New iPad Pro performs well in extreme bend test, beats previous-gen

The new iPad Pro is here and the inevitable YouTube stress tests are already online. JerryRigEverything and AppleTrack posted their bend test videos, and both seemingly came to the same conclusion: the new iPad Pro holds up well to extreme force and seems pretty resistant to bending during normal use.

AppleTrack repeated the same bends with the M2 iPad Pro and the new M4 iPad Pro to compare, and whereas the M4 iPad Pro came away almost unscathed, the M2 iPad Pro had a definitive curl in the corner near the cameras. JerryRigEverything praised the device for its “black magic levels of structural integrity”, at least when bent horizontally.

The device caved to the pressure much more easily with a vertical bend, probably due to the force going against the axis of the new reinforcing internal structure and the weakness of the charge port openings at the bottom.

While the iPads flex with almost any force, the tablet reverts to its normal shape in almost all ordinary circumstances. The testers required force far beyond what you would expect from normal everyday life in order to get a permanent bend.

And perhaps even more impressively, even after undergoing the extreme levels of force, all the iPads kept working including cameras and touchscreen responsiveness — albeit with a very much curved and shattered glass surface.

At least based on these initial impressions, it doesn’t seem like we will have a repeat of #BendGate from 2018. That controversy sprung up when the new form factor 2018 iPad Pro came out, and some customers found the devices would bend even under normal use, sometimes bent straight out of the box.

The later revisions, including this latest 2024 generation, do not really exhibit the same symptoms. However, you should still care if you put your iPad in your bag under a lot of heavy books, for instance.

Watch their videos here to see how the M4 iPad Pro fares for bend test durability: