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Has your 11” or 12.9” iPad Pro bent?

  • Yes

    Votes: 55 25.6%
  • No

    Votes: 160 74.4%

  • Total voters
    215

Omega Mac

macrumors 6502a
Aug 16, 2013
580
346
Ok this topic is 80 pages long now.... can anyone provide a one or two line summary on the latest bend-ability status of current iPP models?
 

pdoherty

macrumors 65816
Dec 30, 2014
1,375
1,631
Ok this topic is 80 pages long now.... can anyone provide a one or two line summary on the latest bend-ability status of current iPP models?
There is nothing apparently different in the current models either in materials or shape to suggest they will not be subject to the same problems (insensitive screen and bending). In addition Apple has said nothing about addressing the issues, or about any changes in the design that we could believe mitigate the issues.
 
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James Godfrey

macrumors 68020
Oct 13, 2011
2,058
1,700
Do you know what is surprising.... there are literally ZERO iPad Air bending videos on YouTube... well except 1 which isn’t actually bent in the video...

Makes you question the iPad Pro ‘bend gate’ videos by the highest rated reviewers, is it because the Air is not a flag ship product and isn’t as expensive and so won’t gain as many clicks???

It does cast doubt as to why reviewers focus so heavily on bending products in the first place...
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G4
Jul 22, 2002
10,090
8,020
It does cast doubt as to why reviewers focus so heavily on bending products in the first place...
Bending was one of those easy things YouTubers could do to get a lot of views. YouTube is always updating their algorithm though, so it could be that advertisers don’t want to be attached to bending videos, which means lower ad revenue, which means YouTubers focus on something else. Otherwise, they’d be paying for that bent iPad out of pocket :)
 

rjtiedeman

macrumors 6502
Nov 29, 2010
337
66
Stamford, CT
Do you know what is surprising.... there are literally ZERO iPad Air bending videos on YouTube... well except 1 which isn’t actually bent in the video...

Makes you question the iPad Pro ‘bend gate’ videos by the highest rated reviewers, is it because the Air is not a flag ship product and isn’t as expensive and so won’t gain as many clicks???

It does cast doubt as to why reviewers focus so heavily on bending products in the first place...
Google it. ipad pro 2020 durability. I got several videos. They still bend if you try.
 

Cyluks

macrumors member
Dec 11, 2019
40
30
The iPad Air should be a little better than the iPad Pros, as the iPad Air is 6.1mm vs 5.9 on the Pros. However both will bend relatively easily if you're actively trying to bend them.

Now, the good news is that the next iPad Pros (Well, at least the 12.9 inch if the rumors are to be believed) may actually be a little bit THICKER in order to accommodate miniLED displays. This could be by up to .5mm (Making the Pros 6.4mm thick, ie, somewhere between the current iPad Air and the current base iPad). Perhaps this may also be a sneaky technique for Apple to make the iPads more durable, yet get away with it by claiming it was for miniLED purposes only?
 

Omega Mac

macrumors 6502a
Aug 16, 2013
580
346
Ok thanks for the replies. My recollection was that it was user feedback on MR that the larger iPP 12.9", was beginning to show some signs of bending adter some normal typical use, being transported and kept in a bag/rucksack. It makes sense it would be less of an issue with the smaller format App & Air included, because the overall span is shorter, so less prone to leverage increasing the chance of a bend.

I had expected it to be addressed in engineering revision most probably unannounced by Apple, that might occur around the min-ned, but it sure was an issue and i base none of this on YT videos, comments here and then inspection or early model on display in-shop, which is something that can not be done during the present madness.
 

Omega Mac

macrumors 6502a
Aug 16, 2013
580
346
I will also add, if Apple are worth their engineering salt, thickness does not equate to stronger in a straight line way, the aluminium is a chassis for the components, it is not a solid mass, it requires structural wizardry to provide structural integrity that give the chassis it's strength, and this is how you can make thin material really strong - simple case in point: The typical I beam configuration (steel, wood or ply/OSB) as a form has load carrying performance that is massive, being the sum of the parts put together in a specific way, individually those parts are very weak.
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G4
Jul 22, 2002
10,090
8,020
bending adter some normal typical use, being transported and kept in a bag/rucksack. It makes sense it would be less of an issue with the smaller format App & Air included, because the overall span is shorter, so less prone to leverage increasing the chance of a bend.
The thing is, no one has defined “normal use”. My “normal use” is in a laptop backpack that I toss to the floor, table, back seat of car. OR in the pocket of a Scott eVest coat as I walk around. Others’ “normal use” may be in a duffel bag with clothes and a bowling ball during a packed subway commute.
 

Cyluks

macrumors member
Dec 11, 2019
40
30
I'd like to add that this doesn't seem to be the only tablet with bending issues. I'm also on the r/galaxytab subreddit, and there's been a whole 40 something comment thread with people who've had bent galaxy tab s7+, and some other miscellaneous posts commenting about this issue. Also keep in mind that that tablet also has a magnesium-aluminum alloy mid frame in it, yet that doesn't seem to do too much for durability.
 
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darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,110
9,764
Atlanta, GA
Also keep in mind that that tablet also has a magnesium-aluminum alloy mid frame in it, yet that doesn't seem to do too much for durability.
I don't think it's the reinforced back bending, but rather holes in the side (like the attached image) which compromise the rigidity of it rectangular shape. There simply isn't enough strong metal to reinforce that side. If all openings were pushed to the corners I doubt bending would be an issue.
 

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Unregistered 4U

macrumors G4
Jul 22, 2002
10,090
8,020
I don't think it's the reinforced back bending, but rather holes in the side (like the attached image) which compromise the rigidity of it rectangular shape. There simply isn't enough strong metal to reinforce that side. If all openings were pushed to the corners I doubt bending would be an issue.
Move the pencil magnet and the sim card port to the corners? I don’t think that’d be very useful.

Even when you also include the bands for the LTE/WiFi antennas, most of the iPad Pro’s don’t seem to have an issue with bending. Moving those areas to corners may decrease bending, but it’s not going to eliminate bending. It really comes down to a tradeoff and Apple apparently feels that the current durability matches what they expect normal usage to be, at least to the point where they’re not considering moving the ports to the corners to increase durability.
 

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
18,110
9,764
Atlanta, GA
Move the pencil magnet and the sim card port to the corners? I don’t think that’d be very useful.

Even when you also include the bands for the LTE/WiFi antennas, most of the iPad Pro’s don’t seem to have an issue with bending. Moving those areas to corners may decrease bending, but it’s not going to eliminate bending. It really comes down to a tradeoff and Apple apparently feels that the current durability matches what they expect normal usage to be, at least to the point where they’re not considering moving the ports to the corners to increase durability.
They are bending because one long side is weaker than the other (there’s a giant hole in it), not because the back isn’t reinforced.
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G4
Jul 22, 2002
10,090
8,020
They are bending because one long side is weaker than the other (there’s a giant hole in it), not because the back isn’t reinforced.
The few that are bending are doing so because they’re experiencing enough force over enough time to cause a permanent deformation in the metal. The majority of them are NOT bending, even WITH the giant hole, because those devices are not experiencing enough force over enough time to cause a permanent deformation.

Any iPad you want to bend can be bent. Even if you remove the giant hole, it can still be bent. Even if you remove ALL the holes, it can still be bent.
 

Robbosan

Suspended
Aug 21, 2020
2,071
1,837
Getting a replacement for my 11” 2018 under AC, it’s mainly scratched but noticed a slight bend, just bent it back lol. Hope the new one is straight.
 

Cyluks

macrumors member
Dec 11, 2019
40
30
Did you guys see the new patent that Apple got that mentions using titanium in the iPad. Might potentially solve the bending issues?
 

James Godfrey

macrumors 68020
Oct 13, 2011
2,058
1,700
Did you guys see the new patent that Apple got that mentions using titanium in the iPad. Might potentially solve the bending issues?
I think this is probably just something they are considering... problem is this will drive up cost, and although it doesn’t bend as much, it will be more prone to snapping.
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G4
Jul 22, 2002
10,090
8,020
I think this is probably just something they are considering... problem is this will drive up cost, and although it doesn’t bend as much, it will be more prone to snapping.
Yeah, I think as long as it doesn’t bend for most folks, I doubt Apple’s concerned much with making it so tough that you can use it to transport a 30 pound weight.
 
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