Failing less
Just over one in four iPhones break within two years, but Apple has improved the reliability of its mobile megastar, according to SquareTrade.
The after-sales warranties company, which examines more than 25,000 customer claims, says although 26 percent of Apple's smartphones suffer breakdowns or fail by their second birthday, the iPhone 3GS is sturdier and more reliable than its predecessors.
SquareTrade's report last year found almost a third of all iPhones broke within 24 months of ownership. Consequently, claims filed by iPhone owners whose mobiles suffered hardware failures or accidents, dropped from 2009 levels.
In 2009, 21 percent of iPhone owners and SquareTrade customers reported an accidental damage claim in the first 24 months of ownership, compared with 18.1 percent before June 2010. Similarly, fewer people made a hardware failure claim in the same time frame, falling from 10 percent in 2009 to 7.5 percent in June 2010.
SquareTrade believes the drop in warranty claims is due to the improvement in the iPhone 3GS' touch screen, which is tougher and designed to withstand a higher degree of shock if knocked or dropped. According to their data, the number of reported iPhone 3GS touchscreen failures is less than half of those suffered by owners of the older 3G model. Yet, 3GS owners have reported 50 percent more power issues than their 3G owning peers.
The warranty firm predicts the iPhone 4 will be even more reliable than its predecessors, but is concerned about the new model's glass back and recommends proud new owners invest in a sturdy cover, case or skin, especially as drops and cracked screen currently account for over three quarters of accidents it handles.
Soon-to-be new owners of the coveted handset may also be reassured by findings of the SquareTrade report that loss and theft of iPhones is a minor problem compared to accidents and normal use failures.
Detailed findings of the report can be downloaded here.
