IPadOS 18 breaks M4-powered iPad Pro – Apple suspends update release

Apple has temporarily suspended distribution of the new version of iPadOS 18 for iPad Pro tablet computers with an M4 processor. The OS update won’t be offered to users when they check for updates, and Apple’s servers won’t activate it if it’s installed in another way. This is because after installing the latest version of the OS, some tablets refuse to work.

Image source: Apple

An analysis of user posts on Reddit and MacRumors revealed a heterogeneous situation: some owners of iPad Pro with M4 successfully installed iPadOS 18, while others encountered complete inoperability of the devices. It is noteworthy that standard recovery methods, such as putting the device into recovery mode (DFU), were ineffective. This will likely force Apple to offer replacement devices to affected users.

To complicate matters, there are different update methods, each of which can lead to unexpected results. Some affected users have reported pre-installing iPadOS 17.7 before upgrading to iPadOS 18.0. iPadOS 17.7 is provided as a security update for those who are not ready for a full iPadOS update. Supposedly the upgrade from 17.7 to 18.0 was not tested as thoroughly as the upgrade from 17.6, which may have caused the issue.

In any case, M4-based iPad Pro owners who haven’t updated yet will have to wait, either until Apple releases a fixed version of the iPadOS 18 update, or until the company determines that the bricked iPads are suffering from a hardware issue rather than a software glitch. .

Apple continues to distribute the iPadOS 17.7 update, which contains the latest security patches and can be safely installed on the M4-powered iPad Pro. For other devices, including the iPad Air with the M2 chip, Apple is offering the iPadOS 18.0 update. This emphasizes the specificity of the problem and indicates possible difficulties with the iPad Pro M4 hardware.