iPad Pro iPad Pro 10.5: deserved or undeserved reputation as a lemon product?

[flaubert]

Here's the thing: you can still buy refurbished iPad Pro 10.5 models in the Apple refurb store. For me, it looks like it hits the sweet spot of size, weight, capability, future-proofness, and ports. But then I read a lot of complaints about iPad Pro models in the forum here. There have been numerous responses in threads about iPad Pro's bending or developing screen defects (white spots, backlight visible at the edge of the screen). It's not always easy to tell which iPad Pro is being referred to, though I think a lot of the display issues are in the 10.5" model.

So, I'm just looking for responses from current and past iPad Pro 10.5" owners: setting aside the fact that it doesn't have the very latest tech in it (no Face ID, not the latest A12X bionic processor, etc), how positive has been your experience been with owning an iPad Pro 10.5"? The focus I'm looking for is build quality and design quality (i.e. did Apple design it to be stiff enough not to bend in normal use).

 

[JBGoode]

I've had mine for 15-16 months and have had zero issues. Keep in mind that results may be skewed on an internet forum where people with issues are more likely to come and complain (and vote in polls) and in my opinion it's not really possible to assess the reliability of a product based on forum posts. You will have people like me with zero issues and a very vocal minority who will insist that 100% of 10.5 pros will eventually get a white spot and suffer from a crappy battery. Yes that's right, they will tell you that ALL of them are bad based on their limited experience with a handful. You should take most replies with a grain of salt (including mine). The only way to find out is to buy one-- they're pretty cheap these days.

 

[Hym tix]

The “bend issue” is unique to the thinner 2018 models (sizes 11” and 12.9”).

So you can be sure that a 10.5” iPad Pro won’t have any specific bending problems. It is a fantastic tablet from my experience.
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I did not vote because my two votes would cancel each other out. One purchased with the well-known “white dot” issue that is visible on white screens. One has no issues at all so far.

 

[kcroyal]

I bought a refurbished 10.5 two years ago through Apple. I love it, but it has recently developed the white spot. I have Apple Care and when it really starts to bother me I will replace it. I have been thinking about upgrading though for two reasons; I can plug my usb-c adapter in for my cameras and because after 2 models of iPhone with FaceID I am ready to ditch the home button.

From a performance standpoint its still great. It more than handles anything I throw at it. I love the speakers, and the screen is great for media consumption. I don’t think you’d be unhappy with it.

 

[EugW]

After just under a year, my 10.5" Pro is still fine, as is its keyboard.

However, there is a decent chance that the 11" Pro will be updated in a matter of weeks. I might recommend waiting. As much as I like the 10.5", I'd prefer to have USB-C and Face ID on the thing.

 

[sparksd]

After just under a year, my 10.5" Pro is still fine, as is its keyboard.

However, there is a decent chance that the 11" Pro will be updated in a matter of weeks. I might recommend waiting. As much as I like the 10.5", I'd prefer to have USB-C and Face ID on the thing.

Yeah, being able to use USB-C devices such as external storage and hubs is a great improvement over the proprietary Lightning interface. And I completely agree with JBGoode's post about not basing any decision on a forum poll.

 

[kazmac]

It doesn't matter what iPad I've tried since 2017, all of them have come up with touch and pencil irresponsiveness, including the 10.5 iPP I tried.

Very frustrating.

 

[dumastudetto]

The iPad Pro 10.5 inch was a phenomenal industry-leading product. It can no way be described as a lemon.

Obviously the current-gen iPad Pros take things to a whole new level, and that's where people should be putting their money, but the 10.5 is still a solid product even today.

 

[Doelago]

I have had to get my iPad Pro 10,5 replaced twice after the screen developed an overly bright spot in the bottom left corner. Both times the problem appeared after about a year. The smart keyboard has also been replaced once.

Still very happy with the product and will be sticking with it, but worried the display issues will appear again soon.

 

[flaubert]

I've had mine for 15-16 months and have had zero issues. Keep in mind that results may be skewed on an internet forum where people with issues are more likely to come and complain (and vote in polls) and in my opinion it's not really possible to assess the reliability of a product based on forum posts. You will have people like me with zero issues and a very vocal minority who will insist that 100% of 10.5 pros will eventually get a white spot and suffer from a crappy battery. Yes that's right, they will tell you that ALL of them are bad based on their limited experience with a handful. You should take most replies with a grain of sale (including mine). The only way to find out is to buy one-- they're pretty cheap these days.

Yes, I agree the poll is likely to be skewed to the negative, but I'm glad to hear from people like you who have had no issues.

 

[GuruZac]

I’ve had mine since August of 2017 and haven’t had a single issue with mine. It’s been an amazing product. It’s my favorite Apple product I own. I am either going to replace it with a 12.9” iPad Pro 2018 1TB refurbished or if Apple releases an update in March/April, I’ll get that one assuming it has 6GB of RAM.

 

[Digitalguy]

the 10.5 is an amazing device and has for me even some advantages over the 11... notably the keyboard, which you can fold backwards and which is lappable, contrary to the 11... and, but I am probably in the minority, I do prefer touch id to face id...
The 11 has 2 big advantages: powered usb C and the new pencil... and it's prettier...
Performance-wise it's not a big deal for me.... It will be if the new 2020 models come with 6GB RAM...
Having said that, the white spot is what prevents me from loving this device... It's probably my best ipad, but I still use the 9.7 pro more often just to avoid seeing that ugly white spot....

 

[Freakonomics101]

Within the months I owned my 10.5 Pro, I had no issues. No bending issues with that one and no bending with my current 11” Pro. Both are excellent products... and the 10.5 Pro still is!

 

[DragonX]

Be careful with the quite a widespread touchscreen issue. Many iPad models stop reacting to finger/pencil touch after 1-2 years of normal usage. For refurbs it's usually 2-3 months. There are many MacRumors threads discussing it. And it includes 10.5 Pro model.

Basically what seems to happen in the end is that Apple's hardware tool doesn't detect this problem so people exchange non-working iPads and they are sold as refurbs. And then you have a real problem because when you go to Apple Store they deny the replacement because their tool doesn't detect it as a problem.

 

[EugW]

Be careful with the quite a widespread touchscreen issue. Many iPad models stop reacting to finger/pencil touch after 1-2 years of normal usage. For refurbs it's usually 2-3 months. There are many MacRumors threads discussing it. And it includes 10.5 Pro model.

Basically what seems to happen in the end is that Apple's hardware tool doesn't detect this problem so people exchange non-working iPads and they are sold as refurbs. And then you have a real problem because when you go to Apple Store they deny the replacement because their tool doesn't detect it as a problem.

My refurb 10.5" has never had a touch issue in 11 months. I even use a tempered glass screen protector.

In fact, we've never had a touch issue with four other iPads we've owned either. One of them (iPad 7) we've only had a couple of months, but the other three (iPad 2 and two iPad Air 2) we owned for 4+ years.

 

[sparksd]

My refurb 10.5" has never had a touch issue in 11 months. I even use a tempered glass screen protector.

In fact, we've never had a touch issue with four other iPads we've owned either. One of them (iPad 7) we've only had a couple of months, but the other three (iPad 2 and two iPad Air 2) we owned for 4+ years.

Yeah, 4 iPads here - 2018 12.9 Pro, 10.5 Pro, and 2 Air 2's - and nary an issue with any of them over the years.

 

[Alex967CW]

I've had my iPad Pro 10.5" for 10 months now, and I did face a bending issue (I think it was caused by the case that I put it in). Overall though, it works perfectly and I am very happy with it. No white spot as of now... there is a tiny bit of backlight bleed when displaying dark images but I normally don't notice it.

 

[DragonX]

My refurb 10.5" has never had a touch issue in 11 months. I even use a tempered glass screen protector.

In fact, we've never had a touch issue with four other iPads we've owned either. One of them (iPad 7) we've only had a couple of months, but the other three (iPad 2 and two iPad Air 2) we owned for 4+ years.

I'm sorry but the fact that you don't have problems doesn't mean that there are no problems. BTW be careful with a screen protector! There are reports that screen protector makes it worse. Here are numerous threads from people having touchscreen issues. Apple didn't do anything.

MacRumors News:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-complain-of-screen-stuttering-issues.2176245
(16+ pages of comments!)

Related to 10.5 models:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/10-5-pro-with-unresponsive-screen.2170164/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2nd-gen-10-5”-degraded-touch-screen-sensitivity.2172781/

iFixit thread for all models (look for 10.5 in the posts):

SOLVED: iPad Pro 12.9 touchscreen is unresponsive from time to time - iPad Pro 12.9"

It’s definitely hardware. I had the same problem and was driving me nuts. Wouldn’t respond frequently and typing was impossible. It then started shutting down after a full charge and there was a slightly brighter spot in the middle of the screen . My suspicion was that the battery was done...

www.ifixit.com

Other threads that also mention 10.5 model:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/irresponsive-screen-ipad-pro-12-9-2nd-gen.2121051/
(29+ pages of comments!)
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2016-ipad-pro-12-9-screen-intermittently-unresponsive.2118824/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/12-9-ipad-pro-gen-3-touchscreen-problem.2154220/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-stuttering-issue-now-more-widespread.2165593/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/missing-keystrokes.2166241/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/known-problem.2168160/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-12-9-2018-screen-latency-issues.2173735/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-stutter-ipad-pro-2018.2161383/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-touch-unresponsive-on-2018-ipad-pros.2176116/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-stuttering-issue-on-11-ipad-pros.2176379/#post-27268554
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/touch-screen-response-issues.2185806/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-not-always-reacting-to-touch.2205045/

 

[EugW]

I'm sorry but the fact that you don't have problems doesn't mean that there are no problems. BTW be careful with a screen protector! There are reports that screen protector makes it worse. Here are numerous threads from people having touchscreen issues. Apple didn't do anything.

MacRumors News:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-complain-of-screen-stuttering-issues.2176245
(16+ pages of comments!)

Related to 10.5 models:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/10-5-pro-with-unresponsive-screen.2170164/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2nd-gen-10-5”-degraded-touch-screen-sensitivity.2172781/

iFixit thread for all models (look for 10.5 in the posts):

SOLVED: iPad Pro 12.9 touchscreen is unresponsive from time to time - iPad Pro 12.9"

It’s definitely hardware. I had the same problem and was driving me nuts. Wouldn’t respond frequently and typing was impossible. It then started shutting down after a full charge and there was a slightly brighter spot in the middle of the screen . My suspicion was that the battery was done...

www.ifixit.com

Other threads that also mention 10.5 model:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/irresponsive-screen-ipad-pro-12-9-2nd-gen.2121051/
(29+ pages of comments!)
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2016-ipad-pro-12-9-screen-intermittently-unresponsive.2118824/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/12-9-ipad-pro-gen-3-touchscreen-problem.2154220/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-stuttering-issue-now-more-widespread.2165593/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/missing-keystrokes.2166241/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/known-problem.2168160/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-12-9-2018-screen-latency-issues.2173735/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-stutter-ipad-pro-2018.2161383/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-touch-unresponsive-on-2018-ipad-pros.2176116/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-stuttering-issue-on-11-ipad-pros.2176379/#post-27268554
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/touch-screen-response-issues.2185806/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-not-always-reacting-to-touch.2205045/

That's fine and dandy, but the point of my post is that your post is misleading. No, most people do NOT have issues with refurbs after 2-3 months as you claim. Quite the opposite actually. Some people do but it is simply wrong to say "For refurbs it's usually 2-3 months". It would appear the vast majority of people have no issue, but a minority will.

As for the screen protector, I said that specifically to emphasize that I have never had these issues despite using them, including for that 11 month-old refurb. I used screen protectors on all 5 of our iPads BTW.

I might take the screen protector off the 10.5" though, but that's not because I'm scared of the touch issue. It's because it causes lots of reflections.

 

[sparksd]

That's fine and dandy, but the point of my post is that your post is misleading. No, most people do NOT have issues with refurbs after 1-2 months. Quite the opposite actually. Some people do but it is simply wrong to say "For refurbs it's usually 2-3 months". It would appear the vast majority of people have no issue, but the a minority will.

As for the screen protector, I said that specifically to emphasize that I have never had these issues despite using them. I used screen protectors on all 5 of our iPads BTW.

I might take the screen protector off the 10.5" though, but that's not because I'm scared of the touch issue. It's because it causes lots of reflections.

Screen protectors on my iPads also with no issues (years of use).

 

[Johnny365]

I still use mine frequently, despite buying a Mini 5 LTE last year. Coming up on the 2 years since purchasing it new and haven't noticed the bright spot issue. I'll have to examine it more before the AC+ expires in early April.

 

[DragonX]

That's fine and dandy, but the point of my post is that your post is misleading. No, most people do NOT have issues with refurbs after 2-3 months as you claim. Quite the opposite actually. Some people do but it is simply wrong to say "For refurbs it's usually 2-3 months". It would appear the vast majority of people have no issue, but a minority will.

As for the screen protector, I said that specifically to emphasize that I have never had these issues despite using them, including for that 11 month-old refurb. I used screen protectors on all 5 of our iPads BTW.

I might take the screen protector off the 10.5" though, but that's not because I'm scared of the touch issue. It's because it causes lots of reflections.

I do not say that most people have it. I just see quite a number of people having it. "For refurbs it's usually 2-3 months" means that you have a huge chance of a failure of your touch screen after 2-3 months. It doesn't mean that you will get it for sure. But the chance is there. How do you know it's a minority? Do you have any numbers? I see a lot of posts from people having the touch screen problem.

 

[softbunlet]

I got mine (12.9", 2nd gen) replaced for touch issues recently.

 

[bobsamm]

The “bend issue” is unique to the thinner 2018 models (sizes 11” and 12.9”).

So you can be sure that a 10.5” iPad Pro won’t have any specific bending problems. It is a fantastic tablet from my experience.
[automerge]1582044245[/automerge]
I did not vote because my two votes would cancel each other out. One purchased with the well-known “white dot” issue that is visible on white screens. One has no issues at all so far.

wrong, mine was bent, had white spot, light bleed, on par with air 2 screen distortion and vibrating speakers as worst ever, and I have had them all up to 11” pro which has been the best.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Here's the thing: you can still buy refurbished iPad Pro 10.5 models in the Apple refurb store. For me, it looks like it hits the sweet spot of size, weight, capability, future-proofness, and ports. But then I read a lot of complaints about iPad Pro models in the forum here. There have been numerous responses in threads about iPad Pro's bending or developing screen defects (white spots, backlight visible at the edge of the screen). It's not always easy to tell which iPad Pro is being referred to, though I think a lot of the display issues are in the 10.5" model.

So, I'm just looking for responses from current and past iPad Pro 10.5" owners: setting aside the fact that it doesn't have the very latest tech in it (no Face ID, not the latest A12X bionic processor, etc), how positive has been your experience been with owning an iPad Pro 10.5"? The focus I'm looking for is build quality and design quality (i.e. did Apple design it to be stiff enough not to bend in normal use).

My friend has a 10.5" iPad Pro. It has worked fine since day one.
[automerge]1582120998[/automerge]

My refurb 10.5" has never had a touch issue in 11 months. I even use a tempered glass screen protector.

In fact, we've never had a touch issue with four other iPads we've owned either. One of them (iPad 7) we've only had a couple of months, but the other three (iPad 2 and two iPad Air 2) we owned for 4+ years.

I'm sorry but the fact that you don't have problems doesn't mean that there are no problems. BTW be careful with a screen protector! There are reports that screen protector makes it worse. Here are numerous threads from people having touchscreen issues. Apple didn't do anything.

MacRumors News:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-complain-of-screen-stuttering-issues.2176245
(16+ pages of comments!)

Related to 10.5 models:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/10-5-pro-with-unresponsive-screen.2170164/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2nd-gen-10-5”-degraded-touch-screen-sensitivity.2172781/

iFixit thread for all models (look for 10.5 in the posts):

SOLVED: iPad Pro 12.9 touchscreen is unresponsive from time to time - iPad Pro 12.9"

It’s definitely hardware. I had the same problem and was driving me nuts. Wouldn’t respond frequently and typing was impossible. It then started shutting down after a full charge and there was a slightly brighter spot in the middle of the screen . My suspicion was that the battery was done...

www.ifixit.com

Other threads that also mention 10.5 model:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/irresponsive-screen-ipad-pro-12-9-2nd-gen.2121051/
(29+ pages of comments!)
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2016-ipad-pro-12-9-screen-intermittently-unresponsive.2118824/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/12-9-ipad-pro-gen-3-touchscreen-problem.2154220/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-stuttering-issue-now-more-widespread.2165593/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/missing-keystrokes.2166241/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/known-problem.2168160/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-12-9-2018-screen-latency-issues.2173735/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-stutter-ipad-pro-2018.2161383/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-touch-unresponsive-on-2018-ipad-pros.2176116/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-stuttering-issue-on-11-ipad-pros.2176379/#post-27268554
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/touch-screen-response-issues.2185806/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-not-always-reacting-to-touch.2205045/

Both of you have decent arguments.