Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

JayLenochiniMac

macrumors G5
Nov 7, 2007
12,819
2,389
New Sanfrakota
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"

Again, the oleophobic coating (properly applied) should not come off nor be susceptible to scratching by even paper towel. If it's doing that, it's most likely defective.
 

joshwithachance

macrumors 68010
Dec 11, 2009
2,003
937
And this is why they invented screen protectors. I don't want to hear "Well the screen is made of glass, and glass is scratch resistant." Protect your investment next time.
 

JayLenochiniMac

macrumors G5
Nov 7, 2007
12,819
2,389
New Sanfrakota
And this is why they invented screen protectors. I don't want to hear "Well the screen is made of glass, and glass is scratch resistant." Protect your investment next time.

There's a difference between something harder than glass coming into contact with the screen (in which case the user is at fault for not protecting their investment) and the screen having a defective oleophobic coating that gets scratched with normal wiping.
 

Cozmo85

macrumors regular
Oct 2, 2007
211
0
Again, the oleophobic coating (properly applied) should not come off nor be susceptible to scratching by even paper towel. If it's doing that, it's most likely defective.

This isn't true, the coating is susceptible to scratching and will wear off eventually.

The front or back cover of iPhone may be made of glass with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic (oil repellant) coating. This coating wears over time with normal usage. Cleaning products and abrasive materials will further diminish the coating, and may scratch the glass. Abrasive media may also scratch iPhone.

From page 148 of the manual.
 

JayLenochiniMac

macrumors G5
Nov 7, 2007
12,819
2,389
New Sanfrakota
This isn't true, the coating is susceptible to scratching and will wear off eventually.

The front or back cover of iPhone may be made of glass with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic (oil repellant) coating. This coating wears over time with normal usage. Cleaning products and abrasive materials will further diminish the coating, and may scratch the glass. Abrasive media may also scratch iPhone.

From page 148 of the manual.

That falls under normal wear and tear and that's of course expected. I'm talking about defective coating that gets scratched from normal wiping with a cloth and wears off in like a month, which is certainly not normal.
 

saccento

macrumors 6502a
Jun 30, 2008
664
4
New Jersey
I just noticed a few light scratches on my phone as well. Don't know if it came this way out of the box or from wiping the screen with a cloth that I've always used on my 4S because I can only see it a certain way when light hits it
 
Last edited:

mplenhart

macrumors newbie
Sep 23, 2012
21
0
Guy at work came over at the end of the day to show me his iPhone 5 screen. There were small scratches on the right side that went from fledge to about 1/3 of the way towards the middle. I used my nail to check them and they were definitely scratches. He said he hasn't dropped or scraped it across anything and I have no reason not to believe him.

I have used and abused my naked iPhone 4 for two years and never had a scratch on the screen. The steel band and back yes but never the screen.

Maybe he just got a bad phone, but it seems pretty strange for only having it a week.
 

lichen86

macrumors newbie
Oct 11, 2012
23
17
Guy at work came over at the end of the day to show me his iPhone 5 screen. There were small scratches on the right side that went from fledge to about 1/3 of the way towards the middle. I used my nail to check them and they were definitely scratches. He said he hasn't dropped or scraped it across anything and I have no reason not to believe him.

I have used and abused my naked iPhone 4 for two years and never had a scratch on the screen. The steel band and back yes but never the screen.

Maybe he just got a bad phone, but it seems pretty strange for only having it a week.

I too had an iPhone 4 for 2 years, only had a screen protector on it for maybe 6 months. The glass on the front was tough as nails and I never got any noticeable scratches over that 1.5 years. I got my iPhone 5 on launch day, and last night I noticed two very small "pits" on the screen. I know they weren't there when I received the phone. Because my iPhone 4's display was so tough, I expected the 5's to be equally as touch if not more so, but I guess I'm going to need a screen protector now. Unless I got a defective phone, it seems that the 5's glass is much more delicate than the 4.
 

zachy85

macrumors 6502
Oct 28, 2007
407
183
Raleigh, NC
I too had an iPhone 4 for 2 years, only had a screen protector on it for maybe 6 months. The glass on the front was tough as nails and I never got any noticeable scratches over that 1.5 years. I got my iPhone 5 on launch day, and last night I noticed two very small "pits" on the screen. I know they weren't there when I received the phone. Because my iPhone 4's display was so tough, I expected the 5's to be equally as touch if not more so, but I guess I'm going to need a screen protector now. Unless I got a defective phone, it seems that the 5's glass is much more delicate than the 4.

Same here--I had a 4s that never scratched. My iPhone 5 has two longish scratches on the screen that are really ugly. I haven't used or abused this any different than my previous iPhone...so I am pretty pissed. If I knew it was more sensitive I would have gone with a screen protector for sure.
 

kellte2

macrumors 6502
Jul 10, 2005
294
80
Tiny line above front facing camera only noticed because i was using it in direct sunlight and the reflection from the light refracted in the "line." I would guess it is the coating because i can't feel it or see it in certain light sources. Either way, it was bound to happen eventually regardless of how much i baby the phone.
 

bshell

macrumors newbie
Oct 2, 2005
16
0
Vancouver, CANADA
Mine too

I have had my iPhone 5 for 5 weeks. The screen is indeed scratched. So much so that I called Apple today and asked if I could return it. They said no, but maybe I could go to the store and swap it for a new one. It has scuffs around the black anodized aluminum edges and it has very noticeable scratches on the screen. There is even one pit in the front "glass" screen that causes a few pixels to look weird. I will swear on any bible or other thing that I have babied this phone as I did my iPhone 3GS before it, and my iPhone 1 before that. On both those phones after YEARS of use, there were no scratches. On this iPhone 5 there are LOTS of scratches, and from doing nothing with it, and just after a few weeks. I carry it in my left pants pocket, WITH NOTHING ELSE IN THE POCKET. The same as I carried my other two iPhones since 2007. There is no question that there's something different about the iPhone 5 screen. At least the one I got. I totally agree with the original poster. I'm in exactly the same boat. Hopefully Apple will exchange my phone at the store for a better one.
 

YUOWI

Suspended
Nov 9, 2012
16
0
If your shirts are clean and should not be scratched, I use wool, it has not been scratched
 

PNutts

macrumors 601
Jul 24, 2008
4,874
357
Pacific Northwest, US
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.

When I change the water in my aquarium I put cotton bath towels on the hardwood floor around it (after sweeping the floor with a broom). One of the first times I did this, when I was done I picked up the towels and wiped some water off the front of the aquarium. Doing that put three scratches in the glass. The towels obviously picked up some grit off the floor.

So... It's easy for me to believe a shirt can scratch the screen of an iPhone, coating or glass. This forum would be better if folks would take each other at face value and open their minds to possibilities they haven't experienced. Besides the fish I have two dogs, a cat, and two kids. By the end of the day all sorts of things can happen if you don't stay in bed.
 

wordoflife

macrumors 604
Jul 6, 2009
7,564
37
It's possible that you didn't see the scratches under the fingerprints until they were wiped off.
 

Elements

macrumors newbie
Nov 14, 2012
1
0
I had the same issue, so with my new one I ended up trying out a gift that was given to me by one of my cousins. They suggested screen protectors, which I am not too fond of, but surprisingly I havn't had any problems in 2 months which is a record for me. I wish I could remember the name.. Something XO like hugs and kisses, that's all I remember. Sorry guys. Would love to know the actual name if anyone knows it, since I want to order some more!
 

bandofbrothers

macrumors 601
Oct 14, 2007
4,779
328
Uk
I don't like the feel if screen protectors do their a no no for me.

I use a micro fibre cloth too but on occasion have used my shirt tail to give it a clean too with no scratches left behind.

Maybe the scratch was there before the clean and then you noticed it after removing the smudges !
 

Random 995K

macrumors 6502
Nov 3, 2012
295
0
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"

Are you talking about the screen scratching?!?! I can't see how its even possible unless you use a piece of glass. Its gorilla glass 2 screen! You can scratch keys all over the screen and nothing happens to it. Your Iphone5 must be flawed. Try taking it back.
 

aphexacid

macrumors 6502a
Jul 31, 2007
936
22
Chicago
I can't vouch for deep scratches, but I have a tiny squiggly very faint scratch off to the left of the screen. Its not visible when the screen is on or anything, because it's not a deep scratch. But I was pretty surprised because its never been dropped, and I don't keep it in my pocket with keys, rocks or knives.

First thing I said to myself was, "how the HELL is it that people take keys and knives to the screen and it's unaffected??"
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.