Does the iPhone 5 get scratched too easily? Some early owners say so

Every rose has its thorn, and for the iPhone 5, that thorn is of the scratching kind.

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Owners of Apple’s latest iPhone are already reporting that the shiny new gadget attracts as many scratches as it does eyeballs. The issue centers around the iPhone 5’s anodized aluminum exterior, which seems to attract more scuffs than the steel used on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

In a poll on MacRumors, roughly 47  percent of respondents said their devices had either been scratched out of the box or were scratched shortly after opening.

Gadget repair site iFixit found similar results in its own tests and concluded that, overall, the iPhone 5 was less resistant to scratches than the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s. Attraction to scratches was a big concern on the device’s rear, but an even bigger problem on its edges. (You can see for yourself in the video below.)

When asked about the issues by VentureBeat on Friday, Apple representatives were largely unconcerned, and said that the company’s history of working with anodized aluminum made it unlikely that the iPhone 5 would have any problems with scratches.