iPad Pro 12.9″ 3rd Gen (2018) Repair

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro from 2018 was the model that redesigned the large iPad completely: home button gone, Face ID in, Lightning replaced by USB-C, and the Apple Pencil moved to a magnetic side edge. It was also the device at the centre of the bending discussion that followed, and that is where any honest repair conversation about this model has to start.

How much does an iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen, 2018) repair cost?

Our fixed prices at iExpert Repairs are:

• Screen replacement — £199
• Battery replacement — £79
• Charging port repair — £79
• Diagnostic service — £15

Each includes the part, the labour and a 12 month guarantee, with no assessment fee added afterwards.

The 2018 bending question, answered straight

Shortly after launch, owners reported that some units — the 12.9-inch more visibly than the 11-inch, simply because there is more length for a bend to show in — arrived with a slight curve in the aluminium. Apple’s position was that a small degree of flex resulted from the cooling process during manufacture and did not affect function.

Whatever view you take of that, the repair implication is not in dispute. A replacement screen has to bond flat against the frame. If the frame is not flat, the panel sits proud at one corner, flexes when pressed and cracks again, sometimes within weeks. That is why we check the chassis before ordering a part for one of these rather than after.

You can do a rough check at home: rest the iPad face-down on a genuinely flat table and press each corner in turn. Any rocking means the frame has moved. Tell us when you get in touch — it changes what we recommend, and it is far better established before you commit than discovered afterwards.

Face ID on a large iPad, and one quirk worth knowing

Face ID sits in the bezel as a separate module rather than being bonded into the display as it is on iPhone, so it transfers to a new panel during a screen replacement and continues working normally. We test it before the device goes back, along with ambient light sensing and True Tone calibration, which rushed repairs frequently leave broken.

One thing owners of this generation notice: Face ID on iPad works in any orientation, but the sensor lives in one specific bezel. Resting a hand or a keyboard case over it while the iPad is in landscape is a common reason unlocking fails, and it is not a fault. If yours has become unreliable, check what is covering the top edge before assuming the hardware has failed.

Apple Pencil 2 and the magnetic edge

This was the first large iPad where the Pencil attached and charged magnetically on the flat side. If your Pencil has stopped charging when attached, check that edge is clean and free of case debris before assuming a hardware fault — a build-up along the magnetic strip stops the Pencil seating properly and costs nothing to fix.

After a screen replacement we test magnetic charging and Pencil tracking into all four corners. On a 12.9-inch canvas a dead margin is a real problem, and edge tracking is precisely what a cheap replacement assembly gets wrong while still passing an ordinary touch test.

Battery replacement at £79

These are now several years into service and batteries are the most common reason they arrive with us. The cell is physically large and held down by adhesive across a wide area, so it must be eased out slowly rather than levered — force on a chassis this size risks creasing the panel. After reassembly the device is charge-tested rather than simply screwed back together.

Before booking, watch behaviour under load rather than at idle. A worn cell copes with reading and streaming and then drops sharply during video calls, gaming or long sessions in a keyboard case. Sudden collapse when you actually work the device is the signature.

The first USB-C large iPad

Moving to USB-C made this the first big iPad that charged from the same brick as a laptop, and USB-C connectors are physically more robust than Lightning ever was. Genuine port failures are therefore less common here than on older iPads, while cable faults and underpowered adapters cause far more of the “it will not charge” complaints we hear.

Change the cable, change the adapter and check its wattage, then look into the socket with a torch for compacted lint, which we clear at no charge. Our £79 charging port repair is the last conclusion rather than the first.

Is a 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro still worth repairing?

For most owners yes. It still handles everything a large tablet is asked to do, takes the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil 2, and at £199 a screen it costs a fraction of what a current large Pro does to put right. Where it stops adding up is several faults at once, and particularly a cracked screen on a chassis that has already bent — in that situation we will tell you plainly rather than quoting for the lot.

How long does a 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro repair take?

Battery and charging work is usually same-day once the device is with us. Screen replacement on a panel this size is deliberately unhurried, and Face ID, Pencil tracking and True Tone all need testing afterwards. We confirm timing with the fixed quote and start only when you approve it.

Where can I get a 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro repaired?

iExpert Repairs handles third generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro repairs from our Essex workshop and accepts devices from across the UK by tracked, fully insured post. Packaging is where most transit damage to large iPads happens, so we advise on boxing it properly when you book. contact us to arrange it.

We cover iPad screen repair, iPad battery replacement, iPad charging port repair and iPad water damage repair on every iPad generation, offer data recovery where a device cannot be saved, and handle other brands under tablet repair.