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!
Click to expand...
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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...
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....
So i picked up a Nexus S i9020T for a price that was steal in any working condition. The screen on it is great, no scratches and I've read the thread regarding the battery door and I'm going to order the rear door from Samsung under a warranty replacement for $16.
That leaves me with the front housing ring around the screen... I see that iFixit's tear down shows them using a heat gun at that step. Is the display connected to the front housing ring with adhesive? For showing a picture of using a heat gun they were mum on exactly what it was needed to pull apart. If it is the ring connecting to the screen, will I lose all adhesive to the old ring by pulling these two apart?
Here's a link to the part below on Global Parts Direct. I'm probably going to replace the back plate with the camera lense too but that seemed self explanatory.
http://www.globaldirectparts.com/Samsung-Nexus-S-GT-I9020T-Front-Housing-p/smsng6098620.htm
I could avoid all of this via a case but I'm just not a case type of guy...
I can't really help with your question but where can you find the back piece with camera lense? I've scratched the ring around the camera lense and was trying to find a replacement.
daisun said:
where can you find the back piece with camera lense?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the link to the website above, Global Direct parts has the midplate with and without the lense. I didn't look close enough to see if they had just the lense. They seem to be on some sort of holiday and aren't shipping right now but judging from the verbage on their website they'll be back up and running in a few weeks.
Keep the answers coming folks... Surely I'm not the only person that has "refurbed" a scratched front housing ring.
Well I ordered the back from Samsung as a "warranty" replacement. So does anyone know if theres another place other than Global Direct Parts that has the front ring? I don't see any parts available at CNN.CN or Truesupplier.com
And again if anyone knows what the glue situation is going to be like, I'd love to get some feedback on that.
Get ready for the pain of a lifetime. I replaced the front bezel on a galaxy s (they're glued the exact same way) and it is an absolutely terrible experience. I wish you the best of luck because I've seen many people crack the screen while doing so.
danboard said:
Get ready for the pain of a lifetime. I replaced the front bezel on a galaxy s (they're glued the exact same way) and it is an absolutely terrible experience. I wish you the best of luck because I've seen many people crack the screen while doing so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how did those people reattach the screen to the bezel?
Yeah I also been wondering the same thing and from my reseach I think that its not a strong glue but rather a adhesive thats not very strong. A hair dryer on a low setting will do the samething in helping to separating the parts. You can always contact the people at ifixit to find out how it is really attach.
You can always contact the people at ifixit to find out how it is really attach.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...and when they told you, you tell us .-)
please, please with sugar on top
anyway - I wanna replace the bezel too...but havent found anything. let's keep eachother up to date here.
I work at a service and repair store and already tore mine open. The bezel around the screen is the scariest part. Its easy tho, just use a guitar pick and go all the way around the ring. It just snaps in. may help to take the back of the phone off while your doing it.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
Its attached with a fairly mild adhesive, I got the screen/bezel apart on my i9023 without using any heat just leveraging it off a little at a time. If I was going to do it again I would use a little heat.
When I replaced my screen all the adhesive stuck to the screen not the bezel. I used a heat gun on low heat to transfer it over to the new screen. It worked but I couldnt get it all over. If you are going to heat it I would recommend it being fairly low, not hot enough to burn your hand.
I bought a replacement front bezel for an i9020T from global direct a few months ago hoping that it would fit my i9023. It doesn't. All yours if you pay postage, Im in Australia.
aygriffith said:
So i picked up a Nexus S i9020T for a price that was steal in any working condition. The screen on it is great, no scratches and I've read the thread regarding the battery door and I'm going to order the rear door from Samsung under a warranty replacement for $16.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you received the battery door already? Is it the NFC version?
Hi, do you still have this part of Nexus S 9020?
---------- Post added at 05:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:53 PM ----------
execsupport said:
Its attached with a fairly mild adhesive, I got the screen/bezel apart on my i9023 without using any heat just leveraging it off a little at a time. If I was going to do it again I would use a little heat.
When I replaced my screen all the adhesive stuck to the screen not the bezel. I used a heat gun on low heat to transfer it over to the new screen. It worked but I couldnt get it all over. If you are going to heat it I would recommend it being fairly low, not hot enough to burn your hand.
I bought a replacement front bezel for an i9020T from global direct a few months ago hoping that it would fit my i9023. It doesn't. All yours if you pay postage, Im in Australia.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, do you still have this part of Nexus S 9020?
I noticed that when I pressed on it slighty there was a slight squeak noise that came from the casing. I had recently bought a replacement cover and it was fine and than it did the same thing. What is this? Is it normal for most incredible s devices because I have heard other ppl had the same problem. I dont care as much because I have a case for mine but what about you guys??? Any squeaking issues??? LOL
IncredibleSlover said:
I noticed that when I pressed on it slighty there was a slight squeak noise that came from the casing. I had recently bought a replacement cover and it was fine and than it did the same thing. What is this? Is it normal for most incredible s devices because I have heard other ppl had the same problem. I dont care as much because I have a case for mine but what about you guys??? Any squeaking issues??? LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, same here, mines pretty bad actually!
I've got a case on top and its a tight fit, so it doesn't squeak.
Bad design flaw IMO.
neo-X said:
Yes, same here, mines pretty bad actually!
I've got a case on top and its a tight fit, so it doesn't squeak.
Bad design flaw IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Arrgh, it brings out the OCD in me LOL. But I have a case so it isnt bad, and its only in one little corner and I have to press on it so I geuss its not that bad. Its really a shame because I love this phone and thats its only flaw.
The same case here too.
For me its at the corner. I guess its due to the pressure while we want to unlock the phone, we tend to press the back cover first before hittin the power button.
Ive got a red IS, dunno if i can get another replacable one or not...
P.S I aint using any case or anything, its as fresh as outta the box XD
I believe the squeak is caused by some empty space existing between the phone and the back cover. Stick a strip of duct tape on the inside part of the back cover where it squeaks. It should solve the squeaking problem.
Mine squeaks really badly around the volume buttons. putting a case on fixes it though.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using XDA App
Yep mine squeaks too, the corner near the camera.
Squeaky
No, mine has not had any squeaks. The USB port does rattle a bit. But not enough to get up in arms about. I find the fit and finish surprisingly good considering the chassis seems to be all plastic.
CoolinHL said:
I believe the squeak is caused by some empty space existing between the phone and the back cover. Stick a strip of duct tape on the inside part of the back cover where it squeaks. It should solve the squeaking problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isnt that not going to be good for the battery? Overheating it or something? I am kind of weary about putting things inside the phone
yeah it has been discussed tht the cover does squeek, either you have a case that is able to press on the phone good enough to prevent it from squeeking or you put fillers inside the phone to stop the squeeking
IncredibleSlover said:
Isnt that not going to be good for the battery? Overheating it or something? I am kind of weary about putting things inside the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you think that would overheat the phone, exactly? It's not like phones have vents or fans that could be blocked by the tape.
Lol I don't know I'm just weary about stuff when it comesbto my phone maybe ill try that
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using XDA Premium App
Ok did it and it works
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using XDA Premium App
Of the ones that squeak (including mine), how many people have removed the back cover? Mine didn't start to squeak until the third time in pulled the battery cover off. I have noticed that on one side there is a small gap along one side more so than the other.
Mine definitely squeaked as if the cover was loose. It's not much of an issue with a case though.
Yep. Mine squeaks.
Top right (Near the camera & power button) and bottom left (near the home button). Intrigues me that it's like a diagonal thing. oh well.
I lold.
Don't really care though. xD
Just send them an email with some proof, some pictures and maybe a short video which you can clearly hear the sqeezing.
I did that and they send me a new cover
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using Tapatalk
I was able to fix this once by somehow properly placing the back cover back on but when the next time I removed it and placed it back, I again started to have the squeak so I used some plastic tape, placed it on the side of the back as well as the top, placed the back cover back and no more squeaking
I had squeaking on the right top and side.
acme anvil said:
Of the ones that squeak (including mine), how many people have removed the back cover? Mine didn't start to squeak until the third time in pulled the battery cover off. I have noticed that on one side there is a small gap along one side more so than the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Mine started squeaking after I removed the back cover for the third time as well. For me it's on the right side, smack in the middle of the device (where my middle finger rests when I hold it in my left hand )
System92 said:
Same here. Mine started squeaking after I removed the back cover for the third time as well. For me it's on the right side, smack in the middle of the device (where my middle finger rests when I hold it in my left hand )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish this was the only problem that I discovered with the phone. I love the phone but look at what I discovered.
http://oi56.tinypic.com/9u8d9y.jpg
YES! That is a pixel..dead or stuck? I have no idea..Im thinkin its DEAD!!!
FML!!!!! Arrgh now I have to buy a display replacement and open up my phone to replace it...because it bugs me. I dont want to go through warranty, I will have to unroot my phone and S-on. Arrgh
Anyone else with this?
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
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?