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iPad mini iPad Mini Retina: loose buttons?

eiprol

eiprol

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 20, 2009
266
151
Spain
I know that there is nothing but complains about all our new iPads on the forum these days, but this is driving me crazy, as I'm not sure if its normal or its just me.

I feel that the buttons of my new iPad mini retina are some kind of loose, so when you touch them softly with no intention of pushing, they just move, like if they were loose, not properly fit... And it could be annoying while holding the iPad; they just dont feel robust...

Are you experiencing the same? I come from an iPad 3 and its plastic buttons were pretty solid...

Model grey 32 + celular (with the bad sharp display...)

PS: avoid 'just return it' replies please; I'm holding it despite its bad sharp display with IR... but I dont want to find in a couple of months that the buttons can even 'dance' (no joking) in their own hole.
 
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Just looked, my switch on the side, Mute for me, is loose, you can move it just slightly back and forth without it engaging. There aren't really any other switches on the iPad, there are bottoms, sleep and volume buttons seem fine. The home button is fine although the home button on my Gen 1 Mini was loose but I lived with it, didn't effect function. That home button you could tap lightly and it made a noise. This rMini doesn't do that.
 
I think it's what apple is doing this year with their products. When I first got my 5S I had it exchanged 3 times because the home button did/does exactly what you described. When the phone vibrated on my desk I could hear the home button rattling about...but all of them are like that. And my assumption is the same goes for the mini. It might keep them from breaking over time with a tighter fit or something.

But yes, it's annoying, very much so
 
VanillaCracker said:
I think it's what apple is doing this year with their products. When I first got my 5S I had it exchanged 3 times because the home button did/does exactly what you described. When the phone vibrated on my desk I could hear the home button rattling about...but all of them are like that. And my assumption is the same goes for the mini. It might keep them from breaking over time with a tighter fit or something.

But yes, it's annoying, very much so
Click to expand...

My iPhone 5 home button isn't like that, this new Retina Mini is not either. But again my 1+ year old iPad Mini was like that. That 1st generation Mini was the only iOS device I have ever had that had the loose home button, I've had I think 10 total iOS devices over the years including replacement ones I received under warranty from Apple due to other issues.
 
Fissure said:
My iPhone 5 home button isn't like that, this new Retina Mini is not either. But again my 1+ year old iPad Mini was like that. That 1st generation Mini was the only iOS device I have ever had that had the loose home button, I've had I think 10 total iOS devices over the years including replacement ones I received under warranty from Apple due to other issues.
Click to expand...

That's weird. Because I remember asking all my friends who had an iPhone 5 and all their buttons were loose just like the 5S. Maybe over time it stops - from dirt and dust collecting around it. But I can tell you right now, 100% of 5S' have the loose power button.

^^ And then I realized I had put "home button" instead of "power button" in my previous post. I meant power button

I've never heard of a loose home button though
 
My power button is slightly looser than it was on my 1st gen mini. But nothing I would deem a flaw, just variations in manufacturing I guess. I have had my rMini less than a week and I don't really notice/think about it any more.
 
My original iPad mini was flawless. This is why I was a little surprised when I took my new iPad mini retina out of the box and found that the sleep/wake button was a little loose. Is it a big deal? No. But when you pay $400 for something, you expect a certain level of quality (especially from Apple).

The next day, I called the Mac store and asked for return. When I took it to them they said they could not accept it due to the button still functioning as normal.

After doing more research, it seems like a large portion of iPad airs, iPad mini retina, and iPhone 5s's all have this problem. Therefore, I'm letting it go. If I did return my iPad, chances are, I could get another one with a loose button.

The button works fine and it's only a little loose. The only reason I noticed it in the first place is because the volume and mute buttons are so stiff. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the device.
 
Put a Smart Cover on it and forget about it. Don't get tempted to exchange as chances are you'll end up with one with a dodgy screen. And that's much more annoying. And my rMini had a loose home button. It went back though because of a patchy screen tint and image retention problems.

Loose buttons I can live with - dodgy screens I can't.
 
Thank you all, guys - that's what I was expecting... In my case, Home button is fine, but sleep, mute, and volume buttons are loose. As you say, you can live with it, but is annoying in what issuppossed to be a high end device.

I have no color glitches on the screen despite the gamut (which is noticeable worse than my ipad 3, sadly) and the image retention (only with Marco's test).

I guess that due to the lack of volume on my model, probably I would get another rMini on same condition or even worse, thats why I'm not thinking of returning it...
 
Same oh so slight 'wiggle'

I received my retina mini delivered yesterday after ordering within hours of launch, was impressed with speedy ship time since it was estimated for Nov 26.

My mute switch seems to have exactly as much give as my iPad 3rd gen. The volume buttons are similar as well but seem more noticeable since there are two and the iPad 3 had one long button.
 
Loose volume and sleep/wake

I have the same problem. I love my retina mini, that's the only thing that's bothersome. Oftentimes the tip of my finger brushes against the volume button and I can hear a tiny rattle. They do function properly though. I really don't want to start a series of returns and exchanges, will just let it go. I wonder if I'm responsible somehow, like when I was trying to force it into a Logitech keyboard case or a Zagg folio case? Thoughts?
 
I doubt it. I've been through the lottery trying to find a decent screen and all but one had loose buttons which I personally don't care about. Stick it in a smart case and you're sorted.
 
I haven't really tested out any of the buttons throughly on my rMini, but they don't seem loose like the power button does on my 5s. If it's an area of concern for you, you can probably exchange it.
 
eiprol said:
I know that there is nothing but complains about all our new iPads on the forum these days, but this is driving me crazy, as I'm not sure if its normal or its just me.

I feel that the buttons of my new iPad mini retina are some kind of loose, so when you touch them softly with no intention of pushing, they just move, like if they were loose, not properly fit... And it could be annoying while holding the iPad; they just dont feel robust...

Are you experiencing the same? I come from an iPad 3 and its plastic buttons were pretty solid...

Model grey 32 + celular (with the bad sharp display...)

PS: avoid 'just return it' replies please; I'm holding it despite its bad sharp display with IR... but I dont want to find in a couple of months that the buttons can even 'dance' (no joking) in their own hole.
Click to expand...


I have that problem with my iPad mini 4 to drives me crazy my iPhone 6s Plus home button doesn't do that
 
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