Some users find scuffs, nicks on newly-purchased iPhone 5s [u]

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Comments

  • Reply 221 of 267
    Is there any correlation in manufacturing location? That's the first three digits of the serial number. My iPhone 5 that had the cosmetic issue was made in location C38.
  • Reply 222 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by chaicka View Post



    Glass - Users complaint it breaks easily when dropped but more scratch-resistant.

    Aluminium - Users complaint it scuffs easily when scratched but more shatter-proof.

    Titanium (Future) - Users complaint it's heavy but scratch-resistant and shatter-proof.

    ...


     


    LiquidMetal (Future future) - It's light, scratch resistant and shatterproof, but users complain that the phone costs five thousand dollars. 

  • Reply 223 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post





    ... I wonder what a plain plastic is. There are so many kinds, with so many different properties at lots of price points. PC is very soft for a plastic, easily scuffed, I wonder what their scratch protection treatment is. iPods had PC faces too, it came to be a problem when the first nanos supposedly had scuffing problems.

    PC is extremely hard to shatter though, seemingly impossible. PC would metaphorically laugh at something that would totally shatter acrylic. More resilient than the aluminum I usually use. It can bounce a thrown hammer back at you with no evidence of cracking or distortion, where aluminum of the same thickness (6mm) would dent.


     


    The way I make sense of it is this:  


     


    - the most common agents producing the scratching are sand (quartz crystals) and key rings (the steel parts)


    - this is the same for all phones released so far (and will probably be the same in the future). 


    - all of the suggested materials to make phones out of are lower on the Moh scale than quartz and steel


    - people will continue to have key rings and go to the beach for the foreseeable future. 


     


    Ergo and therefore ... scratching will always be a problem, and the material they use doesn't really matter for that reason.  


     


    People either need to be careful (and then just live with it when a scratch happens), or they need to get a case.  


     


    Really, the only way around these inescapable facts, is if Apple comes up with some miracle materials that haven't been used before.  They've been working very hard on this for years, but until (or if) this happens, phones will always scratch and Apple's OCD customers will always complain about it. 

  • Reply 224 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


     


    The way I make sense of it is this:  


     


    - the most common agents producing the scratching are sand (quartz crystals) and key rings (the steel parts)


    - this is the same for all phones released so far (and will probably be the same in the future). 


    - all of the suggested materials to make phones out of are lower on the Moh scale than quartz and steel


    - people will continue to have key rings and go to the beach for the foreseeable future. 


     


    Ergo and therefore ... scratching will always be a problem, and the material they use doesn't really matter for that reason.  


     


    People either need to be careful (and then just live with it when a scratch happens), or they need to get a case.  


     


    Really, the only way around these inescapable facts, is if Apple comes up with some miracle materials that haven't been used before.  They've been working very hard on this for years, but until (or if) this happens, phones will always scratch and Apple's OCD customers will always complain about it. 



    Or just be clean :) My 4S has zero scratches, at least ones that are big enough that i could see under bright light at a good viewing angle. I have a white version and no case. I had a case, but it just doesn't feel right with the case. So clean pockets and take care of the things you own and everything will be ok.

  • Reply 225 of 267
    Paging Dr. Mohs... duh
  • Reply 226 of 267


    My white 32 GB iP 5 is flawless.

  • Reply 227 of 267
    hjbhjb Posts: 278member


    If your phone is ok, why don't you put Zagg Invisible Shield Maximum Protection on it?  I had these on my iPad and Galaxy Nexus after a numerous chunky cases.  You will appreciate the design of your product.  Additionally it provides grip (It does not slip easily -a big plus).  

  • Reply 228 of 267


    The clear protectors don't cover the edges of the phone completely, so they don't protect as well as a case does.


     


    I think it's expected that the iPhone 5's aluminum finish won't be as durable as the stainless steel and glass on the 4/4S, but those who have scuffs on their phones from the factory are understandably upset. Some people are very careful with their phones and always use a case. If there are scratches on their phone out of the box, it's by no fault of their own and that's why I think it bothers them. Some of them have it pretty bad: http://scuffgate.net/

  • Reply 229 of 267
    As soon as I heard Apple was "painting" the metal, I knew this would happen. One of the great design decisions by apple has been letting the native color of its materials shine through.

    The iPhone 4 was probably as close to industrial design perfection as a phone can get. It's symmetrical front and back and even if you should happen to somehow damage it, it would be hard to notice due to no color change.

    The decision to go black seems to be simply to differentiate from the 4.

    But it was a mistake.

    The silver color also added a classy high tech contrast that is now missing.

    The only thing apple did with this design was to add manufacturing cost and complexity.

    And aluminum isn't going to allow for less interference than s glass backing...
  • Reply 230 of 267


    Originally Posted by 9secondko View Post

    The decision to go black seems to be simply to differentiate from the 4.


     


    Which was black…





    The only thing apple did with this design was to add manufacturing cost and complexity.


     


    Nope.

  • Reply 231 of 267


    There's something wrong with the anodizing processes if there is:


    Discolouration and fading


    A surface that its easily scratched


     


    Anodizing is a process which 'grows' an oxide layer on top of the metal surface, the anodized layer provides protection for the metal finish and prevents corrosion when the surface is exposed to conditions which would normally result in damage to the underlying metal.  When examined under a scanning electron microscope the surface is far from flat, it has pits in it, which in a thin layer anodising process could reach the metal below.


     


    Black dye is applied to the anodized surface during the treatment process, its not a paint, it is a colour absorbed into the anodized layer,  black anodizing is not easy to achieve, often coming out a very dark brown.


     


    Not all anodizing is equal,  it all depends on the effort (=time and cost) put into the anodizing process,  you can have thin (5 micron) up to thick (30 micron and thicker),  thin isn't particularly effective at resisting scuffs and scratches,  a thick hard anodized coating (because hard anodizing is a different physical process from normal anodizing)  is effective at resisting key scuffs and grains of sand etc, it all depends upon the conditions,  drop your iP5 onto any non soft surface and its likely to suffer some damage. 


     


    From the complaints and pictures I have seen, Apple has a quality control problem in manufacturing of the back panels, assembly, and final inspection - probably all driven by the need to get millions of phones out to customers with a very short manufacturing lead time prior to 21st September - no phone should be coming out of the packaging with dings, dents and scrapes or scuffs, aluminium is easily damaged in transit, especially if the finish required is near perfect (such as a mirror finish) so we used to paper wrap each length prior to shipping, naturally the customer paid for such care in handling, packing etc in the price they paid.


     


    If the colour on an iP5 scratches off - its paint, not anodized, anodizing never produces a gloss finish and takes a lot of effort to scuff and scratch.


     


    Why do I know this?- a BSc. degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science and a year in an Aluminium Extrusion plant... but I confess to checking a few details from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodising as its over 30 years since I graduated and the little grey cells were a bit vague on quite how deep the anodised coating could be.

     

  • Reply 232 of 267

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Which was black…



    I guess he was referring to the edge, the antenna that wasn't black on the iPhone4/4S.

  • Reply 233 of 267
    I don't think this is a problem that affects a limited number of units. I went to collect my pre-ordered black iPhone on Saturday and three consecutive units were unboxed with tiny scratches, and eventually the shop said that 3 was the limit that they could open for me, so I had to accept one or go back on the waiting list. I told them I didn't want it anymore. Posted about this on the forums, but it was promptly deleted.
  • Reply 234 of 267
    ipenipen Posts: 410member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


    One drop in a jean's pocket with coins/keys or a woman's purse and you'll get the exact same thing!  I can understand one paying a pretty penny for a nice phone, but come on people!  Why do people expect absolute perfection?  It doesn't exist in nature, yet you demand that in a mass-produced product?



    Bring your "perfect" product after using it in a week and lets compare.



    Jeez, I can understand an obvious flaw, damage, etc... but the kind of "scuffs" seen in this picture is borderline drama-queen.



     



    Didn't happen to 4S at least not as wide spread as 5.  I think that's what people complained about.  5 should be better than 4S or at least the same as.  Don't you think so?

  • Reply 235 of 267


    Maps?  Seriously?  What has Google been doing for the past 10 years with Maps and Earth?  Do you expect Apple to actually catch up?  Especially since Google's gotten pretty good at what it does.  Apple of course could not invent a successful maps app.  If it were to succeed, it would have to purchase the technology and then patent some stupid marketing gimmick and sue Google for making a maps tool with a compass.  iCompass, the next Apple invention.  I'd better file it quick...

  • Reply 236 of 267


    Aluminum was a dumb idea for a device that is handled on a daily basis.


     


    Sorry, Dieter Rams would probably agree.


     


    It's gonna scratch whether that be in production or when it makes contact with your car keys.


     


    That said, is aluminum CHEAPER to mill than plastic is to mold?


     


    Is Apple's reasoning to use aluminum solely based on costs to produce?

  • Reply 237 of 267
    A couple people here know what they are talking about. I have not held this phone, but I suspect it is anodized and dyed. anything else would be substandard, except maybe powdercoat. A properly done anodized finish does not chip easily. It is dense aluminum oxide, a very hard substance used in abrasives. If you think this is an acceptable finish, please teach yourself about anodizing.

    This process can go wrong anywhere from writing a crap finishing spec, to poor process control in bf China. If the bath is being pushed too hard, the current supply is cheap, the coating is too thin, or the finish is not sealed properly, you can get such a result. My guess is that apple or foxconn knew and shipped anyway. Because the way they are constructed does not make rework easy, and bratty consumers won't wait.
  • Reply 238 of 267


    Not true at all. The way the packaging is designed, there is no possibility that the metal on the phone could get scratched inside that box, as long as the box is intact.

  • Reply 239 of 267


    This is NOT a manufacturing process flaw. Instead, it is what you get with anodized aluminum. The problem can be minimized with "hard anodizing" but cannot be completely prevented.

     

  • Reply 240 of 267


    Originally Posted by Woodlink View Post

    Aluminum was a dumb idea for a device that is handled on a daily basis.


     


    Stupid laptops.

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