Several people have reported that the screens on the MacBook Pro M1 and MacBook Air M1 are so fragile that they crack under normal use.

Threads have been started on both Reddit and Apple's support community, with several accounts describing similar cases. Some report that after closing the laptop, when they reopen it, they see cracks, black lines, and discoloration on the panel.

"My 17-year-old daughter was working on her MacBook Pro (M1 display) at her desk and closed it to take a break." When she returned to work, she opened the device and noticed that the bottom of the display was covered with flickering black and white lines, as well as vertical colored lines on the left side of the screen."

Another person wrote of a similar experience with an M1 MacBook Air: "The screen cracked for no apparent reason. I left the computer on my desk at night and when I opened it the next day, there were two small cracks on the right side of the screen and the screen functionality was impaired."

Another user wrote: "The screen was broken for no apparent reason.

For some users, it seems to have happened more than once. "It happened again; this is the second time in the two months since I bought my MacAir."

It is not certain what Apple will do when this happens. Users have reported varying responses from Apple, ranging from a no-questions-asked free repair to a $400 to $800 charge to install a new screen.

So far, however, Apple has yet to officially comment on the issue. We have reached out for comment and will update this article if we hear back.

For 9to5Mac reader Ian Probert, the company has agreed to charge £570 (~$790) for the repair and will refund the money if the technician determines that he himself really did nothing wrong. It is unclear how that would be verified.

So what caused the phantom MacBook crack? One is that the screen flexes when the lid is moved, and one user suggests that the frame is simply too thin to protect the fragile frame from the torque of closing the lid. Another said that the affected laptop's keyboard is covered with debris, which pushes against the screen when it is closed, causing it to crack.

The second possibility sounds plausible given that last year Apple warned MacBook owners not to use the webcam privacy shield because of the reduced clearance between the keyboard and panel.

One user says this is the explanation Apple support provided when he took his laptop in for repair." I took my Mac to the Apple store and was immediately told, "Let me tell you what you did here," and they explained that I must have closed the lid on something." When I told them that I did not, they said I must have pushed it down or held it the wrong way."

Obviously, anonymous Internet stories should not necessarily be taken at face value, and even if they were all accurate. However, the fact that there are so many testimonials that sound familiar means that Apple may have a real problem here, and may have to rethink its treatment of victims of display defects.