Apple Reportedly Heading Off iPhone 'Glassgate' 255
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 (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You wouldn't have as many problems if you didn't have an iphone in there.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
iCrack'd?
Crazy Idea! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Crazy Idea! (Score:4, Funny)
Forget Diamondoid, use Diamondium! - Hubert J. Farnsworth
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Forget Diamondoid, use Diamondium! - Hubert J. Farnsworth
Ha! Diamondium is pathetic! My Diamondillium is superior in every way!
-Dr. Wernstrom
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Crazy Idea! (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I believe he is referring to the ability to add a very thin diamond coating to surfaces. this gives you the scratch residence without all of the brittleness issues.
Did you read the same post as me? He said:
Don't make things that are exposed to shocks, scratches and scrapes out of glass! Use diamondoid materials instead.
That doesn't sound like he's advocating evaporating a thin layer of diamond coating, it sounds like he's advocating using an diamond like material called diamonoid (which doesn't currently exist)
Adding a thin diamond coating would help with the issue of minor scratches, but coating glass with diamond wouldn't address the cracking/shattering problem people are experiencing when they drop their phones. Coating a ductile metal surface with a hard (and brittle) diamond
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I'm still waiting for my glass tires, crystal shock absorbers, and Pyrex (R) leaf springs. Since nobody else seems to be doing it, I'm crossing my finger that Apple starts making cars.
Why not sapphire? (Score:4, Interesting)
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).
Re: (Score:2)
Probably cost. A sapphire crystal an inch and a half in diameter for a watch and a sapphire crystal cut for the size of an iPhone are going to be two very different animals.
(And I'm not surprised it's not scratched. IIRC sapphire is only one notch down from diamond on the Moh's hardness scale, and when the glass on my own watch eventually gets badly scratched I intend to replace it with sapphire).
Re: (Score:2)
I just did a quick search on google on sapphire, and saw a couple sites that mentioned that sapphire is actually more brittle than glass (but also more scratch resistant). So while sapphire might avoid the scratching that can sometimes result in cracking, it'd be more like to suffer damage from drops or other impacts that sometimes result in cracking.
Re: (Score:2)
Considering I had worn the same Timex digital watch since 1986 when I got it, I questioned it, too, but it was a 40th birthday present from my wife.
Thusfar I've been happy with it. It keeps good time, the chronograph works and it has that status cachet I've always longed for (ha!).
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
You can get an 'Invicta' at any pawn shop for about $60. Lots of selection.
I've never herd of this brand except on the 'Home Shopping Network' and at pawn shops.
I've got no need for a watch, got a cell phone.
Re: (Score:2)
I didn't know they used glass for the backs of iPhones. I know the screen is covered by glass, but I didn't know they made the whole shell out of that material. It seems to me that this is indeed likely make the phones too fragile—I figured that dropping my 3G was a bad thing because it could break the screen, I didn't realize the whole thing might shatter all over the floor. So using some kind of shock-absorbing case should be considered mandatory for such devices.
It's still a puzzling design decis
ok seriously (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Re:ok seriously (Score:5, Funny)
Re:ok seriously (Score:5, Funny)
glass-ocaplyse?
glass-aster?
I like *gate (pronounced star-gate) (Score:2)
I think it's hilarious. The first thing I thought when reading the summary was, "Hey Look! They're bringing back *gate!" It's been a long time since I've seen the *gate practice. I'm hoping this time around we'll see the following:
* Gategate
* Fencegate
* Stargate
Complaintgate (Score:3, Funny)
Would you be willing to testify before Congress about your
Re: (Score:2)
Perhaps we should call this one Nixon's Law: calling something *gate when it's not on the scale of the Watergate scandal [wikipedia.org].
Re:ok seriously (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Prosecuted by Bob Loblaw, and written up on Bob Loblaw's Law Blog.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What I don't get is why, 35 years later, it suddenly happened.
There was a conspiracy to keep the usage of Gate down, but that's finally been broken thanks to Gategate.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
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.
Indeed, we'll look into this "Problemgate" immediately!
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
These seeming isolated incidents of "gate" abuse are really all part of the Gategate conspiracy.
Doin' it wrong (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
check out 1:15.
Where is the broken glass? (Score:3, Interesting)
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".
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
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".
Cognitive dissonance? They're just assuming they broke their own phones?
That's what I would think - those things aren't exactly built for rough use.
Re:Where is the broken glass? (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/07/apple-afraid-of-a-shattering-followup-to-its-antennagate-woes/
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=iphone+4+shattered
several of the top results are images of the same phones.
Re: (Score:2)
Um the engadget article is merely linking to the article in this posting. It's not an independent confirmation. From engadget's article:
Of course, plenty of questions are raised by all this: is this a widespread problem with folks that have managed to acquire a slide-on case? We haven't really heard of such a correlation so far. Do the snap-on folks, many of whom received their cases free of charge from Apple, have anything to worry about? And does Apple have any intention of warning its consumers about this potential danger?
So engadget has no answers either.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
So you want a picture of a shattered glass with particles embedded inside the cracks? That could be faked too.
Or do you want a Mythbuster doing a special on them? N=1 as they usually do for experimental replicates is not very rigorous scientific method.
I guess somebody better buy a batch of 1000 iPhones and said cases and do properly designed experiment. But wait, results can be biased in experiments too!
If you are going to skeptic about things, nothing's going to be enough to convince you. Besides, as
This sorts itself out (Score:3, Funny)
Too bad the back of your phone has cosmetic damage. Maybe if you had some type of case on hand, you could cover it up and never worry about it again.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
http://elephantentrepreneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Apple-Fans-sticker-on-forehead.jpg [elephantentrepreneur.com]
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1465996128078930360wUFpzL [webshots.com]
Legitimate concern (Score:5, Informative)
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 [ifixit.com].
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah I'll just spend $15 or whatever it is every 3 months to keep my phone working and looking alright. I mean, all other phones are that way, right? (hint: they are not)
I've had no further scratches since ditching the case. In hindsight, I should have just gone caseless from the get-go. The phone has been working great (better reception than my original iPhone), still looks mahvelous.
Warranty? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Only if you make it obvious, such as by breaking seals (e.g. scored stickers) or using non-OEM parts. And apparently there are no seals.
Fried of mine shattered his iphone digitizer glass that applecare would not cover without $$$, got the kit from ifixit to replace it and change it all himself. Later the new digitizer stopped working on one edge so he brought it back into applecare and they replaced the digitizer, no questions.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I actually like the way my 3GS feels in my hand with the added thickness of the case. I don't think I have abnormally large hands, but without the case the phone feels just a little too small for me to hold it comfortably with one hand. Also the case that I chose provides better grip than the default plastic, so that's nice too.
That being said, sand has gotten between the back of my phone and the case, and there are some very significant scratches on the phone. The 3GS back is plastic, so it's just a cosmet
Re: (Score:3)
In any case, replacing the back panel is trivial.
I'd actually suggest removing the case first.
Re: (Score:2)
Buying a new phone is even more trivial [apple.com], doesn't mean owners should expect to do so though.
Although a couple Apple owners I know will probably be quite happy to have any reason to buy a new iPhone every few months.
Re: (Score:2)
How about not putting a snug fitting case on when you're at the fucking beach?
We like our Speedos here in Europe.
What you need is an iCase (only $29.99 plus S& (Score:3, Funny)
Read the scripture here:
http://www.apple.com/legal/trademark/guidelinesfor3rdparties.html [apple.com]
Glass on both sides? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I thought that too, when I first heard about this, but then I saw a picture [blogcdn.com] of what was definitely the back of an iPhone 4, and it was definitely cracked glass.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes the front and back of the iphone 4 are glass.
Re:Glass on both sides? (Score:4, Informative)
Yes, Apple actually is saying that the glass back is better than plastic or polished steel because it won't scratch.
ugh...more of this? (Score:2, Insightful)
Stuff gets scratched when you use it, DEAL WITH IT.
Grit can get trapped inside a case and scratch the device? NO SHIT? have these people never used a case before? Take it out and CLEAN IT every now and again.
Are apple customers the most helpless people on the planet, or does the media just make them look that way?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Mine is made using Gorilla Glass and has no scratches. Seeing a case on a droid is like seeing a task killer running on android 2.2.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
"Oh I get it you made a funny because You don't have an iPhone!" - Fouad from Family Guy.
I could live with a few scratches, I just wish I could have a WiFi connection on my Android phone for more than sixty seconds.
Re: (Score:2)
"Oh I get it you made a funny because You don't have an iPhone!" - Fouad from Family Guy.
I could live with a few scratches, I just wish I could have a WiFi connection on my Android phone for more than sixty seconds.
That'd teach you not to buy secondhand crappy phones that's taken a swim in the toilet.
Re: (Score:2)
I 99% agree. The last 1%: the glass could end up fracturing because of the scratches, making this problem slightly more than cosmetic.
That said, I don't see anything where such a thing has actually occurred, just that it might
Re: (Score:2)
OK, thanks for the head's up, Steve.
Re: (Score:2)
This isn't about scratching. The motion of pulling the device out of the case was causing the grit to crack the glass. Broken glass is far more serious a problem.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:ugh...more of this? (Score:4, Insightful)
Oh no! The shiny glass back I cover up broke! OMG! (Score:4, Interesting)
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!
Re:Oh no! The shiny glass back I cover up broke! O (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Style over substance (Score:3, Insightful)
The title says it all.
Function doesn't always follow form (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Don't be too brutal with Apple (Score:2, Informative)
The seriousness (Score:3, Interesting)
Cracked or shattered glass on the back of the iPhone is a serious issue. Anyone who's been cut by glass can relate. Understanding that this hasn't happened yet, one could easily see why Apple is working to head this off. "Gushing blood caused by iPhone" isn't something Steve can explain away with "He was holding it wrong".
How About the Front Glass? (Score:4, Interesting)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
Yea and I dropped my iphone a few times and the screen is still in perfect condition. Say what you want about the iphone it is still far superior to any android device not because of the hardware but the applications and performance while running them. Droid programming sucks balls because everything it runs is tied to a poorly performing register based jvm. Apple starts selling through Verizon and the droid devices are all but screwed. No I am not a apple fan boy I do linux for a living but google really s
Re: (Score:2)
but I drop my Droid at least once a week, and so far it's OK (knock on wood).
I actually dropped my Droid face down on asphalt from about 4 feet up. I immediately feared the worse (made even more worse as that was also my GPS unit and I was currently out in the middle of nowhere). However, I picked it up and, although the metal case itself was chipped at the corners, everything else was working great.
That was a pretty awesome experience.
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
Re:How About the Front Glass? (Score:4, Insightful)
I've dropped my iPhone 4 a couple of times without problems, it's not anywhere near as fragile as people make it out to be. They hear glass and think it's the normal sodium glass they use for plate glass windows or cups. This is gorilla glass, much more scratch- and impact-resistant than sodium glass and it's even stronger than most polycarbonate plastics from which other phones are constructed.
That being said, things break. I've seen tons of people with slider phones that don't slide right anymore, or have a keyboard with a stuck or missing key, or have a plastic face all scratched to hell and back. These are devices that get used in harsh environments and which are dropped, banged-up, slid across tables, soaked, spit on while talking, grimed over with dirty hands. At least the iPhone has very few moving parts to get gummed up, extra resistant to scratches, and they are easy to clean. Are they still going to break? Of course!
If you want to be extra careful then throw on a bumper case and you take care of most of the issues since it makes it that much harder for the glass to touch anything and it makes for a softer landing if it does get dropped.
Design over substance (Score:2)
Re:i guess (Score:4, Insightful)
They can always revoke their Made For iPhone license.
http://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/ [apple.com]
http://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/cases.html [apple.com]
It seems like the vetting process for third party accessories is about as porous and subject to reviewer whimsy as their iTunes app process.
Re:i guess (Score:4, Informative)
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.
what "made for iPhone" means: (Score:2)
what "made for iPhone" means:
What the crap is "made for iPhone" supposed to mean if not "we've tested it and it works as advertised"?
It applies only to electronic accessories:
http://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/ [apple.com]
It means that the accessory is sufficiently shielded to protect it from electronic noise when the device is in operation. Pretty much any cell phone will cause electronic interference when placed on top of an AM radio, and on an unshielded amplification circuit in, for example, an alarm clock, GSM devices will cause clicking and buzzing.
For cases, it's pretty much meaningless, and it's not a licen
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
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.
Re:Not Apple's fault (Score:4, Informative)
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.
Re:Not Apple's fault (Score:4, Informative)
They did offer other brands of cases. I got a free speck branded case for my iphone 4 via their free case program.
Re:Not Apple's fault (Score:4, Informative)
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.
Re:Not Apple's fault (Score:4, Informative)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
This entire thing could have been avoided by not having glass on the back side of the device. Other than looking pretty, what purpose does having a glass back serve?
I'd also like to point out that not all third-party brands are bad...Seidio is a good example of a third-party company that generally releases high quality products.
Re: (Score:2)
Other than looking pretty, what purpose does having a glass back serve?
I'm not a materials engineer (or any kind of engineer for that matter) but I think the issue is a little more complex than that. First of all, though laypeople like us refer to a material as "glass" or "plastic" each of these terms describes a large class of particular materials with sometimes widely divergent properties. The iPhone 4's "glass" isn't the same as the glass in your drinking glass. (I guess they call it "aluminosilicate glass" but I don't know what that means.) And who knows if the glass o
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
If you buy third-party stuff, don't be surprised it doesn't work properly.
I do love your conciseness, but in this case, I think you really meant to say "If you buy Apple-tested Apple-certified 'Made for Apple' third-party stuff (which Apple takes a minimum of 40% from its retail price wherever they may be sold), then don't be surprised if those products destroy your much pricier phone (instead of protecting it). The official 'Made for Apple' icon never actually stood for anything. You guys are idiots if you ever actually believed otherwise. "
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
The antenna problem isn't really a straight forward thing, and there will always be someone who "said so" that you can find before hand. Their super-secret method of testing bit them in the butt on that one.
The glass on the back not being scratch resistant bothers me, though. I have a 4, and I've got a little scratch on the back, though I've been fairly careful with it - careful enough that it shouldn't have scratched. It doesn't matter too much, since I don't use it as a fashion accessory. My issue with
Re:Quality (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't agree with that. The materials, fit and finish of the iPhone 4 is much better than my 1st gen or 3GS. If there is blame to be had, it's that the designers won over the engineers.
The older designs was easy to feel which was the fragile surface when it was in your pocket (and I kept the glass inward). With the new design, sure it looks good, but it's a whole lot harder to tell when the expensive side is facing outward.
Sheldon
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
"Can you hear me now?" ... ...
(readjust fingers)
"Can you hear me now?"
(readjusts fingers)
"How about now?"
"Ye... can hear... but barely audi....."
Yeah I think I'd rate the iPhone 3 as higher in "quality" simply because it does what a phone is supposed to do. Just as I thought analog TV was better than digital television because a fuzzy picture is better than no picture. (Of course once I upgraded the antenna - the problem disappeared.)
Re: (Score:2)
Some of them did. The one I got from apple for instance. But I'm not sure that any of them are of a slide on type. The one I got is basically a bumper with a back, it stretches onto your phone, apparently this issue is with cases that the phone actually slides into.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Not all of them were. The majority of the cases they offered had full back coverage. It's been awhile since I ordered mine, but I think Apple's case was the only one without back coverage.
However, none of the cases they offered were of the slide-in type, which is what is under scrutiny here.
Re: (Score:2)
Bill? Is that you?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
As long as they don't start appearing over capital cities.
...pants on fire... (Score:5, Insightful)
> apps get pulled [...] from their phones
This is a lie, so the rest of our posting is most likey lies, too.