Database Users

Long time HTC user goes to AT&T and gets a little Focus

It's been a long journey for some of us with smartphones/pdas. My journey began with XDA and moved to the 8125, 8525, Tilt, Fuze and Tilt 2.
Today I join the ranks of the qwerty-less and HTC-less folks on the XDA as I now have a focus SGH-i917.
First impressions:
From reading various reviews I was thinking the Samsung Focus was going to be a plastic, piece of junk. I feel it is better than I expected. With an exception, the back cover and the way it attaches to the device. Instead of it being a slide, click & lock like an XDA/HTC this thing is a click. It is hard to explain but the back cover looks flimsy and like you should choose to rarely take it on and off. It snaps into place and snaps out of place, the snaps are very tiny little plastic tabs. Not galaxy tabs but plastic tabs. It reminds me of an older motorola phone where if you dropped it once, broke all those tiny plastic attachment tabs then your cover would never stay attached.
Accessories:
So far the body glove case that AT&T was selling at my store works like crap, as it keeps pressing in the power button. I am going to take a Dremel tool to it and report back in, I am going to shave the interior portions to make them slimmer.

Thresher said:
I
Accessories:
So far the body glove case that AT&T was selling at my store works like crap, as it keeps pressing in the power button.
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I had the exact same problem.. lame case.. should have know not to buy it.. but the phone is great. I agree with the back cover, but I think the IDEA is that you only need to open a few times to insert SIM or SD card..

surfnet said:
I had the exact same problem.. lame case.. should have know not to buy it.. but the phone is great. I agree with the back cover, but I think the IDEA is that you only need to open a few times to insert SIM or SD card..
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Lame case! At&t Gel Case from Body Glove.

I saw the cases they had and told them I would wait for better ones. As for the tabs, I had the same exact thought. Better to keep the back on and hardly take it off. I was worried they could break easily, but other than that the phone is really nice.

I too had (and really liked) the 8125, Tilt, and Tilt 2, and just got the Samsung Focus today. I really like it so far, and agree taking off the cheap back cover was scary.
I guess I'm keeping my Tilt 2 until someone comes up with a tethering app so I can use it while travelling.

MarcBate said:
I too had (and really liked) the 8125, Tilt, and Tilt 2, and just got the Samsung Focus today. I really like it so far, and agree taking off the cheap back cover was scary.
I guess I'm keeping my Tilt 2 until someone comes up with a tethering app so I can use it while travelling.
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Hehe...8525, Fuze, Tilt2, HD2. I just picked up the Focus today, was the last one left in the store. I am in the same boat as you with tethering, hopefully ATT wont charge to use it.

I was a lot more worried about the screen side than the back side. I've owned a lot of Windows phones (HTC WinMo and that awful LG piece of crap AT&T was selling last year) and, invariably, the screen was plastic and fairly easily scratched and damaged. Not the Focus. I've read it has Gorilla Glass and given how rigid it is and how tapping it sounds the same as tapping the iPhone, I believe it. I'm not so worried about the back because I've had phones with "snap on" backs before and they were surprisingly sturdy if you applied a little care when removing and replacing the back. What I don't like about the back is how the camera pokes out, making it a greasy fingerprint magnet which leads to lousy pictures. It would have been nice if it had been recessed even 1/2 mm so it was at least a little more difficult to trash the glass. I'm sure a case would fix it but I don't have a case and from I've read above, I won't be getting one quite yet.
I can't say I've committed to the phone yet since I have 30 days to return it and I'm coming from a relatively feature rich iPhone 4. But since buying it....yesterday....I've already bought Slingplayer (the fastest I've EVER seen Sling Media do ANYTHING, ever, by several magnitudes!) and new apps are appearing quickly. So far so good!
Oh...per tethering, each system has it's own schedule, of course, but I can tell you it took a LONG TIME before the iPhone got tethering and oh yeah, you BET AT&T charges out the ass for it. $30 a month for 5 GB? What a swindle. If you jailbreak the iPhone you have better options, such as a $30 app that does it "for free" in that AT&T doesn't know you're tethering, but who knows if something that like will be an option with these WP7 phones in the future? You may want to keep in mind the old saying "Buy a phone for what it does now, not what has been promised in the future" because it may be a LONG TIME before there's WP7 tethering.

People are reporting too many accidental power offs, the location of the power button and the volume buttons and the power button in general is a detractor.
Solution:
The case I reported was so lame may be dremelled even further to make ' notches ' where the buttons are, removing the plastic case over that button. This would force my fingers to have to depress a bit.

markgamber said:
and how tapping it sounds the same as tapping the iPhone, I believe it.
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The iPhone does NOT use Gorilla Glass. It uses an inferior glass that's somewhere between normal and Gorilla.

MikeyMike01 said:
The iPhone does NOT use Gorilla Glass. It uses an inferior glass that's somewhere between normal and Gorilla.
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That's not what I've read elsewhere. It was even posted here, I believe, that Samsung stated on twitter that it was Gorilla glass. Whatever, as long as it's not cheap plastic that scratches when you look at it twice in the same hour I don't really care.

I was still on a 8125 Wizard until monday. What a shocking change when I turned on the Focus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x91cmj_dP_4
He says it won't scratch. It must be similar to gorilla glass.

I too have been a very loyal HTC user. I got a lot of use out of my tilt and tilt 2 especially, but when it was announced that HTC was going to be launching with a phone that features a slide-out speaker instead of a slide-out keyboard, it was like a slap in the face. Maybe it was ATT that made the call (idk) but i wasn't going to pick up the LG Quantum (whenever it does come out.)
So, HTC has lost a customer and Samsung has gained one and i'm liking it so far.
Also, has anyone tried placing a Captivate gel case on the Focus? i curious to see how it fits - not that i think it'll be perfect, but i'm interested to see how much modification would be required to make it decent.

Not gorilla glass in my opinion
He says it won't scratch. It must be similar to gorilla glass.
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I have a iPhone4, Captivate and now the Focus. The focus' glass on the front is just like the Captivate (obviously, both Samsung made). The captivate survived in my pocket for over 2 months with no case or screen protector on it and the screen looks good as new.
The iPhone on the other hand with a case on it and no screen protector now has what appears to be a surface abrasion in a 3/8 by 3/8 square spot, from what I assume was the other phone rubbing on the screen while in the same pocket. It is light, but noticable in direct light. Gorilla glass, I don't believe it is.

/signed
I went from an 8125 to the Tilt, and now the Focus. I didn't care much for the build materials either but it's starting to grow on me. I wish I could find a decent case though so that there's something to actually hold on to.

I am in the same boat. I am a VERY happy HTC owner since the StarTrek, to the Tilt and Fuze. I was stunned when att opted to go with a qwertyless HTC model, or maybe HTC is just over att and no longer providing cutting edge design or tech. The att sales rep who sold me my Focus claims that Samsung R&R dwarfs HTC's and that att is redirecting its smartphone relationship to Samsung. Whatever. Back on point.
I picked up a Focus on day one, feeling a little dirty to be dipping my toes in Samsung's waters. And now, I love this phone.
Build Quality: I agree that the plastic is disappointing, but I am not feeling it really when I hold the phone and I am a very tactile person. The phone feels nice. Would I like a nice metal battery case, yes, but the antenna works so maybe that lack of drama is the pay off.
Screen: This thing is what is really making my Fuze feel like it was a toy. It looks better, it feels better, heck it even has a nicer appearance when the phone is off. My only issue with the screen is the small ridge between it and the phone body. If that was smooth or imperceptible the feel would be sublime.
Typing: I love qwerty physical keyboards. I also love the lightweight Samsung feel right now and I am slowly getting used to the virtual keyboard. The key is using the suggested word which I am getting used to. That way you don't really need to fix every mis step. Will I go back to a physical keyboard? That was my plan originally, to bail the Samsung and get the first NICE HTC that cam along, but I love this phone. I am learning to deal with the virtual keyboard.
I won't get into the WP7'isms. The OS has a great feel and has room for updates but those are being discussed in other threads.
I love HTC, I have transitioned to Samsung and it was actually easy and enjoyable. I will now be very curious to see what is on Samsungs 2011 roadmap and yes, I will keep an eye on HTC in the distance.

MarcBate said:
I too had (and really liked) the 8125, Tilt, and Tilt 2, and just got the Samsung Focus today. I really like it so far, and agree taking off the cheap back cover was scary.
I guess I'm keeping my Tilt 2 until someone comes up with a tethering app so I can use it while travelling.
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The Samsung Focus CAN tether:
http://www.amitbhawani.com/blog/enable-usb-tethering-windows-phone-7-samsung-devices/
Steps to Tether :
Open the phone screen composition
Enter the code: # # 634 # > Press Call
This will open a new screen will be similar but in test mode
Then type in the code * # 7284 # > Press Call
See the screen that you see in the picture > Select Tethered
The phone will restart
Attach the USB cable to your phone and PC and wait for it to install drivers
You will see the phone modem and you can configure the data connection
number: *99***1#
user name: [email protected]
password: CINGULAR1
Click on connect and the Internet tethering would start, while if it does not work for the first time you should retry it a few times before which the connection would successfully work.
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First of all...Wow. Not the phone, but the fact that there are so many formerly loyal HTC users that jumped ship to Samsung with the Focus product. My story is just like everyone else, owned an HTC this and that, was holding out with my Fuze for something better on AT&T than the Aria. Before my visit today I had no knowledge of the Focus, but had researched the Captivate quite well. My Focus is still in the box, I'll break its hymen when I get everything backed up in my Fuze. Reading through the forums I was pleased to hear the reactions of many of you Focus veterans. I have been a lurker for the most part on XDA, but I feel that with so many like minded and experienced members here, I'll do my part to contribute monetarily and with any effort I can provide. Cheers to all and our new phones!

I've had HTC phones for years, the last one being the Fuze. And I was going to have a choice to make if the Dell Lightning had come out on AT&T and not T-Mobile, but as it was just the Focus and the HTC speaker model, the Focus was a no brainer. I was worried about it feeling like a toy after reading the pre-release reviews mentioning that's what it was made of, but I don't notice it and everyone who grabs it to check it out only comments on how light it is and never mentions any plastic feeling. They all seem to love it.
Like a previous comment, I wish the camera was a bit down in the body more...it seems I always get my finger on it when pulling out of my pocket, but so far the pics have still been great. And after my horrible pics experience with the Fuze, it's night and day better. (My camera on the Fuze just kept getting worse and worse as time went on. Even after wiping the OS, the camera lagged and every shot would be blurry. And that was my second one after the first one developed mysterious spots on it and was replaced while still under warranty)
Samsung has a new fan!

Ditto man, that little ridge on the front screen could potentially be problematic (i.e. I can see little specs of lint and stuff possibly getting in there).
The phone is great, but the build quality of the plastic back leads me to believe I really need a good case.
With my iPhone 3G, I've used a Griffin case that has really held up. It's basically leather-coated plastic, which I think would be perfect for the Focus. Here's a link: http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/elanform3g.
If anyone finds a good case, please post it! Thanks guys.

Sure, the phone's plastic, but...

Am I the only one who seriously feels like it not only doesn't feel cheap, but actually feels better this way?
I mean, the device still feels nice and solid, with even weight distribution, but it also feels so light and elegant to me. I've held and used other smartphones that don't give me anything close to this feeling. I think it actually feels more stylish and elegant than the iPhone 4, plastic and all.
I'll readily submit the idea that maybe I'm the rare outlier who feels like this, but does anyone else feel this way?
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I have to agree coming from a vibrant that had a little creaking problem this is way better and feels solid.I was gonna stay with the mytouch4g but I replaced 2 times and kept getting the crappy screen.Kinda glad that happened feelin this phone so far over my vibrant.Btw I wouldn't switch to this if you already have a Vibrant its just I had a deal going on with my friend so I got it at upgrade price and I will sell the Vibrant.

Agreed, the build quality is very good, the only thing that could possibly be called cheap is the back cover because it's plastic, if they covered the plastic with that soft-touch stuff like on the n1 it would be better. Overall the quality is very good, nice and solid and the haptic feedback works great compared to my n1 where the haptic feedback made it feel like it was rattling around inside my phone and about to fall apart.
The screen is the best on the market imo, and the external speaker is miles better that the one on the n1.

I totally agree here. The phone just feels light and sleek to me. I'm loving the all round experience with this thing. Definitely the best Android phone to date... hands down.
I normally go to sleep with Pandora playing on my PC but the other night I was just messing around checking out the general quality of "stuff" and turned on Pandora on the ns. I was so surprised at the quality of the sound that I ended up listening for a long while and passing out.
The difference is especially profound if you compare the sound quality with that of the tmo G2... which sounds like utter garbage.
I'm loving this thing!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

The Nexus S HAD to be plastic. Why?
Because of the NFC the back cover can not be metal.

Like I've mentioned before in other threads, my only real complaint about the build quality is that I wish they had used some sort of texture coating on the casing. It's quite slick when you first start using it and haven't adjusted your grip accordingly yet.
That and my nitpicky issue about Google/OEMs constantly rearranging their capacitive buttons lol. Pick an order and stick with it!

I finally got to play with a nexus s yesterdjw and I was surprised that it did in fact feel very solid and good in the hand. But missing track ball notification colors still gets to me.

RogerPodacter said:
I finally got to play with a nexus s yesterdjw and I was surprised that it did in fact feel very solid and good in the hand. But missing track ball notification colors still gets to me.
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You can grab an app off the marketplace called NoLED which will use your screen as a notification light. The SAMOLED consumes almost 0 power to show the color black, so the only power loss would be from the little colored pixels that make up the icon/block showing your notification.
You can even customize it to not show notifications during certain hours, like when you're asleep, or use the proximity sensor so it won't show notifications while it's in your pocket but will display them when you take it out. Pretty cool app, all in all.

Deleted...wrong thread

Agreed. Coming from the captivate, I feel right at home.

I got to try a friend's today and was pleasantly surprised. I actually vetoed my husband getting the original galaxy s cos I thought it felt rather plasticy, but the nexus does feel solid but light (certainly lighter than both my desire and hubby's brick/iphone4)
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

Feels solid to me. Only complaint is that the back cover does scratch easily.

exactly
sstang2006 said:
The Nexus S HAD to be plastic. Why?
Because of the NFC the back cover can not be metal.
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So this also means that other high class google phones are going to have to be made of plastic to use an NFC chip? This is what I also was wondering, and this is really going to upset all the others saying how terrible samsungs (plastic) build quality is and how wonderful HTC's (metal) is...

No phone can ever be fully cased in metal, as you need to get radio waves in and out. Android phones could use glass construction like the iPhone 4, or just stick to using higher quality plastics.
I would have no problem at all with the Galaxy or Nexus S construction if they'd used a nice softtouch case, and maybe made the phone feel heavier somehow...

It feels amazing. I'm seriously love this
Sent from my Nexus S

The great thing about the plastic back is that you don't have to baby it or buy a case. Replacement backs will likely run around $5, so feel free to scuff it up or put grippy tape on it. At least you don't have to sorry about denting or scratching and losing resale value like metal phones.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Kubernetes said:
The great thing about the plastic back is that you don't have to baby it or buy a case. Replacement backs will likely run around $5, so feel free to scuff it up or put grippy tape on it. At least you don't have to sorry about denting or scratching and losing resale value like metal phones.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Might wanna wait for them to actually show up in stores or on ebay before doing that.

Loved the feel of this phone, but I loved the Teflon coating on my Nexus One. The plastic does scratch easily.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Nexus S is the ****ttttt
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I'm with everyone here, the build quality is awesome. I was worried after coming from N1 but I really shouldn't have. I should have known Google wouldn't let down the Nexus name.
Everytime I pick my phone up I'm more and more satisfied that I made the right choice by switching to NS.

Slippy back

OK, so the Omnia 7 is my first Samsung device, always had HTC devices before (and still do).
Why the heck is it so slippy, and difficult to hold? the DesireHD (and HD2 before that and every other phone I've owned) sit quiet happily in my hand, the Omnia tries to commit suicide almost every time I hold it, and heaven help me if my hand is slightly damp!
Anyone got any decent ideas on how to make the thing more usable? is there perhaps an aftermarket battery cover that's OEM looking and slightly rubberised?

+1 - noticed this when I first got my phone but it seems to be some kind of coating that has worn off - at least my phone is far less slippery than it used to be. Tried different covers which worked ok but ended up being unhappy with the extra depth these added to the phone.

try the case mate shell, it's made of plastic so less slippery plus only adds a bit more bulk. i had the same concerns so had to buy it, and have since dropped my phone on its side directly on the pavement, and the case worked great, phone is fine.

I got myself a gelaskin, much better grip.

Got the official Samsung flip case from ebay France. Works great and is pretty slim.

e_421k said:
try the case mate shell, it's made of plastic so less slippery plus only adds a bit more bulk. i had the same concerns so had to buy it, and have since dropped my phone on its side directly on the pavement, and the case worked great, phone is fine.
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Yeap, the case mate hard case is awesome. That was the first thing that i bought once i got my omnia 7.

GelaSkins FTW

REALLY annoying!
I just bought a case for £2 from Ebay!

yes indeed a very slippery phone, Im using my hd2 pouch until I can find the official case

Yes, it's a bit slick. But I've never had a problem with slippage in day to day useage. I guess it's just down to how you hold it.

Slippy i cant say. But the corved back ends up on the edges making the sides to thin to get a good grip. The problem gets escaleted with the button that is to sencetive. The total result is, you have to use the phone for a while to get used to it, and it sure takes a while. While calling there is no promblem for me, surfing, taking pictures that requers you to tilt and move the phone in your hand is the problem. And its the buttons fault.
cm case-mate offers what looks to be the best solutions. Specially the screen protector that comes with the pack is among the best i have seen. It keeps the glass look thats offerd without any screen protectors. Was also supprised how easy to mount it was.
I bought CM standard black solution, and it cured all the button problems and is now easy to hold. Its a bit ugly thou, but the plus side makes me use it. The overall experience is therefor greatly increased.
If any body tryed the "barely there" version, could you plz explain your view of experience. Does it keep the good look while offering a decient protection?

Also, does anybody experience a difference on responsivness between the back, and the search button? My back button is less sencitive and i find myself having to re press the button. While search button i so responsive i kan just stare at the button =D. Hope its not my device that is faulty.

Nakazul said:
Also, does anybody experience a difference on responsivness between the back, and the search button? My back button is less sencitive and i find myself having to re press the button. While search button i so responsive i kan just stare at the button =D. Hope its not my device that is faulty.
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Both have the same sensitivity for me. It could be that you're using a slightly different angle with your finger/thumb on the buttons if you're holding the phone in one hand.

No, the angle doesnt matter. :-(
Sent from my Omnia 7 using Board Express

CONTACTMC said:
I got myself a gelaskin, much better grip.
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Best option, damn phones 'slippery like a fish' haha

Mine had the same problem, th eback button was not sensitive at all and sometimes didnt even work. I sent it back and got a replacement. Glad to say new one is Ok. I think this is a fault with some of these phones.

Build Quality

HI all
I was wandering how is the build quality in this phone?
I would love to give it to my girlfriend but was just wandering after hearing/reading some negative comments about galaxy s 1 build.
Thank you in advance for any comments, or links to articles or such.
Regards
Kirior

I think it's awesome. Even it's plastic, it's really assertive and the back cover stays so tight. Just the opening is a bit tricky... But you only need to do this once, luckily. If you need to change sim-cards or memory cards daily, then I don't recommend this phone.

Samsung isn't known as "Samsuck" for no reason. Buy her an HTC phone. I would steer clear of any Samsung phones.
Sent from my HTC using XDA App

stop trolling, it's pretty good even though its plastic it feels solid

Its fine really, solid despite the choice of materials, feels a lot better in the hand than the original.
Link to more detailed thoughts:
http://blog.clove.co.uk/2011/05/16/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-real-user-reviewpart-one/

As the posts above is saying; Nothing to put on the build quality
/CK

PureH2O said:
Samsung isn't known as "Samsuck" for no reason. Buy her an HTC phone. I would steer clear of any Samsung phones.
Sent from my HTC using XDA App
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God what a ****-nuckle..
Sent from the best phone in the world...

I think a light phone is better. Much less likely to break when dropped because over the same distance there will be much less kinetic energy to dissipate on impact.
Sent from my HTC Hero using XDA App

Not to be a fanboy, but you do want your phone made of lead or what?

PureH2O said:
Samsung isn't known as "Samsuck" for no reason. Buy her an HTC phone. I would steer clear of any Samsung phones.
Sent from my HTC using XDA App
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To try and add some value to an otherwise useless post, I haven't owned a Samsung phone since the CDMA i730 Windows phone. It was a funky phone without a lot of joy and some really questionable design choices. From there I had a succession of HTC phones spanning six years. They were all solid, ran well, and gave me little to complain about. I got an LG phone which I kept for a whopping three weeks before realizing it was a pile of rubbish. So, with an unbiased view, I chose the Samsuck GS2 and couldn't be happier. Back on topic, the build quality is great. Fit, finish, style, feel are all what you'd expect from a high-end device. Alas, because it's shiny parts are exposed front and back, all that beauty has to be hidden by a case which makes it look pedestrian. I just got my Case-Mate tough case today and the phone now looks mummified. Oh well, at least it's protected.

I really dont understand the questions about build quality the sgs or sgs2. My orignal sgs(vibrant) was heavy duty. Yes its light and yes its made out of plastic. But ive dropped my vibrant from various heights and the battery cover never popped off, no marks on screen or anything. Both phones, specially the sgs2 feel like a lighter, thinner HD2. Niether feels flimsy, cheap, breakable.
One of the Hd2s ive owned fell from bathroom sink to tile floor, and shattered after a 3 -4foot drop.
Build Quality is important to me as I work with dogs(90%) and other various animals. Besides the psycho owners, I deal with psycho 200pound dogs on a daily basis. I get bumped, biten, jumped on, rubbed, attacked etc all day, everyday. Not a single scratch, scrap, dent on the sgs2 and thats with no protection for 3 weeks.
Now the only bad quality choice samsung and other manufactors use is the damn cheap silver/chrome/aluminum bezel around the phones. Since I dont use cases consistently im prone to scratch the bezel by the end of ownership.
Another plus is the couple cases I do have dont add extra bulk like other phones. Im waiting on quality extended batteries to come.

HI guys
Thx for all replies, all in all i have bought SGS2 for her. She is in heavens now i guess that's all that matters and she does take care of the phones so i know i will not land on the floor or such just wanted to make sure.
thanks again and for me the thread is closed.
Kirior

I find the build quality of the S2 pretty decent although I had my doubts when I just got the phone. After using it for a couple of weeks I think the build quality is fine and I'm sure this phone will last a long time.
However, today I had the HTC Sensation in my hands for the first time and I must confess that the build quality of the Sensaion is clearly better.

The build quality is much better than i expected. Yes, it is plastic, but feels pretty solid, no creaking or flex. I have an SE Arc also, similar thickness, but would say that the gs2 is easily the more high quality build of the two.
Regarding the battery cover, it is thin and flimsy, but i cant imagine a new one costing much if you needed one. What bothers me more is the texture, it feels more slick than a shiny back, but a case might fix that.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

Build Quality Questions..

Hi everyone, I very recently purchased my brand new Desire Z. So far, I am really impressed with the software and general likability of the phone.
Although, having read too much about the Z hinge, it really makes me paranoid sometimes while handling the phone.
A few obervations and questions, which if someone with a few months of experience could respond to would put me at ease,
1. The Z hinge is surely loose, but doesn't worry me in general use. Although, I am scared it will get further loose with time, is that so?
2. The cable / ribbon running along with the hinge is not protected, is the wear and tear comparitively higher because of having no protection? Should I be budgeting in changing the ribbon every couple months?
3. Because of the hinge being loose and possiblity of the keyboard opening on a fall seems almost definite. Doesn't that put much more at stake on a fall comparitively? Fortuunately, mine hasn't fallen yet, but what's the experience you all have had with your devices falling on hard surfaces? Other than the scratches, that's not a problem. I am worried, the device will break in pieces if it falls!
4. For a little more peace of mind, are the hinges metal or plastic? I have read both on reviews and I can't seem to find a definitive answer to this one.
Thank you for taking out the time to read and respond with your experiences.
Sent from my HTC Vision

I've had mine since January and I've dropped it plenty of times. I have never had any problems with the keyboard, hinge, or ribbon cable.

After dropping my phone a few times my phone speaker went down... Had to replace them
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

So it does seem like it is a sturdy device, or at least as sturdy as the other devices.
Any idea about the hinges, if its plastic or metal?
Thanks!
Sent from my HTC Vision

Fairly certain they're metal. I've dropped my caseless G2 several times but it's only dinged with no other damage.
Sent from my G2

don't know about the hinges if they are plastic or metal...
but i got it 5 months ago... dropped it plenty of times... and nothing happened... not even a scratch
these kind of phones are sturdy... unlike samsung phones (believe me, i had one)... it breaks into pieces...
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sent from a phone... 'nuf said
btw... justin bieber sucks
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don't worry about the hinge

d_gkal said:
don't worry about the hinge
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+1, I dont get it, lot of discussion on this, but never I never had any problem with the hinge...

I know, lots of discussions on the hinge, but I guess its the placebo based on the early hands on the device. Although, I am getting much much more comfortable and relaxed about it.
In a nutshell, its a great device. Thanks everyone for endorsing it for me!
Sent from my HTC Vision

The G2/Desire-Z is one of the most rugged phones ever made, the only knock is that some people find that the hinge spring action gets loose (mine never has) - but if yours ever does, and you are comfortable taking your phone apart, you can replace the stock hinge spring in about 30 minutes, start to finish. - The part costs about $5 - Then it will be tight as hell like when new! (possibly tighter than new)
There is a great thread on this here on XDA complete with an HD video showing you an exact POV of the procedure being done in it's entirety!

The phone is quite sturdy overall. I had a stone thrown at my screen and no change whatsover.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

First half fall and its scratchless
Why I call it a half fall is, it didn't fall but it it lost my hand and hung from the charger and hit the side of the bed pretty harshly. The keyboard did open up though but luckily all's good - gave me a little more confidence on the device build.
Sent from my HTC Vision

Dropped mine a few times - the battery cover always seems to fall off when that happens. Few dents and scratches but nothing serious.
As for my opinion about build quality, personally I think it's pretty crap, due to the design of the hinge. I changed my first DZ for another, since the first one had a ridiculously loose hinge. The second one developed the same problem in 24hrs. It's not that that bothered me so much, but the fact the two halves were not held snug together by the spring, so touching or pressing on the touchscreen caused the top half of the phone to tap annoyingly on the bottom half.
Eventually I bodged this by sticking layers of electrical tape between the two halves. It's not visible in normal use, but I'm pretty annoyed that I had to do this to my (then brand new) phone. Good job nothing better with a keyboard has come out yet, cos if I tried to sell this thing then I'd get literally nothing for it.
The lacquer on my battery door started falling off after a couple of weeks. My physical camera button only works intermittently, but I won't send it away for repair because I don't know what software it will come back with - it's over a year since I rooted this thing, and I don't feel like researching the latest methods, or finding out that HTC have closed all current ways to root.
This phone does not have good build quality, in my opinion.

setspeed said:
Dropped mine a few times - the battery cover always seems to fall off when that happens. Few dents and scratches but nothing serious.
As for my opinion about build quality, personally I think it's pretty crap, due to the design of the hinge. I changed my first DZ for another, since the first one had a ridiculously loose hinge. The second one developed the same problem in 24hrs. It's not that that bothered me so much, but the fact the two halves were not held snug together by the spring, so touching or pressing on the touchscreen caused the top half of the phone to tap annoyingly on the bottom half.
Eventually I bodged this by sticking layers of electrical tape between the two halves. It's not visible in normal use, but I'm pretty annoyed that I had to do this to my (then brand new) phone. Good job nothing better with a keyboard has come out yet, cos if I tried to sell this thing then I'd get literally nothing for it.
The lacquer on my battery door started falling off after a couple of weeks. My physical camera button only works intermittently, but I won't send it away for repair because I don't know what software it will come back with - it's over a year since I rooted this thing, and I don't feel like researching the latest methods, or finding out that HTC have closed all current ways to root.
This phone does not have good build quality, in my opinion.
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Click to collapse
A better hinge would have surely made the phone much more sturdy. That's what has always scared me so far, but now that the phone is 2 months old now I have started to get more comfortable around it.
Milestone 3 or MyTouch Slide could be good contenders, I think.
Sent from my HTC Vision

Don't get me wrong, there is no other phone I'd rather have at this moment in time - but that's due to a lack of qwerty phones on the market, as opposed to the DZ/G2 being some sort of amazing quality :-/
The Droid 4 looks proper nice though, hopefully it'll get released worldwide. And Motorola won't lock it down like they have with every other phone they've released since the OG Droid... but the chances of that are basically zero.

setspeed said:
Don't get me wrong, there is no other phone I'd rather have at this moment in time - but that's due to a lack of qwerty phones on the market, as opposed to the DZ/G2 being some sort of amazing quality :-/
The Droid 4 looks proper nice though, hopefully it'll get released worldwide. And Motorola won't lock it down like they have with every other phone they've released since the OG Droid... but the chances of that are basically zero.
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Click to collapse
I totally hear you there.
So, all the current Motorola droids are locked and can't be upgraded to cm or other custom roms? Really!!
Sent from my HTC Vision

I have been VERY careless of my phone, dropped it probably close to 100 times some of them being quite bad, and the most I can see is a couple corners have SMALL little dents, often the keyboard does open when dropped but nothing happens after that... I'd be more worried if dropped WHILE open but chances are if the keyboard is open you're typing (and therefore have two hands on it) My spring is still as sturdy as when I first got it as far as I can tell.

setspeed said:
Dropped mine a few times - the battery cover always seems to fall off when that happens. Few dents and scratches but nothing serious.
As for my opinion about build quality, personally I think it's pretty crap, due to the design of the hinge. I changed my first DZ for another, since the first one had a ridiculously loose hinge. The second one developed the same problem in 24hrs. It's not that that bothered me so much, but the fact the two halves were not held snug together by the spring, so touching or pressing on the touchscreen caused the top half of the phone to tap annoyingly on the bottom half.
Eventually I bodged this by sticking layers of electrical tape between the two halves. It's not visible in normal use, but I'm pretty annoyed that I had to do this to my (then brand new) phone. Good job nothing better with a keyboard has come out yet, cos if I tried to sell this thing then I'd get literally nothing for it.
The lacquer on my battery door started falling off after a couple of weeks. My physical camera button only works intermittently, but I won't send it away for repair because I don't know what software it will come back with - it's over a year since I rooted this thing, and I don't feel like researching the latest methods, or finding out that HTC have closed all current ways to root.
This phone does not have good build quality, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol and that's why I got the slide, I hate the hinge with a passion. I luckily got the slide and gave the G2 to my mom. The slide has an awesome build quality dispite the not so appealing look the quality is great.
I have dropped the G2 a couple of times but it had the rubber case on so nothing happen to it. Haven't dropped my slide so I can't compare
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using xda premium

I had this since summer 2011. I did get a case (stays attached to the phone) for this phone and found the hinge very weak, it will slide out if I held it in at an angle. Then recently I removed the case and there was no problems with the hinge since, able to hold it at many angles without worrying it slip out.
Having put my phone with keys.etc all in one pocket I found there are scratches on the back of the case. I have dropped my phone a few times but no problems.
Ribbon is good, the hinges I believe is metal (perhaps, alloy or some sort).
I wouldn't worry about the hinge too much unless you plan to keep using the same phone for more than 3 years. HTC does also have a global 2 year guarantee (from day of purchase).
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App