Apple announced a new worldwide service program for 3rd generation iPad Air models that experience a strange problem with their screens. According to Apple, the screens on some iPads apparently flicker or flash before going blank permanently, which means bye-bye iPad.
If you’re one of the unlucky people with an iPad Air that has this problem, we’ve got some good news: Apple will fix it for free. The company says its new service program will apply to iPads that were manufactured between March 2019 and October 2019. The 3rd generation iPad Air was released to the public in March 2019.
Apple did not explain what was causing the iPads to malfunction in this way. PCMag theorizes that it’s probably a manufacturing fault associated with the LCD panel that disables functionality.
The company states that either Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service the eligible devices. To get your iPad Air fixed, you have three options:
- Take it to an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
- Take it to an Apple Store near you.
- Contact Apple Support to send them your iPad Air in the mail, where it will be serviced by the Apple Repair Center.
You should know that getting your iPad Air fixed through this program won’t extend the device’s standard warranty, which can be used to fix manufacturing defects for one year since the date your bought the product.
Per Apple, the service program will cover affected iPad Air devices “for two years after the first retail sale of the unit.”
Get more information here.