androidtx

I have had my Nexus One for about a month now. Before the N1, I have owned iphones, ipod's, the G1, and various other phones, including quite a few HTC phones like the Dash. Never before though, in all my drops of phones have a experiences a small drop and ding on a phone causing a major usability issue.

What happened was that while using the phone, it slipped out of my hand and fell about 3 feet onto a tile floor. My main concern obviously was a cracked screen, but aside from a small dent in the metal case right near the on/off button, it appeared to be fine. That was, until I attempted to open the battery door. When the metal from the case deformed slightly on the impact, it wrapped over top of the battery door a bit, and now made it impossible to for to open the battery door, no matter how much force I applied.

I could not believe that such a minor drop caused such a major problem. I have dropped nearly every phone I have ever owned repeatedly, including the G1 many times, and the iphone, which has the dented case to prove it, but never has this resulted in a major usability problem with the phone. It amazed me that seemingly HTC/GOOGLE never found or thought of this issue during the design and testing process. People do drop phones, it happens, and you don't expect any drop to be something that requires the manufacturer if you don't want to further damage the phone. It is like a shopping cart hitting your car door, and needing the jaws of life to get you out. Basically my phone had just become an iphone, but without the swappable SIM.

I called HTC and explained the issue, and said that I felt this was a pretty big design oversight. I feel that if the phone is this susceptible to major issues from small dings, that they should probably include a rubber case, instead of that stupid sleeve no one uses. After talking for a while, the HTC rep said I could send it in, and they would make sure my SIM and Memory card got back to me, but that I would be charged for a repair. Honestly, I had hoped to get a bit of a break since I was an early adopter, with a strange, and what I feel design oversight issue.

I personally couldn't care less about dings and scratches on my phones, I like to use phones the way they were designed, but never have I had it cause a problem I could not rectify without a very small metal file.

So to those considering a Nexus One, I just want to make you aware of this issue. The metal on the bezel is really soft and will easily bend/dent, which seems to have the ability to cause some major problems. Even the metal on the phone 2G was not like this, I dropped it many times and only had a small dent from one drop that affected usability in no way. Maybe this is why apple is so anti replaceable battery. I have also dropped phones like the Dash, Treo's, iphone, and G1, and never had a problem.

It is a great phone for the most part, but sometimes the design seems a little half baked.

Rusty!

You dropping your phone is not a design flaw.

smitty24

got any pics? honestly sounds like something you could repair with some precision tools...

Last edited by smitty24; 02-09-2010 at 08:35 AM.

oniongirl

I use the stupid sleeve that no one uses....

Still. Bad luck that you've had that problem. There's a video floating around with the HTC testing process for the N1, but I can't find the link anymore. Perhaps someone else might have a note..? They don't show them trying to remove the battery cover after all that rigorous testing

Last edited by oniongirl; 02-09-2010 at 09:12 AM.

mkrmec

So true I was like not another story about how I damaged the phone and it's Googles fault.. yezz

Maybe you haven't heard but all phone get damaged one way or another if you drop them...

Last edited by mkrmec; 02-09-2010 at 09:14 AM.

smitty24

idiotekniQues

that does suck. but now you have an iPhone with a non-removable battery - although i bet you have a better chance of getting that open safely than an iPhone.

chaz_uk

What makes the slipcase which comes with the Nexus One "Stupid"?

Mine loves its little pouch.

__________________
Phone: Nexus One
Media Player: Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android
Computers: iMac 2.4GHz, Hackintosh desktop, DellMini 9 "Hackbook"
http://www.chazclout.co.uk

Rusty!

Mine lives in it's pouch as well, even when it's on my desk, it's in its pouch.

grainysand

This.

Mine lives in its original sleeve, too. The thing's cute as hell.

Fatal Exception

Go team pouch.

mkrmec

Yep the pouch rules... specialy the android on it

oniongirl

Glad I'm not the only one who finds it deeply satisfying to pop it in its pouch. That little Android is such a cutie. Nice and padded too.

intothesun

I panic if I cannae find my pouch.

chaz_uk

Is it wrong to want a giant version of the pouch to use as a sleeping bag?

(My wife would be so ashamed of me if she knew....)

Rusty!

I am also very careful how I place it in the pouch, the screen must be towards the android, with the power button at the top.

NexusMMM

Guys, I too discovered a design flaw - I dropped my phone in the toilet bowl and now it won't turn on. I really think that HTC should fully water-proof a device like this, after all, I've pissed on my iPhone, and went deep ocean diving with my Motorola and they still work fine

In all seriousness, are you sure this isn't something you can resolve on your own with a thin piece of metal to give it some upward pressure? Also, while I'm not condoning warranty "fraud," why in the world would you call HTC and volunteer the fact that you dropped it when you could have simply said that the battery door was stuck on??

Oh and I love the pouch but I friggen misplace the thing about 50x a day and go crazy looking for it when it's somewhere stupid like my pocket :-P

Last edited by NexusMMM; 02-09-2010 at 10:12 AM.

theartfullodger

Exactly...

The world is split into two groups...
a) Those who surprisingly often blame others, not being willing to accept their own responsibilities...
ii) Those who recognise they s*** up from time to time, and that it costs them, but accept this & get on with their lives... without expecting someone else to pay/clear up the mess
3) Those who can't count...

Cheers!

Lodger

Last edited by theartfullodger; 02-09-2010 at 10:16 AM.

edge

Who has the cool job that gets to make all those machines?

androidtx

Thanks for the input guys, maybe flaw should more be "design oversight". My point is you know people are going to drop these phones WHILE USING THEM, which means a pouch does no good in that situation. I just think it is a bad idea to join metal and plastic at a seam right dead center at the top of the phone. You are better either wrapping the metal bezel around the top and over the back, and having the plastic snap in in the back, or wrap the plastic over the front (less desirable looking), but either way, don't meet them in the middle, it will cause issues like I had.

Judging from your reactions, I guess I am expecting too much, I can deal with that. And like I said, the drop is my fault, I get that, I just think a bad design decision made it far worse than it needed to be.

And yes, I did fix it, I used a small file, and the back comes off much easier than it ever did now.

BiGMERF

thats why the first thing i got was a case...

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bitxboi

when I read design flaw I really got worried...but you don't really describe a design flaw. I'm sorry for your problem, but much happier discovering it's not actually such flaw

markie-m8

I've dropped mine a few times now, battle scares to the case and screen. What muppet thought of Teflon coating the back,
Bloody Slippy stuff that is. Haha. :-)

grainysand

If that's wrong, I don't want to be right. I usually think a company placing its logo everywhere is obnoxious as hell, but the Android guy is too adorable. I even take good care of the stock earphone because of the little pale-gold Android on it. Very awwww.

Glad to know I'm not the only one!

Actually, funny you should say that, because someone did in fact drop it in the toilet. And it continues to work.

Neemo

Actually it is. Since phones are intended for day-to-day use, they should be designed they way that they can withstand abuse. I admit there are those one off -freak accidents that can't be helped no matter what, but if the phone gets damaged and it could've been avoided with better design, then it is a design flaw.

Although you have to take into consideration aesthetics. Sure you *could* build the phone's exterior from bubblewrap or weld it together to stand nuclear war, but it wouldn't probably look as sexy that way I'm not bashing N1 at all, it's a wonderful phone and I intend to get one myself soon. I think it's a design flaw to the extent where the design can be altered to add durability but without impairing the looks.

Covert_Death

if we all only had rubber paded floors like in that "drp" segment of the video lol

Air Force One

Pouch!!!!!

intothesun

Aye, same here. Don't want any of those horrid finger prints on that gorgeous screen.

1080p

I quit using the included case because it muffles all of the ringtones and they are harder to hear. I also hate the fact that it makes using my phone a 2 step process. Pull it out of my pocket, and then out of it's case.

RedMist

I also dropped my Nexus 3ft onto a tile floor today.

It survived.

ufmedrudy

Hardly a design flaw, HTC would have to account for the infinitesimal drop scenarios. It's a bummer you dropped your phone in such a way that it caused the battery cover to be become unremovable, but this is hardly a design flaw

Kierik

So when you say you were talking on your phone and it dropped only 3 feet, you mean you are only about 2 foot 8 inches tall right? Most electronics are ok for a 3 foot drop but very few are ok with a 5-6 foot drop, and even worse if you try and catch it and fail(usually ends in the object accelerating faster towards earth). It sucks that it happens but don't lie about the distance, or explain why it is a non standard height, maybe you meant it was 3 meters and you were on a ladder, or were you sitting down. But 3 feet doesn't make any sense for breakage and deformation of the case unless excess force was involved. I tried to push in the corner of my phone and it didnt even budge and if it was only a 1m drop it would have to have alot more weight/force to break like you describe.

MartinS

What I was going to say. An infinite amount of possibilities and you got unlucky I'm sorry to say.

sl33py

get a panasonic toughbook w/ skype and mobile broadband card. May work better for you, but weigh a smidge more...

seriously - it's a phone. Dropping it on a hard surface is going to hurt it. Sometimes you'll luck out w/ just a scratch, other times a cracked screen or bent battery cover. I'd rather have the durability of the N1 over the plastic iPhone. my .02

omeyga

Technically you don't know that the N1 is any more or less durable than any other phone. It hasn't been out long enough to make this determination.

OP: Sucks that your phone is messed. But I agree with most of these guys.....Not a design flaw. Nothing more than bad luck.

sl33py

i disagree. Having held both I know it feels more durable. It's more scratch resistant at least, and feels substantially more durable than my friends iphone. I'm not an iphone hater, but have seen them wrecked from light to moderate use.

dropping the phone - iphone or n1 = bad. I'll try to avoid that with mine.

omeyga

Agreed! I say we make a pact to never drop ours.

AnotherFatalEpic

Kierik, I think your being a little too quick to judge here. A person of average height browsing the web on the phone and accidentally dropping it, could be about 3 feet.

And about assuming that the phone wouldn't have deformed the way it did with 3 feet, well, I am sure the OP did as well, which pretty much explains this entire thread.

I understand that your adding your own input, which is great, but it seemed a little bit overly sarcastic. LOL, and I like how you flat out accuse the OP of being a lier, but thats just mean.

kyle1745

Perfect reason to wait for Verizon or other carrier to have the phone and get the insurance plan... Well worth the few dollars a month.

Kierik

If you look at it this way the phone weighs 130 grams and when dropped 1m it has an energy of 1.24 joules. thats equivalent to dropping 1.24 apples from the same distance. When the apple hits it will deform with a soft spot. I can push on an apple and cause a deeper soft spot than a 3ft drop. I'm just saying the facts dont add up to a 1m drop. I am just being brutally honest, many people who makes a mistake will use language that supports their argument. The OP was upset the metal deformed during a drop and i am asking if he is exaggerating the facts to support his view. I assume either the OP was standing and it sustained a 4-6ft drop or he tried to catch it and only succeeded in rocketing it into the ground, or I guess a third option is his phone was made of tin foil.

Last edited by Kierik; 02-12-2010 at 07:42 PM.

oniongirl

When I'm wandering around I hold my phone at just above waist height. At 5'6", and guesstimating that my waist is approximately half of my height, that comes to 2'8". It doesn't seem unreasonable to drop it from 3 feet. Or that it might dent from that height either.

My iPod Touch was dropped from about 4 feet and it looked as though someone had taken a hammer to it (landed on one corner, tumbled onto the other. I was quite surprised at the rebound bounce, actually, in that horrified, sick way that you get when you've just dropped your two-week old gadget).

malowney

Jesus christ.... Lets face it, the NEXUS ONE has a sh1tty, WEAK screen that breaks way too easily. Obviously, there is a hardcore group of koolaide drinkers who don't want to admit that these flaws do exist, so they post drivel about how much they worship their pouches.

This is really sad. To anyone thinking of buying a nexus one - they break VERY easily and HTC does not stand behind them. So the choice is yours... Either wait for a more robust android phone to be released, or become one of the pouch worshipers like Camron's dad in Ferris Buelers Day Off... you know, the guy who owns the Ferrari but is afraid to do anything with it other than wipe it with a diaper all day?

Yeah.

Last edited by malowney; 02-12-2010 at 10:44 PM.

ufmedrudy

Ahh yeah...drink the koolaid...most of us are simply stating that its NOT A DESIGN FLAW that when dropped that it possibly cause the battery door to stick...who pissed in your cheerios...lol

AnotherFatalEpic

I understand, Im not trying to start an argument or anything but... are you taking into account the area of the impact? pushing does not simulate a drop.. think of "lying on a bed of nails" its close to the same thing.

Im probably getting way off topic here but hey, the OP already has a screwed up nexus no need to flat out say hes lying... besides... once your nexus is damaged theres no more reason to tell fibs Id be overcome with sorrow and grief



Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk

Kierik

1.24 newtons is the max amount of force that the unit would sustain from a 1 meter drop. It could be on a 1 sq mm patch or across a side. I am just saying that the facts seem off....ever take you back cover off and look at how thick the metal part is? Its probably 1mm thick which is really alot. I never accused the OP of lieing i just said dont exaggerate the distance or if it truly is what he says it is please explain the circumstances.
I am about average height as i assume most of us are. I dont know about you but i dont surf the internet with the screen at crotch height at the minimum height its chest and that at least 4.5ft high. normally its 5ft. I understand that many phones will get cracked screen from very small drops, found a report that some iphones broke from only a 2ft drop onto concrete. But what i have a hard time believing is 1mm thick of the metal, i assume a aluminum alloy, would bend under such little force. But i would believe this if more force was involved.

Rusty!

1.1mm

I've got a digital vernier

outoffocus

Getting out of the car I had three phone in my hand. Two old pieces of shit and one sweet new one.. Guess which phone slipped out of my hand? Dropped it so hard it bounce off the pavement and slid mid-way under the car. Scratched up the back a bit and even scratched the alloy casing around the camera lens.. Everything works fine still. Bought a phone cover the same day!

Last edited by outoffocus; 02-13-2010 at 03:40 PM.

andyrhart

Any chance you would want to get rid of your pouch since you aren't using it?

MartinS

Well, I drunkenly dropped my N1 and it hit a hard pub floor and skidded a couple of metres and...

Not a scratch! It was one of those slow motion, NOOOOOOOOOOO! moments though.

BTW still not using any case or skin.