There are a lot of exciting features coming to iPads with the latest iPadOS 18 update, though we’re betting few users wanted the patch to make their tablet completely inoperable. Apple said Tuesday it pulled the latest update from this year’s M4 iPad Pro after several users complained the update made it unusable. Apple has yet to say when the update will be back online, though users with bricked iPads describe needing to wait days or even weeks for a replacement.
Apple confirmed it pulled the update in a statement to MacRumors. Several users on the iPadOS and iPadPro subreddits claimed their device bricked after installing iPadOS 18 from iPadOS 17. One thread described how the tablet shut down during the update process and wouldn’t start up again. One person on Reddit said a worker at an Apple store confirmed the device was “completely bricked,” though they needed to wait for Apple to confirm it was broken before they could send a replacement. Another user said they had to wait nearly a week for a replacement.
We installed iPadOS 18 on our 13-inch M4 iPad Pro review unit without issues, though we had updated off the beta release. Users on Reddit described the issue could be from updating it from some builds of iOS 17. It’s hard to tell just how widespread the problem is, but the Cupertino tech giant claimed in its statement the issue was impacting “a small number of devices.”
We contacted Apple for further comment and clarification on when the company may reinstate the update, but we did not immediately hear back. We’ll update this story once we hear more. So far, it seems the issue is singularly related to the M4 iPad Pro. The 2024 iPad Air and 10th-gen iPads are apparently unaffected.
The big September Apple OS update hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. We updated all our units to the latest build updates without hiccups, though our Apple Watch Ultra 2 took several hours to download and install the watchOS11 update.
iPadOS 18 introduces several new features, such as Math Notes, which lets users hand-write math equations, which the onboard AI solves. The iPads also get an extra tab bar in some apps like Apple TV and Apple News for easier navigation. Like iOS 18, you can customize your home screen far more, with the ability to change the size, position, and color of your app icons. If you were hoping to test out Apple Intelligence features, you will need to wait until later this year. According to reports, Apple won’t unveil the completely reconfigured Siri until 2025.
Save for a few exclusive features; the update feels very familiar if you’ve used the latest iPhone OS betas. We’re still waiting for another update that will make the iPad more versatile and easier to multitask. Apple is reportedly set to reveal an 11th-generation iPad next month, though if the M4 chip is any indicator, the next Apple tablet will be going full hog into AI.
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