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Ive got an install with an iPad mini 4 installed in a wall mount running locked to a single app. The wall mount has a POE to USB adaptor built in.

The iPad is powered by a TP link POE adaptor : https://www.tp-link.com/uk/business-networking/accessory/tl-poe150s/

The install has been live since Oct 16. Today i noticed that the iPad has "popped', see photo here : https://i.stack.imgur.com/Aj5PQ.jpg - Presumably the battery has swollen.

Has anyone else had similar issues with an iPad in a wall mount on constant charge ?

Can this be avoided by using a different charger rather than the POE adaptor ?

In another install i have the same setup, but power the iPad from the POE switch, i could programme the switch to turn off the POE for an hour every night at mid night would that be a good idea ?

sam
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    If you haven't already, replace immediately: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/a/230164/114682 – jpmc26 Apr 03 '19 at 17:37
  • If the iPad is half as new as the kiosk, grab your sales receipt and walk into an Apple Store, bet they swap it on the spot. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Apr 03 '19 at 20:08
  • The heat that the POE adapter must be generating, and which is probably trapped in the mount together with part of the iPad's heat (mostly from the screen backlight, but it may depend on what you are running on it), probably isn't very good for the battery. You should probably consider tablets that are designed to run 24x7 on POE power (and have no battery). Sadly, that means Android and no iOS, though :-( – jcaron Apr 04 '19 at 01:19

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This always (eventually) happens if you use a Lithium battery long enough (and assuming nothing else breaks first).

It also happens prematurely and would be covered by AppleCare / Warranty even if you do everything right in less common circumstances.

To counteract this use newer hardware on iOS 11.3 or higher which have charge management features to optimize for always plugged in situations.

Secondly, the cooler you can keep the battery, the less likely thermal fatigue will accelerate aging and eventual failure, but this expansion or a refusal to charge ultimately happens even if you keep the device permanently cool and properly managed and charged.

The main thing you can control is when the battery discharges and when it charges. A lower wattage charger is probably marginally safer since it will generate less heat when charging since the charge takes longer, so I would possibly consider very lower wattage chargers if you had a fleet of 100 of these and never needed a fast charge and could get away with trickle or low charge rates.

I wouldn’t change anything based on less than 3 or 4 failures since you’ll waste more time and resources swapping out chargers and not get much data in return. Once you’ve seen one iPad get a swollen battery, you’ll know how to gently touch the screen and detect the bulging before it separates the glass and get it in for diagnosis and a spare battery. Your failed unit or iFixit will show where on each screen to test for pressure / contact on the backside of the LCD panel.

I like the idea of powering them down somewhat regularly, but I don’t have evidence that in a population it will make any difference whatsoever. For people that need the battery to work, keeping it used in all ranges of the charge / discharge cycle can probably help marginally - but if you always run on power, it won’t really matter if you have an accurate measure of charge status and could get away with every 6 months draining and wiping and setting them up so you know which are starting to age.

bmike
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Make sure you're using the latest version of iOS. iOS 11.3 and later on the iPad introduces a feature to preserve battery health for devices which are constantly plugged in, which is exactly your situation:

About iPad and iPhone Charge Management Feature

...when iPad or iPhone is connected to power for prolonged periods of time, such as when it is used in kiosks, point of sale systems, or stored in charging carts... When they remain at full charge for prolonged periods of time, battery health can be affected.

iPad with iOS 11.3 or later and iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR with iOS 12 or later include a charge management feature to help maintain battery health, which monitors these devices for use in these charging situations and, as required, reduces the maximum capacity of the battery...

Community
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user71659
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    Thanks, the iPad in question was running iOS 10.x (as it hadnt been updated since it was put in its mount in 2016). Ive sent it off for repair, but when its back i will update. Do you know when they mention "iPad" dose that include all iPad's or only the iPad "standard model" eg. non mini non pro ? – sam Apr 03 '19 at 20:34
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    @sam I assume it means all iPads since they didn't specify "iPad (2017)" or similar. – user71659 Apr 03 '19 at 21:06
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I use an iPad Mini as a always on weather station in our house. Just sits there displaying a weather app all day.

I am using a Wemo smart plug and I have it programmed to turn off for a couple hours at night several days a week. That way the iPad wears down the battery (since the display is on the whole time).

The Ipad controls the wemo plug.

Westrock
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    How long have you had this setup running ? – sam Apr 03 '19 at 22:16
  • At least a year now. No issues so far. Also happens to be convenient for turning on a podcast or music. The key was finding an app that could actually sit there and update indefinitely without manually be told to refresh. I only found 1 app (out of looking at about 10) and it requires a yearly subscription of $20....of which I just renewed this month, so that's why I said it had been a year. – Westrock Apr 28 '19 at 18:09