12.9 Pro charging. Do the right thing, Apple!

[Hym tix]

I finally got a 29W USB 3 charger for my 2015 iPad Pro 12.9" and now it charges the way it should. This happened after extended correspondence with Apple Care regarding how my iPad was not charging quickly and sometimes wasn't charging at all (during heavy use). The final resolution with Apple Care was:

1. The problem was confirmed with other Apple staff: the 12w charger doesn't sufficiently charge the 12.9 iPad.
2. Apple staff said to me they don't know why the product shipped with a 12W charger
3. The solution was that I have to buy a 29W charger and USB-C to lightning cable at $74 total cost to me.

How is there not a class-action lawsuit to demand Apple provide a sufficient charging solution for their premium, high priced "pro" product? Not ranting here, just wondering. I have the charger I should have gotten on day 1, so I'm happy now. The difference in charging performance is very noticeable.

I really don't understand how this isn't a bigger issue for users and why Apple isn't forced to fix it. I just hope everyone who bought a 29W charger for their 12.9 gets refunded eventually.
[doublepost=1503600273][/doublepost]To clarify: the primary problem is that the 12W charger fails to charge a 12.9 iPad during moderate usage. If Apple shipped a MacBook Pro like this there would be uproar. I'm curious why the problem has persisted without resolution for so long now related to the 12.9 iPad Pro.

[edit] A few days later, I have to agree that a lawsuit isn't the answer, I just wish Apple would do the right thing and offer a better charger with the original purchase.

 

[bensisko]

Because Apple never promised to include a charger that charges it fast (or while in use) - they included a charger that charges the iPad.

You can sue them unless it's a defect (it's not) or they promised something but didn't deliver (they didn't).

 

[TinaBelcher]

Expose them

 

[LorenK]

my iPad was not charging quickly and sometimes wasn't charging at all (during heavy use).

You identified your issue there, it's not charging during heavy use. There's nothing in your post that states that Apple promised that it would charge during heavy use or even moderate use. So long as the charger charges the iPad in a reasonable amount of time, it's hard for an attorney to get excited about suing for something that wasn't promised in the first place. And the world of class action litigation has also gotten a bit more iffy as judges have limited compensation to attorneys by tying it more closely to results, so unless the class action attorney has more of a sure thing, he's less likely to take something where there is no express promise, only an implicit one, and classifying something as "Pro" doesn't imply that it can charge under heavy use, only that it has features that would appeal to a professional user, which may or may not include charging while under heavy use.

 

[rasputin1969]

A class action suite is groundless in this case. At the same time Apple shipped a product with a barely acceptable charging facility. TBH equally as bad was shipping it with a 1 metre cable - show me any workhorse laptop with only a metre long cable between wall socket and device. It’s such a shame, Apple made its name by taking the non-nickle and dime approach, now look at it.

 

[Hym tix]

Alright, regarding the class-action question: Apple advertised and wowed us at the iPad Pro keynote with "heavy use" apps. If you can't run a CAD program or explore a 3D medical model while charging your iPad, then no the device is not performing as advertised. (In my mind, whatever. I don't really care)

A more intruiging question to me: how can Apple users expect this higher level of performance from a MacBook Pro but not from iPads? I suspect there are not many people using iPads at Pro levels, and Apple knows this and knows they can get away with shipping sub-par chargers.

 

[David-fr]

Alright, regarding the class-action question: Apple advertised and wowed us at the iPad Pro keynote with "heavy use" apps. If you can't run a CAD program or explore a 3D medical model while charging your iPad, then no the device is not performing as advertised. (In my mind, whatever. I don't really care)

A more intruiging question to me: how can Apple users expect this higher level of performance from a MacBook Pro but not from iPads? I suspect there are not many people using iPads at Pro levels, and Apple knows this and knows they can get away with shipping sub-par chargers.

Ok but now you are just complaining and not laying out a reasonable argument with solid ground to back up a law suit.. Do we wish Apple included said charger? Yes, did we buy with the expectation fast charging was a feature? No.

 

[psac]

If the rumors are correct, expect the same from the "iPhone 8." Regular charging from the included charger, and fast charging if you buy a premium charger on your own. For potentially a $1200+ phone. Awesome.

 

[RadioGaGa1984]

If the rumors are correct, expect the same from the "iPhone 8." Regular charging from the included charger, and fast charging if you buy a premium charger on your own. For potentially a $1200+ phone. Awesome.

Guess what? No one is forcing you to buy either.

 

[ZebraDude]

I finally got a 29W USB 3 charger for my 2015 iPad Pro 12.9" and now it charges the way it should. This happened after extended correspondence with Apple Care regarding how my iPad was not charging quickly and sometimes wasn't charging at all (during heavy use). The final resolution with Apple Care was:

1. The problem was confirmed with other Apple staff: the 12w charger doesn't sufficiently charge the 12.9 iPad.
2. Apple staff said to me they don't know why the product shipped with a 12W charger
3. The solution was that I have to buy a 29W charger and USB-C to lightning cable at $74 total cost to me.

How is there not a class-action lawsuit to demand Apple provide a sufficient charging solution for their premium, high priced "pro" product? Not ranting here, just wondering. I have the charger I should have gotten on day 1, so I'm happy now. The difference in charging performance is very noticeable.

I really don't understand how this isn't a bigger issue for users and why Apple isn't forced to fix it. I just hope everyone who bought a 29W charger for their 12.9 gets refunded eventually.
[doublepost=1503600273][/doublepost]To clarify: the primary problem is that the 12W charger fails to charge a 12.9 iPad during moderate usage. If Apple shipped a MacBook Pro like this there would be uproar. I'm curious why the problem has persisted without resolution for so long now related to the 12.9 iPad Pro.

Apple does the same thing with the Plus iPhones. The Charger I recieved was a 5W Charger. The Plus needs the 10W iPad charger to charger in the way that I want it to do.

 

[Beerstalker]

Just curious but what exactly are you doing with the iPad that this is such a big deal?

With the iPad plugged in to the included 12W adaptor and heavy use of the iPad how long does the battery last? Don't most people get up and walk away from the device every now and then to take a short break, so it would be charging during those times?

My 2017 iPad Pro 12.9 usually lasts about a week on a charge, and then I just plug it in and charge it overnight and I'm ready to go for another week, so this doesn't really bother me at all. I guess I'm just not that much of a heavy user though, since I mainly use mine for consumption at home.

At work I tend to sit at a desk most of the time with my Dell laptop on it's docking station hooked up to 3 monitors. Only time I'm undocked is when I take it to meetings. I have considered starting to bring my iPad to work to take notes/make sketches but if it got damaged it would be on me to replace it since it is my personal device. And I'm not sure if there is a program that would allow me to view/manipulate CREO models on the iPad if my employer even let me transfer them to it.

 

[JPack]

Alright, regarding the class-action question: Apple advertised and wowed us at the iPad Pro keynote with "heavy use" apps. If you can't run a CAD program or explore a 3D medical model while charging your iPad, then no the device is not performing as advertised. (In my mind, whatever. I don't really care)

Doesn't perform as advertised: Consumers can also make the argument the A9X isn't fast enough or ProMotion doesn't respond instantaneously to inputs. Whether it has merit will determined by a court, if it ever goes that far.

I suspect Apple didn't imagine consumers would use an iPad Pro as a desktop replacement. As a notebook replacement, perhaps.

Maybe you can escalate the issue or ask for a full refund of your iPad Pro. Apple won't take action unless enough complaints are logged.

 

[David58117]

Apple advertised and wowed us at the iPad Pro keynote with "heavy use" apps.

You know, I really wasn't "wowed" with that.

 

[djeeyore25]

While I don’t think there is enough cause for a lawsuit, I do think it’s a huge blemish on an otherwise great product. I’ve had my iPad lose charge while plugged in with the 12w adapter while simply watching a movie. The fact that Apple didn’t address the issue with the latest refresh is arrogant. I’ve had numerous portable devices (laptops, tablets, music players, cameras, cell phones, video game machines, etc) and never had this issue with any of them.

I love my iPad Pro, but I always tell people who ask about it to factor in an extra $80 to buy a plug that works. Perhaps Apple will reconsider if enough people are made aware of the issue.

 

[off_piste]

You identified your issue there, it's not charging during heavy use. There's nothing in your post that states that Apple promised that it would charge during heavy use or even moderate use. So long as the charger charges the iPad in a reasonable amount of time, it's hard for an attorney to get excited about suing for something that wasn't promised in the first place. And the world of class action litigation has also gotten a bit more iffy as judges have limited compensation to attorneys by tying it more closely to results, so unless the class action attorney has more of a sure thing, he's less likely to take something where there is no express promise, only an implicit one, and classifying something as "Pro" doesn't imply that it can charge under heavy use, only that it has features that would appeal to a professional user, which may or may not include charging while under heavy use.

A class action suite is groundless in this case. At the same time Apple shipped a product with a barely acceptable charging facility. TBH equally as bad was shipping it with a 1 metre cable - show me any workhorse laptop with only a metre long cable between wall socket and device. It’s such a shame, Apple made its name by taking the non-nickle and dime approach, now look at it.

I'd go the implied warranty route, both for merchantability and fitness.

 

[TheRealAlex]

Because Apple never promised to include a charger that charges it fast (or while in use) - they included a charger that charges the iPad.

You can sue them unless it's a defect (it's not) or they promised something but didn't deliver (they didn't).

I understand the issue, I use my 9.7" Pro heavily while plugged in with a standard Free included charger and it fully charges. I have to admit I'd be pissed if I had a 12.9" Pro which drained while in use even when plugged in

 

[Hym tix]

Just curious but what exactly are you doing with the iPad that this is such a big deal?

There are many scenarios... as mentioned by others above sometimes it is just wanting to charge the device and watch a movie at the same time, not having to choose one or the other. This is not always a "power user" problem.

I understand the issue, I use my 9.7" Pro heavily while plugged in with a standard Free included charger and it fully charges. I have to admit I'd be pissed if I had a 12.9" Pro which drained while in use even when plugged in

This is exactly why I'm perplexed. Users expect simultaneous charging/usage for laptops, iPhones and other iPads... why is this sub-par performance accepted for 12.9 charging??

 

[alFR]

How is there not a class-action lawsuit to demand Apple provide a sufficient charging solution for their premium, high priced "pro" product?

Because most people have better things to do with their lives?

 

[mrochester]

I can honestly say I've never tried to use my iPad while it is plugged into the charger. It gets charged when I'm not using it so I don't really care how long it takes. If anyone else in the world is the same as me, this is why they don't care in the slightest. I should imagine that given the iPad is a portable device, most people are like me in how they use their iPad.

 

[Marshall73]

I finally got a 29W USB 3 charger for my 2015 iPad Pro 12.9" and now it charges the way it should. This happened after extended correspondence with Apple Care regarding how my iPad was not charging quickly and sometimes wasn't charging at all (during heavy use). The final resolution with Apple Care was:

1. The problem was confirmed with other Apple staff: the 12w charger doesn't sufficiently charge the 12.9 iPad.
2. Apple staff said to me they don't know why the product shipped with a 12W charger
3. The solution was that I have to buy a 29W charger and USB-C to lightning cable at $74 total cost to me.

How is there not a class-action lawsuit to demand Apple provide a sufficient charging solution for their premium, high priced "pro" product? Not ranting here, just wondering. I have the charger I should have gotten on day 1, so I'm happy now. The difference in charging performance is very noticeable.

I really don't understand how this isn't a bigger issue for users and why Apple isn't forced to fix it. I just hope everyone who bought a 29W charger for their 12.9 gets refunded eventually.
[doublepost=1503600273][/doublepost]To clarify: the primary problem is that the 12W charger fails to charge a 12.9 iPad during moderate usage. If Apple shipped a MacBook Pro like this there would be uproar. I'm curious why the problem has persisted without resolution for so long now related to the 12.9 iPad Pro.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt here as not once did I have any issue charging the 12.9 Pro whilst in use, full brightness on 4G multitasking and playing games/streaming video over 4G whilst charging consistently. Can you reproduce the emails confirming that Apple said what you state above?

 

[SweetLou122]

My question is why would they change including a 2m cable to a 1m. They do pitch this as a laptop replacement so what laptop comes with a 3 foot charger.

Both are only SLIGHTLY forgivable from the battery life but honestly with the most expensive flagship tablet they make, they should include a 29 watt charger and 2m cable. Especially since you have to buy the keyboard and pencil to use it as a pro device.

 

[Hym tix]

@Marshall73 The chat session stuck to the expected routine answers. Things like "is the device charging as you expected?" No? Well "the 12W charger is the correct device designed for iPads." And they offered to ship a replacement 12W charger.

The in-store genius admitted to me in person points 1 and 2 in my original post. Then he went straight to the solution: I would have to pay to solve it.

By the way, thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt... I'm baffled if you don't have any issues charging in your scenario. If there are many others like you it makes me wonder What other factors could be involved.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

My question is why would they change including a 2m cable to a 1m. They do pitch this as a laptop replacement so what laptop comes with a 3 foot charger.

.20 x 11m units = $220K savings. Chicken feed for Apple, yes, but they've been de-contenting for years now to cut costs wherever they can. This is just one item of many. The iPad Air 2 came with a 12w charger. The Pro 9.7 bumped back down to 10w. The MBP doesn't come with an extension cable anymore. Steve Jobs loved including accessories because it allowed for a good customer experience. Tim Cook, beancounter, loves saving pennies believing customers will temporarily gnash their teeth and then cave and move on.

 

[Hym tix]

... The iPad Air 2 came with a 12w charger. The Pro 9.7 bumped back down to 10w.

NO!! Ok, that is maddening

 

[bensisko]

I understand the issue, I use my 9.7" Pro heavily while plugged in with a standard Free included charger and it fully charges. I have to admit I'd be pissed if I had a 12.9" Pro which drained while in use even when plugged in

I understand the issue (which is why I bought the USB-C charger). Would it have been awesome to include in the box? Absolutely! Was charging a pain in the early days? Yep. I just don't think it's sue-worthy.