How to make a lanyard hole for Galaxy Note

[Pojken]

I do not understand why they don't make a simple lanyard hole for some smartphones. One this large especially, as it is not the most comfortable grip in the world.

Here's how I modified the Galaxy Note to accommodate a lanyard. No worries about dropping it. Enjoy!

Tien

p.s. I did try the tip about looping th lanyard through the speaker opening on the backplate, but it eventually broke (luckily it landed in the snow). This one will definitely not come off.

Here's how it looks:

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Here's how I made it:

1) Followed the first steps of removing the back plate. It's quite easy - only a handful of screws. I used the link below as tutorial.

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Galaxy Note N7000 Teardown?Galaxy Note ??? - YouTube

2) Then, I noticed there was a space to the left (with screen facing down).
I figured that was a good spot to place the lanyard holes since I'm right-handed.
I made sure to choose a spot on the back plate (not the back cover) that was not directly on where the tabs to the back cover click in. I chose a spot just between the two tabs.

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3) I used an Exacto blade to make the holes. I tried heating a pointy tool but that took forever to even make a dent in the plastic. Just twisting the blade point back and forth made a hole in a few seconds.

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That's the second hole I am making.

4) Using a piece of strong thread (or in my case, clear plastic thread), I looped it through the lanyard which I then fed through the holes and pulled. This isn't necessary if you made your holes big enough, but I wanted to make mine as small as possible. Any how, it's just a hint on how to feed things through a small hole and not necessarily a must.

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5) Reassemble the phone and the notch the back cover to make room for the lanyard. I used an Exacto and just sliced through it and snapped off a bit. I cleaned it up by twisting the blade around the edges, similar to making a hole.
You need to make sure to cut off enough to clear the entire lanyard rope - otherwise the cover won't lay flat.

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[MilesChap]

Your method probably is fine, but I question whether or not the plastic back cover would pop out if the phone were dropped.

FYI, for years I have used a lanyard through the shirt button hole and my old Nokia 6260 continues to run. So with the Note I purchased a cover that has both back & front and the phone snaps into it. Drilled 2 very small holes half way between the headset jack and the upper right corner of the cover. In the past few days the phone has slipped out my pocket a few times, but has not hit the ground, so presumably it will continue to work fine. Also this method prevents phone loss or theft as they would need to take the shirt off my back.

 

[MilesChap]

I failed to mention two things: The holes were drilled through the softer plastic that holds the phone in place, not the hard cover. Secondly, the tether used is the standard commercial type with a very small detachable "string" on the phone end, the remainder being larger.

 

[Pojken]

Sadly, I found out the answer to your question. It does NOT pop out if dropped. I had placed my phone in my sweatshirt pocket which I normally don't do. I bent down to pick something up and it slipped out. The back cover stayed on just fine.

I normally don't use cases. The beauty of a smartphone is in its lightness and thinness. A bulky case is not something that adds to its appeal, especially a phone as large as the Note. True, a lanyard isn't that beautiful either, but it is more practical to me than a case. Besides which, I do have insurance on my phone which means I get a replacement relatively easily.

I wish, though, I could find a short elastic lanyard. Where I live, I literally have been able to only find ONE type of lanyard. It seems the iPhone has killed off any market for them.

Tien

 

[MilesChap]

My opinion is that in the USA the manufacturers and carriers prefer users to break and replace their phones! Not so in Asia -- most people have a lanyard and they are sold as a fashion statement in many accessory shops. My girl friend spent a half an hour looking at the various colors and types last week before finally purchasing for about $3 -- not being as fashion conscious, mine only cost 75 cents!

When looking for an S2 several months ago discovered that the USA model did not have a lanyard slot while the international model did and it was available in Canada and elsewhere and wasn't burdened down with all of the add-on software.

 

[Kamau]

I tried the method using an exacto blade, but when I got it close to my Note, it grabbed it from me and put it to my throat saying not to try that again. Then, it bolted out the door.
Last I heard, there were 6 iPhones in my area that were found dead with their screens cut.

 

[Pojken]

Yeah, I was kind of hopeful when I saw the lanyard on the S2, but was sorely disappointed that it didn't come standard with the note.