Apple compares it to a helicopter windshield but a Sydney iPhone repair shop has disputed the company's claims that the iPhone 4's glass is 30 times harder than plastic and less prone to breakage, after the first broken model came through his door.

New owners will want to be careful as dropped phones are not covered under warranty and repair costs are significantly higher than for the iPhone 3GS.

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iPhone 4 threesome: the definitive review | Video

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A 22-year-old Monash University IT student from Melbourne, Steven, who did not want his surname revealed, bought the iPhone 4 on Friday, the day it was released. But within hours, he had dropped it on concrete and smashed the screen after the 9.3mm thin device slipped out of his hands while he was carrying too many things.