Customers can send it to us or visit an Apple store or authorised repair centre. Looking at them helps determine the extent of the repair, and get an understanding of whether there’s a material defect or other mechanical failure under warranty. But, alas, people tend to ignore our scores and buy them anyway,” he says.Ī spokesman for Apple told Guardian Money: “It’s always been the case that we need to inspect units to assess damage. “We always mention this in our repairability scores when the device comes out. The part is expensive because you have to buy a new LCD, as well as the glass. They want it to be light enough so you can hold it with one hand without tiring, but that comes at a cost. “Apple is making a trade-off between thinness and durability. For some people Apple has replaced them free of charge, while others are told they must pay.

Having patronised me, they eventually hung up,” he says.Ī search of the web suggests Hassid is not alone, although the number of people complaining about cracked screens is few, relative to the number of sales.

“They were utterly contemptuous on the phone, refusing to countenance the idea that the crack may be a manufacturing defect or offering any practical help other than telling me to give them £556 for the repair. What shocked me was the reaction of the AppleCare person when I called. “Obviously, I can’t be certain that we didn’t cause it, but there is no evidence of any other damage. He says he used the iPad normally – although he admits he let his children use it to watch films – and says he was bemused to open the cover a few months into his ownership to see a large crack in the screen. In May, Hassid chose the then most expensive Pro and paid the Apple website £1,086 for the 256GB version, plus extra for the screen-protecting cover. It is set to be upgraded in the next few weeks when the Pro 2 is launched. It is now sold in two sizes – one with a 9.7-inch screen and the larger 12.9-inch. He also wants to know how the company can justify such a high repair bill for something he reckons is likely to happen to many other buyers.Īpple launched the Pro just under a year ago, claiming that it offered the thinnest and lightest iPad screen yet. The businessman, who spends several weeks at a time in Italy, taking his iPad with him, now questions whether the super-thin tablet is robust enough to be carried around and, in the words of the Consumer Rights Act, is “fit for purpose”.

Lonely screen cracked full