Seadog
iPF Noob
It has now been determined that some of the new iPads will not do as well with wifi connections as the iPad 2. There is a probability that this will be resolved with a software update like they did with the iPad 2. Worse case scenario is that there is a bad batch of iPads and they will be happily replaced by Apple, repaired, and resold as refurbished.
A recap of the issues to date:
Like any introduction, there are reports of light leaks. Most light leaks are small and unnoticed unless the owner goes looking for them. The only solution is to get a replacement.
It gets hot: Bigger, more power hungry battery and demands of the new setup. Especially while charging. Do not run the screen on maximum resolution and don't worry about it. It is well within normal tolerances.
The battery:
1. Runs down quickly. If the screen is on maximum brightness, it will reduce battery life to only 5 hours more or less of continuous video streaming. Run the brightness at 50% or less and get twice the duration.
2. Takes forever to charge. To handle the demand of the new screen, it has almost twice the battery power as the iPad 2, but is still using a 10W charger. It will take 7 hours instead of 4 hours of the iPad 2 to fully charge.
4G:
Besides the usually difficulties with getting accounts activated, people are finding that they can go through data plans in no time. One guy managed to go through his 5Gb allotment in less than a day. AT&T is trying to work a deal where app makers will be charged for data used by their apps. For example ABC player may be able to add advertising to pay for the service. This will not be a quck fix.
Dead Pixels:
This is not a problem specific to the new iPad, or even the iPad series. Any LCD screen built in large quantities will see some cases of dead pixels. Where this is new technology as to the shear number of pixels, there may be more get by the inspectors. Unless it is obvious, it is usually not a big deal.
One of the extended care companies that does a lot of iPad warranties says that the iPad 2 was damaged three times as often as the iPad 1 from being dropped. The new iPad is expected to have the same issue with drop damage as the iPad 2 since it is still using the same thickness gorilla glass and bezel mount. However, there is a strong possibility that Apple will start using the new, stronger gorilla glass at sometime during production. On the mechanical rate of failure side, the iPad 2 had a .3% fail rate, compared to the iPad 1 rate of .9%. The industry average failure rate for mobile devices other than Apple, is 3.5%, and for non-Apple laptops is 4.5%
For those of you who have an older smartcover, there is an issue that you will want to make note of. The magnet on the iPad 2 did not care what the polarity of the smartcover was. The new iPad does. If you have one of the old smartcovers from Apple or other manufacturers, it may not work. Particularly if you buy one in a store like Verizon, AT&T, Wal-Mart, or Best Buy. If the polarity is wrong, the cover will not turn off when closed. Checking is easy. Disconnect the hinge end and place the opposite side down on the screen like you would normally. If the iPad goes to sleep, you are golden. If not, the smartcover needs to be replaced.
Here are some items that will probably get fixed real soon with a software update.
1. A security issue was found with iOS 5.1 and Apple is working on it.
2. An issue was found where the new iPad would continue to charge after reaching 100%, or would not show full charge when at 100%.
3. Safari 5 will not scale up some pictures from the old screen resolution. The pictures can be imported to Photos to show full resolution.
Almost all the issues are a matter of perception, or will be resolved very shortly. Once people get a better idea of what to expect and how to deal with it, this chaos should die down. We might try consolidating all the worries/complaints about the new iPad to here so it is not scattered all over. The purpose of this is not to knock the ipad for any problems, but to help those few who experience any issues to see if their problem is being worked on or is an isolated case. No matter how much pre-production testing is done, only the real world will find all the little quirks of any new device.
A recap of the issues to date:
Like any introduction, there are reports of light leaks. Most light leaks are small and unnoticed unless the owner goes looking for them. The only solution is to get a replacement.
It gets hot: Bigger, more power hungry battery and demands of the new setup. Especially while charging. Do not run the screen on maximum resolution and don't worry about it. It is well within normal tolerances.
The battery:
1. Runs down quickly. If the screen is on maximum brightness, it will reduce battery life to only 5 hours more or less of continuous video streaming. Run the brightness at 50% or less and get twice the duration.
2. Takes forever to charge. To handle the demand of the new screen, it has almost twice the battery power as the iPad 2, but is still using a 10W charger. It will take 7 hours instead of 4 hours of the iPad 2 to fully charge.
4G:
Besides the usually difficulties with getting accounts activated, people are finding that they can go through data plans in no time. One guy managed to go through his 5Gb allotment in less than a day. AT&T is trying to work a deal where app makers will be charged for data used by their apps. For example ABC player may be able to add advertising to pay for the service. This will not be a quck fix.
Dead Pixels:
This is not a problem specific to the new iPad, or even the iPad series. Any LCD screen built in large quantities will see some cases of dead pixels. Where this is new technology as to the shear number of pixels, there may be more get by the inspectors. Unless it is obvious, it is usually not a big deal.
One of the extended care companies that does a lot of iPad warranties says that the iPad 2 was damaged three times as often as the iPad 1 from being dropped. The new iPad is expected to have the same issue with drop damage as the iPad 2 since it is still using the same thickness gorilla glass and bezel mount. However, there is a strong possibility that Apple will start using the new, stronger gorilla glass at sometime during production. On the mechanical rate of failure side, the iPad 2 had a .3% fail rate, compared to the iPad 1 rate of .9%. The industry average failure rate for mobile devices other than Apple, is 3.5%, and for non-Apple laptops is 4.5%
For those of you who have an older smartcover, there is an issue that you will want to make note of. The magnet on the iPad 2 did not care what the polarity of the smartcover was. The new iPad does. If you have one of the old smartcovers from Apple or other manufacturers, it may not work. Particularly if you buy one in a store like Verizon, AT&T, Wal-Mart, or Best Buy. If the polarity is wrong, the cover will not turn off when closed. Checking is easy. Disconnect the hinge end and place the opposite side down on the screen like you would normally. If the iPad goes to sleep, you are golden. If not, the smartcover needs to be replaced.
Here are some items that will probably get fixed real soon with a software update.
1. A security issue was found with iOS 5.1 and Apple is working on it.
2. An issue was found where the new iPad would continue to charge after reaching 100%, or would not show full charge when at 100%.
3. Safari 5 will not scale up some pictures from the old screen resolution. The pictures can be imported to Photos to show full resolution.
Almost all the issues are a matter of perception, or will be resolved very shortly. Once people get a better idea of what to expect and how to deal with it, this chaos should die down. We might try consolidating all the worries/complaints about the new iPad to here so it is not scattered all over. The purpose of this is not to knock the ipad for any problems, but to help those few who experience any issues to see if their problem is being worked on or is an isolated case. No matter how much pre-production testing is done, only the real world will find all the little quirks of any new device.
Last edited:
