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Spots (tiny white ones) on iPhone 4 screen....

Has anyone seen this? It's gotten progressively worse... (it's hard to photograph, but the "spots" you see in this picture cover the whole front panel of the phone.) If I try to wipe it off with a microfiber cloth, they fade a little, but then become more pronounced again. It seems to be slightly worse in warmer temperatures. It seems like they're under the glass, or under a coating of some sort, because there's no texture to them and they can't be wiped off.

I appreciate any thoughts....

Message was edited by: Christina Perry

Message was edited by: Christina Perry

PowerBook G4 12, Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Jul 22, 2010 7:17 AM

45 replies

Jan 22, 2011 8:52 AM in response to Christina Perry

Add me to the list, altho the spots aren't 100% the same, they are similar:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12971279

daksoy

Level 1

0 points

Mar 17, 2011 5:06 AM in response to Christina Perry

I had the same problem her in Turkey. 2-3 weeks ago I took the mobile to the store and they told me this is a regular problem as iphone 4 having weak signal issues, so they can do nothing. And they offered me to use a protecting film. I am very angry now to hear, in other countries they are changing immediately. Will go and argue with the service department now. Most probably there are other customers in Turkey having the same issues and as angry as me.

daksoy

Level 1

0 points

Mar 18, 2011 7:28 AM in response to Christina Perry

The authorized service company of iPhone in Turkey, GENPA, DOES NOT accept this as an issue or problem. So they refused and offered me a protective film ⚠ or to charge around $200 to change the glass, screen whatever. It looks as if about a coating (oleophobic coating??) problem. Hope to have it changed before I got mad. Anyone reads or can help in Apple ?

Mar 19, 2011 5:33 AM in response to Christina Perry

It could very well be a defect on the iPhone's glass. Make no further questions and take it to the Apple store for a check and very well a replacement.

daksoy

Level 1

0 points

Mar 21, 2011 3:39 AM in response to cyclone34

Apple has outsourced iPhone sales, distribution and service repair to a 3rd party company here in Turkey. Apple stores do not sell iPhone.

So I am stuck with describing this HW issue as a problem to this very well respected ⚠ company. I am sure they understand but don't do anything but freaking me out.

Someone really do not care the about customer rights, GENPA or Apple who has outsourced this service to GENPA.

Mar 30, 2011 1:59 AM in response to daksoy

I've just realized that tiny dots on my iPhone's screen but my dots are tinier. It's okay when I clean with microfiber, when i blew some warm air from my mouth, they're coming back! And yesterday, I thought the dots placed only bottom side of the screen and around the home button, but now they're almost everywhere on the screen. And those you said about GENPA, made me nervous.

Mar 31, 2011 6:11 AM in response to Christina Perry

This guy/girl is a total troll...stop feeding it!

Mar 31, 2011 8:07 AM in response to Christina Perry

But you know whats funny ?
When you replace your phone at apple store you will get old refubrished unit. And yeah they will say its new blah blah blah, but dont believe em.
all units they exchange are used refubrished that start with serial number 5K... or 5L...

So if you just bought this phone not a while ago, demand a brand new unit.
Only brand new units come wrapped in actuall iphone box with all accessories.

i got ripped off like that a week after i bought my phone, they gave me a 'brand new unit' which was old refuberished and battery would not last a day of use....

Be careful.. demand what you want.

Mar 31, 2011 8:10 AM in response to dj_adamix

Oh an BTW, those white dots look like some sort of chemical has spilled on the phone...

I had same dots on my car when we sprayed sun screen on it by accident. it looked like it was under the clearcoat, some buffing with polishing compund took them right off.
Im assuming polishing compound and microfiber cloth should take care of those dots.

Mar 31, 2011 8:14 AM in response to dj_adamix

so all of you who got their phone switched. im sorry to say you got ripped off and you have used unit that have the casing changed. lol especially if you just bought your phone few weeks back. you shoulda bought a refurbrished phone in the first place instead of paying $600 for a brand new one lol :P

Jul 18, 2011 1:39 AM in response to Christina Perry

Hi there. Same problem with my IP4 since the first month I own it. Gradually getting worse, never used any chemicals until now that this desperation has made me to. I said f*** it, I'll just get replacement glasses and change them myself if this experiment goes wrong instead of getting a refurbished 'new' phone.

AND IT WORKED. Yes, I believe I found a temporary fix. It should be sufficient for at least a couple of weeks until it needs to be repeated, maybe even longer.

This is what it looked like:

Front

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11220546/Misc%20Shared/iPhone%204%20Glass/DSC_3616.JPG

Back

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11220546/Misc%20Shared/iPhone%204%20Glass/DSC_3614.JPG

Those white spots are very well visible with naked eye, but I found it impossible to photograph them on a larger area after couple of tries.

I assure you that both front and back in these pictures were cleaned to my best ability using a cotton cloth (dry, damp, with alcohol or dishwashing detergent) and nothing could clean it anymore.

There was no damage done to the glass, no chemicals used before, no rough use. The only thing it could ever come into contact with was the inside of my empty pocket and my fingers, which I keep OCD-style clean at all times.

The rear glass has the coating damaged in the pattern of the case, however I had that case since I had the phone and I noticed this pattern only yesterday, when I took the case off. There was no sign of it two weeks ago. I suspect that this damage is more prevalent when the temperature is higher, as it has been in the last few days.

SO - MY FIX

I was using a rain repellent on my car's windshield and decided to give it a go on my phone, and voila.. it worked. White spots are now gone. The coating on my phone was so damaged, that those spots were there permanently, now I guess it requires some heavy and greasy smudging to appear again and even that would be visible only in bright light.

Pics:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11220546/Misc%20Shared/iPhone%204%20Glass/DSC_3619.JPG

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11220546/Misc%20Shared/iPhone%204%20Glass/DSC_3617.JPG

It is as smooth as it was the first day. Fingers of course leave a light trace, but it's nowhere as bad as it was before, it is oleophobic again. It feels really smooth and slippery to touch now. The pattern from the rear glass didn't disappear completely but at least it's not immediately visible now (no pic of that).

Oct 28, 2011 11:33 PM in response to himynameismarek

The fix, using rain repellent, worked perfectly!

Thank you for the tip!

rawbaker

Level 1

0 points

Nov 21, 2011 5:50 PM in response to Christina Perry

Is this what you saw? Anyone? Bueller?

Mine started acting up this weekend, started with one dot, then two, now... many!

Ugh, I love/hate technology

Help?

juliet_k

Level 1

0 points

Jan 12, 2012 2:49 PM in response to Christina Perry

Wow my iPod looks exactly the same when against a black screen but looks horrible against a white screen as shown below. Mine has spread like crazy over the last two days but at least it's just an iPod and not a phone! It happened all of a sudden- like one second it was fine and then the spots were there.

I'm surprised to see there was actually a hit for "spots on ipod." I hope a replacement will apply in this case as well as it's spreading like a disese.

Jan 12, 2012 3:02 PM in response to Christina Perry

Sorry I forgot to report back. The rain repellent fix was just temporary. I had the phone replaced with a brand new one (without accessories) in London last September. When I looked around I noticed Apple employees in that area just handing out new phones in uniform black boxes to anyone who was there rather that "dealing" with them, so if you have a similar problem, don't hesitate to go show it to them and you'll likely get a replacement as well.

Spots (tiny white ones) on iPhone 4 screen....