MacBook Air M2 2022: Cracked Screen Replacement
Overview
A student from Dural had their nearly-new MacBook Air M2 suffer a cracked screen when something was caught between the screen and keyboard when the lid closed. The Liquid Retina display showed cracks across the lower third with LCD bleeding. Apple quoted $799 for out-of-warranty screen replacement. We sourced a quality replacement display and completed the repair at a competitive price.
Initial Symptoms
- Visible crack pattern in lower-left corner of screen
- LCD bleed (dark spots) spreading from crack points
- Touchbar/function row unaffected (no Touch Bar on this model)
- External display via USB-C worked perfectly
- Mac functionally fineāonly display damaged
- AppleCare not purchasedāstandard warranty doesn't cover accidental damage
Assessment
Understanding MacBook Air M2 Displays
The MacBook Air M2 (2022) uses a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with these specifications:
- Resolution: 2560 x 1664 pixels
- Technology: IPS LCD with True Tone
- Brightness: 500 nits
- P3 wide color: Yes
- Design: Thinner bezels with notch for camera
Damage Assessment
Physical inspection confirmed:
- Impact point at lower-left corner
- Crack propagation across approximately 30% of panel
- LCD liquid crystal bleeding from damaged cells
- Outer glass intact (damage internal to LCD layer)
- Display housing undamagedāno dents or warping
- Camera and sensors in notch unaffected
Repair Process
Display Assembly Replacement
The MacBook Air M2 display replaces as a complete assembly (glass, LCD, and housing together):
- Removed display from base by disconnecting flex cables at hinge
- Transferred webcam and antenna cables to replacement assembly
- Installed new display assembly and reconnected cables
- Calibrated display using Apple's display calibration process
Calibration
Post-replacement calibration ensures True Tone and colour accuracy match Apple's standards. This involves connecting to calibration software that writes display profile data to the Mac's paired component storage.
Testing
- Full resolution verified (2560 x 1664)
- True Tone functioning correctly
- Brightness tested across full range (0-500 nits)
- P3 colour gamut confirmed
- No dead pixels or uniformity issues
- Camera and microphones working
Outcome
The student's MacBook Air was returned with a perfect display. All features including True Tone, Night Shift, and P3 colour work correctly. The Mac looks and functions as new.
Key Takeaways
- Screen damage on newer Macs is repairable: Even the latest models can have displays replaced.
- Quality matters for replacement parts: Using proper-spec displays ensures True Tone and colour accuracy.
- Calibration is essential: Without proper calibration, True Tone won't function.
- AppleCare+ covers accidental damage: This repair would have been much cheaper with AppleCare+.
Cracked MacBook Screen?
We replace MacBook screens with quality parts, often at significant savings compared to Apple pricing.