Database Users

I did a carbon-look back cover :D

So i did this with 3m 1080 scotchprint carbon series and with nail scissors cutting it from 10x20cm took a while, about 2 hours to get it look nice i also cut a piece for the home button which took awhile too to get it fit perfectly!
to make this thread not so useless, recommend or post pictures of your customized gs2
anyway, what do you think ?

Looks excellent mate, would love a tutorial wouldn't mind that look myself.

Very nice...
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA App

Nice, I have a Samsung mesh case on mine which would cover that off

Does it say 0.8 MP?

That looks really nice, shame your not selling them

Its 0.8 because is on mirror ( 0.8 | 8.0 )

cost of this project was about 10-20 bucks. really, its not that difficult to make, just needs patience and good light. that is the first one i've ever made!
@itehappy most definitely hope its not a 0.8mp unit anyway nice to see people here from i8910 community!

Thanks for the prompt... Just ordered a sheet of 1200 x 300 for under $AUS 10 .
What did you cut it with? Just a normal sharp knife/razor blade? Any tips on cutting the corners, makig the holes, putting the sides and corners on etc???
I know it doesn't require a huge 20 page instruction book but if you could provide some tips or suggestions I think that would be great... Unless you plan on selling them then I suggest not to give the tips
Edit: Just realised you only did the back cover and not the edges... Maybe I will report back when I finally get my sheet and start cutting.

Nice! Tutorial would be appreciated!

When I read the thread title I imagined it would look tacky, but it actually looks really good

Nice. If you want to make some to sell I will buy.

I have a Silver one and you buy them online... o.o

looks great dude, what's the texture of the tape like though? The phone is slippy enough with the stock cover, with smooth tape it must be worse!

i want this too! Looks very nice!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

+1 for you making them and selling them. (I don't have the patience)

viva.fidel said:
looks great dude, what's the texture of the tape like though? The phone is slippy enough with the stock cover, with smooth tape it must be worse!
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It's actually textured, the "weave" is bumpy, raised a few cm, provides a bit of a rough, oil free surface without being uncomfortable. And you can do a fun DJ scratching imitation if you run your fingernail over it quickly.
I've been using it (they call it 3M Dynoc in North America) on the back of my SGS1 for over a year now, and on the back of my Tab 7" for nearly as long.
I couldn't be arsed to cut my own, so I bought mine pre-cut from PhantomSkinz (Skinomi also sells a very similar "skin"). The phone kit costs ~$25 before coupon, and it covers the entire back, the sides, and even comes with a wet-apply screen protector.
It's dead easy to apply, though the edges take a bit of practice...but if you screw up, just lift it up and try again.
It's durable as hell, the SGS1 has one minor, nearly invisible scratch in it after a year of abuse in my pocket, in my motorcycle jacket or tank bag, dirty tables, etc. They look far more "high tech" than the funky designs Samsung used on the back of those devices, especially the Tab.
Occasionally, I'd catch the bottom edge of the tape on the SGS with my fingernail when removing the battery cover and it'll lift a bit. Apply some heat and it goes right back into shape.
Little trick with the rough feel on the edges...heat it (desk lamp or hair dryer both work well) and run your fingernail over the edge...this thins it, making it much smoother.
I just placed an order with Skinomi for both a SGS2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 "carbon" kit. On the SGS2, I'm thinking about leaving the battery cover naked since it's cheap to replace and already textured, and just using the carbon on the chin and sides. The chin on mine is starting to show some friction wear along the edge closest to the battery cover, and the sides get slippery as a bar of soap.

pbrown77 said:
Thanks for the prompt... Just ordered a sheet of 1200 x 300 for under $AUS 10 .
What did you cut it with? Just a normal sharp knife/razor blade? Any tips on cutting the corners, makig the holes, putting the sides and corners on etc???
I know it doesn't require a huge 20 page instruction book but if you could provide some tips or suggestions I think that would be great... Unless you plan on selling them then I suggest not to give the tips
Edit: Just realised you only did the back cover and not the edges... Maybe I will report back when I finally get my sheet and start cutting.
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Click to collapse
wait wait whaaat? 1200x300 for $10 dollars??!? is it 3M 1080 series or 3M Di-noc?
i cut all this with little scissors, about the length of a palm, maybe just a bit more. corners wont need any special stuff, just a hair dryer to get it a little more flexible. ONE THING, when i bought the carbon, I tought that i'll just bend anything which comes over the edge, to backside of the plate. well its not that easy. gs2 cover is so precisely cut that it doesnt allow any kind of extra stuff under the cover, so you just need to cut it little bit at a time, then try it, and cut a bit more and try, untill it fits properly. this will take most of the installation time. just be careful not to cut too much! same goes for the camera hole. very carefully and take the time it needs, even if there is 0.1mm too much, the camera wont fit properly. not difficult, but takes time. a hour atleast.
meh, im a nice guy, i'll give all the tips needed
@viva.fidel
the surface of the new 3M 1080 series has more rubbery feel than the Di-noc (what skinomi uses) and there is seriously good grip! Doesn't feel sticky, but still offers awesome grip believe me! maybe because of the carbon texture i dont know but has good grip for sure!
sorry if theres typos, wrote whole message with GS2 in PORTRAIT mode

Hi, If you were to sell any, I would buy one, It look really nice

ignore now!

Conductive tape for better WiFi/GPS?

Someone on the inspire forum used conductive tape on top of their antennas to boost signal dramatically! Anyone know the insides of a500 know if doing this would help us cuz wifi sucks..?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk

Funny, I am going to be making some conductive glue in the next day or so. I was wondering what I should do with the leftover. I will consider putting some on the antenna just for kicks. maybe I can coat some paper and extend it a bit. If anyone has a good idea of how to implement it I might give it a shot. I'm certainly not a radio engineer type person, so I really don't know if there are any guidelines that I should follow. Like whether or not this will need direct contact with the core wire, recommended length/shape to match frequency, what matters, what doesn't, would a graphite conductor even work, etc. Keep in mind that the resistance will increase with length on this adhesive. I can double coat it and help some but there is no way to avoid this without embedding a wire. I already get a good signal but there's always room for improvement. And I need to open my case to fix a dented corner. Lucky I didn't break the glass when I dropped it on the pavement...
And if anyone believes that this is a bad/goofy idea please say so. I'd rather know not to try something and why than to waste the time.

I was thinking that you could use small strips of aluminum tape (the kind that is used to seal furnace duct joints)
It is very sticky and you would have to use some Goo Gone on a Q-Tip to remove the adhesive from a small strip where the antenna contacts the tape.
I am going to try this once my plastic opening tool kit arrives from China.

dincdoes.me said:
Someone on the inspire forum used conductive tape on top of their antennas to boost signal dramatically! Anyone know the insides of a500 know if doing this would help us cuz wifi sucks..?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
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I thought you sold your 500?
Considering the 500 uses the same hardware manufacturer for the antenna, I can say I get good Wifi in my flat. Even in the toilet.
GPS though, I need to be within 3 meters of a window, but that's understandable.

Moscow Desire said:
I thought you sold your 500?
Considering the 500 uses the same hardware manufacturer for the antenna, I can say I get good Wifi in my flat. Even in the toilet.
GPS though, I need to be within 3 meters of a window, but that's understandable.
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I was gonna sell it but a family member held onto it for $200 till I paid em back so I did n having fun again
But.. who ever wants to extend their radio reach with out buying new parts i will be trying conductive tape. My inspire can get WiFi anywhere in my house my a500 looses a bar 10 feet away from my Netgear CG3000D ..
Something needs to work.. I'm tired of laying in bed like a contortionist
Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk

Wireless Reception Issues?

Here's something to think about. The One's casing is indeed 100% aluminum. In every previous attempt by a manufacturer to use an all-aluminum housing the result was disastrous for wireless reception. That includes antenna-gate on the Sensation which only had a partial aluminum body. Looking at the casing HTC's either going to try to get a signal through it or the antennas will have to be forward facing to get through the glass front panel. Neither is a recipe for great and/or consistent wireless reception. It'll be interesting to see how the One does once it's tested by sites like GSMArena and Anandtech.

First of all..I still don't get the "all aluminium construction" as from some pictures the sides are clearly NOT metal but plastic.
Other than that:
His focus on the all-metal attributes is a direct shot at the iPhone 5, which similarly uses aluminum but has a top and bottom row on the back that's constructed of glass, enabling the antenna inside to broadcast and receive signals. The HTC One, however, worked around that by building the antenna into the metal back of the phone, allowing for a more seamless looking device.
While the back of the phone is part of the antenna, Croyle doesn't foresee any reception issues like the iPhone 4, which used the metal frame around the phone as its antenna, causing some signal issues when held the wrong way. Croyle promised there wouldn't be an "antennagate" with the One.
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http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57...ke-good-first-impression-with-all-metal-body/

Its mentioned a hundred times on this forum how the antenna is integrated into this phone. The back has strips for it... look at the pictures...
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app

Eggcake said:
First of all..I still don't get the "all aluminium construction" as from some pictures the sides are clearly NOT metal but plastic.
Other than that:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57...ke-good-first-impression-with-all-metal-body/
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Click to collapse
HTC says that the white strips on the sides are in fact metal.

Eggcake said:
First of all..I still don't get the "all aluminium construction" as from some pictures the sides are clearly NOT metal but plastic.
Other than that:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57...ke-good-first-impression-with-all-metal-body/
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Click to collapse
It's no plastic @ the side its all metal....its just metal in a different colour...if u take out all components u are left full metal case so I don't see where the plastic is from
Sent from my Desire Z using xda premium

Eggcake said:
the sides are clearly NOT metal but plastic.
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Guess again.
HTC also makes a big deal about the One's all-aluminum chassis, describing it as using a zero-gap unibody design. Indeed, available in hues of black and silver, the handset feels sturdy, has reassuring heft, and its smooth metallic skin exudes high-end craftsmanship. HTC also took pains to point out that while the thin white trim encircling the silver model I manhandled appears to be plastic, it is in fact metal.​

The iPhone 5 needed a lot of glass and the iPad needs the plastic Apple logo for the WiFi and those black plastic strips for the 3g versions. The HTC fans better hope that they need less plastic than Apple or they will have an Asus Transformer prime fiasco here.
The fans better hope that HTC has thoroughly tested this thing from a basement, between two skyscrapers, to a boat, to the top of the mountain, in car, on a helicopter etc. Judging from HTC craftsmanship from the past though, especially button ergonomics, good luck HTC fans.

Oh alright, that's news for me. Very good news in fact

guess they learned what to fix after the fiasco on the one x

Tomatoes8 said:
The HTC fans better hope that they need less plastic than Apple or they will have an Asus Transformer prime fiasco here.
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That's exactly what I thought of when it was announced the One's housing was all-aluminum. Here's what Anand said about the Prime's signal issues which Asus corrected in the Infinity by adding a plastic strip along the back where the antennas are. Wi-Fi limped along on the Prime but GPS was so FUBAR because of the all metal-back Asus ended up giving owners a detachable external dongle in order to use GPS at all.
There is no RF window on the back of the Prime where the two antennas are located. Aluminum does a fairly good job of attenuating RF signals, which contributes to worse range on WiFi than the original plastic Eee Pad Transformer. WiFi performance at the edge of reception as well as the maximum usable WiFi range are both noticeably lower than its predecessor.​
expertzero1 said:
guess they learned what to fix after the fiasco on the one x
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The One X Wi-Fi issue was caused by connectors not meeting properly during the production process. HTC can't defy the laws of physics which say metal and wireless signals aren't compatible. In the Prime scenario Tomatoes8 mentioned Asus added a second antenna and used diversity as a means of getting a signal through the metal back cover. They also amped the signal up to the point it interfered with BT which uses the same 2.4GHz frequency. The challenge is even greater using metal on a phone because there's less physical space to work with in terms of antenna size, placement, and interference with other components.
For HTC and fans of their devices sake I hope this isn't an issue. But if they succeed in using an all-metal housing and still maintain competitive wireless performance they'll be the first to do so where there’s a history of others failing.

Just another quote/info from Anandtech:
Plastic is injected into the aluminum block after certain cuts are made for the back case, which then gets machined into the final form. The One uses the top and bottom aluminum strips for antennas, both of which are actively tuned to mitigate unintended attenuation from being held. There’s a plastic insulative strip in-between the two antennas and the main body. In spite of being aluminum, the One also includes NFC, whose active area surrounds the camera region. There’s no wireless charging from Qi or WPC, however.
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http://www.anandtech.com/show/6754/hands-on-with-the-htc-one-formerly-m7
But yeah, let's hope they really tested it...it would be a fiasco otherwise.

maybe u can use the garanty?

Eggcake said:
Just another quote/info from Anandtech.
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Great info. But one has to wonder with an R&D budget larger than HTC's capitalization why Apple wouldn't have figured the same thing out and avoided the issues they faced when they took the Apple logo off the back of the iPad and moved the antenna under the perforated speaker grate and had to use a plastic trim strip over the antenna on the 3G/GPS version. The only real pass/fail test will be when there are One's in people's hands for a couple of months. It took almost three months (launched in March, issue identified in June) for users to figure out the commonality in the One X's wireless issue. Kudos to HTC if they've figured out how to design a metal device with decent wireless performance where others haven't been able to.

Aluminium backing

Everyone seems to be so happy that it's an aluminium unibody. Is this the same aluminium as on the back of the Sensation XL ? If so i'm worried that it will be quite slippery. I remember using a case on mine even when at home because it was too slippery while naked (hehehe).

Yes, it will be just like any other phone with an aluminium back.

Eww
Maybe the black version will grip a little better due to the paint.

maniacaus said:
Eww
Maybe the black version will grip a little better due to the paint.
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It should/could be anodized, not painted...

I recommend covering the back with a silicon case as aluminium dents very easily. It will half the value of your phone if you plan on selling it in the future.

If watch one of those how they make it videos you will see they coat the silver one as well so hopefully the coating will have some grip
Sent from my One X using Tapatalk 2

The bigger concern should be it scraping, denting, and deforming if its dropped and lands on a corner. From wiki...
"Aluminum is a relatively soft, durable, lightweight, ductile and malleable metal with appearance ranging from silvery to dull gray, depending on the surface roughness. It is nonmagnetic and does not easily ignite. A fresh film of aluminum serves as a good reflector (approximately 92%) of visible light and an excellent reflector (as much as 98%) of medium and far infrared radiation. The yield strength of pure aluminum is 7–11 MPa, while aluminum alloys have yield strengths ranging from 200 MPa to 600 MPa.[7] Aluminum has about one-third the density and stiffness of steel. It is easily machined, cast, drawn and extruded."​
Here's an iP5 and Prime after some use...
The polycarbonate body on the OG One X had issues with abrasion creating "shiny spots." A lot of us that didn't want to always use a case used these protectors. Their wet-apply and dry so tight that you can feel the texture of the "Beats logo" through them. They make the device glossy but better glossy than permanently scratched. It would be great for the One because it's such a great looking device when naked.
http://www.bestskinsever.com/

BarryH_GEG said:
The bigger concern should be it scraping, denting, and deforming if its dropped and lands on a corner. From wiki...
"Aluminum is a relatively soft, durable, lightweight, ductile and malleable metal with appearance ranging from silvery to dull gray, depending on the surface roughness. It is nonmagnetic and does not easily ignite. A fresh film of aluminum serves as a good reflector (approximately 92%) of visible light and an excellent reflector (as much as 98%) of medium and far infrared radiation. The yield strength of pure aluminum is 7–11 MPa, while aluminum alloys have yield strengths ranging from 200 MPa to 600 MPa.[7] Aluminum has about one-third the density and stiffness of steel. It is easily machined, cast, drawn and extruded."​
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Hah~ People usually never leant unless they accidentaly their phones for the very first time..
Some good news was HTC's execs and PR mentioned more than once that they had opt for a type custom of aluminium-magnesium unibody that is harder than iphone 5. I'm aware of iPhone 5's body wasn't doing well, but at least HTC dare to claimed they used a harder one..

It's all soft touch. Think mac book feel.
Sent from my One X using xda premium

I may be an outlier here...but I would prefer a good feeling phone that gets scratched on the back over a slippery unscratchable phone.

Seen it life on monday...the aluminium feels really nice! You got enough grip and nothing feels slippery. But the best is: it seems that htc has learned from apple...the antennas are doing their job very well. I kept my hands close around the whole case and there were no connection issues. Provider was O2 germany, which is not the best we got here .I hope I'll get mine tomorrow .

HTC's aluminum casing is going to be pretty solid. The iPhone 5's aluminum case is WAY too thin and the anodizing layer is incredibly thin in order to not compromise the structural integrity. I'm guessing Apple did that in order to keep weight down and from inexperience in metal unibodies. HTC is definitely not going to have their phones scuff remotely as easily, as the grade of aluminum will be stiffer and the anodization will be much thicker.

ike2903 said:
Seen it life on monday...the aluminium feels really nice! You got enough grip and nothing feels slippery. But the best is: it seems that htc has learned from apple...the antennas are doing their job very well. I kept my hands close around the whole case and there were no connection issues. Provider was O2 germany, which is not the best we got here .I hope I'll get mine tomorrow .
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I pre-ordered one and good to know that it has no problem in signal like iPhone, But sometime signal bar doesn't reflect minor change in signal degradation so can you please download the free apps called 'Network Signal info' from market and check signal graph activity in the low signal area with holding your phone all the different way so we can clearly see if it has any degradation or loss in wifi or GSM signal
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.android.telnet&hl=en
Thanks
---------- Post added at 05:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------
For me the best place to check the Mobile Signal is my workplace's canteen which is in the approx 10-12 steps downstair where I got only one signal bar and sometime no bar showing on my S3 but still I can talk and listen without disconnection or call loss, So any phone I got 1st I check signal quality and if it failed to hold the signal at this place I can surely assume that the problem with Signal quality of phone and I simply return that phone back, same thing happened with 2 Nokia Lumia 820 and I return it back, Signal metre apps is really useful to test signal quality with any phone even without connecting call

My mytouch 4g is plastic back with aluminum battery door the device is slippery as hell on my had.. 2 plus years later and I've only dropped it once from my hand. Why is it being slippery and issue? Really? Have the complaints gone that low. Hold your device better. I grab my phone and its solid on my hand. It's not going anywhere.
By the way, this is being that the mt4g is tiny too. The one is going to be much easier to hold.

maniacaus said:
Everyone seems to be so happy that it's an aluminium unibody. Is this the same aluminium as on the back of the Sensation XL ? If so i'm worried that it will be quite slippery. I remember using a case on mine even when at home because it was too slippery while naked (hehehe).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously？ Is it that hard to hold a 4.7 inch phone

Nexus 7 backplate in aluminium

I Just had this idea, what if somebody would produce backplates for the nexus 7 in aluminium? Like replace the whole backplate, to get an iPad premium feel to it?
Would it be possible due to the antennas? I'm curious because I just broke my Nexus 7 backplate, and it would be nice to have something more premium than plastic on the back.
I own a Nexus 7 with LTE

No, because Google is cheap
You get what you pay for

Potetsjokolade said:
I Just had this idea, what if somebody would produce backplates for the nexus 7 in aluminium? Like replace the whole backplate, to get an iPad premium feel to it?
Would it be possible due to the antennas? I'm curious because I just broke my Nexus 7 backplate, and it would be nice to have something more premium than plastic on the back.
I own a Nexus 7 with LTE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wireless charging will not work with an aluminum back plate. Also reception is exponentially degraded.

fosser2 said:
Wireless charging will not work with an aluminum back plate. Also reception is exponentially degraded.
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Well. Depends on where the antennae are. My HTC one is a nice block of aluminum.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 4

dottat said:
Well. Depends on where the antennae are. My HTC one is a nice block of aluminum.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 4
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Click to collapse
Your HTC One , has external antennas, the aluminium case is used as the antenna's just like the iPhone 4+ , this is why you have this white plastic strips , to separate the the casing in to different antenna's .
When it comes to antennas and aluminium body's doesn't matter where the antennas located ,aluminium blocks any kind of wireless signal ,so you have to use some kind of RF window , like on the Wifi iPad's , the apple logo is a "RF window" for the wifi antenna, or the plastic strip on top of the Cellular iPad's .

1. Learn how to electroplate plastic (it ain't easy) http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=525 and take off the back and electroplate it.
2. Get a lathe and cut out your own from a block of aluminum.
3. Take off the back, make a mold, and pour molten aluminum into the mold. Polish to heart's content and install.
None of the options are really easy unless you're an experienced fabricator.
Best to choose the tablet that has what you want before you buy, so you don't regret not having a block of aluminum later.
Myself, I don't automatically think that METAL = BETTER QUALITY. I look at the ACTUAL quality of the device.

iamezio said:
Your HTC One , has external antennas, the aluminium case is used as the antenna's just like the iPhone 4+ , this is why you have this white plastic strips , to separate the the casing in to different antenna's .
When it comes to antennas and aluminium body's doesn't matter where the antennas located ,aluminium blocks any kind of wireless signal ,so you have to use some kind of RF window , like on the Wifi iPad's , the apple logo is a "RF window" for the wifi antenna, or the plastic strip on top of the Cellular iPad's .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was my point. He's only talking about the backplate.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

lotherius said:
Myself, I don't automatically think that METAL = BETTER QUALITY. I look at the ACTUAL quality of the device.
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I have an HTC One and I like the premium feel but I much rather would like to have a phone made by plastic (but I like sense so that's why I bought it) , besides the antenna problem of metal:
Plastic is more durable, scuffs less easy
Plastic is lighter and slightly elastic , therefore less impact when falling a smaller chance to break the display and just more comfortable to hold or deformity of the body
Alluminium phones remind me of bug(arthropod) "design" instead of the much more flexible and elegant "design" of vertebrates