Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) has a new problem with its iPhone 4. The screen on the smartphone is prone to shattering. Warranty firm SqaureTrade claims that the iPhone 4 screen is 82% more likely to break than the screen on an iPhone 3GS.

Apple has already had problems with the antenna on the iPhone 4.

SquareTrade said in its analysis that it examined 20,000 iPhone 4 models covered under its SquareTrade Care Plans.

Among the conclusions of the study were:

• iPhone 4 owners reported 82% more damaged screens in the first 4 months compared to iPhone 3gs owners.
• Overall, the reported accident rate for iPhone 4s was 68% higher than for the iPhone 3gs.
• An estimated 15.5% of iPhone 4 owners will have an accident within a year of buying their phone.

The results will raise the same question that the discovery of the antenna problem did. Apple may well have known about the iPhone 4 screen issue but has kept the information from consumers in the hope that the problem will not become widespread, which would require the firm to address why the trouble exists and what it means to do for present and future owners of the handset.

Apple dodged the iPhone 4 antenna problem, largely because of the image of Steve Jobs as the creator of perfect products. One imperfection might be tolerated by customers. Two stretches it

Douglas A. McIntyre

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