Schiller says iPhone 5 scratches are normal as light leaks reported

Scratches and scuffs new iPhones are 'perfectly normal'

As reports of a scratch and chip-prone Apple iPhone 5 continue to surface, one Apple executive said the issue is "normal" for aluminium products.

Many new owners of the "Black & Slate" iPhone 5 complained of imperfections right out of the box after long waits to obtain the device last Friday.

The scuffs seem to centre around the antenna area and where the handset's body joins the display, revealing the aluminium colouring beneath the coating.

One befuddled iPhone 5 owner, named Alex, emailed Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior vice president of global marketing, to ask whether Apple was planning on fixing the issue, and received a somewhat unsympathetic reply.

"Any aluminium product may scratch or chip with use, exposing its natural silver colour," Schiller wrote. "That is normal."

Wasting light?

Meanwhile, scratches and scuffs are apparently not the only build issues affecting the device.

BGR reported that some iPhone 5 handsets, including one of its own test devices, are "leaking light" between the display and the antenna, just below the power button.

The problem is only visible in low light or in the dark, but it appears it could be endemic.

Users on the MacRumors forums have reported that even replacement devices they've received from Apple are still suffering from the same issue.

We've reached out to Apple for an official reaction to the reports, but perhaps we'd be better off emailing Phil Schiller?

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/schiller-says-iphone-5-scratches-are-normal-as-light-leaks-reported-1099691

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Users complain of scratch-prone iPhone 5 handsets

Some iPhone 5 handsets showing out-of-the-box damage

The new anodised aluminium body of the iPhone 5 is more susceptible to scuffs and scratches, according to a host of complaints from early adopters.

CNET reports on multiple instances where the black device has superficial damage right out of the box, while nicks are also reported to come easily once the device has been unsheathed.

Users are taking to message boards and social media, posting photos of their new handsets, many already showing signs of wear and tear, with the silver aluminium colouring revealed beneath the 'slate' coating.

The problem seems to centre around the areas near to the antenna and the point where the screen joins the handset.

Soft coating

CNET says a little bit of snooping around the web let to the discovery of "at least three dozen" examples of customer frustration.

One user on the MacRumors forums posted: "Mine arrived today with small scratches on the right out of the box.

"Looks like they chipped the anodized coating putting the screen in, and there is a small mark on the lower back too, by the glass section. I'm not going to worry about it, but it shows the coating is soft, and will chip over time."

Another Antennagate?

Apple is yet comment on the issue, but will hope this doesn't become a repeat of 'Antennagate' troubles that blighted the launch of the iPhone 4 in the summer of 2010.

On that occasion Apple held an impromptu press conference when users found that gripping the device near to the antenna resulted in a serious drop in phone reception.

The company gave out free plastic 'bumpers' to counter the problems.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/users-complain-of-scratch-prone-iphone-5-handsets-1099098

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