Apple’s M4 iPad Pro has hit the market, and the bend tests are in, with some of YouTube’s most prominent content creators endeavoring to see how much pressure Apple’s thinnest device ever can take before breaking.
Two approaches were taken in bend tests by prominent tech YouTubers. JerryRigEverything for example forcibly applied pressure by bending the new device with his hands, while MobileReviewsEh took a different tack by placing the iPad under a force meter and applying gym weights on top to exert pressure within a limited contact area.
The tests began over at JerryRigEverything, which cited that the tablet held up “surprisingly well,” as if “suspicious levels of black magic structural integrity” were going on.
In the JerryRigEverything review, it was noted that when forcibly bent from the back, the M4 uPad Pro’s glass would eventually ripple away from the frame, yet the display and operating system would continue to function normally. Still, in terms of vertical pressue on the device, the iPad Pro quickly suffered a catastrophic split up the middle, originating from the USB-C port.
The JerryRig Everything crew then proceeded to remove the display to reveal the internal components, such as the new metal cowling that runs down the middle of the device. “If Apple could add another more perpendicular spine running width-wise near the charging port, this thing probably would have survived,” the review added. The review concluded that the central spine of the new iPad Pro is “definitely providing enough structure for horizontal bends,” and should stand up to everyday use in a backpack or luggage.
Over at the MobileReviewsEh review, it was noted that after placing 70 pounds of weight on the center of the iPad Pro display, the device would suffer a complete structural failure. The review concluded that the new iPad Pro is “just as tough if not a little bit tougher” than the one it replaces, despite being 18 to 20 percent thinner than the M2 iPad Pro.
All in all, another “bendgate” looks unlikely. For those unfamiliar with the controversy, Apple in 2019 admitted to shipping its then-new models with a “very slight bend in the aluminum chassis,” which it blamed on a “side effect of the manufacturing process.”
Finally, the AppleTrack review had positive things to say about the overall strength despite the tablet’s thinness, the screens hold up to damage, and the displays and their cameras work in spite of extensive abuse.
If you’ve gotten your mitts on the new M4 iPad Pro, please let us know about your experience in the comments.
Via MacRumors, JerryRigEverything, MobileReviewsEh, and AppleTrack