Hi,
I read few threads about build quality of the Samsung Note 4 but mostly I fount speculations and opinions not supported with facts. I am mechanical engineer and I like to think that I know few thinks about processes that are being used in modern industry.
I would like to focus on metal finish which was a decision maker to upgrade from Note 3.
When I first received my new Note 4, first think I did was not turning it on, but inspecting quality of the new body. After few minutes I already knew that there will be problems. I wasn't mistaken...
Lets sort one think up, because there was a big discussion about it in previous threads. Note 4 is not made out of metal. Main body of the smartphone is made purely out of plastic. To better understand it, remove back cover and remove S-pen. This Grayish plastic you see everywhere is actually the main frame of the smartphone. Visible metal sides of the phone as well, are plastic. Metal finish is only metallic coating. There are few processes that allow to cover plastic with metal and most generally it is called metallization. You may ask - so what? Important that it is looking and feeling good... I would completely agree with you if not for the fact that coating is ridiculously thin. I am very careful with my Note 4, but I don't use any covers and additional protection for device. After only few months after using my smartphone I saw first negative signs such as flaking off black metallic paint where the USB receptacle is. Once it stars it gets only worse. later on you have to be even more careful for flaking will continue even when you scratch it lightly with the nail. I would like to point as well, that under this black metallic paint there is plastic. If you expected metal you will be disappointed. Actual silver chamfers are a little bit thicker - around 0,2+-0,05mm. I am not a fan of Iphone but I appreciate real metal body. It bothers me when I see price of the device. I would expect to see real premium device instead of constant covering up with better materials plastic "Samsung madness". Don't think than I am a Samsung hater, because its completely opposite. I didn't change brand since Samsung Galaxy S, and I had all smartphones from Note series.
After Note 3 I'm disappointed by note 4. At least N3 wasn't pretending anything. Not only from build quality newest note is not a good successor of good old note 3 but from software point of view as well but that is topic for other thread.
I covered only one aspect of poor quality of the phone. There are more but to reduce the length of the post I wont describe them. I will mention only at the end that if you are looking for robust made phone this is not what you should look for. I have a feeling that device is made like this to look like **** after warranty period ends.
Peace
Rbn
The Note 4 is metal, here is a metal test of the frame:
https://youtu.be/d-7Yw_XXviI
Go spew your nonsense somewhere else.
EDIT:
The black sides of my Note 4 are fine, no flacking, the USB and area surrounding it are also still fine. I have had my Note 4 since launch (got it 2days early). Used it for 8months with no cover, only recently put a cover as I wanted it to fee thicker and more substantial in hand and to protect it as I do drop it a lot.
Is he touching on the metallic coated chamfer or the actual side of the phone?
POLO_i780 said:
The Note 4 is metal, here is a metal test of the frame:
Go spew your nonsense somewhere else.
EDIT:
The black sides of my Note 4 are fine, no flacking, the USB and area surrounding it are also still fine. I have had my Note 4 since launch (got it 2days early). Used it for 8months with no cover, only recently put a cover as I wanted it to fee thicker and more substantial in hand and to protect it as I do drop it a lot.
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Are you serious with this youtube clip, or it is a joke? I am not sure... He is touching 3cm apart of each other on metallic chamfer which I already said is metallic (if you would read carefully) thickens of the metal he check resistance of i approximately 0,2mm as I as well said before. if he would touch on left and right side there would be no conduction because chamfer are separated in exactly 4 individual points.
Your comment has no sens what so ever apart of some strange attitude.
mark0326 said:
Is he touching on the metallic coated chamfer or the actual side of the phone?
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He touched both, 1st the chamfered side and then the side.
He did the video in response to another person who was claiming the Note 4 isn't metal, when in actual fact it is.
POLO_i780 said:
He touched both, 1st the chamfered side and then the side.
He did the video in response to another person who was claiming the Note 4 isn't metal, when in actual fact it is.
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I see words them self do not convince you so pictures will have to (self made).
Few words of commentary if you do not understand. picture ***23 show where the coating ends (probably for antenna connection reasons).
Picture ***43 shows that in fact there is a conductivity, therefore metallic surface (like on youtube video you posted)
On picture ***53 you can clearly see that there is infinite resistance = no metallic connection
If you still do not believe on the picture ***22 you can see that housing is in fact non conductive = non metallic
Stop your nonsense argument please.
Rubenqben said:
I see words them self do not convince you so pictures will have to (self made).
Few words of commentary if you do not understand. picture ***23 show where the coating ends (probably for antenna connection reasons).
Picture ***43 shows that in fact there is a conductivity, therefore metallic surface (like on youtube video you posted)
On picture ***53 you can clearly see that there is infinite resistance = no metallic connection
If you still do not believe on the picture ***22 you can see that housing is in fact non conductive = non metallic
Stop your nonsense argument please.
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All you have proved is that there are parts of the frame that are not metal e.g. the USB area, where the antennas are and may I add where the 3.5mm jack is, this is party to be expected as even with my iPad these areas in particular will have some sort of plastic within.
The frame is mostly metal. Its winter down here and the frame gets icy cold to the touch vs. the back cover plastic and front glass.
You haven't really made any point, the Note 4 at the end of the day is a well built premium phone, in my experience, Samsung have ensured the areas that shouldn't be metal aren't you can actually see them e.g. around USB port is a tiny bump, same with where the antennas are.
People are not satisfied with anything nowadays...
Sent from my Note 4 using Tapatalk
lordoftheriffs said:
People are not satisfied with anything nowadays...
Sent from my Note 4 using Tapatalk
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Indeed.
I can't quite believe you guys are fighting over a mostly plastic phone. I agree with the first poster and what he has posted makes sense. I've also taken my note 4 apart and you can clearly tell it is mostly plastic with the exception being the coated chamfer which is coated with metal then painted and polished, as well as the screws. Ignoring the logic board which contains many elements your left with the screen and glass covering. To be short the phone is mostly plastic and not mostly metal like the users are trying to argue.
Plastic is very inefficient at blocking radio signals, I'm happy.
If it was all metal, someone would say that it is very heavy and signal is poor. If it was glass, people would say it is fragile and a fingerprint magnet. I believe our phone is an ideal blend of premium and other features. I personally love the faux leather back, it is much more robust than a real leathet or gloss plastic.
Sent from my Note 4 using Tapatalk
lordoftheriffs said:
If it was all metal, someone would say that it is very heavy and signal is poor. If it was glass, people would say it is fragile and a fingerprint magnet. I believe our phone is an ideal blend of premium and other features. I personally love the faux leather back, it is much more robust than a real leathet or gloss plastic.
Sent from my Note 4 using Tapatalk
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Exactly. This phone is very well built and blend of materials very well thought-out.
The faux leather is brilliant, mine still looks as good as new since launch, while many LG G4 Leather Back owners already have wear and tear within weeks of owning the phone.
While I do think that this is very well designed phone, op is right in his claim that there's not a lot of metal for someone who expected at least outer frame to be aluminum. He is right that under black metallic Paint is only white plastic.
Actually it is amazing how well they have managed to fuse aluminum chamfer, and only that (this is best visible when taking pen out and looking at the cross section). The supposed antenna breaks, on top and bottom, are purely for decoration, and to fool the users into thinking that sections are solid metal and evocative of iPhone of yesteryear that had those cutouts for a reason.
Altogether, there's probably not much more than 5 grams of aluminum on the whole frame. If even that much?
Im just glad that the paint finish on this phone is much more durable than s4 and s5, where even sweat would cause peeling of the fake chrome coating,provided you don't drop phone (it is true that once metallic paints start peeling on certain section, the process accelerates.
All that said, I do agree with polo_i780 last post absolutely.
Note 4 ?
To the op, are you sure your note 4 is not a fake? I mean no disrespect just that mine has been dropped and such without a case, has lots of scratches all around and it doesn't flake as you say. I just tried scratching it with my nails and.... nothing.
If it does indeed have an insanely thin coating then no way would the frame get icy cold as the other poster said (mine does this).
My note 3 never felt like this. Also you're wrong the note 3 did pretend to be something. A leather notebook with the rear cover. But I actually preferred that cover instead of this one lol.
Either way no company is going to please everyone.
I kind of agree with the original poster. There's something "missing" in build quality on the N4, it just doesn't feel as premium as the metal flagships or even the S6. I think it's almost a half and half like Samsung were half way through redesigning their handsets the N4 is the result. I'm not saying it feels cheap or it isn't a nice design, I just don't think it feels like a full premium design.
Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
Disagree. This phone is designed very well. I don't care for metal.
The OP's analysis perfectly describes the very well known problem of the N4's "metal" sides getting very scratched up due solely to the use of certain cases. If you've just recently picked up an N4, search the forum for "scratched metal" and you'll see no shortage of threads where the issue is mentioned (my search for topics with those terms from the main page of the N4 forum yielded 84 results).
@Rubenqben if the edges have become annoyingly scratched, there's a DIY fix that also protects the edges from future damage involving metal polish. Very detailed instructions w/ pics can be found via search, IIRC there have been a few guides in the "General" subforum. I've done this to my device that's now about 7 months old and the edges are even shinier than they were before removing the plastic from the phone (it should be noted that using metal polish on the edges lightens the metal color a few "shades", likely dependent on the specific product that you use... not in a bad way IMO, I actually think that mine looks better with the "Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream" from Amazon).
Now should it be necessary to use potentially damaging chemicals on a $$$ phone so that the edges don't get scratched up by a protective case?
I'm curious what other build quality issues you've discovered that were alluded to in the OP? I've been happy with my N4 overall, but I've definitely encountered some issues that seem like they can only be traced back to hardware design flaws... I'm no engineer though so I'm interested in your other findings :good:
My note 4 is fine its metal and the paint doesnt chip so did you buy a knock off phone.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
jazzmachine said:
the op's analysis perfectly describes the very well known problem of the n4's "metal" sides getting very scratched up due solely to the use of certain cases. If you've just recently picked up an n4, search the forum for "scratched metal" and you'll see no shortage of threads where the issue is mentioned (my search for topics with those terms from the main page of the n4 forum yielded 84 results).
@rubenqben if the edges have become annoyingly scratched, there's a diy fix that also protects the edges from future damage involving metal polish. Very detailed instructions w/ pics can be found via search, iirc there have been a few guides in the "general" subforum.
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I couldn't agree more. I had a Note 3 and with the exact care and usage it was perfectly fine whereas my Note 4 has scratches on the metal sides! Yes the metal sides looks better but they also loves to be scratched, without even trying to, just by changing covers and cases! Even the Samsung Protective cover wasn't able to prevent the scratches! With S6 Samsung has hardened/improved the metal so hopefully Note 5 will not have any metal issues like Note 4. Btw, can you share the exact guide you tested and confirmed it works? Thank you!
Related
My N4 finally came today and everything on it is perfect, no buzzing noise, no reboots, no yellow screen. But there is a very small indentation on the bezel. It's not a scratch but it looks like something from when it was manufactured. I'm just gonna keep it, it adds personality to it
Lol.
10 char
Hmm..got a picture?
Good decision. Unfortunately the bezel is vacuform plated plastic, and by its very nature is prone to blemishes (as are the buttons); my only real pet-peeve about the construction of this phone.
This thread is as useless as my nipples.
I'm having something similar I think. It's on the upper bezel....it's like a 1 inch horizontal line (when holding the phone in portrait) on the upper bezel. It's like it's underneath the glass, and it's like a 1-inch wavy line. Initially I thought it was residue from the factory plastic...but when I wiped, it would not go. It's some sort of molding-related thing to the plastic I'm sure.
It doesn't bother me as I know the manufacturing isn't perfect.
What bothers me is how small the phone is. Lol. I've been using the N7000 for so long I'm actually worried that this phone will slip out of my hands. Lol.
The size difference in screen is astounding....I'm having "some" reservations about keeping it.
It's also unfortunate that project butter is not all it's hyped up to be. I've seen it choke already on 3 occasions within the first 5 minutes. I guess I'll just remind myself that I've only paid $349 for this.
PoisonWolf said:
It's also unfortunate that project butter is not all it's hyped up to be. I've seen it choke already on 3 occasions within the first 5 minutes. I guess I'll just remind myself that I've only paid $349 for this.
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in general UI it makes a noticeable difference however lots of apps still do not default to GPU rendering and tend to stutter; you can force it in the developers options however its not a perfect solution.
I also have something I'm not quite sure about what it is. It seems to be a little piece of rubber/plastic/whatever sticking between bezel and glass. It's between front facing camera and earphone. At first it looks like a scratch and when you look closer it looks like the rubber that comes up if you pry up the iPhone's Display for repair. Are we talking about the same?
phil_ffm said:
I also have something I'm not quite sure about what it is. It seems to be a little piece of rubber/plastic/whatever sticking between bezel and glass. It's between front facing camera and earphone. At first it looks like a scratch and when you look closer it looks like the rubber that comes up if you pry up the iPhone's Display for repair. Are we talking about the same?
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No.
Mine is something underneath the glass, in the middle location of the upper bezel, a wavy line about 1-inch in horizontal fashion when held in portrait mode.
It's below the speaker, to the left of the front facing camera. In the middle region. Some sort of molding-related issue. There is no scratch on the glass, etc. It's like when the bezel was stuck onto the glass, it was not perfect, etc.
It's a minor cosmetic issue though. Doesn't affect the functionality of the phone.
Toaster Strudels said:
This thread is as useless as my nipples.
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LOL I'm so funny. I make myself laugh.
IshTheG said:
My N4 finally came today and everything on it is perfect, no buzzing noise, no reboots, no yellow screen. But there is a very small indentation on the bezel. It's not a scratch but it looks like something from when it was manufactured. I'm just gonna keep it, it adds personality to it
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Mine has same. But since no other probs keeping it.
The bezel above the usb port on mine was lifted from the body enough to see into the phone. I just squeezed it together some. All good~
Toaster Strudels said:
This thread is as useless as my nipples.
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:laugh: Yes!
Same here there's a small mark on the top right corner
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Toaster Strudels said:
LOL I'm so funny. I make myself laugh.
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I've laughed at 3 of your posts now. Just got a chuckle in a previous thread. Thanks.
Seems like gorilla glass 2 isnt all that scratch resistant, or you have rocks in your pocket or something. I have never caused an unintentional scratch on any of my gorilla glass equipped phones. I will probably be getting a screen protector for this one though, and will use the official bumper whenever it comes into stock. Only like 35 more weeks until I get my phone!
2 Nexus 4's both have minor imperfections on the shinny chrome bezel, which is actually plastic I believe.
1- on the bottom of the left side a minor indentation, not scratch
2- on the bottom of the right side paint bubbling out, as if there was a spec of dust when the coat of paint was applied.
The second is more noticeable especially that it on the top part, while first is on bottom part.
But both magically disappear when the N4 is put in a case.
The manufacturing imperfection that's actually getting on my nerves just because I'm OCD (I truly am, not a self diagnosis ), is the little square glass covering the camera flash, it is ever so slightly rotated that it doesn't perfectly align with the black bezel around it ... it took me a mico second to spot it out of the box, and I cannot unsee it. It cannot be misaligned by more than a 10th of a millimeter, but somehow I can see it at arms length ... I'm just crazy!
funky_snowman said:
Seems like gorilla glass 2 isnt all that scratch resistant, or you have rocks in your pocket or something. I have never caused an unintentional scratch on any of my gorilla glass equipped phones. I will probably be getting a screen protector for this one though, and will use the official bumper whenever it comes into stock. Only like 35 more weeks until I get my phone!
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Any glass isn't particularly scratch resistant. Lint and small particles will scratch any sort of glass, or just about anything with enough force. From personal experience, I've found that Gorilla Glass 2 is more fragile than Gorilla Glass 1 because it's thinner, despite Corning's presentation of it as being able to withstand the same amount of force.
Toaster Strudels said:
This thread is as useless as my nipples.
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LOL! I thought it was made of rubber. But that comment cracks me up
Toaster Strudels said:
This thread is as useless as my nipples.
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This make me lough so hard...hillariously funny
Thats right folks, the out edge of this that lies around the screen is very, very brittle and thin. I have never dropped the phone and it has been in my spigen leather pouch for my old nexus since I bought it, no idea how it got dented, and its only very slight without scratches but it is definitely there.. just a forewarning.
vodka7 said:
Thats right folks, the out edge of this that lies around the screen is very, very brittle and thin. I have never dropped the phone and it has been in my spigen leather pouch for my old nexus since I bought it, no idea how it got dented, and its only very slight without scratches but it is definitely there.. just a forewarning.
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Strange. The Cruzerlite (which are thin TPU cases, cheap in my opinion) drop test stood up to NUMEROUS drops & the device survived without any sign of damage. Not a scratch or dent.
Is you device white or black? My old Nexus 10 had a defect in the black soft touch coating that looked like a dent, but it was more likely an issue in the molding or application process.
vodka7 said:
Thats right folks, the out edge of this that lies around the screen is very, very brittle and thin. I have never dropped the phone and it has been in my spigen leather pouch for my old nexus since I bought it, no idea how it got dented, and its only very slight without scratches but it is definitely there.. just a forewarning.
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Pics?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Endoran said:
Pics?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
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Mine is the white version, but the dent is on the top right above the camera, on the black portion, right where the side casing touches the glass. I would have a very hard time photographing this because of where it is on the phone/lighting etc.. ill try when I get home though.
vodka7 said:
Thats right folks, the out edge of this that lies around the screen is very, very brittle and thin. I have never dropped the phone and it has been in my spigen leather pouch for my old nexus since I bought it, no idea how it got dented, and its only very slight without scratches but it is definitely there.. just a forewarning.
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a picture speaks a thousand words
I have about 5 or so nicks on the sides where the glass and plastic edge meet on my naked white N5. I agree that the plastic used is pretty brittle but it's not noticeable unless you really look for it.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Get a sufficient case otherwise you can't really complain...
I have one little mark or nick as well where the plastic case meets the glass on that tiny little lip. My 2 year old got a hold of my phone and dropped it on a metal external hard drive case the day I got it and it landed right on 90 degree edge of the case... I went temporarily insane. It is very small but kind of surprised me I guess. I dropped my galaxy S3 many times and never got more than the little hairline scratches you see in glossy plastic. That soft touch coating seems to have some give to it. It was my fault. My parents gave my kids a new ipad mini and I set my phone on top of it. I was in the other room and heard him say "new tablet". I knew at that moment the mistake I had made...
I have one of those really slim cases on the way which would have prevented it. I typically don't use cases and am usually not bothered by the small marks I get on my phones but because some of those ultra thin cases are so slim now days I am going to try one out. Marking up a brand new phone is a little different than one that's a year+ old...
I too, also have a slight dent under the screen bezel part of mine. I have never dropped mine. Noticed it while it was on the table; that the reflection of the curtain was slightly bent at the one area, instead of being completely straight. Looked closely, and sure enough, there was a dent. It's not noticeable during day-to-day use, but you CAN notice it if looking at the reflection it shows.
The chrome bezel on the nexus 4 was susceptible to dents as well.
A few weeks ago the Nexus 5 flew out of my hands and landed on our concrete driveway. I feared the worst, but only a small dent in the upper left corner of the back panel and some scratching is all that happened. Lucky me, but I still hate it. Never had a single blemish on the Nexus 4.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
The sides of this phone are fine, besides the fact that they collect dust like crazy. The screen, however, is not. Another guy posting on Android Central also reported having a dent, similar to mine. I actually think this dent came with my device. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago, but disregarded it, as I thought it was the screen protector that came with the phone, but I decided to remove it and check again. It IS a part of the screen
Hobbesfed said:
The sides of this phone are fine, besides the fact that they collect dust like crazy. The screen, however, is not. Another guy posting on Android Central also reported having a dent, similar to mine. I actually think this dent came with my device. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago, but disregarded it, as I thought it was the screen protector that came with the phone, but I decided to remove it and check again. It IS a part of the screen
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Normal. That's why most early glass screen protectors were not sticking properly.
bblzd said:
Normal. That's why most early glass screen protectors were not sticking properly.
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Normal? How is a dent on the screen normal? My Nexus 10 does not have this, my old Samsung Vibrant does not have this. Why would a dent on a Nexus 5 be normal?
Hobbesfed said:
Normal? How is a dent on the screen normal? My Nexus 10 does not have this, my old Samsung Vibrant does not have this. Why would a dent on a Nexus 5 be normal?
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I would say it's normal because of the following reasons:
1) it doesn't effect the usage of the device in any way
2) it's barely noticeable even in the "perfect" lighting conditions
3) many have reported the exact same thing in the early tempered glass threads; the only time it has ever come up or been noticed.
So why exactly is it a problem for you? Corners were cut to make this phone at a cheap price I would think that's pretty clear. It's also not the screen itself but around it.
Dented
In my N5 have no dent and any scratch..
I love with my N5
bblzd said:
I would say it's normal because of the following reasons:
1) it doesn't effect the usage of the device in any way
2) it's barely noticeable even the "perfect" lighting conditions
3) many have reported the exact same thing in the early tempered glass threads; the only time it has ever come up or been noticed.
So why exactly is it a problem for you? Corners were cut to make this phone at a cheap price I would think that's pretty clear.
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There's a difference between "corners being cut" to make the device cheaper and really poor quality control. I understand them using a less camera module and a lower capacity battery, and a screen that washes out when tilted, etc, but the numerous issues with the hardware is ridiculous. Dents in screen, poor GPS connectivity, Wi-Fi problems, dust under screen, loose vibration motor, rattling buttons, and so on.
There is no reason for hardware bugs like this. To lower the price, lesser powerful hardware is used, but the low price is no excuse for poor quality. Like some users said, in terms of hardware, this device is like an alpha, and the only way to receive the "perfect" device is to continuously RMA.
We paid for the device, we should not be getting so many faults and issues.
Hobbesfed said:
There's a difference between "corners being cut" to make the device cheaper and really poor quality control. I understand them using a less camera module and a lower capacity battery, and a screen that washes out when tilted, etc, but the numerous issues with the hardware is ridiculous. Dents in screen, poor GPS connectivity, Wi-Fi problems, dust under screen, loose vibration motor, rattling buttons, and so on.
There is no reason for hardware bugs like this. To lower the price, lesser powerful hardware is used, but the low price is no excuse for poor quality. Like some users said, in terms of hardware, this device is like an alpha, and the only way to receive the "perfect" device is to continuously RMA.
We paid for the device, we should not be getting so many faults and issues.
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How is it even a defect? It's not even noticeable. No one would consider it a hardware bug except apparently you. Please explain how this effects the usage of your device in any way.
Poor quality control is EXACTLY how corners are cut. Manufacturing anything has margin of errors and the less margin of error you're willing to release the more phones are "thrown away" and the more money a released device will cost. I'd explain more but I'm sure Wikipedia or a Google search can better explain the finer points of manufacturing and quality control then I can.
You read the specs of the phone and it has everything a $700 phone has but it costs $400. How did you think that was accomplished?
bblzd said:
.
You read the specs of the phone and it has everything a $700 phone has but it costs $400. How did you think that was accomplished?
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There is a lot of discussion about that price... but Google routinely undercuts the competition when it comes to the nexus line (looking at you, 7)
Looking at the specs of the 5, then looking at comparable phones out ing the market, the only conclusion I can come to is that Google is letting these things go at either zero margin, or (my thought) at a fairly beefy loss.... kicking back cash to LG to cover their losses.
All you need to do is look at the other phones available at the same full retail price... does the 5 seem anywhere close to those? Nope, it blows them all out of the water... laughable in most cases. Now, you can cut corners to lower prices, but you can't cut THAT much.
LeoRex said:
There is a lot of discussion about that price... but Google routinely undercuts the competition when it comes to the nexus line (looking at you, 7)
Looking at the specs of the 5, then looking at comparable phones out ing the market, the only conclusion I can come to is that Google is letting these things go at either zero margin, or (my thought) at a fairly beefy loss.... kicking back cash to LG to cover their losses.
All you need to do is look at the other phones available at the same full retail price... does the 5 seem anywhere close to those? Nope, it blows them all out of the water... laughable in most cases. Now, you can cut corners to lower prices, but you can't cut THAT much.
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The actual cost break down might never be known. One thing is for sure though, LG is not willing to take any loss and whatever Google may have paid them "extra" they will still try and build the phone as cheap as they possibly can.
LG does not consider the Nexus as their flagship phone and will never treat it as such. It's a phone they were contracted to build and they will cut every corner they can. It's just business.
I finally got my hands on a demo unit of the T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 yesterday at the T-Mobile Store near the airport and was amazed of how the device felt in the hand. A lot superior than Apple's iPhone 6 Plus. My eyes couldn't ignore the detail of 5.7" display and all round metal frame. Very refined look. Samsung has come a long way; now only if they could consolidate themselves and keep up a job well done.
What are your thoughts on the Note 4's Build Quality compared to previous Note Series Models?
Never had the previous notes before, but I love the new design. Looks and feels very premium. The metal sides feel great. Only thing I don't like is the gap on the right, I pretty much have to blow dust out quite often. And I have a couple of small scratches at the edge of the metal band, the unpainted part. Other than that one of the best build quality compared to other phones, and I have had quite a few of them.
The built quality is 10/10 on the Note 4. All three note devices used plastic. Apple however remains to still have the best aluminum built quality
I would like to know does anyone have problem with the aluminium edges?
I am hearing that they are getting scratched easily so i wanna know does anyone have similar problem?
*Emix* said:
I would like to know does anyone have problem with the aluminium edges?
I am hearing that they are getting scratched easily so i wanna know does anyone have similar problem?
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The only thing getting scratched when handling my phone is my finger that props up the phone from underneath
I did see the iphone 6/6+ in the ATT store a couple of days ago and I have to admit it looks and feels really good. The Note 4 and iphone 6/6+ bit have excellent build quality. That bending crap is blown way out of proportion.
It would have been nice if Samsung went with a different look for the back cover though, maybe something like the One Plus One's Sandstone backcover. But I don't mind it honestly. Hopefully we get some nice third party back covers soon.
Apart from the famous gap at the top and left hand side of the phone the phone feels solid. Love it, I just put a case on it to hide the gap and also coz im scared of it getting scratched.
Where are the potential areas to be scratched. i don't see aluminum anywhere on the Note 4; It's mainly metal with the surprising observation that the metal rim is painted.
RCJ89 said:
Apart from the famous gap at the top and left hand side of the phone the phone feels solid. Love it, I just put a case on it to hide the gap and also coz im scared of it getting scratched.
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Mine does not have a visible gap. Nor am I able to insert the edge of a business card.
arjun90 said:
Where are the potential areas to be scratched. i don't see aluminum anywhere on the Note 4; It's mainly metal with the surprising observation that the metal rim is painted.
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You don't see aluminium, but it's mainly metal...? Erm...
The bits people are saying scratch easily are the un-painted chamfered metal edges - which are aluminium - they do scratch quite easily, but the scratches are always hairline and as the edge is very small, so is the scratch.
Oh, and on closer inspection, yes, I have a gap - a teeny tiny gap that's so small as not to be visible or worrisome. I can barely get the edge of a post-it note in there, definitely not a business card.
It's a beautiful phone, without a doubt the best made phone Samsung have come out with.
The parts which are exposed can be covered with InvisibleShield Skin to prevent the scratches from rising. Do note however, this may make you feel awkward in the public. On the brighter note, at least you have a better chance of selling a device in mint condition. Cheers
SquidgyB said:
You don't see aluminium, but it's mainly metal...? Erm...
The bit's people are saying scratch easily are the un-painted chamfered metal edges - which are aluminium - they do scratch quite easily, but the scratches are always hairline and as the edge is very small, so is the scratch.
Oh, and on closer inspection, yes, I have a gap - a teeny tiny gap that's so small as not to be visible or worrisome. I can barely get the edge of a post-it note in there, definitely not a business card.
It's a beautiful phone, without a doubt the best made phone Samsung have come out with.
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arjun90 said:
What are your thoughts on the Note 4's Build Quality compared to previous Note Series Models?
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I got mine about an hour ago, it's white. It looks more refined than my Note 3 and feels more substantial. Is it "OMG! It's night and day!," no. I think it'll be more impressive to people who haven't owned previous Samsung products than those of us that have evolved with them. Even thought both were "plasticky" I think the Note 2>Note 3 evolution introduced a more serious look to the Note's than Note 3>Note 4. Don't misunderstand, I'm very happy with the design/build improvements in the Note 4 they just aren't life altering. I will say this, the tolerances it's built to are impressive. The plastic filler in between the metal trim is laser perfect. As is how tightly the back cover fits flush to the trim. HTC had issues pulling the same thing off.
RebDovid said:
Mine does not have a visible gap. Nor am I able to insert the edge of a business card.
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Mine does have a gap but its not big enough to really put a peice of paper in. I guess I only noticed it because I was looking for it.
Sometime with gaps, sometime not. I handed on about 4pcs of Note 4 and they have no gaps. Sony Z3 often come with gaps. Note 4 is stronger ( to bend ) than Z3.
Coming from an S4 its a marked improvement. I actually like the build quality better than the LG G3. Maybe it just fits in my hand better.
The gap seems more prominent on the Korean models, especially since initial reports of gap-gate originated from there. The T-Mobile Note 4 is assembled in Vietnam; I'm not sure how much leverage assembly workers there have in respect to minding the gap. Bear in mind the AT&T variant (with Snapdragon 805) is assembled in Korea.
Coming from note 2 it's a substantial improvement.
My note 4 is top notch. No gap anywhere.
willzilla said:
My note 4 is top notch. No gap anywhere.
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The gap on the Note 4 I've handled was the same as the ones found in the s4 and s5; no big deal.
People are blowing this way out of proportion. This was not a problem with the s4 or the s5, it's not a problem with the note 4.
One word... Excellent.
I do have a gapgate style gap at the top end of the glass, it's very small but a few bits of crud have got in there already.. I'm not happy about it but I'm also not going to get fussed over it as I was aware of the issue over a week ago. The other three sides of the glass are flush. The rest of the build quality is perfect, everything is so flush and the way the back fits around the curved metal bezel is just spot on. It's the first time I've felt Samsungs 'leather' back and I really like it, strangely soft to the touch.
I really wish they'd add lens covers to the cameras on these devices but that's a personal preference born out of the Sony Ericsson K series of phones.
Had this thing a little while now. Resides in my front left pocket, screen facing me. Or in my Nokia Wireless car charger, or on my wood desk on the wireless charging samsung dock.
Was using the S-Pen, moved over to the right mid screen. Laid the pen on the screen, when I picked it back up noticed an inch or longer strip of the paint was gone on the lower right hand side.
Not happy. my devices are very wel kept and not dropped or dinged up. Haven't had this issue with any of my other devices other than the chrome on the S4 and one of my s5's. That was only after months of use though. Not NEW 1 week old...
Ive had mine a little over a month and it is still in 100% perfect shape.
I was reading on android central or another forum. There are many people with the issue. disappointed.
skygear said:
I was reading on android central or another forum. There are many people with the issue. disappointed.
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Can you point me out to the threads?? Don't have that problem
"fighting as one hand one heart, one soul. We will shatter their dreams and haunt their nightmares"
Had mine since release day in the US (Oct 17) and no paint chips here
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...note-4-owners-metal-bezel-paint-chipping.html
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-4/457941-note-4-paint-chipping.html
there were a few others too .
a google search using "paint chipping note 4"
It is an issue but Samsung not doing jack about it
BAD ASS NOTE 4
skygear said:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...note-4-owners-metal-bezel-paint-chipping.html
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-4/457941-note-4-paint-chipping.html
there were a few others too .
a google search using "paint chipping note 4"
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The VAST majority of people in those threads had no issue whatsoever... these don't show a widespread issue at all.
your right. I can't find the thread was originally looking at. had like 30 people with the issue
What I've been doing is rocking mine naked at the house.
And, using a case from tech 21 when heading out.
Most of the time.
Unless, I was showing the phone off.
https://www.tech21.com/galaxy-note-4-cases
0 paint chipping
Had mine since late October. Haven't had any issues. I did drop it on to the concrete once. Face down. Still looks pristine.
From Dante's Inferno via XDA Premium HD
I have a small chip around the Usb port. Nothing major tho!
Hard inner shells if using them will cause this.
I await a dyi for removing the side .metal paint completely. I bet it'll look nicer if under the paint is like the Samsung alpha.
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
Fingernail
look into the usb port. that'll give you an idea of what's underneath the paint.
The paint on my black one just got chipped after trying to put a Spigen Ultra Hybrid. I have used the phone for more than a month in a case (Verus Thor), then changed the screen protector. Decided to use the Ultra Hybrid then about an inch of paint just chipped off at the upper left side.
There aren't any scratches (at least obvious enough as those I've seen in the forums) on the aluminum though. I'm back to using the Verus case cause it covers the chipped area (the other case is Clear). Quite disappointed to see that paint chip off just like that. Maybe they shouldn't have painted it at all cause it doesn't look so bad without paint.
Now I just want the rest of the paint to chip off.
nvm
freezingpoint said:
The paint on my black one just got chipped after trying to put a Spigen Ultra Hybrid. I have used the phone for more than a month in a case (Verus Thor), then changed the screen protector. Decided to use the Ultra Hybrid then about an inch of paint just chipped off at the upper left side.
There aren't any scratches (at least obvious enough as those I've seen in the forums) on the aluminum though. I'm back to using the Verus case cause it covers the chipped area (the other case is Clear). Quite disappointed to see that paint chip off just like that. Maybe they shouldn't have painted it at all cause it doesn't look so bad without paint.
Now I just want the rest of the paint to chip off.
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Rate this thread to express how you think the LG V20 feels in terms of quality. A higher rating indicates that it feels premium and high-quality (attention to detail is high, manufacturing defects don't exist, etc).
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Meh. It ain't no Note 7. That said, what wows me is performance first. My phone will be in a case which means aesthetics is moot.
The design isn't exciting, but honestly I didn't think much of the glass note 7. That stupid thing fell out of my pocket while I was laying down and cracked the back and the camera lens cover. as douger1957 said it'll be in a case anyway.
douger1957 said:
Meh. It ain't no Note 7. That said, what wows me is performance first. My phone will be in a case which means aesthetics is moot.
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agreed...the quality of my N7 was amazing...as for the V20, screen looks great...i like the simplicity of the design...performance is great as well!!
It is an elegant understated design IMHO, least in the titanium color. Done well. Varying materials match colors (matching Al to plastic ain't easy), feels good in the hand for a naked phone (most are ice cubes).
before everyone was complaining about samsung and others that they dont use "premium" materials.
Now when they do glass/metal is bad also. Easy to crack, fingerprint magnet and at the end you put case on it so what's the point really?! just higher premium price. every phone in case will look almost the same no matter if its glass or metal or plastic but people wanted so they have it
I think my V10 felt more solid, but this phone is great too!
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers mobile app
masondoctorjt said:
I think my V10 felt more solid, but this phone is great too!
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I must concur with you. I in particular liked the steel rails of the V10, which were attached to the main body. I suspect the V20 would have done better in the torture test of trying to bend the main body if it still had the steel rails. Looks like most of the rigidity of the V20 comes from aluminum back, which isn't fully attached. True, that was a torture test, but still...
it's not shiny armor nor glossy glass. But since Optimus G Pro, I stick to LG products for their build quality. G Pro, G 3, G Flex 2 and now V20, all these guys looks and feels solid in my hand.
I'm coming from note 4. I feel that the built quality is nice. For metal phone it's light in hand, big enough to fit the hands. Nice to hold.
Also the screen is awesome. So far I'm liking the phone.
I wish I had note 7, but due to their fiasco, I purchased this and I'll be with it for some time now. I don't plan on getting a new phone until this one dies.
as for the V20, screen looks great
Honestly, I don't think it's the nicest looking phone I've ever had.
But, It fits in my hand perfectly and compared to my old samsung phones, it feels much more solid. Compared to the note 5, I can reach all of the screen with one hand no problem. I like the more rugged, metal look of the phone.
They have an obviously flawed camera glass design that is shattering for thousands of people for no reason and LG is refusing to own the issue as usual. Otherwise it feels like good quality.
Just be prepared to have a useless camera.
Maybe it has a kind of industrial look. but it is tough as hell! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2El1Fo8Pqc 1000Ft drop and it still works lol!
Who needs a glass back that easily cracks. It'll be in a case anyway as pointed out well in most posts. Mine had a case from the moment I bought it. Just a cheap $4 at first but bought the ringke onyx and spigen tempered glass instantly as well.
Purchased dbrand stickers as well for the rear dual cam since the factory installed clear plastic ones seems to be not durable and won't last long. Though I still have them on for addt'l layer of protection. I find drop protection more useful than waterproof or dust proof ability.
Durability
Speaking of durability, a guy dropped a V20 a thousand feet from a drone onto a concrete parking lot, and the camera glass didn't break, the phone was actually still functional. The glass seems to be more vulnerable to a scratch or maybe a direct hit, a guy scratched it with a box cutter and the glass cracked, something a protective skin should help with.
Ok gang, v20 has to be one of my ever lasting phones.
I've dropped it a few times (with case one and off) no issues.
Now my wife is using it, and it got into my little ones possession, and Bam .... To the floor ... Initially there was issues with the microphone. Saw the headphone icon on the top. I did the insert and pull out of headphone trick people mentioned on blog, after I did a soft reset.
I even cautiously or tried to replicate the drop see if it would goggle loose pieces together.
But after 2 days of waiting the headphone icon disappeared and my wife called me to see if mic was working and it was I was able to hear her.
So just getting it out there for anyone else with a similar predicament .... It's not solution but at least it will provide some hope for the problem to just wait it out.
kparikh82276 said:
Ok gang, v20 has to be one of my ever lasting phones.
I've dropped it a few times (with case one and off) no issues.
Now my wife is using it, and it got into my little ones possession, and Bam .... To the floor ... Initially there was issues with the microphone. Saw the headphone icon on the top. I did the insert and pull out of headphone trick people mentioned on blog, after I did a soft reset.
I even cautiously or tried to replicate the drop see if it would goggle loose pieces together.
But after 2 days of waiting the headphone icon disappeared and my wife called me to see if mic was working and it was I was able to hear her.
So just getting it out there for anyone else with a similar predicament .... It's not solution but at least it will provide some hope for the problem to just wait it out.
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Click to collapse
Lucky. When I had a v20, lots of horror stories every week on Reddit about minor bumps breaking camera glass. One nice thing about the v20--a million screws but it is easy to tear apart and replace things if they die.