>easily preventable mistakes Considering that iPads are machined to very high tolerances, they are extremely flat as built, at least early in the process. Also

>easily preventable mistakes Considering that iPads are machined to very high tolerances, they are extremely flat as built, at least early in the process. Also many of the later steps in construction are highly automated, relying on custom fixtures that would tend to detect an out-of-tolerance part. That suggests that bends in the final product happened late somehow, possibly from mishandling in shipping and final packaging. Depending on your quality inspections at that point, a certain number of out-of-tolerance devices might make it though (because early on all iPads are checked individually, but maybe not re-checked as late as in packaging.) Apple is also known for holding its manufacturers to high quality bars that sometimes are often difficult to meet. So they are under pressure to both meet the agreed upon standards, but also ship tremendous quantities of product without high amounts of rework, the costs of which they, the manufacturer, would have to eat, not Apple.