Database Develop

[Discussion] Waterproof PVC case for the HD2

I'm on holiday at the seaside, with my (at times utterly annoying) girlfriend, and when I get to escape for a couple hours of snorkeling around the coast I miss the opportunity to record videos, and maybe a GPS track of my swimming path, other than obviously having the possibility to make and receive calls, which can be a very useful thing while being alone in the aquatic wilderness.
Anyway, I tried the banal search for "waterproof hd2" on google, and the best I came up with is a "Dry Case" container, no more than a PVC bag with a waterproof sealing, and complimentary waterproof stereo jack and a nice vacuum pump plug to make the device stay put inside the case. Cost, 40USD for two sheets of plastic and some more components of plastic yet. Since there are apparently no waterproof tight "hard cases" (and otrageously expensive at that) like the ones they make for some portable compact cameras, I thought I might as well search for supercheap chinese alternatives on ebay, and there are several alternatives of which this one looks best (or least bad) to me. None of them have a waterproof stereo jack plug (but who's going to listen to music underwater anyway, let alone talk at the phone in the same condition), nor the vacuum pump plug, which instead is a very useful addition in my opinion (yet on the other side, the PVC sheet has more strain by being repeatedly sucked against the device surface and adapting to its borders).
I know the usual reasonable arguments like "why entrusting your multihundred euros device to a couple dollars case", but after all it was HTC itself the first to sell a phone which shipped at 630euro here in italy on the release date (sums up to ~800USD), WITHOUT any lanyard hook, and I am efficiently entrusting the freefall safety of this phone to a virtually zero cost hack with a normal lanyard and some adhesive tape under the metal cover (it saved me from at least 2 falls, both at elbow -thus deadly- height).
I am going to buy such a case anyway, since a couple of euros are not going to kill my finances, and will obviously test it with a nokia 3310 first to make sure, and then with a cheap digital camera, yet I'd like to have your opinions or experiences on this matter, before I can produce them myself, as it will take at least a month before I get my case shipped from China, and maybe a year before I can actually test it in a proper seaside vacation, since this one will be over in a week, and I won't be going elsewhere sea-ish before 2011.

Up.
The waterproof case came in today, more than 3 weeks later, but I got lucky as the standard shipping time from china to italy is 1 month.
Bottom line: TOO TIGHT!
I cannot even fit in the HD2, I pushed it as I could through the first sealing closure, but when it got to the second sealing closure it stopped, and I fear to either tear the plastic, or excercise too much strngth and have the HD2 be bulleted far away blowing to pieces.
Curious, as the description says it's 15x9cm, while even including the sealed borders, the width of the thing is 8cm.
I thought that the phone in there would have been to instable, on the contrary! Bah. Let's see in the seller will give me a refund or something, I couldn't even fit my Coolpix S52 in there.
EDIT: won by the curiosity, I pushed away, and the HD2 finally fitted inside. If it wasn't a 2 minutes long procedure each way, the tight fit would be a pro. Anyway, the transparent window thought for the camera lens is too low and partially covers the objective, so only half of the viewport is actually visible, being the other half dark. Overall, still useless, and I somewhat scratched the screen protector while forcing the way out.

Wait... How will you use your phone underwater?

Wdave said:
Wait... How will you use your phone underwater?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the touch screen works perfectly even with the plastic on it.
The phone underwater? Isn't it cool to track your swimming path with GPS, record videos and take pictures, and be able to make emergency calls should it be needed? And tons of other stuff, too.

I'd be surprised if you get a gps fix with even a thin layer of salt water above your telephone.

you cant get GPS signal inside water, I watched a YouTube video on a waterproof Garmin device when it was put in the water, it lost all GPS satellites

hello ,
i have a otterbox 1900 , it s full waterproof and Shockproof .
i sell it with VTT support : http://htc-touch-hd.forumactif.biz/...tt-moto-otterbox-etanche-resistant-t27426.htm
the normal price for it is 120 euros , i sell it for 60 without shipping .
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
mail : [email protected]

Lindenia said:
I'd be surprised if you get a gps fix with even a thin layer of salt water above your telephone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
azlan96 said:
you cant get GPS signal inside water, I watched a YouTube video on a waterproof Garmin device when it was put in the water, it lost all GPS satellites
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this changes things, as GPS was one of the main reasons to bring the phone with me while at sea. I mean, not the only one, as recording underwater videos still rocks, and GSM signal should be available underwater too (I don't do scuba, just your ordinary 4-5m occasional dives while holding my breath). Anyway, I'd be snorkeling on top on the water most of the time.
Anyway, I'll look into it more.
voileuxcool said:
hello ,
i have a otterbox 1900 , it s full waterproof and Shockproof .
i sell it with VTT support : http://htc-touch-hd.forumactif.biz/...tt-moto-otterbox-etanche-resistant-t27426.htm
the normal price for it is 120 euros , i sell it for 60 without shipping .
mail : [email protected]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's an interesting price indeed, even if I wouldn't be able to quite use the phone at its best with that. I am not the extreme bike-hike kind of guy, so the phone wouldn't be really in the risk of being dropped, I just would like to be able to use GSM, GPS (ok maybe not that one in light of what it's bene said here) and especially camera while underwater. Portability is not a big issue and the bulky size of the otterbox is not the matter, but I am not too sure otterbox can work up to 10mt underwater, rather than being just "splashes or 10cm waterproof", and what's more important, the back is not transparent so I woudln't be able to record videos
Would it have been otherwise, you would have found a potential buyer

With a huge delay of about 42 days, the last one of the waterproof cases I ordered arrived, it's the last one linked from the first post, and it finally keep its promises regarding the sizes, it's indeed very large, and the transparent rear window is perfect to have the HD2 record the video; you can use the phone with a protective film and the waterproof case on it, just make sure the case plastic is well adhered on the proximity sensor or it will trigger it (I have S2U2 set to turn off display on proximity active).
I will be testing the case at home leaving it underwater for some time, and after that I will probably publish a review on my website

Interested
I, too, am pursuing a similar case primarily for canoeing. I own the Otterbox Defender case which serves its purpose very well but is not waterproof. Currently, I have to move it in and out of my larger dry bag when I want to use it. I found the otterbox 1900 for $25, but it will not allow me to shoot video without removing the case. You are not the only one out there looking for a solution. I look forward to reading your results.

Thanks for stirring up this surprisingly lazy thread, I would imagine shooting videos underwater or carelessly at the seaside would be of more interest to a lot of people
Anyway I tested the second case, and DAM, water came inside
This is my test setup:
put a piece of toilet paper inside the pouch
close the pouch seals
fill a bucket with water
station the case at the bottom of the bucket with a weight on it to keep it down
wait at least 24hrs, the more the better
take out the case and check the toilet paper for moisture
The very first case stayed succesfully underwater for 3 days and no water whatsoeger came in (but it was too small for the hd2 anyway, so doesn't matter), while I decided to test the second one in harder conditions: closed the seals without folding them in and close the velcro... water almost filled the case. I was disappointed, this shouldn't have happened as the velcro is there just for conveniency and has no sealing capabilities; so I tested again, more careful to close the seals (which are somewhat harder to fit than in the first case) and then closed the velcro... stayed under for alittle more than a day, but a few drops of water came in... contacted the seller, got a refund. I bought another identical case with the promise that they will check it before shipping, chinese sellers are the best

Solution
I look forward to hearing the solution if a suitable one is found. Good luck.

I'd love a good case for canoeing as well. let us know if you find anything, and thanks for sharing so far!

I have the second case STILL on the way, anyway I checked better the first one, and it actually works :-|
I apparently asked for a refund on a working item... anyway it IS hard to make working, as the sealing lines must be thoroughly pressed and you've got to make sure there is nothing left open especially on the extremities. A simple way to check if you closed it well is to leave it slightly bulgind with air inside, and try to squeeze it, if you cannot hear air flowing out it's fine to go. In fact, after checking no air cameout, I sent it under the bucket for another test run for 2-3 days, and no water came in.
I suppose the most delicate moment is when you take the phone OUT of the case, as the water drops still hanging around the rims may wet it.
If me and my gf last long enough for me to go at hers at the beautiful seaside of southern Italy, I should be testing it snorkeling this next summer

i use some general transparent plastic bag. it does its job very well, put the hd2 in, tie the plastic up, and ready to go!!
one thing
-the touch screen don't work underwater
-there is no signal underwater
-water is very good cooler, the batt cover get cool as soon as you use the hd2 underwater

a13x4nd3r said:
i use some general transparent plastic bag. it does its job very well, put the hd2 in, tie the plastic up, and ready to go!!
one thing
-the touch screen don't work underwater
-there is no signal underwater
-water is very good cooler, the batt cover get cool as soon as you use the hd2 underwater
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
heh's that's surely bold of you
I mean, that works as long as the plastic bag has no holes, I just would be scared of it being teared apart on the rocks or random garbage floating around when you're snorkeling.
Regarding the touch screen, I never tried it myself, yet the screen does work when inside the thik waterproof case I bought, and in several occasions I got to using the touchscreen with very wet fingers, effectively activating it with a thin layer of water under my skin, so well, if actually the touchscreen doesn't work underwater, that's going to be a huge problem as I need that mostly to shoot videos

ephestione said:
heh's that's surely bold of you
I mean, that works as long as the plastic bag has no holes, I just would be scared of it being teared apart on the rocks or random garbage floating around when you're snorkeling.
Regarding the touch screen, I never tried it myself, yet the screen does work when inside the thik waterproof case I bought, and in several occasions I got to using the touchscreen with very wet fingers, effectively activating it with a thin layer of water under my skin, so well, if actually the touchscreen doesn't work underwater, that's going to be a huge problem as I need that mostly to shoot videos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just be brave and optimistic, if you are to scared you can just double or triple the plastic bag, as the plastic bag is transparent.
i havent been to beach since i have my hd2, i just try it at bathub in my home, the touch screen don't work at all, so if you want to stop recording you have to pull the phone up and press the stop button

thanks alexander, your input has been dramatically useful, really.
It's so obvious that I never actually thought of it, it's the cheapest of the solutions ever, and especially for me since my mother keeps stacking tons of transparent food plastic bags wherver she finds available space
Obviously with a simple plastic bag you don't get a re-useable case, as untightening the knot everytime makes it prone to get teared, and you don't get a lanyard because I don't see how you could attach one on a plastic bag in a satisfasctory safe manner, yet it's free VS paid, and you can't beat that

A word of warning with taking stuff in "sealed" containers into water. Those little free dives you do down 5-6 feet are one of the larger changes in pressure your container will experience so testing it in 6" water in a bath is nothing like the pressure it will experience at 6'.
Secondly, most "sealed" containers are fine at static pressures but fail when they encounter dynamic pressures such as when you jump from the back of a boat or off a jetty so be careful to make entry to the water as gently as possible unless the container is rated for depths greater than 3 atmospheres, (100')...
Yes, I'm a diver...

If you go to most large discount stores (Wal-Mart in my case)...look for a vacuum food sealer.
The kit comes with different sized bags (which can also be cut down to various sizes) and a countertop vacuum sealer unit.
Place your phone in one of the bags and cut it to size leaving a good 2" of room around each side, then just vacuum seal it. The phone works perfect and the bags are meant for freezer storage...so they are pretty thick and the unit makes an air tight seal
If you want, you can even punch a hole in one (or two) of the outside corners (outside the seal of course) and attach a string (or lanyard..shoelace..whatever) so you can wear your phone around your neck.
We have a swimming pool in our back yard and I have used my phone in the pool using these. I usually always do this to my HD2 and my wifes Vibrant when we are in the back yard with a lot of people (never know when a kid is going to go under, or a drunk friend is going to try and push you in)
I got the idea when we went to SeaWorld and saw a kiosk where they were charging people $15.00 to do this to their phones.
As the poster above me says to be a diver...im not going to argue with him at all, our pool only goes to 4-1/2 feet deep. so I would probably listen to him about the depth preasure information...but if you are just hanging out on the beach or in very shallow water, its a great way to keep your phone dry and still be able to use it.
Cheers

Interesting Article about N7 vs Ipad damage tests

I haven't watched the youtube video, but this is promising. I might consider getting an extended warranty for only 19 bucks for this thing!
Computerworld Article
Squaretrade Warranty
I guess 19 is for the 200 version. I got the 16 gig version and the warranty is 27 bucks.

I saw that too but the guy was a little biased. He didn't show the damage the nexus 7 took at the top right corner when they slipped it off the sidewall
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

You realize that that was a commercial for SquareTrade, right?

e.mote said:
You realize that that was a commercial for SquareTrade, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After watching the video, yes, I do realize that.

It wasn't entirely scientific, but did give the impression that the iPad is far more vulnerable to impacts on the edge and corners. Probably a result of having the glass bezel go all the way to the outer edge as opposed to the thin trim present on the Nexus.

>It wasn't entirely scientific, but did give the impression that the iPad is far more vulnerable to impacts on the edge and corners
The results are irrelevant. The video's purpose is to heighten your sensitivity to drops and water damage, and conveniently includes a link to remove those fears (at only nominal cost, of course).
Of course the iPad is more vulnerable. It has more mass, which means greater impact from a drop. Its metallic back also has less give than N7's rubber back.

e.mote said:
The results are irrelevant. The video's purpose is to heighten your sensitivity to drops and water damage, and conveniently includes a link to remove those fears (at only nominal cost, of course).
Of course the iPad is more vulnerable. It has more mass, which means greater impact from a drop. Its metallic back also has less give than N7's rubber back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This video's purpose was irrelevant. Of course they're trying to sell insurance, so what? The difference between them has little to do with the mass, a 100g sheet of glass will crack when dropped on its edge just like a 200g sheet will. But differences in the design channel the force of impact in different directions, and it seems that on the iPad a lot of that force goes into the glass because it's more exposed. It's perfectly possible to design a rigid metal shell that would absorb more of the impact and deform in a way that wouldn't crack the glass, but that might not be as aesthetically pleasing.

>Of course they're trying to sell insurance, so what?
So it's rather inane to think that the drop comparisons mean anything, which they don't. The drops as already mentioned weren't controlled, which relegate the ensuing damage to random chance. You can play what-if games all you like, but none of your suppositions are reflected in the video.
Your protestations of "possibly" differing construction notwithstanding, it's a rather basic law of physics that a heavier object when dropped will result in a larger impact than a lighter object, c.p. Perhaps iPad is made of sturdier design, but you won't know from this video, or from empty pontifications.

50 Bucks if you want the ADH on the 16gb not to bad...Will be getting it for my wife when I buy her one.

hunterhp said:
I saw that too but the guy was a little biased. He didn't show the damage the nexus 7 took at the top right corner when they slipped it off the sidewall
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Noticed that myself: 1:14 "Glass looks okay....." ( edit out screwed up corner ) "Back looks pretty good."
Still its good to hear if I drop this once there is a chance it won't shatter the screen, like every other non-ipad device.

16 Gig is actually 29.99 not 27

I bought my warranty last night. It was 39.99 for 2yrs plus accidental for my 16 gig
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

e.mote said:
>Of course they're trying to sell insurance, so what?
So it's rather inane to think that the drop comparisons mean anything, which they don't. The drops as already mentioned weren't controlled, which relegate the ensuing damage to random chance. You can play what-if games all you like, but none of your suppositions are reflected in the video.
Your protestations of "possibly" differing construction notwithstanding, it's a rather basic law of physics that a heavier object when dropped will result in a larger impact than a lighter object, c.p. Perhaps iPad is made of sturdier design, but you won't know from this video, or from empty pontifications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll leave the pontifications to you, you seem quite good at them.
If their aim was just to sell insurance they'd have biased the drops to show the Nexus 7 taking more damage in the hopes of frightening all those new Nexus owners. Obviously. The same people (squaretrade) posted a video a while ago showing that simply attaching a smart cover to an iPad might protect the glass from cracking. (because it will alter the force distribution). Why did they tell people to go and buy a cover instead of buying their insurance?
And there's no 'possible' about it - the construction of the iPad is radically different to the Nexus 7. The iPad is heavier, but most of the difference in weight is due to the larger battery, what matters is the way the glass is mounted (and the actual composition of the glass, which can alter its resistance to breakage by as much as three times).
No-one ever claimed these tests were scientific or controlled, don't know why you're getting your panties in a twist over that.

charlesky said:
I'll leave the pontifications to you, you seem quite good at them.
If their aim was just to sell insurance they'd have biased the drops to show the Nexus 7 taking more damage in the hopes of frightening all those new Nexus owners. Obviously. The same people (squaretrade) posted a video a while ago showing that simply attaching a smart cover to an iPad might protect the glass from cracking. (because it will alter the force distribution). Why did they tell people to go and buy a cover instead of buying their insurance?
And there's no 'possible' about it - the construction of the iPad is radically different to the Nexus 7. The iPad is heavier, but most of the difference in weight is due to the larger battery, what matters is the way the glass is mounted (and the actual composition of the glass, which can alter its resistance to breakage by as much as three times).
No-one ever claimed these tests were scientific or controlled, don't know why you're getting your panties in a twist over that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the "true" purpose of the video is to sell more insurance (only they know for sure) then they most certainly did the right thing by making the iPad look more fragile. Reason being, despite the N7 being a new tablet, the iPad currently have the most market share compared to the N7, and the iPad costs more so there's a higher chance people would want to insure their $500 iPad than their $250 N7.

CooLoserTech said:
16 Gig is actually 29.99 not 27
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the price quote based on $250, and not for the total price I paid including tax and shipping. My quote was 26.99.
But just based on pure physics, F=m*a, so of course the Ipad will hit with more force than the n7.
When I went to the check out part, apparently the coverage for accidental drops and whatnot is not included in that warranty. Its an extra $33. But no deductible. I wish I would have known about this place a few weeks ago

>If their aim was just to sell insurance they'd have biased the drops to show the Nexus 7 taking more damage in the hopes of frightening all those new Nexus owners. Obviously.
My, such certitude. It must be nice to know everything.
I'm not blessed with such gifts, but taking this thread as a microcosm, then there apparently is no need to "frighten" the viewers to secure the desired response. Of the 8 people with replies in this thread, two have responded they will be buying a policy, one has looked up pricing (which is halfway there). One has already bought, so we'll exclude him.
The sample size is admittedly small, but two, possibly three, out of 7 is a wonderful conversion rate for an advertisement.
I'll leave my credentials at the door, but I would posit that there is no need to "scare" people. It's enough to heighten their sensitivity to effect the desired behavior.
Additionally, given that this material is directed at the geek set (who tend to be more fanboys than not), then positioning the N7 as the "winner" would more likely secure a favorable reception than if the N7 had come out the "loser." Per selective input, we tend to filter out material we disagree with. HEY, WE KNOW ANDROID AND NEXUS 7 RULE, RIGHT? AND HERE'S YET MORE PROOF. Indeed, some had mentioned of bias in assessing N7's damage.
Yes, the above are suppositions. But they're supported with evidence and reasoning, rather than hot air.
>Why did they tell people to go and buy a cover instead of buying their insurance?
Because that would make it obvious that it's an advertisement. Adverts are most effective when you don't think of them as adverts. Per above, you don't need to hit people on the head with a hammer. A nudge usually works better.
>If the "true" purpose of the video is to sell more insurance (only they know for sure) then they most certainly did the right thing by making the iPad look more fragile.
Actually, no. The target audience for this advert is mainly N7 owners. It's a common tendency for people to check for reviews and comparisons of their new purchases AFTER they buy, to look for affirmation of their choice.
Another tendency is that people are most receptive to buying a policy immediately before or after their main purchase, ie N7 owners at this point. If you've already had your tablet for a while, then you are less likely to buy a policy.

e.mote said:
I'll leave my credentials at the door, but I would posit that there is no need to "scare" people. It's enough to heighten their sensitivity to effect the desired behavior.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have credentials? You mean you work in insurance?
It certainly makes sense to capitalise on the popularity of geek-toy-destruction videos and provide something amusing that will get your name in front of people. But it seems an extremely arcane piece of reverse-psychology to purposely rig the results to show tablets surviving all sorts of damage unscathed and claim that will make people want to buy insurance. Why bother buying protection from water damage when you can drop a Nexus 7 in the bath and it'll still work fine? (Er, I really hope no-one actually believes that's OK.)
While I'd agree that people who've just bought a shiny new toy are far more likely to approve of a video that shows said toy beating the competition, wouldn't it make sense to show it suffering some damage? 'Yeah, the Nexus 7 is far tougher than the crappy old iPad, but hey, it can still get a bit dinged up. Don't you want the peace-of-mind that comes with an insurance policy?' Instead, we see people complaining that they're actually trying to hide some minor damage on the Nexus.
I think you're massively over-thinking this. All they wanted to do was make a video people would be interested in watching, so they went outside and filmed themselves dropping a couple of tablets. And that's all there is to it. The iPad's highly-rigid design means it doesn't suffer the issues with screen-lift or creaking that some people are reporting, and the lack of a trim-strip gives it a slightly cleaner line, but it also means it's more vulnerable to impacts - not really surprising.

>But it seems an extremely arcane piece of reverse-psychology to purposely rig the results to show tablets surviving all sorts of damage unscathed and claim that will make people want to buy insurance.
You must have seen a different video than I did.
>All they wanted to do was make a video people would be interested in watching, so they went outside and filmed themselves dropping a couple of tablets. And that's all there is to it.
Why yes of course that's all it is. I'm sure they're just a bunch of fun-loving guys.
>iPad's highly-rigid design means it doesn't suffer the issues with screen-lift or creaking that some people are reporting,
Novel interpretation. Here's a more mundane one: iPad has better build quality.

So the back on my Nexus 4 just shattered spontaneously...

I didn't drop it, didn't bang it against anything, nope-- it was just in my front pant pocket not being pressed on at all, covered by the official bumper case meant to protect it. Funny how it shattered perfectly around that speaker grill though, if there was a weak point in the glass that could cause a shatter, that would sure be the spot. Makes me wonder if anyone else has had a crack start in the same area, especially spontaneously?
Got a piece of tape on in it here in the picture, wanted to hold in the glass shards. I'd love to get it repaired, but I contacted Nexus and LG support and it sounds like their warranty process is a hole I don't want to dig myself into, probably would end up with a too large bill due to "physical damage" and a phone no more intact than it is now. Not to mention being out a phone for weeks, how can anyone tolerate that? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to take off my nice bumper case and cover up that now uglified back with a more full coverage TPU case.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Update: Well I'm sure many would say I'm wrong and an impact caused it, but I'm reasonably certain I know when it happened. I work on robotic equipment and was doing a calibration procedure tonight when I heard an odd crack. At first I thought it was the machine, but the sound signature was wrong and repeating the procedure didn't cause it to reoccur. I was standing straight up not leaning on anything or having any pressure against that pocket when I heard the sound. It was only later when I was heading home I noticed the odd feel of the back of the phone and discovered the crack. I figure that crack sound must have been it. Shocked me, I've never had a phone crack before, I'm very careful how I handle them. Oh, and I don't wear skinny jeans - I'm build like a defensive lineman, so relaxed fit all the way.
Some people have suggested sending the phone to LG, but they don't have any advance replacement program, and I can't afford to go without my phone for 2 weeks just to get a repair estimate. Got my Diztronic TPU case on order, frankly this is the first phone in years I haven't used one of their cases on, my mistake for thinking the phone would be well built enough that the official case would do the job. I will have to look and see if my credit card has any extended warranty program thing though.
Update 2- So it looks like the damage might be covered under my credit card purchase assurance plan, I have to get an itemized repair estimate to complete the claim though. Hopefully a local place can give me that, like heck if I'm going to send the phone to LG for 2 weeks just for that. Frankly the cost of being without a good phone for that period is worth more to me than the cost of the repair, I'd rather just wait till the part becomes available and pay for it myself. It sounds like they also do replacements if repair isn't feasible due to parts not available, etc. Although the phone isn't currently available either, so we'll see how that goes.
On another note I spoke to one of my friends last night who works for a cell carrier that has many Nexus 4s on their network. She said that 3 employees at the location she works also had cracks on their Nexus 4's in almost the exact same spot. She didn't say they were spontaneous, but clearly it is a weak area on the back of the phone. At least one of them was using a full coverage case when it broke, apparently a TPU case. Alas as regretful the thought of covering such a nice looking back panel is, those who don't have broken backs yet may want to invest in high-impact cases, simple TPU or the bumper doesn't look to be cutting it. Since mine is already broken, TPU should be good enough I suppose, mainly just want to cover up the damage.

wot that really sucks. and yah.. the speaker and the camera are the soft spots. the really bad thing is the back has a lot to it. i dont see them as being cheap. some guy managed to get a couple from lg.

wow, amazing, that looks JUST like what I would expect from impact...

CrazyPeter said:
wow, amazing, that looks JUST like what I would expect from impact...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This happened to a guy who went to the movie theater a few weeks back. Same exact place on the phone.

Wow ...
If you search the forums there was one guy with the exact some thing... claimed he treated the phone very well and then for no reason all the glass smashed around the speaker like that.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1999345&highlight=cracked+glass
OgremustCrush said:
I didn't drop it, didn't bang it against anything, nope-- it was just in my front pant pocket not being pressed on at all, covered by the official bumper case meant to protect it. Funny how it shattered perfectly around that speaker grill though, if there was a weak point in the glass that could cause a shatter, that would sure be the spot. Makes me wonder if anyone else has had a crack start in the same area, especially spontaneously?
Got a piece of tape on in it here in the picture, wanted to hold in the glass shards. I'd love to get it repaired, but I contacted Nexus and LG support and it sounds like their warranty process is a hole I don't want to dig myself into, probably would end up with a too large bill due to "physical damage" and a phone no more intact than it is now. Not to mention being out a phone for weeks, how can anyone tolerate that? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to take off my nice bumper case and cover up that now uglified back with a more full coverage TPU case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Obviously impact. Nice try though. Next.
I voided my warranty.

Looks like the crack propagated from the picture's top right "corner" of the speaker opening. Assuming that it is not the result of an impact as you say, the radius of the cut out could be too tight to account for flexing of the phone.

OgremustCrush said:
I didn't drop it, didn't bang it against anything, nope-- it was just in my front pant pocket not being pressed on at all, covered by the official bumper case meant to protect it. Funny how it shattered perfectly around that speaker grill though, if there was a weak point in the glass that could cause a shatter, that would sure be the spot. Makes me wonder if anyone else has had a crack start in the same area, especially spontaneously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh, pretty sure official bumpers aren't meant to protect that. it's meant to make the phone land on its bumper edges. Not protect the phone's back or front. Only protection for that would be having your device to never touch the surface.

Not sure people should be so quick to assume it's always the result of mistreatment. The phone has problems with the glue, the glass is thin, if it separates even marginally from the back of the phone, that's enough to open the door up for cracking your glass with ease.

happened to a friend of mine as well..not as bad as this but it is happening to a lot of people

Well I'm sure many would say I'm wrong and an impact caused it, but I'm reasonably certain I know when it happened. I work on robotic equipment and was doing a calibration procedure tonight when I heard an odd crack. At first I thought it was the machine, but the sound signature was wrong and repeating the procedure didn't cause it to reoccur. I was standing straight up not leaning on anything or having any pressure against that pocket when I heard the sound. It was only later when I was heading home I noticed the odd feel of the back of the phone and discovered the crack. I figure that crack sound must have been it. Shocked me, I've never had a phone crack before, I'm very careful how I handle them.

Man that sucks. Also recall another user that had the same shattering. Assume you ate going to give Google a call? Did the other guy get a replacement for his phone?

OgremustCrush said:
I didn't drop it, didn't bang it against anything, nope-- it was just in my front pant pocket not being pressed on at all, covered by the official bumper case meant to protect it. Funny how it shattered perfectly around that speaker grill though, if there was a weak point in the glass that could cause a shatter, that would sure be the spot. Makes me wonder if anyone else has had a crack start in the same area, especially spontaneously?
Got a piece of tape on in it here in the picture, wanted to hold in the glass shards. I'd love to get it repaired, but I contacted Nexus and LG support and it sounds like their warranty process is a hole I don't want to dig myself into, probably would end up with a too large bill due to "physical damage" and a phone no more intact than it is now. Not to mention being out a phone for weeks, how can anyone tolerate that? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to take off my nice bumper case and cover up that now uglified back with a more full coverage TPU case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guy has an OEM back covers, you can replace it if you want, shouldn't be too expensive.

zephiK said:
Uh, pretty sure official bumpers aren't meant to protect that. it's meant to make the phone land on its bumper edges. Not protect the phone's back or front. Only protection for that would be having your device to never touch the surface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well somewhat, a bumper still protects the back by distributing an impact along the edges of the phone as long as it is from a source wide enough it does not point through that perimeter. Drop a phone with a bumper 4 feet onto a flat surface vs one without, odds are the bumper will save the first phone. As I was not whacking my pocket against sharp edges, I don't see how having a bumper vs a full case would make a difference here.

This is reminding me of a time when the back window on a what was a virtually brand new Fiat Cinquecento shattered whilst parked in my drive. Fiat replaced it under warranty as these things happen from time to time. It was a hot day, and the glass ran out of room to expand (and the seal was not fitted properly), and it just shattered, I'm wondering if the glass expands at a different rate to the rest of the phone back, when it gets warm. If this is the case, then this problem will become very common.

Point of impact.
Case closed.
Too bad it happened buddy.

Maybe a jean snap put pressure on it in a specific spot? Really unfortunate :crying:

richteralan said:
Point of impact.
Case closed.
Too bad it happened buddy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It that's a point of impact, it's exceedingly small, like tip of pen small.

Glass back meeeeeeeeh :silly:

Another guy wearing skinny jeans messing up his phone? j/k
I would be fairly pissed off if this happened to me, that and I'm sure 99% would just think I'm full of it.

[Review] Toast (toastmade.com) Nexus 5X Real Wooden Skin Review

TOAST
Note: all pictures are hidden inside spoiler tags. Pictures are not downsized. All pictures and videos were shot on my old Galaxy S6. Videos will be 1080p 60fps (installation) and 4K (end result).
A little bit of a personal background on me first. I am a repair tech for a Houston-based phone/tablet/computer repair shop. I have been doing this for over two years, and I have seen and fixed just about everything imaginable. Phones with cases, skins, and screen protectors, and those without. Tablets with cases, skins, screen protectors, etc. You get the idea. I know exactly what kind of protection every type of material can provide, be it TPU, polycarbonate, silicon, and others.
Let me start off by saying that I have never encountered actual real wood in a protective or decorative scene before. Faux wood, sure. But not real wood (not counting the wooden backs on the Moto X here, since they're part of the actual device). I hadn't even heard of Toast before this first post here almost two weeks back. Let me tell you, the second I found my way to their homepage, I was captivated. I had never thought something like this would even exist. It's brilliant. I spent the next two hours watching every YouTube video I could that showed off these "skins". I use the word skin lightly, here. This is the only skin that I would say provides real protection. But I'll touch on that later.
I received a full set of a style of my choice with the option of a design. I decided on Walnut with no design. I figured most people would choose it this way, and personally I find it the most attractive.
First, the packaging. The skin is shipped via USPS first class, inside a small and nigh-indestructible cardboard box. Not cheap UPS-style cardboard, but that solid white American ****. You can see for yourself below. Everything was snuggled neatly inside paper gift wrapping. I had a shipping confirmation on 11/12, and it got to my apartment on 11/16.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I'm waiting on the videos I took of the skin installation to upload and process on YouTube, and I'll embed that below as soon as I have it ready. I need to cut out a lot of wasted time and replace the audio, but I'll have it ready in a few days I hope. By the end of the weekend, worse case.
*edit, 11/21/2015*
Here's the installation video:
But, words will have to do for now. I started by installing the back. It was very easy to simply line up the camera, fingerprint scanner, LED flash, and laser focus. The corners, sides, and camera folds all folded up/down nicely. Next I installed the right side with the buttons. That was also as simple as the back, just line up the buttons and you're good to go. After that I did the top, then left, then bottom. Things were going smoothly until the bottom. The part that goes over/around the 3.5mm headphone jack and microphone, at least for my set, seem to be shifted 1 mm too far to the left (towards the USB C port). I'm not sure if the laser cutter became misaligned or what happened there. It's not a fatal flaw, the microphone hole and 3.5mm jack are still totally open and accessible, they're just shifted a little bit. They didn't square up perfectly with the back and the right piece. You'll see what I mean with the pictures below. Finally, we have the buttons and camera cover. You'll be able to see how those are packed once the video is ready. Again with these, there may have been an issue with the laser cutter. The longest sides of the power and volume buttons, along with the sim tray, were cut properly, whereas the short sides were only cut with the laser through what appeared to be most of the wood. You'll see this in the video as well, but I had to take a razor blade to these parts to separate them from the packaging. The buttons all turned out fine, but if you don't have anything tiny and sharp around, you would likely break the buttons. The camera cutout did not suffer from this problem.
Here now are some HD pictures of the finished installation. I was sent a front cover along with the back and sides, but I decided to keep my tempered glass screen protector installed on top and not the wooden skin. It is definitely possible to install the skin on top of the tempered glass, but that would raise it a far amount off of the phone. To me, it wouldn't look as good like that. If I had a thin film protector, I would go ahead and install the skin on that, but I would not install it on tempered glass. Just my two cents there.
Now, for my thoughts after the installation. The feel of real wood is much better than polycarbonate. You can immediately feel the change in grip. The texture of everything looks and feel perfect, just like real stained walnut. Hell, it even smells like it. I'm going to get weird looks from people seeing me smelling my phone now. Points off for that (kidding). The way the back bevels itself into the sides make it a little more comfortable, too. The buttons are pretty tactile, just about as much as without the skin. My volume buttons seem to be a little mushier, but that's probably because I cut it out of the packaging myself. I will say though that since even 12 hours later, the buttons feel a little better, so we'll see how that plays out. The power button is just as clicky as ever. I really like how the skin raises above the tip of the camera lens, I have always hated (hate is such a strong word) putting my phone back-down on rough surfaces because of it. The opening for the USB C port is plenty big, and should fit even the largest chargers (I'm looking at you, cheap cables).
And finally, my thoughts on protection. By no means is this an Otterbox replacement. Time will tell if this can substitute thing cases like the Spigen Thin Fit (which I was previously using). Without a doubt though, this skin can provide minimal basic protection. Since it is actually real wood, I can see it providing some impact protection on the corners. The wood should cave in first before it starts to put too much stress on the housing. Now, don't expect it to save you if you drop it onto tile or concrete from 3 or 5 feet up. But I can see it providing decent if not good protection from a small drop, like slipping out of your pocket when sitting down.
Finished results video:
Do you like wood? Damn right you like wood. Do you not want a case, even though you've used one for years despite the fact you have never dropped or broken a phone? Buy. Buy buy buy. It's going on all of my future devices.

I just got mine as well and will add my $.02 to your excellent review.
I also had a slight misalignment for one of the wrap pieces but mine occurred between the top and the left side. It's about a 1 mm gap so not really that noticeable, but will be curious to see if it snags pockets over time and pulls away. It also took a very bright light (and for a 48 year old reading glasses) to make sure the top microphone holes aligned. My only other installation issue was even with using a blade to help cut out the small cover punchouts, the sim card cover broke above the removal hole since it is such a thin piece there. If they could fully cut around those pieces with their lasers so they came off with the adhesive backing that would make it much easier and less likely to break. I've also noticed a slight lifting on a couple of the backs corner wrap pieces, once again it will be worth seeing if they become a snag hazard and potentially get pulled away. But overall installation was easier then most screen protectors I've put on.
Post install, a couple of items to note. I came off an Adopted case so this skin is definitely much slicker. It does feel when I'm retrieving it from my car mount or grabbing it quickly off my desk that it might slip out of my hand and given the minimum protection hitting the pavement may not survive (thank goodness for Google insurance The other issue I've had post-install is getting my headphones to seat well in the 3.5 mm jack. As noted in other threads, you need them in pretty tight to get connections and the first time I put mine in (I use the Bose QuietComforts) they didn't seat right and I had to really push on them to get them to connect. We'll see if things shift a little over time and it gets easier.
That all said, I'm very happy with the overall look and would definitely buy one again.

dpwhitty11 said:
TOAST
Note: all pictures are hidden inside spoiler tags. Pictures are not downsized. All pictures and videos were shot on my old Galaxy S6. Videos will be 1080p 60fps (installation) and 4K (end result).
A little bit of a personal background on me first. I am a repair tech for a Houston-based phone/tablet/computer repair shop. I have been doing this for over two years, and I have seen and fixed just about everything imaginable. Phones with cases, skins, and screen protectors, and those without. Tablets with cases, skins, screen protectors, etc. You get the idea. I know exactly what kind of protection every type of material can provide, be it TPU, polycarbonate, silicon, and others.
Let me start off by saying that I have never encountered actual real wood in a protective or decorative scene before. Faux wood, sure. But not real wood (not counting the wooden backs on the Moto X here, since they're part of the actual device). I hadn't even heard of Toast before this first post here almost two weeks back. Let me tell you, the second I found my way to their homepage, I was captivated. I had never thought something like this would even exist. It's brilliant. I spent the next two hours watching every YouTube video I could that showed off these "skins". I use the word skin lightly, here. This is the only skin that I would say provides real protection. But I'll touch on that later.
I received a full set of a style of my choice with the option of a design. I decided on Walnut with no design. I figured most people would choose it this way, and personally I find it the most attractive.
First, the packaging. The skin is shipped via USPS first class, inside a small and nigh-indestructible cardboard box. Not cheap UPS-style cardboard, but that solid white American ****. You can see for yourself below. Everything was snuggled neatly inside paper gift wrapping. I had a shipping confirmation on 11/12, and it got to my apartment on 11/16.
I'm waiting on the videos I took of the skin installation to upload and process on YouTube, and I'll embed that below as soon as I have it ready. I need to cut out a lot of wasted time and replace the audio, but I'll have it ready in a few days I hope. By the end of the weekend, worse case.
But, words will have to do for now. I started by installing the back. It was very easy to simply line up the camera, fingerprint scanner, LED flash, and laser focus. The corners, sides, and camera folds all folded up/down nicely. Next I installed the right side with the buttons. That was also as simple as the back, just line up the buttons and you're good to go. After that I did the top, then left, then bottom. Things were going smoothly until the bottom. The part that goes over/around the 3.5mm headphone jack and microphone, at least for my set, seem to be shifted 1 mm too far to the left (towards the USB C port). I'm not sure if the laser cutter became misaligned or what happened there. It's not a fatal flaw, the microphone hole and 3.5mm jack are still totally open and accessible, they're just shifted a little bit. They didn't square up perfectly with the back and the right piece. You'll see what I mean with the pictures below. Finally, we have the buttons and camera cover. You'll be able to see how those are packed once the video is ready. Again with these, there may have been an issue with the laser cutter. The longest sides of the power and volume buttons, along with the sim tray, were cut properly, whereas the short sides were only cut with the laser through what appeared to be most of the wood. You'll see this in the video as well, but I had to take a razor blade to these parts to separate them from the packaging. The buttons all turned out fine, but if you don't have anything tiny and sharp around, you would likely break the buttons. The camera cutout did not suffer from this problem.
Here now are some HD pictures of the finished installation. I was sent a front cover along with the back and sides, but I decided to keep my tempered glass screen protector installed on top and not the wooden skin. It is definitely possible to install the skin on top of the tempered glass, but that would raise it a far amount off of the phone. To me, it wouldn't look as good like that. If I had a thin film protector, I would go ahead and install the skin on that, but I would not install it on tempered glass. Just my two cents there.
Now, for my thoughts after the installation. The feel of real wood is much better than polycarbonate. You can immediately feel the change in grip. The texture of everything looks and feel perfect, just like real stained walnut. Hell, it even smells like it. I'm going to get weird looks from people seeing me smelling my phone now. Points off for that (kidding). The way the back bevels itself into the sides make it a little more comfortable, too. The buttons are pretty tactile, just about as much as without the skin. My volume buttons seem to be a little mushier, but that's probably because I cut it out of the packaging myself. I will say though that since even 12 hours later, the buttons feel a little better, so we'll see how that plays out. The power button is just as clicky as ever. I really like how the skin raises above the tip of the camera lens, I have always hated (hate is such a strong word) putting my phone back-down on rough surfaces because of it. The opening for the USB C port is plenty big, and should fit even the largest chargers (I'm looking at you, cheap cables).
And finally, my thoughts on protection. By no means is this an Otterbox replacement. Time will tell if this can substitute thing cases like the Spigen Thin Fit (which I was previously using). Without a doubt though, this skin can provide minimal basic protection. Since it is actually real wood, I can see it providing some impact protection on the corners. The wood should cave in first before it starts to put too much stress on the housing. Now, don't expect it to save you if you drop it onto tile or concrete from 3 or 5 feet up. But I can see it providing decent if not good protection from a small drop, like slipping out of your pocket when sitting down.
Do you like wood? Damn right you like wood. Do you not want a case, even though you've used one for years despite the fact you have never dropped or broken a phone? Buy. Buy buy buy. It's going on all of my future devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for the in-depth review, and sorry to hear of the alignment issue! Looking at the picture #2 of the Toasted 5X, it appears that that side wrap is a little low. I suggest (and thought it was mentioned in the instructions) using the scorelines of the actual back cover to align the sides. The ports may not be perfectly centered within the cutouts, but they should all be fully functional. We have a "butterfingers" replacement policy on everything, so if you'd like another set of wraps, just shoot an email to [email protected] referencing your order.
In regards to the sim/button covers, it's best to peel the paper off and then push them through the little slots. Those guys can be tricky to get the laser to cut all the way through, but our QA should have caught them in the production process. We'll gladly send replacements any time!
Thanks again, and enjoy your Toasted 5X!
---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 PM ----------
rgerrans said:
I just got mine as well and will add my $.02 to your excellent review.
I also had a slight misalignment for one of the wrap pieces but mine occurred between the top and the left side. It's about a 1 mm gap so not really that noticeable, but will be curious to see if it snags pockets over time and pulls away. It also took a very bright light (and for a 48 year old reading glasses) to make sure the top microphone holes aligned. My only other installation issue was even with using a blade to help cut out the small cover punchouts, the sim card cover broke above the removal hole since it is such a thin piece there. If they could fully cut around those pieces with their lasers so they came off with the adhesive backing that would make it much easier and less likely to break. I've also noticed a slight lifting on a couple of the backs corner wrap pieces, once again it will be worth seeing if they become a snag hazard and potentially get pulled away. But overall installation was easier then most screen protectors I've put on.
Post install, a couple of items to note. I came off an Adopted case so this skin is definitely much slicker. It does feel when I'm retrieving it from my car mount or grabbing it quickly off my desk that it might slip out of my hand and given the minimum protection hitting the pavement may not survive (thank goodness for Google insurance The other issue I've had post-install is getting my headphones to seat well in the 3.5 mm jack. As noted in other threads, you need them in pretty tight to get connections and the first time I put mine in (I use the Bose QuietComforts) they didn't seat right and I had to really push on them to get them to connect. We'll see if things shift a little over time and it gets easier.
That all said, I'm very happy with the overall look and would definitely buy one again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for the feedback! As I'd told OP, in his second picture of the Toast 5X, it appears that his side wrap is a little low. I suggest (and thought it was mentioned in the instructions) using the scorelines of the actual back cover to align the sides. The ports may not be perfectly centered within the cutouts, but they should all be fully functional.
With the sim/button covers, it's best to peel the paper off and then push them through the little slots. Those guys can be tricky to get the laser to cut all the way through, but our QA should have caught them in the production process. We'll gladly send replacements any time. We even have a "butterfingers" replacement policy on the actual covers; just send a picture of the misaligned cover and we send a replacement. Please shoot an email to [email protected] referencing your order and we'll send another set of buttons, as well as wraps, if necessary.
Thanks again, and enjoy your Toasted 5X!

Looks really nice but it's a shame that they don't have mahogany, dark reddish wood alá art deco..

So I had one of these toast covers a few years ago on my Nexus 5. Sure they're ok for the feel and all but the adhesive they use picks up a lot of lint from pockets, general dust etc.
If not for that, I may consider them again.

LAURCORE said:
Thank you so much for the feedback! As I'd told OP, in his second picture of the Toast 5X, it appears that his side wrap is a little low. I suggest (and thought it was mentioned in the instructions) using the scorelines of the actual back cover to align the sides. The ports may not be perfectly centered within the cutouts, but they should all be fully functional.
With the sim/button covers, it's best to peel the paper off and then push them through the little slots. Those guys can be tricky to get the laser to cut all the way through, but our QA should have caught them in the production process. We'll gladly send replacements any time. We even have a "butterfingers" replacement policy on the actual covers; just send a picture of the misaligned cover and we send a replacement. Please shoot an email to [email protected] referencing your order and we'll send another set of buttons, as well as wraps, if necessary.
Thanks again, and enjoy your Toasted 5X!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the alignment, it's tight on the power button side, just 1 mm short of full wrap and/or the sim card side is just short of coming up high enough. Thanks for the offer on the replacement but it's such a small piece that snapped off that it's barely noticeable and not worth the effort to replace.
For me the bigger issue is turning out to be the size of the 3.5mm audio cutout. I can't get my Bose to get a secure connection. Unfortunately, it looks like the only way to get the opening big enough would be to actually take it into the first bend cut since the Bose plug cover is 6mm in diameter vs. what looks like a 5mm cutout now. Not sure if that's even an option? May have to see if I can cut back part of the plug cover on the Bose.
Other then that, still liking the cover. No issues with snagging or extra lint pickup from the small side gap or any of the corner cuts.

I was thinking of picking one up for my 6p and debating one for my 5x. I kinda like leaving my 5x naked.
If I were to get it I would for sure get it engraved with the nexus logo text across the back. You can request this as they can't put it as an option on the site due to trademark. You select the custom text engravings option ($5 more) and then in the custom text field write: "Nexus etching" or "X etching" (for the X in nexus only) as the custom text.

My videos have processed and are live on YouTube. I've embedded them into the first post.

littleguevara said:
So I had one of these toast covers a few years ago on my Nexus 5. Sure they're ok for the feel and all but the adhesive they use picks up a lot of lint from pockets, general dust etc.
If not for that, I may consider them again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's typically a little bit of exposed adhesive around the edges, but this should never be an issue after a few days of use. We always tell people to just leave it be and it will go away on it's own. :good:
---------- Post added at 08:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 PM ----------
ElecTriX666 said:
Looks really nice but it's a shame that they don't have mahogany, dark reddish wood alá art deco..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the disappointment, but we plan on adding a cherry wood this Spring!
---------- Post added at 08:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------
graffixnyc said:
I was thinking of picking one up for my 6p and debating one for my 5x. I kinda like leaving my 5x naked.
If I were to get it I would for sure get it engraved with the nexus logo text across the back. You can request this as they can't put it as an option on the site due to trademark. You select the custom text engravings option ($5 more) and then in the custom text field write: "Nexus etching" or "X etching" (for the X in nexus only) as the custom text.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing the Nexus etching info, and you won't regret Toasting them!
---------- Post added at 08:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:30 PM ----------
dpwhitty11 said:
My videos have processed and are live on YouTube. I've embedded them into the first post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent video - thanks again! Those button covers were definitely underscored by the laser... don't know how that passed through QA. Please let me know if you'd like a replacement set of wraps & buttons!

So, a little update for me here.
I have, to my own disappointment, dropped my phone. It slid out of my pocket when I was getting into my Jeep and fell onto a parking lot. The skin performed just as I thought! The wood caved/dented in where the impacts were. There is no actual damage to my phone. A++.
Another note, we have finally had some colder days here in Houston. Because the skin is real wood, the ambient air temperature and relative humidity factor into the grippiness of the skin. It is definitely much more slippery in colder & drier weather, about as slick as an iPhone 6 (at least that's what I would compare it to).

dpwhitty11 said:
So, a little update for me here.
I have, to my own disappointment, dropped my phone. It slid out of my pocket when I was getting into my Jeep and fell onto a parking lot. The skin performed just as I thought! The wood caved/dented in where the impacts were. There is no actual damage to my phone. A++.
Another note, we have finally had some colder days here in Houston. Because the skin is real wood, the ambient air temperature and relative humidity factor into the grippiness of the skin. It is definitely much more slippery in colder & drier weather, about as slick as an iPhone 6 (at least that's what I would compare it to).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the update. In general, would you say the wooden toast skin is more or less slippery than the naked device?

These look amazing. I'm thinking about getting the darkest (teak?) one for my 5X. Just had a quick question. I use a Mountek magnetic phone holder in my car. What I currently do is put the thinner of the two metallic "badges" (that hold the phone to the magnetic mount) under my phone's case. Do you think it would it work to do the same under the Toast skin? I don't have calipers, but the piece of metal is quite thin.

Great review thanks!

bblzd said:
Thanks for the update. In general, would you say the wooden toast skin is more or less slippery than the naked device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you use the skin without the button covers? I like cases/skins that keep the buttons free or is the thickness too much and the buttons are lower than the wood?

bblzd said:
Thanks for the update. In general, would you say the wooden toast skin is more or less slippery than the naked device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here in Houston, I'd say (generally) more grippy. But like I said, once it got cold and less humid, it easily became more slippery.
bkjones88 said:
These look amazing. I'm thinking about getting the darkest (teak?) one for my 5X. Just had a quick question. I use a Mountek magnetic phone holder in my car. What I currently do is put the thinner of the two metallic "badges" (that hold the phone to the magnetic mount) under my phone's case. Do you think it would it work to do the same under the Toast skin? I don't have calipers, but the piece of metal is quite thin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use a similar kind of magnetic mount. I have mine just stuck right on the back. If the magnet is strong enough it should be okay.
radeon962 said:
Can you use the skin without the button covers? I like cases/skins that keep the buttons free or is the thickness too much and the buttons are lower than the wood?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could, but they're basically flush with the skin. It would be pretty hard to press.

Does the camera lens ring affect light going into it? That's my only concern, as this phone is marketed with more light capturing capabilities.

ShishkaBerry said:
Does the camera lens ring affect light going into it? That's my only concern, as this phone is marketed with more light capturing capabilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a bit.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

dpwhitty11 said:
Not a bit.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sweet! I've been working on a custom case design since yesterday, the first time I've ever used photoshop lol. The fingerprint sensor looks like a full moon to me, so I'm thinking forest treeline with orion constellation above it on ebony. Currently waiting for the ice blue 5X, just ordered it Friday.

dpwhitty11 said:
You could, but they're basically flush with the skin. It would be pretty hard to press.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ended up just trimming the opening for the buttons with an Exacto knife so that I could leave the buttons bare.

Just a quick update to my experience with my Toast cover. Unfortunately, after 7 months I had to take it off. The cover on the power button had slowly chipped off (kept snagging on my pocket) down to the point it was difficult to press and a couple of the corner curve pieces had snapped off. Fortunately using a hair dryer helped it come off with no leftover adhesive.

screen protector in a bottle

I just did a video review of liquid screen protectors.

No you didn't. A review would have actually used the product and presented some sort of conclusion on it's value or utility.
I'm not a physicist, but I have my doubts that this kind of product can provide any impact protection. Possibly it can help protect the glass from scratches as a sacrificial layer, but in order to provide long-term benefits there needs to be a way to remove and reapply the coating when scratches or scuffs occur, and I see nothing to explain how this can be done.

bumpintheroad said:
No you didn't. A review would have actually used the product and presented some sort of conclusion on it's value or utility.
I'm not a physicist, but I have my doubts that this kind of product can provide any impact protection. Possibly it can help protect the glass from scratches as a sacrificial layer, but in order to provide long-term benefits there needs to be a way to remove and reapply the coating when scratches or scuffs occur, and I see nothing to explain how this can be done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly. This stuff actually function like a ceramic coating that's used in vehicle paint (I'm a pro detailer). That's exactly what we call those coatings, "a sacrificial layer." Vehicle speaking, a rock could hit the paint coating and not damage the paint but the impact could still leave a dent or slight impression in the metal. This screen coating will probably be good to protect against minor scratching but the right impact could still break the screen.
It's tough it here. We spend all these hard earned dollars (it whatever for various countries) for the devices and expect superior protecting for them. I just don't think it exists yet.
Here's to being careful. Cheers!
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Howard the Magic Tech Guy?!? Well he sure did a neat vanishing trick from this thread lol
Sorry, I really should not laugh but come on!

chippyuk said:
Howard the Magic Tech Guy?!? Well he sure did a neat vanishing trick from this thread lol
Sorry, I really should not laugh but come on!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm back... Firstly, I did put it on my old note 4 and it did not work at all.. But I no longer have that note 4... Like all of us we are all looking for the perfect screen protector and as I said in my review I didn't know if it worked. Sorry guys, not I don't have the resources to scratch test the phone at a 1000 per pop.
But I witnessed 1000s of people having this type of liquid on their phones at $30 a go.. My objective was at least to let potential customers do more research.. And as I mentioned on other forums the claims are a complete mixed bag some say they have fine scratches some don't even on amazon ... I just don't know... Maybe one of you can do a scientific scratch test.

Is it bird poo stain proof?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Reminds me of products like spray on hair or spray on grip tape for skateboards. Lol

shouren04 said:
Reminds me of products like spray on hair or spray on grip tape for skateboards. Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember that spray on grip tape... It sucked wasn't worth the can it was in:good::good::good:
I have wondered what people think of these chemical type liquid applications The cricket store here tries to get me to 40$ a pop and guaranties my screen not to break or they will replace it....
Im like yea noooo....
Im sure it will still break and Im sure when the time comes you will hassle me on whatever guaranty you have made

magichoward said:
I'm back... Firstly, I did put it on my old note 4 and it did not work at all.. But I no longer have that note 4... Like all of us we are all looking for the perfect screen protector and as I said in my review I didn't know if it worked. Sorry guys, not I don't have the resources to scratch test the phone at a 1000 per pop.
But I witnessed 1000s of people having this type of liquid on their phones at $30 a go.. My objective was at least to let potential customers do more research.. And as I mentioned on other forums the claims are a complete mixed bag some say they have fine scratches some don't even on amazon ... I just don't know... Maybe one of you can do a scientific scratch test.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not on a nearly 300$ plus screen no scratch tests for me

TheMadScientist said:
I remember that spray on grip tape... It sucked wasn't worth the can it was in:good::good::good:
I have wondered what people think of these chemical type liquid applications The cricket store here tries to get me to 40$ a pop and guaranties my screen not to break or they will replace it....
Im like yea noooo....
Im sure it will still break and Im sure when the time comes you will hassle me on whatever guaranty you have made
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup I hear ya, I rather go with a cheap plain ol PET screen protector anyday over gimmics like this one posted. What a joke. Actually that's what I'm using on my Note 8, no fancy glass screen protector due to the curved screen & case compatibility.