Image: James Martin/CNET

Apple says it's investigating a screen-freeze issue affecting the iPad Pro after the device is recharged.

Owners of Apple's 12.9-inch iOS slate, which went on sale last Wednesday, have flooded Apple Support Communities page with reports that their brand-new device was freezing after a recharge.

"At night it was down to 40 percent so I charged it and went to bed. When I woke up it was 'dead'. It wouldn't wake up," one owner reported. That user was able to revive the tablet but the problem reoccurred later that day.

When the issue first emerged, as MacRumorsreported last week, Apple support staff told iPad Pro owners to restore the device to factory settings or to initiate a hard restart by holding down on the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons simultaneously until an Apple logo appears on the screen.

However, as another iPad Pro owner reported, the issue persisted even after a factory reset and restore. "Woke up this morning same thing. 4 charges 4 times dead," the user reported.

The good news for iPad Pro owners is that a fix may be on the way.

"Apple is aware of this issue and is investigating," Apple said in a new support document entitled, "If your iPad Pro stops responding and the screen is black".

The bad news is that it doesn't have any more advice to offer than what its support staff have already told users.

"To get back to using your iPad Pro, force restart it by pressing and holding both the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo," the document notes.

The question now is whether Apple confirms there is a problem and whether it can be fixed with a firmware or software update.

Until then, users can try some of the suggestions in the now 21 pages of user reports on Apple's communities pages discussing the issue.

One user claimed to have found a persistent fix by enabling Siri on the device. The user also disabled backup to iCloud, disabled sending diagnostics to Apple and disabled 'Do Not Disturb'.

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