Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Status
Not open for further replies.
I am amazed at the relative shallow level of this discussion. High End audio has created devices that are both thin and vibration resistant. So has the aerospace industry. Everything audio has points that excite vibration and equipment resonances. It it even possible to tune resonances to achieve particular audio effects.

I am not saying the iPad Air Air 2 does not vibrate and I am not saying that it is not annoying. I am saying that it's component choices and their positioning and therefore their ability to excite chassis resonance, my not be related to the reduced thickness. The issue of vibration is very complex.

To be really fruitful, the discussion needs to move away from its focus on thinness and be much more technically based.

Jay

If the iPad had front facing speakers then it would probably not have this issue..
 
I read almost everything here and I have too returned my iPad Air 2 to Apple because it only vibrated already at three bars. I have my second copy now and have just finnished same sound-test I did yesterday and the day before with my iPad Air 2 nr. 1. So my iPad Air 2 nr. 2 vibrates as well yes. I went also to my swedish biggest local stores (Siba and Elgiganten), and yes, they also vibrated when I played. But however, this new one didn't vibrated that much at three bars, standard from factory is six bars and there I noticed the vibrations. Yes I could feel the soundvibrations a bit on three bars as well and yes they felt through the Apple Smart Case as well, when you for example play a game. Or watch a Movie. When you go for a bit higher than six bars, maybe let say eight, I've noticed that it feels almost like my cars sub. So the stereosound is truly fantastic! :D

However, I will not return mine because of this. I can live with the #vibrategate. And especially for me comming from an iPad 2 (the brick), everything feels great. Also, if you take a good look what's inside it, what kind of GPU it is, you too will accept these sound vibrations no matter how weird they are. Because this iPad beats the crap out of everything that's on the market and will keep doing that even next year.

I will keep mine because I don't want to wait for next year and next and next and the next after that to decide to buy that "perfect iPad", because nothing is perfect in this world. And this one will rock for a very long time and with it's spec that are as powerfull as a 2013 MacBook Pro. :cool:

So you can spend weeks to return it back or fourth or just enjoy this. Because it IS really awesome. And I love the Touch ID, the lightness it gives (compared to my iPad 2 brick). I was about to change it to iPad Mini 3, but when I saw the price between them, I would be an idiot to buy a Mini 3 when I can have a superpad for just little bit more money.

Cheerios! ;)

Coming from the IPad 2 is quite the difference than coming from the 1st Air.

How about those coming from further back from that one and noticing an Air 1 going for $379 for 32gb at Staples. That is lots of single dollar bills that takes time to count and can be used for additional purchases like a case, apps etc etc.

Cheerios right back at ya.
 
Coming from the IPad 2 is quite the difference than coming from the 1st Air.

How about those coming from further back from that one and noticing an Air 1 going for $379 for 32gb at Staples. That is lots of single dollar bills that takes time to count and can be used for additional purchases like a case, apps etc etc.

Cheerios right back at ya.

Well, AppleRobert, in my country the difference between an iPad Air 2 64 GB WiFi and iPad Air is $112 here. Full price is $743 for iPad Air 2 64 GB WiFi and $631 for iPad Air 64 GB WiFi. So tell me, how can this not be a dealbreaker? For me living in Sweden, it is idiotic to buy an iPad Air, especially what you get for that kind of money.:rolleyes:

Btw, I have tested an iPad Air as well. It's nice but it's not that fast as Air 2. Simply as that. And I want that my iPad Air 2 last for at least three years and keep going strong, just like my good old iPad 2 does today. ;)
 
Petvas

That is possibly the case. It could also have something to do with the new fused screen. Before there were two layers which may have offered more damping. High end audio has often used layer damping to minimize vibrations, so it is possible that the prior screen design, might really have helped.

As I saidcbefore, we really don't know. In the absence of technical knowledge, we eagerly resort to knee-jerk responses about Apple's preoccupation with thinness, which gets us nowhere.

Jay
 
Petvas

That is possibly the case. It could also have something to do with the new fused screen. Before there were two layers which may have offered more damping. High end audio has often used layer damping to minimize vibrations, so it is possible that the prior screen design, might really have helped.

As I saidcbefore, we really don't know. In the absence of technical knowledge, we eagerly resort to knee-jerk responses about Apple's preoccupation with thinness, which gets us nowhere.

Jay

I agree. I have been using my Air 2 for the last hour and watched a couple of Videos. My fingers feel numb and it's really not worth the effort on my part. The problem is that I don't want to get last year's model again, I just want an Air 2 without this sound vibration. I am really disappointed and I cannot understand how Apple didn't think that this could be an issue for some of us. I am returning it back to Apple.
 
It's my only single gripe about the Air 2, which is an otherwise perfect upgrade. The multiple pros far outweigh this con however, and overall the resonance just isn't enough of an annoyance for me to return it. There's a possibility Apple could have concluded this was an acceptable trade-off for thinness and maybe all their future devices will have this resonance.
 
In a German forum I read that there might be a difference between the cellular and the Wifi version. Apparently the Wifi version vibrates much more. I can't verify that since I only have a Wifi iPad and cannot compare it to a cellular, but it would certainly be interesting to find out if there are any differences.
 
Ive read every post here after ordering my iPad Air 2 (was quite a good offer, had no time to look for gates before ordering) and was quite afraid that this is a dealbreaker for me. Well ive received it today. And yes, it vibrates like hell. The first thing i did (after jailbreaking) was looking for some electronic beats on youtube... and what shall i say? With 1 Bar is vibrating like my iPad 3 on full noise. Can feel it even on the display (with 1 bar) The more the finger is near the speaker the more i can feel it, so its kind of weird in landscape mode with the right thumb "shaking" more. But whats more disappointing to me is the speaker itself. Its much louder than my iPad 3 (especially when the Air is laying on a table), but it just sounds sooooo horrible. Starting at level around 3/4 i often can hear sound distortions and the sound gives me some feeling of sitting in a plane and getting pressures on my ears. Sound gets very very shrill too with higher volume. But im glad i didnt plan to use that speakers often anyway. Well and i dont have a that big problem with the vibrations, but it definitely gives a cheap feeling to the device. Ill keep mine, but i can understand people who r sending it back (i would too if i would have paid the full price)
 
just came back from one of reseller stores.. with only one question, WHY APPLE? is there no more design testing there in apple? those vibrations and screen distortions are spoiling otherwise perfect product:( can't decide now, what to do, I really like iPad air2, but these two construction faults are really killing iPad air2 for me:(
 
It's my only single gripe about the Air 2, which is an otherwise perfect upgrade. The multiple pros far outweigh this con however, and overall the resonance just isn't enough of an annoyance for me to return it. There's a possibility Apple could have concluded this was an acceptable trade-off for thinness and maybe all their future devices will have this resonance.

I agree. My last day to return my Air 2 was yesterday and I was tempted. However, I don't use the internal speakers that much so although they are irritating I decided I could live with it.
The Air 2 is very good but it still freezes and the wifi hangs occasionally but hopefully these little glitches will get fixed in a future patch.
 
I doubt if the problem can be patched. There are many reasons for structural vibrations which,have little or nothing to do with how thin the device may be. Apple needs to analyze the cause of the vibration and then, if they deem it significant, to consider possible redesign. I don't think there will be a "patch" solution.

Jay
 
In a German forum I read that there might be a difference between the cellular and the Wifi version. Apparently the Wifi version vibrates much more. I can't verify that since I only have a Wifi iPad and cannot compare it to a cellular, but it would certainly be interesting to find out if there are any differences.

hmmm that's interesting. All of the reviewers on the tech sites are using the cellular version. The one that did the Ars review specifically said he couldn't replicate the strong resonance he was reading about and none of them even mention this problem.

Do they have the cellular versions in the Apple Store to test?
 
hmmm that's interesting. All of the reviewers on the tech sites are using the cellular version. The one that did the Ars review specifically said he couldn't replicate the strong resonance he was reading about.

Do they have the cellular versions in the Apple Store to test?

Really interesting. Also heard that the cellular version has less problems with the distortion due to pressure on the back. But sucks that you would need to spend an extra $130 for a feature you don't really need to address those issues.
 
I returned my iPad Air 2 the day after I got it because I didn't like the vibration on the glass. Today I was in Best Buy and there was an Apple rep there. When there was no one around him, I went up to him and asked him if Apple had any intentions of fixing the vibration problem. He told me that he had never heard of it and that no one had returned the iPad Air 2 for that reason. I said to him why don't you come over here to the display unit and put on music and touch the screen. He refused to do that, which speaks volumes to me. I think that Apple figures that if they don't acknowledge the vibration, it's not a problem. Like it or not, it is annoying! So I ended up buying the 32b iPad Air 1. Best Buy price matched Staple's $379.
 
just came back from one of reseller stores.. with only one question, WHY APPLE? is there no more design testing there in apple? those vibrations and screen distortions are spoiling otherwise perfect product:( can't decide now, what to do, I really like iPad air2, but these two construction faults are really killing iPad air2 for me:(

Why? I think the answer is easy: Steve now is not with us.
 
The problem is that I don't want to get last year's model again, I just want an Air 2 without this sound vibration.

Please, going back the Air 1 isn't nearly as sad as me returning to my iPad 3. I won't pay $400 or more for last year's model. I wanted to go all out on a 128GB iPad Air 2 now that it finally had 2GB of RAM. I was so excited, but now I'm just pissed. I know that it's foolish to be angry with a company, but it just seems like Apple couldn't stand to issue a product without handicapping it in some way. The Air 2 isn't bad and is perfect for some people, but the vibration is a handicap for me. The Air 1 was amazing, but the 1 GB of RAM was unacceptable since I already felt constrained on my 1GB 32-bit device. I waited another year and get everything I wanted and now this.

I realize this is very "first world," but it was important to me. I use my iPad all the time for fun, work, and school. I had saved back the money over the past few years and was so excited and now I have to wait another year. And what will make me really sick if next year's model does it too, then I'll have waited another year for nothing. There aren't potential hardware advancements I see happing next year except a higher-res screen and I would NOT buy the first higher-res device after being burned by my iPad 3.
 
just came back from one of reseller stores.. with only one question, WHY APPLE? is there no more design testing there in apple? those vibrations and screen distortions are spoiling otherwise perfect product:( can't decide now, what to do, I really like iPad air2, but these two construction faults are really killing iPad air2 for me:(

Yep, killing it for me too. I was going to take advantage of the best buy trade in deal but this issue turned me off big time. I'm glad there are some who don't notice or care but the problem exists and is real for many folks.

Makes me almost mad.... I was set to do the deal. :(
 
hmmm that's interesting. All of the reviewers on the tech sites are using the cellular version. The one that did the Ars review specifically said he couldn't replicate the strong resonance he was reading about and none of them even mention this problem.
Isnt that the problem with todays reviews? The reviewers only get the product for a week and are expected to cover such a wide array of factors that the reviewers innocently overlook the "little things" that end up driving users crazy.

Its just the oddest sensation to have your fingers tingle and go numb simply from holding an iPad for 10 minutes and its really disappointing that something so simple slipped past everyone at Apple and made it into the final product.
 
Isnt that the problem with todays reviews? The reviewers only get the product for a week and are expected to cover such a wide array of factors that the reviewers innocently overlook the "little things" that end up driving users crazy.

Its just the oddest sensation to have your fingers tingle and go numb simply from holding an iPad for 10 minutes and its really disappointing that something so simple slipped past everyone at Apple and made it into the final product.

This is something that you see immediately. You don't need more than 5 minutes to see the problem. If the reviewers had their devices for a week, then I am sorry, their reviews are just bad and they are being paid by someone to "ignore" these issues. Tech journalism in general is really bad and we shouldn't believe anybody..only ourselves.
 
Isnt that the problem with todays reviews? The reviewers only get the product for a week and are expected to cover such a wide array of factors that the reviewers innocently overlook the "little things" that end up driving users crazy.

Its just the oddest sensation to have your fingers tingle and go numb simply from holding an iPad for 10 minutes and its really disappointing that something so simple slipped past everyone at Apple and made it into the final product.

I don't know. It certainly would have slipped by me. Yes, having read about it here I can now identify what you're referring to, but I honestly never would have noticed it otherwise. Perhaps I have gimped sensation in my fingers or something, because they have most definitely never tingled and gone numb, despite having used this thing for many hours.

I'm not trying to minimize the issue, clearly this is a major problem for you and others - but at the same time, it's barely noticeable to many of the rest of us. So, I think, not such a huge surprise that the final product behaves the way it does.
 
I received a 64g Air 2 (cellular) yesterday and love it. It does vibrate on higher volumes but not noticeably say below half full volume.

I don't remember the last time I listened to music without ear buds and I don't watch videos with the vol that loud. So for me it's a non issue. I really thought it would be.

Went from iPad 3 to the Air 2 and it's unreal how good this device is. I can certainly see this driving some people crazy depending on your usage patterns.

But for me it's fabulous!!

P.S. - I ordered it Tues 11-4 from AT&T and it arrived at my house on 11-7. I was stunned at the short turnaround.
 
This is something that you see immediately. You don't need more than 5 minutes to see the problem. If the reviewers had their devices for a week, then I am sorry, their reviews are just bad and they are being paid by someone to "ignore" these issues. Tech journalism in general is really bad and we shouldn't believe anybody..only ourselves.

I agree. Or, they'll mention the issues in passing almost like they are shrugging it off as no big deal. Right.

It's a real problem and it's obvious by the number of folks posting on forums about it that's it's fairly widespread. Earbud users and whomever else don't apply but the rest of us sure do apply.

Hey, no biggy. My Air just keeps working without any hitches so whatever.
 
Well, here the response from Anandtech regarding the distortion and vibration issues in the comments section of their most recent review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8666/the-apple-ipad-air-2-review

I can confirm that both of those are present on the cellular version that we were sampled, but distortion from pressing on the back is something that I've noticed on multiple devices this year. The vibration effects are definitely strong but this really isn't an issue.

So looks like they also saw the issues, but they don't think it's a big deal.

I guess everybody needs to make their own conclusions about this. I will probably buy one today and see. But I get the impression a lot of comments in this thread here are from Air 1 owners that want to convince themselves that their Air 1 is better than Air 2 and there is no need to upgrade.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.