iPad Pro Is this something to worry about?

[Imteck]

I recently bought a used 12.9' iPad Pro 2018 off of eBay for a good price at £400. It comes with 30 day returns and was sold by a pawn shop. It was advertised as ‘good condition with some marks of use’

I am quite happy with the condition of it at that price point. The only thing which I have noticed is a small flickering line of pixels which looks like it might have happened because of a scratch. Please see attached link for a photo

As its not noticeable I do not mind too much, esp once a matte screen protector is on. My only worry is whether the problem could spread and get worse. I would therefore appreciate any advice on whether I'll be fine or I should return it.

 

[ericwn]

It’s really hard to make a guess based on a photo of the screen. Could there be more issues further down the road? Maybe, maybe not.

I’d test the thing for a while and if you have concerns, return it and get a new one in hopefully pristine condition.

 

[BigMcGuire]

If that was new off the lot from the Apple Store? I might ask to do a trade in - depending on if I noticed it with normal usage. But a 2018 off eBay for $400? I'd see if I could try to live with it. How? Try to forget about it, use it for a few days, then take note. If you have a partner/friend, ask them if they notice anything (don't tell them where) - see if they notice it.

For the price? I wouldn't worry bout it. Wow a 12.9 for $400.

 

[Imteck]

It’s really hard to make a guess based on a photo of the screen. Could there be more issues further down the road? Maybe, maybe not.

I’d test the thing for a while and if you have concerns, return it and get a new one in hopefully pristine condition.

If that was new off the lot from the Apple Store? I might ask to do a trade in - depending on if I noticed it with normal usage. But a 2018 off eBay for $400? I'd see if I could try to live with it. How? Try to forget about it, use it for a few days, then take note. If you have a partner/friend, ask them if they notice anything (don't tell them where) - see if they notice it.

For the price? I wouldn't worry bout it. Wow a 12.9 for $400.

Thanks both for the messages. Think I will use it for a couple of weeks and see whether anything develops further. Still have time until the refund window is up (till Christmas).

@BigMcGuire it really is not noticeable at all. The only reason I noticed it was as I was looking quite hard for something wrong - I didn’t/still couldn’t believe I was able to snag such a bargain from such a reputable seller on eBay.

I’m more than happy with keeping it as is - it is in really good condition overall and even has 97% battery health (!). I was just worried that the screen issue could be the start of something much worse - I was even considering booking an Apple appointment to get a ’genius‘ opinion. Does that sound like a good shout?

 

[G5isAlive]

I was even considering booking an Apple appointment to get a ’genius‘ opinion. Does that sound like a good shout?

Free advice from an 'expert'? Why not? I doubt they can tell you anything definitive as it is a rare problem. For what it's worth as I don't actually see a crack in the screen that could spread, I doubt its something that's going to degrade further.

 

[freakomac]

I had a similar issue with my retina display MacBook Pro 13 couple of years back. I noticed a kind of dotted-white line in the center of the screen similar to your pic. This was only noticeable when I booted the Mac and the background was black and I assumed it was kind of a software glitch or something and lived with it. I hardly turn off the Mac so I didn’t really notice it otherwise and didn’t really bother me. I took it to the apple store just in case and enquired about the issue and I was so glad I did. They told me that is an issue and that it could spread over time to the entire display. They changed the entire display unit for free under apple care (it’s not cheap!). I would suggest taking it to the apple store and have them run a diagnostic test to make sure it’s all good.

 

[HappyDude20]

I had the similar issue when I bought an iPhone on eBay for a good price, scratch and all… after a week or two I forgot about it despite it being in front of my face. Not a big deal for me.