iPhone 11 screen scratches

There is a total lack of comprehension on the difference between tough glass, which the new iPhone's definitely have and scratch resistance. By this time after a launch there are usually multiple threads about cracked screens. They are absent this year. Why? Because Apple chose tougher glass. Don't believe me? Go out to Youtube and watch the well documented drop tests which are validating the screens this year are far less prone to cracks when dropped.

But this is where comprehension goes awry. Because the screens are tougher (against cracks) that DOESN'T mean they are harder to scratch. In fact, it's been posted over and over and over in this lengthy thread how tougher glass which is harder to crack, can still be scratched and evidently easier to scratch.

People here keep complaining that Apple misrepresented the toughness of the glass. They never once said these new phones can't be scratched. NOT ONCE. They said the glass is the toughest glass they've ever used in an iPhone and indeed it is as evidenced by the total lack of people complaining they dropped their phone and the screen cracked.

You can have tough glass which doesn't crack easily or you can have glass which doesn't scratch easily, but you can't have both. At least not yet.

cha0z_ wrote:

...Will tell you something, materials in our world are not only 5 or 6 on the scale of hardness, they can be 5.33, 5.42, 5.76, 5.8 and so on. The glass is around 5.5, but it can be also 5.7 or 5.2, etc.

Now tell me what will happen when particle with 5.4 hardness touch and drag on the screen of iphone XS that is 5.7 and then the screen of iphone 11 that is 5.2? Aha, but both will behave the same on your jerryrigs video that uses only materials with hardness 5 and 6 to test the screen. ;)

Unfortunately you haven't thought this through.

The two most abundant minerals on Earth are 1) Feldspar (Mohs hardness: 6-6.5); and 2) Quartz (Mohs hardness: 6.5-7). Both of these will scratch your iPhone 11's glass, as well as the glass of essentially every other smartphone on the planet. Incidentally, quartz is the most abundant component of sand, and sand is a major component of good old dirt.

You are speculating that the glass in the iPhone 11 is less hard than the glass in earlier iPhones, and therefore it is more likely to be scratched by some unknown, common, harder substance in the environment, whereas earlier iPhones would not be.

Unfortunately, this is illogical. Feldspar and quartz are incredibly abundant and you are constantly exposed to them. If anything is going to scratch your iPhone 11 first, it is going to be the two most abundant minerals on Earth. And the same holds true for the iPhone XS, XR, X, 8, 7, SE, 6S, 6...

We know from JerryRigsEverything that the hardness of an iPhone 11's glass is between 5.5-6.0 on the Mohs scale. Coins and typical keys cannot scratch your iPhone 11's glass. Neither can the chef's knife in your kitchen or the gold or silver jewelry you are wearing (except of course for any precious and some semiprecious stones). A stainless steel screw would definitely scratch it.

But good'ole superabundant sand and dirt is by far the most likely culprit.

And that simple fact hasn't changed one bit since the original iPhone.

Hi Folks, this is a major defect with iphone 11 pro, complaints are all over social media and many articles including from Forbes about this issue. The majority of complaints have the same pattern which is that they never had this issue on previous phones yet within a week or two significant scratches appear. It's lame and boring to see to usual defenders go for the classic "its in your head" defense. Asking people to buy a $5 glass cover is also not acceptable.

I recommend everyone go to: https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html and submit feedback about the scratches so Apple can hear us.

That's pretty clearly the result of dragging something abrasive across the screen, pocket or not. (Pockets can collect bits of sand, which are of course rocks that you can't feel but can certainly scratch something. That's also why you don't clean eyeglasses with a shirt sleeve anymore.)

If it's (actually) only the second day and you have an Apple Store close to you book an appointment, even if you don't go thru with a fix, having the issue documented will help you.

Keep notes including: date & time, who helped you and their position, and what transpired.

Although the paid AppleCare does allocate you more attention all iPhones come with 1 year of hardware coverage.

If it turns out that the screen is fundamentally flawed your visits and documentation will catapult you to a better resolution/replacement.

This being said I really recommend AppleCare+

If you are in the US you can get it within the first 60 days.

$29 for screen related repairs!

----->

Links

https://getsupport.apple.com/

https://www.apple.com/support/products/iphone/

Doesn't seem like this will be addressed. And not everyone visiting the store is being helped so seems like those employees aren't in the know either. Contact them via chat support – they replaced mine.

Nah. Just one very slim screen protector is all you need. Behold my iPhone 11 Pro Max, now more than 5 weeks since launch with the very nice and very responsive Belkin screen protector installed and ZERO, ZIP, Nadda scratches:

Because as the The Verge article suggests, you either get tougher glass, meaning it's harder to break, but you can't get both tougher glass and more scratch resistant at the same time. It's a tradeoff, which MOST people will be happier with as opposed to paying $hundreds of dollars to replace their screen, while just slapping a removable screen protector on their phone, giving them the best of both worlds.

Yes, it is. If when the buttons fell off, they didn't crack or break.

What is so hard to wrap anyone's head around the fact the glass is tougher. Meaning it's harder to break. But TOUGHER in this sense DOES NOT mean it can't be scratched.

And for the fit to use camp, that doesn't work either. Cosmetic issues have nothing to do with the phone's ability to work as a phone. In fact, I'm willing to bet the only time the scratches bother anyone is when the screen is off. When it is on, I'm betting the scratches don't effect anyone's ability to navigate around the screen or detract from the images or videos being seen on the screen.

Apple doesn't guarantee iPhone's from cosmetic damage. If you scratch your phone, you have the following options:

1. Put a screen protector on the screen and stop worrying about this
2. Or pay to replace the screen
3. Or if you are within 14 days from purchase, return the phone for refund

Otherwise these posts aren't helping any of you. Either take your issues to Apple directly, do the above or live with the scratches. Apple isn't going to comment here on anything. They never do. They don't participate in this forum other than to moderate and on occasion remove posts which violate the terms of use we all agreed to when we joined the forum. You can continue to be a "me too" poster, but other than make you feel better, it's not going to get you anything.

I understand nothing is going to eliminate the scratches you already have. A screen protector will help. It won't remove them, but you also won't feel them. And you won't get more.

If you want Apple to hear from a loyal customer, posting on this forum isn't the way to do it.

You need to use the feedback link or you need to call Apple or you need to visit your Apple Store. Posting here get's you nothing.

Um, if you purchased your phone from Apple in Thailand, they offer the exact same 14 day return window as is offered in the US.

This is a link to the Apple Return policy for Thailand --> Sales Policies - Apple (TH)

All of these scratches are long, which indicates prolonged contact with something sharp and/or abrasive, probably the border on a pocket that has trapped something abrasive within it.

Though I use a screen protector, I have always pulled open my pocket so that inserting or removing my phone doesn't require contact with the pocket surround.

bilguun100 wrote:

I want my screen repaired

Your local Apple Store can help you out.

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

If they decide it's not a warranty issue, it will cost you $29 + one of your accidental damage incidents if you have AppleCare+, or $199 for an iPhone 11, $279 for an 11 Pro or $329 for an 11 Pro Max if you do not.

iPhone Screen Repair & Replacement - Official Apple Support

cha0z_ wrote:

This shows nothing, Jerry test the screen only with materials with hardness of 5 and 6, nothing in between. Glass is normally around 5.5, but can vary and in gorilla glass case - by a lot. The only information you have from that video is that the iphone pro max glass hardness is over 5 and below or equal to 6. It can be 5.2 or 5.9 - you don't know that from this fast simple test.

Also worth nothing that a material with hardness of 7 will scratch deeper and easier softer glass.

Precisely - that's the way hardness works.

If you don't want a phone screen of hardness below 6 scratched, don't subject it to items with a Mohs hardness higher than 6 without a screen protector.

Day 12 now and still no scratches.

I stopped even trying to scratch this thing. I am pretty convinced by now it should be fine.

I would like to ask one of you who has scratches to do an experiment since you already have scratches. I would like you to take a key or anything that is less than a 6 in hardness, and try to scratch you screen with it.

If your screen scratches with something with a hardness of 5 or lower then you have a defective screen as these screens only start scratching at level 6.

you can then take your phone to an apple store and show them that is can be scratched with something softer than advertised. I took a key to mine and could not scratch it.

If you can prove it to them, they may be able to help you at that point.

If your phone does not scratch at lower than level 6 then that fact is that you simple scratched your phone on something hard.

Just a thought.