iPhone 11 screen scratches

If the screen protector is still on why would you automatically assume the screen is scratched and not the protector? You honestly may be getting upset about a none issue except that your screen protector was scratched...which I would think you would definitely prefer over the screen being scratched.

An articled published by The Verge has been posted several times in this thread. Read it and it explains well why the Gorilla Corning Glass 6 used by both Apple and Samsung are less prone to shattering, but more prone to scratches. No mystery, nothing bizarre at all, if people will just take the time to do some research.

fredoucurly wrote:

I don’t think it’s imaginary if there is so many people that complained about it. I never heard complains like that about previous versions of IPhone and I have had IPhones since the beginning of them, I had them all until the 7.

As has been posted several times earlier in this thread, every single release of iPhone has had similar reports of scratched screens (as have Samsungs, etc.). But apparently this time there are no other significant problems with the new iPhones to write about, so this silly non-controversy has been picked up by a few news sites. One can't expect journalists to use their brains I guess.

If people would just think about it, they would realize that quartz sand, which is pretty ubiquitous (it's a component of dirt for God's sake!) will scratch essentially EVERY smart phone on the market. So big surprise then that some people are unlucky enough to get their phones scratch, and so they look for others online with the same experience, see a few new reports linking to this thread, and then come here and complain.

When you consider that Apple has probably sold several million new iPhone 11/11Pro/11 Pro Max in the past 3 1/2 weeks, these few reports here are not remotely significant.

And if you don't believe actual physical testing by JerryRigEverything, one of the most respected smartphone testers (who constantly criticizes Apple in his videos going back years, so he's clearly not an iPhone fan), but prefer to believe a small number of anonymous posters on the Internet, then I have an unscratchable iPhone prototype I'd like to sell you...

iPhone 7 scratch test: https://youtu.be/0vYfAqEyGV0

iPhone 11 Pro Max scratch test: https://youtu.be/7jD5Gkh4K34

Google Pixel 3 XL scratch test: https://youtu.be/sD1nfDauiaI

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G scratch test: https://youtu.be/HF8jNIO-h9M

***While you are at it, you might note in the Google Pixel 3 XL video how much more prone to scratches the back of their phone is relative to the iPhones and Samsungs. Let's complain about that!

Strange.

My 11 had these marks too, had a chat with apple, and called them (im inside belgium so the store is quite far from my town)

and they made a notice about it

went to the apple store and i got a new device.

This is actually partially true. The only information you get from jerryrigs video is that the screen hardness is above 5 and below or equal to 6. The materials in our world are not all exact single digit, in fact most aren't. There are particles that are 5.2 or 5.56... now if the XS screen was with hardness of 5.8 and 11 is 5.1 - the XS one will resist the particles from the example, but the 11 screen will scratch. All that while both pass the 5 pick test and fail the 6. Hope that makes it clear for you.

Also I don't understand people here that used a screen protector from whole their life, stating that the screens are the same. Did you have personal experience? Did you try naked GG6 note 10 plus and then again naked the iphone 11 with the same usage to come here and state it's the same (while apple states their glass is a custom formula especially for them)?

This discussion is not about screen protectors or no screen protectors and the benefits/drawbacks from that decision. This is discussion about the less scratch resistant glass vs the previous years from people that used multiple iphones in the past, a lot including the previous year one.

Also in the apple ad that stated and I quote: "It’s tough out there" they throw with high velocity at the phone, objects that got metal and sharp parts (watch again with pausing) and on top of that that statement is general and not only for shattering, further implied with the water resistance in the same ad. It's not a shocker that everyone who likes to use his phone without protection and didn't have any problems in the past years will expect the newer one to behave atleast the same regarding scratch resistance if not better. Any recent phone on the place of the 11 in that ad will be in more danger of scratching vs shattering.

Edit: Shatter resistance should be chased for sure, but not to the point that the scratch resistance is so bad that it's basically a joke and the glass behaves almost like plastic. For those of you using a case and protector - the phone will survive no matter if iphone 6s or iphone 11, but 100% of us using our phones naked will get deep, wide and multiple scratches with careful use and fast. This is not how you engineer a phone, especially when you don't ship it with a protector and warning that you defo need to replace it if you remove it as the phone will scratch badly fast.

I personally won't exclude yet the possibility for a bad batch of phones/screens as the complains from back scratches are far less and far more in the numbers of every new popular high end phone release, while the glass should be the same without the coating (and that coating is surely not a fingernail deep).

I received a call from a senior AppleCare adviser - their advice was for everyone to ring up AppleCare and report the issue. Additionally, send in a feedback form at apple.com/feedback, citing reference to this case.

I have a case number and a registered complaint etc etc, they have said they will get back to me if and when they eventually have a solution (maybe when the glass they produce isn't inherently flawed)!

Not ideal, disappointed with this as a response to an issue with a ~£1500 product. If I want to go down the 'fit for purpose' route I will have to contact my carrier as this is the way the law works in the UK. Sad times...

plamen72 wrote:

Тhis "strongest" glass is very weak on scratching! Apple's marketing lied to us, and that's not fair!

No Apple didn't lie to you.

Glass strength and scratch resistance are, unfortunately, competing concepts.

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

I’m very upset and agree with the comments about scratches on my screen! I just paid $900 for the iPhone 11 on October 18th; it’s the 22nd and I now have a scratch across my screen from it being in my pocket. I pulled it out and noticed it right away.

I called Apple Care (I did not purchase it when I bought the phone), but my technician stated that Apple has received complaints and are looking into it. I need to take my phone in to a store today for a diagnostic- my tech made the appointment so we’ll see. He also instructed me to go to the Apple site and leave feedback. Apple ID talking to manufacturer and engineers.

Bottom line, if you have screen scratches: Call Apple care to report the screen issues, make appt, and leave feedback on the website. Report it so Apple knows the screens are defective and we don’t get ignored.

I have the midnight green iPhone 11 Pro Max and a space grey iPhone 11 Pro. Both phones have visible scratches on them after a week’s use. I must admit that one of them was accidentally dropped by my nine year old and two really conspicuous scratches immediately appeared. I had no incident with the pro max and it has a conspicuous scratch on it. I have been an iPhone owner since the 1st generation. Never seen this in my experience. There is something really wrong with the 11’s screen and Apple needs to do something about it as a matter of urgency. Had to Even resort to a screen protector to prevent further incidents

Tips (real) for a scratch free device :)

1 - If you use jeans, air dry them

2 - If you use a micro fiber cloth, replace it often

3 - Wash that swiping finger often!

4 - And yes finally, treat it like jewelry.

sounds crazy OCD but, it’s how I’ve had zero scratches on my X, XS, and now 11. And I HATE screen protectors so have never had one.

Now, if you took it out of the box and it has a scratch, return it; I did. It’s kind of a pain but with Apple stores it was easy; just say no thanks and buy another :) ... once it’s yours though, beyond that 14 day window, you may have to live with what it was like or you’ve done, or use Apple Care as needed.

And finally, yes, glass shatter level has gone down, but this device scratches at a level 6, just like any prior iPhone. If it came out of the box with a scratch that’s a QC issue.

If you read the article linked above it explains the issue:

To prevent breakage, glass becomes slightly more flexible but more scratch prone.

To prevent scratches, glass becomes harder but will shatter easier.

Glass chemists have to pick which way to go; Corning went for the former with Gorilla Glass 6.

We don't know what Apple decided to do.

There is definitely degrees of scratch resistance on all glass. That's not what we are talking about.

THIS FRONT GLASS IS DIFFERENT than previous iPhones. There *IS* a problem with some glass panels on the 11.

In my case, they are not scratches, but fine, hairline cracks. One of the cracks has chipped at the surface, along the crack, giving it the appearance of a scratch. If you look carefully, in the sunlight, you can see the fine cracks in the front glass. The "scratch" runs directly along one of the cracks.

Maybe it's a manufacturing defect, maybe a change in formulation, but whatever it is, this front glass is different from previous iPhones. (Which also scratched when handled normally - but they were tiny scratches, understandable scratches)

ps: Belkin's Invisiglass Ultra had a similar cracking issue a few years ago, and they immediately replaced the faulty product.

I don't represent ANY seller of anything for iPhone. I'm an IT Recruiter who has been around this forum for years now and long enough to know iPhone screens can and do scratch, so I always use a protector and don't have to worry about it.

Unfortunately, I can only confirm what many users have reported here. I do it by replying to igormp's message because in my opinion this picture shows exactly the kind of damage most people are complaining of.

I have something very similar on my screen too. As many others, I'm a long time iPhone user (owned 4 different models) and very consistent in my (cautious) habits with my smartphone. None of my previous devices has developed this kind of damage.

These screens "feel" absolutely DIFFERENT in terms of resistance to scratches; they appear EXTREMELY prone to scratching even in perfectly normal conditions, and scratches seem to appear out of nowhere. The feeling is bad. Personally, I have an AppleCare+, but this is hardly the point here.

A word or two about the scratches themselves might be relevant.

I'm under the impression that many (especially those who speak of this issue as non-existent) fail to understand what we are talking about. In my opinion, to speak of "glass scratches" is misleading. These scratches appear more like linear damages to some sort of coating above the glass itself. This coating is WAY softer than it should be, and even in normal conditions it gets these linear damages under conditions where no screen has ever gotten damage before.

Those who say "my screen in pristine after x days" should, in some cases, look better. These "scratches" are only visible under direct light, especially artificial, especially warm. For some reasons, colder hues of artificial light and direct sunlight make them almost invisible. This reinforces the idea that we are looking at a coating damage.

I'm pretty sure the glass itself is undamaged: this is very superficial damage, and nonetheless it creates an unacceptable user experience. In the end, the screen is scratched, as superficial as the damage is.

Moreover, if this is the case (i.e. we have a botched coating process from an industrial point of view) the solutions is very difficult from a user perspective. Apple (Cornish?) should acknowledge that the process is botched, find a correction, apply and test it, ship the new material to assembly plants. In the meantime, thousands of units would enter the market sporting the "old" screen.

I'm afraid we won't see an end to this.

How THIS can have passed through QC, I ignore. These screens have an evident problem. Denying it won't help, it just risks to infuriate customers.

karsa wrote:

My 5 year old iPhone 6S's screen is in a better condition than the 11 Pro, even though I was so careful with it I never even put it face side down, meanwhile I dropped my old 6S countless of times, had it in the same pocket as my keychain, put it face side down on all kinds of surfaces and even used it in a literal sandstorm.

This "toughest glass in any smartphone" seems like quite a bit of an overstatement...

As has been pointed out several times here to the people claiming their iPhone 6S is more scratch resistant than the new iPhone 11 series, this is impossible, since the latter has been shown to be demonstrably more scratch resistant than the former in physical testing by JerryRigEverything.

iPhone 6S: Scratches with a razor blade (a razor blade is ~5.5 on Mohs scale)

https://youtu.be/Ve4sejMLkUw

iPhone 11 Pro Max: Doesn't scratch with a razor blade (because the iPhone's screen is ~6 on the Mohs scale)

https://youtu.be/7jD5Gkh4K34

Which doesn't mean the iPhone 11 series can't be scratched (quartz sand, the second most abundant mineral on earth and a component of common dirt, will scratch essentially every smartphone screen on the market).

But claiming that it will scratch more easily than an iPhone 6S is clearly not supported by the facts.