Has the quality control improved for iPad 2?

[Brianji03]

I am asking this question because I have gotten two iPad 2's on my journey of getting a perfect iPad. My first one was bought in April and received in early may, due to their shipping delays. When I got it, it seemed perfect until I eventually was able to point out 6+ dead pixels. Some were more obvious than others, but this was not the quality Apple products are known for. Luckily though, the backlight bleeding was barely there. I did return this because the dead pixels would constantly distract me. The Apple store worker that we met with was nice and understood the problem. They had my 32gig black model in their store (unfortunately, I would lose the etching I had them put on the back of my first one, but I could not wait 3 more weeks). They let me look at it in the store to make sure there were no dead pixels, and there weren't. I left with it and opened it up in the car. Immediately, I saw a white dust particle in the dead center of the screen and a few smaller ones surrounding it. When I tried to use it at home, the dust was still sort of visible, and acted like a dead pixel (not as bad as one but it was in the middle of the screen..). Not only that, the backlight bleeding on the second one was noticeable, despite being better than one some people came across. I notice it whenever I use my iPad at night, which is when I use my iPad mostly.

So months have gone buy and I have tried to deal with this. I have seen in the news that the iPad 2 has gone down to 1-3 shipping days and then 24 hours as of this week. My friend just bought an iPad two a couple days ago and he says it has no problems at all (and he is aware of the problems it could have). Does this mean that the quality control is there again? If anyone has bought an iPad 2 recently, how is it?

Thank you and sorry if this was a little long..

 

[snow blind]

From my experience not at all. I had a white 32gb launch day model with some minor light bleed and I finally decided to try my luck with a replacement this past weekend. Apple employee said he could easily see mine in the dark back room and said this brand new one in box had none compared to mine... trusted him and took it home where in the dim light it was easibly worse than mine.

THe home button is somewhat different from my older version. Its more flush and more clicky. The lock switch is almost too easy to toggle; howerver, the volume rocker feels perfect.

All it all I think it's a crap shoot.

 

[spiderman0616]

My first iPad 2 (I ordered about 2 weeks after launch) had a good screen, but about 2 weeks into owning it, started developing dust particles under the screen. I returned it because they were large and seemed to be multiplying every day. In my eyes, there was obviously something not sealed correctly.

My second iPad 2 was given to me "as a courtesy because the first one was within spec". The screen is damn near perfect in regard to the bleed problem--no visible bleed. There is one dead pixel out toward the edge of the screen that I usually don't notice that much, so I don't really mind unless it's 3 or more (enough to not get me in an argument at the apple store).

What really does bug me is that there is some residue stuck to the underside of my screen. It looks like dried water specks or something and it's in about dime sized pattern. You can really only see it in direct flourescent light, and it is not visible when the screen is on. There are also some flourescent lights that don't expose it at all (on the train there are flourescent lights lining each car, and it's invisible under those lights.) and it's not visible in direct sunlight.

I got into the vicious exchange cycle with my iPhone looking for perfection and never really got it. The more you exchange the more you expect out of the replacement unit. So far I have resisted the urge to return this iPad because I know deep down that I'm being ridiculously picky. I really don't want to get into the ridiculous cycle again.

 

[interwebs]

I don't think it's ridiculously picky to be unhappy with residue under the glass and a dead pixel in the LCD panel on a multi-hundred dollar device, to be honest.

 

[Macdude2010]

No, got a white boxed replacement today and it has bleed and has lines when you wake it up and sleep it

 

[AppleTech22]

Not sure about the problems that you are all having, mine is perfect. No dead pixels, there is some bleeding, but that happens with nearly every device when showing a black or dark picture.

 

[chrono1081]

I don't know a single person with an iPad 2 issue. (I only know 5 people in real life with an iPad 2).

 

[RossMc]

My iPad has no bleeding issues either, I have posted photo's in the Backlight Bleed thread before of it, I have seen that people have been getting bad ones after from weeks after mine was manufactured and if you look in the Backlight Bleeding thread you will see by the information has been collected by people's serial numbers and if their iPad was good or bad that it is still hit and miss and it is probably always going to be like that.

 

[BruiserBear]

Some people get SO OCD about this stuff. It's like a sickness.

My iPad 2 has a little backlight bleeding, but I can only see it if I jack the brightness up to max and stare at it in a dark room. Which I would never do. So it doesn't bother me in the least. Under normal viewing conditions I never notice it.


I also have a dead pixel near the side, but again, it's only noticeable if I actually go hunting for it on a black screen. During normal use I never see it.


Seriously people, just chill out and think about this stuff for a minute. If you're not going to notice this stuff under normal use, it's irrelevant.

 

[spiderman0616]

Some people get SO OCD about this stuff. It's like a sickness.

My iPad 2 has a little backlight bleeding, but I can only see it if I jack the brightness up to max and stare at it in a dark room. Which I would never do. So it doesn't bother me in the least. Under normal viewing conditions I never notice it.


I also have a dead pixel near the side, but again, it's only noticeable if I actually go hunting for it on a black screen. During normal use I never see it.


Seriously people, just chill out and think about this stuff for a minute. If you're not going to notice this stuff under normal use, it's irrelevant.

Some days I share your attitude and others I don't. I have made and cancelled 3 genius bar appointments because I've flip flopped so much on whether or not to return mine. It seems like so much of a crap shoot to return for every little thing and risk being even MORE unhappy with the replacement and then getting into the return pattern again.

 

[spiderman0616]

Had to revive this......

I am now DEFINITELY going back to the Apple store for a third visit. I have discovered that I now have not 1 but 3 dead pixels on my iPad. I was just dealing with the 1 dead pixel because it was in a spot that I never really look at, but the new ones are in the middle of the screen. I always notice them when reading. It's possible that they have always been there, but I don't think so.

On the bright side, I know for a fact that they will not give me any problems over three dead pixels. Taking it in for one dead pixel could be a gamble and a waste of gas and time. Another positive is that this will also eliminate my problem with the smudge that my iPad has underneath the glass.

But on the negative side, who knows what I'm going to get as an exchange. I am going to go over the replacement unit with a fine tooth comb before I leave--I want no scratches, dust under the screen, or dead pixels. I hate to give up this iPad because it has almost 0 light bleed, but the defects are getting to be too much for me to accept.

 

[Mochi Hana]

Mine has no problems. Makes me wonder if I'm in the minority with all the complaints I see about light bleeding and other issues. =\

 

[Tom G.]

Actually Mochi Hana, I think you are in the vast majority of us who have had no issues with the iPad or any other Apple product. Will some have problems? Of course when you sell millions of a product world wide, some will naturally have problems or issues. But by and large most of the complaints I've seen on forums are minute and not worth the trip to an Apple Store. (For me that would be a two hour drive.)

 

[spiderman0616]

Actually Mochi Hana, I think you are in the vast majority of us who have had no issues with the iPad or any other Apple product. Will some have problems? Of course when you sell millions of a product world wide, some will naturally have problems or issues. But by and large most of the complaints I've seen on forums are minute and not worth the trip to an Apple Store. (For me that would be a two hour drive.)

My Apple store is a half hour away. I still hate going there, because it's in a busy mall and the store itself is always shoulder to shoulder. I am never there just for fun or because I need to buy something--I'm always there when I have an issue, so just going there at all has a negative stigma for me.

I have had 2 iPad 2's in a row now that do NOT have any significant light bleed. My first iPad had issues with dust under the screen that was very highly visible. The one I have now has a smudge under the glass and 3 dead pixels, two of which are right near each other in the center of my screen. Because Apple's policy seems to be 3 dead pixels for the iPad, I will return this one on Monday and try my luck with a third unit. I will not leave the store until I am sure there are no dead pixels and no cosmetic damage on the glass or the back. A little bit of light bleed does not bother me as long as I can't see it in normal use.

Needless to say, I hate returning stuff. The more times you return, the more picky you get about each subsequent unit. I don't expect to get a 100% perfect iPad 2. What I do expect is for the screen to be in good condition. After all, an iPad is really just a big touch screen, so that is the most important component. Dead pixels are just not acceptable. In many situations they're not visible, but when I'm reading iBooks or anything else with a white background, there they always are. Once you know they're there, they are impossible to ignore.