That is true for the Air 4th gen as well. Oddly enough I don't press a little harder than usual on the Apple logo or anywhere else on the back of the device. People seem to think this thing is made of steel, not aluminum.
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Some iPad Air 5 Users Complain About Creaking and Build Quality Downgrade
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That is true for the Air 4th gen as well. Oddly enough I don't press a little harder than usual on the Apple logo or anywhere else on the back of the device. People seem to think this thing is made of steel, not aluminum.
I think this is a good point.
For every one person complaining that they have issues there are generally dozens who either don’t have that issue or they aren’t bothered by it.
Take the “jelly scrolling” on the mini 6. I see it on mine but overall I enjoy the tablet more than I am bothered by it so I don’t post about it being an issue.
Besides, I saw it on my old mini, my partner’s iPad and my work screen as well. The latter is quite extreme and before the mini reviews pointing out “jelly scrolling” I had never even noticed.
So yeah, I do believe there are likely tens of thousands of people who do not have issues with the Air 5.
It’s bad that some people do, sure, and they should get their money back. Depending on the number of claims Apple should investigate the issue, too.
But forums such as these have a tendency to make issues seem way more common and widespread than they are.
You said your mini 6 has that issue but you are not bothered by it. So you just don't care or ignore it, doesn't mean it has no issue.
I never said it wasn’t an issue.
In fact, I said that depending on the number of cases Apple should investigate
Yes, that sentence was primarily aimed at the topic at hand (iPad air 5 creaking etc) but the same goes for the mini.
…just waiting to read the inevitable counter-attack 😀I never said it wasn’t an issue.
In fact, I said that depending on the number of cases Apple should investigate
Yes, that sentence was primarily aimed at the topic at hand (iPad air 5 creaking etc) but the same goes for the mini.
I never said it wasn’t an issue.
In fact, I said that depending on the number of cases Apple should investigate
Yes, that sentence was primarily aimed at the topic at hand (iPad air 5 creaking etc) but the same goes for the mini.
Anyway I like Apple stuff in general. All major Apple products (at least 1 of 1 kind) are at home. The main dominate part of Apple is software and they don't provide best hardware for sure except the most expensive series. Mini screen is not perfect? Just don't scroll too fast lol. Air is too thin with cheap metal? Just buy a hard case lol.
So I have decided to go to a local apple store and be a weirdo. I tested (aka touched and pressed and harassed) every single iPad Air in display. Out of 18 Airs, a starlight one and a blue one have this creaking issue.
It feels like a subtle haptic feedback when you press near the Apple logo intentionally. (Circled in pictures where I felt the creaking)
I would say under normal usage, the creaking will NOT happen unless you decided to press on the shinny sexy logo. However, I think you would be able to recreate this (assuming your device is affected) if you hold the device in landscape mode with slightly stronger force (for example, when playing an intense game).
Would this affect your experience, no. But should this issue happen on a half-premium device sold by Apple? I don’t think so. Quality control department you have one job.
(Bonus, no screen distortion is seen when I pressed on the screen or was drawing with the pencil. You do see some distortion if you press intentionally with some degree of force, or holding it in landscape and trying to bend it. I see this as a normal behaviour.)
It feels like a subtle haptic feedback when you press near the Apple logo intentionally. (Circled in pictures where I felt the creaking)
I would say under normal usage, the creaking will NOT happen unless you decided to press on the shinny sexy logo. However, I think you would be able to recreate this (assuming your device is affected) if you hold the device in landscape mode with slightly stronger force (for example, when playing an intense game).
Would this affect your experience, no. But should this issue happen on a half-premium device sold by Apple? I don’t think so. Quality control department you have one job.
(Bonus, no screen distortion is seen when I pressed on the screen or was drawing with the pencil. You do see some distortion if you press intentionally with some degree of force, or holding it in landscape and trying to bend it. I see this as a normal behaviour.)
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Considering getting one, never gave a **** about the jelly scrolling. This cannot be that bad, I'll find out in due course.
Hello everyone, this is my first post on here. Long-time Apple customer with varying experiences over the years in regards to product quality and customer service. Collected a base spec Air from Apple’s Regent Street store in London yesterday afternoon. From the initial moment the device was unboxed, I could feel/hear the rear of the device ’creaking’, even with just a minimal amount of applied pressure. After turning it on, I then noticed that this caused the screen to have a pressure spot right where the G is on the virtual keyboard when the device is used in landscape mode. Needless to say, this is extremely disappointing and will be returned to Apple for a replacement, but I thought it was something that needed to be brought to the attention of those interested in purchasing the device at this moment of time.
Lon mentioned the creak in his mostly positive review. If it bothers you that much I'd say take it back. Apple will give refunds on anything out to 14 days. Of course if you return it then you can't keep posting on MacRumors about how you dislike your iPad Air so maybe that's a downside?
I have a new iPad M1 Air (black) with zero creaking. Feels solid to me… I dunno. I guess if I squeeze it hard enough I can see some distortion on the screen but I’m not worried about this at all. Maybe some are worse than others or there was a bad run or something than but mine feels great.
That same thing happens on the 4th gen as well. These are aluminum and not thick slabs of it. I received my 5th gen the other day (Space Black). In hand it feels absolutely the same as the 4. I did actually have the issue someone else noted as feeling like "haptic feedback" right around the Apple logo which is dead-on. It wasnt a "creaking" at all and it has gone away. The person in that Reddit thread who said they could feel the battery must have been smoking something good that day.
Some fifth-generation iPad Air users are complaining about a purported downgrade in build quality, according to posts on social media.
The complaints claim that the iPad Air has a noticeably thinner aluminum enclosure, resulting in creaking, a hollow sensation in the hand, and light pressure on the back of the device warping the display. A thread on Reddit (via iMore) contains a large number of complaints from iPad Air users who say they have build quality concerns about the device. The opening post on the thread states:
A multitude of responses on the thread agreed and expanded upon the issues, suggesting that it is not an isolated case, and some users have even posted videos of creaking noises coming from gentle taps on the device's display to highlight some of the problems. Some replies said that the iPad Air "feels very low quality" compared to its predecessor, noting that there is a detectable difference on the rear of the device. It "feels like I can feel the inside from the back," one reply claimed.
The first reviews of the fifth-generation iPad Air were shared earlier this week, but no reviewers mentioned any downgrade in build quality, and other than new color options, the iPad Air is externally identical to the previous-generation model. Key new features of the iPad Air include the same M1 chip found in the iPad Pro, 5G connectivity on cellular models, an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with support for Center Stage, up to a 2x faster USB-C port for data transfer, and new color options. Pricing continues to start at $599 in the U.S. for 64GB of storage.
Article Link: Some iPad Air 5 Users Complain About Creaking and Build Quality Downgrade
I thought I’d jump in to add my experience with the new iPad Air (5th Gen) and what I ended up doing. Upon handling it for the first time, like a lot of other folks, I noticed that the metal backing of it pressed inwards in some spots while holding it normally, especially around the symbol. It would even make a clicking/tapping sound as the metal of the back pressed inwards against something inside of it. This immediately made me question the quality of the product in my hands. I took the iPad back to the store in Downtown Brooklyn and the Genius Bar employee agreed with me that the feeling of this bending inwards on the back panel just above the symbol was “annoying.” We replicated it on other models in the store and one even felt worse with more noticeable bending/tapping. I had mine replaced without a problem. And while my replacement is DEFINITELY a lot better, I do still notice on occasional, though subtle inward bend in some spots on the back. Nothing like the first one I received, but not totally stable. I purchased AppleCare for it. If it gets worse, I’ll have it replaced again. I also left feedback about this on ’s site.
Some fifth-generation iPad Air users are complaining about a purported downgrade in build quality, according to posts on social media.
The complaints claim that the iPad Air has a noticeably thinner aluminum enclosure, resulting in creaking, a hollow sensation in the hand, and light pressure on the back of the device warping the display. A thread on Reddit (via iMore) contains a large number of complaints from iPad Air users who say they have build quality concerns about the device. The opening post on the thread states:
A multitude of responses on the thread agreed and expanded upon the issues, suggesting that it is not an isolated case, and some users have even posted videos of creaking noises coming from gentle taps on the device's display to highlight some of the problems. Some replies said that the iPad Air "feels very low quality" compared to its predecessor, noting that there is a detectable difference on the rear of the device. It "feels like I can feel the inside from the back," one reply claimed.
The first reviews of the fifth-generation iPad Air were shared earlier this week, but no reviewers mentioned any downgrade in build quality, and other than new color options, the iPad Air is externally identical to the previous-generation model. Key new features of the iPad Air include the same M1 chip found in the iPad Pro, 5G connectivity on cellular models, an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with support for Center Stage, up to a 2x faster USB-C port for data transfer, and new color options. Pricing continues to start at $599 in the U.S. for 64GB of storage.
Article Link: Some iPad Air 5 Users Complain About Creaking and Build Quality Downgrade
I don't know this (as the only flat-edged iPad I've held is an 11" iPad Pro - the others all being the older designs) - but might there be some comparative structural compromises with the new iPad Air, whereby you have two flat slabs of glass (or whatever the back's made of) with a metal band round the edge - as opposed to one machined bit of aluminium that forms the back and edges of the older design?
The back is made of aluminum, just like the sides.
Ah. Structurally not as strong as something with the back and sides moulded out of one piece of aluminium though, perchance?
(I'm clutching at straws here
)