In the meantime, the PC maker was charging customers who were within warranty to fix these defective panels. As ZDNet reports, Microsoft addressed (opens in new tab) the now known issue on its Surface support page on Friday. “We have investigated claims of screen cracking on Surface Laptop 3 and have determined that, in a very small percentage of cases, a hard foreign particle may cause a hairline fracture in the glass that may seem to appear unexpectedly or without visible cause, " Microsoft wrote. “If you believe your Surface Laptop 3 is experiencing this issue, you are encouraged to contact our Microsoft Support (opens in new tab) to initiate a repair free of charge during the warranty period of the device.”
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Microsoft’s limited warranty does not cover damages from drops or mishandling. In the case of the cracked screens, it is considered a manufacturer defect so it falls under warranty coverage. Microsoft also encourages Surface Laptop 3 owners to contact their support team for reimbursement if they’ve already paid for the repair of their laptop. Although reports about the PC’s cracked screen began appearing in February, Microsoft may have received complaints about the issue prior. There’s a four-month gap between the Surface Laptop 3’s October 2019 release and when the reports began making rounds in the wild. This news about Microsoft’s warranty support for the Surface Laptop 3’s cracked screen fiasco arrives amid Surface Laptop 4 rumors. Hopefully, Microsoft takes what it learned from its investigation to prevent the issue from resurfacing in its next-gen flagship PC.