Hinged Backlit Keyboard - Galaxy Tab S Accessories

I see a couple of options for this in other models, but I'm looking for one that works with 8.4. Any suggestions?
http://www.amazon.com/Backlit-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Samsung-10-1-Black/dp/B00MJX9DFE

I guess the autofit 8 is as good as it gets - not backlit though
http://www.amazon.com/ZAGG-Autofit-Bluetooth-Keyboard-Android/dp/B00MSOHDR4

Been looking since the day I received my 10.5, totally onboard trying to find a hinged one. Damn Apple has full blown hinged with 360 swivel.

I got the hinged autofit and I really like it. The keys are responsive with light travel. It has all they keys one would need. There is a slight design flaw which is a bit annoying. The bluetooth sync button is right by the power button. I like to turn the keyboard off so it doesnt start typing while I am playing games and fingers hit the keyboard. I always hit the sync button while searching for the power switch so the next time I need to use the keyboard it doesnt connect & I must pair it again. As well as this thing is designed it seems like quite a dumb oversight but since it's the only game in town - beggers cant be choosey. The hinged feature is solid. The base stays where it should and does not tilt over. The cover looks nice and seems to offer good protection. One other little thing I wish it had is the unlock magnet.
I also got a clip on LED light since there is no backlight. It's an anybest http://www.amazon.com/Anybest-BL-01-Rechargeable-Flexible-Reading/dp/B00W8MPZRQ/
I got this one out of the hundreds available because it has padded protection on both sides of the clip and is rechargable with a lifetime warranty. The LED lights are adjustable to 2 levels and there are 2. I usually only need one on the lowest setting. I would trade for a backlit keyboard in a heartbeat, but otherwise I am happy with these purchases.

Related

Palm Wrap Eliminator?(Thinking Out Loud)

So I was thinking about the issue of palm wrap. I think the implementation of it would be fairly simple. This would probably require root access, but I digress.
You would basically disregard any input happening within 1/8" - 1/4" on the border of the screen. Well not any inputs, but any prolonged inputs. Like the inputs that happen when your fingers hang off the edge of the screen, or the palm of your hand grazing the screen when you try to press something with your thumb.
There are very few programs that use the full screen, especially near the edges. If there are it would just be a matter of putting the anti-registration on hold when the app is in the foreground.
You could even create a setting for "fat" fingers and "slim" fingers. The fatter the finger, the further out you would disregard inputs from there.
The caveat being that you have to have it running on the system level. Now that google has finally added multi touch support on their apps, I wouldn't be surprised if you have access to input information on the system level.
(I know jack about making programs on adroid, but the rum is helping my mind think)
What do you guys think?
I haven't had palm wrap problems since I bought my seidio innocase. Adds a little beef to the unit as a whole (just a little, nothing major) but keeps my palm off the edges of the screen.
i like this idea simply because I do not want to buy any sort of case for the phone
Good idea my friend.
Just out of curiosity, does everyone here hold there phone in one hand and use the other to input anything? Because I can't see any palmwrap problem unless I do this.
I almost exclusively use my nexus with one hand doing inputs with my thumb if I'm not in landscape mode and I've never had any problems with palm wrap (I might be misunderstanding the concept completely though, so feel free to correct me).
I guess it depends on the length of your fingers the base of my thumb is what mostly affects one handed use for me.
JHaste said:
i like this idea simply because I do not want to buy any sort of case for the phone
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Click to collapse
[off-topic] That is 'not' a good road to follow...get one of the soft cases or atleast the skins that you dont even notice it (personally I bought THIS and its amazing, has amazing 'grip' and it fits perfectly, unnoticeable).
[/off-topic]
I dont seem to have this problem either. But it could be helpful to others with bigger hands maybe?
I have this problem sometimes and it is annoying as heck. I don't even think you need to go to all that trouble to fix it. I think just enabling multitouch on the dexktop might fix it. Don't know how difficult that would be though.

Touch Sensitivity

Hey is anyone elses GTab's touch sensitivity kind of off?
I noticed, compared to the iPad and Galaxy Tab, some times it takes me 2-4x of tryinng to press something to get it going.
Its almost like the screen cant pick it up sometimes. And sometimes when scrolling, it selects things, when im just Trying to scroll..
Also the top left HOME button on screen is always iffy, most times ill need 2-4 more times 2 press it to get it going.
I am using TNT 2.2.
Anyone else noticed this? i feel like its hardware.
Definetely not as responsive as my EVO. Maybe its the cheap screen. I wish it could be fixed via software, but fat chance. I guess not all capacitive screens are created equal.
supanatuwral said:
Definetely not as responsive as my EVO. Maybe its the cheap screen. I wish it could be fixed via software, but fat chance. I guess not all capacitive screens are created equal.
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You nailed it. IMO Samsung has been making the best color screens for years.
Have had absolutely no problems with touchpad responsiveness from my gTab... Just as sensitive and responsive as my Dinc.
Really does seem like this hardware is hit or miss... Some tabs have no issues some have many.
You guys are just plain spoiled. I've gone through Palm IIIx to now the gTablet, and it just simply has the most responsive touch screen that I've ever used, but I've had recent experience with the dreadful Augen GT and the slightly less dreadful White Pandigital Novel, both of which had worse touch screens than other devices that I've used.
One thing that I do, do for the gTab though is to clean the screen quite a bit. At a minimum I do so before every use as I find the fingerprint/body oils buildup to be annoying in fairly short order and it might have some impact on touch responsiveness. It's the worst fingerprint magnet that I've ever seen actually...
No issues here with single touch sensitivity, pretty good on that. Just as good as my Nexus One. Multitouch and pinch-to-zoom still a bit flaky. I am hopeful that will be resolved by software and/or driver improvements, as it was on the Nexus One.
The only issues I have are when the screen is too dirty or too clean. When I really scrub and clean the glass off entirely, at first it's a bit too "sticky" almost when my finger contacts it - maybe that's because it's winter here in the Northeast and my skin is dry. Once I've used it a bit and it gets some finger grease on it, it works perfectly. But if it gets grit or solid dirt on it, that can definitely interfere with the touch screen too, as with any capacitive screen.
I suspect the optimal thing would be a really good screen protector that's easy to clean and has that smooth finger contact feeling out of the box, like the iPad's glass does, for example, which I think has something to do with the oleophobic coating.
Typing this on my gtablet. The issue for me is the keyboard. There are parts of the screen that are unresoonsive making some letters not get tapped. The A key and l keys in particular. As a result I can't type smoothly or naturally because I will make several errors along the way. This does not happen onky iphone or my wires ipad.
it might bemy rrleason for sending it back as it takes too ongoing totyr correctly and I get tire d of all the corrections.
Well if your using the stock tnt keyboard, it sucks. We can learn from the ipad, with the size of the screen it has huge keys that cover a lot more of the screen then our stock tnt keyboard. I use smart keyboard pro with the key heights set to maximum and it works so much better, like 100x better. Even has voice to text.
Can people check their keyboard? I find that if I type most of the keys they type fine. However, the letter a key seems to only work when pressed offcenter which prevents. From typing properly as I must deliberately slow down and make sure it is correctly typed otherwise I get many errors. Could this be a defect in my screen?
Or is this a ui problem with tnt?
This could be a deal breaker as I misspelled every word if. Has h letter A
Letter A
I have the same problem with the letter A, and sometimes P. Otherwise touch is great
Figured why this tablet is driving me nuts. There are two dead zones on this tablet. Someone please do this test so I can figure out if this is just my tablet or all g tablets.
Download mulitouch vis test. Do rapid light touches in the area where the 'a' key is and delete key are. If I do this test in the middle of the screen it registers every single tap. But in those two areas I can sometimes tap 10 times in a row and not have a single tap register.
If this all g tablets then I think it's going back.
Also is there a keyboard with arrow keys? Trying to place the cursor can be a real pain.
Agreed bout the dead spots. The stock tap n tap western keyboard seems tominimize them due to the angles but if I try another keyboard I miss the a and the return button all the time
Stocklone said:
Figured why this tablet is driving me nuts. There are two dead zones on this tablet. Someone please do this test so I can figure out if this is just my tablet or all g tablets.
Download mulitouch vis test. Do rapid light touches in the area where the 'a' key is and delete key are. If I do this test in the middle of the screen it registers every single tap. But in those two areas I can sometimes tap 10 times in a row and not have a single tap register.
If this all g tablets then I think it's going back.
Also is there a keyboard with arrow keys? Trying to place the cursor can be a real pain.
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Downloaded the app as well because I, too, am having the same screen non-responsiveness issue. Lo and behold the area where the "L" key is is a pretty dead spot. It would register about 40% of the quick taps I did in that area. Is this is a software issue? If so, I can live with it and hope our wonderful devs release a software build that resolves this otherwise, this thing may be going back because it's driving me up the wall!
I do see the occasional missed tap here and there, but no consistent dead areas that I've noticed (the A and L buttons on keyboard seem fine to me).
Multitouch sensitivity is wayyyyy mis-calibrated though - you have to use very heavy finger presses to get multitouch to register. This is some sort of driver or calibration issue that should be easily solved.
I found a binary called TSCalibration in the /system/bin directory on my VEGAn ROM G Tablet. Tried running it from terminal, but it seems to be looking for a calibration.ini file on the SDCard. I'd be willing to bet we could figure out how to fix some of the touchscreen issues with some work, because I suspect they are principally software related.
If your issues with the touchscreen are anything like this...exchange it...
My new one requires very little effort if any at all to get the screen to respond...
However, if you're talking about the once in a while miss of a touch...yes, I agree with cutterjohn....you're spoiled. Return the device asap, so I could pick it up from an outlet...please?
RavenII said:
If your issues with the touchscreen are anything like ...exchange it...
My new one requires very little effort if any at all to get the screen to respond...
However, if you're talking about the once in a while miss of a touch...yes, I agree with cutterjohn....you're spoiled. Return the device asap, so I could pick it up from an outlet...please?
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Click to collapse
There is a big difference between these dead spots and the occasional miss. I have no problem with the occasional miss. I just have to adjust to how my finger touches the tablet to get more consistent hits.
There are areas of my tablet that consistently do not behave like the other areas. Does that sound normal to you? I can't have a tablet where anything in the 2 corners is extremely inconsistent. If I have the tablet oriented a certain way the soft-buttons get put into one of the bad corners and that is really frustrating.
I don't think it is how I am holding it because the problem follows the physical corners and it is not relative to my hand. So that rules that out. And I washed my hands and gave the tablet a good cleaning so dirt/grease/grime is not an issue either. It could have been too clean but why only two corners?
I have many weeks to go on my 30 days so I will keep screwing with it to see if I can come up with anything that is a workaround or explains why it is happening. It is insanely fast and it's modding future looks extremely bright with such talented people. If I get fed up enough, I'll exchange it and hopefully get one with a even touch response for the whole screen or simply return it and wait a couple more months for Honeycomb tablets.
RavenII said:
If your issues with the touchscreen are anything like this...exchange it...
My new one requires very little effort if any at all to get the screen to respond...
However, if you're talking about the once in a while miss of a touch...yes, I agree with cutterjohn....you're spoiled. Return the device asap, so I could pick it up from an outlet...please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whoa. That video was pretty bad. While mine is not like that (thank God), I just tried hitting the app drawer key and it only registered after the 13th tap?!?! seriously wtf. While it isn't a "dead zone" per se, that's still pretty bad. There has to be a software fix to recify this issue with the right side of the screen. (my "L" and "delete" button are pretty bad as well).
THAT is a defective product...
I'll do another video to compare with my new one...WITH funky assed salty sweat all over the screen. Works flawlessly...
Is your model that is working well running stock firmware and keyboard?
mine is tent lite and the stock keyboard is ok. It if I try to use the alternative keyboards then I get consistent misses on key presses especially on the letter a.
I'm always tapping *constantly*, like 10-20 times on certain spots around the corners and edges of the screen, I'm about to return mine because of this.. Believe I'm still in the 2 weeks with office depot, will have to go snag the $350 one over at sears and hopefully it will come with a screen protector this time (this one I have didn't come with one, wonder if that has to do with the dead spots)..

After 2 weeks with the 8x

There aren't any general posts on using the device, so here are a few points that resonate with me after a couple weeks of using the device.
I'm using the 8x on Bell in Canada, the blue version. Prior to buying the 8x I was using a Galaxy s3. I've used other WP in the past, so the OS is not totally new to me (Focus, Lumia 800). You could go to any of the major tech sites for a comprehensive review, that's not my intention with this post.
Industrial Design/Durability - A day doesn't go by where I don't just stare at the device for a few seconds...it's absolutely lovely. The polycarbonate is fantastic for daily use and regular wear and tear. I regularly have the device in my jacket pocket with keys and not a mark on it. None of the little micro scratches that are present on any other phone, particularly with glossy surfaces. I do worry about getting a big scratch, I anticipate it will be more devastating to this material. I do worry that this thing will crumble if I drop it on a hard surface. It would probably fare just fine, but there is a sense that it is fragile and delicate. I also have a major beef about the design of the buttons...gets a section all its own.
Build Quality - At first I thought the build quality was great. But now after 2 weeks of use it has developed some occasional flex and creakiness. This is particularly evident when squeezing the device on the sides, something I do more often in my struggle to press the power/lock button. I still thing the build is very good, but it feels less solid in the hand when I feel it creak.
Usability of Buttons - I hesitate to say it, but the buttons (except the camera button) are totally useless. I somehow thought I could get used to the power button, but not the case. First, the power button placement is less than ideal. This phone is too tall to have it on the top, I can't reach it without repositioning my hand. A user should be able to easily go from one-handed use to locking the phone. Second, there is no play or feedback in the buttons. They are so squishy and unresponsive its like I'm using a crap KIRF device. The power/lock button is the absolute worst, between the position of the button (in relation to the curvature of the plastic) and the lack of play, the power/lock button is nearly impossible to press. I seriously take 2-3 presses before I get it, when in a hurry even more times. The volume buttons are not nearly as annoying, but still useless. When I'm on a call with my headset and the phone is in the pocket, you can't just put your hand in the pocket and adjust the volume...gotta take it out to make sure you are actually pressing a button. Everytime, I feel the need to look at my phone when adjusting the volume, there is no other feedback that you've pressed the buttons. The camera button is great! The first press (of the 2-stage button) is exactly how every single button should feel like. It seems crazy, but this is the single reason that I cannot use the 8x as a long term phone. It's going for sale.
Screen - This screen is absolutely gorgeous...when viewed head on. Viewing angles are pretty bad.
Windows Phone 8 - I absolutely love the design of WP8. There are some gaps and oddities throughout, but I have faith that it will improve. Oddities include: lack of persistent clock and signal indicators (disappears even in People hub and Explorer), lack of independent volume controls (Alarm is cranked all the time). Once I get a proper Dropbox app, I'll be fairly happy. I'm willing to live with a developing OS and ecosystem because of the joy the interface brings me!
Bottom Line - I'm selling it and buying an unlocked Lumia 920. I cannot use a phone with a useless lock button. I've gone back to Bell and tried other devices and all the 8x are the same. Honestly, how can HTC screw up buttons. Samsung tends to have soft buttons too, but at least the placement is on the side for easy access. The Nokia, Apple and LG have figured out the complex world of buttons.
Anyways. This is a wonderful device with a small fatal flaw.
I sadly have to agree on the lock button placement - its placement is less than ideal. I'm not really fussed about the keys being almost flush with the body, but I can imagine people not liking this. It took me a while to get used to the feel myself, but after some practice I only have some trouble with pressing the lock button sometimes.
Its interesting you say that there is no feedback when pressing the buttons? I can definitly feel a "click" when I press my buttons (like the camera button does) so maybe you got unlucky... And I've no flex nor creakyness. I have had the phone for three weeks now I believe, no case used so far!
The only thing I regret is the lack of a SD slot. I'm not sure about the viewing angles, I don't see any problem, nor have I heard friends complain about it. Then again, this is a personal opinion I guess.
But bottom line is that I should have waited for a Nokia myself. Not going to sell this baby, I love it too much for that, but I will gladly get myself a Nokia after this phone is through (which I hope won't happen anytime soon!).
its funny, at first my impression was this.. but now it feels more natural, you actually don't have to hit it to hard, and after having a samsung for a year its refreshing to have a different layout. its almost like a pressure spot, like a place to squeeze the phone and it turns on (if that makes sense) the only thing that bugs me is all three buttons react differently. the lock is more flush than volume, and the camera being a double action is better.
I don't get what you are saying about viewing angle though. I find it more than sufficient (maybe under high glare light cause of the contour) but I love this phone.
my biggest complaint is the notification light that isn't. who puts an led in a phone but does not let it work for notifications.. this is like having a car without windows.. not needed but when it rains you wish you had em'
The power button issue was solved for me by using a case, it has an indent so I immediately know where the power button is. Side buttons have a raised material that also makes it very easy to find the buttons and press without issue.
Sent from my PM23300 using Board Express
uhhdoug, you make a good point about "squeeze" points rather than typical button pushing. I find I do this, basically wrap my finger around the top right and squeeze...usually powering it on.
This device is absolutely lovely otherwise, I could never put it in a case. But usability sucks.
After 1 week... My volume up button is stuck. Not physically, the button still clicks. However, the phone keeps detecting a volume up command. Sending for repair today. Lets see how efficient HTC is.
Same here - power button is a pain in the ass!!! I manage to activate it 1 out of 10 times when using only one hand
I realised that it's easier to use the camera button to bring the screen on and that's what I'm doing since last week.
I've been using mine (a blue one on Telenor, Hungary) for only 3 days so far, but here's my exeperience anyway: the power button doesn't bother me that much, it reminds me of my iPhone 3G I had a few years ago - I do have big hands though. Coming from an Omnia 7 I really like that I don't mistake the volume rocker for the power button (this was a major pain in the butt where I accidentally turned on the screen in my pocket when trying to change the volume).
Compared to the amoled in the Samsung the blacks and the viewing angles kinda suck, but the resolution makes up for them imo.
I see no discolouring/dirt on the corners, but I did get a few random reboots already (still more reliable than my Galaxy Tab with Cyanogen Mod 10 though).
For those interested in the audio quality the 8X sounds awesome with a pair of mid-range cans (Sennheiser HD518), I'd say on par if not better than a last-gen iPod classic. Turning the Beats Eq on the volume goes up to insane levels (20/30 on a subway is perfectly audible with open-back headphones and 30/30 actually hurts my ears after a minute or so). So, while this is by no means in audiophile territory, it is, in my opinion, more than enough for listening on the go.
Also, the device is absolutely gorgeus to look at and feels great in the hand. Oh, and WP8 is beyond awesome
After 1 week i can say is that the phone is great if you ask me.
Power button .....yes bad place.
16G storage .......meh it will manage.
The majority of the good from this phone makes up for those 2 issues.
So no deal breaker here.
Battery ?
Charge ,charge and charge .
After 1 week on the charger and it will preform great.
And i listing more then 4 hours of music, check the web, Facebook and twitter and so on.
At the end of my work day 50% left.
Nothing wrong with that because my one x drained faster ( Stock).
Greetz.
i agree about the power button its struggle, HTC did it even worse on their verizon DNA, not only that the DNA is even taller they placed the power button in the top middle
we have an awesome kernel fix for the One X which is sweep2wake (you sweep the three touch button) an amazing solution we proposed to HTC lets hope they adopt in their upcoming phones
also comparing to my One X, i love the screen but im gutted the view angles are not match, the One X has an amazing screen where the "floating" can be viewed from the most extreme angles without loosing one percent on the blacks, i'm disappointed but its definitely a downgrade form the One X
I worry that eventually all blue 8x will discolor in the corners and that's what's deterring me from this phone
Diztronic TPU case was a godsend for finding the power button.
Volume and camera buttons are covered but line up ok and cant really tell. Tight fit, thin ,very little added bulk and only makes the phone loose about 1/2 a sexy point. Makes you feel a little better about manhandling this purdy phone too.
I loved mine in some ways but had to return it after a week or so.
It did not pay well with Bluetooth at all..I had problems with my 2011 Corolla and a 2012 Buick Verano. Voice quality was horrible on the Corolla, and music played in slow motion on the Verano.
I also had consistent issues with Netflix and sound problems.
So many apps were missing from the app store...resco radio and most streaming radio apps, and Oregon Trail.
Worst of all is what they did to bing maps. It would was a good and comprehensive feature before that I often used...but it had been neutered and rendered basically useless. I had to pay for Verizon navigation.
I didn't even try syncing my extensive zune collection. So I regretfully went to Android again after having several windows phones . Which is sad because I absolutely love windows phone.
The screen was great, it felt super premium in hand, so many features are beautiful and useful, and best of all no lag! I miss it alot. I loved the previous integration with my zune collection. Did I say the screen was gorgeous lol.
And the Nokia 920 was far too bulky and heavy .
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app
Well, I officially sold my 8x.
Pains me a little, the overall industrial design was fantastic. WP8 is so refreshing to use and look at.
But, the power button was terrible. Used a couple of devices, all the same. The screen was nice compared to old windows phones, but not compared to other high end phones. I'm on the Nexus 4 now and the screen is superior.
The OS is severely handicapped. I want it to be awesome, but it just is not there yet. I could not be as productive with it. It feels like a step up from a blackberry, but you can't quite do what you need, especially from a productivity standpoint. The OS is fluid, but terribly inefficient. Constant swirling of animations, I just want to get to the app. Multi-tasking is worse than any other smartphone OS and will be worse than BB10 when it ships. Notifications are non-existent. Sure, notifications are coming, but they aren't here now. This doesn't even mention the "app-gap". All these flaws feel larger than life when I wake up to the WP8 alarm in the morning...blaring at full volume because you cannot adjust it.
It is too bad, the 8x is gorgeous. I look forward to trying WP again in the future...
zed011 said:
I worry that eventually all blue 8x will discolor in the corners and that's what's deterring me from this phone
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The same thing happened to mine. I was forced to get a case for it. Pretty horrible engineering design on HTC's part.
AllTheWay said:
The same thing happened to mine. I was forced to get a case for it. Pretty horrible engineering design on HTC's part.
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Its quite bad that you guys are having so many problems with the 8x. I had initial problems with figuring out the buttons but now its more of a muscle memory kind of thing, after you get used to the fact that the finger has to glide by the front of the phone rather than the back of the phone.
5 days having 8x - great device - but complete change in your files philosphy ...
5 days having 8x - great device - but complete change in your files philosophy ...
Migrated from 4 years HD2 using was somehow shocking but acceptable.
"Hand feelig" is very good
Power button may be better but is usable.
I am missing very simple app. to lock the screen (make it black) without touching power button - anybody knows ?
I am very disappointed by the fact that using phone keyboard there is no automatic search through contacts using 3-letters associated with numbers - this was one of the greatest HD2 features- anybody knows how to to it ? Of course I may try to install many diallers but having too many apps on the phone is cumbersome ... :crying: ... I would be gratefull for any suggestions.
Disctionary is great - first time in any phone/pda I used
I have just received my phone from HTC (got it from HTC Elevate) yesterday, so this is my preliminary thoughts.
I think the hardware is great, my unit doesn't have light leaks whatsoever but agree with OP that buttons are too flushed (except for the camera) and my power button is a little loose, so it rattles when I shake the phone. Viewing angle is, I agree, bad. But not a deal breaker for me, as it shifts only in extreme angles. But otherwise, the hardware is great.
as for the OS, I love the look, but I really hate not to be able to have apps that I have in my Desire S. I share photos with my relatives through instagram, and although there is a client app for it, it can't upload. Then comes the music EQ. So used to PowerAMP makes me longing for a great music app like that for my 8X. Don't get me wrong, the audio is good, if not great, but I just find it a little too "boring" and "lifeless" and would like to be able to adjust EQ myself. And then comes the Dropbox problem. As for the OS itself, I really hate not being able to glance at the battery percentage or any other status. I need status bar, I need notification center.
Nevertheless, I think I can live with the OS'es shortcomings, I just hope that with time, it will mature and grow and better itself.
As for the hardware, my only problem is the buttons, but still they are usable and is not really a big deal for me.
How is the camera. I am long time android guy and have an 8x coming to try out. I wanted to try one but the camera is really important to my. My soff rezound with a nice Rom take fantastic pics in most all conditions so that's my baseline.
But I'm going to def give this phone some testing.
I've hit a week with mine, and heres what I can add.
Industrial Design/Durability - "A day doesn't go by where I don't just stare at the device for a few seconds..." - yea, Ive named mine 'sexy beast' because it really is just a beautiful phone. I keep it in my pocket as well, and so far so good. Its also easy to clean off, which surprised me, I didn't expect the back material to wipe down so easily. So for a design and durabilty I give it an A
Build Quality - I haven't had any creaking, or any really noticable flaws, however, there is just one design flaw in mine, but you have to look. Bottom left corner is aprx 1mm higher than upper right corner, but its only noticable if you really look. Otherwise, its running at an A as well for Build Quality.
Usability of Buttons - "I hesitate to say it, but the buttons (except the camera button) are totally useless." I wouldn't say I have large hands, at least I don't think I do. I have noticed that when I hold the phone in my left hand (my usuall position), the volume buttons fall perfectly between my first finger which rests just below the buttons and my next two fingers, which are able to grasp the sides of the phone without touching the rockers. The camera button then falls between the pinky which also rests just below the button and my two middle fingers. And its an easy slide for me to swing my finger to the power button. When the phone is in a pocket and I am listening to music, I find the volume buttons raised just enough where I can find them inside the pocket, and turn up or down. I haven't had any issues with the buttons, and actually find them better in terms of functionality than the buttons on my old TB. Again, an A
Screen - "This screen is absolutely gorgeous...when viewed head on. Viewing angles are pretty bad." Well, I agree that its truly stunning. Cant believe how crystal clear everything is. And as for angles, the only issue I have is that the screen is so damn good, it reflects too much when viewed at angles! I don't have issues per se seeing the screen, but I have to deal with the reflected element! So give it a B
Windows Phone 8 - I agree that Windows hit this really good! As for a home run, maybe an 'in the park' home run. The persistant clock? I don't seem to have that issue, since my clock is always there, and always correct. I also agree in regards to independent volume. And I would love to put my own sound bites for messaging and other notifications, not be stuck with stock. Playlists too, a real beeaach to set one up! Score a B for the OS, but still love it! Knowing it can get better is a plus.
Bottom Line - Im keeping this bad boy for a long time! If the wife can even say she likes it (first phone of mine she ever said that about) then its a keeper! Overall, I think its a great phone. Battery life is fantastic, its snappy and responsive, its integration with social networks and the ability to customize those is fantastic. Integration with xbox could be more, but I don't think my 'more' is possible! Phone gets a A-, just because I know its gonna get better!

Do any Nexus 5s NOT have the loose button issue?

Hi all. Just got my Nexus 5 in the mail. It mostly looks great, but the volume and power buttons are loose and rattly, as many have complained about here. I had this problem with an old HTC phone, and it eventually drove me nuts. Not sure I can hang with it in this case either. Question is, is it worth going through the whole replacement process to try to get a better unit, or are they pretty much all like this?
I got mine today, buttons are secure and make no noise whatsoever. Give it a shot
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Out of all the problems this would be the least worrying for me. There's a good chance certain cases even would fix this and I would hate to receive a replacement with worse problems.
My power button wiggles but no audible sounds are heard with heavy tapping.
Mine is just fine.
My buttons are solid, no rattle or noises :good:
loose buttons?
all is fine here.
Didn't know there was a loose button issue
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Fine here also.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
My buttons were solid as a rock initially. They loosened up a little bit after about a week. Yesterday you could hear/feel the rattle whenever you were typing or pressing anywhere near the volume rocker or power button. They would also rattle and shake when you jiggled the phone.
I thought about exchanging it, but other than the rattling the phone was perfect. I didn't want to switch and end up with a worse problem, dead pixels, speaker issues, or whatever else people have been mentioning.
I ended up doing the fix that I saw on youtube, may have originated from someone here. Popped the case off and put tiny pieces of paper between the power button/switch and volume rockers/switches to eliminate the gap between the switch and the the floating buttons (they're not physically attached). The only difference was I used sticky notes with the tacky side facing out towards the buttons so the paper will never have a chance to shift out of place.
Buttons are rock solid again, even more firm than before.
*Last resort of course. Tinkering with the inside voids your warranty.
My first N5 had loose power button and loose volume rocker that rattled quite a bit so i replaced it. The buttons on my new one are perfect, no rattling at all
I wonder if anyone has tried picking up a PS4 and shook that to see if anything rattles?
Its not a £600 CNC machined statement to the world, its a 300 quid phone and how anyone can make a mountain of this particular mole hill is way beyond me. The mass of the buttons is so small the noise generated is hardly the equivalent of shoving your head in the speakers at a Prodigy gig.
FWIW my power button rattles if i shake the phone however i very rarely shake the phone in such a fashion that i would hear it and thankfully i am one of the few that owns a Nexus 5 and doesn't seem to live in an anechoic chamber
MrBelter said:
I wonder if anyone has tried picking up a PS4 and shook that to see if anything rattles?
Its not a £600 CNC machined statement to the world, its a 300 quid phone and how anyone can make a mountain of this particular mole hill is way beyond me. The mass of the buttons is so small the noise generated is hardly the equivalent of shoving your head in the speakers at a Prodigy gig.
FWIW my power button rattles if i shake the phone however i very rarely shake the phone in such a fashion that i would hear it and thankfully i am one of the few that owns a Nexus 5 and doesn't seem to live in an anechoic chamber
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I understand your analogy, your comparison is kind of ridiculous as the PS4 is not a device that's primarily meant to be used and abused, or handled in situations like a mobile device is. A smartphone is meant to be taken everywhere, tossed in bags/pockets, have fingers beating on it for hours a day... A PS4 on the other hand is primarily meant to be stationary with minimal movement. It's built to a different standard.
I can throw in an extraneous irrelevant comparison like yours. I've got a $90 Canon SD1100 IS from 5 years ago with a camera button that's meant to be pressed over and over again, it is also a floating button, and it doesn't rattle. It clicks as it's supposed to and remains solid otherwise. It was also dirt cheap but still built solidly. I've taken thousands of pictures with that thing and the button is still exactly the same as the day I bought it.
My Nexus 5 buttons were initially solid, but to have them degrade and become wobbly and flimsy after only a few weeks was a little disheartening. Sending text messages, or tapping the screen anywhere near the volume/power caused them to rattle. Yeah it was $400, and several hundred cheaper than other flagships, but it's still a button, designed to be pressed over and over again. To have it become loose and jiggly so quickly (or for some people, ship like that) is unacceptable to me. It was an easy fix for me, but for others I can totally understand them wanting to exchange it for a better built unit. The button rattle was even brought up in the Anandtech Nexus 5 review.
If you don't care about the rattle, or accept it because the cost of the unit is less than other phones, that's fine. But don't tell other people to disregard it because it's cheap. Like my cheap $90 5 year old camera, something can be cheap and still be built to a good standard. The Nexus 5 is a fantastic device, but a flaw is a flaw, and I understand people not ignoring it.
Had my n5 since launch on sprint on November 8th and all my buttons do not rattle.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
2 nexus 5s (1 had a defective microphone) and neither had loose buttons.
I guess I was lucky, no rattle at all. Doesn't matter anyway since I use a case.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
My first nexus 5 (which I returned for a different issue) had loose volume and power buttons that wiggled. The second one, only the power button wiggles. Seems like they may still be figuring out exactly how to fit the button's in right.
bblzd said:
Out of all the problems this would be the least worrying for me. There's a good chance certain cases even would fix this and I would hate to receive a replacement with worse problems.
My power button wiggles but no audible sounds are heard with heavy tapping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mine is the same. i use a spigen slim armor case and one other case and both fix any button "looseness"
My volume rocker rattles pretty badly. I hear it when I have haptic feedback on and am texting. It's almost gotten to the point where I think I just might get a replacement but the only problem is I would not have a phone while I am waiting for a replacement
There apparently has already been a new revision of Nexus 5 hardware out that fixes the rattle problems (and speaker).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2557699
You can see the housing around the buttons is much thinner/tighter now to prevent the lateral jiggling. The speaker grill holes are also larger.
My volume and power buttons are fine, although there's a slight rattle when I shake it due to the internal components (i.e. if I hold both rockers firm to the casing and give it a slight shake, I hear it).
However, out of curiosity I did the same thing with my N4 and it rattled too, which I noticed for the first time just then. Honestly, I don't even notice it. Like many have said, it's the very least of the problems and I wouldn't risk receiving a replacement with something worse like dead pixels.

Keyboard

Do you see scratches ...... even minor scratches after using the OEM keyboard for awhile ?
Bought both together and been using for 2 weeks now - nada. Loving the keyboard too
Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
i have a big problem with the keyboard. my english is not good enough to describe it, so i copied it from arstechnica.com: "The keyboard would frequently disconnect from the tablet, which makes the software keyboard pop up on the screen. If this happened in the middle of typing, this connection hiccup would either cause a ton of input lag, make a key get virtually "stuck," or lose a bunch of input. We would frequently have things like the backspace or enter key get stuck, resulting in either a ton of text getting deleted or a bunch of whitespace being entered.
Part of it might be that without a trackpad you are constantly switching from the keyboard to tapping the screen, which probably puts stress on the magnetic connection. "
the last scentence is wrong, because i had the same issue with my nexus 9 and Bluetooth keyboard.
it's so annoying. during tiping this short text (took me 10 minutes because of the bug), i got a little tantrum.
p. s. : except of this bug, it works great..
I have had both since launch day and have not had any of the negative experiences. Nothing. No lag with typing, no disconnection, nothing. Great pair together. Just wish there were more tablet specific apps for it.
Absolutely no scratches or abrasions. you can tell when you look down the edge with the two together that the keys are recessed a millimeter or two from the screen. I can imagine if there was some compression at play, like if you put it in a bag with some heavy books or if you sat on it or something that might force the keys to touch the screen but i would think you might have worse problems if that were the case.
Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
I have the folio keyboard and its perfect since it also protects the back of the Pixel.
Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
brando56894 said:
I have the folio keyboard and its perfect since it also protects the back of the Pixel.
Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Care to share some pics , i bought the keyboard , but the magnetic one, feel want to buy folio also but still undecided yet
Here ya go man, sorry for the late response, just saw this now: https://goo.gl/photos/6EpkeWXTyZbs7UVC6
For typical day to day use it's great, the only place it falls short is coding/advanced Linux usage since it doesn't have some of the standard keys like escape, F keys, ~ | { } [ ] I'm actually looking at getting a different keyboard to use in my apartment for when I want to mess around with my servers while watching TV, but will still use the Folio case when on the go since it's really great at protecting the device, totally not worth the $150 price tag though, maybe $75, but if you want something you know is going to fit it like a glove and last a while, there's no better place to get it other than straight from El Goog.
I'm picking up this baby to use when I want to code/do Linux stuff at home.
mine arrived tuesday and i already have scratches on the screen from the keyboard. they are in the corners.
I'm assuming you got the aluminum (?) keyboard? It's pretty much impossible for the Folio keyboard to scratch the screen since it covered in fake leather.
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