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Apple Reportedly Heading Off iPhone 'Glassgate'
alphadogg writes "Apple is reportedly working behind the scenes to address scratching and cracking of the iPhone's glass back panel by certain third-party cases. This 'Glassgate' story got rolling with a report in the gdgt newsletter by Ryan Block, who says he spoke with sources inside and outside of Apple about this issue, but was unable to get an official Apple comment. Block writes: 'Apple has apparently found that non-bumper style cases — specifically those that slide onto the iPhone 4, which are occasionally prone to particulate matter getting caught between the rear of the phone and the case — can cause unexpected scratching that could quickly develop into full-on cracking or even much larger fracturing of the entire rear pane of glass. To put it another way: Apple is afraid you might buy a standard slide-on iPhone case, put it on your phone, and then discover the next time you take it off that the entire back of your device has been shattered by no fault of your own.' Apple is said to be taking it seriously, looking to avoid the sort of backlash it got when reports surfaced over the summer that the iPhone 4's antennas didn't work correctly when users gripped the phones in a certain (and quite natural) way."
Next up assgate, you don't want to know about this defect trust me.
why does every type of problem that anyone encounters now have to be suffixed with "gate".
Not every problem is the result of a conspiracy to cover up illegal activity, so the analogy doesn't really fit imo.
Looks like this was just a case (no pun intended) of design oversight.
They can always revoke their Made For iPhone license.
http://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/
http://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/cases.html
It seems like the vetting process for third party accessories is about as porous and subject to reviewer whimsy as their iTunes app process.
Actually, Apple provided these cases to many iPhone 4 users, free of charge, to fix the antenna issue.
You better believe that Apple is afraid of being liable for providing cases to users that destroy the device.
There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
"Those users are putting their cases on wrong." - Steve Jobs, master of customer service
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
Apple provided "bumper" cases, which this article specifically states do not cause the problem.
They did offer 3rd party cases for sale on their site, but they are not the cases that Apple gave to customers.
This is speculation right now, where are the pictures of phones with scratched or broken glass?
The damn phone has been out for months and Gawker, Powerpage or any of the Apple fanboy sites have no photos of this "issue".
FTFS: "Apple has apparently found that non-bumper style cases — specifically those that slide onto the iPhone 4, which are occasionally prone to particulate matter getting caught between the rear of the phone and the case — can cause unexpected scratching that could quickly develop into full-on cracking."
This happened to me (particulate matter getting caught between the rear of the phone and the case causing scratches). Have gone caseless since with no further scratching. In any case, replacing the back panel is trivial.
Set your phasers on "funky"!
Forget Diamondoid, use Diamondium! - Hubert J. Farnsworth
They did offer other brands of cases. I got a free speck branded case for my iphone 4 via their free case program.
Gone!
I don't think that any of the cases they offered are slide on. And this potential problem apparently is only with those kinds of cases.
"In America, first you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women..." -H. Simpson
Werrrnstrom!
I thought making the back side glass was not overly bright in the first place. I'm not in the group that wants their phone to be all shiny and pretty so they can show it off anyway.
I have not upgraded to the 4, still using the 3gs. Because of the front glass the iPhone requires a case. I have a rubber case that has tread on the back, like a tire. It helps it grip and keeps it from sliding.
If you are the type of person that is going to buy a case that covers up the glass back of the iPhone are scratches on the back really going to bother you? If it cracks the back that could be an issue but how is Apple to blame for this? I would be upset with the people who made the case. It's their fault for the design flaw in their product. You won't see and Apple logo on any of these!
Encryption: I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to encrypt it...
Apple did not provide any slider-type cases as part of the free case program, and these investigations are targeted only at that one type of case.
I've got an iPhone 4, with it's associated death grip(e) and continuing proximity sensor issue. It's worked OK to date, a bit slippery, and I love it's electro ice-cream sandwich design (even if it was made to be broken).
That said, this thing seems so problematic that I can't help but think it's Apple's S-Type or X-Type Jaguar. The smart phone everyone will forever associate with problems. It's beautiful form that doesn't allow for any real-life durability.
Kind of like a celebutante.
This is really nothing new for Apple. Every few years they release a product that has a number of fairly absurd issues they should have caught sooner. This isn't the first iPhone/iPod that's been prone to scratching, but the problems go back well beyond that. Remember the stupid puck-shaped mouse?
Certainly, one of the problems they face now is that Apple has moved far beyond being a niche. In years past they could get away with more because their core base was quite forgiving. But it also seems that the number of issues seem to be growing. I suppose it's Apple's obsession with not compromising on aesthetics, being stubborn about their way of doing things and their experimentation with new materials and manufacturing processes.
The funny think is that the glass used on the iPhone was trumpeted as being amazingly scratch-resistant. I recall reading a story on that glass. I don't recall how much better it was than regular glass, but even 25% more resistance might not translate into a whole lot under actual use.
Actually, you don't want a harder material -- the harder the material it is, the more brittle it is. It will resist scrapes and scratches, but at some point, dropping or bending the phone will cause it to shatter (quite spectacularly, I wouldn't want your diamondoid phone in my back pocket when it shatters).
I think a more ductile material would be a better case material -- i've seen some work on self healing plastics where minor scratches eventually disappear. I suppose this may be where Apple's liquid metal purchase will come into the picture.
Some things are more scratch resistant than others. Apple customers have high expectations. Deal with it.
This isn't flamebait. What the crap is "made for iPhone" supposed to mean if not "we've tested it and it works as advertised"? That means either Apple or the case supplier has a major fault in their QC, or more likely both.
I admit, I have no data to back this up, just anecdotal observations, but does it seem like a fair number of people walk around with iPhones with cracked screens? I don't think I've ever seen people walking around with Droids and Blackberry's with shattered screens. When it's happened to people I know, they'll admit that they dropped it, but I drop my Droid at least once a week, and so far it's OK (knock on wood).
I feel like the iPhone casing has gotten so minimal that there's not much to muffle the blow if you drop it on the edge - nothing left to give. I'll give Apple props for this though; even though the cracked screens look like crap, the phones still work, touch screen and all.
This is a shitty design and it is Apple's fault.
Good god! Putting so much glass on a cell phone?!? A device that's going to be used, moved around, dropped (it should stand up to dropping a small height like a foot or so like falling out of a purse), stuck in purses and knocked around, etc...
If you have to baby a device like a phone, then it's too delicate of a design.
jesus tapdancing christ.
It seems like half the time I'm defending apple and half the time I'm bashing them.
Im not schizophrenic, I'm anti IDIOCY.
You want a ruggedized cell phone, GO BUY ONE. If you buy a phone made of GLASS, don't expect to be able to toss it around like a nerf football. It's not rocket freaking science.
My Tag Heuer watch has a sapphire crystal and it has ZERO scratches on it after 3+ years of continuous wear. I wear this watch all the time, including times where one might question the wisdom of wearing a $2500 watch (ie, crawling in the crawlspace working on a lighting/wiring project).
Yes, Apple actually is saying that the glass back is better than plastic or polished steel because it won't scratch.
> apps get pulled [...] from their phones
This is a lie, so the rest of our posting is most likey lies, too.