iPhone 12 pro scratched screen

Karina__G wrote:

Yep! Scratched after 3 days and had a protective case and not dropped. Last iPhone I had for 4 years & no scratches! Is there any way of getting rid of them?

No.

However if you apply a screen protector now you won't get new scratches and it may minimize the appearance of the ones you have.

I have had this same issue after 3 days of light gentle use. Apple Support says it is not covered by workmanship warranty and that I should pay for a screen replacement. With Apple care it is $249 plus $39 plus taxes, without Apple Care it is $439.

There needs to be a warning about how easily the screen scratches. This is my 4th iphone since the 4s and I've never had a scratch before in years of use...3 days and it is scratched. Extremely disappointed. This could be my last Iphone purchase.

I successfully exchanged the phone. Bought the screen protectors to avoid the scratches. I was on iPhone 7 and upgraded to iPhone 12 with high expectations but scratches on the phone disappointed me. But luckily I was able to exchange the phone.

I have the same issue with my iPhone 12 pro max. I’ve had it about a week and it’s already got loads of fine scratches on the screen despite very careful use. My iPhone 7 that it’s replaced never had a screen protector and only had age related fine swirls on the screen after several years daily use. No way on earth the screen on my new one would be in such condition after that amount of time, it seems to scratch incredibly easily. Needless to say I’ve now purchased a screen protector. It’s extremely disappointing that with the technology that’s available today Apple don’t seem to be able to make a phone with a screen that’s scratch resistant, especially on such an expensive “Flagship” phone!

I have treated my iPhone 12 Pro Max like I would treat anything that is worth $1,099, including the iPhone Xs Max I traded in to get it. My Xs Max had no cosmetic problems and looked like new when I gave it back two years after got it, yet a month after having the 12 Pro Max I am sickened to see scratches all over the screen. I wish I could go back and put a screen protector on, but in hindsight I had no idea this would be an issue. I keep my right pocket exclusive to my phone and never put anything else in it, yet it looks like I put my phone through a woodchipper. Very disappointed in this ceramic shield, which might help me with a phone drop but is soft enough to be scratched way too easily.

jackiepurdy wrote:

One convo with my phone should not scratch a phone designed for such. My last phone is 4 years old no scratches at all. Don’t be a troll when multiple ppl have the same issue.

Multiple people have the same issue because they are damaging their phones by scratching them with something hard or sharp and not applying a screen protector at purchase.

It's your decision, but your action has caused it to become scratched.

That's not trolling, it's the truth.

I can post this again - most tests have shown the iPhone screen to be between 5 and 6 on the Mohs hardness scale.

Anything harder scraped against the screen will scratch it.

Grnhvt wrote:

There was nothing on the table that was between 5/6 on the Mohs hardness scale.

Yes there was or the screen would not be scratched - or it was scratched at some other point in time that she didn't notice.

Air does not scratch the screen, something of hardness > 5.5 on the Mohs scale above is required to scratch the screen, or it does not scratch. That's not a supposition, that's how materials science works.

Note at Mohs hardness 7 is quartz - that's the most common material found in sand and general grit around the world.

Also at Mohs 6.5 is a "steel nail." If the earring was made of steel, it could scratch the display. Earrings are commonly made of stainless steel (Mohs 6.5) as well. Rubies and sapphires are Mohs 9, emeralds 7.5 to 8.

The glass does withstand normal use, but to protect it you should use a screen protector.

If you purchase a $60,000 car, you still have to wash and wax the car or the paint will fade and degrade.

Other companies take a different route - Samsung installs a screen protector at the factory.

Rather than have Apple charge extra and apply one at the factory, I'd rather they charge a few dollars less and allow the consumer to pick the screen protector that will work best for them, if they decide to use one at all.

Jackie. The issue is the screen is soft. The 2 don’t stop arguing. They even think they know what you have done and been told by apple! I really don’t know what they gain. The original question was that has anyone had the scratch issue......lots of people have the same issue.

I returned my iPhone 12 within the 14 days cool off period. I saw the manager at the store I bought it.

It was replaced on cosmetic issue grounds.

I would take them both back if I were you. The more people that complain the more likely they will do something about it.

Apple claim that the screen is tough this has been proved wrong by many unhappy customers.

Yes, to everyone with this issue: call Apple and speak to a manager! I did this and they are now working on a phone replacement. They might do the same for you.

Don’t listen to trolls on this discussion saying your complaints aren’t valid—nit sure what they are trying to prove. Apple needs to know they messed up on this one and need to fix it. The more people who speak up the more likely they are to realize the reality and take care of it.

I think this issue (which has been discussed EXTENSIVELY in this thread) is that customers would appreciate a more clear communication from Apple in the product info that in order to make the glass display more shatter-resistant (a terrific thing) they accepted the trade-off of a softer glass in the display and that they recommend a screen protector. Knowledge is power.

glass is not glass. There r a lot of categories of glasses available some of them bullet proof. Having worked with phone manufacturers since 2007 I can assure u for a very long time screen guards were not required unless u were obsessive about keeping ur screen pristine. It was really difficult to scratch a Corning gorilla glass. Because iPhone has a silicon fused glass this year it is stronger but way more scratch prone. I asked u to buy iPhone 12 so that u can compare ur older model glass with ur newer one and check for urself.

The same here. My iPhone 12 was replaced by the manager at my local apple shop. Who by the way as never used a screen protector! The phone was within the return period. So it is worth a try. Ignore the negative people in the thread.

buzzgary wrote:

i understand. I’m talking about real life here. Not hypotheticals. I don’t carry loose quartz or diamonds in my pockets— most don’t.

Actually you most likely do. Quartz sand is the most common of sand on the planet. Most pockets have micro-sand particles in them. Especially pants which were "sand-washed" as most pants sold today were.

This is one of the reasons it's such a mystery to people who claim their phone got scratched in their pants pocket and they didn't have anything like keys or coins (two things which won't scratch an iPhone screen). What they fail to realize is they most likely had micro-quartz particles in their pockets, which WILL scratch an iPhone screen.

Provide your thoughts on this to Apple. Again, you're arguing with other users. None of whom work for or have anything to do with Apple. What do you possibly hope to gain in arguing with other users? Is it going to change the formula of glass on your iPhone? Is it going to get Apple to somehow change the formula of glass on iPhone. Hint: It won't.

Lain443 wrote:

I just got my iphone 12 pro today and when I gently took off the front seal, guess what I saw.. A TINY SLIGHTLY DEEP SCRATCH ON THE CERAMIC GLASS NEAR THE EDGE BY THE POWER BUTTON!

That's called a manufacturing defect and the phone should be exchanged by Apple.

As stated, if they don't want to, return it for a refund and purchase another if you so choose.

Many of us, I’m sure, agree with buzzgary. Although you and our Phantom-Crustacean friend are of course correct that there is a trade off between increased toughness and reduced hardness, most people’s gripe is that this was not made clear in the marketing of the iPhone 12.

Perhaps if you follow Apple forums religiously and buy every model then you would have been aware of the issue, but most customers do not, and so were not aware of the need to place a screen protector on their iPhone 12 immediately. I read the advertising on Apple’s UK website and the only mention of the glass was as follows (and I quote verbatim) “ Dual ion-exchange process. Tough is great, but we also wanted to make it scratch-resistant. So, using the same dual-ion exchange process we use on the back glass, we protect from nicks, scratches and everyday wear and tear.“ 

The main point of complaint (certainly mine is) relates to this misleading advertising about the screen. I mean this in the context of anyone who has previously had an older model of iPhone in the past. Having been happy with three previous models (3G, 4S and 7) which had no major scratch issues (but of course, before you bother to re-state it, were more likely to crack if dropped) I read that this new model has tougher glass AND its less likely to scratch, so why on earth would I realise that there was now a requirement to place a screen protector on immediately? 

No, I do not read complaint forums before buying a new phone, I read the advertising of a company that I trust and have stuck with for 10 years. 

Then within two weeks of normal use two very deep scratches appear and I have no scoobie what could have caused them. So I Google search and come across this forum and see many people have experienced the same issue. Posting my comment in support of someone else who has experienced the same issue as me, I am enlightened by you two that this is obviously my fault. My complaint was compared to a new car customer complaining about damage to his car upon scraping the paintwork on their garage and stating they’d never had an accident before. Bull. It is more comparable to a new car customer arriving home to find every fly on his windscreen has caused a pockmark in the glass, and on complaining about it is told “ oh, but surely you know our new tougher glass needs a windscreen protector on before you drive?”

I bought and applied a screen protector straight after reading the forum posts but it was too late by then, and the two scratches are very annoying and clearly visible whenever the screen isn’t lit up. This is clearly a first-world-problem, especially in the context of current issues, but I feel the complaint I and others have raised is legitimate. 

If you think that raising it with Apple customer complaints directly has any chance of resulting in a repair then I’m happy to try but your previous comments have dissuaded me from trying. However posting this still adds to a mounting body of evidence ( that WILL be seen by Apple) that this IS an issue and their marketing needs to be amended.

Sent from my (scratched) iPhone