Apple has been questioned on why they decided to use glass as the front and back of their new iPhone 4 due to the fact that glass breaks and scratches easily. However, Apple continues to defend their choice, saying that the glass they used in iPhone 4 is durable and scratch-resistant.
Well, seems Apple wasn't telling the whole truth with that statement. Engadget is now reporting that their iPhone 4 review unit has gotten scratches on the back of it after just 5 days of use.
The photo you're seeing above is our leader Joshua's iPhone 4 review unit, snapped by Ryan Block just moments ago. Ryan pointed out that there are some nasty scratches on the back of the phone. While we don't have any better photos of it at the moment, Josh told us that they're hard to see unless in bright light, but they look pretty notable to us for a five day-old unit made of Gorilla Glass.
Could this be a deal breaker for people who are looking into purchasing an iPhone 4?
Meanwhile, several users on Apple's discussion boards are noting that they have begun receiving their iPhone 4, but some are greeted with a slight discoloration of the screen. It is not yet known how widespread this issues is, but several users are reporting them.
It does also seem a bit ironic, since Apple touted that their new "Retina" display would be the best on the market, but it seems like it already has a flaw.
UPDATE: It appears as though after one to two days of use of the iPhone 4, the discoloration issues will disappear. One post on AppleInsider explained why this is:
Apple is using a bonding agent called Organofunctional Silane Z-6011 to bond the layers of glass. Apparently, Apple (or more likely Foxconn) is shipping these products so quickly that the evaporation process is not complete. However, after one or two days of use, especially with the screen on, will complete the evaporation process and the yellow "blotches" will disappear. How do I know? I was involved in pitching Z-6011 to Apple.
So, if you are having some type of display issue, be sure to leave your display on for as long as possible to let it dry.
[...] Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.The iPhone 4 has also been plagued with early issues, such as display discoloration and scratches appearing on the back of the device, as well as the well-known signal issue when holding the device in the bottom left-hand [...]