Filed under: iPod Family, Bugs/Recalls
Apple addresses iPod nano screen complaints
Some iPod nano users have been complaining of scratched and cracked nano screens, according to an article earlier today at news.com. This afternoon, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller responded to those complaints at macworld.com. Schiller addressed the issues of scratched and broken screens separately. In response to reports of broken screens, Schiller promised that if users who have this problem contact Applecare, their iPod nanos will be replaced. He is quoted as saying: “This is a real but minor issue involving a vendor quality problem in a small number of units. . . . In fact, this issue has affected less than 1/10 of 1 percent of the total iPod nano units that we’ve shipped. It is not a design issue.”
Schiller had this to say about complaints that the iPod nano screen is too vulnerable to scratching: “We have received very few calls from customers reporting this problem – we do not think this is a widespread issue. . . If customers are concerned about scratching we suggest they use one of the many iPod nano cases to protect their iPod.”
What's your experience with the iPod nano screen?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jason said 9:45PM on 9-27-2005
That quote about the Nano screen scratches not being a "widespread issue" is total bull. My Nano screen was marred the very first day - within 2 hours of purchase!! I've heard dozens of similar stories.
Schiller must have his head really far up his own or someone else's butt if he thinks that Day 1 complaints nationwide about a product can be considered 'limited' or 'inconsequential'.
I'm on my 2nd Nano already (free replacement after 1 week). I wonder how many returns will need to happen before someone at Apple gets the clue.
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Jason said 9:51PM on 9-27-2005
P.S. Protect the Nano WHAT cases?! There were none on the market when the Nano was released!
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EJ said 9:53PM on 9-27-2005
Wow, i was just getting redy to order my nano... Gues im gonna have to wait a couple of moths till they come out with an updated line, most likely of 6-8 gb modles that are more scratch resitant.
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Varun Seth said 9:54PM on 9-27-2005
My ipod was also scratched within like the first few hours. I love ipods and i love my nano, but saying it is not a widespread issue is a little frustrating.
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Derrick said 10:04PM on 9-27-2005
I have had my nano for 10 days with no issues whatsoever ...
I realize there are those who are unhappy (like Jason above) ... however, I would like to point out a couple things:
1) No one but Apple knows the percentage of complaints ... I certainly do not know how many nanos have been sold and neither does anyone else here.
2) Everyone has a different defintion of 'normal use' ... one person might not use it without a case and for another person that could be 'well I didn't drop it' ... I'm not trying to sound glib ... just pointing out something that I think most are not considering.
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umijin said 10:07PM on 9-27-2005
It shows how out of touch Apple is. Pathetic.
Two hours in my shirt pocket with nothing else and my new nano screen is marred with something that can't be removed.
The good news is that the battery life seems to be well under 6 hours so far, so I can get them to exchange on that basis maybe. :-(
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Brad said 12:21AM on 9-28-2005
If it's just a minor problem, then how come every nano screen in the Woodfield Apple store flexes under the pressure from my thumb?
Remember, the problem isn't just scratching, it's the LCD screen being smashed.
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trevor said 2:08AM on 9-28-2005
Interesting- well not for the nano owners im sure. I do feel sorry about that. Isn't the screen the same type as on the larger ipods? I protect mine with a square of clear contact paper and im good to go.
The nano is nice for an oversized shuffle. Shame to see this sort of thing happen.
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Georg said 5:25AM on 9-28-2005
!One of the many iPod nano cases" ? Where do you get them? All retailers in Germany cannot deliver any iPod cases, the exception being the arm-band produced by Apple, but that's not really any protection.
Even though I have taken diligent care of my nano it already has a scratch right across the screen. Apple should have included a simple case for the nano, it can't be that costly.
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Travis C. said 9:04AM on 9-28-2005
BS. My Nano screen is and was already scratched after owning it for just 2-3 days. It has only been in the pocket of my khakis by itself. Not to mention, the day I bought the damn thing, they told me that the nano did not have any protective cases available for it yet.
Hmmmm, interesting.
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Nickolas Means said 9:35AM on 9-28-2005
Except for an early excursion in my pocket with earbuds wrapped around it, my iPod has lived wrapped in a chamois cloth inside a full-size iPod case. The annoying thing is that I got a lot of scratches from that first time in my pocket. Nothing to make the screen unreadable or anywhere close to what other people are showing, but still.
They say it's the same plastic as the 4G iPods. I don't have one of those to compare it to, but I know my 3G iPod didn't scratch anything close to how easily the nano does. Right now, I'm just trying to keep it safe until some decent cases are available.
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Andy said 10:31AM on 9-28-2005
Look, people. Take two CDs, put them together, labels facing out, and rub them together. Look at that! They scratched! Using friction, from almost any surface, on any plastic surface, will make the plastic scratch, even if the object doing the scratching is ChapStick! Plastic scratches; get over it! iPods scratch! I have a black nano, and it has scratches on it. I've also had a 3G iPod that scratched, as well as a Shuffle and 2G iPod that scratched. Stop whining! I was a little disappointed to see my new toy with scratches on it, but it's my fault. PLASTIC SCRATCHES! And don't give me any B.S. about your PSP or cell phone not scratching. Those would, too.
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Michael said 10:37AM on 9-28-2005
Well, I think Apple did a good job on the Customer Service side of this. I even put an entry in my blog on this http://bazzoni.blogspot.com/2005/09/apple-understands-customer-service.html. Reading the comments above many already got replacements. That is what is great about Apple.
What I am reading is that many people are not agreeing with the Apple PR on this. I just don't think Apple would, on the PR side of things, just come out and say everythings bad. You can't.
I work at a company that uses samller LCD (color and B/W) screens as part of our products and let me tell you no matter how well you design a product that uses a small LCD, there are going to be broken screens. Not all of it will be user related and not all of it can be fixed by engineering. It just happens. When it does, it is interesting to see how the manufacturer of the product addresses the issue. I think Apple is doing the right thing in this case.
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AA said 11:05AM on 9-28-2005
You might find this interesting:
http://www.aref-adib.com/archives/000301.html
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random said 11:27AM on 9-28-2005
If your screen has been scratched up and you have not actively contributed to the problem, contact Apple. It's as simple as that. Like any other company, I'm sure Apple looks at hard data: the number of people who actually CONTACT the company about a problem. Not a bunch of whiners on a blog or a discussion board or a newsgroup somewhere.
If you received a shoddy product, don't put up with it. Instead, ask that it be fixed or replaced with a better one.
I've read the Ars Technica story on destroying their nano. I've also seen people deliberately try to break an LCD screen on a dead cell phone. It's tough to do it.
Be careful with your expensive electronics. My PowerBook has a long thin scratch on the lid from when I shoved it into a tiny hotel room safe on vacation. Am I whining about that? No, I caused it. If you're shoving your nano into a pocket with keys or coins, you better expect that it is going to get scratched. You are actively causing the problem and not a victim of a manufacturing defect for a small percentage of models.
I'm fairly certain that my little corner of the world can't be the only one with nano cases on store shelves. Protect your stuffs.
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Jacqui Cheng said 12:11PM on 9-28-2005
Erm, I believe the "not a widespread issue" is in reference to the cracking, not the scratching. The nano scratches just as much as any other iPod (and iBooks, for that matter). We have four iPods and they're all equally scratched.
Well, we *did* run over it twice and the screen is still intact... ;)
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Ben said 12:33PM on 9-28-2005
My Screen broke within 5 days of buying it. The bottom half of the screen went blank. If it was turned off you couldn't see the display had a problem. Everything else about it worked though. I took it back, none of the 4gb ipods were in stock in London, so I got my money back.
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David Huntington Williams said 1:28PM on 9-28-2005
This screen problem appears to be MUCH more severe than the manufacturer claims. My daughter has a 20 Gig Ipod which I had engraved for her for Xmas. The screen developed a flaw after the unit fell from a coffee table to a carpeted floor. While the warranty is silent, Apple store employees said it "does not cover the screen." One employee suggested that my daughter caused the damage by inserting the ear bud jack into the unit....because the damage appears as a dark lake up at the tip of the display....how one is supposed to use the ipod without plugging in earphones is anyone's guess.....
When I called the company, a rep said they would repair it and sold me a $60.00 dollars extended warranty. All facts were related, all damage described in detail. I was told to await a mailing box, send the unit back to Apple in thebox, and a new or refurbished unit would be sent back asap......
I did as instructed, waited a week or so....box came back with same unit, still broken and a letter saying screens are not warranted. This after they sold me the extended warranty.
If anyone has an IPOD screen tale of woe....please contact me........Apple's warranty approach has attracted my interest.
dhwilliams
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Small Paul said 3:00PM on 9-28-2005
Anybody having problems with white Nanos being scratched? Ars Technica suggested scratches may be more visible on the black nano, because it's black. Apple says they used the same plastic for the nano as they did with the 4G iPod, which didn't produce pronouncements of "pathetic" and generally make people act as if Apple had paid them 0.12 an hour for assembling electronics in a dark factory.
Anyone owned a 4G iPod/iPod Photo and a white nano, and had the nano get scratched worse from similar useage?
Anyone think this much fuss over a rich guy's toy is really worthwhile?
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Jeff said 10:47PM on 9-28-2005
My wife bought me a Nano for an early Christmas present and I must say that I have been very impressed. I have some scratches on it but those are due to me putting it in the same pocket as my money clip and the metal rubbing against it. Since then I have not put it in my pocket at all and it has been fine. If you are having problems, let Apple know and see what they can do for you.
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