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

[gwaizai]

Apple sold a similar amount of the previous generation of iPads and there was no statement released with those. Why is it so hard for some people to accept that sometimes companies release flawed products, it happens, and people speaking out about it ensures the issue is rectified in the future. You don't need to defend every single thing Apple does, it's a tech company not a damn religion. History shows that when there is smoke there is fire. Just Accept it already.

Yes, and by the same token why it is so hard for Apple to accept
that they released a flawed product here, shut the xxxx up, and do a recall; and issue
a new version in six months?

 

[MacDonaldTrump]

 

[bluecoast]

Speaking of which, I find the new design uncomfortable to use. My wife had to get a bulky case to hide the square edges so they didn’t feel sharp with extended use. That kind of defeats the purpose.

I don’t own one and have only handled one in the Apple store but my impression was that the new IPP was prett much designed to be used with a case. Just like the iPhone really.

Which begs the question that if these devices are too delicate/uncomfortable to be used without cases, what’s the point in trying to make them ever thinner and lighter?

 

[Shiro_Simba]

People here are not interested in data or evidence. Opinions rule.

Imagine if our criminal justice system were similarly driven.

Very interested in the data on this issue you keep going on and on about.

The problem is that you have none, are not doing anything to gather the data , hence one can conclude you don’t care about it either , other than a convenient excuse that you are on the “sidelines” while antagonising those with opinions, while trying to come across as an intellectual that works off hard facts!

So , let’s see the data you have gathered in the last month on this issue ?

Let me guess , another reply telling me don’t be silly you talk of data , I ask you, you deflect ..... actions bud, not hiding behind words please . In one month still nothing ? You have been posting on this issue every thread on MR?

 

[bluecoast]

People act like a case is magic shield that will somehow stop the forces of physics and reality from applying to the enclosed device. It's simply not true. Here's some of the issues cases cause:

•Apple designs their devices to cool through the body. Adding a case is adding insulation. Like you putting on a parka when you really want to keep cool on your run.
•retaining and concentrating heat in the body can, and likely will, lead to different rates of expansion in the metal, possibly causing a permanent bend.
•most cases snap on the enclosed devices and likely cause a compressing force that over time can encourage bending and warping unless the case is very, very well designed.
•different metals/alloys have different levels of 'memory' that may allow them to return to their original shape when they cool again, some do it very well some nearly not at all.
•A case is just about guaranteed to collect dust and debris between itself and the device causing micro-scratches in the surface. This happened a LOT with the colorful iPods with the anodized color cases,

I'm hard pressed to come up with any other high-cost thing in our lives that we purchase then put in a case. Not our TVs, stereos, refrigerators, cars, jewelry, etc. You'd laugh if you saw a Rolex or a gold ring in a case. Who sold us this bill of goods that a case is needed for our mobile electronics?
Fact is that if you put enough G-force through a sheet of glass it will break, enough torque on a plane it will bend, enough point pressure of metal it will dent. A case may make it harder for those levels or force to get to the device but why don't you keep it out of the case and just treat it with the care and respect that an expensive device deserves?

Good points, however with Rolex, the amount of durability and torture testing they put their watches through is insane. Plus choosing materials, design and assembly methods that are designed to give you a watch that you can take through your life with you.

Yes Rolex are a luxury brand but if you stick at the entry level models & basic submariner models, you’ve got an investment that last many decades (if you get it serviced etc). I don’t own a Rolex btw (I wish I did!).

I think that that’s the issue with Apple right now - their pricing is creeping up to the affordable luxury level, however their devices are designed to not last more than 3-5 years (depending on the device).

 

[pedregosa]

Just a heads up -- we had some complaints about the photo that was previously used in this article, so I've swapped the original photo for a different photo of a 12.9-inch 2018 iPad Pro demonstrating a slight bend. The original photo featured a more significant bend and some users rightly pointed out that it was not perhaps the same issue that Apple is describing.

It's still unclear what's going on with the bending on the whole, as some of the bends we've seen have been more dramatic than others. For that reason, I'd encourage you guys not to focus too much on the photos in the article, but more so on the information that Apple is offering up.

If you have a bent iPad, please feel free to share photos and let us know if you've been able to get a replacement from Apple. Apple suggests this is just a cellular issue, but we've seen complaints from non-cellular owners too, which indicates there could be more than one bending problem happening.

The replacement photo MacRumors has posted is also misleading. This appears to be a WiFi model that has got bent (no antenna bar). But the out-the-box bends all appear to be LTE ones — and those were the subject of Apple’s statement.

 

[Shiro_Simba]

Yes, and by the same token why it is so hard for Apple to accept
that they released a flawed product here, shut the xxxx up, and do a recall; and issue
a new version in six months?

Historically speaking - impossible

Apple generally will not even make a statement unless there is an issue.

There will be no recall - very best scenario , a free case etc

 

[vladi]

Cheap aluminium = recycled materials

 

[Wiesenlooser]

Are people stupid? What Apple is saying is that ON AVERAGE, the ipad is actually flatter than previous generations. That doesn't mean that some iPad Pros can't be bend extremely. This is OUT OF TOLERANCE and you are eligible for a replacement.

This literally happens with every product that gets sold in large numbers. Heck, I bet every now and then someone opens a completely new iPhone box and it doesn't even turn on.

My father once bought a Mercedes, picked it up at the cardealer and couldn't even make it home before the engine failed.

 

[startergo]

Cheap aluminium = recycled materials

If you watched the presentation that was their biggest pride- recycled aluminum... Now they will not let go their pride...
That means admitting they were so wrong...

 

[Dutch apple user]

Sended my bend ipad to apple, no problem found...they send it back.. this happens

they have delivered my ipad in another city. deliveryman does not know the adress he diliverd to. Now my ipad is gone.. someone else has my bent ipad and its factory reset so he can use it for free...

 

[Mydel]

Potentially yes. If you put your iPad in a backpack and someone stands on the backpack, id say that any bending would be the fault of the owner not the manufacturer. I don't believe that an iPad should be able to resist being stood on.

Apples description is actually pretty clear. If it comes out of the box, with more than 0.4mm of bend across any edge, then you can take it back and get a replacement. Thats extremely straight across a 12.9" screen.

I disagree. Standing on backpack would not qualify as "daily usage" but just having it between the books and applying some pressure does. If in that case it bends its clearly defective design. They should either admit that or change their manufacturing process while replacing bent ones. That would be right thing to do. I ordered 12,9 and if it comes not straight its going back. Also if it bends during normal use its going back as well. Im careful with my electronics so if its bending while Im using it it means its garbage design.

 

[newellj]

Just a heads up -- we had some complaints about the photo that was previously used in this article, so I've swapped the original photo for a different photo of a 12.9-inch 2018 iPad Pro demonstrating a slight bend. The original photo featured a more significant bend and some users rightly pointed out that it was not perhaps the same issue that Apple is describing.

It's still unclear what's going on with the bending on the whole, as some of the bends we've seen have been more dramatic than others. For that reason, I'd encourage you guys not to focus too much on the photos in the article, but more so on the information that Apple is offering up.

If you have a bent iPad, please feel free to share photos and let us know if you've been able to get a replacement from Apple. Apple suggests this is just a cellular issue, but we've seen complaints from non-cellular owners too, which indicates there could be more than one bending problem happening.

I agree that the original photo tended to deflect attention from the real issue.

It's unclear how this design will work out over time. I had my Air 2 for four years - will a 2018 iPP last four years? I don't know. Are the wifi versions really more durable? Again, I don't know, but there are plenty of posts from people with the wifi version saying their 2018 iPP is bent.

The 11" LTE that I had was somewhat bent, well over .4mm. Given the uncertainties about how this will get handled, I returned it yesterday while it was in the return window.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this - apart from the bending issue, it's an amazing piece of hardware, far better than the 10.5" in terms of use (at least in my opinion). In the meantime, returning it seemed like the best thing to do for now.

 

[robertcoogan]

Subtle?!?!?!?

 

[FyerFyer]

There is quite literally not one apple product i would consider better (for their price tags) than those of competitors except the Iwatch and iphones upto 7 at their current prices(not including the 7).

I used to use Macs for making music but their out of date processors and difficulty in expanding most things makes them not appealing to me. Nevermind the fact they seem to always return to the Macbooks overheating/scorching batteries problem.

Apple got cocky and the bubble is now bursting. Dongles, bends, s..t headphones, repair scams, where is it going to stop...?

 

[iMcLovin]

If I got an ipad bent as the one in the picture I would not accept "apples excuse" I would return it instantly. No over eagerly fanboy can convince me of anything else.

 

[BigBoy2018]

I'll just leave this here, in 2014 with bendgate on iPhone 6, this was Apple's official response:

"Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a precision engineered unibody enclosure constructed from machining a custom grade of 6000 series anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength. They also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry. We chose these high-quality materials and construction very carefully for their strength and durability. We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewansp...oes-not-say-sorry-over-bendgate/#2bebf475329d

Keywords: extra strength, rigorous tests, exceed quality standards

Sounds familiar?

Having said all of that, a year later Apple reinforced iPhone 6s.

I find it ironic that the Apple apologists are in such denial when we are seeing actually worse results on youtube from 2018 ipads bending like tinfoil. Guys we already went through this.

The apple apologist should know better ... but more importantly, apple should know better.

I get that some here defending apple need a few reminders of how they've had similar screw ups. We all have busy lives and short memories.

But Jesus, apple has the same design flaw with the 2014 iPhone and they do it all over again?!? wtf.
[doublepost=1546777196][/doublepost]

The replacement photo MacRumors has posted is also misleading. This appears to be a WiFi model that has got bent (no antenna bar). But the out-the-box bends all appear to be LTE ones — and those were the subject of Apple’s statement.

Dude, it's an extremely thin case made of soft metal. It's going to bend fairly easily, whether it's LTE, wifi-only, etc. You think somehow its the addition of an LTE chip that's making this flawed case design much easier to bend?

 

[G5isAlive]

Very interested in the data on this issue you keep going on and on about.

The problem is that you have none, are not doing anything to gather the data , hence one can conclude you don’t care about it either , other than a convenient excuse that you are on the “sidelines” while antagonising those with opinions, while trying to come across as an intellectual that works off hard facts!

So , let’s see the data you have gathered in the last month on this issue ?

Let me guess , another reply telling me don’t be silly you talk of data , I ask you, you deflect ..... actions bud, not hiding behind words please . In one month still nothing ? You have been posting on this issue every thread on MR?

What data do you have? Click bait YouTube videos are worthless in telling the real story. Yet you have multiple posts putting people down. You have no skin in this game as far as I can tell but opinion.

I only have a n of 1, the one I own. But it came to me flat and it’s stayed flat after months of actual use including carrying on over 12flights in a backpack. 98% of what I read here is conjecture by people who at most have ‘seen one at an Apple store.’

 

[iZac]

The more I read Apples response to this issue, the more I feel a disconnect between the issue they’re responding to and what people are complaining about.

Apple is specifically addressing kinks that occur at the antenna points during liquid plastic cooling, but users are complaining about bends that occur all the way along the device and particularly at the microphone holes, ostensibly because the aluminium is too weak.

I also dislike that they’re talking about the issue in microns as if using an unfamiliar terminology is fooling people. 0.4mm is a big deal to them when they’re showing off their svelte new products!

 

[G5isAlive]

I disagree. Standing on backpack would not qualify as "daily usage" but just having it between the books and applying some pressure does. If in that case it bends its clearly defective design. They should either admit that or change their manufacturing process while replacing bent ones. That would be right thing to do. I ordered 12,9 and if it comes not straight its going back. Also if it bends during normal use its going back as well. Im careful with my electronics so if its bending while Im using it it means its garbage design.

If you are careful you will have no problem. I carry my 11 all the time in my backpack as you described, against a book, or a computer, with no bending. People love to hate for some reason.

 

[sofila]

It's unclear how this design will work out over time. I had my Air 2 for four years - will a 2018 iPP last four years?

This. If I were to decide now, I simply would wait and see how this situation evolves. I always try to take care of the things I purchase (yes, accidents still happen) but, for example, my last 2017 iPad Pro and all the others before always gave me a solid sensation of durability. Once 14 days window is gone, I would just feel uncomfortable.
BTW, while some in here clearly jumped in the controversy just to make noise, the more some well-known Apple apologism professionals deny the case, the more I think there is a problem. History repeating itself.
I feel empathy towards those who have spent money to find themselves with mockery and denial in addition to the defective product

 

[Rob_2811]

What data do you have? Click bait YouTube videos are worthless in telling the real story. Yet you have multiple posts putting people down. You have no skin in this game as far as I can tell but opinion.

I only have a n of 1, the one I own. But it came to me flat and it’s stayed flat after months of actual use including carrying on over 12flights in a backpack. 98% of what I read here is conjecture by people who at most have ‘seen one at an Apple store.’

This persons iPad is ok. Debate over, they're fine. They're all fine.

 

[R10k]

I feel like I’ve woken up in a strange realm where the most important thing about an iPad is how flat it is.

 

[G5isAlive]

This persons iPad is ok. Debate over, they're fine. They're all fine.

That’s not what was said, but you seem to accept someone saying that they heard someone say their’s bent under normal conditions so there is a serious flaw in all and apple should do a recall. Right.

 

[Shiro_Simba]

What data do you have? Click bait YouTube videos are worthless in telling the real story. Yet you have multiple posts putting people down. You have no skin in this game as far as I can tell but opinion.

I only have a n of 1, the one I own. But it came to me flat and it’s stayed flat after months of actual use including carrying on over 12flights in a backpack. 98% of what I read here is conjecture by people who at most have ‘seen one at an Apple store.’

It’s an opinion site , mostly based on assumptions , clearly you are missing the point that I’m not the one hiding behind non existent data, to put people down. At least read the history of the thread , and I’m happy to have a debate