iPhone 5: gap between bezel and plastic

[VandyChem2009]

Actually it sounds like everyone's is in the exact same location. Upper portion of the bezel. I haven't read anyone saying it was on the bottom or sides. Just the upper portion. Hell I just discovered I can fit less than a mm of a corner of paper into mine as well. It's normal. You will not get a perfect fit on something that has to fit into another piece. The only way I could think it would is on presicion cut metal where the the bottom is smaller than the top and friction stops it from going down further.

If you want to believe it's normal that is up to you. However, even on this thread it is being reported in various locations. But yeah at the end of the day it's your phone so if you are ok with there being a gap where dust can get to your internals that is your problem.

 

[kockgunner]

The phone that I had replaced for a screen issue had this gap not was also found on the back bottom antenna area. This leads me to believe that the whole phone is a bit longer due to maybe the plastic antenna bands and therefore the extra height must show as gaps somewhere on the device.

 

[lawlbringer]

LOL I don't see anything. Does yours have this problem with brightness up in the dark?

Image

I think this is a fairly common thing...really just the luck of the draw with what phone you get. The ones that are a hair less snug around the top will leak light, etc.

My replacement iPhone leaks light, but you have to really be looking for it, view it an an angle, and turn up the screen brightness to make it really noticable. I'm using a case, so I can't even see it now.

My recommendation is if your phone is working fine and has no nasty chips/dings/stains then just stick with it. I seriously doubt enough dust/lint will accumulate there over its lifetime to harm the phone should you choose to use the phone case-less.

 

[kultyper]

This gap is truely annoying but, I actually have never had a perfect iPhone. I went nuts with the iPhone 4 and exchanged it 5 times. Each device had its own issue. The same will prob happen with the iPhone 5, at least for me. I stil think its the best phone out there.

 

[Zaft]

This gap is truely annoying but, I actually have never had a perfect iPhone. I went nuts with the iPhone 4 and exchanged it 5 times. Each device had its own issue. The same will prob happen with the iPhone 5, at least for me. I stil think its the best phone out there.

and this is why people cant get iphones... because we have people like you who have problems.. seriously 5 times? whats wrong with you

 

[kultyper]

I guess my expectations were too high and required perfection when the iPhone 4 came out. And I don't think exchanging a phone is why people can't get them since exchanges come out of a completely different stock.

 

[Defender2010]

On closer inspection of the "gap", the light leak is coming from the LED itself. On the back of the LED there is a metal plate (see image). Close to the area where the light leak was when looking at the phone from the front, the metal was not sealed against the LED properly (a 3/4mm gap) so light shone upwards towards the power button. There was no leakage around the rest of the metal plate. I placed a small amount (5mm wide) black tape over the leak. Now when sealed up there is zero light leak seen. DIY My phone is pristine and I did not want to return it again because of the leak, so it was easier to do it myself. As I said before too, it's easy to reseat the screen in that corner first so the gap is reduced anyway.

 

[aaronrs7]

I am OCD as well. That is why I never leave my house without a case. When I first got mine, I carried it around in a sock until Otterboxes were finally out in the wild. I actually swapped my iphone 4 as soon as I noticed that the anti glare on the camera lens got scratched. I think this is a conspiracy. Apple makes the phones look so nice so that you don't want them in a case. Then when you drop it you can go and buy another.

 

[vastoholic]

However, even on this thread it is being reported in various locations.

Who? Only one person said it was on "the other side of the phone". He never specified if he meant upper left portion instead of right or if he meant the bottom. Every person in this thread has said they've noticed it in the upper portion of the phone.

And someone showed a picture of CNET's review phone (also seen with a gap in the upper portion). Not once was it mentioned in the review.

It seems like everyone has their own reality distortion fields up these days. Is anything ever good enough for the people in this thread? Are you married? Were your diamond wedding rings perfect? I mean you must get a flawless diamond if tiny "imperfections" annoy you that much.

 

[VandyChem2009]

Who? Only one person said it was on "the other side of the phone". He never specified if he meant upper left portion instead of right or if he meant the bottom. Every person in this thread has said they've noticed it in the upper portion of the phone.

And someone showed a picture of CNET's review phone (also seen with a gap in the upper portion). Not once was it mentioned in the review.

It seems like everyone has their own reality distortion fields up these days. Is anything ever good enough for the people in this thread? Are you married? Were your diamond wedding rings perfect? I mean you must get a flawless diamond if tiny "imperfections" annoy you that much.

Actually I'm very much pleased with my phone. I'm just saying that since my phone doesn't have these gaps, and some people are saying it's all over their phone, others are saying it's in one region, and a picture of cnet shows it being on another part, I'm thinking all that basically settles that it's not something that should be on the device. It is by definition a manufacturer defect. Side note look at the cnet review phone again that looks to be upper left to me. What's it to you anyway? Why are you getting so defensive? If it is something you think is normal why are you getting so worked up about it?

 

[vastoholic]

Actually I'm very much pleased with my phone. I'm just saying that since my phone doesn't have these gaps, and some people are saying it's all over their phone, others are saying it's in one region, and a picture of cnet shows it being on another part, I'm thinking all that basically settles that it's not something that should be on the device. It is by definition a manufacturer defect. Side note look at the cnet review phone again that looks to be upper left to me. What's it to you anyway? Why are you getting so defensive? If it is something you think is normal why are you getting so worked up about it?

Because I have nothing better to do in my down time between class, I guess. It only bugs me because it feels like people are searching and reaching for something to be wrong with their phone. Didn't get scuffs/bad battery/faulty screen out of the box? Better find something else to bitch about. That's just how it feels to me.

I wish I still had my old iPhones to see if there was this gap as well. Until this thread was made I would have never tried to stick a piece of paper in between my bezel. And if dirt or lint was getting inside, I'm pretty sure I never would have noticed and my phone would keep on truckin like normal. The old dock connector attracted so much dirt and lint all the time. Still worked like a charm. My white 4s had a tiny amount of dirt around where the antenna meets the glass. I couldn't remove it with a cloth or compressed air and probably would have had to use dentist picks to scrape it away. Who knows if it got inside or not. Guess what? Still worked like a champ.

 

[nextgeneric]

My iPhone 5 also has this. Not a big deal. Barely noticed. Don't care. Moving on with my life and worrying about the important things.

 

[ohla313]

Mine does this as well. I am able to slide a piece of paper at the top. I noticed there is some dust stuck there so maybe if I take it out, it'll reset? I exchanged the phone before and this is another massive headache. I tried to open the phone up using a suction cup and unscrewing and it really won't move.

How do I make sure to open it right?

 

[bandofbrothers]

Mine does this as well. I am able to slide a piece of paper at the top. I noticed there is some dust stuck there so maybe if I take it out, it'll reset? I exchanged the phone before and this is another massive headache. I tried to open the phone up using a suction cup and unscrewing and it really won't move.

How do I make sure to open it right?

Simply put don't !

Go with your original thought of swapping it out if this issue is bothering you.

 

[Sedrick]

My only concern is that lint would get in there. Otherwise, I've never even looked at my phone that close.

 

[indiekiduk]

My iPhone 6 has a gap at the top right between the screen and the case, big enough for sand to get in and cause a bit of an annoyance always trying to clean it out.