Warning: DO NOT stack your 2016 MBP and iPad Pro together!

[caddison]

UPDATE #2: I made a video... hope this helps explain things clearly.

UPDATE #1: I just looked at everything more and the issue pretty much has everything to do with the Apple Smart Keyboard and NOT the iPad by itself. After further examination, the entire spine of the keyboard that is the same length of the iPad and is where the smart connector is located is a magnet.The magnet is easily strong enough to support the weight of the iPad and is what has caused this issue.

******

Just got my replacement 2.9/460/1TB machine yesterday (graphics issues), and I was on my couch setting it up and playing around with some stuff. So far so good.

I had to get up for a second, so I set my MBP down on on top of my 9.7" iPad Pro, which was laying next to me protected inside the silicone back cover and keyboard front cover.

I immediately heard this HORRIBLE grinding sound. My heart sank... It sounded like the fan and my first reaction was a sudden hardware failure.

As soon as I picked it up, it stopped... I set it back down and it started again.... so I was like, WTF is going on here?!?

After a mild heart attack and some adrenaline powered deductive reasoning, I figured out that that the magnets used in my iPad and the keyboard cover had enough strength to pull at one of the MBP fans through the chassis and cause the fan blades to hit the chassis and make a grinding noise!!

UGH.

Definitely relieved it wasn't more serious than that and glad I caught it before I walked away, causing the fans to burn out... or even worse.

It was a lesson learned for me, so I thought I'd pass it along to anyone else as a warning... keep them away from each other!

Cheers.

 

[kipwheeler]

Good survival tip.

 

[Kjung7]

Thanks for letting us know. Definitely good to know!

 

[thadoggfather]

that is absolutely horrifying

i use a cheap amazon magnetic case and stack my 12" rMB with my pro 9.7 in transit in same case sometimes but its fan less at least

noted for the 13"

 

[jackoatmon]

correlation is not causation

 

[caddison]

correlation is not causation

In this case it is.

 

[dyn]

I doubt it is. The magnets used in the iPads are just too weak. They can just about hold the iPad covers. That's way too weak to penetrate through a cover, display, topcase, and PCB to pull up the fans. It is far more likely that the angle you were holding the MBP or something else caused it.

If it were as strong as you think then you wouldn't be able to put a paperclip near any iPad. Try it and you'll say that having a paperclip laying next to an iPad does nothing, it stays were it is.

 

[caddison]

I doubt it is. The magnets used in the iPads are just too weak. They can just about hold the iPad covers. That's way too weak to penetrate through a cover, display, topcase, and PCB to pull up the fans. It is far more likely that the angle you were holding the MBP or something else caused it.

If it were as strong as you think then you wouldn't be able to put a paperclip near any iPad. Try it and you'll say that having a paperclip laying next to an iPad does nothing, it stays were it is.

My Apple Pencil sticks to my iPad with the keyboard attached easily... you don't think a paperclip will?

I'm not an idiot and the magnet that attaches the MacBook Pro keyboard to the tablet is actually pretty strong. I'm not just talking about the magnet in the iPad... the keyboard has one as well and easily holds it to the iPad without it falling off.

I have the problem on video and I have been able to recreate it today to be certain it's not the machine ad only a behavior that surfaces because of the magnets.

The ONLY time it has exhibited this behavior is when it was sitting on top of the iPad. I've been using it all day today and it's been fine, except for the half second I put it on top of my iPad and duplicated the problem again, just to be certain I'm not insane.

 

[iasix]

correlation is not causation

Correlation is between two continuous variables, the appropriate word to use here would be 'association'.

 

[dyn]

My Apple Pencil sticks to my iPad with the keyboard attached easily... you don't think a paperclip will?

Yes and no: it depends on the distance. If I put the paperclip or the Apple Pencil at a distance of 1 cm from the iPad I know it won't stick. If I put it at a distance of 3 mm then yes, I think it will stick.

I'm not just talking about the magnet in the iPad... the keyboard has one as well and easily holds it to the iPad without it falling off.

The point is that this is all direct contact, not indirect contact between several layers of different kinds of materials where most are unaffected by magnetism. The latter is the case when you place the iPad on top of the MBP.

These magnets are strong enough when you hold it against something but lose their strength rather quickly. They have too because else they would affect the electronics inside.

 

[WhiteWhaleHolyGrail]

I doubt it is. The magnets used in the iPads are just too weak. They can just about hold the iPad covers. That's way too weak to penetrate through a cover, display, topcase, and PCB to pull up the fans. It is far more likely that the angle you were holding the MBP or something else caused it.

If it were as strong as you think then you wouldn't be able to put a paperclip near any iPad. Try it and you'll say that having a paperclip laying next to an iPad does nothing, it stays were it is.

Actually I had two paperclips on my iPad mini's cover and they both stuck. I had an Apple leather magnetic case attached.

I was surprised for sure!

 

[caddison]

These magnets are strong enough when you hold it against something but lose their strength rather quickly. They have too because else they would affect the electronics inside.

Do you own an iPad Pro with the Apple Keyboard for it?

I'm guessing you don't, or otherwise you'd know you're wrong.

I can hold the keyboard and iPad an inch apart and feel them pulling together. The magnetism is enough to actually lift the flap on the keyboard that has the smart connector and they snap together quite forcefully... once they're connected, I can hold the keyboard and it can pretty easily support the weight of the iPad.

But, you probably still won't believe me, so maybe I should take some video of that as well.

 

[mrex]

"keep your apple devices as far as possible from each other"

 

[caddison]

Actually I had two paperclips on my iPad mini's cover and they both stuck. I had an Apple leather magnetic case attached.

I was surprised for sure!

You'd be even more surprised by the magnets used for the smart connector as they're WAY stronger than the magnets used to secure the flap in place.

 

[DMaria]

"keep your apple devices as far as possible from each other"

Indeed. Nobody needs a bunch of little apples running around, and no means to support them.....

 

[mrex]

Indeed. Nobody needs a bunch of little apples running around, and no means to support them.....

"not yet optimized"

 

[Rorosbutt]

I used to be able to make the HD stop spinning if I placed iPhone above it on the 2012 MBP. Really scary!

 

[caddison]

I just got home and after even further inspection, it's pretty much the smart keyboard only that causes this problem... it doesn't have anything to do with the iPad.

Updated my original post to reflect this and I'll try to post some video tomorrow.

 

[kipwheeler]

Actually I had two paperclips on my iPad mini's cover and they both stuck. I had an Apple leather magnetic case attached.

I was surprised for sure!

With the cover, my iPad trails paperclips. 2-3 at a time. I have to be careful when I set it down on a desk not to grap metallic passengers.

 

[dyn]

I just got home and after even further inspection, it's pretty much the smart keyboard only that causes this problem... it doesn't have anything to do with the iPad.

Et voila, always do additional research before drawing any conclusions!

In this case you need to do additional research: as I told you if you place the keyboard on top the magnet still has to go through quite some (thick) material. Open the display, place the keyboard on one side and try if it still attracts something small and light as a paperclip placed on the other side of the display (iow the display gets sandwiched between keyboard and paperclip).

The other thing to understand here is that there is a major difference between a magnet that isn't connected to something and one that is connected to something. The larger that object will be, the less powerful the magnet is going to be. I have my case hanging on my lamp, yet when I place a paperclip on top it does absolutely nothing. There is 0 attraction. That's because the surface of the lamp is huge.

Magnetism isn't a very easy subject.

 

[Wackery]

you can thank apple for its thinness obsession

 

[caddison]

Et voila, always do additional research before drawing any conclusions!

Et voila?



Uhhh... my conclusions are still the same, I was only clarifying the source of the problem, not contradicting my initial claim.

You're obviously not getting it, so I'll say it again:

Placing my laptop on top of my iPad with the Smart Keyboard attached causes the fan blades to grind.

Once more, just in case...

Placing my laptop on top of my iPad with the Smart Keyboard attached causes the fan blades to grind.

Nothing has changed.

Here's a video... I hope this helps to curb your bizarre obsession with attempting to refute my claims. If you still don't believe me after this, TRY IT OUT FOR YOURSELF.

More importantly, however, I hope this posting and the time I've taken to follow up has been some benefit to those who have legitimate concerns about this behavior.

Cheers.

 

[BorderingOn]

Wow! I assume the fan has a magnetic bearing and you're disturbing the field a bit.

 

[Immiddx]

In this case it is.

No it isn't. Not in this case. Not in any case. Sad.

 

[Easttime]

Correlation is between two continuous variables, the appropriate word to use here would be 'association'.

But association (or correlation) is one of the types of evidence required for causality, so the proper line is, "association (or correlation) is not necessarily causation". (Here we go...)