AfterDawn: Tech news

Move over iPhone 4 'antennagate,' it's time for 'glassgate'

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 08 Oct 2010 2:11 User comments (10)

Move over iPhone 4 'antennagate,' it's time for 'glassgate' According to a new report from tech blog Gdgt, Apple's iPhone 4 may soon be back in the news negatively, following "antennagate" with the newly-dubbed "glassgate."
The site says that the glass that is used on the front and back of the iPhone 4 is very susceptible to "serious cosmetic damages", especially on the backside of the device when using a slip-on cases.

Additionally, dirt and other debris from your pocket ends up in that space, reads the site.

Eventually, the backside will completely shatter as the scratches lead to large cracks.

The site likens the effect to a cracked windshield on an automobile.

While it has not been widely addressed in the media, the report says Apple engineers are currently working on a "quiet lockdown," testing a plethora of cases to see how deep the issue is.



The site finally suggests that development of the iPhone 5 may be held up while the company fixes the glass problem on the 4.

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10 user comments

18.10.2010 14:51

This is felgercarb. It's more FUD. Scratches happen and it's prone to hard cases especially. Thats why they have felt on the inside of hard cases. You don't get this or you can minimize the problem with a gel case. Also I bet owners who have busted backs, bumped or dropped their phone and didn't realize it or the damage until much later, when taking off the case for whatever reason.

I have noticed with iPhone 4 the third party cases are not as good. My favorite case is an InCase iPhone 3G / 3Gs rubber black topo case that I have not seen for the iPhone 4. I use Apple's case instead until something better comes along. Maybe the cases are not in Apples stores, because the quality has been bad. Incipio makes a good gel case, but it's too soft I think.

Also, replacing the back is about $30. I bet with third party plastic backs, it could be even cheaper. Why hasn't anyone done this?

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 08 Oct 2010 @ 2:55

28.10.2010 15:26

One of my main problems is I never liked using cases. Guess it is just a good thing I did not get a iPhone.

38.10.2010 16:08

Dang I thought the iPhone was home free.

48.10.2010 16:42

It seems to me like people just keep on trying to make iPhone look bad. I mean, I don't own one, I have one from a different company, and yet it has the same antenna problem, if you hold it the same way, it looses the signal just like the rest. also, I once had a hard case for my cell phone, and all that case did for my phone was scratch it really bad, now my phone is butt ugly, so it seems to me like they just point out things that happen to the rest of the phones, only making a big fuss about iPhone.

58.10.2010 17:42

what a load of edited by ddp. i have been using my iphone 4 for a couple of months now WITHOUT a case (except for the carrying case on my belt). i have yet to EVER lose a single call, OR come up with any kind of scratches. it's all a giant edited by ddp load of bulledited by ddp!

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 08 Oct 2010 @ 9:33

68.10.2010 18:28

I do believe this is crap and an attempt to get at Crapple. However, I did drop my phone and almost edited by ddp myself as it fell. The phone does feels heavy and prone to shattering if dropped. But don't worry about the back of the phone, don't scratch the screen and don't buy the big version iPad until it can match a net book.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 09 Oct 2010 @ 1:18

78.10.2010 21:30

But that's what happens when you make both side of your phone glass. Probably not the best idea. And to everyone who says people are picking on the iPhone, get over it! This phone is the nearest thing to a celebrity that the smart phone industry has. So it like the rest of crybaby Hollywood has no expectation for being able to "stumble". The phone was hipped like the titanic for edited by ddp sake. And guess what it damn near sank on its first go round. If you tout the phone as better then sliced bread, then it better damn well be just that.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 08 Oct 2010 @ 9:34

88.10.2010 23:09

At least we know that the phone that was "forgotten" in a bar was intentional; their story about having tested the phone is clearly a lie.

99.10.2010 08:44

The front is pretty resistant to scratches. I don't have anything covering it and it has only gotten one very small hairline scratch so far.

The back I think is more susceptible to scratches so I put one of those invisibleshields on it. I don't use a case since I like the look of the bare phone more.

109.10.2010 10:12

Originally posted by KillerBug:
At least we know that the phone that was "forgotten" in a bar was intentional; their story about having tested the phone is clearly a lie.
Clearly. It doesn't take a genius to know that if you leave a phone at the bar, what happens: it's going to get swiped. A new phone (or item) for somebody is a bonus to someone who needs it, hence the rampant stealing of crap we see today. On topic, just another reason why you can't always justify that a product is going to come out flawless on day one (Droid X, Apple 4, Samsung Epic). That's the risk you take when you buy products early out of the gate. Just my 2 cents about this situation.

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