Database Users

Naked Nexus

I REALLY love how the N4 looks without anything on, so sleek and sexy, but as we all know that back glass panel will break eventually with no case :crying: SO my question is this, what are your guys suggestions on protection without hindering the awesome design. I was thinking bumber case but idk, what do you guys think?

I love showing off the beauty of the N4 so I use a bumper and make sure I'm very careful with it :]

Reatret said:
I REALLY love how the N4 looks without anything on, so sleek and sexy, but as we all know that back glass panel will break eventually with no case :crying: SO my question is this, what are your guys suggestions on protection without hindering the awesome design. I was thinking bumber case but idk, what do you guys think?
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Full transparent plastic(like a screen protector) film would b better, Even iPhone 4s has the same issue, but plastic film solved it very carefully without degrading its beauty
Sent from hunt's Sensation

I'm using a front and back screen protector. As well as being very careful of course

Using both bestskinsever full body armor and official bumper. And I think it's the best way to go.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2

Front and back BSE protector. No bumper, no case. The BSE gives my phone a tackier grip which is what I want.

I suggest a pouch. Protects against scratches, looks classy and the phone will remain in its naked glory ^^

Naked but I'm very careful. My house has carpet through out.

tommyson said:
Indeed, the nexus 4 is very beautiful if naked, but it is very possible scrached by the hard objects, so i see many people use the crystal case or leather case to protect them.
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Against scratches, film protectors are enough. Against drops ... not so much.

mofi pouch
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Screen protector in front and a crystal clear case behind.

Ive done the same for my past 2 phones and have never had an issue. The only problem I can see is when sticking the nexus in my pocket as its loose in the pocket untill I sit down then it obviously tightens up. so any coins or what not in there will press nicely against the glass.
When the glasses are readily available and cheap enough I ditch the shocksock but for now it stays.
I use:;
BestSkinsEver front and back protector
Diztronic hard case
Shocksock pouch.
The pouch is perfect for going out and about and will absorb some impact as its like the neoprene laptop sleeves.

Gorilla Glass 2 I believe is decent against scratches. At least v1 on my HTC Incredible S was good so I'm hoping v2 is decent too. Still have the stock scratch guards on the front and back. See no reason to remove them. The one on the back has a lip which was coming out because of my finger so I cut off a small portion. Scratches should be taken care of.
For drops, I ordered a soft gel case off Amazon but I couldn't get it due to delivery issues and friend returned to India. Got a refund but am looking at an Amzer case in a few days. I want the bumper people are raving about on xda.. Will ask my UK friend to pick one up soon.
Other than that, super careful with the phone because it is hot.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

A best skins ever for the front and back, and an official bumper for the sides is the best you can do.

Currently naked but I haven't taken it out of the house yet. I'll probably end up leaving it naked and just taking extra care of it.
When I think about how often my Galaxy 2 hit the floor, I shudder. Amazingly, for the amount of times it fell it was in an amazing condition - slightly bruised corners but apart from that just perfect. What I did notice, though, was that when it fell the back case popped off, so I imagine the shock it received upon contact had less of an impact than it would otherwise have had, had the back been unmovable - as is the case with the Nexus.

I started with a front and back Zagg invisible shield but opted to add a ringke slim to make the thing less likely to slip out of my hand.

[email protected] said:
I started with a front and back Zagg invisible shield but opted to add a ringke slim to make the thing less likely to slip out of my hand.
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my White Ringke Slim does just the opposite. It feels like it can just slide out of my hand. I think the phone in its naked form has better grip than with the ringke slim case because of the "rubber" feeling around it

My nexus 4 has been naked for a month now and it feels and looks so great. In some ways I have been thinking about using a case after the inevitable dings and scratches. I guess resale condition makes wrapping up a new phone a necessity but it seems like kind of a shame. I may just do things opposite this time and wrap up after u have enjoyed my naked phone for a while. I do have a case on the way for travel and other times when protection seems obvious.
Anyone else think this way or am I crazy?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Naked so far with no problems.
Just reserve one pocket for the Nexus exclusively to avoid coins or keys scratching the glass.
However, given the anemic ring volume the speaker produces, I'm missing calls, so I'll probably have to switch to a holster once a decent one becomes available.

androidtoy09 said:
my White Ringke Slim does just the opposite. It feels like it can just slide out of my hand. I think the phone in its naked form has better grip than with the ringke slim case because of the "rubber" feeling around it
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I have the Navy case and while not rubberised, the matte finish is definitely not slippery. I have heard that complaint about the white one else where though.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Naked Nexus?

I have a front and back screen protector. Should I use it naked? If it falls I'm screwed. Suggestions?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I'd say leave the back one on, as it seems to have scratched moderately on my naked one. Front still looks perfect. If you're worried about dropping then screen protectors won't do squat.

I'd say protect the back as well. The front is not so important as long as you don't regularly place your phone face down on the table.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

get a bumper to the very least. elevate it so when its sitting on a surface, the glass isnt touching the surface

Personal preference. Do as you like
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

I've been through a couple of cases, the official and poetic bumpers and pouches and I feel the best way of enjoying the phone is to have both front and back screen protectors (the rear glass scratches very easily, it is not gorilla glass) and then use a pouch aswell.
The screen protectors protect it from scratches, a good pouch should protect it from falls, this is assuming you don't have butter fingers.
I use a Skinomi techskin (front + back) and a Shocksock pouch.

I ran mine for 2 weeks with nothing but the back protector. Scariest time of my life. Was so paranoid about using it. But I had no damage other than dust always getting on the screen.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Almost 2 months without any protectors and the front and back look as good as new, not a single scratch... Let's hope it stays like that *fingers crossed*...Although the chrome bezel does have some tiny scratches at the top probably from having it in my pocket...

I read a forum on android central last night and one guy had the bumper on his phone when he dropped it, and the fall still broke his screen, or back I don't remember which. He was pissed that the official lg bumper didn't work. I was going to buy one but I may not now. I have protectors on the front and back, they make the phone a lot less slippery too.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

MakoVince said:
Personal preference. Do as you like
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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+1
do whatever you like. i have front and back spigen sgp protectors on mine and i run naked all day, every day.
if something breaks well that's too bad but i guarantee you a bumper or tpu case isn't going to stop glass from breaking (as seen in a few other xda threads).

naked everyday. No screen protectors. Why cover this beautiful screen with some china plastic... Just be more careful with the phone.

This phone had been naked since the first week in December when I got it. No scratches or dings or anything. It's been great.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

[Q] Anyone not using a case or bumper or screen protector at all?

Despite my concerns about the glass back on the Nexus 4, I went ahead and got one, for various reasons (my other leading contender was a HTC One X+).
But I hate cases. Just wondering if anybody who has had the Nexus 4 for a while has been using it without a case or bumper (or screen protector). How has that gone? Glass back okay? Cracks? Scratches?

cb474 said:
Despite my concerns about the glass back on the Nexus 4, I went ahead and got one, for various reasons (my other leading contender was a HTC One X+).
But I hate cases. Just wondering if anybody who has had the Nexus 4 for a while has been using it without a case or bumper (or screen protector). How has that gone? Glass back okay? Cracks? Scratches?
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I received my phone at the end of November and didn't have any protection on it. It lasted until this week, when the glass back shattered (not from any impact, I believe it was the result of temperature differences). It had gotten a little bit of wear and tear, with a few hairline scratches on the glass.
If you want to keep your phone in pristine condition, wrap it up. If you're okay with it getting wear and tear, the bumper should be fine. If you go bare, I believe it's probably just a matter of time before something happens.

I've been using the Nexus 4 with a Diztronic case and it seems fine, however I'm still awaiting an OtterBox for my Nexus 4.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I'm not using protection... It is just a matter of time before something happens... But in the mean time this phone feels and looks awesome.
I'm an architect and it has always bothered me to cover up nice design... Though, I do wish they had prioritized durability in their design criteria...
P

I got n4 when it first came out so there were no decent cases around. I used my phone naked for about two weeks and ended up with three scratches on the back and a few more on the bezel.
I now have the LG bumper and a screen protector on the back. The front is holding on line a champ though so im not using protection.
I got the scratches because the phone feel of my desk twice (be careful is really slippery).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

not a single scratch!

The phone comes with a screen protector on the back that is so clear and thin, that I didn't even realize it was there, It has protected the actual phone from scratches. Though a body screen protector is on it's way and a nice hybrid case that covers the front too. I'm not rough with my phones, but my GS2 has almost no bezel left from the nicks. And my hopes are to sell the Nexus 4 for enough to buy the nexus 5 when it comes out (as many people seem to have been able to do that with the galaxy nexus)

Thanks for the replies.
Yeah, for now I've left the plastic covering that comes on the back, since it's not very noticeable anyway. Maybe I'll get a bumper at some point. It's the experiences of people who have the back shatter without any obvious impact that worries me.
*
Lokitez said:
I received my phone at the end of November and didn't have any protection on it. It lasted until this week, when the glass back shattered (not from any impact, I believe it was the result of temperature differences). It had gotten a little bit of wear and tear, with a few hairline scratches on the glass.
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Do you have a sense of the particular temperature situation that caused the problem?

Ive got that paranoid over reading threads about the N4 exploding in to a billion shards of glass for no reason i ordered a case before i even ordered the dam phone!

cb474 said:
Do you have a sense of the particular temperature situation that caused the problem?
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Oddly, it was unseasonably warm last week, with morning temperatures in the mid-40's and highs near 70. I suspect that the phone warmed up from using the GPS (Nexus 4 owners know how warm they can get) and then because I had ambient air coming out of the vents, that cooled it down. Over the course of two months of doing this, it probably weakened the glass and then one day, it all just gave out.

I bought a screen protector for the front and back, the screen looked horrible so took it off. Back protector is still on
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium HD app

I posted about this earlier but I had it less than a week and was so careful with it because of what I read and noticed a hairline crack about a 1/2 inch long starting from the middle edge. No drops or anything. I immediately ordered a Zagg protector and only put it on the back. I'm hoping it stops it from running any further.
I haven't put it on the front because I hate the way it feels, and the Gorilla Glass seems to resist scratches very well; unless you do something stupid like keep it in the same pocket as keys or change or something. I had my SII for almost 2 years with no screen protection and the front glass looks brand new. And the front of this is Gorilla Glass 2 so hopefully it will hold up even better.
I wish they would have used the same glass on the back as the front, but I'm sure the cost would have been too much.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Mines been naked since december and its still good. I have it in a pouch when in my bag to prevent scratches.
My oleophobic coating has pretty much gone though. Screen is no where near as smooth as it was. I'm going to try the fusso liquid coating. Anyone have any experience with this?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Used mine for 2 months without any protection. Fell once on the pavement, got few bad dings on the chrome plastic bezel, guess it's time for a bumper to cover that up. Also has couple of scratches on the back. Front glass looks perfect so far.

I used my first nexus 4 without any protection and after a month, the back glass had lots of scratches and the front only a few ones (usually invisible). Then I had problems with it and I placed a RMA, this one has had from the first day a screen protector and a TPU case.

Got my Nexus 4 a few days ago but was still waiting on my case to come in. I decided not to take off the front and back screen protector that came with it.
Good thing I didn't too because yesterday I was listening to music on my phone. A coworker bumped into me and it fell out of my hand (about chest height) and landed face down. I was in shock and couldn't move for a good 6 seconds. Thoughts were racing through my head. Lol. I was like yup. Only two days in and my phone is shattered. It's done for.
I picked it up and there were a lot of scratches on the screen. My face was so sour. I tried to rub it off but it wouldn't come off. After work, I went inside my car and looked at it again. I decided to take the screen protector off. Lo and behold, the screen was pristine. Not a single crack or scratch. I was so relieved. Lol.
My case finally came in today. I would advise for a case to at least protect the back. I won't be using a screen protector though.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I've had mine since the last week of Nov. I use it 24/7 no case no screen protector. And I stay in Houston where the weather is constantly changing. No issues here whatsoever. Still looks brand new.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I can't stand cases or screen protectors. I carry the phone in the front pocket of my jeans and a case simply makes the phone too bulky to carry for me. Nothing ever goes in the same pocket as my phone, so I don't worry about scratches so much.
That being said, over time there is no way to prevent the back and sides from being scuffed up. Not only that, this phone is pretty slippery totally naked. To solve these two problems, I use Skinomi carbon fiber skins not only on this N4 as I did on my GS2 and my Transformer Prime and dock. I like to keep my devices in mint condition for resale value. I highly recommend.

I've had a Cruzerlite TPU case on my N4 since day one. Still in perfect condition. I ordered the official bumper when it went back in stock last week. I don't like it. Way too slippery, especially compared to the grip the TPU case provides. The bumper looks better, it's sexy, I'll give it that... but the device doesn't feel secure in my hands at all. I went back to the TPU case and I'm returning the bumper.
This is the first phone I've used a case on. I generally hate the added bulk and covering the design. But the horror stories about the glass back are far too numerous to go naked with the N4. The Cruzerlite case is quite thin and I've grown to like it.

I bought case but don't use it .
No screen protector from last 1 month .
I do have protector for back but not any case.
I just be careful not to drop my phone . I did drop it once but it was from 2 feet on the carpet . have no scratch on front or back but screen need to be cleaned cause It gets dirty.
Only scratched I got is on the bezzel and it was due to my case so I stopped using case.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Will this TPU case protect my Nexus from drops and minor scratches?

It's a generic S-line TPU case I got off of eBay for $1.50. I've had a great track record with these on my other phones. But I was just wondering, since the N4 has more glass, will this protect my Nexus from every day falls? I figured that it would protect the front from cracking seeing as to how it has a slight (I'd say 1-2mm) raised lip.
Should I pony up the extra cash for a bumper or will this do its job just fine?

Also, the stock screen protector is starting to tick me off. Should I just peel it off and rock a naked N4 (plus the TPU case, of course)? Despite being made of Gorilla Glass 2, I've heard way too many horror stories of the phone getting scratched or cracking.

I hate the stock protector take it off haha, its really thin anyways, you'll be fine for a while until you get a new protector. And for the case, yeah I'd say it'd help with drops, not like an otterbox, but many bumps and will prevent scratches wherever the phone is covered or facing down while sitting. Don't expect it to save your phone screen cracking wise from those heart dropping drops though lol, just be careful!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Oh my goodness. The screen looks and feels SO MUCH better without the screen protector. I'm thinking of just going naked just because of the glossy finish and feel. Is it worth slapping on a screen protector just in case?

I have the LG bumper, but I still have a screen protector on the front and back. From reading other threads the back scratches real easy. I also have a TPU case like yours that I haven't used yet. The bumper is more stylish than the case.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

I've never used one, I just like the feel of a naked screen. And if you're careful, there is absolutely no need for a screen protector. Even if you aren't careful, its not like the second it hits something you'll have deep scratches. Its probably a pretty tough screen.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Silencer96 said:
Oh my goodness. The screen looks and feels SO MUCH better without the screen protector. I'm thinking of just going naked just because of the glossy finish and feel. Is it worth slapping on a screen protector just in case?
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Yeah the screen feels better naked but the screen protector saved me one time when I accidentally put my keys and phone in the same pocket. Screen protector has a nasty scratch. Glad it wasn't my screen.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

I got a tpu case. Ive been using it since december. No screen protector. Naked is always better for me. Even on my samsung vibrant, i never used a screen protector and no scratches after the two years of use.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

I use an X-Line TPU+Hard case. Its really good and doesnt leave glossy marks like the one on S-Line. And When I am not using it, I put in a thick pouch, with the case on... so that if I accidently knock it off the table or somwthing, the phone is still protected.
However, I would like to ask something:
My hands sweats ALL the darn time. So my I have to clean the phone's screen in short intervals. I wanted to know, will putting an Anti-Glare screen protector help me from having a dirty screen 24/7?

filthykid said:
I use an X-Line TPU+Hard case. Its really good and doesnt leave glossy marks like the one on S-Line. And When I am not using it, I put in a thick pouch, with the case on... so that if I accidently knock it off the table or somwthing, the phone is still protected.
However, I would like to ask something:
My hands sweats ALL the darn time. So my I have to clean the phone's screen in short intervals. I wanted to know, will putting an Anti-Glare screen protector help me from having a dirty screen 24/7?
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As long as you get a screen protector that doesn't have a matte or glossy finish, you should be fine.

Mybat tuff hybrid case on ebay
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

NardVa said:
Yeah the screen feels better naked but the screen protector saved me one time when I accidentally put my keys and phone in the same pocket. Screen protector has a nasty scratch. Glad it wasn't my screen.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
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The keys won't harm your glass. Sand will!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAExzHJIHHE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

It always feels better without protection

lowtje said:
The keys won't harm your glass. Sand will!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAExzHJIHHE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
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Those scratch test are full of it. Try putting your Nexus 4 in your pocket with a set of old keys and walk around and sitting for a few hours. There will be scratches on the back and front.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

I have a diztronic soft TPU case. Phone always makes a satisfying bounce sound whenever dropped (I'm clumsy).

^Agree.
I have all TPU cases with me for my N4 and I love the protection TPU cases provide. However I have got two hard cases too for my N4, but they are flip cases. Couldn't find much flip cases having TPU material in them.

[Q] Dropped Nexus 4

New here, so be kind
With all the tech reviewers saying the Nexus 4 is quite fragile if dropped, I was wondering if anyone had dropped theirs and it survived.
I dropped mine from about 4ft onto a hard surface, picked it up fearing the worst, and not a mark on it!!

Got out of my car with mine on my lap, dropped 2ft to a concrete floor, scratched on the corner, glass both sides was fine. Lucky escape.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Two sides of beveled glass, sure its fragile.. But it'll survive most "minor" drops, and a few larger ones, if you're worried (like me) just buy a case?
This case is rated to withstand 6+ feet drops (I have it)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/NEXUS-BALLISTIC-SHELL-SERIES-Black/dp/B00B5SCDN8/
Its also on sale in the US and can be found here:
http://www.goballisticcase.com/products/lg-nexus-4-ballistic-shell-gel-sg-series-case
Its an amazing case, really worth the money.

Ballistic SG Case Worth it
I have the ballistic sg case and love it.
It is a bit bulky but the hard plastic back outer makes it feel good compared to all TPU or Silicon Cases.
Have dropped the phone from 4 ft several times onto hard flooring and concrete on the corner with no issues.
Cheers,
OldTimer