Problem with cellular hardware is effectively killing my iPad Pro

Question

Problem with cellular hardware is effectively killing my iPad Pro

So the cellular hardware in my 5th gen iPad Pro has failed. No biggie in itself as I always use WiFi or hotspot. However I cannot now verify any updates as it apparently checks the imei or similar as a security measure. According to apple support it’s a whole unit replacement, costing roughly what the device may be worth. Anyone got any suggestions? No updates is fine for a bit but obviously a security risk. Pretty annoying as presumably a WiFi only model doesn’t do this check (as it’s doesn’t have any cellular hardware)

iPad Pro, iPadOS 18

Posted on Aug 11, 2025 08:37 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 11, 2025 11:51 AM in response to BornslippyJules

That’s why AppleCare+ is a really good investment. I dropped my iPad a couple of months ago and damaged the fingerprint scanner. I called, and they sent me a replacement overnight, with a box to return the damaged one. It cost me a $54 service charge. This was a 4 year old iPad; once you have the 2 year AppleCare+ you can extend it past its expiration month by month until it is no longer supported (5-7 years).The total in AppleCare+ fees I paid over the years is still well below the cost of a new iPad.

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Answer 2

Aug 11, 2025 11:53 AM in response to Dlong210

Dlong210 wrote:

If Apple Support is saying need a whole new unit, it might be a software thing and wouldn't be able to be fixed at that point.

That’s a contradiction. If Apple says it needs a new unit then it is definitely NOT a software thing.

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Answer 3

Dlong210

Level 1

8 points

Aug 11, 2025 08:45 AM in response to BornslippyJules

If Apple Support is saying need a whole new unit, it might be a software thing and wouldn't be able to be fixed at that point.

Good Luck!

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