iPad Landscape Orientation Issue

[lukeman3000]

Ok, so I'm assuming it's safe to post here about an issue that I'm experiencing without the fear of getting berated and patronized for "being picky".

Maybe that's a mistake on my part.

Anyways, ever since day one of my iPad ownership (a couple months ago), I noticed that it would prematurely enter landscape mode when tilted to the left (by grabbing the left side of the iPad and raising it up).

This has actually been bugging me a lot, causing the iPad to switch into landscape frequently when sitting on my lap, even though it's still relatively level. Apparently, I have to keep it almost perfectly level or use orientation lock whenever it's not on a completely flat surface. (Hard life, I know)

Here is a video of the issue. In this video, I show how to reproduce the problem.

I have already asked on reddit, and a few people have responded that they have the same issue. I was wondering if anyone else does.

I sent my iPad to Apple for repair once already, and they sent it back saying that they couldn't recreate the issue that I had described. Since then, I decided just to try and live with it, but it has become increasingly annoying, and paired with the fact that my home button has always been quite mushy, I decided to send it back again.

This time, I gave the URL of the video that I made to the agent that I spoke with at Apple, and he included it in my case. I don't know if it will actually get watched by anyone other than him (he watched it), but it's clear that there is an issue, and that I'm not the only one who experiences it.

 

[Night Spring]

I've never quite defined the "problem" as precisely as you seem to have in your video, but yes, I've noticed that the iPad seems to rotate very easily sometimes. Not only from portrait to landscape but also the other way around too. I just figure that's what the lock orientation switch is there for. I doubt that you have a defective unit, there's been complaints about how easy it is for the iPad's rotation to be provoked all the way back since the first iPad.

 

[Rodster]

I have several tablets, iPad's & Android. Honestly they all jump around and rotate the screen when I tilt the devices a wee bit too much. I find it frustrating too. Locking the screen takes care of that.

 

[lukeman3000]

I have several tablets, iPad's & Android. Honestly they all jump around and rotate the screen when I tilt the devices a wee bit too much. I find it frustrating too. Locking the screen takes care of that.

Glad to know I'm not alone!

Generally speaking, the iPad does a pretty good job with orientation changing when I want it to, but that left side is just way too sensitive.. It is more than 50% more sensitive than when picked up from the right side.

Plus, I'm not tilting it hard or anything. I'm being very deliberate about it trying to find the exact point at which it switches into landscape. Seems to be too big of a difference to be chalked up to a mere "manufacturing tolerance" or something of that nature.

 

[Rodster]

Glad to know I'm not alone!

Generally speaking, the iPad does a pretty good job with orientation changing when I want it to, but that left side is just way too sensitive.. It is more than 50% more sensitive than when picked up from the right side.

Plus, I'm not tilting it hard or anything. I'm being very deliberate about it trying to find the exact point at which it switches into landscape. Seems to be too big of a difference to be chalked up to a mere "manufacturing tolerance" or something of that nature.

There's some sort of leveler in tablets, don't know what it's called. If you slightly change the angle on these things it will rotate the image.

 

[gorskiegangsta]

I believe Apple upped the sensitivity of orientation rotation some time after they released the smart covers. They did it so that iPad would orient the content properly when propped up with a smart cover, like this:

As you can see, the angle is rather small (around 15 degrees), hence the "erratic" behavior. I am largely used to it by now, though I still keep the switch on the side set to Orientation Lock

 

[Sir Ruben]

Why dont you just lock the orientation?

 

[Enlightenment1]

I've just checked my iPad 3 and it does not do this when lifted from either side. It has to be lifted quite a bit for it to rotate which is fine by me.

 

[Sir Ruben]

Mine doesnt either

 

[lukeman3000]

I believe Apple upped the sensitivity of orientation rotation some time after they released the smart covers. They did it so that iPad would orient the content properly when propped up with a smart cover, like this:
Image

As you can see, the angle is rather small (around 15 degrees), hence the "erratic" behavior. I am largely used to it by now, though I still keep the switch on the side set to Orientation Lock

Since I created this thread, I have spoken to Apple again. I spoke to someone a little "higher up" (how high, I don't know), and explained the problem to them in detail.

Then, the advisor said "hang on a sec, I'll grab my iPad and try it". I had bet him that his exhibit the same behavior.

Well, he was surprised to find out that it behaved exactly like I had described. The explanation that it is as a result to the smart cover is the only thing that makes any sense to me, but this advisor at Apple couldn't even tell me that this was the reason behind it. He had no idea. And neither has anyone else that I've spoken to.

If this really is a "feature" that is intended for use with the smart cover, it needs to be an option. I absolutely hate the erratic behavior and it only takes about half an inch or so for it to be activated. At the VERY LEAST, there should be an option in settings that says "Smart Cover" -- "On" would set an increased sensitivity while "Off" would set the sensitivity to normal; the same as the other side.

I mean really, it's ridiculous to put this on everyone regardless of if they have a smart cover or not. And yes, I use orientation lock (I'm forced to use it), but I would prefer NOT to because I like being able to switch back and forth between portrait and landscape without having to enable/disable an extra option and just go through another step for no reason. It wouldn't be a problem if the sensitivity was correct.

Furthermore, what about people who use a smart cover who don't always have it propped up like that? They just need to set the sensitivity to normal because a person with a smart cover can simply rotate their iPad to the necessary angle then set it back down like a normal person.

Maybe I'm nitpicking here, but if I designed the iPad this is one thing that I would absolutely change because it seems to be a glaring oversight. I thought it was a "bug" for the longest time and in all honesty, I still do. I don't own a smart cover and my iPad shouldn't exhibit this behavior.