Get # Apple's iPadOS 18 Update Dilemma: A Sour Bite for M4 iPad Pro Users

For decades, in an ever-changing landscape of technology, Apple has offered arguably the most consistent ecosystem of reliability and innovation, at least to its loyal users. But a giant can stumble, and it seems that the rollout for iPadOS 18 has not only simmered but tanked on some of Apple’s most beloved devices, particularly M4 iPad Pro machines. In response, Apple has acted swiftly. What went wrong, and what are the implications for iPad users?

Heading 2: The Core of the Problem

At the centre of this iPad conundrum is a software update called iPadOS 18, which is supposed to help Apple’s tablets gain new functionality and features. For a select number of users with newer, more powerful iPad Pros, which feature Apple’s fastest mobile chips known as the M4, the software update was more like a device decoration: the beloved device turned into a paperweight. The word ‘bricking’ describes an electronic device that no longer functions, and is as useful as that most basic of objects, a brick.

APPLE'S ISSUE: What Went Wrong with the iPadOS 18 Update?

What began as an anxious wait for iPadOS 18 turned into disappointment and anger for Ibrahim and others in the Apple community, as Reddit and Apple Community forums lit up with reports of unsaved data loss and M4 iPad Pro devices deactivated midway through the update process. As Ibrahim explained to me as she watched a streaming TV series with her children upon arriving back home in Paris from the store in Nice: ‘It just switched off while the update was running. I tried everything: resets, factory resets, DFU mode … but it wouldn’t spring back to life. I was at the Apple Store and they confirmed it is bricked. Now I am on hold for a solution.’

APPLE'S RESPONSE: Apple's Response to the iPadOS 18 Rollback

Apple, whose corporate slogan is ‘Think different’, jumped on this, halting the iPadOS 18 update for M4 iPad Pro models, saying: ‘We have temporarily removed the iPadOS 18 update for M4 iPad Pro models as we work to resolve an issue that is impacting a small number of devices.’ It would be better for Apple if caught these issues before the update was released to the public.

The Impact on M4 iPad Pro Users

December 2022 saw the launch of iPadOS 18, but the gleaming march of technologic improvement was eclipsed a month later when it emerged that some affected iPad Pros were experiencing a sudden, unprovoked and complete shutdown. The affected device would be rendered terminally non-responsive and unbootable – an abrupt failure that could only be remedied by sending the iPad back to Apple and having it replaced. While only a small percentage of devices seem to have been affected, the revelations have cast a long shadow across the launch of iPadOS 18.

SOLUTIONS & FUTURE: How Apple Might Resolve This Update Issue

Apple’s redemption path is to not only unbrick the affected devices but to rebuild trust in the firm’s software update process. We don’t yet know whether the Reed brain wave decoder is a software-patch fix or a hardware-bench fix for these iPads; either way, Apple is likely working on a solution to make sure its tablet owners can continue to receive the benefits of the upgrade to iPadOS 18 without fear that someone’s modern-day bookend might actually manifest in real life.

Precautions for Future iPadOS Updates

Hopefully, as Apple wrestles with this problem, it might also mean a more considered approach to overnighting updates, especially on the subset of devices in its portfolio where performance is critical, like the M4 iPad Pro. For the average user, they may not install a future update so eagerly again, instead holding off until they know their machine is not another potential victim of the update process.

APPLE'S INNOVATION: The Allure of Apple: A Look Beyond the Updates

Although the roll-out of the newest iteration of the iPad, the iPadOS 18, was seemingly marred by a home screen bug, Apple’s innovation and commitment to enhancing the user experience cannot be obscured. Since the release of the first iPhone in 2007, Apple has been unwavering in its zeal for perfection, whether the perfection is achieved through technological bravado or through repairing the bug and making things right when they go wrong. In spite of the bugged home screen, perhaps the envy Apple inspires most among its tech industry rivals is its commitment not only to innovation, but also to customer service, which can ‘fix you’, and do it quickly.

So, it’s fair to say that iPadOS 18’s launch has not been precisely the cake walk it was reputed to be for some M4 iPad Pro users. However, the company’s direct action and its pledge to have this resolved more than absolves the issue. The praise for the shiniest object in tech circles, Apple’s ubiquitous shiny object brand, is a reminder that the sleek interfaces of devices are underpinned by some of the most ingenious, clever and frustrating management there is in industry – and it pales in comparison with the effort it takes to ensure that our hardware runs at its very best.