iPhone 4 more fragile than iPhone 3 (more broken screens)

[Renew Deal]

Listen up, Apple fanboys: You have a right to your own opinion, but not to your own facts. The iPhone 4 has major design flaws, not the least of which is an all-too-breakable glass case and screen. Like it or not, that's indisputable.

A reputable company called SquareTrade, which makes its living selling warranties on a variety of products, has released data showing that the iPhone 4 is pretty darn fragile. Screens on the new model are nearly twice as likely to break as those of the iPhone 3G S. The data is admittedly from a subset of users, but is based on a sample of 20,000 iPhone 4s covered by the company's warranty -- a very reasonable sample.

Here are some of the highlights:

iPhone 4 owners reported 82 percent more damaged screens in the first four months than iPhone 3G S owners do.

The overall accident rate for iPhone 4s was 68 percent higher than for the iPhone 3G S.

About 15.5 percent of iPhone 4 owners will report damage within a year of buying their phone. This estimate is based on a straight-line projection of current data, a reasonable statistical technique.
<snip>

http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/dont-drop-iphone-640

[onehandle]

1. The fanboy meme is over.

Moms, executives, teenagers, White House staffers, mobile workers, scientists, ...all sorts of people use Apple products.

Like it or not, Apple is as mainstream as Sony, GE, and Nike.

[Renew Deal]

5. The "fanboy" comment comes from the flood of hatemail the author will receive.

[eShirl]

2. overpriced crap. n/t

[FBaggins]

3. Hardly a "major design flaw"

"own facts indeed"

Does it really take a study to tell you that twice as much glass means roughly twice as many cases of broken glass?

Regardless, the problem rate is still lower than cell phones in general... so it's a major
stretch to call it a major design flaw.

[still_one]

4. Do you even own an Iphone 4? I own one, and also had a 3gS and do not agree with

that assessment. The Iphone 4 is more solid and durable in my personal experience

Since you seem to have a problem with AAPL, i.e. referring to owners as "Apple fanboys", I suspect you don't own an Iphone

[Renew Deal]

6. I didn't write that.

This is from the article. But it's hard to argue with the numbers.

[trotsky]

7. "it's hard to argue with the numbers"

Which is why the fanboys don't try. They just whine about being called fanboys.

For the record, I have an iPhone 3GS.

[FBaggins]

8. And yet the OP tries.

From the original source:

"Despite this troubling increase, it’s important to take the accident rate into perspective. Overall, the iPhone is still a very well constructed device, with a non-accident malfunction rate much lower than most other consumer electronics.

In SquareTrade’s previous study comparing smart phone reliability from November 2008, we found iPhones to be far more reliable than Blackberrys and Palm Treos. We will be updating this report soon, and we’ll have data on the latest Android phone models. It may yet be seen that even with the double glass, the iPhone has an overall failure rate that is still better than the competition."

[trotsky]

11. Yes, these oranges are clearly more orange than those Granny Smiths.

No one said the iPhone 4 isn't a reliable device. However the facts clearly indicate there are more breakages with the 4 than there were with the 3 GS.

[still_one]

14. and if you drop any phone it will break. Square Trade offers an extended warranty that covers

dropped phones. I guess it isn't a surprise to see an increase in claims

The question is, if you don't drop the phone does it break?

[trotsky]

17. I love these threads.

It's always fun to see just how emotional the fanboys get.

[FBaggins]

15. No one said it isn't a reliable device?

That's odd... I could have sworn that I read "The iPhone 4 has major design flaws" right at the start of the OP.

However the facts clearly indicate there are more breakages with the 4 than there were with the 3 GS.

Duh... twice as much glass means that you're twice as likely to break the glass. That doesn't make it a design flaw.

[still_one]

12. You are assuming I am an apple fan boy, just because I questioned the OP's experience

For YOUR information I am a MSFT developer, and their IDE is light years ahead of Apples. However, that does not detract from the fact that Apple generally makes good quality products, with great customer service

Do you like you iphone 3GS?

I have both an Iphone 3GS and 4G, and my experience is that the 4G is more solid as far as construction is concerned

[trotsky]

16. No one's questioning your experience.

This is data that's been reported in the real world.

Your one data point isn't as valid, statistically, as their thousands.

Sorry. And yes, I do indeed like my iPhone, but there are a couple of reasons why I didn't rush out to get a 4, and so far its brief history has justified my hesitation.

[still_one]

19. Of course the data is valid, but Square Trade cover dropped phones, slants things also. If I had a

Apple extended warranty to cover dropped iphone damage, it wouldn't cover it, and I wouldn't be in the stats. However, if I had a square trade extended warranty, it would cover a dropped iphone, and I would be in the stats

and there is no question about it, the antenna is a problem. There also isn't that much more addon from the 3gs to 4g so I can understand why one wouldn't upgrade

As an aside, I think the Android phones represent the biggest threat to the IPhone, but in the end that can only be good for the consumer

[still_one]

10. Funny this is the second anti-Apple thread I have seen you post. Gee, I guess people are going to

not buy Apple products now. Maybe I should short AAPL stock, huh?

A lot of this story is coming from "Square Trade":

SquareTrade, which sells extended iPhone warranties, said the iPhone 4 has had 82% more shattered screen claims in its first four months than the iPhone 3GS did in the same time span during the summer of 2009.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/15/urnidgns852573C400693880002577BD006DFB07.DTL#ixzz12oWt2kZj

and the way they write their warranty is they will cover a broken screen if it is dropped. What do they expect. If you don't protect any phone, and drop it, I have no doubt the screen will crack

[Renew Deal]

13. How many pro-Apple threads have you seen me post?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9346093

I post it because people obviously find it interesting. And I don't think the sexting one is negative. I don't think this one is necessarily negative either. It just says the 3 is more reliable than the 4.

I think your response is why the author used the word "fanboy." He gets a flood of email for anything Apple.

[still_one]

18. I am not an Apple fanboy. I do think they make quality products. I also think excluding Vista

MSFT makes the best software. Of course, I am bias for MSFT because I develop on their platforms

[onehandle]

9. I have one and although it is far superior to the 3 series, I would bet it is more breakable.

Glass vs. plastic back. It wouldn't affect the functionality of the phone though.

I'm thinking about getting the Worth Ave insurance because it covers loss and theft as well as breakage.

http://www.worthavegroup.com/iphone-insurance

[still_one]

20. You might also look at Square Trade /nt

[GodlessBiker]

21. You know, fine bone china is more breakable than plastic dinner plates.

People should take good care of fine and beautiful things.