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Samsung PLASTIC design of Nexus S

This thread is for all the people who cry about the plastic on the new Nexus S phone.
First of all, my sister has a Galaxy S phone i9000 to be precise, and it's been a pain to watch her drop the phone again and again... slippery fingers I guess.. lol The phone has a few scratches but that's all.
I don't even wanna know what would happen to my N1 if I did that to it. Every picture I saw of the N1 dropped was either a broken screen or the housing was damaged to a point it had to be replaced. Because of ONE drop!! I'm thankfull I've never dropped it since I have it on launch day.
So please tell me what's a better solution the Samsung plastic that actualy protects your phone or an aluminium case that will get all banged up?
I vote for the plastic. It sucks because it's glossy, if google fixes this and gives us a matt + some gloss accents would really look cool.

All the drops of my Nexus, and no signs yet. Hope that it stays this way.
Useless thread, if you ask me. Zero basis for any actual comparison.

Jack_R1 said:
All the drops of my Nexus, and no signs yet. Hope that it stays this way.
Useless thread, if you ask me. Zero basis for any actual comparison.
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I have both... Give me (enough) money and I will do a drop test.

I dropped mine (from chest height, onto tarmac) on it's top left corner. Just has a small stratch there.

I've dropped my Nexus from chest height onto a stone floor, one 2-3 occasions now. Clearly I'm lucky, but there's no sign of external damage.

My N1 fell when I was hanging my mothers curtain, about 2 meters high....not a scratch. Dropped it more than once and that baby just refuses to die. BEST PHONE EVER.

This could have easily been discussed in the many other threads about plastic Galaxy's.
The only thing that should be dropped is this thread.

joshlusignan said:
This could have easily been discussed in the many other threads about plastic Galaxy's.
The only thing that should be dropped is this thread.
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So why post in it? Sorry that would make too much sense to not post in a thread you dont approve of.

OP clearly you haven't seen this video.

Dropped mine plenty of times. Not a scratch.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

I was walking with too many things in my hand and the N1 decided to slip out mid stride and bounce across the pavement...2 small scratches top left corner...

do not feed teh trolls

the point is, the aluminum case has much less "give" then plastic... so our screens wont shatter as easy

The Nexus S is going to be great... We shouldn't get discourage by some shiny plastic... a phone case can easy fix that.

leyvatron said:
The Nexus S is going to be great... We shouldn't get discourage by some shiny plastic... a phone case can easy fix that.
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most of us dont use phone cases is the point... it adds bulk to what most of us consider a "perfect sized" phone...

Fail thread , is FAIL
Galaxy S design & materials are awesome, That "plastic" you mean , make this device better than others for weight and elegance

I've dropped my n1 many times...running, getting out of car, drunkenness...still looks brand spanking new
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

Yea I've dropped mine several times and I only have 1 tiny scratch on the back battery cover. The rest of the phone looks brand new. I'm using it completely naked after watching the screen torture tests.
I love it. The matte finish really helps protect the phone. We had several Samsung Blackjacks with the same matte finish and when we sold them YEARS later they still looked brand new out of the box.

looks like all the people posted here were lucky in their drop "tests"
but we have people posing on forums:
- that they just sat down with N1 in pocket and it cracked the screen.
- first drop totaly warped the body
- screen cracks from first drops etc.
Again I say I hope I don't drop it once, even though I have the Otterbox commuter series case that feels quite strong.
But I still belive that even though aluminium bodies do have more strenght, they have a higher chance to break something inside the phone due to full shock the phone recieves from the drop, unlike plastic that bends and crumbles on hit and absorbs much of the force from falling.
Aluminium seem it's harder to replace, specialy the unibody designs that HTC does. It's harder to make, harder to service, etc... by that probably the service costs go up to.
Plastic bodies and a snap to take a apart, make and replace.
what do you all think about this? Am I wrong?

leyvatron said:
The Nexus S is going to be great... We shouldn't get discourage by some shiny plastic... a phone case can easy fix that.
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That's what Jobs said...

[Q] Question About Fascinate Screen

Hi there, Fascinate people!
I have a Captivate on AT&T (a.k.a. the my-signal-runs-away-from-buildings carrier). One of my absolute favorite features of my phone--a feature I had believed was common to all Galaxy S models--is the seemingly indestructible Gorilla Glass screen. I've carried this phone naked in my pocket for months now and the screen is still perfect!
A friend of mine liked my Captivate so much that she purchased a Fascinate as her very first smartphone. She put a screen protector and a case on it (two safety mechanisms I've blatantly rejected in favor of the uberslim Captivate), but not two days after purchasing the phone, she had scratch marks in the glass, below the screen protector in the soft button area. Granted, she has probably been carrying the device in her purse, but nonetheless I was blown away by this! I inspected it further today, and it actually looks like the scratching may be below the surface of the glass.
So my question is this: wtf? Is the Fascinate screen wimpier than the rest of the Galaxy S line? Is it possible that dust entered the phone and scratched the surface below the glass surface? Is this the sort of thing she might get an exchange for? Has anybody else experienced this, especially so quickly after purchasing?
Thanks for all of your help!

Ask the someone who knows... Ask samsung... I have no idea.
This just sounds like you are blaming us for your friend's woes. I feel like giving you the benefit of the doubt for now.
Anyways, ask them or VZW.
I haven't had any issues that you mention.

I've dropped my phone and had it unprotected since I bought it and it still looks brand new. No idea what's up with your friends phone.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

The fascinate does have gorilla glass. It holds up to a lot of abuse: you can't scratch out with keys, etc.
I can't speak to scratches below the screen, never seen anything like that.
Gorilla glass can be scratched (especially by any form of sand, which is more common than you might expect), and it can shatter. This is discussed in the accessories thread.
You also have a few options if you want to keep your phone thin. Look into steinheil, real look etc.screen protectors, also discussed in accessories.
Sorry to hear about your friend's screen. Tender care and a soft clean pocket will get you pretty far, but the back cover especially will scratch up on you no matter how careful you are. Fortunately the back is cheap to replace.
Swyped w/ XDA App. When in doubt, mumble.

RacerXFD said:
This just sounds like you are blaming us for your friend's woes. I feel like giving you the benefit of the doubt for now.
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I'm not sure how that would sound like blame, but I was really just asking if anybody had any similar experiences
mikey6p said:
I've dropped my phone and had it unprotected since I bought it and it still looks brand new. No idea what's up with your friends phone.
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Likewise - that's what made me question it.
soba49 said:
The fascinate does have gorilla glass. It holds up to a lot of abuse: you can't scratch out with keys, etc.
I can't speak to scratches below the screen, never seen anything like that.
Gorilla glass can be scratched (especially by any form of sand, which is more common than you might expect), and it can shatter. This is discussed in the accessories thread.
You also have a few options if you want to keep your phone thin. Look into steinheil, real look etc.screen protectors, also discussed in accessories.
Sorry to hear about your friend's screen. Tender care and a soft clean pocket will get you pretty far, but the back cover especially will scratch up on you no matter how careful you are. Fortunately the back is cheap to replace.
Swyped w/ XDA App. When in doubt, mumble.
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Right! This was the video demonstration I'd seen, so I was very confused! Sand makes perfect sense! She was near a beach for a few days immediately after getting the phone. Thanks!!

wphilly said:
I'm not sure how that would sound like blame, but I was really just asking if anybody had any similar experiences
Likewise - that's what made me question it.
Right! This was the video demonstration I'd seen, so I was very confused! Sand makes perfect sense! She was near a beach for a few days immediately after getting the phone. Thanks!!
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Jewelry is a common scratcher too.
I have a screen protector on my phone, just in case... its an invisible shield, so it covers the whole screen. I passed on the VZW ones because I figured it just covered only the screen, but the invisible shields do have an orange peel kinda look to them.

I have been carrying my fascinate since launch unprotected in my pocket, and my screen is still flawless! I just bought a protector from a local uscc store for the mesmerize that covers the whole screen yesterday! 3 in a pack for $14.95, they fit well (except for maybe 16th of an in. at the edges) and they cover the whole screen!

2 small scratches and 1 small scuff mark on my screen and i have been VERY careful with this phone. not that impressed with the glass. took me weeks to scratch the screen on my TP carrying it the same way i carry the SF. i need to pick up a protector just to prevent any more marks.

Nexus 4: How's that glass back holding up?

For people who have the Nexus 4, I'm wondering how that glass back is holding up?
The review unit at The Verge already has a small crack, from when it was accidentally knocked off of a table. And Android Central, in their review, said they were already seeing hairlines scratches on the back. I was also in a T-Mobile store today looking at their demo unit, which had a few hairline scratches on the back (even though they just got the phone today).
The glass back is one part of the build of the phone that I a bit worried about in the long run (after all, it didn't work out so well on the iPhone 4).
Thanks for any comments.

This should be in Q&A thread.

Apparently one of the people on this forum that got the device early, dropped it and the back broke

omigosh, maybe I'll just wait for the next Nexus.

Ouch.... I ordered screen protector for front and back, and a soft case but they won't come until later this month.
I guess I will have to stick with my old g2 for a while?

Why is everyone so worried about the BACK glass breaking? If I dropped the phone I'd be a whole lot more concerned over the front SCREEN breaking. The glass on the back cracking would be annoying, but it won't hurt the function of the phone. The front breaking obviously would, and every single smartphone has a glass screen.

dyslexicpenguin said:
Why is everyone so worried about the BACK glass breaking? If I dropped the phone I'd be a whole lot more concerned over the front SCREEN breaking. The glass on the back cracking would be annoying, but it won't hurt the function of the phone. The front breaking obviously would, and every single smartphone has a glass screen.
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Shattered glass in your hands is bad either way

jacklebott said:
Shattered glass in your hands is bad either way
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if it breaks just get a case or skin for it lol

I'm curious how well it'd hold up with a Zagg Invisi-Shield on it...if it would still crack simply from shock or not. Either way, i'll still get a bumper case for the phone simply out of paranoia, lol. I drop my phones like crazy. It's amazing how crazy I am over gadgets and protecting them, yet they still seem to slip from my desk/car/hand
I think i'm going to give this phone 2 months before I invest any money into it. I'd rather play it smart and wait than to be "cool" because I was the first to get one (which honestly, nobody really gives a **** about, lol). I had friends who were all "hey, hey look. I got the new 'insertnewphonehere'. I'm one of the first people to get one" and everyone else was like "......um, ok. You want a prize or something?" lol

dyslexicpenguin said:
Why is everyone so worried about the BACK glass breaking? If I dropped the phone I'd be a whole lot more concerned over the front SCREEN breaking. The glass on the back cracking would be annoying, but it won't hurt the function of the phone. The front breaking obviously would, and every single smartphone has a glass screen.
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Yes, every single smartphone does have a glass screen, which is why there would be no point asking this question about any particular phone. It's a necessity and it's not a reason one is going to choose one phone over another.
But there's no reason the back of the Nexus 4 has to be glass, so it is relevant to consider how durable it's going to be when comparing it to other phones. Why effectively double a risk (of a glass part breaking), if it's not necessary?
It's also possible that the back of the Nexus 4 is not as durable as the typical screen. It is interesting that all of the stories of breaking and scratches, so far, are on the back phone.

thing is ..its simple... google heard all of last year how samsung screwed up the build quality of nexus with plastic..so they thought what material while cheap can provide a lil if not lot more premium feel...(the 4s pops into their head)..lg presents a similar phone..and voila nexus 4 is made.. im not saying its bad quality..to be honest its the best quality phone im gonna buy...

dyslexicpenguin said:
Why is everyone so worried about the BACK glass breaking? If I dropped the phone I'd be a whole lot more concerned over the front SCREEN breaking. The glass on the back cracking would be annoying, but it won't hurt the function of the phone. The front breaking obviously would, and every single smartphone has a glass screen.
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Holy, Deja Vu. I swear I saw this post somewhere before. Maybe I was dreaming of you...
Anyways. Screen protectors won't hold the phone together from a drop. A case will. I'm getting a bumper.

Personally I love the glass back. I will not drop this phone and I will be using a case like I do with any expensive smart phone..
Sure, drop it onto a stone, cement or tile floor chances are it will crack. Many phones would.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Fuq plastic
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

I'm gonna leave the orgional plastic on it until the BSE total body protector and my case from china comes in.

Bumper on it. Sides protected, weak points of the glass that is. Done

Why care about the glass breaking at all? There will surely be OEM back plates available for sale on eBay (just as there are for the iPhones) and seeing how easy the Nexus 4 is to take apart, you could just replace it yourself for $20-$30!
Although the Nexus 4 back plate may be a little more expensive as it actually has components on it...

cb474 said:
Yes, every single smartphone does have a glass screen, which is why there would be no point asking this question about any particular phone. It's a necessity and it's not a reason one is going to choose one phone over another.
But there's no reason the back of the Nexus 4 has to be glass, so it is relevant to consider how durable it's going to be when comparing it to other phones. Why effectively double a risk (of a glass part breaking), if it's not necessary?
It's also possible that the back of the Nexus 4 is not as durable as the typical screen. It is interesting that all of the stories of breaking and scratches, so far, are on the back phone.
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The back and front are both Gorilla Glass 2. if you are THAT worried about it, get ghost armor or something or a otterbox case.

jacklebott said:
Shattered glass in your hands is bad either way
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I have not heard of anyone that had a shattered glass back on a Nexus 4. Cracked and scratched is a far cry from shattered.

ferozfero said:
thing is ..its simple... google heard all of last year how samsung screwed up the build quality of nexus with plastic..so they thought what material while cheap can provide a lil if not lot more premium feel...(the 4s pops into their head)..lg presents a similar phone..and voila nexus 4 is made.. im not saying its bad quality..to be honest its the best quality phone im gonna buy...
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Yeah, I imagine something like this was the logic. And it is a nice phone. Defintely a step up in at least perceived build quality. But there are certainly a lot of other ways to get there. The rubbery matte material on the side of the phone has a nice feel to it. If the back had been made from that material, I think it would have had an equally premium feel and seemed a lot more durable. It's also a little sad to think that the best idea Google had was to copy the iPhone.
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Richieboy67 said:
Personally I love the glass back. I will not drop this phone...
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Good luck with that.
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donec said:
I have not heard of anyone that had a shattered glass back on a Nexus 4. Cracked and scratched is a far cry from shattered.
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Cracked and scratched on day 1 (even with review units) is not a good beginning. I suspect it's only a matter of time until we start seeing the image of shattered backs posted online. I hope I turn out to be wrong.
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stratax said:
The back and front are both Gorilla Glass 2. if you are THAT worried about it, get ghost armor or something or a otterbox case.
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The back of the iPhone 4 is Gorilla Glass too. It didn't stop backs from shattering. Anyway, the point is that there is no reason to take the extra risk of having not just the screen as a fragile component, but also the back. It just doubles the odds of shattering something for no good reason. Sooner or later most people drop their phones. The job of a good designer is to mitigate (not enhance) the possible downsides of this.
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By the way, I like this phone. I may still get one. I'm just not excited about having to treat something I carry with me everywhere, like a delicate piece of equipment. I'm not clumsy. I've only dropped my Nexus One a couple times in two years. But things like that happen when you're least expecting it and coming up with a shattered back, rather than a nick or dent is going to be really annoying. (And I hate cases and all that crap. I carry my phone in my pocket. I don't need to make a device designed to be as thin and pocketable as possible, thicker and more cumbersome.)

The Note 8.0 Drop Test

The guys at gizmoSlip have performed the quintessential drop test.
Not much problems in case of a back drop.
Screen shattered on the front drop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yORiMT8DZoM
I guess it would be a good idea to buy a protective case after all!!
Sent from my Spice Mi-310 using XDA

Are people still surprised that dropping a pane of glass causes it to break, or do you think that Samsung is using magical glass that is not prone to breakage? Never really understood the utility of a drop test.
If the device is metal, it'll either dent or bend. If the device is plastic it will either survive unscathed or crack. If the impact is not directly on the glass, glass may or may not break depending on the force, angle, etc. If the impact is directly to the glass, it will break. There, I just described the drop test outcomes for every phone or tablet ever made.

It also depends on the design of the device itself. note II survived the drop test. So not all results are the same

Note II is also smaller and lighter, with less surface area. Still, it's a pretty safe bet that if you drop the device glass down onto a hard surface, it'll break. If it doesn't, you just got extremely lucky, but it's not because the Note 8 has stronger/weaker glass than ipad mini, note II, etc.

I agree, complete waste if money.

Its funny. Alot of Samsung mobile devices get marked down in reviews for their choice of materials used in their casings. This test shows that it is durable at least.
I dont think I know any iPhone users who havent cracked their screen at one point or another from even the smallest of drops and ones where the screen didnt even land face down. So much so that my younger brother seems to repair one from someone he knows every few months as a hobby (he is an engineering student at university and likes to tinker with things). I'm not particuarly anti Apple, but that always seems to be the bench mark which everything is judged

Interesting. I would not do that with my Note 8

case
Sun_Bean said:
Interesting. I would not do that with my Note 8
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any recommend case ?
reliable and good case

melnikor said:
any recommend case ?
reliable and good case
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I'm using this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B4BEA82/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's an excellent case for only $7. All corners are protected except for the one where the pen sits

I unfortunatly did my own drop test! I had it in my outside suit pocket, and my bag pushed it out and fell from about 3.5 ft face down onto a NYC sidewalk. Fortunatly all that happened is the raised fray border got scratched/dented! Not cracks or scratches to screen! Plastic held up very well, almost had a heart atrack.
That one had a loose nack by sd slot, but found out after drop the whole back can be popped off. Hopefully someone will make some cool eubber/aluminim backs!
Since I had a loose back.
/usb port and backlight bleed, I returned for a fresh one! I want that stand pouch but cant find it online! Anyone seen it? I think this may be the same.
http://www.expansys-usa.com/samsung-stand-pouch-for-samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-grey-248537/
Anyway...the plastic and note are very durable!

hertsjoatmon said:
Its funny. Alot of Samsung mobile devices get marked down in reviews for their choice of materials used in their casings. This test shows that it is durable at least.
I dont think I know any iPhone users who havent cracked their screen at one point or another from even the smallest of drops and ones where the screen didnt even land face down. So much so that my younger brother seems to repair one from someone he knows every few months as a hobby (he is an engineering student at university and likes to tinker with things). I'm not particuarly anti Apple, but that always seems to be the bench mark which everything is judged
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It seems all I ever see are cracked iphones now that I think about it
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 2

The front of every standard smartphone in the world is made out of glass. Glass has been known for being fragile for thousands of years. Anyone who claims that phone X is tougher than phone Y and tries to use that as an argument for or against a particular device is an idiot. I would say the same about people who buy devices just so they can make videos dropping them.

So Im still carrying my second one sans case..
Dropped TWO times yesterday, both about 4 ft off ground. Both times it lands face down, perfectly landing on the lip on the bezel(makes a real hefty noise). Barely a dent(tile and hard floor). I really think the glass is a hybrid with plastic, i didnt even get worried( this is 4 drop already)
Plastic=DURABLE

nymviper1126 said:
... i didnt even get worried( this is 4 drop already) ...
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Wow!!! You must have nerves of steel! That kind of thing would freak me out!
But good to know your Note 8 has been surviving just fine.

sputnik767 said:
The front of every standard smartphone in the world is made out of glass. Glass has been known for being fragile for thousands of years. Anyone who claims that phone X is tougher than phone Y and tries to use that as an argument for or against a particular device is an idiot. I would say the same about people who buy devices just so they can make videos dropping them.
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I agree that if you drop any phone on its front then your likely to damage the screen as it is fragile. My arguement is that some phones are more fragile than others if you drop them on the side (iphone) as the way that the case is designed (although sturdy to hold) transfers alot of the force onto the screen rather than has any "give" to absorb some of the impact.

Who's paying for these worthless tests buying new devices and breaking them. Please send me the money instead we already know how to break phone screens
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 2

agambhandari said:
It also depends on the design of the device itself. note II survived the drop test. So not all results are the same
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o92mDzBTM14
Don't think so.

hurts my heart to see this

Just killed one, dropped right on corner to tile. LCD display went black with white bars.

nymviper1126 said:
Just killed one, dropped right on corner to tile. LCD display went black with white bars.
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That's awful! Very sorry for you. It can be so gut wrenching to lose a great (and expensive!) device in an instant like that.

too easy to scratch the frame! fraying???

i got my new note 4 a week ago. i really take care of my precious new toy but i was not able to buy a case (the shops has only 1 type) so i kept in my pocket then noticed small scratches all along the polished metal frame. wtf?! okay i know its aluminium but i expected much more durability. you would think metal > plastic. well it isnt here! is there any way to polish it up again? its too bad yet and i bought a case finally but that abrasion happened to be there in LESS THAN A WEEK!!! otherwise i love it

Lol
I always thing these phones today are to easy to get scratch.?

Spigen makes sweet affordable cases for n4.

deniel189 said:
i got my new note 4 a week ago. i really take care of my precious new toy but i was not able to buy a case (the shops has only 1 type) so i kept in my pocket then noticed small scratches all along the polished metal frame. wtf?! okay i know its aluminium but i expected much more durability. you would think metal > plastic. well it isnt here! is there any way to polish it up again? its too bad yet and i bought a case finally but that abrasion happened to be there in LESS THAN A WEEK!!! otherwise i love it
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before i put a screen protector to my note 4. i put it on box before i go to sleep and i never put it on my pocket. just to be sure. and now. it's scratch less

arabdrifter said:
Spigen makes sweet affordable cases for n4.
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And as I've read in another thread this case will scratch it when u put on and take it off

My month old note 4 has always been nude and i dont have a single scratch. I also put it in my pocket but with nothing else. I have white model. Not sure if the black model scratches easily or of the scratches show more...

polish_pat said:
My month old note 4 has always been nude and i dont have a single scratch. I also put it in my pocket but with nothing else. I have white model. Not sure if the black model scratches easily or of the scratches show more...
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My White Note 4 is almost a month old too, i take meticulous care with it and too have found that i have scratches along the top Metallic edges - nowhere else. I ALWAYS use the same pocket and NEVER have enything else in it. It seems the material inside pockets is enough to scratch this metal I'm 100% sure this has not been in contact with anything else.
As for getting rid of them, i've considered using the Buffer on a Nail File / polisher. You know the types of thing that have like 4 different edges - a rough stage to file the nail, then gradually upto the 4th side which polishes the nail.
Like this :- http://makeupandbeauty.com/basicare-4-way-nail-buffer-block-review/
I was thinking of trying this with the polishing side only to see if it'll buff out the blemishes. I also have The Samsung S-View Case on its way so hopefully won't get any worse..
Very dissapointing to say how much these things cost - a little more durability would certainly have been appreciated!

you would think metal > plastic.
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No, of course not. Why would you think that? Plastic is clearly the more durable material out of polycarbonate and aluminum with regard to scratches.
People scream for durability, but at the same time for metal phones. You sort of have to pick one.

Mine is scratched up too....only small scratches along the same polished, metal frame. I've had a case on it since after the first week of owning the phone and yes, it is the cheap Spigen one