Will iPhone 4 Be Less Prone to Cracked Glass?

Cracked iPhone Screen

A few years ago I dropped my iPhone on the ground, cracked the glass, and paid a whopping $250 to get it replaced.

I wrote a couple posts about the cracked iPhone screen incident and have since received hundreds upon hundreds of comments on them from readers who also had bad experiences damaging their iPhone screens. A couple of lawyers even claimed Apple deserved to be sued over the issue.

Now, Steve Jobs has announced that Apple has developed a new “glass that’s 30 times harder than plastic” for iPhone 4.

Did Apple develop a stronger iPhone glass in response to the thousands of iPhone users who have made the expensive mistake of cracking their iPhone screens?

Hopefully fewer people will be victims of cracked iPhone screens once the new iPhone is released. Has this ever happened to you?

12 thoughts on “Will iPhone 4 Be Less Prone to Cracked Glass?”

  1. I have had my G4 phone since the end of the summer. I tried hard as I could not to drop it. Inevitable. I’ve been lucky that the glass has not broken on the few drops I have had. I just purchased the new otterbox defender case for the g4. I don’t know how it will do, but I have to say it is a really nice case, although a little bulky, but not to bad. It certainly encases the Iphone. I had one for the g3 which was slimmer and I liked it, but it did not fit the g4 properly. I’m upset still that replacing any glass should cost what it does, but like a diamond which is pretty unbreakable, if you hit the phone in the right place and angle, it’s going to crack the glass. I have a tight plastic wrap on the glass, and the phoneworks even in the new case with it’s own plastic cover. These cases are discounted now. I think I got mind on Amazon.

    Reply
  2. Bullshit it’s stronger I chipped the back of mine by accidentally knocking it against a tile wall and I cracked my front camera by accidentally sitting on the phone

    Reply
  3. I had my iPhone 4 about two weeks when I dropped it and smashed it. Some cracks seem to be under the glass and it works intermittently. It is insured on household insurance – you should get personal effects cover you don’t need mobile phone cover separately. I am VERY annoyed anyway – stronger than the earlier models I don’t think so. I dropped my 3s dozens of times with no ill effect and now one fall and the 4 is knackered. By the way steve jobs doesn’t bother to respond to emails – perhaps we should all complain about screens or other issues. Maybe then he would have more courtesy or consideration for his loyal and repeat customers. His email is available online cannot access my email to him to set it out here but he should learn some manners.

    Reply
  4. I dropped my iPhone 4 from about 4 feet high onto concrete. The glass shattered on the back. I brought it to Apple later that day and only paid $30 to have it repaired! I don’t have AppleCare or insurance. Pleasantly surprised!

    Reply
  5. My iPhone 4:
    I have dropped it twice. The first drop was when it slipped out of a stack of things I was carrying onto a concrete floor. Surprisingly – no break. The second time my grandson – 3 hrs old was walking next to me -he tripped over a threshold and he and the phone went down. It wasn’t a “terrible fall” and he’s less than 3′ tall, but the position with which he was holding the phone – up and down not flat- made the difference. Tthe phone hit at the lower left corner (if you r holding it up right position) and the glass completely shattered diagonally to the top right corner! My saving grace was the fact thAt when I got the iPhone 4 there was a qiosk in front of the apple store that sells the plastic covering that they use on the blades of military helicopter. I had it put on the phone and on my iPad – IT IS STILL holding the glass together! Yes difficult to see whats on the screen but untill i have my genious apt with apple-its still usable. I have been reading all these posts and was really nervous about what apple would say. To my surprise-they will replace the glass for 100.00! Not bad considering!
    So my first thought is – “20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic” definitely might apply however helicopter windshields dont have exposed glass edges like the iphone 4! There is no protection for the corners of this phone! At least the 3 g’s had a curve of plastic that helped to preserve the edges add to that a case and well u have a better chance.
    In that line of thinking – I would agree that this is a faulty design. Glass that just sits on top of the phone….. No so good guys!

    Reply
  6. My 4 fell from maybe a foot out of my purse on my driveway, and is forever screwed! Both sides suffered, though my last iPhone’s damage was way worse with a similar fall… Still, sucks, top right corner is crunched and back has a crack straight across it. It was a light fall too… I swear!:( too late on buying my case!!!:(

    Reply
  7. My month-old iPhone 4 now has a crack in it from a 3 ft fall, the first time I dropped it. Very frustrating! I’ve never had a crack like this on any cell phone. I don’t trust this phone’s

    Reply
  8. I just broke the front screen of my iPhone 4. I dropped it from about 4 ft and I had a cover on it . This screen is worst than the one in the 3GS. Apple purposely made this screen w/ the idea to make more money. Not good… I prefer plastic than this. It’s suppose to b 30 times stronger than plastic and scratchless… None of these is true.

    Reply
  9. Apparently not! Despite claims that it is ” the same type of glass used in the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains. Chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is ultradurable and more scratch resistant than ever” mine is already cracked after falling out of my pocket. So is that false advertising? Wishful thinking? Or is my piece of glass just defective? I tried both at the Apple Store and with tech support. The tech support guy I talked to first was very sympathetic but one I got his manager it was very different. Is anyone else having this issue?

    Reply
  10. A friend of mine has now cracked 2 screens on her 4Gs… I witnessed one yesterday when she dropped it 2 Ft into sand and it cracked. I’m gonna hold off on getting the 4G!!!

    Reply
  11. Hard to say if the new Iphone will have glass that doesn’t break as easily. I wonder if anyone has tested it. I know before I bought my first iphone I watched a video on the internet where this young guy was testing the iphone by throwing it and dropping it; It with held the test so I was convinced. But then that was not really the case after I broke two glasses. I hope the new phone will be stronger, but what it also needs to come with is a very protective case.

    Reply

Leave a Comment