Well, first off there’s the iPhone Scratch Test Video from PCWorld.
Then Mark Nutter mentions that the iPhone is more easily scratched on the back, not the front.
“There seems to be a general consensus among the reviewers that while the screen may collect smudges easily, it is pretty much scratch resistant. Steven Levy remarks, “Another concern is that constant use of fingers on the touch screen will make it mucky. I’ve found that the glass screen cleans easily with a damp cloth or baby wipe. As for wear and tear, I’ve been jamming it in my pocket with keyrings, coins and pens, and so far it’s nearly as good as new.â€
Some guy on a MacRumors Forum posts his thoughts about scratches, with some interesting comments to follow.
Before the iPhone released i was really worried about scratches. I’ve had it in my pocket now for a few days and every time I take it out I worry about scratches (you would too after owning iPods). Every time I think I see a scratch it’s easily removable by a simple wipe of your finger or using the cloth that came with it… amazing.
I don’t think I ever need to own a case or screen protector for this, unless I accidentally drop it one day. Anyone else really impressed by this?
9 responses so far ↓
1 boerke // Apr 6, 2008 at 12:28 am
Hello,
i wanted to clean my screen , so i rub it against my t-shirt and now there are a lot of scratches on it !!! so people dont clean your screen with your shirt : it cuases scratches !!!
greetz
boerke
2 mike // Jul 18, 2008 at 2:48 pm
just a heads up THE SCREEN IS SCRATCHABLE get a clear plastic coat and don’t make the mistake I did. it is awfully annoying. I probably have the most brutally kept iPhone, yet I babies it and it is still disgusting. all my buttons are depressed, the speakers are pretty much permanently clogged and the bottom right of my screen is cracked, but it’s not where I have to touch. the back attena and merl ring are starting to bend back. and I absolutely babied this device. I’ve have 7 phones in my 2 years of owning cell phones and this beast has held up. but, now I’m dishing out 200 for the 3g and no it’s ands or buts, I’m getting a case. and I HIGLY RECCOMEND GETTING a screen cover asap.
3 Rich // Jul 28, 2008 at 4:02 am
I got a little scratch from a shirt pocket button.
4 Philip // Nov 2, 2008 at 9:58 pm
I accidentally left coins in the same pocket as my iPhone. After noticing it ca. 3-5 mins later I pulled out the iPhone and it had a scratch right in its center.
The screen can absolutely and easily scratch, so get some form of protection for it or you’ll regret that you didn’t, like me.
5 Barry // Jan 7, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I purchased my 3G iPhone in mid September. By mid October the screen was scratched. I made a conscious decision to not use a case because it made no sense to compromise the advantages of its thin profile. For convenience, I almost always keep the iPhone in my shirt pocket along with one or to pens. Within a month, I accumulated a small nest of light scratches in an area about ½ inch in diameter near the top of the screen. The scratches cannot be seen when the device is on so they really have no practical consequence, just the emotional annoyance of seeing them when I look at the blank screen in the right light. I am reasonably certain the scratches are caused by the shirt clips on the pens also in my pocket. I still do not intend to use a case or screen protector but I probably will, at some point, buy a new digitizer, replace the scratched one, and start anew. Since my pens typically have plastic clips, I am not so convinced that the screen is as scratch proof as advertised.
6 Mung // Jan 23, 2009 at 6:03 am
Dude! WTF? LOL. I kept my glasses in my pocket with my iPhone, but the “sharp” ends of the glasses scratched my iPhone, and now theres a big nasty cut on the glass part. Anyone know how to remove this? I tried that peanut butter, and toothpaste thingy, didn’t work, it just gave my fingertips a nice coating of a minty peanutbutter, and it almost jammed into my earphones slot in the iPhone, =.=
7 Brien // Jun 14, 2009 at 6:21 pm
My iPhone is coming up on it’s first birthday. I’ve had it in a case on one sort or another from day 1. The rubber cases seem to keep dust and grit out better than the hard cases, but all cases will eventually cause wear.
The cases that I like are by Macally because they have handy stands. Everyone tells me I’m crazy, but I like the thicker profile that a case gives the iPhone.
Anywho, scratches. I take the case off and clean it regularly. The back is scratched at the corners with some long fine scratches in the enamel. The screen is almost perfect, but each time I’ve put it in my pocket with keys or even headphones with metal on the ear buds, I’ve regretted it. They have caused the only three small scratches I have.
The screen is just tempered glass and is not impervious to scratches by metal, no matter what you see on YouTube.
8 Ghozer // Jun 24, 2009 at 7:29 pm
My iPhone got scratched today (3 weeks after buying it) - it’s only a small scratch in the bottom right corner of the screen, but it was caused by sand (at a guess) - i’d like to see some tests vs sand tbh.
9 Drrk // Jul 1, 2009 at 11:51 pm
I have owned a first and second generation iPod Touch, and both of them acquired scratches just from being in my pocket. I’m not simply talking about the back either, the screen got several scratches, and they did not wear off. My friends who own touches/iPhones also have scratches on their screens, and what’s even more astonishing is that these scratches were not acquired by dropping them or cutting them with a razor blade, but by normal usage. So, no apple has not created a scratch free device. Sorry to disappoint.
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