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Codeseven

macrumors 6502a
Dec 31, 2008
849
344
So I had a Genius appointment because my Smart Folio case for my IPad Pro 11” was falling apart and whilst I was in there, I told the Genius about my issues with my unresponsive screen that had somehow cured itself a couple of months ago and I had no further issues.
He offered to run a diagnostic check which I said ok to so he ran the check and told me that the iPad was definitely faulty and needed replacing. He immediately ordered a new iPad 11” and folio case and both will arrive on Wednesday. That’s pretty good service.


The only thing about getting it replaced is that others have posted that multiple replacements have continued to exhibited the same screen freeze problems. ‘Maybe’ the newest builds have the problem corrected, but I doubt we’ll see a fix implemented until the new models in October.
 

Bazooka-joe

macrumors 603
Mar 12, 2012
5,347
3,743
Swindon, England
The only thing about getting it replaced is that others have posted that multiple replacements have continued to exhibited the same screen freeze problems. ‘Maybe’ the newest builds have the problem corrected, but I doubt we’ll see a fix implemented until the new models in October.
Yes I totally appreciate that and I’m not expecting my next iPad to be any better than my current one but I have nothing to lose. I did have a call from my Apple store today to tell me that my replacement folio case had arrived and would I like to pick it up. I asked when my replacement iPad was coming in as I would pick up the case at the same time as the iPad. She asked me for a repair number and I told her that I didn’t have a repair number. She said that she would investigate and call me back and I did wonder if they were going to back track on the offer of a replacement iPad. Ten minutes later she called me back and said that the iPad will be in towards the end of the week. No other details or repair number was given to me but it looks as if they are going to honor the offer of a replacement. Will keep you posted.

Update - The Apple Store have just called me to say that they have had a delivery of iPads and will allocate one of those to me so it’s available for pick up tomorrow. Not sure if it’s a white box replacement but they did say just to bring in my old iPad and not to bring my old box or charger. Most bizarre about the inconsistency of service from Apple across the globe.
Will post documentation tomorrow or Monday or photos from the Apple Store showing the exchange as proof
 
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mia-rafael

Suspended
May 21, 2016
119
17
surprised maybe correct since its not normal with Apple.

i have to say that i cant believe how many people lie to protect apple, rarely fanboys i would later find out they have a invested interest, some are developers, the sky rocketed complaints with cunsumer affairs about non refundable apple apps is alone a sign of abuse, if that is not enough developers would add in app purchases and even insane subscriptions which has started to haunt apple's reputation even more now.

Not all iPads are alike, first batches are sold in the USA, b batches are then moved and refurbished products sold after this..Apple even changes factories, factories change quality and parts, even add slaves to the mix in China...Tim Cook has allot of issus to deal with...not everyone will be treated the same...which is wrong and un lawful with cunsumer affairs
 

Bazooka-joe

macrumors 603
Mar 12, 2012
5,347
3,743
Swindon, England
So, I picked up my new replacement iPad in case today from my local apple store. The iPad was a white box replacement and looked brand new. It was all a very easy process and so fast


940AC3A8-6546-4E4F-955E-A2BF706461B4.jpeg
 

DragonX

macrumors 6502
Mar 23, 2013
352
221
So, I picked up my new replacement iPad in case today from my local apple store. The iPad was a white box replacement and looked brand new. It was all a very easy process and so fast
View attachment 854638

Congrats! Wish you luck and hope your replacement won't develop the same screen problem (like mine did in 3 months).


That sounds like a typical very temporary (lasts couple of days until screen gets frozen again) solution, like restart of the iPad. You can restart or even reset your iPad and it will work for a while until it gets frozen again in the middle of something. It’s not a long term solution.
 

muzzy996

macrumors 65816
Feb 16, 2018
1,119
1,068
That sounds like a typical very temporary (lasts couple of days until screen gets frozen again) solution, like restart of the iPad. You can restart or even reset your iPad and it will work for a while until it gets frozen again in the middle of something. It’s not a long term solution.

I’m somewhat skeptical too about that thread - the thought occurs to me that in that OP’s process they take their iPad out of it’s case and place it back in which could certainly cause an intermittent internal connection to start working again due to the chassis flex that would occur.

For my iPP I strongly suspect a loose connection - if I grab the short ends of the ipad and twist the chassis slightly but firmly back and forth a few times the touch issue will be resolved for a while - sometimes hours or a few days with charging cycles in between.
 
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Bazooka-joe

macrumors 603
Mar 12, 2012
5,347
3,743
Swindon, England
Congrats! Wish you luck and hope your replacement won't develop the same screen problem (like mine did in 3 months).

Thanks and if it does I will take it back again for another exchange. I am really surprised that Apple are not aware that this is a real issue and not isolated cases. My 10.2 was doing exactly the same just before I swapped out for the 11 last year.
 

mkasu

macrumors member
Feb 24, 2010
76
22
Japan
I think they replaced my iPad Pro (2nd gen 12.9") four times for touch related issues during my AppleCare+ coverage. Three times were the issues described in this thread (unresponsiveness) and one time touch functionality completely died from one day to another, fully bricking the device.

Now, my AppleCare+ coverage ended in June (with my last replacement being in May or so) and the unresponsiveness is slowly starting to happen again. I'm not sure what I'm doing next as they probably won't repair it another time for free as my AppleCare+ has ended... It gets a bit ridiculous after four replacements.. I don't really use non-Apple ecosystem hardware so Surface etc. is not an option for me. The third generation iPad looks nice but I can't stomach replacing a (otherwise perfectly fine) device just because of an hardware issue reappearing again and again.
 

Bazooka-joe

macrumors 603
Mar 12, 2012
5,347
3,743
Swindon, England
I think they replaced my iPad Pro (2nd gen 12.9") four times for touch related issues during my AppleCare+ coverage. Three times were the issues described in this thread (unresponsiveness) and one time touch functionality completely died from one day to another, fully bricking the device.

Now, my AppleCare+ coverage ended in June (with my last replacement being in May or so) and the unresponsiveness is slowly starting to happen again. I'm not sure what I'm doing next as they probably won't repair it another time for free as my AppleCare+ has ended... It gets a bit ridiculous after four replacements.. I don't really use non-Apple ecosystem hardware so Surface etc. is not an option for me. The third generation iPad looks nice but I can't stomach replacing a (otherwise perfectly fine) device just because of an hardware issue reappearing again and again.
Well I must have been lucky as Apple replaced my ipad even though I didn't have AppleCare Plus and I shall expect to continue in that vein. They did diagnose an internal hardware fault but didn't say what it was and said immediately that the ipad needed to be replaced. That suggests to me that Apple are aware of the problem and a replacement is the only option rather than a repair.
if the screen response problem is being caused through failing hardware then this will be a constant cycle of replacing the hardware.
If I were you, I would take it back and request another replacement even if its outside the warranty, claiming that they constantly supply you with faulty products that are not fit for purpose
 
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Codeseven

macrumors 6502a
Dec 31, 2008
849
344
I think they replaced my iPad Pro (2nd gen 12.9") four times for touch related issues during my AppleCare+ coverage. Three times were the issues described in this thread (unresponsiveness) and one time touch functionality completely died from one day to another, fully bricking the device.

Now, my AppleCare+ coverage ended in June (with my last replacement being in May or so) and the unresponsiveness is slowly starting to happen again. I'm not sure what I'm doing next as they probably won't repair it another time for free as my AppleCare+ has ended... It gets a bit ridiculous after four replacements.. I don't really use non-Apple ecosystem hardware so Surface etc. is not an option for me. The third generation iPad looks nice but I can't stomach replacing a (otherwise perfectly fine) device just because of an hardware issue reappearing again and again.

I don’t blame you mkasu, but this is exactly why I think it will be a waste of time for me to replace my broken device for another broken device. With this much history behind this malfunction, if my Pro was unusable or just a pita to use I’d get rid of it and not get another until there’s proof the problem has been fixed. Luckily the screen freeze problem on mine is intermittent enough for it to be usable 90% of the time, but it is there.
 

Dave-Z

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2012
885
1,489
I am really surprised that Apple are not aware that this is a real issue

Of course Apple is aware of the issue. Maybe not at the retail level, but at their headquarters I'm sure they are. They just run numbers: Number of people demanding replacement vs. number of people who think it's just a minor glitch (dry fingers, app freezing, etc.). If the difference keeps Apple profitable they do nothing.

Apple likes to brag about how great they are but they're really not different from other companies. They do what they want until they're caught. This is no different. They will continue to use substandard parts or manufacturing (whatever the cause of this issue is) until their hand is forced. Earlier iPads were NOT like this (I had nearly all of them, the 4th gen. iPad being the exception).

I don't really use non-Apple ecosystem hardware so Surface etc. is not an option for me.

I was the same but at the beginning of 2018 I started moving away, slowly. Built a Linux desktop, which is my primary machine during the day. It runs incredibly well. At the end of 2018 I replaced my failing 12.9" iPad with a 2-in-1 Lenovo laptop, it's a great machine. In the Spring this year I picked up a Surface Go, which is probably my favorite device: A tablet for web browsing or reading ebooks that converts to a laptop (it's like having a combined netbook/tablet).

It takes time but now I'm more or less platform agnostic; using Windows, Linux and iOS (on my phone).
 

mkasu

macrumors member
Feb 24, 2010
76
22
Japan
Well I must have been lucky as Apple replaced my ipad even though I didn't have AppleCare Plus and I shall expect to continue in that vein. They did diagnose an internal hardware fault but didn't say what it was and said immediately that the ipad needed to be replaced. That suggests to me that Apple are aware of the problem and a replacement is the only option rather than a repair.
if the screen response problem is being caused through failing hardware then this will be a constant cycle of replacing the hardware.
If I were you, I would take it back and request another replacement even if its outside the warranty, claiming that they constantly supply you with faulty products that are not fit for purpose

I should probably try that at some point. At the moment it is still rare enough that I won't bother, but it'll probably become more over time. In my previous replacements at the Genius bar they played the standard "Uh, we never heard of this" game with me..


I was the same but at the beginning of 2018 I started moving away, slowly. Built a Linux desktop, which is my primary machine during the day. It runs incredibly well. At the end of 2018 I replaced my failing 12.9" iPad with a 2-in-1 Lenovo laptop, it's a great machine. In the Spring this year I picked up a Surface Go, which is probably my favorite device: A tablet for web browsing or reading ebooks that converts to a laptop (it's like having a combined netbook/tablet).

It takes time but now I'm more or less platform agnostic; using Windows, Linux and iOS (on my phone).

Yeah, but no. I tried that a couple of years back and came back to Apple within 12-15 months. I'm using Windows and Linux at work, but privately I'm pretty comfortable with Apple as it is (excluding the iPad issues.)
 

klover

macrumors 6502a
Jun 7, 2009
801
92
Well that’s it for me and my Pro 12.9” (3rd Gen). The constant unresponsive screen, dead zones, etc. kept getting worse and worse until I couldn’t stand using it. None of the prescribed fixes made any lasting change and I can’t believe that this $1600 device has such a fundamental flaw.

Selling as-is and taking a loss.
 
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Dave-Z

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2012
885
1,489
Selling as-is and taking a loss.

I feel your pain. I think I mentioned it at some point in this massive thread: I ended up doing the same thing with mine.

As much as I like iPads (I really do) I simply cannot buy another one now because I don't trust Apple. (Also, competitors offer some amazing hardware for so much less...)
 
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aevan

macrumors 601
Feb 5, 2015
4,540
7,236
Serbia
I was the same but at the beginning of 2018 I started moving away, slowly. Built a Linux desktop, which is my primary machine during the day. It runs incredibly well.

Well, I mean, it runs incredibly well if it can do the things you need it to do the way you like it. Does it run Bear notes? No. Can I use Sidecar or Handoff or AirDrop with my iPad on it? No. Can Surface Go run Procreate? No. Of course it goes both ways and if you prefer some Windows exclusive apps/hardware then you’re “stuck” there, too. Like, if you’re a PC gamer, you just can’t be platform agnostic. You simply can’t. In a similar way, a lot of people need to use Apple devices. For me, no alternative to Apple is viable. I wish this wasn’t the case as Apple keeps getting more expensive, but honestly, for my workflow - nothing comes close.
 

DragonX

macrumors 6502
Mar 23, 2013
352
221
Well, I mean, it runs incredibly well if it can do the things you need it to do the way you like it. Does it run Bear notes? No. Can I use Sidecar or Handoff or AirDrop with my iPad on it? No. Can Surface Go run Procreate? No. Of course it goes both ways and if you prefer some Windows exclusive apps/hardware then you’re “stuck” there, too. Like, if you’re a PC gamer, you just can’t be platform agnostic. You simply can’t. In a similar way, a lot of people need to use Apple devices. For me, no alternative to Apple is viable. I wish this wasn’t the case as Apple keeps getting more expensive, but honestly, for my workflow - nothing comes close.

I don't want to start this iOS vs Window battle. But there are for sure alternatives to those technologies on Windows. We can start a new thread with every iOS app having its (unfortunately superior) alternative on the PC just because Window is older and more mature. Just let's don't get into these details because it's obvious off topic.

Btw I don't like Windows myself, I hated it for many years but what happened to all new iPads and MacBooks is simply the worst Apple's spit in the customers' faces ever. I don't like that and I'm slowly switching over.

P.S. It took me 7 painful minutes to type that on my iPad and took one restart because of the constant screen freezing.
 

mrex

macrumors 68040
Jul 16, 2014
3,458
1,527
europe
i contacted apple, they had screenshare connection with my ipad and didnt see any software issue (backlight bleeding) and they asked me to bring the ipad to a service center (auth., because no apple stores in this country) to be checked for possible physical damages. well, the usual procedure...

it started with couple of brighter leds, now i see seven of them.

unresponsiviness is quite difficult to reproduce because you never know when it happens, so i have taken vids of it when it happened.

have to add, now tehre are 12 bright leds. so it is getting worse and worse...
 

Dave-Z

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2012
885
1,489
Well, I mean, it runs incredibly well if it can do the things you need it to do the way you like it. Does it run Bear notes? No. Can I use Sidecar or Handoff or AirDrop with my iPad on it? No. Can Surface Go run Procreate? No. Of course it goes both ways and if you prefer some Windows exclusive apps/hardware then you’re “stuck” there, too. Like, if you’re a PC gamer, you just can’t be platform agnostic. You simply can’t. In a similar way, a lot of people need to use Apple devices. For me, no alternative to Apple is viable. I wish this wasn’t the case as Apple keeps getting more expensive, but honestly, for my workflow - nothing comes close.

Fair points. Most of the stuff I do can be done in a web browser or terminal. I have some software for which there is no Linux counterpart, only Mac and Windows; I use a virtual machine for those. (Edit: And as DragonX pointed out, there are many good applications in Windows that can be used as an alternative.)

I haven't used Sidebar (don't have a Mac anymore). But I never used Handoff or Airdrop. I mean, I tried Handoff once when it first debuted, and not once since then. I can see that people would like it. There similar feature(s) exist in Microsoft's ecosystem as well, not Handoff by name, but clipboard sharing and some syncing of stuff. I don't use those either. Usually if I'm in front of a device, I'm using that device and not moving around between it and others.

I actually said (to myself) I would never go back to Windows. But having used it for 8-9 months I'm willing to admit I was wrong. Windows 10 is significantly faster than previous versions and has worked without issue this entire time. Microsoft's new version of Edge (based on Chromium and in beta now) is works great. If would be nice if there were fewer analytics to opt out of, but otherwise it's pretty good. Even Apple is getting a little sucky with the analytics, too, these days (e.g. Siri; as well as Podcasts and Books, which you cannot opt out of).
 
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subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,266
6,743
I ignored this thread for months because my 12.9 g2 screen worked fine. About 6 months in, and now I join you all.

Is this issue inevitable in all iPad Pros? Is there any point in going through the hassle of exchanging and setting up another ipad? (Not looking forward to buying and install skins again)
 

thadoggfather

macrumors P6
Oct 1, 2007
16,131
17,046
This isn't making me confident in considering upgrading my Pro 12.9 2017 to iOS 12.4 if I do (signing window closed, but on 11.3.1 jailbroken and have the 'ticket' to be able to restore to it) or doing a hardware upgrade down the road. Thats a lot of money to layout for a questionable build.
 

DragonX

macrumors 6502
Mar 23, 2013
352
221
Is this issue inevitable in all iPad Pros? Is there any point in going through the hassle of exchanging and setting up another ipad? (Not looking forward to buying and install skins again)

Unfortunately, because Apple employees are trying to hide all the information about the issue - you can receive a replacement, or a new iPad with exactly the same problem (as I did). iPad purchase became an expensive lottery.


No, that doesn't work, please read previous 26 pages of this discussion - people tried all the stuff from article many times and in the end it didn't fix anything.

It's really crazy to see how these articles pop up all the time on the Internet for 2 years! It's clear that the problem still exists but they just don't understand it's a hardware-related problem. It can only be fixed by Apple by fixing their manufacturing and stopping to sell those non-working iPads!
 
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subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
6,266
6,743
Unfortunately, because Apple employees are trying to hide all the information about the issue - you can receive a replacement, or a new iPad with exactly the same problem (as I did). iPad purchase became an expensive lottery.
Ugh. Horrible. I still have a few months of warranty. I’m going to wait it out a bit and hope for a fix.

Someone mentioned the issue might be due to promotion not being able to handle finger oil buildup on the screen. I cleaned my screen and the issue seems to have gone away for now. It’s hard to tell though because the issue is always intermittent and it’s only been a few hours. Have some people not had success with this?
This also makes me wonder, do people with matte (fingerprint-resistant) screen protectors not have this issue? Or is it at least more delayed?
 

nznam

macrumors newbie
Aug 6, 2018
2
6
Singapore
My story :

bought the IPad Pro 12,9“ 256GBWiFi + Cellular Version in November 2017.

February and March the first problems with the unresponsive touchscreen.

April 2018 I got a new replacement.

3 Months later the same kind of problem again.

August 2018 I got a new replacement again.

Already bored of that problem I bought an Apple Care Plan.

February 2019 the problem starts again.

I waited until June 2019 - every new iOS update and the iPadOS gave me hope.

At the end nothing helped.

So I got the last time a replacement again because of unresponsive touchscreen and yellow spots.

sold the iPad before the Apple care plan warranty is finish.

I was thinking to buy the 3. Generation but it looks like it has the same issues.

The IPad Pro is an awesome working machine for me but...
 
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