Glass not the best for phones = cracked my N4

[Tinmania]

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.

My last phone before the iPhone in 2007 was a Treo. Good gawd that thing was dropped countless times--once from a moving motorcyle without any case (the finder called me and I got it back--even went back and found the sylus on road where he said he found the treo).

I think it is a plus that plastic gives. That Treo did the same thing that my original Palm Pilot would do when dropped hard enough: back cover came off, usually with the battery as well.

I'm hoping that is what my Note 2 will do, if it ever is in that situation. It is what happened in the drop test video I saw about it.



Michael

 

[Essenar]

I'm not wiping my ass with my phone so I think I'm good on it being turd proof.

 

[NewAnger]

Out of seven years of owning iPhones and now a Nexus 4, I have never broke the screen on any of them and I have owned 4 4S iPhones, 4 3GS iPhones, 2-3 iPhone 3Gs, 5 original iPhones.

The only phone that I broke the display on since owning my first phone in 1993, was a Samsung flip phone from around 2003 or so. I broke the inside and outside displays.

 

[hyteckit]

Out of seven years of owning iPhones and now a Nexus 4, I have never broke the screen on any of them and I have owned 4 4S iPhones, 4 3GS iPhones, 2-3 iPhone 3Gs, 5 original iPhones.

The only phone that I broke the display on since owning my first phone in 1993, was a Samsung flip phone from around 2003 or so. I broke the inside and outside displays.

I've own every iPhone except for the iPhone 5. Never broken a single one. The last 3 years, I have been using the iPhone 4/4S.

The only phone I've broken was a plastic phone from Sony Ericsson. It flew out of my pocket during a game basketball and the volume button broke.

----------

iPhone 4S torture test.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_I3LJiaWzU

It was toss down a flight a stairs twice and the glass did not crack.


It was obvious the Nexus 4 was poorly design. The glass cracked in someones pocket.

 

[Dr McKay]

I've own every iPhone except for the iPhone 5. Never broken a single one. The last 3 years, I have been using the iPhone 4/4S.

The only phone I've broken was a plastic phone from Sony Ericsson. It flew out of my pocket during a game basketball and the volume button broke.

----------

iPhone 4S torture test.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_I3LJiaWzU

It was toss down a flight a stairs twice and the glass did not crack.


It was obvious the Nexus 4 was poorly design. The glass cracked in someones pocket.

Drop tests literally prove nothing because there are so many ways it can hit the floor at varying angles. I've seen a 4S shatter that fell from 2 feet onto wood, I dropped my Nexus 4 onto concrete from 6 feet and it survived relatively unscathed (it bounced off the corner and left only a scuff on the plastic)

 

[hyteckit]

Drop tests literally prove nothing because there are so many ways it can hit the floor at varying angles. I've seen a 4S shatter that fell from 2 feet onto wood, I dropped my Nexus 4 onto concrete from 6 feet and it survived relatively unscathed (it bounced off the corner and left only a scuff on the plastic)

It was more of a throw the iPhone down a flight of stairs test.

It proves the iPhone 4S can survice being toss down a flight of stairs twice without the glass on the back or front shattering.

Not impressed?

Show me a video of a Nexus 4 being thrown down a flight of stairs with hard suffice.

I'm betting the Galaxy S3 or Note 2 would have a shattered screen. I'm betting the Nexus 4 would have at least a shattered glass back.

 

[flameproof]

Drop tests literally prove nothing because

Yep. My friends Nokia Lumia 800 dropped from his pocked while sitting. Height was ~50cm - glass cracked - dead. That was GORILLA3 glass!

Got him a $20 China LCD (I guess no Gorilla here), fixed it, and told him to be EXTRA careful.

...and when I walk through the repair places I see plenty of broken iPhone screens. So they DO break.

 

[Tinmania]

It was more of a throw the iPhone down a flight of stairs test.

It proves the iPhone 4S can survice being toss down a flight of stairs twice without the glass on the back or front shattering.

Not impressed?

Show me a video of a Nexus 4 being thrown down a flight of stairs with hard suffice.

I'm betting the Galaxy S3 or Note 2 would have a shattered screen. I'm betting the Nexus 4 would have at least a shattered glass back.

That is a ludicrous assumption.

There are infinite variables when an object--including a human--falls down stairs. Guess what? One can find cases where strong and healthy people have died from falling down stairs whereas frail and elderly have survived. It would be equally ludicrous to come to the conclusion that, due to that anecdotal evidence, old and frail are stronger.

At least think it through... even a little will do.



Michael

 

[maxosx]

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.

Each phone has its own unique characteristics.

Their is no perfect phone.

Sorry to here of your troubles.

My Nexus 4, 7, & 10 have all been quite durable & fun.

YMMV.

 

[onthecouchagain]

I'm so over glass, but seriously, why can't they make aluminum user-removable? Why does it always have to be thin plastic in order to be removable?

 

[strausd]

I'm so over glass, but seriously, why can't they make aluminum user-removable? Why does it always have to be thin plastic in order to be removable?

HTC One design + Samsung user replaceable battery and Micro SD Slot = perfection.


------------------

My Nexus 4, structurally at least, has been fine. Although the plastic on the Nexus 4 bumper already cracked and now it doesn't fit properly. But it was made out of cheap plastic, so I guess I shouldn't have expected anything too great.

But really what I find odd is that this thread is all about how someone dislikes the Nexus 4 because of all the glass. But the only issue brought up in the OP was how the front glass broke, making the device unusable. But how can you condemn the Nexus 4 for front glass when every phone has glass on the front and literally could break in the exact same spot causing the exact same issue. It sounds like the best thing to prevent it would have been a better frame.

 

[adder7712]

I'm so over glass, but seriously, why can't they make aluminum user-removable? Why does it always have to be thin plastic in order to be removable?

I know a few Sony Ericsson feature phones with metallic (or at least I think is) rear covers that are removable.

 

[hyteckit]

Hey Tig Bitties,

Tinmania calls your assumption that glass breaks easily a "ludicruous assumption". And you should "At least think it through... even a little will do." Here is his reasoning.

That is a ludicrous assumption.

There are infinite variables when an object--including a human--falls down stairs. Guess what? One can find cases where strong and healthy people have died from falling down stairs whereas frail and elderly have survived. It would be equally ludicrous to come to the conclusion that, due to that anecdotal evidence, old and frail are stronger.

At least think it through... even a little will do.



Michael

So it's a ludricrous assumption that glass break easily? So you are saying Tig Bitties made a ludricrous assumption that glass not the best for phone because his Nexus 4 cracked from a fall?

Nexus 4 is a frail and elderly person.
The iPhone 4S is a healthy person.

Base on your argument, you can't make any assumptions that plastic is better or more durable than glass or aluminum because it's a ludricrous assumption.

Seems that what your argument is.

 

[inselstudent]

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.

it's kinda disturbing to see how you're the only one so far wondering about it.

 

[Tinmania]

Hey Tig Bitties,

Tinmania calls your assumption that glass breaks easily a "ludicruous assumption". And you should "At least think it through... even a little will do." Here is his reasoning.



So it's a ludricrous assumption that glass break easily? So you are saying Tig Bitties made a ludricrous assumption that glass not the best for phone because his Nexus 4 cracked from a fall?

Nexus 4 is a frail and elderly person.
The iPhone 4S is a healthy person.

Base on your argument, you can't make any assumptions that plastic is better or more durable than glass or aluminum because it's a ludricrous assumption.

Seems that what your argument is.

Hey, world...

Is hyteckit that dense to think falling down stairs, or any drop test for that matter, proves anything--when there are infinite variables? Yea asserting that is ludicrous.

Is he also too dense to see that when Apple uses glass it equals "strong" and when someone else does it equals "weak?" Oh wait he does think that.

Carry on....




Michael

 

[cynics]

It was more of a throw the iPhone down a flight of stairs test.

It proves the iPhone 4S can survice being toss down a flight of stairs twice without the glass on the back or front shattering.

Not impressed?

Show me a video of a Nexus 4 being thrown down a flight of stairs with hard suffice.

I'm betting the Galaxy S3 or Note 2 would have a shattered screen. I'm betting the Nexus 4 would have at least a shattered glass back.

I agree with people that say there are too many variables. One of my best friends broke the back glass on his 4S at a party dropping it from less then chest height onto a concrete patio.

He doesn't care cause its the back. That would bother me.

http://youtu.be/j72MNAdHzMA

iPhone 4S back breaking from a 3 foot drop. Back completely destroyed and camera lens flying out on 5 foot drop. Front shattering on a 4 ft face down drop.

Still doesn't mean much because you can find videos of it surviving drops too. By comparison here is the same guys doing a drop test on the nexus 4.

http://youtu.be/TGXR2iznbeg

It did moderately better. Back survived but still failed over all. Just like their test with the iPhone 5 at 4ft failed. But I've seen plenty of test with the iPhone 5 surviving drops higher the 4 ft. Too many variables.

 

[Tinmania]

I agree with people that say there are too many variables. One of my best friends broke the back glass on his 4S at a party dropping it from less then chest height onto a concrete patio.

He doesn't care cause its the back. That would bother me.

http://youtu.be/j72MNAdHzMA

iPhone 4S back breaking from a 3 foot drop. Back completely destroyed and camera lens flying out on 5 foot drop. Front shattering on a 4 ft face down drop.

Still doesn't mean much because you can find videos of it surviving drops too. By comparison here is the same guys doing a drop test on the nexus 4.

http://youtu.be/TGXR2iznbeg

It did moderately better. Back survived but still failed over all. Just like their test with the iPhone 5 at 4ft failed. But I've seen plenty of test with the iPhone 5 surviving drops higher the 4 ft. Too many variables.

Shhhhhhh..... don't confront him with reality!




Michael

 

[Tig Bitties]

Bottom line, I think it's luck of the draw how the phone lands, and hit on impact.

I have dropped some of my Android phones tons of time, and zero issues. My old EVO 4G, was a brick, thing went flying like Frisbee at times, and still worked. All my Samsung phones the same thing, dropped, bounced, battery cover falls off, and battery flies across the room, pick it up, pop back in, and turn back on, no problem.

My Nexus 4, hit tile flooring, and dropped corner side screen up, the worst way a phone can land on tile. Don't care which phone it is, I would have cracked any other phone if landing on tile in that direction. Plus idiot me, had the case off that weekend, sometimes at home I go caseless, for the feel of a thin light phone, only using a case outside. Lesson learned.

 

[Tinmania]

Bottom line, I think it's luck of the draw how the phone lands, and hit on impact.

I have dropped some of my Android phones tons of time, and zero issues. My old EVO 4G, was a brick, thing went flying like Frisbee at times, and still worked. All my Samsung phones the same thing, dropped, bounced, battery cover falls off, and battery flies across the room, pick it up, pop back in, and turn back on, no problem.

My Nexus 4, hit tile flooring, and dropped corner side screen up, the worst way a phone can land on tile. Don't care which phone it is, I would have cracked any other phone if landing on tile in that direction. Plus idiot me, had the case off that weekend, sometimes at home I go caseless, for the feel of a thin light phone, only using a case outside. Lesson learned.

By the way, I completely misread your post I replied to up above. Worse, I ASSumed it was hyteckit who wrote. My apologies. Shouldn't overdo the multitasking.




Michael

 

[Technarchy]

I have 3 co-workers with a Nexus 4's and countless others with iPhone 4's or 4S'.

I personally think the glass build feels awesome, and I managed to never drop my own 4S.

If Apple brought back glass on iPhone 6 I wouldn't complain at all.

 

[strausd]

I have 3 co-workers with a Nexus 4's and countless others with iPhone 4's or 4S'.

I personally think the glass build feels awesome, and I managed to never drop my own 4S.

If Apple brought back glass on iPhone 6 I wouldn't complain at all.

What about a thin layer of glass over aluminum? Kind of like the trackpads on their laptops. Smooth feel, more scratch resistant, and still the superior structural build quality of aluminum. That could be interesting.

 

[hyteckit]

Hey, world...

Is hyteckit that dense to think falling down stairs, or any drop test for that matter, proves anything--when there are infinite variables? Yea asserting that is ludicrous.

Is he also too dense to see that when Apple uses glass it equals "strong" and when someone else does it equals "weak?" Oh wait he does think that.

Carry on....




Michael

Hey Michael,

You are too dense to realize this thread was create Tig Bitties.

----------

By the way, I completely misread your post I replied to up above. Worse, I ASSumed it was hyteckit who wrote. My apologies. Shouldn't overdo the multitasking.

You should be apologizing to me.

 

[hyteckit]

My last phone before the iPhone in 2007 was a Treo. Good gawd that thing was dropped countless times--once from a moving motorcyle without any case (the finder called me and I got it back--even went back and found the sylus on road where he said he found the treo).

I think it is a plus that plastic gives. That Treo did the same thing that my original Palm Pilot would do when dropped hard enough: back cover came off, usually with the battery as well.

Hey Tinmania,

Michael thinks you should "At least think it through... even a little will do" before making the assumption that plastic is a plus just based on anecdotal evidence. "It would be equally ludicrous to come to the conclusion that, due to that anecdotal evidence" that plastic is a plus over glass or aluminum.

I'll have Michael reply to you Tinmania.

That is a ludicrous assumption.

There are infinite variables when an object--including a human--falls down stairs. Guess what? One can find cases where strong and healthy people have died from falling down stairs whereas frail and elderly have survived. It would be equally ludicrous to come to the conclusion that, due to that anecdotal evidence, old and frail are stronger.

At least think it through... even a little will do.



Michael

 

[hexonxonx]

My last phone before the iPhone in 2007 was a Treo. Good gawd that thing was dropped countless times--once from a moving motorcyle without any case (the finder called me and I got it back--even went back and found the sylus on road where he said he found the treo).

I think it is a plus that plastic gives. That Treo did the same thing that my original Palm Pilot would do when dropped hard enough: back cover came off, usually with the battery as well.

I'm hoping that is what my Note 2 will do, if it ever is in that situation. It is what happened in the drop test video I saw about it.



Michael

I too had a treo in 2007 and dropped it a few times. The only thing that happened was that the antenna broke off and I simply superglued it and went back on my way. I dropped it a few more times breaking the antenna off again and agin superglued it. The iPhone save me from all that and I have yet to break the glass on any iPhone to this day.