iPhone 12 pro scratched screen

Not the iPhone 4 thing again… about which Apple was 100% correct. Tests showing holding other phones in the same way caused reception issues with them as well.

This is not an Apple-specific issue, it's an industry issue.

If you care about why, you can read this article:

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

If you want to discuss your dead MBA pixel with Apple, contact Apple Support directly here:

Contact - Official Apple Support

If you want to complain about the glass, you may do so here:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

The irony is that what happened to your screen protector is exactly what happens to hard glass.

If a phone company made the glass hard enough to be impervious to most scratches, it would do precisely that - shatter and crack at the slightest provocation.

The people you at Apple you want to read your comments do not read these forums; I'm not sure why so many seem so adamant about not sending comments where they will read them and insist on posting here.

Once more, post your comments to Apple here:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

If you don't want to use a screen protector, you don't have to, but odds are your screen will scratch.

If you don't wash and wax your car, the paint will fail, and guess what your auto manufacturer will do in that case - absolutely nothing.

Oh, and users here (that includes you) don't get points for "defending Apple," we get points for answering users' questions and solving their issues.

Simply posting gains us nothing.

Nope, it's not. What solution do you think anyone here can offer you? Did you not read the terms of use you agreed to when you joined this forum? Do you not realize you are speaking ONLY with other users on this user to user forum? Apple isn't here. Apple isn't reading your complaints. Apple isn't going to respond to you. All Apple will do for you is sell you a screen protector to protect your phone. What do you think you are going to get from other users? We can do nothing for you. You can either put a screen protector on your phone to avoid future scratches. Or you can sell your phone and get something else. Complaining here is a total waste of your time.

If you want to complain to Apple, you certainly haven't here. Using this feedback link is the only way for you to get your message to Apple --> https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

We don’t get “brownie points” for “denying” things, we get points for actually solving user issues as determined by the users themselves.

You can ask for anything you like, but you refuse to believe that this is the wrong forum in which to do so, as Apple does not track those requests here, but they do look at the feedback sent via that link.

You can deny that of course but complaining here has the same effect as loudly voicing an Apple complaint at your local grocery store; sure an Apple employee might be there (and if they are they are on their own time, not Apple’s), but why not send your comment where it will be read?

A “mounting body of evidence” here means precisely nothing. That’s not belittling your issue, it’s telling you where to address your concerns:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

If you’re unhappy with a device, that’s your business.

However, if you’re going to claim something is defective or poorly designed because it doesn’t behave the way you want it to, I will defend that.

Simply put, Apple’s displays are state of the art. Were there other displays that were “stronger” that would be one thing, but at present there are not.

Further, Apple’s screens are a little softer than screens used to be and as a result some complain of scratches but the number of complaints about displays shattering because of a drop off a desk or table have fallen dramatically.

You can add a $30 screen protector to prevent your screen from scratching; you cannot pay $30 and reduce the risk of your screen shattering if it falls from a table.

These forums exist, as defined by the Apple Support Communities Terms of Use, for users like myself to provide technical answers to technical questions asked by other users.

Technical facts are not a “defense” of Apple, they are just accurate data.

If you’re unhappy, I presume next time you may select a phone from a competitor and will join those on their forums complaining their screens are easy to damage.

Samsung Community: S21 Screen scratches normal use

The Verge: Why your brand-new smartphone will scratch just as easily as your old one

rasmus818 wrote:

Lol. “..never even touch the screen until a screen protector has been applied”. Sorry, this is just funny to read - like my phone is made out of some cheap materials - I’ve had numerous of Apple products, and I put my hands on them as soon as it’s out of the box 👏 - they are supposed to work just like that.

Oh, they work - but you're possibly scratching them when you do so. By applying the screen protector immediately, the screen is fully protected and doesn't have to be cleaned of even dust before applying the protector. It makes the most sense all around.

I guess we just have to agree that we disagree about this. I understand you are trying explain the rationale in having a screen protector (thank you for that). I’m just trying to explain how I prefer to use my phone without one - and how I preferred that my previous iPhone display might be more prone to shattering but at the same time being more scratch resistant. I just wish it would have been more clear that the new display had this disadvantage - then I would have decided for the iPhone 11 instead. As long as my phone is an iPhone, I’m happy, I would just rather have the display shattered than getting all kinds of annoying scratches.

The iPhone 12 display is more scratch-resistant than the iPhone 11 was.

I get your preferences, so you will just have to deal with scratched screens on whatever device you choose as a result.

This article explains what's been happening to phone glass since at least the iPhone 8/iPhone X and competitors (this article dates to 2018):

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

The gist: glass can either be scratch-resistant but brittle, or less brittle but more prone to scratching.

Since a $30 screen protector can prevent scratches, but nothing you apply can prevent having to spend $229 - $329, depending upon iPhone 12 model, for a new screen when one shatters, you can see which way it makes more sense to tilt the scale.

Fix what issue? Apple has two choices.

1. Make a screen harder to scratch
2. Make a screen harder to break

They can't do both. Corning who makes the glass formulas who is pretty good with glass has not yet been able to create glass which is harder to break and scratch at the same time. Apple chose harder to break as when one breaks the screen on their $1,000 phone it costs $$hundreds of dollars to replace. A screen protector on the other hand can be had for around $10 on the low end, and $40-$50 on the high end.

I don't work for Apple. I get no compensation for responding to posts on these forums. But when I see people complain without merit over something they can avoid, I comment.

BTW, since you seem to think Apple and ultimately Corning should be able to make glass which is harder to break and scratch at the same time, why don't you apply your vast knowledge on this to make said glass. You'll be richer than you could possibly imagine if you succeeded.

Mine is a groove (not a scuff or scratch). I commented about my situation dozens of comments ago and have been following this thread.

my only two additional comments at this point are:

1. Any change is softness or scratch resistance to the display from earlier version should be communicated up front w additional warning to get a screen protector
2. I’m actually surprised my screen protector gets little or no scratches or grooves and is harder than the actual display. I’ve had screen protectors shatter (protecting display wonderfully) but never scratch.

You can do whatever you want with your phone. If you don't use a screen protector however, you cannot complain if:

1. You phones screen becomes scratched
2. You screen shatters in a fall

Otherwise it's entirely up to you the user. Me on the other hand find that screen protectors are a MUST HAVE for any phone I own.

Personal choice is a great thing. You choose what you want. I'll choose what I want.

But if you have a phone which is scratched (most likely why you're in this thread), I have a phone which has no scratches on its screen.

The stronger glass has been tested to be somewhere between Mohs 6 and 7, meaning anything harder than that can scratch it.

That includes granite, the most common component of sand and gravel.

Here's a nice chart.

Meanwhile this is the first year I can't use a Belkin film because I always use an anti-glare film on mine as I find the glossy glass too glossy.

Belkin has always made an anti-glare film available until the 12 series; now I've had to go with a film by Power Support instead.

If Apple included one the first thing I would have to do is remove it and apply one of my choice.

Fingernails are Mohs 2.5, iPhone glass has been found to be between Mohs 5 and 6.

A material of a particular strength can only be scratched by material of a higher number Mohs classification.

It's more likely that a stray fragment of granite, the most common component of sand or debris, was at fault and is to be found in a pocket or other place the phone was placed where it scraped against other materials.

ester231 wrote:

Oh I have, dont you worry... i am doing something about it, more importantly will have to reconsider my choice of phone in the future

and yes, more shatterproof doesn’t mean scratch proof, which is why so many of us here have the same complaint

and also you trying to dismiss it doesn’t add anything to this discussion

I'm not dismissing anything, this is what the state of the art is in smartphone glass.

You can dislike it, you can say you will never buy another iPhone, but it's what the industry as a whole is facing.

Note that Samsung "solves" this by applying a screen protector at the factory; if you prefer Apple could raise the price of the iPhone $30 and do the same, but I'd rather they leave it to customers to decide.

SamMobile: Does the Galaxy S20 come with a screen protector? Yes it does!

alexalaurentiu wrote:

obviously there is an issue with the new iphone screen, which sooner or later apple will have to admit and also fix, otherwise people will start switching to other brands

Yes, the other brands that apply a screen protector that so many people seem to hate at the factory.

Maybe next time Apple can do the same and raise the price of the phone $50; it seems people would be happier with that as they don't want to take the responsible move of purchasing and installing one themselves.

Apple certainly made the right move with their glass as the number of "I dropped my phone and the screen shattered" posts has dropped to near zero over the past few models.

Personally I have owned every iPhone since the original, and have never even touched the screen of any of them without applying a screen protector first; with my 12 Pro Max the screen was exposed to air for about ten seconds before the protector went on.

I've never had a fire either, but I sure have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.

MrsJLipke wrote:

My brand new iPhone 12 Pro Max does not "scratch as easily as my old iphones" ; it scratches WAY MORE EASILY...just touching the front ceramic screen with your fingers scratches it!

That is provably not true unless you have debris or grit on your finger that is harder than between 5 and 6 on the Mohs Hardness scale, as that is the tested hardness of the iPhone 12 Pro Max screen:

How could that be? Quartz even as a powder is one of the most common materials on earth, being present in most sand, gravel and other dirt particles.

However clean skin or even your fingernails alone would not scratch the screen.