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[Q] possible to replace Nexus 4 glass back for something else?

Is possible to replace Nexus 4 glass back for something else?
Before I had this phone, I replaced my Iphones back cover with one found at cnn.cn.
I am wondering if this is possible with the nexus 4 and if so how I would go about doing it.
thanks

No. Not yet anyway. They have carbon fiber body protectors though

Not yet. Hopefully companies start making some though. I love the glass back, but don't think it will hold up too long. I'd love to replace it for a carbon fiber or leather back.

Some reviews mentioned that the back glass is somehow linked to the board inside which cannot be replaced easily

The glass back contains the NFC chip, and some antennas if I remember correctly.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

The glass back doesn't contain anything. The back is multiple layers. The outer layer (the glass) is stuck to a plastic back w/ sticky stuff. On the other side of the plastic back frame is where the antenna's are stuck. It's basically a sandwich. Antenna's etc, on one side, plastic in the middle, and glass on the other side.
You can see this here http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/QOafFZVDlGVyMbhj.huge
The question is how sticky is the glue stuff they use, and is it reusable if removed.

Anything available as of now, i need the back body ... the glass is shattered badly

so the glass is stuck to the back of the frame of the handset ?
So all we need to do is, machine some plastic plates the same as the glass and re-adhere the new back on ?
Anyone with a smashed Glass back can try this ? cut a 4mm piece of black perspex and replace . . . .
cant see why LG/GOOGLE don't make some nice non-glass replacements . . . .

http://dbrand.com/submodels/nexus-4/
Not a replacement for the glass but may achieve what you're looking for

ziddey said:
http://dbrand.com/submodels/nexus-4/
Not a replacement for the glass but may achieve what you're looking for
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Yup, I got the Carbon Fiber one and it is the bomb.

Krunk83 said:
Yup, I got the Carbon Fiber one and it is the bomb.
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Can you post a couple of pics how does it look on your device?

ziddey said:
http://dbrand.com/submodels/nexus-4/
Not a replacement for the glass but may achieve what you're looking for
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Thanks for the info i have contacted them to see if I can get the template size they use for these vinyls so I can machine a perspex back for a nexus 4.
if anyone else knows this info could they post it up ?

Krunk83 said:
Yup, I got the Carbon Fiber one and it is the bomb.
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Do you feel these skins will actually help protecting the glass back? I'm not really talking about scratches, but mainly drops...
And eh, do they stick nicely? I hate skins, but this is just something else.

Doubtful about crack/shatter protection... more for scratches/personalization or for concealment when your glass does inevitably shatter

ziddey said:
Doubtful about crack/shatter protection... more for scratches/personalization or for concealment when your glass does inevitably shatter
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Yeah it won't stop the glass shattering, people who have kept their factory plastic covers on have still shattered.
The glass is brittle like any glass , gorilla glass is just scratch resistant / repellant but it will scratch if you use something with the same hardness as glass ( that's sand particles / building site dust / metal swarf ) and a hit on the edge of the phone where the glass meets the from will shatter the glass 90% of the time.
Get a rubber case and screen protector if your worried, I scuffed up my HTC one x good with out them and I'm not taking chances with the nexus . .
The only way to stop this is a replacement back cover made of another material.

This might be what I am looking for. It's our pretty anti slip proof?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Krunk83 said:
Yup, I got the Carbon Fiber one and it is the bomb.
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Can you please post a picture... It would really help to make a decision whether to buy it or not

Yes pics please, these look cool
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app

gianton said:
Can you post a couple of pics how does it look on your device?
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abs_tract said:
Yes pics please, these look cool
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
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Peter1856 said:
Can you please post a picture... It would really help to make a decision whether to buy it or not
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found some myself, we already have a thread about these
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2095261&page=4

hi guys, just ordered one of these, hope this helps!
http://www.spareslg.com/tampa-de-bateria-lg-optimus-nexus-4-e960-acq86231201.html

glass and scratches

anyway, this phone gets micro-scratches with pleasure
the gnex glass was much stronger

The phone has an Anti-Shatter protective film on the screen. It's the film that scratches not the glass. The glass is tempered and is scratch resistant.
I personally use Nillkin Amazing tempered glass screen protector on top of ASF. Now that you have scratched it up you could consider removing it. Do bare in mind that you will loose the Sony logo and possibly your screen warranty ( dependent on the region)
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

shem2409 said:
The phone has an Anti-Shatter protective film on the screen. It's the film that scratches not the glass. The glass is tempered and is scratch resistant.
I personally use Nillkin Amazing tempered glass screen protector on top of ASF. Now that you have scratched it up you could consider removing it. Do bare in mind that you will loose the Sony logo and possibly your screen warranty ( dependent on the region)
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
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aha ok ...
no, nothing serious, they can be seen only by an angle under strong light

thegios said:
aha ok ...
no, nothing serious, they can be seen only by an angle under strong light
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Consider getting a screen protector. The glass ones are awesome. There is a thread in Q&A section.
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

Hey Shem.
Thanks for the video, that looks fantatsic.
One thing I would say is the protector doesn't seem to sit in line with the edge of the screen, almost a bit of an eye sore, but your scratch test has me wondering if it would be worth overlooking that for the clear protection it provides.
Is there any alternatives that you would recommend? I tried finding that particular thread you mentioned but not quite tracked it down. I'll keep digging
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

Written said:
Hey Shem.
Thanks for the video, that looks fantatsic.
One thing I would say is the protector doesn't seem to sit in line with the edge of the screen, almost a bit of an eye sore, but your scratch test has me wondering if it would be worth overlooking that for the clear protection it provides.
Is there any alternatives that you would recommend? I tried finding that particular thread you mentioned but not quite tracked it down. I'll keep digging
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
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Here is the thread I had in mind: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2519604
and here is one more: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2492878
They were actually in the Accessories section (sorry for that). Tbh I am happy that the screen protector is not a perfect fit as it makes it easier to apply it to the phone. If you use a case that could also be a lifesaver.

shem2409 said:
Here is the thread I had in mind: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2519604
and here is one more: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2492878
They were actually in the Accessories section (sorry for that). Tbh I am happy that the screen protector is not a perfect fit as it makes it easier to apply it to the phone. If you use a case that could also be a lifesaver.
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a reliable site where to buy the nillkin?
what abot the grando one?
UPDATE: ok never mind I have ordered this one http://theglass-m.com/collections/f...red-glass-screen-protector-for-sony-xperia-z1
as it's the thinnest of all

thegios said:
a reliable site where to buy the nillkin?
what abot the grando one?
UPDATE: ok never mind I have ordered this one http://theglass-m.com/collections/f...red-glass-screen-protector-for-sony-xperia-z1
as it's the thinnest of all
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I got mine from a polish equivalent of Ebay. I am afraid I don't know any other sources. Try ebay, amazon etc or google it.

shem2409 said:
I got mine from a polish equivalent of Ebay. I am afraid I don't know any other sources. Try ebay, amazon etc or google it.
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And of course, I ordered the glass protector this morning and this afternoon the phone fell and got two chips in the protection film that can be clearly seen on white backgroud, and felt with the nails...
Is it difficult to remove the sony film?

thegios said:
And of course, I ordered the glass protector this morning and this afternoon the phone fell and got two chips in the protection film that can be clearly seen on white backgroud, and felt with the nails...
Is it difficult to remove the sony film?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will need something sharp and some patience. There is a video somewhere. Do a YouTube search.
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

front screen anti-shatter film
I has repaired the front screen anti-shatter film due to the abrasion. And use a new screen protector to protect them.

Holiday proof my phone?

What's the best way to holiday proof my phone to protect it from sand etc? Some sort of special case?
Screen protector is probably a must.
Something to cover charging and headphones ports?
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

ephumuris said:
What's the best way to holiday proof my phone to protect it from sand etc? Some sort of special case?
Screen protector is probably a must.
Something to cover charging and headphones ports?
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
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First a tempered glass screen protector

Can you elaborate what even is that? Tempered glass? How do you apply it if its glass?
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

ephumuris said:
Can you elaborate what even is that? Tempered glass? How do you apply it if its glass?
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
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tempered glass is a screen protector that can be as strong as glass, for example if you are using it and you drop your phone and the tempered glass gets cracked you phone screen would be left intact, watch pass 3min mark

That's good. Looks like a gel type case should be enough. With a tempered glass screen protector. Just ordered port covers too for charger and headphone ports. They are for an S3 but exactly the same ports so should be fine.
I just don't want sand to scratch the phone or clog up any ports.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

ephumuris said:
That's good. Looks like a gel type case should be enough. With a tempered glass screen protector. Just ordered port covers too for charger and headphone ports. They are for an S3 but exactly the same ports so should be fine.
I just don't want sand to scratch the phone or clog up any ports.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
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yea screen protector is very important when going to beach I learned this when I got the lifeproof case for my s3(nuud which I liked because it was waterproof and you had direct access to touchscreen) sadly sand doesn't agree with gorilla glass it scratches it like a cat and it's scratching post so tempered glass will help you just have to be careful with cases because the tempered glass is somewhat thicker than a regular screen protector and if you have a case which meets a specific size and rest on screen it may not fit together with tempered glass

Thanks for the help and suggestions. If anyone else wants to input further please feel free.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

Tempered glass question

Are there any tempered glass screen protectors that cover the whole glass screen or most of it?

Most of it. As note r display is curved at edge no matter what protector you use cant cover whole. I am using gorilla glass 3 screen protector. Most probably 25mm thick.

fahad2mail said:
Most of it. As note r display is curved at edge no matter what protector you use cant cover whole. I am using gorilla glass 3 screen protector. Most probably 25mm thick.
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That is thicker than phone! 2.5 mm?
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

darekz said:
That is thicker than phone! 2.5 mm?
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app
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sorry 0.25mm. lol.....

fahad2mail said:
Most of it. As note r display is curved at edge no matter what protector you use cant cover whole. I am using gorilla glass 3 screen protector. Most probably 25mm thick.
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Seems weird to use a Gorilla 3 protection on a screen that is Gorilla 4

Woods97 said:
Are there any tempered glass screen protectors that cover the whole glass screen or most of it?
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I've got a 0.18 mm tempered glass protector, it does cover most of it, but as @fahad2mail said, due to the curve at the edge there will be no tempered glass that cover the whole note 4. But who knows if there will be one in the future.

I have a tempered glass screen protector but the halo effect is horrible, I've only left it on there as it's keeping the screen pristine.

dladz said:
I have a tempered glass screen protector but the halo effect is horrible, I've only left it on there as it's keeping the screen pristine.
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What is this halo effect people are talking about. I'm sorry perhaps a dumb question. But thought I'd ask.
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

Limeybastard said:
What is this halo effect people are talking about. I'm sorry perhaps a dumb question. But thought I'd ask.
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=56031815&postcount=129
You see the bubble around the edge? That's halo effect.

ohbreeeezy said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=56031815&postcount=129
You see the bubble around the edge? That's halo effect.
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Thank you for the clarification. Yes, I get that a little around the edges but I find removing grease and contaminats off via a little bit of IPA mixed with water allows it to sit tight with little "halo" effect.
My current Supashieldz b ( $6.99 ) from fleabay has minimal halo effect.

protecting?

How will you guys be protecting the device? Totally naked? Liquid screen protector on the front? Tempered glass? No cases yet and this might be the first phone I don't want to cover up with anything but a dbrand skin on the back because of fingerprints.
The idea of the liquid screen protector is appealing. Also maybe using one of those types of liquids to add some water resistance

km8j said:
How will you guys be protecting the device? Totally naked? Liquid screen protector on the front? Tempered glass? No cases yet and this might be the first phone I don't want to cover up with anything but a dbrand skin on the back because of fingerprints.
The idea of the liquid screen protector is appealing. Also maybe using one of those types of liquids to add some water resistance
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I'd like a super thin case but it doesn't look like there are going to be any.
Tempered glass is a must. I do that on all my phones.
There is another case thread:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/essential-phone/accessories/case-online-t3660561/page2

Never a case, always a skin (waiting for dbrand) and would be the 1st time I use a screen protector .. don't know if i'm going to like the plastic feel instead of glass but i'll give it a try.

Azdian said:
Never a case, always a skin (waiting for dbrand) and would be the 1st time I use a screen protector .. don't know if i'm going to like the plastic feel instead of glass but i'll give it a try.
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Could do the liquid ones. They are pretty good.

No case, not this phone. It's a masterpiece that needs to be showcased lol.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

z28tovette said:
No case, not this phone. It's a masterpiece that needs to be showcased lol.
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Says everyone, until you drop it once and have a big marr too corner. Then you'll need a case to hide the ugliness

goronok said:
says everyone, until you drop it once and have a big marr too corner. Then you'll need a case to hide the ugliness
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trust me you dont need a case, i went to the essential event and all the employees dropped there phone from waist high, some demonstrated it more and not a single scratch or damage to the screen or titanium frame, i mean none, you have to see this in person yourself, its awesom,e.

I haven't used a case or screen protector on a phone in over 3 years and I don't think I ever will. It completely ruins the experience of owning a flagship phone. I buy insurance and take my chances.

Azdian said:
Never a case, always a skin (waiting for dbrand) and would be the 1st time I use a screen protector .. don't know if i'm going to like the plastic feel instead of glass but i'll give it a try.
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Wouldn't a glass screen protector solve that problem?

bestlands said:
trust me you dont need a case, i went to the essential event and all the employees dropped there phone from waist high, some demonstrated it more and not a single scratch or damage to the screen or titanium frame, i mean none, you have to see this in person yourself, its awesom,e.
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On to what though? And vinyl or wood floor would make sense why it didn't damage it. Now if it was concrete then I'd be surprised.
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