What just happened? Apple will now have to deal with a class-action lawsuit over reports of its M1 MacBook screens cracking inexplicably. The world's largest company is being accused of false or deceptive marketing for the laptops, misconduct in customer support, and violation of consumer law.

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the Northern District of California by law firm Bursor and Fisher. It follows last week's investigation into the cracking reports by Washington, DC-based Migliaccio & Rathod LLP, which also investigated the Surface Pro 4's screen flickering issues three years ago, but it seems another set of lawyers got there first.

The M1-powered MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro have been widely praised by reviewers and consumers, but it seems they're not perfect. Several users claim they opened their devices and discovered cracks on the screens that couldn't be explained. This Redditor says the LCD on their 13-inch M1 MacBook cracked inexplicably just a week after purchasing it. There have also been reports of black or vertical lines appearing on the screens for no apparent reason.

"The M1 MacBook is defective, as the screens are extraordinarily fragile, cracking, blacking out, or showing magenta, purple and blue lines and squares, or otherwise ceasing to function altogether," the suit reads.

The lawsuit states that Apple advertised the M1 MacBooks as being "premium [in] quality, reliability, and durability," despite allegedly knowing this wasn't true. It also claims that Apple's "rigorous testing" of the laptops should have revealed any faults and that the company "actively" hid the alleged defects from consumers.

The lawsuit goes on to accuse Apple of violating consumer law by refusing to repair the displays, even when they were under warranty. One customer was quoted $480 for a replacement screen, while another was told it would be $615. In many cases, Apple said the issue was caused by the customer and not a fault, meaning it wouldn't repair the laptop as it was considered accidental breakage.

The suit wants Apple to compensate the plaintiff for the cost of repairs and award others who have faced similar problems "reasonable attorney's fees and costs." It also asks the company to end its "false marketing" and that it "correct, repair, replace or otherwise rectify [its] unlawful, unfair, false and/or deceptive practices." The exact amount of damages will be identified during the requested jury trial.

h/t: MacRumors

Image credit: Nanain