Apple M1 iMac users report permanent display problem emerging after warranty ends

Facepalm: There is an increasing number of M1 iMac owners reporting the appearance of the same display issue, suggesting this is a hardware flaw on Apple's part. What's worse is that many of the affected machines, which first arrived in 2021, have seen their warranties expire, meaning users have to pay $600 to $700 for out-of-warranty repairs.

The first reports that some 24-inch M1 iMac models were experiencing dark horizontal lines on their screens first appeared over a year ago. It's unclear how many have been affected, though the complaints appear on multiple online forums, including Reddit and Apple's own support pages.

The dark lines remain on the screen even after the all-in-one is restarted. Users say that the problem does not appear on external displays connected to the iMac, pointing to a screen issue rather than something affecting the iGPU. Some people say the corner of the iMac becomes incredibly hot once the lines appear.

One affected owner said they contacted Apple's support team about the lines. A technician told them that the problem was related to a flex cable located at the top of the screen. The cable needs to sustain a voltage of around 50V when the display brightness is set to high or maximum. After a while, usually about 2 years, the cable starts to burn out and degrade at the connector, causing short circuits that result in horizontal black lines appearing. It means that even if you replace the screen, the lines will likely return in a couple of years.

The user suggests that the problem is a design flaw, a defect in components, or the use of components that don't meet Apple's standards.

There have been a handful of complaints about the same issue appearing in the M3-powered iMac, which was only released in October last year. It could be that Apple never changed the design and the problem is still present in the latest AiO.

One user did receive a free repair from Apple, though this seems like an exception as others say they had to pay. With the affected M1 iMacs now out of warranty, it could leave those without AppleCare+ coverage with a big bill to pay.

$5 - Talked to John Ternus - Head of Hardware Engineering at Apple, and it was interesting hearing straight from the top why the iPhone is harder to repair. Take a listen pic.twitter.com/O9QsQOx4SP

Back in May, John Ternus, Head of Hardware Engineering at Apple, told TechTuber Marques Brownlee that Cupertino focuses more on making a product that never fails rather than one that isn't super reliable but is super easy to repair.