Apple to Replace Faulty Nano Screen

Sam Wil writes "Apple has acknowledged a flaw in the iPod nano screen that results in cracking, and attributes it to poor vendor quality. The defect affects less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all the nanos that have shipped so far. Apple will replace the screen of affected units for free." From the article: "However, the representative said that the screen-cracking issue is separate from reports that the slim new music player is more easily scratched than prior models. Complaints about both issues surfaced shortly after Apple introduced the flash memory-based Nano earlier this month. 'A few vocal customers are saying their Nano is more susceptible to scratching than prior iPods,' the Apple representative said. Apple said the Nano is made of the same polycarbonate plastic as the fourth-generation iPod and said it does not believe the scratching problem is widespread." You may recall we had a lively discussion about the screen-scratch flaw a short while back.

Comments

Users with scratched screens are still out in the

[TripMaster Monkey]

Interesting...Apple is willing to address the cracked Nano screens, but not the scratched ones.

Apple said the Nano is made of the same polycarbonate plastic as the fourth-generation iPod and said it does not believe the scratching problem is widespread.

Hmm...all Apple needs to do to verify the scope of this problem is open up a web browser. To say there's been a lot in the media about the iPod Nano and its butter-soft screen would be a masterpiece of understatement. Googling 'ipod nano screen scratch' yields 521,000 results.

If you are unfortunate enough to own a Nano, here's some helpful links:

• Protecting Nanos with nanofabrics.
  
• Protecting a Nano with ordinary LCD camera screen protectors.
  
• The InvisibleSHIELD (the best protector I've seen).
  
• Removing scratches from your iPod with GS27.
  
• A review of various iPod scratch removers.

Hope this helps.

Easily scratched...

[op12]

Apple said the Nano is made of the same polycarbonate plastic as the fourth-generation iPod...

...which also scratches fairly easily! Even with light use, some sort of case is a good idea. I got one of those rubber skins for my 4G and it works great.

Re:Thin items snap.

[BushCheney08]

K. I was just being a dick cos, well, I'm a dick... : p

w

Nano Owner With No Problems

[Frobozz0]

I love my Nano. I have a black 4GB Nano, customized. The screen is fine. I have abused it just as much as any other reasonable person. I can assure you that the Nano is no more scratchable than any other 4G iPod. The Mini, which I also own, was impervious to costmetic destruction, though.

It boils down to this: minor scratches and imperfections are likely with any daily-use product. That's why there's an industry for iPod protectors. HOWEVER, I'd rather have a slighly scuffed Nano with it's nice sheen and sleek profile than to have a Nano with a huge clunky protector that makes it look like crap.

So if you want a Nano, perhaps you should consider that your expectations have been set too high if you think a scuff or scratch is unacceptible. You'r probably the kind of person who gets minor dents and dings on your car fixed the day they happen. Or better yet, are you the lamer that has a car bra? Let it go. Damage happens. The Nano is not at fault-- look in the mirror.

I'm not discrediting the people who had actual CRACKED screens-- that's B.S. It should be fixed. Scratches ... get a life.

Re:Anyone know the difference...

[robbieduncan]

The Mini had an aluminium casing. All other iPods have some form of plastic.

Re:Plastic cases

[op12]

I don't know about the plastic ones (and maybe even for some those this may be true), but for the rubber skins there is a cutout for the docking connector, and it can connect propery in *most* devices.

The black Nano is worse

[thatguywhoiam]

Because of the way the Nano is designed, emitting light in from the sides as well as the front, the black model will show scratches much more vividly than the white model.

See here for more info.

Re:How many does it effect

[94229a]

I am assuming that they wouldn't have published a number if they didn't have something to back it up. And it seems to match what we've been hearing on the Internet. The ipodnanosucks.com website only found 3 or 4 other people with cracked screens.

But I guess the skepticism is largely based on "how could they get such a precise figure"? I don't pretend to understand manufacturing procedures, but I'll take a stab at it.

1) Perhaps all the cracked screens were documented to be from the same manufacturing run?
2) Perhaps the internal Quality Control testing procedures found a certain percentage of defective screens.
3) Perhaps it is based on reported cases in the field. But I would bet that anyone with a cracked screen would report it immediately. I can't imagine that if 1000 people had the problem only 100 people would report it. But now I'm pulling numbers out of a hat.

And the manufacturing angle holds weight to me, because I don't see what other cause it could be. The screens are cracked in a very specific way. And they crack with no pressure applied to them. Feels like a bad run of iPods -- not some inherent flaw.

Re:Apple Appears

[Reverberant]

PDA's, cell phones, and other similar devices don't really tend to have the scratching problems that Nano adopters have expressed frustration over.

I don't believe this: my last three cell phones (Nokia 6100, Nokia 8260, Sony-Ericsson T610) as well as my Handspring PDA all became horribly scratched after a few weeks of use. I even bought a case for the T610 to prevent scratching, and it hasn't helped a whole lot (WriteRIGHT screen protectors have helped for my PDA). Even my free-with-Comcast-cable-modem 128M Creative MP3 players has a few scratches, and it's been out of the house exactly twice.

Bases on a quick examination of friend's/relatives cell phones, I'm guessing that most PDAs/MP3 Players/Cell phones have similar issues, but the Nano issue is getting a lot of attention because 1) the Nano looks so aesthetically pleasing, and/or 2) some people like to take Apple town a peg or two, especially those that think Apple values form over function. But I just don't see that most other products are more scratch-resistant, I think we just don't care as much.

I think I've figured out the scratching issue

[Yeechang Lee]

Here's what I sent to some other people on easily-scratchable nanos. Note that this does *not* discuss the cracking/breaking-screen problem that Apple is promising to fix. The two are completely-separate issues.

[...]

Note that Apple is promising to deal with actual defects to the LCD screen itself. Not mere scratches, for which Apple is simply advising people to buy cases to avoid. (I've heard of people using clear packing tape and badge holders.) I believe I've solved the mystery of the scratches.

After our Monday conversation I paid a visit to both a Apple and a CompUSA retail store here in San Francisco. The displayed nanos at both locations indeed had scratches all over the shell, while the minis' screens did not. The breakthrough occurred when I realized that the displayed iPod classic was scratched up in an identical way.

Both the classic and nano iPods' front outer shells are made of clear polycarbonate plastic that completely covers the colored (white or black) plastic and the LCD screen. Remember that the various iPod classic models were, and are, always too big for a pants pocket. In addition, by the time they became popular, plenty of cases were available. When the minis--the first pants-pocketable iPods--came out, Apple decided to go with a scratch-resistant, brushed-aluminum case that left the LCD screen's glass outer layer bare. As anyone who's worn eyeglasses knows, glass is much, much more scratch-resistant than any plastic. (In retrospect I shouldn't have been surprised to hear that a tissue scratched up your nano; the pulp that tissues and paper towels are made out of is very rough. That's why the best thing to clean eyeglasses with is a lint-free lens cloth/tissue or a clean cotton t-shirt. Take it from someone who's been wearing lenses since the age of six.)

Due to Apple's decision to revert to a classic-like outer shell with the nano, for the first time this clear plastic is being exposed to a much tougher environment than before. It doesn't help that a) nano-sized cases won't be in stock for another two weeks, b) scratches are more meaningful compared to the small size of the nano screen (although anyone who says that the scratches make their screens unusuable is lying; they are simply not visible from most angles), and c) the nanos are the first iPods--with the minor exception of the special U2 units--that are available in black, a color that scratches are much more visible on than white.

Bottom line: iPod classics scratch easily. iPod nanos scratch easily. iPod minis don't.

[...]

Re:Users with scratched screens are still out in t

[pyite]

Well, while not the same as directly marketing it as such, let's remember it was introduced by Steve Jobs by pulling it out of his jeans' pocket.

Re:How many does it effect

[Anonymous Coward]

WTF?? The problem Apple admitted to is CRACKING nano screen, not EASILY SCRATCHED nano screen. If you really think people buy a $200 gadget whose screen cracked in a couple weeks and NOT reporting or asking for a replacement, think again. Cracked screen is not just a cosmetic issue, it's a usability issue.

Very few scratches from extreme abuse

[Warlock7]

The tests done at ArsTechnica were pretty extreme and the scratching they caused wasn't nearly as bad as some people here are describing their own experiences to be.

There have been, as always on /., some extreme claims made by people here.

Re:Thin items snap.

[soft_guy]

I cared more for the data than the phone itself. I don't think you can say the same thing for the nano.

I don't know about you, but my music collection as a whole is more important to me than my iPod.

Also, to the person who made the comment about "dodgy batteries", Newer Technology has a replacement battery kit that costs like $30. I found it very easy to do on my 2nd gen iPod (which has tiny scratches that do not interfere with my enjoyment of the device). The original batteries in my iPod lasted longer than I expected them to.

I don't have a nano (mostly because I can't justify buying a nano when I already have a perfectly good 20GB iPod), but I have been 100% satisfied with the iPod I have and would not hesitate to buy another one.

Use Brasso

[Twid]

I completely removed all scratches from my black nano using Brasso. (Which I got the idea for from the previous Slashdot thread on this.)

Full story here. Check out the before and after pictures, I was really surprised by the great results.

And yes, my nano is now sitting in a baggie, waiting for my case to arrive. :) I think that's the main issue with the nano, you (mostly) can't get cases right now either through Apple or third-parties. I imagine by the end of the month this won't be the case and this issue will blow over just in time for the Christmas buying season.

you completely misunderstand...

[YesIAmAScript]

The screens that are cracking in this case are the LCD module inside the iPod nano, not the polycarbonate plastic sheet over it. I know this because it is when the glass (yes, glass) inside the LCD breaks is when you hear people describe that simultaneous with the display cracking also the pixels stopped responding on one side of the crack (or both). Also, people are saying the LCD cracked on them, with "no external damage". This they are referring to a crack inside the unit, not on the polycarbonate cover.

Honestly, it's by far the most common problem I've had with LCDs. I've broken LCDs in both pagers and cellphones in this same fashion (LCD glass broken, not outside plastic). And I'm sure most people have has similar experiences.

So, you're way off. They cannot be the same issue.

As to perhaps the scratches problem itself is due to hardener, I agree it is possible. But having scratched a few iPods in my day also (including a nano), I have to believe Apple's story here. It's no different than the others except perhaps that since the screen is so small and the pixel density so high, scratches matter more than they have in the past.

Polycarbonate scratchcoats...

[nweaver]

The annoyance is: There ARE nice scratch-resistant coats for polycarbonate lenses. They are SOP on polycarbonate glasses (very light and strong, quite common for sports-goggles).

Fortunatly, polycarbonate can be polished well. So I'm planning on just polishing mine out once the cases are available.

Re:nano users == scratch-o-phobia

[Kosmatos]

You fail to take into account that very nearly the only reason to purchase the Apple MP3 player in most cases is as a fashion accessory.

Definitely flamebait. Here's one of those "other cases": What got me on the bandwagon was Apple's more complete solution to my musical needs than I could find elsewhere. Apple has many of the pieces required for my home+portable music needs, all integrated seamlessly to one another. Well integrated! The fact that the hardware is stylish and of good quality (well, maybe not the Nano, but the other items I own are amazing) is not a major factor, though I do enjoy it. Its the Hardware + software + accessories product lineup and how they work together that I like.

What RANDOM software do you propose I use with your suggested MP3 player? After all, these things need to plug into a computer to be filled up and useful.

Here's my integrated solution. It all works quite well together.

- Apple Lossless Format, for ripping all my CDs to NAS with max quality - iTunes player for Mac, free, for playing and managing all my music - Airport Express, to send the music to remote speakers, from iTunes - iTMS, easily buy music, within iTunes. Not 192khz/24-bit, but still good. - Mac Mini for kitchen music/email/web. Awesome. Great wireless KB + mouse - iTunes player for Windows PC, for my Dell Laptop - iPod Nano, works very well with iTunes, super interface, 185 lossless songs

I love how my Nano lets me rate stuff and then synchronizes with my main collection. Its all about software and integration... And iTunes music player software also has built-in support for podcasts, audio books, etc.

Nobody else can compete with a solution that works so well together, that I saw. Of course, this is Slashdot, so any real other integrated alternatives will surely surface in a reply, but your MP3 player suggestion just doesn't solve much for me. It is probably as useless as my old RCA Lyra, which needs Musicmatch to work.