iPhone 3G - Cracks in Plastic Housing

pretty nuts wonder if all iphones are going to have cracks like this... if so crappy quality!

Had my white 16gb for a week. Five hairline cracks half way down the right hand side. It has not been dropped. Assume I can get a brand new replacment but what's the point unless Apple have strengthened the plastic.

'If it ain't broke don't fix it' and the aluminium case worked just fine. If it was just a way of getting the costs down so that everyone could afford one then that's admirable but the outcome seems to be that the durability of the product has suffered. We have already lost out because the dock is not included and it was a master stroke to design a slightly wider phone that won't fit the old dock. I personally would have been happy to pay an extra £20 or so for an aluminium case, given that I'll probably spend the equivalent on Superglue.

Bought in UK on O2 contract Factory 88, week 83.

My white iphone is also crack at headphone jack and top-side switch.
what should I do? I just bought it a couple week and never drop.
my phone still in plastic wrap.

bad apple

Add me to the list.

I have a white 3G that's been well protected, but has hairline cracks by the jack and the ringer switch.

I love the phone, but...

Could you let us know the production week of your phone and when did you buy it. I am planing to buy one soon.

Thanks
Debbeh

My first iPhone was manufactured in week 27. Developed a crack between the mut switch and the screen. Apple sent me a new one built in week 37. So far, so good.

Batumulia wrote:
Yes I do. You also might want to check this out; http://gallery.me.com/langpap#100042

Well, it looks like that iPhone wasn't taken very good care of... It has tons of other scratches too, I think if you showed that to an Apple Genius, they would laugh... You should take better care of your iPhone (if that's yours).

Hi all,

I'am owner of a few days old black iPhone 16GB. Everthing is OK so far (no any cracks), however as soon as I unpacked my iPhone and went to put SIM, I noticed that edge (cut out) of a SIM slot is not fine, but coarse in some places, like a bits/pieces of a finish color coating have been chipped off (you can feel it under finger) from the edges. It is not a big deal, however I would like to hear your opinion is this common, or should I think of replacing the unit?

bob08

I went today to apple store at valley fair san jose ca.the geniuses people were really nice.I was there to get my phone replaced because of these hairlike cracks.a guy never asked me anything just replaced my phones, but not just one.I had an old white with scratches all over and he gave me a warning just get a griffin one.he gave me two new ones.I cant believe it.he was so nice an african american.I forgot his name i wanted to thank him and give him a great service.he wears an orange shirt by the bar.

I purchased my white 3G the first week they were available.

(Hairline cracks by the jack and ringer switch.)

I just read about this issue today here:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=518&tag=nl.e550

I've been debating getting an iPhone. But every time I get an Apple portable device (the iPod nano 3g was the worst with "tilted screen" problems) I end up having to deal with exchanges because of problems.

Now I'm hesitating again after reading this thread.

I've been developing iPhone apps with a friend (I must be the only iPhone app developer who doesn't actually own an iPhone!) and have been feeling the pressure to get one because there is just so much you can test in the simulator.

But I hate having to deal with issues like this, even if they are just cosmetic.

Are at least the screens ok? No tilts or broken pixel problems?

doug

I wouldn't be too quick to make fun of those reporting cracks. I have had a total of 6 iphones sent to me (2 of them 'new retail' and 4 'service' replacement phones. Every one of them had problems with cracks, chips, dents and other blemishes. Not to mention that some of them had severe hardware/software problems.

I ended up keeping my defective iPhone. It doesn't have any cracks on it but it has hardware problems. After I received the last iphone (in retail box) I simply told them to stop sending them. The last phone they sent had over 30 cracks on 3 sides of the phone. For right now, I'm waiting to see if the next hardware/software upgrade will fix problems with the phone I kept..like constant crashing, turning itself off during use, sticky delete/backspace key...and the list goes on and on...

Incidentally...I don't live close to an apple store so I can't just go in and have it replaced in person. I've also purchased AppleCare for this White 16 gb iPhone.

My guess is if I can't get ONE good phone out of 6...then something it terribly wrong with a great number of iPhones. Take a closer look at YOUR phone.

I am having the same problem, if you look at it from an angle it looks warped, it has a HUGE hairline crack coming from the headphone port pointing towards the bottom (it is actually a bit higher on one side of the long crack) and if you look at my sim tray it has a large gap in it

This is currently my main hold-out reason for not getting an iPhone yet.

Softbank, the cell phone provider (and only source) of iPhones here in Japan told me that while I could check out the phone thoroughly when I buy it, once it is approved by me that later hairline "cracks" would later on be considered something I did to the phone and not an allowed reason for exchange.

If an iPhone 3G starts out without cracks are there any cases that will prevent them from occurring?

Is this condition universal with the iPhone 3G?

doug

It's not universal.

I've had my white iPhone since 07/18. I have no cracks in it. I've never had a case on it. I have had a Gelaskin on it since the beginning, but that's all.

I don't know anyone who has cracks in their phone.

Of course, your mileage may vary - especially if it is something to do with how the phone is being used that causes the cracks.