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3 day old iPhone 3GS already cracking

linsam said:
Thanks for the photos. That is sad to see after 3 days of being babied. I am not sure if it is a heat issue, but anything is possible. I would imagine that Apple will replace your phone. They definitely should. Seeing cracks like that would really bother me. Good luck to you.
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Thanks! They definitely will replace it. I had my 3G replaced three times because of this same issue. Lets just say when I come in, the geniuses probably say, great, here comes crack boy!

barkomatic said:
Just out of curiosity, has anyone who has (or had) cracks on their iphone had little pieces of the plastic fall off as a result? I have little cracks around the screws close to the speakers and I'm wondering if its because those screws went in to tight.
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Yah, the last 3G I replaced (4 days ago) had two cracks that merged creating a chunk of plastic that fell off right in front of the headphone jack. It was so bad that the chrome ring in the headphone jack came loose and fell out.
 
i just wanted to say I have hairline cracks on my white iphone 3gs too.
They are located on just above the sim slot to the left, the ring mute switch, the bottom left speaker and in the middle of the volume switch. I dont think i would have ever checked for them unless i read this topic haha.
The most noticeable one is where the sim slot is. It's almost bulging a it. If i bought it from rogers, i still have to go down to an apple store right?
 
blueillusion said:
i just wanted to say I have hairline cracks on my white iphone 3gs too.
They are located on just above the sim slot to the left, the ring mute switch, the bottom left speaker and in the middle of the volume switch. I dont think i would have ever checked for them unless i read this topic haha.
The most noticeable one is where the sim slot is. It's almost bulging a it. If i bought it from rogers, i still have to go down to an apple store right?
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Correct, a visit to your local apple store should net you a replacement (assuming they have some). Those places you described are the most common spots for these hairline cracks to appear.
 
I too have hairline cracks on the bottom of the phone near the speakers and up top near the headphone jack. I called Apple today and they are sending me a new phone. This is unacceptable at this point - these plastic housings have been in use for over a year now and the problem is still there. Apple has some serious quality control issues going on. I had to replace my iPhone 3G four times this year because of this reoccuring issue. Now it's happening again with my 3GS. Ugh!!!
 
efice32 said:
if the phone still works who cares
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Might have something to do with the phone costs $600... You really felt the need to ask such a stupid question? Would you buy a car and not care if the dash cracked on the 3rd day?
 
Just noticed yet another crack between the sim tray and the chrome bezel. Unbelievable!
 
barkomatic said:
Just out of curiosity, has anyone who has (or had) cracks on their iphone had little pieces of the plastic fall off as a result? I have little cracks around the screws close to the speakers and I'm wondering if its because those screws went in to tight.
Click to expand...


I've had the hairline cracks for at least six months - mine have always been simply cosmetic. I don't have any around the screws. Most of mine are around the sleep/wake button, the sim tray, and the silent switch. Other than the hairline cracks, I have no bad pixels or anything else so I don't want to swap it for something cosmetic and possibly get a defect that bothers me.
 
skwoytek said:
I've had the hairline cracks for at least six months - mine have always been simply cosmetic. I don't have any around the screws. Most of mine are around the sleep/wake button, the sim tray, and the silent switch. Other than the hairline cracks, I have no bad pixels or anything else so I don't want to swap it for something cosmetic and possibly get a defect that bothers me.
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^^ Exactly. I'm having second thoughts about going to the genius bar tomorrow. While the cracks are a defect and I know I would easily get a replacement, I think I'm going to wait until either something else comes up (hopefully not, but bad camera, battery etc could happen) or when the chrome or screen gets scratched up. Then I can point out the cracks and get a new phone rather than risking getting a phone that could be even more messed up. The only thing wrong with this phone are the cracks...the rest of it is absolutely perfect. We'll see!
 
3GS916 said:
cant post in above reply, but this is exactly what mine looks like. In the same spot too. More of the same can be found at the sim tray and speakers. Considering this phone has been babied, im wandering if its a heat related issue. who knows.

attachment.php
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Photoshopped! :D Nah just kidding.. send it to apple and have it replaced.. let's hope that this will not be a widespread problem.. :eek: they should have gone ahead with the matte back! :(
 
Yah I've got an appt at noon tomorrow. Needless to say im going to check out everything before I leave. Ill shake the phone, make sure theres not rattles, check the casing, play with the compass and check the camera. haha
 
Wow, Sorry to hear that, but I guess it is a good thing since it is a known problem and if anything else happens to your phone (actual scratches etc) you can have a reason to exchange it.

However I was wondering, might be a stupid question but its my first time buying apple so just making sure, if I ordered off Apple.com can I still take it to an Apple store to get it replace if, lets hope it doesn't, mine begins to crack?
And do they just straight up give you a new box and everything or just a new phone?

Thanks.
 
Yah if you bought it online you can either go to your local apple store and have it serviced or hav le it serviced by mail. If you go into an apple store, all you have to bring is the phone. They will give you a refurbished (basically new) phone from a genius bar only supply. They won't open up a retail box or anything.
 
Well I decided not to go, would rather not risk getting a more messed up phone just to get rid of a few tiny cracks. I'll wait to replace it after o scratch up the screen or the chrome!
 
SeanMcC said:
LOL!


I had this problem with my 3G, but I never went in to replace it. If my 3G S gets any cracks, I'll for sure be stopping by my Apple store.
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Good stuff. Im sure someone was happy when a spot opened up today at my local store!
 
3GS916 said:
Well I decided not to go, would rather not risk getting a more messed up phone just to get rid of a few tiny cracks. I'll wait to replace it after o scratch up the screen or the chrome!
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Im going to wait too. Wait a month or so until they get a new batch (i hope that's the case). Maybe they will have the cracking issues solved.
 
This is just my opinion but..... I don't understand why such little cracks really bother everyone this much. Most of these cracks aren't even visible unless you really look for them. I have never heard other people with "normal" phones complain about a hairline crack and send their phone in to get it replaced.
My
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Your opinion is valid, and I agree with it mostly. But as with anything, cracks can cause problems in the future, and I'd rather not have a problem when my warranty is expired.
 
Swizz said:
This is just my opinion but..... I don't understand why such little cracks really bother everyone this much. Most of these cracks aren't even visible unless you really look for them. I have never heard other people with "normal" phones complain about a hairline crack and send their phone in to get it replaced.
My
2cents.gif
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While the hairline cracks may be hard to see, over time they grow into bigger problems. The cracks on my old 3G got so bad they caused the chrome ring around the headphone port to come loose and fall out.
 
blueillusion said:
Im going to wait too. Wait a month or so until they get a new batch (i hope that's the case). Maybe they will have the cracking issues solved.
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They have been making this phone for over a year (yes, it's the same casing as the 3G), what makes you think they're going to suddenly fix it next batch. It seems that it comes down to cost. If Apple changes to a higher quality plastic case, their revenue will decrease. This won't be happening.

blueillusion said:
Your opinion is valid, and I agree with it mostly. But as with anything, cracks can cause problems in the future, and I'd rather not have a problem when my warranty is expired.
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Or, what if they spot the cracks and say the phone was subject to trauma not covered by the warranty? Then you're screwed.
 
^^ Above would never happen. These kinds of cracks are not caused by "trauma." Dropping cant cause such small cracks, there would be other damage to the phone if this were the case (chips in chrome bezel, plastic etc)

Apple is well aware of this issue, why do you think it is so easy to go get a replacement?
 
I was just wondering, is this hairline crack fault only apparent on the WHITE models? I am buying a 3GS but I was going to get a white one and they are all out of stock at present, but after reading this thread and the news about them turning brown I'm thinking I should get the black one?
 
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