iPhone 12 pro scratched screen

Well, after contacting both Vodafone (my upgrade provider) and Apple, the response for both was no replacement.. Apple support encouraged me to write up a proper negative feedback, which i did and neither of them offered any care advice.

After a bit of research I bought a screen protector by Mous Uk, what they call hybrid glass, and Im very happy wt it. It comes wt an applicator and instructions and I cannot notice the scratches underneath it now, also the touch response is the same as not using any protector. I just wish I knew beforehand about this screen flaw in the new models as I would have waited and installed this even before i turned on the phone for the first time. I never had that with previous models, my last Iphone XS was used wt no screen protector for two years and nothing like this happened.

Apple should definitely review and improve this glass screen, this is not good enough for a device this expensive. #unimpressed

Because unlike the phones you mentioned, the glass formula has been changed. The glass is actually harder to shatter, but the tradeoff to that is it's easier to scratch.

This became really obvious on iPhone 11 and there is a thread about iPhone 11 which is a mile long. If your iPhone 11 Pro Max didn't scratch, you're extremely lucky. (Simply do a search here for the iPhone 11 thread about scratches and you'll see how many were just as upset about that phone). People simply didn't or don't understand the physics of glass makes it impossible to make glass which is equally hard to scratch and break. The new Corning formulas Apple is using this yeas, called Ceramic Shield is 4 times less likely to shatter if dropped. But it's not difficult to scratch.

You can shoot the messenger if you want to be mad at me, but I've been trying to explain this to people who seem to not understand your phone doesn't have the same glass previous phone.

Read this article about why the iPhone 11 scratched so easily --> Why is my iPhone 11 getting scratches?

The ONLY way to ensure your phone doesn't get scratches (if scratches annoy you, like they annoy me) is to put a good quality screen protector on it. Otherwise, if you get scratches, Apple isn't going to do anything for you. They consider this cosmetic damage and that's not covered under your warranty. And this is also why Apple installs screen protectors on phones in their store. The Belkin Screen Protector is an excellent choice and what has been in my last few phones.

I found this thread and your comments and wanted to give my 5 cents to this conversation. If all of you who don’t use screen protectors want a scratch free screen ,buy a saphire screen mobile phone or buy a screen protector. Exactly the same thread was located here last year when the iphone 11 was released. There apple used the first time a softer , less breakable glass to avoid broken iPhones. The trade off was a softer screen that got scratched easily. All new mobiles come with this tread of. The new corning glass victus used on android phones have exactly the same properties. Why do you think all new android mobiles (or most of them) come with a pre installed screen protector? Because this screens scratch by only looking at them. If you like screen protectors or not, if you hate scratches you MUST use them, else live with the scratches. There is a reason apple sells screen protectors in there shops. And when you complain about the price of a screen protector, just remember you payed over 1k for your new mobile, put in relation to the price of the iphone a 10-50 dollars screen protector is a no brainer. And all of you who say it’s not nice to install a screen protector, are scratches more nice?? Guess not! I don’t buy a iphone if i don’t have the opportunity to buy and install screen protector and case. Because the second the box is opened, i inspect the mobile for any cosmetic issues from the factory. If i have even a tiny blemish i exchange it for a perfect model, than after inspecting it, i let a PROFESSIONAL guy install the screen protector. After that i put my phone in a nice apple leather case and voila your mobile should stay pristine. My iPhone 11 pro max looks after one year like new. The guy who will buy the phone from me, will get a perfect handset. While your decisions to avoid screen protectors and cases brings only downfalls.

Suggest u buy an iPhone 12 before u publish ur “research”. It’s been unanimous now that the the glass is hard to shatter but easy to scratch. Now I don’t mind spending a couple bucks to get a screen guard if only apple had shared this info. My last 5 gens of iPhones never needed a screen guard despite heavy usage and this phone has a couple within a month. People r cheesed off because this should have been advised by apple.

Then you were incredibly unique and lucky.

iPhone 11 Scratch Thread --> https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250669687?answerId=252848127022#252848127022

One of many iPhone Xs Scratch Threads --> https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8567236?answerId=34080955022#34080955022

There have been threads on EVERY iPhone since iPhone was released about the screen scratching.

Personally, I only made the mistake of going without a screen protector on one phone, iPhone 6. At the end of one year, the phone was littered with micro-scratches. I vowed then and there to never forgo a screen protector on any iPhone I ever purchased again.

Saying you shouldn't doesn't work, because you do need to use a screen protector. The fact your previous phone, which had completely different glass composition didn't scratch doesn't work either. That analogy is kind of like saying, why should I need automobile insurance when I've never had a car accident. My iPhone 6 by the way, scratched like crazy and was the ONLY phone I never put a screen protector on. Every phone since has had one on it before they were even turned on.

iPhone 11 was the first of the phones with a new glass material. Before iPhone 11, there were threads virtually daily of people upset because their phone fell only a short distance, yet the glass shattered. Since iPhone 11, those threads are pretty much non-existent. I'm willing to bet the large numbers of people who shelled out big bucks to get a new screen would not agree with you.

Your assertion that a screen protector alters the experience also doesn't quite add up. Touch on my iPhone 12 Pro Max with the Apple installed Belkin protector is a flawless experience. It doesn't feel any different than touching the phone without a screen protector. A good quality screen protector also seems to reduce the level of finger prints.

Read through the thread and you'll see ALL the premium phone manufacturers changed the glass formula to be less prone to shattering, which equates to a bit easier to scratch.

That's you.

The industry as a whole has moved to shatter resistance but more scratch prone; it's true of Corning Gorilla Glass as well as Apple's formulations.

Indeed, we used to get questions here daily about how to get shattered glass repaired and those questions have dropped to near zero.

Feel free to make your displeasure known to Apple at the link below; complaining here will do nothing.

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

You can "expect" anything you like, but the phone industry is absolutely huge and Apple is just a tiny player. Corning does work with Apple, but an advance in materials science like glass that is both harder to scratch and is more shatter-resistant would be a cash cow for Corning and they would sell it to Apple and every other phone manufacturer. (Likewise, if some other company figures it out before Corning, they can pretty much drive Corning out of the Gorilla Glass for phones marketplace.)

An even better example than auto insurance is automotive "clear bras." Most people purchasing a higher-end car wouldn't drive the it off the dealer's lot without one - but many people do. Those that do often have stone chips on the nose of the car by the time they get it home. Sure, the car company could apply one at the factory and charge you a lot for it, but most prefer to choose their own, it's up to you.

You don't have to use a screen protector, I know people that don't, but you need to use extra caution and/or a case that provides its own.

Ceramic Shield increases the strength of the glass and it actually is more scratch-resistant than the glass on the iPhone 11 family of phones was.

You can use your phone without a protector, and the ads are not lying to you - all the items you see in the ad are softer than Mohs 5.5 or so - pennies, miscellaneous items, even many car keys. Bits of granite or steel, not so much.

So you can use your phone without a screen protector, just as you never have to wear sunscreen as long as you are cognizant of how long you've spent outdoors.

Whether you need to use a screen protector (or for that matter, sunscreen) is completely dependent upon your lifestyle.

I've never used any iPhone - and that means going back to the original in 2007 - without one, as it's cheap insurance.

What you choose to do is up to you.

Would you feel better if Apple Stores acted like car dealers and tried to upsell you on a bunch of accessories before you left the store?

buzzgary wrote:

Why is is so hard to understand that the screens used to be harder and many of us who don’t shatter our phones want it that way again.

No one is questioning that previous phones (pre-iPhone 11) had screens which were harder to scratch, but oh so much easier to shatter. No one.

So, I'll pose your question in reverse. Why is it so hard to understand that the screens on the newer generation phones are easier to scratch, but harder to shatter?

That is the point. Apple, along with the other manufacturers, after years of people complaining their phone screens shattered in simple drops, changed the formula for the glass to be much harder to shatter, but the trade-off is they are easier to scratch. Instead of shelling out $hundreds of dollars for a new screen, someone can shell out from $6 - $40 (depending on the brand) for a decent screen protector and have the best of both worlds. A phone whose screen won't scratch and a phone much harder to break in a fall.

If you can figure out how to make glass which is equally harder to shatter AND scratch, you will become richer beyond your dreams. No one has come up with such glass yet.

So, until they do, you put a screen protector on your phone.

And I find it hard to believe your iPhone 6 plus was totally scratch free. My iPhone 6 was unfortunately the ONLY iPhone I've ever owned which I mistakenly didn't put a screen protector on. At the end of two years, the screen had scratches all over it. It was then I vowed to never go without a screen protector on a phone ever.

Welcome to the club, misiu21. Sorry to hear this happened on your expensive new phone.

I too had a 6 Plus that never scratched once in 6 years.

Apple has gone for shatter resistance instead of scratch resistance with disastrous results for those of us that expected the same durability as past iPhones.

if you are still within the product return period, return it or have them replace the glass free as they did for me. I don’t have a protector (will never use one- hate the look and feel) and so far so good with being careful with my iPhone 11 with replaced glass and no protector. Maybe they tweaked the replacement glass? Not sure. So far no scratches after a whole week ;). I keep it now in my Jeans left front pocket. I used to keep it in the right pocket where the rivets are due to the extra little change pocket.

Best regards

I received a 12 Pro Max with a 3-4 mm gouge near sensors/ear speaker. I rubbed an area around it with a microfiber cloth/just damp, and I could see fine swirl marks being left in the screen if held in the sun.

That said, I actually use different types of ceramic coatings on vehicles (for protection) but also to avoid very fine scratches. It’s a very hard chemical I use for the process. So when seeing they did a ceramic screen I was pretty excited as I’m not the screen protector type, and ceramic used in my industry is hard. I assumed would be a good candidate for not having to use a screen protection film. (I Just like the Apple leather mag safe) No luck with screen protection in the past, has just not been up to my ocd ways, as even the slightest bit of dust, dirt starts getting under, I’d almost rather look at little scratches. Point being when I brought my situation to Apple and the 3rd party place purchased, Apple told me it would make less likely to shatter, but is softer to achieve that. Well in turn, it scratches easier. My place of purchase told me they have seen screens that are a month old and look a year old compared to previous phones.

The phone itself is insane! Hands down biggest upgrade to camera in few generations as a complete package ie. Camera, processor, and 5G. Aesthetically looks great, but until in a case, the stainless on outer edge is fingerprint crazy, you are kinda forced to use a case to protect protruding cameras...ok, fine.....it’s the screen scratching so easily that I have an issue with. I recommend a clean microfiber cloth you can use to wipe down before charging at nite, having cloth either very moderately damp, or using a traditional screen cleaning liquid. Been doing that to avoid dirt build up, and anything removed from the screen that could be abrasive and cause scratches in pocket, etc.

Cachristianson92 wrote:

Very disappointed, especially since its 2021, this shouldn't be a problem anymore.

What miracle in materials science do you think occurred in recent years such that a shatter-resistant, scratch-resistant glass can be produced?

Glass can be shatter-resistant or scratch-resistant, but not both, and in recent years the phone industry has opted for shatter resistance so people don't have to replace $500 screens but can protect from scratches using a $30 screen protector.

You can't really add shatter resistance if they had opted for scratch resistance instead.

Completely new formula glass on iPhone 11 and 12 Series phones. The 12 is slightly harder to scratch than the 11, but both phones are easier to scratch due to the new Corning glass used on all the high end phones these days from Apple, Samsung, Google, etc., which is harder to shatter, but a bit easier to scratch. It's not possible to make glass harder to break and harder to scratch at the same time.

I've only owned one iPhone which I didn't put a screen protector on. My iPhone 6 was naked for one year. Big mistake. At the end of one year, it was all scratched up and I vowed that no phone I ever bought new would even be turned on without a screen protector.

Get one either from Amazon or have one installed at your Apple Store to avoid getting any new scratches. And the screen protector will undoubtedly hide the ones you've gotten already.

Lucyrid wrote:

Has anyone got this fixed or help from Apple?

User caused cosmetic damage is not covered. Put a screen protector on your very expensive phone to avoid future scratches. As previously mentioned, you have 14 days to return your phone for full refund. You could them buy a new phone and put a screen protector on it before ever turning it on.

Cosmetic / natural wear and tear is not a warranty or accidental-damage related issue.

The up-side of this though is that if you are still within your normal retail return period I would suggest seeing if you can return it. If you got it from Apple online or thru an Apple store they do have a no-hassle return policy and purely natural wear and tear that falls below the threshold of accidental damage shouldn't be a problem. Then you could buy a new iPhone, and get a screen protector for that one.

If you're outside the normal retail return period from the store or carrier where you bought it I would get a screen protector to avoid future wear and tear. Although it wouldn't be applicable to the current situation you might want to consider getting AppleCare+ for accidental damage protection if you ever get damage beyond cosmetic in the future.