Apple has confirmed some of its iPad Pro (2018) models are shipping with a slight bend in the chassis, but rather than apologise, the company is insisting that it’s completely normal.
Following scores of complaints on social media and on Reddit over the curve in the tablet, which costs up to £1,869/$1,899 for the fully specced 12.9-inch model, Apple simply said it was a natural effect of its manufacturing process.
The issue is affecting both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions of Apple’s professional tablet, but the company told The Verge the bend will not get worse as the tablet ages and is not a defect.
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Apple says its cooling processes are responsible for the not-flaw which, for some users, develops over time, while others can spot definitely-not-a-defect as soon as they remove it from Apple’s luxurious packaging. The below image is from MacRumors.
According to the report, the LTE version of the device is slightly more susceptible to the flaw, due to the plastic antenna strip interrupting the metal construction. However, Wi-Fi only users are also experiencing the perfectly normal bend in their luxury Apple product.
Regardless of whether the slight bend is considered a defect or not, Apple customers have come to expect manufacturing precision from the company and it’s unlikely this will be tolerated.
It’s clear this isn’t as bad as the “bendgate” controversy with the iPhone 6 Plus, which Apple initially denied by inviting the media to visit its stress test lab. However, the company effectively acknowledged the issue by reinforcing the structure within the iPhone 6s Plus released a year later.
Those who buy an iPad Pro and experience bending out of the box or within the first few days have the option to return the product within a 14-day window, in the hope they receive a straight replacement. However, it’s not clear whether Apple will honour any requests outside of that window, because it does not acknowledge the bend as a defect at this time.
Have you experienced this perfectly normal bend in your brand new iPad Pro 2018? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.