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iPad Air 2 Screen distoring when holding.
- Thread starter Millionaire2K
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I don't know how this is a "normal use" problem. I can easily replicate the distorting but with a very unnatural grip holding the iPad too close to the edges and cramping my fingers. If you actually relax your grip and extend your fingers theres no problem and its less pressure on your fingers anyway.
I guess thats the issue. People just hold it differently. I hold it with my fingers flat extending over part of the apple logo.
And please don't bring religion into any of this.....its like bringing a knife to a gun fight and I'll leave it at that.
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I was at the Apple Store and tried all the iPad Air 2 models they had to test for this phenomenon. All of them did it with pressure, but more pressure than I personally would exert while holding the tablet. Holding the tablet in one hand and shifting it left and right did not produce the problem, only pressure deliberately and directly applied to the right side.
I would say your best bet is to test the device before you leave the store to make sure it's not distorting with normal use. If it is, ask them to swap it out for another until you find a unit that doesn't distort while in your normal grip. They will all do it with enough pressure.
I would say your best bet is to test the device before you leave the store to make sure it's not distorting with normal use. If it is, ask them to swap it out for another until you find a unit that doesn't distort while in your normal grip. They will all do it with enough pressure.
My iPad air 2 128 does it as well. Although I have to apply some pressure. Just put a case on it with a semi flimsy back and it seems worse. It also froze once when I tried it and I had to hard reset. Otherwise I really like the new iPad. Best buy has targus cases in. Not great but better than nothing.
Guess so. If I hold it like I would me iPad 4 I get no issues. I have to "try" to make it happen. So meh
Different people will grip their devices differently, so saying a "normal" grip can produce the issue is meaningless. Some people's normal grip produces it repeatedly, others don't. As I said earlier, I tested 12 different units today at the Apple Store and none of them distorted with a one-handed grip until I intentionally applied additional pressure. But my "normal" grip is likely different someone else's "normal" grip.
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Just tried this on my iPad 3 and can easily replicate this with moderate force. Luckily I don't hold my iPad with a death grip. I don't think this will bother me when my air 2 arrives.
Well I'm impressed with Apple's return/replacement process.
My return was put on the truck this eve at 8:33 to travel up to Harrisburg pa.
According to the Apple store order page the replacement is in Preparing for Shipment status.
I was expecting to wait at least until they had the return in hand.
Well, my iPad Air 2 came today, and one of the first things I did was to check the "distortion from one-hand hold". No distortion whatsoever. I asked someone who has no clue about this whole thing if they noticed anything as I moved it around gripping in different ways and no, they didn't notice anything.
Obviously you haven't found the spot, because all iPad Airs 2 are doing it, it is by design not by fault and once you locate it the ripple effect is easily reproduced with the minimal of force.
Btw; The spot is located at the back approximately 1 inch to the right of Apple logo.
I have seen every single display in four different Apple stores and few other retailers and all of them are doing it, that is approximately 40 iPad Airs 2
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Read my reply above
Picked up a silver iPad tonight. It has the distortion, but not with my normal one handed grip. It will do it if I apply additional force, something I've never done with any of my iPads because why would I?
Totally agree, would never noticed that "issue" if not for this MR forum topic.
Actually, initially I have argued saying it doesn't exist until I have located the pressure spot that triggers that effect.
I still have my iPad Air 1 which I have used for 11 months without noticing it and I can trigger ripple in exactly the same spot although with a little bit more pressure. I can also do it with iPad 4 and my MacBook
Bottom line, if I havent read this forum I would never noticed it under normal use.
Btw; stopped poking and stabbing my iPad Air 2 and started to enjoy it instead
Depends on grip
I haven't been monitoring this thread too closely since I just wanted to see how often I encounter the distortion in my "normal usage". So far it's been okay, but I'm also slightly biased since I don't want to exchange my iPad and have to buy another glass screen protector.
That being said, I have found that it does show up when picking the iPad up from the right side (which I do, since I'm right handed). Just like jonnyb says, when just holding the iPad with my right hand, my fingers tend to extend out towards the logo, which changes the pressure pattern and I don't get the distortion even when walking around. However, when I'm picking it up from the table, I don't/can't extend my fingers all the way and my fingers are closer to the edge. Gives me a better grip. Then the cantilevered weight of the iPad causes the distortion to appear. That's when I can see it happen (and when I originally saw it).
Just like with Millionaire2k, I wasn't intentionally looking for something wrong - it just popped out at me when I first picked it up when I was setting it up. On the other hand, when I saw it, I was also like, "WTF was that?" When you pay this much for a new toy, you don't want it to be defective. Now that it sounds like most/a lot/>1 units have this I feel a bit better, but I'm worried about the reliability of the product. Maybe I'll just get Applecare and be done with it!
I haven't been monitoring this thread too closely since I just wanted to see how often I encounter the distortion in my "normal usage". So far it's been okay, but I'm also slightly biased since I don't want to exchange my iPad and have to buy another glass screen protector.
That being said, I have found that it does show up when picking the iPad up from the right side (which I do, since I'm right handed). Just like jonnyb says, when just holding the iPad with my right hand, my fingers tend to extend out towards the logo, which changes the pressure pattern and I don't get the distortion even when walking around. However, when I'm picking it up from the table, I don't/can't extend my fingers all the way and my fingers are closer to the edge. Gives me a better grip. Then the cantilevered weight of the iPad causes the distortion to appear. That's when I can see it happen (and when I originally saw it).
Just like with Millionaire2k, I wasn't intentionally looking for something wrong - it just popped out at me when I first picked it up when I was setting it up. On the other hand, when I saw it, I was also like, "WTF was that?" When you pay this much for a new toy, you don't want it to be defective. Now that it sounds like most/a lot/>1 units have this I feel a bit better, but I'm worried about the reliability of the product. Maybe I'll just get Applecare and be done with it!
I haven't been monitoring this thread too closely since I just wanted to see how often I encounter the distortion in my "normal usage". So far it's been okay, but I'm also slightly biased since I don't want to exchange my iPad and have to buy another glass screen protector.
That being said, I have found that it does show up when picking the iPad up from the right side (which I do, since I'm right handed). Just like jonnyb says, when just holding the iPad with my right hand, my fingers tend to extend out towards the logo, which changes the pressure pattern and I don't get the distortion even when walking around. However, when I'm picking it up from the table, I don't/can't extend my fingers all the way and my fingers are closer to the edge. Gives me a better grip. Then the cantilevered weight of the iPad causes the distortion to appear. That's when I can see it happen (and when I originally saw it).
Just like with Millionaire2k, I wasn't intentionally looking for something wrong - it just popped out at me when I first picked it up when I was setting it up. On the other hand, when I saw it, I was also like, "WTF was that?" When you pay this much for a new toy, you don't want it to be defective. Now that it sounds like most/a lot/>1 units have this I feel a bit better, but I'm worried about the reliability of the product. Maybe I'll just get Applecare and be done with it!
I am also right handed and my iPad Air 2 does not make the distortion when picking it up. I have to deliberately press hard on the back.
Odd, why would you hold it in your right hand if you are right handed? I'm right handed and I hold it in my left hand so I can interact with it with my right hand.
I pick it up with my right hand only to hand it to my left.
I pick it up with my right hand only to hand it to my left.
My Air 2 is in the apple smart case. I just picked it up with my right hand so the cover part of the case was hanging over, adding more weight to the left side, and it still didn't distort
Glad I saw this thread before getting one of these.
Looking at the iFixIt teardown, it appears the offending region is actually the right border of the battery or left border of the logic board cover (the top of the iPad is on the left in this photo):
Zoomed in (go to the photo and click to zoom in further)
View attachment 509403
This view shows the funky right border of the battery.:
View attachment 509405
Since the exact spot seems to be somewhat variable, my money is on that funky strip on the right side of the battery. Maybe prototypes were fine because the battery was installed more carefully, or perhaps a different battery was sourced for production units. In any event this has got to be a production problem, there is no effing way this could have passed notice by anyone at Apple who handled a prototype.
Anyone got the stones to split his iPad open and try to smooth out the right border of the battery? Might take a little heat to do it - a hair dryer or heat gun could work.
Looking at the iFixIt teardown, it appears the offending region is actually the right border of the battery or left border of the logic board cover (the top of the iPad is on the left in this photo):
Zoomed in (go to the photo and click to zoom in further)
View attachment 509403
This view shows the funky right border of the battery.:
View attachment 509405
Since the exact spot seems to be somewhat variable, my money is on that funky strip on the right side of the battery. Maybe prototypes were fine because the battery was installed more carefully, or perhaps a different battery was sourced for production units. In any event this has got to be a production problem, there is no effing way this could have passed notice by anyone at Apple who handled a prototype.
Anyone got the stones to split his iPad open and try to smooth out the right border of the battery? Might take a little heat to do it - a hair dryer or heat gun could work.
10% are left handed, I am right handed but often hold the ipad in my right hand.
I noticed this as well. It appears not to happen on the cellular models. I had a Wi-Fi model which has the distortion problem when medium pressure was applied. I returned it for a cellular model, which does not appear to have the problem.
It does in fact happen on the cellular models.
128GB, Silver, Cellular
I took mine back today because it was pretty distracting. The Genius tried to convince me that it's normal, he said, Look! All the floor models do it!
Which is cool and all, but for me it became pretty distracting while I was reading at night.
Obviously you haven't found the spot, because all iPad Airs 2 are doing it, it is by design not by fault and once you locate it the ripple effect is easily reproduced with the minimal of force.
Btw; The spot is located at the back approximately 1 inch to the right of Apple logo.
I have seen every single display in four different Apple stores and few other retailers and all of them are doing it, that is approximately 40 iPad Airs 2
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Read my reply above
Not happening on mine - even when I deliberately try
I have just got the 64gb space grey wifi and mine has the distortion problem in several spots, but only when I press harder than normal. In normal usage I have no distortion. Very happy with mine.