3G - Cracks in Plastic Housing

[MyJelleo]

My argument is that the iPhone shouldn't need a case to be safe. It's not printed on the box or on the website "recommended to be put in a case". That's total BS if they deny you. I always roll with my iPhone naked because cases do more to cheapen the device and look retarded. If iPhones need a case, one should be included in the box.

I hear a lot of similar arguments to this one: "If the phone needed it, the phone would have come with it."

The moment you purchase the phone, the physical, tangible equipment becomes your property. The responsibility is yours to protect the phone and take care of it. If you drop the phone and it breaks, it's not Apple's fault. And I don't recall any mobile phone that states that it is recommended that you keep the phone in a case, but there are many that would benefit from being put into one;the iPhone, especially.

The iPhone is not the most durable of phones. It was not meant to be. It was meant to be a good looking phone that could handle minor rough housing. If you want to just roll naked, that's fine. I've met more than just a few people who do the same and who've dropped their phones and cracked it to all hell. If those same people kept the phone in some sort of case, even a thin slip in case like my SENA, the phone would have been fine.

We all have the freedom to choose whether to keep the phone in a case or not. But I don't care how careful you are, there is always the possibility that you'll drop your phone on something other than a soft surface one day. And when that day happens, you're going to wish it was in some sort of protective casing.

BTW, Apple may have been asking you if you use a case in order to develop a census. I'm sure they've been getting back a lot of cracked phones. Just because the cracked housing is well documented in forums and a few online articles, does not mean that it's wide spread knowledge outside of the Internet. If you brought me a phone that was cracked, I would ask you the same question: did you use a case?

 

[Kadman]

My argument is that the iPhone shouldn't need a case to be safe. It's not printed on the box or on the website "recommended to be put in a case". That's total BS if they deny you. I always roll with my iPhone naked because cases do more to cheapen the device and look retarded. If iPhones need a case, one should be included in the box.

Our fireplace didn't come with a screen in front of it, but we needed one to make it safe, especially for the kids.

Cars don't come with anything covering the paint in the front of the vehicle, but some buy leather, or clear films to prevent chips in the paint.

Laptops (by default) don't ship with any sort of back pack or other protective case, yet I wouldn't travel without one.

Thousands of other examples out there. Point is, the manufacturer isn't responsible for protecting you from your own stupidity.

 

[Razeus]

I hear a lot of similar arguments to this one: "If the phone needed it, the phone would have come with it."

The moment you purchase the phone, the physical, tangible equipment becomes your property. The responsibility is yours to protect the phone and take care of it. If you drop the phone and it breaks, it's not Apple's fault. And I don't recall any mobile phone that states that it is recommended that you keep the phone in a case, but there are many that would benefit from being put into one;the iPhone, especially.

The iPhone is not the most durable of phones. It was not meant to be. It was meant to be a good looking phone that could handle minor rough housing. If you want to just roll naked, that's fine. I've met more than just a few people who do the same and who've dropped their phones and cracked it to all hell. If those same people kept the phone in some sort of case, even a thin slip in case like my SENA, the phone would have been fine.

We all have the freedom to choose whether to keep the phone in a case or not. But I don't care how careful you are, there is always the possibility that you'll drop your phone on something other than a soft surface one day. And when that day happens, you're going to wish it was in some sort of protective casing.

BTW, Apple may have been asking you if you use a case in order to develop a census. I'm sure they've been getting back a lot of cracked phones. Just because the cracked housing is well documented in forums and a few online articles, does not mean that it's wide spread knowledge outside of the Internet. If you brought me a phone that was cracked, I would ask you the same question: did you use a case?

Our fireplace didn't come with a screen in front of it, but we needed one to make it safe, especially for the kids.

Cars don't come with anything covering the paint in the front of the vehicle, but some buy leather, or clear films to prevent chips in the paint.

Laptops (by default) don't ship with any sort of back pack or other protective case, yet I wouldn't travel without one.

Thousands of other examples out there. Point is, the manufacturer isn't responsible for protecting you from your own stupidity.

You two are obvisouly missing the point I just made. So I'll go slow for your types:

He's going to walk into a store and he thinks we'll be denied because his phone wasn't in a case. If he's denied, a phone not being in a case in not a valid excuse to deny his claim.

Protecting your phone is one thing. Deny a claim because he didn't put it in a case is another.

If he put his phone in a case and dropped it, should Apple still honor his warranty?
If did NOT put his phone in a case and dropped, should Apple still honor his warranty?

The cracking issue has nothing to do with the phone being in a case. The issue seems to me that the plastic is too rigid around the ports and therfore would crack, whether he had a case or not.

The fact that Apple reps are trained to ask this question sounds like they are trying to get out of their warranty obligations, knowing full damn will they have cracking issues, which seem to be common occurence.

 

[MyJelleo]

You two are obvisouly missing the point I just made. So I'll go slow for your types:

He's going to walk into a store and he thinks we'll be denied because his phone wasn't in a case. If he's denied, a phone not being in a case in not a valid excuse to deny his claim.

Protecting your phone is one thing. Deny a claim because he didn't put it in a case is another.

If he put his phone in a case and dropped it, should Apple still honor his warranty?
If did NOT put his phone in a case and dropped, should Apple still honor his warranty?

The cracking issue has nothing to do with the phone being in a case. The issue seems to me that the plastic is too rigid around the ports and therfore would crack, whether he had a case or not.

The fact that Apple reps are trained to ask this question sounds like they are trying to get out of their warranty obligations, knowing full damn will they have cracking issues, which seem to be common occurence.

Thanks for the insulting and condescending reply. "You two are obvisouly missing the point I just made. So I'll go slow for your types" Very uncalled for.

As I was saying in my post, which you clearly didn't read entirely, the cracking isn't well established outside of the internet. There are a lot of people who don't even know it exists. And those who do know it exists could try to rip Apple off by dropping their phone and then telling them that it cracked by itself. Apple, like any other company, has to protect themselves. They ask the questions not to screw over customers, like you would like to think. Consumers like you make me so mad. You think companies should govel to you if any issue comes up. Guess what. It doesn't work like that. A good company will do it's best to resolve the issue in a professional manner; however, there is no company that will grant you everything you want without taking the necessary steps to ensure that they aren't being screwed.

Try to be less jerky in your responses next time, youngin'. Hey, I wanted to make my point more clear, so I bolded and underlined the important part you should read. Does that make it easier?

 

[Razeus]

Thanks for the insulting and condescending reply. "You two are obvisouly missing the point I just made. So I'll go slow for your types" Very uncalled for.

As I was saying in my post, which you clearly didn't read entirely, the cracking isn't well established outside of the internet. There are a lot of people who don't even know it exists. And those who do know it exists could try to rip Apple off by dropping their phone and then telling them that it cracked by itself. Apple, like any other company, has to protect themselves. They ask the questions not to screw over customers, like you would like to think. Consumers like you make me so mad. You think companies should govel to you if any issue comes up. Guess what. It doesn't work like that. A good company will do it's best to resolve the issue in a professional manner; however, there is no company that will grant you everything you want without taking the necessary steps to ensure that they aren't being screwed.

Try to be less jerky in your responses next time, youngin'. Hey, I wanted to make my point more clear, so I bolded and underlined the important part you should read. Does that make it easier?

I see I hit a nerve with you, but you still miss my point.

Then explain why some stores are fixing the issue and others are turning customers away as noted in this post. Doesn't sound consistent to me. The mere fact you can be denied in one store, go to another and get serviced sounds fishy.

And there's a big difference between a crack resulting from a phone dropping than one from simply putting it on the dock.

 

[charltonx]

I've just noticed a crack between the headphone socket and the bezel (very small); my question is, would you try to get a replacement for something like this or would I be wasting my time?

I got the phone (3G) on launch day at The Carphone Warehouse UK, so it hasn't been a year yet, I've also got it insured with a seperate company with a £50 excess on the policy.

I was just wondering if anybody else had dealt with Carphone Warehouse with cracked cases or would I just go straight to O2, or indeed just not bother.

I'm one of those people that accepts wear & tear on products, especially after nearly a year, but if this is acknowledged as a defect then I would have no problems taking it back.

Your thoughts please.........

 

[John T]

I've always found O2 to be more approachable than Carphone Warehouse. As far as you are concerned, in my opinion, the best way to find out is to ask 'em.

 

[FastangV6]

I just took my 11 month old cracked iphone 3G into an Apple Store and told the genius that I didn't drop it and that it is cracked and I need it fixed or replaced (which is all true). He asked if I used a case. I said no. He then unboxed a new phone, swapped the SIM cards, and sent me on my way with a new (refurb) iphone 3G. Nice!

 

[MyJelleo]

I see I hit a nerve with you, but you still miss my point.

Then explain why some stores are fixing the issue and others are turning customers away as noted in this post. Doesn't sound consistent to me. The mere fact you can be denied in one store, go to another and get serviced sounds fishy.

And there's a big difference between a crack resulting from a phone dropping than one from simply putting it on the dock.

Ask the managers. Really simple. And I don't see how I'm missing any point. Apple is like any other retail store. It's trying to balance protecting itself and helping its customer base. Each individual retail store has different management, and each individual manager is going to view the cracks differently. There is no official acknowledgement of these cracks, so how each store deals with them can vary greatly.

So go ask the manager if they are trying to screw you over like it's some sort of conspiracy against all the customers. I, for one, don't think Apple is trying to screw anyone. I still think Apple has the best overall customer service in the computer industry right now. The people who bitch are the few who have bumped into the small percentage of bad sales reps.

I just took my 11 month old cracked iphone 3G into an Apple Store and told the genius that I didn't drop it and that it is cracked and I need it fixed or replaced (which is all true). He asked if I used a case. I said no. He then unboxed a new phone, swapped the SIM cards, and sent me on my way with a new (refurb) iphone 3G. Nice!

Here is proof that asking if you used a case is probably some generic question that all Reps are supposed to ask. Some may, some may not: it just depends on if the particular rep is sick of asking the question. Anyone who has worked retail will know this. I'm glad you had a good experience. You're one of many, I'm sure.

 

[Nickday89]

i don't really want to read these almost 60 pages, but is there a specific reason as to why it's the whites that seem to crack the most? from the pages i have read, the few black iphone cracks are noticeable, but it seems that 1/10 of the phones that are cracked are the white one

 

[John T]

Apparently, cracks on a white 'phone are more noticeable.

 

[powaking]

I have a case (Switcheasy Rebel) and yet I have a crack on the back of my shell. It has been dropped but nothing to make the screen crack. Just noticed it the other day when cleaning my case.

 

[uiop.]

I have a case (Switcheasy Rebel) and yet I have a crack on the back of my shell. It has been dropped but nothing to make the screen crack. Just noticed it the other day when cleaning my case.

Yup. The cracks will come no matter what prettty much.

 

[NelsonSAE]

Isn't it legitimate to expect that Apple has fixed this lousy plastic issue with the new 3G S (since it decided to keep that plastic housing)? Or is is just naivety to believe that?

 

[Roessnakhan]

Isn't it legitimate to expect that Apple has fixed this lousy plastic issue with the new 3G S (since it decided to keep that plastic housing)? Or is is just naivety to believe that?

Well its a known issue that they've been replacing phones (no questions asked) for a few months now. You would hope they would have come up with a solution by now (like the MacBook palm rest issue).

 

[NelsonSAE]

Well its a known issue that they've been replacing phones (no questions asked) for a few months now. You would hope they would have come up with a solution by now (like the MacBook palm rest issue).

But, in that case, wouldn't they announce it? Or is it such an embarrassing issue that they would prefer to change things quietly?

 

[cherrybomb]

Just a quick question to those who have successfully replaced their cracked iphones:

I have noticed stress marks around the connector port, all corners, headphone jack and the sleep button. I bought it from Carphone Warehouse on PAYG, can I return it (with receipt) to the Apple store for a replacement?

It does have couple of dents due to being dropped (two to be exact), but these cracks are really annoying seen as though I shelled out almost half a grand for the phone.

I've had my phone for 9 months, would this possibly be an issue?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

 

[OllyW]

Just got my white iPhone replaced for cracks around the headphone jack.

There were no problems changing it, the Genius even told me there were more tiny cracks on the case which I hadn't noticed.

 

[NelsonSAE]

So, again, does anyone know if this is a solved issue?

Can we buy an iPhone now (specially a white one, where cracks are more visible) confident that Apple actually did something about it?

Does anyone bought recently an iPhone and can tell his/her experience? Will it be diferent with 3G S? (for Christ sake, there hundreds of diferent plastic phones out there - almost all of them cheapper than iPhone - and they don't crack!)

Thanks in advance!

 

[jonnyb]

So, again, does anyone know if this is a solved issue?

Can we buy an iPhone now (specially a white one, where cracks are more visible) confident that Apple actually did something about it?

Does anyone bought recently an iPhone and can tell his/her experience?

Thanks in advance!

I'd like to know this too. I was toying with the idea of getting a white 3GS (to contribute to a 'completely new iPhone' feeling) but I won't do it if the issue hasn't been addressed.

 

[cubbie5150]

So, again, does anyone know if this is a solved issue?

Can we buy an iPhone now (specially a white one, where cracks are more visible) confident that Apple actually did something about it?

Does anyone bought recently an iPhone and can tell his/her experience? Will it be diferent with 3G S? (for Christ sake, there hundreds of diferent plastic phones out there - almost all of them cheapper than iPhone - and they don't crack!)

Thanks in advance!

I have had similar questions, but we simply may not know for several months until users report on build quality after having had the 3G S for a while....

 

[drew0020]

I dont think Apple addressed the issue yet because my last two white iPhones both cracked (neither were dropped). The cracks always seem to start in the same places. I am getting a black 3G S so I hope that the color hides it better.

I have a feeling we are going to see a lot of these 3 topics next week:

1. dead pixels/dust
2. light leakage
3. case cracks

I hope im wrong but

 

[brn2ski00]

I got more cracks and dust - going to get it replaced soon. But last time I went to my Apple Store, they told me that they weren't doing it anymore.

Wonder if I should show them this thread?

 

[OllyW]

I got more cracks and dust - going to get it replaced soon. But last time I went to my Apple Store, they told me that they weren't doing it anymore.

Wonder if I should show them this thread?

As I posted above, I got mine replaced last Sunday.

This is how they reported the problem....

 

[FastangV6]

I dont think Apple addressed the issue yet because my last two white iPhones both cracked (neither were dropped). The cracks always seem to start in the same places. I am getting a black 3G S so I hope that the color hides it better.

I have a feeling we are going to see a lot of these 3 topics next week:

1. dead pixels/dust
2. light leakage
3. case cracks

I hope im wrong but

+1

Maybe we should start the sticky now for these 3 issues on the 3G S...