3G: Glass not flush, dust under screen

[jfnc]

Anyone experience this? On my 3G, there is a very slight gap between the edge of the glass and the case. If you look at the right angle with a flashlight, you can see the inside of the phone, presumable the circuit board. Also, the glass is not flush with the case, and there is some “give” there if you press down. This is not very noticeable, and you would have to look for it to find it. But now there is a speck of dust or something in that corner, and by moving the phone around, you can tell it’s clearly under the glass. It’s under the black portion, so this spec isn’t a biggie. But I’ve only had the phone 3 days. I think it’s only a matter of time before other specs get in, and end up in the functional area of the screen. I wonder if apple will replace it- it may be within their QA parameters, who knows.

[Surf Monkey]

Take it back. There should be a very tight fit between the glass and the bezel and there shouldn't be dust under the screen.

[walleck]

I have a white 3g and the bezel on the right face is noticebly higher than the left. It it rough to the touch as my thumb slides off the screen. I plan on returning it once the supplies get back to normal. .

[Surf Monkey]

I have a white 3g and the bezel on the right face is noticebly higher than the left. It it rough to the touch as my thumb slides off the screen. I plan on returning it once the supplies get back to normal. .


Don't wait around. Take it in now.

[4SFORFUN]

why would'nt you take it back immediately & at least put ATT/Apple on notice since it is brand new. I would'nt wait.

[sights0d]

I so wouldn't wait. A product like this should be perfect.

[ExtremeSIMS]

I have a white 3g and the bezel on the right face is noticebly higher than the left. It it rough to the touch as my thumb slides off the screen. I plan on returning it once the supplies get back to normal. .


I have the same issue, as well as the case on the side being a little out of wack. Now that I look at it in a dark room, I can see a slight bit of light leakage. Hmmm.

[walleck]

I was planning on taking it to Apple store eventually, but with iPhones out of stock, I would imagine I would be SOL with no phones to exchange it for.

[kloan]

I'd say don't bother getting another one until Apple does something about it. You're pretty much guaranteed the one you get will have the same problem.

I got a replacement today, and sure enough light leakage, uneven glass, sharp edges on corners, etc.. I'm just going to wait a month or so until they get new stock before I try to exchange it again.

[walleck]

sorry to hear others have similiar build quality problems. Although I like the 3g and gps of the new iPhones, I must admit my 1st GEN is nicer looking IMHO.

[kenics]

the stores have separate stock for phones with issues. No one should really have to wait to get a replacement.

[ExtremeSIMS]

They call them service units. I went to Fair Oaks and most displays were smooth and level; ditto Tysons. I'll have to go back when they get more service units. The Apple guys strongly urged me to return ASAP before more issues arise.

[deftdrummer1]

weird you guys are having build quality issues. My 3g looks just fine.

[walleck]

thanks for that info! I'll swing by this week.

[TheMBC]

I have a white 3g and the bezel on the right face is noticebly higher than the left. It it rough to the touch as my thumb slides off the screen. I plan on returning it once the supplies get back to normal. .
I have the same phone...and the same problem.

My 1st Gen iPhone also had a gap between the bevel and the screen...I can stick my nail in it, all the way around...

[Germansuplex]

I don't see any gaps.. it feels like there is a rubber/plastic filler in between the glass and the case. Nevertheless, I've noticed about three dust particles under the screen, many of which popped up less than 24 hours after owning the phone. Very annoying. My first iPhone last year had dust under the screen, the second one (touch-screen stopped responding on the first) shipped with something that looked like an eyelash or tiny hair wedged right under between the chrome and the glass.

It's very frustrating, but I'm not one to return my phone, especially with the stock shortage. If it gets too bad, I'll be giving Apple a call. I really hate to do that though, because I'm not one of those whiney customers. But dust under a screen of ANY electronic is highly annoying. I have some very small, fine dust particles under the screen of my iPod classic too. I'm exceptionally careful with them, so I'm convinced it's build quality.

[jfnc]

It feels like rubber because it is rubber. The guy at the Apple store told me that the glass is no longer glued in place, but held in place by a rubber gasket. He said the glass not being flush with the screen is a bigger problem than just dust getting under the screen, but what could happen months down the road if the gasket continues to loose it's grip. the new unit they gave me is fine. After reading this thread, I did notice that the bottom-right edge is not completely smooth to the touch. I looked at my 1st gen phone, and though I never noticed it before, it also has a rough edge on the bottom-right. I would never have noticed either if I hadn't read this thread, you almost have to be specifically looking for it to find it. Since it's pretty much the same on my 1st and 2nd gen phones (slightly more raised in the 2nd gen), I'm guessing it's an artifact of the manufacturing process.

[deftdrummer1]

ya guys. The unfornate part of this situation is that the iPhone 3G is just made with cheaper and easier to assemble parts. You get what you pay for after all.

A guy I was waiting in line with at the apple store told me that since there are two screws at the bottom of the new phone, the battery can be replaced. Can anyone confirm this?

[TheMBC]

^ While the battery is no longer soldered down, it doesn't mean that it can be replaced, especially not by you...it will void your warranty if you try un-screwing it.

[deftdrummer1]

Ok that's two confirmations I have now. That's all I wanted to know. I'm not worried about my warranty at the moment.

[Surf Monkey]

Ok that's two confirmations I have now. That's all I wanted to know. I'm not worried about my warranty at the moment.


There are videos on YouTube and elsewhere showing how to get at the battery. Even though it's not soldered down anymore, it's still a pretty involved process to get it out and put everything back together.

As far as my 3G goes, I don't see any problems with the screen/bezel relationship at all. Everything is perfectly aligned with no weird gaps or high/low spots. Personally, I disagree with your assertion that it's made with "cheaper and easier to assemble" materials. the fact that it's plastic doesn't mean that it's less durable than the original metal enclosure. There are levels of quality when it comes to plastic, just as there are levels of quality when it comes to metal. The iPhone uses pretty high quality plastic for the back. I don't find it to be lacking at all.

[Germansuplex]

You get what you pay for after all.


Well, Apple may be selling us what they pay for, but the price of the phone unsubsidized is a hundred bucks more than last year's unsubsidized prices, and the subsidized prices are made up for through the 3G data plan. So that statement is a bit of stretch in this case.

I definitely love the phone, I just hate those darn dust particles. Like I said, I'll live with the occasional particle that I have to look for to find, but if it ever gets to a point where I see them without looking, I'll call Apple.

At least Apple is pretty good about taking care of unhappy customers, so on that front I can rest easy.

[joker0153]

3G's LCD and Glass screen is not sold as 1 anymore, so if your glass screen broke, your LCD will be just fine. The original iPhone has the glass and the LCD in one, so it's much costly for Apple to repair those. But I see that they also encountered dust problems with this one.

[jfnc]

Germansuplex: If you have dust collecting under the screen, you have a defective unit, peroid. I was told this by the support person on the phone, and by the "apple genious" at the store, in person. Any spaces capable of allowing dust under the screen render the unit defective, and you, buddy, have a defective unit, just like I did. Take it back.

[Skylander]

I have the same issue, as well as the case on the side being a little out of wack. Now that I look at it in a dark room, I can see a slight bit of light leakage. Hmmm.

I checked mine 16GB black iPhone in a dark room. When looking at certain angle, I saw a slight bit of light leakage (the gap between the silver and the glass) on the left side of the phone. But I haven't noticed any dust underneath the glass yet. I don't know whether that's the problem or not. I also worry the replacement might get worse.

[EzeE1o]

I checked mine 16GB black iPhone in a dark room. When looking at certain angle, I saw a slight bit of light leakage (the gap between the silver and the glass) on the left side of the phone. But I haven't noticed any dust underneath the glass yet. I don't know whether that's the problem or not. I also worry the replacement might get worse.
hmm, me too, i checked an there is a SLIGHT light leak near the upper left corner of the screen