Is the iPhone 3G cracking?

I'm holding off on buying the new iPhone for various reasons, and this week I read something that makes me glad I did. Several iPhone 3G users on Apple's discussion boards and MacRumors forums are reporting the appearance of hairline cracks surfacing on the new iPhone's plastic shell. The white models seem to be the most affected, but that could be due to the fact that cracks are more visible on the white model. One commenter says these tiny cracks can even be seen on new iPhone 3Gs being displayed at the Apple store.

The iPhone 3G has been out since July 11th, and as you know, the aluminum backing has been replaced by plastic shells to improve the antenna's signal. The cracked iPhone 3G issue is one that is still being brought to light, and unless you read forums and discussion boards, you won't know these tiny cracks even exist (you can barely see them in the pics above).

The worst part is the cracks may have nothing to do with accidental drops. Most users insist they haven't dropped or mistreated their phone in any way, so  there's a good chance the cracking could be a manufacturing problem.

Looks like Apple may another angry mob of early adopters on their hands, and a lawsuit, if they don't fix this problem pronto. I wouldn't be too surprised if Apple went back to the aluminum backing after this little incident, which hasn't been addressed by the company yet. 

We still don't know how widespread the issue is, so stay tuned as the story develops. In the meantime, inspect your new baby and tells us if you see any cracked plastic in the comments below.