My iPhone 3GS – the woes continue...

iphone-3g-s I’ve not had a very good run with my iPhone 3GS – first of all, I found the same rattle that Will found, and now I’ve got screen issues!

What exactly? Well, follow my instructions below and let’s see if you have the same:

- hold the 3GS in the palm of one of your hands

- take the thumbnail of your other hand and gently run in from the centre of the screen outwards toward the bezel

- see if your thumbnail slips off from the glass over the bezel, or

- …. if it catches on the bezel

….. basically my screen is higher on one side than the other – and looking at the device in profile, you can just about see this.

I was expecting this to be just my issue, but when I typed “iPhone screen not flush”, I got back a bunch of hits – seems like I am not the only person with this problem! Interestingly, this doesn’t appear to be just a 3GS problem, but prone to occur on other devices too!

Now I’m not commenting on this purely because I am OCD, but for practical reasons – if the screen doesn’t mount flush, I’d guess there would be a higher chance of dirt or fluid ingress? Certainly that’s been the case on other devices I’ve owned.

I’m also a little disappointed that the build quality from Apple, a company normally famed for its industrial design, is a bit lacking here – in my opinion that is.

Anyone else got the same issue?

About The Author

Ben Robinson

Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.

aj

mine is fine also. i think u r trying way too hard to find reasons to hate the phone. Yes the whole voicemail thing is a big issue. over heating and discoloration is another. But when u start picking at lil things that u shouldnt be a big issue, the problem aint he phone…Its U!!! C’mon man. A rattle!!! Not Flush!!!!! THESE THING ARE NOT IMPORTANT!!!!
John B.

My first 3GS was not like this but it started developing cracks in the case so I got it replaced. My replacement has this problem. The bezel is just slightly higher on the right side. It’s not much but just enough to be annoying. Don’t let these guys get you down. We’re just detail oriented. I’m also worried about dust getting under the screen because it happened twice with my 3G.

I went through 8 of the 3G’s for various problems and about half of them had uneven screen. I was kind of hoping the 3GS would have better build quality, but c’est la vie. Taking it back to the Apple Store for a replacement isn’t always a full proof solution as evidenced by my 8 replacement 3G’s. You’ll just end up getting one with something else wrong. You kind of have to pick what you’re willing to live with.
Eric

I just purchased the 32 gig 3GS today 08-19-09 at my local AT&T store and mine is a tad higher on the left than the right. I was wondering if mine was defective but after searching I have found this is “the norm”. I did expect more for such an expensive phone ($299) with extension. The problem with AT&T is the charge a 10 percent restocking fee for any apple device brought back for any reason (even if it does not work). The sales lady told me today, once you buy it everything is done through Apple, period.
Lestat16GBiPhone3gs

Mine is also tad higher on the left side but not that annoying. What bothers me is the very small light leakage at the upper left portion. Also i worry about dust accumulation.