iPhone 4 likely to crack - study
2010-10-14 14:29
San Francisco - A firm that sells warranties for gadgets said on Wednesday that Apple's latest generation smart phone is nearly twice as likely as its predecessor to crack in an accident.
SquareTrade analysed mishaps involving more than 20 000 iPhone 4 models and found that screens broke 82% more often than was the case with the iPhone 3G.
"With just four months of data, it's clear that the iPhone 4 is significantly more prone to physical damage than its predecessor," SquareTrade said in a summary of its findings.
"Despite this troubling increase... overall, the iPhone is still a very well constructed device, with a non-accident malfunction rate much lower than most other consumer electronics," it said.
Cracked or broken screens accounted for the vast majority of damage to iPhone 4 handsets, according to SquareTrade. The newest iPhone has glass on the front and the back, doubling the "scratchable surface", the firm noted.
The reported accident rate for iPhone 4 devices was 68% higher than the rate for iPhone 3G models.
TradeSquare estimated that approximately 15.5% of iPhone 4 owners will have accidents with the gadgets before they are a year old.
TradeSquare based its findings on details of iPhone 4 accidents reported by people with care plans sold by the company. Apple released the iPhone 4 in June
