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Yes, normal. If a surface, such as aluminum, has any type of coating applied to it, it is then susceptible to coming off and being scratched. It's no different than the paint on a car.

Not normal, but cheaply produced.
Same with MacBooks: they get scuffed easily while Dell's aluminum products don't.
There is good coating and bad coating.
plus this is very bad quality assurance by apple.
 
And easy/cheap to manufacture.

My company works with Titanium, and we could machine out an iPhone rear case from a chunk of Titanium no problem at all.

The only issues are:

1: It would take longer.
2: Milling cutters and chamfer tooling would not last as long.

In the real world (what the case actually costs to manufacture, it would not put a LOT of extra cost onto the end product. Some but not like 100 dollars or anything.

Wonder if they did a Titanium case version for lets say $50 more, who would rather have it?

Right here! Would match my bike :)
 
Think hard about this guys. Schiller probably has 2 Ferrari's in the garage, couple Lambo's, maybe a couple vintage planes, properties all over the world, and a family. Then, some guy emails him about scratches on his phone. You really think he gives two %$^&'s about it? He doesn't.

Actually he has an Audi R7 and a Range Rover, or is that the other V.P.? I can't keep them straight anymore...
 
Thoughts:
- planned obsolescence through sensitivity to shabbiness?
- reduction in qc standards, reflecting a ship at all costs mentality (seen now in both recent h/w and s/w releases)?
- will people soon be clamoring for glass backs again?
- previous antenna band was stainless and very robust, how poorly will alu band perform when subjected to drops? Will it deform, or will upper and lower glass panels break or be dislodged from phone?
- does loss of coatings from band affect antennae performance?
- how much space has apple created for the competition by trading cosmetic robustness for weight and package savings?
How might apple influence opinion and "sell" this weakness as a feature? If slut walks can change perception, perhaps a "Shabby Chic" campaign comparing nicks and scratches to the fading, fraying and tearing of a favorite pair of Levi's, I.e. "Your favorite pair of jeans only became that after they were 'lived in and broken in', Apple iPhone 5, live with it, break it in, love it!"
 
The chamfer is the problem area. You can't cover that part of the body with a screen protector. Only an ugly bumper would do the trick. Who wants to pay upwards of $1000 for a beautiful device like this (I only buy unlocked) and then put it in an hideous $20 case.

invisible shield?
 
well Phil, mr Jobs begs to differ

I found this article (link at the bottom) from the New York Times which in my view shows very well how apple is changing.

I am quoting here the interesting part:

In 2007, a little over a month before the iPhone was scheduled to appear in stores, Mr. Jobs beckoned a handful of lieutenants into an office. For weeks, he had been carrying a prototype of the device in his pocket.
Mr. Jobs angrily held up his iPhone, angling it so everyone could see the dozens of tiny scratches marring its plastic screen, according to someone who attended the meeting. He then pulled his keys from his jeans.
People will carry this phone in their pocket, he said. People also carry their keys in their pocket. “I won’t sell a product that gets scratched,” he said tensely. The only solution was using unscratchable glass instead. “I want a glass screen, and I want it perfect in six weeks.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/b...le-class.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www
 
Not normal, but cheaply produced.
Same with MacBooks: they get scuffed easily while Dell's aluminum products don't.
There is good coating and bad coating.
plus this is very bad quality assurance by apple.

Yes normal. The physics of objects rubbing against each other where one is harder and the other is softer will result in the softer one being scratched, scuffed, dinged or dented.

Now, the proper debate would be whether Apple used the right materials, coatings and/or manufacturing process.
 
I think the black front is better for perceptual screen visibility and looks but I really wouldn't want a black anodised aluminium back. If it's going to scratch then I'd rather Apple offer a plain metal aluminium back with the black front. Plain aluminium would be much nicer as it wears.
 
Is it too much to ask for a scratch resistant phone? I'm sure they are capable of making it. They used cheap anodizing if you even want to call it anodized. More like a light coating of magic marker is what they used. And Shiller is full of Shill.

I agree. Some people are making out that apple's only choice was glass (highly breakable) or aluminium (highly scratchable) and that we should all be happy that they went with the latter. No, people are rightfully pissed off that apple have used a sub par material on a product they charge a premium for.
 
I agree. Some people are making out that apple's only choice was glass (highly breakable) or aluminium (highly scratchable) and that we should all be happy that they went with the latter. No, people are rightfully pissed off that apple have used a sub par material on a product they charge a premium for.

They went for a material that was light and thin. Form over function, basically. When looking at the hardness index, they should not have picked a material that was so low down the list that many things can scratch it. However, I doubt they could have produced the iPhone 5 in its current form with anything else without adding to the weight.
 
Unbelievable...

That's it. I'm so disgusted with Apple's shoddy craftsmanship. I'm not buying another iPhone until they construct it using tungsten carbide.

Of course then we'll probably see a rash of complaints that they can still be scratched by a diamond engagement ring.
 
I'm on contract with my 4S until next year, but I will say that I wouldn't think of owning an iPhone and not protecting it with a cover--even now with the less-fragile aluminum covers.

That said, while it is exciting to be on the brand-new non-S released phones, there certainly is something to be said for my upgrade timeline of the "S" phones. They seem to be made better, with all the kinks worked out, than the 1.0/non-S phones.

Should be interesting to see if anything is changed for next year's 5S, as far as body material goes.
 
I've been a huge Apple fan, (and still am) the problem with this statement is that it's so frustrating, why would you buy a product that gets scratched easily. Apple is the best when it comes to design, why would I want a phone that gets scratched easily.. PLEASE invest in you RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT quite a bit..
What's new this time, last year Siri, Maps, that's actually a huge bug for a lot..
 
Poor Choice of Materials

It is a poor choice of materials. Since cell phones are often carried in people's pockets, they should be made of materials that don't scratch easily.

Some designers and architects are focused on having their creations look great only when first taken out of the box. That is what win them awards and prizes. They are not concerned about how it wears.

I am sorry that Apple and Jonathan Ive has fallen into this unfortunate classification

Well-designed consumer goods should look good, not just on day one, but though-out their useful lives.
 
I usually don't like to put cases on my phones. I didn't on my white 4s and the guy who I sold it to said it looked great. Ill probably swap my black 5 an put the new one straight into a case. It's beautiful without a case but I don't like seeing or having scratches (like many people)
 
Coming soon: The iPhone 6, with an iridium alloy back :p

:D:apple:

----------

It's anything for a good old moan? let's be honest with ourselves


It's good to have a good whine now and again.... we all know that.

Googles not perfect, :apple:'s not perfect, samsung is not perfect (x56778)

Phones....scratch......ipods....scratch....vehicles.....scratch

It's the way things are. We as humans....scratch.....even sometimes straight out the womb/box!!!!!!!!

Nothing in life is problematic free. This isn't apple...this is life....this is the earth.

Thats why some really really intelligent people create cases and anti scratch accessories to help look after your phones, ipods or whatever else. I still stick to my point in that most of the time that phones are heavly scratched are because people don't look after their products. Lets be honest here, they get thrown around, rammed on the table, juggled about in night clubs, thrown down the crapper....

I have a 4s now...i used to have a 3gs. My 3gs when i sold it had 1 tiny scratch on the screen from my own stupidity of falling asleep with it in my hand and it had fell off the side. I do everything i can to protect my phone, mac and ipad.

Pay the money.....then look after the damn thing

M:apple:

----------

:D:apple:

----------

It's anything for a good old moan? let's be honest with ourselves


It's good to have a good whine now and again.... we all know that.

Googles not perfect, :apple:'s not perfect, samsung is not perfect (x56778)

Phones....scratch......ipods....scratch....vehicles.....scratch

It's the way things are. We as humans....scratch.....even sometimes straight out the womb/box!!!!!!!!

Nothing in life is problematic free. This isn't apple...this is life....this is the earth.

Thats why some really really intelligent people create cases and anti scratch accessories to help look after your phones, ipods or whatever else. I still stick to my point in that most of the time that phones are heavly scratched are because people don't look after their products. Lets be honest here, they get thrown around, rammed on the table, juggled about in night clubs, thrown down the crapper....

I have a 4s now...i used to have a 3gs. My 3gs when i sold it had 1 tiny scratch on the screen from my own stupidity of falling asleep with it in my hand and it had fell off the side. I do everything i can to protect my phone, mac and ipad.

Pay the money.....then look after the damn thing

M:apple:


Also thought i would add, i never had any antenna issues with the 4 and 4s and also not one scratch or mark appears on the 4S.
I use a leather pouch from the Apple store to protect it...and it's fantastic
 
I use a leather pouch from the Apple store to protect it...and it's fantastic

Funny, I've always used a Google G1 pouch and it's worked really well...never had a scratch or anything :)

It's one of these:
85040069-260x260-0-0_HTC+NEW+OEM+HTC+Innovation+Google+G1+in+pocket+Cas.jpg


It's sightly too short for the iPhone 5 but still covers the screen perfectly fine, so I'll carry on using it until I can find something slightly taller.
 
Well, it's kinda ridiculous for Apple to take this tact.

They built it this way, no consumers were clamoring for them to make an all aluminum frame phone. Apple designing it this way where it would be very easy to Dent, scratch or otherwise ought to know better.

This is a defect, they traded glass that can break every now and then to very scratchable and soft. Not a good trade out.

Sorry, Apple but consumers will start to get mad and upset months after owning their phones because it can't defend a scratch/ literally everywhere. Anything will dent or scratch on it aside from the screen.

not a good look.
 
Really? You've replaced multiple glass panels on her iPhone 4 and 4S and you'd rather keep doing that than put up with a small dent on the edge? To each their own I suppose.

Yea, because the back panel can be replaced in just a few minutes and it looks like brand new and can be sold as looking very new.

What am I supposed to do with a dented and gouged unibody housing? Replace the phone?

I guess you have more disposable money than I do.
 
I found this article (link at the bottom) from the New York Times which in my view shows very well how apple is changing.

I am quoting here the interesting part:

In 2007, a little over a month before the iPhone was scheduled to appear in stores, Mr. Jobs beckoned a handful of lieutenants into an office. For weeks, he had been carrying a prototype of the device in his pocket.
Mr. Jobs angrily held up his iPhone, angling it so everyone could see the dozens of tiny scratches marring its plastic screen, according to someone who attended the meeting. He then pulled his keys from his jeans.
People will carry this phone in their pocket, he said. People also carry their keys in their pocket. “I won’t sell a product that gets scratched,” he said tensely. The only solution was using unscratchable glass instead. “I want a glass screen, and I want it perfect in six weeks.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/b...le-class.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www

Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs his just a numbers man. The scratches and the maps prove that. But he could have sold 10 milion first weekend so what does he care. The average consumer is willing to get an inferior product and Apple without Jobs is willing to sell it.
 
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