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iPhone 5 screen scratches easier than I thought

N

ndpitch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 9, 2010
278
24
A word of caution:

Don't use anything but one of those lint free super soft clothes to clean your screen. I used my white t-shirt to rub off some finger prints and left some nice scratches behind. I'm not sure how a hard key won't scratch it (as seen in some video tests), but cloth will. Nevertheless, be careful.
 
U

utl768

macrumors 6502
Sep 8, 2009
387
0
ndpitch said:
A word of caution:

Don't use anything but one of those lint free super soft clothes to clean your screen. I used my white t-shirt to rub off some finger prints and left some nice scratches behind. I'm not sure how a hard key won't scratch it (as seen in some video tests), but cloth will. Nevertheless, be careful.
Click to expand...

i call bs
 
J

JayLenochiniMac

macrumors G5
Nov 7, 2007
12,819
2,389
New Sanfrakota
Not normal. Even paper towel shouldn't scratch it. A few members have reported getting a phone with defective oleophobic coating so get it exchanged if it scratches that easily.
 
D

darngooddesign

macrumors P6
Jul 4, 2007
17,985
9,557
Atlanta, GA
ndpitch said:
A word of caution:

Don't use anything but one of those lint free super soft clothes to clean your screen. I used my white t-shirt to rub off some finger prints and left some nice scratches behind. I'm not sure how a hard key won't scratch it (as seen in some video tests), but cloth will. Nevertheless, be careful.
Click to expand...

I use shirts, paper towels, sheets, and towels on my 5 all the time and have no issues.
 
soco

soco

macrumors 68030
Dec 14, 2009
2,840
119
Yardley, PA
Definitely calling this a case of mistaken culprit. I guarantee there was a grain of sand or something similar on your shirt.
 
J

JayLenochiniMac

macrumors G5
Nov 7, 2007
12,819
2,389
New Sanfrakota
soco said:
Definitely calling this a case of mistaken culprit. I guarantee there was a grain of sand or something similar on your shirt.
Click to expand...

Grain of sand could also be a mistaken culprit. Defective oleophobic coatings have been reported on past generation iPhones so all the OP needs to do is get it exchanged.
 
N

ndpitch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 9, 2010
278
24
JayLenochiniMac said:
Grain of sand could also be a mistaken culprit. Defective oleophobic coatings have been reported on past generation iPhones so all the OP needs to do is get it exchanged.
Click to expand...

Exchange it is then. If they'll take it back I'll gladly swap it out. It came with one very small scratch on the screen that I was willing to look past. Bot now maybe I'll shoot for the exchange.
 
iParis

iParis

macrumors 68040
Jul 29, 2008
3,671
31
New Mexico
ndpitch said:
Exchange it is then. If they'll take it back I'll gladly swap it out. It came with one very small scratch on the screen that I was willing to look past. Bot now maybe I'll shoot for the exchange.
Click to expand...

Due to still being within the 14 day return policy, I believe they have to accept an exchange.
 
S

SchuettS

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
329
0
if your shirt was clean it should not scratch it. I can see it scratching if something was on your shirt maybe.
 
B

Bluphyre

macrumors member
Sep 20, 2012
89
0
i wipe my phone with alot more than a cotton shirt and the screen has NOT scratched 1 bit.

the sides tho are a different story.
 
R

RicoRich196

macrumors regular
Apr 28, 2011
102
39
johndallas999 said:
LOL, almost spit out my tea on this one. SAND? Did he say "on my way back from the beach, I used my shirt"?

Too funny.
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This may or may not blow your mind but particles such as sand and grit can easily be blown onto your clothes via wind or if you sat on a park bench or even just ****ing around in your back yard, you don't need to be walking along Venice Beach for it to happen.
 
soco

soco

macrumors 68030
Dec 14, 2009
2,840
119
Yardley, PA
johndallas999 said:
LOL, almost spit out my tea on this one. SAND? Did he say "on my way back from the beach, I used my shirt"?

Too funny.
Click to expand...

iParis said:
I don't get it. D: I'm sure you said everything fine, I just can't figure out what you're saying and feel dumb. >.<
Click to expand...

JayLenochiniMac said:
Grain of sand could also be a mistaken culprit. Defective oleophobic coatings have been reported on past generation iPhones so all the OP needs to do is get it exchanged.
Click to expand...

Okay boys and girls, let's think of this logically. The screen, regardless of any alleged defect in the oleophobic coating, is still made of Gorilla Glass 2, right? Or, more basically, it's still made of glass.

Now, does cotton scratch glass?

Class (in unison): "Noooooo!"

That's right kids. I love physics.
 
P

pure3d2

macrumors 6502
Mar 7, 2012
418
1
ndpitch said:
A word of caution:

Don't use anything but one of those lint free super soft clothes to clean your screen. I used my white t-shirt to rub off some finger prints and left some nice scratches behind. I'm not sure how a hard key won't scratch it (as seen in some video tests), but cloth will. Nevertheless, be careful.
Click to expand...

It's possible you had a few small grains of sand either embedded in your shirt or somewhere on the surface of the glass. I scratched my iPhone 4's screen that way when I wiped the screen thinking that I was wiping off a piece of bread crumb--nope, it was a grain of sand!
 
J

JayLenochiniMac

macrumors G5
Nov 7, 2007
12,819
2,389
New Sanfrakota
soco said:
Okay boys and girls, let's think of this logically. The screen, regardless of any alleged defect in the oleophobic coating, is still made of Gorilla Glass 2, right? Or, more basically, it's still made of glass.

Now, does cotton scratch glass?

Class (in unison): "Noooooo!"

That's right kids. I love physics.
Click to expand...

We're talking about oleophobic coating here, not the glass itself. There have indeed been a few defective iPhones with oleophobic coating wearing off prematurely and they look terrible.

Speaking of physics, if the OP is able to scratch the glass at will with cotton something is clearly defective.
 
iParis

iParis

macrumors 68040
Jul 29, 2008
3,671
31
New Mexico
soco said:
Okay boys and girls, let's think of this logically. The screen, regardless of any alleged defect in the oleophobic coating, is still made of Gorilla Glass 2, right? Or, more basically, it's still made of glass.

Now, does cotton scratch glass?

Class (in unison): "Noooooo!"

That's right kids. I love physics.
Click to expand...

Oh, I wasn't agreeing with him. I was just saying Apple will replace it.
 
N

ndpitch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 9, 2010
278
24
The scratch most likely isn't in the glass. It's most likely in the coating. It's the same thing as washing your car improperly. If you use the wrong cloths or washmit, you scratch and swirl the hell out of the clear coat, not the actual metal beneath it.

My suggestion was to use soft cloths on the screen, because my t-shirt in this circumstance scratched the screen. Again, most likely the coating, not the glass. But both are considered "the screen"
 
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