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I have an iPhone 11 Pro. The back is made out of glass which is easily breakable. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why, because behind the glass is an opa

I have an iPhone 11 Pro. The back is made out of glass which is easily breakable. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why, because behind the glass is an opaque piece of aluminum. The glass broke on the third day I had the phone when I tossed it from knee height on to a folded up sweatshirt that was sitting on a rug on a tile floor. Oh, actually, I guess I do know why an opaque part of a thousand dollar phone is made out of incredibly fragile glass, but I’ve made it two years without cutting myself too terribly badly and I’m not planning on replacing it while it still works. (Obviously, the front glass is broken too but that’s utterly unremarkable for an apple product).

shepherdjerred 3y ago
I also own an iPhone 11 Pro. It's in great condition and I plan to keep using it until it no longer receives major software updates.
rootusrootus 3y ago
You tossed it onto a tile floor, and it broke. That's unfortunate, but not entirely a surprise no matter who manufactured the phone. Glass is glass.
- makeitdouble 3y ago
  > Glass is glass That's parent's point, don't use glass panels on the back of a phone. I put half of the blame on reviewers promoting the idea that glass is "premium" and letting phone makers get away with this design choice.
  - sasaf5 3y ago
    All reviwers will complain about products being "plasticky" or "a fingerprint magnet", none of which are an actual issue for users.
    - fomine3 3y ago
      "plasticky" is one of the most widespread invalid criticism for me. It's a feature, like we can throw GameBoy to the bed.
      - pjerem 3y ago
        Also, it’s pretty false. Apple already did it with the iPhone 5C and the plasticky aspect was about the only positive thing in the reviews of this phone. Apple largely have the competence and the marketing power to make everyone believe that their premium plastic is amazing. In fact, they managed to make us believe that for glass which must be one of the cheapest materials on earth to produce.
- mynameisash 3y ago
  >> tossed it from knee height on to a folded up sweatshirt that was sitting on a rug on a tile floor. > You tossed it onto a tile floor You seem to have intentionally omitted some pretty important information there.
  - rootusrootus 3y ago
    Yeah, I guess I did. It would not break if it actually landed on a sweatshirt on a rug. That much is pretty obvious.
    - kelnos 3y ago
      Unless you're accusing the commenter of lying, that seems exactly what happened. Which doesn't surprise me. I've dropped case-less phones on concrete and asphalt many times with only minor scratching to the frame. But I've also seen people drop phones onto decent-pile carpets and break their screens. It's hard to predict what will happen.
- jiminymcmoogley 3y ago
  technically they tossed it onto the earth's core, which is estimated to be around 5000°C. though even if it had been a (completely uncovered, unrugged, and un-folded-up-sweatered) tile floor, i would absolutely expect most manufacturers' phones to hold up just fine at that height... to get serious for a moment though, id like to go against the anti-glass grain by pointing out that supposedly, successive generations of Corning Gorilla Glass get stronger by some multiple each time, yet we see phone screens smashing with the same regularity because manufacturers are just using thinner panes each time (probably chasing thinner phones more so than some kind of planned obsolescence conspiracy, although both explanations are credible). so we end up with a tradeoff between thickness, durability and glass backs, but that beats having to rule out durable phones with glass backs entirely from being able to exist
  - singleshot_ 3y ago
    I don't think it's a "conspiracy" so much as "the first design objective" but I think I agree with every other part of your comment. (I have also added the bit about the earth's core to my standup routine; thanks).
  - Qwertious 3y ago
    Thinner panes are cheaper panes. In theory they could keep the thickness the same and use a lower grade of material, but the savings likely aren't that high and thinner phones are likely the nail in the coffin.
- Libcat99 3y ago
  In the same way that your phone, in your pocket, is thrown on the ground every time you take a step, sure.
- singleshot_ 3y ago
  Sir, reading comprehension. The tile floor was separated from the device at all times by a rug and a folded up hooded sweatshirt. If I tossed it on a tile floor we would not be having this conversation.
  - rootusrootus 3y ago
    I comprehended it, but I assume it's incorrect. It probably landed in the one spot that didn't have any meaningful separation from the tile floor. Or it wouldn't have broken.
    - singleshot_ 3y ago
      You mean “the spot that didn’t have any meaningful separation from the rug,” I’m sure. This has been a deeply fulfilling conversation and I’m glad we got the chance to talk past one another today.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
dzhiurgis 3y ago
To each their own. I bought myself and my partner iPhone 13. She kept her in case, mine always case free. 2 years later, she broke back and screen. Mine while all scratched up is still intact. Went underwater at least 5 times. Number of falls on concrete, tiles, etc.
specialp 3y ago
The glass prior to iPhone 14 is UNREPAIRABLE as well. You are better off breaking the screen. The Apple repair process for iPhone 12 and 13 is to replace the entire chassis. Ebay sellers will sell you a replacement back glass but you have to painstakingly break off all the back glass including a sensitive microphone near the cameras and also the chances you don't break the wireless charging is zero. Polycarbonate plastic would have been ideal
- singleshot_ 3y ago
  I actually had one of those not-Apple-but-we-repair-Apple-gear quote me $579 to fix it. Yes, he was aware this was stupid. We had a good chuckle.
Gigachad 3y ago
It's glass because it needs to be transparent for the wireless charging coil. There is a hole in the aluminum frame for this coil. The options are basically just plastic or glass. At least with the current phones it's now possible to replace this glass if it breaks.
- fomine3 3y ago
  That's why I hate wireless charging trend. Manufacturers adopt heavy and fragile glass due to this, and its heat is bad for battery health.
- pjerem 3y ago
  I have memories of a time where Apple was praised for their polycarbonate quality. You know, those expensive devices they called MacBook and iPod. They even released the iPhone 5C which, ironically, only made consensus on its good design. Really nothing is forbidding them to release nice plastic phones. The only reason they won’t is that they want this shiny aspect in their App Store because the consumer will hide this under a mandatory case if they intend to keep it for years. Well It’s a shame thinking of all those nice things we could have if we actually decided to break corporate monopolies. But now we are stuck between stupid glass phones without default applications and Google spy phones.
- singleshot_ 3y ago
  I feel a little better knowing this is necessary, but it's hard to believe they couldn't figure out how to charge through metal (like ever other "put it on the charger thing I own like handheld radios). I guess the radios are more "put it on the charger in the right position" whereas I can slop the phone on the wireless charger wherever I want. Of course I don't have a wireless charger but hey, progress.
frabcus 3y ago
This happened to me too. Every committed iPhone user told me - you should have used a case! Ummm... What's the point of a phone being beautiful and thin if I then anyway have to make it large with a case? It was a bad piece of design.
mcv 3y ago
I don't get this either. My OnePlus 7 also has a glass back. These thin, fragile phones all require a case (making it thicker and hiding the sleek looks) to protect them, and my glass back still broke despite the case. What's the point? I'd rather have a sturdy phone that doesn't require a separate case. In fact, the replaceable body of my old Fairphone 2 is a much better idea.

shepherdjerred 3y ago

I also own an iPhone 11 Pro. It's in great condition and I plan to keep using it until it no longer receives major software updates.

rootusrootus 3y ago

You tossed it onto a tile floor, and it broke. That's unfortunate, but not entirely a surprise no matter who manufactured the phone. Glass is glass.

makeitdouble 3y ago
> Glass is glass That's parent's point, don't use glass panels on the back of a phone. I put half of the blame on reviewers promoting the idea that glass is "premium" and letting phone makers get away with this design choice.
- sasaf5 3y ago
  All reviwers will complain about products being "plasticky" or "a fingerprint magnet", none of which are an actual issue for users.
  - fomine3 3y ago
    "plasticky" is one of the most widespread invalid criticism for me. It's a feature, like we can throw GameBoy to the bed.
    - pjerem 3y ago
      Also, it’s pretty false. Apple already did it with the iPhone 5C and the plasticky aspect was about the only positive thing in the reviews of this phone. Apple largely have the competence and the marketing power to make everyone believe that their premium plastic is amazing. In fact, they managed to make us believe that for glass which must be one of the cheapest materials on earth to produce.
mynameisash 3y ago
>> tossed it from knee height on to a folded up sweatshirt that was sitting on a rug on a tile floor. > You tossed it onto a tile floor You seem to have intentionally omitted some pretty important information there.
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  Yeah, I guess I did. It would not break if it actually landed on a sweatshirt on a rug. That much is pretty obvious.
  - kelnos 3y ago
    Unless you're accusing the commenter of lying, that seems exactly what happened. Which doesn't surprise me. I've dropped case-less phones on concrete and asphalt many times with only minor scratching to the frame. But I've also seen people drop phones onto decent-pile carpets and break their screens. It's hard to predict what will happen.
jiminymcmoogley 3y ago
technically they tossed it onto the earth's core, which is estimated to be around 5000°C. though even if it had been a (completely uncovered, unrugged, and un-folded-up-sweatered) tile floor, i would absolutely expect most manufacturers' phones to hold up just fine at that height... to get serious for a moment though, id like to go against the anti-glass grain by pointing out that supposedly, successive generations of Corning Gorilla Glass get stronger by some multiple each time, yet we see phone screens smashing with the same regularity because manufacturers are just using thinner panes each time (probably chasing thinner phones more so than some kind of planned obsolescence conspiracy, although both explanations are credible). so we end up with a tradeoff between thickness, durability and glass backs, but that beats having to rule out durable phones with glass backs entirely from being able to exist
- singleshot_ 3y ago
  I don't think it's a "conspiracy" so much as "the first design objective" but I think I agree with every other part of your comment. (I have also added the bit about the earth's core to my standup routine; thanks).
- Qwertious 3y ago
  Thinner panes are cheaper panes. In theory they could keep the thickness the same and use a lower grade of material, but the savings likely aren't that high and thinner phones are likely the nail in the coffin.
Libcat99 3y ago
In the same way that your phone, in your pocket, is thrown on the ground every time you take a step, sure.
singleshot_ 3y ago
Sir, reading comprehension. The tile floor was separated from the device at all times by a rug and a folded up hooded sweatshirt. If I tossed it on a tile floor we would not be having this conversation.
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  I comprehended it, but I assume it's incorrect. It probably landed in the one spot that didn't have any meaningful separation from the tile floor. Or it wouldn't have broken.
  - singleshot_ 3y ago
    You mean “the spot that didn’t have any meaningful separation from the rug,” I’m sure. This has been a deeply fulfilling conversation and I’m glad we got the chance to talk past one another today.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

dzhiurgis 3y ago

To each their own. I bought myself and my partner iPhone 13. She kept her in case, mine always case free. 2 years later, she broke back and screen. Mine while all scratched up is still intact. Went underwater at least 5 times. Number of falls on concrete, tiles, etc.

specialp 3y ago

The glass prior to iPhone 14 is UNREPAIRABLE as well. You are better off breaking the screen. The Apple repair process for iPhone 12 and 13 is to replace the entire chassis. Ebay sellers will sell you a replacement back glass but you have to painstakingly break off all the back glass including a sensitive microphone near the cameras and also the chances you don't break the wireless charging is zero. Polycarbonate plastic would have been ideal

singleshot_ 3y ago
I actually had one of those not-Apple-but-we-repair-Apple-gear quote me $579 to fix it. Yes, he was aware this was stupid. We had a good chuckle.

Gigachad 3y ago

It's glass because it needs to be transparent for the wireless charging coil. There is a hole in the aluminum frame for this coil. The options are basically just plastic or glass. At least with the current phones it's now possible to replace this glass if it breaks.

fomine3 3y ago
That's why I hate wireless charging trend. Manufacturers adopt heavy and fragile glass due to this, and its heat is bad for battery health.
pjerem 3y ago
I have memories of a time where Apple was praised for their polycarbonate quality. You know, those expensive devices they called MacBook and iPod. They even released the iPhone 5C which, ironically, only made consensus on its good design. Really nothing is forbidding them to release nice plastic phones. The only reason they won’t is that they want this shiny aspect in their App Store because the consumer will hide this under a mandatory case if they intend to keep it for years. Well It’s a shame thinking of all those nice things we could have if we actually decided to break corporate monopolies. But now we are stuck between stupid glass phones without default applications and Google spy phones.
singleshot_ 3y ago
I feel a little better knowing this is necessary, but it's hard to believe they couldn't figure out how to charge through metal (like ever other "put it on the charger thing I own like handheld radios). I guess the radios are more "put it on the charger in the right position" whereas I can slop the phone on the wireless charger wherever I want. Of course I don't have a wireless charger but hey, progress.

frabcus 3y ago

This happened to me too. Every committed iPhone user told me - you should have used a case! Ummm... What's the point of a phone being beautiful and thin if I then anyway have to make it large with a case? It was a bad piece of design.

mcv 3y ago

I don't get this either. My OnePlus 7 also has a glass back. These thin, fragile phones all require a case (making it thicker and hiding the sleek looks) to protect them, and my glass back still broke despite the case. What's the point? I'd rather have a sturdy phone that doesn't require a separate case. In fact, the replaceable body of my old Fairphone 2 is a much better idea.