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Anyone know how tough the glass screen on the Hero is? I've been mollycoddling mine ever since I got it, but my brother just slings his iPhone in his pocket and it's never scratched.
My Touch Diamond screen ended up with countless tiny scratches after 6 months living in my pocket. :-(
Can confirm, concrete and the screen do not mix.
Get a screen protector
Hero's screen is made of "gorilla glass" same as the Iphones
I've been taking good care of mine too, only keeping it in an otherwise empty pocket. Somehow managed to get a tiny scratch tho.
Sorry for reviving the thread, but didn't want to start a new one. Can anyone confirm that the screen is indeed made of the same material as the iPhone per NisseGurra's post? (not doubting, just would rather ask and potentially find a source that confirms this )
I must say that the screen to me feels more plasticy than the iPhones ( I've held them side by side ).
I bought some protector screen off ebay, and so long as you put them on with care, they're very good.
Yeah I threw one on that came w/ a Flexishield case I purchased from eBay, but now I'm really starting to appreciate the anti-grease coating that was on the screen before I put the protector on. That's why I was wondering... if it truly is a scratch-resistant screen, I'd consider going protector-less for the sake of having a TON less smudging.
while it's pretty expensive, I suspect the HTC official screen protectors must have the anti-grease coating too - I certainly haven't noticed a difference in smudging level
in a small portion in the corner of my screen i thought i would test this out, even using a screw or blade with a fair bit of pressure it didnt scratch i think for normal usage ie keys in pocket you will stay scratch free.
I must admit, whatever they have coated the screen with seems to be far less scratch prone than other handsets I've had.
I do look after it TBH, but then I always do look after my handsets, hate scratched screens.
It does appear to be coated in a plastic and does not feel like glass. yet its cold to the touch just like glass would be, whereas plastic would feel 'warmer' to the touch.
In the most supreme irony, my screen has picked up a couple of small scratches. Lol. No clue where from either, it hasn't been dropped or mistreated.
Seems a screen protector is in order.
soulehmoo said:
In the most supreme irony, my screen has picked up a couple of small scratches. Lol. No clue where from either, it hasn't been dropped or mistreated.
Seems a screen protector is in order.
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Click to collapse
That's bizarre, especially considering your little corner-of-the-screen test!
[With pics] How to replace only the glass (not the whole "LCD") on a Galaxy S3!
You don't.
Although it is entirely possible, the chance of failure if done by people with absolutely no experience with mobile phone repairs is very high.
If you've broken the screen on your Samsung Galaxy S3 and have considered replacing the screen by yourself because your local mobile phone repair shops charge a hefty price for the repair, you should reconsider. You may have seen videos like the following that make it seem it is very easy to replace the glass only:
(skip to 3:00 in this one)
Maybe it seemed too easy. That's because it was too easy. Chances are those screens have already been replaced before by a third party who has access to professional equipment and skills. Possibly the screen has been broken more than once?
Even if you do successfully replace the glass only, it is guaranteed that you will get scratches, dust, fingerprints and adhesive marks on the Super AMOLED panel, no matter how much you clean it. That's because you won't be doing the repair with gloves on in a clean room free of dust. And that's not all - after a few weeks or months of use, dust will somehow find a way to get in between the glass and SAMOLED+ panel because you didn't use machine-cut adhesive that adheres your glass perfectly, leaving no gap for dust to get in. Your screen's touch sensitivity will drop as well, since it's not making adequate contact with the digitizer. And on top of that, the visibility will also drop.
Those problems don't show up on camera, and can easily be masked/hidden from the camera, too.
If this is only your first time breaking the screen on your S3, those tutorials won't work for you because your screen was manufactured as one whole piece by Samsung. The glass on your phone won't fall out by itself because the whole glass is optically laminated to the SAMOLED+ panel using a Liquid Optically Clear Adhesive, or LOCA for short. This kind of adhesive is a little bit sensitive to heat, but can't be completely removed because it is cured using UV light, not heat.
Optical lamination is a manufacturing process employed in more high end mobile devices that eliminate the air gap usually present between the display panel (usually either LCD or AMOLED) and the glass digitizer panel on top. Phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, Note 2 and Note 3, iPhone 4/4S/5/5S/5C, HTC One X, One, Butterfly, Droid DNA, LG Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Sony Xperia Z, Z1, Z Ultra etc. have displays that are optically laminated. Optical lamination has a number of advantages:
Visibility is increased (especially under sunlight), since there aren't multiple layers reflecting ambient light creating optical interference
Screen clarity is increased, since optical lamination makes the display look like it is on top of the glass as opposed to being under it
It is impossible for debris like dirt and dust to get trapped in the air gap between the display and glass, because that gap is filled with LOCA
Higher contrast ratio, because there's less light reflecting off the parts of the screen that aren't emitting light
But the biggest disadvantage is the increased cost of repair. That's what you have to pay for all those aforementioned advantages. It also certainly doesn't help that the screens are getting thinner and thinner every year. The likelihood of breaking the screen increases every year too.
Here's a little photo album that I'd like to share with everyone documenting my experiences trying to remove the glass from full original Samsung screens that haven't been replaced or tampered with before. Click to enlarge.
This is a picture of the Black Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300. Only the glass was broken, so I attempted to separate it from the AMOLED panel using a heat gun and some plastic pry tools. So far so good, until the AMOLED panel broke because it is optically bonded to the glass and also stuck to the frame underneath it. You can still see some LOCA on the AMOLED panel and glass.
Second is the Galaxy S4 GT-i9505. It was broken on the top half, so I started removing the glass from the bottom. Again, the LOCA wasn't very cooperative, staying quite solid throughout the removal. Eventually, the S4's AMOLED panel broke too.
It didn't look like the broken original Samsung screens wanted to be separated, so I moved on to fully intact screens.
It was a pain trying to separate this one. The adhesive was very difficult to remove, and the screen's touch digitizer circuit and polarizer started to separate from the AMOLED panel. As you can see, the glass came off intact, but the AMOLED underneath was completely destroyed.
It doesn't look like the digitizer circuit/polarizer is bonded to the AMOLED. It just gets sandwiched on top, so it is very easy to unintentionally separate it from the AMOLED instead of leaving it on and only removing the glass, especially if the glass is smashed into a thousand fragments. The glass was in one piece though, and you can see how that turned out.
This is a good representation of what the AMOLED sandwich consists of. From top to bottom:
Gorilla Glass
Touch digitizer circuit/polarizer (you can see the rest of the glass is a lot darker than the top left corner where polarizer was removed)
AMOLED panel (it looks very reflective without the polarizer on top of it)
Midframe
Some of the AMOLED panel itself came off and was still stuck to the glass!
You can see how thin and fragile the AMOLED panel is on the Samsung Galaxy S series phones. Sure, it's thin, but is it worth it? The panel has to be supported by the frame and the glass to stay intact. The panel on the S4 has a slimmed down bezel and was made thinner again, so it's a lot easier to break the AMOLED on the S4 than it is on the S3.
Ugh, don't even get me started with the iPhone 5 screen. LCDs are more robust than AMOLEDS but still...so much LOCA...so much glass...
Sure, these glass panels can be had for about $10, but is it worth all the effort to end up with a screen full of dust and fingerprints, has a warped frame and will eventually come loose and fall off, or simply just to destroy the AMOLED panel then spending extra money on a whole display assembly? Reapplying the glass leaving no gaps for dust to get in requires adhesive that is machine-cut perfectly for your frame.
Edit: Even then, you still don't have any LOCA or the necessary facilities to fill that air gap. (Thanks to @KrzychuG !)
Do you have what it takes?
Sorry for such a long post. I'm spending my time, efforts and money so you don't have to. I will occasionally add to this thread when I get more screens to experiment with.
This is a good video on how these screens can be separated and replaced with a perfect bubble-free and dust-free finish:
Most of the time its a better idea to just buy an entire replacement. I've replaced glass on nexus 7's and Galaxy Note2's a few times. it's not fun to replace glass or lamination, and it's just a whole lot easier to purchase a "parts" phone with a working display from ebay and swap out boards. Glass is one of my least favorite things to play with.
vantt1 said:
This is a good video on how these screens can be separated and replaced with a perfect bubble-free and dust-free finish:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome dude! thanks alot for the tutorial, but i dont think people have industrial size vacuums in their house, lol,
Thank you so much, this is very helpful!
Can I ask how you got the information? That would be very useful to do further research about other devices
Thanks again!
I will never, ever separate the glass and the screen. I know that it will break for sure. When I replace phone glass, I replace the entire front screen assembly which includes the glass, screen, and any frame to attach it into the phone. Even if it's just the glass that's broken and the LCD still works, still replace the entire front assembly.
Pizza_Dox said:
Awesome dude! thanks alot for the tutorial, but i dont think people have industrial size vacuums in their house, lol,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the point is that unless you have all this stuff you shouldn't be even attempting to replace the glass.
i have tried this multiple times and all i can say is for anyone at home wihtout the professional equipment your not gonna get anywhere.. this isnt like and iPhone 3G/S where you take the screen off and seperate the LCD from the digitizer with a heatgun or hairdryer, ive tried all possible ways an failed every single time, either broken AMOLED or in some cases half the AMOLED comes off with the adheasive...
just save your money and buy the digitizer with the AMOLED attached..
HankChill said:
I will never, ever separate the glass and the screen. I know that it will break for sure. When I replace phone glass, I replace the entire front screen assembly which includes the glass, screen, and any frame to attach it into the phone. Even if it's just the glass that's broken and the LCD still works, still replace the entire front assembly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but what will you do with the old screen with the broken front glass ?
andr3wchong said:
but what will you do with the old screen with the broken front glass ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chuck it
I have replaced many screens, and in my experience, you're always best buying everything as readily assembled as possible. Out of 5 attempts at separating the S3 Glass from the AMOLED panel, I have managed it twice without breaking the AMOLED, and that involves also keeping the digitser intact as well, which is between the outer glass and the AMOLED.
Back when I was doing this, you were looking at £175+ for the complete assembly, so to some people, £20 at a risk was worth it if I could manage it. Now though they're cheap enough to replace the whole lot without the worry.
There is an app on Play Store called ifixit which gives pretty detailed step-by-step instructions for most DIY teardowns and fixes for phones, tablets, consoles and even some household applicances, and they have a website too. Unfortunately, it's only experience (and expense) that make you realise that just because they make it look doable, it doesn't mean everyone can do it easily. There are many, many pitfalls that you will only discover yourself when you take on these DIY repairs, to the point where I don't do them all that often anymore, just because it's too stressful and costly if it goes wrong. My first iPhone 4 (am I allowed to say that here? ) screen replacement took me 3 hours just because of how careful I was. Now I can do it in 20 minutes, just because of experience. But even then you can be plagued with problems for no apparent reason. If you don't handle stress well, my best advice is to leave it to the experts
matmaneyre said:
I have replaced many screens, and in my experience, you're always best buying everything as readily assembled as possible. Out of 5 attempts at separating the S3 Glass from the AMOLED panel, I have managed it twice without breaking the AMOLED, and that involves also keeping the digitser intact as well, which is between the outer glass and the AMOLED.
Back when I was doing this, you were looking at £175+ for the complete assembly, so to some people, £20 at a risk was worth it if I could manage it. Now though they're cheap enough to replace the whole lot without the worry.
There is an app on Play Store called ifixit which gives pretty detailed step-by-step instructions for most DIY teardowns and fixes for phones, tablets, consoles and even some household applicances, and they have a website too. Unfortunately, it's only experience (and expense) that make you realise that just because they make it look doable, it doesn't mean everyone can do it easily. There are many, many pitfalls that you will only discover yourself when you take on these DIY repairs, to the point where I don't do them all that often anymore, just because it's too stressful and costly if it goes wrong. My first iPhone 4 (am I allowed to say that here? ) screen replacement took me 3 hours just because of how careful I was. Now I can do it in 20 minutes, just because of experience. But even then you can be plagued with problems for no apparent reason. If you don't handle stress well, my best advice is to leave it to the experts
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Click to collapse
you musty be really good out of i think 7 possible 8, i have managed to seperate once, but still i scratched the AMOLED...
ricky310711 said:
you musty be really good out of i think 7 possible 8, i have managed to seperate once, but still i scratched the AMOLED...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It never feels like I'm very good when I see the screen go though. Just that sick feeling :/
Saying that as well, I gave the phones back to whoever they belonged to when they were done. There's nothing to say that a couple of weeks/months down the line they faced the problems of dust under the glass, touchscreen sensitivity reduced etc. They were just happy to get them back 'looking' perfect.
Never again
matmaneyre said:
It never feels like I'm very good when I see the screen go though. Just that sick feeling :/
Saying that as well, I gave the phones back to whoever they belonged to when they were done. There's nothing to say that a couple of weeks/months down the line they faced the problems of dust under the glass, touchscreen sensitivity reduced etc. They were just happy to get them back 'looking' perfect.
Never again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your right, quallity also plays a BIG part aswell, like you said never know what could happen, but better brands generally have better touch respones and just generally more smoothe, i knew someone who had just got the digitizer replaced by a phone repair shop, they couldnt use their phone in the wind thats how bad the replacement was..
EDIT: response**
thank you, says my sii p
you saved a sii today, i'm using my phone without screen protection so it gets scratches after long times and i said to myself that's ok, i will replace the gorilla glass. that would be open the phone replace it then close it and i will have a new sii p again but sounds it's not that easy.
Very interesting thread.
I must be lucky,as on several occasions with most phones I have owned (HTC Desire hd, HTC One X, HTC One,Nexus 5, Samsung Note 3) I have accidentally dropped my phone. I've never had a case on and have on some occasions been unlucky to have the phone land on the screen, it has happened indoors and outdoors, on concrete and tarmac, despite this I haven't ever broken the glass.
andr3wchong said:
but what will you do with the old screen with the broken front glass ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HankChill said:
Chuck it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't follow the advice to "Chuck it". We purchase these cracked glass assemblies as long as the touch screen and LCD still work fine. We can pay up to $100 PER screen, depending on the model. PM us for prices for bulk orders.
I very recently bought myself an used Galaxy S3 and to my great disappointment the glass has no scratches because it has been replaced. Now I got ****ty touchscreen response and already dust is gathering between the digitizer and the glass. I might try to sell it off and buy myself another one, this time checking very carefully that everything is in perfect working condition!
So much for thinking I had found a bargain for this fantastic phone (which, despite the problems, is a nice upgrade from my Galaxy Ace!)
MobileEMT said:
I wouldn't follow the advice to "Chuck it". We purchase these cracked glass assemblies as long as the touch screen and LCD still work fine. We can pay up to $100 PER screen, depending on the model. PM us for prices for bulk orders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I have a crapload
ricky310711 said:
Really? I have a crapload
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear! We'll PM you. Feel free to contact us if you would like to sell or refurbish them.
Got my gray HTC M8 (UK, contract on 3 Mobile) on Thursday, been treating it like a baby since - keeping it in the rubbery case that came with it; putting it down gently; and when carrying it with me in a pocket, making sure to put it in one that is completely empty of anything else.
I haven't bought a screen protector yet because the one I have my eye on on Amazon doesn't seem to be available at the moment, but figured I'd be ok for a few days. I was wrong.
Today I noticed two hairline scratches, one about 1cm long, the other around 2cm, in the bottom left quarter of the screen. What I don't understand is how - every single time I get a new device that boasts Gorilla Glass, I think "well, hopefully it won't be quite so hopelessly fragile as the last" only to be let down time and time again.
So, anybody else with the new M8 noticed scratches on their screen yet?
Official HTC Screen Protectors 2 pack £9.99 in Carphone Warehouse.
Don't forget the 6 months free screen replacement
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
biggles1000 said:
Got my gray HTC M8 (UK, contract on 3 Mobile) on Thursday, been treating it like a baby since - keeping it in the rubbery case that came with it; putting it down gently; and when carrying it with me in a pocket, making sure to put it in one that is completely empty of anything else.
I haven't bought a screen protector yet because the one I have my eye on on Amazon doesn't seem to be available at the moment, but figured I'd be ok for a few days. I was wrong.
Today I noticed two hairline scratches, one about 1cm long, the other around 2cm, in the bottom left quarter of the screen. What I don't understand is how - every single time I get a new device that boasts Gorilla Glass, I think "well, hopefully it won't be quite so hopelessly fragile as the last" only to be let down time and time again.
So, anybody else with the new M8 noticed scratches on their screen yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still have my m7 for a couple weeks. Same glass, never had a screen protector on it, never had an issue. I don't baby it, but I do make sure nothing else is in my pocket. These things are so tough, can't even imagine what you are doing to it.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
biggles1000 said:
Got my gray HTC M8 (UK, contract on 3 Mobile) on Thursday, been treating it like a baby since - keeping it in the rubbery case that came with it; putting it down gently; and when carrying it with me in a pocket, making sure to put it in one that is completely empty of anything else.
I haven't bought a screen protector yet because the one I have my eye on on Amazon doesn't seem to be available at the moment, but figured I'd be ok for a few days. I was wrong.
Today I noticed two hairline scratches, one about 1cm long, the other around 2cm, in the bottom left quarter of the screen. What I don't understand is how - every single time I get a new device that boasts Gorilla Glass, I think "well, hopefully it won't be quite so hopelessly fragile as the last" only to be let down time and time again.
So, anybody else with the new M8 noticed scratches on their screen yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's quite possible there was a tiny bit of sand in your pocket, and that's really all it takes to scratch these glass screens my man :/
I haven't used a screen protector in almost three years. Do you lay the phone face down on tables, rub the phone on your shirt or pants to clean the screen, or use paper towels on it? I don't baby my phones at all and never get scratches. Sorry you scratched yours.
I'm just as unlucky as the OP, so I always exercise caution when having a new phone. Before even receiving it, I have a cheap case and screen protector just to hold me over until something better comes out. It's very important to keep my devices flawless because I always sell them to subsidize the cost of a newer phone. There are some people who will boast about Gorilla Glass being the greatest thing ever, but I've still experienced scratches on the few devices I haven't protected so well. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Maybe I'm just unlucky. Either way, I'll probably never stop using screen protectors.
I put a screen protector on the minute I got mine. However, if u were to believe the video on line then its practically impossible to scratch the m8 screen.
It's always the laying face down on the table that does it. I bet 70%+ of accounts of scratched screens is that.
Same scenario with 2 M7 I had, hairline scratches while I am very careful, though M7 is Gorilla glass 2 and M8 glass 3 so I was expecting to be better.
Perhaps HTC is using another coating above the Gorilla glass which is pretty scratchable
The double flip case was a good protection on M7 and the Dot cover will on M8
Something like grit in my pocket is the only possibility, as I've been using clean spectacle cloths to wipe the screen with and haven't even once placed it face down on anything because I wanted to avoid it scratching. I'm not sure how HTC Advantage works (if at all) outside the US, but I allegedly signed up for Three Rescue (don't seem to be able to access it at the moment) when getting the phone so if the scratches become unbearable then I guess I can swap it.
My previous phone was the black HTC One S, which, you know, had the whole "you don't need a case" claim by HTC, followed by many disgruntled customers such as myself being dismayed at the appalling transformation of the outer shell. Since then I trust HTC's durability claims a lot less, and I've never had a device with Gorilla Glass not get scratched in some way or another, despite being very careful with my devices. I just wish I had bought some form of screen protector beforehand...
Gorilla Glass doesnt mean the screen isnt scratchable. its hard to have a big scratch on it but its easy to do some tiny scratches... its always been like this..
mushages said:
Gorilla Glass doesnt mean the screen isnt scratchable. its hard to have a big scratch on it but its easy to do some tiny scratches... its always been like this..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats not how hardness works.
If you have something hard enough (compared to the gorilla glass) then it'll be just as easy to make a big scratch as it is to make a small scratch.
My M7 has a bunch of lil scratches on it, mostly from me putting it face down on tables, and one time I kept it in the same tight jeans pocket as my Anker battery pack (it was charging the phone) and somehow the battery pack left a rub mark on the screen =.=
Will be putting a screen protector on my M8 probably.. not sure.. meh
I have a cheap one ordered for now.
Nippero said:
Thats not how hardness works.
If you have something hard enough (compared to the gorilla glass) then it'll be just as easy to make a big scratch as it is to make a small scratch.
My M7 has a bunch of lil scratches on it, mostly from me putting it face down on tables, and one time I kept it in the same tight jeans pocket as my Anker battery pack (it was charging the phone) and somehow the battery pack left a rub mark on the screen =.=
Will be putting a screen protector on my M8 probably.. not sure.. meh
I have a cheap one ordered for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats the best way around. and I prefer http://www.clear-coat.com/ as i tried it on my Butterfly S and loved it! very thin smooth and you dont feel like you even applied any sort of protection + i got life time warranty on it.
jspradling7 said:
I haven't used a screen protector in almost three years. Do you lay the phone face down on tables, rub the phone on your shirt or pants to clean the screen, or use paper towels on it? I don't baby my phones at all and never get scratches. Sorry you scratched yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This x 100. I think this every time I see someone say something like the OP. I have never used Screen protectors or Cases on any of my phones, and I have never damaged a single phone. Sure light scratches on the back from setting it on tables/desks, but never the screen.
Biggest reasons I see people scratch screens are setting it face down, putting it in pockets/bags with change/keys, or dry wiping the screen (using a cloth/shirt/etc to wipe off the screen... rubbing sand/etc in to glass)
crawlgsx said:
This x 100. I think this every time I see someone say something like the OP. I have never used Screen protectors or Cases on any of my phones, and I have never damaged a single phone. Sure light scratches on the back from setting it on tables/desks, but never the screen.
Biggest reasons I see people scratch screens are setting it face down, putting it in pockets/bags with change/keys, or dry wiping the screen (using a cloth/shirt/etc to wipe off the screen... rubbing sand/etc in to glass)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As true as that is with other people, I've done nothing but treat the M8 with care. Never face down on a surface, always resting fully on a surface rather than hanging off, always carried in a pocket with no other items, regular cleaning all over,... other than the possibility of grit I still don't see how this could have happened as it's been treated with the utmost care. Even when plugging the micro USB cable in I've done it carefully and properly so as to avoid any markings around the port as happened on the One S. Yes, when my devices reach the end of their tenure they tend to look sub-par, but I never mistreat them. Other than my old Qtek and Touch Pro2, I've yet to have a device live out its period of usage and come out the other end with an unmarked screen.
Personally I always end up with little scratches on my Screen. My M7 was no exception. That had quite a few small scratches on the screen, but I never kept a screen protector on.
My M8 now has a screen protector and I will probably keep it that way. The ones I picked up are brilliant and I can't even tell it's on there without squinting my eyes!
I haven't used a screen protector since I had my HTC Hero and I never have scratched screens. The Captivate has some hairline scratches but it also went flying out of a moving vehicle so its amazing the glass isn't shattered entirely.
I've been using the original Desire since 2010 without a protector and maybe half of that was without a case. I can only find 2 or 3 hairline scratches which I can't even see unless I turn off the screen and reflect some light over them. I've slipped on some ice once and fell directly onto my phone without a case and it only cracked my camera lens cover. If my 4+ year old phone can handle that without gorilla glass, then I can only imagine that any new phone I buy should be near invincible.
I used to hate screen protectors until I started using Spigen ones. I get them for all my phones and most folks have no idea there's a screen protector when I sell the phone. They are very good quality, and the fit is always perfect if you take your time to do it right. NEVER buy those junk screen protectors that the carrier stores sell. Those are the ones that make people hate screen protectors.
biggles1000 said:
As true as that is with other people, I've done nothing but treat the M8 with care. Never face down on a surface, always resting fully on a surface rather than hanging off, always carried in a pocket with no other items, regular cleaning all over,... other than the possibility of grit I still don't see how this could have happened as it's been treated with the utmost care. Even when plugging the micro USB cable in I've done it carefully and properly so as to avoid any markings around the port as happened on the One S. Yes, when my devices reach the end of their tenure they tend to look sub-par, but I never mistreat them. Other than my old Qtek and Touch Pro2, I've yet to have a device live out its period of usage and come out the other end with an unmarked screen.
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Click to collapse
a google search brought me to this forum and I just wanted to post to help get the word out there: I've had the same experience with my M8. this is my fifth smartphone total and I haven't used any kind of screen protector since the early days. I've never needed them, never had any issues with scratches until this one. I've only had it for two weeks and have treated it with the same level of care I have all the others but somehow it's gotten several in that time. it's like there's some sort of extra layer over top or something, but so far I haven't found any info supporting this. I tried taking it back but of course t mobile won't give me the time of day. so it looks like I'm stuck with it for the next six months at least.
excellent phone otherwise.
At approximately 1:30 PM today, my phone teamed up with the force of gravity to conspire against me. The unfortunate chain of events began when I decided to employ the services of a spare sock as a surrogate phone case, as I have yet to acquire my free case from Clove. Turns out the phone is as slippery as a snake in oil when cradled by nothing more than the downy comfort of a quality walking sock. The inherent danger is further exacerbated when exiting a car in a cheerful and care free manor. This is all it took for my 26 and half hours of fun filled ownership to come to an end. Its not all bad news though, as the thing luckily landed face down and received nothing more than superficial chipping. I see it as character building, and I think its learnt its lesson.
I'm now considering other case options.
SteveYorks said:
At approximately 1:30 PM today, my phone teamed up with the force of gravity to conspire against me. The unfortunate chain of events began when I decided to employ the services of a spare sock as a surrogate phone case, as I have yet to acquire my free case from Clove. Turns out the phone is as slippery as a snake in oil when cradled by nothing more than the downy comfort of a quality walking sock. The inherent danger is further exacerbated when exiting a car in a cheerful and care free manor. This is all it took for my 26 and half hours of fun filled ownership to come to an end. Its not all bad news though, as the thing luckily landed face down and received nothing more than superficial chipping. I see it as character building, and I think its learnt its lesson.
I'm now considering other case options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good thing the glass held up! :good::laugh:
I assume the phone is only slippery to the sock, not so much to the skin?
I had a screen protector on and that took a few scuffs, I've removed it now. It does seem a little slippery with the glass back but it's a good size to grip in the hand anyway, and I'd still use a case unless your very careful. Yes the phone and the sock is like the rat and the goose, never mix the two.
Hmm, I've just seen a report of someone who had his Z3C screen crack from a couch-height drop onto laminate parquet. http://www.androidauthority.com/community/threads/sony-xperia-z3-drop-test.9638/#post-31182
I've also seen a report of the screen cracking by itself in the front pocket, after sitting down. So far this is the second (published) self-cracking report. http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/find/poster/623785/messages
In both of these cases, the upper half of the touch screen is apparently not responsive anymore.
I've dropped all my Sony phones a ridiculous amount of times, my wifes z1c hits the ground on a daily basis due to our kids. We've never had a screen crack. I don't think the z3c, which has very similar dimensions, will be any more prone to cracking unless the glass manufacturer delivered faulty parts.
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Bialynia said:
I've dropped all my Sony phones a ridiculous amount of times, my wifes z1c hits the ground on a daily basis due to our kids. We've never had a screen crack. I don't think the z3c, which has very similar dimensions, will be any more prone to cracking unless the glass manufacturer delivered faulty parts.
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I'm interested, does the glass on the Z1C lay slightly deeper than the frame, level with the frame, or does it stick out from the frame? On the z3c the glass is said to stick out from the frame very slightly, but that would indeed make the glass a lot more prone to cracking as opposed to glass that sits slightly deeper than the frame.
degraaff said:
I'm interested, does the glass on the Z1C lay slightly deeper than the frame, level with the frame, or does it stick out from the frame? On the z3c the glass is said to stick out from the frame very slightly, but that would indeed make the glass a lot more prone to cracking as opposed to glass that sits slightly deeper than the frame.
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Hopefully my z3c comes tomorrow, I will let you know then.
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Bialynia said:
Hopefully my z3c comes tomorrow, I will let you know then.
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Alright. But can you tell me about the glass on the Z1 Compact? Is it sunken in, flush, or protruding?
Bialynia said:
I've dropped all my Sony phones a ridiculous amount of times, my wifes z1c hits the ground on a daily basis due to our kids. We've never had a screen crack. I don't think the z3c, which has very similar dimensions, will be any more prone to cracking unless the glass manufacturer delivered faulty parts.
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Keep in mind that the Z1C has a plastic back while the Z3C has glass on both sides, so the latter will have a much higher chance of the point of impact being glass.
On my Z3 compact the glass isn't flush with the all of the frame. On the front side the screen is slightly sunken compared with the left and right side of the frame. The rest (front and back) is flush.
Mine is arrived yesterday morning, having to work all day so I just opened it around 11pm...after 10 mins, I was cooking, left it on the microwave and it managed to slip down on the counter and then on the hard floor of the kitchen face down.... I felt like had to kill myself, but not a single scratch, I've been very lucky
When mine made it's leap for freedom from it's cozy sock tent it landed face down on onto stone chips on the driveway. It probably took the brunt of the force on about 5 or 6 points of contact, chipping the metal frame and it also looked like the the screen was chipped in about 4 places. On removing the screen protector the glass was still perfect. I'm convinced that if the protector hadn't been on there the glass would have chipped.
The free protector though does dull the screen somewhat, so I'd recommend that if someone doesn't want to use a case, that a good quality screen protector (front & back) is a must. Maybe those high quality glass (as opposed to plastic) ones will be available soon.
SteveYorks said:
When mine made it's leap for freedom from it's cozy sock tent it landed face down on onto stone chips on the driveway. It probably took the brunt of the force on about 5 or 6 points of contact, chipping the metal frame and it also looked like the the screen was chipped in about 4 places. On removing the screen protector the glass was still perfect. I'm convinced that if the protector hadn't been on there the glass would have chipped.
The free protector though does dull the screen somewhat, so I'd recommend that if someone doesn't want to use a case, that a good quality screen protector (front & back) is a must. Maybe those high quality glass (as opposed to plastic) ones will be available soon.
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The frame is metal?
There's a thin band that goes around the glass at the front & back, I'm assuming this is metal, it would make sense to build it that way & not have glass held in place by plastic. Certainly the whole rest of the frame is plastic.
I don't want to chip it any further just to test my theory though. :silly:
The back glass on mine has cracked today too, only a day after I received it
SteveYorks said:
There's a thin band that goes around the glass at the front & back, I'm assuming this is metal, it would make sense to build it that way & not have glass held in place by plastic. Certainly the whole rest of the frame is plastic.
I don't want to chip it any further just to test my theory though. :silly:
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Does it feel particularly cold, like metal? My Xperia Acro S has a similar kind of band around the glass, but it's plastic. It never chipped though, despite having it dropped on hard floors multiple times. I think Sony chose a material that is easily chipped in order for them to prove "abuse" more easily.
Drops
I've had mine a couple of days, and am to frighted to use it, it looks very fragile after my blackberry, the ports are crazy flimsy, I won't use it until I get a really good case, first impressions are that it will easy break, maybe I should send it back and stick to my reliable blackberry. So sorry to hear about the phone drops, it scares me to use mine.
_Belial said:
The back glass on mine has cracked today too, only a day after I received it
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How this happen?
_Belial said:
The back glass on mine has cracked today too, only a day after I received it
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How did it happen?
galuquetta said:
How this happen?
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It slipped off the arm of the sofa about 2 feet into a wooden floor. It's very slippy and it certainly needs a case I've never had this happen on a phone before.
So this phone is made with gorilla glass, do you guys think that we're gonna need a screen protector for it? I mean, it was only $199, so.... thoughts?
Augman said:
So this phone is made with gorilla glass, do you guys think that we're gonna need a screen protector for it? I mean, it was only $199, so.... thoughts?
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Like all Blu phones, it comes with screen protectors and a case in the box. I'm sure there will be third party protectors cases out eventually.
Augman said:
So this phone is made with gorilla glass, do you guys think that we're gonna need a screen protector for it? I mean, it was only $199, so.... thoughts?
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I picked up a few extra front and back protectors on eBay today. Always a good idea if you aren't going to use a case...even with G glass.
millertimefl said:
I picked up a few extra front and back protectors on eBay today. Always a good idea if you aren't going to use a case...even with G glass.
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Okay, i'll heed your advice. Could you drop a link? Thanks!
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=231461497167&alt=web
I am happy with this protector.
Augman said:
So this phone is made with gorilla glass, do you guys think that we're gonna need a screen protector for it? I mean, it was only $199, so.... thoughts?
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Personally, I never use screen protectors or cases for my phones. I still have my Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S) and other than a few gouges in the plastic surround and some very light scratches, it's fine. That's a phone that I've dropped and outright thrown towards the ground (by accident, of course) multiple times. I would say that the Galaxy SIII just as strong, except the SIII's larger size and grippier plastic meant that it fell out of my hands a LOT less often than the Fascinate. (Disclaimer: my SIII did get smashed up, but it was my fault for leaving it somewhere I shouldn't have and it was destroyed by a very large force.) My LG Volt is a very cheap phone. It's more susceptible to scratching, as its screen is some sort of cheap plastic, but even that phone has withstood a few drops and frequent pocket traffic without any major problems.
I keep my right pocket free of everything but my phone. So perhaps if you're throwing keys in there with the phone, or other objects, your results may vary, but I always like to keep my phone separate to keep it nice, with the side benefit of making it easier to pull out without extra stuff in that pocket.
I've had great luck with the Gorilla Glass though. The plastic on my other phones definitely took more of a beating than the glass itself, and it's worth noting that when I was using the Fascinate, I was working in irrigation where my phone got accidentally tossed around quite a bit, in rocks and dirt, and it still looks great. And again, the physical shape of that phone made it much more prone to coming out of my hands than something like the SIII or Vivo Air.
I wish the Air had the length and width of the SIII, which makes it an easy phone to hold IMO, and the glass back isn't quite as grippy as the smooth plastic on the SIII, but I don't forsee any major issues having held the phone for a while now, and the Air has the benefit of being lighter which seems to help keep it in my hands a bit better (in other words, if it were the same size and shape, but with the weight of the SIII, I feel like it would be a bit more prone to falling out of my hand).
All of this being said, I think what it boils down to is how you treat your phone and what you expect out of it. If you treat it relatively carefully, and don't expect perfect glass after a year, then I don't see the problem with using it naked. If you're prone to breaking screens, then by all means get something but I don't actually think a screen protector will help you. I repair phones and tablets for a living and I see all sorts of shattered screens, yet I've never shattered a screen on my own. Personally, I'm not going to put anything on the Air because I dislike cases that add bulk to the size (the size is part of the reason why I bought it) and I feel that screen protectors do more to interfere with touch input than anything else.
It's kind of like when someone buys a TV and doesn't remove the plastic wrap that's meant to keep it looking nice during shipping, and then ten years later it's peeling badly and there's dust and junk sticking to it.. Yeah, it may still look great once you peel it all off but since it's still there, it looks like crap and it's time to junk the TV anyway, so what good did leaving that plastic on actually do? I replace shattered iPhone and iPad digitizers all the time on devices that have screen protectors on them. Screen protectors don't protect the glass from excessive shock.
All in all, I think the Air is a phone that fits very well in my hands and definitely feels grippy enough not to have to worry about dropping. Because of that, and due to its extremely sleek shape and style, I feel like it's a crime to weigh it down with bulky protectors. I'm going to use it as-is and if anything happens to it, a replacement is only $200, which is not a bad price really. I'm confident I can use the phone for at least a year without causing any major problems, which is good enough for me for a $200 phone (especially since I paid $125 for this Volt and it's unusable after only about 6 months).
PS- Sorry for the wall of text.