Or perhaps, you have already!  If you’re not sure why you would want to do such a thing, take a look at the photos here and in this article, which explains how deceptively easy it is to remove the iPhone 4′s glass rear panel and replace it with a metal one.  These panels are sold by third-party companies and obviously aren’t endorsed by Apple, but if you’ve broken the glass – or are terrified of doing so – then it’s a cheap option.

How cheap?  $12 cheap!  It’s almost worth buying one just in case the rear panel smashes and you need a temporary fix.  It seems though, people are thinking of using them as more than just a temporary solution, preferring the brushed metal look to the sheer, polished glass Apple gave the iPhone 4.

We’re not sure if it’s better looking, but it certainly looks tougher, although without feeling how strong it is in real life, it’s hard to know whether it will protect the vital electronics just a few millimeters behind it.

Have you done this mod yourself?  If so, let us know how easy it was, where you got the parts from, if everything was included and most importantly, did it affect the performance of the phone.