Broken (i)Phones Everywhere?

[bufffilm]

My wife dropped her iPhone 6 with the Apple leather case on the sidewalk and cracked her screen. My co-worker dropped her iPhone 6 with a case (not sure what, but a fairly minimal one) on a tile floor at work and shattered her screen. Another co-worker dropped her iPhone 5s down some bleachers (again, with a case) and broke her screen to bits. I was present to see all three of these examples with my own eyes.

I am not arguing for or against cases, but most do not offer the protection everyone thinks they do.

I have the Moshi leather case (forgot the name)...dropped my phone a number of times and seen it bounce off the floor when working out and so far, no problem. But I don't believe I can do that every time and escape Scot-free.

Sometimes it is the luck of the draw.

 

[Applejuiced]

My wife dropped her iPhone 6 with the Apple leather case on the sidewalk and cracked her screen. My co-worker dropped her iPhone 6 with a case (not sure what, but a fairly minimal one) on a tile floor at work and shattered her screen. Another co-worker dropped her iPhone 5s down some bleachers (again, with a case) and broke her screen to bits. I was present to see all three of these examples with my own eyes.

I am not arguing for or against cases, but most do not offer the protection everyone thinks they do.

Depends on the case and the way the phone might fall. If it falls right on the open glass a case that doesn't cover the whole front face won't make any difference.
Like you said a case doesn't mean it's guarantee your phone won't get damaged if it falls.
But chances are it will be somewhat better protected than with having nothing or no case at all.

 

[LiveM]

My wife dropped her iPhone 6 with the Apple leather case on the sidewalk and cracked her screen. My co-worker dropped her iPhone 6 with a case (not sure what, but a fairly minimal one) on a tile floor at work and shattered her screen. Another co-worker dropped her iPhone 5s down some bleachers (again, with a case) and broke her screen to bits. I was present to see all three of these examples with my own eyes.

I am not arguing for or against cases, but most do not offer the protection everyone thinks they do.

The screen is covered under Apple Care and household contents insurance. The chassis is not.

 

[JackieInCo]

Exactly.

But I'm sure someone out there can testify that the screen cracked/shattered while their phone was in a case.

Nothing is bullet-proof. That includes cases.

This iPhone 6 belonged to someone I used to work with. It was in a case and the display shattered from a 2 ft fall onto a hard tiled floor. The case didn't help it but with a case like that, I wouldn't expect it to.

My iPhones are in Apple leather cases. I would not expect those cases to protect the phone in a fall. I just use them because it makes the phone easy to hold.

The person who owned this phone eventually replaced it with a 6S+ and immediately put it in a Otter Box Defender.

 

[Qbnkelt]

What's the point of getting such a beautiful device and putting it in a case? I never used a case and I never cracked any of my iPhones. People that use cases sicken me just as much as people with broken screens. It's easy, you just have to be more careful and do the following: get a comfortable computer job, or even better don't have a job, don't do any outdoor activities, and spend most of you free time indoors on the internet. You too can have a naked phone with no blemishes. lol at people with cases.

LOL at the concept of not get a job or staying indoors, to avoid dropping the phone, instead of simply getting a case.

I get a phone for what it does, not because it's beautiful. As a matter of fact I don't like the 6/6s design but I still got it because there were changes I wanted, in spite of the design.

LOL at people with banged up phones, full of scratches and dents and broken screens....phones don't look so beautiful anymore. And chances are, with a broken screen, might have to spend money in repairs that I simply avoid by putting my phone in a case.

So see.....you might lol at us with cases, while I LOL at people with banged up phones. They sicken me.

 

[Qbnkelt]

I've seen a huge number of iPhones with cracked or shattered screens since the 6 series came out.

It's actually getting rare for me to see an iPhone that doesn't have a broken screen.

My iPhone 5 has been dropped numerous times face down, and it's still fine.

But for the last year, every time I see an iPhone 6 series come out of someone's pocket, the screen is cracked.

Now, the nice thing is that I see them using the phones and they are still functioning with cracked screens. So at least that's something.

Now, admittedly the crowd I hang out with tends to be very active manual labor types. I don't know many people who get to sit in an office. And likewise, I don't tend to hang around people who obsess about perfection.

For me, I'm pleased with my iPhone 5. But it will probably be my last iPhone. I don't baby my tools. They are tools, and I expect them to endure a rough environment.

Interestingly, I haven't observed an android phone with a cracked screen yet. It is certainly likely that they're out there. I just haven't observed any being pulled out of people's pockets with cracked screens.

The people I tend to find myself around don't bother replacing things that are damaged unless it becomes completely inoperative. So as long as they can make a call from the phone, they are unconcerned with whether the screen looks like a spider web.

Here is an Android device (Samsung SGS 3) with a spider web cracked screen that was unusable after a fall. Wouldn't even make calls. It was my secondary device.
I was using it ceaseless because I thought hey.....why not....I loved the colour and the feel of the device. I work in an office setting. The phone was safe, I thought.

 

[kdarling]

I feel like I have seen an awful lot of broken smartphones (mostly cracked/shattered screens) and am wondering if anyone else here feels the same.

A lot of the teenage girlfriends of my daughter have cracked iPhone screens, as does she (again - fourth time - a drop onto carpet).

After a while the Dads give up repairing them for $100 a pop, and oddly, the girls don't seem to care about the cracks as long as the screen works.

I wish Apple would invest in unbreakable screens. (Motorola is doing that now.) And power connectors that are tougher, as well.

 

[canuckRus]

because apple did it wrong? 6/6s is so slippery.

My prime beef about iPhones and iPads other than battery life. Am amazed at ability of Apple employees to work all day long without covers.

 

[bushido]

My favorite r those people that use the same screen protector on their iPhone for like 3 years including bubbles and dust under the screen. So they protect an iPhone from scratches only to look through a messed up screen protector for years.

Kinda defeats the purpose

 

[I7guy]

Here is an Android device (Samsung SGS 3) with a spider web cracked screen that was unusable after a fall. Wouldn't even make calls. It was my secondary device.
I was using it ceaseless because I thought hey.....why not....I loved the colour and the feel of the device. I work in an office setting. The phone was safe, I thought.

My 5s fell screen down out of a selfie stick on a rocky beach on rocks on pch north of Santa Barbara. It was like a bad dream but when I picked it up the screen protector was gouged. Seems like the Mophie case protected the phone and the screen protector did its job. Got lucky. The screen didn't didn't crack falling onto rocks was surprised.

 

[Tunster]

I really do get why iP6/6+(S) get crack marks. For anyone that don't have big hands, they're really easy to drop. The 4/4S/5/5S are not difficult to hold and anyone who had a crack in their screen were either quite careless or were out all time (being drunk = more chance to drop it).

For me, I went out to find the thinnest see-through case possible for my 6S. So far, the jump from the 5S size wise is adaptable, but found myself balancing it awkwardly in one hand when messaging someone back on-the-go. I know I will drop it at some point regardless of being super-careful.

How anyone uses one post-cracking the screen is beyond me.

 

[Savor]

I see the cracked screens but not as common as ones reported here. One of my cousins has dents on his 5s, but he did it on purpose because he threw it against the wall after getting into an argument with his gf. The case practically saved it from the glass shattering.

I didn't realize how cheap it is to repair iPhones in the Philippines. It actually depends which model. The older, the cheaper to replace the parts. I see battery replacements for iPhone 5 that goes for less than $20. That is cheaper than buying a new battery on some phones that are removable! An iPhone glass replacement here is only about $30 and you can get it back within one hour. The most costly is damaging the LCD display. That reaches over $70+ here.

I guess I will reconsider iPhone SE because battery replacements and service is so fast and inexpensive here! I guess since iPhones are so popular, it is common they are broken but have many more replacement parts to repair them. Which leads to more repairmen here which won't charge you an arm and leg for it to be repaired.

If you live in the Philippines, I say do whatever you please with your iPhone. Have the battery degraded fast. If the touchscreen or glass breaks, only $30 or maybe even cheaper if you find a nice repairman. Just don't damage the LCD display. I think iPhones can last forever here. I see customized iPhones all the time with changes on the home button and metal rim.

 

[bufffilm]

This iPhone 6 belonged to someone I used to work with. It was in a case and the display shattered from a 2 ft fall onto a hard tiled floor. The case didn't help it but with a case like that, I wouldn't expect it to.

My iPhones are in Apple leather cases. I would not expect those cases to protect the phone in a fall. I just use them because it makes the phone easy to hold.

The person who owned this phone eventually replaced it with a 6S+ and immediately put it in a Otter Box Defender.View attachment 631459

An Otterbox Defender, I think is overkill, unless owner is in a rough occupation/active lifestyle...but again, your own phone - do as you see fit.

I do think larger phones like the 6+/6s+ are more prone to more potential damage (more glass/surface area), but don't know if a study backs that up.

Cases like the Defender, while they do protect the phone, really make the bottom ports hard to get to......not for me. And the cover protection reportedly takes away from the touchscreen sensitivity.

 

[Qbnkelt]

An Otterbox Defender, I think is overkill, unless owner is in a rough occupation...but again, your own phone - do as you see fit.

I do think larger phones like the 6+/6s+ are more prone to more potential damage (more glass/surface area), but don't know if a study backs that up.

Cases like the Defender, while they do protect the phone, really make the bottom ports hard to get to......not for me. And the cover protection reportedly takes away from the touchscreen sensitivity.

There are times I put my phone in a Defender. I engage in horse and dog sports and dropping a phone while on a 16 hand horse can cause damage.
It's easy enough to change it to a slim Sonix or Kate Spade case for minimal protection or Speck for out and about, running to the Metro etc.

 

[bufffilm]

There are times I put my phone in a Defender. I engage in horse and dog sports and dropping a phone while on a 16 hand horse can cause damage.
It's easy enough to change it to a slim Sonix or Kate Spade case for minimal protection or Speck for out and about, running to the Metro etc.

Aren't you afraid of bending your phone?...those Defender cases are kinda snug.

/ bendgate worries real or imagined/

 

[Qbnkelt]

Aren't young afraid of bending your phone?...those Defender cases are kinda snug.

/ bendgate worries real or imagined/

Nope. I don't worry about drama I read on the Internet. Most of what I read is pure OCD, fear mongering, or user error.

 

[762999]

I've broken the glass of a few iphones but my Note4 is really solid. Most of the time I had no case and it resisted everything. I had cases of my iphone every time.

it probably cost less to replace a broken screen on an Android phone. I felt like the iphones were fragiles but it`s not scientific!

 

[JackieInCo]

Interestingly, I haven't observed an android phone with a cracked screen yet. It is certainly likely that they're out there. I just haven't observed any being pulled out of people's pockets with cracked screens.

Head over to one of the many Android forums and you will see plenty of pictures go S7 Edge owners with cracked screens.

 

[aneftp]

iPhone 6s+. No cases, no screen protector, no carrier insurance, no AC+.

Also, no dents, no scratches, no cracked screen. Looks the same as when i got it seven months ago.

Do you have any kids under age 6-7?

Do you have office job where you can put the phone in your pocket?

Unfortunately for me. I got kids ages 3-5. I also have a hospital job where I am in and out of scrubs. Only place to hold the phone is either in my back scrub pocket and I may sit on it accidentally. So I put phone in my scrub pocket which is big and loose and if I am bending down to Intubate someone or doing a procedure. The phone sometimes falls out of the my pocket (even with a sticky case).

So. I can't take a case with the slippery iPhone falling out of the phone scrub shirt pocket

 

[eyoungren]

Do you have any kids under age 6-7?

Do you have office job where you can put the phone in your pocket?

Unfortunately for me. I got kids ages 3-5. I also have a hospital job where I am in and out of scrubs. Only place to hold the phone is either in my back scrub pocket and I may sit on it accidentally. So I put phone in my scrub pocket which is big and loose and if I am bending down to Intubate someone or doing a procedure. The phone sometimes falls out of the my pocket (even with a sticky case).

So. I can't take a case with the slippery iPhone falling out of the phone scrub shirt pocket

I have a daughter, age 7 (she'll be 8 in June) and a son who is 12.

Your rebuttal has been made on me before. I will just say that my kids have grown up around computers. Instead of smartphones both of them have always had some sort of computer to sit in front of. We (my wife and I) do not believe in allowing our children smartphones until such time as they should need them.

Both my son and daughter learned very early that touching mom's stuff is a one way ticket to swift and sudden discipline. They don't touch my stuff because it's always near me. My phone goes with me from room to room.

We did have a 3GS acting as a media device at one point. They both got equal time on it. When they were babies the phones and the computers were kept out of their reach and they were monitored when they were allowed to use them. They both started with Alphababy on a Mac - learning letters and numbers.

Since they have their own computers (an iBook G4 and a PowerBook G4) they use those. There is the occasional equal use time of my iPad Air 2, but mom's stuff is entirely off limits and there will be hell to pay if they are caught on it or with it without permission.

We have taught them respect for their property.

My son has yet to get an email address. That may happen this year. We'll see.

As for my phone, it's always in one of a few places. A business card holder on the desk in front of me at work or home or on my nightstand, in my pocket, in the compartment I have designated for it in my car, or on some surface I determine is safe to have my phone on. I wear cargo pants so my phone is always in a side pocket whenever It's in there (I don't sit on it). And since this is an expensive phone I use it with two hands - including when I pick it up or put it down.

I'm always self-aware of where my phone is. Last night some Walmart worker cut me off with her cart when I was turning.My hand was instantly over the phone in my pocket to protect it from her cart. It's just instinctive for me.

PS. I believe I had mentioned before that even though I hate cases, if I had a physical job where moving around was part of the routine I would use a case on the job. I wouldn't like it, but that's the kind of thing that can get dangerous for a phone very quickly.

 

[got556]

My favorite r those people that use the same screen protector on their iPhone for like 3 years including bubbles and dust under the screen. So they protect an iPhone from scratches only to look through a messed up screen protector for years.

Kinda defeats the purpose

All the old guys' phones (that I work with) look like this. Either in an otterbox and dirty as you know what, or some messed up, misaligned, bubbled screen protector and it drives my OCD into rage haha.
[doublepost=1463412247][/doublepost]Since we are posting broken iPhone's here is the fiance's old 6S. Kitchen table chair dropped right onto her home button as she was assembling the chair. She was afraid I would be mad (I was at work...and I was) and I asked her, you figure out yet that phones don't belong in work areas with tools and on the floor? LOL. GRRRRRRR. Everything on it still worked.

 

[eyoungren]

Sprint iPhone 6+. Dropped it the one and only time on asphalt. Landed face down. The screen protector was unscathed but the screen broke (why the hell did I have a screen protector for then?!!!)

This was the first and only time I have broken a screen in the 7 and a half years I have owned a smartphone.

Replacement was $135. Apple replaced the entire phone for the cost of the screen repair. Traded that phone in to T-Mobile for my 6s+ when we ported out of Sprint.

 

[Peter K.]

Sprint iPhone 6+. Dropped it the one and only time on asphalt. Landed face down. The screen protector was unscathed but the screen broke (why the hell did I have a screen protector for then?!!!)

This was the first and only time I have broken a screen in the 7 and a half years I have owned a smartphone.

Replacement was $135. Apple replaced the entire phone for the cost of the screen repair. Traded that phone in to T-Mobile for my 6s+ when we ported out of Sprint.

View attachment 631537 View attachment 631538

Wow, what (bad) luck! Screen breaks under the screen protector. What could be worse?

 

[eyoungren]

Wow, what (bad) luck! Screen breaks under the screen protector. What could be worse?

Yeah. I told myself…"Self: at least the screen protector is protecting you from all that jagged broken glass underneath!"

Wasn't much to console myself with though!

 

[9646829]

I've never once cracked a phone screen or dented a phone or anything more than a few light scratches.. I've never used screen protectors and never used a case longer than a month. I'm guessing this is pure luck as I have dropped my phones in the past.

Past phones include every iPhone since the 3G and various Blackberry/Android devices.