Develop Bugs

Black Aluminium Excalibur Case kills signal

Having heard about the screen cracking problems and just generally wanting to protect my new excalibur I searched the Net for a good case.
I found several online stores and ebay sellers carrying a Black Aluminum Case, i even found it on amazon and the reviews looked pretty good.
The case is pretty much identical to this one, maybe some of you have tried it.
I really like the way Case protects the screen and the phone in general while allowing access to all the keys, and it doesn't look half bad if a little bulky.
Unfortunately the belt clip fell apart after just 2 days use though thats not such a deal breaker but I have also just realized that the case decreases my signal strength, in some situations by 3 bars. That i cannot live with, it sort of ruins the point of having a hard accessible case if you have to keep on taking your phone out of it every time you want to make a call.
This is the most active Excalibur forum i have found (and stuff you guys develop is awesome) and i was just wondering if you guys could recommend a good affordable case. I have found a black plastic case and a lot of leather/cloth ones but after this bad experience i would like to see what you guys have to say first.
Thanks

Just use a rubber case, seems to do the job for me and they are fairly cheap on ebay.

For Fathers Day, I got a black/silver carbon fiber case... looks damn sexy with the black wallpaper on Kavanas ROM. No signal probs at all.

There are other options
Dude, I am dead serious about my phone looking sweet. I can tell you do too, hence the aluminum case. So, here's what you do, go back to ebay and get one of those antenna boosters. It's a freakin strip you put on your battery or something, it's toilet paper thin. It takes up no space. Try it. It might help, and then you wouldn't have to sacrifice the cool case. It's worth a shot.
Plus, unless you have extensively tested this theory. I doubt that your case is making your signal quality go down. Since the signal is transmitted so far away and makes it through so many metallic and non-metallic obstacles, yet your phone picks it up. Now, it does all of that, and you think that a 20th of an inch of aliminum is going to stop the signal. Maybe, but I would try something else before trashing the case. Just an opinion. Hope this helps.
RoachX said:
Having heard about the screen cracking problems and just generally wanting to protect my new excalibur I searched the Net for a good case.
I found several online stores and ebay sellers carrying a Black Aluminum Case, i even found it on amazon and the reviews looked pretty good.
The case is pretty much identical to this one, maybe some of you have tried it.
I really like the way Case protects the screen and the phone in general while allowing access to all the keys, and it doesn't look half bad if a little bulky.
Unfortunately the belt clip fell apart after just 2 days use though thats not such a deal breaker but I have also just realized that the case decreases my signal strength, in some situations by 3 bars. That i cannot live with, it sort of ruins the point of having a hard accessible case if you have to keep on taking your phone out of it every time you want to make a call.
This is the most active Excalibur forum i have found (and stuff you guys develop is awesome) and i was just wondering if you guys could recommend a good affordable case. I have found a black plastic case and a lot of leather/cloth ones but after this bad experience i would like to see what you guys have to say first.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

outerdepth said:
Since the signal is transmitted so far away and makes it through so many metallic and non-metallic obstacles, yet your phone picks it up. Now, it does all of that, and you think that a 20th of an inch of aliminum is going to stop the signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exceptional point!

I have a black aluminum case as well... my signal is just fine...

outerdepth said:
Plus, unless you have extensively tested this theory. I doubt that your case is making your signal quality go down. Since the signal is transmitted so far away and makes it through so many metallic and non-metallic obstacles, yet your phone picks it up. Now, it does all of that, and you think that a 20th of an inch of aliminum is going to stop the signal. Maybe, but I would try something else before trashing the case. Just an opinion. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried it out in numerous situations, there are of course some situations where i get full bars with the case or with out but there are many (including my home) where with the case i will get 1 -2 bars and seconds after taking it out of the case the signal will go up by 2 or 3 bars. Put in the case, wait a couple of seconds and again the down to 1 - 2 bars. I didn't think a thin sheet of aluminium would effect the signal either, maybe its the lining or even the finish on the case.
Don't those signal boosters eat up the battery?

jacknmary said:
For Fathers Day, I got a black/silver carbon fiber case... looks damn sexy with the black wallpaper on Kavanas ROM. No signal probs at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You wouldn't happen to have any links to that product?

Im sorry...I bought it at the local mall. A phone accessory vendor had it. cost me 20, and I'd be happy to pick one up for you if you wanted to paypal the cash.
Ill post a pic soon...

jacknmary said:
Exceptional point!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.. it sounds good! But, not a very educated point that's for sure... hehe

outerdepth said:
Dude, I am dead serious about my phone looking sweet. I can tell you do too, hence the aluminum case. So, here's what you do, go back to ebay and get one of those antenna boosters. It's a freakin strip you put on your battery or something, it's toilet paper thin. It takes up no space. Try it. It might help, and then you wouldn't have to sacrifice the cool case. It's worth a shot.
Plus, unless you have extensively tested this theory. I doubt that your case is making your signal quality go down. Since the signal is transmitted so far away and makes it through so many metallic and non-metallic obstacles, yet your phone picks it up. Now, it does all of that, and you think that a 20th of an inch of aliminum is going to stop the signal. Maybe, but I would try something else before trashing the case. Just an opinion. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The battery booster idea... yeah. Not happening. Unless you engineer a way to actually improve the phone's internal "antenna" with that sticker (because that's all it is), it's not going to improve anything, but maybe make your battery door wobble less.
The way cell phones transmit their signals is a little different... Our phones don't emit radiowaves with a lot of power. The receiving towers have very high gain amplifiers that amplify these incoming signal VERY much in order to make them usable, and send them out to our phones at a very high power. If our phones emitted with the same wattage, we'd probably have brain cancer in a month. That's why it's important to look at SAR values when shopping for a phone. Our Excaliburs aren't too bad in that category...
You'll notice that ALL mettalic phones have a plastic panel SOMEWHERE on the case. The Iphone for example... black plastic at the bottom. The LG Shine which is all stainless steel, has a plastic cap at the top. These areas is where the antenna "array" is mounted. Why ? Because a mettalic case around it will effectively BLOCK the signal. Our Excalibur's antenna is at the top of phone, so make that area is clear of metallic obstructions in order to get a good signal
Oh and a piece of 1/20 inch aluminum will definitely STOP the signal IF it covers the phone all the way around. It acts like a cage for it. This is why when you open up a phone, you'll see these metal panels over the various radio chips on the phone's motherboard. They're put there to block radio interferance. Now if his case has holes in it, that's where the signal gets in , to the antenna. If those "holes" arent strategically placed, it will make radio waves not reach the antenna at full power, thus making his signal bars drop...

hmmmm.... i use a metal case that completely covers my phone (top included) and i have absolutely no loss in signal strength.... There are currently two types of metal cases for the HTC Excalibur (excluding colors) with minor diffferences between the two:
this one: http://www.pdair.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=10100000_900000_11000048&products_id=5295#thumb , which the top is left open and the edging around the keys are weird (i've owned this one and it sucks cuz your phone has a tendency to slide around)
and this one: http://www.ids.hk/item_detail.asp?C...e&itemID=40D714A9-0AFE-473B-A1D7-6346E7A8AF39 , this is the one i own ( albeit not from that site ) the entire top is covered. and the edging around the keys is a lot better.
Specifically all these cases sell with tag names: Monaco Aluminum Case, Metal Case, Metal Deluxe Case. and Innopocket Metal Case.
The one titled Innopocket Metal Case is the one you're going to want to get. It fits the phone better. and is better constructed.

I have the exact case posted in the opening thread (Monaco with open top). The Dash can move around a little but I am comfortable with this because it helps with screen adjustment depending on your angle of use. I never use the belt clip. I just orient it a certain way and use the original Dash belt holder (extra protection). I like the cool feel of the aluminum vs. the rubbery feel of the Dash. Also unlike the Dash, the aluminum case has little feet to better release sound and help with cooling when lying flat.
In any case I get great signals with or without the case in my area. But I have a friend that has like two levels of screens and mesh on the windows and doors. Kind of like the stuff high tech companies put on the windows to prevent signal theft of computer processors and such. If I open the case inside my signal strength does increase. But I don't complain because many cant even get a signal inside. So I guess it's true that under some circumstances, even the open top aluminum case impedes signal strength.

outerdepth said:
... and you think that a 20th of an inch of aliminum is going to stop the signal. Maybe, but I would try something else before trashing the case. Just an opinion. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guess you've never thought of how a coaxial cable works (Cable TV). The shield on that cable is much smaller than 1/20th in. and it seems to do a pretty good job of keeping foreign signals out.

jacknmary said:
For Fathers Day, I got a black/silver carbon fiber case... looks damn sexy with the black wallpaper on Kavanas ROM. No signal probs at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh wow i had an exact case for my dash when i had it

pudgedaddy said:
hmmmm.... i use a metal case that completely covers my phone (top included) and i have absolutely no loss in signal strength.... There are currently two types of metal cases for the HTC Excalibur (excluding colors) with minor diffferences between the two:
this one: http://www.pdair.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=10100000_900000_11000048&products_id=5295#thumb , which the top is left open and the edging around the keys are weird (i've owned this one and it sucks cuz your phone has a tendency to slide around)
and this one: http://www.ids.hk/item_detail.asp?C...e&itemID=40D714A9-0AFE-473B-A1D7-6346E7A8AF39 , this is the one i own ( albeit not from that site ) the entire top is covered. and the edging around the keys is a lot better.
Specifically all these cases sell with tag names: Monaco Aluminum Case, Metal Case, Metal Deluxe Case. and Innopocket Metal Case.
The one titled Innopocket Metal Case is the one you're going to want to get. It fits the phone better. and is better constructed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The case i have is identical to your first link except the back of my case has less holes (top right of the back). I wonder if making some holes in the same area would help.
How do you find the belt clip for the case you bought? Is it hardy enough for regular use?
Thanks

RoachX said:
The case i have is identical to your first link except the back of my case has less holes (top right of the back). I wonder if making some holes in the same area would help.
How do you find the belt clip for the case you bought? Is it hardy enough for regular use?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did your case not come with a belt clip? Heck i'd give you 2 two i have if you were down the street from me. I don't use them. Not that i hate the reliability, but i'm very skiddish having "my baby" left out in the open to get lost. But if you're didnt come with one, chances are it would work with any variation. The back of both cases i posted have a screw hole in the miggle of the back of it that a metal nub screws into. Thats what lock onto the clip when its on your belt. Without that screw hole or metal nub, you're dead in the water

Oh it came with a clip, and said clip fell apart after a days use :-(. I'm looking at the version of the case you have the clip mechanism looks different.

I was just trying to help, so sorry if anyone feels mislead.
Well, it would seem that if I want to get a response out of someone, all I should do is say something slightly objectionable, MAN.
A simple no, I don't think that's how it works could have done the job. It's cool I have thick skin. LOL!
I do wanna add, though, that metals do not possess the exact same properties across the board. What I mean is, iron and aluminum are both metals, but aluminum is not magnetic because it is not a ferrous metal such as iron or one of its alloys, steel. I do want to add also, that I understand the radio chip concept and the metal cage placed around it to keep interference out. This does not mean that the chip cage is made of aluminum. I am not saying that it is, but I doubt it. Isn't aluminum used as an antenna for radios? Just saying, you think if it makes a good radio antenna or tv antenna, that it would make a good cellular radio antenna.
OrganicM said:
The battery booster idea... yeah. Not happening. Unless you engineer a way to actually improve the phone's internal "antenna" with that sticker (because that's all it is), it's not going to improve anything, but maybe make your battery door wobble less.
The way cell phones transmit their signals is a little different... Our phones don't emit radiowaves with a lot of power. The receiving towers have very high gain amplifiers that amplify these incoming signal VERY much in order to make them usable, and send them out to our phones at a very high power. If our phones emitted with the same wattage, we'd probably have brain cancer in a month. That's why it's important to look at SAR values when shopping for a phone. Our Excaliburs aren't too bad in that category...
You'll notice that ALL mettalic phones have a plastic panel SOMEWHERE on the case. The Iphone for example... black plastic at the bottom. The LG Shine which is all stainless steel, has a plastic cap at the top. These areas is where the antenna "array" is mounted. Why ? Because a mettalic case around it will effectively BLOCK the signal. Our Excalibur's antenna is at the top of phone, so make that area is clear of metallic obstructions in order to get a good signal
Oh and a piece of 1/20 inch aluminum will definitely STOP the signal IF it covers the phone all the way around. It acts like a cage for it. This is why when you open up a phone, you'll see these metal panels over the various radio chips on the phone's motherboard. They're put there to block radio interferance. Now if his case has holes in it, that's where the signal gets in , to the antenna. If those "holes" arent strategically placed, it will make radio waves not reach the antenna at full power, thus making his signal bars drop...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, I wasn't expecting this kind of a reponse out of you, xticon, oops, xciton. Wow, very insightful. Could you please explain to me the purpose of this "shield" as far as the coaxial cable is concerned. I always thought it was there as a ground or to create a potential difference for the signal. Guess, I am wrong. Could and would you please clarify, since I appear to be retarded. Thanks, buddy!
xciton said:
Guess you've never thought of how a coaxial cable works (Cable TV). The shield on that cable is much smaller than 1/20th in. and it seems to do a pretty good job of keeping foreign signals out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Belt clips attached to the phone always break or come apart somehow. I'm with Pudgedaddy, I would never leave my baby dangling over the edge like that. LOL

Magnetic EVO case for motorcycles

Hey guys. i was wondering if there is a magnetic case for the EVO that would allow me to stick it to my Motorcycle gas tank. that way i can see incoming calls/texts and decide if it's important enough to pull over and deal with.
if anyone has any suggestions, even DIY's i'd love to hear 'em! thanks

Lots of tank bags with clear windows would be your best bet.http://www.newenough.com/parts/luggage/tank_bags/
What I am interested in is a solid handlebar mount that would let me video my ride.

you don't think that shock would be a problem? bouncing over bad roads, potholes, speed bumps, normal riding vibration would be a problem? also, i have yet to see a good bike solution that would secure the phone well enough. my fear has always been it would vibrate loose from it's enclosure and fall out during a ride. that would SUCK!!

SilverStone641 said:
you don't think that shock would be a problem? bouncing over bad roads, potholes, speed bumps, normal riding vibration would be a problem? also, i have yet to see a good bike solution that would secure the phone well enough. my fear has always been it would vibrate loose from it's enclosure and fall out during a ride. that would SUCK!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you on that. With some rubber or foam to dampen vibration, and a solid stand, I don't see how this is out of reach.

One would have to wonder what the effect would be on a phone with a powerful magnetic field right next to it. It may mess up stuff like the compass, the GPS, and the accelerometer. If powerful enough even the battery. I would be careful.

kf2mq said:
One would have to wonder what the effect would be on a phone with a powerful magnetic field right next to it. It may mess up stuff like the compass, the GPS, and the accelerometer. If powerful enough even the battery. I would be careful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Changing magnetic fields are what mess up electronics so the magnet there stationary *should be OK*. Here's an option - a rare earth magnet inserted into the Seidio 3500 mAh battery back - i.e. use a standard battery and put it into the case for the extended battery. Then put the phone in the extended Innocase and it'll all be held together. Throw some felt on the back to protect your tank and away you go.
* I am not responsible for any damage to your phone.
EDIT
And for power you can use an SAE (i.e. Batterytender) to 12V socket adapter from Powerlet here.

I just bought a bike and have been thinking about this too.
I don't want to mount my phone for the stated reasons, vibration and risk of losing it. But have you seen this Sony LiveView?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/28/sony-ericsson-liveview-acts-as-a-1-3-inch-remote-control-for-you/
I'd love to get one of those and stick it to the gas tank!

Wow! i hadn't seen that(and i frequent engadget) good find! any word on pricing?
i had another thought the other day. what about using a football playbook wristband? i dunno if it's even feasible but i figured id run by the local sporting goods and give it a shot

phobos512 said:
Changing magnetic fields are what mess up electronics so the magnet there stationary *should be OK*. Here's an option - a rare earth magnet inserted into the Seidio 3500 mAh battery back - i.e. use a standard battery and put it into the case for the extended battery. Then put the phone in the extended Innocase and it'll all be held together. Throw some felt on the back to protect your tank and away you go.
* I am not responsible for any damage to your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a couple small rare earth magnets in my battery cover. The only drawback is the compass and metal detector functions are unavailable (no loss to me). Personally, I would worry more about my tank scratching than anything. The tank bag with clear cover is likely your best bet.
Personally, I ride to ride...not to look at my phone. Be safe.
* I am also not responsible for any damage to your phone.

SilverStone641 said:
Wow! i hadn't seen that(and i frequent engadget) good find! any word on pricing?
i had another thought the other day. what about using a football playbook wristband? i dunno if it's even feasible but i figured id run by the local sporting goods and give it a shot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fee like a wristband would be more of a pain than it's worth. Of course I also listen to music from my phone on a bluetooth helment, and woud like an easy way to skip tracks. With the phone on your wrist, you obviously won't be able to interact with it at all.
I haven't seen any pricing info, and "final quarter this year" is all I've heard on release date. But hey, we are now in that final quarter

no offense but when your riding i really really hope you arent interacting with your phone anyway. People seem to have death wishes now a day.

I had a handlebar mount for my droid incredible for one main use
gps maps/directions
It worked great on with phone mounted right in front of you there is no worry about taking eyes off road, you still see whats going on in front of you while glancing at maps, in fact easier and safer than changing you car radio etc!
it was also nice if a call came in while on a long ride on great roads here in tennessee, i would see it ringing and just pull over to answer/call back
makes it very handy while out riding for the day

Incipio premium kickstand case - stupid magnets!

Why do these manufacturers insist on putting magnets in a case that holds a gps device with magnetic compass?! This completely throws off the compass heading and probably affects navigation too. The Incipio kickstand case is pretty nice, even if it does add a little too much bulk. I may just write the company and request a replacement case that does not have magnets, or otherwise try to remove the magnets myself.
Rob

Well I'm about to get a case for mine, had been looking at one with magnets... Thanks for this thread, I wasn't aware magnets would cause such problems. One would assume that case manufacturers know what they are doing... geez.
Xoomed from my xda app using send.

bobblack said:
Well I'm about to get a case for mine, had been looking at one with magnets... Thanks for this thread, I wasn't aware magnets would cause such problems. One would assume that case manufacturers know what they are doing... geez.
Xoomed from my xda app using send.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is definitely a good chance that the magnets would interfere with the compass. Incipio replied and offered to exchange the case for one of their other ones, but I really like their folio case even if it's a bit thick. You are right though, the manufacturers need to be more aware that putting magnets in a tablet case is a big no-no! I don't know how much an inaccurate compass reading would affect navigation, but it does affect initial heading position when you get a gps fix. The compass in the xoom works really well though and doesn't always need calibrating like some others. Yet in a car with all that metal it can still throw the compass off..... I am just debating on attempting to remove the magnets from the case or just leaving it alone.
Rob

Yeah it's really hard to find a good case that doesn't use magnets... I still haven't decided which one to get because of that lol.
One question came to me earlier - are you sure that the Xoom has a magnetic compass at all? I really don't know, when I first read your post it made sense, but now that I think about it - isn't the compass simply using two consecutive GPS positions (i.e. "1 second ago" + "right now") to determine the vector / direction of travel?
Apart from that, I'm not questioning the effect of magnets on computer hardware in general. I don't think that a magnet as tiny as the ones they build into cases could have any ill effect on hardware though.
It would be great if someone could chime in who has made an experience (good or bad) with a magnetic case - or maybe shed some more light on this...

Tetrax Magnet Mount for Galaxy Nexus

Has anybody tried the tetrax mounts yet with their galaxy nexus? Before I purchase one I'm curious of two things.
1. How well does the the magnet stick to the battery door since the battery cover is textured? I have an extra cover that I'll use simply for this.
2. Does the magnet interfere with the NFC and/or screen at all?
In case your not sure what I'm referring to:
http://store.tetrax.us/xway-line/fixway

I have used this on other phones, including my G2, MyTouch 3G and G1 and it worked very well on all those phones. However, due to the textured back on the Galaxy Nexus, the metal button that stick to the battery door does not stay on. I have tried replacing the double sided tape with stronger automotive 3M tape, but that doesn't work either. It'll stay on for a little while and come back off. The only solution would be to find a battery door that is smooth.
I can't answer if it interferes with NFC or the screen, but it shouldn’t. If anything, it might interfere with the magnet on the compass, but that has not been the case with my other phones.

MetalMessiah78 said:
I have used this on other phones, including my G2, MyTouch 3G and G1 and it worked very well on all those phones. However, due to the textured back on the Galaxy Nexus, the metal button that stick to the battery door does not stay on. I have tried replacing the double sided tape with stronger automotive 3M tape, but that doesn't work either. It'll stay on for a little while and come back off. The only solution would be to find a battery door that is smooth.
I can't answer if it interferes with NFC or the screen, but it shouldn’t. If anything, it might interfere with the magnet on the compass, but that has not been the case with my other phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks,
So you've actually tried it on the GNex and it don't stick very well? Did you by chance try holding it on there for several hours with a strong clamp or anything? I really want one of these but worried it's a waste of money with this phone

I have actually tried it, but not with a clamp. Just following the regular directions. On my other phones, it created a very strong bond and it takes a lot of effort to remove. With the Nexus, it stays on the first couple of times you mount it, but that's about it. It's not an issue with the weight, as the G2 feels twice as heavy as the Nexus, especially with an extra capacity battery. It's the texture on the battery door. It almost feels like it has a Teflon coating.

MetalMessiah78 said:
I have actually tried it, but not with a clamp. Just following the regular directions. On my other phones, it created a very strong bond and it takes a lot of effort to remove. With the Nexus, it stays on the first couple of times you mount it, but that's about it. It's not an issue with the weight, as the G2 feels twice as heavy as the Nexus, especially with an extra capacity battery. It's the texture on the battery door. It almost feels like it has a Teflon coating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you mind holding up one of the magnets to the battery door and test out the NFC to see if it interferes with it (if you have the ability to). This is my main question as I could always put the magnet on a case I guess.
Thanks!

I don't have another NFC device to try it right now, but my brother has the Nexus S and I can try it when I see him later tonight. The magnet doesn't go on the battery door though. What you stick on the battery door is just a piece of metal. The actual magnet is on the device that you mount to your dash or vent, so unless you plan on using NFC while it's on your dash, it should not interfere.
Plus, NFC uses low power radio frequency to transfer information (similar to Bluetooth). It does not use magnets. The only thing in the phone that could be affected would be the compass, as it finds your relation to magnetic North. Even then, I'm sure the compass works through software and is not an actual magnet, as it has never affected GPS. As a matter of fact, I have 2 Tetrax products, the one that mounts to the dash, which I have in my car, and the one that you attach to the vent for when I use a rental on trips for the sole purpose of Navigation. As you can imagine, I was very disappointed when I could not get the metal button to stick. I might have to try it with a case also.

MetalMessiah78 said:
I don't have another NFC device to try it right now, but my brother has the Nexus S and I can try it when I see him later tonight. The magnet doesn't go on the battery door though. What you stick on the battery door is just a piece of metal. The actual magnet is on the device that you mount to your dash or vent, so unless you plan on using NFC while it's on your dash, it should not interfere.
Plus, NFC uses low power radio frequency to transfer information (similar to Bluetooth). It does not use magnets. The only thing in the phone that could be affected would be the compass, as it finds your relation to magnetic North. Even then, I'm sure the compass works through software and is not an actual magnet, as it has never affected GPS. As a matter of fact, I have 2 Tetrax products, the one that mounts to the dash, which I have in my car, and the one that you attach to the vent for when I use a rental on trips for the sole purpose of Navigation. As you can imagine, I was very disappointed when I could not get the metal button to stick. I might have to try it with a case also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome so yea I don't think it'll interfere because I was thinking the part you stick to the back of the phone is magnetic, but if your saying it's not all should be well. Either way I went ahead and ordered it yesterday anyway so I'll figure out a way to get it to stick to either the door or a case. Thanks for your insight!

Nope, it's just a metal button. It actually comes with 4 or 5 different ones of all sizes and styles.

I have this installed on my nexus, I put the mount on my dash and the NFC sticker on my knob for the ac that get covered up. Everytime I put my phone on the mount, the nfc changes it to car mode, volume up, full brightness and launches sirius xm radio...works very well, sometimes I have to move it a bit to get to read the nfc, but thats only cause i have the nfc a little too far at the bottom of the phone and it mounts at a slight angle, not due to any interference at all. I have NFC chips all around and never have problems reading them at all, probably a good idea not to mount the metal chip right in the middle of the battery area, just in case. I also used a clamp to hold it on for about 3 or 4 hours and has had little trouble sticking to the texture.
I have had a few incidents if I pull off the phone, rather than slide it off the backing will actually unclip a single clip.

@ejkeebler what do you mean by NFC stickers all around? Did you make stickers to automatically change your settings on your phone? That's brilliant! How did you do it?
I might also have to try a clamp. I don't really want to put a case on my phone.

MetalMessiah78 said:
@ejkeebler what do you mean by NFC stickers all around? Did you make stickers to automatically change your settings on your phone? That's brilliant! How did you do it?
I might also have to try a clamp. I don't really want to put a case on my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have NFC stickers everywhere. have them when I walk in the front door of my house, one in my office at work, one in each vehicle, one in my wallet LOL. They are awesome. Set them to change settings or do tasker tasks and you can rewrite over them if you ever want to change anything. One of the best phone features I've ever used. That's why i was concerned about the magnets interfering with the NFC!

dcoy82 said:
I also have NFC stickers everywhere. have them when I walk in the front door of my house, one in my office at work, one in each vehicle, one in my wallet LOL. They are awesome. Set them to change settings or do tasker tasks and you can rewrite over them if you ever want to change anything. One of the best phone features I've ever used. That's why i was concerned about the magnets interfering with the NFC!
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Where can I get / how do I 'program' these NFC Stickers?? This sounds awesome.

raing said:
Where can I get / how do I 'program' these NFC Stickers?? This sounds awesome.
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A quick search came up with this: http://www.tagstand.com/
Seems like this could open up a whole line of fun options. Would love to hear how others have done it, though.

raing said:
Where can I get / how do I 'program' these NFC Stickers?? This sounds awesome.
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www.tagstand.com to purchase the tags. Tell him DCoy82 sent you! The 30mm ultralight c circle NDEF formatted seem to be the only ones I've bought that work with the nexus so far.
Once you get them you can download program called NFC Task Launcher off the market to program them.
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk

dcoy82 said:
www.tagstand.com to purchase the tags. Tell him DCoy82 sent you! The 30mm ultralight c circle NDEF formatted seem to be the only ones I've bought that work with the nexus so far.
Once you get them you can download program called NFC Task Launcher off the market to program them.
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk
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That is so awesome. This is my first phone with NFC so I'm barely starting to learn all the cool things that you can do with it. I tried Android Beam for the first time with my brother on Tuesday and it works great, though I wish you could beam other things such as pictures. By the way, the metal button does not interfere with NFC. I will let them know that you recommended me. Thank you!

If your interested in NFC, here's a few spots that got me started
http://androidforums.com/nexus-s/336155-what-do-you-use-nfc-tasker.html
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/weekend_project_make_your_own_nfc_tags.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnqmyNEQPq0&feature=email&email=comment_reply_received
and the tags I bought were from here:
http://tagsfordroid.com/tags/Home.html
I got them cause i liked the having the android on them, i think they are a tiny bit less expensive elsewhere, and these are a little thicker than I'd like (like a puffy sticker, about the same thickness of a penny) but you can get many in other places.
by itself i'm not sure nfc task launcher does it for me, but in combination with tasker, it's ridiculous how much can be done....would still love to see what others have come up with.

I love those stickers with the Android! Thanks for the links. I will need to read up on it more. I am definitely interested. This is a lot more exciting stuff then what Google showed off at the I/O last year!

Thats a good idea. Being in IT, we have dead Hard Drives laying around that have awesome magnets in them. They're real slim. I bet I could superglue one to my nexus's battery cover for under the TPU case that would hold. They're thin so it might not screw with the case (but it might).

ejkeebler said:
I got them cause i liked the having the android on them, i think they are a tiny bit less expensive elsewhere, and these are a little thicker than I'd like (like a puffy sticker, about the same thickness of a penny) but you can get many in other places.
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Yeah, it looks like it's $8 for 2. I just picked up 5 over at tagstand.com for the same price and found 10 for $13 over at http://buynfcstickers.com.

Hopefully you guys are all having good experience with the guy at tag stand. His customer service was great for me and I'll definatley be going back there in the future.
Oh and by the way, I got my new tetrax magnet set in today and not having any issues with the magnet at allowing necessary nor with the metal part sticking to the stock battery door. Only real issue so far is you have to slide it off just right or the battery door just pops off the nexus lol. Highly recommend though!
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk

Camera Bump Protection FIX

Hey!
Not a fan of cases, skins, or the like?
I have stumbled upon the best thing that fits inside the lump that protrudes from our lovely Nexus 5X's.
Paper Reinforcement Labels.
Those things we used once a long time in middle school now have a awesome purpose!
They fit inside the white lip perfectly and circle the camera module with grace.
When you stack three or more it creates a nice resting place for your phone.
Enjoy this little tip!
Let me know if you works for you!
Picture Attached!
-Romanpower

Somewhere out there, an industrial designer is weeping... (No disrespect, if you're this concerned about protecting that area than there must be others that feel the same way.)
One would hope that it was designed to be durable from its inception, since it's quite clear that this area will likely receive many impacts over the course of the device's life, whenever the phone is put down without caution.

I hope Spigen produce one.

redneck engineering.

ohussain said:
Somewhere out there, an industrial designer is weeping... (No disrespect, if you're this concerned about protecting that area than there must be others that feel the same way.)
One would hope that it was designed to be durable from its inception, since it's quite clear that this area will likely receive many impacts over the course of the device's life, whenever the phone is put down without caution.
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The fear is real. Really hoping that one was a freak accident. Ringke Slim case, apparently.

PhoenixTank said:
The fear is real. Really hoping that one was a freak accident. Ringke Slim case, apparently.
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I've been on the fence about returning mine because I've been wary about how much protection it provides. Looks like I have the answer to the question I already knew.

PhoenixTank said:
The fear is real. Really hoping that one was a freak accident. Ringke Slim case, apparently.
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Wow. I certainly hope you're right and this was just a freak accident. According to the thread on reddit, it only dropped about 1m, from a table onto the floor...
This is just one report (albeit a concerning one) - and it's still far too early to gauge if there is an issue here. At this time all we can do is wait and see (and try not to drop our phones).
On the subject of cases, bumpers, etc. I'm with the minority of those who go without - I like to use the device as it was designed. While I can appreciate the protective benefits a casing may offer, it's always visually apparent when there's a case on, (even the clearest/thinnest ones), and there is always some increase in size when it comes to handling, no matter how minimal. With the elephantine devices we have today, the 'bare' phones are big enough already. The 5X should have had much smaller top & bottom bezels, there's no need for it to be this tall. I wouldn't resent the large phones so much, but there are very few, if any, decent options for those of us who prefer smaller (around 5.2") phones.
I do use pouches/sleeves, but of course the phones are exposed when I'm actually using them, or if they're sitting on a table outside of their pouch. Over the course of a few years, I have accidentally dropped my phones a few times (Galaxy Nexus & Oneplus One, not the 5X thus far), and they have never received anything more than a few scuffs & minor scratches, of course their camera housings didn't protrude as far as that of the 5X.
Personally, I won't be concerned about the durability of the camera or the device in general until it's clear that there's an issue.