Apple Acknowledges iPad Pro Bending Issue: Report

While Apple brought a number of enhancements to both sizes of its iPad Pro with refreshed models this fall, one change to the tablets isn't sitting as well with some buyers.

Some 2018 iPad Pro tablets, in both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, exhibit a "very slight bend," Apple confirmed with The Verge. The bend is evident on the tablets right out of the box in some cases, while sometimes the bend appears after usage for a few days or weeks, according to the report.

[Related: Apple's New iPad Pro Vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 6]

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

However, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company says the bend is a normal result of the manufacturing process--specifically, the cooling of plastic and metal parts, according to The Verge. Apple "does not consider it to be a defect," the report says. "Apple says that concerns over the iPad Pro’s structural rigidity are unfounded and that it stands by the product."

The report followed claims of the iPad Pro bending in a YouTube video (which now has garnered more than 6 million views), as well as on social media and user forums in recent weeks.

The issue brings to mind the "bendgate" controversy that surrounded the iPhone 6 Plus. Apparently as a result of its thin design, the iPhone 6 Plus was prone to bending under certain conditions—such as if a user sat down with the phone in their pocket for long stretches.

Apple argued that the instances of this happening were rare, but reportedly agreed to replace some bent devices. Apple would go on to utilize a stronger type of aluminum in the design of the next-generation model, the iPhone 6S Plus.

In an issue apparently related to the iPhone 6S bending flaw, the phone also suffered from so-called "touch disease,” which caused the display to lose touch responsiveness over time.