Static noise from iPad speaker

Hi,

I've got an iPad 16 GB Wifi since late November.

A few weeks ago I noticed some kind of interfering noise from the in-built speaker. It is not loud, but when you are in a silent room, you can definitely hear the buzzing sound.

It is especially apparent when I use the virtual keyboard (with the typing sound enabled). When it is pulled up, I hear a small click sound and then the static noise begins. It's similar when I lock or unlock the iPad by hitting the power button.

The noise seems to start whenever the speaker is activated, and it takes between 1-5 seconds for the noise to go away when the speaker is turned off.

I am unsure whether it is a software or hardware failure, but it seems likely it's the latter.

Have anyone experienced this?

I *can* live with it, but it really bugs me. I would love to have it fixed.

A few days ago I went to the store where I bought the iPad (a certified Apple reseller). They told me they could send it to Apple, but if they didn't see any reason to repair it, I would have to pay a small fee.

Since this is my first Apple product, I don't know their repair service. Do they even repair iPads; don't they just send the customer a new device?