iPhone 3GS Oleophobic Screen Coating Wearing Off?

[mattster16]

I had a 1st gen iPhone and never used a screen cover (or even a case) the entire time I had it. I never got a single scratch on the screen and I would leave it laying on the coffee table, in my pocket all the time, in my cars center console. So I really don't think screen protectors are necessary.

This whole oleophobic thing is making me think I should use a screen protector. It was at the back of my mind even before I read this post. I have some Power Support films that came with the case I bought for my 3GS which are supposed to be some of the best. Maybe I should use them...???

 

[futch]

who in ther right mind buys an iPhone and doesn't put a screen cover on it immediately anyway. i never even touched my screen to try out the coating b4 i put a cover on. My original iphone had the same screen cover on for 2 years

I have a iPhone 3G and have never put a screen protector on it. It has no scratches and is in the same condition i bought it. Screen protectors aren't a necessity. They do serve a purpose to some extent, but if you don't throw your phone around and use it normally you will have no problems without one.

Seems silly that you truly believe that if someone "touches" the screen before putting a protector on immediately is possibly out of their mind. Its a phone, meant to be used as a phone, and in 2 years (1 for some) you will get a new one.

 

[groovyds]

I wish they wouldn't mess with a design that wasn't flawed in the first place.

I had 3 iPhones since the very first version, passed one onto the missus and upgraded to the 3g.

I have never put so much as a screen protector on any of them, its not needed.

People get paranoid that they are going to scratch the phone or something with no evidence.

I saw a video when the first iPhone came out, around the time of the first "will it blend" video, drop testing the phone etc. The guy pulled out a set of keys and scrapped across the glass on the first gen phone and there was not so much as a mark!

Sure enough, my 3g which is now over a year old still looks like new, I knew I was never going to simulate intentional screen scraping with keys like that guy did even with the phone in constant pocket use!

Why people tarnish their phones with those horrible screen protectors is beyond me, they always peel a bit or get contamination in and make the phone look worse. As for that Oleophobic coating, I wish Apple would give the option not to have it because I'm not that interested in that when I come to the end of my 3g contract in a few months and plan to get the 3gs.
I may consider waiting for the next iPhone and skip the 3gs in the hope that Apple drops the coating too.

I totally agree!

 

[wozzinator]

Mine is wearing off as well

It's going to have a finite life. If some saddo wants to twirl his finger 24/7 then he's to blame. I'm sure in normal use the coating would easily stand up to reasonable use for the life of the phone.

I'm using it in a normal fashion however I'm noticing that it's getting harder and harder to clear the screen of fingerprints which is starting to worry me. Since I don't have service here (at work) I use it to listen to music and it's getting pretty noticeable on the lower half of the screen. I have a feeling this oleophobic screen is not going to last my 2 year contract

 

[GutBomb]

I've got a ton of scratches on my 3GS screen. Never used a screen protector on the 3g or original model and never had any scratches. It's unfortunate. I just have the phone in my pocket, with the screen pointing inwards. I don't even really understand the point of the coating. The non-coated screens of the original and 3G phones were just as easy to clean. one swipe on my shirt, or even just putting it in my pocket cleaned anything off of the screen. It seems as if the coating was a fix for a problem that didn't really exist.

I wonder if the scratches will go away if I buff off the coating.

 

[aperry]

I am now convinced that the screen protector is unnecessary. This Ars Technica article pretty much proves it.

Actually, that article proves that the iPhone screen can be scratched by putting it inside a plastic bag containing a set of keys and a stone. And is this a surprise? NO. The fact is, abrasive materials that get trapped and rubbed onto the glass will scratch it. That's a fact. It could be beach sand in your pocket or dirt on the pants you use to wipe your oleophobic screen clean, maybe the metal tab by the pocket of your jeans or a spec of sand that happens to be under it when you accidentally place your iPhone face-down on a table.

Sounds like there are several of you lucky enough to have avoided this so far, so kudos to you. But I've seen a ton of iPhones with scratches and as someone with a degree in mechanical engineering I'm really not surprised! I'll spend the $5 and avoid the risk.

 

[ifonehacks]

I wonder if it would be possible for Apple to ditribute a touch up spray or something of the like to that the user could apply it them self as needed if something like this happened rather then Apple spending the money to have the person ship the phone to them and then back for service.

 

[ifonehacks]

Actually, that article proves that the iPhone screen can be scratched by putting it inside a plastic bag containing a set of keys and a stone. And is this a surprise? NO. The fact is, abrasive materials that get trapped and rubbed onto the glass will scratch it. That's a fact. It could be beach sand in your pocket or dirt on the pants you use to wipe your oleophobic screen clean, maybe the metal tab by the pocket of your jeans or a spec of sand that happens to be under it when you accidentally place your iPhone face-down on a table.

Sounds like there are several of you lucky enough to have avoided this so far, so kudos to you. But I've seen a ton of iPhones with scratches and as someone with a degree in mechanical engineering I'm really not surprised! I'll spend the $5 and avoid the risk.

$5? I bought 3 good screen portectors on eBay for $.99 and that included shipping and 3 micro fibers. So screen protectors are very cheap and I agree they are well worth it.

 

[tabasco70]

its a thin layer of this oleophobic material, coating the screen.
It's not a screen protector or anything, just meant to keep fingerprints off. Meaning that it's probably not tough enough to endure the fanatic twirling fingers of a Flick Fisher, as seen in this pic.
I'm guessing, seeing that nobody else has complained, the owner of that phone either plays Flick Fishing waaaay too much, or pushes to hard on the screen or something.
Through normal use i'm sure the coating will last and if you're worried though don't repeatedly rub in the same place over and over.

 

[rstansby]

who in ther right mind buys an iPhone and doesn't put a screen cover on it immediately anyway. i never even touched my screen to try out the coating b4 i put a cover on. My original iphone had the same screen cover on for 2 years

Wow, if I don't behave exactly like you I must be out of my mind.

Thanks for sharing your worldly wisdow with those of us who are less fortunate.

 

[rstansby]

its a thin layer of this oleophobic material, coating the screen.
It's not a screen protector or anything, just meant to keep fingerprints off. Meaning that it's probably not tough enough to endure the fanatic twirling fingers of a Flick Fisher, as seen in this pic.
I'm guessing, seeing that nobody else has complained, the owner of that phone either plays Flick Fishing waaaay too much, or pushes to hard on the screen or something.
Through normal use i'm sure the coating will last and if you're worried though don't repeatedly rub in the same place over and over.

How will I unlock the phone? That requires rubbing in the same place repeatedly.

 

[equlizer]

i put a screen protector on the day i got it. The protector does already have a few scratches but thats fine. I peeled it off today just to check and the screen itself is prestine! I will always use a screen protector, just maybe get a better one than what i have right now

 

[iluvgr8tdeals]

I've got a ton of scratches on my 3GS screen. Never used a screen protector on the 3g or original model and never had any scratches. It's unfortunate. I just have the phone in my pocket, with the screen pointing inwards. I don't even really understand the point of the coating. The non-coated screens of the original and 3G phones were just as easy to clean. one swipe on my shirt, or even just putting it in my pocket cleaned anything off of the screen. It seems as if the coating was a fix for a problem that didn't really exist.

I wonder if the scratches will go away if I buff off the coating.

They added the coating because many people complained about the smudges and fingerprints that were being left on the iPhone 2g and 3g.

 

[Drinahn]

who in ther right mind buys an iPhone and doesn't put a screen cover on it immediately anyway. i never even touched my screen to try out the coating b4 i put a cover on. My original iphone had the same screen cover on for 2 years

I don't, for one. All the covers are crap, and if you just look after your phone in a dedicated pocket and avoid dropping it or kicking it across streets, it won't scratch or have issues.

My iPhone classic has a couple of marks around the edges where I've dropped it, my new 3G S has not a single mark yet.

Regarding this guy and his flick fishing - how long are his fingernails? Strikes me that he's doing something weird.

 

[Drinahn]

I totally agree!

You're both mad.

Have you even touched the 3G S display? The "coating" doesn't look any different, and it doesn't feel any different. The screen is just a bit less finger printy. You really hope Apple will give you a "please let me put more finger prints on it" option?

I tried to scratch my classic's screen with my keys, it didn't scratch.

I'll try right now with my 3G S... nope, it doesn't scratch either. Woopdeedoo.

 

[GutBomb]

They added the coating because many people complained about the smudges and fingerprints that were being left on the iPhone 2g and 3g.

Read what I said RIGHT AFTER what you bolded. I don't understand the point of the coating because it doesn't PREVENT fingerprints, it just makes them easy to clean off with one swipe, but in my experience it's no easier to clean than the old one. One swipe on my shirt, pants, or inside of my pocket and my 3G screen was clean. And since it wasn't treated with some coating it didn't have a million scratches all over it either.

 

[grue]

who in ther right mind buys an iPhone and doesn't put a screen cover on it immediately anyway. i never even touched my screen to try out the coating b4 i put a cover on. My original iphone had the same screen cover on for 2 years

It's a piece of glass. I've been carrying an iPod touch in my pocket with my keys and god knows what else for almost two years, no scratches of note.

 

[John T]

It's a piece of glass.

Exactly! I wonder how many people have scratches all over their car windscreens!

I'm convinced there are some people who, with little effort, can destroy/deface anything!

 

[iluvgr8tdeals]

Read what I said RIGHT AFTER what you bolded. I don't understand the point of the coating because it doesn't PREVENT fingerprints, it just makes them easy to clean off with one swipe, but in my experience it's no easier to clean than the old one. One swipe on my shirt, pants, or inside of my pocket and my 3G screen was clean. And since it wasn't treated with some coating it didn't have a million scratches all over it either.

I read it. The coating was supposed to prevent the fingerprints, or to significantly reduce their effects. It was also supposed to reduce/eliminate scratches. This thread has many new iPhone 3Gs owners saying this https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/725621/

I only have the iPhone 3G, and cannot comment on the iPhone 3GS. However, majority of the owners of the new iPhone 3GS seemed to make it look like, due to the new oleophobic screen coating, fingerprint issues were a thing of the past.

Thanks for letting us know that it is not the case! (and that you actually need a case, pun intended)

 

[aperry]

It's a piece of glass. I've been carrying an iPod touch in my pocket with my keys and god knows what else for almost two years, no scratches of note.

Yes we know, it's been mentioned a dozen times on this thread alone. Keys won't easily scratch the iPhone glass. Thanks. But I guarantee you that abrasives found in common sand and dirt will scratch it under the right conditions, primarily when it's trapped against the glass. So since you're all about testing and proving things to us, try this: Go outside and get a pinch of dirt and then drop it on a table surface. Now press your iphone's glass against it with a little force and move it around. Better yet, try rubbing your newly dirtied screen with a dirty cloth. Now look closely under a halogen light.

That is what can scratch the iPhone. Many of you have the confidence that this will *never* happen to your phone. Great, congrats to you and good luck. And for most of us that scenario can be avoided 99.9% of the time with a little care and who knows, maybe that's good enough. But for many of us (including myself), a scratch pops up and it's clear that we've been burned by that .1% where an abrasive was trapped against the screen. And if you're like me and you care about keeping your screen in pristine condition, that new little scratch is an eyesore each and every time I look at the thing.

But you know, like someone said a couple of posts above, apparently the key to all this is to "avoid dropping it". Thank you for that insightful bit of wisdom.

 

[Willm]

Really? AFAIK this wear pattern (not scratches, a large area of coating apparently worn off) is an isolated issue at this point, with just the single report referred to at the start of this thread. Do you have a link to back up your claim, or are you just trolling?

Lol. Trolling?

Okay alFR, try reading in this very thread or an article on www.iPhoneAlley.com. “While self-baking iPhone 3GSs turned out not to be cause for alarm, a new issue with the 3GS is being reported by multiple users that might be a little harder to explain away.” (Since you’re having a hard time believing here’s the link: http://www.iphonealley.com/news/oleophobic-coating-wears-off-3gs.

Let's try not to take what I said out of proportion. Any level of issues (1, a few, or several) after such a short time may be cause for concern. The iPhone is marketed as a gaming system among other things requiring frequent screen tapping and gesturing.

Are you under the impression that anything Apple or any other company puts out is perfect and the materials used will never have issues? Sometimes things don't hold up as expected. This might not be one of those times. But, it might be.

I love my iPhone 3GS and all of my other Apple products. I just don't think nor expect that everything Apple and Steve does is perfect.

 

[Tonezorz]

Used my 3G screen-protector-less for a while, and eventually used a power support anti-glare, for my own OCD tastes. This cover stayed on the screen till I had to send it in for repair, and the screen was (of course) flawless.

I've never put one on my iPod touch, and have 4 or 5 decent scratches on the screen, all of which can be seen / FELT easily. I treated both the same, and I treat them very well. Never putting them in the same pocket as anything else, never dropped, etc.

There's just conditions beyond control that cause things like that, unless you were to literally eat sleep and breath protecting your device.

After seeing that the coating has some potential (even POSSIBLE potential) to be scratched / wear off more easily than the standard glass screen, I WILL be using just a screen protector right out of the box. This in my opinion is too big a risk for the long-term, to have your screen end up looking like junk because the coating is wearing off or has picked up a lot of scratches.

I don't understand why people must argue about it. The bottom line is some people aren't as distressed by things like scratches / worn off coatings than others. In my opinion a screen where the entire point of the device is the screen, it deserves protection.

Oh, and if you think screen protectors are junk / look bad / peal / what have you, buy some quality ones. You get what you pay for.

 

[kapnclinton]

Eh, I think all the "Screen protector! No screen protector!" stuff is a load of crap. I use a flip case. It adequately protects my back and screen, it's not obtrusively ugly, and I've never had scratches. I've used the same case (new in both cases) for my 3G and 3GS, the 3G never scratched and I've yet to see scratches on the 3GS. The space between the flip cover and the screen is sufficient enough to not let it get scratched easily, and it protects it from me dropping it like a moron.

Your move.

 

[danb77]

My oleophobic coating appears to have rubbed off in two small patches on my 3GS. I am no Flick Fishing addict, and have used the phone rather lightly, and taken good care of it.

If this is not a common problem, I may take it into the Apple Store. Anyone else done this? Success?

 

[iJules]

I like the oleophobic coating... when I went to buy the 3GS (my first iPhone but not my first iPod) and found out that this was a feature on the new generation it was sorta like an extra bonus to me.


I had a screen protector on there but I noticed it never cured like on other phones or my iPod touch, so I took the hint and removed it.