Glass front and back on the new iPhone4

Zagg full body for myself, and maybe a bumper depending on the quality. There is no need for a case in my opinion that covers the back of the iPhone because it is made of the same material as the front if the phone. Probably don't even need the screen protectors but just beeing cautious.

This won't be known for certain until there are reports about an iPhone being dropped and any resulting damage, but copied from this link.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/design/

+Engineered Glass+

+All the breakthrough technology in iPhone 4 is situated between two glossy panels of aluminosilicate glass — the same type of glass used in the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains. Chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is ultradurable and more scratch resistant than ever. It’s also recyclable.+

Click on the iPhone tab at the top of this page and then select the Design link and read all about it. Where does it say that the front AND back are glass?

I've been using my 3Gs since launch day without a cover on the front screen and I have no scratches. The screens are very tough.

Where does it say that the front AND back are glass?

+Engineered Glass+

+*_All the breakthrough technology in iPhone 4 is situated between two glossy panels of aluminosilicate glass_* — the same type of glass used in the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains. Chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is ultradurable and more scratch resistant than ever. It’s also recyclable.+

It's already been drop-tested by an iPhone repair company. The result wasn't pretty - on the third drop from less than 3 feet (as I recall), it shattered into a million pieces. I don't have the link handy but it should be easy to search for.

And since the iPhone 4 has no bezel surrounding the glass edge as previous models did, there is an even greater chance of cracking or shattering the glass. The worst case is if the phone falls on a corner.

I would strongly recommend a case.

The problem is - hardness is fantastic for scratch resistance but doesn't mean much regarding how brittle or shatterproof it is. Many people don't realize that sapphire and diamond are very hard materials - very, very tough to scratch, but they can chip or shatter if hit hard enough and at the right angle. Plastics are much easier to scratch, but typically will not shatter or crack nearly as easily.

Do you know where this iPhone repair company got their hands on an iPhone 4?

I did a quick search but didn't come across a video of a stress test for the iPhone 4 that hasn't been released yet. When I provide such information, I usually provide the link.

Here you go:

http://gizmodo.com/5559977/first-broken-iphone-4-shows-new-glass-isnt-that-resis tant

http://www.ifixyouri.com/blog/?p=59

This was copied from this first link.

They say their iPhone—*which they claim is real, but without any internal components*—survived the first two shocks.

This may be true, but not sure how they obtained a real iPhone 4 frame and case without any internal components, and not having any internal components will make a difference.

People can draw their own conclusions.

However, I suspect soon after the 24th we'll be hearing some new sad stories about dropped phones. I hope not...

Again - scratchproofness and material hardness are different characteristics than shatterproofness. I haven't heard anything regarding improvements in shatterproofness.

Missed that in the video where the front and back are glass (just thought the back was flat plastic), but towards the end of the video it shows how the glass can be flexed in the test they performed.
Of course flexing something and bending it suddenly as in a drop can have a total different outcome.
I've had my 3Gs slide off the kitchen cabinet (nothing on, around it) and it survived twice hitting on the tile floor and have dropped it several times on the floor getting it out of the hipster case.

Glass is glass, and if dropped in the right or wrong way, it will break. I think the frame not including any internal components makes a difference in this regard. Steve Jobs said the iPhone 4 is packed to the gils. This won't prevent or ensure the glass from breaking, but it should make a difference vs dropping an empty shell with no internal components as a test.

Let's hope so. I've got one reserved. In the two years I've had the 3G I haven't dropped it. But then again, I've treated the thing like a newborn.

I have some real doubts about that site... 1st no video and they have done the test twice? They show that the ribbon says apple. That means nothing. You can buy fake Iphone 4 all over china. Nothing is going to matter till the 4 is out and can be tried. But if Apple did not vastly improve the glass they need their butt kicked. When you have a product with a flaw that creates a whole cottage industry, that product needs improvement. You can even find kiosk in most mall that change the glass. This one needs to either be gorilla glass or something very simular

tjl1234 wrote:
Any guesses on how tough the glass front and back will be on the new iPhone?...I see the Bumper for sale but can't imagine what might happen with even normal wear and tear if that was all you used...My Iskin Solo has been serviceable and the Power Support Anti-Glare Film has kept the screen on my 3GS like new...Maybe they will have these for the new phone on the 24th...I hope these companies rush on the new covers...Any ideas on what you will use??

Guess i'm pretty excited...

From internet sites I have visited the glass, front and back, should be able to withstand a 5 megaton warhead and a massive solar flare. Recent reports have also indicated the glass can also repel huge gamma rays.

Oh man. I was hoping that ifixit wouldn't get any more attention from that fake test. It's completely fake. Just to draw people to their site. How the **** did they get ahold of a phone? And why would Apple, of all people, send THEM repair glass for the phone BEFORE it even launches? You would think if Apple was to send any part of their phone out to anyone it would be to debug it, not to send out repair glass. Besides, Apple will have a hard enough time keeping up with the demand of iPhone 4 purchasers and wouldn't be giving away their glass to some joe shmoe website that claims to do iPhone repairs. Who has heard of ifixit before? Anyone? .... Anyone? Nope. Look at the damage of the phone. The only way beveled glass can shatter from 3 3ft drops is by the corners. The pictures show a stress point towards the middle of the phone and stress cracks out to the edges. That can NOT be done by a 3 foot drop. My 3g has been dropped from 6 feet more than 30 times without it breaking. I hate websites that do such things...

Sorry about the rant...:(