Q: iPad air 2 pop noise

I am on the second air2 now. It's better than the first but only after turn off sound for keyboard and close. Just figured out that facebook messenger is worst off all it pops on all messages that are sent and recived when on a conversation. The sound is definintly coming from speaker. When I first put my iPop on it popped in the left corner on first screen. Haven't heard that sound again on this one but on the first it happend all time.

Took first Air 2 in as I was having a freezing issue. Replacement now has this popping issue. Here are the details for my device:

Nice Name: iPad Air 2

ModelCode: ipad_2

Family name:

Group1: iPad

Group2: Air

Generation: 2

Screen size: 9.7 inch

Screen resolution: 2048x1536 pixels

Colour: Space Gray

Production year: 2014

Production week: 49 (December)

Model introduced: 2014

Capacity: 64GB

Memory - flavour: xx

Factory: DM (China - Foxconn)

The iPad Air 2 is my first iPad.  So far, it has been a very frustrating experience and I'm extremely disappointed with Apple.  It seems like they are having significant quality control issues.  I have had a few iPad Air 2's and they have all had unacceptable problems.  They have had issues with: dead pixels, scratches, locking up for a day with a black screen, freezing, glitchiness and popping.  I really like using the iPad, but I'm about ready to give up and look elsewhere due to all the headaches. 

I would like to know if possible if there are certain storage capacities and/or colors that tend to be better.  For anyone who has had success in finding a pop-free iPad Air 2, it might be helpful to know the color, storage capacity and production week.

Mine have ALL been Wifi Space Grey 64GB.  Most were manufactured in December.  The most recent was made in Week 51. 

My popping sounds like it's coming from the speaker.  It's not super loud.  With my last iPad, it occurred mostly when it was near 100% charge.  The new iPad seems to pop regardless of charge level. It sounds the same.  

I would like to try to find one without issues.  But, I don't know how much more of this I can take.  Based on what I have read, the popping seems like a hardware issue and I'm not willing to overlook it. 

Good pop-free hunting luck to everyone!  I wish you the best!

Had about the same exact experience as you, unfortunately. My first apple product and same choice of color and capacity. I was very impressed with the overall quality of the device and the applications for iOS, so much that I went ahead and just bought an iPad mini. I can confirm the Mini and the Air 1 doesn't have the pop issue. I should also mention that none of the Bluetooth styluses work for the Air 2 and portable sketching was one of the main reasons I bought it. Specifications and the screen are nice on Air 2, but the older generations are just as capable devices with little competition in that price range.  Can save yourself a little money if you go that route. The whole experience with the Mini is less buggy and just as quick for what Im doing with it. It has been a pleasure to own so far and I hope Apple can get this issue solved when I decide to upgrade. Good luck.

I have returned 2 iPad Air 2's to Very.com in the space of a week. All had random static/crackling noises. First noticed when playing Fifa 15. Also evident in many other apps including YouTube.

Had the Genius Bar in the Watford store take a look. I was told this issue was new to them (Rubbish, Apple are aware) and was advised to send back to Very for replacements. Also tested 2 of their display models. Both had the same faults. I was then told it may be a software issue by the store manager after questioning Apple's poor quality control. I then explained this was doubtful as the problem was first reported upon release late last year and that the recent IOS updates had failed to fix the remedy. His response was "It could well be a bigger problem"

I honestly believe there is a fundamental flaw with the hardware. Have lost faith with Apple and their latest flagship iPad.

CountryGirl7777 wrote:

I would like to know if possible if there are certain storage capacities and/or colors that tend to be better.  For anyone who has had success in finding a pop-free iPad Air 2, it might be helpful to know the color, storage capacity and production week.

Well, the issue is being discussed, since the very first Air 2 units were sold in october. In all these months Apple made millions of units in all flavors (color, storage, etc.) and some of them are still having the same problem, like your week 51 example shows. I'd say neither production week nor anything else is currently an indicator for a good or a bad unit.

Watford are aware for sure as that's where I took mine.

williamnapple wrote:

 

Had about the same exact experience as you, unfortunately. My first apple product and same choice of color and capacity. I was very impressed with the overall quality of the device and the applications for iOS, so much that I went ahead and just bought an iPad mini. I can confirm the Mini and the Air 1 doesn't have the pop issue. I should also mention that none of the Bluetooth styluses work for the Air 2 and portable sketching was one of the main reasons I bought it. Specifications and the screen are nice on Air 2, but the older generations are just as capable devices with little competition in that price range.  Can save yourself a little money if you go that route. The whole experience with the Mini is less buggy and just as quick for what Im doing with it. It has been a pleasure to own so far and I hope Apple can get this issue solved when I decide to upgrade. Good luck.

Thank you williamnapple!  I appreciate the helpful info!  I'm torn, but the info helps.  I waited so long for the Air 2 to come out and maybe I should have just bought the Air 1 way back when.  Maybe it would have saved me a lot of trouble.   Haha. 

I wish Apple would step up and fix the problem.  Maybe it's an overall design defect and they are struggling with it. Regardless, this has been a very disappointing experience.

Prior to my Air 2 purchase, I was thinking of buying an iPhone 6 Plus, but I'm definitely going to hold off.   Best of luck to you!  Enjoy your Mini. 

Air8 wrote:

 

CountryGirl7777 wrote:

I would like to know if possible if there are certain storage capacities and/or colors that tend to be better.  For anyone who has had success in finding a pop-free iPad Air 2, it might be helpful to know the color, storage capacity and production week.

 

Well, the issue is being discussed, since the very first Air 2 units were sold in october. In all these months Apple made millions of units in all flavors (color, storage, etc.) and some of them are still having the same problem, like your week 51 example shows. I'd say neither production week nor anything else is currently an indicator for a good or a bad unit.

Thank you Air8! I previously read some say that it affected a very small percentage of Air 2's in the beginning.  However, it does not look like that is the case because units made in December still have the problem. 

I appreciate the info.  I was hoping that I could get around it by buying a 128 GB, but I guess that was wishful thinking.    Good luck to you! 

CountryGirl7777 wrote:

 

I appreciate the info.  I was hoping that I could get around it by buying a 128 GB, but I guess that was wishful thinking.    Good luck to you! 

My iPop Air 128 GB LTE model (week 43) does it.

Unless Apple shares some infos about the real nature of this problem there is no guarantee that a replacement unit won't pop.

Air8 wrote:

 

CountryGirl7777 wrote:

 

I appreciate the info.  I was hoping that I could get around it by buying a 128 GB, but I guess that was wishful thinking.    Good luck to you!

 

My iPop Air 128 GB LTE model (week 43) does it.

Unless Apple shares some infos about the real nature of this problem there is no guarantee that a replacement unit won't pop.

Thanks for for the info. :-(

If I were going to buy or exchange one now, before I left the store, I would sit down and make sure it wasn't at least prone to frequent popping.  It seems the easiest way to do that is to swipe down from the home screen to open spotlight then swipe up to close it, doing this repeatedly turns the audio on and off for the keyboard, which seems cause the pop.  I was in the Apple Store in Charlotte NC two days ago and tried this with the demos they had out.  On one of the iPads I got the pop consistently every three or four times I opened/closed Spotlight.  The other 4 iPads I tried it on did not pop after multiple tries.  I did not do this when I exchanged mine on December 18, but luckily I got one that has not popped.

I Believe the snap crackle and pop is annoying but the worse thing about Air 2 is the vibrating case creating ear destroying music.

I have returned 2 iPad Air 2's in the last week because of random Static & Crackling sounds. This was most evident in quite a few apps including Fifa 15 and YouTube. Had the Genius Bar team (Watford store) take a look. They branded both devices as defective hardware.

I decided to test the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, ,iPad Mini 3, iPad Air and iPad Air 2 display models in the Watford store. All showed the same faults.

Spoke to 2 sales assistants and the manager about this issue. None had received complaints or were aware of this problem (Utter Rubbish! They're aware. I know of 3 other people who returned iPad Air 2's for the same reason.)

I initially thought this was a hardware fault. I'm now leaning to believe this is a software issue. Either way, sloppy quality control from Apple. Has anyone else experienced the same problems?

Referring to your last sentence with regards Watford in the UK. YES before Christmas, but it its happening over a range of idevices its clearly software.