[iLoveiPhones]

I was thinking, which iPhone is more prone to scratches. The old gen or the new iPhone, with it's plastic back? Also which iPhone do you think hides the scratches better? The white or the black?

[hey_WILL]

i think white is less likely to show fingerprints.
if you get a shield, (like bodyguardz) you don't have to worry about scratches..

[Jeremy]

i think white is less likely to show fingerprints.
if you get a shield, (like bodyguardz) you don't have to worry about scratches..

I agree 100%... and that's why I decided on a white myself.

[pink2]

I don't like the idea that someone can tell which phone I have if I pick the white one, it makes it more prone to thieves. IMO. As far as the change of material, I think it will help with reception and if you get a shield you can change it to a different color anyway.

[dhp1080]

I read on some first look at the iPhone (I forget which blog) that the white seems very feminine. I think white is a little odd seeing as though the front doesn't match the back. However, I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder of the iPhone.

As far as the plastic back is concerned, I'm sure it will scratch more readily than the current iPhone, and when dropped, I could see it shattering instead of crumpling like the old iPhone would. I suppose this is why I'm going to be interested in purchasing a case. Hides fingerprints and protects it nicely.

[michi_love]

I read on some first look at the iPhone (I forget which blog) that the white seems very feminine. I think white is a little odd seeing as though the front doesn't match the back. However, I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder of the iPhone.

As far as the plastic back is concerned, I'm sure it will scratch more readily than the current iPhone, and when dropped, I could see it shattering instead of crumpling like the old iPhone would. I suppose this is why I'm going to be interested in purchasing a case. Hides fingerprints and protects it nicely.

I don't like the idea that someone can tell which phone I have if I pick the white one, it makes it more prone to thieves. IMO. As far as the change of material, I think it will help with reception and if you get a shield you can change it to a different color anyway.

You guys said it perfectly! I think people would be crazy NOT to buy some kind of protective case for it. I'm going to get invisibleShield for the front and an iSkin fuze for the rest of the phone. I hope it doesn't feel too toy-like or cheap but I honestly think it looks pretty substantial and of course, sexy heheh

[HawaiiMacAddict]

Aloha everyone,

I am a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan who happens to work with an Oakland Raiders fan. He told me that I should get the black model (I'm going to get the 16GB model, whenever I get it) as it matches the Raiders' color scheme. I relayed that to my wife, who then told me that I HAD to get the white model I'll have to take a look see at both of them before I make my final decision. As it stands now, I probably won't be getting one until next year anyway, so I'll have enough time to check them both out.

HawaiiMacAddict

[marys]

white will better hide fingerprints, black the scratches
the new iPhone will be more sensible to scratches than the one with metal back
overall, I'm going with the black one. it's more representative to the iPhone

[NPR_Aficionado]

I don't think you can go wrong with either color. I am happy that the back is a material that will probably cut down on radio interference. I posted this other places, but I feel as though Apple puts form over function frequently. While I really like the look of the old iPhone back, there was a lot of comments on the metallic material interfering with reception on the phone. Plastic may be a bit more vulnerable to accidents but with a good case it should be well protected.

[BeyondtheTech]

I'm hoping the plastic is hard enough to sustain a hit. Not like I'm planning on banging up my iPhone 3G, but with the original iPhone 2G, the black plastic could take a beating - it's the aluminum backing that seems pliable that one nasty dent could throw the whole look off.

[Reaktor5]

I liked the aluminum backing much more than the plastic. But if the plastic helps with better cell service then I'm for the plastic. I hope Apple made some sort of advanced plastic to resist scratches somewhat like what they did with the front glass. I was really impressed with the stress test videos with people grinding keys over the glass and it held up.

[iLoveiPhones]

I liked the aluminum backing much more than the plastic. But if the plastic helps with better cell service then I'm for the plastic. I hope Apple made some sort of advanced plastic to resist scratches somewhat like what they did with the front glass. I was really impressed with the stress test videos with people grinding keys over the glass and it held up.

Really? The plastic back helps with reception? I didn't know that! With me, I'm no so worried about the plastic back. I'm going to put a silicone case on mine so it shouldn't scratch that much.

[Jeremy]

Really? The plastic back helps with reception? I didn't know that! With me, I'm no so worried about the plastic back. I'm going to put a silicone case on mine so it shouldn't scratch that much.

See for me, my reception can not get any better! With the current phone I get 5 bars most places that I go here in the Chicago area. That includes my basement! My last Sprint phone would be 1 bar, maybe Zero bars there...

[hey_WILL]

i really haven't put a thought into the back shattering. seeing how the glass on the front kicks ***, i trust apple will make a sturdy back also. plus, i want all the reception i can get!

[abalboa3]

I have a buddy with a 2G iPhone and the back on hers is totally beat up. Shows scratches like mad, and small dents on the sides. Not sure if she just beats up her iPhone or if that backing is more prone to show damage. I kinda like the plastic. If it is the same material that is used on the macbooks it should be pretty resilient.

[dstrauss#IM]

Personally I prefer the aluminum of my iPhone, but with GPS and 3g now shoe-horned into the iPhone 3g, not counting the existing radios, you have to err on the sid eof radio reception rather than pure looks. Will be interesting to do side-by-side signal comparisons next week.

[GaryUSC]

I believe the plastic back will make the iPhone much less slippery. Also the plastic back is supposed to greatly improve the reception of the various radios in the iPhone, which is a real good thing.

[Sinistar]

I've never had the first iPhone but if it really does improve reception I'll take that over alum backs. I'm planning on getting a case anyways.

[joshboldman]

So here are my thoughts. I've heard the whole deal about how the back being plastic might be because of two reasons:

1. It's cheaper to manufacture, thus cheaper to sell
2. It helps with radio reception for 3g, WiFi, & Bluetooth

Since the bluetooth reception on the original iPhone wasn't that great, and since I like anything that doesn't cost so much, I'm pretty good with both of these reasons. I mean, they do make sense, don't they.

Anyway, although the old metal back was pretty much indestructible, I think I'll be ok with plastic.

Josh

[jaimex99]

Well, it does look cooler, but if it scratches easily, then I believe I'll get a transparent cover. It improves reception, though!

[sterling]

I would assume the metal back is more durable. Could be totally wrong though, the old metal was aluminum, right? Does anybody just how thick it was or its composition?

[LOdam7]

Does anyone know if the plastic feels kinda cheap?

[Nakheel]

I never really liked the feel of the iPhone 2G's back. I hated that little black square of plastic on the bottom.

I've always thought, however, that the iPhone should have a removable back cover though.

Also, I wish that you didn't need a paper clip to remove the sim. Although since the last time I had an iPhone, it was unlocked and I got sim errors all the time, I probably wont be opening it as much this time around with the 3G