Study says iPhone 4 design fine -- unless you drop it
October 14, 2010 - 8:05AM
A firm that sells warranties for gadgets said Wednesday that Apple's latest generation smartphone is nearly twice as likely as its predecessor to crack in a accident.
SquareTrade analyzed mishaps involving more than 20,000 iPhone 4 models and found that screens broke 82 percent more often than was the case with the iPhone 3G.
"With just 4 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.
Advertisement: Story continues below
"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 percent higher than the rate for iPhone 3G models.
TradeSquare estimated that approximately 15.5 percent of iPhone 4 owners will have accidents with the gadgets before they are a year old.
TradeSquare based its findings on details of more than 20,000 iPhone 4 accidents reported by people with care plans sold by the company. Apple released the iPhone 4 in June.
© 2010 AFP
This story is sourced direct from an overseas news agency as an additional service to readers. Spelling follows North American usage, along with foreign currency and measurement units.
Link here:
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking- ... 20101014-16kf9.html