Apple Pulls iPadOS 18 for M4 iPad Pro Amid Complaints of Bricked Tablets
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Apple has pulled the iPadOS 18 update for the M4 iPad Pro, after some users reported that their tablet was bricked after attempting to install the new operating system. M4 iPad Pro owners can no longer download and install the update at this time.
Some M4 iPad Pro owners on Reddit (first noticed by MacRumors) say their tablet shut down in the middle of the iOS 18 installation process, resulting in a bricked iPad Pro that refused to power back on.
Reddit user tcorey23:
I have the M4 13 Pro. I had two updates for my iPad today, first I installed iOS 17 something with no issues then I immediately tried to install iOS 18. At some point during the update my iPad turned off, and would no longer turn on. I walked away during the update so I’m not sure when it broke. I tried all of the reset options but nothing worked. I just took it to the Apple Store who confirmed it’s completely bricked, but they said they had to send it out to their engineers before they can give me a replacement even though I have Apple care.
“tcory23” says he has babied his iPad Pro since he bought it a couple of months ago, never dropping it or using it around water. He has always kept it in a silicone case. He humorously wonders, “Was the new calculator app just too much for the M4 chip to handle?”
Reddit user “Lisegot” says the iOS 18 update bricked his 11-inch M4 iPad Pro. He immediately took off work to go to the Apple Store for a replacement. The Apple Store did not have his model in stock, so he had to wait 5 to 7 days for a replacement.
Another Reddit user theorized that the affected users may have gotten a defective unit. He also asked if the users might have forgotten to plug their device in before performing the update, leading to the battery dying before the update was completed, leaving a bricked device in its wake.
While several other Reddit users reported that the iOS 18 update also bricked their M4 iPad Pro, not all owners of the popular Apple tablet have experienced an issue installing the update. At least one of the owners of a bricked M4 iPad Pro reported they had installed the new iOS 17.7 update before installing iOS 18. We expect Apple to push the software again when its engineers have determined the issue behind the bricking and have come up with a fix.
This is certainly not the first time that an Apple update has bricked devices.
In May 2016, Apple released iOS 9.3.2, which bricked some iPads (this was before Apple split iOS and iPadOS into two development platforms). Several Apple support forum users said that after installing the latest iOS 9.3.2 update, their 9.7-inch iPad Pro units would reboot, asking them to connect the device to iTunes via a USB cable. However, their devices remained unusable and unable to be restored.
In October 2018, Apple pulled the watchOS 5.1 update after reports that it bricked certain Apple Watch devices. While the bug didn’t brick every Apple Watch model, those that were affected became stuck on the Apple logo during or after installation. In November of that year, Apple released a watchOS 5.1.1 update that included a fix for the installation issue.
