iPhone 4 much more scratch prone than the 3G/3GS

[DaSal]

I only got my iPhone 4 a few days ago and I now have a small scratch on the front. I've been very careful with it and I never laid it down face-down. The weird part is that I'm 99% sure that the scratch wasn't there yesterday, and it just appeared when I woke up just now. I know that doesn't make senseless, but I swear it has. Keep in mind that I had the 3G for two years and it didn't have any scratches for the first year, going without a case. It now only has two tiny ones and in the second year of my ownership I was significantly less cradling of it, not to say I was careless, but still. Furthermore I'm pretty sure we that the scratches it does have are from the times I dropped it on rough floors.

I did some googling to see if it's a common issue, and I see a lot of reports of people who cradled their iPhone and yet have scratches after days, even on day 1. Even found a report of a guy who said the same thing happened to me: woke up and found a scratch that wasn't there before.

What are your experiences with this?

Note: However I would like to ask people NOT to vote if they're using a screen protector. That kind of defeats the purpose of the poll - it's there to see if the glass scratches easily. If you put a protector over it that just... well, yea. So: please vote only if you use your iPhone without a screen protector

 

[Charadis]

No, no scratches: always had front/back skin (BSE) from day one.

-C

Sent from my iPhone 4

 

[Mjmar]

Got a bumper 2 weeks after I got the iPhone 4 and I still have no scratches. Maybe if you stare at it you can find a little streak or something, but nothing worth worrying about.

 

[DaSal]

I'm glad to see that so many people are having no issues.

However I would like to ask people NOT to vote if they're using a screen protector. That kind of defeats the purpose of the poll - it's there to see if the glass scratches easily. If you put a protector over it that just... well, yea. So: please vote only if you use your iPhone without a screen protector

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

No scratches at all even without a screen protector.

You had a 3G with no oleophobic coating. On the 3GS and 4, there might be hairline scratches within the oleophobic coating that are observable under the right conditions (very bright light), but you should see no real scratches that stick out like a sore thumb under all lighting conditions. When you "wake up to a scratch," it's not that it wasn't there but you're probably now viewing the screen in bright morning sun. Unless you can see the scratch under ALL lighting conditions, it's not a real scratch in the glass.

A cleaner screen that the oleophobic coating offers is going to look way better than a smeared screen even with hairline scratches that you can't even see normally.

Furthermore, don't rule out defective oleophobic coating. It should behave exactly the same as a 3GS (although you can't be the judge of this as you're only had the 3G) and if it doesn't, get it swapped out.

 

[Tom G.]

Keep it an Otterbox Defender case, or a similar type, and you won't have any problems.

 

[Roofy.]

I'm officially anti cases. I never liked the idea of using a case for my iphone 4 but I went out and bought a girffin reveal just to keep it safe. I took off the case yesterday to clean it off and noticed about 5 small dents in the rear glass. Are you kidding me? A case is supposed to prevent damage. You have to have a ridiculous case other wise lint and dirt is just gonna get sandwiched between the phone and case and scratch it. I was fine UNTIL I got the case.

I threw that POS out and ordered the bumper, which will not scratch the glass because there is nothing there.

 

[Dlanod]

Yeah I'm a big fan of going naked. I think that cases trap grit - leather ones aren't so bad cos the leather is soft enough to absorb grit. I use a Sena ultra slim that cleans the phone as it's removed. I'm waiting on Vaja. I'll see how it goes.

 

[Emilycampbell]

Super scratched.

The front of my 4 is SO scratched. I didn't use a screen protector for the first 3 months of use and it scratched so bad. I never used a protector for my 1st gen or 3G S and only like 5 scratches all together with like 2 years of use each. I keep my things perfect and it's really upsetting. Hopefully the 5 has a fix to this. I hate using screen protectors I love the feeling of the glass but the 4 is so scratch prone.

 

[vincenz]

The front of my 4 is SO scratched. I didn't use a screen protector for the first 3 months of use and it scratched so bad. I never used a protector for my 1st gen or 3G S and only like 5 scratches all together with like 2 years of use each. I keep my things perfect and it's really upsetting. Hopefully the 5 has a fix to this. I hate using screen protectors I love the feeling of the glass but the 4 is so scratch prone.

And here I was about to take off my screen protector for the first time in 8 months...

I still might do it though. I don't know if I'll be able to resist the 5 when it comes out. I'll never have used an iPhone without a screen protector if I don't do it now.

 

[ihav0frnds]

back is very scratched. front is very good. if i hold it up to white light and look at angle, then i can see one or two tiny scratches. none of it matters for normal use, though.

 

[chrono1081]

No scratches, no screen protector/case/bumper of any kind. I've had a few drops and I've stuck it in my pockets with keys and coins and have had the iPhone 4 since day 1.

I'm sorry but these things are NOT easy to scratch.

 

[JASApplications]

Use an Otterbox Defender and your phone will be basically bulletproof.

 

[Sedrick]

The front of my 4 is SO scratched. I didn't use a screen protector for the first 3 months of use and it scratched so bad. I never used a protector for my 1st gen or 3G S and only like 5 scratches all together with like 2 years of use each. I keep my things perfect and it's really upsetting. Hopefully the 5 has a fix to this. I hate using screen protectors I love the feeling of the glass but the 4 is so scratch prone.

You're obviously scratching it wrong...

Use an Otterbox Defender and your phone will be basically bulletproof.

Jeebus, what is that case for, mountain climbing? Cripes that's awful...