Edible Apple

And just as the return of iPhone 4 Bumpers to Apple retail stores perhaps symbolizes the conclusion of Antennagate, is it possible that Glassgate is right around the corner?

Ryan Block of GDGT reports that the glass back of the iPhone 4 may be prone to scratching and serious cracking when covered with certain slide-on iPhone cases.

According to my sources both inside and outside Apple, after Antennagate the iPhone engineering team identified another potential design flaw that appears to have sent them into a quiet lockdown, and has them working behind the scenes in what’s been described to me as something of a quiet panic to preempt any further tarnishing the iPhone brand. Apple has apparently found that non-bumper style cases — specifically those that slide onto the iPhone 4, which are occasionally prone to particulate matter getting caught between the rear of the phone and the case — can cause unexpected scratching that could quickly develop into full-on cracking or even much larger fracturing of the entire rear pane of glass.

Looking to prevent another iPhone controversy, Block notes that Apple quickly moved to block the sale of all third-party slide on iPhone cases from its stores. Moreover, Apple also set up a lab where iPhone engineers are testing the device to determine the full extent of what may or may not be a serious problem.