[Q] Warning about cleaning the gap! - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hey all!
So I received my new black S4 a couple of days ago and had been enjoying it a lot. That is, until I tried to clean the gap between the bezel and the glass that is accumulating dust over time. As I searched the internet on how to do that, I found out that the corner of a piece of paper would do the trick since a lot of people do this.
So one evening I did as I read on the internet and indeed, a lot of dust came out and I was happy. However, the next morning when daylight shone on my precious S4 I realised that the piece of paper I had slid through the gap also caused it to scratch the very side of the glass!
I was quite surprised that a piece of paper was able to do such a thing but the thought of a papercut made it somewhat obvious.
Now, the whole left side of the glass has an extra white line (aka the scratch) running along the side of the glass (it looks as if it's just beneath the glass). It is only visible when light is shining in particular directions on the phone. Still, I'm quite pissed at myself right now for doing such a thing.
So does anyone else clean the gap with a piece of paper? Did you guys notice any scratch/line along the side of the glass afterwards?
(Sorry if I'm being too OCD about this, I guess I have to find a way to get over it )

well, you've got every right to be oc coz our s4 is a premium phone haha
I never did try using paper.. What i use is a scotch tape and push it carefully with something thin like a needle but thanks for the info my friend.. This has given me a heads up
And sorry bout the scratches tsk
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

saywhatt said:
well, you've got every right to be oc coz our s4 is a premium phone haha
I never did try using paper.. What i use is a scotch tape and push it carefully with something thin like a needle but thanks for the info my friend.. This has given me a heads up
And sorry bout the scratches tsk
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, that could have been a better option now to think of it. The thing is I didn't feel any friction at all while I was sliding the paper through it so I thought no harm would be done.
Anyway below is shown what I ended up with.
It does look like dirt between the glass and the bezel. However, I just can't remove it so I automatically assumed it must be some damage to the side of the screen beneath. I wonder what's actually at the bottom of the gap.
Still not able to digest this ;P

Related

Just dropped my vibrant :((

My mom dropped my vibrant from like 5ft from the ground, and apperantly I made a mistake of giving it to her withought by handy 2 doller rubber case, wich I always drop my phone with and does a pretty damn good job of not damaging it. So the damage that happened was that the blue chrome side of the phone got dented, what I'm trying to do is try to rwmove those dents. Is there a way, like the way wich u remove scratches on the screen maybe?
No sir.
I suggest you just put the rubber case and you wont notice the dent in the chrome and the screen....well you'll have to ignore that. I have a crack right in the middle.
You can buy the chrome piece....I think.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Nahhh, my screen is perfect.. and I'm 100% sure there is a way to remove atleast some of those dents... maybe I should just sand the whole thing??
helikido said:
Nahhh, my screen is perfect.. and I'm 100% sure there is a way to remove atleast some of those dents... maybe I should just sand the whole thing??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't bother with the chrome. It isn't real chrome and is just a dark gray, dull plastic piece painted with chrome colored paint. You can sand the whole thing down but the bezel would just become a very dull gray color.
Damn!!! God y is sammy so cheap??!?!?

it seems the bezel has a poor paint layer

well that is what I was afraid of when I bought the note, the paint job of the bezel disappointed me, especially at the headphone plug, it seems that the paint job is really poor, i ended noticing that the paint started to flicker, what a disappointment i hope that it will not get bigger.
I almost knew from the start that it would flake easily especially at weak points like plug in areas, i wish to know how to fix it, but i saw some video and taking it appart is hell, maybe i should consider giving it a brushed look bezel
hykhleif said:
well that is what I was afraid of when I bought the note, the paint job of the bezel disappointed me, especially at the headphone plug, it seems that the paint job is really poor, i ended noticing that the paint started to flicker, what a disappointment i hope that it will not get bigger.
I almost knew from the start that it would flake easily especially at weak points like plug in areas, i wish to know how to fix it, but i saw some video and taking it appart is hell, maybe i should consider giving it a brushed look bezel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I.had mine about a month.no paint issue.never put hard cover on any samaung device.it will peel paint off from bazel.i learned the hard way putting on my infuse.i had tp replace the whole bazel and about 5 min.
mintu123 said:
I.had mine about a month.no paint issue.never put hard cover on any samaung device.it will peel paint off from bazel.i learned the hard way putting on my infuse.i had tp replace the whole bazel and about 5 min.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my Note for around 3 months.
2 weeks back I was sick, having fever, throat & ear infection.
I took a visit to the hospital and unfortunately dropped the phone whilst sitting down.
I was so sick & weak the phone slipped whilst in my hand.
Thankfully the damage was minimal. The only minor mark was on the upper left hand corner of the bezel, a slight discolouration.
I too would like to change my bezel.
Would you be kind enough to post a link to a video which shows how to dismantle the bezel & then put back?
Thanks.
kanej2006 said:
I've had my Note for around 3 months.
2 weeks back I was sick, having fever, throat & ear infection.
I took a visit to the hospital and unfortunately dropped the phone whilst sitting down.
I was so sick & weak the phone slipped whilst in my hand.
Thankfully the damage was minimal. The only minor mark was on the upper left hand corner of the bezel, a slight discolouration.
I too would like to change my bezel.
Would you be kind enough to post a link to a video which shows how to dismantle the bezel & then put back?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just get it from ebay,its like $30 original.its very easy.remove battery sim and sdcard and remove 9 screws and use ur thumb under the battery and carefully push screen part out.there is a guide in general how to replace a screen.
mintu123 said:
I.had mine about a month.no paint issue.never put hard cover on any samaung device.it will peel paint off from bazel.i learned the hard way putting on my infuse.i had tp replace the whole bazel and about 5 min.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no hard cover...you mean no hard cases for Note?
mintu123 said:
just get it from ebay,its like $30 original.its very easy.remove battery sim and sdcard and remove 9 screws and use ur thumb under the battery and carefully push screen part out.there is a guide in general how to replace a screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a bunch!
Every bezel ive come across is a piece of ****.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
tytung2020 said:
no hard cover...you mean no hard cases for Note?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.dont use hard case.if u have to put case on it use them rubber cases.
are you sure that its easy to replace the bezel, are there no wires or stuff to take apart when changing the bezel. So its only removing the 9 screws.
hykhleif said:
are you sure that its easy to replace the bezel, are there no wires or stuff to take apart when changing the bezel. So its only removing the 9 screws.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first Note went for a swim with me in salt water so naturally I tried a few things to get it working again, including removing as many components as possible. The bezel is part of the back cover that the battery sits snug against on all edges, and if you use both thumbnails to separate the screen from this bezel/backplate then it should come off after a bit of manipulation.
IMO it's not worth replacing as one mistake will cause another mark and you'll never be satisfied with it unless it's as new. I've found that only after you get a few nicks and bumps that you actually use it like it's meant to be - used. It's not being careless but spending more time using it than being super cautious is where it's at.

some modifications after dropping.

I don't know if this fits in the general thread here, if so mods can move or delete it.
A while ago my GSII felt on the floor and the chrome trim was a bit damaged. Nothing serious, just in one corner the chrome layer chipped off.
Because i'm planning to buy a new phone soon i thought like: nothing to loose lets try to remove the chrome trimming.
So what i did was sanding the chrome off and that went easely and smooth. But dismantle the glass from the frame is almost a no go, and so it was not easy to remove the chrome between screen and the border around the screen.
I used more rough sand paper and removed the the whole border that was sticking out above the screen.
Used 3 types of sandpaper from rough to end with sandpaper 400 to give it a matt finished look.
Here are some pics where you can see that the border is more flush with the screen and not rounded anymore like original.
I actually like that
And wow, you must have some bal, erm, i mean patience
That's cool. It's like having a new phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
You would be surprised how easely the chrome comes off. from the damaged corner you can easely chip it of with your nail. Only because the chrome is smooth and slick you think its hard to get it removed.
Getting the chrome of is just a matter of minutes, then you stick some tape on the glass and start sanding with the rough sand paper. Its reallly soft plastic and with the sandpaper 400 it gets smooth in no time.
@ ephraim033, yes it looks like an other phone, the dark border blends with the dark screen and the rounded edge makes the screen more borderless.
I was surprised too with this small mod that phone looked different.
Maybe you can reconsider selling it. After all, it looks nice. Anyway, I'm not worried with mine since the boarder or my phone is black and not silver. I was jealous of the silver part last year but got used to the black one since when it gets damage, no paint will fall off (even if it will, it might not be that noticeable compared to the silver one) .
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
looks kind of iPhoney.... in a good way
Nicely done.
Sent from my MB860 using xda app-developers app
Wow that's look nice.
I'm planning to do that too; since my chrome scratch by a key but I'm paranoid that I might damage my phone. (I'm really bad at handicraft lol)
After look at this I might doing this too.
Sent from my GT-I9100
Its really not difficult. Or you tape the bottom part or you remove your top part(screen and bezel). Of course you tape your screen too. I made first a plastic template of the rounded corners and each time I did put a tape on that template to get a perfect matching tape to stick in the corners.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Just don't mine... I sanded all my phone with some fine sand paper.. no more chrome just a smooth matt black finish.. love it
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Thank you for posting this idea. 3 of my corners were banged up and I always hated the fake chrome look. I've been sanding a bit here and there and almost have it looking perfect, so much better. I love the more "rubbery" feeling I get when I hold it.
jsmith8858 said:
Thank you for posting this idea. 3 of my corners were banged up and I always hated the fake chrome look. I've been sanding a bit here and there and almost have it looking perfect, so much better. I love the more "rubbery" feeling I get when I hold it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your welcome, As long the chrome trim is in mint condition then the phone looks ok, but like you said the chrome trim is actually looking very cheap.
When you keep your phone in bright light you could even see that the chrome wasn't even smooth.
I didn't drop my phone on purpose but i'm happy the way it looks now.

[Q] Cleaning Tips for Nexus 4 users

Hey guys,
So I've had the Nexus 4 for around two weeks now and it's too well designed of a device for me to resort to using screen protectors although I will be getting a thin case soon since it is quite slippery. I was just wondering what some of you do in order to maintain the condition of the device. I've simply been using a dry microfiber cloth - usually used on my eyeglasses - and rubbing gently until all the smudges are gone. This keeps it quite clean for 3-4 days but I don't know if that period will shorten with prolonged use. Any and all tips are appreciated, thanks in advance!
I just usually rub it on my shirt. Takes the smudges off in one wipe
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
After I wash/dry my hands I use the edge of my palm, the coating is great so I don't even have to do that that often.
Sounds like a pack of microfiber cloths should do just fine for the future then! Thanks guys, still welcoming other suggestions
I keep a pack of Wireless Wipes nearby. Great product I've been using for years. http://www.wirelesswipes.com
BigVDawgy said:
I keep a pack of Wireless Wipes nearby. Great product I've been using for years. http://www.wirelesswipes.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
american apparel t-shirts work surprisingly well. it makes the phone extra shiny!
well it works just like a microfiber cloth.
any sunglasses pouch works well too!
I use optical wipes on my phones, gets rid of any finger grease and doesn't leave streaks.
I use the cloth that came with the Nillkin case. Works way better than a microfiber one that came with my girls mini laptop.. :/
Sent from my Nexus 4
Not fair
He guys im new and i had a question about keeping my nexus 4 clean. So when i recieved my nexus 4 i had it naked without a screen protector or case, then i decided to buy a full body xtremeguard screen protector, which was 6 dollars. They arrived and i tried putting them on the next day. They were wet installation which i didnt really like. I had to use a bowl of handsoap and water. So I installed them and tried to accelerate the drying process a little by using a blow dryer, but guess what, it really made the beautiful screen look all ugly and disoriented so i took them off and decided to keep it the way. and applied a little more water to the glass to get all the soapy residue off and dried it off a little more. The next day I noticed that when i held it in sunlight I noticed this white stuff inside the crevices in between the glass and the edges of the phone. SO whats bothering me is that i think its dried soap in there and blow drying it only made it worse. But wheat really gets me ticked off is that i wanted to keep my phone perfect and clean but that stuff is still in there and i dont know how to get it out. Its just killing me. Ive tried water, q tips, even scraping it out with printer paper but no luck. Can anyone give me ideas or help plz?? thx. IM sorry if this a very long post
Should have left the XtremeGuard on there, it takes a few days for them to dry properly and until they do, they look like a disaster.
As for the left overs, maybe a fingernail will be able to scrape it out?
Rusty! said:
Should have left the XtremeGuard on there, it takes a few days for them to dry properly and until they do, they look like a disaster.
As for the left overs, maybe a fingernail will be able to scrape it out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fingernail is thicker than paper. If he can't get it out with paper....Try using a needle I guess?
Oh nope I already tried that when my nails were longer and now there even more useless ha. Its too deep in there. But I guess I'll keep searching though. Any type of liquid I could use to dissolve it or something?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Not related to the above posts as such but more the actual thread title, a pair of jeans works very well. Wiping the phone on my knees while wearing jeans gets rid of everything, and no smears either. Looks like new, much better than T-Shirts.
anyone have advice on how to clean the ear piece grill? putting my nexus 4 in my jeans and pockets add lint to the inside of the grill. it annoys me. any advice on how to get it super clean and all black again?
snapper.fishes said:
Fingernail is thicker than paper. If he can't get it out with paper....Try using a needle I guess?
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Click to collapse
Didn't see your post snapp but I guess I could try a needle. And yup sickered I'm having that problem too but I guess that's supposed to happen sooner or later unlike my original problem
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
sickred said:
anyone have advice on how to clean the ear piece grill? putting my nexus 4 in my jeans and pockets add lint to the inside of the grill. it annoys me. any advice on how to get it super clean and all black again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compressed air, but be careful not to blow it to closely.
As far as cleaning the screen itself, I use monster LCD/plasma TV cleaner I got at best buy. Its a little pricy but I've had it for 3 years and works wonders on all my phones, even on screen protectors.
I do not have any advice as far as what to do what the residue in the screen your talking about.
I have a screen protector on the screen and have been thinking about removing it lately. I had a convo with my neighbor who never uses a protector on his phones. He never has gotten a huge scratch on gorilla glass, and to be honest I rarely ever change my protector and prob sacrifice more clear screen using one vs not...
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
YeezyMode said:
Hey guys,
So I've had the Nexus 4 for around two weeks now and it's too well designed of a device for me to resort to using screen protectors although I will be getting a thin case soon since it is quite slippery. I was just wondering what some of you do in order to maintain the condition of the device. I've simply been using a dry microfiber cloth - usually used on my eyeglasses - and rubbing gently until all the smudges are gone. This keeps it quite clean for 3-4 days but I don't know if that period will shorten with prolonged use. Any and all tips are appreciated, thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tech Putty and a microfiber cloth (any cheapo one will do).
sickred said:
anyone have advice on how to clean the ear piece grill? putting my nexus 4 in my jeans and pockets add lint to the inside of the grill. it annoys me. any advice on how to get it super clean and all black again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get yourself a small camera lens puffer (like a rocket). Great for getting dust and lint out of nooks and crannys, but not enough force to damage anything nor any chemical agents (like in canned air).
my ear piece and mic is a bit dirty, I don't think air will get it out. can you use alcohol or something similar??
alpha-dog said:
my ear piece and mic is a bit dirty, I don't think air will get it out. can you use alcohol or something similar??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use a brush? Like a paintbrush or makeup brushes

S pen cracked

Hey just a warning for you guys the s pen plastic is cheap as we all can tell so today was showing the phone to some friends forgot the s pen on the couch stupid mistake started playing ps3 anyway after i pulled my phone back out i relized the pen wasnt in there turns out some on ended up sittin on it and it cracked right at the bottom of the button still works but bent and very close to breaking in half if i dont get some crazy glue also phone is new so gonna be hard to get just the s pen for at least a month but thats my stupid mistake be careful with your s pens guys
Good luck finding any plastic which can stand up to your mates arse when it's moulded so thin. ?
Sent from my SM-N9005
I don't think anyone would expect the spen to survive someone squatting on it. But thanks for the warning. Ha.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk
Well i made my problem a whole lot worse the rest of the pen casing cracked while it was in the phone i pulled it out pen is still fine but top half of the plastic casing is locked in there any one have any idea how to get it out. Theres a samsung repair center in my area but i dont want go there if i dont need too i can open the cover up and take it out but im afarid of voidinh the warrenty
It wasn't clever putting it back in like that. The pen is held with a small sprung clip which locates a tiny grove on the pen about 12mm from the tip, that will hold the tip in the phone fairly well.
Your choices are very limited, if it was me I would take the back cover off, look at the pattern in the plastic where the pen goes & drill a tiny hole about 3mm from the end .. ( this will be between the tip of the pen & the clip) use a thick sewing needle or tooth pick innthat hole to push the broken end past the clip & it will slide out on its own.
When done a spot of black glue on the hole if you want.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Pat. said:
It wasn't clever putting it back in like that. The pen is held with a small sprung clip which locates a tiny grove on the pen about 12mm from the tip, that will hold the tip in the phone fairly well.
Your choices are very limited, if it was me I would take the back cover off, look at the pattern in the plastic where the pen goes & drill a tiny hole about 3mm from the end .. ( this will be between the tip of the pen & the clip) use a thick sewing needle or tooth pick innthat hole to push the broken end past the clip & it will slide out on its own.
When done a spot of black glue on the hole if you want.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting while right now i have the pen the tip everything when i pull it out but the top plastic covering on the pen is the part that cracked off and is stuck so i might be able to find some kind of long thin needle and push the clip but im just gonna get samsung to do it cause its still under warrenty of course its a hassle to find the time to go in but its good to have a samsung store in the area
I can't see any way they would remove it
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Pat. said:
I can't see any way they would remove it
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think you understand the part the broke heres a pic of the pen
Yes I do. All my posts have been on the understanding that part of the casing at the tip is left in your phone. The small hole I am suggesting is up the top end (near the the on/off switch).
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Pat. said:
Yes I do. All my posts have been on the understanding that part of the casing at the tip is left in your phone. The small hole I am suggesting is up the top end (near the the on/off switch).
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok so you mean drill a hole in the casing put in a needle pull out right ? Also wondering if I take off just the back plate there's no void stickers on there right ?
Small hole to put something in to PUSH the part past the little clip & it will slide the rest of the way on its own & out of the phone.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Only remove battery cover same as when inserting sim or sd. . No void doing that but small hole might void if you don't fill after with black glue
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
There is a void sticker just past the tip of the pen chamber. You need to remove the screw under it to get the back plate off.
Sent from my SM-N9005
Pat. said:
Only remove battery cover same as when inserting sim or sd. . No void doing that but small hole might void if you don't fill after with black glue
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Advicing a guy that sits on the spen until it cracks and then puts it back in the slot to drill a note 3 ain't very wise imo!
what I would do is this: get a long and thin needle , bend it 2 mm with a precision plier at the tip, and fish the missing part from the slot.
it will work easy .
good luck
GMoneyDTP said:
Well i made my problem a whole lot worse the rest of the pen casing cracked while it was in the phone i pulled it out pen is still fine but top half of the plastic casing is locked in there any one have any idea how to get it out. Theres a samsung repair center in my area but i dont want go there if i dont need too i can open the cover up and take it out but im afarid of voidinh the warrenty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must know this already by now and maybe this won't help your situation but just before you said what I quoted I was thinking: "man now he will need to leave it out." Next I read what fallowed... I hope in future similar situation you will be more "aware".
Good luck mate
Sent from my SM-N900W8 using xda premium
heavylift said:
Advicing a guy that sits on the spen until it cracks and then puts it back in the slot to drill a note 3 ain't very wise imo!
what I would do is this: get a long and thin needle , bend it 2 mm with a precision plier at the tip, and fish the missing part from the slot.
it will work easy .
good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The small hole is what I would do & it is low risk.
I would not poke things up there as it could damage the retaining clip. "Pen removed" sensor.
In fact some phones that had stylus put a small hole there to allow to blow dust out.
I really don't know why I made the stupid mistake of putting it back in but yeah I have the n900w8 canadain version there's no sticker on any of the back plate screws I'm asking about under it ?
If you can do it without removing void stickers or making a hole it's better but be very careful if you start taking the phone apart. Some screws can have a "paint seal".
Its all good now I opened up the back cover while I was popping it up the piece fell out sensor still works at least for detecting that its out and that I'm away from it so that's good now all I need is some crazy glue To glue it back together and then I'm gonna order a new s pen
PSA!!! Cars are cheap, i crashed my car into the pole while i was playing farmville on my Note 3 and driving at the same time and my bumper split in 2 and broke my radiator and a few other engine parts, but it's not my fault, the car is cheap:good:

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