yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Nexus 4 General] OgremustCrush:
Op here. I never ruled out an impact or flexing on the phone, it may very well be an impact on that particular area caused the fracture. But if it did, it was far too subtle for me to notice, thus the warnings about the durability of the phone. And like I said in my update, I'm reasonably certain I heard when it happened, and there were no substantial stresses on it at that time. You can't tell from the picture, but the spiderweb starts precisely at the top of the speaker, I'm reasonably certain that the cracks surrounding the speaker were caused by minor flexing on the structurly compromised surface. Heat/chemically treated glass has that property, a single hairline crack makes entire surface incredibly weak. I can actually feel the glass flex by barely touching it now, even in the areas where the cracks are less present.

For all those who say they've had the phone for a month with no issue, well so had I. I got it on the first shipment, just because you've been lucky doesn't mean you always will be.
[Nexus 4 General] [armitage]:
This is getting so silly.

No people,are starting to insult each other(as it always happens in threads like these) over this,when there obviously is only one simple fact...

A glass back was a "pretty" but stupid design choice.

If it didn't have a glass back,we wouldn't have these threads with hobby physicist explaining when and how glass breaks or doesn't break.

Maybe you are happy with this phone and maybe yours did not break (yet?),but it has to completly obvious to every one, that this phone would be better off without the glass back....Not prettier,but deffinetly more sturdy and again we certainly wouldn't have these threads poppin' up left and right,with people explaining under what conditions glass breaks.:rolleyes:
[Nexus 4 General] versd:
The weakest points on a brittle material are not necessarily the edges.

First critical area are any inherent cracks even those smaller than you can see. These cracks are more prone to be introduced in the manufacturing process and thus around the edges and cut outs like the speaker and camera.

The camera and edges are supported though so the speaker area would be a more likely spot.

Then you have to look at stress concentrations which is difficult. Depends where the glass is attached to the phone and how much of the device strength passes thru the glass.

If you had a micro crack near the speaker area and then some sort of bending stress on the phone like if you were trying to bend the phone in half, a small crack in a high stress area can fracture out in a brittle material.

So it is possible for damage to the glass on the phone without dropping it. Just an unfortunate combination of manufacturing and specific stresses applied to the phone.

Have worked a lot in materials engineering.
[Nexus 4 General] Richieboy67:
You said it shattered spontaneously...

---------- Post added at 10:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 AM ----------

It is not an attack to call someone out on something so relax...

It is pretty sad though if you do not know what I meant by saying the glass did not break by itself.

Say what you want. I just do not buy it that these phones are spontaneously breaking from heat or anything else. How many phones have used glass for how many years? Now all of a sudden we are talking about glass on phones breaking from heat changes? Perhaps of there was an electric short or something but clearly in this case there is an area that was pushed in by something..

I am not attacking anyone. I am just tired of seeing one of these threads every time someone breaks the glass. Out of the many thousands sold it seems normal for some to be broken. I just do not see these things breaking without someone doing something physically to break. I am not buying the delayed breakage.

Finally, as I mentioned.. This my opinion only so relax.
[Nexus 4 General] dario3040:
People will keep arguing as long as people keep making these threads.
[Nexus 4 General] xchasa:
People will argue on forums fullstop. Too many faceless keyboard warriors on the internet now.
[Nexus 4 General] abufaka:
AW: So the back on my Nexus 4 just shattered spontaneously...

sorry son, there were no good old internet times. remember newsgroups? see...
[Nexus 4 General] xchasa:
Don't call me son.

I'm not your boy....

I agree though.
[Nexus 4 General] AntonJart:
I personally believe that some of these phones came with a defect. LG has a bad reputation in the Smartphone industry, so people you should stop making it look like LG is an angel.

In my case, glass did not crack (knocking on the wood) after several small drops. But... I do have issues with my phone. Multitouch sometimes does not respond properly (i mean if you try to use pinch-to-zoom feature in a horizontal way). Bottom of the phone is crackling and I sometimes get horrible battery life. So no, I will not go with LG again. I expected it to be a perfect because it had "NEXUS" branding on it...

But overall I like this phone despite its issues.
[Nexus 4 General] Shadowguy:
According to the poll results i see a trend.....thats all im saying
[Nexus 4 General] Zainiak:
I really hope the rumors are right about the next batch having having stronger glass, but no sparkles
[Nexus 4 General] V 0 R T E X:
It is false. The back will have the shimmer. But it may be stronger though...
[Nexus 4 General] Deeco7:
For a typical user I suggest buying a bumper case. If your clumsy then I suggest you either buy a heavy impact case or just simply buy another phone that doesn't have glass back. Simple!
[Nexus 4 General] FatalityBoyZahy:
Yeah son
[Nexus 4 General] iammtxd:
Oh... that hurts.....

A case is really needed for our N4...

Sorry for my bad English.

Sent from my Nexus 4.
[Nexus 4 General] Fataldesain:
Anyone using a nexus 4 naked or with a bumper is just nuts. Your going to break it.
[Nexus 4 General] gtg465x:
Been using mine naked for nearly two and a half months. Good as new.
[Nexus 4 General] nbell13:
Same here. Bumper or naked since 20th of November or so, and still fine. Just threw on the Seidio Active case last week though, always have them on my phones and had just been waiting for it to come out.
[Nexus 4 General] FatalityBoyZahy:
I'd love to use my Nexus 4 without any protection, but damn. Scratches bother me way too much.
[Nexus 4 General] drpepe:
[/COLOR]

yep.

To summarize there are not that many with smashed glass...

and those voting in this poll are probably over-represented for those with a problem, so real-world % is likely to be less...
[Nexus 4 General] EnIXmA:
I have been using the phone with no case or bumper since mid Novemberish, dropped it couple of times and there are some scratches on the front, back looks flawless. Getting a full body protection this weekend.
[Nexus 4 General] Fataldesain:
What a waste at least keep on the screen protection that comes on the phone and are you that lazy to just order one for 3 dollars. This phone is super fragile gorilla glass my ass and your just asking for problems. Oh well your money
[Nexus 4 General] Zincoshine:
While this is an obvious troll thread I feel i should fight back and talk of my experience. I have dropped the phone around 10 times since i got it a month ago, from heights between 3 to 1 feet. There isn't a single scratch anywhere. I am seriously starting to believe apple is just paying people to break their nexus 4 and lie about it in xda and other places in exchange for money.

This phone is the most amazing thing created on earth and you all know it. Its a solid well built phone that can do anything ranging from making phone calls to playing video games to identifying obscure music to finding a chinese bride.
[Nexus 4 General] tusing:
Gonna try to get a Nexus 4 when they're back in stock this month. Does anyone have suggestions for cases that rival the beauty of the back of the phone? I was thinking about the bumper case so I could see that amazing back of the phone, but from what I'm reading, it seems I'll need something better. So any suggestions for great-looking but effective cases?
[Nexus 4 General] cphancock1:
Get the bumper and a screen protector on the back just so it won't slide so easily. You will have no problems. I had a galaxy note with a much larger screen to scratch/break and had no problems. I work in construction too. Just be careful. Don't drop it and watch for sand in your pocket or before you wipe it

---------- Post added at 05:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:29 PM ----------

Why have such a beautiful screen just to cover it with a screen protector. If you are accident prone get a flip cover. This phone is too good to put some cheap plastic on it
[Nexus 4 General] tusing:
What screen protector would you recommend? I have tried wet application ones but they ended up a total disaster on my Galaxy Nexus, bubbles everywhere, even though I followed the instructions :/

I do have SGP Case for my Gnex and it looks quite nice but I see nothing similar for the Nexus 4.
[Nexus 4 General] Fataldesain:
Dude just shut up, we all love the nexus but your lying and I got 1000 dollars saying your lying. Make a video and drop your phone a few times and show me a flawless phone.

This phone is not gorilla glass and it scratches worse than any phone I have every seen. And I know many people with nexus 4's and I have had about 8 already. On top of that it shatters without effort.

Real owners are warning people and now there trolls. Your worse than any apple fanboy I've seen. Post HD pics of your phone you dropped 10 times. Let's see it. Maybe you need your eyes checked or your head.
[Nexus 4 General] xchasa:
Nice work kiddo.

You are a tool.
[Nexus 4 General] biffsmash:
The picture in the op is a corner table bash without realising.

As for the fragility of this phone, yes it is fragile, but I have also dripped my phone from table height onto wood, and two feet onto tiles, without glass cracking. The glass is perfectly strong compared to other phones but its glass back and front its not going to be indestructible.

Whether a drop cracks this phone is pure luck! Plain and simple. I have no case and no screen protectors and it has some minor scratches in the oleophobic coating and in the chrome trim but nothing else.

Stop hating on this phone just because you may of been unlucky enough to break it.

As for fataldesain, who's seen four and had eight nexuses, that there is the EXACT reason there's no stock. RMA on phones that don't need it! And these phones don't crack without effort! What you put it in your hand and look at it and it cracks... Please!

Peace.
[Nexus 4 General] molesarecoming:
damn you all. this topic made me actually take a closer look at my nex4's back. i never noticed before but its cracked both around the speaker grill and the lens. and thats a dev phone, it basically rests next to my computer all day long. i'd say it pretty much did that to itself. :silly:
[Nexus 4 General] azrash:
I don't get why people are accusing others to be trolls or fake. This whole crack thing happened to some and didn't happened to some. This thread is about sharing your experience after all, regardless of whether it was on impact, or no impact.

Just deal with it. of course, putting a picture would make it more believe able.

Mine is still okay, I have SP at both sides.

My friend's unit is unlucky. No sp at the back. He got a hairline crack at the back of his unit. He left it in a bag in the car for a rugby tournament. Malaysia is a tropical country, so perhaps it was due to the excessive heat.

I have attached some photos here.

Sent from my Nexus 4
[Nexus 4 General] Mrboxfacetramp13:
d0n't drink and driv3, y0u might hit a bump and dr0p y0ur b33r,Ch33rs

/\+1 epic
[Nexus 4 General] thegregulator:
I know I'll get flamed for this but the back of my Nexus 4 cracked in my pocket as well. I took it out of my pocket to show a buddy something on YouTube and noticed it was cracked. It's a cliché around here but I take good care of my phones and I don't know that using a case would have prevented this. It cracked from the camera cutout to the top right corner of the phone. It's not shattered like some people's phones but still annoying. It also stands to reason the glass would crack from one of the cutouts as that is where it would be weakest. Google is sending a new device soon. I will update the thread when I get the new device.
[Nexus 4 General] Kazliux:
What was a rev of your nexus4?

Sent from my sexy Nexus 4
[Nexus 4 General] thegregulator:
Rev_11. I'm still waiting for Google to finish processing my request and I'm expecting to receive more information from them today.
[Nexus 4 General] azrash:
@eldad79

Didn't realise about the copy pasted term! Do update us on the progress of your issue with both Google / LG. Hopefully you'll get it sorted out!

Sent from my Nexus 4
[Nexus 4 General] draugaz:
Uhm... but the photo you attached would suggest, that this device got hit in the corner (those dents in the edge of the plastic rim + characteristic glass fracture), so if I was a google/lg I would refuse a repair under warranty.
[Nexus 4 General] Glaux:
So what's the consensus on the best way to prevent this from happening? I'm getting my N4 soon so it would be interesting to know.
[Nexus 4 General] eldad79:
an answer best never given at the first place.

my dear lad...

you don't know me, you haven't seen the device, yet your conclusions are quite conclusive !

1. here's another picture for you, look at "the dents".... Sherlock. also, am I the first one having this issue, with exactly the same damage, or the "characteristic glass fracture"?

2. next time, ask me in a PM, or even in the public channel, instead of making a fool out of yourself: "yes my dear lad, I admit I dropped the phone before", 1 day after I got it... it fell on the upper left corner, front side. nothing happened, I checked very very carefully. 2 weeks later I had the other incident. I would have told you that without being called a liar first.

3. the phone exploded in my hand. I felt it pretty well....

is that your idea of fun? finding bored people who lie to other people on forums and point them out? please learn from this for the future.

an apology would be in line.
[Nexus 4 General] lowrider262:
use a case.
[Nexus 4 General] Glaux:
Any in particular?
[Nexus 4 General] sardelich:
I'm about to decide whether to get Nexus 4 or not,Xperia X10 is sadly at the almost flat line :D but...after all these threads on glass braking etc...did ever occured to somebody that this just might be poor quality and that even without a hit the glass breaks? Yes,really you all said that milion times...but what if the glass somehow is tensiones,glued,and maybe that flexing and tension or even vibrations from the speaker hit the resonant frequency of the glass,which is somewhat similar to crystal if all the numbers add up...years ago my stowe doors just went to a milion pieces out of blue.the stowe was off,nothing was hot and it exploded like a bomb.the service man said it was because the glass in the factory was screwed down too tight and not aligned and eventually flexing just shattered the half inch thick termo glass...
[Nexus 4 General] azrash:
Head over to the Nexus accessories sub forum. There is an index thread there. They list the cases available for our device. You can have a look and pick your choice.

Personally I am still using the Nexus 4 with SP only. My Cruzerlite TPU case and original bumper should arrive in a few weeks, hopefully.

Sent from my Nexus 4
[Nexus 4 General] eldad79:
well... my next phone is...?

I waited a long time for that phone, grasping tightly to the old ill-functioning junk I had just to be able to get the Nexus 4 when it get's out !

all my friends had nexus 1 or galaxy nexus (I bought them for my wife, my mother in law and 3 friends).

so, to tell you the truth: the software is great, but the phone sucks. it heats, speakers and mike are surprisingly cheap (people complained about not hearing me well when I moved it 2 cm from the "normal" talking position...because it got uncomfortably hot in my hand), camera was never the best thing in the nexus line...

all in all, a fun strong phone (which you don't usually get to explore just how much an average user), but not stronger than those coming now.

and than we have the glass issue. and the "worst customer service ever", as both LG and Google don;t really know where's the line between them, so they have the tendency to ping-pong customers, and make you pay either-way, despite the very very limited warranty.

it's so fragile you wouldn't understand,,, I saw more cracked phones in the first week it was here. amazing.

LG are so amazingly cheap... such a shame..

and me? after waiting for it for so long, once I'll get mine from repair/exchange somehow, I'll sell it to the first "I must have a nexus 4 at all cost" noob I'll find...

I do not know what I'll buy... it will be an android, not apple or win8...maybe the Samsung 4?

good luck.
[Nexus 4 General] thegregulator:
Re: So the back on my Nexus 4 just shattered spontaneously.

I was bounced around from Google and LG (except LG Canada said they don't cover any type of warranty issue because it is sold through the Play Store) until a rep from the Play Store finally took my information and issue and is going to pass it along to a specialist. I'm sure I'll get the same response you did, and if so I'll go through other channels to have my issue rectified.
[Nexus 4 General] DowntownJeffBrown:
Put screen protectors on it and a case.

Sux this is happening to people. I've had mine for going on 3 months now and I work in an industrial setting. My phone is still in pristine condition not one bump or scratch. The key is just taking the precautions to protect your phone. I've dropped mine many times and no cracks this phone isnt a fragile newborn baby. In fact I find the build quality very premium and I'm pleasantly surprised on how well its held up. Before I bought it I was convinced out was gonna be a chore to keep it safe. The vast majority of people will post when their phone cracks not when it doesn't.

Sorry to those that have had issues its got to be a bad experience.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
[Nexus 4 General] lowrider262:
any case that covers the back, so NOT the bumper. I have 2 different cheapo rubber cases I bought from eBay for $6 a piece. both work great and barely add any bulk to the phone.
[Nexus 4 General] draugaz:
Why so upset? You posted the image, I commented on what I see in it. That's all.

I don't work for lg or google and my private opinion does not affect anything. And it is absolutely irrelevant if I know you or not, lg/google service technician would not know you either.

You are certainly not the first one to drop the phone, if that was your question.

To make clear what I ment, I marked those "dents" in your image. Normally that plastic edge is perfectly smooth, yours somehow isn't. Why?

And if you combine those dents with fracture I also marked, you would get a typical "was hit hard on that corner" type of damage. And this is what I wrote.

Nobody called you liar.

It does not mean there was no damage even if you did not notice anything outright. Glass is quite a treacherous material. Its failures often start with tiny fractures which slowly grow over time until the whole thing just bursts into pieces for no apparent reason.

Here is a nice interview with Corning about theri glass:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/09/ff-corning-gorilla-glass/

They said:
[Nexus 4 General] eldad79:
I had 3 specialists "looking into it", even before I sent over the phone.

1 told me they'll replace my phone, the other revealed what the first one meant, and the third agreed:

I was told pretty plainly, without them even looking at a picture...that it will not be covered, because "you can feel the crack"...

hello...I don't get to choose the depth of crack when it explodes in my hands...morons...

they told me i have 3 options:

1. go to LG with a dead phone and pay for it, then after LG fixes the hardware, send it over to Google and they'll see if they can do anything about the non-functioning status;

2. send it over to Google, then it's the same as in 1, but Google will send it to LG..I pay for everything of course.

3. send over the phone and receive "a new replacement"..meaning: buy a new one from the play store once it's in stock...the charge will be on hold until it's clarified if I'm entitled to get my device fixed...and they stressed that there's no chance this will ever happen, in which case "I'll be fully charged for both phones".

I asked: will you charge me 350$ for the new one? "they don't know what's the policy for that"

I asked: OK, so I pay for a phone and a fix, will you send me back my fixed device? "they don't know what's the policy for that"

I asked: what is the estimated repair cost? they answered: a full price, I asked: full price? even if it's only a few $ to fix? they answered "that's the policy".

also, they tell you one thing, you agree on how to continue, they promise to send you an Email with what you agreed on, and answers to your questions (and I was very clear as to what should be on that mail...)

and they ignore you

and send back those stupid hilarious automated replies !

so,

to sum it up

worst customer service ever ! someone at Google, wake up !!!!

ATM we are waiting for them to respond to some legal clarifications we sent over regarding the warranty (which is really not the best piece of legal stuff I have seen in my career....to say the least....)
[Nexus 4 General] thegregulator:
I'm sure I'll receive the same runaround you did. If so I will take further action to have my issue rectified. Had I even previously dropped the phone I wouldn't care but that's not the case.
[Nexus 4 General] xchasa:
Could not agree more mate.

Sold mine to a die hard geek and moved on.

Best thing I did what with all the awesome new devices about to be launched.

Cant wait to see all the butthurt owners complain about moto x being a far better option. Lol. Enjoy lg while it works.
[Nexus 4 General] FormerSlacker:
From the sounds and looks of it, you dropped the phone, weakened/micro fractured the glass and it eventually gave way.

Considering the crack starts right where there is a ding in the plastic molding, I'm not sure what you are complaining about. Take responsibility for your actions.
[Nexus 4 General] thegregulator:
This is just for everyone's information. Cracked in my pocket. There are no signs of damage on the phone (except obviously for that crack). I feel for anyone with this issue. I'm lucky in that it's just a crack and not an explosion.
[Nexus 4 General] Muikkuman:
The nexus 4 starts to look like a "you'll get problem immediately" phone
[Nexus 4 General] thegregulator:
Every phone has its issues. Some people have had problems with the glass cracking on the Nexus, but at $349 for the 16gb model you're getting so great bang for your buck. No phone is perfect, but this one is really great.
[Nexus 4 General] DowntownJeffBrown:
This is why I applied screen protectors to both sides immediately

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
[Nexus 4 General] nsg86:
Got some scratch at back cover..

not crack, didn't apply any casing yet.

Did you guys experiences same thing, or it is still perfect.. ?
[Nexus 4 General] richteralan:
Used naked for the first week I got the phone.

Not a scratch. No crack.

Brought the phone outdoors with -20F temperature and came back indoors, no crack.

Set the naked phone on granite counter, no crack.

Therefore I seriously doubt the back cracks by itself or by temperature. Those guys just don't want to admit.
[Nexus 4 General] anansei:
Actually it does cause mine did. -5 in Boston and just before I leave the office phone is perfect with a case on it. Walk home and enter the house where my phone has been resting in breast pocket the entire time. Pull it out to check email and I have a crack running through nexus logo with no impact spidering. This was temp related and is unacceptable. Your opinion does not encompass the reality of this build issue which is ****e.