“Are white iPhone 3Gs prone to hairline cracks? According to reports on MacRumors and the Apple Discussions forum, some users are discovering small hairline cracks forming on the white plastic shell,” Adrian Kingsley-Hughes reports for ZDNet.
“I’ve not been able to find any reports of these cracks appearing on black iPhone 3Gs,” Kingsley-Hughes reports.
Full article, with some good images of various cracks on white iPhone 3G cases, here.
According to Daily Tech’s Brandon Hill, “The cracks seem to mostly affect owners of white 16GB iPhone 3G models, but owners of black iPhone 3Gs have reported problems as well (but to a lesser degree).”
Hill reports, “Thankfully for most users, Apple’s retail stores are replacing the defective units free of charge on the spot.”
Full article here.
This is nothing new. As with many Rev. A products, manufacturing (and/or design) issues happen. It seems that Apple has already identified the problem and is taking the necessary steps to satisfy affected customers and, with history as our guide, will certainly work to correct the manufacturing (and/or design) issue in the future.
Note: We have access to information of several iPhone 3G (black) units, including our own units – some are in protective cases and some aren’t – that each undergo heavy daily use since Day One purchase and none of them have yet developed a single crack.
If your iPhone 3G plastic case is showing cracks, let us know below and be sure to contact Apple or visit your nearest Apple Retail Store for your replacement.
And now, stand by for the usual suspects to blow this all out of proportion in 3… 2… 1…
Crack kills.
just my $0.02
McCain — We can’t cut and run. Ignore the terrorists at your peril. Pretty soon all our iPhones will be cracked.
Obama — With Real Change you can believe in, we’ll bring hope to generations of Cracked iPhone owners. Together We Can fix the crack problems of America and the world.
McKinney (Green Party) The sooner we get rid of all technology and start going back to mother Gaia, the better the world will be
Nader (Independent Party) I have nothing to say that Greenpeace hasn’t already beat up Apple about…
Barr (Libertarians) The government has no right to tell me anything, ever.
Amondson (Prohibition party) (I got nothing… these guys are just plain scary!)
Here is a White iPhone 3G.
Here is a White iPhone 3G on Crack.
Bluefin,
Good stuff! Thanks.
One way to help see cracks in dark colored plastic is to wipe the area with a cloth soaked in alcohol (regular isopropyl).
The fluid will evaporate faster on the surface than in the cracks and sometimes makes it easier to see them.
Just be careful with the alcohol, and test a small area to make sure it doesn’t affect the plastic, or the screen.
(Disclaimer: Users take full responsibility for any damage caused by this suggestion.)
@ SBG:
Better idea – a la, Kitty Dukakis, just drink it and you won’t care of it has a crack, yo.
Me In LA,
Do you like yours shaken, not stirred?
Get it LA? Shaken? I crack myself up.
@ SBG:
Crack – as in San Andreas?
Yes.
I was shaken and stirred.
Me In LA,
“I was shaken and stirred.”
Through no fault of your own, I’m sure.
Apple Retail Store’s new slogan: Apple Geniuses . . . fixing the world one white cracker at a time. And yes, my white iPhone is cracking.
I have a black 8Gb 3G and discovered a crack near the dock connector yesterday.
How long before Apple determines the cracks are “flow lines”?
Here we go again…
As with many Rev. A products, manufacturing (and/or design) issues happen.
Does this apply retroactively to Windows Vista as well?
“Does this apply retroactively to Windows Vista as well?”
No, only Apple gets a free pass for major screwups. Any other company who is not perfect on launch day will be held up as an example of all that’s wrong with the computer industry.
Y American krack hose!!!!
Plumbers have plumbers putty to cover their cracks.
@ The Great Apple Fanboy Massacre
If this were to happen to Instinct or , a WM, Blackberry or Dell you probably wouldn’t hear a damn thing about it unless it came from an independent reviewer. Wanna know why? Despite the size of the population that owns Blackberrys there isn’t a site like this for trollers to go on and start battering ther products or reputation. Instinct doesn’t have the traction, WM units arent even close to Comparable and Dell has enough problems with PR and customer service. Now are’t you happy the nice folks at MDN provided you a spot to vent your colostomy bag? Now go to your corner and eat your beans and drink your milk.
“How long before Apple determines the cracks are “flow lines”?”
These stress cracks were caused from the iPhones being stuffed so full of Apple goodness that they simply couldn’t contain it all. The more cracks, the better the iPhone. Cherish them.
“Plumbers have plumbers putty to cover their cracks.”
I wish they would do so. It’s very unsightly.
@ Fanboy Frigtard
Hey remember a couple of years ago when Bill Gates was doing a preview of windows Vista at COMDEX on a projection PC and it crashed and failed to boot. He tried to laugh it off saying “that didn’t happen before”. That was carried on the 6 O’clock news across the nation. Didn’t make America’s funniest home videos though. Think of all the rehashing of all the Windows operating systems in the past and how smoothly they went, 3.1 to 95 to 98 to Mellinium to XP. Name one that didn’t cause the masses to have to throw out their old boxes and buy new ones and periperals as well or have to overclock their old system to the point of being a Hindenburg in a lightning storm. M$ rep and the rest of the computer industry that follows them is well deserved. Apple is allowed a hicup every now and then otherwise they will never become better. M$ and company keep repeating the same old S#!t and expecting a different result (the definition of insanly stupid).
some initial manufacturing challenges are to be expected and resolved.
talk about looking for flaws. consider the HTC touch Rhinestone or
the Samsung Ins omnia I900
It should not matter if you are black or white, we all deserve crack!
“preview of windows Vista at COMDEX on a projection PC and it crashed and failed to boot”
Imagine: beta software that has bugs. What we’re talking is not a demo of beta software crashing but Apple beta testing with the paid customer base. And they do it with every product launch. Don’t worry early adopters, they will probably change the plastic on the 2nd million iPhone 3Gs. I’m not sure how it helps you, but later purchasers appreciate your product testing on Apple’s behalf.
“Release the CRACKen”
“How long before Apple determines the cracks are “flow lines”?”
How long before some MDN frigtard posts that Steve really intended the cases to crack so he could show customers how quickly and effectively Apple could replace them, and what a move of commercial genius this is.