Let me say one thing before I go on - this is a great phone. It feels great, it functions great, and it looks great... except for one thing - It is NOT scratch resistant.
I know people probably won't be excited to hear this; I definitely wasn't excited to discover it. But after just 2 days of babying my iPhone 4 I have discovered 2 scuff-like scratches on the back. Now when I say "babying" I mean only resting the phone on felt, carrying it around in a microfiber bag, and generally handling it as delicately as possible. I have no idea how these scratches are even possible given how carefully I was handling the phone, but I can't deny the facts.
I've attached a few images using a macro lens to show the damage up close so you can see and evaluate for yourselves. I should also add that the scratches become more visible if they have fingerprints and finger oil on them (the photos show them in a clean state).
Mild sharpening and contrast enhancements:
Significant tonal contrast enhancement:
The results should speak for themselves. Upon taking these photos I also noticed that the back of the iPhone 4 is not very uniform. It looks almost like an imperfectly machined surface rather than smooth glass. This of course may be because of the proximity of the lens to the phone, but it still leads me to believe that those of us who were thinking about keeping the phone "naked" and trusting in the scratch-proof claim put forth by Apple should think twice before doing so. It almost appears as though there is some coating over the glass which itself is what might be scratch prone.
So... is this the end of the world? Certainly not, but I figured I'd post to clear up some of the confusion that I've seen about how scratch-proof the iPhone really is. It clearly does not take throwing it against a wall or dropping it on the floor for it to get scratched. Take this advice for what it's worth and in the end remember one thing - it's just a phone
I know people probably won't be excited to hear this; I definitely wasn't excited to discover it. But after just 2 days of babying my iPhone 4 I have discovered 2 scuff-like scratches on the back. Now when I say "babying" I mean only resting the phone on felt, carrying it around in a microfiber bag, and generally handling it as delicately as possible. I have no idea how these scratches are even possible given how carefully I was handling the phone, but I can't deny the facts.
I've attached a few images using a macro lens to show the damage up close so you can see and evaluate for yourselves. I should also add that the scratches become more visible if they have fingerprints and finger oil on them (the photos show them in a clean state).
Mild sharpening and contrast enhancements:
Significant tonal contrast enhancement:
The results should speak for themselves. Upon taking these photos I also noticed that the back of the iPhone 4 is not very uniform. It looks almost like an imperfectly machined surface rather than smooth glass. This of course may be because of the proximity of the lens to the phone, but it still leads me to believe that those of us who were thinking about keeping the phone "naked" and trusting in the scratch-proof claim put forth by Apple should think twice before doing so. It almost appears as though there is some coating over the glass which itself is what might be scratch prone.
So... is this the end of the world? Certainly not, but I figured I'd post to clear up some of the confusion that I've seen about how scratch-proof the iPhone really is. It clearly does not take throwing it against a wall or dropping it on the floor for it to get scratched. Take this advice for what it's worth and in the end remember one thing - it's just a phone
