Glass scratches cause Apple to suspend slide-on iPhone 4 case sales

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple has reportedly suspended sales of slide-on cases for the iPhone 4 in its retail stores, as users have apparently experienced issues with scratching and even breaking glass.



An industry source told Cult of Mac that trapped dirt is causing scratches and cracks on Apple's latest handset, which has both a glass front and back. At least a half-dozen case makers are said to be impacted by Apple's ban, despite the fact that they are certified "Made for iPhone."



"Apple is slowly evaluating each and every iPhone 4 case at a secret case testing facility," the report said. "Some may be approved before the holidays. It's literally on a case-by-case basis (pun intended), the source said."



While slide-on cases for the iPhone 4 have apparently been banned, Apple still sells similar-style covers for older iPhone models. The previous-generation iPhone 3GS had a plastic, curved back.



The alleged suspension of case sales is said to have a big impact on manufacturers, many of which rely on availability in Apple's retail stores for sales. Author Leander Kahney also revealed that case makers spend at least $250,000 to create molds.



Last month, one report claimed that Apple was looking into third-party cases that were causing scratches and cracks on the iPhone 4. Ryan Block of gdgt said the iPhone engineering team was in a "quiet lockdown" as it worked to solve the issue, which he dubbed "glassgate."



It was said that slide-on cases could cause damage by trapping material between the phone and the case, eventually scratching, cracking or even fracturing the glass back of the iPhone 4. It was also claimed that Apple had created a lab and new test program to investigate the issue.
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 60
    That is total B.S.! What are we talking about gravel? Road salt? Diamonds?

    How friking big would the "dirt" have to be to crack the glass.



    Maybe it is because it is glass and people drop phones?
  • Reply 2 of 60
    Please spare us from any more "-gates." I know the author of this post didn't say it, but only quoted the source. But please, in the name of all that's holy, let's try harder not to pass on or repeat lazy journalistic clichés. Quote the meat of it, but bleep out the stupidity.
  • Reply 3 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    It was said that slide-on cases could cause damage by trapping material between the phone and the case, eventually scratching, cracking or even fracturing the glass back of the iPhone 4. It was also claimed that Apple had created a lab and new test program to investigate the issue.







    Form over function. Apple is slipping up big time.
  • Reply 4 of 60
    So, why not replace the glass with nano-engineered diamond sheeting?
  • Reply 5 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Steve-J View Post


    Form over function. Apple is slipping up big time.



    Apple is doomed. Let's get back to ugly functional electronics. Forget trying to put a little grace into our lives. Resistance is futile.
  • Reply 6 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Johnny Mozzarella View Post


    That is total B.S.! What are we talking about gravel? Road salt? Diamonds?

    How friking big would the "dirt" have to be to crack the glass.



    ?





    Glass cracks when scratched. It cannot compress; it can only split. The size of the particle can be plenty big enough to cause a nasty scratch and still be nearly invisible to the eye. That scratch can and will elongate and deepen based on things like heat and cold and flexture and minor shocks.









    It is pretty damn questionable whether glass is the optimal material for the back of a cellphone.
  • Reply 7 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Robin Huber View Post


    Apple is doomed. Let's get back to ugly functional electronics. Forget trying to put a little grace into our lives. Resistance is futile.





    "Nope"
  • Reply 8 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Steve-J View Post


    It is pretty damn questionable whether glass is the optimal material for the back of a cellphone.



    Yeah, a few dozen (if that) out of 14 million. Horrible idea.
  • Reply 9 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Robin Huber View Post


    Please spare us from any more "-gates." I know the author of this post didn't say it, but only quoted the source. But please, in the name of all that's holy, let's try harder not to pass on or repeat lazy journalistic clichés. Quote the meat of it, but bleep out the stupidity.



    So what would you call it instead?
  • Reply 10 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleStud View Post


    Yeah, a few dozen (if that) out of 14 million. Horrible idea.



    Where does "a few dozen" come from?



    Did you read it somewhere? Did you just make it up?
  • Reply 11 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Steve-J View Post


    Where does "a few dozen" come from?



    Did you read it somewhere? Did you just make it up?



    I made it up, but show me where the problem is more widespread than a handful of isolated incidents. In fact, if you bothered to read the rest of the CultofMac article, they quote a manufacturer as saying the issue is likely overblown, as well as Ryan Block's suggestion that Apple is being overly cautious at this point - hardly indicative of a real problem.
  • Reply 12 of 60
    I never used a case with my iPhone4, its fine, still in excellent condition, just be careful not to drop it
  • Reply 13 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    So what would you call it instead?



    Sensationalist headline of the week?
  • Reply 14 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    So what would you call it instead?



    We're talking about people who write for a living. Professional writers. I am saying that if they are worth their salt they should be able to provide either an alternate, non-cliché, or god-forbid, a fresh and creative way to frame an idea.



    What would I call it? Why call it anything? Just tell the story without resorting to "cute" labels. Those things are just shortcuts for lazy writers.
  • Reply 15 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Robin Huber View Post


    We're talking about people who write for a living. Professional writers. I am saying that if they are worth their salt they should be able to provide either an alternate, non-cliché, or god-forbid, a fresh and creative way to express an idea.



    What would I call it? Why call it anything? Just tell the story without resorting to "cute" labels. Those things are just shortcuts for lazy writers.



    As the old newspaper editors would say, a catchy title sells newspapers... same thing on the web. Catchy titles sell...



    Why do you think we have iMac instead of All-in-One Macintosh or Powerbook instead of Laptop Macintosh. Catchy titles sell products....
  • Reply 16 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Robin Huber View Post


    We're talking about people who write for a living. Professional writers. I am saying that if they are worth their salt they should be able to provide either an alternate, non-cliché, or god-forbid, a fresh and creative way to frame an idea.



    What would I call it? Why call it anything? Just tell the story without resorting to "cute" labels. Those things are just shortcuts for lazy writers.



    Journalism is dead.



    It died in the early Nineties.
  • Reply 17 of 60
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Johnny Mozzarella View Post


    That is total B.S.! What are we talking about gravel? Road salt? Diamonds?

    How friking big would the "dirt" have to be to crack the glass.



    Maybe it is because it is glass and people drop phones?



    It all depends on the case. If it was designed to precisely fit over the glass then even a microscopic particle could crack it if it?s sufficiently hard enough. I?d think the simple resolution would be to allow a little room, even if means a slightly softer inside for the casing.
  • Reply 18 of 60
    malaxmalax Posts: 1,598member
    Apple just needs to provide a "clean room" at each Apple retail location. Customers would pass through an airlock where all dust, bacteria, and other loose objects would be isolated and vaporized to get to the section where they sell accessories. After payment the case could be applied to the iPhone before leaving the clean room area. Problem solved. That'll be cheaper than dealing with the customer support headache associated with people who can't be careful when putting a case on their phone.
  • Reply 19 of 60
    s4mb4s4mb4 Posts: 267member
    my iPhone 4 has no scratches on the front, but several on the back. i thought the glass was the same on both sides, but apparently not
  • Reply 20 of 60
    Typical posts here. Either Apple is doomed or total denial. I think making the back out of glass was a poor decision. Maybe the world likes ultra glossy glass on their desktops and laptops (or maybe they don't) but a glass back was totally unnecessary. Would have preferred aluminum but I guess it kills the reception.



    Every iPod I have ever owned had a case, either rubber or hardshell and they all get dirt in between. It used to get in at the clickwheel.



    With the iPhone you're going to get dirt in between the case and the device. Especially when there is a nice big hole for the camera on the back.
Sign In or Register to comment.