Database Users

[GUIDE] How to replace a scratched camera

So not that long after getting a SGS2 at launch I managed to get the camera lens scratched. Pictures became fuzzy and useless. I guess some dirt got caught between my desk and the lens and upon nudging my phone the scratch appeared. I have since received follow up scratches further compounding the issue.
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So ladies and gentlemen, as I could not find much help on the subject, I present a quick guide to fixing said problem.
Polish - didn't work. I then discovered that the camera is covered by a protective screen which is integrated with the case. So... flea-bay, a Hong Kong distributor of replacement Samsung Galaxy S2 Housings and ten quid later I am presented with a new case.
1. Clear some space and give it a wipe down, don't want any more scratches eh?
2. Prepare your new back plate by cutting up a screen-protector and putting it over the camera lens. I'm going to redo mine at some point, but it will do for now:
3. Turn off and remove the usual gubbins from your phone (battery, sim, sd)
4. Using a precision cross-head screwdriver, unscrew the five screws on the rear of the phone. Use a small magnet to lift them from their resting position and put them somewhere safe (preferably in a layout you remember for their return trip).
5. The tricky bit is always separating the case. Do not be tempted to ram a screw driver down the side and twist, this will just mess up the case. I just used my finger nails and worked it free.
The top is the least resistive and easiest to get your nail in. Work the top loose and then work down each side a bit at a time. You can use your new case as a guide for where the clips are. Be careful not to snap the clips at the bottom of the phone. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't break anything, and if I can do it, anybody can.
6. You'll notice a couple of things different - strangely, I had an extra electrical connector at the top of my phone, no adverse effects yet.
The speaker system (and probably some other stuff) is embedded in the lower part of the phone.
A precision flat-head screwdriver gently levered on the left will unclip the left side. For the right side pop your screwdriver in from the other side where the battery cover clips into. The speaker part should just pop out.
Mine came out sans-grille. This isn't glued onto the case, so should just lift off, place back onto the speaker component before inserting into your new device.
7. Remove the protective sticker from the inside of the lens screen.
8. Pop the new back onto your phone, starting at the bottom and working your way up the sides evenly.
11. Replace screws, don't over tighten as you may break the plastic threads. Screw lightly anti-clockwise first and you'll feel the thread line up, this reduces the chances of you getting your thread crossed and wrecking it.
10. Remove the button support stickers and other protective coverings
11. Reinstall your gubbins and power up!
12. Snap away
Hope this helps.
Dash

A great guide, maybe I'll use it one day. The only thing i find strange is that i even have a slightly bigger scratch along the lens protection, yet my pictures still look good...

If you look closely at the first image you'll see faint scratches over the centre of the lens. The big one on the edge I don't think has an impact. It took me ages of peering in bright sunlight to spot them.

Dashers said:
If you look closely at the first image you'll see faint scratches over the centre of the lens. The big one on the edge I don't think has an impact. It took me ages of peering in bright sunlight to spot them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to bump this. This thread is interesting as, upon the first day I got this phone I realized that the place the camera is in seems to be an easy target for scratches. I mean, the camera and flash glasses are ridiculously exposed and when you put the phone on any surface it is actually laying directly over them. So, I was wondering, is there any way to protect the camera? I guess a screen protector would ruin picture quality, right?

i wld agree that yes, even with just resting the phone on table with time YOU WILL get some minor scratches.
Dident compromize my camera quality (yet) but i was affraid in time it will.
So i did what OP did-with screen protector i had spare.
I was not in a need to replace anything so i just cut small cube-shape of protector (thin,dare i say cheap one will work best, not some fancy,thick or reflective protector)
and then i just sticked it well outside the camera lens and put case back on. You cannot see it tbh and no picture quality decrease

So I cut square protective folie and put it on the camera glass... but what about glue which comes with protector folie? There are un-glue protectors but I am not sure the will snap to such small area at all....
Really pictures quality didn't decrease?

not at all.
although,my protector was sticky by itself i quess i wld suggest you do the same
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

Im saving this thread for when I scratch mine!

I am going forward to order new housing.
I will follow this guide then !
Thanks
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

great tutorial it should be sticky !!

I just got mine today and will do this swap later today! Checked the case out looks good, looked at the camera lens area and found scratches! Bugged me out that! Turns out there is a plastic covering over it
I got a black s2 which I've polished the chrome bezel off, to make it black and scrubbed the whole back casing to give it that matte finish, I ordered for a white one now to give it that contrasting 'Oreo cookie' look :silly:
Will post pics when done, wish me luck and pray I don't break anything!
UPDATE:
Well I managed to sucessfully do the swap and I must say this device looks killer this way! I am in love with it! The grip seems to have suffered a bit and t (Glossy vs textured) there were some difference between the original and the one I got (a cheap one but fits perfect with good finish) but nothing seems any different function wise.
Sorry for the horrible quality pics as I only had my Nexus 7 with me (Clicking pics with the ffc is a pain) I'll try to get high res images if anyone wants to see...

Good.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

mzone1510 said:
I just got mine today and will do this swap later today! Checked the case out looks good, looked at the camera lens area and found scratches! Bugged me out that! Turns out there is a plastic covering over it
I got a black s2 which I've polished the chrome bezel off, to make it black and scrubbed the whole back casing to give it that matte finish, I ordered for a white one now to give it that contrasting 'Oreo cookie' look :silly:
Will post pics when done, wish me luck and pray I don't break anything!
UPDATE:
Well I managed to sucessfully do the swap and I must say this device looks killer this way! I am in love with it! The grip seems to have suffered a bit and t (Glossy vs textured) there were some difference between the original and the one I got (a cheap one but fits perfect with good finish) but nothing seems any different function wise.
Sorry for the horrible quality pics as I only had my Nexus 7 with me (Clicking pics with the ffc is a pain) I'll try to get high res images if anyone wants to see...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looks very cool! nice ideea man.

Thanks it's really useful

Very interesting.
Got a lot of dust inside the lens ..

Nice post
Great Work helped me very much::: (-:

Hi all! I got scratches all over that protective glass so pictures are unusable...
I want to purchase the part to replace it but i'm not too sure what to get from ebay..I found http://m.ebay.com/itm/141303100240?nav=SEARCH this,but is this what I really need or do I need something else?
Please,if this is not the correct part,can someone link me the correct one?
Thanks in advance!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Free mobile app

Dashers said:
A precision flat-head screwdriver gently levered on the left will unclip the left side. For the right side pop your screwdriver in from the other side where the battery cover clips into. The speaker part should just pop out.
Mine came out sans-grille. This isn't glued onto the case, so should just lift off, place back onto the speaker component before inserting into your new device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I dunno about 2011.. But by 2017 the little rubber band around the speaker was basically fused with that placed on the plastic frame.
In the end anyway, it was just about leveraging a bit more with the screwdriver on the bottom left corner of the thing.
Funnily, I discovered just afterwards that if camera is everything you care about there are alternatives.

Your Xperia Z, after the buzz!

So now Xperia Z has been released for months.
It's still a very cool and beautiful device. With glass covering the both front and the back. :good:
Performance wise, it's amazing. Packing a Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU + Adreno 320 GPU, everything just runs smoothly. :laugh:
But there's one question that's always on my mind, how does you Xperia Z look after using it for months?
Is it still new and shine? Or it has some scratches already? Do you use a cover to protect it?
*Please include photos showing the condition of your Xperia Z now. "
So this is how my Xperia Z looks after 2 months!
It has some scratches at the protector at the back already, front is still in a good condition.
The sides are all fine. I don't use any cover to protect it! HAHA
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Mine looks similar to yours, but got two chips in the rubberish coating from where I've knocked it off the couch on to a tiled floor, both times my heart stopped thinking it must have cracked but luckily it hadn't. Wouldn't dream of wrapping it up in case though as you really can't appreciate how beautiful a device it is otherwise.

You don't use any cover on your xperia Z ? you are wishing for trouble sooner or later mister
The front and back anti-shatter cover is very fragile to scratches, you should at least put a protector on top of the front one imho, at least is my advice.
I have my Z like a fortress with a seperate tempered glass on front and a TPU case on the back. Not saying it will never break but at least i feel more at ease when using the phone on a daily basis.
:victory:

XperienceD said:
Mine looks similar to yours, but got two chips in the rubberish coating from where I've knocked it off the couch on to a tiled floor, both times my heart stopped thinking it must have cracked but luckily it hadn't. Wouldn't dream of wrapping it up in case though as you really can't appreciate how beautiful a device it is otherwise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still haven't found a case that's really worth it. Any suggestion?
I don't like my phone to look very thick because of the case...
knightpt said:
You don't use any cover on your xperia Z ? you are wishing for trouble sooner or later mister
The front and back anti-shatter cover is very fragile to scratches, you should at least put a protector on top of the front one imho, at least is my advice.
I have my Z like a fortress with a seperate tempered glass on front and a TPU case on the back. Not saying it will never break but at least i feel more at ease when using the phone on a daily basis.
:victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have screen protectors on both front and the back. can you show me your Z with the case?
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

LewisGauss said:
I still haven't found a case that's really worth it. Any suggestion?
I don't like my phone to look very thick because of the case...
I have screen protectors on both front and the back. can you show me your Z with the case?
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I strongly RECOMMEND this case: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZ4HLM6/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you don't want any extra bulk added to your phone. I have it and my god the matte smoothness is very nice.

knightpt said:
you should at least put a protector on top of the front one imho, at least is my advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have, front and back, I kept the original plastic on the back for the first week, but had a disaster putting the first two provided protectors on, which I left on for another week but couldn't bare the air pockets made by tiny fibers, so redid them both, un-noticeably off alignment but a perfect painstaking surface to surface contact the second time round.
LewisGauss said:
I still haven't found a case that's really worth it. Any suggestion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not looking.

Removed the anti shatter film last week and love it. It has a few scratches in the rubber where its been knocked. I don't use a case as I like the naked feel.
I usually only keep a phone for about 6-9 months anyway so keeping it pristine as opposed to just using the thing isn't such a big deal to me.
(I'm going to replace it with a Nexus 5 for proper AOSP goodness and it will end up tossed in the drawer with the rest of my old devices lol)
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 4

I have this case:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Leathe...id=1377117922&sr=8-1&keywords=roxfit+xperia+z
Dose a good job too.

mine looks brand new

I have a poetic bumper and have an xtremeguard on the front. Love this phone.
Sent from my C6606 using xda premium

5 months now without a case or cover ( I had a leather book opening type for a week, but it was just to bulky) no major damage, just some slight faint scratches on the back. I keep it in my front trouser pocket with no other items.
A case would spoil it in my opinion.

The only worry that i'm thinking is how long does the waterproof works. Mean, We all charge the phone everyday, so, opening and closing the microusb cover, maybe decrease its hermetic function. I purchased my phone on winter, so i'm wondering if the phone will be still waterproof till summer.

I hardly ever open the covers, the charging dock works very well. Maybe the headphone cover will get worn away though...
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Which charging dock do you use?

caqo71 said:
The only worry that i'm thinking is how long does the waterproof works. Mean, We all charge the phone everyday, so, opening and closing the microusb cover, maybe decrease its hermetic function. I purchased my phone on winter, so i'm wondering if the phone will be still waterproof till summer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try getting the charging dock I hardly open up the flaps, my music is stored at my ipod :thumbup:
Sent from my C6603 using voldemort's nose

N0wy0ud1e said:
Which charging dock do you use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The standard Sony one. I actually bought 2, one for home, one for work.

I got mine on 18th May, so it's 3 months and 3 days old. Mint condition. Screen protector and Nillkin hard case are applied just after unboxing
Buttons are OK, no cosmetic wear, scratches, bumps or any damage whatsoever.

Rassilon7 said:
The standard Sony one. I actually bought 2, one for home, one for work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much for each?
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

2 months using my xperia Z, still 100% like new. Not using any softjacket.
some scratch in back cover within weeks, and I removed the shatterproof, now looking sooo nice! glossy finish, and not-so fingerprint magnet.
And no scratch! I've tested with sharp tweezer.
For my front glass, I've use ordinary clear protective sheet.
Polyamide plastic (bezel) still like new, no dent/chips
Sorry for no photos and my bad english.

Rassilon7 said:
I hardly ever open the covers, the charging dock works very well. Maybe the headphone cover will get worn away though...
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bluetooth headphones, widely available and cheap. Never open a cover again
With the exception of updates.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

Sanded, polished, etched the back case of my phone.

THE STORY:
Since I bought this phone I wanted to do something to the back cover, I just wasn't sure what. Plus I wasn't really set on the idea of doing something to risk damaging a perfectly good (and new at the time) phone. That was until about 2 months ago when I managed to put a small hairline crack in the digitizer. Since the phone was no longer undamaged, yet still 100% functional, I figured why the hell not customize it.
I read awhile ago on XDA about some users discussing what the phone would look like with a polished look but no one was willing to take the plunge. This seemed like a good/fun project now that I didn't care if I screwed it up.
First I used 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper to remove the anodization. While this method was working, it was painstakingly slow to get to bare metal. The interesting thing about 1000 grit though, it doesn't remove the anodizing right away yet takes out a lot of the minor blemishes due to everyday use. This could in turn be used carefully to remove any dings you have without removing the anodizing. In this photo it is hard to see, but the top half near the camera hasn't been sanded, while near the HTC logo it has.
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Since 1000 grit was taking too long, I switched to 400 grit. This seemed to be a decent middle ground. It wasn't too coarse to tear up the aluminum but just enough to take off the anodization a little quicker. You can see I managed to scratch the camera lens cover a bit... don't worry FYI: anodizing can be removed via a chemical bath, but who would be willing to put their whole phone in a vat of liquid....
Now that I was down to bare metal I switched to 3000 grit sandpaper I picked up from O'Reilly's Auto Parts. This smoothed out a lot of the larger scratches from the 400 grit paper and gave a good dull, almost brushed, look to the aluminum.
Now that I had a mostly blemish free surface, I used Turtle Wax Polishing Compound to smooth out any remaining small imperfections. The final step was to use Mothers Aluminum Polish to get a nice mirror finish.
I was pretty satisfied with the result, however, I had to do more...
I recently stumbled across this article on Hack A Day which gave me the inspiration to do the same.
For everyone's information, after polishing the back, this is what your phone will look like after 2 weeks of typical use (for me at least).
Before I started the etching process I had to give the back cover a good re-polishing. Once that was complete I decided on the design I wanted. Typically in most DIY etching, people use some kind of paint or resist to block the areas they don't want etched. Luckily I have an awesome brother-in-law who recently got a hold of an old plotter. So I whipped up a design in Illustrator and he took care of getting me a vinyl cutout to use. Of course I had to go with the two sites I frequent the most as my design... (yes, I know it's a little off center. I got in a hurry ha-ha)
Instead of going with a vinegar and salt solution for my etchant. I decided on a mix of Copper Sulfate, Sodium Bisulfate and table salt. I used a 45% Copper Sulfate, 45% salt, and 10% Sodium Bisulfate mix.
The Copper Sulfate comes as a chunky blue rock/crystal. So I hit it with the mortar and pestle to make dissolve better in water.
After mixing everything in hot water it was time to etch. I used an old 12 volt 1000ma wall wart I had sitting around for my power source. I wired the phone by wrapping it with 1 foot of bare copper wire and tightly wrapping the wire with electrical tape to make sure it would contact the aluminum. I wrapped another wire around a cotton swab tip and connected it to the negative terminal of the wall wart. After making sure the phone was powered off. I connected the positive terminal of the wall wart to the bare wire attached to the phone, making sure it was in contact with the aluminum by testing it with a voltmeter.
Once satisfied with the etch, I cleaned the surface off with a damp paper towel. All that was left was another polish with the Turtle Wax and the Mothers Aluminum Polish. Here is the final result.
A couple of notes:
1. The phone "seems" to get warmer than what it did before (only while watching videos or playing a graphics heavy game). I haven't checked/compared the actual stats, it's just what I have noticed while holding phone.
2. The white plastic that separates the top and bottom will get a little grey from the sanding and polishing. Goof off seems to be a great remedy to make them white again.
3. The scratches on the camera lens protective cover were buffed/polished away while using the Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. Also, the scratches were never over the center portion and did not impact the picture quality while they were there anyway.
4. The speaker phone mic will get compound/polish in it, however a light tap on a table, with the mic facing down, while the compound is still wet removes most of it. Any residual stuff left in the small hole can be removed (CAREFULLY) with the tip of an exacto blade.
5. I have not had any issues with my signal, nor any issues with the mic on the phone since doing this.
I shouldn't have to say this, but anyone who tries this, be careful. You can seriously mess up the phone and I am not responsible if you follow my examples and something goes wrong. Do this at your own risk.
If you would like to do this and have questions or need help, let me know.
-Crack

Looks great mate. Don't know if I could be bothered with all the work myself, but props to you for creating such a unique result.

I wonder if it is posible to polish a black one?

zumyman46 said:
I wonder if it is posible to polish a black one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My brother-in-law's is black... He wants to try all this out, I may report back if he decides to go through with it..

Chrome One...It actually looks amazing.

kinda looks like the m8. Can you put a clear coat or something to seal everything so that it doesnt scratch so easily?

I remember I saw on a truck show there is a sealant that could be used on chrome wheels to keep them shiny and scratch resistant but forgot what the product was called. Without some type of sealant you will get scratches back in no time flat like the I phones do. This is a great idea of if you want a chrome look and the etching is icing on the cake. You are only limited by your imagination. Could really make your phone yours.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

That's awesome mate it looks great in chrome
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

UltraNoob said:
kinda looks like the m8. Can you put a clear coat or something to seal everything so that it doesnt scratch so easily?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about this since this phone is mostly an experiment before picking up the new M8. I forgot who made it, but there is a spray paint that gives the "appearance" of an anodized metallic look in different colors. I know that sounds counterintuitive since I removed the stock anodization, again, this is mainly an experiment. I was thinking of doing some kind of a fade between two colors and then a clear coat.
robgee789 said:
That's awesome mate it looks great in chrome
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I almost wanted to keep it just chrome without the etch, and I almost stopped after seeing the dull brushed aluminum look because I liked it so much..

robgee789 said:
That's awesome mate it looks great in chrome
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking about plastidip??
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Wow, I've never even imagined the One with a "chrome" look like that. It's gorgeous. Unfortunate that it gets scratched up like that, though.

Wow this is epic. How long did the entire process take all together?

tnx FOR SHARING..
I will start polishing very soon. Tnx for great idea and i will post picture result

Good Job!!

First look. After sandpaper i accidentally damage camera lens. But,i try a tip from youtube with toothpaste and now is maybe better than before everything. Just perfect solution for camera lens.. Now i only need to start polishing with some polish paste and we will see resoults soon..

Crackanug said:
My brother-in-law's is black... He wants to try all this out, I may report back if he decides to go through with it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will work the same. Anodizing only creates a hardened surface a few microns thick. The sand paper will rub through this quickly leaving the base aluminium colour underneath. The anodize process is what is used to surface harden and create different coloured aluminium surfaces. If your brother in law expects to have a polished black surface afterwards, he won't.

diselhead said:
First look. After sandpaper i accidentally damage camera lens. But,i try a tip from youtube with toothpaste and now is maybe better than before everything. Just perfect solution for camera lens.. Now i only need to start polishing with some polish paste and we will see resoults soon..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks good so far. :good:
CaelanT said:
Will work the same. Anodizing only creates a hardened surface a few microns thick. The sand paper will rub through this quickly leaving the base aluminium colour underneath. The anodize process is what is used to surface harden and create different coloured aluminium surfaces. If your brother in law expects to have a polished black surface afterwards, he won't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I recall, those microns sure put up a good fight against the sand paper...

Crackanug said:
If I recall, those microns sure put up a good fight against the sand paper...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
65-70 HRC..................yes...............very hard surface after anodizing. :fingers-crossed:
Sandpaper is also not the best medium for breaking through it either, but definitely the safest to prevent damaging the aluminium below it.

renehd2 said:
Are you talking about plastidip??
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hot damn this looks gorgeous just plainly polished. The chrome/mirror look is niiiice - might have get scrubbing this afternoon.

I kind of want to sand my One down and hit it with some automotive grade basecoat and a few coats of clear coat. Anyone have any experience? Will it give me the beautiful glossy finish I think it will?

Z2 camera scratches easily

I have my Z2 so 2months and I'm beggining to see some scratches on the rear camera in direct light. There are no problems in making pictures tho. I'm really careful with my device too.
FIX:
asif4self said:
Put a tiny drop of water on the lens and gently rub the corner of a credit card onto the lens. I had the same issue with my HTC One M8 lens and performed the same method and its crystal clear now.
PS: Don't rub hard or you break the lens glass.
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I've got them too, mine is 2 months old.

6 months old and did not have a single scratch. That is anti ultraviolet coating. Wipe it out and everything is fine.

El.Guaje said:
6 months old and did not have a single scratch. That is anti ultraviolet coating. Wipe it out and everything is fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its been there for an purpose.No hard feelings,but when its gone i doubt everything will be like it was there when its wiped out. I have the same issue and rly don't know how did that happened when i bought a back screen protector + case the same day.. I hope your words are true tho and this wont affect the lense. Havent noticed difference in the pictures in daylight tho.

El.Guaje said:
6 months old and did not have a single scratch. That is anti ultraviolet coating. Wipe it out and everything is fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With what did you wipe it?

same thing here

I have the same i think its even worse than yours..

Lens Scratches
beni8978 said:
With what did you wipe it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Put a tiny drop of water on the lens and gently rub the corner of a credit card onto the lens. I had the same issue with my HTC One M8 lens and performed the same method and its crystal clear now.
PS: Don't rub hard or you break the lens glass.

Some people use toothpaste and it works good but..
Like someone said earlier it's there for a purpose. It's the anti-reflective coating and when you will rub it off the quality of photos will deteriorate in direct light, no question about that. It won't be that much visible but you should know about that before you do it, not after.

Any way sony could fix that for us? Or someone tried to give his Z2 to sony centre and get an replacement camera glass? (btw the picture u gave is zoomed only not taken with/without ar coating. And about cleaning it..im too afraid that i could scratch the glass itself.
Just read abit for that problem.It occurs to every phone with AR coating camera glass and the problem is that the lens is exposed to excessive amount of sun light of heat,the AR coating will start cracking itself cos of the hight temperature.Lots of users reproted that the AR coating started to flake off and their pictures began to get blurry.Cleaning the lense glass with alcohol will do the job and bring the sharpness to your pictures,but will affect the light influence in the pics. I will personaly try giving my phone for repair/replacement.

effective said:
btw the picture u gave is zoomed only not taken with/without ar coating
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, look carefully at the position of cars, guardrails etc.
effective said:
Any way sony could fix that for us? Or someone tried to give his Z2 to sony centre and get an replacement camera glass?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sony doesn't want to repair this (they say it's a user fault - bad usage of phone) just like HTC (One M8 have a much bigger issue with this coating on One M8).
To repair this you need to replace back panel, lens cover is integrated.
effective said:
Just read abit for that problem.It occurs to every phone with AR coating camera glass and the problem is that the lens is exposed to excessive amount of sun light of heat,the AR coating will start cracking itself cos of the hight temperature.Lots of users reproted that the AR coating started to flake off and their pictures began to get blurry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not entirely true. Every good camera lenses have this coating. After long usage it may start to flake if it's poor quality. Another reason may be bad treating with chemicals.
In smartphone department quality of this coating is not as good (in most cases whole smartphone is cheaper than proper camera lenses). When there is some problem at manufacturing stage (like in One M8) or just very poor quality control (Z, Z1, Z2, compacts all have this problem) we see that this coating starts to flake very early. Sony and HTC should repair this, but they can say that you used chemicals cleaning your phone and destroyed it yourself and you can't do much about it.
Heat from excessive amount of sun light can be a reason too, but mostly in sunglasses left in direct sunlight for too long. In camera lenses (standalone or smartphone) destroyed coating is a result of bad manufacturing and bad usage, MOSTLY - not always of course.

monry said:
Nope, look carefully at the position of cars, guardrails etc.
Sony doesn't want to repair this (they say it's a user fault - bad usage of phone) just like HTC (One M8 have a much bigger issue with this coating on One M8).
To repair this you need to replace back panel, lens cover is integrated.
That's not entirely true. Every good camera lenses have this coating. After long usage it may start to flake if it's poor quality. Another reason may be bad treating with chemicals.
In smartphone department quality of this coating is not as good (in most cases whole smartphone is cheaper than proper camera lenses). When there is some problem at manufacturing stage (like in One M8) or just very poor quality control (Z, Z1, Z2, compacts all have this problem) we see that this coating starts to flake very early. Sony and HTC should repair this, but they can say that you used chemicals cleaning your phone and destroyed it yourself and you can't do much about it.
Heat from excessive amount of sun light can be a reason too, but mostly in sunglasses left in direct sunlight for too long. In camera lenses (standalone or smartphone) destroyed coating is a result of bad manufacturing and bad usage, MOSTLY - not always of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess the only thing i can do is to wipe it off and deal with it than.No guarantee that if i get an replacement (which wont happen) the ar coaing wont flake off again. :silly: Strange is that i have an ZR as well - dived in salt water and stuff with it and the coating its perfectly fine..

beni8978 said:
With what did you wipe it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just use axeton

effective said:
I guess the only thing i can do is to wipe it off and deal with it than.No guarantee that if i get an replacement (which wont happen) the ar coaing wont flake off again. :silly: Strange is that i have an ZR as well - dived in salt water and stuff with it and the coating its perfectly fine..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the exact issue on my Z tho.

Ok.Just to share with you guys.Ive removed the AR coating (or what was left of it) and the glass is crystal clear now , as the pictures i made from now on.They are sharp without distorsion and noise or blury.It helped me alot.The only disatvantage is that if direct sunlight fell on an object that you want to snap.It will get abit blurry,shiny.But there is a fix for that too.If you want to focus that object,just zoom abit,step closer to it,or fix the exposure of the picture before taking it.These things will do the job perfectly.Cheers.

I used a dab of toothpaste and a cotton swab. Took the scratched and blurry coating off without damaging the camera lens. Rinse afterward. I would advise against using any harsh chemicals.

monry said:
Nope, look carefully at the position of cars, guardrails etc.
Sony doesn't want to repair this (they say it's a user fault - bad usage of phone) just like HTC (One M8 have a much bigger issue with this coating on One M8).
To repair this you need to replace back panel, lens cover is integrated.
Sony does repair it! Got my back panel replaced with a new one, got my phone today only, it's as good as new!
I had the same problem, took it to the service centre, they submitted it and gave back an almost new (with back panel replaced) phone in just 6 days. So please don't reach any conclusion before you try the proper way.
Thanks.
Sent from my D6502 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

effective said:
Sony does repair it! Got my back panel replaced with a new one, got my phone today only, it's as good as new!
I had the same problem, took it to the service centre, they submitted it and gave back an almost new (with back panel replaced) phone in just 6 days. So please don't reach any conclusion before you try the proper way.
Thanks.
Sent from my D6502 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Poland Sony doesn't repair it and it didn't repair in Z or Z1 as well. In most cases at forums people have problems with warranty repair this too so maybe you are the chosen one?

Had the same thing & had some kind of stains that i think were caused by water, even ruined the quality in daylight :\ fixed it by rubbing shampoo on the lens "sounds silly but it actually worked "

The same for me and maybe worse.. BUT THEY DISAPPEARED AFTER FEW MONTHS LATER!!

Zagg Glass Curve Elite

Edit: DO NOT BUY. You will be disappointed. In my opinion, it needs recalling and redesigning.
Note: please see edit at bottom.
Thought I'd talk about the Zagg Glass Curve Elite as it seems to be overlooked in favour of these LOCA types.
I upgraded from an S7 EDGE and in the first few months of owning it I spent a lot of money and for the most part wasted that money trying to find a decent glass screen protector for the edged screen with not much joy. The issue as everyone knows by now is that virtually none are fully adhesive.
I've used Zagg products for years now and have never had reason to fault them, but they did mess up their first iteration of a TGSP for the S7 EDGE. Since then, I had given Zagg a wide birth.
After pre- ordering my S9+ I set about looking at how TGSP manufacturers had come along. I found of course, the Whitestone, but the process seemed complex and the price was pretty high for a TGSP. But what put me off was the use of LOCA. It just doesn't sit right with me.
Then I noticed Zagg were now offering a full adhesive TGSP without the use of LOCA. I placed an order and waited. I was sceptical after the S7 EDGE version (which wasn't fully adhesive). However it arrived today and I have to say, they've come good again for me.
Installation was dead easy. Clean the screen. Attach the positioning support. Apply the protector. Once on, it was just a case of squeezing out the air bubbles.
I thought I might have issues with cases as it does cover a lot of the edges, however to my surprise my Spigen Tough Armour fit fine (as shown). Sensitivity seems fine, although I did enable the enhanced touch option in settings as a precaution. The glass feels great and seems pretty tough.
Edit: Having used this for a couple of days now I have to point out one area where this protector falls short of being perfect and that's on the two side edges. For some reason known only to Zagg, they added thin black borders. At first I didn't notice it as a problem but now they're irritating me constantly. They obscure a portion of the edge meaning you can't see parts of the screen along that edge at times. And because it doesn't go all the way around the edge, you can see screen bleeding through on the outer edge. Its unsightly.
I've removed my recommendation as a result. It's such a shame because it would otherwise be perfect.
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Question. I noticed with a lot of the glass protectors on the S8+, if you looked at the screen along the edge of the phone, it didn't cover everything. You would see a sliver of screen past the protector. Or the small black boarder would cover part of the screen. Could you check this with yours? Maybe a picture or two?
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

crzycrkr said:
Question. I noticed with a lot of the glass protectors on the S8+, if you looked at the screen along the edge of the phone, it didn't cover everything. You would see a sliver of screen past the protector. Or the small black boarder would cover part of the screen. Could you check this with yours? Maybe a picture or two?
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can confirm that this is still the case. However, I wouldn't want it to go any further otherwise it would be incompatible with the majority of cases. It covers enough of the edge to not feel the edge of the protector when swiping in from either side of screen.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Is it really full adhesive? How strong is it?

xterminater07 said:
Is it really full adhesive? How strong is it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% full adhesive. I've not tried lifting it but it seems like it would need a good bit of leverage to pull it off, which is good as the plastic fitting frame caught it as I removed it, but the protector did not budge or crack.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

My experience with the zagg was not so good.....
I am experienced with installing TGSPs
I did follow the instructions to the letter!
One edge seemed to work well.....the other, not so much
I could get all the bubbles out, but then it wanted to lift back off all by itself?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fMPr0VBhia3ThyjRZbi7D3InFnIbp6wN/view?usp=drivesdk
And some photos of the good edge, showing coverage

Chris_c81 said:
Thought I'd talk about the Zagg Glass Curve Elite as it seems to be overlooked in favour of these LOCA types.
I upgraded from an S7 EDGE and in the first few months of owning it I spent a lot of money and for the most part wasted that money trying to find a decent glass screen protector for the edged screen with not much joy. The issue as everyone knows by now is that virtually none are fully adhesive.
I've used Zagg products for years now and have never had reason to fault them, but they did mess up their first iteration of a TGSP for the S7 EDGE. Since then, I had given Zagg a wide birth.
After pre- ordering my S9+ I set about looking at how TGSP manufacturers had come along. I found of course, the Whitestone, but the process seemed complex and the price was pretty high for a TGSP. But what put me off was the use of LOCA. It just doesn't sit right with me.
Then I noticed Zagg were now offering a full adhesive TGSP without the use of LOCA. I placed an order and waited. I was sceptical after the S7 EDGE version (which wasn't fully adhesive). However it arrived today and I have to say, they've come good again for me.
Installation was dead easy. Clean the screen. Attach the positioning support. Apply the protector. Once on, it was just a case of squeezing out the air bubbles.
I thought I might have issues with cases as it does cover a lot of the edges, however to my surprise my Spigen Tough Armour fit fine (as shown). Sensitivity seems fine, although I did enable the enhanced touch option in settings as a precaution. The glass feels great and seems pretty tough.
Overall I would highly recommend this for those looking for a good alternative to the Whitestone.View attachment 4445216
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank for this post

laurie9300 said:
My experience with the zagg was not so good.....
I am experienced with installing TGSPs
I did follow the instructions to the letter!
One edge seemed to work well.....the other, not so much
I could get all the bubbles out, but then it wanted to lift back off all by itself?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fMPr0VBhia3ThyjRZbi7D3InFnIbp6wN/view?usp=drivesdk
And some photos of the good edge, showing coverage
View attachment 4445706View attachment 4445707
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the inherent problem with screen protectors unfortunately. One users experience (generally related to how the install went for the user) can differ significantly.
I'll get some photos up of mine at next opportunity. But I cannot complain at the moment. It's the best TGSP I've had for edged screen phones (of which the S9+ is my second after the S7). Sorry it didn't work out for you man.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Chris_c81 said:
100% full adhesive. I've not tried lifting it but it seems like it would need a good bit of leverage to pull it off, which is good as the plastic fitting frame caught it as I removed it, but the protector did not budge or crack.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the zagg curve down and cover the whole thing, or is it right where the edge tapered off like this one? https://www.amazon.com/Tempered-Gla...&sr=8-1&keywords=galaxy+s9+plus+full+adhesive

xterminater07 said:
Does the zagg curve down and cover the whole thing, or is it right where the edge tapered off like this one? https://www.amazon.com/Tempered-Gla...&sr=8-1&keywords=galaxy+s9+plus+full+adhesive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It curves somewhat down the sides but not enough to interfere with cases. I'll get some photos up in a bit.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Chris_c81 said:
Can confirm that this is still the case. However, I wouldn't want it to go any further otherwise it would be incompatible with the majority of cases. It covers enough of the edge to not feel the edge of the protector when swiping in from either side of screen.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a black boarder around the sides? I don't mind if it doesn't go all the way, but if there's boarder it cuts off part of the screen
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

crzycrkr said:
Is there a black boarder around the sides? I don't mind if it doesn't go all the way, but if there's boarder it cuts off part of the screen
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes there is a black border. With the edge panel set to default width it obscures 95% of the 'grab' area.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Photos added.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Chris_c81 said:
Yes there is a black border. With the edge panel set to default width it obscures 95% of the 'grab' area.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn, that really kills it for me. Thanks
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

crzycrkr said:
Damn, that really kills it for me. Thanks
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll be honest, the more I'm using it now, the more I'm noticing that black border. If they had made the edges clear it would have been perfect. I can't complain about everything else though, it's still a great alternative to the only other full adhesive option in my opinion.
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I've just read on Reddit that apparently the product has been recalled. I wonder if it's anything to do with its design and those black borders.
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Chris_c81 said:
I've just read on Reddit that apparently the product has been recalled. I wonder if it's anything to do with its design and those black borders.
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I pulled up their support chat and asked about it.
"(09:38:03 PM) Jenn: At&T was told to send them to us because we sold out first and we needed them haha"

Why would they put the black border on the sides?!?! Come on Zagg get it together. I'm a long time Zagg customer, but with the S8+ I chose to use film protectors due to not many TGSP options. I thought there was finally going to be a good product from them. **sigh**

MrClean69 said:
Why would they put the black border on the sides?!?! Come on Zagg get it together. I'm a long time Zagg customer, but with the S8+ I chose to use film protectors due to not many TGSP options. I thought there was finally going to be a good product from them. **sigh**
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I gave up on my S8+ and was pretty happy with Dendrobates film protectors. I just replace them when they start showing wear.
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

I think I might speak to them about a refund to be honest. The borders are now irritating me then I thought they would.
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