Ok, can you help me? It looks like I have a scratch right in the middle of my screen. It is about an inch long. It is def a scratch, it won't wipe off! I find this very hard to understand. I have only had the ipad for 3 weeks and I do have the smart cover on it (from day one), and I treat it like a little baby. Nothing sharp of any kind has ever been near the screen! So, my question is. How easy is it to scratch these screens? Has anyone else scratched theirs? I just cannot believe I have scratched it.
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iPad screen scratched!?!?!
- Thread starter Machoo
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daio
macrumors regular
Mine scratched within around 3 weeks of purchase too. I also use a smart cover. In my case, I put my scratch down to the fact that when I use my smart cover, the inside part of the cover sits on the surface of a desk or whatever, and that desk may contain scratchable particles or small objects that when stuck onto the smart cover, may press against the screen when the smart cover is again closed. They do scratch but only with something pretty sharp, like a small stone or a sharp metal object. My advice would be to always clean off the surface of the table/desk you are using before opening and using the smart cover.
When you have the smart cover attached and laid totally flat on a table, pressing on the ipad will push any small specks into the smart cover's soft surface, embedding it into the cover which in turn scratched the ipad when closed again.
I regret buying my smart cover for that very reason.
When you have the smart cover attached and laid totally flat on a table, pressing on the ipad will push any small specks into the smart cover's soft surface, embedding it into the cover which in turn scratched the ipad when closed again.
I regret buying my smart cover for that very reason.
Macman45
macrumors G5
This Is Why
I stopped using my smart cover....The metal hinge clips can easily casuse damage. Used it once, and now it's gathering dust. I use a Griffin back cover when my iPad is on it's stand, and you should see the amount of scratches that are on the cover. These would have badly scuffed up the back of my iPad had I not put it on.
I hope you get lucky with the genius bar....Some are great, and after all, it is nearly Christmas.
I stopped using my smart cover....The metal hinge clips can easily casuse damage. Used it once, and now it's gathering dust. I use a Griffin back cover when my iPad is on it's stand, and you should see the amount of scratches that are on the cover. These would have badly scuffed up the back of my iPad had I not put it on.
I hope you get lucky with the genius bar....Some are great, and after all, it is nearly Christmas.
fat jez
macrumors 68020
I had a month old iPad with a smart cover. I got a scratch on the screen. Apple swapped it, but charged me. Needless to say I now have a screen protector and a different case that does not press against the screen.
I got flamed for saying this before, but those screens are nowhere near as scratch resistant as Apple would have us believe.
I got flamed for saying this before, but those screens are nowhere near as scratch resistant as Apple would have us believe.
Macman45
macrumors G5
Makes You Wonder
Why they keep selling the damn things with such a poor design. The metal magnets could easily be encased in rubber or plastic to prevent such damage.
Why they keep selling the damn things with such a poor design. The metal magnets could easily be encased in rubber or plastic to prevent such damage.
I also use the smart cover.
I take it off and put it on about 5 or 6 times a day average, and have done since I bought it on release day.
The hinge DOES use a protective rubber strip, and has not caused any scratch of damage to my iPad.
No scratch on my screen either, but I can understand how easily it would scratch.
Regardless, just thought I would give a positive smart cover story... I think its an amazingly designed accessory and has never damaged my iPad.
I take it off and put it on about 5 or 6 times a day average, and have done since I bought it on release day.
The hinge DOES use a protective rubber strip, and has not caused any scratch of damage to my iPad.
No scratch on my screen either, but I can understand how easily it would scratch.
Regardless, just thought I would give a positive smart cover story... I think its an amazingly designed accessory and has never damaged my iPad.
Easy, depending on circumstances, preventative measures taken (or not taken) and plain old luck.
I haven't but others have. Not sure how that helps you.
If you want to prevent scratches then the more precautions you take, the better your odds. Just keep in mind that odds are not a guarantee. Even taking all the precautions possible you still run the risk of possibly scratching the screen.
Did you use a screen protector?
Doesn't matter how scratch resistant something is. Scratch resistant != unscratchable. A lot of of people seem to confuse the former with the latter.
Smart Cover
Yeah as a couple of you have suggested I think the Smart Cover may have had something to do with it. Although I have always wiped the surface down if I was going to flip the smart cover over and lay the ipad down. Bummer. I really like the design of the smart cover. I think it is amazing. But there are very conflicting reports. Some say it damages and scratches the ipad where the magnets attach and some say it doesn't! So far it has not scratched the back of my ipad but that scratch in the middle of the screen sure is a bummer!
I also wipe the screen each day with a black Apple screen cleaning cloth. So unfortunately as someone said in a previous post, my finger prints don't cover the scratch cause there are no prints! HA! I'm telling you, as probably most of you do that I baby this thing big time!
So that is why I posted to see if any of you have scratched yours without even knowing how you did it. I play guitar and teach. I have guitars worth several thousand dollars. I know where every single scratch and dent on each guitar is from....this bar, that coffee shop, drunk friend....that kind of thing. So to scratch my beloved ipad right in the middle of the screen and have no clue as to why really has me stumped. For better or worse it's good to hear others have done it as well.
Yeah as a couple of you have suggested I think the Smart Cover may have had something to do with it. Although I have always wiped the surface down if I was going to flip the smart cover over and lay the ipad down. Bummer. I really like the design of the smart cover. I think it is amazing. But there are very conflicting reports. Some say it damages and scratches the ipad where the magnets attach and some say it doesn't! So far it has not scratched the back of my ipad but that scratch in the middle of the screen sure is a bummer!
I also wipe the screen each day with a black Apple screen cleaning cloth. So unfortunately as someone said in a previous post, my finger prints don't cover the scratch cause there are no prints! HA! I'm telling you, as probably most of you do that I baby this thing big time!
So that is why I posted to see if any of you have scratched yours without even knowing how you did it. I play guitar and teach. I have guitars worth several thousand dollars. I know where every single scratch and dent on each guitar is from....this bar, that coffee shop, drunk friend....that kind of thing. So to scratch my beloved ipad right in the middle of the screen and have no clue as to why really has me stumped. For better or worse it's good to hear others have done it as well.
Good luck with the replacement. Genius bar told me that the small chip on the corner of the 30 pin connector on my iPad 2 is accidental damage and it will cost $200 for a new one. Not happy. I submit thatnits incidental damage as it occurred by merely plugging and unplugging the charger. No drops. No water damage. No scratches. I baby this thing and am thoroughly pissed to hear it was my "accident.".
I believe the iPad 2 has a design flaw versus the iPad one. The angled bezel design on the iPad 2 versus the square flat design of the ipad1 causes one to insert the plug at a slight angle. I am planning another trip to the store to speak with a manager.
I believe the iPad 2 has a design flaw versus the iPad one. The angled bezel design on the iPad 2 versus the square flat design of the ipad1 causes one to insert the plug at a slight angle. I am planning another trip to the store to speak with a manager.
fat jez
macrumors 68020
Correct, if you take a diamond to something, it will scratch, due to the higher hardness index. What I meant by my comment is that that whatever the screen on the iPad is made from, it seems softer than normal glass.
phpmaven
macrumors 68040
I always have to laugh to myself when I read these "my iPad screen is scratched!" threads.
I have had 3 different iPads and have at least 20 friends with them and I've never seen a scratch on any of them. I don't know how people manage it. You really have to be careless to scratch the screen. Rubbing it with a sandpaper or a rag you picked up off the floor of the garage. I almost blew my coffee out my nose when I read the post above about not putting your iPad down where it might pick small stones or sharp metal objects on the inside of the cover. Are some people setting these down on a work bench in a machine shop. 😛
Now if you have toddlers in the house, I can see this happening. But if you use common sense and never wipe the screen with something that has rocks or metal shrapnel on it, you'll be fine.
Oh, and to the posters that claim that the smart cover scratches or damages the iPad. Absolute nonsense. I've used mine since day one, yanking it on and off and at times rubbing it back and forth across the screen to clean it, and have never had a single mark.
I have had 3 different iPads and have at least 20 friends with them and I've never seen a scratch on any of them. I don't know how people manage it. You really have to be careless to scratch the screen. Rubbing it with a sandpaper or a rag you picked up off the floor of the garage. I almost blew my coffee out my nose when I read the post above about not putting your iPad down where it might pick small stones or sharp metal objects on the inside of the cover. Are some people setting these down on a work bench in a machine shop. 😛
Now if you have toddlers in the house, I can see this happening. But if you use common sense and never wipe the screen with something that has rocks or metal shrapnel on it, you'll be fine.
Oh, and to the posters that claim that the smart cover scratches or damages the iPad. Absolute nonsense. I've used mine since day one, yanking it on and off and at times rubbing it back and forth across the screen to clean it, and have never had a single mark.
I always have to laugh when people make nonsense comments like this. Your experiences and your friends experiences are not statistically significant or indicative of any overall trend despite what you believe.
"Being careful" is not a guarantee that you won't damage or scratch your device. It helps to mitigate the possibility of damage but that's it. It doesn't take much to scratch. A grain of sand or any speck of material harder than a part or parts of your device can cause scratches. Accidents happen as well -- even to the careful.
Ah yes, the old "never happens to me so it can't ever possibly happen" nonsense meme. The smart cover can pick up grit that can cause scratches.
I have had 2 iPad 2's... the first one was easily scratched by the smart cover, as I missed attaching the cover to the side of the iPad. I watched it not connect and graze over the screen, leaving a nice scratch about an inch long.
A couple of things come to mind: The first is, the more I worried about any of my apple products, the more it seems to scratch, drop, etc... I think the condition of any Apple product I ever owned was my 3GS, that was given to me when my 3G died. I didn't put it in a case, and didn't put a screen protector or anything on it. Had if for close to a year and never once dropped it, nor did it ever get a scratch. Can't say the same about my original 3G... put that in a case from the beginning and within 2-3 months notice scratches on the screen (although it was in a case). Is there a point to this... for me, being careless is one thing but the less I worried about it and the more I just enjoyed it, the better condition it was in.
Maybe, just put it in a case when you are taking it out of the home... seems to work for me... but don't let anybody tell you different. It can happen very, very easily from a multitude of things.
A couple of things come to mind: The first is, the more I worried about any of my apple products, the more it seems to scratch, drop, etc... I think the condition of any Apple product I ever owned was my 3GS, that was given to me when my 3G died. I didn't put it in a case, and didn't put a screen protector or anything on it. Had if for close to a year and never once dropped it, nor did it ever get a scratch. Can't say the same about my original 3G... put that in a case from the beginning and within 2-3 months notice scratches on the screen (although it was in a case). Is there a point to this... for me, being careless is one thing but the less I worried about it and the more I just enjoyed it, the better condition it was in.
Maybe, just put it in a case when you are taking it out of the home... seems to work for me... but don't let anybody tell you different. It can happen very, very easily from a multitude of things.
Amazing Iceman
macrumors 603
My iPad 1 remained scratch-free for more than a year using the Apple iPad Cover, until one day it got scratched. It was on a day when I was looking for a restaurant with some friends; I suspect it got scratched by someone's gold ring or any other jewelry or watch. 😡
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It's just like when someone tells you to be careful and don't spill your wine on the new carpet. You won't be able to avoid doing it. If you didn't know, then nothing would have happened. 😀
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It's just like when someone tells you to be careful and don't spill your wine on the new carpet. You won't be able to avoid doing it. If you didn't know, then nothing would have happened. 😀
Well if you don't honestly think the smart cover can pick up dirt, lint, and other debris as you sit it down on various surfaces then I know for sure your comments are superfluous and your credibility is diminished.
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phpmaven
macrumors 68040
Where did I say that the cover couldn't pick up anything?
Look, my point is this. If you are reasonably careful with it, odds are you will never get a scratch. While it is possible so scratch the screen, it not something that can happen easily and you don't need to be that worried about it. Plus, the smart cover is fine and will not damage your iPad.
Sure, people can always come up with some freak thing that happened, but the vast majority of people will never have a problem. I'm just trying to counter the notion that here is some huge problem and these things are so delicate and what was Apple thinking, blah blah, blah.
Gorilla glass seems to be a must on tablets these days. It's just so easy to scratch it. Maybe we'll see that on the 3?
