iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 13 Pro Max gap above earpiece…

[dstew201]

As I thought. However, if you shine a flashlight or look closely at a certain angle in the sunlight, you can see the metal piece above the speaker. It's a construction tolerance. Some units are more affected than others (0.1mm more could make the difference give how tiny the gap is), some units may also have the metal touch the glass and honestly I would be more scared about that, should the phone fall on the ground...
If you ask me, it's not a defect by any means, it's just how it is.
Accept it or exchange it until you find a unit that you can tolerate.
Personally I care more about the display uniformity.

If that works for you. Awesome!!
In my case I could see into the phone without the use of a flashlight. Looking straight at the phone. I replaced it and I’m happy with the product I received.
As long as it’s not visible during normal use, I’m happy!

also, I’ve used an LED flashlight on current phone from different angles and NOTHING! Maybe I lucked out and received a properly aligned phone? Idk, but I have no reason to return this one. AND the apple genius and online support agreed with me, the phone did not look right.

 

[Count Blah]

I hate MacRumours sometimes for people doing this kind of rediculous looking for a fault thats so tiny it needs enlarging to see thing. Basically I have this gap, I'm sure most will have a small gap its just harder to see on some phones, maybe a few dont but may have a gap elsewhere, for a small gap that I have to shine a torch at in a certain direction to see I dont think its an issue. My 11 Pro had a gap along the bottom you could slide piece of paper in on everyone I tried in the shop. Tolerances are never perfect on mass produced devices and they do need a gap to get your phone screen off, I'm not worried and I think Apple would think I'm barmy for looking at a phone so hard to even see that teeny tiny gap.

There are MANY things to hate Macrumors about. Someone asking a question, given the fact they can see the internals of their phone thru a pretty noticeable gap, especially since copious amounts of water is/was in their immediate future, is certainly not one of them.

IMHO

 

[Wh1teSult4n]

If that works for you. Awesome!!
In my case I could see into the phone without the use of a flashlight. Looking straight at the phone. I replaced it and I’m happy with the product I received.
As long as it’s not visible during normal use, I’m happy!

also, I’ve used an LED flashlight on current phone from different angles and NOTHING! Maybe I lucked out and received a properly aligned phone? Idk, but I have no reason to return this one. AND the apple genius and online support agreed with me, the phone did not look right.

Good to hear you’ve solved! 😃
Speaking about Apple Genius I’ve learnt they always try to please the customer. Which is good, but sometimes this behavior feeds our OCD to the point they would probably tell you you’re right, anyways, as far as you leave the Store happy. It’s a common CR technique 😉

 

[dstew201]

Good to hear you’ve solved! 😃
Speaking about Apple Genius I’ve learnt they always try to please the customer. Which is good, but sometimes this behavior feeds our OCD to the point they would probably tell you you’re right, anyways, as far as you leave the Store happy. It’s a common CR technique 😉

Whatever works for you and me... point is that we're both satisfied with our purchase.

I have 3 phones here, my SB pro max, a graphite pro max, and my son's 13 pro and NONE of them show metal reflecting, from any angle I have held them.... NONE!


Your phone is not equal to the phone I currently have or the one I replaced. So we can leave it at that.

 

[Wh1teSult4n]

Whatever works for you and me... point is that we're both satisfied with our purchase.

Your phone is not equal to the phone I currently have or the one I replaced. So we can leave it at that.

Oh no, I’m never really satisfied with Apple products (any products, to be honest), but that’s just me. My OCD is so strong that I will always find something wrong with any products I buy. And I’m aware of it in advance.
Otherwise I would not spend my time on this forum 😉

My satisfaction doesn’t come from not having the gap above the speaker, it comes from the fact that here I can find many people like me, and I want to help them all to recover from this bad disease that prevents us to enjoy our new toys 😂

At the end of the day, in my life, I have way more important things to think about.
iPhones are just… iPhones. Mass produced in China as everything else you could possibly buy. Every unit is assembled individually, that’s why tolerances exist. The perfection is in the eye of the beholder and we’ve got different eyes.

…aaaand I will end my contribution to the OCD cause with the following consideration.
Next year this iPhone 13, will be just the old iPhone, and I will stop caring so much about it as I do right know (usually it’s just a matter of weeks, but anyways…)
When I stop caring so much about it, it’s the exact moment I realize I’m really enjoying it for what it is. A very good, too expensive smartphone.

 

[killhippie]

There are MANY things to hate Macrumors about. Someone asking a question, given the fact they can see the internals of their phone thru a pretty noticeable gap, especially since copious amounts of water is/was in their immediate future, is certainly not one of them.

IMHO

And since the phones are built differently this year who is to say the teeny tiny gap lets water into the whole phone when the seal is under the glass not at the edge so if there was no gap there it would still be not a seal in that area as glass against stainless steel does not make a seal when butted up to each other and water could still get around the speaker as that is not part of the display, it has a gasket round it and that can have teeny tiny gaps too. so when the screen is lifted up the speaker and cameras for Face Id stay on the main board this year, So there has to be room for that to happen and a gap is normal I would imagine but a big gap would look ugly.

Thankfully I managed to control my OCD which drove me mad at times, as all the iPhones I've seen in local stores show that gap to varying degrees, like all iPhone 11 Pros I had when mine broke can let a piece of piece paper slide in the bottom section between the frame and the glass gasket as the seal is under the glass and there has to be a small gap to remove the screen otherwise it would shatter also all mass produced products have slight tolerance differences and slight defects because they are produced in their millions. They are not pieces of jewellery.

You do get odd looks shining a torch at iPhones it in a shop and trying to find the gaps which is a huge waste of time but shows that they all vary slightly. Also I very much doubt Apple and the apple stores have been briefed on what is or isn't normal on the new units yet, they are as has been said by another poster on this thread making the customer happy and thats all that really matters, since I cant see my gap with the naked eye in bright sunlight I'm happy with my phone.

 

[Wizec]

Believe what you want.

Our phones have zero gap.

 

[Taz Mangus]

also, I’ve used an LED flashlight on current phone from different angles and NOTHING! Maybe I lucked out and received a properly aligned phone? Idk, but I have no reason to return this one. AND the apple genius and online support agreed with me, the phone did not look right.

I have used a magnifying glass to example the ear piece very closely and on my 13 Pro Max. The top of ear piece butts up against the frame. There is no excess gap on all sides of the ear piece. The construction tolerances should be such that there is just enough space to fit the earpiece. It is just like another component that fits on the iPhone, such as the cameras on the back. I have no excess gaps on my phone anywhere. I can tell that is was put together with care. I got a uniform display with no tinting issues. I guess I got really lucky with the 13 Pro Max I received. These iPhones do exist and mine is proof of that.

 

[dstew201]

Our phones have zero gap.

Zeeeeeero!!!😂😂

 

[dstew201]

You do get odd looks shining a torch at iPhones it in a shop and trying to find the gaps …

this was me Saturday! But I wanted to
find gaps, so I could convince myself it was normal. 🙂

 

[killhippie]

I have used a magnifying glass to example the ear piece very closely and on my 13 Pro Max. The top of ear piece butts up against the frame. There is no excess gap on all sides of the ear piece. The construction tolerances should be such that there is just enough space to fit the earpiece. It is just like another component that fits on the iPhone, such as the cameras on the back. I have no excess gaps on my phone anywhere. I can tell that is was put together with care. I got a uniform display with no tinting issues. I guess I got really lucky with the 13 Pro Max I received. These iPhones do exist and mine is proof of that.

You looked at you iPhone with a magnifying glass! I would say that's a little excessive tbh its a phone I have applecare, that's good enough for me, but you do you. Also you do know that wont make it waterproof, the seal under the glass does. Its also possible the materials expand and contract so that some people see them and some dont, there are bound to be exceptions of course, but I think this video about last years typical gap debacle sums it up.

 

[IconIc215]

You looked at you iPhone with a magnifying glass! I would say that's a little excessive tbh its a phone I have applecare, that's good enough for me, but you do you. Also you do know that wont make it waterproof, the seal under the glass does. Its also possible the materials expand and contract so that some people see them and some dont, there are bound to be exceptions of course, but I think this video about last years typical gap debacle sums it up.

Your fighting a losing battle going back and forth with some people. Clearly if people have time to examine a friggin phone under spotlights and microscopes, they have entirely too much time on their hands. You are correct though in the build itself as the frame needs to accommodate both expansion and contraction of materials. That’s just the reality whether people want to buy it or not.

 

[killhippie]

Your fighting a losing battle going back and forth with some people. Clearly if people have time to examine a friggin phone under spotlights and microscopes, they have entirely too much time on their hands. You are correct though in the build itself as the frame needs to accommodate both expansion and contraction of materials. That’s just the reality whether people want to buy it or not.

You are right. If people want to examine their phones with magnifying glasses or electron microscopes so be it. I’m happy with mine they are eventually happy with theirs even though examining your phone to that extent seems mind boggling to me. I guess I just don’t expect micrometer level perfection from a mass produced product made in the tens of millions that’s designed to expand and contract anyway. At least it’s not a ‘what’s that rattling noise coming from my camera’ thread.

 

[dstew201]

You are right. If people want to examine their phones with magnifying glasses or electron microscopes so be it. I’m happy with mine they are eventually happy with theirs even though examining your phone to that extent seems mind boggling to me. I guess I just don’t expect micrometer level perfection from a mass produced product made in the tens of millions that’s designed to expand and contract anyway. At least it’s not a ‘what’s that rattling noise coming from my camera’ thread.

Big question is why do you even care???

Obviously it seems mind boggling to you, because this thread isn’t for you…

But you choose to enter it and bash people for their idiosyncrasies… so what?

enjoy your gapped phone and leave us be 😂😂😂

 

[Phuz01]

You can see some internal piece of metal in the gap. Also fit a piece of paper.

Yeah, that doesn't look good. I would definitely exchange it if a replacement is available in your area.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Also you do know that wont make it waterproof, the seal under the glass does.

Where in my post did I even mention anything about waterproofing?

 

[dstew201]

You can see some internal piece of metal in the gap. Also fit a piece of paper.

Yes, that looks sloppy!!!
Mine was the exact same way!!

 

[Count Blah]

And since the phones are built differently this year who is to say the teeny tiny gap lets water into the whole phone when the seal is under the glass not at the edge so if there was no gap there it would still be not a seal in that area as glass against stainless steel does not make a seal when butted up to each other and water could still get around the speaker as that is not part of the display, it has a gasket round it and that can have teeny tiny gaps too. so when the screen is lifted up the speaker and cameras for Face Id stay on the main board this year, So there has to be room for that to happen and a gap is normal I would imagine but a big gap would look ugly.

Thankfully I managed to control my OCD which drove me mad at times, as all the iPhones I've seen in local stores show that gap to varying degrees, like all iPhone 11 Pros I had when mine broke can let a piece of piece paper slide in the bottom section between the frame and the glass gasket as the seal is under the glass and there has to be a small gap to remove the screen otherwise it would shatter also all mass produced products have slight tolerance differences and slight defects because they are produced in their millions. They are not pieces of jewellery.

You do get odd looks shining a torch at iPhones it in a shop and trying to find the gaps which is a huge waste of time but shows that they all vary slightly. Also I very much doubt Apple and the apple stores have been briefed on what is or isn't normal on the new units yet, they are as has been said by another poster on this thread making the customer happy and thats all that really matters, since I cant see my gap with the naked eye in bright sunlight I'm happy with my phone.

I hear(read) ya, but when one can see components thru the gap like in post #16, on a phone that is going to be in the water far away on vacation, it's more than reasonable to ask IMHO.

When I hear of people buying and returning a half dozen of the same MBP/iMac/iphone/ipad/etc... because they perceived a slight yellow/blue tint, or some such nonsense, I'm 100% on your side.

 

[Fred Zed]

Just put inspected my wires 13 PM under a jeweler loup. Yep. I see the gap and bit of silver. Woopie doo dah day. 😂😂

 

[dstew201]

Just put inspected my wires 13 PM under a jeweler loup. Yep. I see the gap and bit of silver. Woopie doo dah day. 😂😂

Well good for you! 👏🏿👏🏽👏🏻👏🥳

 

[Count Blah]

Well good for you! 👏🏿👏🏽👏🏻👏🥳

Macrumors police have spoken, you can't ask questions.

 

[dstew201]

Macrumors police have spoken, you can't ask questions.

🤣🤣🤣👉👮🏻‍♂️

 

[macintoshmac]

@ OP

exchanged mine for a new retail unit in Hawaii. First one delivered to California. Same gap. Same spot. Display phones had it too. Not worth exchanging since others have it imo

Noticed the gap in 13 mini as well. Wondering what’s going on.

 

[macintoshmac]

Yeah I expect some are worse than others but all are likely “within spec.”

If I paid for it within spec, I’d take within spec. If I pay exactly what they’re asking, I’m expecting exactly what they’re touting as selling.

 

[macintoshmac]

The water tight seal is actually stuck to the glass underneath the display so the small gap you see is not a weak spot for water ingress. You can see this by looking at tare down videos. There is probably a gap on most either at the top or bottom some might be more noticeable than others but it’s also okay because if it was straight glass on metal if you drop the phone on the metal band it would shatter without any impact room. So the gap isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Probably more noticeable on the 13 models than the 12 because of the smaller notch and the fact that the speaker grill is now at the top edge.

Moosey, gotta say you sound reasonable, although unlike Apple to dole out.

The fact that this seems to be present in all sizes (I have it on my 13 mini) seems suggestive of the fact that this might be nothing to worry about, despite looking ungainly and un-Apple like.

I’m not going to exchange this, because the screen on this 13 mini is incredibly beautiful as against the 12 mini that was much warmer, although not disruptively.