iPad Pro: How Apple Intends to Avoid Another ‘Bendgate’ Controversy

Apple’s latest iPad Pro is the thinnest device the company has ever made… but does it bend? That’s likely to be the question on the mind of anyone who remembers the last iPad Pro “bendgate” controversy.

In 2018, Apple responded to durability concerns shared by new iPad Pro owners by admitting 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.”

Despite videos indicating that the 2018 iPad Pro models bent more easily than other models, Apple said the bend did not worsen over time or negatively affect the iPad’s performance, and that concerns over the device’s durability were unfounded.

Nevertheless, some iPad owners were understandably upset to find defects in devices that cost hundreds of dollars. Apple naturally wants to avoid a similar scenario with its latest 2024 models.

To allay concerns, in an interview with Arun Maini, Apple’s senior VP of hardware engineering John Ternus reveals that Apple has added a new protective “cowling” over the main logic board. This metal cover not only helps with heat dissipation, but also “effectively creates a central rib that runs through the whole thing and tremendously improves the stiffness of the products,” according to Ternus.

No doubt the new iPad Pro models will be subjected to exaggerated pressure tests by some YouTubers, and we are bound to see more than a few bent out of shape in the process. Whether Apple’s strengthend iPad Pro chassis will be enough to withstand the pressures of real-world everyday use over time is altogether another matter.

If early reviews are anything to go by, a handful of outlets have noted that the devices do feel particularly durable despite their impressive thinness. Do you have lingering doubts? Let us know in the comments. Pricing on the M4 ‌iPad Pro‌ begins at $999, and it can be purchased from Apple’s website.