A lawsuit has been filed against electronics company Samsung for selling the Samsung Chromebook Plus 2-in-1, alleging that it had known for years about a defect that causes the screen.
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The class action lawsuit was filed by Tony McCoy in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and alleges that Samsung concealed the Chromebook defect and refused to cover the repair costs (which can run up to $350), even though the defect affected many of its customers.
The Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 with the reported defect was promoted as a hybrid laptop/tablet, with a 360-degree rotating touchscreen, making it easy for users to transform the device and change its functions.
The model was released in January 2017 at a price of $449, with marketing particularly emphasizing its "superior versatility.".
Samsung also promoted the reinforced “ Gorilla Glass 3 ,” to show the durability and longevity of the Chromebook’s display.
However, according to the complaint, the hinges that hold the screen and connect it to the frame are defective and usually detach from their mounting points after a period of daily use.
Once the defect occurs, the screen breaks when opening or closing the Chromebook, as the hinge now hangs at an angle. This also causes the screen frame underneath to split or tear, causing color and pixel issues.
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“The defect renders the devices inoperable, as it breaks the display glass and/or limits the user's ability to open or close the screen and adjust the viewing angle without causing serious damage to the display glass.“
Since the user can no longer open or close their device, the complaint states that it also lacks the 2-in-1 functionality, which was the Chromebook's main marketing principle.
According to the complaint, Samsung customers affected by the problem were forced to cover the repair costs themselves to replace both the hinges and the screen, as Samsung blames them for misuse.
But even if the hinge is replaced, Samsung is reportedly using the same defective part, so the screen cracking problem will reappear in a few months.
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This flaw seems to be a common complaint among owners of the device, with negative reviews flooding Samsung's Chromebook Plus product page.
At present, the company has not made any further statement on the matter.
