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It is bothering me that I can't attach a strap to my HD2 which would help getting it out of pockets with cold hands, golves etc. and stop it being dropped. However HTC in their wisdom, or lack of, have not included a hand-strap hole.
So it occurred to me, if some kind souls would make an after-market battery cover with a small hole for a strap on the side (not back it'd be ugly), that would be perfect!
Hopefully will see one on ebay in the coming months!
Sounds dangerous to me, I can see problems with supporting the entire weight of the device by the battery cover while it's pulled out of pockets.
This way of preventing it being dropped would probably result in it being dropped more.
I agree that doing it on the side would be a bad idea, since pulling the sides of the battery cover is how it unlatches.
However, by reasoning along the same lines, it ought to work if done on the back of the phone, where by pulling you would cause the back cover to come together, thus tightening its grip on the sides of the phone.
In fact, I suppose that if you have a Dremel-like tool, you could get a thin drill bit and just drill two small holes in the cover and do it yourself.
The cover is really tight and I don't think it would come off easily with the strap attached.
Drilling is unfortunately not an option, as even if you drill holes, there'd be no space for a thread to go through, so it needs something that stands out a little too.
Hi all,
Just a quick question, as a search did not reveal the answer, but is it possible to remove the len cover on the back of the HD2? As you will all know, it is very sharp - I don't tend to use the leather cover and it is starting to wear a hole in my jeans!
Looking at it the camera sensor itself is flush with the plastics of the device, but what I do not know is if the lens cover is simply stuck over the top of this, or if it covers any extra holes in the case.
Obviously it would need an alternative cover, which I am sure I could fabricate out of something, but was wondering if anyone else had been brave enough to remove it yet before I break my phone
Cheers
Looks like I will have to get my penknife out and give it a go myself then, lol
peacebank said:
Looks like I will have to get my penknife out and give it a go myself then, lol
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Do you really think its a good idea?
I use my case from time to time, but it's usually in my pocket on it's own. Certainly never uncomfortable and not close to making a hole in my pocket. I was told how sharp it was in the store when the O2 girl mentioned it had scratched their white desks, but since mine arrived it's never marked anything or been an issue.
I use the Proporta Mizu Shell case and this reduces the sharpness somewhat (although I've never felt the camera was sharp enough to wear a hole in my jeans). Maybe bigger jeans would help
i thought it was just my hd2 that could be used for cutting tiles but i solved the problem by buying a silicone case which covers up the edges of the camera.
I got a noreve case with which I am very pleased - it completely covers up the sharp bit (unless you want to take a photo). Much better than a damaged HD2.
Go to the accessories forum and look at the extensive suggesions there for cases, there's one out there with your name on it.
rjstep3
Don't put the HD2 in your jeans, you will soon damage the screen.
Use a case, the slip case your HD2 came with is perfect. Every time you take the phone out, rest it on the case. No damaged phone and no scratched table etc.
Dissasembly thread with some pics here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=623589
You've probably all seen this, but in case you haven't..
Heh that's awesome, I've been scared i'm going to break my cover the amount of times I take it off (sim switching). I guess I don't need to worry after all
wow
i was worried, not anymore lol
Nice to see that!
Damn, that made my heart skip a beat. Was waiting for the snap! Very impressive.
As nice as that was to see I think it's impossible to not be paranoid about breaking it!
Lol, i was so scared opening at first, didnt even want to open it cause it looked like it was going to snap
That's awesome! Goes to show you don't need a (heavy) unibody aluminium construction to have a strong phone!
I hope the rest of the plastic on the phone is as strong as the back cover
I always found the 'flimsy back cover' issue rather silly. Its easy to replace anyway should it break. It fits perfectly and its quite resistant to scratches.
When we get criticism for it remember.. Its not fragile glass (not naming names, but we know who uses that, and what a huge pain it is to replace..) and its not a unibody, easily scratched and expensive to replace.
Rovman said:
Heh that's awesome, I've been scared i'm going to break my cover the amount of times I take it off (sim switching). I guess I don't need to worry after all
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+1 Very reassuring.
There are several topics about this issue posted. Here is one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1129181&highlight=battery+cover
WOW. That is some epic plastic. I LOVE how many of the reviews had to be very picky and said "the back cover is flimsy, and easily breakable"
SORRY WHAT??
Still not gonna attempt that with my back cover
The word "flimsy" is overused..
flimsy means weak, brittle.. sure to fail..
well also means thin.. but why not say thats its a thin back cover..
Yeah, I am also wondering that why everybody is so worried about the back cover. I think it is quite firm and sturdy. Not easy to scratch.
Also if I happen to scratch it I can always by a new one. So why to use some back cover? Maybe to cover the camera but most back covers don't give much extra protection to the camera.
Only complaint for this back is that when you get sweaty hands I think the plastic somehow sucks the moisture in it and even after i get clean hands the back cover feels a bit..smuggy
Thanks for the video post! The SGII is finally available here in the US for AT&T customers. Yesterday I went to the store and had a look but the flimsy/cheap feeling of the batter cover was the biggest turn-off for me. After seeing the video I feel better but still, I would like to see something more sturdy, like a metal cover. The closest thing I found discussed here is a metal-plated cover:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1274616
Has anyone tried them yet or can suggest alternatives? For now I am holding off until the Nexus is announced next week...
Thanks!
Big thanks for this video, i was thinking of getting a few backup batteries from ebay (since it's cheap and i drain the juice like water), but afraid of breaking the back cover pins when i change the battery frequently, since it look so "skinny".
vyis said:
Big thanks for this video, i was thinking of getting a few backup batteries from ebay (since it's cheap and i drain the juice like water), but afraid of breaking the back cover pins when i change the battery frequently, since it look so "skinny".
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I've been swapping batteries once a day for the past 3 months and my cover is just fine.
Still not quite convinced
I want the Galaxy Nexus but the back cover makes me cringe still. Does the fold line at 0:16 not worry anyone else?
I went to the store and took the cover off a GS2 and my stomach went into knots
djUniversal said:
I want the Galaxy Nexus but the back cover makes me cringe still. Does the fold line at 0:16 not worry anyone else?
I went to the store and took the cover off a GS2 and my stomach went into knots
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I dont think there has been any broken battery cover threads tbh.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Beware: the camera lens on the back of our SGS II is made of cheap plastic. I learned the hard way.
Yesterday I was using the camera and all was really good. Today all photos were blurred. I checked and noticed a small bend, yes a bend, right in the middle of the camera lens. It is not a scratch, which has been my concern since buying the SGS2, it was a bend. I may be wrong, but glass should not bend, it scratches. Now I don't have a lens anymore, I have a prism.
The phone did not fall, or was treated badly. Most probably, I put it in my pants' front pockets, as I have done for years with my HTC phones (horrible cameras btw, compared to the sgs2), there may have been a contact with a harder surface (a key, maybe, but I don't suppose so), and the lens bended. It's a real pity. I'm considering now removing the "lens" as it is not the actual lens, just a cover I guess, and see if this works.
This may be the best and most expensive cell phone right now, why couldn't Samsung put a real glass (like apple does, btw) to protect the camera?
I hope this warning helps others not to get into the same problem. Maybe using a leather pouch can prevent this from happening (I was using the mesh cover case).
A previously super happy owner, now a very desolate one...
what did you do to your phone? Don't blame samsung for something you physically you did.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
thats strange? a bit of plastic with those dimensions shouldn't bend at all, unless put under direct heat and pressure? :S
can you post pictures taken and a picture of the lens?
I don't have another camera with me to photograph the lens. Besides, it is hard to see the bend, you need the correct angle for the light to hit it and be able to see. But attached is a picture I took with the cell. Kind of artsy...
I would have thought that if it did actually have a bend in it (which seems like an awfully difficult thing to have done), that it would cause a distortion and not just producing a blurry pic like that.
Looks more like something has been smeared across the lens cover.
It's not the lens that bended, it's the protective screen on top of the lense. Looks like glass to me, but it's possible to be plastic. Any way, i doubt it could bend unless you put a lot of pressure on it.
As I said, it was in the front pocket of a not so tight pants, so there might be little pressure, normal pressure as every cell phone suffers in this situation, but nothing exceptional, not much. Nobody sat on my lap as well... That would be a worthy reason at least.
I've had smartphones for the last 6 years, done the same thing since. I'm not asking for a replacement or whatever, so I have no reason to minimize my responsibility.
My point in posting is that it happened. Just trying let others know to not make the same mistake. It is not as solid a construction as, say, the HTC HD2. It needs more care.
Just beware, hope it does not happen to others.
PS: And no heat also, not a teenager anymore to have so much heat near the crotch area...
PPS: Yes, it is the protective screen. My hope is I can get rid of it, and have my camera back. Unprotected, but taking photos, with lots of care from now on...
OP, stupid question: that lens glass out of the box was protected with a transparent plastic film I think, just like the screen. Did you remove it?
Can you make a shot of the lens using a bathroom mirror perhaps, in macro mode?
mbernstein said:
I've had smartphones for the last 6 years, done the same thing since. I'm not asking for a replacement or whatever, so I have no reason to minimize my responsibility.
My point in posting is that it happened. Just trying let others know to not make the same mistake. It is not as solid a construction as, say, the HTC HD2. It needs more care.
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I agree with your here. The way Samsung designed the back of the phone makes it very easy to scratch/ even bend (like it happened to you) the protective screen. I had a HTC Touch HD before and the back of the camera could never touch the surface where the phone was put. With Samsung if you put your phone on a rugged area you might end up damaging the protective screen easily.
Have you been using the LED as a torch or anything like that? Perhaps the heat could have warped the plastic?
kreoXDA said:
OP, stupid question: that lens glass out of the box was protected with a transparent plastic film I think, just like the screen. Did you remove it?
Can you make a shot of the lens using a bathroom mirror perhaps, in macro mode?
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Sure, I took the plastic out. I saw no point in having a very good phone camera weakened by the plastic.
I tried to take the photo you asked, but was not successful. But as I said it was a very small bend, which makes the light enter the lens like a prism. Very difficult to photograph with a normal camera.
Actually, there was a power outage in the area I'm in now, but I don't recollect to use torch that much... I remember I used it for a while, the used some screen light, then on to Kindle. Id on't suppose it was torch, but could it really be so silly like this?!
mbernstein said:
Sure, I took the plastic out. I saw no point in having a very good phone camera weakened by the plastic.
I tried to take the photo you asked, but was not successful. But as I said it was a very small bend, which makes the light enter the lens like a prism. Very difficult to photograph with a normal camera.
Actually, there was a power outage in the area I'm in now, but I don't recollect to use torch that much... I remember I used it for a while, the used some screen light, then on to Kindle. Id on't suppose it was torch, but could it really be so silly like this?!
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Wow, I just tried pushing on mine with my nail, it moves a teeny tiny bit, but it springs right back up Maybe something in your pocket just happened to touch the middle of that little piece of plastic, and just managed to apply enough force to bend it beyond the recovery point, so your plastic piece did not spring back up.
I fully understand what you mean now. But not sure what your options are. It is clearly a physical damage. I would not advise trying to take that piece out and bend it straight, you will mess up the actual lens.
mbernstein said:
A previously super happy owner, now a very desolate one...
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flash back stock firmware, reset custom download counter with jig, return under warranty saying the camera takes blurry pictures
godutch said:
flash back stock firmware, reset custom download counter with jig, return under warranty saying the camera takes blurry pictures
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I believe warranty doesn't cover physical damage though.
Ingvarr said:
I believe warranty doesn't cover physical damage though.
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they wont know if you dont tell them plus they wont inspect the phone in that detail closely at the camera, worth a try. IF you bough it from a store, bring it back there and get a replacement.
Hi,
I have the same issue as yours.
Where is your SGS2 made in when you take out the battery and look at the back sticker?
Mine says "Made in China"
Wonder if yours is made in Korea or China.
Please share~
I would send it in too, your chances are good to get it repaired!
Mine is made in: Korea
I would try to replace it if I had bought it in my country. I bought it through a friend from Xpansys US (a UK phone), and I'm now in Brazil. I guess I would have so many troubles with customs here to send it out and back with no guarantee to have it replaced...
My idea is not to take the plastic out, and try to fix it. It is to just take out. I will have a hole there, but there will be nothing distorting light that comes into the lens. I will have to be extra careful, but considering how easy the plastic which was supposed to protect the camera was damaged, extra care is the name of this phone for me.
And I'm not complaining about SGS2's plastic finish as opposed to the metal/glass ones of iPhone or HTC. I actually like this, including the back cover. After you get used to it, it is kind of cool. And it is light. I just wished there was a cover or that Samsung used a hard glass on the camera, or perhaps that the plastic was so tiny and receeded that nothing could reach it. I always like the way Sony and Nokia used to put a sliding cover over the camera lens in their phones. With such a thin phone as ours, I wouldn't mind the extra thickness. Or like my HTC Kaiser, where the plastic was actually on the cover. If it was scratched or broken you could replace the back cover... Sorry, just venting my frustration.
Don't leave that hole uncovered. Your lens will get dirty in no time. Pocket lint , dust and dirt will accumulate in there and break the lens autofocus mechanism. Just don't even think about leaving that hole uncovered.
I don't like flip covers, and had no intentions to use the flip cover which came with the phone. And I probably will never use one. Ever!
But, little did I know that the cover that came along would look really beautiful at the back. Racked my brains for a while and this is what I did to my flip cover.
Here are some pics.
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AqrRIUEtMTT0mTierm5BJZUE9IYH
It looks really good on the phone. The modified side edge is comparatively thicker to the other edge. Unless someone observes it closely, they wont be able to make out that there is something different about the cover at the modified edge.
Hi
Mine also came with a flip cover and now I'm not using it. The phone is too big for using it with one hand (at least in my case) so I drop the cover.
When I was looking for a nice case I had the same idea as you but not folding the extra part (nice idea btw). Can you please upload one more photo with the case on. I want to see if the fold part makes it bulky
Added. You can check the link again.
It does not make it bulky. It is very little in reality.
While the cover looks great, it does not protect the screen much from a fall. If that is a concern, this cover is probably one of the better ones. It looks really good, but the mod one looks much better.. I'll be switching between iPaky and the Mod.