Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 5 - black version scuffs (merged)
- Thread starter Pagemakers
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I did order the white 64, But I honestly think this isn't a big deal. Zagg is a horrible product.. IMO
Guys it's a phone...
I hate people who put their iPhones in cases!
Why buy an iPhone if you like to feel plastic or silicone on your hands?
I wan to feel these beautiful materials and not a cheap case...
Yes it will get some scratches and I really don't care about that, that's why I am buying a black one!
I hate people who put their iPhones in cases!
Why buy an iPhone if you like to feel plastic or silicone on your hands?
I wan to feel these beautiful materials and not a cheap case...
Yes it will get some scratches and I really don't care about that, that's why I am buying a black one!
I read the same article as the OP and this is poor considering they've only had these demo phones for a few days. They saw this wear on both of their units.
Not what you'd expect from a premium product.
Not what you'd expect from a premium product.
Looks like they have some sort of grit on the iPhone in almost every pic. No wonder it's wearing.
Plus if you look at the one pic where the iPhone is on the table with the sim card out, it appears the band has been dented in that spot. It looks flat like it's been hammered up against something.
I'm not too worried.
Plus if you look at the one pic where the iPhone is on the table with the sim card out, it appears the band has been dented in that spot. It looks flat like it's been hammered up against something.
I'm not too worried.
I love Apple but this is signature Ivy and Jobs design. Remember those shiny chrome backs on the iPods ? Just like a glass back it looks great when new but after many lays on the table it will scuff up. It's Apple all the way. Always has been.
The white and black iPhone 5 probably are deeply anodized. Like my 'white' MacBook Pro. But it has a deep scratch on the bottom that shows the raw aluminum through. If black ip5, a black sharpie pen could cover it, but you will still see it.
However I think the real issue is the bevel. It's anodized, but to a mirror finish. I haven't seen an iP5, but Apple video says that bevel has been polished with a diamond wheel to a mirror finish. Once again Steve and Jony. So that finish, being not diamond,but aluminum, WILL dull over time unevenly. I mean it will scratch. white or black, no difference.
The anodization doesn't need to come off, just the mirror finish dulling.
So like the chrome iPod backs you either accept it or cover it. The iPhone is a premium product. I will get the ip5. But this is classic Apple.
Last edited:
This is slightly annoying. I hate white phones and was set on buying the black and only using a screen protector (Power Support crystal) but looks like I'll be getting a slim case too now if the rumours are true.
I hope the phones the reviewers are using are test models and this problem has been fixed. I love Apple products and the iPhone 5 looks stunning, but seems a bit pointless making a great looking phone which is prone to easy scuffs.
I hope the phones the reviewers are using are test models and this problem has been fixed. I love Apple products and the iPhone 5 looks stunning, but seems a bit pointless making a great looking phone which is prone to easy scuffs.
Hmmm. Just had an idea.
My aluminum MacBook pro, i.e. white, has 4 small rubber feet on the bottom to protect the bottom from scratching , provide some lift for air circulation, and prevent sliding.
Maybe I'll find some small clear or black shallow feet (or bumpers
) to adhere to the back of the iPhone (4 or 5) to protect it instead of a full screen protector. Maybe 4 arranged on the Al back or just 3 in a triangle shape. Or another design like my initials. Would protect the bottom and raise it off the table to assist cooling. Also the phone wouldn't slide around. especially useful for those outside metal patio furnitures. And when picking it up, it might protect the bevel a bit.
Might be interesting.
PS. I do like how the camera window is sapphire, that will not scratch.
Last edited:
Slate coating rubbing off IPhone 5?
I read a review on the homepage about the slate starting to wear and rub off. Anybody else worried about this? Wonder how it will be after a years use?
I read a review on the homepage about the slate starting to wear and rub off. Anybody else worried about this? Wonder how it will be after a years use?
You think so, when after just a few days use it showing signs of wear already?
When I sold my 3GS model to make way for the 4S, I described it in as much detail as possible on the eBay listing. The new owner sent me a mail after receiving the phone thanking me & saying that he could not believe how great the condition was given that it was a used item.
I'd used it extensively pretty much every day for over 18 months.
that is the worst justification I have ever seen. That is like your TV being blurry and you saying....well as you age your eyes do.
scratches to the casing do not effect functionality, just looks, that is my point.
I just rated this thread 1 star, for the use of the "-gate" suffix and for making a huge deal over a SINGLE reviewer's model, that probably wasn't even aprt of the mass production run.
i agree it is not a huge deal, but if I got a new car and it was scratching just as easily....I would be pretty annoyed. I always get applecare+, so if it got too bad I would just swap it out.
if you look at the manufacturing process on the promotional video, the edges are machined to get the the polished look.
By the video you can see that the color is the same for the whole thickens of the material.
Nevertheless, this is like saying: Oh if I get get a scratch on my car it would look white )or rust).
By the video you can see that the color is the same for the whole thickens of the material.
Nevertheless, this is like saying: Oh if I get get a scratch on my car it would look white )or rust).
I agree about the "gate" and overreaction, but why would it not be part of the mass production run? The phones are already sat waiting to be delivered, most in the US are sat with UPS or whoever waiting for Friday, all Apple had to do was send the units to review sites without the deliver restrictions.
To all those saying that it is not a big deal that the black wears off, you all are NUTS!!! Of course ALL anodization will wear off with time, that is the nature of the process. It is just a coating and will wear with TIME. However these review units should have only been in the wild for a few day to a week at most. If something that is anodized is wearing off that quickly, it was cheaply done. That is all there is to it. I have plenty of other metal watches, jewelry, knives ect.. with black anodization that have maintained their coating for years with little to no wear at all. However I have also had products with very thin, cheaply made anodized coatings that do wear off after a couple of weeks of regular use. If we are to believe this review, then it would appear that Apple really went the cheap route with the coating technique that was used and that SHOULD make the customers upset. It is not what Apple is all about. They are into their designs very much and care about what things look like almost as much as how they function. A product that wears over time is one thing, but one that shows wear after just a few days....This is not like them.
Of course we will have to wait a few weeks to hear what real owners are saying, and I am hoping that this one review was just a fluke, but it certainly is troublesome.
Of course we will have to wait a few weeks to hear what real owners are saying, and I am hoping that this one review was just a fluke, but it certainly is troublesome.