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Just my reaction and my perceived negatives of the QuickWindow Case.
It might help someone who is considering buying it in the future.
But let me repeat that these are MY experience, MY problems, yours might differ
Also excuse my english, am trying my best to explain with the little knowledge of it as I have.
Intro, as I see still some questions and reviews, threads popping out for the quick window case let me summarize the negatives.
(I do have the original LG case for 30 euro, but I do believe most of this will go for a cheap case as well)
For the TL;DR ppls out there. Just scroll down there is a quick list..
Wrong hold.
It ads incredible bulk, might not look like it, but since the phone is thin,
when you get it out of the case after a month of use you will notice the huge difference right away.
The phone does feel amazing outside the case.
When you wanna play you need to put the cover to the back, and its really strange if you play games,
or even watch videos, there is a bit of force that is trying to pull the cover back,
small but you can still feel it, and as well, on your hand you will feel that there is something not smooth.
You can't actually put it properly in most of the car holders... I own an universal one.
You have to push it to the back and few times it just flipped out of the holder etc. Taking it out it will wear out faster.
The window in my case was the reason why I actually thrown the phone on the ground few times.
Finger stuck into the whole and I actually threw it few times down. (
Thank God I had the case that it was a bit protected from the impact.... see the irony in that? )
Maintenance and looks
The open space gets more dirty, more oily, more dusty then any other place on the screen, for apparent reasons.
Every time I open the cover, I spend some time cleaning it...
If you use like me a screen protector (later I will explain why this is actually needed!)
it changed even the color slightly of the always exposed part, I would have not noticed this,
but the cut out part made the protector to be more yellow, maybe due to more exposure to sunlight.
It doesn't age the same way, even though this might be the protectors fault and glass protectors out there won't probably get yellowish.
The case, being used already for 3 months now, shows wearing of the materials, the joints and the soft tissue parts are starting to clutter.
The metal rim or plastic, destroyer of the Gorilla Glass... I do not know who's "smart" Idea was this,
but if I was the one buying the case, having the actual receipt I would try to make LG give me a new phone or money
as this protection cover actually scratched the phone... I suspect something got stuck between the rim and the screen,
maybe sand, and actually scratched the screen. Who adds something so hard on a soft cover....
This was the reason for the screen protector btw....
Software and applications.
3 basic applications
Clock, always changes when I put it in my pocket, I do not like to switch always to the one I can best read
I do not appreciate the randomness
Weather stopped updating, or updates randomly, I have it frozen as I did not like the wakelocks
and the bad accuracy of it, compared to custom apps I use
Music player as I again use something custom, Google Play music its no use for me and was frozen
Are there any custom applications anyway?
The window is too small for my huge fingers in most cases and I have problems operating it.
The controls are too near the rim, should be located more to the accessible middle of the cover.
Means I not able to refresh the weather, use the music controls and when in hurry taking a call is a drag
Have to open the cover to re-check if the person just stopped talking or the call ended.
Or problems just to end the call...
No energy saved whatsoever by the use, the screen is no Amoled.
So no matter what you see through the window, it's all lights up.
All of these problems makes the LG original case just very expensive accessory with no real benefits.
The custom cases only no real benefits.
Here the promised quick list
too bulky, phone amazing without, games and car holders a no go
[*]already showing sings of wear after 3 months
[*]window gets more dirty, oily
[*]the metallic or plastic rim, can be trace back as a reason for scratches
[*]no energy saved
[*]no time saver either ....
[*]good applications not present
[*]control of the phone more complicated due to bad ergonomic of apps
[*]limited protection
What is your addition to my Negative Experience? I will edit my review when I remember other nice things about the cover...
Also I stopped using it and now testing this http://goo.gl/SFK6Nl
PS:Sorry if similar thread exists.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2622144
Maybe this can help... It offer a simple notification, but can be improved if you have time.
I'll agree with most of this. I wish there was another official LG case.
I don't see it as too bulky - it's pretty thin in my hands. More so than the Ballistic Aspira, the Otterbox cases, the Trident cases, or the Spigen Slim Armor. The MAIN issue I find with it is, beyond needing to fold the flap back to hold the phone comfortably, is that it covers the proximity sensor. This means it kills the Answer Me functionality, or any functions using the proximity sensor while the case is closed. Aka: a lot of the touted features.
I just wish the Quick Window Apps were more useful. The three that exist... aren't.
I agree. The worst part about the case was that the one time I did accidentally drop my phone it bounced right out of the case and on its face... Basically makes the case not useful as a case for me
Sent from my LG-VS980 using Tapatalk
Hi all,
I'm considering replacing my phone and although it isn't very urgent, my current phone (Wiko Peax, a french/chinese tinno rebrand) is getting on my nerves more and more. Battery autonomy (granted, beta kitkat rom, anything but the original ICS had bad autonomy) annoys me (data activated, can't stay the whole day with very light use: bit of surf (1h) and music (1h)).
The Z3C got my attention but so does the LG G3 (which price goes down quite these days).
The Z3C, according to a couple forums seems to be VERY VERY sensitive to falls and even slight knocks or sometimes.... nothing at all. It also seems Sony really doesn't help much warranty-wise. So I'm really hesitant to pay so much for a "break itself" phone (or so it seems).
What do you think regarding this issue?
thibouille said:
Hi all,
I'm considering replacing my phone and although it isn't very urgent, my current phone (Wiko Peax, a french/chinese tinno rebrand) is getting on my nerves more and more. Battery autonomy (granted, beta kitkat rom, anything but the original ICS had bad autonomy) annoys me (data activated, can't stay the whole day with very light use: bit of surf (1h) and music (1h)).
The Z3C got my attention but so does the LG G3 (which price goes down quite these days).
The Z3C, according to a couple forums seems to be VERY VERY sensitive to falls and even slight knocks or sometimes.... nothing at all. It also seems Sony really doesn't help much warranty-wise. So I'm really hesitant to pay so much for a "break itself" phone (or so it seems).
What do you think regarding this issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The edges of the z3 compact are made of a plastic material designed to absorb falls. The main screen glass isn't gorilla glass, but it is some kind of Dragonglass*? Can't remember exactly. But this stuff is designed to be very flexible (Handle falls well.) The only thing they may have slacked on is the rear glass, Apparently that is easily shattered and scratched. I just slapped a full body skin on mine and it's been fine.
Z3c is the perfect size in terms of reaching everything one handed. LgG3 is all about big and beautiful.
Either phone will be an upgrade.
Also don't forget, people are more likely to post a bad experience than a good one.
Thank you, starfox5194, for your reply.
You're right, vocal people are the ones who got problems, I'm well aware of that (but a reminder costs nothing).
Btw, is root finally available without those DRM lost?
Is there any DRM TA partition backup solution ?
LG G3 has non of those problems. But I know Xperia devices are a lot more taken care of as for CM ports (which I'd really like in the long run, device aging).
Thank you.
I have been comparing both devices side to side pretty much all day and again I proved to my self that as of now there is not a phone worth replacing my beloved G Flex.. Unfortunately this little experiment will cost me $50 restocking fee but oh well.
Here is what I got so far:
Screen - Flex is a clear winner here not only by size but the V10 doesnt even come close to the how vibrant and beautiful the Flex screen is. I compared both phones running Leo's Fortune game and the furry ball was positioned on the exact same spot and also a good quality movie which I synced. The difference is just enormous with the Flex providing deeper crisp colors and true black while the V10 looks washed out and almost like some smoke filter was applied. I asked several people at work and they picked the Flex right away and were shocked thats an older phone. Also due to its size the Flex displays larger gaming image in the above game and some things arent even visable on the V10.
Performance - The V10 is snappy no doubt but so is the Flex not far behind. When playing the above game though the V10 is choppy while the Flex is smooth as butter. I prefer the Flex.
Phone size and weight - the V10 is literally as big as the Flex but with a smaller screen and it feels heavier. Of course its better looking than the Flex somewhat but thats not enough for me to keep it.
Second screen - cool concept and I can see it being useful but when you play a game or watch a movie you get an annoying gray stripe one the side of the screen and its not the same size so OCD guys like me will go crazy looking at that thing. I wish they made it turn off completely when in landscape but no it stays on and since the blacks are really gray its pretty visable.
Battery - I wont even bother lol
Some other things I dont like - No settings for Color temperature or Screen mode. That sucks because the colors are very cold.
I dont see LED notification and thats a huge letdown.
I also wish that second screen had some more functions when the main screen is off rather than just show me the time and four icons I cant change.
Also the screen reflects badly coming from the curved Flex with which reflections are reduced to minimum.
The V10 is hard to grab from the table and I can't put it on its face like im used to with the Flex.
What I like - Removable battery, SD Card, Looks and Camera
I know I should have known most of that but I thought I give it a try. So far its a no go.
I am keeping it for 14 days to get my $50 worth and I will be comparing both phones in different scenarios so I you want to know something in particular just let me know and I will compare side by side for you.
It looks like some of will be rocking the Flex longer than we thought.
Well, the 4.4.2 update for the Flex caused me to search for a new device. Like you I chose the V10, primarily because of the durability claims. I mountain bike and it will be nice if I don't always have to stress over my phone when I take a fall. Unlike you, I have found that the second screen acts as a notification area when I play games. I will get texts streaming across it, as well as email and other notifications. Having been using them both, I can't really argue most of what you stated.
However, On the plus side which you haven't mentioned;
Root took me all of about 15 minutes on the V10. Unlocking the bootloader is as easy as booting to bootloader and following the on screen instructions. It took me longer to install adb and fastboot on my laptop.
Once you spend the time to configure the second screen, it is quite useful. I have an assortment of information up there, main screen on or off.
You never mentioned the fingerprint scanner unlock, which I am now addicted to
Or wireless charging. Yeah, it may cost a little extra, but once you are used to it, you feel deprived without it. And considering the V10 can be had for considerably less than any other halo device, even with the extra cost, you are getting away cheaper than anything else.
I loved my 959 and am currently looking at ways to root it( very badly, since I am a bit out of touch here), but still trying.
I am also extremely happy with the V10, even if the whole package is not *better* than the Flex.
Well there is no doubt in my mind that even now G Flex is pretty tough to beat.. I have had the flex for 1 year now and have
100 apps installed and it is still smooth, no lag whatsoever..the camera is amazing, resolves a lot of detail and takes beautiful pictures.. There are many many things to like and the phone has an enduring appeal.
Like I said, I loved the 959. I was just getting sick of never having signal. The 4.4.2 update caused me all kinds of headaches that I am now looking into since bricking it won't leave me stick anymore. ?
Daughain said:
Well, the 4.4.2 update for the Flex caused me to search for a new device. Like you I chose the V10, primarily because of the durability claims. I mountain bike and it will be nice if I don't always have to stress over my phone when I take a fall. Unlike you, I have found that the second screen acts as a notification area when I play games. I will get texts streaming across it, as well as email and other notifications. Having been using them both, I can't really argue most of what you stated.
However, On the plus side which you haven't mentioned;
Root took me all of about 15 minutes on the V10. Unlocking the bootloader is as easy as booting to bootloader and following the on screen instructions. It took me longer to install adb and fastboot on my laptop.
Once you spend the time to configure the second screen, it is quite useful. I have an assortment of information up there, main screen on or off.
You never mentioned the fingerprint scanner unlock, which I am now addicted to
Or wireless charging. Yeah, it may cost a little extra, but once you are used to it, you feel deprived without it. And considering the V10 can be had for considerably less than any other halo device, even with the extra cost, you are getting away cheaper than anything else.
I loved my 959 and am currently looking at ways to root it( very badly, since I am a bit out of touch here), but still trying.
I am also extremely happy with the V10, even if the whole package is not *better* than the Flex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mountain bike too in fact I'm going right now with my Flex and my fat bike (dont judge lol).
I did not mention the fingerprint scanner as I had the phone for one day when I posted that. The thing is I dont see my self using it over the amazing knock to wake future we have. It means I have to pick up my phone and and unlock it every time so that future is useless to me.
The 32 bit DAC of the V10 is amazing I must admit but it does not work with any of my Bluetooth headphones or speakers and those are what I use now days unfortunately.
Also I noticed the second screen bleed last night... Not awful but still.
One of the weakest points of the Flex for me was the camera. I have seen people say here they really like it but I have not been able to see anything good about it. The V10 takes crazy good pictures tho.
Can you tell me how you customized the second screen and how you got the wireless charging? Any good ROM's yet?
Thanks!
vivebatu said:
Well there is no doubt in my mind that even now G Flex is pretty tough to beat.. I have had the flex for 1 year now and have
100 apps installed and it is still smooth, no lag whatsoever..the camera is amazing, resolves a lot of detail and takes beautiful pictures.. There are many many things to like and the phone has an enduring appeal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Our phones must have different cameras not to mention the Flex is useless for taking pictures at night.
bgsitizen said:
Our phones must have different cameras not to mention the Flex is useless for taking pictures at night.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha
Well there are a couple of things here,
1) the screen Flex has is a bit underwhelming for viewing pictures. I have noticed the same pictures look much better when you transfer them to a PC or other higher resolution screen,
2) for night images, I have used the HDR mode of the stock camera and it has not let me down most of the times. If I compare pictures to say an iPhone 5s (brother has it) , they hold out pretty well and in fact are better most times
Or maybe I'm too much in love with the Flex to notice..as they say love is blind
@bgsitizen The second screen can be configured from the settings menu. Not the greatest yet, but something better than stock. And for wireless charging, well, that's extra. Need to buy a back and charger but at least that's all to it. Watch the dev threads for ROMs. I know there is one in beta right now.
well a v10 will replace my flex, probably picking up tonite. the pluses, removable battery and removable card. we have ruined 2 screens on the flex they wouldnt allow us to renew insurance on it. here is where the removable sd card shines, we had the charging port get damaged on the flex there was no way to get photos off it. Fortunately the charging board is removable it costs 9 dollars and was really easy to replace no weird t-something screws just 0 phillips. This was a big gamble since it didnt even power on, but once the board was on it worked, I pulled all photos off it. So I thought I'd replace the screen you can get screen w frame for around 100, all you have to do is put your battery, charging board and motherboard on it....fine everything was perfect for a few days then the display went wonky, it is unviewable. I have seen where the v10 was dropped under normal conditions and it survived very well, both times when the flex broke it was simply falling out of pocket.
After the Livermorium keyboard mod finally failed, I got to work to create something myself, using my trusty 3D printer.
As a basis I am using an generic mini bluetooth keyboard. This thing comes under a variety of names, one of which is Jelly Comb IBK-26IM, but there are a lot of other names for this thing. Additionally to the full six-row keyboard (including dedicated rows for numbers and F-keys and keys like alt, ctrl, esc or shift) it also offers a mediocre touchpad for mouse control.
In the current iteration I only use a 3D printed clamp that connects the keyboard to the smartphone. This is a very simplistic approach but already this is a lot better than only using a touch keyboard.
I made a version that used laptop hinges from an old laptop to fold the keyboard to the back of the phone when not used (Motorola Backflip style), but the laptop hinges were way to strong. So I am currently working on a design using 3D-printed adjustible-strength torque hinges. I am thinking of making a double-hinged design that allows the keyboard to be folded both over the front (laptop style) and the back (Motorola Backflip style), so it can protect the keys and display when stored, and still be used in landscape with the keyboard out and in portrait mode with the keyboard folded to the back of the phone.
These designs I am working on will replace the back plate of the keyboard to reduce the thickness of the whole thing. I am also thinking about adding lead weights to the bottom of the keyboard to balance the top-heavyness, which is an issue, though surprisingly not a major one.
I also made a clamp to connect the smartphone with a Playstation 3 or XBox One controller.
Is anyone interested in either 3D-print files or 3D-printed parts for this? I can adjust the clamp part to work with about every smartphone.
Instead of putting lead weights.. try design it to have a kick stand.
BTW, it awesome for your work so far. Please continue and update here the improvements.
I would love to have one if all fit - slim - easy and most of all, work out perfectly...
Thanks for the interest and the feedback!
Where would you put the kickstand?
I have been using the clamp for a while now. It works pretty nicely. I am not sure if a joint is entirely necessary, since I can just pop the phone out of the clamp if I don't need the keyboard. I will build and test it though, just to see if it is an improvement.
A nice project. :good:
Though there already exists some clamshell variants like the Gemini and the Cosmo
My interest is primarily in a slider - though of course your solution is much better than touch-only.
I have my hopes up high for the "Q-device" hinted at e.g. here and until more news on that, i'm using a Snap-On keyboard for the Samsung S8- (Unfortunately it does not work completely on S9-, see this https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s9/accessories/keyboard-cover-s8-modified-s9-t3841101
ADD:
Just an Idea, depending on how the 3D-print and the hinge is joined. It could be nice if the two 3D-parts meet, and had some suitable cut-ins so it 'snapped' in place at a couple of angles. e.g. closed, open 120 degrees and open 180 degrees.
And If you can get hold of hinges like the Lenovo Yoga, it would be clever if it could bend over and stay in a couple of more angles, including 360 too...
Thank you!
The hinged version isn't actually a clamshell since it does not close with the display and the keyboard on the inside, but rather on the outside. Compared to a clamshell device this does not offer any protection for the screen and the keyboard, but it allows using the display in portrait mode without having the keyboard dangle off to one side. A double-hinged design would allow for both, closing it like a clamshell and also folding the keyboard to the backside.
I would prefer a slider as well, since it is a middle ground between both designs. The keyboard is protected and the screen is not, but you can still use the device in portrait mode. I have two problems with a slider design, though. First, I haven't found any 3D-printable (or cheap and very small buyable) sliding mechanisms. Second, because the sliding mechanism needs to attach to the top of the keyboard, I cannot build it into the back of the keyboard as I am doing with the folding mechanism. The back half of the keyboard is virtually empty and also the shape is pretty simple. So for the folding mechanism I am just going to replace that back half, thus saving a lot of thickness.
I attached renders of the backflip mechanism. Two of the renders show the device in the folded state, with the keyboard being on top, keys facing up, and the phone being on the bottom, screen facing down. The third render shows the mechanism in the opened state. The smartphone is inserted into the thin hoop part and the top half of the keyboard is screwed onto the wider flat panel on the right.
I will post pictures as soon as I'm done printing it and got it to work.
And also, thanks a lot for posting the link at the Keyboard Mod indiegogo page!
Dakkaron said:
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I attached renders of the backflip mechanism. Two of the renders show the device in the folded state, with the keyboard being on top, keys facing up, and the phone being on the bottom, screen facing down. The third render shows the mechanism in the opened state. The smartphone is inserted into the thin hoop part and the top half of the keyboard is screwed onto the wider flat panel on the right.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah I see, only 'backflipping'
You might consider something like this they even mention that you can request a sample, But 500 for $100 that should be enough for your immediate needs
I think I will first try it with 3D printed joints, since there I can adjust the resistance. I already tried it with other laptop hinges, but they were extremely tough, so it was impossible to fold the device without breaking something. Maybe there is something like that with adjustable torque, that would be good.
The version I am currently working on will work like the Motorola Backflip, which is where I got the term from.
Edit: @eske.rahn: I just saw your edit to the first post. Cut-ins sound interesting. I'll have to see if I can get something like that to work.
Dakkaron said:
I think I will first try it with 3D printed joints, since there I can adjust the resistance. I already tried it with other laptop hinges, but they were extremely tough, so it was impossible to fold the device without breaking something. Maybe there is something like that with adjustable torque, that would be good.
The version I am currently working on will work like the Motorola Backflip, which is where I got the term from.
Edit: @eske.rahn: I just saw your edit to the first post. Cut-ins sound interesting. I'll have to see if I can get something like that to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure what the correct technical term is, perhaps "Locking hinge", what I mean is something along these lines integrated, but with a limited number of positions
https://www.yeggi.com/goto/l52hmXJ/...03endmN/Qq7Sc29yaqOXKY5nh04POrrC04a_smZusqZ2W
---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:15 PM ----------
Dakkaron said:
I think I will first try it with 3D printed joints, since there I can adjust the resistance. I already tried it with other laptop hinges, but they were extremely tough, so it was impossible to fold the device without breaking something. Maybe there is something like that with adjustable torque, that would be good.
The version I am currently working on will work like the Motorola Backflip, which is where I got the term from.
Edit: @eske.rahn: I just saw your edit to the first post. Cut-ins sound interesting. I'll have to see if I can get something like that to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might also consider a completely different approach with the two halves always parallel, and the mechanics at the ends, like this table thing.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61PZJuntwQL._SL1500_.jpg
(sort of most primtive 'slider', and if the arms got different lengths, you can get a tilt also)
This locking hinge design looks pretty simple. Should be no problem to incorporate that into my design.
A friend of mine had a smartphone a few years with this parallel-arms-design. I can't remember what it was. I think some Samsung phone. I don't think I can make this in 3D-print in the required size... I am thinking about a real slider though. Have to see if it is possible.
I tried printing the hinged design, but I don't have a good printing direction, since neither the top nor the bottom of the keyboard half are touching the floor. I need to rework this. Didn't have much time this weekend.
slider vs hinge
i get it that a hinge is easy to implement but would it not be better to try a sliding action over the hinge since it would allow for a end design
@Dakkaron If you're going for a DIY-solution, I'd suggest modding one of the many existing QWERTY-cases for the Galaxy S4, S5 and iPhone.
Several years ago I had one of those for my S4. The problem is, these are hard to come by, unless you live in the US.
I was also a backer of the keyboard mod, actually only bought the Moto Z because of that about 1,5 years go (and then had to replace it with a Z2 Play half a year ago).
As someone who was craving a keyboard smartphone for years, this is really frustrating.
In 2016 I switched to a Blackberry Priv - up until then I had an imported Droid 4 - but the lack of root and its terrible keyboard drove me away.
A few days ago I got a Gemini PDA and while it definitely has its benefits, it's not nearly as practical as a daily driver as a slider would be.
I wish I could just find one of the lucky few who got the keyboard mod and buy it from them for a hefty price.
As someone who struggles with these highly impractical touchscreen keyboards - even after 1,5 years - I'm really frustrated.
I simply don't get why many years ago smartphone producers suddenly forced keyboard-less phones on us up to the point where most people forgot about them.
It's not like people suddenly said 'we don't want a hardware keyboard anymore', they just stopped producing models with a keyboard.
But it's not like people don't want a physical keyboard!
I still know a few that just want to have a keyboard again. And everyone who's seen my keyboard phones so far immediately responded positively to them.
It's a shame that the options for people like us are so limited.
noonebikes4free said:
i get it that a hinge is easy to implement but would it not be better to try a sliding action over the hinge since it would allow for a end design
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure a slider would be better for a SPECIFIC combo, but I guess the hinge design is easier to make more general for different types of keyboards and phablets/phones.
---------- Post added at 06:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:43 PM ----------
I'm certainly with you @Shani Ace
Personally in the waiting for a real slider, I prefer the primitive snap-on solution for e.g. the S8 as an intermediate device over a hinge design (no matter what way it folds).
(and I must admit I'm getting impatient for more information of the elusive Q device. The teaser page offers so little that it's more annoyance than tease...)
@noonebikes4free: I too would like a slider best, but I just have no idea how to make one. I have taken apart the Motorola Droid 3 and 4, so I know how their sliders work, but there is no way I can replicate that in 3D printed plastic and my metalworking skills are non-existant. So it is not a case of me being too lazy to design one, but rather one of me not having any idea how to make one. If you find a good example I'd be happy to clone it.
@Shani Ace: I was thinking about these slider cases as well, but as you mentioned, they are very hard to find. Also, they are tiny since they were designed for much smaller phones. I wanted a keyboard that would be about the same size as my phone.
I too got the Moto Z Play for the keyboard mod. Quite a disappointment.
I have been using the keyboard with only a snap-on clip for the last few weeks and that seems quite practical. If I need the keyboard, I snap it on. If I don't need it, I snap it off. But the clamp on the keyboard makes it a very awkward shape to carry it around. But I think I figured out a solution that is almost as good as a slider, and that's a swivel hinge (I think they are called that way). So the phone would then rotate like a Nokia Twist, but with the joint in the center of the side of the phone and it would rotate 180 degrees. That would store the keyboard the same way as on a slider, but it would be way easier to make and sturdier. Combine that with a locking swivel mechanism and easy detachability for when you only need the phone.
What fo you think?
@eske.rahn I actually used those snap-on keyboards for a while on an S6 edge and later again with a S7.
But there were a few downsides which made me switch again:
* no backlight
* it limits screen size significantly (I countered that by reducing the DPI, but still...)
* the display ratio is wierd (some apps didn't scale that well, you have to scroll a lot)
* while the keys were definitely better than those of the BB Priv, they were still not nearly as good as on classic sliders like the Droid 4
@Dakkaron I had to fiddle around a lot with those keyboard cases (something would constantly fall apart, usually the springs) and their mechanism seemed quite simple. Although maybe that was the reason why they weren't stable enough for daily usage, who knows.
From what I remember, the pictures and campaign updates for the moto keyboard mod were quite similar though.
If you scroll down to the section titled "Sliding Mechanism" here, you can still see the pictures of it. Maybe that helps?
Personally, I'm not a fan of swivel mechanisms (also don't need to detach).
Then I'd rather go with a flip (like your current one) or clamshell (Gemini) design, but don't particularly like those either.
Problem is, the Gemini PDA is somewhat impractical when you're on the go. You can't really open it one-handed and the keyboard is so huge (and not backlit) that you end up having to look at it while typing and you need to be a real finger acrobat to input certain symbols.
I was just tempted to buy a Droid 4 or Photon Q off ebay again, but then I remembered they don't support LTE over here...
Guess I really have to wait a few more months. I just hope the q-device will actually make it to a full product.
@Dakkaron and @Shani Ace at least the snap on can be clicked on the back too. (and on the S8 even as a camera protector) But I tend to simply carry the keyboard in the shirt-pocket, as it is so light. And yes the lack of backlight is really bad - especially as they do not have a mode where the software keyboard layout is identical to the hardware one, and this really confuses my memory... It would cost virtually NOTHING for them to offer as an optional layout, and would make it so much simpler to switch, depending on the length of the text we need to enter.
Note that the S8 is much more suited for this than the S6, as the native display is so extremely elongated.
And sure the snap-on is not really a solution. But it is tolerable workaround for some months, until we hopefully get a Q-device. :angel:
(And it is REALLY cumbersome to use in real-life in Danish, the frequently used national letters are a little hard to get, and it does not interact well with the word-prediction/spellchecker - and unfortunately they are VERY common in Danish)
Oh, I thought the S7 was the last device to get that keyboard cover. Guess I mistook the S9 for the S8. ^^
But now I remember another downside: it didn work with custom roms. Has that situation improved with the S8?
If so, that might actually be worth a try, at least for a few months.
I was one of the keyboard mod backers and now I will get the same bluetooth keyboard as you have. So please keep us informed
I found a simple approach with an attachable cover. I'm thinking of adding a simple slide-out mechanism to the back of a cheap case.
Snoere said:
I'm thinking of adding a simple slide-out mechanism to the back of a cheap case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, if you're successful with that, would you mind posting a how-to or even do it for others (for money) as well? Btw I'm also from Germany, so shipping would not be a problem.
Snoere said:
I was one of the keyboard mod backers and now I will get the same bluetooth keyboard as you have. So please keep us informed
I found a simple approach with an attachable cover. I'm thinking of adding a simple slide-out mechanism to the back of a cheap case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually you can get better solutions for the aPple Iphone6. See e.g. https://eskerahn.dk/wordpress/?p=554
But BE AWARE though standard BT keyboards works on Iphones, many Iphone keyboards does NOT work on standard phones/phablets...:silly:
I know it's a little off-topic, but @eske.rahn Mind answering my question from before (I guess it wasn't really clear, my bad)?
You said you were using the S8 with the keyboard cover. Does that still limited you to stock-based ROMs or is there a solution to use the keyboard cover with other ROMs (like RR, Lineage etc.) as well?
I just got an S7 and the keyboard cover will arrive in a few days, so I'm prepping everything right now to turn it into my daily driver until the q-device is released.
last year i recommended a colleague to buy this phone (mi a2 lite)
A few days ago, he told me that his son dropped him on the ground and broke the screen. he went to a shop and was asked for € 75.
later, he went to youtube and noticed that it's not that difficult to change it yourself. I searched the screen on the various e-commerce sites and found many. He would like me to help him buy a decent one so that he then undertakes to assemble it himself.
Do you have any to recommend? there are a lot of them and I wouldn't want to waste too much money. He said he needs the screen and any glue needed to attach it.
Many thanks in advance : Highfive:
(I translated everything with google translate to avoid too many grammatical errors ...)
I recommend watching the video in this link to disassemble. Also, Google for other A2 Lite tear-downs to get a good feeling for what you are going to do. As far as which screen to buy, I don't know which is the best but I bought this one. I am happy with it. The only other recommendation I have is to buy the screen AND the frame. It's only a couple more bucks for the frame. Then you just transfer the motherboard, etc... to the new frame/screen. No need to glue anything back and no need to worry about heating up the old screen to remove it.
A couple pointers:
* Be careful removing the fingerprint ribbon cable - it can rip easily (but a replacement can be purchased as well from China).
* Be careful removing the earpiece. I pried it up wrong and it split in half. I had to buy another from the UK which took about 3 weeks to arrive.
*When removing the tape that holds the battery in place, wind it slowly but firmly. If you go fast it will snap and then the battery will be hard to pry out.
Overall, I didn't think it was too difficult. I just had a problem with the earpiece & battery tape. Not bad considering I don't do this everyday.
Good luck!
Thanks a lot for the answer!
I watched the video and read the answers in that other thread too.
As soon as I catch my colleague, I will tell him all these things. I must also remind him that the phone has this middle name (redmi 6pro) so that he can get better information.
A little thing I didn't understand is that he told me he had seen a video showing how the screen was changed. And he told me how it has to be heated for a few seconds in order to detach it. Instead, in the video link in that other thread, it shows how to detach all the components until you get them all on the table. But, the only piece that had to "warm up" is the fingerprint reader.
Clearly, you suggested that I watch other videos on google and since this colleague of mine is not very well versed in the internet and the various ways to "retrieve information" I will have to help him both in recovering instructions and then ... ordering the necessary "pieces".
He told me that in addition to detaching the screen, after heating it ... there was only need to detach a cable or two that connects the screen to the motherboard and the game was done.
There is a thin thread that binds my future skill in recovering assembly and disassembly instructions ... the cost of the components and hoping that he has grasped the concept.
(I hope google translator has translated everything in a decent way xD )
If you follow my advice and replace the screen & frame, you won't need to heat anything to replace it. You just transfer the contents (motherboard, earpiece, etc...) from the cracked screen/frame to the new screen/frame.
The fingerprint reader attaches to the back cover and that gets replaced onto the new screen/frame...so it never has to be removed in the first place.
I found what I did was the best method for me. I tried replacing a screen on a Samsung Galaxy S4 years ago. Heating up the screen wasn't easy since I only had a blow dryer. I ultimately completely destroyed that phone trying to heat/pry the broken screen off, even though the video made it seem very easy. I didn't want a repeat of that so I choose to just transfer the components to the new screen/frame.
this is the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNuRf7uOADc&t=437s
I finally found my colleague and told him about this other method.
I showed him (from my phone) the video posted in the other thread.
His response was:
"oh my god how do I put it all back together?
I would be confusing for sure. In the video that I have seen, just heat the front part and then I will only have to detach and reattach only 2 cables. "
he told me that he doesn't have that tool that looks like a hairdryer. But he would like to use a kind of hot metal counter that is used to pack the products in plastic. He would like to put the phone down a few seconds and then take off the screen.
I, if I had been in his place, I would have certainly opted to disassemble and reassemble everything. I do not trust very much to unstick and glue such delicate components.
But I've never tried either, so I have no idea how to make him understand that it's not as easy as it seems.
Assuming, that I have to buy him a screen that allows him to do as he says, which one should I buy? In the sense, I noticed for sale the famous screens with or without frames. But in your case, which one should I opt for?
I hate the fact that I have to take on this big responsibility of having to help and choose what to do.
however this forum is beautiful. As soon as I can I would like to follow him more to read the various topics ...
thank you for the advice not to heat the screen but to follow that method of detaching and reattaching the components but I may not be able to convince him ...
Reassembling the phone is no more difficult than disassembling it. In fact, it might even be easier.
Who is going to do the actual work? You or him? If it's him, let him do whatever he wants...his way. If it's you, then just get the screen & frame and swap components over.
The rest is up to you guys now. He asked you for help/advice. Tell him to let you help/give him advice or he's on his own.