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iPhone 5 'scuff gate' theory.

C

Cx38

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 14, 2013
48
0
London
Okay so I see all this stuff about how prone the aluminium is to scuffs and dents so thought I would give my opinion :)

I have had the 4s - dropped once from waist and the back glass shattered.
iPhone 5 - Dropped countless times from waist height onto all surfaces (concrete, grass, lino). Phone is fine, okay so it has dents and dings to the aluminium but nothing is broken.

So maybe it isn't a design flaw? With the aluminium being soft I think it absorbs impact more. Yes it looks bad with the dents and scuffs but it's in one piece?
 
It's the finish that is subject to scuffs, not the structure. Finish doesn't interfere with the overall structure, so your post doesn't make any sense.
 
Cx38 said:
Okay so I see all this stuff about how prone the aluminium is to scuffs and dents so thought I would give my opinion :)

I have had the 4s - dropped once from waist and the back glass shattered.
iPhone 5 - Dropped countless times from waist height onto all surfaces (concrete, grass, lino). Phone is fine, okay so it has dents and dings to the aluminium but nothing is broken.

So maybe it isn't a design flaw? With the aluminium being soft I think it absorbs impact more. Yes it looks bad with the dents and scuffs but it's in one piece?
Click to expand...

It scuffs because in order to keep the iPhone as thin as it is, Apple resorted to coating it with only a very thin layer of anodised paint. You can read about it here.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6330/the-iphone-5-review/3

To fix this, Apple has to either add a thicker coat (unlikely), refine their process, improve their QC or cover it with a scratch-resistant material. 1 and 4 are unlikely, so we have to either suck it up or use a casing.
 
Abazigal said:
It scuffs because in order to keep the iPhone as thin as it is, Apple resorted to coating it with only a very thin layer of anodised paint. You can read about it here.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6330/the-iphone-5-review/3

To fix this, Apple has to either add a thicker coat (unlikely), refine their process, improve their QC or cover it with a scratch-resistant material. 1 and 4 are unlikely, so we have to either suck it up or use a casing.
Click to expand...

All Aluminum anodizing is measured in microns (less than a mm) that includes HA Type III which is many times harder than the similary thick Type II.

A type III aluminum flashlight can saw through a Type II. Both have the same thickens of anodization:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...urefire-REALLY-saw-through-another-flashlight
 
Cx38 said:
Okay so I see all this stuff about how prone the aluminium is to scuffs and dents so thought I would give my opinion :)

I have had the 4s - dropped once from waist and the back glass shattered.
iPhone 5 - Dropped countless times from waist height onto all surfaces (concrete, grass, lino). Phone is fine, okay so it has dents and dings to the aluminium but nothing is broken.

So maybe it isn't a design flaw? With the aluminium being soft I think it absorbs impact more. Yes it looks bad with the dents and scuffs but it's in one piece?
Click to expand...

lets just say the dropping the iphone 4s has two results: nothing, or shattered.
the iphone 5 only has one result: scuffs, scratches dents.

why people complain is that when they drop their phone, sometimes its not hard enough to shatter a 4s. glass is obviously really rigid.
but if they drop a 5, good luck avoiding a dent. i dropped on from 3cm up no joke and got a dent. basically i was sitting on the floor getting something, and my phone slipped from my pocket 3cm up and dented.

*facepalm*
 
Abazigal said:
Simple English, please? :p
Click to expand...

Here is the non engineering version :p:

There is another type of anodizing that is more than 20 times harder than the one used on the iPhone and is equally thin. It is used on on high quality aluminum flashlights. This anodizing is so hard that a surefire or Phenix flashlight can cut trough a cheaper maglite flashlight when used as a saw.

In summary the hardness of anodizing is not dependent on thickness but on type. Apple can use the Type III and make the iPhone almost scratchproof. Im sure the increase in manufacturing cost will be less than what they are loosing from the returned scratched units.
 
charlesdayton said:
Here is the non engineering version :p:

There is another type of anodizing that is more than 20 times harder than the one used on the iPhone and is equally thin.

It is used on on high quality aluminum flashlights. This anodizing is so hard that a surefire or Phenix flashlight can cut trough a cheaper maglite flashlight.
Click to expand...

No doubt at a much higher cost.
 
Last edited:
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Cx38 said:
Okay so I see all this stuff about how prone the aluminium is to scuffs and dents so thought I would give my opinion :)

I have had the 4s - dropped once from waist and the back glass shattered.
iPhone 5 - Dropped countless times from waist height onto all surfaces (concrete, grass, lino). Phone is fine, okay so it has dents and dings to the aluminium but nothing is broken.

So maybe it isn't a design flaw? With the aluminium being soft I think it absorbs impact more. Yes it looks bad with the dents and scuffs but it's in one piece?
Click to expand...

Take more care of your phone.

The only design flaw is the human who owns it and gravity.
 
Last edited:
My launch phone got all kinds of scratches and dings. When it was replaced after a couple of months for a faulty sleep/wake button, the replacement phone hasn't shown any signs of wear at all. Maybe something changed, and its not my usage habits or luck.
 
Steve121178 said:
Take more care of you phone.

The only design flaw is the human who owns it and gravity.
Click to expand...

My black iphone 5 has scratches even though i didnt drop it. It doesent bother me that much i just see a couple of little silver marks on the sides.

Didnt people see scratches right out of the box, when the iphone 5 launched?
 
CHMK said:
the iphone 5 only has one result: scuffs, scratches dents.

basically i was sitting on the floor getting something, and my phone slipped from my pocket 3cm up and dented.

*facepalm*
Click to expand...

Ummm..I dropped my iphone5 from about pocket height and the screen shattered.

3cm drop?? Thats approx 1 inch. Do you really expect us to believe your phone dented from a one inch drop??
 
woodynorman said:
Ummm..I dropped my iphone5 from about pocket height and the screen shattered.

3cm drop?? Thats approx 1 inch. Do you really expect us to believe your phone dented from a one inch drop??
Click to expand...

...yes because it happened?
maybe u misunderstand. it feel on the marble floor onto its chamfered edge, which dented slightly, it wasnt a huge one, it was probably a 0.3cm dent.
but still a dent which is my point...
 
I really hope they fix this with iPhone 5S.The dents make it look so cheap. The fact it's much lighter than iPhone 4 doesn't help lol
 
I've had an LG Dare since 2008--works great, no cosmetic defects. I've dropped it many, many times from great heights onto stone floors and outdoors.

I don't think Apple should set the bar lower for ruggedness than a phone from 2008. Further, if a phone now can be made waterproof, why not make all phones waterproof? A lot of people live places where it rains every day. It isn't ideal to have to treat a phone that you carry with you all day long like a priceless painting.
 
bigcstyle4 said:
My launch phone got all kinds of scratches and dings. When it was replaced after a couple of months for a faulty sleep/wake button, the replacement phone hasn't shown any signs of wear at all. Maybe something changed, and its not my usage habits or luck.
Click to expand...

Well my launch day phone still looks like new. I guess some people are more careful than others.

I get a bit fed up of these my iPhone is covered in dents and scratches, and all I did was drop it a couple of times threads.

Next up, My Ferrari has damaged rims. All I did was drive it along the curb a couple of times!
 
I think Apple should make an aluminum colored iPhone for people who wants scuff free iPhone.
 
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