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Please elaborate. Picture tells a 1000 words and it looks pretty bent.
It's been elaborated before. The picture is not a "fresh out of the box" iPad. It is an iPad that was bent after being carried around in a backpack for a week. And the bend in the picture is SIGNIFICANTLY greater than 400 microns. So, yes: the iPad in the picture looks pretty bent. But no: the iPad in the picture is not actually an illustration of the thing Apple is talking about.
 
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My father's 12.9 2018 pro has bent. ... The crazy thing is he uses a case! ...

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?
 
Then read the story. Return it if you believe it's out of the 400 micron tolerance. If 399 microns looks bent to you, buy a Surface.
The point of my statement was about image, not about technical details or precise measurements.

When there is a problem with a product, whether real or perceived, I believe it is better for the company to take ownership of it and commit to its customers that the problem won't occur again. This affects company image either positively or negatively, depending on how they react to the problem, again whether real or perceived. It is my opinion that Apple, in this case, is not reacting to it a manner that reflects a positive image of the company.
 
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I think JerryRigEverything’s analogy of the new iPad Pro is apt — it’s like mashed potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil. I’d be willing to bet that they will alter the hardware design next year.
 
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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.
Look at the photo in the article. How on earth is that a microscopic bend?
 
The whole discussion (IMO) seems a ridiculous one because of the unlucky combination of the topic and this picture above ALWAYS used with the "Apple says bended iPads are normal" headline. Does Apple really consider a bending as extreme like THIS one as normal and refuse to replace it?! If not, the claimed 0,4mm tolerance (above the whole length of the iPad, if I understand it correctly) should not be NEARLY visible like this.


Of course not, but that's why MR put that title with it. It brings out the angry anti-Apple mob which they depend on for clicks. It's a sad reality that MR and the other sides don't like, but they are trapped and they are struggling to stay in business and desperately need the clicks to their websites. It's ugly, but keep in mind the people making the decisions at MR and other sites aren't getting paid a lot of money and have to worry about their jobs which leads them to do this.
 
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400 microns equals .0157 inches or .4 mm.
The stated mesurement along a side. Not center out.
Holding one side end flat can not exceed the above on the other side when measured.

Easy, have Apple measure if in question.
Or if you have one of these common feeler gauges, measure it yourself. Pictured!
The closet one I have .006 mm larger in depth. If it fits loose take the iPad back.

The pictured iPad looks out of spec. See pictured guage depth side view.

The four sheets of copy paper usually close also. I would use five as a starting point. Five slip under, take iPad back.
 

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Nice... still intentionally obfuscating. And still not addressing my point, which was asking you to speak to durability and personal responsibility.

Have a great day.

Lets answer your question then.

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.

None of that really needed to be answered as it is all stating the obvious and adds absolutely nothing.

100% the next iteration of this device has a reinforced chassis just like the iPhone 6s Plus did.
 
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.

Hint: If you can see the bend, it's not exactly microscopic.
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This response is unacceptable.

If they had responded with this first, I don't think the fallout would have been so bad. But it's hard to take anything they say seriously.
 
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They seem to hold up just fine, citing use from responsible individuals who take care of their electronics and avoid cramming them in backpacks whilst leaning or sitting on them.
 
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.

GOOD point! Obviously coming from the factory that bent would be unacceptable. BUT, who knows how much pressure it was under his backback to bend.
 
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Apple says the max tolerance is 400 microns (0.4mm) anything above that and you can have a replacement.

All the pictures show iPads with much greater bends. So Apple would replace units like this.

This seems to me like a fake story.
Will they give a replacement after the 14 day initial window if it starts to bend or just blame you for not carrying it correctly ?

Hardly a fake story.
 
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Just like any other corporation in this situation, Apple will say anything to avoid blame, product recalls, or lawsuits.
They better get it in writing someplace buried bottom of tech spec page. Apple also only has WiFi models on display. So when you purchase you are not getting the same as what you see.
 
Show me an iPad with a “bend” under 400 microns.

The story says they’ll replace iPads out of that spec.

Next, show me the data on how many iPads are bent over 400 microns.
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They will replace iPads out of tolerance. Stop freaking out.


They haven’t said they will replace them after the initial 14 days. Care to chance a grand on something so prone to bending ?

Plenty of photos of iPads bending over time (see the earlier pages for an example !!)
 
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This thread is such bunk. People are discussing two different things.

1.) Bends out of the box. This is what the article is about, and yet misleadingly includes an iPad picture from a user that had it in his backpack for a week while he was traveling.

2.) Bends AFTER being used. That’s what people seem to be mostly upset about. Apple has never said these huge bends are normal. They’re saying the microscopic bends during manufacturing are. People here seem to be equating their damaged iPads from use with Apple’s statement on microscopic bends.

Honestly, it’s bewildering. Nobody has posted any pictures of their out-of-the-box iPad showing any significant bend.

And no, I’m not defending Apple. These new iPads may well bend from usage more easily.


I returned 4 slightly bent iPad Pros, I didn’t feel like taking pictures of them. Each return/exchange the apple genius completely agreed that there was a slight bend and that it was unacceptable, the manager of the apple store was involved in each return and took pictures to send back to her superiors for review. The last time I did not ask for a replacement and just returned the iPad. Each one of them was slightly concave from the screen side. The scary thing is that I could straighten the iPad by holding it against my chest and providing lite pressure from the sides. If I wanted to do that to all 4 sides then I could have a straight iPad Pro. If that lite of pressure straightens it then lite pressure could deform it. The part you don’t understand is that the 2 issues you are talking about are one in the same. Many people think their iPad Pros are straight, and I am convinced they just don’t notice it. I had the pleasure of showing a co-worker with what he thought was a straight iPP that it was in fact bent slightly. For me the slight bend is unacceptable. For people that don’t notice or can live with it I am jealous, but I can’t deal with any product that is obviously flawed and structurally weak.
 
You’re telling me this is how it came out of the box? As in, this picture was taken right after unpacking it?

Again, even after 14 days ... it’s faulty ! Unless this guy had it in a vice and bent the thing , it shouldn’t look like this. He also attests to normal usage. Not the only person either.

Just like people’s iPhone 6’s bent when you know , they had them in their pockets. That wasn’t acceptable design either , and nor is this.

Why can’t people admit they simple designed them to be too weak ?
 
They haven’t said they will replace them after the initial 14 days. Care to chance a grand on something so prone to bending ?

Plenty of photos of iPads bending over time (see the earlier pages for an example !!)
I own one, so yes. It's great, no bend.

Again, a few photos doesn't mean a widespread problem. You have no idea how many are impacted, so stop acting like it's some major manufacturing defect.
 
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There's no defending this in my opinion. Apple's entire response to these issues have been appalling, and as nice as the new iPads are I would not take a chance on them now considering their price. For well over $1000 (CDN) this is unacceptable. This is one of the richest companies on the planet, I'm not defending them here.

Edit: Also responses like this from Apple to an obvious issue (no matter how widespread) are going to start damaging the "incredible customer service" the brand has been known for.
 
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Just like people’s iPhone 6’s bent when you know , they had them in their pockets. That wasn’t acceptable design either , and nor is this.

Why can’t people admit they simple designed them to be too weak ?

Yes, and, Apple actually corrected the design flaw in the iPhone 6S.

It takes a lot for Apple to admit to a false-step, as history shows.
 
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