Hardware expert Aaron Vronko, CEO of Rapid Repair, believes the WiFi issues some owners of the new iPad are reporting aren’t a hardware problem. Instead, they could be quickly fixed with a future software update.
Apple acknowledged the problems a few days ago and started looking into them. “Symptoms can include, but are not limited to: intermittent connectivity, slow WiFi speeds, and WiFi network not seen,” the company said in a statement. Vronko claims this is what hints at the problem most likely being software-related. “If this was hardware related, it would almost certainly have to be an error in assembly or failure in the chip itself,” he said. “However, chip-related failure would likely be more absolute in its effects.”
He’s correct in a way: the symptoms are not absolute. The majority of users aren’t having problems connecting to WiFi and those with the issues are only seeing weak signal strength or the occasional inability to connect. If it was on the hardware side, this would be more of an all-or-nothing scenario for the users.
For some, resetting the network settings has proven to be a quick fix — another testament to Vronko’s theory. “The fact that a network settings reset can sometimes resolve the issue points strongly to a power-saving feature run amok,” he points out.
Hopefully Apple finds that Vronko is right. A software update is a far easier process for consumers than having to get their hardware repaired or replaced entirely. If you’re having WiFi problems with your new iPad, a solution isn’t ready yet, but at least there’s now a light at the end of the tunnel.