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Update September 2 year 2019
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Status: Solved
Final edit: Within 5 business days the replacement original Cover for the Tab S5e arrived, and I am happy to tell you it solved the problem. Evenmore, the second heat wave started 1 day later, and this replacement from another production day hold up strong without the issues mentioned below. The second heatwave reached 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit) inside my house, and it did not have the problem described lengthy below. Also now the weather has cooled down a lot and it is great it feels like dry rubber.
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Solved by swapping with another production date
I removed the Serial number of this individual Cover Case for the Tab S5e since swapping it did solve the problem. Also for others to read, you can ask for a replacement in similar circumstances mentioned a different production date. This unit is produced at an entirely different date, more than weeks later. Since I tested it even with the second heatwave, and it is now much more cooler, climate change affects us all, here we never reached such high temperatures before recording of temperatures started. And I am happy to have tested the replacement works as wished.
The story I think might be appropriate is that Samsung might produce for different climates, I did produce for example different kind of Chocolate in the Chocolate factory for different countries with my fellows.
Final words about my individual situation, I did not see even the second heatwave coming, so the replacement unit was put too the test right on.
I have the original Samsung Tab S5e cover for my Tab S5e tablet. The good news is the tablet works great.
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Status: SOLVED
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Original mention of this situation below
But I have a problem with the Tab S5e Cover, some call it sticky rubber, but I read some about production of artificial rubber and real rubber, and I think it is a procedure known as ' Reversion '. This means what goes right during production of the (semi)synthetic fabric inverses the fabric. Reasons are due to for example Sunlight, Oxygen or normal Air with normal Humidity or just your hands and fingers.
The original Tab S5e Cover is probably mainly made of a Thermoplastic elastomer.
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Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), sometimes referred to as thermoplastic rubbers, are a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers (usually a plastic and a rubber) that consist of materials with both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties. While most elastomers are thermosets, thermoplastics are in contrast relatively easy to use in manufacturing, for example, by injection molding. Thermoplastic elastomers show advantages typical of both rubbery materials and plastic materials. The benefit of using thermoplastic elastomers is the ability to stretch to moderate elongations and return to its near original shape creating a longer life and better physical range than other materials.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoplastic_elastomer
Since this cover is original and only a few months on the market, this natural process of Reversion should not happen at this product age. Products like this should for example show this only after many years or not at all.
The problem described in a practical situation, I take the tablet and open the Cover, I hold the tablet with the hands around the Cover. At first I notice nothing, but after an hour it is like as if the Rubber like Cover is melting and releasing some sort of glue, hence it at places where I touched it or hold it, feel like the backside of a poster sticker. These are products from fabrication probably reacting with even the small amount of heat and moisture that is continuously released from human hands.
The annoying thing mostly is after using the tablet my hands feel as if like under a glue sticky substance. I looked up what substances this could be and found after reading about Plastics and Elastomer this:
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Plasticizers (UK: plasticisers) or dispersants are additives that increase the plasticity or decrease the viscosity of a material. These are the substances which are added in order to alter their physical properties. These are either liquids with low volatility or solids. They decrease the attraction between polymer chains to make them more flexible. Over the last 60 years more than 30,000 different substances have been evaluated for their plasticizing properties. Of these, only a small number – approximately 50 – are today in commercial use.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizer
This substance that sticks on your hands should be removed before you eat.
Since I searched on the internet if other people have this problem, I found people with Laptops, Computer Mice, Computer Keyboards having these kind of problems too. They give each other advice how to clean it, etcetera, but I concluded that I should not do this. I should return it, but now is the problem I face clear.
Does swapping the Original Tab S5e Samsung Cover result in just an identical which then has the same problem? If so swapping it by sending it back is not the answer to this problem.
I called Samsung and they told me to swap it. In return I told, if I swap it now ( It was 24th of July 2019 and 33 degrees Celsius inside, 40 degrees Celsius outside ), wouldn't I have it swapped with an original from the same batch having the same problem? And I explained my Note 2012 tablet Original Samsung Cover never had this problem, and no other phone cover I had has this problem. They told me it was unfortunate, but no clear answer. It is logical that if I at that time would return it, it would be swapped from a same batch and same production month era, I would probably end up with the same problem.
Anyway I have to return this Original Samsung Tab S5e Cover, but what do I have to do? Is this just unfortunate coincidence? Or do all production batches of this Cover have this problem? And also if this happened so fast already, what will it be like in next year?
At local language forums I cannot find others who bought the original cover except for product reviews at a few websites, I could find under 20 reviews, with 4 stars average I suppose. But this problem is too complicated to put in a review.
You can find many results by searching a search engine for ' Sticky Rubber ' and you will find for example this, beside many people complaining about their computer products having it at products like a mouse, a keyboard, or a laptop.
I have once in the past had this too with a Mouse which I replaced with a new one. ( But not the same type. ) It is also happening in a product range of many brands, like Logitech, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard.
Cleaning procedure is not an option, since it is new, and it should not happen within such a short time. Actually the Note 10.1 from 2012 tablet Cover I have original too, proves that it does not have to happen at all.
The problem I also see, is you actually need to use the Tab S5e Cover to make the problem appear. Just touching the Cover doesn't make it clear. So if I send it back they might say, we see nothing wrong, they touch it and return it e.g. But this original Samsung Tab S5e cover I have does slowly react within hours with your hands and fingers.
EDIT1 This is placed in the wrong section of XDA and will be probably moved. Since this is not about developing software but the Cover case.
EDIT2 This might indeed be about development of a manufacturer, but related to hardware supplementals, a Moderator was asked to give it the right TAG.
Appendix: This tablet really needs a case to give it weight and something to hold, I don't experience any Wifi problem since my Router the ASUS AC66U has Beamforming. I have the 6GB Ram 128GB storage version. Wifi range is similar like 2012 Note Tablet and only little less than Galaxy S8 at 5 GHz Wifi. Make sure to have your router to have Beamforming enabled. And MIMO 2x2.
I have had my cover since launch day and do not have this issue. I usually take mine out of the cover when I use it for any length of time though. I'd definitely swap it out.
Ambient temperatures
May I ask what ambient temperatures you had since you got it? I will convert the temperatures into Celsius and Fahrenheit. The cover started feeling like a chocolate bar at 26 Degrees Celsius ( 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit ) at ambient room temperature. The first heat wave became 33 degrees Celsius inside ( 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit ). Outside it was 40 degrees Celsius ( 104 degrees Fahrenheit )
Although it still feels as if holding a chocolate bar, but without anything visible at the cover itself, provided I use it more than half an hour holding it.
Whatever is released on my hands is not visible, but describing it as if having hold a chocolate bar melting is the best description.
I indeed want to ask the reseller to swap it through Samsung itself, since I hopefully just happen to have a coincidence batch that does not fall into Samsung its standards.
If it would have been winter and snow outside, this might not have happened. Also I think about how it was shipped, perhaps in a very hot container, to my country.
The inside of the cover feels like the inside of my Galaxy S8, so the tablet itself is perfectly safe. At first I thought it might have been glue since inside the Cover are magnets and they must have been glued. Then I read how artificial synthetic rubbers are made and did read what I posted in the opening post.
Explained in opening post is also why during the heat wave I did not see swapping at that time a solution. I really hope to having a good version of this Cover, since it works great, and I don't use the tablet without it. The tablet is so tiny in weight despite it having a 10.5 Inch screen.
Ambient temperatures is what I would like to ask as said, Fahrenheit to Celsius or the other way around I can calculate at internet.
I have had it around 75F or 24C for 99% of the time. That could be the problem causing it to "melt" a bit...
Catmobile said:
May I ask what ambient temperatures you had since you got it? I will convert the temperatures into Celsius and Fahrenheit. The cover started feeling like a chocolate bar at 26 Degrees Celsius ( 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit ) at ambient room temperature. The first heat wave became 33 degrees Celsius inside ( 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit ). Outside it was 40 degrees Celsius ( 104 degrees Fahrenheit )
Although it still feels as if holding a chocolate bar, but without anything visible at the cover itself, provided I use it more than half an hour holding it.
Whatever is released on my hands is not visible, but describing it as if having hold a chocolate bar melting is the best description.
I indeed want to ask the reseller to swap it through Samsung itself, since I hopefully just happen to have a coincidence batch that does not fall into Samsung its standards.
If it would have been winter and snow outside, this might not have happened. Also I think about how it was shipped, perhaps in a very hot container, to my country.
The inside of the cover feels like the inside of my Galaxy S8, so the tablet itself is perfectly safe. At first I thought it might have been glue since inside the Cover are magnets and they must have been glued. Then I read how artificial synthetic rubbers are made and did read what I posted in the opening post.
Explained in opening post is also why during the heat wave I did not see swapping at that time a solution. I really hope to having a good version of this Cover, since it works great, and I don't use the tablet without it. The tablet is so tiny in weight despite it having a 10.5 Inch screen.
Ambient temperatures is what I would like to ask as said, Fahrenheit to Celsius or the other way around I can calculate at internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Return to swap
nsx2brz said:
I have had it around 75F or 24C for 99% of the time. That could be the problem causing it to "melt" a bit...
Click to expand...
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Production date of cover: 2019-04-11
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SERIAL NUMBER removed
I have scheduled it to ask for the same cover, but from another production date. Also I do think that if it were winter from the beginning since I had this original cover, it would have had time to harden out inside for many days. My original cover from the Note 10.1 from 2012 was bought e.g. in December 2012 during winter and I did not have it, even not today.
The temperatures have dropped, inside it is now 21 Degrees Celsius, it is however still is existing, but not visible with the eye or camera, the material seems well still.
Samsung also told me to swap it. The reseller contact said I could send it back and what option I would like. That being said,
* Same cover, by manufacturer warranty
* Different production date
I use the keyboard cover. No issue at all.
I had the standard cover, since I use the tablet for media consumption only. I asked especially for manufacturer warranty because Samsung makes the originals. In my country the cover was later than the release of the tablet itself, hence I was or am an early adaptor here.
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Status: SOLVED
Related
After reading all of the crappy review for the transformer, it looks as if 50% are happy 50% are not.
I am wondering if the problems are occurring in batches because I just ordered mine from American TV and it will probably be here tomorrow or the next day.
A lot of the problems I have found are from the batches that have already been purchased and I don't know what to think.
Two things:
When asus was first bringing these to market, it could the problems are coming from they just naturally skimped on manufacturing quality because they are so damn cheap. Or they had a bad batch to get them to market quickly.
Asus could also just had normal manufacturing quality before and NOW since there is a high demand, newer units may experience worse manufacturing quality. Or they could be better because they knew of the problems.
Hope its not too confusing, what do you guys think? Newer units = worse quality? Older Units = better than newer?
i think logically you could expect the first units to have the most problems, however, we dont know if asus had enough complaints, or realized that there are defects (if there are--aside from software side) to be able to retool and make changes during the assem process to produce better revised hardware.
I actually gave this exact topic a lot of thought a few days ago, i thought about everyones complaints and how it was hit/miss it seemed, and i wondered whether the people that are complaining were truly the "first" adopters and got REV 1 hardware. Obviously, since they are playing with the tab and most of us are anxiously awaiting its arrival i would assume it just may be the case. Heres to hoping that these little glitches were an easy fix at the factory level (but knowing how they operate i doubt its a simple/cheap/quick process, which makes me doubt that the tabs that me and you will receive this week will be any diff from the ones recieved by the people last week and the one prior. the time frame is just too small, but then again, anythings possible).
slowhatch said:
i think logically you could expect the first units to have the most problems, however, we dont know if asus had enough complaints, or realized that there are defects (if there are--aside from software side) to be able to retool and make changes during the assem process to produce better revised hardware.
I actually gave this exact topic a lot of thought a few days ago, i thought about everyones complaints and how it was hit/miss it seemed, and i wondered whether the people that are complaining were truly the "first" adopters and got REV 1 hardware. Obviously, since they are playing with the tab and most of us are anxiously awaiting its arrival i would assume it just may be the case. Heres to hoping that these little glitches were an easy fix at the factory level (but knowing how they operate i doubt its a simple/cheap/quick process, which makes me doubt that the tabs that me and you will receive this week will be any diff from the ones recieved by the people last week and the one prior. the time frame is just too small, but then again, anythings possible).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely have to agree. My guess they are the same and it is so difficult for Asus to actually respond to problems and transfer a fix to the manufacturing of the units. The only real thing I am worried about is the light bleed/dead pixels.
Moreover, the problem seems to be 50-50 and my estimate came from the assumption that there is manufacturing quality loss through increase production speed to meet the high demand. I tend to believe this because of the poor quality control. I am assuming (after reading the post about the guy receiving a 2.2 model) is that they do perform screen quality checks, to a certain extent. Some may have just slipped out.
Lets just hope we get a solid model.
I tend to side with the second poster...it's all about quality control....how many get out the door without their defects being noticed OR....being flagged as a defect.
I've worked around assembly lines all of my life...25+ years and I can understand some defects got through unnoticed....but the question is: when were they noticed and what steps were taken to prevent the same issue from occurring again?
And the second point is valid also....speed equals a mindset of "this one little corner-cutting decision won't make that big a deal in the long run...."
Unfortunately, rushing things to market to fill orders at a breakneck pace means that issues are more likely to get by...that's a fact of life.
When cash is on the line...decisions get made that might not otherwise gotten made.
I hope mine comes today without the glaring errors that I've seen here...crossing my fingers...
My only real complaint is the light bleed. I know it isn't the only device that's had this problem. I remember when I was reading the Evo 4G forums it had a similar problem when it first came out and recently the iPad2 had light bleed issues too.
The light bleed isn't a huge deal, but it is distracting while watching certain tv shows and movies imo.
I've had 3, first one was the very first batch in the UK, arrived mid April or thereabouts. The next one was around the end of April and the the latest one I received around the 6th of May.
1) Mid April
Some lightbleed on 3 of 4 edges. Perfect screen in terms of pixels. Imbalanced speakers. No sleep of death in 2 weeks or so. No gap in glass.
2) End April
Terrible lightbleed. 14+ stuck pixels (I gave up counting). I think the speakers were imbalanced too. No sleep of death, but only used it for a few minutes. No gap in glass was noticed.
3) Start of May
Some lightbleed, probably akin to 1. Around 8 or so stuck pixels, seen on black screen. Perfectly balanced speakers. Had 1 incident of the sleep of death within 5 days. Glass does not fit perfectly on left hand side (gap of 1-2mm allowing dust inside and glass to be lifted by nail)
Had I known what would happen I would now gladly stick with the first! So, from this small sample it seems that in my case the earlier devices were better in some ways but not in others. We'd have to have a huge sample to be able to answer definitively. I still love the tablet though.
I have a first US batch version and it's fine.
This is why I just ordered the Acer. I got mine and had some light bleed. It got worse. The creaking got worse. Now there is a small piece of dust under the screen. It is not very noticeable except on white background but it worries me that in 6 days of ownership it is getting worse. I now see a dust spec under the camera glass.
The edges of all the ports are razor sharp and can take off skin.
I love the weight the price and the ups screen but the build quality is very disappointing. If it was only the light bleed from day one I would keep but I can't handle how much more has happened in 1 week of ownership.
I got a 32 DB Livonia using coupons from staples for only 40 dollars more than a 16gb Asus cost me. The screen in store was quite good. The build quality seemed much better and despite the added weight it seemed more comfortable. To hold given the curved shape. If availability were better maybe I would exchange my Asus but no stock around.
in the end I might just opt for the new galaxy tab as it seems to be most like the load in size and weight.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Just received
I just got the TF in the mail today. It is nice.. but there are some drawbacks from the xoom that I miss.
Xoom felt nicer in my hand and had that led notification. But the screen on the TF is WAAY better.
I do have light bleed in small sections, not terribly noticeable. Speakers are fine. no dead pixels, yet. not really a creaky sound, just when I press harder than normal on the screen. No glass misaligned. I will seal up the beast with a vinyl cover. Screen is responsive, no probs yet.
A bit disappointed
I received my TF this Thursday and was so very happy. After unwrapping it I pressed the power button and I got nothing. I thought OMG it's not working. Then I thought, maybe they didn't have time to charge the battery. So I charged it. I checked on in within a hour and pressed the button and it came on. I began to play with it and realized that after the TF wasn't in use for more than 5 mins the power button whenever pressed didn't wake the TF up... SO i pressed and pressed.. nothing.. so I waited about 30 sec after a press of the button and it came on.. After going thur this over and over I figured it was a defect and I RMA'ed it. I'm hoping that they didn't just push out a product that will have a lot of issues...
Here's my two cents:
Got my TF from Fry's in LA on May 5th. 32GB don't know manf date.
For light bleed - minimal sround the left lower edge and upper right edge. Dark room, bright up full, about a 1mm bleed - very slight and almost unnoticible.
Running latest update with no issues, just updated again today with no issues.
Sometimes after a long sleep it won't power back up with the power button, so I press the vol down and pwr at the same time (shut down) and it shuts down and restarts fine...Seems a sw glitch.
Other than that it's an awesome machine!
Dock - arrived on the 12th. charged up fine, docked fine, no mouse, brick or other issues other than the backspace key is touchy (actually not touchy -takes some effort), but all other keys work well. I think I'll RMA it later depending on how many show in production (I can live with this for now).
Case - had to cut a small hole in bottom to allow charging while case is closed. Otherwise great.
I hope this helps.
BTW, I don't follow these threads too much, so if you need something please PM me.
I feel like I've said this before, but I'm honestly surprised to hear of all of these issues. Mine doesn't seem to have any of them. No gaps around the screen, the glass fits perfectly, the casing for the tablet seems sturdy and doesn't budge at all. There's very little noticeable light bleed, if any. I've never had anything like a "Sleep of Death". I couldn't be happier with the quality of this beast.
EDIT: I should mention I have a 32GB version that I purchased from TigerDirect on Wednesday, got it this past Thursday.
My tablet and dock were among the older units. I had only one instance of SOD and the green screen with the camera issue which has been fixed via firmware update.
The tablet itself appears to be of high build quality,the bezel is secure, no gaps around the screen seal, no dust,no dead pixels,very minimal light bleed that I had to actively look for.
no problems to speak of
eGoing on 2 weeks ownership using various each day.
The only thing a few times I've come back to an unresponsive unit. Then I just held power button down 10 seconds and then rebooted. I take that with a grain of salt.
But. I am not going to update software for another week or so. Until I read more positive reviews
Many problems with mine
I ordered mine from The Best Buy batch on May 22nd, and it came with a not-smooth not-particularly-responsive screen; it then got two light leak spots, the clock disappeared from the menu bar once, and it bricked when I ran the 3.1 update. I sent it back, but I wonder, are the screens really not as smooth or responsive as the Xoom or Acer A500?
Haven't got my Transformer yet, should show up at the house any moment now though. Been reading alot of complaints of issues with speakers, touchscreen problems, etc which has me scared, hope mine is fine! Anyway, one thing I notice in watching unboxing videos is the packaging of the tablet seems to be horrible in that it's right at the top seemingly against the top of the box, which I'd think would leave it more easily prone to getting jarred around, hit, heated up from the sun if sitting out for long etc and maybe this is at least part of the reason some people are getting bad speakers, touchscreens that don't respond unless you twist them etc? They should have put that thing in the middle of the box and more padded imo. Just wanted to throw that out there.
My iPad had the same packaging, and my friends 1Pad 2 the same. That is just standard Tablet packaging.
my nnexus one andG2 both had pretty much the same packsging layout. This is not the cause of any problems. The problems are manufacturing defects, they happen.
I agree that the problems are more likely manufacturing than packaging but IMO the packaging could be improved. It would be VERY VERY easy to recess the Transformer 0.5cm and just put a 0.5cm foam pad at the top. That would give the device just a little more impact padding for shipment. That said, I suppose tablets don't really have moving parts per se.
I currently have a galaxy S2, I have a case on it pretty much 24/7. I want the Z3 compact as it is the best phone for people who want small phones. I love being able to do everything and reach all parts of my S2 with my hand, I cant do the same with these large 5inch + phones.
Anyway I am hearing reports of cracking on the back,front or even both sides of the phone. Am really scared, because I don't want to just splash out £350 and it breaks after a week. People have been getting cracks while having cases on it even, some people say it cracks while it is in the pocket just randomly.
Basically I really want this phone but I am worried about how easy it is to crack.
I've dropped mine from waist height twice now and had it fall in the crevices of my car seats. No screen protector, phone is still mint.
Sent from my D5803
HellzHere said:
I currently have a galaxy S2, I have a case on it pretty much 24/7. I want the Z3 compact as it is the best phone for people who want small phones. I love being able to do everything and reach all parts of my S2 with my hand, I cant do the same with these large 5inch + phones.
Anyway I am hearing reports of cracking on the back,front or even both sides of the phone. Am really scared, because I don't want to just splash out £350 and it breaks after a week. People have been getting cracks while having cases on it even, some people say it cracks while it is in the pocket just randomly.
Basically I really want this phone but I am worried about how easy it is to crack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjDE8z-_bHU&noredirect=1
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s3/193035-galaxy-s3-cracked-screen-defective-not-dropped.html
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s-ii/132590-galaxy-s2-cracked-screen-normal.html
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1257090
http://bobmckay.com/life/case-samsung-galaxy-s4-screen-crack
http://support.t-mobile.com/thread/38170?tstart=0
Never buy another smartphone then since they all "have screens break for no reason".
Statistically the chance that yours will crack spontaneously is still very very small. These communities are really very misleading in trying to get a global image of how common a problem is. As I mentioned in another topic, if you were to walk into a hosptal, and make your conclusion about the human species purely based on what you saw in the hospital, you would conclude humans are very sick and crippled species. But once you leave the hospital, you see only healthy people everywhere you look.
My suggestion (also what I am planning on doing)... Wait until after November 3rd, for everyone to get their American Z3 Compact. check this forum a week after to see if the topics about the screen sporadically cracking jump substantially in activity.
If not, I will order by 11.10.14.
HellzHere said:
I currently have a galaxy S2, I have a case on it pretty much 24/7. I want the Z3 compact as it is the best phone for people who want small phones. I love being able to do everything and reach all parts of my S2 with my hand, I cant do the same with these large 5inch + phones.
Anyway I am hearing reports of cracking on the back,front or even both sides of the phone. Am really scared, because I don't want to just splash out £350 and it breaks after a week. People have been getting cracks while having cases on it even, some people say it cracks while it is in the pocket just randomly.
Basically I really want this phone but I am worried about how easy it is to crack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true and do not believe everything you hear and read about this subject. The handling of these machines have to be prudent. If you drop a laptop on the floor for sure nonitor breaks.right.
dropped mine once
been a month approx. no crack nothing. im pretty careful tho..most of the time.
also, no case.
Just a suggestion, can everyone with such issues (or worry, like here) post in one of the dozen threads that already exist on that topic?
Guess that would help to keep the forum somewhat cleaner, thus more readable...
Our forum is a bit "undermoderated"
I'd say the chance of getting a spontaneous crack is about 1:1000 or even less. That would assume 0.1% of phones have the issue. That a far less chance than you going to prison this year (1:200) so I'd say don't worry about it.
HellzHere said:
I currently have a galaxy S2, I have a case on it pretty much 24/7. I want the Z3 compact as it is the best phone for people who want small phones. I love being able to do everything and reach all parts of my S2 with my hand, I cant do the same with these large 5inch + phones.
Anyway I am hearing reports of cracking on the back,front or even both sides of the phone. Am really scared, because I don't want to just splash out £350 and it breaks after a week. People have been getting cracks while having cases on it even, some people say it cracks while it is in the pocket just randomly.
Basically I really want this phone but I am worried about how easy it is to crack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@HellzHere
Hi Hellz
Sorry but I've got a z3 compact and simply can't recommend it. That's a lot to like about it on paper but after mine experienced a modest fall onto carpet, which resulted in the back of the case cracking, I don't want others to suffer the upset that I have. The design is flawed IMO. The choice of materials are inappropriate for typical everyday usage.
Most of the high end xperias seem to use glass front and back . To me, this is insane. It creates a nice aesthetic but is significantly at the cost of practicality. The z3 compact doesn't use dragontail or gorilla glass... or at least Sony do not specify the materials used on their website beyond "tempered glass".
My previous phone was an HTC desire (yes the original one) and this has been dropped on occasion, onto pavements, etc, and one occasion in a carpark (for no other reason than it slipped out of my hand during use). I did not use a case with it and the worst that happened was a crack across one corner of the screen.
There is no way that the z3 compact could tolerate similar drops or falls. I do not consider myself to be careless with stuff but this new phone is a pain in the butt. For example, It WILL slip off surfaces, due to the low friction / high gloss nature of the handset.
If you are determined to get one, you MUST get a case for it.
I waited two years before a handset came on the market with the specifications that I was looking for. I am utterly gutted that mine is now broken, after only having it for a fortnight and it only being subjected to a very modest level of external stress. I did not even drop the phone - it slipped off a surface.
Then there is the issue of self-cracking. This is reasonably well documented and doesn't just apply to the z3 and z3 compact. Sony would have us believe that this only occurs in a small number of cases. I don't think it's common-place but it's happened to enough people for Sony to quietly repair stuff for free, under certain circumstances. Admittedly, Sony only really started doing this after two high profile UK consumer rights organisations / programmes got involved in the matter (watchdog and Which). The impression I get (from anecdotal evidence) is Sony does it grudgingly.
All I'll say is have a look at this xda-dev survey thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/sony-xperia-z3-z3-compact-glass-survey-t2900149
What I found interesting is that out of the 439 surveys, 26% reported back of case cracks, compared to 18% of the front screen.
However, of that 26%, over two thirds reported NO impact cracking i.e. there seems to be vastly more people who've experienced self-cracking than drop or fall damage.
Reviews also comment on the phone heating up A LOT during some forms of usage i.e. a possible reason for self-cracking.
Finally, from my personal experience, the camera sounds good on paper but underperforms. Some images look great yet I got pixellation on 20mb images in high light level conditions. I wasn't impressed. I also struggled to get the flash to illuminate a short distance, low light situation properly as well. More annoyingly, my friend had a galaxy S4 and her flash was virtually blindingly bright in the same situation. Then there's the issue about losing camera performance if you decide to root (apparently some of the low light level camera algorithms are DRM protected and the DRM keys get wiped when you root).
I just wouldn't go for a sony handset again - the phone design simply can't handle real-world stresses.
Just to be fair though, the screen's pretty good (in terms of brightness - you really can use it at minimal levels inside, which I'm sure helps massively with battery drain - I'm not commenting on resolution / PPI). I've found the battery performance to be simply great (probably the best feature for me). However, I'm realistic about usage (i.e. I don't have GPS, wireless and data on unless I need it, I typically pop phone into airplane mode overnight, etc - for me the biggest drains on batteries come from the display and the cellular radio). I got 4 days out of it, with approximately 40 mins worth of charging (because of wired syncing with my desktop). Admittedly for the last 30% of battery I put it onto stamina mode. Note this wasn't high level usage, just phonecalls, texts, some browsing, twitter, some facebook / youtube... but definitely not constant, screen-active usage.
The CPU's pretty strong too. Transitions between homescreens is super slick. I've not had slow down at any point. I haven't tried playing games with it though, beyond low-graphically taxing apps. Not too much bloatware and you can disable certainly some of it. Charging is good on it. I've got copilot as my satnav on it and a 1A car charger still produced a net positive charge rate (even though the sony charger is 1.5A). Charging from empty to full, with phone switched off is around 2.5 hours.
I hope this helps you a bit.
Cheers,
Gary
gazzawazza said:
@HellzHere
Hi Hellz
Sorry but I've got a z3 compact and simply can't recommend it. That's a lot to like about it on paper but after mine experienced a modest fall onto carpet, which resulted in the back of the case cracking, I don't want others to suffer the upset that I have. The design is flawed IMO. The choice of materials are inappropriate for typical everyday usage.
Most of the high end xperias seem to use glass front and back . To me, this is insane. It creates a nice aesthetic but is significantly at the cost of practicality. The z3 compact doesn't use dragontail or gorilla glass... or at least Sony do not specify the materials used on their website beyond "tempered glass".
My previous phone was an HTC desire (yes the original one) and this has been dropped on occasion, onto pavements, etc, and one occasion in a carpark (for no other reason than it slipped out of my hand during use). I did not use a case with it and the worst that happened was a crack across one corner of the screen.
There is no way that the z3 compact could tolerate similar drops or falls. I do not consider myself to be careless with stuff but this new phone is a pain in the butt. For example, It WILL slip off surfaces, due to the low friction / high gloss nature of the handset.
If you are determined to get one, you MUST get a case for it.
I waited two years before a handset came on the market with the specifications that I was looking for. I am utterly gutted that mine is now broken, after only having it for a fortnight and it only being subjected to a very modest level of external stress. I did not even drop the phone - it slipped off a surface.
Then there is the issue of self-cracking. This is reasonably well documented and doesn't just apply to the z3 and z3 compact. Sony would have us believe that this only occurs in a small number of cases. I don't think it's common-place but it's happened to enough people for Sony to quietly repair stuff for free, under certain circumstances. Admittedly, Sony only really started doing this after two high profile UK consumer rights organisations / programmes got involved in the matter (watchdog and Which). The impression I get (from anecdotal evidence) is Sony does it grudgingly.
All I'll say is have a look at this xda-dev survey thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/sony-xperia-z3-z3-compact-glass-survey-t2900149
What I found interesting is that out of the 439 surveys, 26% reported back of case cracks, compared to 18% of the front screen.
However, of that 26%, over two thirds reported NO impact cracking i.e. there seems to be vastly more people who've experienced self-cracking than drop or fall damage.
Reviews also comment on the phone heating up A LOT during some forms of usage i.e. a possible reason for self-cracking.
Finally, from my personal experience, the camera sounds good on paper but underperforms. Some images look great yet I got pixellation on 20mb images in high light level conditions. I wasn't impressed. I also struggled to get the flash to illuminate a short distance, low light situation properly as well. More annoyingly, my friend had a galaxy S4 and her flash was virtually blindingly bright in the same situation. Then there's the issue about losing camera performance if you decide to root (apparently some of the low light level camera algorithms are DRM protected and the DRM keys get wiped when you root).
I just wouldn't go for a sony handset again - the phone design simply can't handle real-world stresses.
Just to be fair though, the screen's pretty good (in terms of brightness - you really can use it at minimal levels inside, which I'm sure helps massively with battery drain - I'm not commenting on resolution / PPI). I've found the battery performance to be simply great (probably the best feature for me). However, I'm realistic about usage (i.e. I don't have GPS, wireless and data on unless I need it, I typically pop phone into airplane mode overnight, etc - for me the biggest drains on batteries come from the display and the cellular radio). I got 4 days out of it, with approximately 40 mins worth of charging (because of wired syncing with my desktop). Admittedly for the last 30% of battery I put it onto stamina mode. Note this wasn't high level usage, just phonecalls, texts, some browsing, twitter, some facebook / youtube... but definitely not constant, screen-active usage.
The CPU's pretty strong too. Transitions between homescreens is super slick. I've not had slow down at any point. I haven't tried playing games with it though, beyond low-graphically taxing apps. Not too much bloatware and you can disable certainly some of it. Charging is good on it. I've got copilot as my satnav on it and a 1A car charger still produced a net positive charge rate (even though the sony charger is 1.5A). Charging from empty to full, with phone switched off is around 2.5 hours.
I hope this helps you a bit.
Cheers,
Gary
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When drawing conclusions from that survey, you should not ignore that fact that people are far more likely to post about their dissatisfaction than about their satisfaction, meaning that people who are having issues with their device are far more widely respresented on the internet than people who are not having any issues. So if, in that survey, only 17 % of participants had their front glass crack, and 27% had their back glass crack, then the real-world percentages are likely FAR lower than those in the survey and it's all because people with faulty devices are FAR more likely to find the survey than people with devices that don't have any faults.
I've had this phone for a month now and still nothing has cracked. The phone hasn't overheated either. It does feel warm at times, maybe even more than most other phones but that is because glass conducts heat to your skin much faster than plastic does.
I doubt that the design is bad; a faulty batch of glass is a much more likely explanation.
degraaff said:
When drawing conclusions from that survey, you should not ignore that fact that people are far more likely to post about their dissatisfaction than about their satisfaction, meaning that people who are having issues with their device are far more widely respresented on the internet than people who are not having any issues. So if, in that survey, only 17 % of participants had their front glass crack, and 27% had their back glass crack, then the real-world percentages are likely FAR lower than those in the survey and it's all because people with faulty devices are FAR more likely to find the survey than people with devices that don't have any faults.
I've had this phone for a month now and still nothing has cracked. The phone hasn't overheated either. It does feel warm at times, maybe even more than most other phones but that is because glass conducts heat to your skin much faster than plastic does.
I doubt that the design is bad; a faulty batch of glass is a much more likely explanation.
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Thanks for the response @degraaff
Regarding the survey - I get your point but the survey responses did surprise me with the number of users NOT reporting problems. I felt that made the survey far more realistic that, say, typical forum posts, where complaints and problems are more likely to be documented than positive experiences .
My personal experience regarding heat is that the phone has been pretty cool for the vast majority of the time but did experience some noticeable localised heat last night, for no apparent reason - phone had powered up but I had no additional elements active (i.e. wireless, GPS, data, etc, weren't active). I'd expect a relationship between component activity and heat generated. Also, it was noticeable because I'd not noticed it previously.
Regarding the design, I'm sorry but using thin glass on something that is likely to experience impact damage is bad or at very least highly unrealistic design. There's no need to use glass on the rear of a phone, certainly not for visual requirements (i.e. it's not a display). It's an aesthetics and presumably weight decision. I guess it would help radio performance (although I don't know where the antenna is). I believe metal typically attenuates radio signals, so glass would be a good alternative. I guess it comes down to how much priority one gives to the durability of a phone though.
I rang Sony about an hour ago and they gave me a ballpark figure of £40 for repairing the back. This was based on the rep's experience with the cost of replacing a Z2 rear panel. Still a very costly lesson and I think Sony or resellers need to warn customers about the benefits of case protection, given the materials used in construction. I know I'll get flak for saying this (ridiculously unrealistic) but I'd like to think that a retailer (or Sony, if they had the balls to do this) saying "for god's sake, get a protective case for this phone as it's literally made of glass" would lead to more customers respecting them. After all, Sony chose to use glass in the main panel construction. They could even charge a wee bit more and just bundle a case in with the phone. That would potentially cover them and give end-users a choice about protecting their phone from first use.
Cheers,
Gary
gazzawazza said:
It's an aesthetics and presumably weight decision. I guess it would help radio performance (although I don't know where the antenna is). I believe metal typically attenuates radio signals, so glass would be a good alternative. I guess it comes down to how much priority one gives to the durability of a phone though.
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Sony puts an Apple-esqe priority on industrial design, so one shouldn't be surprised to see them trading ruggedness for aesthetics. Without moving the antennas to the phone body (which is encumbered by several patents), you need a non-metallic back for good RF performance. In addition to looks/feel, glass is vastly superior to plastic for it's thermal properties. It conducts heat 5 - 10 times better than most structural plastics. In a design as compact as the Z3C that is actually a significant technical advantage. That also means that users will notice short duration heat spikes (typically due to the radios having to drive RF power way up to cut through temporary interference) much more than with a plastic housed phone.
The reports of rear glass breakage do appear to be statistically significant, even after you factor in the self-selecting aspect of the survey. But this seems more like an issue with material or production quality, or perhaps insufficient design margin for CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) mismatches. My Nexus 4 with a glass back has survived two years of use and a half dozen drops with nothing more than the standard Google bumper for protection. So glass can be used effectively. It will be interesting to see if later production Z3Cs (Sony US is expected to start shipping phones next week) fare better than early production.
kopsis said:
Sony puts an Apple-esqe priority on industrial design, so one shouldn't be surprised to see them trading ruggedness for aesthetics. Without moving the antennas to the phone body (which is encumbered by several patents), you need a non-metallic back for good RF performance. In addition to looks/feel, glass is vastly superior to plastic for it's thermal properties. It conducts heat 5 - 10 times better than most structural plastics. In a design as compact as the Z3C that is actually a significant technical advantage. That also means that users will notice short duration heat spikes (typically due to the radios having to drive RF power way up to cut through temporary interference) much more than with a plastic housed phone.
The reports of rear glass breakage do appear to be statistically significant, even after you factor in the self-selecting aspect of the survey. But this seems more like an issue with material or production quality, or perhaps insufficient design margin for CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) mismatches. My Nexus 4 with a glass back has survived two years of use and a half dozen drops with nothing more than the standard Google bumper for protection. So glass can be used effectively. It will be interesting to see if later production Z3Cs (Sony US is expected to start shipping phones next week) fare better than early production.
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Hey @kopsis
thanks for the input mate.
Just for assistance to others, my manufacture was 14w37 (might have mentioned that earlier) but just for reference.
Not sure that early production comment makes me feel better #labrat :crying: Obviously understand what you mean though.
Have to say z3 compact does feel good in the hand. Really like the way Sony have somehow made the edges (not sides) grippy without being sharp. Pretty easy to hold phone and I reckon the size is just right for one-handed use, although I do have to re-grip with hand to reach farthest corner (top left, as I'm right handed) of screen.
Out of curiosity, when you say bumper, is that just side protection or back too?
Cheers,
Gary
gazzawazza said:
the survey responses did surprise me with the number of users NOT reporting problems. I felt that made the survey far more realistic
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That's a flawed argumentum a contrario.
gazzawazza said:
Out of curiosity, when you say bumper, is that just side protection or back too?
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The original N4 bumper was sides only, though the lip extended a millimeter or two beyond the glass in front and back so the glass wouldn't make contact in a low drop to a smooth flat surface. https://play.google.com/store/devices/details/Nexus_4_Bumper_Black?id=nexus_4_bumper_black&hl=en
It does beg the question, if you're going to sell a phone with glass on both sides, why not have something like this available at launch for the cautious buyers? Even the design purists at Apple made a bumper available upon release of their first front/back glass design (iPhone 4). It doesn't even have to be a great design (leave the aftermarket room to innovate) as long as it gives buyer's a usable option while waiting for something better. Hey, Sony -- PM me if you'd like me to come lead your mobile products division
Iruwen said:
That's a flawed argumentum a contrario.
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is this really relevant?
I simply felt that rather than having a survey chock full of negativity, the fact that we had a strong majority of responses which DIDN'T cite problems was indicative that perhaps the survey was more rounded than one might have anticipated.
I would accept on reflection that we don't know whether the distribution of answers is a true reflection of total owners' experiences. Obviously a bigger sample would make the stats more credible.
---------- Post added at 11:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:42 PM ----------
kopsis said:
The original N4 bumper was sides only, though the lip extended a millimeter or two beyond the glass in front and back so the glass wouldn't make contact in a low drop to a smooth flat surface. https://play.google.com/store/devices/details/Nexus_4_Bumper_Black?id=nexus_4_bumper_black&hl=en
It does beg the question, if you're going to sell a phone with glass on both sides, why not have something like this available at launch for the cautious buyers? Even the design purists at Apple made a bumper available upon release of their first front/back glass design (iPhone 4). It doesn't even have to be a great design (leave the aftermarket room to innovate) as long as it gives buyer's a usable option while waiting for something better. Hey, Sony -- PM me if you'd like me to come lead your mobile products division
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agreed. Btw Mr VP Sony Mobile division, perhaps encourage your designers to NOT use glass too Ty very much
HellzHere said:
I currently have a galaxy S2, I have a case on it pretty much 24/7. I want the Z3 compact as it is the best phone for people who want small phones. I love being able to do everything and reach all parts of my S2 with my hand, I cant do the same with these large 5inch + phones.
Anyway I am hearing reports of cracking on the back,front or even both sides of the phone. Am really scared, because I don't want to just splash out £350 and it breaks after a week. People have been getting cracks while having cases on it even, some people say it cracks while it is in the pocket just randomly.
Basically I really want this phone but I am worried about how easy it is to crack.
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We have same question... and still investigate from many Forum Post... I hope I got better answer to pick this phone or not...
worry not dear friends, apparently the guys at another thread has managed to get the people at evolutive labs to make the rhino shield crash guard bumper for the xperia z3 compact!
evolutive labs did one for iphone previously and it got so many backers/pledgers for it....hopefully we can do the same for this one..so come and join in the fun peeps! they need to get 1400 pre-orders before they can start production of this wonderful thing
(sorry you have to edit the link as i could not post url)
Rhino Shield Crash Guard Bumper for iPhone: https www kickstarter.com/projects/1081571316/rhinosheild-crash-guard-slim-impact-bumper-for-iph
PRE-ORDER HERE:
Rhino Shield Crash Guard Bumper for Z3 Compact: http www evolutivelabs.com/pages/crashguard-sony-z3-compact
After a few months, I noticed a tiny hairline crack on my glass 1/8" in on the top right corner. I'd never dropped my phone, and hadn't even really used it much at all, so sent it in for warranty service. It was so small it wasn't even on the display, and didn't affect the functionality all, but it bugged the heck out of me that over time I might see that affect the rest of the display from friction or stress.
Longg story short, they voided my warranty and claimed it was customer abuse, but after a bbb complaint, changed third mind after look at it in hand again, and reinstated my warranty, and repaired it at no charge.
Here is the interesting part though. ..instead of just replacing the glass or lcd/glass assembly, they pretty much gutted all the hardware, and completely replaced it. The repair ticket said it was overheating beyond spec on charge. (My wife also has a launch day note 4. Which operated exactly the same as mine. )
I get it back do a complete backup restore, and start tinkering with it to see if there are any changes. This is what I've found so far:
My quadrant benchmark scores are consistently 4,000 more than the scores before the repair!
My fingerprint scanner never seemed to work consistantly...now it works properly 90% of the time!
Our heart rate monitor worked without our silicone cases on, but could never get them to work with them on. ..now, mine works 100% of the time with my case on!
Needless to say, I'm tickled pink that I'm seeing such improvements, but I'm concerned about my wife's note 4 now x if the original releases did have some kind of running manufacture changes.
Just wanted to share these findings with you guys. I have no actual proof that they have changed the hardware at all, but it sure seems like they have. (Chip reports show the exact same chips on bottle our devices.) It could be they just improved some things like the sensors after launch.
I've read about the faulty battery issue, and sudden reboots/bootloop issue.
Is there a way to minimize the risk, if I can check the device physically?
Checking the manufacturing date? Checking how many hours are left under "battery" in settings?
Any advice would be appreciated, Thanks!
Don't buy this phone. There are so many issues with this thing. My network signals all of a sign went kaput (the network chip got fried go figure!). No I'm stuck with a giant iPod. Save your money and buy something else (serious advice).
I agree, don't buy this phone used. You have no way to test the battery and other issues might appear.
My phone is a year old and I have already gotten a couple of sudden shutdowns. In addition people often complain that they can't hear me and my voice is intermittently muffled.
i wouldn't recommend getting this phone used, especially this late in the game... you can't just ignore all the issues being posted
I stumbled across this because I am buying a used 64gb 6p on eBay right now (7- 22- 2018). My research shows that if one comes across a survivor of the bootloop death (which can be overcome by disabling the 4 large cores, why bother) AND one is willing to eventually buy a $15 battery kit and can use a heat gun effectively, the Nexus 6p is THE best phone right now for no more than $150. The 128gb can be had for $180. If one buys one manufactured later than 2/2016, the battery lasts longer and supposedly some other minor bugs were fixed.
For $150 even if you only get one year from it I believe it's worth it. Phones now are so expensive unless your signing your life away on a plan.
Battery problems, heat and lag issues. Can't wait to upgrade to Pixel 3 or anything else. I wouldn't recommend spending money on this peace of ... I loved the phone when it worked as supposed to, but now it just don't. Oh, and microphone problems when using speakerphone are also common.
I bought mine on ebay 64 gb for 150, it had a bad battery so i got them to refund $50. i paid like $15 to fix it been working absaloutey fine for 5 months so far. No lag at all for me or random reboots, all my cores work,signal works fine, and so do calls . I dont really know how it is on stock i have been on abc rom and franco kernel the whole time and loving the phone
This might be irrelevant to OP but here's my 2 cents
I bought one (exterior is almost mint) a few weeks ago and I couldn't be happier. I got it for $100 (from a guy that badly needed some money to go on holiday ) and honestly, I would say it's comparable to new mid range $300+ phones, even surpassing them in some regards - camera, software support, build quality, design, "feel". I'm not even sure why I bought it, since my trusty Z2 is still holding on, I guess I couldn't resist that price.
I knew what I was getting into, I read about all the problems beforehand, but I figured if it didn't get the bootloop till now, it probably won't. Also, I ordered a new battery off Aliexpress the day I got the phone. Screen On time used to be 2-3 hrs with random shutdown at 15-5%, now after replacement I'm getting ~5 hrs. Great success.
So for the 3 people out there looking to buy this phone, you can expect:
-bad battery life and random shutdown (just get a new one, they're dirt cheap)
-minor burn-in of the navbar (I notice it on white backgrounds only)
-getting warm after using it a while BUT it's a lot better after replacing the battery
-yellowish tint of the screen (I notice it since I'm coming from a cold LCD)
+camera performance comparable to flagships, especially with the Pixel camera app
+sexy design
+great build quality
+smooth overall
+very potent double speakers
+VERY fast charging with the original charger
I bought a used 128gb from a "refurbish" mill for $150 on eBay. It went dead after 2 days. Total battery/system failure and no joy with the charger. I got a free return shipping label and a full refund.
The same day I resolved to buy from an individual who can answer questions. If the seller couldn't tell me the manufacture date they were dropped from the watchlist. My research seemed to indicate that units made after 2/2016 were the ones to get.
I bought a 64gb made in 10/2016 from a guy on eBay for $100. It's in better than near mint condition. Google announced the end of the Nexus brand the same month so this has to be one of the last made. Everything is perfect (including Oreo 8.1) except that AccuBattery reports 60% battery health. I concur with all that skullzhunter said.
I already planned to change the battery, but 60% health will buy me some time before I have to track down a heatgun. The battery kits are cheap and contain all the special tools for the job.
I'd like to hear from skullzhunter what the date of manufacture is on his phone (for others, boot into recovery and select "barcodes"). Also, were you able to remove the top and bottom covers intact? I imagine the trick is to apply enough heat. The question is, how much heat is TOO much? Any tips on re-installing those little covers with future access in mind?
Lawrencetate1 said:
I bought a used 128gb from a "refurbish" mill for $150 on eBay. It went dead after 2 days. Total battery/system failure and no joy with the charger. I got a free return shipping label and a full refund.
The same day I resolved to buy from an individual who can answer questions. If the seller couldn't tell me the manufacture date they were dropped from the watchlist. My research seemed to indicate that units made after 2/2016 were the ones to get.
I bought a 64gb made in 10/2016 from a guy on eBay for $100. It's in better than near mint condition. Google announced the end of the Nexus brand the same month so this has to be one of the last made. Everything is perfect (including Oreo 8.1) except that AccuBattery reports 60% battery health. I concur with all that skullzhunter said.
I already planned to change the battery, but 60% health will buy me some time before I have to track down a heatgun. The battery kits are cheap and contain all the special tools for the job.
I'd like to hear from skullzhunter what the date of manufacture is on his phone (for others, boot into recovery and select "barcodes"). Also, were you able to remove the top and bottom covers intact? I imagine the trick is to apply enough heat. The question is, how much heat is TOO much? Any tips on re-installing those little covers with future access in mind?
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Interesting trick with the Barcodes, seems my phone was manufactured in November 2015.
The operation was more difficult than I expected, but I managed to remove the covers with minor marks. You have to be VERY patient and careful, and you don't necessarily need a heat gun, a hair dryer will do. I don't think you can apply too much heat really, the frame will quickly get much hotter than the glass/plastic pieces but it cools down just as quick. Just heat it up until you can't touch the aluminium, there's nothing you can damage.
A trick that I unfortunately discovered after putting everything back together would be to use a sticker/vinyl skin to lift the covers from the corners (after heating), instead of digging in the gaps - as there are no gaps really.
So other than a hair dryer, you will need a 1.5 philips screwdriver, some thin plastic pieces to keep the screen assembly from snapping back into the case when you pry it open, and most importantly the thinnest strongest piece of metal you can find.
I used some tiny 3M double sided sticky strips to stick the pieces back and kept some of the old glue as well, I removed the gunky parts only. I think there are different glues used for top and bottom, the one on top being easier to reuse, but the bottom piece kinda sinks in the hole, so you need to leave just a little bit and press really hard so it snaps into place. I think it will be 10x easier to remove them now if I ever need to.