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

[Abazigal]

Is the main article photo claimed to be a shipped product bend? If not it is highly misleading. It should at least show a 400 micron bent ipad for reference (ie. if yours looks worse then this it's covered).

I think it’s telling that all these websites seem to be essentially recycling the same stock photo on all these articles. You think there would be more variety.

Suggesting that the bending problem is actually a lot less widespread than it really is. Not saying there aren’t people facing this issue, but I am willing to wager that the vast, vast majority of users are receiving their iPad pros in mint condition, and will go on to use them happily for a good long time to come with no issues whatsoever.

The few who did (assuming those photos weren’t bent for the sake of creating drama), Apple will replace them. Or if you don’t have confidence in the product, then don’t buy it. And always inspect your purchase at the store before leaving.

I have been basically saying the same thing from day 1. It’s a relatively small issue that has been blown out of proportion by ad-driven websites who have every financial incentive to create drama and cause outrage for the sake of driving clicks and raking in the ad revenue.

And the haters are all falling for it hook, line and sinker.

 

[nzcatfood]

Tim, we're going to need bumper cases to hide this manufacturing defect, preferably something fairly rigid to overcome the usual anorexic design SNAFU.

 

[Shiro_Simba]

I think it’s telling that all these websites seem to be essentially recycling the same stock photo on all these articles. You think there would be more variety.

Suggesting that the bending problem is actually a lot less widespread than it really is. Not saying there aren’t people facing this issue, but I am willing to wager that the vast, vast majority of users are receiving their iPad pros in mint condition, and will go on to use them happily for a good long time to come with no issues whatsoever.

The few who did (assuming those photos weren’t bent for the sake of creating drama), Apple will replace them. Or if you don’t have confidence in the product, then don’t buy it. And always inspect your purchase at the store before leaving.

I have been basically saying the same thing from day 1. It’s a relatively small issue that has been blown out of proportion by ad-driven websites who have every financial incentive to create drama and cause outrage for the sake of driving clicks and raking in the ad revenue.

And the haters are all falling for it hook, line and sinker.

You are making assumptions with no data to support them.

All the apologisers are also failing for the hook link and sinker that’s it’s a non issue .

Simple fact is , You should know apple does not make statements for a non issue .

 

[Abazigal]

You are making assumptions with no data to support them.

All the apologisers are also failing for the hook link and sinker that’s it’s a non issue .

Simple fact is , You should know apple does not make statements for a non issue .

I feel the new Apple is a lot more responsive to issues (be they real or perceived) these days. For better and for worse.

I agree with John Gruber here.

https://daringfireball.net/2019/01/steve_jobs_and_apples_last_previous_earnings_warning

Apple needs to start showing the proverbial middle finger more in their press statements.

 

[bleak7]

Every time someone defends this is like listening to a flat earther say that you don’t see the curve of the Earth when you sit on a mountain, therefore the earth is flat without a doubt.

 

[Omega Mac]

Like the previous statement form Apple on this issue which I didn't comment on this is the key info and it is still being pushed.

"Apple says this process helps ensure the new iPad Pro models can meet a flatness specification of no more than a 400 micron deviation along any side, which less than the thickness of four sheets of paper."

It's a marketing spun admittance of the problem.

First Apple tell you how good their tolerances are and how little they tolerate: .400 micron is nothing = 0.4mm

Apple have admitted to the problem by stating their tolerances to a manufacturing origin bend instead of the everyday-use origin bend that most people would notice very quickly without close inspection, since the device would have been certainly straight when they first unboxed it.

It's an muddying of the issue by focussing on the lesser of two bend issues.

Then Apple focus on their complex, mystical and magical manufacturing process and how wonderful it is and how they are aware of the bend issue here - this is distraction from the "everyday use" bends which are clearly 1 or 2mm's or more which would be very noticeable.

A very round about way of Apple admitting to the problem trying not to lose face, signal their best in class standards and as I said in the original thread, most probably deal with this quietly with no fuss returns.

I can't read the 488 comments this far so I hope this isn't repeating a point already made. That's my cursory read. No need to go deeper, the problem is clear, Apple won't admit it openly because that is a marketing No No and do what they always do - So unless they actively refuse to replace device and/or don't follow up with a quiet revision to the unibody to address the structural ball drop, it's a wait a see scenario.

 

[Abazigal]

Every time someone defends this is like listening to a flat earther say that you don’t see the curve of the Earth when you sit on a mountain, therefore the earth is flat without a doubt.

A better analogy would be “the sky is falling” for me. That’s basically the general state of Macrumours these days, with the community seemingly losing their collective over every reported Apple problem, be it real or imagined.

 

[Shiro_Simba]

I feel the new Apple is a lot more responsive to issues (be they real or perceived) these days. For better and for worse.

I agree with John Gruber here.

https://daringfireball.net/2019/01/steve_jobs_and_apples_last_previous_earnings_warning

Apple needs to start showing the proverbial middle finger more in their press statements.

John Gruber is an delusional smug arrogant sod that has no idea about how Apple should be run.

I do not agree with his statement quoted here. Shows absolutely no insight and like his just had a bottle of kool-aid

 

[furi0usbee]

I feel the new Apple is a lot more responsive to issues (be they real or perceived) these days. For better and for worse.

I agree with John Gruber here.

https://daringfireball.net/2019/01/steve_jobs_and_apples_last_previous_earnings_warning

Apple needs to start showing the proverbial middle finger more in their press statements.

And the iPads are still being opened bent...

 

[SeanR1]

Not a defect, it’s a feature...

You're holding it wrong!

 

[Rob_2811]

I feel the new Apple is a lot more responsive to issues (be they real or perceived) these days. For better and for worse.

I agree with John Gruber here.

https://daringfireball.net/2019/01/steve_jobs_and_apples_last_previous_earnings_warning

Apple needs to start showing the proverbial middle finger more in their press statements.

Yes always nice to get some impartial opinion from one of the biggest Apple shills on the planet.

 

[Abazigal]

John Gruber is an delusional smug arrogant sod that has no idea about how Apple should be run.

I do not agree with his statement quoted here. Shows absolutely no insight and like his just had a bottle of kool-aid

So instead, I am supposed to defer to the wisdom of people who claim that Apple ought to offer a cheaper iPhone, buy Netflix or revive the cheese grater Mac Pro?

 

[9081094]

I feel the new Apple is a lot more responsive to issues (be they real or perceived) these days. For better and for worse.

I agree with John Gruber here.

https://daringfireball.net/2019/01/steve_jobs_and_apples_last_previous_earnings_warning

Apple needs to start showing the proverbial middle finger more in their press statements.

Apple is telling it’s long term customers the F-word since 2012. With the latest price hikes for no reason except greed, it’s telling its customers F you again. With the stagnant development in its soft- and hardware it’s telling F-you again. How many F-you do you need?

 

[Abazigal]

And the iPads are still being opened bent...

Already addressed in my earlier response, unless you tell me you have never received a single defective product out of the box, and Apple has already detailed the proper manner of how to go about remedying this issue (ie: return or exchange it).

 

[Act3]

No excuses Apple for a bent device that costs this much. If it comes bent or bends, it is a poor design.

 

[jonblatho]

When we produce performance products of machined aerospace alloys and composites for consumer market, the widest tolerance we hold is .003” and that’s just a form tolerance, purely aesthetic. Critical tolerances are .0002-.0004. Not being able to hold many hundreds of times that

What? The tightest tolerance you give is 0.0002". 400 microns, the tolerance stated by Apple, is 0.016".

0.016 in. ÷ 0.0002 in. = 80. That doesn't seem like "many hundreds" to me.

 

[jackietreeh0rn]

Is it an overreaction to say that we might be in the midst of witnessing the beginning of the end of Apple, in the light of recent events?

 

[Shiro_Simba]

So instead, I am supposed to defer to the wisdom of people who claim that Apple ought to offer a cheaper iPhone, buy Netflix or revive the cheese grater Mac Pro?

Not at all . Why do you need someone to think for you ?

And what’s wrong with the cheese grader Mac Pro ? A lot more useful than my Mac Pro stuck with d700 cards that gets embarrassed by an igpu
[doublepost=1546734048][/doublepost]

Yes always nice to get some impartial opinion from one of the biggest Apple shills on the planet.

Ha ha - you put it a better way

 

[trifid]

So instead, I am supposed to defer to the wisdom of people who claim that Apple ought to offer a cheaper iPhone, buy Netflix or revive the cheese grater Mac Pro?

How about the message of stopping the thinness obsession which has compromised structural integrity already of iPhone 6, keyboard flaws of MBP 2016, and now tinfoil bending of 2018 iPad? Not to mention the planned obsolescence of soldered/glued components.

And by the way, I said earlier we shouldn't be focusing on how iPad comes from factory, but how easily it bends, which is deeply concerning for anyone carrying it on a bag or backpack.

 

[Abazigal]

Is it an overreaction to say that we might be in the midst of witnessing the beginning of the end of Apple, in the light of recent events?

It’s certainly not the first time people have been ringing the death knells of Apple, and it most certainly won’t be the last.

Apple will go on to be insanely successful for a good long time to come.

Not that it changes anything here.

 

[furi0usbee]

Already addressed in my earlier response, unless you tell me you have never received a single defective product out of the box, and Apple has already detailed the proper manner of how to go about remedying this issue (ie: return or exchange it).

I have... mostly Apple products. Boom!

 

[Rob_2811]

One of the funniest things I've seen regarding Apple in recent years was when they dished out a load of review units of the iPhone X to random Youtubers and Fashion Blogs before Gruber got his and he had a little tantrum about it


https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/10/30/iphone-x-highsnobiety

https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/10/30/fashion-iphone-x

https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/10/30/allen-iphone-x

 

[Abazigal]

I have... mostly Apple products. Boom!

And all my Apple products have had no issues out of the box.

Boom!

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

Sounds just like Tim Cook's emphatic statement, "There are no FM chips in iPhones" since proven false by the NAB from teardowns.

 

[MacDonaldTrump]

I see macrumors is using that misleading and completely unrelated picture again.

The picture does NOT show a freshly-unboxed iPad.

The user who posted it on MacRumors (link) said it did NOT come bent from the factory:

​

The only bent thing here is MacRumours respect for the truth.

It’s my iPad, and it did come like this, it wasn’t picked up at first as I didn’t inspect it at the store. I popped it on my desk running duet display. I only noticed the bend when I went to apply a screen protector.

It was replaced by apple.