Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over iPhone 4 Glass Breakage
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
But that wouldn't be very pretty, shiny or magical. My guess is that the next version will be more impact resistant, but still retain it's pretty, shiny and magical properties.
There is a basic principle that normal wear and tear of a product, that is more specific for a devices daily use.
The argument that I believe that is being made is more that the iPhone 4 with its description gives a false statement to the durability of the product for the usage that it is being used for.
For example you buy a rugged laptop, you would basically believe that its use would include rugged usage including the odd drop and such.
Now most people are aware that phone drops do happen, the description that has been used by apple is to give people the peace of mind that its stronger than normal glass, this maybe interpreted as that screen breakage is less likely to happen due to it being 20x this and 30x that......
Overall from experience its more a case of a single drop is more likely to break the screen, than with other devices being dropped several times before the screen is broken.
Again it all boils down to what the interpretation of the description actually makes people to believe. Is it less likely to break than glass, or is it less likely to break from a accidental drop or daily usage.
The argument that I believe that is being made is more that the iPhone 4 with its description gives a false statement to the durability of the product for the usage that it is being used for.
For example you buy a rugged laptop, you would basically believe that its use would include rugged usage including the odd drop and such.
Now most people are aware that phone drops do happen, the description that has been used by apple is to give people the peace of mind that its stronger than normal glass, this maybe interpreted as that screen breakage is less likely to happen due to it being 20x this and 30x that......
Overall from experience its more a case of a single drop is more likely to break the screen, than with other devices being dropped several times before the screen is broken.
Again it all boils down to what the interpretation of the description actually makes people to believe. Is it less likely to break than glass, or is it less likely to break from a accidental drop or daily usage.
Durable does not mean rugged or shatterproof - it means it wears well in intended use.
These people would be better off suing their schools for not teaching them how to understand the basics of the english language.
Good for dude. Serves apple right for making a phone out of glass. They must have thought that up at the bar, (probably the same one the one designer left it at).
Apple was pretty misleading with thier 20x stronger marketing ploy.
Apple was pretty misleading with thier 20x stronger marketing ploy.
OK, you Apple apologists have done a great job proving to everyone that "ultradurable" in this context means very specifically "resistant to scratching". Further, you point out that we shouldn't take anything from Apple's comparisons to helicopter and high-speed train windshields because they are thicker. You also have to agree that many people don't see it that way, as evidenced by this thread.
So, can we all agree that if Apple wanted to be less misleading to their 100+ million customers (many of whom don't know that stiffness plus hardness usually means more brittle), if they wrote it like this:
Engineered Glass
All the breakthrough technology in iPhone 4 is situated between two glossy panels of aluminosilicate glass. Chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is more scratch resistant than ever. It’s also recyclable.
No confusion there. No comparisons to high speed windshields which are obviously known for their impact resistance. No confusion around "ultradurable" and exactly what that means in the context of a phone.
So, can we all agree that if Apple wanted to be less misleading to their 100+ million customers (many of whom don't know that stiffness plus hardness usually means more brittle), if they wrote it like this:
Engineered Glass
All the breakthrough technology in iPhone 4 is situated between two glossy panels of aluminosilicate glass. Chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is more scratch resistant than ever. It’s also recyclable.
No confusion there. No comparisons to high speed windshields which are obviously known for their impact resistance. No confusion around "ultradurable" and exactly what that means in the context of a phone.
What about people who are too dense to grasp the concept of the word "misleading" where should they go to figure it out?
What's much worse than that the glass breaks when you drop it is that it also breaks when you try to use the iPhone at -14 degree celsius:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/01/13/baby-its-cold-outside-so-your-iphone-exploded/
http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/01/13/baby-its-cold-outside-so-your-iphone-exploded/
At -14, I'd been more worried about my fingers falling off. Mythbusters question: If you lick an iPhone at -14, will it stick to your tongue?
my ring cracked it!
Just because it hasn't happened to you, doesn't mean it hasn't happened to others. Or... might happen to you in the future.
I picked up my new iphone 4 as I would any electronic device. Including iPhone 2g, 3g, 3gs.
With just a weird angle or something, my wedding ring cracked the back glass. It started small, but then grew just like a car window.
That shouldn't happen. It wasn't dropped, or forced or anything.
All the rubber cases were out of stock. I have one now, with no cracking... still married too.
Apple replaced it for me.
bredi
Just because it hasn't happened to you, doesn't mean it hasn't happened to others. Or... might happen to you in the future.
I picked up my new iphone 4 as I would any electronic device. Including iPhone 2g, 3g, 3gs.
With just a weird angle or something, my wedding ring cracked the back glass. It started small, but then grew just like a car window.
That shouldn't happen. It wasn't dropped, or forced or anything.
All the rubber cases were out of stock. I have one now, with no cracking... still married too.
Apple replaced it for me.
bredi
Question is, is that a positive? I doubt it.
You're looking at it wrong, the iPhone glass is over 4 inches thick. It's just that it's only about a mm long.
Well, they are in the same sentence. And they do fit together in usage, see below. I didn't even realize that this was all about the use of "durable" in a sentence with my earlier post, I thought it was the use of "stronger" that people thought meant impact resistance. I can see some issue there, so let's go ahead and kill all the marketers. But Durable? Hmm...
As stated a few posts ago, "durable" refers to wear and tear. On a phone, scratches and scuffs are very common over time. It is a word refering to long-time quality, not refering to impact resistance at all. I seriously did not think anyone thought that word refers to accidents, because it never has and never will. One of the apps on my iPod is a dictionary. Y'all should look into it.
What does 'ultradurable' mean exactly, if it does not mean 'rugged'? if the plastic on the 3G was 'durable', which was more durable than the iphone4, one would expect 'ultradurable' to be even more durable that the 3G. although i don't think lawsuits are a good thing, i think apple does need a kick in the marketing pants. after all, they have been able to affect many of the posters on this forum with their marketing prowess...
Well, according to the Oxford Dictionary found on my MBP (which came with the Apple laptop):
Durable: "able to withstand wear, pressure, or damage"
I'm assuming ultradurable is better than durable?
Is cracked glass considered damaged? hmmm....those rascally marketers got me again!
they did indeed..., and thank you.
dictionary.com, which came with my internet connection, says the following about durability:
Related Words for : durable
lasting, long-lasting, long-lived, long-wearing, indestructible
So, ultradurable would be synonymous with ultra-indestructible. That is a fair assumption I believe.
I had a nasty habit of dropping my 3G. I would keep it on my lap, forget, and get up. Pretty much destroyed the phone because of that. When I got my iPhone 4, knowing that it has a glass back as well as a glass front, I made a mental note to take better care of the phone and to not leave it on my lap when getting up from a chair or getting out of my car. I knew very well that I was receiving (it was a gift) a phone that would probably be more likely to break when dropped over a plastic phone. It was my decision to accept the iPhone 4 over a different phone. And if I drop it and it breaks, I only have myself to blame.
That's the problem with this country, no one can take responsibility for their own actions. Everything always has to be someone elses fault. It's not like Apple is claiming that the glass is indestructible. The advertisement says "harder" not "shatter-proof" or "bullet-proof". Anyone that thinks that the glass on the iPhone 4 cannot break when dropped is plain stupid. It's common sense that if you drop a glass object it is capable of breaking. If you buy this phone, you know what you're getting into. And if you drop it and break it, it's your fault. Deal with it.
/Rant
That's the problem with this country, no one can take responsibility for their own actions. Everything always has to be someone elses fault. It's not like Apple is claiming that the glass is indestructible. The advertisement says "harder" not "shatter-proof" or "bullet-proof". Anyone that thinks that the glass on the iPhone 4 cannot break when dropped is plain stupid. It's common sense that if you drop a glass object it is capable of breaking. If you buy this phone, you know what you're getting into. And if you drop it and break it, it's your fault. Deal with it.
/Rant
Another problem with this country is people misquote and intentionally skew words to try and mold them to their own beliefs. Lets take your post for example... Apples claim on the iPhone said a whole lot more than simply "harder" if that's all they did I doubt this thread would even exist.
So what? There are lots of kinds of glass.
With technology advancing all the time, people are used to being told that old materials have all new properties.
When I was growing up, plastic was seen as a cheap, fragile material. Now it comes in very strong types and we're using to seeing it bounce off floors.
Ceramics were also considered cheap and breakable. Now they build engines and tank armor out of the material.
So there's no reason why people wouldn't believe Apple claiming amazing qualities for glass.
Apple is very good at taking the English language to its meaning limits. Educated, experienced people can see through it. The majority cannot. They're the ones who need protection or at least clear disclaimers.
This is the attitude that has created ridiculously obvious disclaimers on products that shouldn't need them. Check out the barrel of a Ruger revolver - practically the entire owner's manual is stamped into the steel. "Beware the pointy end!" It's absurd. There's no need to coddle people like hapless morons.
People need to start using common sense. Apple never said the iPhone 4 was indestructible. They never said you could bounce the device off the pavement with no negative consequences. Take responsibility for your own actions. Anyone with two functioning brain cells knows that glass can, and will, break.
Google "shattered Droid" if you'd like. Hey, doesn't the Droid have that super-duper indestructible Gorilla Glass? I smell lawsuit! My gullible sensibilities demand legal protection!
From Apple:
"Chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is ultradurable and more scratch resistant than ever. It’s also recyclable."
Where does it say indestructible?
If people are thinking this glass can take a beating and wont break, why is everyone putting screen protectors on and buying cases?
There is nothing in the phone to absorb the shock of it being dropped. Glass surrounded by a stainless steel band.
Last edited:
Thanks for proving your own point. Not once did I say that Apple only said that the glass was harder. I said that apple used the word "harder" rather than a different word that would mean unbreakable such as "shatter-proof" or "bullet-proof". When claiming that people are prone to "skew words to try and mold them to their own beliefs," you may not want to do that yourself. It makes you look like a hypocrite.
I don't think that anyone thinks that the iP4 is indestructible. I think that people think that it's reasonable to expect to be able to drop it from waist-height without it shattering.
Not everyone is putting screen protectors or cases on their iPhone 4s, including this guy:
LOL good point. I dont know to me i look at it as glass. I dont care care what other words you use to describe it. If you drop it and it hits a certain way its gonna break. End of story. Like i said there really isnt much around to absorb any shock.