iPad mini Out of the box marks

[dasx]

Hey everyone.
My girlfriend has been dreaming of an iPad Mini for a long time and today we finally went to an Apple Store to buy one. WiFi only, 16GB.
We were in a rush so left the Store pretty quickly.

When we got home just a couple of hours ago we opened it and I did a quick check of the device. The screen was pretty clean and all, but I found two annoyances:
1. Back of the Mini was "dirty". Note the quotes. It wasn't dirty per se, it had like some very small sticky things. Can't really tell what it was. You could clean them off but wasn't just dust. (If I had to guess I'd say it was like glue residue or something like that).
2. It had a small mark in one side, next to the volume buttons. Not a big deal, but a deal breaker for me. Like a dent.

Told me girlfriend to check it out. She doesn't really care at all, and in her words "I don't care, it's gonna be much worse in 1 month of use", so I decided to not bother either.

Point of the thread then being... Is this a regular thing? Have other users reported a little bit of damage on the device out of the box?

Thanks everyone.

P.D: On the bright side, awesome device. Seriously considering now to replace my iPad 3 with a Mini IF a retina model comes out.

 

[LostAggie]

Mine was the same way. Stickiness probably from packaging.

 

[TyPod]

Told me girlfriend to check it out. She doesn't really care at all, and in her words "I don't care, it's gonna be much worse in 1 month of use", so I decided to not bother either.

Exactly. I'm the same way haha

Point of the thread then being... Is this a regular thing? Have other users reported a little bit of damage on the device out of the box?

No, I don't think this is a regular thing. Mine was pristine when I took mine out of the box (white 16gb, WiFi).

 

[Samtb]

Most Apple products have been like this recently. Their quality control standards have gone down but I guess that's unavoidable due to the high demand of their products.

 

[Commy1]

I've seen a lot of threads lately with people making comments about their iPhones especially. I wonder what's going on over there...

 

[wabbit42]

2. It had a small mark in one side, next to the volume buttons. Not a big deal, but a deal breaker for me. Like a dent.

I had a similar mark, a small, perfectly straight dent at the power button straight out of the box. It is much more visible IRL than in the photo, but it didn't bother me too much and I knew it would be getting more battered because I use it naked with only the smart cover occasionally.

That being said, the mini has held up well, the only scratches being small and on the corners.

 

[dasx]

Mine was the same way. Stickiness probably from packaging.

Yes, my thoughts too. Needed a wet cloth to clean that stuff off.

Exactly. I'm the same way haha

No, I don't think this is a regular thing. Mine was pristine when I took mine out of the box (white 16gb, WiFi).

Well, I didn't really mean 'regular'. I meant if this has been an already reported issue.

Most Apple products have been like this recently. Their quality control standards have gone down but I guess that's unavoidable due to the high demand of their products.

I've seen a lot of threads lately with people making comments about their iPhones especially. I wonder what's going on over there...

Yes Samtb and Commy1. I know this happened a lot with the iPhone 5. I was here on the forums reading about it for a whole week before it was launched in my country (was launched one week later than in the US) so I opened it in the store to check it out completely. Mine turned out to be what I called in the day 'almost pristine'. A super tiny little mark (didn't get to be called dent) on one side. Decided not to bother after everything I had seen in the iPhone subforum here in Macrumors.

I just wanted to make sure if this has happened to other Minis or my girl's case was some isolated issue. One tends to think once the demand has got to its regular levels QC should go back to normality…!

I had a similar mark, a small, perfectly straight dent at the power button straight out of the box. It is much more visible IRL than in the photo, but it didn't bother me too much and I knew it would be getting more battered because I use it naked with only the smart cover occasionally.

That being said, the mini has held up well, the only scratches being small and on the corners.

View attachment 404246

Pretty similar. In our case it is like 2/3 that length but there are two of them side by side separated by 1 or 2mm.


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Thank you all for your replies!

 

[Breaking Good]

The adhesive residue should clean up easily with a little bit of rubbing alcohol and a cotton rag. But the dent would be a deal breaker for me and I would be taking it back.

If I am going to pay Apple's premium prices, then I expect a premium product in every way.

 

[dasx]

The adhesive residue should clean up easily with a little bit of rubbing alcohol and a cotton rag. But the dent would be a deal breaker for me and I would be taking it back.

If I am going to pay Apple's premium prices, then I expect a premium product in every way.

I would've too. She didn't. I scream in pain every time I see her iPhone 4 so… lol

 

[MisterKeeks]

Their quality control standards have gone down

Or people's standards have increased to ridiculous levels, such to the point that they demand completely immaculate phone. For the record, Apple's products have never been pristine, or will they ever be.

I'm not directing this at the OP, because without some sort of picture, it's hard to say if he is overreacting or not.

 

[myrtlebee]

Or people's standards have increased to ridiculous levels, such to the point that they demand completely immaculate phone. For the record, Apple's products have never been pristine, or will they ever be.

I'm not directing this at the OP, because without some sort of picture, it's hard to say if he is overreacting or not.

Sorry, but this is wrong. I have had pristine Apple products. I have also had more that were unacceptable. Dents, scratches, dust under the screen, dead pixels, misaligned screens, loose buttons, bad backlight bleeding - all unacceptable to me out of the box. I will and have returned as many times as needed to get perfect, pristine products out of the box. If they lack QC, I'll do it for them.

 

[Medic311]

Or people's standards have increased to ridiculous levels, such to the point that they demand completely immaculate phone. For the record, Apple's products have never been pristine, or will they ever be.

I'm not directing this at the OP, because without some sort of picture, it's hard to say if he is overreacting or not.

when jon ive spends 5 mins in a promo video talking about how perfect the chamfer is on the edge...people expect a perfect chamfered edge. not a dinged edge, not a scratched edge, not a dented edge, not a warped edge. that's the way it works. when you hype something up, it gets slammed more by critics when it falls short