Iphone 14 Pro screen scratches

OK I can add to this. I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max, my 14th iPhone as I have owned them all from day one.

It’s scratched. A lot.

Im very careful with my phones, and haven’t required a case or screen protector for at least the last 4 or 5 phones I’ve had.

my wife has my previous iPhone 13 Pro Max, which is a year older, treated exactly the same as my 14 and not scratched at all.

I raised this with Apple support a few days ago, They recommended a 50mile round to my nearest Apple Store.

That was today.

the ‘genius’ I spoke to (their term not mine) said two interesting things.

1. Apple/Corning have traded shatter resistance for scratch resistance with iPhone 14 screens, so whilst the screen is much less likely to shatter if dropped, it is also much MORE likely to scratch.
2. I know I never put anything else in the pocket my phone is in, my ‘genius’ told me a grain of sand in my pocket is enough to cause the scratches I have.

Mainly though, they said this is cosmetic damage and get lost.

No one could explain why I was advised to drive 50 miles and waste 2 hours of my life to hear this.

in summary, if you treat an iPhone 14 Promax carefully, like your previous phones that were fine, this one won’t be.

it REQUIRES a screen protector. In which case for a phone at this price point I would argue it should be factory supplied and fitted properly in a dust-free environment.

At the very least, contrary to the false claim on the Apple website that implies improved scratch and chip resistance they should warn this phone may not be as scratch resistant as previous models due to improved shatter performance.

I’m not arguing that improved shatter resistance at the expense of scratch resistance is bad or wrong, just that Apple need to tell us this before a £1,400 phone is scratched - not after.

had I know this, I would of course have fitted a screen protector on purchase, up to now I never needed one and that is my point.

Im not done with this and have raised a complaint with Apple about this.

BTW two separate people from Apple today (one in the store, one on phone support) both said the same thing about shatter v scratch, so it’s obviously widely known to Apple staff, who knew this in user land? I certainly didn’t.

[Edited by Moderator]

It's not worse as despite what you claim, independent tests show the scratch resistance is the same as past Ceramic Shield models (the iPhone 12, 13 and 14 families), while shatter-resistance is improved.

For the investment of $30 or less for a screen protector, you can protect your screen against scratches, but no screen protector can prevent a screen that is harder but more brittle from shattering.

Note that a shattered screen used to be one of the most common issues people asked about, where today it's relatively rare.

Until there is a breakthrough in material physics, the situation isn't going to change.

The claims Apple makes about Ceramic Shield:

Nano-ceramic crystals — which are harder than most metals — are fused into glass for far greater durability.

Our dual-ion exchange process also protects against nicks, scratches, and everyday wear and tear.

are both accurate; note it states "greater" durability and that it "protects against," not prevents nicks and scratches.

Can you scratch the screen? Of course, it seems to have a Mohs hardness of approximately 6.

Note what sits right at 7 in the Mohs scale - quartz, the most common component of sand and gravel, both materials specks of with are often found in pockets, sometimes from the environment but sometimes from manufacturing of jeans or similar materials.

If you keep your phone in your pocket, a single grain of sand that's made its way into your pocket (or left over from manufacturing jeans) can do it. Likewise, so can I dirty finger when swiping the screen.

That's why, if minor scratches would bother you, it's important to always use a screen protector, and if possible don't even take the phone out of the box for the first time without having one immediately ready to apply.

Some other vendors apply them at the factory, but Apple would rather give you a choice of which to use, if any at all.

The iPhone 14 screens are just as durable as the screens in past iPhones as shown by independent tests.

The problem is most pockets contain small bits of debris, and the most common component of that debris is quartz, which is harder than the material used in all smartphone screens and can scratch them if a protector is not used.

This forum is for Apple users to provide help other Apple users experiencing issues.

If you are worried about scratching your iPhone 14 Pro, or don't want to get any more scratches, apply a screen protector.

Otherwise, even with a Mohs 6 hardness, screens can scratch easier than you might think, so… apply a screen protector.

You don't have to, it's your choice, but you accept the risk of having your screen scratch.

If you think your screen is defective, only Apple can determine that, so make an appointment to have your phone examined and they will make a determination:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

On the other hand those who do their research can easily see that people have been complaining of the exact same issues for several years, so a screen protector is advised.

To use the car analogy, it’s like going to Internet message boards and finding out those who didn’t apply film have been complaining about rock chips in the paint for several years.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to make an informed decision, no matter what the product.

Independent tests show the iPhone 14’s screen is no more prone to being damaged than the screens of past devices, despite your experiences.

If you feel this is not the case, as I stated, take your phone in for examination by Apple.

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Most any Apple Store will apply the screen protector for you, and they will redo it if necessary to make you happy.

Yes, dust particles and bubbles can be annoying… but they are not permanent and replacing the screen protector is orders of magnitude cheaper than replacing a screen.

I would never use a phone without one; if you don't want to use one, you need to accept your screen will get scratched.

To use the car analogy again, if you don't apply protective film because you don't like the way it looks, you have to accept that you will get rock chips in your paint.

You can say it's ridiculous or silly, but that's the choice you make, regardless of whether your device is from Apple or from someone else.

Do an Internet search and you'll find just as many complaints for other brands of phones.

Why can't they make a screen that doesn't scratch? Because the harder a material is and less prone to scratch… the more brittle it is and likely to crack and shatter.

So companies could make a scratch-proof front glass, but it would shatter if you dropped your phone.

That's why there are high hardness screen protectors that will prevent all scratches - but will crack and shatter easily; it's more acceptable for most to replace a $20 screen protector than a ($379 for an iPhone 14 Pro Max) screen.

Apple could apply a screen protector at the factory, but I don't want to have to pay for one I will remove and replace with one of a design I prefer.

I mentioned earlier Samsung used to apply one to their phones at the factory…

but no longer does as of the Galaxy S22.

It's a trade-off everyone needs to make for themselves.

Oh, and I am paid exactly $0 by Apple to help users here, and the same is true for anyone else here not specifically identified as an Apple employee.

Nick-edw wrote:

The Apple reps I spoke to yesterday both told me it was worse - I merely agreed with them. Maybe you should correct them not me.

They're giving an opinion, not speaking for Apple per se, and are wrong. You can find multiple videos of people who follow the same methodology to test the scratch resistance of new phones using industry standard testing tools, and they arrive at the same results for all Ceramic Shield phones - a Mohs scale reading of around 6, which is the same as the iPhone 7.

I can't speak for iPhones earlier than that.

You don’t compare to pre-ceramic shield models, I suspect because they were more scratch resistant.

Perhaps, but they were much more shatter-prone. Most would rather have a screen that doesn't shatter when dropped because you can fully protect it with a $30 screen protector; as I mentioned previously, a screen protector can't stop a brittle screen from cracking.

The point you are going to great lengths to miss is that I previously never needed one and now I apparently do.

Different people have different definitions of "need."

I've never owned an iPhone without a screen protector, not even the original iPhone.

It's like driving a car without auto insurance - you may have never have had an accident and then your car is totaled driving your new car out of the dealership.

I and others here have advocated applying a screen protector before you even turn on the phone for the first time back to at least the iPhone 6.

I can only speak for myself but none of my previous iPhones have scratched without screen protectors and this one has despite treating them the same, what conclusion would you draw in my position?

That obviously there was some debris on your fingertips that caused scratches on your new device and you were just lucky with past devices.

Again, tests have shown that at least since the iPhone 12 screens have not become more scratch-prone.

It’s pretty widely known to buy a screen protector for any phone regardless of whether you’ve used one before, which is why there is a whole section of the wall devoted to them at physical Apple Stores.

Apple “knows” it’s an issue to the degree it is an industry issue; Apple doesn’t make their own glass, they get it from a supplier (though made with their modifications) like Google and Samsung do.

The screen on iPhone is NOT ceramic coated. Apple NEVER said it was ceramic coated. They call the glass "ceramic shield." which is more durable. But that doesn't mean it's impossible to scratch. There's a tradeoff between a screen which is harder to scratch and one which is harder to break. The tradeoff is glass which is harder to scratch is more brittle, which makes it easier to break. A screen which is harder to break, is actually easier to scratch. Most people would rather pay a few dollars for a good quality screen protector as opposed to spending hundreds of dollars to replace a cracked screen.

People here keep misinterpreting what was meant by durable. Not breaking as easily, is indeed more durable. There are plenty of articles about the new formula screens you can google if you'd like. And perhaps one day someone will create glass which is harder to scratch and harder to break, but no one has figured that out yet.

Apple installs screen protectors on iPhone in their stores every day of the week. They wouldn't sell screen protectors if there was no need or benefit. I personally wouldn't have a $1000+ phone which wasn't protected right out of the box.

Not a bad batch. iPhone 14 is more prone to screen scratching than the previous models but less likely to crack if you drop your phone but apple failed to mention this, so we could use a screen protector.

I do have an apple care plan and have opened a case with apple support. I have explained my concern to them and have been offered a free screen replacement. I’m planning to replace the screen a put a screen protector, hopefully no more scratches after that.

I do understand.

It doesn't change the fact that if someone didn't put on a screen protector, if their screen is now scratched, it doesn't mean it's more scratch-prone than older models, (it isn't, something that has been proven to be true by multiple independent reviewers.)

If they want to contact Apple about it, they may do so here:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Ultimately Apple is the sole arbiter of which screens get replaced under warranty and which do not.

In the future, always apply a screen protector before even turning the phone on for the first time, it's just common sense and is something I have done with every iPhone I've ever owned going back to the original.

The only iPhone I never not put a screen protector on was my iPhone 6. It scratched like crazy. Since I hate scratches, I vowed to never own an iPhone without putting a screen protector on it out of the box. We both know every single iPhone ever sold has glass which can be scratched. No one has yet to figure out a formula where the glass cannot be scratched. I don't quite get the folks responding here who are claiming this is something new? It simply isn't new and if one doesn't want to see any scratches, the only logical thing to do is to put a screen protector on their expensive screen to avoid them altogether.

I would encourage you to read the entire thread as opposed to just responded to the first post. Apple is not going to recall these phones. EVERY single iPhone since the original iPhone is made of glass and glass can be scratched. No one has yet, from Apple to Google, to Samsung, etc., figured out how to create glass that can't scratch. Ceramic Shield doesn't mean the glass can't scratch. It means the phone is less likely to be shattered in a fall. That is a remarkable achievement as before Ceramic Shield, screens were highly susceptible to shattering in a fall. But in order to make glass which is harder to break, it still can't make it scratch-proof.

If you want to avoid scratches on your iPhone, put a screen protector on it. I put screen protectors on my new phones before they are even turned on. The only iPhone I didn't do that with was iPhone 6 and I regretted it. It was scratched up like crazy in a very short time.

Apple installs screen protectors in Apple Stores. Best Buy installs them. You can order a screen protector from Amazon and there are hundreds of options available there. Screen protectors are bid business because people who don't want the phone screen to be scratched buy them. A lot of them.

Then it’s doing its job; modern screens are slightly less scratch-resistant but much less brittle as a result as compared to the original iPhone screen.

Adding an inexpensive screen protector prevents scratches but can’t stop a more brittle screen from shattering.