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Apple sued over ‘stage lighting’ issues in some 2016 MacBook Pros

Another day, yet another lawsuit. AppleInsider reports that Apple is the target of a class-action lawsuit claiming the tech giant concealed the so-called “stage lighting” issue experienced by some 2016 MacBook Pro owners.

In 2016, Apple introduced its updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models. The company described these laptops as “revolutionary” and “groundbreaking,” with “breakthrough performance.” The laptops’ main selling point was their display. Apple described it as its “brightest and most colorful Retina display yet.” 

However, the lawsuit claims that, in an effort to make the laptops as slim as possible, used thin flexible ribbon cables to connect the display screen to the display controller board. The cables wrap around the display controller board and are secured by a pair of spring-loaded covers.

According to the lawsuit, at first these cables function correctly. But their length and placement cause them to rub against the control board each time the laptop is opened or closed, causing the cables to wear and tear over time.

The lawsuit says that, initially, the tearing cause s a”stage lighting” effect of alternating patches of light and darkness at the bottom of the display. Eventually, the cables tear so much that the laptop is “essentially useless.

The plaintiff, Los Angeles resident Mahan Taleshpour, is seeking an official disclosure about the “defective nature” of the display cables, restitutions for MacBook Pro repair costs or economic losses, an expansion of AppleCare and repair program service to 15-inch models, and legal fees. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California.

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.