Scratches Appear on Early iPhone 4 Review Unit

[AbSoluTc]

Forgive my ignorance, but isn't glass difficult to scratch? I always thought glass was only scratch-able with a diamond or glass cutter?

Nope. Glass is easy to scratch. Anything harder than glass can scratch it. There is a BIG MISCONCEPTION that people THINK the only thing that can scratch glass are diamonds. Not true. Diamonds can scratch and cut glass. There tons of other things that can scratch glass given the right angle, pressure and the like.

Stone
Metal

Which breaks down to keys, rings, dirt, sand, etc. Everyday things that are all around you can and will scratch glass. You don't need a diamond to do the dirty work.

Again, lots of misconceptions out there.

 

[Skoal]

Enjoy the ugliness as it begins to peel off and get crud under it when you put it in and take it out of your pocket.

Then crud or scrathces? Guess it's a matter of choice!

 

[room237]

People!!!!

There is NOTHING on this planet that is scratch proof. If you put your phone in the same pocket as your keys, you are going to scratch your phone. It's that simple, and it's common sense. Some people are just crazy. They will buy a case to keep their phone from getting scratched, and then complain that the CASE is not scratch proof, and whine about scratches on a replaceable cover . Then they'll take that phone with a super case on it and drop if off a seven story building, run it over with a truck, swim in the ocean with it and then give it a crap review on the Apple store website because it's not the indestructible case they thought they were getting.

 

[applefreak2000]

OMG stuff scratches!?!?!? Oh my! I'd of NEVER thought that things could get scratches!!!!

This is almost as dumb as the people who bitch about stuff "easily getting fingerprints".

that person has a point

 

[oldMac]

Manufactured Diamond

Apple needs to make the next version with a single crystal, manufactured diamond case. That would be many times harder than glass and should resist scratching.

 

[jcshas]

I realize the glass on the iPhone 4 is entirely different from my 3rd gen iPod touch but this looks to be similar to a scratch I noticed just recently on my iPod Touch. It's difficult to see unless you tilt it towards a bright light.

 

[milo]

My EVO back doesnt scratch.

Have you thrown it across the room?

 

[3282868]

Nope. Glass is easy to scratch. Anything harder than glass can scratch it. There is a BIG MISCONCEPTION that people THINK the only thing that can scratch glass are diamonds. Not true. Diamonds can scratch and cut glass. There tons of other things that can scratch glass given the right angle, pressure and the like.

Stone
Metal

Which breaks down to keys, rings, dirt, sand, etc. Everyday things that are all around you can and will scratch glass. You don't need a diamond to do the dirty work.

Again, lots of misconceptions out there.

Yikes! keys and such could easily become a problem if/when individuals put their iPhone 4's in their pockets. I just saw an ad for a back cover film for the new iPhone. Interesting how third party vendors already have products for a device that has yet been released to the public.

 

[luciferuk]

Clearly the guys at MR carry diamonds in their pockets or...

Like people have said previous, it was damaged from the drop test or catapult through the office (im certain thats not very health and safety btw guys )

Yeah, possibly down to a lower grade rear (aha) or indeed horrific MR testing, either way don't flame the guys for noticing. What else would you do being a mac centric news source, keep it a secret from your readers? duh.

"I love you Mac Rumors, er... thanks, I think."

 

[nlr]

Have you thrown it across the room?

He doesn't need to as it comes broken from the box

 

[sean.jost]

Scratches?? This can't be true!! Legend says the iPhone 4 glass was made in the fires of Mount Doom...only there can it be unmade.

ROFL.

 

[TMar]

Scratching isn't easy at all to do in everyday handling. Some of you need to get you facts straight. I can't even begin to imagine how many windows I've ran razor blades across tenting windows. It will not scratch. Now if and what coating apple has applied to this glass is a completely different story.

 

[MacGeekDC]

My left front pocket is devoted solely to the iPhone. All my other crap goes elsewhere.

Same here.

 

[Xenc]

There will be plenty of people who won't buy a case just because a) they want to show off they have an iPhone and how pretty it is and b) they actually think it won't get scratches because Steve said so.

You forgot c) Those who don't care.

 

[lowbatteries]

Anyone with common sense (again, the majority of average consumers have no technological common sense)

If the majority of average users don't have it, how is it common?

 

[Ping Guo]

I have a Rolex with a synthetic sapphire crystal which costs as much as the no-contract iPhone.

$700 for a genuine Rolex? How often do you need to change the batteries?

 

[AbSoluTc]

Yikes! keys and such could easily become a problem if/when individuals put their iPhone 4's in their pockets. I just saw an ad for a back cover film for the new iPhone. Interesting how third party vendors already have products for a device that has yet been released to the public.

My 3GS only has an incase slider on it. Nothing on the front screen and I have had no issues after a year. It fell off my desk yesterday and did a couple of bounces. No problems.

My iPhone 4 will be the same. However I will only put a shield on the back. Something crystal clear to not ruin the look of the phone. That is the only protection I want or need.

It's a phone. It's also an portable electronic device for music, movies and internet. I treat it kindly but I don't baby it. I also don't treat it like crap either. There is happy medium.

 

[realgenius]

I am sure that phone has seen more abuse in five days than mine will see in it's life time.

Yeah, they forgot to mention that previously the reviewer was using it as a skateboard in the office parking lot.

I've seen some press vehicles returned to auto makers. What journalists are capable of when they get to play with something that doesn't belong to them is pretty astounding.

 

[cvaldes]

Forgive my ignorance, but isn't glass difficult to scratch? I always thought glass was only scratch-able with a diamond or glass cutter?

Go to your kitchen. Open a cabinet, pull out a glass and look at it. See any scratches?

 

[nicegoogly]

Damn! Just when I was considering using it naked!

Me, too. Plus, I can't trust my wife not to treat hers like crap. I guess if they can't make my car scratch resistant, why should I expect it from a $300.00 phone. I have had all my iPhones in cases from day one, but I always want to run around naked. They are so damn pretty, but they are all covered up like a woman in Abu Dabi...

 

[AppleRules]

I think endgadget full of it, they must have purposely scratched new iphone to make Apple look bad. There's no way those scratches were caused from everyday usage. SCREW YOU ENDGADGET!

 

[InfinitiG]

what a letdown

im sticking with my 9700, not a scratch after 8 months of use

 

[Rafterman]

Why is this on front page news?

Because this site isn't CNN. Its a Mac fan site.

 

[nottooshabby]

I have had my iPhone 3G for two years, kept in my pocket without a case and it has no scratches on the glass. My iPad already has a number of visible scratches from just being placed in my briefcase a couple times. I believe the scratches are actually in the oleophobic coating, not the actual glass itself. Since my iPad shows fingerprints as well I don't see what purpose the coating serves besides collecting scratches. Maybe a little acetone will remove the coating and the scratches.

 

[crazyitalian198]

Am I the only person who has a designated phone pocket?! I only put my phone in my left pocket (maybe headphones or something soft too). Therefore....no way for it to scratch.


Never been a problem for past phones. Only issue I had was dust under the 3G screen....now that was frustrating.