Apple puts up support page explaining the "subtle deviations" on the 2018 iPad Pro models

Screenshot 2019-01-06 11.24.37.jpg

It was just before Thanksgiving when we told you about a problem the 2018 Apple iPad Pro models have with the bends. Owners of Apple's latest high-end slates started complaining about a bend in the device after they were carried in a backpack; others say that their expensive tablet came bent right out of the box. Apple said that this was merely a result of the manufacturing process, and that it will not affect the performance of the product.

Last month, Dan Riccio, Apple's VP of hardware engineering, wrote an email to a consumer who complained about the bend on his iPad Pro. The executive said that the "unibody design meets or exceeds all of Apple's high quality standards of design and precision manufacturing. We've carefully engineered it and every part of the manufacturing process is precisely measured and controlled."

Now, Apple has added a new support page that explains how the iPad Pro is manufactured (via The Verge). The company notes that the new iPad Pro models use a strong, light and durable aluminum. Instead of curved edges, the new models have a rectangular design that uses straight edges. In addition, the cellular versions of the tablet have "splits" in the side to allow parts of the enclosure to be used as an antenna. Apple says that the "precision manufacturing techniques" that it uses help the iPad Pro meet tighter specs than previous generations of the tablet.

The flatness specs for the tablet mean that any side of a cellular 2018 iPad Pro cannot deviate by more than 400 microns, which is less than the thickness of four sheets of paper. Apple says that the use of the straight edges and the antenna splits could make "subtle deviations in flatness" visible from certain viewing angles. These deviations cannot be seen during normal use. On the support page, Apple repeats the claim that the "subtle deviation" won't get worse over time, and will not affect the tablet's performance.

"iPad Pro cellular models now feature Gigabit-class LTE, with support for more cellular bands than any other tablet. To provide optimal cellular performance, small vertical bands or “splits” in the sides of the iPad allow parts of the enclosure to function as cellular antennas. For the first time ever on an iPad, these bands are manufactured using a process called co-molding. In this high-temperature process, plastic is injected into precisely milled channels in the aluminum enclosure where it bonds to micro-pores in the aluminum surface. After the plastic cools, the entire enclosure is finished with a precision CNC machining operation, yielding a seamless integration of plastic and aluminum into a single, strong enclosure.

These precision manufacturing techniques and a rigorous inspection process ensure that these new iPad Pro models meet an even tighter specification for flatness than previous generations. This flatness specification allows for no more than 400 microns of deviation across the length of any side — less than the thickness of four sheets of paper. The new straight edges and the presence of the antenna splits may make subtle deviations in flatness more visible only from certain viewing angles that are imperceptible during normal use. These small variances do not affect the strength of the enclosure or the function of the product and will not change over time through normal use."-Apple

If someone does own a 2018 iPad Pro with a bend that exceeds Apple's acceptable specifications, the company suggests that they go to the Apple Support website. Tablets purchased directly from Apple can be returned within 14 days of purchase, and a one-year warranty covers "damages from defects in materials and workmanship."