14 DAY TRIAL // People may be taking Apple’s claims a bit too seriously lately, especially on the Apple Discussions forums where a person reveals how his co-worker accidentally dropped his iPhone 4, breaking its glass encasing.
Upon introducing the iPhone 4, Apple touted the phone’s glass enclosure as being extremely durable and strong. “Made from the same materials used in helicopters and high-speed trains, the Retina display glass is chemically strengthened to be harder, more scratch resistant, and more durable than ever. The glass also features an oil-resistant coating that helps keep the screen clean,” Apple said. However, some would beg to differ.
“I have a co-worker who just received his phone yesterday,” jeffj4auburn writes over at Apple’s Discussions forum. “He had no kind of protection on it, so as we are going to lunch his phone rings,” jeffj4auburn explains. “We are walking over hard wood floors and as pulls the phone out of his pocket, it falls about 3 feet to the ground. Not only did the back glass shatter, the front glass chipped on the corner as well,” the poster reveals. “How can Apple advertise that this glass is 30 times stronger than plastic when the last time I checked, plastic doesn't shatter from such a short fall of 3 ft??? I've been on the bandwagon of loving this new iPhone, but after witnessing the glass break so easily, I'm starting to have my doubts,” the post continues.
Forum user jeffj4auburn adds: “My co-worker plans on going to Apple today immediately after work to show them how strong is this glass that they advertise. I'm sure he won't have much luck, but who knows, he may get lucky.”
Fellow Discussions posters replied with various explanations as to why Apple’s claims are not to be taken too seriously. Some even say their iPhone 4’s screens are more scratched in less time than it took older iPhones to get scratched. Whatever is happening, forum user ASlater seems to have the most relevant commentary, in response to this alleged problem.
“Ultradurable and scratch resistant is NOT the same as dropping the phone, creating a large impact,” ASlater writes. “The glass is obviously very strong when pressure is applied (meaning you can probably sit on it without breaking it) but a sudden collision with concrete or such like is not the same. Helicopter glass obviously breaks when it hits the floor (from a reasonably height) but while its in the air it withstands the pressures needed,” he explains, trying to calm spirits down. “Be more carful with your phones people, You have just spent a lot of money on this,” he concludes.
In June, Softpedia reported that the folks at iFixyouri decided to drop-test an iPhone 4 assembled from (allegedly) genuine parts they were able to obtain. Lacking the motherboard, the device was put to the test using nothing but gravity. Without fail, Apple’s chemically strengthened glass panel shattered after just a few drops onto a hard surface. The team then promised to put a fully assembled iPhone 4 to the test. They obtained one, and they did, with pretty much the same results. Notably, they had to drop it multiple times on hard concrete to get the glass to break. It may appear iPhone 4 gets easily broken when dropped on a hard surface, but then again, so do many other phones.
iPhone 4 users reading this are encouraged to share with us how their device is doing so far - scratches, cracks, or any kind of damage the device might be prone to.