screen smudges on macbook pro

I have a 15' macbook pro with a matte screen from august 2008. Recently, there have been small black smudges and minor discolorations on my screen. I have applecare which will expire in august 2011. Here is a picture of my screen. There are two main areas of discoloration. One is right to the left of the search bar and the other is a discoloration located to the bottom-right of the "about google" link. I have used iklear numerous times to clean the screen, but that does not seem to help. Do you think this will be covered by applecare?



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Is that a screenshot or did you shoot it with your camera? If it's a screenshot, then it's not the display and could be graphics related. In any event since you have Apple care, make an appointment with your local genius bar and take it on in and let them look at it.

It was a photo taken from my iphone. When I take a screenshot, the image is normal

If the screenshot is normal, then the defects are on the LCD panel itself. As I advised in my first reply, take it on in and let Apple deal with it.

It's also possible the smudges may be on the inside of the glass which covers the LCD panel. But that again, is a job for Apple to do.

Sounds like bruising of the LCD. If so, Apple considers this physical damage and is not obligated to repair/replace it under warranty. That being said, if the unit is under warranty, most technicians will consider replacing it as a courtesy, especially if the customer is pleasant to work with - it's one of those times when honey gets much better results than vinegar!