No, Apple, a slightly bent iPad Pro straight out of the box isn't acceptable
A slightly bent chassis may not impede the new iPad Pro from working right, but Apple implying that this happening in any quantity to end-users is okay in any way defies reason.
An 11-inch iPad Pro exhibits a bend out of the box. | Source: The Verge
Contrary to appearances, I don't work all day and all night. So, when I hit the headlines this morning and was confronted with an array of testimonies talking about how some of Apple's customers with a new iPad Pro were taking them out of the box pre-bent, that took a few reads to fully process.
We've spoken about Apple's quality assurance at some length, just a hair over a year ago. We still don't think that there need to be mass firings, or sacrificial executives laid at the altar -- but this iPad Pro situation isn't good, and harkens back to G4 Cube mold marks, and a few other issues from days of yore. Yes, even Steve Jobs had issues like this.
It's early on Thursday, but we've already looked at our continued collation of service data, spoken to a few Apple dealers, and to other staff inside Apple not authorized to speak on behalf of the company. Based on service data and return rates, this does not appear to be a widespread or endemic problem. However, the fact that somebody at Apple has spoken out about it means it is not a trivial amount of customers who could be easily and quietly handled by being given a replacement with a perfunctory "hey, look at that" by Genius Bar staff before before anybody catches wind of the issue.
AppleInsider's advice is this: open those iPads you've got under the tree, and check them right now, to make sure that it isn't bent prior to any use by the recipient. Take advantage of that generous holiday return period that Apple is currently offering, and get one that's not bent and don't stop until you get one.
If you've got an older unit from launch, you might be out of luck. If you think it was bent out of the box, calmly and politely talk to Apple about it, get a case number, and keep watching AppleInsider for more information on it going forward. Remember, you aren't talking to factory workers or engineers, and they had nothing to do with the current situation -- so screaming at them isn't going to help you, or make them want to solve your problem. Of course, if you bent it, that's a different matter altogether, and please don't go down this road.
Pre-bent from the factory is fine in a $40 craplet. It is much less so in a $800 and up Apple iPad Pro.
An 11-inch iPad Pro exhibits a bend out of the box. | Source: The Verge
Contrary to appearances, I don't work all day and all night. So, when I hit the headlines this morning and was confronted with an array of testimonies talking about how some of Apple's customers with a new iPad Pro were taking them out of the box pre-bent, that took a few reads to fully process.
We've spoken about Apple's quality assurance at some length, just a hair over a year ago. We still don't think that there need to be mass firings, or sacrificial executives laid at the altar -- but this iPad Pro situation isn't good, and harkens back to G4 Cube mold marks, and a few other issues from days of yore. Yes, even Steve Jobs had issues like this.
It's early on Thursday, but we've already looked at our continued collation of service data, spoken to a few Apple dealers, and to other staff inside Apple not authorized to speak on behalf of the company. Based on service data and return rates, this does not appear to be a widespread or endemic problem. However, the fact that somebody at Apple has spoken out about it means it is not a trivial amount of customers who could be easily and quietly handled by being given a replacement with a perfunctory "hey, look at that" by Genius Bar staff before before anybody catches wind of the issue.
AppleInsider's advice is this: open those iPads you've got under the tree, and check them right now, to make sure that it isn't bent prior to any use by the recipient. Take advantage of that generous holiday return period that Apple is currently offering, and get one that's not bent and don't stop until you get one.
If you've got an older unit from launch, you might be out of luck. If you think it was bent out of the box, calmly and politely talk to Apple about it, get a case number, and keep watching AppleInsider for more information on it going forward. Remember, you aren't talking to factory workers or engineers, and they had nothing to do with the current situation -- so screaming at them isn't going to help you, or make them want to solve your problem. Of course, if you bent it, that's a different matter altogether, and please don't go down this road.
Pre-bent from the factory is fine in a $40 craplet. It is much less so in a $800 and up Apple iPad Pro.
Comments
I purchased a used iPhone 6 from a coworker recently for a family member. This coworker is meticulous about their things and has never placed their phone in their pants pocket. I had taken it to the Apple Store to have the $29 battery swap before the deal expires on 12/31. Apple performed an inspection in store and said “we may not be able to swap out the battery because the chassis is bent.” Sure enough, it was if you looked carefully. The 2nd tech who was to actually do the repair reluctantly gave it a green light.
I know that the 6 was part of “bend gate”. It makes me wonder if it left the factory already bent.
Based on my experience at the Apple store, I would be concerned to have a new iPad Pro where the same story might unfold without my happy ending.
Do the people that own this realize what they've got in their possession? Talk about first world problems. So, it's got a slight bent in it. Does it hamper performance? No, it does not.
I wish my life were so in tune with goodness that stupid crap like this would bother me.
The sky is falling the sky is falling!!
Step back from your perfect world and take a deep breath. So many other things to consider and concern ourselves with on this planet and you all focusing on crap like this. Unbelievable.
As a reminder, world conflict, starving children, and the like are not AppleInsider's beat -- you may get a clue from that by the name of the site. Apple is our focus, also similarly clued by the title.
Add to the negative sentiment wrought, in part, by the seemingly gobsmacked silence from Apple’s top management to a >25% drop in market value in the past six weeks.
The concern is that, while the device may perform effectively, the slight bend likely impacts the structural integrity of the device, which could make it more susceptible to breaks with even slightly rough handling within the norms of everyday use.
The whole point of this article is the fact that Apple acknowledges the error and just tells us to deal with it. It hearkens back to the days of AntennaGate, “you’re holding it wrong, but here’s a $20 caseband that will fix your issue.).
I get it...it’s a really slim and glass device that I could break. But if there’s a manufacturing error that could make that more likely, Apple needs to step up.
Any product that undergoes a radical redesign while having to ship on a very tight timeline is at risk of manufacturing induced defects in early production units. They simply don't have enough accrued time and data to know where variation is being induced into products during the manufacturing process over time and through use. Once they uncover the source of variation they can take steps to correct it. This is all part of the overall 6-sigma quality process. I always avoid using the term "quality assurance" because too many people see "QA" as a discreet thing, a backstop and last line of defense done at the end stage of production that keeps defective product from reaching customers. Quality is a continuous process that starts from product inception, goes through hardware and software design, continues through industrialization, and is reinforced during verification and validation processes done all along the way by much more than simply QA or Test personnel. Every step along the line has a feedback loop to to reduce defects and trap variation. Stepping of the soapbox now...
Unfortunately, with the huge volumes that Apple deals with and the "sensitive" nature of their customers, and borderline radical nature of their detractors, even a statistically tiny number of out-of-tolerance production units will result in negative customer reaction and public outcry if Apple doesn't handle the situation appropriately.
The worst possible thing Apple can do in these situations is to push back in any way or try to assuage impacted customers with logical explanations or rationale. Too many ways to lose this argument. Just man up, replace the units in question, fix the production variation, and maybe try to recoup some of the losses through discounted resale of the blemished units. Time is of the essence.
Mathis bent chassis will lead to issues down the road. My sister has the previous ten iPad Pro. Here had a slight defect where the screen meets the metal. But she didn’t care one bit. A year later and now her screen is popping out at one edge. It’s a good thing to catch problems while they are small and correctable. Don’t wait until they grow and you have no recourse.
L
Apple PR or whoever gave the press these comments simply fucked up. They should have just said they are investigating it, and people should return units if they are bent out of the box. The media doesn’t look for truth. They are looking for stories, and will make any bit of news as exciting as possible. Words like it being normal never should have left that Apple spokesperson’s mouth, even if it was the truth.