NVIDIA Shield Tablet Sees Cracked Edges

When it comes to modern day electronics and appliances, I am quite sure we have heard the older generation comment on how they do not seem to make things to last as long as they used to before, reminiscing about the good old days when a phone could last you for a good 5 or 6 years before you actually made an upgrade to replace your aged device – which was still working as well as it did on the first day you removed it from the box, but simply for the fact that it runs on an antiquated operating system that is no longer relevant to your existing needs. However, with NVIDIA’s Shield tablet, this device was positioned to be the “ultimate tablet for gamers”, which translates to a solid build. Unfortunately, some users of the Shield tablet have started to notice that the case has begun to crack, which is not a good sign where a premium device is concerned.

Update: NVIDIA has reached out with a comment, and here is their take on the situation. “There have been reports of hairline cracks in the corners of the SHIELD tablet casing. The crack is cosmetic and does not affect performance. We believe this imperfection is caused by a material control issue during the production of a small number of tablets. This caused the material to become more brittle than expected. We will replace anyone’s unit that sees this imperfection. We’re still in investigation mode and will continue to provide updates as we learn more.”

Users on the official Shield forums have shared some of their experiences about cracks starting to appear after using the device, although there were even others who can be said to be more “unfortunate” as the cracks appeared right after the unboxing. Most of the cracks happen on the four corners of the device, although this does not mean that the cracks are exempt from making an appearance elsewhere around the frame.

There has been no official statement released concerning the reason for such cracks, and some have cited overheating to be the most likely culprit here. How about the perception that a cheap chassis was used instead?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Tablets
Tags: NVIDIA, shield tablet