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Apple BUMPER has DAMAGED my iPhone 4!

Um? Aluminum??? What aluminum? The iPhone 4 is made out of stainless steel and glass, how does plastic scratch steel???
 
There is a reason why there are scratches on your phone...you didn't clean it before you put the bumper on. Plain and simple, nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, it happens to everyone.

I have learned from having so many iPhones though.
 
sinsin07 said:
Good one.:D LMAO Myabe the OP is thinkng of that game, Rock Paper Scissors:D
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Yea it's confusing, Apple made a big deal of the metal band being a special steel alloy, not aluminum. I'm just wondering how dust scratches, or as in the op's case makes little "bite marks" in steel. The only thing I could see doing that is if you got metal filings in there or sand, did the op go to the beach? I don't know, it just doesn't make sense to me, my 4 has been in a case since early July and the steel band is still flawless.
 
APPLE-IFIED said:
Who ever said I BOUGHT a bumper. It was delivered free of charge using the Apple App or have you been living under a rock and are not aware that they did this?




In my eyes, such large clusters of scratches do present "significant damage" due to them ruining the visual integrity of the phone (from it's nice clean, brushed aluminum finish). Any TRUE Apple user knows that its all about clean glass and aluminium, but thank you for your input none the less.




WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! I really can't make sense of this statement. The story is how I've put it. There aren't any sides to it besides the fact that my beloved iPhone got damaged by a product I thought to be there to protect it!
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wow newbie and already one of the rudest sounded members on this board

sigh no wonder apple fanboys get such a bad rap
 
jasonforisrael said:
pretty hilarious that the official apple "case" for the iPhone is the worst thing you could possibly get.

no back protection
complaints of scratching the aluminum
can't use cables/docks
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I've had my bumper since day 1 and have yet to scratch the band. its not aluminum either. Also you can use cables with them. Do research before you bash on something or someone.
 
Mine is in an OtterBox Defender, and even with that maximum protection I still remove it occasionally to clean it and the case.

I used an OtterBox Defender for my iPhone 3GS also and I got top dollar for it when I sold it because it was in such pristine condition. This, despite the fact that I carried it every day at work, in an environment that is not friendly to any kind of cell phone.

There are some who don't like the looks of the OtterBox Defender cases, but they give almost bank vault protection to your phone while allowing full use of all the phones features.

I have no ties whatsoever with OtterBox, I'm only a satisfied customer.

Your Milage May Vary.
 
I have the same scratches that the OP is describing but could really care less about them. Have been using the bumper also since they came out, seems to be only certain bumpers though because my gf's did not scratch hers (so I took hers when she got a new case). My scratches are around the vibrate button and near the headphone jack.
 
APPLE-IFIED said:
WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! I really can't make sense of this statement. The story is how I've put it. There aren't any sides to it besides the fact that my beloved iPhone got damaged by a product I thought to be there to protect it!
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What I am talking about is, we don't know exactly what you said at the Apple store. We only know what you stated here. And many people make stuff up.

But as I said previously, a case (no matter who makes it), is not without side effects. Your iPhone can be scratched DUE to the case, from debri getting in between the case and the device. It's the same argument as having a front end bra on a car. Unless you periodically remove the bra and clean out the crude under it, the car's paint can get scratched. I suspect this is also true for iPhone cases.

If the scratches are not caused by debri and due to the case making surface contact on the iPhone, then this is caused by friction. You could have used a skin on the iPhone prior to the case.

But remember Apple did not create the Bumper as a means to protect the iPhone from scratches, it was more to eliminate the antenna issue.
 
When I sold mine the guy was complaining about this too. I used the Bumper for like a week and it left a little mark in one of the corners.
 
HECK YA!!!!
I took mine off after like two weeks and there were tons of scratches all over the metal band....i thought cases were supposed to protect against scratches!!!!
WHAT THE CRAP!!!! IM PISSED
 
ravensfan55 said:
The problem with the bumpers is that the hard plastic on the inside is sometimes cut rough from the machines. The rough marks scratch the coating on the antenna band.

The bumpers are garbage, for the most part. They keep the look of your device, and that's about it. Buttons are nice, but the bumpers I've had were loose, and you can't use any 3rd party accessories with them.
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+1 The most accurate explanation about the bumper flaw in midst of all these crappy responses. I bought my bumper on day one and reported the same issue on apple forums and I wasn't the only one with this problem. I exchanged my phone after noticing the scuffs and never used the bumper again. It's not the dust...it's the hard plastic inside the bumper and the plastic moulds could be different on each bumper. Hence some people have the scratches on their phones and some don't.
 
gecis said:
+1 The most accurate explanation about the bumper flaw in midst of all these crappy responses. I bought my bumper on day one and reported the same issue on apple forums and I wasn't the only one with this problem. I exchanged my phone after noticing the scuffs and never used the bumper again. It's not the dust...it's the hard plastic inside the bumper and the plastic moulds could be different on each bumper. Hence some people have the scratches on their phones and some don't.
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+1 I second that notion!
 
Mark Booth said:
The Bumper didn't scratch your iPhone. All the crap that got caught in between the Bumper and your iPhone is what scratched it. You know... like the crap debris that's floating around in your pants pocket.

I've had a Bumper on my iPhone 4 since the day the iPhone 4 was released. Not a single scratch or mark (just checked it). But I don't carry the iPhone 4 in my pocket. I carry it in a belt holster. No dirt or debris to get trapped.

Mark
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Yup. Same here. Rubber really can't scratch steel by itself.

I took the bumper twice off at about 30+ and 60+ days after launch day. Once to try my phone naked and another to change it for a real case. First time, no scratches at all. The second and last time, it didn't leave scratches because the sides have always been clean because I also used a holster, but it did leave this rubberish residue (ala black marks). Cleaned it and it was gone. Made sure to clean it thoroughly before switching it to the new case.

I do NOT recommend the Apple Bumper to anyone. At first, it looked great because it was minimal. After six weeks of owning it, it felt uncomfortable to hold because the back panel was not flush which would dig into my hands and I had to constantly clean the back glass from fingerprints. So lack of comfort and back protection while also leaving marks/scratches just isn't worth it. I'm not a case-guy, but for this phone, I needed one and I'm glad I got another one.

Get a real case, folks. At least one to cover up the back too.
 
I'm wondering if there have been differences in the manufacturing process? I am always aware that my experience is not the same as everyone else's, and am not trying to discredit anyone, but I've had my bumper for a month or so and remove it several times a day since my external speakers at home and my car stereo won't fit with the bumper on, and in removing and replacing the bumper several times over the course of a month (without being careful at all while doing it...), I've got absolutely not a single, solitary mark. My phone is still flawless wherever the bumper comes in contact with the phone. The only way I can see the bumper scratching the phone is if there is sizable debris getting under the bumper or if there were differences in the manufacturing of bumpers, in size or shape, etc.
 
Had a bumper on my iPhone for a month now and it's still perfect.
Doesn't take a minute to take it off and wipe out any dust/dirt every week or so. Like you would have to with any case.

Feel sorry for the poor guy at apple you whined at!
 
What do you expect to happen? Of courses it's going to get scratched. It's not Apples fault. Its more your fault for using the bumper. Get over it :)

Infact my bumper saved my iPhone yesterday. If I didn't have the bumper on my iphone would certainly be dented or cracked from the fall. Not a single mark on the phone however cause I had the bumper on. Thats what I bought the bumper for :) not for antenna issues. Took the force of the impact away from my iphone :)
 
billyjoegibsonx said:
IIf I didn't have the bumper on my iphone would certainly be dented or cracked from the fall. Not a single mark on the phone however cause I had the bumper on. Thats what I bought the bumper for :) not for antenna issues. Took the force of the impact away from my iphone :)
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Then you are very lucky because the bumper really wasn't designed for drop protection. Apple made it strictly for the antenna issue. While yes you want the metal frame protected, the glass front and back are more vulnerable from dropping and get no protection from a bumper at all.
 
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