Database Users

Manufacturing Imperfections (Sketchy Build Quality)

Alright, so right off the bat I just want to say that this isn't a doom and gloom thread (I hope), but it's an issue I wanted to ask you guys about since I'm on my 2nd phone now and I've had cosmetic issues with both. I want to love my phone, I just want one that won't give me problems first! I will post pictures soon, to show you guys what I'm about to describe below.
Both phones have had minor (but very annoying) imperfections involving the casing. My first phone was the most problematic. First off, the battery cover did not sit flush. I did not realize how much of a difference this made in terms of build quality until I got my second phone. My 1rst phone would creak and click when pressure was applied to the back and it just did not seem like a very sturdy device. This was not the case with the second phone (which had a back cover that fit perfectly) as there was no creaking or clicking, it felt rock solid just like its supposed to. Also, there was a small chip and discolouration of the teflon coating on the bottom left front face of the first phone. Again, nothing major but still not something that I was not pleased about given the price of the phone.
Unrelated but my first phone also had the purple tint issue which is the main reason I returned it and bought a new one (I couldn't outright swap because I don't live in the US). My second phone came in and luckily it did not have the tint issue. All I can say is WOW, what a difference it makes having a proper screen!! The black colours actually look crisp and dark, and there is absolutely no tint at low brightness.
So the screen was good. I checked the bottom left hand to see for any issues with the teflon, and there were none. I checked the backplate and like I mentioned earlier, it was perfectly flush. So far so good BUT.. again there were some cosmetic issues! Along the left side of the phone there was a tiny chip and some of the grey finish was off. Also, on the back, the bottom teflon piece did not sit flush with the rest of the device.
Once again, these are minor yet annoying things (but who knows, maybe I just have OCD!). The big issue from the first phone was the screen and the creaking, both of which are resolved with the second device, but I'm i'm contemplating whether I should return this one as well to go for one that is "perfectly built".. I mean, if this phone was store bought I would have no hesitation. I would just go there and make them open the boxes until I found a device that had no imperfections.. But it's just a real hassle having to continually ship my old device back, purchase a new one (while waiting two weeks to get credited back my $600 for the first device), and waiting for it to arrive. I also don't want to risk getting another phone with the purple tint issue..
Sorry for the long winded post, but basically what I wanted to ask was do you guys have any manufacturing imperfections with your phones??. I'm not talking about faulty screens or weak antennas, but actually design or cosmetic flaws. Do you guys have any and have you learned to just accept them or have you returned your devices and successfully gotten the "perfect" device.
Thanks, and hopefully I can get some pics up soon. Feel free to post your own so we can compare!

I got mine for free at this year's Barcelona MWC and luckyly i've had no issues whatsoever regarding hardware or aesthetics. An I say luckyly because obviously if I haven't bought it and I don't live in the US I would most definitely not get it replaced.

jasrups said:
Sorry for the long winded post, but basically what I wanted to ask was do you guys have any manufacturing imperfections with your phones??. I'm not talking about faulty screens or weak antennas, but actually design or cosmetic flaws. Do you guys have any and have you learned to just accept them or have you returned your devices and successfully gotten the "perfect" device.
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So which are you really looking for? Manufacturing defects or design flaws?
Are you looking for functional defects or cosmetic only defects?
Are you look for process-gone-completely-wrong defects or are you looking for minor imperfections resultant of process variation?
It is certainly possible to have a bad screen or a bad antenna as a manufacturing defect. There is also minor variation in any manufacturing process - this is normal. The trick is to keep the variation controlled well enough that the process consistently produces acceptable quality product. Note: No manufacturing process produces perfect parts, and minor imperfections are not necessarily defects. Normally, a design flaw impacts manufacturing quality only if the design requirements are too stringent for manufacturing capability.
I know you started out saying you did not want yet another thread bagging on the N1, but without clearer objectives, you've left it wide open for just that.

Mmm I love the build quality, it's very rigid and solid.
There is one imperfection that I noticed like 3 weeks of constant use.. The bottom piece, the one with "htc" on it, is a little bit more raised on one side (in comparison to the silver band on the back) than the other side. I'm talking 0.5mm difference that you can't see, only feel when comparing.
I'm writing that off as absolutely negligible and too tiny to even think about.

DarkDvr said:
Mmm I love the build quality, it's very rigid and solid.
There is one imperfection that I noticed like 3 weeks of constant use.. The bottom piece, the one with "htc" on it, is a little bit more raised on one side (in comparison to the silver band on the back) than the other side. I'm talking 0.5mm difference that you can't see, only feel when comparing.
I'm writing that off as absolutely negligible and too tiny to even think about.
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Same here. I thought about popping it off (it's just retained by a couple of clips) and attempting to re-seat it, but I see no problem with it. It's not like the 2nd batch of the iPhone 3G, where there was 1mm gaps between the plastic back and chrome bezel. I'm shocked no news blog picked up on that, it was fairly widespread.

ATnTdude said:
Same here. I thought about popping it off (it's just retained by a couple of clips) and attempting to re-seat it, but I see no problem with it. It's not like the 2nd batch of the iPhone 3G, where there was 1mm gaps between the plastic back and chrome bezel. I'm shocked no news blog picked up on that, it was fairly widespread.
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Well it's the almighty apple, they don't wanna disappoint their readers that the calculator that they paid $500 for is also cheaply built.

I have a question that (um..) kinda relates to this. I'm having a hard timing saying this so bare with me. You know when technology is first released that is has alot of problems and bugs but overtime it seems that the problems die down because the companies that produce the phones (xboxs, iphones, ps3, etcs) get smarter and make things differently or better...
Well my contract with t-mobile is up in 46 days and I was planning on getting a nexus one. I don't plan on getting it engraved. My question is that do you think my phone will be made when I order it or do you believe its been sitting in a warehouse since March 26th (guess) just waiting for somebody to place a call? I've seen those cool "making of nexus one" videos on youtube and figured i'd ask you guys. Thanks to whoever answers.

yup, i have similar issues. i initially thought they actually shipped a refurb unit to me. turns out i'm not the only one. now i'm not that worried

attn1 said:
So which are you really looking for? Manufacturing defects or design flaws?
Are you looking for functional defects or cosmetic only defects?
Are you look for process-gone-completely-wrong defects or are you looking for minor imperfections resultant of process variation?
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Click to collapse
attn1, I could have been more clear in my last statement, 'design flaw' was a vague term. I meant cosmetic only defects and minor imperfections as a result of process variation. I know that with any product that is mass produced on an assembly line you will get variation from device to device. This thread wasn't meant to bash this variation but just to compare what other people have experienced with their phones.
Like I said, my first phone was awful, it had both functional and aesthetic problems. My second phone seems to be fully functional but still has a few (albeit minor) aesthetic imperfections. I must say though, I got my Brando Gel case in today and it looks great on the phone! It covers up the unevenness on the bottom teflon piece as well as the blemish on the left side of the phone very nicely.

My nexus came with a scratch or bubble on the inside of the screens glass. They told me i'd get a refurb in exchange(even though it's about a week old), I told them i'd think about it. Think i'll be calling back and demanding a brand new device.

ihearttreo said:
My nexus came with a scratch or bubble on the inside of the screens glass. They told me i'd get a refurb in exchange(even though it's about a week old), I told them i'd think about it. Think i'll be calling back and demanding a brand new device.
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That kinda scares me because I'm picking up a nexus one in 46 days (contract with t-mobile will be up then) and I dont want something like that to happen to me. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I would demand a new one too

Have had no issues with mine until yesterday when the trackball stopped scrolling left. Refurb sans engraving rolling in tomorrow. All told still much better quality then my G1 or Blackberry.
Sent from my Nexus One using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

No tint nothing amiss as far as build quality that I can notice. This is the best built (visually and as far as any creakiness or such) phone I have ever owned and the first one I have had without any perceptible flaws out of the gate.

OK! So to all of you who has a Nexus One with cosmetic imperfections on the BOTTOM plastic piece on the BACK, with the labeled HTC, i may have a cure for you.
So, with me I HAD a slight imperfection on the right side, about a 1mm gap. It was annoying and I have some slight OCD (used to be worse). One day last week or so, that part of my phone became VERY hot, probably 101-105℉. While that plastic was hot, it was a little bit bendable. I used a rather large amount of force, and over about three times of doing this, the plastic is flush with the metal, and the rest of the phone.
So try that if you're super partial to your device like me. Or if you dont wanna deal with HTC, like me.
ZachTM

"refurbished" sounds bad but really its a more taken care of device isn't it? It's been tested to a further degree so its more likely to come without flaws perhaps or am I reaching?

DMaverick50 said:
"refurbished" sounds bad but really its a more taken care of device isn't it? It's been tested to a further degree so its more likely to come without flaws perhaps or am I reaching?
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no. you're reaching high... its been refunded and fixed.. haha
so you are using someone else's phone who now owns probably a new device. brand new is the way to go, especially if your device is a week old...

Long road from Inspire to Atrix

Good morning all,
I created this thread in the Inspire forums and thought I'd bring it over here too. It's just my experiences as a daily carrier of both of these devices. It's aimed at people torn between the two handsets, and also to help me ultimately choose which I prefer to keep. Only one will survive.
I've included my running updates in the OP.
___________________________________________________________________
Hello all!
I've had the daunting task to pick between these two phones for the last couple days. I went into the store to actually get the devices in my hand and fully expected to walk out with the Atrix. I've always had a soft spot for HTC, ever since their WoMo phones. I saw the Inspire and was super impressed at how solid the phone felt in my hand. The phone felt very responsive, and I already knew the XDA Inspire team was cranking out some awesome stuff.
I then grabbed the Atrix and was not nearly as wow'd as I had expected to be. I've been following the phone since it's announcement, and pretty much had made up my mind on the spot to pick it up. After spending a half hour goofing around with both phones, I decided the Inspire really won my heart.
Then it happened... The cold sweats... The tossing and turning in bed at night. Images of the Atrix's Tegra 2 laying waste to the earth and doing vile things to my Inspire. My horrid indecision had struck. I decided that I had obviously made the wrong choice, so the next morning I headed off to the store and bought an Atrix without returning my perfectly set up Inspire. I wanted to play with them both side by side and just return whichever one didn't make me happy.
That was a bit over 24 hours ago. After spending the last day with both of the handsets, I am closer to a decision, but it's damn tough. My overall thoughts and struggles follow:
Motorola Atrix:
-Pros:
- Bright, higher resolution screen
- Dual Core processor (even though I thought the experience was pretty weak)
- Battery (theoretical, as I haven't had it long enough to fully experience)
- This goes to the hardware again, but this phone is quite a bit more future proof.
- The handset is light enough to not remind you it's in your pocket at every step.
- GPS (This is the most rock solid phone GPS I've ever used)
- Incredibly loud speaker
- Tons of ram
- HDMI out
-Cons:
- Cheaper build quality (I feel like I need to qualify this. The phone feels solid, but the battery door is, for lack of a better word, brittle)
- Very poor color representation on the otherwise beautiful screen.
- MotoBlur - This is just a very inelegant, unrefined overlay...
- Strange compatibility issues with certain apps
- multiple force closes
- Weak social media integration
- Odd bouts of lag when least expected
- Locked Bootloader (most don't care about this, but it matters when you have a primary developer that has a history of slow patches, feature adds, and os releases.
- Chicklet keyboard is a touch small for me and requires some focus to not miss type.
**FOLLOW-UP**
- I've removed the call quality knock from the Atrix device. It turns out it was entirely my own fault, and while some people, including Motorola, are reporting issues with sound quality on some devices, mine isn't one of them.
HTC Inspire:
-Pros:
- Excellent build quality (the aluminum uni-body is a joy to hold, and has the extra added benefit of being able to be used to fend off an attacker)
- Beautiful 4.3" screen (Yes, it is big, but I'm a fan)
- Sense (I'm not a fan of these proprietary UI's, but Sense shows that HTC can offer up an experience that is easy to like, and provide an attractive interface for a phone OS that is sometimes described as clinical looking)
- The brilliant development community (currently running CoreDroid /drool)
- Very snappy performance from the second gen Snapdragon CPU
- Tons of ram (Not as much as the Atrix, but enough to be a "ton" in my eyes)
- Lovely camera (I used to not care, but I have a new son, so suddenly a camera climbed up the ladder of important features)
- Fantastic out of the box social media integration
- Has that "Just works like it should" feel to it.
- Very clear call quality
- Second best phone gps I've used
-Cons:
- The screen washes out to a grey slab in direct sunlight
- Stock battery life is horrid
- "Electric Razor" ear screen can have some jagged edges and chafe your ear
- Battery door was a ridiculous design decision
- Very current gen hardware (doesn't mean a whole lot if you're not going to be riding this phone for the next two years, but a new day has dawned and it's name is "Multi-core")
- Stock external speaker/notification volume super weak
- odd placement of the number button on the keyboard (thanks iPhone for etching that into my brain)
- recessed power and volume buttons can be a bit tough to find.
- No internal storage (this is just ridiculous)
- Relatively weak GPU
There you have it. That's what I've come up with so far. At the moment, I'm leaning toward the Inspire, as so many of those issues can be (and have been) corrected through roms. In the end, I just don't really get the warm fuzzies from the Atrix. I feel like it's a brilliant set of components tied together with a really sorry software suite, and a manufacturer that doesn't really understand the strengths of their chosen platform, or the customers that choose it.
I will continue carrying both of the devices for the next couple days, but at the moment, the winner is most definitely the Inspire in my eyes. It just feels like it's been polished to a wonderful android flavored candy shine, and with the community behind it, there's really nothing I feel the device won't be able to handle for quite some time.
**Update 1**
The inspire's build quality is top notch. The screen is perfectly alligned and allows no notable give for me. There is also no more light bleed than you expect from an lcd panel, and none to the touch. The battery cover is a pain. Its actually so well fitted that you have to break it in over multiple removals in order to confidently take it off without breaking it. The sim cover fits nicely, and doesn't pose the same pain that the battery cover does. There is a slight raised edge in the center of the sim cover that takes it just out of flush. Its nigh unnoticable. Viewing angles on the inspire's slcd are fantastic. I can see it clearly in a near complete 180 degree angle, with little to no noticable color bleed. It obviously dims as you move from dead center.
The atrix is in the same boat with build quality for the most part. The phone has a good weight, metal rails down the side, well alligned screen, and mostly tight fitting components. I do have some issues here, though. Mainly with the back cover. As noted in my initial post, its very brittle, thin plastic. If you think I broke a sweat taking the inspires battery cover off, you should have seen me trying to get the battery on the atrix. I pulled the top clip free, and almost bent the cover in half fighting the mid phone clips. Also, the back cover on my atrix doesn't line up flush on one side. The last couple issues are the "creakynesss" of the handset. When I grip the phone tightly I can feel the plastic components giving, and settling into place. Not terribly bad, but noticable. The last issue is the fingerprint scanner. It's been pointed out in some reviews, but the scanner is off center on some devices and just looks shoddily thrown together and misalligned.
The atrix beautiful qHD screen also washes out and tints yellow when viewed at extreme angles.
**Update 2**
I've been using the Atrix today as my primary carry handset, and I must say PROPS to Motorola on this battery... I've been beating on it for all I can muster and with almost two full hours of HSPA+ web surfing, Angry Birds while waiting for my food, poking around in the marketplace, and trying out apps, the phone has dropped 25% of the battery in 7 hours of heavy use. I'm pretty damn impressed with that. My focus would be on the charger right now. I'll be going through the exact same process on the Inspire tomorrow to see how everything shakes out.
**Update 3**
I've been carrying my Atrix for the last two days, and I have to admit... It's amazing... I don't mean to sound disappointed, quite the contrary, but I was coming closer to making my decision, and now I'm struggling again.
New Revelations/Findings:
- The little hitches you sometimes see in games like Angry Birds, when scrolling and pinch zooming are all gone... Like, completely gone. That goes for every game/app i've played that is relatively intensive with animation or processing. The Inspire is definitely no slouch, but the performance edge is fully in the Atrix's court.
- The external speaker of the Atrix is LEGEND-(Wait for it)-DARY! I hopped on a conference call last night and it was right on the edge of being as good as the dedicated conference speakers at my office. Really outstanding.
- The screen is also really pretty. I, once again, had to run from hospital to hospital yesterday and while outside was able to see every color, icon, and word on my screen. It made me secure in the fact that no matter where I took the device, i would be able to rely on it 100%, and it would perform as well as I could ever ask for.
I've been using the anti-glare/anti-fingerprint Case-Mate screen protectors on both of the devices since i've purchased them, and these things just destroy the fidelity of the screen. I will be getting my Realook protectors tomorrow, and will get to experience a bit more vibrance from both screens.
I'm still fairly disappointed with the color reproduction of the qHD screen. It's really in your face when you have the two devices sitting side by side. The SLCD screen of the Inspire is much more natural looking.
MotoBlur is still a disappointment, but after setting up LauncherPro Plus and getting Beautiful Widgets, and exploring LauncherPro's new facebook widget (think FriendStream). It's become nearly a non-issue. I've been using ADW as well, and it's great, but the Atrix seems to love LauncherPro, and I love LauncherPro... Guess that's a match made in Android heaven.

My experience, for most part mirrors yours. I went from the Captivate to the Inspire to the Atrix. I kept the Inspire for about a week and immediately missed the screen on the Captivate.
The Inspire's screen is definitely sharp, but I like the contrast on the captivate. The black text sharpness on the Atrix is really good and very comparable to the Inspire and both beat the pants off the Captivate.
I'd have to disagree with the build quality of the Inspire. Yes, aluminum feels solid compared to the plastic on the Atrix and does give you that solid quality feeling, but I had the same plastic alignment issues with two Inspires I went through. The plastic parts just doesn't line up evenly with the aluminum. The battery door was never a problem with me because of the gaps were plastic met aluminum. I was always able to get my finger nails in two places to pull the cover off easily and without destroying the soft touch cover.
Call quality on the Inspire's headset speaker always sounded tinny and lack the volume of the Atrix. The loudspeaker is really, really weak on the Inspire. The Atrix's loudspeaker has surprisingly good range, I hear a semblance of bass when playing media.
Security wise, the fingerprint scanner is a really good feature on the Atrix, makes me wonder why no one has done it before on a mobile phone. So much faster to unlock securely without a passcode or drawing.
The camera on the Inspire is better than the Atrix. The Inspire's pics come out with more contrast and better color. The Atrix has sharp images, but the color look a little washed out and there way more noise. Seems like Motorola wanted sharper images and turn down the noise reduction. Noise reduction is a big killer when it comes to image sharpness.

+1 just for referencing Barney Stinson.
Haha no, but really, this is a good comparison of the Inspire and the Atrix. I agree with most, if not all, of your pros and cons. I really can't help but emphasize the battery life though. I usually end up having to buy a spare battery and charger set for my smartphones, but it seems really unnecessary for the Atrix. If you're a power user, that's reason enough to pick the Atrix over the Inspire.

I agree almost 100%
I sit here with both phones still. I love the Inspire, and Gingerblur on the Atrix makes me love the Atrix.
The interwebz speed is what is forcing the Inspire as my daily driver at the moment.
I have gone through 3 atrix's already, when i have it, i want to sell it, as you can see in my signature, and when i sell it, i want one. thus #3....
I almost NEED to wait and see 4g... and this backhaul att speaks of....
And then there is the Samsung infuse/enfuse? idk... But they say when its dropped, it will most certainly have the capable speeds, as will the 2 other flagship "4g" phones.
I treat my phones with utmost care, as i usually am selling them for the new and next best thing, and want to ensure they can be purchased as a 10/10 quality. That being said, I will say the case-mate case i have on the inspire gives GREAT protection, but makes a big phone even bigger, the atrix with the bodyglove feels tiny in my hands after 2 weeks of driving the inspire... I recently sold another iphone4, and it reminded me of the atrix in my hands, not build quality, as you mentioned above, but size...
4.3 qHD would be a perfect mix for me, and I am sure is what is in store for future HTC devices... but for now, I am in the same dilemia many are.
to Inspire, or not Inspire and Atrix my way through the rough of it...
to the avg user, hdmi out is no biggie, but to the ub3r geek in me who likes to VPN home, CIFS mount shares, and stream, hdmi is a big deal....
oh woe is me.....
Today Inspire still drives me to and from.... CM7rc4 battery gets me through the day, even as an Exchange Admin with more email on touchdown then most people, including gmail push...
But that said, i come right back with the atrix could get me past a full day!
like the good old Blackberry days..
theres my 2 cents, thrown into the pot, both heads up...
~killster

I'm so sick of these threads.

Man_of_Leisure said:
I'm so sick of these threads.
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Then don't read 'em... Problem solved.

Divinedark said:
Then don't read 'em... Problem solved.
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Just like you have the right to create threads, I have the right to respond to them. If you don't like that, you want a blog, not a forum.

Man_of_Leisure said:
Just like you have the right to create threads, I have the right to respond to them. If you don't like that, you want a blog, not a forum.
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You are absolutely correct. I appreciate your need to contribute completely unrelated, and pointless reflections on your own worthless personal opinion in my thread. So many others that are trying to decide between these two devices will find your additions to the subject of this thread invaluable. I truly hope that you will continue to follow that urge to spout your own polished, self-important drivel in the rest of the threads on this forum. If you don't, you will effectively be robbing us of your wisdom.
I'm sorry that I wasted your time reading my relatively well researched and thought out comparison between two close competing devices on the same carrier. From this point forward I'll be sure to continue adding to the typical device war crap like "TEH ATRIX IS A$$" and what not. That should sate your thirst for informative and entertaining topics on this forum.
Again. I'm very sorry.

Man_of_Leisure said:
Just like you have the right to create threads, I have the right to respond to them. If you don't like that, you want a blog, not a forum.
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+1 I'm pretty sure there's already at least fifteen threads about Inspire vs Atrix. I thank you for taking the time to compare both and noting their strengths and weaknesses but like I said, there's already a ton of these threads and they just repeat the same opinions/info.

Clienterror said:
+1 I'm pretty sure there's already at least fifteen threads about Inspire vs Atrix. I thank you for taking the time to compare both and noting their strengths and weaknesses but like I said, there's already a ton of these threads and they just repeat the same opinions/info.
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It's true that there are a lot of posts that contribute this kind of information, but this one in particular was well thought out and written, and that helps provide a better reference for those interested. I also value those posts that say good things about devices. A lot of posts tend to complain about whatever device they're talking about. It's nice to have some good things to say in order to balance out the amount of user feedback.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

Yea... the majority of threads you see with this same general topic are basically just "The Atrix BLOWS!!!! I'm going back to my Inspire" blah blah blah. He was polite enough to explain his thoughts on the phone thoroughly, and go through his overall opinion on the phone over time, showing what has changed in his mind about each phone. Can kinda think of it more as a "phone review" than a "disgruntled customer".....

There are many Inspire / Atrix threads I've read but this one is a good, unbiased, well written everyday user experience. +1 for op.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

Divinedark said:
I do have some issues here, though. Mainly with the back cover. As noted in my initial post, its very brittle, thin plastic. If you think I broke a sweat taking the inspires battery cover off, you should have seen me trying to get the battery on the atrix. I pulled the top clip free, and almost bent the cover in half fighting the mid phone clips. Also, the back cover on my atrix doesn't line up flush on one side. The last couple issues are the "creakynesss" of the handset. When I grip the phone tightly I can feel the plastic components giving, and settling into place. Not terribly bad, but noticable. The last issue is the fingerprint scanner. It's been pointed out in some reviews, but the scanner is off center on some devices and just looks shoddily thrown together and misalligned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The battery cover design is one of the things I really like about the Atrix. It is flexible on my phone, not brittle at all. It fits well and is a breeze to get on and off -- after the first time. The first time I was also a little scared and it caught at the middle a little. Since then, it is trivial to do. Of course, it spends most of its time covered by two layers of Otterbox Commuter in my case.
I have not noticed any creakiness -- seems very solid to me. It's reinforced by the Otterbox, so I might not ever notice anyway.
My fingerprint scanner doesn't seem to work at all. I get nothing but too short a swipe messages (works for me about 1 time out of 20). I have been assuming this is due it being placed down in a little hole by the Otterbox. I'm perfectly willing to give that up to get the extra protection and reduced slipperiness. My last unprotected phone (BB 9000) only made it a year before I dropped it many times including into 2 feet of water (don't ask, I need to be drinking to talk about it).

Yea.... i had the Defender for a day or so before i returned it for that one reason. Made it a bit more tricky to use the fingerprint reader. Found that too many times when i went to swipe (almost typed Swype in there... and no, not even on my phone. haha) my finger, it would wind up getting stuck with the outer soft casing of the Defender and either stop mid-swipe or skip part of my fingertip.

fingerprint scanner works great for me; when i first got it i thought it would be a useless novelty.

Slade8525 said:
fingerprint scanner works great for me; when i first got it i thought it would be a useless novelty.
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Not saying it doesn't work great. It works phenomenally. The issue is that some cases.... or mostly the OtterBox Defender, has quite a large hole where the fingerprint scanner resides.... and part of that hole is surrounded by the soft silicon/rubber of the outer shell of the case, which can make trying to get a solid swipe across the fingerprint reader a bit of a pain.

This is a pretty good review. I too left for an inspire and couldn't be happier, but I can see why people like their Atrix. Having cm7 was the deal breaker for me but if roms aren't a big deal the Atrix might be a better fit. I also had two phones with extremely bad call quality issues but I hear that's more of an isolated thing.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App

I came from the captivate...to the atrix to the inspire and back to the atrix ...the only thing I miss from the inspire is htc sense
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

slimslim said:
There are many Inspire / Atrix threads I've read but this one is a good, unbiased, well written everyday user experience. +1 for op.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
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+1 great unbiased and amusing post. I was about to moan when I saw how long your post was, Divinedark but your well thought out/written comparison made me finish it without realizing it.

Well written OP. It's actually like two reviews of both phones and not just which beats which.
Thank you.

>>> Build Quality - The Good, Bad, Ugly <<<

Good : Well i love the new tablet and in hand its light and a pleasure to use, the Plastic back is nice in hand and not slippery and visually this tablet is great. But ...........
Bad and Ugly : Here's my issue with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
What is happening and i can see this being a big problem down the road of use is that when i hold the Tab with my left hand in portrait with the dock connector on my palm of the left hand, the thin piece of the housing is getting bent and pulled away from the glass and over time i see this getting stretched out. i think Samsung should have built the aluminum edging more webbing in the glass to keep that delicate piece from being so flexible and flimsy.
Anyone else having/noticing this issue or any other flaws, defects ????
Here's a few pics of what i am mentioning :
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/204/img0528y.jpg
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/34/img0529ze.jpg
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/img0534n.jpg

Damn, and here I was pondering returning my Transformer for a better build quality Samsung. Shootz!
I still may do it though since I never use portrait mode and for the most part it will be on a stand, but still, it sucks to see that.

You must have a 10.1v
I have the Google i/o edition and the side looks different than your with regard to the placement of those round hole covers on either side in relation to the curve.
I think that on the i/o (hopefully it will be the same as the 10.1) it has resolved that issue. I am trying to hold it as you are mentioning and I see no movement whatsoever. even if i try to pry at it, it is super solid.
is your a 10.1v?
R

^^ No mines the 10.1

H0CKEY said:
^^ No mines the 10.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as the previous poster my LE from I/O does not look like that either. So what 10.1 do you have?

cosimoss said:
Same as the previous poster my LE from I/O does not look like that either. So what 10.1 do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mines from San Fran USA - Dev Conference , its the white back Limited Edition

Everyone needs to specify details regarding there unit if they have one. It is clear that the limited edition/early release galaxy tabs are not identically the same as the one yet to be released.

thats really strange, your tablet looks way different than mine which also came from the recent i/o event.
picture attached...
it would seem there were multiple version of the same device if you have the limited edition white backed then...
anyone else? which do you have?
R

im trying to re-create your picture to make sure its not an optical illusion, but your bottom half of the silver bezel looks so angular/curved compared to mine which as you can see from the picture above is much less curved. Espeically noticeable with the small round hole covers on either end of the connector, mine are not very curves, yours seemvery curved and angular.
???
R

three weeks left and still so many questions and so little definitive answers! oh the humanity
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

RTessi said:
thats really strange, your tablet looks way different than mine which also came from the recent i/o event.
picture attached...
it would seem there were multiple version of the same device if you have the limited edition white backed then...
anyone else? which do you have?
R
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No mine looks the same from that angle , here's a pic
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84/img0535cj.jpg/

I don't understand - are you using it while something is plugged into the dock connector, or is just from normal use? Maybe you are just holding it wrong?

normal use , i take very good care of my toys hahaha
And no i don't have it plugged in when using it
if you hold it left handed its normal i find that the palm and strong of the thumb seem to put stress on the thin strip of aluminum and slightly pulls it away from the glass since on mine the thin strip is not any thicker under the glass as what i can see visually. so its seems to be a weak point of the aluminum bezel

Bummer i wonder if a port plug would help.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App

I am not experiencing that same problem, but the glass in one of the corners does appear to be pealing up. Link below. Hoping that this is as far as it raises, but who knows... I talked to the Samsung guy at Google I/O and had my first device replaced for a similar issue I noticed there, and he said this first batch was made by hand in a bit of a rush so that they would be available for us googlers. I expect that the automated and machine driven build process for the production units will have more consistent quality.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/imag0206a.jpg/

brianwilcox said:
I am not experiencing that same problem, but the glass in one of the corners does appear to be pealing up. Link below. Hoping that this is as far as it raises, but who knows... I talked to the Samsung guy at Google I/O and had my first device replaced for a similar issue I noticed there, and he said this first batch was made by hand in a bit of a rush so that they would be available for us googlers. I expect that the automated and machine driven build process for the production units will have more consistent quality.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/imag0206a.jpg/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Harsh that looks bad. I think the quality of the aluminum bezel is to thin and over time with alot of use our holding styles will cause these kind of issues.

H0CKEY said:
Harsh that looks bad. I think the quality of the aluminum bezel is to thin and over time with alot of use our holding styles will cause these kind of issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got off the phone with Samsung about this issue. They will allow me to send the unit to them for repair/replacement. Im just a little worried about going through the whole process only to find that they will send me back a unit with similar or worse build quality issues... Anyone else noticing problems with the screen raising up? Might just stick with what I have for fear of winding up with an even worse unit. Really was starting to fall in love with this thing.

brianwilcox said:
Just got off the phone with Samsung about this issue. They will allow me to send the unit to them for repair/replacement. Im just a little worried about going through the whole process only to find that they will send me back a unit with similar or worse build quality issues... Anyone else noticing problems with the screen raising up? Might just stick with what I have for fear of winding up with an even worse unit. Really was starting to fall in love with this thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm getting the same thing. Mine was this way out of the box at the conference, and with the plastic back pulling back, it looked like the tablet was warped. I popped it back into place and it looked good so I didn't say anything to anyone at the conference about it. I probably should have though, because now the screen is separating from the housing again in those two corners.
I stupidly threw away the blue card they gave at I/O that had the contact info for Samsung, who did you talk to about getting it repaired?

Not exactly getting a warm fuzzy feeling from this thread. I pre-ordered online. Starting to think I might want to cancel that and just wait for it at Best Buy, if even the Samsung tablets are having build quality issues.

Oh no. I was afraid these reports would begin to surface on the 10.1. Some of these issues described Ive seen in the 10.1v as well, although my biggest gripe with these is the severe backlight bleeding. I have now exchanged this device with Vodafone AU twice and seen a total of 6 units and all have had backlight bleeding and inconsistent build quality.
With the first unit I received both right corners of the screen were popping out over the bezel a little. I believed it to be a problem with the adhesive used, because if you were to put pressure on the corner it would hold for a second then release, and you could hear the "sticky" sound as the adhesive separated.
All the units I've sampled though have had really shocking problems with backlight bleeding/leakage. If you're someone who planned to watch movies on this tablet in dimly lit rooms, you could find this distracting. I do. Its a shame really because I otherwise like the quality of the display, and both 10.1 models are nicely designed and nice to hold. In a lot of ways I prefer the feel of the 10.1v over the iPad 2. Too bad though that the build quality is questionable across the range of what is now 3 different variants of the 10.1 that Samsung has produced. What's the deal Samy?!
I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet but most likely I'll return this 10.1v to Vodafail for a refund and wait it out for the 8.9. Perhaps I'll have better luck then?
Sent from my GT-P7100 using XDA Premium App

HTC One Black Scuffs

Can anyone with the HTC One in black confirm that it does not scuff like the paint on the iPhone 5? I currently have an iPhone 5 and it will suck to go to another phone that is painted black.

Not seen anyone with a black HTC One yet on these forums but if they exist I am sure they will let you know.

There is a short video on YouTube that answers this. I can't post links as I am a noob here but if you search for 'HTC One Anti Scratch' you should find it.

dimgl said:
Can anyone with the HTC One in black confirm that it does not scuff like the paint on the iPhone 5? I currently have an iPhone 5 and it will suck to go to another phone that is painted black.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
paulobrien has one you can ask him.
Or you can ask the reviewer from CNET also.
Andrew Hoyle

Black is not released yet but we have been assured it is anodised. The iPhone5 was a joke arriving with chips in the paintwork out of the box! While it is VERY hard to produce things perfectly and there may be a slight flaw somewhere on the phone, some of the iPhone 5s were shocking.

Scootmien said:
There is a short video on YouTube that answers this. I can't post links as I am a noob here but if you search for 'HTC One Anti Scratch' you should find it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the video Scootmien was talking about.
http://youtu.be/_EWqPpYVE08
FWIW - I have been using an iPhone 5 since launch day without a single scratch on it (no case or protector). I do however treat my phone considerably better than most. It has never been dropped and is always set down on something soft, never on hard surfaces.
Again, it all depends on how you treat the phone. Under the right conditions, I'm sure the HTC One will scratch as well. Hopefully not as easily as the iPhone though.

rotchcrocket04 said:
and is always set down on something soft, never on hard surfaces.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I was the only one. :highfive:

americasteam said:
I thought I was the only one. :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol - same here. My friends think I'm crazy when I grab a napkin at the bar before putting my phone down. :victory:

Bunch of crazy people here

rotchcrocket04 said:
This is the video Scootmien was talking about.
http://youtu.be/_EWqPpYVE08
FWIW - I have been using an iPhone 5 since launch day without a single scratch on it (no case or protector). I do however treat my phone considerably better than most. It has never been dropped and is always set down on something soft, never on hard surfaces.
Again, it all depends on how you treat the phone. Under the right conditions, I'm sure the HTC One will scratch as well. Hopefully not as easily as the iPhone though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the video. And that's okay, I don't mind a scratch here and there as my iPhone has scratches as well. But what really concerns me is CNET.co.uk's review of the HTC One Black where they mention the HTC One is actually painted, not black anodized metal, so it chips even faster than an iPhone 5. That in itself is concerning.
I really want a beautiful Android phone like this one, but unfortunately there are some things that are starting to turn me off, like the buttons that are too pushed in with the phone and the IR blaster being on the left, as well as the 2,300maH battery which would've been great for yesteryear but no so much to today's standards.
It's so hard to find a beautiful phone that performs like you want it and has top of the line specifications. I had the HTC One X and had to return it due to manufacturing defects and other problems with Sense (goddamn I hate Sense).
Sorry about that rant, just wanted to know about the black scuffs as that would be a dealbreaker for me.

Cnet.co.uk review got it wrong, it's not painted. It's anodized for sure.
Op, can you change the topic to: .... does not scuff?

dimgl said:
Thanks for the video. And that's okay, I don't mind a scratch here and there as my iPhone has scratches as well. But what really concerns me is CNET.co.uk's review of the HTC One Black where they mention the HTC One is actually painted, not black anodized metal, so it chips even faster than an iPhone 5. That in itself is concerning.
I really want a beautiful Android phone like this one, but unfortunately there are some things that are starting to turn me off, like the buttons that are too pushed in with the phone and the IR blaster being on the left, as well as the 2,300maH battery which would've been great for yesteryear but no so much to today's standards.
It's so hard to find a beautiful phone that performs like you want it and has top of the line specifications. I had the HTC One X and had to return it due to manufacturing defects and other problems with Sense (goddamn I hate Sense).
Sorry about that rant, just wanted to know about the black scuffs as that would be a dealbreaker for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone 5 is painted or it would not do this
https://discussions.apple.com/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/2-19682542-156784/iPhone5WTF.jpg
We are told that the Black one is anodized, but as nobody has a black one yet, we don't know for sure. It will be April before anyone has one I understand.

jonstatt said:
iPhone 5 is painted or it would not do this
https://discussions.apple.com/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/2-19682542-156784/iPhone5WTF.jpg
We are told that the Black one is anodized, but as nobody has a black one yet, we don't know for sure. It will be April before anyone has one I understand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I'm not trying to start a war here, because I don't know this stuff as well as some others, I do know that the iPhone is anodized.
A large part of an anodizing process (and it's overall resistance against scuffs/scratches) comes down to the type of metal and its hardness (tempered vs. non-tempered) along with depth, dye, and the finishing process itself. Anodizing is quite a bit different than just spraying some paint on something and moving along - however, it does have the ability to chip/scuff almost just as easily (depending on the process and materials used).

rotchcrocket04 said:
Lol - same here. My friends think I'm crazy when I grab a napkin at the bar before putting my phone down. :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is crazy. :d

jonstatt said:
iPhone 5 is painted or it would not do this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this guy doesn't understand what anodized means...

"Now, after using the phone for more than a week, I can say it’s surely one of the best phones out there, if not the best. It’s got issues, for example, with the pretty finish chipping off, but I’m been very impressed in other areas like battery life and camera."
this is from one of the reviews. do not trust the video on youtube.

Don't forget the guy in that review clearly states he DID put the one and his keys in the same pockets for a week to get these dents.

epicfailguy2 said:
Don't forget the guy in that review clearly states he DID put the one and his keys in the same pockets for a week to get these dents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but to be fair, you do carry other stuff in your pocket..
within a week is a poor result to be honest.
Silver is the way to go

to be fair i make a point of never putting anything in a pocket that my phone is in.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium

[email protected] said:
but to be fair, you do carry other stuff in your pocket..
within a week is a poor result to be honest.
Silver is the way to go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't. Never did, and the time I went to a show and put my SII in a zippered pocket I got nasty scuffs, when the taking out.
But the pocket with the phone, is always the phone alone...

Is the smearing issue hardware or software?

Is it? I've read about it and it seems it's an issue with the AMOLED Samsung chose for this phone, but that it can be solved with other RGB settings, slightly cutting back on the true blacks and whites.

if you are so much troubled by it, then by all means feel free to do so
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

Rewrote the OP, lol. I always write stuff I don't mean when I'm a bit angry. It's just that I'm tired of constantly having phones with issues. I exchanged the piece of crap One for this phone.

Hey Shawty. I tried the MEA update and personally couldn't see any snaring although some people claim it's still there. I must be blind because I looked for it.
Still I went back to my old setup as some mods didn't work on the new rom. Personally it doesn't bother me as I rarely see it.
Sent from my GT-I9305 using xda premium

I can say from my experience that it is software related. When I first got the phone I noticed it immediately, on menus etc. I installed an app that was suggested on some other threads about this topic which like you said changes something to do with RGB levels (I don't actually understand the issue/fix myself). Since the MEA update it has been less of a problem, I don't get it on the settings menu for example. But in another app (Light Flow) I still get a bit of smearing.

Theshawty said:
Look, darling. I appreciated the One but the fact that it had so many flaws was bothering. It heated up beyond what one would call reasonable and actually got too uncomfortable to hold and the capacitive keys were blue-ish when they should have been white (I even compared it to my brother's One).
I agree that the One is superior to the S4 in many ways like for instance the speakers, the premium feel and a few other aspects.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but have to refute this nonesense about the One heating up. The One does not heat up unless you're using it plugged in and proper battering it with a 3D game or something, and even then to call it hot is stretching matters. Warm to the touch is the best i've managed with it. Now the S4, that gets bloody hot, too hot to touch.
As for the issue at hand, can't be sorted as it;s inherent with all Amoled displays including S4, S3, etc.

Flashmore said:
BTW. the heat from One's aluminium body is not an "issue" its normal since alloy is an excellent conductor of heat, better to rid the heat than reflect it like plastic, the heat is no way impacting performance or otherwise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am perfectly well aware of that metal is an excellent conductor or heat and of course that is a good thing, but the heat was an issue, for me and taking into consideration HTC's previous history, I didn't want another One because I am sure it would have had several flaws as well. I returned to where I feel the most safe (and sound) which would be Samsung.
We'll see where the future leads me.
Flashmore said:
As for the blue-ish buttons, come on, don't talk trash, that is such a nit pick ridiculous comment!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't like that, especially not when all other One's I saw had a bright white light (lol, rhyming ).
biffsmash said:
Sorry but have to refute this nonesense about the One heating up. The One does not heat up unless you're using it plugged in and proper battering it with a 3D game or something, and even then to call it hot is stretching matters. Warm to the touch is the best i've managed with it. Now the S4, that gets bloody hot, too hot to touch.
As for the issue at hand, can't be sorted as it;s inherent with all Amoled displays including S4, S3, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So just because your HTC One doesn't heat up, you're calling everyone else off as liars? The One I had must have been faulty because it actually got HOT and very uncomfortably so by not doing anything special. It got varm by just randomly scrolling around and got hot when I played 20 minutes of Candy Crush.
<------------------------------------------------------------------------>
I am not a Samsung fanboy, though, but there was only one phone I wanted and that was the HTC One. It disappointed me and I turned to the S4. Should that prove to be a disappointment as well, I don't know what to do.

Thread cleaned.
Strictly keep it on topic. No trolling. No sarcasm.
You are entitled to your own opinion, but you do need to respect other's too.

Theshawty said:
I am perfectly well aware of that metal is an excellent conductor or heat and of course that is a good thing, but the heat was an issue, for me and taking into consideration HTC's previous history, I didn't want another One because I am sure it would have had several flaws as well. I returned to where I feel the most safe (and sound) which would be Samsung.
We'll see where the future leads me.
I didn't like that, especially not when all other One's I saw had a bright white light (lol, rhyming ).
So just because your HTC One doesn't heat up, you're calling everyone else off as liars? The One I had must have been faulty because it actually got HOT and very uncomfortably so by not doing anything special. It got varm by just randomly scrolling around and got hot when I played 20 minutes of Candy Crush.
<------------------------------------------------------------------------>
I am not a Samsung fanboy, though, but there was only one phone I wanted and that was the HTC One. It disappointed me and I turned to the S4. Should that prove to be a disappointment as well, I don't know what to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good for you, I have both devices right in front of me.
I actually had an H-One replaced for thinking it was overheating, however after receiving the new one it has the same heat omission and it isn't really "uncomfortable" come on S4 gets hot too when multitasking.
The aluminium body is supposed to get hot its what aluminium does when a large battery presses against it fuelling a hard working CPU, mind you I dont believe you weren't working the CPU and it merely "got hot doing nothing special"(as for battery life comparing the two the 'One' has better battery life, mind you I'm using stock battery S4)
Plastic doesn't transfer heat nearly as well hence the worse battery life and most likely reduced life of the phone, not to mention the cheap look and feel. I don't expect my post to last here as it seems some biased mods refuse to allow any opinions to remain that may be even slightly objective towards S4, don't get me wrong I still really like the S4, oh well, care factor!
BTW I am not calling anyone a liar, however if you think your post is more truthful than mine then I guess you're judging people without hearing their opinion!

Theshawty said:
I am perfectly well aware of that metal is an excellent conductor or heat and of course that is a good thing, but the heat was an issue, for me and taking into consideration HTC's previous history, I didn't want another One because I am sure it would have had several flaws as well. I returned to where I feel the most safe (and sound) which would be Samsung.
We'll see where the future leads me.
I didn't like that, especially not when all other One's I saw had a bright white light (lol, rhyming ).
So just because your HTC One doesn't heat up, you're calling everyone else off as liars? The One I had must have been faulty because it actually got HOT and very uncomfortably so by not doing anything special. It got varm by just randomly scrolling around and got hot when I played 20 minutes of Candy Crush.
<------------------------------------------------------------------------>
I am not a Samsung fanboy, though, but there was only one phone I wanted and that was the HTC One. It disappointed me and I turned to the S4. Should that prove to be a disappointment as well, I don't know what to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
high end performance comes at a cost... do not expect a quad core cpu to be cool also give it some time till samsung s4 software is really optimized because its far from being fully ready

Flashmore said:
Good for you, I have both devices right in front of me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good for you.
Flashmore said:
I actually had an H-One replaced for thinking it was overheating, however after receiving the new one it has the same heat omitting and it isn't really "uncomfortable" come on S4 gets hot too when multitasking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There you go again. You don't think it's uncomfortable, but I do. Yeah, the S4 does get hot, but at one spot only, the upper part of the phone, though it doesn't get all around hot like the One does.
Flashmore said:
The aluminium body is supposed to get hot its what aluminium does when a large battery presses against it fuelling a hard working CPU, mind you I dont believe you weren't working the CPU and it merely "got hot doing nothing special"(as for battery life comparing the two the 'One' has better battery life, mind you I'm using stock battery S4)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe what you will, I cannot force you. I know the truth, the real truth. I wasn't working the CPU when it got hot, unless playing around iwth the phone means working the CPU a lot. It got blazingly hot by playing games.
Flashmore said:
Plastic doesn't transfer heat nearly as well hence the worse battery life and most likely reduced life of the phone, not to mention the cheap look and feel. I don't expect my post to last here as it seems some biased mods refuse to allow any opinions to remain that may be even slightly objective towards S4, don't get me wrong I still really like the S4, oh well, care factor!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Biased? Haha, oh the irony of this post.

Theshawty said:
Good for you.
Biased? Haha, oh the irony of this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha too, there's no irony when nobody knows the truth, anyway I guess ignorance is bliss, no offence however I think you're right. Piece!
Regards
flashmore

Theshawty said:
Is it? I've read about it and it seems it's an issue with the AMOLED Samsung chose for this phone, but that it can be solved with other RGB settings, slightly cutting back on the true blacks and whites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don´t have this anymore on latest MF8 on 9505.