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Trust me, the thought hit me in the moment of disappointment

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Yeah, it's like iPhone Gore!
But seriously, is this repairable or not?
Is your device no longer functioning? Why does it need repair, it's just a little ding.
 
Is your device no longer functioning? Why does it need repair, it's just a little ding.

Some people are really weird about their iPhones. If they drop a glass and it breaks, they understand. If they drop a piece of metal and it dings, they understand.

But if they drop an iPhone made from those same things, they expect it to look like it just came out of the factory, blessed by a kiss from Aphrodite herself. And when it inevitably doesn't, the whole thing is a matter for nothing less than the international press.
 
Mask off all surrounding areas. Take small rotary tool and remove protruding aluminum. Buff to a smooth finish, paint or put a vinyl wrap around the edge-or put device in case-problem solved.
 
No way to 'fix it' without changing the rear casing... You'd be looking at about $100 for parts. It's not an easy swap either, you'd essentially have to take everything out of your current phone and put it in the new casing. This would also void your warranty, assuming Apple still honors the standard manufacture warranty after impact damage.

http://iphone5mod.com/shop/iphone-5-rear-case-replacement/

I'd just leave it be and consider yourself lucky that it happened to the back edge and not the front... At least you don't have see it while using the phone.
 
Is your device no longer functioning? Why does it need repair, it's just a little ding.

It is fully functional.

I guess I should consider myself lucky. Sooner or later people are going to post about shattered i5 screens.

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No way to 'fix it' without changing the rear casing... You'd be looking at about $100 for parts. It's not an easy swap either, you'd essentially have to take everything out of your current phone and put it in the new casing. This would also void your warranty, assuming Apple still honors the standard manufacture warranty after impact damage.

http://iphone5mod.com/shop/iphone-5-rear-case-replacement/

I'd just leave it be and consider yourself lucky that it happened to the back edge and not the front... At least you don't have see it while using the phone.

So lets say when iPhone 5 reparations have become more of a standard. Lets say 6 months...

Can I expect to get it fixed for ~200$ ?
 
Damn, that thing looks like it took a bullet!

A friend with a dremel tool can dress that up enough to put it in a case. That or pay the man...
 
Some people are really weird about their iPhones. If they drop a glass and it breaks, they understand. If they drop a piece of metal and it dings, they understand.

But if they drop an iPhone made from those same things, they expect it to look like it just came out of the factory, blessed by a kiss from Aphrodite herself. And when it inevitably doesn't, the whole thing is a matter for nothing less than the international press.

Maybe because these same people are used to getting better quality when they pay more money, and that compared to their $900 iPhone their $50 Nokia could be dropped from 5 meters high onto hard floor and survive with no apparent damage (I have actually seen that).

Of course I know an iPhone is more complex than a cheap Nokia and has to be more fragile - and I know aluminium will dent.

But still - it is a phone and the chances of it getting dropped are high. There used to be a time when many phone manufacturers where taking in account in their designs the fact that their phone should survive a drop from someone's hand to the floor with almost no physical damage. Apple did away with that, and it is not good. The fact that fragile materials are used is not an issue - it is not up to the average consumer to think of these design trade-offs and know which material is better suited.
 
Maybe because these same people are used to getting better quality when they pay more money, and that compared to their $900 iPhone their $50 Nokia could be dropped from 5 meters high onto hard floor and survive with no apparent damage (I have actually seen that).

Of course I know an iPhone is more complex than a cheap Nokia and has to be more fragile - and I know aluminium will dent.

But still - it is a phone and the chances of it getting dropped are high. There used to be a time when many phone manufacturers where taking in account in their designs the fact that their phone should survive a drop from someone's hand to the floor with almost no physical damage. Apple did away with that, and it is not good. The fact that fragile materials are used is not an issue - it is not up to the average consumer to think of these design trade-offs and know which material is better suited.
So choose: iPhone 4 design, glass which can easily crack or iphone 5 design (aluminium) which can easily scratch/dent.

This thing can take a drop. What you are asking for is a phone made out of diamond or sapphire.

I think the average customer knows metals can scratch and dent, while materials like glass can easily break.
 
Maybe because these same people are used to getting better quality when they pay more money, and that compared to their $900 iPhone their $50 Nokia could be dropped from 5 meters high onto hard floor and survive with no apparent damage (I have actually seen that).

Quality, expense, and crash worthiness are all different things. If I crash a Ferrari into a tree is it supposed to be better off than a Ford F150 because it was more expensive and higher quality?

Also, you completely missed my point. This may be my fault for being too vague, so I'll spell it out. The iPhone is made from glass and metal. These two materials are known to be damaged when dropped. Somehow, when these two materials have an Apple logo on them, people go insane when in fact glass breaks and metal deforms.

Your comparison to a Nokia phone is invalid. Yes a lightweight phone made from flexible plastic with dead space inside to allow for deformation upon impact can better survive a drop. An iPhone isn't made from those things, so why would you expect the same results from a phone made from plastic as one made from glass and metal?

Show me a sleek Nokia that looks like an iPhone and is made from the same materials, then drop THAT phone and see what happens.

If you really want an ugly, thick, plastic iPhone that can survive drops, all you need to do is add a beige case.
 
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