For all of you , "omg! No removable battery!" people.
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/12jze2/nexus_4_battery_may_not_be_so_hard_to_replace_acc/
So while you cant just swap on the go, if you should need to replace it, it looks pretty simple.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Docavelli said:
For all of you , "omg! No removable battery!" people.
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/12jze2/nexus_4_battery_may_not_be_so_hard_to_replace_acc/
So while you cant just swap on the go, if you should need to replace it, it looks pretty simple.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are screws on the bottom, I'm surprised no one figured this out.
via Tapatalk
Kookas said:
There are screws on the bottom, I'm surprised no one figured this out.
via Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They did. Did you see this thread?
It's just that "you can get a particularly sized torx screwdriver and remove the back, then there are a couple more screws holding the battery in place. If you're very careful, (be sure to wear an anti-static wristband) you can replace the battery. Though it may void the warranty." has never really met the standard of "replaceable battery" when it comes to most users. By this standard, the iPhone's battery is replaceable; in fact, by the looks of it, my iPhone 4's battery is slightly easier to replace; not only because it uses Philips screw heads, but there's less to remove in the phone itself.
This is very good to know!
I hope some case maker can make back cover out of some other material like plastic or aluminum since the glass back is removable so easily..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
xzr3b0rnzx said:
I hope some case maker can make back cover out of some other material like plastic or aluminum since the glass back is removable so easily..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LG will offer bumper cases that wouldn't cover the patterned back. i am definitely going to get me one of those when it comes out
xzr3b0rnzx said:
I hope some case maker can make back cover out of some other material like plastic or aluminum since the glass back is removable so easily..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe antenna and charging coils are in the back. Custom backs may be a problem. Or very expensive.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
the most striking thing to me is internally it looks really well built.
xzr3b0rnzx said:
I hope some case maker can make back cover out of some other material like plastic or aluminum since the glass back is removable so easily..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aluminum Backs will mess up NFC and Signal sadly...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium HD app
Any of these bare electrical connectors seen in the pics let us put microsd card receptor?
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda app-developers app
Replacement
Well at least we know it won't be too difficult to replace the back housing if needed to!
So I'm assuming that those two screws on the silver bit just above the battery are they key to take out the battery?
so... does that mean we can basically get a back cover without the coil (wireless charging) and make the phone slimmer?
I might even try to replace the glass with a shade of grey aluminium.
Hi
RedBlueGreen said:
so... does that mean we can basically get a back cover without the coil (wireless charging) and make the phone slimmer?
I might even try to replace the glass with a shade of grey aluminium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The back cover contains the GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas, so any replacement backs would need the same antennas and contact points. The cell antenna is at the bottom of the phone rather than being on the back cover so that is okay. The charging and NFC coils are on the back cover as well. So any replacement or after market back cover is going to cost quite a bit and will need to be well made. If you replace the back cover with metal, then you will end up with poor GPS and Wi-Fi signals, if they work at all.
The charging coil is already recessed in the back. If you look at the back cover, the plastic is cut away and the charging coil sits in flush up against the glass back.
We can also see hot spots, presumably the processor and other hot components. Loot at the phone in the picture, towards the top right hand side is a foil covered square (I assume this is the S4 processor), and just up to the left of it are some components, these are exposed through the black plastic cover which goes over most of the motherboard. Now look at the back cover, in matching positions are cutaways where we can the back of the patterned glass. So the processor and other hot components sit up as close to the glass as possible to help cool. It's a shame that the glass is an insulator though, although so is plastic and the glass is very thin, so the phone fairs no worse than anything else.
Regards
Phil
PhilipL said:
Hi
The back cover contains the GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas, so any replacement backs would need the same antennas and contact points. The cell antenna is at the bottom of the phone rather than being on the back cover so that is okay. The charging and NFC coils are on the back cover as well. So any replacement or after market back cover is going to cost quite a bit and will need to be well made. If you replace the back cover with metal, then you will end up with poor GPS and Wi-Fi signals, if they work at all.
The charging coil is already recessed in the back. If you look at the back cover, the plastic is cut away and the charging coil sits in flush up against the glass back.
We can also see hot spots, presumably the processor and other hot components. Loot at the phone in the picture, towards the top right hand side is a foil covered square (I assume this is the S4 processor), and just up to the left of it are some components, these are exposed through the black plastic cover which goes over most of the motherboard. Now look at the back cover, in matching positions are cutaways where we can the back of the patterned class. So the processor and other hot components sit up as close to the glass as possible to help cool. It's a shame that the glass is an insulator though, although so is plastic and the glass is very thin, so the phone fairs no worse than anything else.
Regards
Phil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With all that on the back cover, I wonder how much a replacement back cover would cost.
Hi
Initial_G said:
With all that on the back cover, I wonder how much a replacement back cover would cost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HTC One X has a similar arrangement of antennas and NFC on the back cover and that cost in the UK around £28.00 via Ebay. The Nexus though has the Gorilla Glass on the back which may make it cost more or hopefully cost less. If there is a big market for replacement backs because the glass is getting broken a lot, that would mean more are made as spare parts reducing costs and more places would supply them, driving prices lower due to competition. We wait and see
Regards
Phil
PhilipL said:
We can also see hot spots, presumably the processor and other hot components. Loot at the phone in the picture, towards the top right hand side is a foil covered square (I assume this is the S4 processor), and just up to the left of it are some components, these are exposed through the black plastic cover which goes over most of the motherboard. Now look at the back cover, in matching positions are cutaways where we can the back of the patterned class. So the processor and other hot components sit up as close to the glass as possible to help cool. It's a shame that the glass is an insulator though, although so is plastic and the glass is very thin, so the phone fairs no worse than anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FCC is very helpful in this regard, just query the FCC ID:
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=278241&fcc_id=%27ZNFE960%27
and look at the internal photos.
That foil covered square is almost certain not the S4, that one sits on the other side of the PCB.
Hi
draugaz said:
FCC is very helpful in this regard, just query the FCC ID:
https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=278241&fcc_id=%27ZNFE960%27
and look at the internal photos.
That foil covered square is almost certain not the S4, that one sits on the other side of the PCB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link. Hard to see what that raised area relates to on those pictures. Odd the processor is the other side sandwiched in the phone, and lets hope that isn't the cause of alleged thermal throttling causing low speeds. On phones like the HTC One X the processor is against the back with a large area of copper foil to dissipate heat, although the S4 has the benefit of being 28nm.
Looking at different FCC photos and knowing it isn't the processor, it must be some sort of power regulation circuitry.
Regards
Phil
Related
Anyone know how to get the front bezel off this thing?
It's begging for a paint job.
Thx!
and perhaps a generous application of rubber cement. I had ONE creek point when i bought it - annoying but livable enough (plus the fact all the bad hours of xmas I was working I never had time to return it in the 30 day period to best buy). now almost 2 months latter theres three...
theres a teardown thread or two on here somewhere but the search button seems to be failing (or my browser....)
- Will.
It must pop off, but I don't want to be the guy to try it...
In the tear down I remember seeing roughly 10 small philips screws holding it from the inside to the metal sub structure. To tighten it you need to remove the back of the device then you will see the screws running around the perimeter. I also remember the screen is held to the bezel with a form of double faced tape.
waremaster said:
In the tear down I remember seeing roughly 10 small philips screws holding it from the inside to the metal sub structure. To tighten it you need to remove the back of the device then you will see the screws running around the perimeter. I also remember the screen is held to the bezel with a form of double faced tape.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its funny because the guy at Best Buy was trying to pull the back off of the one I returned... No idea why he was trying to yank the back off of it...
I guess if he had succeeded I would have seen the screws..
Funny enough the display model NookColor at my local best buy was practically falling off. When I first looked at the device I nearly did not buy one because of that but then getting one in my hands at B&N changed my mind.
The front bezel is a "tape and cover" paint job. The screen is glued to the frame pretty solid. I had mine apart to fiddle around and to get the back off for a mold. Most of the screws are Torx #5 or #6. Tape it off good and you should be ok as far as the front bezel. The rear and metal frame you can easily get to by proper disassembly.
Here's the zdnet guide,
http://www.zdnet.com/photos/nookcolor-teardown/487636?seq=21
Here's what I did.
You'll need a torx 5. After you unscrews the 2 screws by the sd slot, use your nail along the chamfer corner to lift the back siding up. Then use a credit card to lift the back up and run along the edge to unhinged the back.
techboydino, are you going to make a new front bezel? might be a small after market for such things. I'd pick up a more solid one if the price was right.
actually metal front and back pieces would rock...
- Will.
I would like to see a silicon back cover case that has a kickstand..
WillCameron said:
techboydino, are you going to make a new front bezel? might be a small after market for such things. I'd pick up a more solid one if the price was right.
actually metal front and back pieces would rock...
- Will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was really considering metal but the fact that most would have to really take special care to actually seperate the bezel from the screen really kind of set me off that. making a case for this is rediculously hard. (compared to my attempts at other devices. if you ever seperated a screen for a cell phone from the glass then you know what I mean. I am trying to replace the back with aluminum and wanted to do a carbon fiber front. so far everything is too thick or just plain looks bad.
Ever heard of masking tape?
3M BLUE painters tape FTW
Glad to find this post!!!
This maybe a little off the subject but does any know where I can purchase a replacement faceplate frame cover.
I accidentally drop my nook color and now it has a nasty crack...
Thank you all in advance!
i took the kickstand off a picture frame...white glued it and had one. Then took it off to fit my new cover...replacement kickstand not put on yet..
nookme said:
This maybe a little off the subject but does any know where I can purchase a replacement faceplate frame cover.
I accidentally drop my nook color and now it has a nasty crack...
Thank you all in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best bet is probably to pick up a smoked one off EBay or one with a cracked screen and a good bezel.
Actually post up WTB (want to buy) dead Nook Color in the XDA market and link to it in this thread. I seem to recall a couple readers here who have more than "gently used" Nooks....
Hi initial photo review of this case. Will write a full review later tonight.
In a nutshell it is well made and light. Fits very well in trouser pocket. Does not feel bulky.
Price about £10.
You will find them on ebay in various colours.
If these photos help you decide. Feel free to hit the old Thanks button.
Glad to be of service.
That case looks great. I love how it protects the edged of the phone, unlike the official Samsung flip case. Does the flap stay closed using magnets?
zpiders said:
That case looks great. I love how it protects the edged of the phone, unlike the official Samsung flip case. Does the flap stay closed using magnets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it does. I will write a detailed review sometime today. Central heating pump failed and looking after a newborn has kept us busy. Lol
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Thanks for the pics. A link or two to the ebay sellers would be nice, though...
Edit: Is this the same seller?
Also, does the magnet cause any issues with the s-pen?
Tried one out and found that I had to take the back cover off to fit the phone snugly.
Since the cover doesn't have an NFC chip, you will lose that functionality. The case doesn't fit on the phone with the back cover on unless the one I saw was a duplicate. Moreover the magnetic closure is flimsy too.
Just my 2 cents.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
fawaad said:
Tried one out and found that I had to take the back cover off to fit the phone snugly.
Since the cover doesn't have an NFC chip, you will lose that functionality. The case doesn't fit on the phone with the back cover on unless the one I saw was a duplicate. Moreover the magnetic closure is flimsy too.
Just my 2 cents.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The case has nothing to do with NFC... what do you mean?
mdt73 said:
The case has nothing to do with NFC... what do you mean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NFC antenna is embedded in the Note 2's back cover.
For the record. The handset clicked into case. Nothing had to be removed. Grips it fine. Must be a different case if you have to remove covers.
So far only really annoying thing is using it one handed. The folding cover is in the way of fingers.
There is a similar case that has a rotating cover. That would resolve this issue. Also enables a portrait stand.
Also as suspected. The home button is being pressed by the cover due to no recess (think thats the correct word) in the cover. This is activating the voice assistant. Disabled it as it is rubbish. But will mod cover at later date.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Another little update, these stand cases are really good for watching iplayer etc. But I think I am going to buy a leather sleeve/pouch type case. Ive always used them with htc handsets, due to most usage is one handed. And save the stand case for movie time.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
I bought the Original Samsung Note 2 flip case instead. Although it was expensive £30 .... but I think it looks really nice and still have NFC function.
zero.fx said:
I bought the Original Samsung Note 2 flip case instead. Although it was expensive £30 .... but I think it looks really nice and still have NFC function.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The biggest flaw with the original Note 2 flip case is that the corners/edges are completely unprotected. If you drop the Note 2 and it lands on the corner it might shatter the whole screen.
Not enough protection for my taste...
I bought this case yesterday in a shop and was massively disappointed. If you fold the cover behind the phone to use it the phone is hard to handle and doesn't sit ergonomically in your hand.
BUT BIGGEST FLAW: The little magnet on the right side interferes with the wacom digitizer. Try pulling out the S Pen and draw a straight line along the right edge, and the line curves outward around the magnet.
I was about to return the phone when I realized the error was next to the magnet. Pulled it out of the case and problem gone. I could reproduce this problem anywhere on the screen by holding the magnet part next to it.
There are tons of reports if you google "wacom magnet s pen" about interference, so I would avoid using this case. There is apparently even a note about this in the manual somewhere.
sz1a said:
I bought this case yesterday in a shop and was massively disappointed. If you fold the cover behind the phone to use it the phone is hard to handle and doesn't sit ergonomically in your hand.
BUT BIGGEST FLAW: The little magnet on the right side interferes with the wacom digitizer. Try pulling out the S Pen and draw a straight line along the right edge, and the line curves outward around the magnet.
I was about to return the phone when I realized the error was next to the magnet. Pulled it out of the case and problem gone. I could reproduce this problem anywhere on the screen by holding the magnet part next to it.
There are tons of reports if you google "wacom magnet s pen" about interference, so I would avoid using this case. There is apparently even a note about this in the manual somewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This happens because wacom digitizers use magnets to work (partially, there's more to it) - the pen is a magnet. Crash course: A magnet creates a magnetic field around it. Whenever you're moving the pen, you're moving this field - any given point in space near the magnet experiences a change in this magnetic field (this creates an electric potential and a potential difference between points affected by the field). A really cool thing about moving magnets near wires is we create what's called an induced EMF - the change in magnetic fields causes electrons to move because of changes in relative potential difference between nearby points.
A static magnet (in relation to a point) will have a static field, but a field none the less - the magnet on the casing. When you bring two magnetic fields together, they interact to form a resultant field at any point in time.
The pen is still working as intended, but the other magnet has changed the potential you produce near that magnet via movements of the pen - thus, different and incorrect readings. It's relative to the position of the case magnet, so you get a different effect at different distances from the magnetic source.
The result is that the same motions of the pen near that magnet are causing different currents to be read than the wacom digitizer expects for that motion.
While it's great to hear through some empirical data that physics still works, I was already actively avoiding this case for this reason.
In contrast, previous smartphone cases with phones that use capacitive touch don't have as much an issue because it's basically a field of current that your touch (finger, capacitive stylus, etc) redirects some of that flow across. While a magnet could indeed affect this field, the magnet isn't moving so it's not as much an issue (it's still an issue because, depending on field strength, orientation, and relative locations, the electrons are still moving with respect to the magnet, and are repelled/attracted by the field in this manner to different degrees. However, the difference is constant and like is accounted for because digitizer system can't guarantee constant currents necessarily, so there is variation allowed for. With the Wacom pen magnet, it's weak enough to be noticeable.
TL;DR - Anyone with a course in EMF and an understanding of induction would be able to tell you this right off once they found out the pen uses a magnet. Incidentally, the magnet is also why you can do the hovering stuff so accurately. Other forms of non-touch gestures have many ways they could work too, but one way is your body affecting a field around the digitizer enough (whole hand swipe across without touching) that is is measurable.
It's also how inductive chargers (ones where you don't plug in the device) work. Changes in current flowing through wires creates a magnetic filed which, by orientating the wires, using loop/solenoid type configurations, this field changes (an AC signal). When your device is in the field, a similar configuration in the device is subjected to this changing field, and, more simply put, energy is exchanged via magnetic fields.
This is really cool because you've taken a changing current, which creates an electromagnetic field across other wires, which causes a flow of current.
Anyways, yeah avoid having magnets near devices depending upon EMF induction to work
In response. Regarding the case and holding it. I agree, does my head in sometimes. Hence why i may get a sleeve instead for when at work and use it one handedly most of the time. Regarding nfc, i aint convinced it would be affected until i get to test it. Regarding magnet, never noticed it until tested. Only effects 5mm of right side of screen and 15mm vertically, not the end of the world.
Just tested a piece of tin foil placed between handset and case at the point of the magnet. Didn't make any difference. Shame it cant be shielded.
Gotta say. The mobli is very well protected and the white case and mobile has yet to look dirty. Day job, hands get mucky.
Anyone got the case that the stand rotates? Does it make holding it less annoying?
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
So, can the magnet cause any permanent damage to the gyroscope, compass and wacom bundle? I did notice that the compass is off by 10 degrees with the case on versus off.
I've used the phone for a few days without the case and it gets greasy too fast. So its back into the case again. It is pretty sturdy, just wonder if its possible to extract the magnet somehow! Maybe lodge a knife in there or something.
Anything that works by sensing the Earth's magnetic field, such as a compass, will be screwed up by a magnet in a case. It's really not worth buying a case that has a magnetic clasp...
I lodged a kitchen knife in between the magnet and the case and jerked around. It broke up into several pieces and came out attached to the knife. Since its either in my pocket or on a table the flap stays closed and no more magnetic issues.
...
FloatingFatMan said:
The NFC antenna is embedded in the Note 2's back cover.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
isnt the NFC chip in the battery??
yusssi said:
isnt the NFC chip in the battery??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... Why would they put the NFC chip in the battery?
On the SIII, the NFC -ANTENNA- is in the battery... The chip is on the phone motherboard. In the Note II, the antenna is in the back cover. Are you blind? Have you never taken your back cover off?
don't be so harsh.
some of us ex galaxy nexus owners had NFC built-in batteries..
FloatingFatMan said:
... Why would they put the NFC chip in the battery?
On the SIII, the NFC -ANTENNA- is in the battery... The chip is on the phone motherboard. In the Note II, the antenna is in the back cover. Are you blind? Have you never taken your back cover off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so I have the silver HTC One and as much as I love it, I can't help but think the front would look bad-ass with the black speaker grills...
I was wondering if anyone has any experience replacing their speaker grills, I remember seeing a drop test video and it popped off. The guy in the video mentioned how it didn't clip back on, it was glued on.
I think if it was easy enough to get a stanley blade in between the grill and the plastic it could just pop off (mine has a gap so it could be quite easy) then it would also help in the future if any scratches happen, just to replace them again...
Thoughts?
thats a good idea, itll be great to know if the speaker grills are repleacable, as they are slightly raised on most phones
I'm just worried incase I order the replacment parts and they are not the same quality as the real HTC One parts. Is there a site that sells genuine parts? They would need to ship to the UK for me though...
Are you out of your mind?
If you are, I'd recommend sandpaper tape and some spray paint. That would probably be easier than disassembly. Maybe even some black nail polish.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
couped said:
Are you out of your mind?
If you are, I'd recommend sandpaper tape and some spray paint. That would probably be easier than disassembly. Maybe even some black nail polish.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think it will be as bad as you think, this is the video I was talking about:
http://youtu.be/KwE9PGDnlvs?t=1m51s
I know the top may be more difficult to get off because of the camera and I think I will wait a few more months to see if anyone does drop their One and the top part pops off... But it would be interesting to know because this could be useful to those who get any real bad damage to their speaker grills...
The speaker grills are glued to the housing, Removing them shouldn't be hard
Do it and get us some pics
I'm doing it. Are you sure about the glue? I also started a thread about it a couple of days ago.
robt772000 said:
I'm doing it. Are you sure about the glue? I also started a thread about it a couple of days ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bottom one is definitely glued, I am not sure about the top one though
Im interested...
Barca009 said:
Ok so I have the silver HTC One and as much as I love it, I can't help but think the front would look bad-ass with the black speaker grills...
I was wondering if anyone has any experience replacing their speaker grills, I remember seeing a drop test video and it popped off. The guy in the video mentioned how it didn't clip back on, it was glued on.
I think if it was easy enough to get a stanley blade in between the grill and the plastic it could just pop off (mine has a gap so it could be quite easy) then it would also help in the future if any scratches happen, just to replace them again...
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that the black would look pretty cool. Let us know how this turns out! and take pictures of the process. I myself am curious whats behind the top grill, my speaker on the top is starting to crackle horribly i want to know if it would be possible to replace.
One of mine (the bottom grill) has a small chip in it that really annoys me, so i have ordered a new set. Postage to the UK is quite expensive, but the total was only £24. Not that bad considering its an original part I guess.
Removing the grills shouldnt be too hard, just heat them up with a hot air gun, being careful not to 'cook' the phone and carefully prise the grill up. The gap most people have in the case may be a help here. The new one should just press on. Warm it up, press it down and hold it firmly until cool, with a clamp or strong bulldog clip if you can.
Etradesupply.com sells almost everything for HTC one just so everyone knows if they didn't, u also have a tiny chip in my lower speaker grill, but my case hides it for now so I'm not super worried, but I would love to know if this is possible!!
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
The grills and the SIM tray are about the only things you can replace. They sell screens, but there is no realistic way to replace them. Even if you could open the phone without marking it, putting it back together is almost impossible.
rovex said:
One of mine (the bottom grill) has a small chip in it that really annoys me, so i have ordered a new set. Postage to the UK is quite expensive, but the total was only £24. Not that bad considering its an original part I guess.
Removing the grills shouldnt be too hard, just heat them up with a hot air gun, being careful not to 'cook' the phone and carefully prise the grill up. The gap most people have in the case may be a help here. The new one should just press on. Warm it up, press it down and hold it firmly until cool, with a clamp or strong bulldog clip if you can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just for clarification, did you order this from etrade supply? do you have it yet and how is the quality...?
Regards
Zak
Etradesupply quality is very good. I order parts from them and never have an issue.
Heat gun or hair dryer to loosen up the glue should help.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Curious to see if you went through with this.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
I bought some etrade silver speaker grills but no longer need them.
If possible please share the whole process heating , removing and fixing the top and bottom speaker grill. Thanks !
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Just a tip, do not "paint" the grill. It's impossible to do without stuffing up the holes anyway.. And paint does not stick to aluminium.
You need to anodise aluminium.
Google how to do it but in a nutshell..
1) chemically clean existing aluminium to remove all traces of colour /surface protection. 2)Anodise it to required colour or clear colour
This not only gives you the look you want but makes the surface very hard.
Anodising also is not "on" the surface but part of it so it won't scratch off, block holes etc.
Bare aluminium is very soft and WILL oxidise and go dull. Apart from living in a vacuum or learning to breathe argon gas, you can't stop it.
Anodising MAKES aluminium oxidise and then fill the surface with a dye. This prevents further oxidisation.
Cheers, Marty
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
any luck with replacing the speaker grills?
Just a heads up
I asked about this a different thread and one of the people that replied told me that only the bottom grill is glued in. He said the top is actually screwed in from the back before the back cover is put on. I cant confirm if he was correct, but still good info for anyone planning to try something like this. Can anyone confirm that has purchased these if there are threads in the top grill for it to be screw in?
I dropped my phone the first week I owned it and scratched up the battery cover. I was really annoyed by the scratches so I decided to try a replacement battery cover from eBay. I also bought replacement speaker grills just in case I messed up the old ones.
This is the cover I bought http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=201096888026&alt=web
And these are the speaker grills http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=151359726117&alt=web
UPDATE: Thanks to @xHighAlert for pointing out that new cover was missing the NFC antenna. The old antenna may be able to be removed with a heat gun and a lot of patience I went ahead and ordered a new one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-AT-T-HT...NFC-ANTENNA-FLEX-CABLE-ORIGINAL-/161394718926
The new Gunmetal Gray cover was just a hint lighter than the OEM one but not enough to notice unless they were sitting right next to each other. It comes with new camera lenses. Taking the M8 apart wasn't all that hard and ifixit has a good tutorial here http://youtu.be/YP0glVbQfWQ .
The top speaker grill left some adhesive behind when unpeeled it up so that needed removed before applying the new one. Also after the phone was apart the old camera lens was still attached to the camera so you could probably pop the new one out of the new cover and not worry about that, but I went ahead and removed the old lens and cleaned off the adhesive left behind. On reassembly everything went together perfectly and the whole operation only took about 20 mins including putting away the tools and cleaning up.
Update: Even though I ordered an NFC antenna from eBay I got bored and figured I'd see how hard it is to remove the one from my old battery cover. With a little love from a heat gun(hair dryer would work) the antenna peeled up very easily with absolutely no damage. I then opened my phone back up, installed the antenna, and buttoned it back up with no issues at all. NFC works once again.
The bonus is no more VZW branding!
neilrl79 said:
I dropped my phone the first week I owned it and scratched up the battery cover. I was really annoyed by the scratches so I decided to try a replacement battery cover from eBay. I also bought replacement speaker grills just in case I messed up the old ones.
This is the cover I bought http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=201096888026&alt=web
And these are the speaker grills http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=151359726117&alt=web
The new Gunmetal Gray cover was just a hint lighter than the OEM one but not enough to notice unless they were sitting right next to each other. It comes with new camera lenses. Taking the M8 apart wasn't all that hard and ifixit has a good tutorial here http://youtu.be/YP0glVbQfWQ .
The top speaker grill left some adhesive behind when unpeeled it up so that needed removed before applying the new one. Also after the phone was apart the old camera lens was still attached to the camera so you could probably pop the new one out of the new cover and not worry about that, but I went ahead and removed the old lens and cleaned off the adhesive left behind. On reassembly everything went together perfectly and the whole operation only took about 20 mins including putting away the tools and cleaning up.
The bonus is no more VZW branding!
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Click to collapse
Good job! I did this on the m7, and it was an absolute ***** to repair! No adhesive on the back? What new adhesive did you apply? Are your speaker grilles a tad bent?
n1234d said:
Good job! I did this on the m7, and it was an absolute ***** to repair! No adhesive on the back? What new adhesive did you apply? Are your speaker grilles a tad bent?
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The only adhesive I had to deal with was on the speaker grills and the new grills came with the adhesive already on them. Grills are perfectly smooth and straight.
After messing with the phone for a little bit I realized that the power and volume buttons feel better than they did when the phone was brand new!
neilrl79 said:
The only adhesive I had to deal with was on the speaker grills and the new grills came with the adhesive already on them. Grills are perfectly smooth and straight.
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Click to collapse
Nice, nice! But do you see any bending when you reflect light off them, because my m8,and most of the others I've seen do.. It's like it's slightly more depressed in some places than others.. Also, are they completely flush with your screen?
neilrl79 said:
After messing with the phone for a little bit I realized that the power and volume buttons feel better than they did when the phone was brand new!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amazing! I noticed that on my m7 too! Does the ir blaster still work well? And are the volume and power buttons loose and wobbly or nice and tight? Is the front camera glass a part of the grille or stuck on?
---------- Post added at 10:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 PM ----------
n1234d said:
Nice, nice! But do you see any bending when you reflect light off them, because my m8,and most of the others I've seen do.. It's like it's slightly more depressed in some places than others.. Also, are they completely flush with your screen?
Amazing! I noticed that on my m7 too! Does the ir blaster still work well? And are the volume and power buttons loose and wobbly or nice and tight? Is the front camera glass a part of the grille or stuck on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, post some more pictures please! of your phone as well as the old housing, inside and outside, I wanna see the dents and how far inside did they push
I thought that the M8 was a ***** to replace parts on. Good to know that if it gets damaged I can replace it, thanks.
n1234d said:
Nice, nice! But do you see any bending when you reflect light off them, because my m8,and most of the others I've seen do.. It's like it's slightly more depressed in some places than others.. Also, are they completely flush with your screen?
Amazing! I noticed that on my m7 too! Does the ir blaster still work well? And are the volume and power buttons loose and wobbly or nice and tight? Is the front camera glass a part of the grille or stuck on?
---------- Post added at 10:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 PM ----------
Also, post some more pictures please! of your phone as well as the old housing, inside and outside, I wanna see the dents and how far inside did they push
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking a little closer the bottom grill seems like it may be depressed in one spot more than the rest of it. It looks like they are flush with the screen but I have a .33mm tempered glass screen protector on it so it would be hard to be 100% positive.
IR Blaster works perfectly. Power and volume buttons are nice and tight and they stick out just a bit more than OEM which makes it a little easier to feel them when not looking directly at the phone. When I bought my M8 the buttons were almost too flush with the body. The front camera glass is adhered to the camera with some adhesive tape but the new grill came with a new lens already loaded with the adhesive tape so I replaced it. I'm assuming you could leave the old one on if you wanted to.
I didn't really have any dents in my old cover, it was just scratched up. But I'll post some pics anyway.
Scratches
Inside old cover
New Grills and Cover
neilrl79 said:
Looking a little closer the bottom grill seems like it may be depressed in one spot more than the rest of it. It looks like they are flush with the screen but I have a .33mm tempered glass screen protector on it so it would be hard to be 100% positive.
IR Blaster works perfectly. Power and volume buttons are nice and tight and they stick out just a bit more than OEM which makes it a little easier to feel them when not looking directly at the phone. When I bought my M8 the buttons were almost too flush with the body. The front camera glass is adhered to the camera with some adhesive tape but the new grill came with a new lens already loaded with the adhesive tape so I replaced it. I'm assuming you could leave the old one on if you wanted to.
I didn't really have any dents in my old cover, it was just scratched up. But I'll post some pics anyway.
Scratches
Inside old cover
New Grills and Cover
http://s857.photobucket.com/user/ne...oads/IMG_20140816_142014_zpsuyt2zu10.jpg.html
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Click to collapse
Well, congrats! That is one of the neatest repair jobs I've ever seen!
Awesome replacement! Doesn't look too hard to do if I ever need to do it and the quality looks great
The black band you see in the old cover, with gold contact pads, is the NFC antenna (Surrounding the camera ring). The older HTC Sensation had a similar setup with the shell for practically all of it's antennas.
Shouldn't you transplant that? Is that even a possibility?
Try using NFC with this replacement cover. Unfortunately, I'd bet you any money you no longer have NFC capabilities.
xHighAlert said:
The black band you see in the old cover, with gold contact pads, is the NFC antenna (Surrounding the camera ring). The older HTC Sensation had a similar setup with the shell for practically all of it's antennas.
Shouldn't you transplant that? Is that even a possibility?
Try using NFC with this replacement cover. Unfortunately, I'd bet you any money you no longer have NFC capabilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LoL. Good catch! Never even noticed it. It looks like it may be removable with a heat gun and some patience but I went ahead and ordered a new NFC antenna. I can't remember the last time I used NFC.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-AT-T-HT...NFC-ANTENNA-FLEX-CABLE-ORIGINAL-/161394718926
I'll update the OP to give anyone that might want to try it a heads up.
Replace Cover
Are there any companies out there that do this for you? I have a Harmon/Kardon edition and I'd like to have the gunmetal gray back/speaker grills instead of the gold/black combo. I'd do it myself but I feel that I'd do something wrong with it.
RiotShielder said:
Are there any companies out there that do this for you? I have a Harmon/Kardon edition and I'd like to have the gunmetal gray back/speaker grills instead of the gold/black combo. I'd do it myself but I feel that I'd do something wrong with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, though id do it in reverse, the black amd gold look cool to me.
RiotShielder said:
Are there any companies out there that do this for you? I have a Harmon/Kardon edition and I'd like to have the gunmetal gray back/speaker grills instead of the gold/black combo. I'd do it myself but I feel that I'd do something wrong with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you serious? I love that color
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
Update: even though I ordered an NFC antenna from eBay I got bored and figured I'd see how hard it is to remove the one from my old battery cover. With a little love from a heat gun(hair dryer would work) the antenna peeled up very easily with absolutely no damage. I then opened my phone back up, installed the antenna, and buttoned it back up with no issues at all. NFC works once again.
@neilrl79 How hard was it to detach the rear housing? Is it held in with clips. I also managed to scratch mine up and am planning on doing the same thing.
bpdev said:
@neilrl79 How hard was it to detach the rear housing? Is it held in with clips. I also managed to scratch mine up and am planning on doing the same thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ifixit has a nice guide. You have to remove the two grills which are glued on. Then there's a number of screws you need to remove. Once you do that I think all you have to do is use a guitar pick or something similar and stick it between the black plastic border around the screen and metal housing and basically pry it open.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
I'll do this as soon as I find a red housing without Verizon branding
alwin006 said:
I'll do this as soon as I find a red housing without Verizon branding
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you find one, let us know where, that sounds awesome
I wonder if it is strong enough to be chromed? Think I might ask around a bit...
Hello all!
I've been very pleased with my new Nexus so far, but yesterday I noticed the back cover was loose and and had a bit of a gap near the volume buttons. Some quick googling informed me this was a known issue, and is easily RMA'd. I have also discovered there are some very nice skins from Slickwraps and from Toast which can be used in place of the back cover. I find these to be very beautiful, and will most likely use one. Knowing this, is there any useful reason to send my phone in to be replaced? Has anyone discovered a flawed battery causing the cover to lift? If so, was it obvious before removing the cover?
I would be afraid that if I didn't get the phone replaced, it would leak if you ever got around water. I think I would send it back because if you ever decide to sell it you won't get much for a phone that doesn't have a tight fitting backup cover.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
dalegg said:
I would be afraid that if I didn't get the phone replaced, it would leak if you ever got around water. I think I would send it back because if you ever decide to sell it you won't get much for a phone that doesn't have a tight fitting backup cover.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are both good points, but they are somewhat nullified by my plans. I'm going to be removing the back cover to use an aftermarket back. I will, of course, be fully responsible for protecting it from water, and for the damage if I don't. I tend to treat any device, water resistant or not, as if it were the Wicked Witch of the West and will melt upon contact with a drop of water. I also don't sell my old phones. They are way to useful to keep around for projects and such. I still have a couple of Blackberry Storms acting as desk clocks and a Galaxy Nexus doing tattle-tail duty for my home alarm system.
Basically what I'm looking for is any indication as to an actual malfunction being the cause of the back coming unstuck. As it stands, the loose back is a head start on getting it off for an aftermarket.
I say go for it as long as the new back cover fits tight. I am a snob about having a perfect phone.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Most the skins cover the back cover so need an intact backcover or have the same problem. Will see when remove back cover if it is battery related but then most likely can't RMA as you opened the device. It a catch 22 situation.
prdog1 said:
Most the skins cover the back cover so need an intact backcover or have the same problem. Will see when remove back cover if it is battery related but then most likely can't RMA as you opened the device. It a catch 22 situation.
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Click to collapse
I'm looking at the wooden covers. They're a bit thicker then the vinyl skins, and can sit flush with the frame when used without the back. They're rigid enough to do the job, though not advertised as backs, folk are reporting having success.
I am tempted to open it up and have a peek at the battery, but doing so would definitely void the warranty. That's why I was looking for any examples where a battery actually has gone bad. Though, it looks like the battery is pretty simple to replace anyway...
hawkjm73 said:
I'm looking at the wooden covers. They're a bit thicker then the vinyl skins, and can sit flush with the frame when used without the back. They're rigid enough to do the job, though not advertised as backs, folk are reporting having success.
I am tempted to open it up and have a peek at the battery, but doing so would definitely void the warranty. That's why I was looking for any examples where a battery actually has gone bad. Though, it looks like the battery is pretty simple to replace anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Usually swells up in the middle and starts raising the back at the mid points.
prdog1 said:
Usually swells up in the middle and starts raising the back at the mid points.
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Click to collapse
Does it feel swollen? Can you tell by eye? The only ones I've witnessed having a dying battery had removable battery covers, like the Storm and the old Razr flip phones. My cover is only loose on one edge, and feels very firmly stuck the rest of the way around. The phone itself is functioning beautifully, not at all like the few I've seen the the grow-a-battery of death. They usually sputtered and gave up until I replaced the battery.
hawkjm73 said:
Does it feel swollen? Can you tell by eye? The only ones I've witnessed having a dying battery had removable battery covers, like the Storm and the old Razr flip phones. My cover is only loose on one edge, and feels very firmly stuck the rest of the way around. The phone itself is functioning beautifully, not at all like the few I've seen the the grow-a-battery of death. They usually sputtered and gave up until I replaced the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's the battery will do the same. Will start acting up and then die. There is a thread somewhere in General I think with pics of expanding battery. Some just the backs come unglued. It is definitely a RMA situation anyway.