Aug 10, 2010 13:18 GMT  ·  By

One unhappy iPhone 4 owner has contacted Softpedia with imagery aiming to show that official Bumper cases from Apple can damage the steel frame on the device after only a few uses.

Softpedia had previously noted that customers were beginning to report noticing scratches on their iPhones’ outer antenna after using the official Bumper case from Apple.

After seeing our post, reader Craig dropped us a line in the comments, saying “both mine and my friends iphone's are being scratched by official apple bumpers! not too happy!”

Apple’s Bumpers are made from a combination of rubber and molded plastic. However, the accessory also boasts metal buttons for volume and power.

We asked Craig to provide us with some pictures of his iPhone 4, as well as to include some information on how and where he uses his iPhone 4.

In an email conversation he told Softpedia, "I take the bumper off around once a week when I need to charge my phone at work, as I’ve got the older style cable there which won’t fit in the phone when the bumper is on.”

Craig is an IT guy, "so it's not really in an environment that could cause scratches," he added. “The phone is either in my pocket, in its Bumper, or on my desk charging without it,” he clarified for Softpedia.

Review image
One of the pictures sent in by Craig showing the scratched steel frame on his iPhone 4 (click to enlarge) His friend, who got his Bumper through Apple’s free case program, stopped using the case after just a couple of days, as he too had started to notice scratches appearing on his phone, Craig said.

Softpedia cannot confirm that Craig’s story is 100% true, but we sense he is a mature thinking person who wouldn’t have left out important details such as dropping the phone onto a hard surface.

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