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teohyc

macrumors 6502a
May 24, 2007
541
455
I had this with my iPad Air (original). When I returned it the replacement also had a dead pixel and they wouldn’t replace the next one. I think they told me at the time that they expect up to 4 dead pixels. The one on that device annoyed me for all the years I had it.
Was that an exchange or return. If the latter you can do it infinite times. Return, buy, repeat if needed.
 
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klasma

macrumors 604
Jun 8, 2017
7,000
19,709
For what it’s worth, my 11” M4 (base model) has no dead (sub)pixels. I also had a nano texture model where I didn’t notice any dead pixels, though they may be more difficult to discern behind the nano texture. In any case, I would always exchange a device with dead pixels, it’s just not acceptable to me. I never had a dead pixel though on the many iPads and iPhones I owned over the years, only on desktop monitors. Screen tint, contrast and uniformity has sometimes been an issue though.
 
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okkibs

macrumors 65816
Sep 17, 2022
1,065
1,002
Return, buy, repeat if needed.
Doesn't work that easily with the discount as you can't keep ordering new ones without manual employee intervention. And repeat if needed is glossing over how OP went through 5 iPads and didn't get a good one yet. Are they supposed to buy a dozen? Two dozen?

The easiest option as the manager advised is wait it out and do a warranty replacement a few months in.
Right. And then they follow it right up claiming a single dead pixel isn't an issue in the first place. Would they give you a confirmation in writing that they sold you a faulty unit they cannot fix right now and they'll give you a brand new device a couple months in? Of course they won't.

If you don't keep exchanging it or returning it then that implies that there were no issues with the unit - at least that is how retailers and manufacturers commonly see it. That's the usual question here in the forums as well: If there was a problem from day 1 why didn't you get it fixed right away? Why did you delay? Impossible to get it right. Especially with Apple not actually doing any repairs on iPads. They only ever replace the entire unit. And when 5 in a row are faulty what good will replacing do?

Genius Bar folks said they replace for 1 dead pixel, no questions asked under warranty or AppleCare.
The inofficial guidelines with Apple and dead pixels are that it has to be a visible defect. If a store employee can confirm seeing the issue on test pictures (the static colors) then they'll repair it. So if a subpixel is stuck off in a way you can only barely see it and a store employee cannot easily replicate it a repair might be denied. If it's obvious then it will be repaired.

But repaired is impossible as iPads are only exchanged in their entirety. So then you receive a replacement that will often be renewed or refurbished and not brand new and could have any number of issues, like the same display issue again. If Apple at some point decides they won't keep giving you replacement units you'd have no recourse at all. Even insurance over the credit card could have expired at that point.
 

MarcoMHanna

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2024
46
43
Doesn't work that easily with the discount as you can't keep ordering new ones without manual employee intervention. And repeat if needed is glossing over how OP went through 5 iPads and didn't get a good one yet. Are they supposed to buy a dozen? Two dozen?


Right. And then they follow it right up claiming a single dead pixel isn't an issue in the first place. Would they give you a confirmation in writing that they sold you a faulty unit they cannot fix right now and they'll give you a brand new device a couple months in? Of course they won't.

If you don't keep exchanging it or returning it then that implies that there were no issues with the unit - at least that is how retailers and manufacturers commonly see it. That's the usual question here in the forums as well: If there was a problem from day 1 why didn't you get it fixed right away? Why did you delay? Impossible to get it right. Especially with Apple not actually doing any repairs on iPads. They only ever replace the entire unit. And when 5 in a row are faulty what good will replacing do?


The inofficial guidelines with Apple and dead pixels are that it has to be a visible defect. If a store employee can confirm seeing the issue on test pictures (the static colors) then they'll repair it. So if a subpixel is stuck off in a way you can only barely see it and a store employee cannot easily replicate it a repair might be denied. If it's obvious then it will be repaired.

But repaired is impossible as iPads are only exchanged in their entirety. So then you receive a replacement that will often be renewed or refurbished and not brand new and could have any number of issues, like the same display issue again. If Apple at some point decides they won't keep giving you replacement units you'd have no recourse at all. Even insurance over the credit card could have expired at that point.
I hear you. I did reach out again and arranged to return the iPad I have in a couple of weeks. I’m going out of town so won’t have enough time at the moment but also hoping it gives it enough time to check through iPad stock. May still buy it from another Apple Store as a precaution.
 

MarcoMHanna

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2024
46
43
I hear you. I did reach out again and arranged to return the iPad I have in a couple of weeks. I’m going out of town so won’t have enough time at the moment but also hoping it gives it enough time to cycle through iPad stock. May still buy it from another Apple Store as a precaution.
 

MarcoMHanna

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2024
46
43
Was that an exchange or return. If the latter you can do it infinite times. Return, buy, repeat if needed.
I believe the nano texture would mask it quite well. Not saying it’s impossible for a good panel but certainly more difficult given the way OLED works.
 

ph001bi

macrumors 6502a
May 26, 2015
598
1,341
London
I am posting this to seek guidance/compare notes with fellow iPad Pro users, in particular the M4 iPad Pro 11-inch. I just experienced 5, back to back, iPad Pros with dead pixels. I took advantage of the EDU discount and gift card and when I got home, I noticed a black dot, with a pink halo around it towards the upper right hand corner (if you are looking at the iPad in landscape with camera on the top side). I took this iPad back the next day and exchanged it for a new unit. Took it back home, open it up and notice another dead pixel in slightly different spot, but still in the upper right hand quadrant of the display. This morning, I took it back and was approached by the manager of the Apple Store. I explained to him the situation and he and I looked at the screen, confirmed it was indeed a dead pixel. Instead of just processing the exchange, he offered to allow me to open up the iPads in store prior to completing the transaction.

We ended up opening 2 more space black models (color I originally purchased) and 1 silver model. The 2 space black iPad Pros had visible dead pixels with similar behaviors. The silver one at first glance looked good until I got home in a darker room and immediately found a dead pixel in the center of the display. Again, it was a dark, dead pixel, with some pink hues around it. Went back to the Apple Store, did one more exchange. This time chose a space black iPad Pro and he mentioned this would be the “last“ exchange since he could not guarantee an iPad would be defect free (at this time the count was 4 iPads I had gone through). I opened up the iPad and lo and behold, another dead pixel. This time, it’s closer to the bezel on the top left hand side. It basically lives in the toolbar of safari, right by the reader/font icon.

He recommended it could just be a bad batch and recommended I wait a while and go through a warranty exchange for the dead pixels in the future.

So what gives here? I have never experienced this from Apple in all the products I have purchased over 20+ years. Not out of the box anyway. I am not really sure what to do. I see it as pointless to continue exchanging. At least this dead pixel is towards the border? Do I just live with it? Do I take his advice and replace it via warranty in 3-6 months?

I have attached some photos of the dead pixel. It appears to be a dead green subpixel by the looks of it. It’s mainly visible on green and white backgrounds but in normal operation, it just appears to be a black dot on just about anything.

The photos are trying to convey what I see. In white backgrounds, it’s just a black dot. But it also shows in UI Elements, and mixed usage. Thankfully, for video, it’s within the letterboxing but if I go full screen, its still a black dot.
It's clearly a bad batch. The Apple Store manager recommendation is exactly what's needed, wait a bit and try again. I remember ordering three iMacs for my company years ago, and all of them were DOA, no way to start either of them. It happens.
 
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BanjoDudeAhoy

macrumors 6502a
Aug 3, 2020
921
1,620
yeah initially i didnt try looking for it, but second day i did the lcd test and didnt notice any. I definitely get it why people are sensitive to it because once u see it you cant unsee it
The worst thing that happened in that regard was my cat attacking the curser on a screen. He was very precise with his claw placement, so there was nothing but a tiny little hole in the screen, but I knew where it was and couldn’t unsee it.
Bought a new screen. Instead of cat treats.
 
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W£S

macrumors regular
Feb 11, 2021
202
253
The worst thing that happened in that regard was my cat attacking the curser on a screen. He was very precise with his claw placement, so there was nothing but a tiny little hole in the screen, but I knew where it was and couldn’t unsee it.
Bought a new screen. Instead of cat treats.
Poor cat, but I guess it learnt its lesson. 😅
 

MarcoMHanna

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2024
46
43
It's clearly a bad batch. The Apple Store manager recommendation is exactly what's needed, wait a bit and try again. I remember ordering three iMacs for my company years ago, and all of them were DOA, no way to start either of them. It happens.
Yeah, I am hoping this is the case. My fear is due to the tandem panel, there’s 2X the subpixels, so does that constitute a higher likelihood of these issues?

Just from an OLED perspective, even the best LG OLED TVs have faced dead pixel issues. LG’s policy is 6+ I believe to be considered faulty. And that’s just a single layer OLED.
 

r_mack

macrumors newbie
Dec 28, 2017
26
27
Prince Edward Island, Canada
This things happen regardless (someone will always get a faulty display), but generally speaking Apple knocked it out of the park. I think for anyone interested in iPad Pro, this is the year to buy.
Fair and I agree. I’m not skipping this model. I’m just waiting a few more months.

I’ve been an Apple customer since 1995. I’ve owned many, many products and while the vast majority of them have been excellent (and I do mean top notch quality), there have been a couple of duds. And I have been stuck with at least one very expensive dud. One that Apple didn’t fess up to, but was a known issue with overheating.

So, yes, I agree this is the iPad Pro to get. I am waiting until the first batches are out and the manufacturing processes are really tightened up.

Been there, done that.
 

MarcoMHanna

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2024
46
43
Fair and I agree. I’m not skipping this model. I’m just waiting a few more months.

I’ve been an Apple customer since 1995. I’ve owned many, many products and while the vast majority of them have been excellent (and I do mean top notch quality), there have been a couple of duds. And I have been stuck with at least one very expensive dud. One that Apple didn’t fess up to, but was a known issue with overheating.

So, yes, I agree this is the iPad Pro to get. I am waiting until the first batches are out and the manufacturing processes are really tightened up.

Been there, done that.
Good plan.
 

Mlrollin91

macrumors G5
Nov 20, 2008
14,154
10,162
It is up to you, however “a warranty exchange in 3-6 months” will not give you a brand new iPad. It will be a “comparable” unit and not necessarily fully refurbished. When I exchanged my iPad Air 4 for screen light leak issues a few years ago, my original Air had around 30 battery cycles and the replacement one - about 200. The screen was much better, though, so I ended up keeping it.
Something is not right here. If it was placed by an Apple Store, which your posts suggest it was, you received an old unit. iPads, like iPhones are remanufactured. This means that the screen, shell and battery are all brand new. The only parts that are "refurbished" are the guts (CPU, SSD, Speakers, Mics, etc.). If you received a battery with 200 cycles on it, something went terribly wrong.

I just received a replacement 11" M1 Pro last week. Like all other replacement iOS devices I've had over the last 15 years, it had 0 cycles on the battery.
 

MarcoMHanna

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2024
46
43
Something is not right here. If it was placed by an Apple Store, which your posts suggest it was, you received an old unit. iPads, like iPhones are remanufactured. This means that the screen, shell and battery are all brand new. The only parts that are "refurbished" are the guts (CPU, SSD, Speakers, Mics, etc.). If you received a battery with 200 cycles on it, something went terribly wrong.

I just received a replacement 11" M1 Pro last week. Like all other replacement iOS devices I've had over the last 15 years, it had 0 cycles on the battery.
may I ask why you needed a replacement iPad Pro? Display?
 

WU27f1xcCs

macrumors member
Sep 18, 2022
98
122
Was that an exchange or return. If the latter you can do it infinite times. Return, buy, repeat if needed.
I didn’t know that then, but I was in store returning it, and after the second one had dead pixels they said they wouldn’t accept it as they are allowed up to 4 dead pixels.
 

one more

macrumors 603
Aug 6, 2015
5,089
6,515
Earth
Something is not right here. If it was placed by an Apple Store, which your posts suggest it was, you received an old unit. iPads, like iPhones are remanufactured. This means that the screen, shell and battery are all brand new. The only parts that are "refurbished" are the guts (CPU, SSD, Speakers, Mics, etc.). If you received a battery with 200 cycles on it, something went terribly wrong.

I just received a replacement 11" M1 Pro last week. Like all other replacement iOS devices I've had over the last 15 years, it had 0 cycles on the battery.

Possibly, but as I had no way of checking the battery state of the replacement iPad in store and it was cosmetically perfect otherwise, I just let it go. I will be more careful next time.
 

itsboi

macrumors 6502
Sep 23, 2015
293
646
Apple QC has gone downhill the past several years. The Space Black color option has some visible marks on the body, scratches and weird dust residue on the display out of the box on about 3 14" MB Pros. I've also noticed the same on the Space Black 11" iPad and it's probably due to Apple broadening their manufacturing facilities. Anything less than pristine is a return in my book especially if it costs almost a month's rent. Don't let MacRumors sway you from returning, that is your money going to a 3 trillion dollar company. Most won't notice them, but I do.
 

MarcoMHanna

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2024
46
43
Apple QC has gone downhill the past several years. The Space Black color option has some visible marks on the body, scratches and weird dust residue on the display out of the box on about 3 14" MB Pros. I've also noticed the same on the Space Black 11" iPad and it's probably due to Apple broadening their manufacturing facilities. Anything less than pristine is a return in my book especially if it costs almost a month's rent. Don't let MacRumors sway you from returning, that is your money going to a 3 trillion dollar company. Most won't notice them, but I do.
Yeah, I think I tend to agree with this. I get most won’t notice, I wish I could be like that. It’s a sizable about of $ and while it’s certainly a first world problem, it’s not the experience I expected. I’ll be returning in a couple of weeks and trying a different store. Thankfully the manager has agreed to return it after my trip given how many exchanges I’ve gone through.
 

FrozenDarkness

macrumors 68000
Mar 21, 2009
1,826
1,124
i think if you spent some time searching the history of apple launches, you'd realize that "apple qc has gone downhill" is a sentiment that has existed for more than a several years. I don't remember when people said apple qc is great and hasn't gone downhill.
 

profcutter

macrumors 68000
Mar 28, 2019
1,536
1,284
i think if you spent some time searching the history of apple launches, you'd realize that "apple qc has gone downhill" is a sentiment that has existed for more than a several years. I don't remember when people said apple qc is great and hasn't gone downhill.
I think the issue is that while Apple QC and CS is lackluster, it’s always been worse at the PC competitors. I don’t know if this is still the case, but when folks have historically complained about Apple and its policies, lots of folks come out to explain their experiences with Lenovo, Toshiba, what have you. I’ve come to see this not as Apple having or having had great customer service at one point, but rather, for an industry which is generally bad, Apple tends to be less bad.
 

dominiongamma

macrumors 68020
Oct 19, 2014
2,427
5,318
Phoenix. AZ
Apple QC has gone downhill the past several years. The Space Black color option has some visible marks on the body, scratches and weird dust residue on the display out of the box on about 3 14" MB Pros. I've also noticed the same on the Space Black 11" iPad and it's probably due to Apple broadening their manufacturing facilities. Anything less than pristine is a return in my book especially if it costs almost a month's rent. Don't let MacRumors sway you from returning, that is your money going to a 3 trillion dollar company. Most won't notice them, but I do.
Just have to be careful with doing returns because a lot of stores now keep track of customers on returning products too often
 

FrozenDarkness

macrumors 68000
Mar 21, 2009
1,826
1,124
I think the issue is that while Apple QC and CS is lackluster, it’s always been worse at the PC competitors. I don’t know if this is still the case, but when folks have historically complained about Apple and its policies, lots of folks come out to explain their experiences with Lenovo, Toshiba, what have you. I’ve come to see this not as Apple having or having had great customer service at one point, but rather, for an industry which is generally bad, Apple tends to be less bad.
As an ex-windows laptop owner, things can get a lot worse.

I also don’t know what you mean by apple cs being lackluster. apple cs is one of the best in the industry. no questions asked return policy is quite good. Most of their employees seem to be somewhat knowledgeable.
 

motorazr

macrumors 6502
Yeah, I hear you. One of the Genius Bar folks did come by and checked out the panels and ran their internal test (basically solid colors) testing the subpixels. They verified every unit we went through had at least 1 bad pixel. He said, it would be replaced under warranty as well but maybe this will change with M4 iPads in the future. I really do wish they had a guide about dead pixels… I only found a post regarding LCDs and dead pixels/debris under the panel but it’s vague/open ended.

They do say it can happen to a small percentage of products but this is for products 14 years ago now. https://support.apple.com/en-us/102187
They do have a guide internally. Its in the knowledge base, and I last recall it defined iPads as 0 dead pixels, as well as no debris between glass and panel.

not part of the visual mechanical inspection (VMI) guide, though some display defects are mentioned in there, but I believe it’s part of the portables display guide. Anywho. In case someone hasn’t a clue what to look at for coverage, maybe this piece of knowledge can help :) - that is, a guide does exist and it is specific.
 

motorazr

macrumors 6502
This story is from 2018 and alleged Apple policy may have changed.

That article looks different than the ones apple retail uses, at least in the US - looks like a screen image from gsx - possible that it is the copy AASPs are shown, which often have different and more detailed information than the retail stores get.
 

profcutter

macrumors 68000
Mar 28, 2019
1,536
1,284
As an ex-windows laptop owner, things can get a lot worse.

I also don’t know what you mean by apple cs being lackluster. apple cs is one of the best in the industry. no questions asked return policy is quite good. Most of their employees seem to be somewhat knowledgeable.
Hah, my phone just locked up while I was responding to you, something both it and the iPad do on forums, Facebook, etc.

Anyway, I gave a list of failures and problematic Apple responses, mostly related to the MBPs of 2016-2019. Frankly I don’t feel like typing that all out again.

Yes I appreciate the no questions asked returns for the first two weeks, but once you pass those two weeks, it gets dicey. Keep in mind, I still suspect it’s better support than a PC manufacturer would offer, but there’s still room for improvement.

In terms of the OP’s predicament, I really think it’s a bad batch kind of situation. I think trying to find models from another batch, either in a few months, a different location, or both, would be a good next move, especially considering we don’t know how wide spread the defect is. Some folks claim they have no dead pixels. If true, good, it’s not a universal, and hopefully not even a widespread problem.

I’m a little wary of a manager saying “keep it past two weeks, return it then,” unless they provided these instructions in writing. What if they’re off the day the OP tries to return it? What if that manager leaves the store?
 
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