iPad 3 charging issues

Rob_2506, I've read that there were some issues with some magnets installed in some new iPads that were put in backwards. Take your new case w/packaging to Apple with your new iPad, and show them the issue. They should be able to tell if the case is legitimate, and then confirm if your iPad has the magnets issue. Either way, they should be able to address the issue.

Actually, the issue isn't with the iPad having the magnets installed backwards. The polarity of the magnets in the new iPads was reversed from that of the previous models due to some people having issues with the iPad shutting off when the SmartCover was flipped around to the rear. Recent SmartCovers have the magnets adjusted to account for this. The OP may have received one from old stock, or it may be a fake.

In any case, I'd agree, take the cover to the Apple Store and they'll take care of it (swap it) if it's the genuine article.

Thanks for the clarification bheiser1. I was passing on something I read earlier this iPad rollout, and your comment makes sense. Oddly, I tried a cover at home we purchased along with our iPad 2 last year, and it works fine with the new iPad.

I think with the older covers it's the luck of the draw. 🙂 The magnet might (or might not) be installed with the correct polarity to work with the new iPad.

Ok thank you Dave Marsh and bheiser1 🙂. uh typically just my luck! first I get a duff iPad now the smart cover! Do you recon Apple will pay for the round trip of 40 miles? haha lol.

Once again thank you and it is much appreciated 🙂.

Wish I we had more stores in the UK preferable closure to me 🙂😁

No problem, good luck with it. It's always fun visiting the Apple Store anyway 😀...

My iPad is FIXED! Listen to farmerpig (thank you!). I had the same issues with power draining even while plugged in, turning off cell data and LTE not helping, only turning brighness down to 50% or less slowing the drain enough that the charger could keep up with light use, etc. Following farmerpig's advice, I plugged into iTunes, hit the restore button, and stepped out for a smoke (or two or three packs -- actually, just a symbolic notation for elapsed time; I don't smoke, but it takes a while to restore and then set-up again from the last backup when you have a lot of apps and media, and I have a 64GB iPad with only 3GB of free space). I wasn not optimistic. My iPad came from the factory with 5.1, how could restoring it to factory settings and 5.1 help? iTunes *does* download a new image, however, and I now wonder what's different, because not only can I have cell and LTE on, but also have brightness turned to 100% and am seeing no charge depletion while surfing, watching on-board or streaming movies, or any of the things that I normally do. I'm still not quite believing it. Before, even just reading a book on Kindle app or iBooks made the charge lose ground. Now it doesn't seem to matter what I do, the iPad is at 100% with the happy little plug in icon (not the lightening bolt indicating charging).

Cool!

By the way, purely subjective, but it also feels noticably cooler. Wish I could have looked at active processes on the iPad before/after restore. It's almost like there was some backgroud process grinding away and wasting power. Wonder if it will degrade now to previously-poor efficiency, or if this is a one-time fixed-forever situation?

I think It's a software/firmware/driver issue...

and its due to one of the main modules preinstalled with the iPad.

hence after restoring to factory defaults and loaded with the new image, the iPad appears to run normally, at least at End User Level.

At hardware level, it's hard to say if the problem has been solved without comparing the hardware performances before and after restore. Either the new image contains the fixed modules and system files OR that it merely lowered hardware performance levels. And the active processes that you have highlighted may also be one of those factors affecting battery life. I am also wondering if CPU clock was adjusted or CPU controls were fixed with the new image installed after factory reset. Because if CPU were to operate at 90~100% all the time due to software bug, the iPad3 is bound to heat up alot and hence use alot of battery power.

Anyway, I think we will never find out as Apple is unlikely to tell us what went wrong LoL...

I agree this is insane and a MAJOR problem. I didn't have an iPad2. I was still using my first generation iPad and I am seriously considering going back to it and returning this one. In comparison this one ***** since I can't charge while using it. I was in the middle of working on a project and had to stop because you can't charge while using the **** thing. This is my second one and I have only had less than a week. The first one the screen cracked while it was charging and innocently laying on my night stand and they charged me $250 bucks to replace it so I am now well over $1000 dollars and I can't use it whenever I want while I am home because I can't charge and use it. It just shut down on me. Think I am going to make an appointment with Apple right now and go in and talk to them this morning cause this is just not right. Right now I am seriously disappointed in Apple and I am a mostly Apple using household but if this is the way it is going to be might have to reconsider that decision.

The problem with over heating is write simple.

A USB is rated at 2.1 amps maximum current.

Apple therefore uses the same charger fir iPad 2 and 3.

However since iPad 2 draws 2.1 amps but iPad 3 is drawing almost 5 amps.

So you are not only cooking the power supply but also burning out the USB cable.

In the long run the excessive great generated by the USB cable will in turn damage the power management Chip inside the iPad.

The design of iPad 3 is flawed and the bigger battery requires a non standard thicker cable and bigger power supply.

This is a design issue and most definitely a recall on all units because of safety concerns.

Are there no engineers in apple who could have done the sums on how much current the bigger sized battery would draw.

It is a shame that they launched the product prematurely.

Will you guys just cut it out ! I have an iPad 3 and it charges while I'm using it just fine ... Just let the brightness on 50% AUTO and you'll be fine even if playing a highly intensive 3D game such as Pinball HD ... + if you ever played with an apple charger (which you obviously did not, but have a PhD in), you'll know it's smarter than your 1980s power brick - it is equipped with an overload safety mechanism, so everytime the load is greater than its rated 2A, it just stops working until you reset it (unplug), so, you'll have a harder time "cooking" your power supply than you suspect. Also, if the iPad consumes your mamoth 5 A (I'm not saying that isn't true, but it sound a bit too much) and your easy-bake power supply outputs only ~2, the load on the wire will remain 2A, so no luck in turning your apple wire into a fire cracker unfortunately. So before you say that much BS, think a bit ... I wouldn't even be surprised if half the people saying bad thing about the ipad are hired by rival companies ...

You got to be kidding me Dariosa. Yes, waitamoment was a little extreme but you just accused that half of us are "rival companies" hating on the new iPad. I've been reading every single comment from this forum since the first post and that is definitely not true "so I gues you must have a PhD in just nonsense". I'm just a typical Apple/Mac/iPod/iPad user who has been witnessing this charging issue. It is defintely a concern because the efficiency at which the new iPad charges while you're using it with 50% brightness is nothing compared to the previous iPads. Not sure if you seen my video or not but I recorded how long it took to charge the new iPad while in use and it does not look pretty. Here's the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YaDslLaMLg.

Just to clarify that is a video of one new iPad charging, not all of them.

My 1st Generation did not charge very quickly when it was in use either which is why I avoided doing that (I think it occurred 2 times in 2 years) I charged it overnight while I was sleeping.

I've set claim thread here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3853237

I'm curious how long it will last 🙂