iPhone News Updated

iPhone 4 owner sues Apple over cracked glass case

iPhone 4 owner Donald LeBuhn filed a class action lawsuit against Apple early this week, claiming the company is misleading customers about the strength of the glass casing on the iPhone 4. LeBuhn is asking that Apple reimburse the plaintiffs in the case for the cost of the phone and any repairs.

LeBuhn said that his main problem with Apple is that it markets the glass as being super-durable and scratch-resistant — a claim he says his personal experience disproves.

Apple has not yet commented on the lawsuit; we’ll let you know if it does.

The lawsuit, reported by the LAWeekly, focuses on how the iPhone’s glass housing handles when the phone is dropped without a case. LeBuhn said his iPhone shattered when his daughter dropped it from a height of about three feet while sending a text message.

“Months after selling millions of iPhone 4s, Apple has failed to warn and continues to sell this product with no warning to customers that the glass housing is defective,” LeBuhn wrote in the lawsuit.

This is the second big stink raised about shattered glass on the iPhone 4. In October, complaints surfaced that small pieces of matter that got trapped in iPhone 4 sliding cases made the iPhone 4 more prone to cracking. Reports of the problem became so widespread that the tech press dubbed it “Glassgate,” and a research firm called SquareTech released figures that the latest model of the iPhone broke 82 percent more often than the iPhone 3GS.

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With iPhone on Verizon, AT&T Pledges to be Aggressive on Android

With AT&T just one week away from losing its exclusive hold on the Apple iPhone, the carrier on Thursday pledged to be aggressive in building up its Android offerings, though it said it still has confidence that the iPhone will remain a strong performer.

It’s “no secret” that the iPhone would be made available on other U.S. carriers this year, Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s chairman and chief executive officer, said during an earnings call with analysts. But “iPhone sales continue to be very strong in the fourth quarter, [which] gives us some confidence in terms of customer loyalty to the network,” he said.

AT&T activated 4.1 million new iPhones during the fourth quarter, down from 5.2 million iPhone activations the previous quarter.

Stephenson acknowledged that things might be “rocky” and “kind of volatile” for AT&T when Verizon starts selling the iPhone, but said things will likely stabilize after that initial launch.

AT&T has focused much of its smartphone energy on the iPhone since its 2007 launch, while Verizon has built up its Android portfolio. Now, it appears the two carriers might swap focuses.

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