In what appears to be an increasingly common problem, hairline cracks are beginning to form on Apple's new iPhone 3G. While most of the cracks are reportedly affecting the white model, this is likely due to the increased visibility of the dark fracture on the white case as opposed to any differences in materials between the white and black units. At the moment, the issue seems largely cosmetic and doesn't appear to interfere with the operation of the phone. Now bust out the magnifying glass and let us know if you're seeing the same.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
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posted Jul 30th 2008 at 3:34AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ThisGuy @ Jul 30th 2008 6:32AM
Cr-Apple at its best! go iPhone 3G! I dont care if its made out of cheap material and is cracking. Steve Jobs said it was the better than the original iPhone, twice as fast (although the OS lags), and its half the price as the original (I'm gonna ignore the fact that I pay $10/month more than the original iPhone....which makes the total cost after 2 yr. contract $439). I dont care if $439 is not half of the original iphone, which was cheaper at $399.....Steve Jobs told me to buy the new iPhone 3G and I stood in line and bought it cuz im a big ole fluffy sheep!!!!!! Im a SHEEP!!! :)
Brad @ Jul 30th 2008 11:09AM
and of course the subsidized price and the raising of the unlimited data package is apple's fault
ka$h @ Aug 1st 2008 1:31AM
SOOOOOO engadget... how about it ae... i know u want to...
CRAPGADGET!!! featuring IPHONE 2.0, WHY PAY LESS WHEN YOU CAN PAY MORE AND GET DOUBLE THE CRAPPY!!!!
[TheBORG] @ Jul 30th 2008 8:26AM
If you're a sheep, then it's time for lamb chops.
Gregg W. Smith @ Jul 30th 2008 8:54AM
My initial black one developed cracks in the lower portion below the etched label. I believe it was from simply pulling it from the cable as I had never dropped it and there was not a scratch on it. 99.9% of the time it was housed in a Agent 18 hard case! I was having horrible reception and when it lost signal it took forever to re-acquire. I took it in for those reasons and the Apple Genius never even mentioned the cracking. Just swapped it.
Kumar @ Jul 30th 2008 9:35AM
It's pretty much what you'd expect from dropping the thing. Not a bad trade off though from metal to plastic. Just remember to get a case for the thing unless you're one of 'those people' who are in denial about how clumsy they are with phones.
Tom @ Aug 1st 2008 4:31PM
the phone is durable enough, I don't need a case to make the phone look ugly. It's like buying a Ferrari and putting a big piece of plastic or silicone around it so dirt won't get on it.
Hush @ Jul 30th 2008 10:09AM
Chinese quality at it's best. That's right people the iPhone is made in China. As if...
Brad @ Jul 30th 2008 11:07AM
seriously, what electronics isn't made in china these days? amazing how a free market works when other countries offer pennies on the dollar labor
Matt @ Jul 30th 2008 12:12PM
Most Nokias are made in Finland.
Logan @ Jul 30th 2008 10:44AM
Its funny, cuz the white xv6900 (Touch) on Verizon does the exact same thing. Must be same material -- if thats any sign, the iPhone cracking is gonna get worse.
Erick @ Jul 30th 2008 10:55AM
Stop sitting on your iPhones!
Maybe Apple still has iPhones 1.0 available and this is a way to get people to still buy them.
keithwwalker @ Jul 30th 2008 11:14AM
I gots 1 thing to say....
http://op-for.com/simpsons_nelson_haha2.jpg
PSM @ Jul 30th 2008 12:20PM
I have the black one so it's hard to tell if it has cracks. But even if it did, I'd still rather have a cracked iPhone 3G than a non-cracked anything else. I have been waiting so long to get away from Palm and WinMo, I don't care if I have to hold it together with bubble gum and duct tape.
Ben @ Sep 27th 2008 12:20PM
This sort of thing separates the fanboys from the fangirls.
slamEVIL @ Jul 31st 2008 1:54PM
bwahahahahahaha!!!!
ruffdeezy @ Jul 30th 2008 1:31PM
Yeah, only 5 days and I got a crack. Actually mine is the bottom right picture.
http://www.ehphone.ca/2008/07/white-iphones-are-cracking/
arex @ Jul 30th 2008 2:43PM
SUCK. I just took off my case and saw the hairline cracks, too. what the.
Periks19 @ Jul 30th 2008 3:03PM
Wow getting cracks on the phone is something really bad. Its not like 2.1 is gonna fix it. I wonder if people can return their cracked Iphones for a new one.
Fozzy Bear @ Aug 1st 2008 11:32PM
you must be new to Apple... they replace iPhones on the spot for known issues like that... you show it to them they swap it out... in/out in 5 minutes.
Or, I've left mine there and they've let it charge while I'm at dinner and came back and pick it up after. Very easy and accommodating.
Ken @ Jul 30th 2008 4:15PM
I have a 2 year old Moto Q (original) that has been dropped more times than I can remember. Many times onto concrete.
It Does NOT Have Any Cracks! It is a plastic case.
It is too bad Apple Cheapened the 3G iPhone so much, I was really considerring one before I heard about all of the problems.
carlo2 @ Jul 30th 2008 4:51PM
That's really unfortunate. I know that if I bought something that I was excited about that broke on it's own I would be a bit crushed...
That said, it's obviously the constant heating and cooling and the corrresponding expansion and shrinking of the plastic on the battery.
Ladies and gents, THAT'S THE REASON WE HAVE REMOVABLE BATTERIES ON MOBILES
carlo2 @ Jul 30th 2008 4:53PM
correction, "broke on its own"...
jawtab @ Aug 1st 2008 8:30AM
i love crack. to smoke that is.
but this crack i don't like.
my crackberry had it on the top left edge. started small then spanned from edge to edge. i could crack (theres that work again) the plastic if i really wanted to. but we're talking about 1/4 in plastic frame vs the apples big plastic body.
i'm sure you peeps have nothing to worry about unless the screen can fall off because of it.
mauvis99 @ Aug 2nd 2008 5:16AM
weow weow, and all you apple fan boys waited a year for this? have fun with your cracked 2 megapixel apple core.
Mr. H @ Aug 1st 2008 7:51PM
I'd laugh at this situation, and then I realize my $500+ N95-4 has a wobbly slider that could have been built by Fisher Price....and I start to cry.
flippykippy @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:41PM
Oh no, however will the iphone operate with a crack on the back?
Simon @ Aug 3rd 2008 7:46AM
I had a first gen iphone which i sold the day the new iphone 3g came out and i purchased the new one. However it only took a couple of days for me to see that there was a black shadown in one spot behind the screen which was similar to a black spot on an lcd screen when it is pressed to hard. I took it into vodafone and they happily gave me a new one.
Lamp @ Aug 2nd 2008 3:25PM
I would reckon you are utilizing AT LEAST one product made in China in order to even make that post.
Get over it.
Yes, there are other countries in the world
other than the one you are living in.
Seerss @ Aug 2nd 2008 8:11PM
People that have iPhones see the cracks, then shrug and go back to surfing the internet with the 3G network, getting apps on the applications store, and listening to their music on iTunes.
People without iPhones laugh at the people with iPhones, calling them fanboys/fangirls, while wishing that they had 3G internet, an applications store, and iTunes.
Rovdjur @ Aug 4th 2008 6:57PM
@ Seerss
I have had 3G internet for more than a year now, I have many, many places to get applications, and I don't have to deal with iTunes, which is amazing. I can plug my Blackberry into any computer and put any music/pictures/videos I want onto it. I don't have to deal with iTunes and the "Your iPhone is already synced with another library" error message. Just drag and drop. Simple.
I love my Blackberry, and it doesn't crack.
sweetud @ Aug 12th 2008 10:38PM
you are wrong dude. we laugh cos some of us are sensible enough to read reviews and research before getting a phone.i got an omnia i900. its an iphone killer