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.

Users with scratched screens are still out in the

[TripMaster Monkey (862126)]

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. [theinquirer.net]
  
• Protecting a Nano with ordinary LCD camera screen protectors. [gholt.com]
  
• The InvisibleSHIELD (the best protector I've seen). [theinvisibleshield.com]
  
• Removing scratches from your iPod with GS27. [blogs.com]
  
• A review of various iPod scratch removers. [playlistmag.com]

Hope this helps.

Re:Users with scratched screens are still out in t

[by Anonymous Coward]

Could it just be scale? A few small scratches on a small screen is the equivelent of larger scratches on a bigger screen.

Re:Users with scratched screens are still out in t

[gowen (141411)]

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

In other news, shares in "Dave's Hammer Emporium" rose 12 cents in brisk trading.

Re:Users with scratched screens are still out in t

[Muad'Dave (255648)]

My 60GB iPod photo screen is terribly scratch-prone. I carried it home in the fleece-lined pocket of my coat, and it got a huge round scratch from the earbud - with the fuzzy cover over the earbud!

Re:Users with scratched screens are still out in t

[HardCase (14757)]

I'm not picking on you, yours was just the first post that I saw talking about the goodness of fleece-lined pockets.

Fleece, cotton, or almost any other natural fiber is just great at picking up all sorts of tiny, rough, abrasive objects. It feels nice and soft to your hands because those tiny objects are too small for your hands to feel, but at some point, enough of them accumulate and that soft, fleece-lined pocket starts acting like a sandpaper-lined pocket.

Fuzzy covered earbud? It just ground the abrasive gunk into your iPod.

-h-

Re:Users with scratched screens are still out in t

[Junior J. Junior III (192702)]

Googling 'ipod nano screen scratch' yields 521,000 results.

Geez, have they sold that many of them already? That's amazing if they have.

Are you saying they're lying?

[SPYvSPY (166790)]

I don't have a nano, but every other iPod I've had (first and third generation and shuffle) is very scratch-prone. I doubt Nanos are any different. People are just noticing it because this one fits in your pocket, IMO. If they say it's the same plastic, it either is, or it isn't. Are you saying it isn't?

Easily scratched...

[op12 (830015)]

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:Easily scratched...

[j-cloth (862412)]

<Conspiracy theory>
Think the iSkin people are happy about how easily the iPod scratches? Think Apple is aware of how happy iSkin is? Think people would pay $40 for $0.25 worth of rubber to protect their iPods if they weren't scratch prone?
Scratchy iPods are good for the economy.
</Conspiracy theory>

Re:Plastic cases

[op12 (830015)]

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.

Well...

[tkrotchko (124118)]

The screen does scratch very easily. A friend got one and a few hours later, the screen had fine scratches all over it. His 3G iPod had no scratches on it, so he seems to be very careful. There's something different about the Nano than other iPods that must contribute to this.

I'll bet Apple will very quietly introduce some changes to contruction but won't admit to it. The scratches will not be heard from again.

Thin items snap.

[Neo-Rio-101 (700494)]

The thing is, the nano is thin like a cell phone. I've already snapped two non-clamshell model cell phones in half by sitting on them - taking the screens out with them and losing all my data. Fortunately the cell phone was free and I cared more for the data than the phone itself. I don't think you can say the same thing for the nano.

Thin electronic items just snap. Period. That's why the clam-shell cell phone design became more popular IMHO. It was thicker and didn't snap in half unless you really made an effort.

Re:Thin items snap.

[Frankie70 (803801)]

I've already snapped two non-clamshell model cell phones in half by sitting on them

Seems to be a strange way to pass the time.

FIXED

[Chris Pimlott (16212)]

I agree,

Thin electronic items just snap ... if you SIT ON THEM! So stop carrying it in your back pocket!

Quality is suffering

[billsoxs (637329)]

It used to be that any thing you bought from Apple was almost bullet proof. (ca 1995) I still have computers from that time that are running just fine. Since then they have gone to less expensive and hence cheaper parts, and this is no longer true. My five newer computers from Apple have ALL had problems. Apple fixed those problems but i'd rather have the old bullet proof ones. Still 0.1% is not a lot of defects but it will be expensive to Apple to repair.

Apple Appears

[duerra (684053)]

Such gadgets are that are clearly intended for everyday use should be designed with at least reasonable quality expectations in mind. For a product that is undeniably going to be rolling around in people's pockets, you would expect that a company would make sure that their product would not be easily abused.

From what I have read, the Nano is quite sturdy as far as the amount of physical abuse it can take, but the scratching is still a problem. It is not unreasonable for people to expect such products to be at least reasonably scratch-resistant. PDA's, cell phones, and other similar devices don't really tend to have the scratching problems that Nano adopters have expressed frustration over. The fact that there *are* so many people that have voiced on the issue (even though Apple doesn't really admit it) should give an indication to non-owners that maybe there really is a problem. There does appear to be a lot of non-owners that have come down on those that have complained about the issue, but from my analysis over the past few days, other Nano owners tend to sympathize with those people even if they haven't been bothered by it.

I definitely expect Apple to address the scratching issue internally, even if they don't publically recall the Nanos that have been easily scratched (though it does sound like most retailers are giving refunds without much hassle).

Nano Owner With No Problems

[Frobozz0 (247160)]

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.

Put a clear plastic screen sticker on it!!

[mekkab (133181)]

These [absolutepda.com] are not only good for PDAs, but they make them for digital camera screens, too. Its clear, its plastic, it'll take the dings, and its cheap.

Isn't it obvious?

Plastic things in my pocket

[el_womble (779715)]

iPod 3G - Scratched to hell
Nokia Phone - Scratched to hell, but ugly so scratches don't notice
Key Fob - Scratched to hell
Gameboy - Scratched to hell

My leather wallet is scratched. My keys have scratches.

If you put something in you pocket it will scratch. Now break? Thats a different story. If the screen on my phone, iPod or Gameboy had broken through what I would concider fair use - putting it in my pocket, I'd be kicking up a fuss.

Apple are doing the right thing by replacing the parts that have broken. If you don't want something to scratch, don't put it in your pocket, or let it touch anything else.

The black Nano is worse

[thatguywhoiam (524290)]

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 [macfixit.com] for more info.

Re:This issue is a serious one to Apple....

[MacGod (320762)]

I think if you're an Apple investor, you're probably happy enough about the near-quintupling in the last 2 years [yahoo.com] that a 4% drop isn't the end of the world.

As an Apple investor...

[SPYvSPY (166790)]

I totally disagree.

Since this bitch session about the Nano is just a typical part of the Apple product life cycle (i.e., happens every time a new model is released), the smart investor increased his position at the end of the day yesterday and watches the profits roll in over the next few weeks as this blows over. I threw an extra 5K on before the bell, and I'm already up 2% on the morning trading.

On this topic, watch what happens during the buildup to Intel Macs next year. The stock will build as news outlets figure out the implications of OS X on Intel. Then some flaw will be found in the first gen Intel Macs. Then it will blow over. You have to know when to buy Apple to make money as an Apple investor. Personally, I'm up over 30% average across all my shares, and more than 150% on certain individual purchases. Those are real estate numbers, my friend. Bring on the complainers!

Re:Really?

[HardCase (14757)]

They were referring to the scratching issue, not the cracking issue. The article was pretty clear about that. You know...the article? The one that you rea...oh, right.

Re:Wear and tear...

[cgenman (325138)]

Apple is selling the nano as a vanity item. Everyone wants one because they look so damned sexy. You can walk down the street in New York wearing wearing Prada shoes and a Dolce & Gabana outfit with a fashionably shoplifted 2nd hand jacket, and still the Nano is the hottest thing on you. If you shell out that much cash because the thing is just so bloody lickable [kotaku.com], you want it to stay that way for at least a little while.

My cell-phone is a plastic candybar style that shares a pocket with a rather unwieldy set of keys and a less-cool-than-I-thought-it-would-be aluminum moneyclip. Yet, in a year of abuse it has gotten less scratches than some of the pictures I've seen of day-old nanos. My girlfriend's iRiver looks less abused after two years of use, and it's also black and also goes everywhere with her. And it's by HP for crying out loud.

It seems like older iPod owners have this attitude that "Yeah, I put up with it, and so should you." Demand better, damn it. Also, realize that this is a different thing. The nano is half the size of your iPod, meaning the scratches are twice as large. And your iPods are white, whereas a lot of the Nanos sold are black, which make the scratches stand out more. And while the iPods get scratched, I haven't seen an iPod get scratched this quickly. Most of the pictures out there look like a 2 or 3 year old iPod, yet are only a few days out of the gate. I can only imagine how badly scratched up they will be in 2 to 3 actual years. Some people are already complaining that they're sufficiently scratched to make the song titles completely illegible. I've never heard of an iPod get that bad.

I had been planning on buying a Nano, either for myself or my S.O., but I'm definitely waiting until they have this problem solved.

And the bras on the front of cars absorb radar, letting you drive a bit faster and still slow down in time for the cop. They're functional.

Re:ipod screen

[FidelCatsro (861135)]

I actually think its a conspiracy to reintroduce the smoking jacket. You iPod would be in grand shape if it was housed in a lovely Velvet jacket