The new iPad Pro performs well in the extreme bend test and beats the previous generation

The new iPad Pro is here and the inevitable YouTube stress tests are already live. JerryRigEverything and AppleTrack have released their bend test videos, and both have apparently come to the same conclusion: the new iPad Pro holds up well to extreme force and seems fairly resistant to bending during normal use.

AppleTrack repeated the same turns with the iPad Pro M2 and the new iPad Pro M4 to compare, and while the iPad Pro M4 came out almost unscathed, the iPad Pro M2 had a definite loop in the corner near the cameras. JerryRigEverything praised the device for its “black magic levels of structural integrity”, at least when folded horizontally.

The device yielded to pressure much more easily with a vertical bend, likely due to the force going against the axis of the new internal reinforcement structure and the small openings of the charging ports at the bottom.

While iPads flex with almost any force, the tablet returns to its normal shape under almost any ordinary circumstance. Testers required much more force than would be expected in normal daily life to achieve permanent curvature.

And perhaps even more impressive, even after experiencing extreme levels of force, all iPads continued to function, including cameras and touchscreen responsiveness, albeit with a highly curved glass surface and broken.

At least based on these first impressions, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting a repeat of 2018’s #BendGate. That controversy erupted when the new 2018 iPad Pro form factor was released, and some customers found that devices would bend even under normal use, sometimes bent right out of the box.

Subsequent revisions, including this latest 2024 generation, do not really present the same symptoms. However, you should still be careful if you put your iPad in your bag, for example under many heavy books.

Watch their videos here to see how the iPad Pro M4 performs in terms of durability in bend tests: