Forum discussion zooms past 44 pages and 660 replies

Nov 25, 2014 07:54 GMT  ·  By

The iPhone 6 just can’t seem to catch a break. With Bendgate almost dead and buried, Scratchgate / Scuffgate is now looming in the dark corners of the Internet. That’s right. People now claim it scratches too easily.

A thread on Apple Support Communities, 44 pages strong and carrying 659 replies at the time of this writing, suggests Apple has a new problem on its hands: the iPhone 6 display is easily scratched.

100K views and counting

Since the phone’s introduction in September, the thread has been growing slowly but steadily, reaching over 100,000 hits. That’s partially because people are curious about the issue and want to do some documenting before plucking hundreds for a phone that gets easily damaged.

The number of pages and reply count are far better indicators regarding how widespread a problem is. And it’s not isolated, apparently.

User b_gibbz writes, “My initial iPhone 6 space grey has hairline scratches all over the display, and like you - I am very careful with my devices. This is the 2nd iPhone 6 i have had as they replaced my first one for the same reason! Going into an Apple store tomorrow and exchanging my iPhone for a Silver or Gold model if they have it. I've noticed the white faceplate does not show scratches nearly as much.”

Another customer, identified on the forum as GraemeCl, shares his own story about the scuffability of the iPhone 6 screen (redacted to correct typos):

“[After] having my iPhone 6 for 8 days I [noticed] what I thought was a smudge. It ended up be three light scratches. I am like the other users where my previous iPhones [sic] screens are still immaculate. Not a singe scratch. Like all the other users my phone is solo in my pocket with the screen facing my leg as to not allow [incidental] contact. This is a HUGE [disappointment] in the iPhone 6 build quality I have the 6 [Plus] in order but now [concreting] canceling the Oder do to the fragility of the screen.”

Scuffgate reborn?

Scuffgate was a thing at a certain point in the iPhone 5's existence, but it quickly got debunked. In the case of the iPhone 6, however, it may be a little more serious. With over 100K views attributed only to that particular forum thread, Scuffgate will undoubtedly rise from its own ashes, to the media’s delight.

It isn’t clear, however, if the issue is inherent to the curvy screen of the iPhone 6, or to the user who thinks he / she is taking good care of the phone when, in fact, they aren’t.

A photograph posted by one of the users on that thread seems to indicate that scuffs and dings are much more visible on the darker model. The display on that iPhone is so scratched that one would assume it was rubbed against sandpaper.

Apple uses a type of glass that the company says is “Ion-strengthened,” after ditching Corning (Gorilla Glass) as a supplier, and after failing to produce good quality sapphire with GT Advanced. Apparently, their choice in glass could have been ill-fated.

How's your experience been? We can safely say that none of our three iPhone 6 Pluses have gotten any scratches on them yet. These reports may be overblown.

iPhone 6 scratched (8 Images)

Scratched iPhone 6
View countApple Support: screen damage
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