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Should I return for dust under the screen?

spiderman0616

spiderman0616

Suspended
Original poster
Aug 1, 2010
5,670
7,506
I'm trying really hard not to be OC about my iPad 2, but I found 3 specks of dust under my iPad 2 screen two nights ago. I have very very minor light bleed that is not noticeable in any way during normal use. I have no dead pixels. I have no raised glass or home button problems. My 14 day return windows ends on Monday. I'm trying to decide what to do in light of the new story that came out today about screen defects from LG. I can think of some scenarios that could happen to me.

1. I'll get an exchange and it WILL have the severe light leak issues/dead pixels/raised glass.

2. I'll get an exchange and it will have dust too, or will eventually get it.

3. I'll get a refurb that has cosmetic or other flaws. (this has happened to me multiple times with my iPhone 4, and even the one they gave me new in the box had scratches on the antenna band).

4. I'll get one that's perfect.

The odds seem stacked against me as far as getting a new one in the box that has no problems, but waiting until the newer screens are out in the wild will just result in me getting a refurb, and if it wasn't clear before, I don't trust Apple's refurb units anymore.

What to do? I have a Genius Bar appointment tomorrow, but can't decide to bother with it or not.

EDIT: Should also mention--the dust is only visible when the screen is OFF, and not at all visible when in use.
 
Last edited:
"EDIT: Should also mention--the dust is only visible when the screen is OFF, and not at all visible when in use. "

KEEP IT!
 
Mine seems to have absolutely zero issues whatsoever. I am so grateful everytime I read one of these threads!
 
btrav13 said:
Mine seems to have absolutely zero issues whatsoever. I am so grateful everytime I read one of these threads!
Click to expand...

I'm convinced that the dust appeared after I got it. Once a day at the end of the day, I wipe the screen off with a microfiber cloth, and have been watching like a hawk for any scratches as I decided to ditch the screen protector I had. I would have noticed this dust right from the start if it was there when I got it.

But now I'm worried about trading a piece of dust for a bad screen or cosmetic problems. I wonder how long ago LG "fixed" this problem and what chance I have of getting a good screen.
 
spiderman0616 said:
I'm convinced that the dust appeared after I got it. Once a day at the end of the day, I wipe the screen off with a microfiber cloth, and have been watching like a hawk for any scratches as I decided to ditch the screen protector I had. I would have noticed this dust right from the start if it was there when I got it.

But now I'm worried about trading a piece of dust for a bad screen or cosmetic problems. I wonder how long ago LG "fixed" this problem and what chance I have of getting a good screen.
Click to expand...

The screen is glued tight. No dust should get in there. Once dust gets in, there will be more to come. Return it.
 
Kmart9419 said:
The screen is glued tight. No dust should get in there. Once dust gets in, there will be more to come. Return it.
Click to expand...

If the screen is glued tight, then how would there be more to come? A piece of dust in one part of the screen is not going to unglue the screen from the bezel.

In any event, if the problem gets worse then I would suggest to OP to return it. But be prepared to wait a while for a replacement. I'm facing a similar issue and do not really want to go two or three weeks without my iPad, particularly because there's no real problem. I can't even see the dust when the screen is on and I can only see it when the screen is off if I look very carefully. As a matter of fact, there's typically quite a bit of dust on the OUTSIDE of the screen which I never even give a second thought.
 
thelookingglass said:
If the screen is glued tight, then how would there be more to come? A piece of dust in one part of the screen is not going to unglue the screen from the bezel.
Click to expand...

The OP said that he thought that the dust appeared after he got the iPad, which would imply that the seal isn't really intact.
 
Stetrain said:
The OP said that he thought that the dust appeared after he got the iPad, which would imply that the seal isn't really intact.
Click to expand...

Which is why I mentioned to him to return it if the problem gets worse. It's entirely possible he could've missed it until now. Some dust specks aren't visible unless viewed under certain light conditions.

For whatever it's worth, I just took a look at my iPad 1, which I've had for about 9 months now. And, guess what, four particles under the screen that I never even noticed previously. If returning is going to be a big hassle for the OP and the dust doesn't hinder normal usage, not the end of the world to keep it. These things are not manufactured in 100% dust-free environments so it's bound to happen.
 
Thanks for all the opinions--

I did NOT want to get into the return cycle with my iPad 2 the way I did with my iPhone 4, but I took it into the Apple store this morning. He took it to the back to look for the dust with a flashlight, and came back out with a replacement.

My first unit had very very very very slight light bleed. The new unit has none. It also has no dead pixels that I can tell. I gave it a pretty close inspection at the Apple store and it has no cosmetic issues.

As far as the dust, I know that it wasn't in there when I first got it. I would have noticed. If this iPad gets dust in it, I will be pissed, but I will probably not return it. I was told at the Apple store that the dust I had in mine was "within spec" (yeah right) and that they would replace it this time as a courtesy. If the glass is supposed to be glued and sealed to the lcd, I don't see how any NEW dust in the screen could be "within spec".

Anyway, I'm home with my replacement. It's syncing up now. Will do a more extensive test and one more screen inspection before I'm happy. I hope this iPad 2 is "the one" and that I can just continue on enjoying it as much as I was my first one. I hate dealing with returns and I especially hate dealing with returns at the Apple store.
 
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