The glass doesn't just "sit" on top of the frame.....there's a bit of plastic that wraps around the edge of the glass and is a bit higher than the glass itself....thus protecting the glass from surface scratches when setting it on a flat surface.
This post is bogus. Notice that the unit does not have volume buttons, nor does it have a mute button. This leads me to believe that the unit is hollow, and therefore had no real display behind the glass when it was dropped. Also, the shatter pattern indicates that the unit was struck multiple times in different locations. Find the cracks and trace them back to the central points. There are at least 3 separate strikes on the screen which tells me it was not dropped, but beaten intentionally at the attempt to break the screen. This could also, in theory, have been the reason the side buttons fell out.
I wonder if Apple QA forgot to drop the phone from a few feet? Yea, I'm sure that was overlooked.
Also, the lack of internal components really renders this test useless. Without the internal components, the entire case reverberates and flexes. It's not as solid.
It's like dropping a marble and a Christmas ornament.
In the design video you can view on Apples website. They shot the glass resting on 2 bars, with a plunger slowly depressing and deforming the glass until it's bent to around 30 degrees. Interesting. I imagine this is actually very useful in those non-impact "I just sat down with the phone in my pocket" moments.
Of course, without the rest of the components as mentioned above, the test means little. All the other components will have a damping affect when dropped, and there will be other components for the energy to dissipate through.
I'm just guessing here, but I think that the R&D that they went through before deciding on the design, the materials, and the construction of this phone are probably a bit more rugged and well thought out than just grabbing an incomplete model and throwing it on the floor in order to prove how bad it is.
I for one would like to see the back. That's glass too, and should also be broken...
Edit: PS:how do you make toughened glass? You laminate 2 pieces or ordinary glass together. What's in a real phone? A screen, laminated to the glass underneath...
This has already been talked about. The test was junk. The moron who did it does know how to perform a real product test. I can't believe that Appleinsider is posting the article. Wow...Appleinsider, kind of embarrassing !!!
What the heck does that mean? How do you perform a real product test to see what would happen if the phone were to fall out of your hand from a height? Unless they took a hammer to it, it seems like a legitimate test to me. As someone said, it means that you need to be careful with it and probably still need a case.
I was all smiles until the price of the rubber ring was revealed. Is Macfixit going to do an analysis on that and find it costs Apple 1.7 cents? I agree that Apple is basically offering this as breakage insurance. Had they designed a rubber ring around the iPhone, it wouldn't have been nearly as sexy. But then again, neither are a million scratches.
They did mention that the glass was as hard as sapphire crystal, which is what Rolex uses. And you simply cannot scratch it.
Overall, I was really pumped watching the presentation. So much innovation. But once again, rubber has found a way to slightly deaden my joy.
This is a great point man.. but Id have to say I think considering its just a rubber band with color, I think apple's main purpose for the bumper is asthetics.
People like to personalize they're phones and these did look pretty good wrapped around iPhone 4.. even if they didn't really cover anything :P.
Even if its a little to girly for you.. You have to admit the pink bumper wrapped around the white phone looked really fantastic.. I think it will be really popular.
Do 2 automobile crash tests on identical cars, 1st a normal crash test.
The on car #2 rip out the engine, transmission, radiator, exhaust, steering column, dash, front seats, back seats, spare tire, roll cage, etc.
Anyone wanna guess which car would look worse?
Yeah, but this was a real world test. The first thing I do when I get a new piece of electronics is gut it. That way I don't have to worry about the sensitive innards getting damaged or stolen.
And to address your analogy, I do the same thing with new cars. I always remove the engine (etc.) so it doesn't get excessive wear. The resale value is much better that way.
My first gen iPod Touch was run over by a Toyota 4Runner and a Ford Mustang. The glass did not shatter at all, maybe two tiny scratches that don't bother me at all. The metal casing on the back however has a lot of dents and heavy scratches. (I slipped on driveway ice at night and did not notice the iPod had fallen off my jacket pocket). My iPod has also fallen off another jacket's pocket onto hard concrete from about 5 feet, and all it got was a scratch on the upper left corner of the metal casing. If the new iPhone's glass is any stronger than this, than I'm not worried at all.
... recently acquired an authentic iPhone 4 enclosure whose glass panel failed to withstand a fall from just a few feet, ... It ... performed several drop tests of the device from 3 and a half feet above ground, which shattered the glass panel on the third attempt, as can be seen below. ...
This is pretty irresponsible reporting isn't it?
A website that practically no one has ever heard of publishes a two paragraph *translated* statement that iPhone 4 screens are crap, and you print it here as fact? How about a few "alleged's" and some "they say's"?
We have no idea if this actually even happened, and you are promoting it as some kind of factual report? WTF? You don't know this thing broke, you don't even know if the test was carried out. Whereas on the other side there are books full of information on how this glass is made and how strong it is. It's used in attack helicopters for cripes sake.
I guess no one is complaining about the 30 dollar dock either. Should be 10 bucks max. As for this test? Fail. I want to see realworld tests using a fully assembled phone. I've dropped mine plenty of times with no issues, although 99% on carpet.
Looks like an early prototype shell with the screw holes on the bottom. For all we know it was just "normal" glass in the early prototypes. Being empty would significantly weaken the glass since it has very little support. What a moronic thing to do... Get an early proto and break it for no reason beyond attention whoring.
Comments
Bogus post. Embarrassing for AppleInsider.
Also, the lack of internal components really renders this test useless. Without the internal components, the entire case reverberates and flexes. It's not as solid.
It's like dropping a marble and a Christmas ornament.
If you wanted to promote your iPhone repair website and you weren't particularly constrained by ethics... could you think of a way to get that done?
Hm.
nah....
showing a hollowed out iphone 4 with a broken cover is supposed to mean anything? come on...
Where did you see the glass being bent by Apple?
In the design video you can view on Apples website. They shot the glass resting on 2 bars, with a plunger slowly depressing and deforming the glass until it's bent to around 30 degrees. Interesting. I imagine this is actually very useful in those non-impact "I just sat down with the phone in my pocket" moments.
Of course, without the rest of the components as mentioned above, the test means little. All the other components will have a damping affect when dropped, and there will be other components for the energy to dissipate through.
I'm just guessing here, but I think that the R&D that they went through before deciding on the design, the materials, and the construction of this phone are probably a bit more rugged and well thought out than just grabbing an incomplete model and throwing it on the floor in order to prove how bad it is.
I for one would like to see the back. That's glass too, and should also be broken...
Edit: PS:how do you make toughened glass? You laminate 2 pieces or ordinary glass together. What's in a real phone? A screen, laminated to the glass underneath...
I have a hard time to believe Apple will release an iPhone worse than the one I have.
Moreover, bending a material is different than directly hitting it (in this case dropped on the face of the phone).
Shame there is no video.
This has already been talked about. The test was junk. The moron who did it does know how to perform a real product test. I can't believe that Appleinsider is posting the article. Wow...Appleinsider, kind of embarrassing !!!
What the heck does that mean? How do you perform a real product test to see what would happen if the phone were to fall out of your hand from a height? Unless they took a hammer to it, it seems like a legitimate test to me. As someone said, it means that you need to be careful with it and probably still need a case.
I was all smiles until the price of the rubber ring was revealed. Is Macfixit going to do an analysis on that and find it costs Apple 1.7 cents? I agree that Apple is basically offering this as breakage insurance. Had they designed a rubber ring around the iPhone, it wouldn't have been nearly as sexy. But then again, neither are a million scratches.
They did mention that the glass was as hard as sapphire crystal, which is what Rolex uses. And you simply cannot scratch it.
Overall, I was really pumped watching the presentation. So much innovation. But once again, rubber has found a way to slightly deaden my joy.
This is a great point man.. but Id have to say I think considering its just a rubber band with color, I think apple's main purpose for the bumper is asthetics.
People like to personalize they're phones and these did look pretty good wrapped around iPhone 4.. even if they didn't really cover anything :P.
Even if its a little to girly for you.. You have to admit the pink bumper wrapped around the white phone looked really fantastic.. I think it will be really popular.
Guys -- this thing was empty from the inside. Any mechanical/structural engineer will know that makes a huge difference. This test is useless..
THANK YOU! You said it far better than I.
IT WAS AN EMPTY CASE!
Try this...
Do 2 automobile crash tests on identical cars, 1st a normal crash test.
The on car #2 rip out the engine, transmission, radiator, exhaust, steering column, dash, front seats, back seats, spare tire, roll cage, etc.
Anyone wanna guess which car would look worse?
Yeah, but this was a real world test. The first thing I do when I get a new piece of electronics is gut it. That way I don't have to worry about the sensitive innards getting damaged or stolen.
And to address your analogy, I do the same thing with new cars. I always remove the engine (etc.) so it doesn't get excessive wear. The resale value is much better that way.
... recently acquired an authentic iPhone 4 enclosure whose glass panel failed to withstand a fall from just a few feet, ... It ... performed several drop tests of the device from 3 and a half feet above ground, which shattered the glass panel on the third attempt, as can be seen below. ...
This is pretty irresponsible reporting isn't it?
A website that practically no one has ever heard of publishes a two paragraph *translated* statement that iPhone 4 screens are crap, and you print it here as fact? How about a few "alleged's" and some "they say's"?
We have no idea if this actually even happened, and you are promoting it as some kind of factual report? WTF? You don't know this thing broke, you don't even know if the test was carried out. Whereas on the other side there are books full of information on how this glass is made and how strong it is. It's used in attack helicopters for cripes sake.