It was proving pretty tricky to photograph so I resorted to my trusty Veho USB Microscope
to get a video and some photos at the end of the post.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

You can press along the top and this gap flexes in and out but it’s resting position is with a gap probably just less than 1mm. This might not sound like much and you may not notice it initially, especially on the black iPad 2′s but on the white ones, once this gap starts to gather some dust and dirt it really starts to become noticeable.

I made an appointment at the local Genius Bar and showed them the problem, on the way through the store I stopped and checked all 16 or so iPad 2 they had on display and none of them had this issue. The genius at first wasn’t sure so he sought a second opinion and the 2nd Genius straight away said “that’s not right, I wouldn’t be happy with it if it was my iPad” so they agreed to swap it out for a new one. Even though they were out of stock for sale iPad 2′s, they have a separate stock for exchanges and repairs and luckily for me they had one white 64GB white one.

He brought the new one out, passed it to me in the cellophane wrap to double check the new one whilst he started doing the paper work. Unfortunately the replacement one he handed me to inspect had an even bigger gap just under neath the headphone socket but only about 1 inch long unlike the one I took back which had a 5-6 inch long gap.

The genius seemed a little surprised too and went out the back for quite a while, eventually he came back and said since I rejected that one and they had no others in he’d have to order me one, so I’m waiting for a call to let me know when they’ve got it in.

Some of you may think I’m being a little fussy here, but let’s just remember how proud Apple were of the tight fit and finish and tolerances of the iPhone 4 bezel and metal surround (even if it did have a few holding-it-wrong issues) and let’s also not forget this isn’t some £100 palm-pilot from the 90′s, this is a £700 tablet (including the smart cover which of all the iPad 2 accessories is the only thing I’ve bought so far) and if I’m parting with £700 for something it needs to be 100% right.

UPDATE 26th April 2011: I had a call from Apple to say that the replacement iPad 2 they had ordered was in store. I tried calling to ask them to inspect it before I drove for an hour to the store but their stupid phone system auto-hangs up every time so I had to make the drive. I checked the new unit and whilst there were no gaps around the bezel, the left hand side aluminium was badly scratched (where the smart cover connects). I asked if it was a refurb unit to which they said no, I pointed out the marks and said I’m rejecting this one too and he took it out the back for 5 minutes and came back out with a brand new sealed retail unit. They apologised for messing me around and gave me the brand new retail unit which upon inspection seems perfect. So as far as quality control and build quality go for the new iPad 2, it’s not looking good, I rejected 3 out of 4 units!

1 – REJECTED my original one as seen in the photos and videos with a long gap across the top

2 – REJECTED the first replacement offered to me with a smaller but wider gap under the headphone socket

3 – REJECTED the second replacement offered to me a week later with no gaps but badly damaged down the left hand side

4 – ACCEPTED the new retail unit they opened for me, no marks, scratches or gaps…since getting it home I’ve noticed some light bleed around the edges but can’t be bothered going back to the store again just yet.

The iPad provides yet more proof that Apple can do no wrong, as following on from the iPod and the iPhone it has managed to create a sleek, sexy gadget that has tugged on the heart and purse strings of millions around the world. The iPad is available in a number of slightly different versions, with the most basic offering Wi-Fi connectivity and 16GB of onboard storage space. You can buy versions with higher capacity storage, but the most significant difference between the base model and the high end editions is the inclusion of 3G connectivity.

With 3G onboard the iPad can get online using the mobile broadband networks supplied by various providers and this means that you will not be limited to online functionality only when there is a Wi-Fi network to which you have access nearby. You will need to pay £100 more for the 3G equivalent of a Wi-Fi model which shares the same onboard storage space, so in terms of cost there is a difference. However, if you are going to be taking your iPad with you wherever you go and not just sitting at home and using it with your own Wi-Fi network, then it makes sense to splash out for 3G connectivity in order to make the package complete.

Most major UK networks have revealed their own price plans which will allow the iPad 3G to surf the internet wherever there is adequate network coverage. 3 has one of the best value plans, with a 10GB monthly download limit on a £15 pay monthly contract. Orange and O2 have both launched plans which you can pay for on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, with the former giving you a 200MB 24 hour limit for £2 a day, while the latter ups this to 500MB for the same price. Vodafone is also offering iPad price plans and although its prices match up to those of its competitors, its download limits are not as generous as those offered by 3.

Many people may wonder whether picking up an iPad is worthwhile if they already own an iPhone, or another smartphone like the popular HTC Desire which is based on Google`s Android platform. The iPad shares the same operating system as the iPhone, but its screen is almost three times as large as that of the iPhone and so browsing websites is much more comfortable and natural. It also works much better as a device for reading eBooks and viewing magazine and newspaper articles, which the iPhone can also achieve, but with limitations based on its screen size. People who already have a smartphone might be less interested in the 3G version of the iPad, because the extra money will only give them portable internet access which is currently supported on major smartphones and the portability of the larger, heavier iPad could be more of a curse than a blessing.

One solution to the problem of whether to choose an i Phone rather than an iPad or a combination of the two is to opt for a low cost mobile that can make calls and send texts while having the iPad for your more complex and hardware-intensive tasks such as watching videos, surfing the internet and enjoying applications.

UPDATE – I am now the proud owner of an Apple iPad 3G + WiFi 64GB and have opted for 10GB a month package with Three mobile operator and must admit I am highly impressed with the device. Firstly, my iPhone still had more than 50% battery remaining when I went to bed last night, normally it’d be <10% or dead before the end of a day. Secondly, I’ve not opened my MacBook Air for 2 days since purchasing the iPad which surprised me, don’t get me wrong the iPad is NOT a laptop replacement (well not for most people) but it certainly does eliminate the need to use a laptop for simple web browsing, online shopping, email, etc

With the immenent launch of Apple’s iPhone 3G a week today, I’ve been searching the internet high and low to find out whether or not it’s going to be compatible with and sync with BMW’s bluetooth and iDrive. I also need to know whether it will fit in the BMW snap-in adapter I have for the original iPhone or will I have to buy another cradle from BMW?

Once I get the new iPhone 3G on 11th July I’ll update this topic with the actual answers, but for now I shall just give my preditions:

My predictions:

1. Bluetooth & iDrive: UPDATE – Be aware that several people have reported that the iPhone 3G does not sync the contacts with the iDrive, this is also the case for people who have updated their original iPhone to 2.0, including myself (more info here). The iPhone 3G doesn’t appear to have any hardware changes in relation to its bluetooth module and since the iPhone 3G and iPhone original will both be running iPhone software v2.0 next week, other than addition coding for the GPS module and 3G connections they should be identical. So I am predicting that the iPhone 3G will work with BMW’s bluetooth and iDrive, [Note: if you have an older vehicle that the original iPhone didn't pair with don't expect the iPhone 3G to suddenly work, I'm only referring to vehicles that pair and sync with the original iPhone]
2. BMW snap-in adapter: Looking at the profile of the new iPhone 3G with its more sculptured and curved back, coupled with the fact that many case manufacturers are launching new cases for the iPhone 3G lead me to believe that the iPhone 3G will not fit in the BMW snap-in adapater for the original iPhone and that BMW will bring out a new cradle for the iPhone 3G in a few months. But then part of me thinks that the iPhone 3G uses the same screen, iPod port, etc, is the same height and width and that it may fit in the snap-in cradle for the original iPhone albeit it a little loose and wobble. My final thoughts…I predict the iPhone 3G will fit in the original BMW snap-in adapter but it won’t lock down into place fully but will charge and connect to the external antenna.

The actual facts:

1. The iPhone 3G and original iPhones updated to iPhone 2.0 appear to not work properly with lots of manufacturers factory blueotooth kits. BMW, Mercedes, Jeep, Chrysler, Land Rover, and many more are all affected.
2. The iPhone 3G *does* fit in the original BMW iPhone cradle….just! But it’s not a comfortable fit as the iPhone 3G is a few mm longer. Prolonged forced insertion into the cradle will badly scratch and damage the back and top edge of your iPhone 3G.