anyone else with dust/hair screen problems?

[billyjoegibsonx]

Hey! just wondering if anyone else has had problems with their ipads screen getting dust/hair under it? i unfortuantly have this problem. i got my ipad delivered on the 27th as i preordered on the 10th may. wasnt till today when i cleaned the screen to put it in the apple case i bought yesterday, that i seen 2 bits of dust under my screen! i thought it was dust on the top of the screen but nope it wouldnt shift when i swiped my clothe over it. i just felt then i saw a hair at the bottom and decided to book an appointment to see a genius today (got the last reservation!! was busy busy busy naturally in store) the genius had a look and spoke with his manager and said that i wouldnt be able to get it replaced today so ive to wait till wednesday. he however printed out a sheet of paper authorising a replacement ipad.

was just asking to try get an idea how common this problem is.

 

[smr]

This poll could do with another option:

Already had my iPad replaced due to dust

My online order iPad had dust under the screen, and the rep I spoke to on Thursday said Apple would replace it. However, I got an email from Apple yesterday afternoon saying the replacement would not ship until 25 June

I got back on the phone, and the very nice rep suggested I buy another iPad in my local AppleStore and then return the original order for a refund. I checked with my local AppleStore just before they closed last night and they had stock of the 3G 64gb!

Anyway, I managed to get a replacement in the Bullring AppleStore this morning and have arranged for a refund on the original iPad. I checked the replacement in the store and it is dust free!

 

[billyjoegibsonx]

Will add it if i can figure out how to first time doing a poll haa.

Ow. I'm not waiting till late june. The genius i spoke to just said that their waiting on more coming on wednesday so i should just pop to the genius bar (no need for appointment) as he's set it up for me to have my ipad replaced so fingers crossed no email comes my way

Oh that sounds fine, however would apple provide a full return to a opened ipad for "foreign material" (as it says on my receipt) ? I'll wait and see what wednesday brings

Glad to hear your ipad is spotless tbh mines is just two small white specs of dust and a small hair, but now that i've noticed it it's just going to bug me, and tbh i didnt pay £430 to be bugged!

 

[Dlanod]

If I peer at mine with the screen off I can see a couple of specks of something and with screen on you can't see them. I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect gadget - as long as it performs to spec (sic) I'm pretty relaxed about it. The next one will likely have another micro flaw of some kind. It's just a fact of life.

We should enjoy this wonderful device and stop looking for things to complain about. My view anyway!

 

[barkomatic]

Mine has some dust caught between the screen protector I applied and the glass. If I remove the protector it will be gone so it doesn't bug me. However, if it were under the screen glass itself it would drive me nuts and I'd get it replaced. Odd.

 

[smr]

If I peer at mine with the screen off I can see a couple of specks of something and with screen on you can't see them. I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect gadget - as long as it performs to spec (sic) I'm pretty relaxed about it. The next one will likely have another micro flaw of some kind. It's just a fact of life.

We should enjoy this wonderful device and stop looking for things to complain about. My view anyway!

You are right, looking for flaws in new products can become an obsession. But like most things in life, there is a sensible balance.

The 'dust' under my screen was clearly visible as a black mark (like two dead pixels) against any light background when I was using the iPad. It didn't make the iPad unusable, but it I don't expect a new, £699 product to have this sort of flaw.

That doesn't mean my new iPad is perfect. I also checked for light bleed, and some is visible in a dark room when playing a video with the brightness turned up to maximum. However, that is an unrealistic viewing scenario, and the light bleed is not visible when the brightness is set at the appropriate level for the ambient light. So, as this flaw doesn't stop me enjoying my iPad it doesn't worry me.

 

[Dlanod]

SMR - yeah I agree -balance is good - the dust on mine I can only see when the screen is off and with light shining on the screen so I reckon that's not a realistic user scenario!

 

[billyjoegibsonx]

Just checked my ipad again an theres even more dust under it now! Actually so much a couldnt count it all! Is there any way that dust can get inside the ipad and stuck between the screen and glass while being in the apple case? Ive had my iphone 3gs for a good 3-4 months (refurbishment) and none of the iphones ive owned have dust under the screen. Surely they'd be more prone to getting dust trapped inside without a case and carrying in a pocket

And if i go down to the apple shop on wednesday and they dont replace it cause i boughht it online or for any reason will i be able to ask for a full refund from apple (need to do this online or at store???) and just buy an ipad instore??

Thanks

 

[Dlanod]

I have 3 or so specs on mine that I can only see if the screen is off and there is light shining on the screen. When it's on, they're invisible in all screen colours. It's not affecting usage and I suspect that if we all looked for dust we'd find some. Getting a perfect one could be a challenge a
I suspect.

Let me know if your next ones better. Cheers.

 

[Dlanod]

Change of heart here - I've booked a Genius Bar appointment for the weekend to get it resolved. Still can't really see it with the screen on but I can now on darker screens now that I know where it is - and you're right - paying £600 you would expect it to be right from the start.

We'll see what happens.

 

[Dlanod]

Spoke to the Apple Store in Glasgow who have no sight of when they will have replacement stock (different to sales stock it seems) so I went today and picked up a 64GB WiFi + 3G and I'll return the 64GB WiFi. The new one has some dust also, but just in one place, smaller and not in the centre of the screen like the last one and is truly invisible in all conditions. So it's a keeper!

Looks like Apple have a quality control issue though. My advice to anyone - DON'T look at your iPad under a light with the screen off - if you do, you're likely to spot some specks that will bug you, but only if you're an OCD sufferer like me!

 

[smr]

Spoke to the Apple Store in Glasgow who have no sight of when they will have replacement stock (different to sales stock it seems) so I went today and picked up a 64GB WiFi + 3G and I'll return the 64GB WiFi. The new one has some dust also, but just in one place, smaller and not in the centre of the screen like the last one and is truly invisible in all conditions. So it's a keeper!

Looks like Apple have a quality control issue though. My advice to anyone - DON'T look at your iPad under a light with the screen off - if you do, you're likely to spot some specks that will bug you, but only if you're an OCD sufferer like me!

Glad you got an iPad that you are happy with.

I have had a look at my replacement iPad under a light with the screen off and there are a couple of tiny dust particles under the glass, but, unlike the dust under my first iPad, these are not visible when the screen is on so its not an issue for me.

 

[Dlanod]

Glad you got an iPad that you are happy with.

I have had a look at my replacement iPad under a light with the screen off and there are a couple of tiny dust particles under the glass, but, unlike the dust under my first iPad, these are not visible when the screen is on so its not an issue for me.

Great - glad you're happy too - same with me re visibility.

Happy iPadding now!

 

[Phil Lee]

My iPad arrived last Thursday and 5 hours in I spotted what I thought were two dead pixels. I contacted Support first thing on Friday and they booked a Genius Bar appointment for me today. I went in,showed the guy the iPad. He said he thought it was dust rather than dead pixels. He went to the store room and came back with a replacement iPad in a brown box. He switched it on and activated it so I could check it in store. It was fine and I left in less than 10 minutes with the iPad I'm typing this post on. I'm a very satisfied Apple customer.

 

[Dlanod]

Groan - unbelievably my virtually dust free new iPad has a stuck white pixel in the middle of the screen. Back to the Apple Store we go tomorrow. Seriously questioning whether I should take another or just leave it for a few months until the issues are ironed out.

Hmmmm. A bit unchuffed.

 

[watsonjm]

Just spoke to my local apple store. Im not sure if i have dust under the glass or a dead pixel so went with dead pixel as sounds worse. None in stock but new one reserved on the next delivery due on thursday

 

[djpphillips]

Just spoke to my local apple store. Im not sure if i have dust under the glass or a dead pixel so went with dead pixel as sounds worse. None in stock but new one reserved on the next delivery due on thursday

I do love your innocence, unfortunately I've had this problem... and had my changed, 3 times, here's my story:

I went to Montpellier for the launch this friday, and got myself a 64 Gb 3G model, when I got to the car and started playing with it I was very happy, but as I switched it off and whipped the screen with an Apple cloth I got with my iMac, I noticed some kind of micro scratch, shocked, I looked closer and saw that in fact it was a small hair UNDER the screen !

I went back to the Apple Store and they changed it for another one immediately.

Second time, in the car I took the iPad out of the box, and to my horror, it had no short of 6 white pixels (on the switched off display). Not even bothering syncing, I went back again, and had it changed for a second time.

This time, I got the iPad out of the box in the shop, and again... there seemed to be some kind of white pixel mass on the display, it's a very strange object, it looks like a fibre but it's very white, almost as if it was white pixels.

At this point the manager apologized and started to put it away telling me he couldn't sell me an iPad today, because of the 2 per person limit, which he'd already made an exception by giving me the third iPad.

Annoyed I asked him what this was on the screen and he said it may just be "white pixel" I think he said, and told me it should go away after a while of using the screen thanks to the electro charges etc...

Not wanting to go home empty handed, I took this one and hoped the screen would clear up.

but today I noticed another single white pixel somewhere else on the screen, and even worse, what seems like two very thin fibers under the screen again, I am very upset but also worried other may have similar problems, what can I do ?

Now I know they're there, I can't stop looking at them.

This is very disappointing, please look at the images attached and give me you're opinion:

First white "cluster" - looks like some kind of fiber, with screen off:
http://grab.by/grabs/514ceb210fd882be889e17a44538094b.png

Same, with screen on:
http://grab.by/grabs/1bfa545238f8da6a904c49daeb0ab4fe.png

The two hairs under the screen:
http://grab.by/grabs/4780dc784bdecab3a4941280a4bc79ee.png

 

[watsonjm]

This is very disappointing, please look at the images attached and give me you're opinion:

First white "cluster" - looks like some kind of fiber, with screen off:
http://grab.by/grabs/514ceb210fd882be889e17a44538094b.png

Same, with screen on:
http://grab.by/grabs/1bfa545238f8da6a904c49daeb0ab4fe.png

The two hairs under the screen:
http://grab.by/grabs/4780dc784bdecab3a4941280a4bc79ee.png

WOW! Mine is no where near as bad as them. I would be returning (again in your case) if i had those white marks.

Im faily sure mine is dust and will replace it this time and see what happens. Will be pissed if it keeps happening.

Any one got ne ideas how its getting in? surely the whole device should be air tight?

 

[djpphillips]

it would seem the device isn't airtight, it would also be interesting to see the ratio for this problem for european vs USA devices, maybe it's just a dodgy batch of iPads.

Also note those photos were taken with a strong macro lens, the length of the first white "fibre" is approx. 1.5 mm long, and the longer of the two hairs is approx. 2 cm long - the zoomed image does make it look a lot longer

 

[watsonjm]

it would seem the device isn't airtight, it would also be interesting to see the ratio for this problem for european vs USA devices, maybe it's just a dodgy batch of iPads.

Also note those photos were taken with a strong macro lens, the length of the first white "fibre" is approx. 1.5 mm long, and the longer of the two hairs is approx. 2 cm long - the zoomed image does make it look a lot longer

Ahhh fair enough. Not as bad but still. Having paid £529 for it i expect the seal to keep dust out for longer than 3 days.

Think you might be right on a bad batch idea tho.

 

[Dlanod]

Groan - unbelievably my virtually dust free new iPad has a stuck white pixel in the middle of the screen. Back to the Apple Store we go tomorrow. Seriously questioning whether I should take another or just leave it for a few months until the issues are ironed out.

Hmmmm. A bit unchuffed.

Well, went to Genius Bar in Glasgow this morning and the guy took one look at the screen and said 'dead pixle' and the he also said that the backlighting on the screen was too patchy as well and said hat it would need to be replaced. I was offered a new in the box one, (which I would have to wait for cos the store is clean out of 3G) or a brown box one which I was assured was not a refurb but brand new. They only had one 64GB 3G service part in stock which had virtually just come in in the last half hour - I said I would take the brown box one, and so far, it looks perfect.

Apparently, if it took more than 14 days for the original sale to get the replacement, I would be looking at a brown box anyway, unless I wanted to do a return and take my place in the new waiting list queue.

Great service from Apple as usual and no quibbling or messing around. I have the honour of being the first iPad return replacement to the Apple store in Glasgow. Hmmmmm.

 

[SCOTTGAZ9]

Got a "white dot" just right centre and for nearly £600 it's going back to the Glasgow store tomorrow. B

 

[Dlanod]

Got a "white dot" just right centre and for nearly £600 it's going back to the Glasgow store tomorrow. B

Sounds like the same as mine - mine was just left of centre and was a white dot that only disappeared with a black screen. The guy also said that the backlighting was patchy too although I didn't notice this. You should try and get a Genius appointment - they get a bit humpty if you don't have one.

My replacement was built in week 21 (4 and 5th digit of serial number) and the two dodgy ones I had were both week 20, one a 64GB and one a 64GB 3G.

Good luck - don't think you'll have any issue getting a replacement although you may have to wait a few days - but you can keep the one you have meantime unless you want a refund to go elsewhere.

 

[nikond40sigma]

My iPad has a couple of specks of dust under the screen too. There seems to be a small gap between the rubber gasket around the sceen and the screen itself - the dust could get in there. I won't replace mine, as I had a dead pixel problem with an iPod touch. After two replacements, there were still dead pixels. If i replace it, there could just be more dust.

 

[coelacanth]

The very first iPhone had the digitizer completely fixed on to the glass, resulting dusts been trapped forever (from the assembly) or never. 2nd gen (3G) and newer devices have separable glass/digitizer assembly so the dust can go in over time. Unless I get huge (visible in any condition all the time) specks, I'll keep my current unit. Getting a replacement unit with other problems or going through multiple G-Bar appoints is just waste of time from my experience with other i devices.