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

[MacDonaldTrump]

So what's the best route here, keep it and handle gently? or try to get a refund on a 2 month old device and wait for the redesign?

It has changed how I used it, really get afraid to handle it to be honest.

 

[The Game 161]

So what's the best route here, keep it and handle gently? or try to get a refund on a 2 month old device and wait for the redesign?

It has changed how I used it, really get afraid to handle it to be honest.

If you use it normally you will have no issues. Don’t stress over a bunch of bent iPads. Not everybody has this issue.

 

[willnpc]

Apple keeps dropping the ball..

 

[zone23]

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.

Good advise and yep I think I wait for the next UN-bent generation, to say its okay like that is just BS.

 

[Digital Dude]

Yep, the QC/QA at Apple under the somewhat 'new' management sucks. Currently, there is no incentive for Apple to do any better.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

The last sentence is your interpretation.
Apple does not admit it is a defect if it is out of specification.
Apple also does not state they will take it back after the 14 day return period if it is out of specs.

They only say 'If you believe it is out of specification, please contact Apple support'.
They lay the burden of proof with you the customer. You, as a customer, has to proof that after the 14 day return period it is indeed out of spec and that you did not bend it yourself.
Apple does not take any legal responsibility except stating the 14 day return period.

Your conclusion that 'there is no reason to contact Apple if it weren't a defect' is your interpretation, but it is not stated by Apple. They legally can turn you down when you contact them, simply saying that you mistreated your iPad. It already happened to some people who tried to return their bent iPad after the 14 day return period (as stated in some MacRumors posts).

If you don't believe me, ask a lawyer or any other person with legal knowledge.

I am a lawyer.

The burden of proof is always with the customer (or any person who wants something that is protected by law). If your phone comes with a shattered screen right out of the box - it is hard for the customer to prove they didn't drop it.

The question if it is within the 14 days period or not has nothing to do with the question if the customer damaged the device or the device was damaged out of the box. You can't break your device and return it within the 14 days period. Therefore, your logic does not apply at all.

 

[gnipgnop]

But Jobs still denied that antennagate was an issue.

All of the "gates" for Apple are the same: the tech media playing dumb about standard technology issues in order to generate clicks. Cell phone attenuation is an issue for every cell phone, not just the ones Apple makes. Every cell phone has a failure point for a three point bend, not just the ones Apple makes. All lithium ion batteries have limitations for voltage supply, not just the ones used by Apple. All tech products have variances in manufacturing, not just Apple's.

The standard procedure is to play dumb early on, then later try to frame it as if it was known all along that the issue wasn't with the technology, but rather with Apple's "handling" of the situation.

 

[The Cappy]

That photo looks like an iPad that's been bent on purpose. There's no gentle curve. There's a bend in the center, right where the thumbs go in every shot of someone bending one on purpose. Then he put It in the box to take the photo, so you guy would lose your minds.

 

[edgonzalez32]

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.

The microscopic bends aren't what people are complaining about. It's the obvious ones.

 

[Eugr]

That photo looks like an iPad that's been bent on purpose. There's no gentle curve. There's a bend in the center, right where the thumbs go in every shot of someone bending one on purpose. Then he put It in the box to take the photo, so you guy would lose your minds.

They should’ve chosen a more representative photo. Here is a photo of my 12.9” cellular. It was like that out of the box.

It is slightly outside of Apple stated tolerance - I measured ~0.5-0.6 mm, but pretty obvious.

I also had 11” and went to get another 12.9”, and that one was also bent out of the box.

It is a real issue that affects mostly cellular models because of their plastic inserts...

 

[newellj]

Technically, what Apple is saying is that if you believe your iPad is >.4mm out of flat, you should call Apple Support - or if you're within the 14 day return period, you can return it. There is no assurance given about replacing iPads after 14 days.

no,no,no,no
They straight out say if your iPad is bend out of the 400 microns tolerance you can change it due to a defect in workmanship.



https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209403

What the heck are you talking about lol?. OCD is weird and makes you less happy don't get confused, always take your meds always....

No they don't say that literally, that is your interpretation. Please read carefully. Every lawyer can tell you otherwise .

[doublepost=1546877625][/doublepost]The 11" I returned was somewhat more bent than that. The Apple sales person took it back without question, but it was within the return period. I wasn't willing to hang onto it after that without any clear statement about how Apple would deal with these.

They should’ve chosen a more representative photo. Here is a photo of my 12.9” cellular. It was like that out of the box.

It is slightly outside of Apple stated tolerance - I measured ~0.5-0.6 mm, but pretty obvious.

I also had 11” and went to get another 12.9”, and that one was also bent out of the box.

It is a real issue that affects mostly cellular models because of their plastic inserts...

 

[jlseattle]

Ok, how many 1k + electronic products have bends in them. Apple pushed too far on the tech for this one. They should have forced the new home buttonless design into the previous case. Why go thinner and cheaper on materials for the structure of the product? Hold an iPad Pro 3rd gen versus the 2nd gen. The second gen feels more sturdy. This quality in manufacturing is what I would expect from an $100 iPad knock off.

 

[likwidplastik]

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.

Yeah, but this isn't "microscopic".

 

[Corallus]

To be fair, the similarly priced surface pro 3 had all kinds of banana issues going on. Surface book too for some..
Microsoft's response was equally a WTF moment.
One snippet from Reddit:

Tom: well the screen has a curve to it on one side

Tom: im not sure if this is normal but it certainly seems odd

Norly: Does the curve on your Surface Book affecting the programs and the things you do in your Surface Book.

Norly: Yeah it really is odd considering that the physical feature in the front of the Surface Book doesn't have the curved screen feature as of yet.

Tom: no its working fine it just looks a bit crap for a £1500 laptop

Norly: Oh I see. Thank your so much for your feedback Tom, we will surely address this. Anyways, we do hope that the applications and programs in your Surface Book still runs effeciently and effectively for your need.

 

[reyesmac]

This one is simple. You take out your old iPad 2 that you have used for years, take off the case and lay it flat. Is it still flat? If so its designed well. Now take out you less than year old iPad pro and do the same thing. If its not still flat its not designed well. But thats not apples problem anymore, its yours right? Go buy another one. Expecting them to change what they do before taking your money is not an option for them. Somebody has to pay for all that manufacturing even if its defective, let the early adopters pay that price. Thats apples favorite renewable resource.

 

[newellj]

Yeah, but this isn't "microscopic".

Correct, 400 microns on 11" is hardly microscopic. It's very easily visible to the unaided eye.

 

[TonyTech]

Being the perfectionist he was, Steve would have never let this happen.

 

[Cyprusian]

I bought my wife a 2018 12.9" iPad Pro for her Christmas Present (lucky girl!). Her iPad is Wi-Fi only and has no bends, perhaps adding weight to comments suggesting that case distortion is prevalent in Cellular models.

 

[lovehateapple]

Won't putting iPads in cases prevent them from bending? If so, seems using a case is a simple and smart solution...

I agree however, that the bending is not good for apple's reputation or customer's satisfaction and is a terrible design flaw that shouldn't have gone into production until solved.

 

[Eugr]

Won't putting iPads in cases prevent them from bending? If so, seems using a case is a simple and smart solution...

Not if they are bent straight out of the box.

 

[PG(Austin)]

note that they did suggest that I probably wasn’t closing the lid properly (they believed that I was closing the lid from the center of the display with one hand, when I was actually using two hands with one at each corner of the display).
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1498811

Even still, closing from the center, one should not expect it to bend so that is a poor excuse on their part.

 

[Anuba]

Being the perfectionist he was, Steve would have never let this happen.

Umm let's see... cracks in G4 Cube, antennagate, MobileMe, the original iPod Nano which was so scratch-prone that pocket lint made it look like a skating rink after a day or two... enough with the #SteveWouldHaveNever rose-colored glasses already, we've had 8+ years of that stuff.

 

[PG(Austin)]

The company could garner more respect for themselves if they just own it. Admit that there was an error in the design and manufacturing process that was unforseen and own it. Offer to replace or refund iPad's that customer's aren't happy with and assure people that the next time the company will be looking to ensure this unintended bending won't happen again.

**** happens. Admit it and own it and you get more respect that way.

With stock falling lately, can you imagine the concern they'd have doing that? I agree this is what should happen, but I sure wouldn't want to make that call.

Their penchant for thin, thinner and even thinner still is what gets them in these situations. Innovation as slowed to a crawl so the burden of wowing customers and the industry has centered on manufacturing and recycling and the manufacturing is kicking their ass lately with the aforementioned obsession with THIN. The Keynotes are even boring anymore, the lack of substance and over use of superlatives is a tired recipe and one I think Steve would have corrected long ago. Unfortunately for Cook, he has a giant of a legend to live up to.

I think they are a company trapped by their own history and historical founder. Not wanting to change ANYTHING and beating, a once relevant attribute of a device, to death. Thin and light is just not needed anymore. Ive and Cook are continuing on the same path Steve set, and I think this path has reached its end and is beginning to be a liability. I feel for them because I think they both fear taking any opportune fork.

Apple was once a pioneer and leader of the pack and lately the blunders are making them look, well, stupid. Not to take away ANYTHING from the things they have gotten right or actual innovation.

 

[TommyBoyAZ]

I bought my wife a 2018 12.9" iPad Pro for her Christmas Present (lucky girl!). Her iPad is Wi-Fi only and has no bends, perhaps adding weight to comments suggesting that case distortion is prevalent in Cellular models.

Bought 3 of these (all 12.9), One for my oldest son with cellular, one for my wife (Wifi only model which is what she wanted), and then one for myself. The One for my oldest son and I are both the 1 TB models and have Cellular. All arrived perfectly and contain no bends. I also have a few friends that bought the 11 and 12.9 models and they too have had no issues.

Originally i was thinking "Crap are our's bent too?, I should check" but nope they are all good.

However, i also noticed that the article stated he had his in a back pack. So that makes me wonder what the backpack went thru and if that was the culprit for the bend, which could be the case.

Maybe we are the lucky few...

 

[CordovaLark]

So first it was that photos of bent iPad's were fake because that tables were actually the ones that were bent.

Now...

It is that design is so revolutionary that **** ups are now transparent. Courage.