iPhone 15 Screen Scratching Easily?

sobelo1 wrote:

me too. not sure why i’m spending $1,000 on a phone for it to be scratched when in my pocket

An unprotected iPhone screen carried in your pants pockets may not be hosted in as pristine an environment as you think. When pants are washed, some reside detergent is left, which then when dried can turn into microscopic crystals. In addition we live in a world with micro-sand particles, which can accumulate in our pockets. You can't necessary see them, but when they are brushed up against an unprotected glass screen, these teeny tiny particles become abrasives and can scratch your iPhone screen. This is why I personally NEVER keep my phone in my pocket. Instead, I keep my phone in a belt clip case, which places the phone face down so it can't be harmed by anything. And I also make sure to put a decent quality screen protector on my phone right out of the box, to ensure the screen can't be harmed. I find it more amazing, people will pay $1000+ for a phone and not spend a few dollars more to protect it.

While I'm not going to post any links to articles, there are a number of really good, not biased articles about the new glass formulas on modern iPhones and scratch resistance. Google them. Simply said, the newer formulas are intended to make the screens harder to break, which since Apple moved to this glass is quite apparent. But when you make glass harder to break, that doesn't mean it's harder to scratch. In fact the opposite is more common. Glass which can flex more to avoid breaking, can be easier to scratch. So, it's wise to use a screen protector and this becomes a non-issue.

I been doing searches for several posts related to previous generations, and indeed, the exists for the iphone 13, but a quarter of the me too that this thread have. We did an action over different countries, asking for the tech guys to recall most devices possible, and in the first tranche we recovered 150 of them. All of them had scratches, in parallel we did a recall on another 300 iphone se or 13 given at the same time, and guess what, the number of devices with scratches on screens are in 1 each 4. We explained this to our brm from apple and we are getting a full refund. For devices that are been used for 2months in some cases. So for us this means that they know that there is an issue. Mi advice is to escalate the issue to your br or to apple.

Older iPhones had displays that were slightly more scratch-resistant at the cost of being much more prone to cracking.

Since you can prevent scratches with a $30 screen protector but can't prevent cracking, and a new display is often $300 or more, you can see where the entire industry moved to slightly softer screens that were much less likely to crack.

This 2018 article from The Verge isn't even about iPhones (rather, Samsung), but explains the issue well:

The reason why has to do with both market demand and glass’ natural qualities. Since glass can’t truly be both extremely drop resistant and scratch resistant, Corning and other glass makers are forced to choose which of those two qualities to prioritize. For Corning, drop resistance takes precedence.

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

If you're that careful about your device, add a screen protector now to prevent any further damage.

Screens have not become any more scratch-prone since the iPhone 8/X if not before.

There are loads of things in pockets. Laundry soap crystalizes when it gets dried in a dryer. The world is full of sand and some can be in your pockets as well. To spend a lot of money on a phone and not spend a few dollars on a screen protector is just an unprotected screen waiting to be scratched. I would never keep my iPhone in my pants pocket.

Since cosmetic damage is not covered under iPhone warranty, put a decent screen protector on it, which will likely hide the scratch you've gotten and prevent future scratches.

I've explained why the new glass is easier to scratch. I have absolutely no doubt if you didn't invest a few dollars in a screen protector, your glass has likely scratched. Why do you think at Apple Stores around the world, Apple installs screen protectors from Belkin on iPhones every day of the week? To protect them from scratches, of course. They are not required and if you didn't ask Apple about them, that's on you, not the store you may have gotten your phone from.

Samsung phones employ a very similar glass composition and of course they should have a screen protector installed. I've read, but cannot prove that the screens on Samsung and Apple phones are made of the same material. ANY expensive phone should have a screen protector. It just makes sense to invest a few dollars to avoid scratches. Especially, if like you, they might upset you to get scratches. It would certainly upset me. That's why when I get a new iPhone, it gets a new screen protector installed before it's even turned on.

Years ago, when people dropped an iPhone, they shattered easily. It cost people hundreds of dollars to put a new screen on their iPhone. With Ceramic Shield the incidence of broken screens dropped dramatically. Why? Because the glass can flex easier, making it harder to break. But that has a reverse effect, in that softer (less breakable) glass can be scratched more easily. The benefit is it saves people hundreds of dollars if they accidentally drop their phone. And people who wisely spend a few dollars to protect the screen from scratches have an amazing combination.

You suggest Apple employed low quality to save cost. Nothing could be further from the truth. The new glass is actually pretty amazing. But no one has yet to make glass harder to break which is equally harder to scratch. If you want to become richer beyond your imagination, you should try to create such glass. Until then, most people put a screen protector on their expensive phone out of the box, as opposed to complaining on an internet forum about their screen becoming scratched. Too bad you didn't do that.

Not exactly true, but I looked it up. Since the iPhone 12 they have been using "Ceramic Shield". Before that was the Gorilla Glass varients, which use a different process. There are many different glass processes, and While they all end up in a similar place on Mohs hardness scale, they behave differently. Some are more resistant light scratches, but will break with different sorts of impact, etc...

My previous phones from Apple and Samsung were older which is likely why I am noticing different behaviors. I wonder how many others that are noticing the difference in behavior are coming from a Gorilla glass model.

However, it is true that having a screen protector will guard against these light everyday scratches.

I upgraded to an iPhone 15 pro from an 11 and will say it does scratch easily. Without any drops and just putting it in my pocket for three days, it acquired several scratches. I didn't use a screen protector on my iPhone 11 and never had any issues. Definitely put a screen protector on the 15 pro immediately.

Apple is not using an inferior screen in the iPhone 15 series and neither have your pant's fabric crystallized 😂. Unlike your 11, the 15 series is using a Ceramic Shield front display panel which means its will be a lot more difficult to break as it’s more shatter resistant. More shatter resistance however means it scratches more easily as the display is ‘stiffer or firmer’ compared to your 11s display. Hope this response eased your concerns and enjoy your 15.

SOLUTION: I've posted on here echoing each and every comment. I took my phone into the apple store. This is after hours and days of customer support of going nowhere. I was persistent. Initially they told me "too bad so sad, it's esthetics and not covered". This was not acceptable to me. So they made notes on my case. Customer support noted that my phone was "shipped with scratches". NOT MY WORDS. I never said that. Then they kicked me over to sales and they directed me to go into a local Apple store. When I went into the store again the genius's repeated "shipped with scratches" again NOT MY WORDS. They replaced my phone with a new one - immediately I had them put on the Belkin screen protector with their fancy installation device (worth the extra $49). It'll take an hour out of your time to transfer the data in the Apple store. Again, worth it because my phone was under a month old and I wasn't going to live with those scratches on a brand new phone.

[Edited by Moderator]

The screen on iPhone 15 and the 14 before it are NOT inferior screens, no matter what you say. The glass formula may be easier to scratch, but it is infinitely harder to break, meaning it won't cost hundreds of dollars if it falls. It would be incredible if someone could invent glass which is equally harder to break and scratch, but that hasn't yet been invented. You cannot suggest the screen is inferior, however. And it is beyond mystifying to me anyone would spend up to or more than $1000 on a phone and not spend a few dollars on a screen protector to protect their investment. Mystifying is an understatement.

jdsemel wrote:

Actually someone did make a screen that doesn’t scratch. And that company’s name is Apple on the last 4 iPhones generations. A point you keep conveniently forgetting in every post.

Apple has NEVER EVER suggested any iPhone they've EVER made cannot be scratched. Please point out exactly where you believe apple made such a claim. I'll be waiting for the exact words suggesting so. But I'll be waiting forever, because they have never suggested an iPhone can't be scratched.

What Apple has said, by the way, is the new Ceramic Shield glass used is more durable. Durable doesn't mean can't be scratched. But the ceramic shield glass is less prone to breaking in a drop. But that doesn't mean, nor can it be interpreted to mean can't be scratched.

The issue and what you and most others aren't getting is that to make glass less prone to break in a fall, it is in fact a bit softer (it flexes more easily, so won't easily shatter in a fall). Softer actually means it can scratch easier.

There are people in my office who own iPhone 12, 13, 14 and 15. In all four models, those who chose not to put a screen protector on their phones have scratches. I'm sorry. I see you're passionate about this, but to suggest the newer generation phones did not, nor could not scratch is unfortunately wrong. Glass can scratch. Apple, nor Samsung, nor Google, nor any cell phone manufacturer has yet to create glass which can't scratch.

Go out to YouTube and watch the myriad of videos of iPhone scratch tests for the last few years. There is NOT one model which didn't scratch. Not ONE.

Something obviously caused the scratch, it's just that you may not have noticed what if it was caused by putting it into or removing it from a pocket.

Again, the best way to avoid this is to use a screen protector; it's cheap insurance and they work well, and if the protector is damaged you can replace just it.

Independent tests have shown the screen is no more scratch-prone than past iPhones since at least the X.

Regardless of your experience with past iPhones, your scratches would have been completely prevented by the use of an inexpensive screen protector. There is no "horrible" hear - the iPhone 15 screen is as rugged as any iPhone since the 8 and X.

If you feel your phone is defective, make an appointment to have it examined and Apple will make a determination.

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

I just got my iphone 15pro days ago and it literally has not left my house and yet there is a deep scratch on the display I had my iphone 12pro for 3 years never had a screen protector and had one light scratch and that was from it falling off my lap getting out of the car falling onto concrete. I did notice the 15 pro is lighter than the 15 pro and both are the same size but tapping on the screen the 12 seems more like glass and the iphone 15 like plastic. some heads up would have been nice I would have bought a screen cover. Granted my iphone 3 did shatter falling off the sofa onto a wood floor so they have come a long way but this is a step backwards and I believe these have a coating of some sort so polishing may not be an option. This will bug me for years.