Apple Addresses 2018 iPad Pro 'Bending' Controversy, Says Subtle Deviations May Be More Visible Due to New Design

[berrymetal]

Apple are still trying to make it normal, but it's not. And people will not just live with it...

 

[ahostmadsen]

I took a picture of my bent iPad (LTE) against the Keyboard Folio. If you look very, very carefully you can see that there is a very slight gap on the right hand side (a little more visible in person than on the picture). I think this is the kind of bend Apple addresses, it seems within 0.4 mm. I can live with it, although not that happy about it.

Well, it seems I don’t know how to include a photo.

 

[Akrapovic]

Do people actually think it's possible to manufacture a product without microscopic bends?.

All bends are visible if you measure them.

I think we need to go over the definition of some words - specifically, microscopic, measurable and visible. These are not as interchangeable as what you apparently believe them to be.

 

[shplock]

Do people actually think it's possible to manufacture a product without microscopic bends?

Every product is designed with a tolerance metric. There is no such thing as a product designed with zero tolerance. This includes ultra fancy luxury products (smaller tolerances) to crappy products (large tolerance levels).

You do know that your Macbook Pro, Macs, iPhones, etc.. all have these same tolerance levels, right?

Your BMW's and Teslas also have bends in them.

That may be correct but they are often not visible to the naked eye. These are visible and as such are not high quality and are indicative of poor quality.

 

[citysnaps]

No, I'm not and you know this because I even said as much in my first response to you.

Great. Now we're getting somewhere.

"Yes the user has some responsibility to take care of the product but if the iPad bend given reasonable use (nothing unreasonable about putting the iPad in a backpack by the way, people often do that with laptops and this can replace your laptop right?) then that is quite clearly a design flaw."

Then what is the reasonable use you speak of that's causing this iPad to bend?

Is it possible that there could be some unreasonable use involved? If so, would you (or Apple) like to know what that is?

I certainly would. Thus my questions.

If there's some unreasonable use involved, does the owner bear some personal responsibility?

For example, another poster said he has sat on his MBP many times, without issue. If sitting on this iPad, even once, caused bending, should the owner bear some responsibility?

 

[Jasonstevens]

Whenever there are display inconsistencies the first thing they do other than just turning the screen on is put it on a flat surface or check the shape of the iPad to see if there are any bends.

I’ve had apple refuse to repair an ipad because of a slight bend in it way smaller than the one in the OP until I spoke to an advisor. By a slight bend I mean only enough to slip the corner of a sheet of paper under the iPad in the centre when fave down on a flat surface.

 

[shplock]

This response is unacceptable.

When a company fails to deliver quality in one of their products it is entirely acceptable to complain. Or do you think that if a restaurant was to cause food poisoning that nobody should complain to the owner? I mean all foods have certain levels of bacteria on them don't they so surely we should accept that and be happy that some people got food poisoning.

 

[Kobayagi]

Have mine. It was never moved off the desk where I unpacked it, and was definitely not handled carelessly.

Wow, seems like a lot. Are you returning it?

 

[citysnaps]

My first apple product was in 1980. Don't patronise me.

Now it's an open MacBook Pro you can bend . Just stop.

Feel free to play with the kids here, a few fancy words, claim of engineering background... clearly superior strength ..... Etc. might impress them, I'm not interested. Another universal man .....

Feel free to ask me any engineering questions if you have doubts. My focus is communications and signal processing theory and hardware design. Systems architectures in the same disciplines as well.

Again...what is your background, other than buying an Apple product in 1980?


"Now it's an open MacBook Pro you can bend"

Now? Of course. BTW, I'm not talking about at the hinge.

 

[Rob_2811]

Great. Now we're getting somewhere.

"Yes the user has some responsibility to take care of the product but if the iPad bend given reasonable use (nothing unreasonable about putting the iPad in a backpack by the way, people often do that with laptops and this can replace your laptop right?) then that is quite clearly a design flaw."

Then what is the reasonable use you speak of that's causing this iPad to bend?

Is it possible that there could be some unreasonable use involved? If so, would you (or Apple) like to know what that is?

I certainly would. Thus my questions.

If there's some unreasonable use involved, does the owner bear some personal responsibility?

Of course it's possible somebody could've treated the device without reasonable care in that case of course the user is responsible.

Having seen the Jerryrigeverything video (linked earlier in this thread) and seen how easily the iPad Pro 11 inch bends under minimal pressure I would think it would be very difficult to determine if the device has been mishandled.

I certainly wouldn't buy one and carry it in a backpack the way I would a laptop.

 

[scottsjack]

No headphone jack, too thin. No thanks. I am considering a 10.5 iPad Pro as a replacement for my aging iPad mini 4.

 

[Shiro_Simba]

In general, cosmetic manufacturing defects are apparent fairly quickly. So are most mechanical defects. There are some, such as GPU overheating, that take time.

I’ve used my iPad Pro for 2 months and it looks good. No bending.

That is good news . Have you been careful with it, or like any other iPad ?

 

[nvmls]

The apple consumer wants to be the only one bending, fake news.

 

[FairlyKors]

I suppose but I think if someone was outright denied a claim under warranty, there's certainly logic in getting a second opinion elsewhere.

Personally, I have had a Genius Bar at one store deny a warranty claim for a Mac only to happily fulfill it at another or via call to AppleCare. --it happens, especially if the "genius" is new, experienced, or otherwise being a jerk.

That’s a stunning level of common sense to just willy-nilly trust your life (or maybe simply your tablet) to. Holy smokes.

B-b-b-but, what if a tornado manages to pull your *brand new* tablet out of your hands and goes on to recklessly bend it using its hurricane force winds around a telephone pole! Then what?! I betcha anything the Genius Bar would blame it on an “act of God” or something completely ridiculous like that. Maybe if Apple would quit being lazy, and just make their new tablets out of a helium-lead composite then we wouldn’t have to worry about flimsy-schlimsy tablets BENDING during tornados!

 

[MikeSmoke]

“When I look at it this way I can see a bend.”
“Don’t look at it that way.”

Apple has been making more and more head scratching moves lately.

 

[Rob_2811]

And my 2017 MBP is solid as well. No complaints. But, if opened and motivated, I could certainly bend it.

Thats fine. Devices have to be fit for purpose and real world use though not just looking pretty on display in an Apple Store.

For instance nobody would carry and open MacBook Pro around in a backpack the way you would this iPad.

 

[thadoggfather]

How many times is apple
Gonna botch this PR disaster and go further down the rabbit hole ? Just stop talking

 

[now i see it]

I think the real issue is that these new iPads are more fragile and easy to bend - after you get them (and carry them in a backpack). It's doubtful there many new iPads that are significantly (>0.4 mm) warped right out of the box.

 

[dazz87]

Typical apple.........

 

[Shiro_Simba]

Feel free to ask me any engineering questions if you have doubts. My focus is communications and signal processing theory and hardware design. Systems architectures in the same disciplines as well.

Again...what is your background, other than buying an Apple product in 1980?


"Now it's an open MacBook Pro you can bend"

Now? Of course. BTW, I'm not talking about at the hinge.

Computer science . Initially in hardware , but ended up in software development across various industries.

I'm talking about an MacBook Pro 2017 15 . Just picked mine up, and ... nah, she will not bend in my hands . Maybe I'm just old and weak.

 

[jarman92]

This is actually not acceptable

What, exactly, is not acceptable? That the iPad Pro, like every single product in existence, has certain design tolerances? Or that anyone can exchange their iPad for free if they feel like theirs is outside that tolerance?

How is any of this different or exceptional in any way?

 

[TallManNY]

Does Timmy really think my OCD is going to allow me to own a 'bent' iPad? What world does this guy live in?

If you buy one of these, which I doubt you will, just take it out of the box and see if there is a bend. If there is one, return it within your 14-day return period. You don't need to give them a reason. Then get another one.

 

[jarman92]

That's entirely the point imo. Good product designers work around these tolerances to create a product that looks sleek and perfect. Apple doesn't even care enough to anymore.

I'm sure the tolerances in my car are much more lax than the new iPad, yet I'll never see a defect unless I get out a micrometer and start checking it. The iPad is a defective design.

It's a huge, straight, flat sheet of aluminum. What possible design could disguise a microscopic (literally) deviation from perfectly flat?
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If you buy one of these, which I doubt you will, just take it out of the box and see if there is a bend. If there is one, return it within your 14-day return period. You don't need to give them a reason. Then get another one.

Or better yet, take it out of the box while you're still in the Apple Store!

 

[lkrupp]

Not a defect, it’s a feature...

The photograph in this article is fake as can be and was obviously bent before hand to give such an impression. Apple’s specifications states the engineering tolerance is 400 microns. Do you any of you have any idea what that is? It’s 0.016 inches. That’s 16 hundredths of an inch and would be barely noticeable. The bend in this picture is vastly more than that and fake as can be. I’m calling MacRumors out for this posting this fake photograph. The iPad depicted in the photo may be bent but it’s NOT because it came from the factory that way.

 

[citysnaps]

Of course it's possible somebody could've treated the device without reasonable care in that case of course the user is responsible.

Having seen the Jerryrigeverything video (linked earlier in this thread) and seen how easily the iPad Pro 11 inch bends under minimal pressure I would think it would be very difficult to determine if the device has been mishandled.

I certainly wouldn't buy one and carry it in a backpack the way I would a laptop.

If Apple's new iPad bent due to its owner accidentally sitting on it, should that be viewed as reasonable or unreasonable care?

I might get lucky and not bend my old iPad Air 2 after sitting on it. But don't think I could in good conscience make a case against Apple if it did bend or fail.