iPhone 11 screen scratches

Here is my story. My original pro max shattered when it fell, about 4 inches, after it slipped from my hand. Not only this but it already has a long scratch caused by taking out of my empty pocket. So I made an insurance claim and now have an “identical” replacement which seems to be more resilient to scratches. This indicates to me that there was a fault with my original phone.

This aside as I see the main issue as the way the phone has been advertised. The TV ad here in the uk showed it being dropped, shows it being put into a bag with other items and the word toughest yet are used elsewhere in their campaign. That’s crazy....why advertise the phone, it literally makes no sense. Peoples expectations have been raised to the point where the phone isn’t possible for the product to satisfy them. That’s on Apple not on their clients. If you’re not meant to drop it, or carry in bags then don’t advertise in this way....simple

Had to replace iPhone 6 Because they stop supporting it with updates. I was tempted to get another brand but having a Mac mini I got the best phone Apple has (11 Pro Max w/512gb) and ended up spending with tax $1691.41 at the Tulsa store. I always carried my iPhone 6 in my pocket without a screen protector and never got a scratch. Then, within a month of getting the iPhone 11 Pro Max I now notice a deep 2 inch gouge on the right side of my screen that looks like it must’ve been made with a diamond ring. I do not keep diamond rings in my pocket. I’m going down to the store today to try to get a refund but don’t think I’ll be able to. I guess if they won’t refund my money I’ll just have to live with a screen protector. Any glass should be tougher than this. Sad. I’ve read several stories like this on the internet and think they need a recall program for this new “gorilla” glass. God knows they can afford it.

Just go to apple and have them replaced it. Mine is over 14days, went to apple, return it. Got a new one & put screen protector. This phone is not as good as my iphone 4s, no screen protector, no scratch. This has been my backup phone, place inside wooden drawer, inside bags with keys, naked, no scratch. Iphone 11, 1 week, scratch. so just put screen protector.

since apple is not reading this, maybe they will hear it if a lot of people will return/exchange. apple is so confident that their phone will still be sold no matter what, thats fine, but an unusual spike on their graph for return will make them feel it.

Ok. The return period is over. It's been about 16 days now and still not a scratch.

I gave up trying to scratch it, and now that the return period is over, I'm certainly not going to do anything out of the norm to try and scratch it like I have been doing.

At this point I just gotta ask a question.

What the heck are you people doing to your freaking phones?!?!?!?!

I can not reproduce this with any of my pockets, rubbing the screen on salt that I put on the table, scraping my keys back and forth along the front and back... nothing.

You do realize that anything with a hardness of 6 or above "will" scratch your screen right?

I would ask you all to google the hardness chart, look at things that are a 6 or above, and ask yourself if your phone could have come in contact with one of those materials.

I could not reproduce this. And I have tried with things that are below a 6.

Sorry.

Update summary: my screen has been replaced free of charge, I've installed a screen protector immediately, put it in a case, and while I'm very happy with this outcome, I haven't been able to find out any additional details as to what led to this (see details below).

I'm certainly not going to risk scratching the new screen to see if this one's better (I might not get this lucky next time, seeing how these issues are usually handled in my home country, again, see below), but I feel validated in my observation that something was just not right with the screen, having been told multiple times that such cosmetic damages are not covered by warranty, yet still receiving a free screen replacement without explanation.

Longer version below in separate reply (was too long to post in one).

I've had great experiences with iPhones. I ALWAYS have an Otterbox on my iPhones. My iPhone 6 got a very small crack in the corner, which did not spread, after falling off my car and being run over by a semi-truck and 3 cars. This is my 5th iphone; the iPhone 11. I kept it in the box the first 2 days of use while waiting for my Otterbox to arrive. The next 4 days, I wore a jacket with a special pocket and kept the original screen cover on. The phone shared a pocket with only my drivers license. On the 7th day (Otterbox will arrive tomorrow), I removed the screen cover to reveal a scratch. I could feel the scratch with my fingernail. It was deep, almost like a crack and it was about an inch and a half long. I never even walked while holding this phone. If I needed to hold the phone, I sat down and had my hands on the table or in my lap to use it. If I left the phone alone, it was on a table or counter. I once placed only a small paperback book on top of it.

I ran straight back to the apple store as soon as I saw it. I don't know whether the scratch was already there when I got the phone, or, if it wasn't, how it could have been caused with the screen protector on.

I arrived with it the phone backed up and in the box, and told them I wanted to return it and get an iphone X instead because it was not the quality I expected. They asked why and, reluctantly, I showed them the scratch and explained. Thankfully, they replaced my phone even though I didn't have apple care.

I'm still wary of how the phone will do even with the Otterbox on and wasn't sure I could trust replacing it for an iPhone 11, though I did decide to take the 11 instead of the X. We'll see how it goes with the Otterbox. Sorry that I don't have a pic. I got to the Apple Store ASAP.

No doubt, some have scratches. But it’s the same story over and over and over, again (e.g. my other iPhones never had this). You just got lucky, plain and simple, until now. Glass really really is, just glass. Even Gorilla Glass, is still just, glass. It all scratches at the same level.

Other than online sympathy, nothing else will come of this thread or change your outcome. Wish you all the very best.

So like the Apple "Sapphire blend" scratching at 6 on the Mohs scale behind pure Sapphire at 7. I want to believe they have their own Apple "Glass Blend" scratching at 4.4 behind Regular glass scratching at 5.5...Hence why a lot of iPhone 11's are scratching as **** without any reason... D:

Moultrup - totally agree, but visit the apple store, you may get it replaced under warranty. I have a feeling they know about this issue very well and they are good about making it right. At least replacing it...

@Apple isn't here, isn't reading these posts and won't respond to you at all. We are ALL USERS on this user to user only forum.

If you aren't happy with your iPhone, schedule an appointment at your Apple Store Genius Bar.

The True Depth Camera in the notch should not be covered or it can stop Face ID from working properly. I have the Belkin Protector on my iPhone (had it installed before the phone was even turned on) and the notch has no scratches on mine.

I have had my iPhone 11 for about 1,5 months...last week I determined that there was something wrong with my camera, the lenses back and in front have a really small point on it. I don't know if its dust or a scratch. When I took some picture there was like a big green lens flare in some light situations, never dropped my phone or something. I just had a case and a screen protector on it, but nothing to protect the camera lenses. So I called Apple Support today and they will replace my phone. But a bit disappointed from Apple, that this happened after such a short time. So use a protector also for your lenses. sry, for my English ;). Here are examples of what I mean.

I hope you understand that not only there is a thing called "batches", but that also there are multiple factories supplying the parts and assembling the phones and in multiple locations/countries? :)

The thing some of you can't understand is that 99% this is a problematic batches of screens and not all the phones. You can imagine what was going to happen if all the new iphones was like the described here, but you should also recognise that 120+ pages this year vs 6 pages for XS (and this one is 120 pages for 2m not for 14m as the XS thread) is not exactly something normal.

My screen came scratched out of the box with light ones next to the power button + it's dust magnet on the screen (and from pockets I clean EVERY TIME I go out with the X jeans + not a single one of all my phones ever had that problem with so much dust on the screen basically every time I pull out the phone) + if I have water on my finger the sound it makes on the screen is just totally different vs every other phone I had including iphones and on top of that it's like glued, super hard or straight not possible to drag it along the screen at all. Hard to describe that one as it's on the extreme, but defo feels wrong.

And no, I don't have apple store so a "genius" (lol, not to offend someone, but most of them can hardly be described as someone who is technically knowledgeable) can check it out. I live in Europe so no such thing here.

Mine is manufactured between 14-20 October and came scratched out of the box (3 tiny scratches right above the power button) + one short tiny scratch at the bottom of the phone, not sure if it's from use or it was there tho. This is relatively new unit and was just 10 days old (start of November) when I took it (Europe, but this does not matter, manufacturing site matters). So I would not count on that one, i.e. that's a newer unit.

I have more scratches on my 11 pro max in two months than all my previous Apple products combined dating back to my original iPod.

I treat it no differently, have never broken the glass on my phones and have never used a screen protector.

It is beyond debate at this point that there is a major flaw with the glass. Ball is in apples court as to how they will rectify this issue.

It is beyond debatable