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Some iPad Air 5 Users Complain About Creaking and Build Quality Downgrade

Blue Sun said:
I’m not sure if this has been mentioned, but it appears that this issue is isolated to blue models. Users with the space grey iPad Air 5 have reported that it feels similar if not identical to the previous model.
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Not true. I have the starlight version and can see the warping of the display when I hold the iPad. If I tap on the back or the display (near the right side where the pencil charger sits) the display warps. Never had that issue on the Air 4, 11 Pro or Mini.
So it can’t be the color. Nevertheless, I’ll return it and keep going in with the mini. The jelly-scrolling is an issue I can live with - no problem. But holding a device and having the display warp as if I‘m holding it too tight - which I don’t do - is a complete mistake on the built quality.
With every new product generation it shows that Apple just wants to make money. The whole „best product for our customer“ marketing speech was believable a few years ago. Unfortunately, now it’s just PR-bull****.
 
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I recorded a little video. Left to the camera icon you can see the warping although I’m only gently tapping the display.
 
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sorgo said:
Perhaps it’s more visible in person? Or the camera is a bit unsteady. Anyone else not seeing it?
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I can see it in sorgo’s video. It’s subtle (maybe more obvious in person), but I can definitely see what sorgo is referring to.
 
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aevan said:
Either some people are much more sensitive than me, or they are just much more picky. Sometimes it looks like people are looking for things to complain.
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Probably a little bit of all of the above but, in the end, Apple position themselves as a maker of premium electronics. It’s reasonable that some consumers will hold them to very high standards, and it’s only right that they voice their opinion when they feel these standards haven’t been met. Apple’s ‘lower end‘ stuff shouldn’t feel cheap. That’s never been their MO. All that said, I haven’t yet handled one of these iPads so can’t speak to the quality from my own personal perspective, but I expect others to critique things they have experience of 👍
 
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Don’t know why it’s a surprise anymore when Apple products exhibit poor build quality. I’ve been posting for years about the decline in build quality.

Tim Apple is cutting corners but marking up products disproportionately.

Best advice for buying Apple products now is always buy the baseline spec which is the cheapest. Apple products are essentially use and throw away items these days since nothing is upgradeable. It’s the best balance of using a half decent product and not getting totally ripped off.
 
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MaaK said:
I recorded a little video. Left to the camera icon you can see the warping although I’m only gently tapping the display.
View attachment 1977649
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I’ve seen this before on tablets. I once owned an Android tablet, made by Archos, which had this issue - case was too thin with the backplate flexing against the display. As I recall the fail/return rate was so high the company actually halted production in China and added a metal plate in the rear casing. Heavier but solid. Same couldn’t be said of the charging port…
 
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Just received mine, and first impressions are I'm not noticing any creak. I can definitely hear a bit of difference in hollowness when tapping around back.
 
555gallardo said:
Not sure how in U.S., but here where I live, you have to return the device back once reviewed.
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[off topic thoughts]
I guess that once iJustine is done drooling and licking on some iGadget that she’s reviewing she will have to return it. But being first with the review might give her enough cash to buy the products? And second… will an iGadget that has been licked by iJustine go for more or less than a new, sealed product?
[/off topic thoughts]
 
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You can understand why Apple would want to cost cut as they’re not making much profit at the moment.

Oh, wait…
 
This was a similar issue when the iPhone 6 first came out. It felt flimsy and thin and that’s why Unbox Therapy on YouTube was able to bend the phone in half. Think they stiffened the chassis up with the 6S onwards. Through that period of iPhone design until they switched to glass backs you could press down on the back and feel some flex and clicking.
 
bluecoast said:
You can understand why Apple would want to cost cut as they’re not making much profit at the moment.

Oh, wait…
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Well… that’s called capitalism. If they make eg 1 billion in 2021, investors expect 1.1 billion in 2022. No matter how successful they are they will have to be more successful next year.

There’s only so many ways they can continue to deliver on that.
 
MaaK said:
Not true. I have the starlight version and can see the warping of the display when I hold the iPad. If I tap on the back or the display (near the right side where the pencil charger sits) the display warps. Never had that issue on the Air 4, 11 Pro or Mini.
So it can’t be the color. Nevertheless, I’ll return it and keep going in with the mini. The jelly-scrolling is an issue I can live with - no problem. But holding a device and having the display warp as if I‘m holding it too tight - which I don’t do - is a complete mistake on the built quality.
With every new product generation it shows that Apple just wants to make money. The whole „best product for our customer“ marketing speech was believable a few years ago. Unfortunately, now it’s just PR-bull****.
Click to expand...
Best products for customers mantra died with Steve Jobs. You can’t replicate that passion of the company founder no matter how hard you try.
 
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MaaK said:
I recorded a little video. Left to the camera icon you can see the warping although I’m only gently tapping the display.
View attachment 1977649
Click to expand...
I actually experienced the exact same effect on a demo iPad Air in the apple store. In my case, it looked way worse in person than the one in the video. You don’t need much pressure to cause that. Either light tapping or drawing around that spot with the pencil will cause that. Not to mention this issue exists on its mini brother as well. I wonder if the quality of the LCD panel has anything to do with this.
 
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