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I went to my local Apple store a few days to get my iPhone 5. After waiting in line for an hour and wasting another hour on the phone with my wireless carrier in the store, I finally opened my black 32GB model and it was scuffed up on the side, the sales girl was nice enough to get me the last of that model and the same result. So basically I wasted two hours at the Apple store and walked out with no iPhone. Each customer on either side of me went through 2 or 3 damaged phones as well, and both walked out with no iPhone either, we all had a good laugh.
 
We paid for a high quality built product not some piss poor excuse Mr. Schiller.
This is just like the antenna problem all over again "your holding it wrong."
 
Or should Apple have chosen a different material? To avoid all this predictable brouhaha? Case reopened! :D

The best material for a black/slate iphone would be to use carbon-fibre.

BUT:
- Extremely expensive
- Not suited for a mass production process
- Can break, but not as easy plastic
- White iphone would be painted, so you get scratch issues on the white iphone

Have fun figuring this out, in the mean time, just take care of your stuff!
 
where was this outrage when apple used aluminum backs on their ipods

those scratched unbelievably easy

dont like it? feel free to spend 200 bucks and make your own iphone from scratch or don't buy it?

or *gasp*
put a back protector on it or a case

I am it sure it was silly, but I am sure there was outrage. I am not even going to bother to look. We all know it is out there. It might have been more subdued. The bigger Apple gets, the more outrage things cause.
 
Anyone know if the white iP5's back has similar issues? I know it is a slightly different back then the black model.

Also, saw a youtube clip where someone took a car key and "scratched" the back byt then used his finger or thumb and buffed it away. Does this actually occur? Scratch and buff away (with finger). And if it does go away, is it long lasting fix or momentary?

But again, is the white any different on the backside marks issue or about the same? :confused:
 
The best material for a black/slate iphone would be to use carbon-fibre.

BUT:
- Extremely expensive
- Not suited for a mass production process
- Can break, but not as easy plastic
- White iphone would be painted, so you get scratch issues on the white iphone

Have fun figuring this out, in the mean time, just take care of your stuff!

Um carbon fiber? why?

Carbon Fiber is horrible in regards to dealing with any sort of electronic signal. It effectively creates a shadow in terms of reception.

I have never understood the allure of CF to be honest for a cell phone. Why not use Kevlar or any other material that needs laid up in epoxy that does not have the same properties?
 
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Why are scuffs such a big deal? It's a phone, not a decorative piece.

Or can I return my BMW (ok, my Nissan) because if I accidentally rub my key on it the body shows a scratch?

Dumb analogy, and too many are using it.

Your iPhone is "used", that is, handled on it's exterior. It is always in contact with something, be it your hands, your pocket, your nightstand, etc.

Your car is "used" on the interior. The driver and occupants are always in contact with the seats, the door pulls, the controls, etc.

Very different.
 
What a ridiculous thread. As others have noted - what material doesn't scratch? But before answering that, also note that it has to be rigid and hard, but not fracture if subjected to a fall or hit? And it needs to be light. And you have to be able to produce it in mass quantities.

And let's not forget it has to be priced reasonably.

Well, what's the answer?

Even my platinum wedding band is scratched to hell, given it's one of the harder metals, but there isn't enough platinum on earth to produce millions of iPhones each year - and the cost is of course out of reach. Tungsten carbide could be an option, but to produce it takes huge amounts of heat and pressure and cutting/working it requires extremely tough cutting tools.

Maybe the best solution would be to use untreated aluminum - forget the paint altogether and let the thing get scratched. Just show consumers how some fine steel wool can polish the scratches right out.
 
Dumb analogy, and too many are using it.

Your iPhone is "used", that is, handled on it's exterior. It is always in contact with something, be it your hands, your pocket, your nightstand, etc.

Your car is "used" on the interior. The driver and occupants are always in contact with the seats, the door pulls, the controls, etc.

Very different.

What do you mean cars aren't "used" on the exterior?

They get handled by the elements all the time. Rain, snow, ice, sun, mud, rocks, pollution, bird ****, bugs, dirt, wind, extreme temperature ranges.

A phone doesn't
 
The best material for a black/slate iphone would be to use carbon-fibre.

BUT:
- Extremely expensive
- Not suited for a mass production process
- Can break, but not as easy plastic
- White iphone would be painted, so you get scratch issues on the white iphone

Have fun figuring this out, in the mean time, just take care of your stuff!
nah, it's light and strong but it doesn't dissipate heat as well as aluminium. also, its toughness is really the epoxy matrix so it'll end up being scratched like the 3g/3gs.

what material doesn't scratch? But before answering that, also note that it has to be rigid and hard, but not fracture if subjected to a fall or hit? And it needs to be light. And you have to be able to produce it in mass quantities. And let's not forget it has to be priced reasonably.

...

Maybe the best solution would be to use untreated aluminum - forget the paint altogether and let the thing get scratched.

the HTC One X's matte back looks good, but it's plastic and it's not shiny. not sure if that's not going to wear out quickly either. I think aluminium is alright, but it's a matter of the surface finish (note that the 2g iPhone had a rougher surface finish) and how they anodised the shell.
 
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Carbon Fiber is horrible in regards to dealing with any sort of electronic signal. It effectively creates a shadow in terms of reception.

Aluminum has the same issues and it creates what they call a "faraday cage", that makes it nearly impossible to get RF signals in or out.

That is why the first iphone had a black plastic piece at the bottom where all the antennas where in.

Carbon-Fibre and Kevlar have quite similar properties...
 
Why do people think that because this is obvious that means it is acceptable for a $700+ device?

No one wants a phone less than a week old to look scratched, if the material you're using scratches that quickly, you're doing it wrong. poor design.
 
Aluminum has the same issues and it creates what they call a "faraday cage", that makes it nearly impossible to get RF signals in or out.

That is why the first iphone had a black plastic piece at the bottom where all the antennas where in.

True. I suppose the antenna being on the outside mitigates concerns

Carbon-Fibre and Kevlar have quite similar properties...

In some aspects, but not in others. Like saying steel and aluminum are similar
 
The problem is that the phone scuffs under normal usage, like putting it in your pocket (ofcourse not one with other stuff in it) and putting it down on tables etc. If your car would get scratched all the way down to the metal every time you took it for a drive or parked it in a garage, wouldn't you be mad?

I mean, I get a little upset when I drive behind a truck that kicks up gravel and scratches my car, which is normal usage. Just like I get a little upset when I accidentally scratch my phone up a bit. But in neither case do I blame the manufacturer - I'm aware that objects that get used regularly are going to get some wear and tear.

Maybe I should get a case - Just like I could also get a car bra. But I refuse to do either of those :D


Dumb analogy, and too many are using it.

Your iPhone is "used", that is, handled on it's exterior. It is always in contact with something, be it your hands, your pocket, your nightstand, etc.

Your car is "used" on the interior. The driver and occupants are always in contact with the seats, the door pulls, the controls, etc.

Very different.

My iPhone is being "used" on it's screen. If my screen scratches or breaks, that's a completely different thing than the back of it getting scratched. The back of the phone is cosmetic just like the exterior of your car. Because, just like a car, I'm always "using" the screen and the back of it is merely what other people see while I'm using the phone.
 
Used to be when items appeared like aged relics meant that they've been around for years. Now you can get that same look out of the box.
 
What do you mean cars aren't "used" on the exterior?

They get handled by the elements all the time. Rain, snow, ice, sun, mud, rocks, pollution, bird ****, bugs, dirt, wind, extreme temperature ranges.

A phone doesn't

Nope. Weak argument. I stand by the original post.
 
It's a coating on aluminum, I'm not sure what people were expecting. Scratches out of the box is one thing, but normal wear and tear is another.

It's not wear and tear people are complaining about.

It's the fact that the things are scratched right out of the box. Before they have even been used. It seems a lot of people here are happy with Apples shoddy second rate stuff.

No wonder they make so much money when most of their customers are ******.
 
I have gotten two iPhones, One white and one black.. The black had a silver ding on the bottom and the back corners of the phone were starting to show the silver underneath (day one).. today open my white iPhone and there is a scratch across the band right next to the power button.. They are definitely handling them a bit rough over there in china.. Will try to get a replacement once the madness dies down.. And they have them available in stock.
 
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