work properly after being repaired because of Apple’s serialization efforts. A repair expert has discovered that the MacBook Pro 2021 and 2022 may malfunction when they are fitted with replacement screens, too.
Ricky Pansear, founder of iCorrect.co.uk, has found that a small white shadow appears around the camera when the display of the MacBook Pro 2021 is replaced with a screen from the same model. This, he says, is the case with all MacBook Pro models from 2021 onwards and the MacBook Air 2022.
As exhibited in the video below, the display seems to struggle with correctly displaying brightness around the camera, alongside some bars at the top of the screen.
“So the M1s that Apple first released had little to no serialization. Only in the security and memory chips, which you would understand. But we found serialization of the display in the 14- inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros that were released in 2021 and the iterations after. We also found it in the 2022 MacBook Air M2. That means if you replace the screen it has those bars at the top…which reduces the level of usability.” Panesar explained.
This is an ongoing effort by Apple, known as “serialzation”, to pair individual parts—like the display or battery—to the logic board. The tech giant is adding integrated circuits (IC) to individual components, in this case the MacBook display, with unique serial numbers.
That serial number must match the serial number on the logic board, otherwise that particular component may not work properly. For example, if third party battery (also known as an “aftermarket” part), or even a genuine Apple battery, replaces the original battery in an iPhone 14—and the serial numbers don’t match—the battery health meter may be disabled.
Panesar says the MacBook in the video was a device that came from another repair shop that couldn’t figure out what was causing the problem. To get around the issue, Panesar removed the IC from the original broken display…
