You own an iPad Pro, or maybe you use it for work. When you tried to charge it, you noticed that something wasn’t right. Is the charging port of your iPad Pro broken? Do you need to replace it?

Here, we’ll take a close look at the issue and explain the options available to you.

What is an iPad Pro charging port?

The iPad Pro is a model from Apple’s iPad tablet series, touted by Apple as the most technologically advanced model. The American company first introduced it in 2015.

Since then, it has been known among users for the outstanding quality of its components, such as the legendary Retina displays.

In battery mode, Apple promises up to “10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video”. To maintain this performance, the iPad Pro, of course, needs to be regularly charged.

For this purpose, there is a built-in charging port in the device. Here, users can connect the supplied USB-C charging cable and charge the iPad using the USB-C power adapter or through a laptop.

iPad Pro charging port: USB-C since 2018

USB-C? That’s right! Apple has equipped its iPad Pros with a USB-C port since 2018, replacing the Lightning port found in other iPad models (which continued until 2022).

With this move, the iPad Pro was a pioneer among Apple products in the gradual harmonization of charging ports and connectors for different devices and manufacturers, a trend that started in 2022. In the summer of 2022, the EU Parliament and member states agreed on USB-C as the universal charging port. Starting in the fall of 2024, all smartphones and tablets sold in the EU must have such a charging port.

But what happens when the iPad Pro charging port is damaged? This most commonly occurs when mechanical pressure or tension is applied to the port or a charging cable inserted into it, often resulting in bent contacts. As a result, the connection is no longer clean, and data or charging current cannot flow properly.

Tips for daily use of the charging socket

Therefore, we recommend the following tips for daily handling of the charging port on your iPad Pro:

• Handle with care: Always insert the charging cable gently into the charging port and avoid applying excessive force. When removing the cable, do not yank it forcefully; Instead, loosen the connector with your fingers and remove it properly.
• Watch out for foreign objects: It’s natural for dust or lint from your surroundings to find its way into the charging port. Remove these gently! If you need to clean it, avoid using sharp objects like a SIM tool or a paper clip that could damage the contacts. Using canned air for cleaning is a safer option. Cans can be purchased inexpensively.
• Check for cable and adapter issues: Before concluding that the charging port is faulty, make sure to test with different cables, connectors, and charging adapters to rule out the possibility of cable or adapter issues.

If you determine that the charging port is indeed defective, don’t immediately throw out the iPad. Disposing of it in household waste or stashing it away in a drawer is not in line with proper waste disposal practices, and it would be a waste of technology. Many perfectly functional smartphones and tablets are treated as disposable, even when they have only one issue.

How can I replace an iPad Pro charging socket?

DIY repair

If only the charging port is damaged and the rest of your iPad is still in good condition, you may consider repairing it. But how and where?

Many “iPad Pro charging ports” are available for sale on the internet. There are also various videos on platforms like YouTube explaining how to replace the charging port yourself.

However, if you haven’t spent your youth disassembling and reassembling PCs, we generally advise against attempting this on your own. DIY tinkering with the device is definitely not covered by any warranty and carries the risk of causing further damage to your iPad Pro and even putting yourself in a precarious situation. After all, you’re dealing with electronics.

Professional Repair

Instead, you can have the repair done by a professional provider. Officially through Apple, there are three ways to do this:

You can contact Apple online and have your iPad serviced at an Apple repair center.

You can request a repair directly at the Apple store. A “Genius” employee can also offer you a repair there.

Finally, changing your iPad Pro’s charging port is also possible through authorized Apple service providers.

Before considering a repair outside of the official Apple ecosystem, you should think carefully. With untrustworthy providers, this could pose a threat to your data despite having Apple antivirus software installed on your iPad.

iPad Pro charging port: Costs

But how much will you actually have to pay for the repair of a charging port? It depends on your situation.

Warranty

If the one-year warranty applicable to the iPad Pro is still active and the damage is covered by this warranty, the repair will be free of charge for you. It’s best to inform yourself in advance about the legal framework, which you can find on the Apple website.

Of course, you can also contact official Apple support. There, you can inquire whether your defective iPad Pro charging port is covered by the warranty.

AppleCare+

To avoid worrying about hardware damage and software glitches, you can purchase AppleCare+ for your iPad Pro either at the time of purchase or afterwards. With AppleCare+, you pay a base fee either for a fixed period or at a monthly rate.

If accidental damage occurs that qualifies for repair, Apple charges an additional service fee of 49 dollars for repairing the iPad. Additionally, you’ll also get priority technical support.

Without warranty or AppleCare+

If your device is neither covered by warranty nor insured with AppleCare+, it can become quite expensive. Apple doesn’t provide specific repair prices on its website.

When obtaining a vague cost estimate for “other damages” on the website, even an older second-generation iPad Pro is estimated at 499-599 dollars. Now imagine this for multiple damaged devices, such as in a business context. Costs can quickly add up. Fortunately, Everphone can make your life easier in this regard.

Repair or replacement for company equipment

Apart from a defective iPad Pro charging port, many other issues can arise: the iPad glass can break, the battery’s performance may have significantly declined, there could be problems with the iPadOS operating system, and more.

Given the high repair costs, some may wonder if it’s financially worth it, especially if the iPad Pro model is getting older. In a business environment, the decision to purchase a new device may be considered more quickly than dealing with the hassle of repair and the associated downtime.

However, if your company acquires its devices through purchase, acquiring a new device still involves a significant amount of work in the IT department. The iPad Pro needs to be set up anew and ideally integrated into mobile device management (MDM). Employee data from the old device may need to be transferred. And the old iPad Pro, which is to be retired, must be thoroughly cleaned of all data by the IT team before disposal.

This leads us to the next topic: If your company regularly disposes of electronic devices, valuable resources that could be recycled are lost. This is not only unfortunate but also a loss for a forward-thinking society. Additionally, this electronic waste contributes to further environmental pollution.

Rent company iPads and iPad Pros

What’s the alternative? A suggestion: You can rent iPads! Yes, this is also possible for companies.

Companies like Everphone, a pioneer in the device-as-a-service industry, offer such services. Everphone’s offering includes both hardware rental and a comprehensive service package.

With this, Everphone can take a lot of hassle off your plate in cases like this one. Is the iPad Pro charging port broken on a company device? Simply make a report through the Everphone portal: You’ll immediately receive a new iPad Pro. You can transfer the data from the old iPad to the new one.

Then, you reset the old one to factory settings and send it to Everphone (we provide a shipping label). It will be repaired in the background and, after overwriting the data several times, will be used elsewhere. Only when a device cannot be repaired will Everphone responsibly recycle it—allowing the recyclable components to be used further. This is good for the environment, and your IT team can focus on other important tasks in the company.