The new iPad Pro is a gorgeous and smart tablet worthy of praise, but once again questions are being raised about its structural integrity.
A new video on YouTube channel EverythingApplePro, shows that the iPad Pro can still be bent by hand without much effort. You can watch this below as part of a larger teardown. It may make you think twice about buying this slate, given that the sturdier MacBook Air has the same starting price.
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The reason why this is a particularly unfortunate instance of bending is because the iPad Pro range has seen this problem before. The 2018 version of the premium tablet was also found to bend, leading to what became known as "Bendgate." Apple had to step in and replace many iPad Pros, some of which were shipped to customers already damaged.
Obviously, it's unlikely that anyone is going to deliberately try and break their iPad Pro in the way that EverythingApplePro has done. And the video does not provide measurements for the amount of pressure applied. But it still serves as a reminder that tablets are relatively fragile compared to clamshell laptops. The 2020 iPad Pro is only shipping out to customers this week, so we'll have to wait and see if durability is going to be a problem for users.
Besides this issue, there are still some good things to appreciate about the new iPad Pro. Apple has added a LiDAR scanner to the rear camera block to help with AR apps, as well as an ultrawide camera for better photography.
Inside the iPad Pro the CPU has been upgraded to an A12Z Bionic model with an 8-core GPU, and the base storage is now 128GB, up from 64GB. Plus, iPadOS now has better cursor support. This enables iPad owners to use the new Magic Keyboard accessory, which comes with a trackpad built in, or third-party mice or trackpads.
However, a clamshell laptop will always be sturdier than the single-frame design of a tablet. The MacBook Air, the most recent version of which was revealed on the same day as the new iPad Pro, comes with the same keyboard design that you need to pay $349 extra for on the iPad Pro.
The Air is less portable than the iPad Pro, but if you're concerned about durability, the MacBook Air will likely serve your needs better than the iPad Pro will. No case required. Check out our full iPad Pro vs MacBook Air face-off to see which device is right for you.
