M4 iPad Pro Bend Tests: Durability Equal to M2 Model Despite Thinness

The first M4 iPad Pro bend tests are in, and the initial consensus appears to be that Apple has managed to make its thinnest device ever just as durable as the previous generation M2 iPad Pro that it replaces.

bend test ipad pro 1
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.

When bending the iPad Pro from the back in the horizontal position, JerryRigEverything found that the device held up "surprisingly well," as if "suspicious levels of black magic structural integrity" were going on.

When forcibly bent from the back, the glass screen eventually rippled away from the frame, yet the display and operating system continued to function normally. When it came to putting pressure on the device vertically, however, it was a different story, and the iPad Pro quickly suffered a catastrophic split up the middle, originating from the USB-C port.


JerryRigEverything then removed the display to reveal and remove the internals, including 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," he added.


JerryRigEverything 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. In his own AppleTrack test, Sam Kohl agreed: "Is [its thinness] a durability risk? The answer is no. The spine that Apple put along the logic board is very good unless you are bending the corners in."


After placing in excess of 70 pounds of weight on the center of the iPad Pro display until complete structural failure, MobileReviewsEh concluded that the new iPad Pro is "just as tough if not a little bit tougher" than the one it replaces, despite being 18-20% 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."

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.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Caution)

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Top Rated Comments

truthsteve Avatar
12 months ago
YouTubers that made bend tests popular are a cancer to society
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
12 months ago
I refuse to watch these videos. Maybe they’re informational for some but I find them needlessly destroying technology for YouTube views.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
patlee2000 Avatar
12 months ago
YouTubers call out Apple for the iPad price, then proceed to buy a couple to break them in the name of science ?.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DMG35 Avatar
12 months ago
I used to really like the JerryRigEverything YouTube channel. But man has Zach's head gotten big. He comes across so smug and his "I know so much more than you about everything" attitude is unbearable for me to sit through now.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jarman92 Avatar
12 months ago

Two approaches were taken in bend tests by prominent tech YouTubers. JerryRigEverything ('https://youtu.be/GN6ZlssqNAE') for example forcibly applied pressure by bending the new device with his hands, while MobileReviewsEh ('//www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6LSoVJZfAU') 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.
Wow, someone actually used science and reliable methods instead of clickbait BS like JerryRigEverything.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rightoff Avatar
12 months ago
thank god, look forward to getting this on ebay in 5 years
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)