Could "scuffgate" force Apple into an iPhone 5 recall?
The iPhone 4 had Antennagate, the 4S had Siri’s “pro-life” glitch – and now, the iPhone 5 (which we’ve just reviewed) has a scandal all of its own. If hundreds of consumer reports are to be believed, it seems that 30 to 40 per cent of all iPhone 5s are arriving with scuff marks – damage to the sides and back of the case that range from minor abrasions, all the way through to nicks where the coating of the phone has been completely removed, exposing the aluminium chassis beneath.
Scuffgate doesn’t seem to be a localised issue: There have been reports coming in not just from Europe, but users in the U.S. and Hong Kong are also reporting scuffed phones. The damage isn’t being caused by overzealous Apple fans, desperate to get their sterilised tentacles on the new iPhone, either. The scuffed iPhones are seemingly already damaged when they arrive, before anyone has had a chance to handle them aggressively.
