iPhone 11 screen scratches

Older smartphones had more scratch resistant, but more brittle glass.

Since people don't like paying $300 to replace their glass when dropping their phone a foot, cell phone makers overall (not just Apple) moved to formulas that are more shatter-resistant but are slightly more scratch prone.

This issue is solved with a $20 screen protector; you can't apply something for $20 that will stop your screen from shattering in a fall.

DonFrom076 wrote:

I had an iPhone 3, 4, 5, 6 and now 11. The 11 looks worse after a few months than all the older models after multiple years. There’s no doubt in my mind that the screen of the 11 is the weakest iPhone screen ever. Is there a way to polish the screen?

No, but you are clearly confusing strength with scratching. They are opposites. The new glass on the new iPhone's is indeed stronger as evidenced by the almost complete lack of posts from people who have broken their screens from a simple fall. That said, it's almost impossible to make a screen stronger, which is also harder to scratch.

At this point, put a screen protector on your phone which will protect it from further scratches and most likely hide the scratches you've already gotten.

Read these two articles to understand the hardness vs scratching --> https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/10/19/17514174/gorilla-glass-scratch-resistance-google-pixel-3-samsung-galaxy-s9-note

And this about iPhone 11 specifically --> https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/11/04/iphone-11-scratches/

It's not "denial," it's grit, small bits of sand or something else scratching the phone.

Tests show the screen has a Mohs hardness of a bit over 6, fingernails are about 2.5, so fingernails aren't scratching the screen.

Simply put, something hard is scratching the screen.

To avoid it install a screen protector immediately after purchase.

If you don't like screen protectors, odds are your phone will end up scratched.

Once again, here's why; the newer screens are slightly more scratch prone as a cost of being much less likely to shatter in a drop:

The Verge: WHY YOUR BRAND-NEW SMARTPHONE WILL SCRATCH JUST AS EASILY AS YOUR OLD ONE

No cell phone manufacturer guarantees their screens, which of course are made of glass are scratchproof. Not Samsung. Not LG. Not Motorola. Not Google. NONE. In the new iPhone 12, Apple has introduced a new form of glass, which is harder to scratch and has been shown to only scratch at a Mohs level 7, whereas iPhone 11can scratch at Mohs level 6. Even on iPhone 12 with a harder to scratch glass screen, IT CAN STILL SCRATCH. Because glass can scratch. Period.

If you don't want your screen to scratch, put a screen protector on it. If you don't, you may get scratches, because you cannot defy physics. Apple can't. Samsung can't. LG can't. Motorola can't. Google can't. No manufacturer can.

It’s the worst screen on any version of the iPhone. One thing you may all like, that I just got, is a pure sapphire screen protector. Not cheap but impossible to scratch. This isn’t sapphire enhanced like those name brands boast about. Watch the YouTube testers beat this thing to death. Shellrus. And because it’s so dang hard, it feels liquid smooth under your finger. I wish Apple would put this on their so called ’pro’ models. Hope this helps.

Jblaikie wrote:

It’s hard to believe that we, as previous phone owners, would be capable of bringing this issue on ourselves when, in fact, I’ve never experienced the issue with any other phone in the past.

Did you ever slide your phone into your pocket?

The most common material in sand is granite, which is hard enough to scratch phone glass.

Most pockets have some debris in them no matter how recently the garment has been washed.

People who owned cars in the 1970s could drive them around and never get a rock chip in the paint; today it’s very common because of eco-friendly paint compounds, and the solution is the same - clear bras applied to the nose of the car to protect the paint. The more expensive the vehicle, the more likely the owner will have protection applied before it even leaves the lot.

Believe what you want to believe. It's NOT simple pocket lint scratching your phone. There are small particles of sand likely there, which is VERY common (for example, detergent, when dried, can turn to sand) and that CAN scratch your screen.

Putting a screen protector on your expensive phone, whether anyone agrees or not is just smart.

Hello everyone, I was at the apple store today about this talking to managers etc. I got nothing, no gesture for a long-standing client, nothing!

The only thing we can do AND WHAT EVERYONE HERE SHOULD DO TO HELP THIS BECOME TOP OF MIND FOR APPLE is file an official complaint via this form https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

As you know apple does not read this discussion thread BUT they do read the complaints submissions from the form. If they receive enough complaints they can make a case out of it and we will have the chance to claim a new screen. For that though we must stick together and make a big deal out of it (in a polite fashion).

I strongly urge everyone in here to fill in the form (not too long cause limited characters), but mainly saying the quality of the iphone 11 screen is not acceptable and that this whole situation is also unacceptable.

There are enough of us here to make a difference so please go and do that now. THANK YOU!

https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

I believe you're asking - would you pick a screen that is:

1. hard to scratch but breaks more easily when (not if) you drop it and pay $300 to get it fixed

*or*

2. more durable against falls, but scratches easily (where a $10 glass protector could help)

Unfortunately, the common misconception is that a higher priced product should be able to bend the laws of physics...

I am using the Belkin anti glare screen protector that is sold in the Apple online store. It’s fairly cheap and works really well. I actually like the experience and look of the screen better with it on.

when i got my xr i walked out of tmobile with a case and screen protector that phone is flawless till this day but it’s something about this 11 that just seems so fragile For the first couple days i had no case i was waiting on it from amazon and i babied the thing but I noticed how different it feels not having a screen protector on in my opinion a screen protector is a must if you want to keep your phone in its original condition ive already noticed fine scratches just around the bezel from putting it in my pocket and i knew better to put it in my pockets with no screen protector or case lol but i also had nowhere else to put it i cant hold it cuz its a chance you’ll drop it i did put it in a xr case but i took it out bc it looked stupid i now have a case for her just waiting on the screen protector. SO TO YOU READING THIS GET YOURSELF A SCREEN PROTECTOR FOR ANY PHONE YOU BUY ASAP.

All it takes is a grain of sand, something smaller than your eye may be able to see, to scratch ANY phone screen.

See this article in particular about the new glass on the iPhone 11 series --> https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/11/04/iphone-11-scratches/

Bottom line. Put a decent screen protector on your phone to stop further scratches and to most likely hide any you already have.

No iPhone is waterproof. iPhone is dust and water resistant. BIG DIFFERENCE.

No phone commercially sold is scratch proof. None. Zip. Nadda. Zero.

If you bothered to read this thread beyond the first post, you'd have seen several links to articles which explains why harder to break glass is unfortunately easier to scratch.

Here is one specific to iPhone 11 --> https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/11/04/iphone-11-scratches/

And here is an article from the Verge about all modern cell phones --> https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/10/19/17514174/gorilla-glass-scratch-resistance-google-pixel-3-samsung-galaxy-s9-note

If you want to avoid getting more scratches, invest in a good quality screen protector.

Apple isn't here on this user to user only forum. So telling Apple to be transparent won't get you anything. Tell Apple directly if you're not happy by providing feedback via this link --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

But you should read this thread to better understand why this years phones (as well as Samsung, LG and Google) scratch easier in return for glass which is much harder to break if dropped. In fact, the new formula in the glass has virtually wiped the angry threads that people's phones cracked away as we just don't see hardly any people complaining this time around. You can make glass harder to break, but easier to scratch. Or you can make phone harder to scratch, but easier to break. No one has yet figured out how to accomplish both in a glass formula.

Click here --> https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/11/04/iphone-11-scratches/

That’s just the thing; it didn’t scratch “magically” but rather most people don’t realize over time most pockets do accumulate some degree of debris in them and that debris can scratch unprotected glass.

Fingernails and fabric alone won’t do it.