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Phil Schiller Says iPhone 5 Scratching 'Normal' for Any Aluminum Product
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Me too.
Funny how some people will say it's okay that it scratches, it will have a worn look, or use a case.
And I like the "it only had one little scratch when I took it out of the box, It's okay. I'm not a whiner". Wait till you start using it and it looks like crap in a couple of months. No thanks.
My Canon S100 is scratch free for a year of use. And it goes to the beach. No case! Image that.
Just say'n
Sigh, clearly you have zero clue. There are different types of anodizing, like I said. Some are much more durable than others - do some reading. I've been dealing with metals and anodizing for almost 20 years. When 'hardcoat' anodizing or 'military spec' anodizing is used the parts are much more durable then type 1 which is likely what Apple has used since it is cheap, and quite thin. So before you ask where my head is buried I suggest you do some reading. Now none of us know exactly what type of anodizing is used by Apple but judging by the issues thus far it seems pretty thin and cheap which would lead me to believe it is type 1.
This is no different that what Apple did with iPods. Look at the stainless steel back of the iPods. Even the iPod Touch used that same steel that scratched just by opening the box to unpack it. Even today, the Classic still has that same steel on the back and yet people still buy them.
Oh no, I agree, it may be something like (taking time, material and tooling into account) $10 dollars for aluminium and $40 for titanium
Say 4x the cost to apple to get them machined.
So only, in real terms $30 on top, but then the (as they call it Apple Tax) would bump this up, but you are quite right, I'm sure, given the final price it could be absorbed it they wanted.
But whilst everyone is buying them made from Aluminium and it's dirt cheap to buy the raw material, easy to machine, (tooling life) and cut's quicker, where is their incentive to do so?
Good luck! Your expectations are unreal. It is impossible to assure that each device made and delivered is perfect. Which is why a warranty is offered.
Well, plastic scratches more easily than aluminum, and cracks more easily than glass, and is vulnerable to temperature-based failure modes (both hot and cold) which neither aluminum nor glass has to worry about. Every material choice involves a trade-off between various desired properties. For example, depleted uranium is probably more durable than aluminum, but it's hellishly expensive, and pretty darned heavy.
The fact is, *no* material is invulnerable. Us realists simply pay attention to the materials used to make something, and treat it accordingly, rather than whining about the basic effects of the physical laws of the universe.
Schiller's reply, while factually correct, seems a bit condescending and uncaring to me. Kind of lacks the charm of Jobs' one or two word responses.
What material isn't prone to scratching? Why don't you invent it and get rich?
And to your second statement... Then don't buy it! Problem solved!
I think this is the best way of putting it.
Anything can scratch. Aluminum happens to be a fairly soft metal which can mark up easily. If a user makes the marks through use, or by accident, that's normal wear and tear. The serious problem is when the device arrives in damaged condition without even being removed from the box.
My sapphire and ceramic Rado is scratch-free after 15 years.
Just choose the right materials....
Aluminum is actually considered a soft metal, however the grade that Apple is using is amongst the hardest of the various grades of aluminum and is on the verge of being considered a hard metal, but it is STILL a soft metal.
Anodizing is popular form of coating for decorative and corrosive purposes, but it DOES scratch. There are harder coatings that can be applied, but they either add too much thickness to the actual metal casing, which is HIGHLY undesirable, may add too much cost or may not be as esthetically pleasing.
sharp metal objects can scratch aluminum anodized coatings.
Titanium or Stainless Steel are much harder, but are far more expensive, much harder to work with in terms of metal fabrication and are far more costly materials and can actually weight considerably more, especially stainless steel. Apple has used Titanium on older Laptops, but I think the costs were far too expensive and couldn't be milled out so easily as cost effective as the unibody aluminum cases.
My suggestion, get a decent protective case for the thing. I know it makes it thicker, a little heavier, and hides the product, but it does add protection that is always a positive thing to do with ALL mobile devices.
Mobile devices are subjected to all kinds of things that can scratch, crack, chip, bend, dent, etc.
First of all, I will admit to not having read this entire thread. But I am wondering if anyone here might know
has the iPhone 5's aluminum casing been hard anodized?
Apple really screwed up on this one!
With this in mind, I'm going to get the Samsung Galaxy S3. I've heard that even if the iPhone is better in all those "scientific tests" the screen is still almost 5 inches. That makes it automatically better. And the cheap plastic back doesn't scratch like aluminum.
Ignorance on your end. Plastic scratches more easily than aluminum..
Listen, I fully expect a c*nd*m to get messy eventually, but if it came out of the wrapper like that.....
Is there some kind of protective coat we can get?
Hey, you know, urethane for wood...is there something for aluminum we can paint or spray on it? I just don't get this. Right now it is partly covered with a cut-up Z-invisishield for iPad, but, not wanting this to get worn corners soon.
I was hoping for liquidmetal backs, but the aluminum looks nice...at least when new.
Hey, you know, urethane for wood...is there something for aluminum we can paint or spray on it? I just don't get this. Right now it is partly covered with a cut-up Z-invisishield for iPad, but, not wanting this to get worn corners soon.
I was hoping for liquidmetal backs, but the aluminum looks nice...at least when new.
No, I was replying to a comment about a scratched Rolex.
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I went to an Apple store near me to get AppleCare and the guy said it's self-healing... "Just air it out for a little while." I don't have any scratches yet, so I can't test this theory. It's not the anodized metal that maybe Samsung uses on one of their phones and if you scratch it you can just rub it away, is it? Anyways, even he didn't want a case - I don't blame him, it's just too beautiful.