Glass not the best for phones = cracked my N4

[Tig Bitties]

The Nexus 4 was my first partially glass constructed phone, and my last. I have had many Samsung and HTC Android phones drop, bounce, skip across the floor, and they worked like a champ still. Typically battery cover pops off, and battery falls out, but put back together, and all good again

Not so with my Nexus 4, and I LOVED this phone, but was in the washroom, set it down for one second, to wash my hands, and I slipped pushing the phone off the top of toilet, and it hit the tile floor, OH ***** NO, picked up, and yep, huge spider web cracked screen I see phone calls and texts coming in, but can press anything, no reaction.

Luckily I still had my old white color, international HTC One X, running CM10, which I like too, but it's no Nexus 4.

But damn, that glass phone is super fragile. Not the best materials to make a phone of. Out of like 8 Android phones, over last 4 years, this was my first one that actually broken and cracked, being unusable.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Definitely have to be more careful with a glass phone.

 

[Dave.UK]

Exactly the reason why I sold my Nexus 4 two days after it arrived. Lovely looking phone, but couldnt be bothered with the worry of it breaking.

Love my plastic GS3 - No issues at all.

 

[daneoni]

Also what is your phone doing out of your pocket...in a toilet? I mean seriously people.

This is why i avoid touching other peoples' phones.

 

[mattopotamus]

were you expecting something different with a glass phone? The iphone 4 and 4s had a similar design. Don't drop your phone and the problem is solved. If you are prone to dropping your phone, then put a case on it

I always use my phones naked, so it is a risk I am willing to take. Look into insurance, or just bite the bullet for a $299 device.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I swear, Otterbox should make a toilet edition of their cases.

 

[Tinmania]

I also didn't like the glass of the Nexus 4--and the back on mine cracked.

But the front being glass? What phone doesn't have a glass screen? Seems to me any phone could have ended up the same way if not protected by a case.




Michael

 

[Tig Bitties]

That's true, it seems like my phone dropped that certain way, no matter what case or build material, the front glass got damaged.

But I hear that Gorilla Glass 3 is much stronger, and the brand new "Sapphire Glass" coming to phones end of this year and 2014, is super durable and near bulletproof.

 

[Jibbajabba]

Exactly the reason why I sold my Nexus 4 two days after it arrived.

Although it was very obvious that it was made of glass - shouldn't have been a surprise.

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What phone doesn't have a glass screen?

 

[jrswizzle]

I have the Google bumper on mine - slipped off the arm of the couch last night (about 3 feet) and fell face down on the hardwood floor....

Sounded bad, but luckily no damage done to either the bumper or the phone.

Sorry to hear about your N4 - its always the worst feeling when you drop something like that and you just know it's going to be shattered....

 

[Dave.UK]

Although it was very obvious that it was made of glass - shouldn't have been a surprise.

Of course it was obvious it was made of glass! However once I had held it and realised how delicate it was and read stories about the back easily cracking, I sold it.

 

[Tinmania]

I have the Google bumper on mine - slipped off the arm of the couch last night (about 3 feet) and fell face down on the hardwood floor....

Sounded bad, but luckily no damage done to either the bumper or the phone.

If Google Play had their $#@%& act together and had bumpers available from the get-go I probably would still have my N4. Well, that is assuming the back on mine cracked due to a fall. I have strong hunch it was thermal expansion.

Oh well, I am happy with my Note 2.



Michael

 

[jrswizzle]

If Google Play had their $#@%& act together and had bumpers available from the get-go I probably would still have my N4. Well, that is assuming the back on mine cracked due to a fall. I have strong hunch it was thermal expansion.

Oh well, I am happy with my Note 2.



Michael

Ya - I waited forever and once it came available I snatched one up despite the fact I liked the case I got from Amazon.

I'm reserved to the fact that my smartphone is an expensive piece of technology and try to treat it as such. Could they make them more durable? Sure, as long as they still look sleek.

Really anything I pay $100+ for I generally want to be careful with. My iPhone 5 took a spill (caseless) not too long after I got it from about 5 feet on my tile floor....my heart dropped until I picked it up and found no damage.....my 4 or 4S would've been shattered (speaking from experience)...

 

[blackhand1001]

Get a nice soft case. Those are slim and protect the phones great. Hardcases don't really do much as they don't help shock resistance from falls. I have this on my galaxy nexus. Does an amazing job and the phone feels really nice and isn't really fat. Looks nice too. Works with cdma and gsm nexus with both extended and standard batteries. I have it on my cdma nexus with the 2100mah battery.

http://www.amazon.com/Diztronic-Fle...=1364315003&sr=1-1&keywords=galaxy+nexus+case


Looks like they sell a nexus 4 version as well. These soft cases make a gigantic difference in the chance of survival from a drop. You don't need an otterbox.

http://www.amazon.com/Diztronic-Mat...Q2HA/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A2HOCXU5SC35JO

 

[Tinmania]

Ya - I waited forever and once it came available I snatched one up despite the fact I liked the case I got from Amazon.

I'm reserved to the fact that my smartphone is an expensive piece of technology and try to treat it as such. Could they make them more durable? Sure, as long as they still look sleek.

Really anything I pay $100+ for I generally want to be careful with. My iPhone 5 took a spill (caseless) not too long after I got it from about 5 feet on my tile floor....my heart dropped until I picked it up and found no damage.....my 4 or 4S would've been shattered (speaking from experience)...

Oh I was very careful with my N4 as awaited delivery of a case (about a week). But what I did not realize was how slippery the N4 is without a case. Mine was sitting atop my iPad on the kitchen counter as I grabbed coffee in the morning. The iPad was flat, but not 100% flat apparently. I think it was vibration from the Keurig brewing that caused the N4 to quietly side off the iPad and onto the floor. Ugh.

For grins I tried to repeat it with my iPhone 4S, naked. It would not slide like the N4 did. Strange. Of course if the back of my 4S crashed it would have been no biggie: $10 and 2 minutes I have a no one. Heck I replaced the LCD on my iPhone 4 for under $30. No such parts available for the N4 .

I should note that you could not see the crack once I put the case on it. But it bothered me that it was there--and I worried it would not be as strong in resisting a bending force.



Michael

 

[jrswizzle]

Oh I was very careful with my N4 as awaited delivery of a case (about a week). But what I did not realize was how slippery the N4 is without a case. Mine was sitting atop my iPad on the kitchen counter as I grabbed coffee in the morning. The iPad was flat, but not 100% flat apparently. I think it was vibration from the Keurig brewing that caused the N4 to quietly side off the iPad and onto the floor. Ugh.

For grins I tried to repeat it with my iPhone 4S, naked. It would not slide like the N4 did. Strange. Of course if the back of my 4S crashed it would have been no biggie: $10 and 2 minutes I have a no one. Heck I replaced the LCD on my iPhone 4 for under $30. No such parts available for the N4 .

I should note that you could not see the crack once I put the case on it. But it bothered me that it was there--and I worried it would not be as strong in resisting a bending force.



Michael

I think the N4 has tiny microscopic legs Google didn't tell us about....I find mine sliding all the time on even the most stable surfaces....its quite odd.

 

[b166er]

I love the version of plastic Nokia went with for the 920. That think is a tank as far as smartphones go. Most plastics will crack just as easy as glass or easier depending on how it's dropped, but the 920 is a beast.

I never cracked any of my iPhones, but when I saw what they were doing with the iPhone 5 I knew it wasn't for me. I think if I had bought one it would be in shreds by now.

 

[Essenar]

I've never dropped my iPhone 5 but I've dropped my S3 a few times and it took the hits better than Rihanna does.

I'd hate to have a phone that pulls a Tony Romo and just crumbles under the pressure.

 

[hyteckit]

Glass is not that durable.

If you are clumsy, don't get a phone with a glass back.

Then again , if you are that clumsy and drop your phone multiple times a year, I suggest not to get a smartphone with a big glass screen.

 

[surjavarman]

I fail to see how glass makes a phone less or more durable. Either the back shatters and you just have a phone with cosmetic damages but otherwise fully functional. Or the front cracks.

But I fail to see how plastic would prevent the front from cracking on other phones and improving durability.

 

[Dave.UK]

I fail to see how glass makes a phone less or more durable. Either the back shatters and you just have a phone with cosmetic damages but otherwise fully functional. Or the front cracks.

But I fail to see how plastic would prevent the front from cracking on other phones and improving durability.

It might not stop the front from cracking, but chances are the plastic back wont break and will just pop off - giving you only a 50% of glass breakage compared to 100% with a glass front and back phone.

 

[adder7712]

I fail to see how glass makes a phone less or more durable. Either the back shatters and you just have a phone with cosmetic damages but otherwise fully functional. Or the front cracks.

But I fail to see how plastic would prevent the front from cracking on other phones and improving durability.

The thing is, the front of many smartphones is glass.

 

[cynics]

I swear, Otterbox should make a toilet edition of their cases.

They do. Their Armor series is water proof (urine and turd proof too, probably). Don't know what all phones they make it for. Once the price comes down I'm gonna ditch my LifeProof case (aslo urine and turd proof) for one.

 

[nick_elt]

I dont know how ppl put such a bulky case on a phone

 

[TheHateMachine]

Also what is your phone doing out of your pocket...in a toilet? I mean seriously people.

This is why i avoid touching other peoples' phones.

How dull life was on the toilet before smartphones came out.

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They do. Their Armor series is water proof (urine and turd proof too, probably). Don't know what all phones they make it for. Once the price comes down I'm gonna ditch my LifeProof case (aslo urine and turd proof) for one.

I think you like typing urine and turd. Regardless... upvote for turd resistance CASES!