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iPod touch iPod Touch screen SCRATCHED!

R

roshie

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 9, 2007
13
0
So I had my iPod touch in my pocket (nothing else is in there) and I even went through the trouble to clear out all the junk that's in my pocket. To ensure that there's no small particle to scratch my iPod.

I checked my iPod's screen when I went home and boom, a 1 cm scratch that's quite visible (looks like a rainbow). It's very obvious when I watch a video with lots of bright colors but videos with blacks all around are not obvious. It's a scratch, I ran my finger nail through it and I can feel the indent. I cleaned it many times and wiped it many times. It's definitely a scratch.

I bought this iPod not so long ago, I believe the 14 day expiration for returning iPods ends for me this friday. I bought it online but there's a 10% restock fee (which would be around $40 for me). Think I could exchange for a newer one instead?

The irony of this was.. I was thinking of buying the invisible shield but I decided to wait for a case instead. Looks like I'll have to get the invisible shield now.

So could I exchange it for free or do I have to refund it and buy a new one? (Apple online store)

Let me know
Roshie
 
I just tried taking a picture with it off and with it on (the rainbow effect thing) and it couldn't capture it.

It's a really small scratch but it's still an eye sore to see when you watch a TV show especially family guy since they have plain colored backgrounds and it messes up when you see this line of rainbow on it.
 
Pics or it didnt happen ;)

i realized the glass is scratchable when i saw a scratch the size of a grain of sand on my iPhone.

not big at all, but scratched still...
 
bc008 said:
Pics or it didnt happen ;)

i realized the glass is scratchable when i saw a scratch the size of a grain of sand on my iPhone.

not big at all, but scratched still...
Click to expand...

I'm sorry I can't get any pictures of it as it's really hard. I can see it through the mini eye capture thing on the camera but I can't see it when it's taken.

You don't have to use my thread as proof that the screen is not invulnerable, I just need advice as to if I can exchange it or not.

I hope you understand.
 
I doubt that you can exchange it, as it's not really a technical fault.

If apple stated anywhere that the screen was impervious to scratches (which they didn't) then you'd have grounds to exchange due to it failing to live up to manufacturer spec.

It's just like the back of the iPod touch. So easy to tarnish even using Apple's iPod Sock like I'm doing - but it doesn't mean that we all can exchange when we get a scratch though.

Sorry, not what you wanted to hear - suck a lot I know. I just pray I will treat my Touch as best I can for it's life so it gets no scratches :)
 
It's understandable then. Any ideas as to how to get rid of that rainbow effect?
 
mine is too

but doesn't seem to affect my image quality as you say. luckily my big scratch/chip is off of the lcd area. i really need to be more careful. and stop drinking. I dropped it last night and it landed on dirt with lots of little shards of rock. The first time i dropped it it bounced off a ladder step (dented bezel) and landed screen down in a bubble of sap, but no scratches then and the sap came right off with denatured alcohol
 

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I'm going to try to stick toothpaste on the scratch and leave it there overnight. I'll report on how it goes.
 
roshie said:
I'm going to try to stick toothpaste on the scratch and leave it there overnight. I'll report on how it goes.
Click to expand...


I think you're a bit confused. Toothpaste is often used to remove small scratches in plastic because it is mildly abrasive, so sometimes it can be used to polish scratches out. Toothpaste's abrasive properties would definitely not be enough to allow for polishing of glass though.

Leaving it sitting on something isn't going to do anything.
 
druranium said:
but doesn't seem to affect my image quality as you say. luckily my big scratch/chip is off of the lcd area. i really need to be more careful. and stop drinking. I dropped it last night and it landed on dirt with lots of little shards of rock. The first time i dropped it it bounced off a ladder step (dented bezel) and landed screen down in a bubble of sap, but no scratches then and the sap came right off with denatured alcohol
Click to expand...

i hate to compromise the amazing thin feel of the touch , but for this reason alone i think I'll be looking into a silicone case
 
roshie said:
It's understandable then. Any ideas as to how to get rid of that rainbow effect?
Click to expand...
I know that the screens are made out of different materials, but - using a screen protector on my 30GB iPod video made a few small scratches disappear. It's a cheap one, not the 'Invisible Shield'. You can go to http://www.dealmac.com and search for one there. I think several others have been mentioned in this forum, also. Just make sure you get one that doesn't leave a residue.
 
Genghis Khan said:
my god man...how did you scratch it:confused:

i've tried everything!!!

TELL ME YOUR SECRET!!!
Click to expand...

I have no clue.. I left it in my pocket and it poof. As for the toothpaste.. yeah it didn't work. Anyone have any ideas to get rid of the rainbow effect? Or do I have to live with it.
 
Prob a grain of sand. Since glass is made up of sand (silicon) that and anything that cuts glass (ie. diamonds anyone?) will scratch glass. So mate, you either have a small grain of sand, or a big rock of bling in y our pocket!
 
impressive... were you hit by a car while your ipt was in your pocket? do you remember? Who else thinks this guy took a impact drill to his ipt? :-D
 
Genghis Khan said:
i reckon he dresses bling...although not with soft chrome..more like emo spikes
Click to expand...

Nah, no bling just baggy jeans. huge pockets, i swear i cleaned it out but here's the thing.. I had to get back to class quickly so I ran and that's probably what did it. I didn't hit anything but running probably got some sand bouncing and scratched it over and over.

Not really sure how it happened, all I know is it did happen. Invisible shield's coming in about 2 weeks.. got a discount on it but I really need the rainbow effect to go away so I can't see the scratched up part. Anyone have any ideas?

Oh yeah, no emo stuff either. No spikes, nothing. Belt and baggy jeans.
 
roshie said:
Nah, no bling just baggy jeans. huge pockets, i swear i cleaned it out but here's the thing.. I had to get back to class quickly so I ran and that's probably what did it. I didn't hit anything but running probably got some sand bouncing and scratched it over and over.

Not really sure how it happened, all I know is it did happen. Invisible shield's coming in about 2 weeks.. got a discount on it but I really need the rainbow effect to go away so I can't see the scratched up part. Anyone have any ideas?

Oh yeah, no emo stuff either. No spikes, nothing. Belt and baggy jeans.
Click to expand...

Once glass is scratched there's pretty much nothing you can do that's going to repair it.

As someone else said, the most likely cause of a scratch would be a rough piece of sand/rock/glass rubbing against the glass screen.

The glass screen is extremely scratch resistant but if you put something harder up against it (a harder piece of rough glass/rock/sand) and rub it then ya it will scratch.
 
sad to say I have some scuff/scratch marks on my screen too. Probably it's from some junk in my jacket pocket (ie loose piece of sand or something) since I don't vacuum seal my pockets.

It hurts!

But I watched my first videos on the bus today - what a sweet way to kill time! lol
 
I'm going to do that TIFF exploit and purposely make it so iTunes can't sync. I'll BS at the apple store about how it won't sync to try to get an exchange.

Wish me luck..
 
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