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To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
fabian.ecker said:
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would u mind taking a picture of the inside where u added tape to stop the backplate from creaking and upload it. I've tried many things to fix it to no avail.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
i will as soon as i find some time. there is another thread here on xda. it's for the wifi model but i adapted the suggestions for my nexus 7. also, what i did for mine might not work for yours. my suggestion is, figure out where the noise is coming from, add some double sided tape or foam close it partially and try it. took me about 2 days of trial and error to achieve an acceptable state
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1848013
here is the link
fabian.ecker said:
i will as soon as i find some time. there is another thread here on xda. it's for the wifi model but i adapted the suggestions for my nexus 7. also, what i did for mine might not work for yours. my suggestion is, figure out where the noise is coming from, add some double sided tape or foam close it partially and try it. took me about 2 days of trial and error to achieve an acceptable state
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much. My only creak is on the right side where the battery is and close to the bezel. Did u happen to have one there as well? Wish me luck lol off to void my warranty
Sent from my [insert phone model here]
fabian.ecker said:
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bookmarking so I recognize your nick on an upcoming "My wifi doesn't work!" thread.
Don't worry about your warranty! there is a "seal" sticker INSIDE the case but popping the back off will most certainly not void your warranty. it's more like the battery cover on a galaxy s3 or a nexus s than anything else!
fyi i had it on the right, left, and top of the device
A tiny gripe for the perfectionists. But I noticed after a day, that I had a couple of tiny little nicks in the aluminium. As the phone had just been lying on my desk and hadn't been taken outside it must have come that way. I didn't see them at first because they are on the edges and not on the back surface. It is very tiny and it was because it caught the light that I noticed it. I remember when the iPhone 5 came out there were scores of people with chips on the black iPhones that showed silver underneath. This is nowhere near as bad as that....just the light catching the fact that the surface is not quite flat. I had the same with an iPhone 4 a few years ago as well. Seems to me that aluminium is very dingable, even in the factory.
Anyone else notice this?
Mines fine so far, no complaints.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
None really had a small black mark but managed to get rid of it quite easily
jonstatt said:
A tiny gripe for the perfectionists. But I noticed after a day, that I had a couple of tiny little nicks in the aluminium. As the phone had just been lying on my desk and hadn't been taken outside it must have come that way. I didn't see them at first because they are on the edges and not on the back surface. It is very tiny and it was because it caught the light that I noticed it. I remember when the iPhone 5 came out there were scores of people with chips on the black iPhones that showed silver underneath. This is nowhere near as bad as that....just the light catching the fact that the surface is not quite flat. I had the same with an iPhone 4 a few years ago as well. Seems to me that aluminium is very dingable, even in the factory.
Anyone else notice this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What colour and is it possible that you post some pictures? I would like to follow this as would a lot of potential buyers Thanks, I have run out of thanks for the day
Please keep us posted about this
markj338 said:
What colour and is it possible that you post some pictures? I would like to follow this as would a lot of potential buyers Thanks, I have run out of thanks for the day
Please keep us posted about this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to take a photo of it, but I am going to need someone at home to help me take the picture as its all about getting the light angled correctly so that its clear in the picture. So I will need someone to hold the phone at the right angle so I can get a picture to show. I will try and see if I can get a picture shortly. It is a silver phone, the only colour available right now.
It's not possible to make it 'perfect' so there will be slight defects.
Mine has a tiny little mark on the top that unless you really look for it in certain light its not possible to really see.
Unless there's a real dent or chip on the casing, it shouldn't be a problem. I know it can annoy perfectionists but man, that is aluminium, it is understandable (to an extent, of course)
yep, my silver came with tiny nicks..could feel them when i ran my fingers down the side.not there now [3 days later], maybe 'ironed' out lol
lezduur said:
yep, my silver came with tiny nicks..could feel them when i ran my fingers down the side.not there now [3 days later], maybe 'ironed' out lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha...I hope the metal is not SO soft such that it would be possible!
I have wondered if a fingernail is able to nick the edges of the metal. The anodising is only on the back surface. So the bevelled edges will be more suceptible. It is the edge where I noticed a couple of tiny nicks.
I was reading that a fingernal has a hardness of 2.5 (on some scale that I forget the name of). And aluminium is 2.5-3. This would suggest a fingernail striking the edge of the phone could put a nick it. But I am not willing to try intentionally to do so!
jonstatt said:
Haha...I hope the metal is not SO soft such that it would be possible!
I have wondered if a fingernail is able to nick the edges of the metal. The anodising is only on the back surface. So the bevelled edges will be more suceptible. It is the edge where I noticed a couple of tiny nicks.
I was reading that a fingernal has a hardness of 2.5 (on some scale that I forget the name of). And aluminium is 2.5-3. This would suggest a fingernail striking the edge of the phone could put a nick it. But I am not willing to try intentionally to do so!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mohs scale! Yeah, they do overlap on the hardness scale, and nails have a history of being able to scratch aluminum (take Macbooks, for instance).
Yeah my wife came in the room yesterday and said when she pressed the power button, her finger nail scratched the silver lightly. looks like someones drawn a line with a lead pencil by the power button now. might try to buff it out but afraid if i wear the area down it will all go a dull grey.
jcb1985 said:
Yeah my wife came in the room yesterday and said when she pressed the power button, her finger nail scratched the silver lightly. looks like someones drawn a line with a lead pencil by the power button now. might try to buff it out but afraid if i wear the area down it will all go a dull grey.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note to self: Don't be lazy about cutting your nails once you get this phone.
Good call! :good:
jcb1985 said:
Yeah my wife came in the room yesterday and said when she pressed the power button, her finger nail scratched the
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My wife has damaged three buttons on 2 DAB radios and one remote control by that method.
Not even necessary to use a fingernail to operate the buttons, either.
jcb1985 said:
Yeah my wife came in the room yesterday and said when she pressed the power button, her finger nail scratched the silver lightly. looks like someones drawn a line with a lead pencil by the power button now. might try to buff it out but afraid if i wear the area down it will all go a dull grey.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rule number 1: never let your wife come anywhere near your phone :silly:
compact_bijou said:
My wife has damaged three buttons on 2 DAB radios and one remote control by that method.
Not even necessary to use a fingernail to operate the buttons, either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever tried growing your nails out super long? The pads of your fingers begin to cease to exist. :laugh:
This is weird. And yes aluminum does indeed has a weak mohs scale and that's the main reason why they anodize it. Now when anodized the mohs scale increases to 9 so how would a fingernail even scratch that?
i can assure you that it does scratch with false fingernails regardless of any specifications.
Riyal said:
This is weird. And yes aluminum does indeed has a weak mohs scale and that's the main reason why they anodize it. Now when anodized the mohs scale increases to 9 so how would a fingernail even scratch that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont believe all of the aluminium is anodised though. The back surface certainly is. But there is a bevelled edge which is almost shiny like a mirror, and I think that area is not treated and is also where I found a couple of tiny nicks (seen when angled under a spotlight) out of the box. It is unfortunately also the most likely bit to be hit knocked, swiped with a fingernail etc.
jonstatt said:
I dont believe all of the aluminium is anodised though. The back surface certainly is. But there is a bevelled edge which is almost shiny like a mirror, and I think that area is not treated and is also where I found a couple of tiny nicks (seen when angled under a spotlight) out of the box. It is unfortunately also the most likely bit to be hit knocked, swiped with a fingernail etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you post a picture of that bevelled edge? I'm not sure what you're saying but HTC One is unibody. And when you anodize aluminum you submerge the whole body into a solution. So it's quite impossible that some parts get's anodized and some aren't.
I guess I have to cut all my nails b4 buying it lmao
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
I saw a few guys complaining about the scratched/bumped bezel which looks ugly because the paint will reveal the metal underneath.
Well, I also damaged my watch by accidentally hitting it . Permanent markers are not a good solution because they do not last.
Apparently the bezel is made out of aluminium and only the watch body is made out of steel, that why, maybe, the bezel is less resistant.
Last evening though, an idea came to my mind, which I also applied on the watch. The result is promising .
Using some fine sandpaper (600) and some real paper after that, I completely removed the paint from the top of the bezel.
As a technique, I laid the sandpaper on a flat surface (table) and then I pressed the watch on it while rubbing it. After the paint was completely removed, I did the same operation but using a regular sheet of paper (to add a nice finish on the metal surface).
Please be careful: you have to press the watch against the sandpaper (laid on a flat, hard surface), not the other way around. In this way you leave no room for mistakes and the revealed metal will be uniform and nice, w/o weird edges.
This is the result.
That actually looks really nice! I'm Impressed with it . Just out of Curiosity what watchface is that also as it suits the watch really well.
That's a custom watch face for WatchMaker (built by me). You can download it from here.
I'm not sure I have the b... sorry guts for this kind of job
First Hardware Mod!
That looks great! I know it's just a matter of time before I will need to do this. I have sanded/polished like this before and may I warn everyone:
Make sure you keep the sandpaper flat. If it rolls up under the face it will scratch the screen.Better yet, only do this with a screen protector.
Really nice. You should offer your services for a fee, to do this for others afraid to do it themselves. Not that you'd offer any guarantees, but you have proof you know how to do it right .
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
Wow that's a great fix for this. Showed the scratches on my bezel to the lg team at ces and they were surprised and would follow up with me after the show. They said they hadn't come across this issue (which I find hard to believe). Like you mentioned OP the bezel is aluminum and the lower parts are steel and seem to be much more durable paint wise.
I'm hoping they might send me a new watch with some better paint but if not I'm definitely going to use this method!
it does look good, however once you do this there is no going back ........
if you want a better finish you may want to try crocus paper after you have removed the paint on the bezel, crocus paper is very fine and may give a smoother finish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocus_cloth
Once you have bumped the outer bezel into an outer object, hard enough to expose the metal under the paint, the is no going back either. But at least, there is a way to move forward .
ro_explorer said:
Once you have bumped the outer bezel into an outer object, hard enough to expose the metal under the pain, the is no going back either. But at least, there is a way to move forward .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So very true.
I personally think that looks fantastic and a milliion times better than a scratched bezel. Mine hasn't recieved any scratches yet, but seeing your results, I'm no longer panicked about that happening.
Thank you for a great solution!
yes of course, I like the look of it too
How long have you had the watch since you did this? Is there any signs of corrosion on the exposed Aluminium?
ro_explorer said:
Once you have bumped the outer bezel into an outer object, hard enough to expose the metal under the paint, the is no going back either. But at least, there is a way to move forward .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the operation on January 2nd (when I posted on the forum ). One full week passed since then .. no signs on the metal surface whatsoever (expected, it's aluminum and this does not corrode).
Here is a photo from today.
ro_explorer said:
I saw a few guys complaining about the scratched/bumped bezel which looks ugly because the paint will reveal the metal underneath.
Well, I also damaged my watch by accidentally hitting it . Permanent markers are not a good solution because they do not last.
Apparently the bezel is made out of aluminium and only the watch body is made out of steel, that why, maybe, the bezel is less resistant.
Last evening though, an idea came to my mind, which I also applied on the watch. The result is promising .
Using some fine sandpaper (600) and some real paper after that, I completely removed the paint from the top of the bezel.
As a technique, I laid the sandpaper on a flat surface (table) and then I pressed the watch on it while rubbing it. After the paint was completely removed, I did the same operation but using a regular sheet of paper (to add a nice finish on the metal surface).
Please be careful: you have to press the watch against the sandpaper (laid on a flat, hard surface), not the other way around. In this way you leave no room for mistakes and the revealed metal will be uniform and nice, w/o weird edges.
This is the result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my watch for a little over a week and don't recall hitting it against anything but this morning noticed my bezel has a scratch longer than half an inch. Doing a Google search brought me here.
I was going to try your method today. I understand using the 600 grit sandpaper to remove the rest of the paint from the bezel but how does the regular paper help the finish? My uneducated guess would have been to try a finer grit sandpaper such as 1200 instead of the paper.
You can use whatever finer than 600 you have (even coarser but you may risk it going coarser that that).
Unfortunately, 600 was the finest I had in house at the moment that why I used id. After that though, the metal finish was matte, missing that fine polishing .... there is where the regular paper got into action. If you use a regular laser printer paper sheet, it will act as a very very fine sandpaper, enough to give that fine polishing on the pure metal (aluminium in this case - soft metal, no other reason.
ro_explorer said:
You can use whatever finer than 600 you have (even coarser but you may risk it going coarser that that).
Unfortunately, 600 was the finest I had in house at the moment that why I used id. After that though, the metal finish was matte, missing that fine polishing .... there is where the regular paper got into action. If you use a regular laser printer paper sheet, it will act as a very very fine sandpaper, enough to give that fine polishing on the pure metal (aluminium in this case - soft metal, no other reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sir are a genius - your solution actually makes the watch look better than before the problem.
dzyuba said:
You sir are a genius - your solution actually makes the watch look better than before the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please tell us what did you do exactly to the watch, step by step. Thanks.
My request to any other people who want to adopt this method, please record a video of the process. Then upload it to youtube and share it with us. Thanks.
The entire process that I used is described in detail in the first post of this thread.
There is also the possibility to use a nail file (there are some guys who did that and the results are quite nice as well).
Guys,
This looks fantastic. Perhaps even better than stock. I've got a 1/4" scratch, so not quite ready to take the plunge...but certainly thinking about it.
-Doc
I should probably post this here also. I managed to ding up my watch pretty badly crashing my skateboard, and a user suggested I try this method. I did it a little differently by finishing with a 3000 grit and using metal polish cream on the exposed metal to give it a nice shine. Here are before and after pictures.
The metal polish is definitely adding a nice touch. Thanks for the info.
// sent from my phone //
Hey guys, how are you? After seeing how Cardboard works on a friend's Nexus 5, I've decided to give it a try on my Moto G2. But before buying the kit, can anyone who already tried it out tell how it's the experience with it? I want to be sure everything will be smooth before buying.
Thanks in advance!
Search, there's a couple of other threads. Apparently the gyro is shaky but everything else is fine.
Sent from my butt
The screen resolution is very close to the Oculus Rift DK1, Moto G 2nd's 720 x 1280 and the DK1's 1280×800, and it looks the same, the problem is that the magnet does not seem to work for me, I have this:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RN832ZW
and it seems to work well, lenses seem nice, image is clear, but there is no room for glasses at all, and I wear glasses because I am nearsighted, however the image can be made to focus without my glasses by adjusting the lenses, but the lenses are very close to your eyes, and the unit is very small, also the area around the bridge of the nose will start to hurt so you may need some extra padding or modifications, this unit does not have a magnet slide thing, but I have lots of magnets, and I was under the impression that I could just move a magnet near the phone and that would work, but I ether get no effect or the screen turns off, the magnetic sensor seems to be near the power switch on the Moto G 2nd.
The gyro is so jittery it makes games unplayable, and thats a shame, the demos seem to play fine and work full speed.
I am very likely to stick to watching videos with this unit, if I can fix the nose problem, -but- because the screen is divided into half or less the video is low quality but watchable.
I cut an extra piece of card from the scrap that came with the viewer the same size as the magnet section and glued it on the closure flap then move the iron disc to the underneath of the flap, Works ok.
Roldorf said:
I cut an extra piece of card from the scrap that came with the viewer the same size as the magnet section and glued it on the closure flap then move the iron disc to the underneath of the flap, Works ok.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had tried different magnets near the power switch and it never worked, but I tried two magnets in the orientation that you showed in your image and it worked a few times but it was very hard to get it in the correct place, then hold one magnet and move the second magnet, so it can work, thanks for the info.
What's this cardboard ? what's the purpose with it ?
I never heard about this thing in regard to phones
Its a cardboard box with a set of lenses and a few magnets that allow you to see in 3D using your phone, kinda like an old school View-Master.
Have a look over at:
http://www.google.com/get/cardboard/
Roldorf said:
I cut an extra piece of card from the scrap that came with the viewer the same size as the magnet section and glued it on the closure flap then move the iron disc to the underneath of the flap, Works ok.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Roldorf, which model / brand of the Cardboard did you use as a basis for your modifications?
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.
{
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"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
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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.