WHAT DOES ANODIZED ON MY IPHONE 5 MEAN?

Apple Does What it Can to Beef Up Style and Durability.

For a number of years Apple has been setting the standard for materials, designs and advanced manufacturing techniques in high-quality consumer electronics. That quest for perfection has led them to using lightweight yet strong materials in the iPhone. For that reason they give the iPhone aluminum housings.

Auto racing fans and bicycle enthusiasts know that manufacturers use aluminum in place of steel whenever possible because it weighs less. But when it's used in a place where its appearance is important and it's going to get some wear and tear, it can be too soft to hold up well.

That leads us to the anodized iPhone 5. To go over all the details of anodizing would take a college seminar in chemistry. We'll just say that the process increases the layer of oxide on the outside of the iPhone aluminum case and this makes it tougher. It also allows Apple to put color on the outside of the iPhone 5 case.

While an anodized iPhone 5 case is tougher than aluminum that hasn't been anodized, it's not scratch proof or ding proof. In fact, Phil Schiller, an Apple marketing guru, admitted that users will experience some scuffing of their iPhone 5 cases. He called it ‘normal.’ Here's the way he put it, “Any aluminum product may scratch or chip with use, exposing its natural silver color. That is normal.” Okay Phil, we get it. But, that doesn't mean we have to like it.

The way to protect your scruff and scratch-prone iPhone aluminum is with a good case, like the LifeProof frē for iPhone 5. Bouncing around the bottom of a pocket or inside a purse with car keys and other sharp objects is the ideal way to scratch up your anodized iPhone 5. Just like you don't ever want to see the side of your car ‘keyed’ you don't want the back of your iPhone to accidentally suffer that fate either.

The anodized bottom line:
• Anodizing hardens the aluminum iPhone case and allows Apple to give it color
• Even anodized iPhone cases can scratch and chip
• Scratched cases reduce the good looks and value of your iPhone
• A LifeProof case keeps your iPhone looking its best