6s plus camera has tiny scratches?

[KiraYamato]

So I have had the phone for two weeks and in certain lighting i can see what looks tiny dot like scratches of about 1 mm in length? I have done nothing out of the ordinary with the phone and the iphone camera lens is supposed to be very scratch resistant, so what could have caused it?

 

[Newtons Apple]

Are you sure it is scratched and it is not fine particles of dust inside the lens?

It is not impossible to scratch this lens but it does not happen easiliy

 

[KiraYamato]

Are you sure it is scratched and it is not fine particles of dust inside the lens?

It is not impossible to scratch this lens but it does not happen easiliy

I am not sure, they do all look about the same in size so could be dust indeed, but how did they get under the glass? There are like 30 or more on the glass. Would be a record for me to get that many scratches on such a small area whilst i have been literally babying my phone.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I am not sure, they do all look about the same in size so could be dust indeed, but how did they get under the glass? There are like 30 or more on the glass. Would be a record for me to get that many scratches on such a small area whilst i have been literally babying my phone.

Your being careful with you phone is why I am thinking it is dust maybe on the inside. Dust of fabric debris can get inside your phone and there have been a few other threads about debris on the inside of their lens. If you can get it to the Apple store they would be able to tell and if dust is inside they would replace or repair.

I really do not think they are scratches just due to the number of them.

 

[melman101]

If the pictures come out fine, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[KiraYamato]

Your being careful with you phone is why I am thinking it is dust maybe on the inside. Dust of fabric debris can get inside your phone and there have been a few other threads about debris on the inside of their lens. If you can get it to the Apple store they would be able to tell and if dust is inside they would replace or repair.

I really do not think they are scratches just due to the number of them.

Hmmm the more i look the more they do look like dust particles. There is an apple store in my city but I will probably see if it gets worse or affects my photos. The phone is literally perfect in every other way (great bat life, no lag, uniform screen), would hate to enter the iphone lottery again or the idea of someone taking apart the backside of my phone to repair.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Hmmm the more i look the more they do look like dust particles. There is an apple store in my city but I will probably see if it gets worse or affects my photos. The phone is literally perfect in every other way (great bat life, no lag, uniform screen), would hate to enter the iphone lottery again or the idea of someone taking apart the backside of my phone to repair.

Sounds like a plan. How do you carry your phone. If in your pocket maybe find a sleeve of something to help keep the dust to a minimum.

Your camera should be OK as long as you are not shooting into a bright light source which would light up the particles and you could loose some contrast in your images. It is possible they will open your phone and clean the lens so you get your baby back.

Good luck, enjoy your phone.

 

[BradWould]

I had an iPhone 5 replaced for dust inside the lens. If you zoomed way in there was a small purple speck in every one of my photos. It can definitely happen. No questions asked replacement if it's effecting photo quality.

 

[KiraYamato]

Sounds like a plan. How do you carry your phone. If in your pocket maybe find a sleeve of something to help keep the dust to a minimum.

Your camera should be OK as long as you are not shooting into a bright light source which would light up the particles and you could loose some contrast in your images. It is possible they will open your phone and clean the lens so you get your baby back.

Good luck, enjoy your phone.

Haha, but it's my pressyouussshh!

carry my phone in a case and has been mostly in the big side pocket of my winter jacket, which is lint free... But I did have a ski hat inside of it with my phone the other day, mostly with my screen face to my hat though.

Can not fathom how the dust partices got in within these two weeks or how I made a host of micro 1 mm scratches on the camera.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Haha, but it's my pressyouussshh!

carry my phone in a case and has been mostly in the big side pocket of my winter jacket, which is lint free... But I did have a ski hat inside of it with my phone the other day, mostly with my screen face to my hat though.

Can not fathom how the dust partices got in within these two weeks or how I made a host of micro 1 mm scratches on the camera.

Beware of cases that are felt or fuzzy lined. If you have a friend with a loupe or strong magnifying glass it would be interesting to see if the little fiber could be identified.

I would bet anything they are not scratches. Fine particles can get in the side button

 

[KiraYamato]

I had an iPhone 5 replaced for dust inside the lens. If you zoomed way in there was a small purple speck in every one of my photos. It can definitely happen. No questions asked replacement if it's effecting photo quality.

I will have to check it with pictures taken during daytime. I did notice today that my pictures looked off somehow (as if the focus is not hundred percent, that's what made me study the lens like a jeweller) but good low light performance during the evening made me think it was me being paranoid again.

If they turned out to be scratches though, would it be covered under warranty as well? Seems a bit weird for the sapphire to scratch within two weeks and me having been in extra careful with the new toy mode during that time.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I will have to check it with pictures taken during daytime. I did notice today that my pictures looked off somehow (as if the focus is not hundred percent, that's what made me study the lens like a jeweller) but good low light performance during the evening made me think it was me being paranoid again.

If they turned out to be scratches though, would it be covered under warranty as well? Seems a bit weird for the sapphire to scratch within two weeks and me having been in extra careful with the new toy mode during that time.

You seem to be convinced they are scratches. They are not.

Either way Apple will fix you phone unless there is additional obvious damages.

 

[KiraYamato]

Beware of cases that are felt or fuzzy lined. If you have a friend with a loupe or strong magnifying glass it would be interesting to see if the little fiber could be identified.

I would bet anything they are not scratches. Fine particles can get in the side button

The thing is: why don't more people have this problem if I managed this within two weeks having been quite careful? I'll bet everyone have had it in their jackets or jeans pockets (which i even avoided), surely they would get it too or is one phone more prone to it than another?

Would there be a point to having it fixed if it could happen again within days/weeks.

 

[KiraYamato]

You seem to be convinced they are scratches. They are not.

Either way Apple will fix you phone unless there is additional obvious damages.

They probAbly aren't scratches given the nature of sapphire. Just covering all angles.

I guess I have to go to the store if it really is affecting picture quality and ask them the how and why of it.

 

[BradWould]

First pic shows the small speck. Second one is zoomed in. Like I said it was an iPhone 5 but still. It shows it's possible.

** shameless iCloud Photo Library plug. I love being able to find pictures taken 3 years ago in 5 minutes on my current phone! **

 

[darrylcn]

Hey Brad, is this something that's on by default? I went to Photos in iCloud and it's saying I need iOS 8.1 or later (fat chance on my iPhone 5 with 7.1.2!) but I'm wondering if when I get my 6S+ (Hopefully) for Christmas I'll be able to see the same thing you are, with old photos copying over. Fellow NS member too, so hi!

 

[BradWould]

Hey Brad, is this something that's on by default? I went to Photos in iCloud and it's saying I need iOS 8.1 or later (fat chance on my iPhone 5 with 7.1.2!) but I'm wondering if when I get my 6S+ (Hopefully) for Christmas I'll be able to see the same thing you are, with old photos copying over. Fellow NS member too, so hi!

Hey, sorry OP for hijacking the thread for a minute. Just one quick reply about iCloud Photo Library. You have to enable it in iCloud settings. As long as you have your photos backed up you can add them to iCloud Photo Library when you get a device/OS capable of it. I bought the 3.99$ a month 200gb plan and uploaded all my previous photos (every photo I ever took with any camera I've ever owned). Otherwise your stuck with the free 5gb, which gets chewed up pretty fast with backups.

Once that's all done its automatic from there on out. I'm at over 14000 photos all available from my iPhone 6S+. Good Luck!

 

[melman101]

Hey, sorry OP for hijacking the thread for a minute. Just one quick reply about iCloud Photo Library. You have to enable it in iCloud settings. As long as you have your photos backed up you can add them to iCloud Photo Library when you get a device/OS capable of it. I bought the 3.99$ a month 200gb plan and uploaded all my previous photos (every photo I ever took with any camera I've ever owned). Otherwise your stuck with the free 5gb, which gets chewed up pretty fast with backups.

Once that's all done its automatic from there on out. I'm at over 14000 photos all available from my iPhone 6S+. Good Luck!

I wish. My library is 252gb so I would have to get the $10 a month plan :-(.

 

[Newtons Apple]

First pic shows the small speck. Second one is zoomed in. Like I said it was an iPhone 5 but still. It shows it's possible.

** shameless iCloud Photo Library plug. I love being able to find pictures taken 3 years ago in 5 minutes on my current phone! **

The different from the OP is your debris is on the actual sensor, which is why it is clear and sharp. If it were on the lens it would not be.

 

[CaCHooKa Man]

Unless your phone has come into contact with a bunch of diamonds, what you're seeing isn't a scratch on the lens

 

[KiraYamato]

It's dust particles. I have checked in daylight now and they are tiny dots of dust (not whole lints though so it'll be less obvious in the store should i go that way). Only two are visible in daylight though, whilst in certain angles under artificial light you will see dozens of those dots.
It does not seem to show up on my pictures yet but i wonder if it will be moving around and eventually landing on the sensor itself as time passes and I miss my window for a new replacement instead of a refurb.

 

[Newtons Apple]

It's dust particles. I have checked in daylight now and they are tiny dots of dust (not whole lints though so it'll be less obvious in the store should i go that way). Only two are visible in daylight though, whilst in certain angles under artificial light you will see dozens of those dots.
It does not seem to show up on my pictures yet but i wonder if it will be moving around and eventually landing on the sensor itself as time passes and I miss my window for a new replacement instead of a refurb.

Glad you are now convinced.

 

[Qbnkelt]

This is one instance in which I would get the phone serviced. If dust got in then it's possible that it continue to get in.
Personally, I would contact Apple.

 

[Newtons Apple]

This is one instance in which I would get the phone serviced. If dust got in then it's possible that it continue to get in.
Personally, I would contact Apple.

Agreed. There has to be a reason so much dust got into the 2 week old lens and see no reason it will not get worst. Somewhere there is a failure to seal the device.

 

[KiraYamato]

This is one instance in which I would get the phone serviced. If dust got in then it's possible that it continue to get in.
Personally, I would contact Apple.

Agreed. There has to be a reason so much dust got into the 2 week old lens and see no reason it will not get worst. Somewhere there is a failure to seal the device.

Yes, to be honest, I am hesitant because I have read this forum and seen the issues people are coping with that I am not with this device. But I have decided it isn't normal and that if dust is getting in after 2 weeks of use then what would it look like after a year? The strange thing is that in daylight, I can only see about 3 or so of those dust particles. In the house under a lamp with the phone held at certain angles I saw what looked like dozens of them.

I can and will exchange it for a new device tomorrow at the store I bought it from, which has a 60 day return policy. Let's hope I get a device as good as this one but without the proneness to particle invasion.