Matte black iPhone 7 owners complain to Apple about chipping paint finish

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 73
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,093member
    lmagoo said:
    I have a matte black iPhone 7 that looks as good as the day I got it back in September. I also take very good care of my phones as I sell them on E-Bay every year. There is not one mark on my iPhone ...I use a Apple silicon case that is the best case I have ever used for protection and use!
    I also happen to use that silicon case... The case is great, except the completely exposed section on the bottom which is where my phone fell on the ONLY time I dropped it. 

    Took several chunks of aluminum off, and slightly distorted the metal where it meets the plastic band.  Stupid design.  What's the point of the case if all edges can't be protected?

    I'm getting a different case for my next iPhone.
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 22 of 73
    qwweraqwwera Posts: 281member
    My 7 plus is like new. But that's because I'm not an idiot and not put a case on $900. product that I plan to man-handle constantly every day for two years.
  • Reply 23 of 73
    levilevi Posts: 344member
    Dammit, I dropped my matte black Plus..and it's completely fine :-) 
  • Reply 24 of 73
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    qwwera said:
    My 7 plus is like new. But that's because I'm not an idiot and not put a case on $900. product that I plan to man-handle constantly every day for two years.
    So you're an idiot if you don't use a case on a utility device that only costs $900? How much do cars costs? At least 20x more for a really cheap new one, right, and probably 50x more for an average of $45k, yet there are no "cases" on most cars. No cheap plastic windshield screen protectors that just look like shit after a few miles of driving because we don't drive in hermetically sealed, vacuum tube roads? I bet most people keep a car for than two years, too. So why does the aesthetics of a much cheaper tool that use for a shorter period of time matter so much more? Hell, I have many, many tools that cost considerably more than an iPhone and they all work perfectly fine many years later… even if they have a chip, dent, or scratch because I'm not putting a protective case on anything else I own except my penis.
    edited February 2017 StrangeDaysroundaboutnownetmage
  • Reply 25 of 73
    Time for another frivolous lawsuit. Any chip larger than .020" should require a complete iPhone replacement as that chipped finish practically renders the iPhone unusable. Why? Because it's an Apple product and it should be flawless. If Steve Jobs were alive, heads would be rolling at Apple. Weren't these iPhones drop-tested a million times to see if the finish would last? Now I see why Apple doomed. This huge defect is nearly as serious as Samsung's exploding battery in the Galaxy Note 7. Quality control, anyone? /s
  • Reply 26 of 73
    Because it's an Apple product and it should be flawless. If Steve Jobs were alive, heads would be rolling at Apple.  /s

    On related, non-sarcastic note, Jobs scoffed at iPod cases and enjoyed the scoured look of a well-used iPod back, thinking it gave device character.

    I don’t think flakes are in same category.


  • Reply 27 of 73
    sog35 said:
    These people abuse their phones then try to blame Apple.
    Where is your evidence this is happening because people are abusing their phones?
    Because some, like me, have had a matte black 7 plus since release, have never had a case on it, and have no issue whatsoever.  I'm willing to bet that they had no case, and then put it into a pocket with keys or some other object which caused the damage.  Why would you not be careful with a small item that costs several hundred dollars is beyond me.
  • Reply 28 of 73
    It looks like someone counts on people buying automotove touch-up paint somewhere. Not the quality of Apple products I remember from 12 years ago. Perhaps do proper anodizing black instead of painting. The old techniques really worked.
  • Reply 29 of 73
    WHEN I DROP MY PHONE, IT SCRATCHES!!! SUE APPLE!!! 

    /S
    Stop being Apple blindfolded fan and look at pictures. Those are not scratches, but peeling paint. Poor quality coating and probably bad painting process. There are more reliable processes, but it looks like someone was cheap and trying save on the proper process. Those processes were used on HiFi stero equipment for decades and you did not have peeling issues.
  • Reply 30 of 73
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Because it's an Apple product and it should be flawless. If Steve Jobs were alive, heads would be rolling at Apple.  /s

    On related, non-sarcastic note, Jobs scoffed at iPod cases and enjoyed the scoured look of a well-used iPod back, thinking it gave device character.

    I don’t think flakes are in same category.

    Go to 7m:24s into the video and you see in Apple's official book of their products is a weathered, heavily used original iPhone.


    king editor the grateStrangeDayspscooter63
  • Reply 31 of 73
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Not the quality of Apple products I remember from 12 years ago.
    This is always a curious comment. You make no indication that what you remember isn't the reality of the what the company has ever shipped. Now, your personal items may have never had a defect or QC issue, but if you followed the company at all—which, as a consumer 12 years ago, I would hope you did—you would know that there were issues with products all the time. In a year, or 6, or 12, there will surely be someone that looks back and remembers that Apple had flawless QC in 2017.
    edited February 2017 StrangeDaysroundaboutnowpscooter63
  • Reply 32 of 73
    I understand the last iPhone Jobs had a full hand in was the 4s...

    Like the 3 and 2 prior, they all had surfaces that were consistent throughout. Chrome/silver on the 2, black plastic on the 3 & stainless/glass on the 4...

    Better design...? The debate will rage on.  

    Choose silver to wear well...
  • Reply 33 of 73
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,328member
    First of all, it isn't paint.

    It's an anodize which is an electrochemical surface treatment to aluminum consisting of aluminum oxide, which is a very hard substance, but thin. Hard Anodize is a thicker version. Anodize is essentially a process that is partially into the aluminum substrate, and partially a buildup on the surface. Hard anodize might be half a thousandth of buildup on the surface. This anodized surface is porous, so color is added by dipping the part into a dye, and then a very thin chromate sealant is applied to the anodized surface to maintain the color and protect from chemical attack; strong caustics are very bad for anodized surfaces. The initial surface finish has an impact on the surface finish after anodize; a highly polished aluminum substrate will have a greater gloss after anodize.

    Anodize is very scratch resistant, but as it is much harder than the substrate, aluminum, physical damage can separate the anodize from the substrate; i.e., impact can dent the substrate, and a hard chip can fracture out, especially on sharp edges around the buttons. It is possible that there were impurities in the aluminum on on the aluminum surface that caused the chipping, but it is significantly more likely that the damage was caused by physical impacts.

    A case protects the surface from impact, or as an alternative, very careful use without a case will protect the surface.
    StrangeDaysRayz2016
  • Reply 34 of 73
    sog35 said:
    These people abuse their phones then try to blame Apple.
    I had the opposite impression, Apple has been the business of making phones for many years now and playing with the case materials and finishes with each new launch. It was no surprise to me that a finish like the black matte would be hard to keep in good condition. My old black iPhone 5 had its share of blemished with careful use. Blaming a customer for "using" their portable device as expected is wrong, put the blame on Apple's limitations with black paint. 
    rogifan_new
  • Reply 35 of 73
    It looks like someone counts on people buying automotove touch-up paint somewhere. Not the quality of Apple products I remember from 12 years ago. Perhaps do proper anodizing black instead of painting. The old techniques really worked.
    O rly? We didn't have iphones in our pockets 12 years ago, but we did have ipods -- you don't remember the scuff complaints? The supposed fault with the nano? I do. 
    edited February 2017 netmagecornchip
  • Reply 36 of 73

    WHEN I DROP MY PHONE, IT SCRATCHES!!! SUE APPLE!!! 

    /S
    Stop being Apple blindfolded fan and look at pictures. Those are not scratches, but peeling paint. Poor quality coating and probably bad painting process. There are more reliable processes, but it looks like someone was cheap and trying save on the proper process. Those processes were used on HiFi stero equipment for decades and you did not have peeling issues.
    A bit quick to claim apple cheaped out on this -- after, some complaints isn't a widespread problem. If anything I suspect a botched batch.  Remember the black Watch Sport, which is not painted, had problems with the lettering flaking off the first batch due to laser too deep. They replaced them. 

    So unless you have proof that it's a conspiracy due to being cheap, I doubt your take. 
  • Reply 37 of 73
    spice-boy said:
    sog35 said:
    These people abuse their phones then try to blame Apple.
    I had the opposite impression, Apple has been the business of making phones for many years now and playing with the case materials and finishes with each new launch. It was no surprise to me that a finish like the black matte would be hard to keep in good condition. My old black iPhone 5 had its share of blemished with careful use. Blaming a customer for "using" their portable device as expected is wrong, put the blame on Apple's limitations with black paint. 
    I doubt this issue will be rampant, and that it's either a minor batch defect, or user error. Apple didn't just fall off the turnip truck. 
  • Reply 38 of 73
    The phone in the pictures looks like it took a trip down the sidewalk.
  • Reply 39 of 73
    goofy1958 said:
    sog35 said:
    These people abuse their phones then try to blame Apple.
    Where is your evidence this is happening because people are abusing their phones?
    Because some, like me, have had a matte black 7 plus since release, have never had a case on it, and have no issue whatsoever.  I'm willing to bet that they had no case, and then put it into a pocket with keys or some other object which caused the damage.  Why would you not be careful with a small item that costs several hundred dollars is beyond me.
    Again you have no evidence that they're not being careful with their phone. It could be a bad batch and maybe you got a good batch. 
  • Reply 40 of 73
    lkrupp said:
    sog35 said:
    These people abuse their phones then try to blame Apple.
    Where is your evidence this is happening because people are abusing their phones?
    Human nature. 
    It's human nature for people to abuse their smart phones?
    qwwera
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