Ggaaaahhhhh! Dropped my 3G! Scratched the glass! :(

Cool Cat

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So, it happened. I dropped my iPhone 3G this afternoon as I was getting into my truck. It fell, it bounced, it bounced again, it skittered, then it slid. The result: both top corners are buggered and there's a knick in one bottom corner, the chrome trim around the screen is all scratched to heck and there are scratches running vertically down the screen. One long one, about 2" long with a skittered end, and one that is just like a dotted line that runs the entire length of the display.

Sigh.

I'm an idiot for not buying one of the crappy cases that the Apple store had. I hated all of them, but if I'd spent the money to get one my precious iPhone would have fared better.
 

hermdog

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Man, sorry to hear that. It's never to late to by a case. I bought a bodyguardz and for good measure a marware sports grip.
 

HymerSchmidt

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Do we know how you'd replace it if you wanted to? Would you have to cancel your contract to get one activated?

Anyways, I'm sorry. I would cry if there was any damage to my screen. The rest of the phone, not so much, but the screen, heck yeah.
 

Jeremy

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You would not have to cancel your contract no. Simply buy a new one or get one replaced and then swap the sim and activate it within iTunes again. Simple process.
 

BB-fan

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Do we know how you'd replace it if you wanted to? Would you have to cancel your contract to get one activated?

Anyways, I'm sorry. I would cry if there was any damage to my screen. The rest of the phone, not so much, but the screen, heck yeah.

The first drop I know of yet as well. I wonder since it's under 30 what you can do. I would be so devestated!
 

HymerSchmidt

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The first drop I know of yet as well. I wonder since it's under 30 what you can do. I would be so devestated!

I grip my phone so tight it's kind of scary -- it might even break that way instead! I've imagined my phone dropping like that 100 times. There is no way I can let it happen...

I'd probably get on my knees, banging on the concrete, holding my arms up to the sky, yelling "why?!?!?!... WHY?!?!?", then curl up in a ball on the pavement. Night passes, day passes, summer passes, leaves fall as autumn passes, winter comes and there I am, spring comes and birds eat the foliage off of me, flowers growing on the dirt that's accumulated around me, then iPhone 3.0 comes at Macworld and I'm resurrected. :D

...Within a few months of owning my first iPod 60GB(400 smackers), I dropped it and it obviously had a head crash and ruined the drive. I've never recovered. Although, I was kind of happy, because it was a present from a girlfriend who engraved it with our nicknames for each other. I hope she's gotten fat.

Anyways, I will darn the Earth if it breaks my iPhone.
 

IrishJK09

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Damn man... That sucks something awful.

I never got a protective case for my first iPhone, and I got lucky.

For this one however, I grabbed a nice gel-ish material case and put a screen protector on it. The only downfall is that the case isn't translucent, so it hides my nice white iPhone...

I will grab a clear one eventually, but there is no way I am going without a case and screen protector this time around.
 

Cool Cat

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You have a death grip on the phone? You should see me! I'm thinking of getting my shackled to my wrist!

That's the best idea I've heard so far. I'm still crying over the scratches in my screen. I should have spent the extra money on Friday to get one of the lousy cases that the Apple store had.
 

manho1dup

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Do you have a few dead pixels on the screen? If so, it is considered a defect and is subject to be swapped out... right? ;)

I don't think they are going to swap out the phone if the screen is scratched up and the corners are dinged up. Your phone has to at least look new, but who knows, try swapping and let us know how it turns out. BTW, do you have any pics of the phone to post the scratches & dents?
 

Libuff

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I mix the clear plastic contour case? and a invisashield screen guard.

I love the fact that I can take a set of keys to the screen.

I feel for you tho. Good luck.
 

BB-fan

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Im not sure if I want to see the pics, I might cry or get a heart attack. Good luck and let us know what happens. This is why I don't understand the no insurance on these phones.....oh maybe because they hope we drop it so that we pay $600 for a new one.
 

HymerSchmidt

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That's the best idea I've heard so far. I'm still crying over the scratches in my screen. I should have spent the extra money on Friday to get one of the lousy cases that the Apple store had.

I'm thinking of doing a Flavor-Flave thing and putting it on lanyard around my neck. I might look kind of special wearing it like that, but it wouldn't get lost, stolen, or broken. I wonder if anyone sells anything like that. It'd be perfect for school.

Either that or I'm going to splurge on a Vaja case. The only problem is I don't want my screen covered, and it looks like Vaja discontinued the case that exposes the front.
 

Jeremy

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Do you have a few dead pixels on the screen? If so, it is considered a defect and is subject to be swapped out... right? ;)

Highly doubtful they will swap it out. They can say the screen has pixel issues to the fall that it took... They would swap it out if it didn't take a fall without issue. But... it is Apple, so you never know. Just doubtful.
 

Cool Cat

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Just got back from the Apple Store in Bayshore Mall. The Genius I spoke with recommended that I take it to a jeweler or auto glass shop to see if they can feather the scratch out. He said that the glass is hardened and that it is separate from the touch sensitive components and the screen, so polishing shouldn't hurt anything. I also spoke with him about long sync times and short battery life, both of which he said were caused by third party apps. He recommended that I hold off on using them for a day or so to see how my battery reacts to that, but if I still get lousy use times he said to bring it back in and I think that they'll replace it then. That'd be neat because then I'd have a new phone with no scratches!

While I was there I tried my phone in just about every single case on the wall. I was hoping to find something that would have always-on protection and at the same time give me a comfortable way to attach it to my belt. Sadly, there just doesn't seem to be anything available yet that will do this.

I was excited to see that they had the Contour Hardcase. It is black and rubberized and I thought I was going to like it a lot, but when I got it on the phone it seemed like it would pop off if I dropped it. It's held on by a series of tiny clips around the edges and similar cases I've had for my Treos have fallen off and not protected the phone when dropped. It also does not have any sort of belt attachment and is too big to fit well into either the Marware CEO Premier or the Incase Folio.

I tried all of the skins and hardcases on and attempted to fit them into the Marware CEO Premier, I discovered that it is slightly bigger than the Incase Folio making it more likely to hold a phone that's in another case. The only one that really fit easily was the Belkin silicone skin, but its got gaudy red stripes on it and the fit was kind of loose.

I also tried on a Belkin form fit leather case. Very disappointing. As I expected by looking at the pictures of it and similar cases online, it leaves the entire top of the phone exposed. If I'd had this case on my phone when I dropped it the gouges in the corners would not have been prevented. Perhaps the screen wouldn't have been scratched though. But for such an expensive case I'd expect better protection for all sides, and CORNERS, of the phone. For some reason most of the leather cases out there leave the corners completely exposed. Hello! The corners are what get damaged the most in a fall! There's a Macally leather case that loads from the bottom, I'd like to see that one in person to see what kind of corner protection it's got.

I finally settled on the Griffin Wave case. It comes in a two pack for $35, which was actually the best deal on the whole wall. The only caveat was that the two packs only come with white and blue, neither would be my color of choice but I was not going to leave the store with my phone unprotected. The Wave uses a unique attachment system that has both the front and back halves of the case wrapping around the phone to grasp it and hold everything tight. I can't imagine this case ever popping off if dropped, the fit is very snug and slightly difficult to put on and take off which gives me a feeling of security with it protecting my phone. It did fit into and out of the Marware CEO Premier but it was very snug and hard to get it out one-handed. I decided to skip the holster for now, but pocket carry isn't going to work for me for long. I also bought a pack of anti-glare screen protectors (from Power Support I believe). As I expected they make the screen look funny, there's a definite and perceptible loss of definition and clarity, but at least its protected now. It hides the smaller "skittered" scratches in the screen pretty well, but the long scratch is still visible and puts a tiny rainbow trail on the images under it. None of the scratches can be felt anymore though, which is a small improvement.

If I can find a way to hold the Wave case on my belt in a way that is comfortable and easy to use I'll probably stick with this case. If not, I'll be keeping my eyes open for a better solution that provides the full time protection and easy access that I'm looking for.
 

abalboa3

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That's awesome. Wish I would have been able to find the white wave case here. I had to buy the package with the black and green cases. Also bought a Griffin holster, and a DLO Jam Jacket in black. Really wish I could find a white or clear case. Been thinking of buying the DLO Hybrid case. Really liked that one for my Touch and the white from the phone would peek through.
 

Cool Cat

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That's awesome. Wish I would have been able to find the white wave case here. I had to buy the package with the black and green cases. Also bought a Griffin holster, and a DLO Jam Jacket in black. Really wish I could find a white or clear case. Been thinking of buying the DLO Hybrid case. Really liked that one for my Touch and the white from the phone would peek through.

You got a black Wave and wanted a white one? Want to trade? I'd rather have black!