Apple says some 2018 iPad Pro units ship with bent chassis, not considered a defect

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 87
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    There’s a one year warrantee that comes with pretty much any electronics product.  So the two-week return period is not at issue here, in my opinion.  Folks should simply return any unit they find is bent in this manner.  

    The acknowledgement by Apple has come well within the product’s first year of being on sale, so everyone who has purchased one is eligible for a warrantee replacement.  The fact Apple says it’s not a defect, I suspect, will not imply Apple is considering not honoring a warranty replacement; it’s just Apple sending a message that there’s no need to worry regarding further bending susceptibility or normal use of the product should a user decide not to return it.

    I’d be very surprised if my assessment regarding Apple’s stance on this matter is not accurate.  The fact that this bend would likely reduce the iPad’s resale value, alone, would be reason enough for Apple to volunteer replacement under warrantee. Otherwise they invite a class-action, and they’re smart enough to know this.  
    Unfortunately your assessment isn’t accurate. With Apple taking the stance that the bend is not a defect, they are effectively saying there is no warranty issue.  It is analogous to bad pixels. I think one bad pixel in the middle of your screen is a defect/failure. But Apple does not consider this a defect and will not warranty a repair.  So if yours is bent and you are within the return period I would return ASAP. 

    This is either a design issue or a quality control issue. Either way, it should be fixed. 
    Let’s watch to see how this plays out.  I stand by my assessment and even addressed your position on it, having anticipated your comment.  
    williamlondon
  • Reply 42 of 87
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator


    Under Steve we had the following less-than-polished products.

    MobileMe iPod shuffle that died from sweat Many NVIDIA MBPro recalls IPod socks IPod Nano recalls IPhone 1G (no MMS, no App Store, etc) Plastic MacBook that cracked everywhere iMac G5 - Logic board would die IMac Core Duo - known display issues IPhone 3G - plastic would crack on the corners AppleTV 1st gen - would overheat ITunes Ping MobileMe IPhone antennagate iBook G3 (CPU separation issue)

    Yeah, this iPad news is interesting to see, but let’s not forget this isn’t anything new to Apple.

    Or new to any manufacturer of leading edge technology. Even some rockets explode, on occasion, killing everyone aboard.  Your point is well taken, that this stuff is hard.  If it were easy we’d all be rolling our own out in the garage, like the two Steve’s did back in the early days.  
  • Reply 43 of 87
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    Skor said:
    I just read post pulled out my iPad Pro 10.5 LTE and like article reads, my iPad is slightly bent on the antenna line.

    Lay it on a table opposite the bend and it rocks. Not sure how this can classified as not an issue - especially with time. Had it almost a month. 

    Sucks! This is my first post. Was hoping it would be cheerful. 
    Please report back here after you attempt to return it under warrantee.  
  • Reply 44 of 87
    This certainly is a nothing else but a defect to me as a customer. Save all the manufacturing excuses, it's absolute fail in QC.

    Luckily I will not be buying any of this, but sad for those customers. Surely losing some faith in Apple. Apple'd better make replacement.
  • Reply 45 of 87
    hentaiboy said:
    Time to use some more of that expensive 7000 Series Aluminium methinks.
    That will be touted as a feature in the next new model.

    While I loved my iPhone 5 and consider it the pinnacle of iPhone industrial design, it doesn't really translate into the larger iPad form factor.

    Unlike the radiused-edge design of all prior iPads, the flat, slab-sided Pro is harder to lift and pick up off a table.  The radiused perimeter of the old iPads also contributed to the rigidity of the shell.

    Ive's obsession with thinness has now become a liability more often than not.  And the Pro clearly lacks the solid, reassuring heft of previous models.

    Warped iPads are no more desirable than warped vinyl records.  Apple's dismissal of such warpage as a normal byproduct of the production process don't pass the sniff test, and is lame attempt to conceal a deficiency in its engineering.
    elijahg
  • Reply 46 of 87
    sflocal said:
    Got an iPad that was bent out of the box?  Return it and move on with your life.  Why people raise such a stink about it is beyond me. Apple manufactures a gazillion of these units and it is impossible that every one of them is perfect right out of the box.  There are going to be defects.

    Just the typical whiners, trolls, and crybabies that have to chime in with their Apple-hating nonsense.

    I'm not giving Apple a free pass, nor any other company.  However, Apple does back up their products and if one pays a premium for their products, it better be perfect.
    I thought the point of the article was that Apple doesn’t consider it a defect.
    There are tolerances on every engineering product. Of course you have the right to not accept those or to claim tighter tolerances, but Apple’s attitude here is not evil, they base their stance on some accepted industrial practices. Certainly Apple will take some action if those returns reach unusual levels.

    From Apple’s response I gather this is a controllable issue. They may slow down the cooling process for example. The very first units have always come with some unexpected glitches as seen through all Apple history. In future or current manufacturing batches the issue may be already resolved.
    edited December 2018
  • Reply 47 of 87
    citpeks said:
    hentaiboy said:
    Time to use some more of that expensive 7000 Series Aluminium methinks.
    That will be touted as a feature in the next new model.

    While I loved my iPhone 5 and consider it the pinnacle of iPhone industrial design, it doesn't really translate into the larger iPad form factor.

    Unlike the radiused-edge design of all prior iPads, the flat, slab-sided Pro is harder to lift and pick up off a table.  The radiused perimeter of the old iPads also contributed to the rigidity of the shell.

    Ive's obsession with thinness has now become a liability more often than not.  And the Pro clearly lacks the solid, reassuring heft of previous models.

    Warped iPads are no more desirable than warped vinyl records.  Apple's dismissal of such warpage as a normal byproduct of the production process don't pass the sniff test, and is lame attempt to conceal a deficiency in its engineering.
    Why is this all put on Ive? IF he’s making unreasonable demands then it’s up to engineering to say no. My guess is marketing is just as obsessed with thin and light as any other area of the company. Also it seems to me the change in design to flat sided edges was to accommodate the attachment and charging of Apple Pencil. If anything the design harkens back to the original iPad released under Steve Jobs.

    My guess is it’s quietly being fixed (assuming it doesn’t require some radical re-design). Whoever made the decision to tell The Verge that a slight bend is normal and not a defect needs to find a new job.
    muthuk_vanalingamracoleman29
  • Reply 48 of 87
    So, if I put any weight on it (you know, like when you actually use it) while it is laying "flat" on a table with that protruding lens, it may bend...?

    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 49 of 87
    Regarding this issue, is bad, really bad. So we buy an iPad for 1469 euros I brought one, with Apple folio and an Apple Pencil, adding 119 and 135 euros. That’s a lot of money and add an Apple care 79 euros, here in my country does not exist Apple care +.

    in the past I have had the warrantie of an iPhone 6S Plus denied by Apple because of a slight bend, a very small one difficult to notice by the store in the macro shoots they showed me. The problem was the speaker was not very loud and almost impossible to hear the calls, but warrantie was denied by Apple because there was an almost imperceptible bend.

    Now we receive devices from factory that are already bent, and for Apple this is normal and acceptable on an expensive device like this.

    Apple made a beautiful piece of hardware to be on a store shelve without using it too much, because with use it will bend and we will loose our warrantie and all the investiment made when a claim comes. They build it to be beautiful, I do not think they even care to test is durability and extended normal use. Yes we can be careful, I Am, but in this case we need to be extra, extra, extra, careful.

    I think this is sad and offensive for Apple users.



    numenoreanracoleman29Dead_Pool
  • Reply 50 of 87
    Relieved I didn’t upgrade 
  • Reply 51 of 87
    danvmdanvm Posts: 1,400member
    entropys said:
    ronn said:
    Just checked the newish iPad Pro. No bends. But it's mostly in a case. A bit paranoid now.  :#

    Steve Jobs wouldn't tolerate this? The same Steve Jobs that told iPhone customers with reception issues that they were "holding it wrong?" That Steve Jobs?  ;)
    There was nothing wrong with the iPhone 4’s reception, it was a total beat up.  Apple sold tens of millions of them that worked for years.

    Bent iPad pros out of the box, for which you pay a substantial price for, is totally unacceptable and a demonstration of the recent absolute pursuit of form to the detriment of function. There needs to be balance. How did Jobs put it? Oh, yes, the intersection of engineering and liberal arts. This is example number eleventy that Apple has veered too far down the arty farty road and the engineers are  being treated with little regard. It’s a dead end eventually.
    From what I remember, Apple "solved" the issue with a cover.  If that was the case, most people have covers in their devices, so they wouldn't notice any problems.  But that doesn't means that the issue didn't exist in most, and maybe all of their devices. 
  • Reply 52 of 87
    Clearly we're living in a post Steve era.. I can't believe Apple says a bent iPad isn't a defect.I got lucky my 11 inch came in good condition. I have a case on it & so far all good.
  • Reply 53 of 87
    I just checked mine after reading this article.  There is a slight bend as noted in the article.  You have to really look close to notice.  I am very picky and did not even notice this and I received day 1.  I will not be returning mine.  Not at all suggesting that Apple has a manufacturing issue and should fix...it will not be noticeable by most.
  • Reply 54 of 87
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    So unbox and pay attention. Then, typical Apple: “The report notes owners who receive a bent unit from the factory should be able to replace it with little trouble. ”

    EOS
    edited December 2018
  • Reply 55 of 87
    flydog said:
    tyler82 said:
    You would think a 40 year old company would have learned their PR mistakes by this point.
    Which PR mistake is that?  Telling the truth, not hiding behind a "no comment" response?
    PR mistake 1: selling a product with an obvious problem.
    PR mistake 2: saying it's not a problem

    The problem:
    1. Obviously, cosmetic. Would you be satisfied if the body of your newly delivered BMW was "just a little bent out of shape, but it all works fine, and you can't even see it if you're sitting in the car"? If the iPad was designed to be warped, maybe to better accommodate the shape of your thigh, that's fine. But that's not the case.
    2. Possibly: a flat bottom is required to make flush contact with something acting as a heat sink underneath, which an iPad may need if really working hard. That said, it's also true that a warped bottom would allow better air circulation underneath, thus better cooling. However, if that's a good feature it should have been designed that way from the get-go. Bottom line: design/manufacture error. As noted above, Steve Jobs would never have tolerated this.
  • Reply 56 of 87
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    OTOH months of use and the shape was unnoticeable?

    no way of knowing when you bent it. 
  • Reply 57 of 87
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member

    malcon said:
    ...
    ...

    Now we receive devices from factory that are already bent, and for Apple this is normal and acceptable on an expensive device like this.

    Apple made a beautiful piece of hardware to be on a store shelve without using it too much, because with use it will bend and we will loose our warrantie and all the investiment made when a claim comes. They build it to be beautiful, I do not think they even care to test is durability and extended normal use. Yes we can be careful, I Am, but in this case we need to be extra, extra, extra, careful.

    I think this is sad and offensive for Apple users.



    There’s no evidence they bend in normal use, thus a small percentage manufacturing issue. And they’ll replace units that unbox bent. 
    edited December 2018
  • Reply 58 of 87
    Mine is perfectly fine. I’ll bet the number of people who have this issue is tiny but gets blown up on the internet. Still not a good look for Apple st say no big deal. If mine was bent it would get returned immediately.
    Many are probably bent but people don’t notice till much later. My iPad 10.5 is bending like crazy, and it affects the performance majorly, I often have to bend it back to get it to perform properly every couple months or so. But I use my iPad on average probably 3-4 hours a day. This bending crap is b*llsh*t for a $750 dollar product.
  • Reply 59 of 87
    JFC_PA said:

    malcon said:
    ...
    ...

    Now we receive devices from factory that are already bent, and for Apple this is normal and acceptable on an expensive device like this.

    Apple made a beautiful piece of hardware to be on a store shelve without using it too much, because with use it will bend and we will loose our warrantie and all the investiment made when a claim comes. They build it to be beautiful, I do not think they even care to test is durability and extended normal use. Yes we can be careful, I Am, but in this case we need to be extra, extra, extra, careful.

    I think this is sad and offensive for Apple users.



    There’s no evidence they bend in normal use, thus a small percentage manufacturing issue. And they’ll replace units that unbox bent. 
    Except when Apple says it’s normal and not a defect there’s no guarantee they will replace it.
  • Reply 60 of 87
    sflocal said:
    Got an iPad that was bent out of the box?  Return it and move on with your life.  Why people raise such a stink about it is beyond me. Apple manufactures a gazillion of these units and it is impossible that every one of them is perfect right out of the box.  There are going to be defects.

    Just the typical whiners, trolls, and crybabies that have to chime in with their Apple-hating nonsense.

    I'm not giving Apple a free pass, nor any other company.  However, Apple does back up their products and if one pays a premium for their products, it better be perfect.
    I thought the point of the article was that Apple doesn’t consider it a defect.
    There are tolerances on every engineering product. Of course you have the right to not accept those or to claim tighter tolerances, but Apple’s attitude here is not evil, they base their stance on some accepted industrial practices. Certainly Apple will take some action if those returns reach unusual levels.

    From Apple’s response I gather this is a controllable issue. They may slow down the cooling process for example. The very first units have always come with some unexpected glitches as seen through all Apple history. In future or current manufacturing batches the issue may be already resolved.
    I believe no amount of QC or manufacturing changes will stop the bend issue on the LTE model without reinforcing the antenna line region. Just my opinion.

    I’m looking at my Pro 11 inch and believe the weak link in the anttena line passing over the edge of the ends of the iPad. Mine is what so ever slightly bent on both sides, exactly on the attena line.

    Other than one light backpack trip, my one month Pro has not been under heavy stress or load. I own a 10.5 Pro, mistreated it, put it under heavy stress inside a stuffed backpack on monthly business trips over the past year and it has absolutely no bend or warp. Looked at it this morning before finishing this post. 

    Im going to go out in a limb and say even a new straight out or the box with no bend iPad if given some stress in a backpack or other, in time will bend over the antenna line region.

    Hopefully I’m wrong but looking at the bend it’s just obviously the anttena lines have something to do with it since it’s bent on the exact same place on both sides. The bends are very suttel and not obviously at first. 
    edited December 2018
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