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iPhone 4 More Prone to Accidental Damage Than 3GS
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Not Surprised
Whilst I am very happy with my 4 do think the design has shortcomings in terms of practicality. In the hand it feels far less secure than previous generation. The curved back of earlier models meant that far more surface area was in contact with ones hand whilst holding it and sop preventing slippage. The new design whether in a band or not presents far less contact with the hand. Furthermore the gripyness of Apples bands is quite low and one has to exert some force in order for the phone to feel secure. In trouser pockets the problem remains, earlier phones, particularly in soft cases 'bonded' to pocket lining quite securely, the band that Apple provides just gives point contact low grip. I am always weary when I get out of the car or use my phone for fear of dropping it. Instinctively glass feels like a fragile material, this seems borne out when it gets scratched, I hear.
Moisten the catapults!
Whilst I am very happy with my 4 do think the design has shortcomings in terms of practicality. In the hand it feels far less secure than previous generation. The curved back of earlier models meant that far more surface area was in contact with ones hand whilst holding it and sop preventing slippage. The new design whether in a band or not presents far less contact with the hand. Furthermore the gripyness of Apples bands is quite low and one has to exert some force in order for the phone to feel secure. In trouser pockets the problem remains, earlier phones, particularly in soft cases 'bonded' to pocket lining quite securely, the band that Apple provides just gives point contact low grip. I am always weary when I get out of the car or use my phone for fear of dropping it. Instinctively glass feels like a fragile material, this seems borne out when it gets scratched, I hear.
Moisten the catapults!
Less the 5% of iPhone Users Break Their Phones
Despite its glass shields on front and back, the iPhone 4 is still proving to be resistant to breakage with less than 5% of owners reporting damages to SquareTrade, a consumer electronics warranty supplier selling iPhone insurance.
A recent study by SquareTrade shows only 4.7% of users filed claims for broken phones during their first four months of ownership. This means 95.3% of owners did not damage their phones.
While 4.7% is a 2.6% increase over damages reported by 3G owners during the same time period, industry sources expect this to decrease as people begin to understand how to handle the new phone designed from environmentally friendly and sustainable materials.
SquareTrade, has reported this as an astonishing 68 percent increase, possibly to make damages appear as if rocketing out of control. According to a Bravo Sierra analyst, "This reports shows only 4.7 people out of 100 have broken their phones by mishandling them. That is really not a very large increase over the 3G in terms of real numbers. While we like to assume the best, SquareTrade is possibly using the large numbers reporting technique to make damages appear to be much worse. This technique is routinely used by marketing people where self-serving spinincluding lying with statisticshas become the accepted norm."
Despite its glass shields on front and back, the iPhone 4 is still proving to be resistant to breakage with less than 5% of owners reporting damages to SquareTrade, a consumer electronics warranty supplier selling iPhone insurance.
A recent study by SquareTrade shows only 4.7% of users filed claims for broken phones during their first four months of ownership. This means 95.3% of owners did not damage their phones.
While 4.7% is a 2.6% increase over damages reported by 3G owners during the same time period, industry sources expect this to decrease as people begin to understand how to handle the new phone designed from environmentally friendly and sustainable materials.
SquareTrade, has reported this as an astonishing 68 percent increase, possibly to make damages appear as if rocketing out of control. According to a Bravo Sierra analyst, "This reports shows only 4.7 people out of 100 have broken their phones by mishandling them. That is really not a very large increase over the 3G in terms of real numbers. While we like to assume the best, SquareTrade is possibly using the large numbers reporting technique to make damages appear to be much worse. This technique is routinely used by marketing people where self-serving spinincluding lying with statisticshas become the accepted norm."
...or, we're just different than you. i enjoy my phone's slimmer profile and sleekness. but i also own a couple different cases for it (currently going bumper). its not a problem. in fact its never been a problem since i dropped my original Nokia 8860 onto tile. shattered screen. now im more careful.
but those had a fob and were tied to a vest because people didn't want to drop/break them
So, we need an iFob and an iVest to solve the issue for some. Great another expense
Sorry to just pick this out, but maybe only 4.7 percent filed a claim and the rest do actually understand they dropped it not Apple....
So, what I am saying is the 'report' is not even valid for reporting damages that DO occur. Only those reported and a claim was attempted.
Yes, the iPhone4 is more prone to damage than the 3GS.
Yes, the iPhone4 is FAR more fragile than it should be ... devices that are handled numerous daily in all conditions OF COURSE should have some tough/rugged features built in.
Glass??? Yes, it's a BAD idea, it's heavy and shatters when dropped.
Apple could have made the phone tougher and lighter with very little thought or engineering.
With the iPhone it's not so much form over function because it functions so very very well, it's an amazing phone and millions and millions of people aren't wrong.
It would of been nice though when making such an amazing phone that a little more thought or care would of went into having it withstand "real life daily activities" without the constant thought of 'oh I don't want to drop my phone' , 'be careful with my phone' ...
It's 2010 now, they could easily make the iPhone 4 beautiful and tough, so tough it could bounce off a floor ... but that wouldn't be good for sales now would it?
Yes, the iPhone4 is FAR more fragile than it should be ... devices that are handled numerous daily in all conditions OF COURSE should have some tough/rugged features built in.
Glass??? Yes, it's a BAD idea, it's heavy and shatters when dropped.
Apple could have made the phone tougher and lighter with very little thought or engineering.
With the iPhone it's not so much form over function because it functions so very very well, it's an amazing phone and millions and millions of people aren't wrong.
It would of been nice though when making such an amazing phone that a little more thought or care would of went into having it withstand "real life daily activities" without the constant thought of 'oh I don't want to drop my phone' , 'be careful with my phone' ...
It's 2010 now, they could easily make the iPhone 4 beautiful and tough, so tough it could bounce off a floor ... but that wouldn't be good for sales now would it?
Cracked Stats
I think this also ties into the antenna issue--I wonder how much of this is a result of the lack of availability of cases? This is the first time I've used an iPhone nude, due to lack of cases and also, frankly, the design is better such that I don't want one now (tried the free bumper and chucked it after a week).
I think this also ties into the antenna issue--I wonder how much of this is a result of the lack of availability of cases? This is the first time I've used an iPhone nude, due to lack of cases and also, frankly, the design is better such that I don't want one now (tried the free bumper and chucked it after a week).
Also in the news
Glass beer bottles break more than plastic ones! :O
Really it shouldn't be surprising to anyone that glassy iPhone 4 breaks more than plasticy 3GS.
Glass beer bottles break more than plastic ones! :O
Really it shouldn't be surprising to anyone that glassy iPhone 4 breaks more than plasticy 3GS.
People keep saying this - I've given an answer for this, I guess I have to repeat myself. THE SCREEN HAS TO BE GLASS. Look at every other touchscreen phone. They pretty much all have glass screens, because plastic scratches too easily to be used for a touchscreen device. Yes, the back of the iPhone 4 is glass too, and that wasn't 100% necessary, but as I already said, it's easily replaced with 2 screws, and not exactly expensive - it really shouldn't be part of the discussion.
If the iPhone 4 was drop-proof, it wouldn't be a useful touch-screen device, at least, not for long.
Beer out of plastic bottles tastes like, well, plastic, so I'd prefer the heavy and slightly more fragile option.
Relax. I think we (most of us) would be referring to the glass on the back of the device.
I think the back glass SHOULD be part of the discussion as not every consumer wants to take apart their phone if the drop it.
I take things apart all of the time and that still does not mean I want to re[p]lace the glass on my phone if I drop it.
Statistics for the higher breakage may not mean anything though. Simple little things can cause a big statistical change. For me, the iPhone 4 is the first and only iPhone I have used without a case. I just don't want to conceal what I find to be a beautifully designed piece of hardware. And I have owned every generation of the iPhone. But I realize as a tradeoff that my phone is much more likely to be damaged now by an "accident". Not only is it more vulnerable to impact damage, but I am more likely to drop it without a "grippy" case wrapped around it. I have come close a couple of times now, with dramatic mid-fall catches barely saving it.
I know I am not the only one that has chosen not to practice "safe phone" for this reason. I worked in statistics and reliability testing for military hardware when I was in the Navy, and it was amazing what simple little "human factors" issues dramatically skewed the reliability results for hardware.
I know I am not the only one that has chosen not to practice "safe phone" for this reason. I worked in statistics and reliability testing for military hardware when I was in the Navy, and it was amazing what simple little "human factors" issues dramatically skewed the reliability results for hardware.
This makes absolutely no sense.
Death grip...
But not a good sign when you have to explain your joke... :-D
Here is some perspective. If Apple sold, say, 30 million iPhone 4th, that means almost 1.5 million people had their phone broken. That's a lot of unhappy people. Also, increase from 2.8 to 4.7 percent of total phones means 68% increase in breakage ratio. Obvious indication of design flaw.
So don't replace it - if you shatter the back, your phone will still probably be entirely functional. Also, as has been mentioned before and noticed by many 3GS users, plastic can break as well. My 3GS back-case cracked above the dock connector, quite badly, in addition to all the scratching which looked terrible. So much so, in fact, that I replaced the back-case on it when I gave it to my wife, with a nice-shiny, green, non-OEM case. It' took me 3 friggin' hours to do this, because of the way the phone is designed. Now, if I were to do the same for my iPhone 4? Probably more like 20 minutes. Tops.
The glass back thing is just not much of an issue - "ZOMG, it can break!?!? OH NOES!" Yes, it can break. Everything can break. It's also mostly just cosmetic. ...and fixing it is not really a big deal. ...so remind me again why this is such a "design flaw"?
hmm. let's see. nearly twice as many broken glass accidents happening when comparing a phone that has twice as many glass sides as the old phone. the fact that it's not twice as high suggests the glass is actually less breakable.
either way it falls it has a chance of breaking glass.
either way it falls it has a chance of breaking glass.
To call people imbeciles is a little harsh. There is this little thing called life, perhaps you have heard of it? S--- happens, to even the most deft of us.
No it does not. It means that percent age of people did not report damage. No damage and a lack of reporting damage are not the same thing.
Take care
When you have a sensitive & beautiful piece of equipment like an iPhone, iTouch, MacBook, whatever, it pays to spend a little time in caring for it. People complain about the fact if you use a case on the iPhone 4, dirt will damage the glass back. Is it too much trouble to remove the case weekly or so & just clean everything? A lot of complainers apparently think they have NO RESPONSIBILITY to take care of their product then p-ss & moan when their toy gets a bit tarnished.
When you have a sensitive & beautiful piece of equipment like an iPhone, iTouch, MacBook, whatever, it pays to spend a little time in caring for it. People complain about the fact if you use a case on the iPhone 4, dirt will damage the glass back. Is it too much trouble to remove the case weekly or so & just clean everything? A lot of complainers apparently think they have NO RESPONSIBILITY to take care of their product then p-ss & moan when their toy gets a bit tarnished.