You need to calm down. I am on your side. All of my Apple products show wear. Their use is what I enjoy and not putting them on a pedestal and praying to them!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad mini Beware iPad mini Black Scuffs - Manufacturing Fault!
- Thread starter adamirox
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You need to calm down. I am on your side. All of my Apple products show wear. Their use is what I enjoy and not putting them on a pedestal and praying to them!
Exactly what happened to mine. Hence I returned it.
----------
friggin hideous. The fact still remains, black paint coming off after just four days of really careful usage is not normal wear and tear. Others are experiencing this as well.
For the love of God, please stop calling it paint. It's not paint. It's anodized aluminum. It's nothing like paint, it's not a type of paint, it's not a dye. It is a chemical treatment intended to give the metal increased corrosion resistance and cosmetic appeal.
The problem isn't that it's anodized, or that it's anodized poorly. It's that it's black. All aluminum scratches and flakes away if cut too thin (like the chamfered edges). It's not a problem if it's a light color or the natural silver. When it's black, you can't help but see every single imperfection.
So I don't usually examine my products under a microscope when buying however two thing happened.
A) I took a long look at a just opened mini, and sure enough there is minor anodize tin wear on the right side of the screen
B) I looked at the ipad 4 and there are FOUR scratches. neither has been out and about. The chargers weren't unpacked and they have actually been out in their boxes after brief use. So..
We will see what apple say tomorrow but this buy and return stuff with apple is getting tiresome. My replacement iphone 5 doesn't have any issue...but again it's a replacement. And my replacement Rmbp has to be fixed or preferably replaced again.
The pic posted is more severe than mine. But man....if its that delicate they made a wrong decision. I suppose white will be the alternative.
A) I took a long look at a just opened mini, and sure enough there is minor anodize tin wear on the right side of the screen
B) I looked at the ipad 4 and there are FOUR scratches. neither has been out and about. The chargers weren't unpacked and they have actually been out in their boxes after brief use. So..
We will see what apple say tomorrow but this buy and return stuff with apple is getting tiresome. My replacement iphone 5 doesn't have any issue...but again it's a replacement. And my replacement Rmbp has to be fixed or preferably replaced again.
The pic posted is more severe than mine. But man....if its that delicate they made a wrong decision. I suppose white will be the alternative.
Seriously. It's your product now. I don't put my device in a situation where will get bruised, scuffed, scratched or even insulted. On the rare occasions I have, I marvel at how well it holds up. And if it does suffer some cosmetic damage, I know it's my own fault. How many cars can you bump without getting a scuff on your bumper?
Y'all never owned black anodized cameras or guns? They will wear at the edges. I think it looks cool, like vintage gadgets.
Anodizing is fragile, but you can think of it as a film that protects the aluminum, as it was meant to be for guns and tactical equipment.
Anodizing is fragile, but you can think of it as a film that protects the aluminum, as it was meant to be for guns and tactical equipment.
I don't remember any of these problems with colored iPod nanos or minis. I can tell you that I exchanged my black mini for a white one because of this. I just wish I could have swapped my black iphone 5 for white while I still had the chance. It has a few chips around the edges. I will never buy another black apple device as long as these problems continue. If you look at black display iPhones in store they are atrocious. The one at my local AT&T store looks like it has been through a war.
Yeah, I am pistol enthusiast along with being a techie (Apple enthusiast). I also visit many gun forums as well. It's funny how you can immediately spot those posters who are new to pistols, as they start threads complaining about the finish on their pistols wearing in spots (first post I ever made on a gun forum).
The universal reply by just about everyone is, it's a gun, shoot it. I know wear on a pistols anodized finish can't be directly compared to that of an iPad given how a pistol functions (voilent recoil, moving parts, extreme heat, etc.). However, I think the core message should be the same, and that is to use and enjoy the device.
Now don't get me wrong, if I were to purchase a brand new iPhone/iPad and I found very visible defects out of the box, I would probably ask for a new one. That said, I don't understand everyone's obsession with attempting to keep the device pristine throughout it's use. Nothing wrong with taking care of the things you have, which I do, however, I also don't obsess over trying to keep my idevices in pristine condition as for me, it completely takes the fun out of using the devices.
If I get $20-$50 less when it comes time to sell based on it's outward appearance, so be it. In the meantime, I get to enjoy my device and not treat it like I'm hauling around a vile of nitroglycerin
Depends on the pistol too. My hk and glock have not worn. That said I'm sure if they were duty weapons!
Still. The simple thing is that the iPhone I can even get....it's in and out of pockets, etc... But something that sits in a drawer wearing is a flaw IMO.
Still. The simple thing is that the iPhone I can even get....it's in and out of pockets, etc... But something that sits in a drawer wearing is a flaw IMO.
I'm fairly disappointed that Apple didn't just stick with Silver Cases and offer Black or White bezels like most previous products. I prefer a black bezel on displays for less glare/distraction from the display but could care less about the case color.
I used to not care too much about wear on the body but have gotten into the habit of rolling my phone and iPads every year. I always use cases and after a year of regular use of both my iPhone 4S and iPad3, was able to trade them into Amazon in "Like-New" condition netting $450 for the 4S and $660 for the iPad3. They honestly had NO visible wear, which might be tougher to attain with these new generation products.
My day1 black iPhone 5 is in a very slim TPU case and so far looks like new so there is hope that it will stay that way, but I would recommend periodic cleaning of any grit from inside the case every week or two to prevent "galling" of the anodized finish.
I think a silver case will hold up better and really wish Apple would dump the black anodized bodys and just offer different color bezels...
I used to not care too much about wear on the body but have gotten into the habit of rolling my phone and iPads every year. I always use cases and after a year of regular use of both my iPhone 4S and iPad3, was able to trade them into Amazon in "Like-New" condition netting $450 for the 4S and $660 for the iPad3. They honestly had NO visible wear, which might be tougher to attain with these new generation products.
My day1 black iPhone 5 is in a very slim TPU case and so far looks like new so there is hope that it will stay that way, but I would recommend periodic cleaning of any grit from inside the case every week or two to prevent "galling" of the anodized finish.
I think a silver case will hold up better and really wish Apple would dump the black anodized bodys and just offer different color bezels...
Some facts about anodized surfaces:
Anodized aluminium surfaces are harder than aluminium but have low to moderate wear resistance, although this can be improved with thickness and sealing.
Although anodizing produces a very regular and uniform coating, microscopic fissures in the coating can lead to corrosion. Further, the coating is susceptible to chemical dissolution in the presence of high and low pH chemistry, which results in stripping the coating and corrosion of the substrate.
It is NOT permanent! Even a microscopic scratch in the coating can and will allow the substrate to corrode.
It is not a defect, it is a poor choice for the exterior finish on a high wear electronic items.
Anodized aluminium surfaces are harder than aluminium but have low to moderate wear resistance, although this can be improved with thickness and sealing.
Although anodizing produces a very regular and uniform coating, microscopic fissures in the coating can lead to corrosion. Further, the coating is susceptible to chemical dissolution in the presence of high and low pH chemistry, which results in stripping the coating and corrosion of the substrate.
It is NOT permanent! Even a microscopic scratch in the coating can and will allow the substrate to corrode.
It is not a defect, it is a poor choice for the exterior finish on a high wear electronic items.
Ive had mine since launch day and there isn't a single mark on it with a smart cover.I'am just waiting for the otter box defender case to be released for the iPad mini case to be released in the Uk 30th november and it cannot come soon enough then i be taken my iPad mini with me out and about with me not until it covered with otter box.
Except, here's my still pristine 6 year old anodized black aluminum Nano after being thrown naked in pockets and bags with other random stuff over the years:
Attachments
Cool, and for no extra charge?
There are people (Hollywood?) who are nutty enough to get a skin peel for some pretty stiff prices! Seriously, if an iPad mini's surface actually peels off, then maybe one has a defective unit. That could be checked at a retail store. Case closed. Otherwise if concerned then get a skin to cover the back. Case closed as well (but don't be taking the skin off 3x daily to see if it scuffed yet).
Can't believe I posted to this thread, I have better things to do and think I'm revoking my MacR cruising license for awhile. Ta!
Mine has been naked since launch, only in a neoprene pouch when not in use and it get used ALOT - not a mark, scuff or scratch in sight!
Just use the device. It's a portable device, it's going to see hell. Not only that, if you're the typical poster on here, you'll have an iPad mini 2 in one year. It's a consumer product, you're not putting it in a museum. There's 10,000,000 more like it.
Have used my 3yr+ old MacBook, and iPhone 4, iPod classic caseless since purchase. They're all fine, and only have minimal scratches... as I would expect them (well, iPod has ZAGG). People idolize Apple products. Just buy what you like, and use it until it no longer meets your needs, then replace with newer and better. The only time I ever cycled through the same Apple purchase three years in a row, was when I was in denial that I needed a 15" laptop. Went Blackbook > Aluminum MacBook > 15" MBP. Yeah it's scratched and not the newest gadget in my bag, but its still working perfect for me. ...aside from the crappy SuperDrive.
Have used my 3yr+ old MacBook, and iPhone 4, iPod classic caseless since purchase. They're all fine, and only have minimal scratches... as I would expect them (well, iPod has ZAGG). People idolize Apple products. Just buy what you like, and use it until it no longer meets your needs, then replace with newer and better. The only time I ever cycled through the same Apple purchase three years in a row, was when I was in denial that I needed a 15" laptop. Went Blackbook > Aluminum MacBook > 15" MBP. Yeah it's scratched and not the newest gadget in my bag, but its still working perfect for me. ...aside from the crappy SuperDrive.
Last edited: