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[Q] A few hours with my transformer

Having received my transformer this morning, all I can say is i love it! however, there are definitely a few issues that are bugging me;
1. the build quality. i constantly feel where the outer rim and the back casing are supposed to join, but dont and its a constant remind of its quality
2. the dock. its brilliant but the putting the tablet into the dock is so annoying and im afraid I may end up breaking the mechanism on the dock. which leads me to my next point...
3. connectivity. the tablet actually has about as much connectivity as an ipad, which is a REAL shame. would it have been so difficult to implement a micro/usb port onto the tablet? i appreciate the sd card slot but personally I'd have preferred the micro/usb than the sd card, but hey atleast the sd card works! you cannot really experience the transformer properly without the keyboard dock so when docking the tablet I am extremely cautious incase i do do some damage.
4. trackpad. the two buttons on the trackpad also feel really cheap when pressing. I suppose this is to be expected when paying as little I have for this tablet.
My final issue, for now, is the constant freezing of the keyboard which i believe has been addressed in a firmware update in the US and not in the UK. Would be nice to get it soon! anyone know when we brits get this update, and any other update there is floating around??

there is a USB port adapter being released by Asus in the near future. Also the trackpad feels real solid to me.

seshmaru said:
there is a USB port adapter being released by Asus in the near future. Also the trackpad feels real solid to me.
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Click to collapse
my buttons on the trackpad feel really plasticy but i guess thats to be expected. although iv not spent a great deal of time with the dock, guess ill have a more informed idea in a few days

kashifnazir said:
my buttons on the trackpad feel really plasticy but i guess thats to be expected. although iv not spent a great deal of time with the dock, guess ill have a more informed idea in a few days
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Click to collapse
they feel like plastic but they feel robust and sturdy to me, or are you experiencing different issues?

happy with the trackpad buttons too..they're robust..
as for the docking mechanism..you'll get used to it eventually...and it's a lot easier to dock after being used for a while.

I have no problems that seriously bother me. If you don't like it there's always the option to return it. I would not keep something that bothers me that much!

I am just waiting to see if its a case of getting used to it, will only return as a very last resort because I'm very happy with the rest of the tablet as I'm sure the majority of transformer users are!

Dock is very solid. And it has usb ports so I'm confused about your review.

kashifnazir said:
I am just waiting to see if its a case of getting used to it, will only return as a very last resort because I'm very happy with the rest of the tablet as I'm sure the majority of transformer users are!
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Click to collapse
Excellent choice! I think it has a lot of potential. Obviously, the hardware issues won't be resolved but the software will be splendid in a few months!

U say it has as much connectivity as an iPad yet I dont see a micro sd slot ,HDMI port, or a dock slot on the iPad, can u help me find it

cowballz69 said:
Dock is very solid. And it has usb ports so I'm confused about your review.
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i think he means why didnt they add a usb to the tablet as well so if you didnt buy the dock you could have a usb port. i think it would have been a nice feature especially on the left hand side of the tablet where the power and volume buttons are. i do like the dock option especially since it adds more battery life to the tablet.

^ Actually the iPad2 has a dock slot (smartass), it's just basically a keyboard, without any of the usefullness of the TF's dock.
The dock has USB ports, yes, but the tablet itself doesn't. I can see where kashifnazir is going with this; I'd like a USB port - even a micro/mini would do - on the tablet itself as well. If I wanted to just grab something of somone's USB stick, I might not necessarily what to root in my bag for the dock every time.
Regardless, it's relatively minor. The Transformer is still the portable computer I've been waiting for since tablets first hit the market.

kashifnazir said:
4. trackpad. the two buttons on the trackpad also feel really cheap when pressing. I suppose this is to be expected when paying as little I have for this tablet.
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Click to collapse
I sort of noticed this issue too, but try this:
Press the trackpad button all the way out on the edge. Feels cheap doesn't it? Now press the button about halfway between the edge and the rubber bumper that the screen rests on when closed. Now, it feels almost better than some netbook trackpad buttons I've used.

My thoughts after some time on the TF
Charger: It appears that the charger is marginal at best and when used to charge the TF/Dock combo with medium battery remaining the charger overheats and either dies or shuts down until it cools. I have been charging separately and if lots of charging is needed, do it in increments. Seems to work fine. Excellent biz opportunity design a 15VDC 3.0a power supply with a USB3.0 female connector.
Dust: The plastic protective cover was covered with dust when I opened the box. Luckily nothing inside the TF. ASUS needs to revisit the assy and packaging cleanliness requirements.
UI: Would be nice to have option to move soft buttons from bottom to side of screen as they are easier to access when holding the device.
Case creek. My case is solid, but I noticed that the hinge on the dock is very stiff and I can see how opening and closing the combo by pushing on the TF could easily cause considerable stress on the case causing it to flex.
Overall for an early adopted device I am impressed.

cowballz69 said:
U say it has as much connectivity as an iPad yet I dont see a micro sd slot ,HDMI port, or a dock slot on the iPad, can u help me find it
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Click to collapse
as some of the more eagle eyed readers have spotted, i was simply saying that id like a usb port on the tablet which is more useful than a hdmi and SD slot for me, thats all

kingwp1 said:
I sort of noticed this issue too, but try this:
Press the trackpad button all the way out on the edge. Feels cheap doesn't it? Now press the button about halfway between the edge and the rubber bumper that the screen rests on when closed. Now, it feels almost better than some netbook trackpad buttons I've used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeh upon a bt more usage ive realised its more sturdy in the middle, just accustomised to using it on th edge but i can adapt

cowballz69 said:
Dock is very solid. And it has usb ports so I'm confused about your review.
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He meant on the tablet itself.

kashifnazir said:
as some of the more eagle eyed readers have spotted, i was simply saying that id like a usb port on the tablet which is more useful than a hdmi and SD slot for me, thats all
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We get that, but why didn't you buy an Acer A500 if having this feature was that important to you? I'm just curious
Sent from my HTC Eva 4G using Tapatalk

Jocelyn said:
We get that, but why didn't you buy an Acer A500 if having this feature was that important to you? I'm just curious
Sent from my HTC Eva 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent question, main reason was the display and the dock and having played with both I preferred this. However, I did also blindly expect it to have one but its ok, ill just get the USB accesory so life is good

kashifnazir said:
Excellent question, main reason was the display and the dock and having played with both I preferred this. However, I did also blindly expect it to have one but its ok, ill just get the USB accesory so life is good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand, but from a business perspective, I think it would have been a horrible idea for Asus to include a USB/micro USB port on the tablet itself. They wouldn't have the potential to sell nearly as many docks, and getting consumers to buy both parts is how they've chosen to market the Transformer.
Sent from my HTC Eva 4G using Tapatalk

Is the 3G card the only difference between the tf101 and tf101G??

Hi guys was just wondering if the 3G card was the only difference between the two models
If it is and i could find the same card and put it in my tf would i then be able to flash there firmware and all is well or are they slightly different boards?
I ask because i know we have the card reader in there just sitting unused
Also im thinking of replacing the speakers with higher quality ones just need to find some that fit maybe replace back cover with my own and see how much space we have in there from the photos there is alot of cover around the tegra and mine gets quite hot why didnt asus do something similar to the ps2 slimline where there woud be a copper plate on the tegra2 then piping out to the edges of all that cover and a whisper fan and 2 small vent ports ?
Sent from my tf101 using xda premium 1.54Ghz

Asus Tranformer Infinity 4K Wish List

Hope someone at Asus reads this!
Louder, front facing stereo speakers
Even louder speakers on the keyboard battery dock
Direct Power toggle switch for switching between internal tablet battery and keyboard dock battery (instead of charging the internal, which is only 40% efficient)
86 the touch pad to make room for a larger battery

Neo3D said:
Hope someone at Asus reads this!
Louder, front facing stereo speakers
Even louder speakers on the keyboard battery dock
Direct Power toggle switch for switching between internal tablet battery and keyboard dock battery (instead of charging the internal, which is only 40% efficient)
86 the touch pad to make room for a larger battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does one 86 something? I can guarantee all of this will not be on the new TF tablet.

ronniereiff said:
How does one 86 something? I can guarantee all of this will not be on the new TF tablet.
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Click to collapse
That's too bad. It would've been cool if the new keyboard dock had loud built in speakers.
The audio on the TF700 is pretty low.

They're not going to get rid of the touchpad. That's like telling Ford to get rid of the steering wheel in their new cars. The point of a Transformer is that it's a Tablet/Laptop combo. I, for one, use the touchpad a lot.
If there's front facing speakers, the bezel will get even bigger. No, thanks. The GT2 10.1 has frontfacing speakers. And it's humongous. So much, in fact, that I believe they've been moved to the back in the GT3.
Speakers on the dock, not going to happen. A tablet doesn't send audio across the power plug. Also, Speakers on dock = less room for battery. You just asked for a bigger one..
Toggle switch, nope. Also not happening. Too messy for people who don't use the dock, and potentially too damaging to both batteries. Plus Google would have to incorporate the option into Android itself for it to work.
Bit unrealistic wishlist..

ShadowLea said:
They're not going to get rid of the touchpad. That's like telling Ford to get rid of the steering wheel in their new cars. The point of a Transformer is that it's a Tablet/Laptop combo. I, for one, use the touchpad a lot.
Speakers on the dock, not going to happen. Also, Speakers on dock = less room for battery. You just asked for a bigger one..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, leave the touch pad in. For me, it's too small to even be useful, esp when you have a touch screen.
If there's front facing speakers, the bezel will get even bigger. No, thanks. The GT2 10.1 has frontfacing speakers. And it's humongous. So much, in fact, that I believe they've been moved to the back in the GT3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, you're wrong. These are tablets, not phones. Phones will eventually have zero bezels. No way that same trend is going to happen with tablets. Tablets need bezels because that's what people use to hold them. The Nexus 10 has front firing speakers and it sounds better than any tablet. There's no harm is making a tablet bezel slightly larger, it just means more area for people to hold + larger chassis for larger batteries. The race to be thin and small (bezel-less) makes no sense if a tablet can only get 6hrs screen-on time.
A tablet doesn't send audio across the power plug.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a power plug, it's a proprietary Asus connector, so if they wanted to, they could send audio to more beefy speakers built into the dock.
Also, Speakers on dock = less room for battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, you're wrong about this too....there's plenty of space on both sides of the touch pad to add some speakers. There is no battery underneath that horizontal area directly under and on both sides of the touchpad, it's empty space...a perfect place to add some some top firing speakers. Look it up, Google is your friend plus, adding awesome sounding speakers to the dock would give people another reason to buy the dock accessory...esp true since the speakers on the TF700 are weak and sound so low.
Toggle switch, nope. Also not happening. Too messy for people who don't use the dock, and potentially too damaging to both batteries. Plus Google would have to incorporate the option into Android itself for it to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The toggle switch would be a software switch. Google wouldn't have to incorporate anything, this is Android. The manufacturers add things to it, not Google. How do you think the dual battery icon in the notifications area was made? You thought Google did that? LOL :laugh: Yea, Asus did not go to Google and ask them to do that for them. Asus did it themselves.
And there is no possible way that having a system with two batteries that can directly power the device is damaging to both batteries. Perhaps you don't understand that this concept is? The current battery system works by having the dock battery charge the tablet battery. This system is VERY INEFFICIENT, only about 40% efficient from my calculations. It's like having a 10Whr battery in the dock but only getting 4Whr of real battery use out of it because you're not using the power directly but instead using it to charge another battery. If Asus switched to a direct power dual battery system, you would get 100% battery use from the dock battery versus a pathetic 40% what we get now. It's like having a swappable battery in a phone. However, instead of swapping out the dead battery for a fresh one, you just flip a software toggle switch and the tablet starts using the dock's battery instead of the internal one.
The reason why Asus went with the dual battery charging system instead of a dual battery direct power system is because the former is easier to design, from an electrical engineering standpoint and therefore cheaper.

The touchpad is no smaller than the one on my 17.3" laptop.... I much prefer to have the option to use a touchpad, especially when I'm watching films. I use handcream fairly often, and the touchpad is a lifesaver. I don't want to have to clean my screen every other minute... And a mouse isn't useful without a surface.
The speakers aren't weak if you use the right app. Try Diceplayer. You can set it to 400%, my neighbours came over asking if I could please turn the sound down a notch.
I didn't say the bezel needed to dissapear, where did you get that one from? I said it should not get LARGER.
And they wouldn't add speakers to the dock... It would render their Audio Dock (which is meant for the speakers!) redundant. https://www.asus.com/Tablet_Mobile_Accessories/Audio_Dock/
There is a significant difference between adding another icon and changing the entire power schematic. Anyone can add a secondary battery image, most battery apps do it. Found an app yet that can change the power flow? No, didn't think so.

They've released pictures and it's pretty much identical in design.
That said. The notion is good.
Maybe not front facing speakers but speakers built into the dock would be immense

Exactly it looks to be using the same housing as the infinity does now so no dreams have come true this time.

My safest guess is that none of the things in your wish list is going to materialize, especially when all the hands-on videos have shown that the new Infinity will have the exact same design, ports, etc... as our tf700 (ASUS still can change things around, but it is highly unlikely). The speakers have never been my concern. What I would like ASUS to improve is actually the glossy screen, too much glare and reflection to use the tablet outside (even though the brightness is awesome).

Neo3D said:
Okay, leave the touch pad in. For me, it's too small to even be useful, esp when you have a touch screen.
Sorry, you're wrong. These are tablets, not phones. Phones will eventually have zero bezels. No way that same trend is going to happen with tablets. Tablets need bezels because that's what people use to hold them. The Nexus 10 has front firing speakers and it sounds better than any tablet. There's no harm is making a tablet bezel slightly larger, it just means more area for people to hold + larger chassis for larger batteries. The race to be thin and small (bezel-less) makes no sense if a tablet can only get 6hrs screen-on time.
It's not a power plug, it's a proprietary Asus connector, so if they wanted to, they could send audio to more beefy speakers built into the dock.
Sorry, you're wrong about this too....there's plenty of space on both sides of the touch pad to add some speakers. There is no battery underneath that horizontal area directly under and on both sides of the touchpad, it's empty space...a perfect place to add some some top firing speakers. Look it up, Google is your friend plus, adding awesome sounding speakers to the dock would give people another reason to buy the dock accessory...esp true since the speakers on the TF700 are weak and sound so low.
The toggle switch would be a software switch. Google wouldn't have to incorporate anything, this is Android. The manufacturers add things to it, not Google. How do you think the dual battery icon in the notifications area was made? You thought Google did that? LOL :laugh: Yea, Asus did not go to Google and ask them to do that for them. Asus did it themselves.
And there is no possible way that having a system with two batteries that can directly power the device is damaging to both batteries. Perhaps you don't understand that this concept is? The current battery system works by having the dock battery charge the tablet battery. This system is VERY INEFFICIENT, only about 40% efficient from my calculations. It's like having a 10Whr battery in the dock but only getting 4Whr of real battery use out of it because you're not using the power directly but instead using it to charge another battery. If Asus switched to a direct power dual battery system, you would get 100% battery use from the dock battery versus a pathetic 40% what we get now. It's like having a swappable battery in a phone. However, instead of swapping out the dead battery for a fresh one, you just flip a software toggle switch and the tablet starts using the dock's battery instead of the internal one.
The reason why Asus went with the dual battery charging system instead of a dual battery direct power system is because the former is easier to design, from an electrical engineering standpoint and therefore cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Say all you want ShadowLea = not Asus and I agree this wish less is very unrealistic. If they wanted that toggle switch thing you keep blabbing on about that maggicly makes the tablet more efficient they would have done it which I highly doubt the method you are getting at even works.You've taken Asus numbers and crunched them into your calculator, which is the wrong way to do it. This dock will only last under Asus testing standards but realistically it will never last that long.
Edit: I can agree on the dock speakers though.
---------- Post added at 01:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:52 AM ----------
huy_lonewolf said:
My safest guess is that none of the things in your wish list is going to materialize, especially when all the hands-on videos have shown that the new Infinity will have the exact same design, ports, etc... as our tf700 (ASUS still can change things around, but it is highly unlikely). The speakers have never been my concern. What I would like ASUS to improve is actually the glossy screen, too much glare and reflection to use the tablet outside (even though the brightness is awesome).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Asus cant please everyone but a matted screen would be a horrrible idea for a tablet. Luckly this can be fixed by adding a glare resistant screen protector so everyone's happy

ronniereiff said:
Asus cant please everyone but a matted screen would be a horrrible idea for a tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why? Because you could no longer use it as a mirror?

_that said:
Why? Because you could no longer use it as a mirror?
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Click to collapse
no because it distorts the overall color and clarity of the screen and viewing angles are terrible making colors look strange at certin angles. plus you can not get screen protectors to make a matted screen look glossy which most people would preffer on a tablet but you can make a glossy screen glare resistant with a screen protector thus everyone is happy. Come on man think about it! luckily ASUS doesn't take ideas from these threads.
Edit: idk maybe its an age group thing

A matte screen reduces colour depths, sharpness and brightness by about 30%.
On other tabs i agree about the glare under light, but the tf700 is bright enough to compensate. If the screen brightness is higher than the environmental light, you cant see the glare.
And you can train your eyes to focus past the glare. (the same way you adapt to a HUD.)
Send From My Samsung Galaxy S3 Using Tapatalk 2

ronniereiff said:
no because it distorts the overall color and clarity of the screen and viewing angles are terrible making colors look strange at certin angles. plus you can not get screen protectors to make a matted screen look glossy which most people would preffer on a tablet but you can make a glossy screen glare resistant with a screen protector thus everyone is happy. Come on man think about it! luckily ASUS doesn't take ideas from these threads.
Edit: idk maybe its an age group thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not suggest that ASUS should go with matte screen, the point is that they can try to reduce the glare. One way other OEMs achieve that is to use optically bonded displays, which can be found on the iPhone 5, Optimus G, HTC One, etc... Why shouldn't ASUS try the same thing? I am no expert, but it obviously works quite well for phones. Even the Retina MacBook Pro has some tricks to reduce glare.

ShadowLea said:
A matte screen reduces colour depths, sharpness and brightness by about 30%.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it does reduce overall contrast, but in increases readability in bright environments.
ShadowLea said:
On other tabs i agree about the glare under light, but the tf700 is bright enough to compensate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bright enough for indoor use, but still unusable in sunlight. There is a good reason why ebook readers do not have a glossy display.
ShadowLea said:
If the screen brightness is higher than the environmental light, you cant see the glare.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...which doesn't work e.g. with white text on a black background, the typical terminal emulation.
ShadowLea said:
And you can train your eyes to focus past the glare. (the same way you adapt to a HUD.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't read longer text on a HUD.
I don't say a matte display is *better* than a glossy one (and I agree that it is possible to apply a matte screen protector on a glossy display), but it does have its own advantages and disadvantages, and I don't think it's such "a horrrible idea".

_that said:
Yes it does reduce overall contrast, but in increases readability in bright environments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. But I'd rather have to put on a temporary protector than give up the thing that makes this screen so beautiful.
Bright enough for indoor use, but still unusable in sunlight. There is a good reason why ebook readers do not have a glossy display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a matte erearder (for use in the moments when a 700 euro device is not a good idea, like at the beach or in less safe neighbourhoods.), but it's less readable than my TF700 in sunlight. Unless I make the stupid decision to directly reflect the sun in my face .
The TF700 is the only display I can read with sunglasses on, though. Everything else is just black or nearly black.
...which doesn't work e.g. with white text on a black background, the typical terminal emulation.
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I have all my ereader apps set to night mode, because I absolutely hate white backgrounds (hurts my eyes.). But I haven't had any readability issues with the TF700.
You don't read longer text on a HUD.
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Click to collapse
I'd use Google Glass to read ebooks if I could afford one.
I don't say a matte display is *better* than a glossy one (and I agree that it is possible to apply a matte screen protector on a glossy display), but it does have its own advantages and disadvantages, and I don't think it's such "a horrrible idea".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not a horrible idea. But if I had to choose between glossy and matte, i'd go with glossy.

I bought a matte screen protector last year. It made t screen look like a kind e-reader. Fantastic for reading books horrible for everything else. Took it off after week.
I don't know the solution to the direct sunlight problem.

sorry, I was accidentlly in the wrong thread

huy_lonewolf said:
My safest guess is that none of the things in your wish list is going to materialize, especially when all the hands-on videos have shown that the new Infinity will have the exact same design, ports, etc... as our tf700 (ASUS still can change things around, but it is highly unlikely). The speakers have never been my concern. What I would like ASUS to improve is actually the glossy screen, too much glare and reflection to use the tablet outside (even though the brightness is awesome).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, it's sad that the new dock looks essentially the same as the TF201 dock.
It's good for current dock owners but bad for Asus.
I will probably upgrade to the Infinity 4K but use my original TF201 dock.
They could've sold a new dock with every new tablet if they had built in speakers and a new power management system.

Yes, and it would have made a lot of upgrading customers very angry in the process.. The backwards dock compatibility is a favour to us.
If every tab had a new, incompatible dock, we would be complaining about being ripped off.
Send From My Samsung Galaxy S3 Using Tapatalk 2

Wireless Charger Module, S4 or S4 active

Just thought I would share a cheap accessory I found. This is a wireless charging module for a QI charging base. In the past I have bought alternative modules (this one) and they never seemed to work right. I would spend a lot of time moving my phone around trying to get the charge working(my wife always got so annoyed)... but this one does the trick.
I have a S4 Active and it works flawlessly, you may lose the water seal but it is worth it in my opinion. I picked it up at Tmart (here)... these guys have always taken care of me(fast shipping and so on).
Here are some pictures of how it looks, I also bought the gold battery works great and has great battery life(a little less than the OEM):
If you have never seen how this works... basically just insert the module, put the back of the phone back on and toss it on the charger. Hope this helps!

joshuadjohnson22 said:
...I have a S4 Active and it works flawlessly, you may lose the water seal but it is worth it in my opinion....
...I also bought the "gold" battery works great and has great battery life(a little less than the OEM)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get it.
Why bother with S4 Active (instead of regular S4) if you don't care about water seal???
What is the purpose of switching from original high quality Samsung battery for "gold" one with smaller capacity??? Does it have some other Austin Powers or Goldmember magic powers? Was it desperate move to get rid off NFC from your phone (you know, PRISM is watching us)?

Diamond 2 owner said:
I don't get it.
Why bother with S4 Active (instead of regular S4) if you don't care about water seal???
What is the purpose of switching from original high quality Samsung battery for "gold" one with smaller capacity??? Does it have some other Austin Powers or Goldmember magic powers? Was it desperate move to get rid off NFC from your phone (you know, PRISM is watching us)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the s4 and the active is much better, the LCD kills the amoled I'm and that was the selling point. Water resistance is still nice and I think if I was to drop it in water it would hold up a little better than the s4. I use the second battery as a back up so I can go multiple days without a charge. I don't use NFC much so no problem there. But thanks for your concern .
Oh almost forgot... the Active doesn't scratch or break as easy, it is a lot easier to see outside(screen)... it is what the S4 should have been... I like the hardware buttons because I don't accidently press the back button when playing games... The brush metal on the glass looks better than bubbles... It has a better build quality... Plus almost all the features of the regular S4....

How does the charging module perform through a thick(3mm) case?

qwerp said:
How does the charging module perform through a thick(3mm) case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also curious to know this, I wanted to buy one but I don't want to take my phone out of its case each time to let it charge

joshuadjohnson22 said:
I had the s4 and the active is much better, the LCD kills the amoled I'm and that was the selling point. Water resistance is still nice and I think if I was to drop it in water it would hold up a little better than the s4. I use the second battery as a back up so I can go multiple days without a charge. I don't use NFC much so no problem there. But thanks for your concern .
Oh almost forgot... the Active doesn't scratch or break as easy, it is a lot easier to see outside(screen)... it is what the S4 should have been... I like the hardware buttons because I don't accidently press the back button when playing games... The brush metal on the glass looks better than bubbles... It has a better build quality... Plus almost all the features of the regular S4....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, now it seems quite reasonable.
I personally prefer SAMOLED over LCD, so I think it is great move of Samsung, that they differentiated Galaxy line so much, that everybody could much features and specifications set to their preferences/usage/needs.
Keep in mind, that S4 Active uses Gorilla Glass 2, while regular S4 have latest version - Gorilla Glass 3 (it is 40% more scratch resistant and 50% stronger by manufacturer's specs).
btw. gsmarena rated battery endurance factor (measures battery lifetime for average usage model) for regular S4 S600 for 69h. For S4 Active they measured 57h. It is half day difference. That was for stock batteries in both phones. If you switch S4 Active stock battery with non-genuine battery ("gold" or other questionable zerolemon etc.) this difference will be even more than half day. Probably close to one day. This is huge difference in real life experience.

Diamond 2 owner said:
Yes, now it seems quite reasonable.
I personally prefer SAMOLED over LCD, so I think it is great move of Samsung, that they differentiated Galaxy line so much, that everybody could much features and specifications set to their preferences/usage/needs.
Keep in mind, that S4 Active uses Gorilla Glass 2, while regular S4 have latest version - Gorilla Glass 3 (it is 40% more scratch resistant and 50% stronger by manufacturer's specs).
btw. gsmarena rated battery endurance factor (measures battery lifetime for average usage model) for regular S4 S600 for 69h. For S4 Active they measured 57h. It is half day difference. That was for stock batteries in both phones. If you switch S4 Active stock battery with non-genuine battery ("gold" or other questionable zerolemon etc.) this difference will be even more than half day. Probably close to one day. This is huge difference in real life experience.
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Well on the s4 I have used I got scratches on the plastic easily, the active has taken everything I have thrown at it and not even a tiny scratch has surfaced. The glass is less but it is also cheaper to replaced... The lcd and digitizer is only 100 bucks which is half the cost of the s4's equivalent part. The battery life between the s4 I have and the active seem the same and I can get easily 24 hours on a charge with about 2 to 3 hours of screen time. The gold battery is perfect for what I use it for and I am well pleased. The LCD looks much better than the amoled, I had to return it because of the cartoonish looks and ugly whites personally it was a turn off. If they would just get rid of their pentile pixel layout the screen would be amazing.
Basically you have 2 types of people, some love over saturated screen and some like natural. Samsung has got both camps covered with both of these phones. For me the active is the phone I have been waiting for from Samsung. The regular s4 is awesome and I wish they had a version with lcd but the only choice I have is this beautiful active.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

qwerp said:
How does the charging module perform through a thick(3mm) case?
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Garen21 said:
I'm also curious to know this, I wanted to buy one but I don't want to take my phone out of its case each time to let it charge
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It works great through my case which is this
The other modules did not
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Active S4 Active wireless receiver up in Ebay today
ebay item number 181200237784 Ive sent him a message saying it wouldnt fit he replyied the following: I've had both in my hand and it fits I wouldn't put something up if it wasn't for what they say it was.
Just a heads up only 2 units left

PHOTON Q extended battery MOD

Ok heres the deal
This is not a HOW to but More of its, Possible and How i did it, My Mod is very raw, and ugly, but it is sturdy and Functional so I felt it was worth Posting
Materials Used
I had several things Lying around that aided this Mod Greatly First was a Dead droid razer Maxx someone gave me that did some time swimming when he fell off his boat
So I used the Eb40 3200 Miiliamp battery as the base for this Mod
I pillaged the Following from the razor Max board
the Power Connection
i used baking soda and super Glue to secure it into place into a hole I cut into the Photons Back cover after securing the new power connection I wired the new battery to the photon Q board, on this part I soldered the Data wires very gently using the Hard won skills I earned while doing the sim card mod on the same phone, this connections are done very lightly with very thin wiring, leaving it reverseable if i so chose todo so..
the EB41 battery and the eb40 battery have mirror image connections to each other so when wiring up the eb40, remember to arrange them in the correct order, which is Opposite the eb41
now i built a harness for the eb40 battery using a cheep 3 dollar rubber coated case off amazon using the same baking soda and super glue trick to build the pocket to hold the battery, then doing a wee bit of finishing using JB weld
Im not sure how to attach photos here but will give this a shot, enjoy and I wish you Luck if u wish to attempt this yourselves using what I have Pioneered

...it looks crazy
unfortunately this is not save for charging ic inside phone

CornholioGSM said:
...it looks crazy
unfortunately this is not save for charging ic inside phone
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how so? hopefully not something i missed the orginal eb 41 is gone are u speaking of a resistance issue with the new wiring? i guess im a bit confused how does any other phone accept an extended battery if not in this fashion?
the mod basically just provides an external jack on the back of the phone to accept the eb40 the unit has been charging fine
but if there is potential for damage please elaborate

The mod is nice but your phone looks like crap now

Skrilax_CZ said:
The mod is nice but your phone looks like crap now
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ill post updated pics i have done some painting and sanding on the battery hoslter its alot cleaner now

Skrilax_CZ said:
The mod is nice but your phone looks like crap now
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ill post updated pics i have done some painting and sanding on the battery hoslter its alot cleaner now
also a reminder that bbig ugly thing is a modified protective case backing to hold the its not part of the phone

havent much to post about on the cosmetic end of things, but id like to report that still going strong with an average battery life of 2 days between charges or 4- 5 hours of straight ingress play if the mood requires, so id say the mod is an overall success inspite of its socks in sandles cosmetic apperance so i will choose the much extended functionality over the poor cosmetic appearance, but each day this phone sees very hard use as it bascially functions as my first line of use for all my work invoicing and parts researching I do 8 -12 hour days of appliance repair work, and a charge usually lasts an entire day now vs the dead in 3 hours the previous battery offered me, so after all this elapsed time, i can say to anyone else wishing to try this, mine has been a total success, and when i get around to making it pretty ill post pics

I applaud any mod. But in this case I am wonderig why you didn't order one of those USB powerbanks on Ebay for $ 10,- and replaced the 18650 internal battery with let's say a decent Panasonic 3600mAh? That's what I did. It can fully charge a Photon Q and is about the size of an oldskool bubble gum pack