Bent iPad (8th Generation) ....What Options Do I Have?

[Valo]

My girlfriends daughter's iPad (8th Generation) 32GB Wifi suddenly stopped working last week. After removing it from it's hardshell case she noticed the aluminium shell of the iPad has flexed and buckled at the location of the smart connector.

This bend in the aluminium shell has broken the touch input on the screen. The iPad has been kept in a hardshell plastic case since it arrived, her daughter is seven has always been extremely careful with it.

I can't understand how this has happened as even I would need to apply considerable force to buckle the back case.

The original order was placed on 30th November 2020 and Delivered 5th January 2021. She doesn't have AppleCare. She has taken it to an Apple Store and they've given her a quote to repair it.

This is the warranty check info:



What options does she have?

What is the best way to remove there Activation Lock and Erase it if I can't use the touch input or connect it to my mac?

 

[OverDrive]

This has happened to my girlfriend’s son’s iPad twice now - also well looked after and kept in a hard case. Eventually the screen may shatter from that point too. He is now on his third iPad. The aluminium seems to suddenly give and bend right at the point of the smart connector. A fundamental design floor that Apple have yet to officially acknowledge.

You will need the Apple ID email address and password to remove the activation lock. You can do this by doing an erase and reset via settings.

I would try and push for a free repair/replacement. Unfortunately Apple refused to acknowledge to my girlfriend that this was a design issue. Perhaps you will have better luck though. Thankfully the second iPad was purchased from Curry’s PC World and they replaced it without question when the flex reoccured.

 

[Valo]

This has happened to my girlfriend’s son’s iPad twice now - also well looked after and kept in a hard case. Eventually the screen may shatter from that point too. He is now on his third iPad. The aluminium seems to suddenly give and bend right at the point of the smart connector. A fundamental design floor that Apple have yet to officially acknowledge.

You will need the Apple ID email address and password to remove the activation lock. You can do this by doing an erase and reset via settings.

I would try and push for a free repair/replacement. Unfortunately Apple refused to acknowledge to my girlfriend that this was a design issue. Perhaps you will have better luck though. Thankfully the second iPad was purchased from Curry’s PC World and they replaced it without question when the flex reoccured.

I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one this has happened to. The touch input on the iPad is completely dead the screen is un-cracked, I managed to use Remote Wipe via Find My to erase and remove the Activation Lock on the iPad as it could still connect to wifi.

My girlfriend took it to Apple and like your partner didn't get anywhere with them with trying to get a replacement. They just gave her a quote to repair it I completely agree with you though that it's a fundamental design flaw placing the smart connector on the side rail without reinforcing the area.
That shouldn't happen on a device at all especially on one not even a year old, she only got it on 5th January this year.

 

[Alpherah]

This has happened to my girlfriend’s son’s iPad twice now - also well looked after and kept in a hard case. Eventually the screen may shatter from that point too. He is now on his third iPad. The aluminium seems to suddenly give and bend right at the point of the smart connector. A fundamental design floor that Apple have yet to officially acknowledge.

I’m sorry, this is absolute rubbish.
It will bend at the smart connector not because it’s a design flaw, but metal bends at its weakest point when flexed with considerable force.
Do you know how much heat is required to bend aluminium of this thickness with only “normal” levels of force applied?

I have no doubt both your children are careful. However accidents will happen. In both these cases I can guarantee force was applied (usually being stood on frankly - which may not be the child in question but easily someone else).

At work we tested this for lol’s with ex demo devices which were due to be melted down. In every instance we were unable to bend the iPad with hand force alone when held in the normal manner.
We were able to bend slightly when forced back with an elbow resting on the back at the other point.

But the most reliable method absolutely was standing on it.

I completely agree with you though that it's a fundamental design flaw placing the smart connector on the side railwithout reinforcing the area.
That shouldn't happen on a device at all

Again. This cannot happen when being handheld and used as the device is intended.
I’m sorry to say - it doesn’t bend itself.
Maybe a cheaper product such as the kindle fire kids edition may be a better choice for now.

 

[Street]

I’m sorry to say - it doesn’t bend itself.

The amount of times someone has told me that a device has just broken itself is ridiculous. 100% of the time it is down to misuse.