Scuffs/Scratches On New iPhone 5 Right Out Of The Box

Are the latest phones still shipping with scuffs & damage?

The lastest phones are still shipping with scuffs on the bezels... no more scratches or chips though!

Inspect that glass! Lots of noticable swirls and scratches on the inside glass are starting to be reported on the net. My friend went through 3 iPhones this week alone because all of them had swirls on the glass... so much for improving! 😟

I'm on the 3rd black 64GB and I'm thinking about just going to the white version.

Would I have better luck getting a perfect white version then the black?

People over on the VZW forum who were promised a ship-by date of 10/26 just reported they got a shipment notification yesterday for their 16GB white models. I think those will be a true indicator of how well things are improving at Foxconn. Though I guess the black is another beast all together when it comes to the cosmetic issues. I'll keep an eye open over there and see what they have to say later this week when they get their phones.

possibly. I received my phone on oct. 12 and i swear it had no scuffs, and today i just noticed a scuff on the botton chamfered edge of my phone. i don't know if it was because i had dropped my phone (i have a well protected case though) or the apple technician at the apple store did it by accident while he was checking my phone... it wasn't very big or anything but it did kinda bother me. unfortunately, majority of the iphones have the scuffs regardless of color. many people think the white ones don't have have it but in fact they do it. they're just not as obvious beacuse the phone is white and the layer (about 0.1mm) below the chamfered edge is actutally silver aluminum so that is why it is not as noticeable. if your phone comes all scratched up and scuffed then i suggest taking it to the apple store for another one. if it's only one minor little scuff then i say just keep it because you don't know if the second phone they give you will be the same or even worse. all the iphones were made in a rush, which is why there are so many defects on the phone.

The black 64 I have now has one tiny silver spot on the egde by the home button and two small bad spots on the lower back where the glass meets the metal.

I'm just affraid of getting something worst and this is why I'm thinking about the white version.

I guess it's just a crap shoot.

I have VZW , My white iPhone was soppose to ship on the 26th, Im getting it on Tues, Could you link me to these VZW forums you mentioned?

https://community.verizonwireless.com/community/apple/iphone-5

if it's really bothering you then yeah get the white one or try to see if they can get you a replacement for the black with absolutely no scuffs/scratches whatsoever. one of the guy at the apple store told me that all the phones in the back stock are actually not packaged but they are brand new. it's because the phone is not shipped out yet so they are not packaged. so hopefully they can try to look for one without so many nicks. do you use a case for your phone?

I have not even used the 5 as I've been trying to get a "Perfect" one which is not easy.

I purchased from Verizon and the only way I can get the white version is to return this one for a refund and then order the white one.

I'm not sure it's worth all the trouble. I sure would hate to get a white one that is worst then the black one I have now. Only have till Friday to make the return so I have to make up my mind ASAP.

BTW, Yes, I always use a case on our iPhones. The Lifeproof case is what I have on the good ole 4S.

Yeah, I understand. It's a hard decision especially when you paid so much for a phone. Seems like everyone is trying to get a perfect one but the chances are fairly low as of now. I'm assuming these phones will have less problems probably after November. Not sure if you want to wait that long. I didn't like the idea that these phones were being made in China in the first place :/ quality never turns out too great.

It does seem like a hassle having to return the phone, ordering the phone, and waiting for the phone to arrive. If you're patient and don't mind all the hassle and waiting then go for it. Right now, getting that "perfect" phone is a gamble. Best of luck to you.

Apple Sweden is said I will be my replacement "NEW" iPhone 5 white today. I really got tp pray I get a set without dents or scratches.

Andrew, that is a pretty good picture. It seems to me that these dents in the chamfered edge of the iPhone 5 are caused by some kind of automated part on the assembly line. I imagine thousands and thousands of phones being robotically moved and packaged, and there being some issue causing metal assembly line parts to bang against the phone. Since the device is actually amazingly sturdy (look at some of the drop tests online), I would bet that these nicks and dents are due to hard hits on the automated assembly line. You really have to hit the phone hard with a sharp object to come up with a dent like that, and I doubt it is done by human hands.

Foxconn has been under pressure to churn out big numbers, and they probably were going nuts with the machines damaging the phones. Maybe they use some kind of statistical QC, like they manually inspect only a certain percentage, so a lot of bad phones got through in the initial batches. Major mess-up for them, even if it is only a minority of phones or batches that were damaged. Entire damaged batches might explain why some people on this thread have gone through multiple phones at a particular location or geographical area, whereas others have been getting perfect phones. Remember that if they have sold millions of units, those of us posting on this thread are probably still a small minority.

Clearly Foxconn's reputation is on the line, as is Apple's, so they will get their act together relatively soon. Scuffgate will then be a footnote in Apple history. Tomorrow all attention will be on the new iPad mini and I am sure Tim Cook will start his speech tomorrow announcing how many million iPhone 5s have been sold already -- some crazy number like 10 million or more.

Andrew_Ang wrote:

Apple Sweden is said I will be my replacement "NEW" iPhone 5 white today. I really got tp pray I get a set without dents or scratches.

would you be so kind to check what production week this phone is?

just curious to see if the improvements they made in the factory are useless or what...

I am in the UK, London and since these scuffs and scratchs have been seen on the iPhone 5 (Black) I am yet to buy the phone just because of this very issue.

Not all the people who have bought the phone have had these issues here in the UK but some have.

I just don't know what to do as I really want one! 😟