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iPad Is Ipad Air display cover made of plastic?

G

geepondy

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 5, 2013
67
19
I'm coming from an Ipad2 and haven't really played around much with Ipad 3,4 or mini. The Air display really feels like plasticky to me. It has that plastic texture and feel and seems to give and flex a bit when touched. You definitely know the Ipad 2 display covering is glass. Please tell me I'm wrong and there's a reason for the way it looks and feels. It feels like it would scratch very easy. I generally don't put screen protectors on my Ipads but wonder in this case if I should.

Hopefully there is a logical explanation. No other complaints about the Air except I extremely dislike the IOS 7 display changes compared to IOS 6. I read other's are unhappy too, do you think Apple will release an update to give users the choice to revert to previous display layout? I wish Apple would allow third party keyboard apps. At least I found a decent looking third party calculator app.
 
It's glass.

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geepondy said:
It feels like it would scratch very easy. I generally don't put screen protectors on my Ipads but wonder in this case if I should.

Hopefully there is a logical explanation. No other complaints about the Air except I extremely dislike the IOS 7 display changes compared to IOS 6. I read other's are unhappy too, do you think Apple will release an update to give users the choice to revert to previous display layout? I wish Apple would allow third party keyboard apps. At least I found a decent looking third party calculator app.
Click to expand...

1) Get a Smart Cover.
2) No Apple won't let you change back to iOS 6 style. Just take a few days to get used to it. The interface / UI paradigm is actually quite modern and easy to understand (layers / translucency). It's some app icons that need to be improved.
3) No third party keyboard apps in the foreseeable future most likely due to security concerns (what if a rogue third party keyboard app captures all your keys/passwords?). A calculator app is very different since it's so simple and won't touch any of your system file.
 
It's a very plasticky feeling glass, that seems a little too thin for the size of the surface of the iPad Air...
 
The glass has been thinned greatly to save weight. See the article on the front page.
 
I felt it almost immediately. Pretty yuck on a thousand dollar device. N7 glass feels more like solid glass and thick in comparison. It probably is a mix of glass and plastic.
 
Look at a tear down of the iPad Mini on YouTube, and you'll get an idea of how the Air's screen and digitizer are assembled. If you look at a repair video, you'll see that it's most definitely glass. My first iPad was a Mini, followed by an iPad 4. The latter felt like plate glass compared to the Mini, and you should get used to the Air's thinner glass quickly. A lighter touch while typing will help your fingertips, and give the same results as a heavy touch. I'm typing this on my Air, and barely touching the screen. It's my new game. ;)
 
Is it relatively scratch proof? Do I need a screen protector? Regarding IOS 7 display changes, I've had it on my phone since it first came out and I still don't like it. I particularly dislike places where they have thin light blue text against a very white background. I know you can't revert to IOS 6 but I read on the internet that many people don't like the changes so I'm hoping Apple will release an update to at least give users a choice on display settings. I'm not hopefully as Apple tends to tell us what we want instead of the other way around. Not that they don't get it right most times but this really bugs me.
 
The glass is thinner. The result is much less weight and a different feel. Thin doesn't mean cheap. Just ask Patek Philippe.
 
Its definitely glass, my iPad Air slid from my knee to the floor this morning and landed on its edge and the screen smashed!! From the way I was sitting it was about an 12" drop and even then it was fairly slow as it slid rather than dropping straight down. The floor is covered with cushion floor vinyl.

Appointment at the Apple store to get it replaced, no way should it damage so easily, I have dropped my other iPads plenty of times and from greater heights with no damage to the screen. it looks like the chamfered edge provides little protection when dropped.
 
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Overall, Soneira notes that the iPad Air display has seen a very solid incremental upgrade, although he does have a few quibbles such as the continued presence of an air gap between the display and the cover glass when Apple has been moving toward laminating the two components together in other products.


There's the issue.
 
Apple keeps giving us what they think we want and the glass on the Air was "thinned" down for weight and thickness.

The down side is that they are structurally weaker. It will be no time before we see some bent Airs.
 
I'm very sorry to hear that. It must be a crushing blow to experience something like that happened. On the other hand your post might have convinced me to go with the $100 Apple Care program.

irnchriz said:
Its definitely glass, my iPad Air slid from my knee to the floor this morning and landed on its edge and the screen smashed!! From the way I was sitting it was about an 12" drop and even then it was fairly slow as it slid rather than dropping straight down. The floor is covered with cushion floor vinyl.

Appointment at the Apple store to get it replaced, no way should it damage so easily, I have dropped my other iPads plenty of times and from greater heights with no damage to the screen. it looks like the chamfered edge provides little protection when dropped.
Click to expand...
 
Ddyracer said:
I felt it almost immediately. Pretty yuck on a thousand dollar device. N7 glass feels more like solid glass and thick in comparison. It probably is a mix of glass and plastic.
Click to expand...

Thousand dollar device? You got taken for a ride.
 
I don't own one, yet, but based on this eBay auction, it definitely looks like glass.

Broken iPad auction ended

It also looks hollow up top (see pic zoomed in at top), which probably accounts for some of the "give" on the thin glass. Sent from my iPad.
 
Its definitely a noticeable difference when upgrading but after having about a week it feels completely normal. If my nails hit the screen it gives a different sound than I expect but it feels as sturdy as I expect from an iPad.
 
Wow a $500 ipad air still worth $305 with a broken screen?

Do you guys get the Apple Care or other extended warranties? Costco sells Square Trade 2 year warranty for $50 (for up to $800 tablet).

Charadis said:
I don't own one, yet, but based on this eBay auction, it definitely looks like glass.

Broken iPad auction ended

It also looks hollow up top (see pic zoomed in at top), which probably accounts for some of the "give" on the thin glass. Sent from my iPad.
Click to expand...
 
Better get use to it.

Folks saying it feels cheap, should stop to consider that this is very advanced, ultra tough, thin glass, and a rather substantial upgrade from the coffee table they used previously (true I miss serving cocktails)

Why make it thicker if you get the same results from a reduced footprint?

Glass is heavy stuff.
 
Breaking in a new iPad Air

I've had mine for about 24 hrs. I sprung for the colorless, frosted snap on back cover more to help protect the fabulously slim edge than for keeping the back from getting scratched. Counting on this helping when/if I do ever drop it. I lovelovelove the new screen for color and def. The fact that the short edge of the iPad Air is slightly narrower makes all the difference in comfort when using it without some kind of support. Every time I pick it up, I almost throw it over my shoulder, the feel is so much lighter. Still getting used to the separate Vol up and down buttons (as opposed to the single "rocker" switch) but that's very minor. So glad I updated from the iPad 2 to Air. My sister will be getting my 2--because she is the best sister anyone ever had. :)
 
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