Significant light leakage, few light botches on sides/corners - defective?
Actually I'm pretty sure the answer is yes, but thought I'd share my experience here. Very disappointing, but certainly completely usable until I can exchange.
Hoping it's one of those strange manufacturing things where it "needs to settle," but I doubt it.
Note that I have an iPad 1 also, and it definitely doesn't have this problem.
You can add my "now refunded" iPad 2 to the list - shocking customer service (Glasgow Apple Store) backed by poor products!! Really not acceptable
When I called Apple "Care" (I use that term loosely) and they said that a software update would sort the issue - software affecting hardware like that? Not likely! And if it did then what does that say for their coding skills?!
When I took the unit into the store (Apple retail, Glasgow, Scotland) the lady that did the refund said that it was not the first and would not be the last unit that she had seen with the issue. Yet Apple have still to comment on what is causing it and what they are going to do about it.
I decided to get a refund today after my fourth replacement. It's outstanding that so many new ipad 2's have been effected.
I would recommend for everyone to post on the apple feedback page so they act promptly. I'll give it a month or so and the problem should be resolved.
If anyone is considering holding on to their defective ipad 2 and ask for an exchange in a month or so,I'd recommend getting a refund instead. Reason being you are given a new ipad and not a refurbished one. However if you need you ipad for work etc then hold on to it if you don't mind and get a refurbished one in a month.
The month recommended wait, is the time it usually takes for the second batch of products to be shipped.I mean that most of the first products were massed produced and have been shipped to their destinations. Apple stores receive daily stock of ipad 2s.
The genius I spoke to said that if apple was aware of the problem (which was weird to hear as apple is clearly aware) they would resolve it soon and most probably within a month new products, without this defect, should become available.
I cannot say with absolute certainty that non-defective products will be available in a month, but history tells us that these manufacturing problems are usually resolved promptly.
i too returned my defective ipad to the Glasgow store only to have two more replacements come straight from the box with light leakage. the genius there and his colleague seemed pretty resigned to it, im hoping for a fix in the next month or so, unlike the half hearted iphone 4 put a rubber band fix.
OK 29 pages so I can see where you are all coming from and my own 64Gb 3G Ipad2 does display some leakage along one edge if I look hard enough in the "right" conditions.
However, I can't help but think about all the happy purchasers who thank their lucky stars that they actually have an Ipad2 and don't frequent Forums like this, so are blissfully unaware of low lighting conditions, high backlight and dark images displayed.
So yes, Apple stores and perhaps Apple are aware of the returns/problems but if they play the percentage game how many pages of happy owners would there be if happy owners actually posted on a thread. Unfortunately happy owners don't usually search for Forums to experess their happiness.
For the people who want to wait a month or two before swapping their IPAD 2.
If you wait longer then 14 days then you no longer qualify for a new replacement, you will be getting a refurbished. cough cough used 😟. If you Refund it now youll ensure that your IPAD2 will be new when the problem is finally fixed. Who knows, maybe the refurbished will be of the light leaking batch..You should be satisfied with your product when it is new out of the box.
What if they don't fix this issue and Apple accepts(though not publicly) that ipad 2 will have leaks. You will be stuck with a leaking defective IPAD2 and can no longer refund it.
Keep at your own risk...
Mine went funny. first the screen turned red, then it worked again. Then it went totally black for a week and then it worked. I went to the Apple rep. in Israel and they told me to throw the iPad away, even though it is under warranty since there is a tiny mark on it even though this iPad is well protected. I have been an Apple user for some years and *_I am NOT buying Apple product again*_!!!! they make me throw away $700! Apple *****!
bostonvince wrote:
For the people who want to wait a month or two before swapping their IPAD 2.
If you wait longer then 14 days then you no longer qualify for a new replacement, you will be getting a refurbished. cough cough used 😟. If you Refund it now youll ensure that your IPAD2 will be new when the problem is finally fixed. Who knows, maybe the refurbished will be of the light leaking batch..You should be satisfied with your product when it is new out of the box.
What if they don't fix this issue and Apple accepts(though not publicly) that ipad 2 will have leaks. You will be stuck with a leaking defective IPAD2 and can no longer refund it.
Keep at your own risk...
How do you know that it is a refurbished one? I mean, when you get a new one they all come in boxes right? So how can you know that?
I will be getting a new one from the store I bought it next tuesday (if they will get new ones ofcourse). I suppose I will get one in a brand new box, as they said to me.
How can I check if it a "used" one?
My worry is due to the large scale of this problem all the people who have already returned for a refund, their ipads will be sent for fixing and will become refurbs. For people who want to do a swap or so in a month’s time for a non leaking ipad, they will probably get it swapped with one of the earlier returned ipads with the leak fixed. Apple can't afford to bin 1,000's (maybe tens of thousands) of returned ipads and then give brand new ones to all the people who want an exchange in 1-2 months later. This is why i got a refund, to wait and see what they do, and when i do buy one i can be assured i have a brand new ipad that works as it should with my 14 days and warrenty starting from when i get it.
They didnt exactly bend over backwards to fix the iphone 4 antenna problem "here is an ugly rubber thing to put over your phone to ruin its looks, or we recommend you just don’t hold it a certain way"! Great fix 😉
On a side note i think this attitude of "oh i am just lucky to have an ipad 2" is strange. So you are lucky to hand over a large sum of money that you had to earn and pay tax on for a product with an issue that a few days on from release you can now easily get hold of?
Ok, I get your point. But this is the way it always works. When your return a product to a big store they will check if it is damaged and put it on display again.
When Apple will get the bad working ones they will repair them and clean them and sell them again. And you, as a customer, will never know if it is a used one, or a new one (except if there is damage).
I believe that Apple doesn´t has time now for fixing the back light of the returned ones. They "must" have found the error and will product perfects one now. Than they will re-used the returned ones for the future. So, personally, I believe that if you wait longer you wil get a used one instead of a new one.
Still, I will change it as I paid a 1000$ for it and I think I deserve a 100% correct one.
If I see that the next one also has a leak I will chaneg it again. I have decided to go until 2 changes. Than, as here the law says, I have the right to a full refund of money, even is Apple says no.
I find it a bit of a shame that a big company like Apple, launches products with such a big fault in it. I am 100% sure they knew about it, but needed to reach the deadline.
Espeially for persons like me who buy their firdt Apple product it doesn´t give me a lot of convidence in them. Still I am counting on the good postservice and that the new Ipad will be 100% perfect. Until then I am enoying this fantastic tablet!!
Here's another reason not to send it in . . . they don't have any replacements to send you. Per Apple customer service I sent my 16GB WiFi Ipad 2 into service (due to backlight bleed) on March 20. By March 22 my repair status said "Product replacement pending" and has continued to say that through today April 4th. Every call to customer support yields the same response "It's scheduled to ship tomorrow".
This happened to mine, along with a dead pixel, I took it back and they told me they have brand new ones wrapped up just for replacements and not for sale. They replaced it with a brand new iPad. All sealed in the original box. Sadly it's worse than the previous and I'm taking this back again tomorrow. I love the iPad 2 but I'm so disappointed by this!!
