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Just how strong is the S3? I've been a little obsessed with the possibility of damaging the phone..

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skoolz

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This is going to seem like an odd request, but I am fairly neurotic, so please bear with me.

Last night, I was using my S3 and holding it with both hands in landscape. I was holding as probably every one of you holds it when in landscape, with my fingers on the back, and using my thumbs to type on the screen. I lost my balance a bit, and gripped the phone really hard, ultimately pushing my thumbs into the screen and tightening my overall grip. I heard a very soft, slight popping, which was most likely just the frame settling a bit from such a jolt, or the battery cover getting jostled. Either way, I inspected the phone thoroughly for some kind of damage and have been unable to find anything.

So this experience got me thinking way too much about it, and I have since been trying to recreate the force of my thumbs into the screen while gripping it with both hands. I will push my thumbs slowly and progressively harder into the screen and move my hands in a manner that would make it seem I was trying to break the phone in half where my thumbs met the screen. I've done this a dozen times, and some of the times, I will get the same creaking most likely from the battery case.

I'm writing this in order to get some reassurance that I did not hurt my phone in some unnoticeable way. Do you think doing this would cause damage to the phone? Just how sturdy is the phone? Do you think there's a possibility I could actually break the phone in half if I kept using more force? I think my main concern is any damage I may have done to the screen. How much force from one's fingers can the screen take? When I push on it, I see no evidence of colors being manipulated by the force, but the screen does seem somewhat ductile, as in a little squishy or flexible. This could just be an illusion. Someone please tell me I have nothing to worry about. And yes, I know I'm crazy.
 
Welcome to the forums! :D There seems to be a bit of a divide among s3 users here about just how much the phone can take.


There's lots of reading to do!

Personally, it feels less sturdy than my EVO, but as long are you aren't trying to brake the phone in half you shouldn't have issues :p
 
Thank you very much for the warm welcomes.

I think my main concern for the phone is the pressure given on the screen. Do these touch screens react like an LCD monitor? I know if you give too much pressure to a monitor, the colors can change and sometimes permanent damage can be caused if the pressure if great enough.

However, is the S3 screen in danger of similar damage from the pressure of my thumbs? Or, is the delicate part completely protected by the outer glass, and you'd probably have to break the glass first to do any real damage?

Thanks for the replies.

EDIT: Also, I guess I'm worried if the screen is pliable and if my testing the screen with the excess pressure of my thumbs could add permanent indentation to the glass material. I have looked at the screen at an angle up close and it looks flat like normal. Then I glance at it sitting on a table, and I swear I see some kind of irregularity in the way the light reflects on the screen giving me the impression it might be dented. I told you I was neurotic...
 
It is still glass. It won't bend/Dent/deform from thumb pressure. It will deform as it nears it's melting point somewhere north of 700 degrees F tho :)

Also, despite the strength of Gorilla Glass, it will scratch and it will break. Corning claims the Gorilla Glass 2 used by the S3, while thinner, retains the strength of the original but I still would treat it with care.
 
Easilyamused said:
It is still glass. It won't bend/Dent/deform from thumb pressure. It will deform as it nears it's melting point somewhere north of 700 degrees F tho :)

Also, despite the strength of Gorilla Glass, it will scratch and it will break. Corning claims the Gorilla Glass 2 used by the S3, while thinner, retains the strength of the original but I still would treat it with care.
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Thank you. You have made me feel a lot better about my experimentation. I don't know why I do this to myself.
 
skoolz said:
Do you think there's a possibility I could actually break the phone in half if I kept using more force?
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Yes.

Obviously if you keep increasing the force you are applying you will eventually crack the screen at least. Then you will be satisfied that you were right about the flimsy phone.

But yes, if you are intent on repeating the experiment with increased pressure, something is bound to break, and it is even possible that given enough force you could "actually break the phone in half" you nutter. ;)

But you did say in your post that you were soliciting reassurance, so I'll just say that as long as you stop doing your morbidly destructive experiment, your phone will be fine.
 
skoolz said:
Thank you very much for the warm welcomes.

I think my main concern for the phone is the pressure given on the screen. Do these touch screens react like an LCD monitor? I know if you give too much pressure to a monitor, the colors can change and sometimes permanent damage can be caused if the pressure if great enough.

However, is the S3 screen in danger of similar damage from the pressure of my thumbs? Or, is the delicate part completely protected by the outer glass, and you'd probably have to break the glass first to do any real damage?

Thanks for the replies.
Click to expand...

Stop worrying! The phone is fine. I applied a new skin that needed a wet application and I applied a fair amount of pressure forcing out the bubbles without any adverse affects.

I have my S3 protected with a silicon case and screen protector and feel pretty comfortable about its durability.

Of course as it cost me the best part of
 
I've dropped my phone to hard gravel pavements about 4 times now and it's left nasty little scratches on the back case of my phone and a dent around the silver edge. The phone itself is fine.

I'm lucky the screen didn't scratch up or crack though.

I did just get the phone swapped and I've got it wrapped up in a tough case and screen protector to prevent anything like that happening again... (well atleast the scratching part anyway...)
 
Haha, thanks so much for being good sports everyone. I feel better, if not a little looney.

Best quote: "morbidly destructive experiment"
 
not strong at all .... you drop it without a case and you have a 50/50 chance of shattering the lcd and the glass panel. Happened to me a week after i got it. Fell from lap level to the concrete and it completely shattered -- gorillas or no gorilla - use a case preferably something that extends a tiny bit above the plane of the glass so if it falls face first it at least stands a chance. All that said, samsung repair was amazing .. 1 week 179 bucks and i am back to fresh.
 
I totally feel your pain. I've become obsessed with my back button responsiveness. So much so that created a thread about it. I actually kept going into different menus and then hitting the back button cause I was convinced something is wrong and it doesn't respond fast enough. I then became so nuts I had to take my Otterbox case off and do the same thing several more time (going into menus and apps and pressing back button to get out of them.)
Really I think the issue is that since the buttons are so low and the Otterbox has high edges it makes the capacitive buttons harder to press.

But there is some reason for my craziness and yes I would say I'm obsessive compulsive, and and that is that if a phone is defective in anyway it's better to find out more within 30 days so that you can get a new phone rather than suffer with a refurbished after your 30 days are up and insurance kicks on.

You are not the only crazy one with your phone.
 
Guess what! Mr. Neurotic is back, and by that I mean I have found something else to worry me sick about my new phone. The upper left corner of the phone clicks when I pinch it. I pinch with one finger on the back cover right at the corner, and the other on the front in the corner above the screen. The "click" is loud enough to hear while holding the device at upper-belly height. I have taken off the back cover, and it still clicks when pinching it in the same spot. It seems like it's coming from where the silver bezel meets either the screen or the inner plastic housing. I cannot tell exactly. Does anyone feel like being a trooper and seeing if their S3 has the same symptom? I just keep worrying that it's a sign that something is loose and over time, will be an issue.
 
Sounds like some of the plastic may not be flush.

It also could be fine and your pressure is pushing it past where it's supposed to go.


Stop pushing on it! :p
 
Well, I can confirm that it is the silver bezel making the clicking. I can hold the phone firmly from anywhere else, and use a single finger to push slightly on the bezel at the specific corner, and the clicking occurs. This is gonna drive me nuts! I cannot see the bezel actually moving nor does it feel loose, just this click that just loud enough to be annoying. There is however, a slight vibration from the bezel like something is moving just a miniscule amount. How is this thing held on anyway? Plain old adhesive? I'm wondering if they forgot to glue a part.
 
skoolz said:
Guess what! Mr. Neurotic is back, and by that I mean I have found something else to worry me sick about my new phone. The upper left corner of the phone clicks when I pinch it. I pinch with one finger on the back cover right at the corner, and the other on the front in the corner above the screen.
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Why oh why.

Would you pinch the upper left corner of your phone.


double-facepalm1.jpg



Please see post #13 above. ;)
 
davoid said:
Why oh why.

Would you pinch the upper left corner of your phone.

Please see post #13 above. ;)
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LOL. In my defense, the discovery was made while cleaning my phone with a microfiber cloth. I was cleaning the screen and the back at the same time by wrapping the cloth around both sides like one would the lens of their glasses. It just so happened I was doing this on that corner using a small amount of pressure that anyone would use to clean their screen, and heard the clicking. So I HAD to investigate further. :D
 
Ok, I think people have made their point. On the one hand, we have someone who is finding minor flaws with his device and is concerned about build quality, which is understandable for a $600 device. But maybe a tad bit too concerned. On the other hand, we have some people who are being over critical of this person.

Neither helps build the community. That said, I think this thread has ran it's course. If anyone feels that it should be re-opened, please PM me and we can discuss it.

Thanks for understanding!
 
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