iPad Pro 12.9 Screen Light Bleed

MichelPM, thanks for the advice. I began a chat with Apple Support, wherein a case # was opened and I was directed to visit a local Apple Store. I made a Genius Bar appointment, and the Genius surprised me by stating that my only option, short of paying full price for a replacement latest iPad Pro, was spending $599 to exchange for another of the same product I had. I would have been quite happy with a repair, even at some cost to me despite the clear defect in the product. But Apple will simply not repair these, I was told at the Apple Store.

As at least one in this thread who replaced an iPad Pro with an identical model has stated, identical issues recurred (after the 90-day warranty period that I was offered with a replacement). That was evidence enough for me to decline an expensive replacement, as its usability is not so impacted by the defect as to justify a considerable outlay that may offer only temporary respite.

It seems that a replacement screen (apparently the entire screen must be replaced to fix this) can be had for ~$300, so I expect I will wait until the issue worsens before I search for a mall kiosk that performs such repairs.

My second- and fourth- generation iPads (still in use here) have perfect screens with no backlight bleed after many more years of use. I am, having been an Apple evangelist for about three decades, disappointed by its response.

Well,

I have had my 2015, 12.9 inch iPad Pro for a little over 4 years, now and I have not had this issue.

It's the backlight panel seperating/delaminating from the LCD screen that is causing this issue.

This is not a common occurrence, I am afraid, and does not affect every iPad Pro model.

Hopefully, it will not get any worse.

If it does, you should be aware that iOS devices with the Home button fingerprint ID sensor, the Home button and sensor may not function properly after the screen assembly is removed and replaced.

Only Apple has the appropriate hardware and software reset codes to be able to reset the Home button and ID sensor back to working order in a repair situation.

Most repair shops that claim to do and have experience/expertise repairing Apple mobile devices DO NOT have access to these hardware/software reset codes ( and in some cases, no access to genuine Apple parts and/or maybr good parts cannabalised from dead, non-working Apple devices and computers ) and this will render the Home button/finger ID sensor pretty much useless.

I believe Apple did this on purpose to discourage third party repair and repair shops from ever being able to fully repair any Apple mobile device.

Apple is very anti third party repair and these suuport communitites discourage us here from ever recommending any known reliable and expert, so-called, “unauthorised” Apple product repair facilities for users to either travel to or mail their devices or computers ( laptops ) to.

You maybe better of just paying for and taking the replacement iPad from Apple, in the future.

Best of Luck to You!

MichelPM wrote:

If it does, you should be aware that iOS devices with the Home button fingerprint ID sensor, the Home button and sensor may not function properly after the screen assembly is removed and replaced.

Only Apple has the appropriate hardware and software reset codes to be able to reset the Home button and ID sensor back to working order in a repair situation.

Good grief.

The Apple Store Genius clearly stated that Apple does not repair these devices.

A home button that will not function properly makes a third-party repair unworkable.

And that means that my only option (other than living with the issue) is to chance an expensive replacement unit that could repeat the light bleed failure, potentially worse than what I have experienced.

It feels like I've been painted into a corner.

Regardless, I very much appreciate the valuable information you've offered, MichelPM.

Hi MichelPM,

Thank you for your advise to the support community on the risk of screen replacement by third party.

However, I feel you need to stop with telling the community that "It is not a common issue". The fact that we are here discussing the issue of the iPad Pro 12" 2nd Generation Screen Bleed shows it is happening. I had 1 replaced and the same occurred to the replacement 9 months later. Sitting with me in the office are 10 of the same model, of them, 6 are showing screen bleed.

So it is a common issue.

Best Regard,

Darrza

No one here that regularly posts here are seeing an inundation of posts here, in these official Apple support communities, on this iPad Pro backlight issue.

So, clearly you are only basing your assertions just on your own, sole experiences, alone.

If this was a “common issue” we'd be seeing tens of thousands, or more, postings of this iPad Pro screen backlight issue.

Clearly, this is not happening here and the amount of users reporting this are only adding up to a small minority users, somewhat less than a thousand users reporting this issue, here in these Apple iPad support communities, to date.

This is a very small minority of affected iPad Pro users across the entire world!

This posting, alone, only has 3 pages of users reporting and of those, we have some repeat user posts.

Respectfully, please do not tell me what I can or cannot post here.

You've joined a club no one wants to be a part of -- one, I suspect, that will have increasing numbers. My second generation and fourth generation iPad still work with no such bleed. We share in an apparent defect.

As not everyone experiences the problem, it seems not to be a design issue -- more like a bad production run from errors in assembly or a supply chain providing the occasional defective adhesive application.

If that does not spark joy in you, neither does it in me.

Has the backlight bleed/stage lights effect gotten worse, at all, since you posted by 4 moths, ago?

Both this new Poster and yourself look like you have had a mild case of this backlight delamination issue.

For others affected by this, sometimes the backlight delamination has been much worse.

Please wait a month, I'll tell you.

I realize the problem this week, when reading documents with white background.

I think Apple engeniers know the problem but never tell us. They never say what is the problem only change the dispositive.

Sorry for my English, I'm from Spain.

I had a bleed on my MacBook Pro a few years ago. Luckily it was under my three-year warranty and they gave me a brand new MacBook Pro. Now I have a bleed on my second generation iPad Pro 12.9 screen as well. I have the money to buy a new one but I’m not really anxious to spend another thousand dollars so I’ll wait until it gets worse because it sounds like that’s what will happen. I did call Apple about it and the sweet young thing in the technical department had no idea what a screen light bleed is...

Same issue here! Started to notice bleed through last month on 2 spots. Now 3rd spot is developing. Seems like my iPad Pro will look totally ugly in a few months. Not at all looking forward to buy another iPad Pro!!!.

device bought 2,5 years ago in Belgium

I gave in and bought a brand new iPad Pro 12.9 inch 4th gen. The new technology is such that I don’t think there will be any screen bleeding anymore. And it’s also “ blow you out of the water amazing” from what I can see about it online- so I will keep the old one that’s starting to bleed as a back up because everybody in my family already has a large iPad Pro and does not need a different one. With the new warranty on my new iPad that’s coming I got the two extra years of warranty And they have a new program where you can continue your warranty for around $5.99 a month after that for as long as you own your product. It’s amazing to me. So I’m quite excited about my new iPad which will be here in a couple of weeks. And if it does bleed it will have an extended warranty!

You don't have to be wealthy to afford an iPad. In this crazy world today, spending the money we DO have is what we choose to do. I took a 20% pay cut yesterday. Not wealthy by any means. Might as well buy what I CAN before I CAN'T!

...looks like the 2016 macbook pro suffers a similar defect, which they've called 'stage lighting': my ipad pro 2 exhibits this problem badly along the smart-cover hinge edge...

[Link Edited by Moderator]

this problem also happened on my second device (ipad 2 pro 12.9 "). The warranty has expired and I don't know what to do. The only thing I know is that I will not buy and recommend any of Apple's products. Gürgençler apple store in konya in Turkey. I am also not satisfied with this store.

Nothing to report. Since my last visit to the Apple store in Brussels the Covid-19 quarantine happened. I still have 5 or 6 units with the light bleed issue.

There is a recent class action case in the US for the screen issue with MacBook Pro’s... so, there might be one for iPad Pro gen 2 soon.