What is this smudge on my iPad?
October 24, 2011 5:42 AM   Subscribe

I have a weird smudgie mark on my iPad screen. It's not the yellow spot issue or the light bleeding issue. What is it?

So I've had an iPad 2 since last spring. Sometime after I got it I noticed a greasy looking spot on my screen. If the screen is oriented so the home button is on my left. If I'm typing, the screen is on the right side of the the space bar. It is roughly oval and about 2 inches across.

If I buff the spot with a dry microfiber cloth it fades but returns.
If I breathe on the screen, it does not fog up with the rest of the screen.
If I clean it with the Apple-recommended "slightly damp" microfiber cloth the mark gets slightly darker, then fades. It eventually returns. Before it fades, if you tilt the screen a bit, you can see that it's has a rainbow sheen on it. It is also the only part of the screen that squeaks when I clean it with that damp cloth.

Two conflicting things occur to me:
One, that the anti-oil coating has worn off in this one spot.
Two, that there is somehow extra oil, like sunscreen or something, in this one spot.

I am still under warranty, so I can take it in to the Apple store. I guess I'm looking for ideas on what caused this and how to fix it myself or what to expect if I do take it back to Apple.

Thanks.
posted by Biblio to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)
 
If the screen is oriented so the home button is on my left. If I'm typing, the screen is on the right side of the the space bar.

I get the impression you were trying to describe the location of the smudge, but I can't interpret what you wrote.
posted by LogicalDash at 6:01 AM on October 24, 2011


It sounds like whatever coating they put on the screen has worn off or was never there to begin with.

Just to be sure, I'd hit it with a more aggressive cleaner, like the stuff they sell for cleaning dSLR sensors and lenses. In the past I've used Eclipse brand fluid on these screens with no issues whatsoever. It's obviously compatible with all manner of coatings for optics.

But really, this is the sort of thing the Apple store usually deals with very easily. Plus you'll get an iPad back with a 6 month newer battery.....
posted by pjaust at 6:32 AM on October 24, 2011


Response by poster: Logical Dash - oops, that was a victim of editing! What I meant was that if I'm holding the iPad horizontally, with the home button on my left, the smudge is on the center bottom screen. If I'm holding it like that and typing, it's approximately where the space bar is. I only mention it in case it matters somehow!
posted by Biblio at 6:39 AM on October 24, 2011


Best answer: Do you type a lot on your iPad? Is the smudge where your thumb hits the space bar?

I ask because my keyboards all end up with a distinctive pattern of wear, and the first place it shows is a specific point on the right-hand side of the space bar, where my right thumb hits it.

(I have heard of older iPhone screens suffering wear to the coating quite quickly through repetitive use - games where the player has to make the same motion across the same bit of screen over and over, typically. Sorry, no specific examples I can point to, and I don't know whether the coating's been made more robust since then / for the iPad.)
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 11:19 AM on October 24, 2011


Best answer: No idea, but as to what you can expect: The Genius will try to buff it out, fix it, give suggestions, etc. If all that fails, you'll most likely get a refurbished unit if they have one on hand with identical specs. If they don't they can probably get you a new one but you'll have to wait.
posted by chairface at 9:47 PM on October 24, 2011


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