iPhone 5 - dropped in car park, screen smashed

hifromtomorrow · Dec 11, 2012

Well, after all these years of owning iPhones, I finally dropped one.

iPhone 5 (black 16g).

I had one of those slimline, black plastic cases, which cracked on the corner where the phone obviously hit the pavement.

The screen is a mess (photo attached). The case has obviously been removed for the photo.

Apple tell me that here in Australia, they will do a full phone swap and not replace the screen. So I am getting that done Thursday night.

Are apple replacing screens anywhere in the appleverse yet?

Applecare? NO.
Lesson learned.

New case being bought Thursday too, slightly more effective. I hope.

So, for anyone using the slimline barely there black case on the 5, be careful, they prevent scratches on the back, but for a waist height drop on the wrong angle at impact, they do jack for the screen. I suppose I knew this but ignored it because I wanted the phone to look as natural as possible.

Jordan921 · Dec 11, 2012

Damn that's all bad.

XboxMySocks · Dec 11, 2012

hifromtomorrow said:
Is apple replacing screens anywhere in the appleverse yet?

No. Never have, and never will.

hifromtomorrow · Dec 11, 2012

XboxMySocks said:
No. Never have, and never will.

Thanks.

I guess the $279 AUD is the price of the lesson learned (oh, and add the price of the new, perhaps more effective case).

XboxMySocks · Dec 11, 2012

hifromtomorrow said:
Thanks.

I guess the $279 AUD is the price of the lesson learned (oh, and add the price of the new, perhaps more effective case).

I apologise as that sounded rather crass.

But yes, I feel your pain and I hope you enjoy your new iPhone as you did the last

GoCubsGo · Dec 11, 2012

That is a bummer. Do they have Apple Care + there?

Those slimline cases, to my knowledge, aren't ever bought for drop protection.

hifromtomorrow · Dec 11, 2012

jessica. said:
That is a bummer. Do they have Apple Care + there?

Those slimline cases, to my knowledge, aren't ever bought for drop protection.

Yeah the Apple product line and everything associated with the products is the same down here as up there.

I just thought I was invincible, you know, the "Ha, insurance? That's for clumsy people. I don't drop phones" sort of thinking.

Yeah well, seems I am Australia's worst juggler.

And, I wanted the phone to look naked, as they say, so got the flimsiest, barely there-est style case.

I am not converting to otter box or anything, but I concede there is value in getting something with a bit more substance. Which I will be doing tomorrow night.

XboxMySocks · Dec 11, 2012

hifromtomorrow said:
Yeah the Apple product line and everything associated with the products is the same down here as up there.

I just thought I was invincible, you know, the "Ha, insurance? That's for clumsy people. I don't drop phones" sort of thinking.

Yeah well, seems I am Australia's worst juggler.

And, I wanted the phone to look naked, as they say, so got the flimsiest, barely there-est style case.

I am not converting to otter box or anything, but I concede there is value in getting something with a bit more substance. Which I will be doing tomorrow night.

I would recommend not having a case at all. Honestly, why not enjoy the phone that you have?

Leonard1818 · Dec 11, 2012

presuming applecare+ isn't an option down under?

I've converted to naked. I figure I could get a "bumper" or "slim" case but will it *really* provide any drop protection? doubtful...

XboxMySocks · Dec 11, 2012

Leonard1818 said:
presuming applecare+ isn't an option down under?

I've converted to naked. I figure I could get a "bumper" or "slim" case but will it *really* provide any drop protection? doubtful...

Bumpers in my experience provide better protection than any other case (at least properly made ones). That being said, I don't think it's worth it for the looks

hifromtomorrow · Dec 11, 2012

Apple worked hard on making this thing so beautiful and light.
I really struggle with putting it in a cage, as do the posters above.

I have to risk assess the likelihood of me attempting my juggling routine again when having my phone in hand.

Applecare+ certainly is an option, I just ignored it for the reason I stated above.

Anyway, I will look at cases and try to find a happy medium, but I can see the new (after checking for scuffgate issues hahahaha) phone going naked.

I am an iPhone naturist!!!

And that is an expensive way for me to be it would seem.

eddyecb · Dec 11, 2012

XboxMySocks said:
No. Never have, and never will.

Actually they will be, apple stores dont have the parts yet tho

XboxMySocks · Dec 11, 2012

eddyecb said:
Actually they will be, apple stores dont have the parts yet tho

Is that what the Genius told you? I have not seen a single case of Apple replacing a screen on a device. They will simply replace the device.

Givmeabrek · Dec 11, 2012

Apple replaced the screens on the iPhone 3 models. It was easy because the front glass just lifted out like the iPhone 5. They should be able to replace the glass on the 5 soon enough.

zhenya · Dec 11, 2012

Other than extremely bulky and protective cases, I really think it's more the luck of the draw than anything else. I've dropped my iPhones caseless onto pavement before and come away with not even a scratch. Others have dropped them onto far more forgiving surfaces and had a complete shatter. Like many materials, the glass on these phones seems to be quite strong in many directions, but also has weak spots if you catch it just wrong.

Mrbobb · Dec 11, 2012

I still won't get a bulky case, that's the price am willing to risk for beauty.

eddyecb · Dec 11, 2012

XboxMySocks said:
Is that what the Genius told you? I have not seen a single case of Apple replacing a screen on a device. They will simply replace the device.

Yup and exactly what givmeabreak said, they never replaced screens on the 4 or 4s due to having to start from the back and take everything out to get to it, easier to replace yet with the other gen's, 5 included, the screen is the first thing to come out making it super easy to replace.

YsoSerious · Dec 11, 2012

I think I'm gonna get a case after seeing what happened to your phone. I love it naked, but I've had my 4 day old ip4 front panel shatter on me from a 5 ft drop on pavement before.

ucfgrad93 · Dec 11, 2012

Oh man, that is a tough break OP. My wife uses a Speck Candy shell on her iPhone 5, it is a nice case, I recommend it.

hifromtomorrow · Dec 11, 2012

ucfgrad93 said:
Oh man, that is a tough break OP. My wife uses a Speck Candy shell on her iPhone 5, it is a nice case, I recommend it.

Cheers mate I will check it out.

throAU · Dec 12, 2012

Bad luck

I've dropped iphones (3g, 3g-s, 4-s) onto bitumen, tiles, bricks, etc and 9/10 times they are fine (even if occasionally you end up with cosmetic damage).

Never had a case.

Either the 5 is more fragile or you just lucked out.

the drop that killed my 3g-s for example was onto CARPET, after being dropped multiple times onto bricks, etc.

Sometimes they just land wrong...

crazytrain · Dec 12, 2012

Haven't got one, but a friend has for iP4 and he recommends this company:

http://www.tech21.uk.com/Category/iphone_5_Cases

Slim soft cases, but they become hard on impact (no innuendo intended!)

iPhone 5 - dropped in car park, screen smashed

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