iPad Air glass break

I'm a Apple fanboy - and have been for years - but the iPad Air issue is very real. I've now had three iPad Airs break in less than 6 months.

Prior to owing an Air - I had the original iPad and an iPad 2; both are still in good physical condition today. When I first got an iPad Air - I was pleasantly surprised by how light it was - and thin. But it didn't take long for me to discover the down side of their new design. Having owned it for two months I cracked the glass after dropping it 6 inches onto my wooden bedroom floor. I was surprised it cracked so easily - having treated both my other iPads in exactly the same way - but I accepted that dropping your iPad is not the a wisest idea. I use my iPad a lot for work (8-10 hours a day) so couldn't wait to get it repaired, and instead bought a new the next day. I planned to get the other fixed to give to my wife (who was using my iPad 2 at the time).

About 2 weeks after buying the replacement - i discovered a hairline fracture running left to right across the screen. i was more than a little annoyed - as I'd done absolutely nothing to the damage the glass. rather than run the risk of buying a third replacement - only to suffer the same mishap - I got a GB appointment and went to the local Apple Store to find out what I could do - taking both of my (now damaged) iPads along with me.

The GB staff member looked over the first device - the one I'd dropped - and explained that it would cost £250 to replace it. I thought - fair enough, I did drop it - but explained that the other iPad - with the hairline fracture - had broken spontaneously. Now I've always really like speaking to Apple staff in the past - and have even had a couple of close friends that worked there - so I was really surprised to find this guy explicitly tell me I was lying. He said that the glass wouldn't have spontaneously cracked - and that I must have pressed too strongly on it. I was shocked. I wanted to argue my case - but it was clear that the store guy wasn't going to listen. So I accepted my fate - shelled out £500 and got both replaced.

More than a little disappointed by the whole experience - I eventually forgot all about it. That was until this morning when - lo and behold - I picked up one of my two iPad Air to discover that - yet again - a screen had cracked. Like the second iPad - its a hairline fracture running left to bottom right.

THREE iPads in less than 6 months. Sorry - but this is no Black Swan, no freakish accident. There is clearly a design floor in the iPad Air - which means it can't tolerate general use. Don't get me wrong - I think the Air is an amazing tool - and still love it to bits. But Apple need to admit that there is a problem. The designers are pushing the boundaries how how thin a device can be given the materials they use - which relies on the strength of the glass to lend some rigidity to the whole thing.

I'm about to buy myself a new iPhone 6 - but am already anticipating problems. Like the iPad - there is very little structural rigidity. Fortunately - unlike the Air - the iPhone 6 has less overall weight and it's smaller physical proportions should (I hope) make it less vulnerable. But I'm going to be treating it with kid gloves. Gone are the days when I could trust Apple to develop a portable device that can handle normal daily use. More and more I need to accept that Apple focus on looks, ergonomics and weight in its design of the chassis of its products; the cost of which is poor structural performance and tolerances.

First - is anyone else unable to interact with this forum via iOS through safari? I can only make this post (whEnron iPad) using chrome. Do I need to point out the irony of that?

Second - I've moaned and groaned as much as anybody on this thread - and am still all but fully dispirited (at this point in my post, I could only back-space so I had to pack up and move over to Notes to continue typing - maybe something got into my iPads built in keyboard) by the whole mess.

Being a blind follower, I have of course purchased an iPad Air 2. Love it, as I did the Air which sits inside my closet inside the 2's box. Boy would some their be in for a cruel joke if he thought he scored on that one!

For months (purchased the second day available) I have been living in the twilight zone world of where-the-****-are-cases-for-the-iPad-Air-2?! Thinking a good ratio of you are in my shoes, I figured I'd share my discovery of the first suitable case for the Air 2.

Logitech Big Bang Case for Apple® iPad® Air 2 Forged Graphite SKU: 9483216

I've discovered a lazy Santa - at least at my local Best Buy - FINALLY was able to stock a decent selection of Air 2 cases. They were not there for Xmas - and not there Jan 2 but, BEHOLD Jan 4 - from ZERO (excluding ******** sleeves with "iPad Air 2" stickers slapped on their slip-case) to nearly a dozen somewhat usable cases.

No LifeProof, no Otter - the super squishy Griffin version was available but not an option in my opinion. In combination with my Zagg's Glass and the Logitech mentioned above, I have FINALLY found a long-term solution for leaving the protection of my padded cell with my Air 2 in-hand.

There were some almost-acceptable folios but only this one had bumper edges that extended ABOVE the level of the glass surface thereby protecting it when laying face down.

Sorry I am rambling and pretty off focus with this... review? Riding in the car and dodging, "get off your **** iPad" hoots and hollers.

IMO Call apple , I have bought several apple products in the past and still have them all. My family got a new ipad air for Christmas and within less than 2 weeks it got a full line crack a 1/4 the way up screen all the way across. I have 2 year old ipad with no case ever and 3 children using it and it has been dropped and no problems ever. The ipad air i took to the store and they got me to call apple and get a CS #. After talking to supervisor and him seeing all the apple products I had with no issues he gave me CS # and I have new ipad air now within 4 days no charge. I am very happy with apple support and will continue to only by apple products in the future when needed. I will say though my new phones and ipad air screens are not as strong and scratch proof as the older ones IMO.

I'm glad to have found this thread. I thought I was going crazy. I bought my ipad air at the end of November 2013 as a treat for my birthday. Since day one my ipad air has been handled with kid gloves. I have never dropped it and have never treated it roughly. No one in my family has ever been ever allowed to touch it but myself. Last night while using my ipad I noticed a crack running one side of the ipad to the top left side of the camera. It is just a single hairline crack. I have no idea why this happened. The bezel looks perfect. The ipad looks perfect except for the crack. We have other tablets in our house that I can admit to tossing around, dropping on the floor and throwing into backpacks. These tablets work perfectly and show not even a scratch. They cost much less than the ipad too!!

I am so disappointed and sad. I loved my ipad but I agree with some of the other posters on here. There is a defect with the ipad air screen and Apple should fix it. My ipad just passed the one year warranty. I have yet to take it to the Genius bar but expect to hear it will be £249 to fix. There's no way I can afford it. Grrrrrrr

Hi Michael,

Thank you very much for your post. My Ipad air had a single air line crack I never know when and where It was happened I thought It might be a physical damage so I was not planning it to replace since the touch everything was working fine.

After 4 months I just searched for options I found your post decided to try my luck so taken to Apple store and it worked for me after the inspection they agreed for replacement since it was a single air line crack and no physical damage.

I'M NOW SHOCKED AS WELL.

iPad Air 1, screen cracked at start button - Fans Out across the screen.

This is by far the most ridiculous thing ever.

No edge support at hole at Home Button,,so

Repeated Press effort

with case offset hitting edge of hole vs button dead center

had to crack it.

This iPad doesn't leave bedside.

Same thing with mine, left it on the bedside table, next night picked it up and hairline crack 30mm to the right of home button extending at 45 degrees to left hand side, still works and can hardly see it, only me at home so no one else has touched it.

I have a jewelers lupe it's about 12X and decided to look at the crack close up and discovered at each corner of the screen scratches at various angles about 0.75mm and tiny nicks in the glass edge, how can this be when it's been in a case and never left the house ? I think quality control and assembly technique are at fault here, seems like ipad Air's are leving the factory with faults in the glass which are susceptible to slight pressure and temperature fluctuations !

I purchased my second iPad Air, the first one cracked in the corner and I took it to where I purchased it and was told it would cost a lot to fix and since it was only in the corner to pretty much deal with it, which I did unfortunately. Then I purchased another to give my granddaughter the first one and it cracked the exact same way from only putting it into a Apple case. I called Apple the are willing to fix the one I just bought but not first one I feel this one should also be fixed as this is a p

Take it to an Apple Store and plead your case. If necessary, talk to the store manager.

Make a Genius Bar Reservation

http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

 Cheers, Tom 😉

And get a good case, like an Otterbox

(hanging on dearly to my iPad 4)

Same issue here.

$700 iPad air

40ish days after purchase (bought November 1st)

One single crack across screen.

Previously owned 3 iPads without issues.

Melissa1968,

You shouldn't pay a dime. Your iPad is obviously defective and they can tell. See above post from Michael00

One month old iPad Air, no trauma.

Large single hairline crack showed up yesterday.

Apple Care Plus will repair/replace for $49 + tax

No admission by Apple - yet - that there is a design problem....

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

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.