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iPhone 5 - black version scuffs (merged)

Is your black iPhone 5 scuffed, chipped or scratched?

  • Flawless

    Votes: 1,158 46.1%

  • Flawless because I put a case on it.

    Votes: 198 7.9%

  • Scuffed out of the box

    Votes: 820 32.7%

  • Scuffed/scratched shortly after

    Votes: 334 13.3%
  • Total voters
    2,510
danilko1 said:
I am not sure that's what people are saying. I agree, wind or opening the door, yes, that would be defective paint, and I have seen that before.

What I was imaging was handling and abrasive situations, like driving down the freeway behind a truck, tossing up dirt and sand.

Look at it this way. Examine your mouse, and keyboard. What does it look like? How dirty is it, scratched. If you have a MacBook Pro, look at the track pad. It's made of glass, but look how polished it is by your fingers, natural oils.

These things are going to happen to your phone, a black phone with thin layer of atoms thick black anodization.
Click to expand...

My truck handles abrasive situations with ease. It has seen many dirt/gravel roads; yet, it is not pebbled with chips and scuffs. In fact, it probably isn't because the manufacturer had enough foresight to ensure the paint could at least withstand normal operation--i.e., driving.

In the case of a cell phone--holding, carrying, setting on tables, putting it in pockets etc.
 
iHeartsteve said:
Wow, you set it on a table?! Seriously? That sucks. I have always gotten full coverage cases for my phones but still.
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Hmm...I call BS on this. It supposedly scuffs just from setting it down on a table and no one at Apple caught this in all the prototyping and testing they do?

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MJD Dawg said:
If it scuffs this easily, how the !@#$ did this not get picked up during testing by Apple???
Click to expand...
That's my question, and why I'm a bit skeptical it can scuff this easily. If that was the case SOMEBODY at Apple would have caught it.
 
all of my anodized sunglasses with sharp edges dont show wear. wtf happened with apple and this
 
danilko1 said:
Sorry, if you scratch a black anodized aluminum body, this is not a manufacture's defect. This is normal wear and tear. It's a fact of life, and nature of the material used. So buyer be ware.

If you want to complain, make it about the fact that, one they used aluminum in the first place, and second they anodized it black.

Since these facts are known about the build materials before the purchase, Apple's decisions are not the fault, if you are not happy with the results.

Look at it this way, you buy a white or black car, and you complain that it shows scuffs and road dirt, road chips etc. Do you go back to the manufacture can tell them these are defects? Nope
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+1

I prefer black cars and I'm fully aware they are harder to keep looking new. No need to go legal over this non-issue
 
Rogifan said:
Hmm...I call BS on this. It supposedly scuffs just from setting it down on a table and no one at Apple caught this in all the prototyping and testing they do?

----------


That's my question, and why I'm a bit skeptical it can scuff this easily. If that was the case SOMEBODY at Apple would have caught it.
Click to expand...


Apparently not if this is popping up all over the place...
 
I can't wait to see some of these black iPhone 5s on eBay in a year. I figured the black iPhone will do this now once I found out the material. I was so set on getting black but it will drive me up there wall seeing those scuffs on my $600 device. I'm going with white last minute. Give it a week or so, you'll see more threads complaining about it.
 
danilko1 said:
Sorry, if you scratch a black anodized aluminum body, this is not a manufacture's defect. This is normal wear and tear. It's a fact of life, and nature of the material used. So buyer be ware.

If you want to complain, make it about the fact that, one they used aluminum in the first place, and second they anodized it black.

Since these facts are known about the build materials before the purchase, Apple's decisions are not the fault, if you are not happy with the results.

Look at it this way, you buy a white or black car, and you complain that it shows scuffs and road dirt, road chips etc. Do you go back to the manufacture can tell them these are defects? Nope
Click to expand...

Vehicles have a 12mo paint warranty.. FYI.
 
nfl46 said:
I can't wait to see some of these black iPhone 5s on eBay in a year. I figured the black iPhone will do this now once I found out the material. I was so set on getting black but it will drive me up there wall seeing those scuffs on my $600 device. I'm going with white last minute. Give it a week or so, you'll see more threads complaining about it.
Click to expand...

give it one day and you will see threads about the phones having this problem
 
x-evil-x said:
the invisi-shield doesnt cover the part that is chipping which is the little angled sides.

my iphone 4 after 2 years looks brand new still. so this phone is more fragile with simple use and the 4,4/s is more fragile when dropped.

not a good trade
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ZAGG sold full-body invisibleShields for the iPhone 4 and 4S that covered not only the front and back, but the sides as well. I see no reason why they wouldn't release one for the 5 as well.
 
I'm going to use the black one for a couple of months if the scuffs are too extreme, i'm just gonna sell it and buy white one...
No problem at all!
 
Surely if they mark that easily Apple would expect loads of them to be returned.
I certainly would , I don't use a case and use the phone as a phone.

I'm not one for kissing and cuddling it, it's sometimes dropped or is placed down casually on surfaces. Everyday marks is fine bit this model sounds just badly finished if reports are true.

Surely with all the patter at the keynote about the manufacturing process which sounded much like the evolution of earth they would not finish it with sub-standard procedures.
 
linkismyhero said:
ZAGG sold full-body invisibleShields for the iPhone 4 and 4S that covered not only the front and back, but the sides as well. I see no reason why they wouldn't release one for the 5 as well.
Click to expand...

they still do the same thing front back sides. but no edge... Where it chips so its pointless to me
 
I'm not sure if this has been referenced yet, but there's a similar situation happening with the Micro-Arc Oxidation process on the black version of the HTC Ville (One S) and is discussed in an epic thread over on XDA. For the HTC, the product's sharp edges are chipping with use and it seems similar to what happened in the pocket-lint review as well as iFixit's photo.

IMG_3179.jpg


IMG_3174.jpg


Unfortunately, the phone has gone through several minimal design iterations that involve smoothing out any 'rough' edges to minimize the chipping caused by impacts (typically found on the front top of the phone and on the left side where the micro-USB is plugged in) with little to no success. This was one of the primary reasons I got rid of it, and pre-ordered the black iPhone 5. Doh.

To HTC's credit, they have been replacing customers' devices that exhibit the issue, but not until Engadget and other tech blogs caught wind of the situation and blew it up. Surely, if this is as large an issue on the iPhone, it will have epic coverage and Apple will have to do something about it. More bumpers, perhaps? This is the unfortunate risk of being an early adopter, though with Apple their QC should be among the best in the industry.
 
mattwestside said:
I'm not sure if this has been referenced yet, but there's a similar situation happening with the Micro-Arc Oxidation process on the black version of the HTC Ville (One S) and is discussed in an epic thread over on XDA. For the HTC, the product's sharp edges are chipping with use and it seems similar to what happened in the pocket-lint review as well as iFixit's photo.

Unfortunately, the phone has gone through several minimal design iterations that involve smoothing out any 'rough' edges to minimize the chipping caused by impacts (typically found on the front top of the phone and on the left side where the micro-USB is plugged in) with little to no success. This was one of the primary reasons I got rid of it, and pre-ordered the black iPhone 5. Doh.

To HTC's credit, they have been replacing customers' devices that exhibit the issue, but not until Engadget and other tech blogs caught wind of the situation and blew it up. Surely, if this is as large an issue on the iPhone, it will have epic coverage and Apple will have to do something about it. More bumpers, perhaps? This is the unfortunate risk of being an early adopter, though with Apple their QC should be among the best in the industry.
Click to expand...

hopefully apple uses a different technique like powder coated because that will hold up even on sides like this. Flat black powder coat will last years and years. little thicker but ill take that over this.
 
It's pretty simple. IF this is a real issue it will get reported on Apple.com, in Apple stores, devices will be returned etc. and Apple will have to figure out a way to fix the issue. Steve's not around so you won't get a "you're holding it wrong" response.
 
mattwestside said:
I'm not sure if this has been referenced yet, but there's a similar situation happening with the Micro-Arc Oxidation process on the black version of the HTC Ville (One S) and is discussed in an epic thread over on XDA. For the HTC, the product's sharp edges are chipping with use and it seems similar to what happened in the pocket-lint review as well as iFixit's photo.


Unfortunately, the phone has gone through several minimal design iterations that involve smoothing out any 'rough' edges to minimize the chipping caused by impacts (typically found on the front top of the phone and on the left side where the micro-USB is plugged in) with little to no success. This was one of the primary reasons I got rid of it, and pre-ordered the black iPhone 5. Doh.

To HTC's credit, they have been replacing customers' devices that exhibit the issue, but not until Engadget and other tech blogs caught wind of the situation and blew it up. Surely, if this is as large an issue on the iPhone, it will have epic coverage and Apple will have to do something about it. More bumpers, perhaps? This is the unfortunate risk of being an early adopter, though with Apple their QC should be among the best in the industry.
Click to expand...

imagine apple rounding these corners instead of the sharp edge. would be interesting to see what is going to happen.
 
rtr1985 said:
My truck handles abrasive situations with ease. It has seen many dirt/gravel roads; yet, it is not pebbled with chips and scuffs. In fact, it probably isn't because the manufacturer had enough foresight to ensure the paint could at least withstand normal operation--i.e., driving.
Click to expand...

Really? I have a supercharged 2005 Tacoma with all kinds of paint chips on it from rocks, but it is silver so not so bad. But my 2012 Audi S4 is all black, no chrome and I have to take a sharpie to it once and awhile for a rock chip.

I have the black on order, wonder if the bumper is going to scuff it too....I bet it does, it sure as heck did to my IP4 and that piece was chrome!
 
Doesn't seem like the Verge had any issues with their black phone. From their review:

http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/21/3363238/iphone-5-review

Apple moved the headphone jack to the bottom of the phone, which is a welcome change in my opinion. It also slightly tweaked some of the details on the device, like the grid on the speakers and the more polished, streamlined beveled edges on the sides of the phone. The mirrored, angular rims give the phone a glint akin to jewelry (something I noted in my first hands-on with the device).

In all, while the iPhone 5 might look familiar, the sheer attention to fit and finish in its build lends it a sense of quality and craftsmanship that far too many devices lack. The new design — particularly the black version, which has a kind of sinister simplicity to it — is truly something to behold.
 
x-evil-x said:
have you seen where the lid open part is? its very angled and there is no chipping or wear. same on my friends 3 year old macbook still looks new.

apple should of tested this.
Click to expand...

i'll repeat, the angle has nothing to do with it. it's the raw aluminum chamfer edge.
 
Of course apple is going to tell you its the best thing ever.

Its about marketing and its about parting you with your money.

Marketing will tell you one thing - economics another and it looks like they have taken the cheap as hell route on the anodizing.

I don't remember them touting about how the iphone 4 had a POS antenna either during a keynote.

The band will scratch - it's lame and apple should have done better.
 
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