iPad Air glass break

I've had my Air for a few months no and no cracked screen yet but I really do think Apple need to heavily factor in to their products a degree of robustness.

I wonder if anyone can contribute any statistics to the argument.

I guess the Air does feel fragile which makes me not so surprised that these incidents have happened where it has cracked for no apparent reason.

I saw one video where the deliberate mistreatment of an Air started with it being thrown gently into some loose dirt and the guy was genuinely surprised and disappointed when the screen cracked. It was supposed to be the encore to some really serious attempt at damage and breakage and it kind of spoilt his fun.

I noticed that it had a hollow feel and there was flex in the screen but didn't occur to me that it was going to be more fragile than other glass iOS products or indeed break from seemingly nothing.

Mine's been fixed now by an indie repair place for £120 - not giving Apple more money after supplying a device not fit for purpose.

Now I handle it more like a champagne flute than a portable product in case I do some more of what Apple call 'accidental damage'. That might seem OTT if you've had one for ages with no breaks under normal use but when you've found yours cracked with no trauma, well, the first thing you do is check for cracks when picking it up.

If Apple had replaced the screen under warranty I'd have merely thought, 'Hmm, hope it doesn't crack again - this is a pretty fragile product compared to the old ones and I'll have to be careful with from now on' and still been a relatively happy camper. After all, it's a blazing fast device, which has really made some of the more eleborate Apps come alive.

As it was a haughty Apple Store manager, a store where I've spent a fair bit of money on accessories over the years, told me I'd accidently damaged something that I know had suffered no trauma and refused to admit that something so fragile isn't fit for purpose. Once when some hiking shoes split after barely 30 miles of action the shop just replaced them - they didn't try and suggest the poor durability was any other than unnacceptable or that hiking in them was 'accident damage'.

My first ever bad experience of dealing with Apple in getting on for two decades.

Only for the sake of record keeping I'd like to add myself to the list...

Personal/business I've owned:

>dozen iPhones

2 original iPads

6 ipad 2's

6 ipad mini's

3 ipad airs

The only glass breakage I've ever experienced is with my 44-day old iPad Air. My original iPhone cracked but I beat the ever living crap out of it. I still (and when I say "I" I mean my 2 year old) use my original ipad - **** the bezel even has numerous dents - no glass breakage.

Must admit, since my jaw first dropped in 2003 when I got my first look at the iMac, this is the first, "...really???" feeling I've ever had towards Apple. Still love you guys but it's time to fess up on this one.

I don't much care what should be expected of a "device" or a "computer." What I've grown to love about Apple is that ones expectations were not intended to be the benchmark.

According to Mac Life (May 2014 No.88) "The whole screen assembly - which used to measure 2.23mm thick - measures 1.8.. in the iPad Air." Bottom right-hand side of page 49 - blue box.

The iPad Air digitizer glass is 20% thinner than previous models according to this article. Mine broke in 44 days while my original iPad gets treated like a rag-doll in my wifes book bag with no protection and looks like, well, an iPad.

Not to mention I made the bone-head decision of attempting to replace the glass myself. All okay except a 1' square dead spot in the upper left-hand corner. Tried re-seating all the connections, electrical-taping any exposed parts - no luck. Could have been a defective part to begin with but I was so **** excited to get my iPad back I pulled the "can-not-return-part-if-film-removed" film off without testing the ENTIRE screen.

I've simply resorted to plain old moaning at this point but it's all I've got left. I love you Apple, but why do you treat me so bad?

😟

<Edited By Host>

I broke the screen by holding the bottom left corner of the ipad with one hand. My thumb crushed the screen. Apple says they do not cover this and can replace the ipad for $299. Obviously a manufacture/design defect when a 50 year old women can crush it without even trying.

I have a iPad air, 5 months, hairline crack appeared lower right hand corner. Single diagonal crack in the corner, about 4 inches long. I purchased Apple Care, was bumming that it'll cost $50 to repair, and only two screen repairs with Apple care.

I brought it to the store, Nashua NH, young guy looked at it, saw it was a hairline crack, no other dings, no other glass damage, he replaced it on the spot. I was in an out in under a hour, everything restored to my new iPad.

I LOVE APPLE.

I have a iPhone 5S, a 3G iPhone, Two Mac Books, Two iPods from them. This cracked screen was the first issue that I ever had. I still use all their products that I purchased over the years in some fashion.

WIll continue to buy Apple for their service. Products cost more, however nicer products, like the fact they have local stores with their people. Great service, polite people. My buddy says the same.

Reading the complaints on this thread. Never experienced anything bad from Apple yet. My experience has been all positive.

I have had an iPad Air for 3 weeks. A week ago, I bought a Lifeproof case for it for $120. Two days ago, I was using it, hit the "home" button, and the screen just shattered with a large crack at the corner of the button and spidering out from there. The cracks have gotten worse over past 2 days as I've continued to use it.

I took it to the Apple store and have to go back tomorrow morning for a Genius Bar appointment. I am going to be really disappointed if they do not replace this for no charge. To me, it's a huge design flaw if the screen just shatters like that when you press the button. This was after using it inside the case for a week with no problems at all. LifeProof, btw, does not actually cover any damage to the device, only will replace the case if there is a problem with the case.

I wish you all the luck in the world friend but if they do replace yours for free I love you ****** off because I have to see me Textor except it wasn't at first it was just a hairline crack and they gave me the boot $300 later I'm finally back where I started - sans lifeproof 'case' Opted for Otter Box.

Sorry speak to text isn't very much on point this morning you get the gist

If anything upsets me it's the inconsistency - my hairline was 3" when I brought it in. Got little more than a shrug of the shoulders from my Apple tech. Of course the next day it was 8", then it grew a little brother when it met the bezel. I'm still a full fledged member of the Apple army, just not going to follow so blindly from now on.

MAybe there is some region issue store to store bias, attitude, training, overall store profit in play ? I return to Nashua nh, nice urban area. People working there always 100 percent nice, etc. possibly cities have to deal with more people with "personalities", that it affects the way they deal with folks.

i Brought mine in, within 5 seconds on looking at it, free replacement. Did not look up the serial number, nor any bit of who I was or were I purchased it from. Maybe if there is an apple store in a urban wealthier area, might be better to return there ? Shouldn't be, but, not everything is perfect in this world. Dress up nice also, like going to church, play the game.

funny, last night purchased some bose quiet comfort 15 from best buy, closer to me than the apple store. I ask a question to verify that the audio code pulls out, detaches from the headphones. Guy replied like a wise ***, something along the line that would be stupid, no. The cable does, he was wrong, but the point is this guy was no polite, guessed, didn't really know. I never get this attitude from apple stores.

lol, apple employees are well mannered and well groomed.

I Get a great feeling buying from their stores, good vibe, respect for paying more money for most things.

I am trying to make the argument that the glass should not shatter, while in a Lifeproof case, just when you press a button. The first thing they said was $299 replacement before taxes... I am seeing what else they can do, as I think there must have been a manufacturer defect if this broke within a few weeks of having it while doing nothing more than pressing the home button.

I am not going to ditch apple, but was about to buy 10 iPad Airs for my company... now I think I will do something else.

Curious as to how many people have to post about a broken screen in this forum alone before Apple replies or does something about this screen. Clearly there is a problem.

That's exactly how I hoped it would be and what I expect from Apple. You pay a big premium for their products and when one fails due to not being fit for purpose you don't expect to be fobbed off and made to feel like some sort of liar when you've been a customer for nearly 20 years and have never returned a device frivolously - all across the internet people are reporting similar problems with easy glass breakage on the Air.

It's also not good enough to have buy Apple Care when these things should be covered by satutory rights.

I don't believe in rewarding companies that act this this way with more money. Android it is when it comes to replacing my iPhone.

Screen of my iPad Air (purchased Nov 2013) cracked while I held in hand, the right hand: thumb on bottom right of screen, supporting back with fingers. Tilted top of airpad towards me - and the screen cracked beneath thumb. Movement does put pressure on screen at location of thumb. But clearly screen must be able to withstand such perfectly normal use.

iPad had always been in case. It never fell. No scratch, or dent or anything on bevel.

Visited Apple store in Amsterdam today. Apple declines to repair/replace under warranty (decision did involve a supervisor). Had to pay EUR 288 for new ipad - without personalisation (which I did have on iPad). Paid this under protest, and will separately complain to Apple.

Very much not pleased.