Apple says some 2018 iPad Pro units ship with bent chassis, but they don’t consider it a defect

“Apple has confirmed to The Verge that some of its 2018 iPad Pros are shipping with a very slight bend in the aluminum chassis,” Chris Welch reports for The Verge. “But according to the company, this is a side effect of the device’s manufacturing process and shouldn’t worsen over time or negatively affect the flagship iPad’s performance in any practical way. Apple does not consider it to be a defect.”
“The bend is the result of a cooling process involving the iPad Pro’s metal and plastic components during manufacturing, according to Apple,” Welch reports. “Both sizes of the new iPad Pro can exhibit it.”
“Even if only cosmetic, the issue is out of character for Apple, which has rooted its reputation in manufacturing devices with best-in-industry fit and finish,” Welch reports. “Those who are annoyed by the bend shouldn’t have any trouble exchanging or returning their iPad Pro at the Apple Store or other retailers within the 14-day return window. But it’s not clear if swaps will be permitted outside that policy… Apple also says it has not seen a higher-than-normal return rate for the 2018 iPad Pro so far.”
Bent iPad Pro image via MacRumors with red lines overlay by MacDailyNews
 
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MacDailyNews Take: Any units with a bend out of the box should be exchangeable. Steve Jobs built Apple on quality industrial design inside and out. If you don’t have highly excellent fit and finish out of the box (read, straight lines, no bends), Apple failed you and the company should replace with a unit exhibiting the expected Apple-level of fit and finish that was established by Steve Jobs.
Any side effect of a manufacturing process that results in bent metal where the designer obviously intended a straight line is a flawed manufacturing process that should have been deemed unacceptable, rejected prior to volume manufacturing, and designed around once this cooling process issue presented itself during production testing.
You can bet your ass that if Apple Park’s door handles were in any way bent out of the box, Jony & Co. would have had them replaced for free by the door handle manufacturer while also extracting a compensatory damage fee after threatening to never work with them again.