Repair Shops Are Stoked That the Samsung Galaxy S8 Is the Most Fragile Phone Ever Made (vice.com)

Smartphone repair companies are expecting to fix a lot of those beautiful, cracked Infinity Screens, the headline feature of the Samsung Galaxy S8. From a report on Motherboard: The Samsung Galaxy S8 is expensive, popular, and fragile. Its parts can also be sourced relatively inexpensively, which means that third party repair companies are salivating over the prospect of you fumbling the phone and bringing it to them for a screen repair. "The price point is good, the repairability is there," Justin Carroll, owner of the Richmond, Virginia-based Fruit Fixed smartphone repair shop told me. "Durability-wise, it's definitely going to break, no question about that." Soon after its release, electronics insurance company SquareTrade put Samsung's new flagship phone through its breakability test, a series of drops, dunks, and tumbles. It was deemed the most breakable phone of all time: "S8 is the first phone we've tested that's cracked on the first drop on ALL sides," SquareTrade wrote in a video demonstrating the drops.There's an obvious reason for this, of course. The S8 is made almost entirely of glass, and has barely any top or bottom bezel, which is why the phone is marketed as having an "infinity screen."

Comments

I laugh at smart phone fragility

[OzPeter]

My original Motorola RAZR is still going strong and I pretty well drop it onto a hard surface every other week. The back snaps off, the battery falls out. But the screens have never been cracked or damaged. And last week I got it so wet that it wouldn't turn on, so into the bowl of rice it went and the next day it was as good as new!

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Gilgaron]

I do miss those aspects of dumb phones. Still, I like having all the extra functionality. It's like the difference between a bayonet style combat knife and a Swiss Army Knife. The former is more durable, but less convenient and has fewer functions than the latter, even if it may excel at the functions is has by a significant margin.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

They break so we have to buy a new one. They can easily be designed to be consumer resistant, but they're not.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[slazzy]

I just bought a unlocked phone from Costco, my $89 Acer Zest does pretty much everything a high end phone does once I add a 32gig sd card.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[OzPeter]

Still, I like having all the extra functionality.

I sit in front of computer for my day job, so I don't need the extra functionality there. I do have an iPad for watching media at home, but for everything else all it takes is a little organization. After all I survived for a great many years without a cell phone - including multiple trips around the world.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[dreamchaser]

It is almost like different people have different use cases!

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Joce640k]

They know the big screen will sell more. After that it's your problem.

Let's hope none of the buyers find out about protective cases. We wouldn't want all those repair shops to miss out.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[sexconker]

My original Motorola RAZR is still going strong and I pretty well drop it onto a hard surface every other week. The back snaps off, the battery falls out. But the screens have never been cracked or damaged. And last week I got it so wet that it wouldn't turn on, so into the bowl of rice it went and the next day it was as good as new!

What network are you on? Most networks have killed off all the legacy shit that the RAZR supports, making it pretty fucking useless.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[DontBeAMoran]

Yes, exactly! If people would simply use cases for their smartphones they would be better protected!

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[OzPeter]

What network are you on? Most networks have killed off all the legacy shit that the RAZR supports, making it pretty fucking useless.

I'm on T-Mobile

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[OzPeter]

It is almost like different people have different use cases!

Yes .. and my use case is to be able to drop my phone and still have it work!

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

Well sure a case would help protect it. The trouble, as I've said many times, is that it is pretty well impossible to get a case which is both protective of the phone and also lets you see all of the pixels of this "infinite display".

These damn designers should learn to do something useful or at least devote their "creativity" toward objects which do not have such real-world, practical functions such as phones. The same is true for those marketers who have outlandish but impractical schemes.

I won't have anything to do with buying such a misdesigned phone. Too bad there are so many dummies around who fall for the hype.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

If only the manufacturers and retailers saw it that way.. I have neither need nor use for a "smartphone", twatter, facebook or a browser but "oldskool" phones are getting hard to find, and are pretty much invariably unmitigated crap if you find one. Bad call quality, built in cheap, fragile materials, etc. Samsung used to sell pretty good durable 'phones, but I have problem sourcing them now.

I guess I'll have to wait and see what the new 3310 actually brings to the market when it's released.

Re: I laugh at smart phone fragility

[thundercattt]

Haha my Razor does the exact same thing.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

I just bought a unlocked phone from Costco, my $89 Acer Zest does pretty much everything a high end phone does once I add a 32gig sd card.

Out of curiosity, how many versions back is Android on that phone? Will it ever get security updates beyond the OS version it shipped with?

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[DickBreath]

My original Motorola RAZR is still going strong and I pretty well drop it onto a hard surface every other week.

Some say you can throw a classic Nokia 3310 at a brick wall and it will be undamaged.
But it's not true. There are known cases of damage where you can see chips or nicks in the brick wall.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[sexconker]

Are you still going to claim that your "original Motorola RAZR is still going strong"? The original RAZR no longer works on T-Mobile, which has shut down their 2G network.

Are you thinking of the Droid RAZR? This is a Android phone from about 6 years ago that was rebranded as the "Motorola RAZR" for certain SKUs / carriers.

The original Motorola RAZR was a flip phone from 2003 or so. It sold well over 100 million units across its variants. When the remaining RAZRs started going dark a year or two back (due to the legacy networks it's compatible with being shut down) there was a minor bit of interest / nostalgia in them, and that prompted Motorola/Lenovo to release this teaser https://youtu.be/RVzE1YS9UWM . No, they didn't release a new / refreshed RAZR. The date was for their conference where they showed a bunch of shit nobody cared about.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

It is almost like different people have different use cases!

Yes .. and my use case is to be able to drop my phone and still have it work!

How can you tell? I mean, the device doesn't do anything useful[1], so how do you know if it's working?

[1] Phone calls don't count for the large percentage of us who basically never make or receive them any more.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude, the RAZR (from the early 3G GSM era) was the most fragile POS that Motorola made, people would break them because they left them in their back pockets, and like a moron, sat on them.

Which is to say nothing of the V60I that predated it, where people would break the antenna's like it was a toothpick.

The only dumbphones that were not fragile were the Nokia "candybar" models, and slider models (eg N95) because they were all plastic, all the way around, and typically had a rubberized backing. I'd have kept buying Nokia phones had Nokia not completely missed the iOS boat.

Which is to say, as much as I think iOS phones are pretty, the hell am I going to use it without an Otterbox.

People who are buying these "glass" phones pretty much deserve an ass kicking for buying such stupid things.

Your phone should either be:
1. Metal, as in aluminum

2. Plastic, as in polycarbonate

Not Glass.

The screen should have a replacable anti-scratch sheet on it as well.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[kamapuaa]

Wow, cool! A 3G phone with a .85 megapixel screen and the world's shittiest camera! Thanks for the advice, grandpa!

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

> My original Motorola RAZR is still going strong and I pretty well drop it onto a hard surface every other week. The back snaps off, the battery falls out. But the screens have never been cracked or damaged

This is also true of my Desire HD. I've dropped it quite a few times (and it was dropped by the person I bought it from) but the screen remains fine.

It is quite funny when people gasp because I dropped it (it can be fairly spectacular as quite a few pieces come off on impact) and I just pick it up, pop it back together and away I go.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

Bloody morons. Instead of complaining about "today's phones", why don't you just buy the phones you claim you want? They are still being made. Oh wait, it's that they actually cost more money because they are made in smaller numbers, and aren't sold below cost because of the holy market share.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[thegarbz]

Caterpillar make some nice smartphones that will meet that use case.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[Anonymous Coward]

which tmobile? tmobile usa still has gprs and edge here. they killed off aws hspa in many places, leaving my nokia n900 on 2g only. and tmo has promised to keep 2g alive until 2020 apparently (https://newsroom.t-mobile.com/news-and-blogs/att-2g-iot-lifeline.htm) partially as a jab at at&t

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[DontBeAMoran]

At last, one person understood the joke.

Re:I laugh at smart phone fragility

[syntotic]

It is the end of PCs... the end of tablets... the end of smartphones... Long live the end of wearables!!! FYI, primitives cannot even LEARN how they are made even when explained, do you think they would let us exhibit them as SUCH with our GIMMICKS? You are not taller than he is... then ? I know by experience: PRODUCTION IS NOT REACTING TO THE MARKET NOR TO DEMAND AND THE EXCUSE IS TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT. This means: no matter how much you spend on this, on it, the company will decide to go obsolete and stop production, to favour a new model rather than keep a tried-tested-and-true model loved by the public and demonstrably a market success or cash cow, because some management can claim (some) marketing considerations (but not a true real full general model, which I think has not yet been produced academically, only an old demand like model not based in accelerated technological change and virtualization of non appropriable goods). OR IN OTHER WORDS: spend on it while you CAN, price will be so high later your stock and life may well be at stake and you will NOT force them into producing it again because YOU CANNOT MAKE IT YOURSELF. Suffer it.

C'mon

[Necron69]

Only an idiot uses their $750 phone without a good case. I received my Otterbox Defender for the GS8+ two weeks before I got the phone. I've dropped it several times with no problems.

- Necron69

Re:C'mon

[OrangeTide]

I see people taking their super thin phones and stuffing them into a bulkcase case. And here I am with my medium thickness smartphone that people think is too big, yet without a case it no larger and it survives fine. (and costs half as much)

I would think that people who get a nice looking phone that breaks all the time would probably stop repairing/replacing it after a while and get something less conservative. If people behave how I think they behave then that can only hurt sales of the GS8.

Re:C'mon

[known_coward_69]

so how is that 20 pound phone now?

Re:C'mon

[EvilSS]

Only an idiot uses their $750 phone without a good case. I received my Otterbox Defender for the GS8+ two weeks before I got the phone. I've dropped it several times with no problems.

- Necron69

Otterbox? WEAK protection. I keep my phone in a roll behind Pelican case.

Re:C'mon

[Necron69]

Personally, I don't consider thinness of a phone to be a great feature. I'd much rather have a bigger battery. Phone thicknesses are fine, and the rubbery case makes it much easier to hold onto. I haven't needed a thinner phone since my first Galaxy S model.

Thinness is a pure marketing gimmick, and contributes to the fragility problem.

- Necron69

Re:C'mon

[OrangeTide]

I have this conspiracy theory that it is possible to make thin phones that are not fragile, but it is more profitable to make ones that break. Plastic screens are possible, they aren't great, but they are possible. A steel framework (triangle shapes) for the body, surrounded by a titanium or carbon fiber shell would be rigid but thin and light. I think if this were an aircraft or spacecraft part that engineers would have been able to solve the issue, but since it's cheaply made consumer electronics there isn't as much of a push to create a durable item.

Would I pay $1K or more for a phone that could pry railway cars off their tracks? I don't know, I suppose I might. Now we just need to find 50 million other people that would and we can build a profitable business.

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

He is fancier than your average bear.

-Anonymous Coward

Re:C'mon

[AmiMoJo]

I prefer a case and reasonably thin phone. The case can be easily and cheaply replaced. Normal wear and tear will eventually leave marks on it. With a basic skin I can keep a phone looking practically new even after a couple of years.

The GS8 doesn't strike me as any worse than numerous other phones that came before it. The iPhones with glass backs, for example. It's hardly the first phone with wrap-around screen either, or the heaviest/largest. Throw the usual skin on and it will be fine.

Re:C'mon

[sexconker]

Only an idiot uses their $750 phone without a good case. I received my Otterbox Defender for the GS8+ two weeks before I got the phone. I've dropped it several times with no problems.

- Necron69

Only an idiot drops their $750 phone.

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

He's too old to change.

Re:C'mon

[Opportunist]

Is that the reason why they have to get slimmer and slimmer so you can buy bulkier and bulkier cases required to protect the more and more fragile phones?

Re:C'mon

[Captain Splendid]

It's not a conspiracy theory, it's called Planned Obsolescence, and it's been going on since the fifties. Point being, there's no upside for manufacturers to make anything that lasts more than a few years.

Re:C'mon

[DontBeAMoran]

I received my Otterbox Defender for the GS8+ two weeks before I got the phone. I've dropped it several times with no problems.

That's good to know your Otterbox Defender survived several drops with no problems. But what about your GS8+?

Re:C'mon

[DontBeAMoran]

Some fragile smartphones already are $1K or more.

Re:C'mon

[DontBeAMoran]

About 9.07 kilograms.

Re:C'mon

[DontBeAMoran]

Stop replying to him with signed messages, you're upsetting him!

- DontBeAMoran

Re:C'mon

[avandesande]

Protective cases are dumb I use wallet/case I will never go back to having to worry about carrying a wallet and a phone separately.

Re:C'mon

[Mike Van Pelt]

My main criterion for a phone is that Seidio makes a case for it. I love their case and belt clip combination. I don't get the whole "make it so very very thing" nonsense, either.

I don't know if this applies to the S8, as I haven't touched one, but as much as I like Samsung Galaxy phones, they make them out of the slipperiest substance this side of greased teflon. It's easier to hold onto a wet bar of soap. That's another reason I want a case for them. I've had no trouble holding onto my S3 or S6 since I got the Seidio case. It's a much more "grippy" type of plastic.

Re:C'mon

[choovanski]

Hell, I bought a four dollar case (on sale for half off) on Monoprice. I've dropped my iPhone SE at least a dozen times and it's still fine. Even if you don't want to buy a great case, ANY case is better than nothing.

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

I've had no case on my phone for I don't know how many years. Since the original.Galaxy S and every new model.since. Never dropped or.broken one.

Sorry you're such a clumsy cunt to have dropped yours 3 times in a matter of days but that isn't really a reason to berate people who don't like cases

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

prying railway cars off tracks is a profitable business?!?

Re: C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

Obviously he's not doing it on purpose. Some people are clumsier than others. It is what it is. Clumsy people like to have nice things, too, but need them to survive drops and spills and whatnot. That's a bigger part of the market segment than one would think.

Nothing wrong with being clumsy, BTW. We're born that way.

Re:C'mon

[ctilsie242]

The ideal is to have a phone that doesn't need a case to survive a drop or two. I had an iPhone 4, and it stayed intact because from day 1, it lived in an Otterbox case.

With the engineering needs, such as heat dissipation, having larger, thinner phones is just natural phone evolution. Because people want faster CPUs that require a larger heat sink, pretending that larger and more delicate phones are what customers what only makes sense. So, it isn't a surprise phones are getting more delicate.

I would say that for most smartphones, a case is a must. It doesn't have to be a big, clunky Otterbox Tank, but at least something that can absorb shock, guard against scratches from pocket oddments (sand, keys, caltrops), and also perhaps protect the ports from lint as well. If one sells their phones, it does help with resale value.

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

"Thinness is a pure marketing gimmick, and contributes to the fragility problem." Exactly! I don't need a "smart" phone, but when you need a huge heavy duty case just so the phone doesn't break, the phone is FAR TOO FRAGILE! And its not just phones, its tablets and laptops as well. They are all getting too thin! If its too thin to have a standard headphone jack, or (for laptops) to thin to have standard USB-A connectors, ITS TOO THIN! I will stick to my flip-phone, and my 6 year old Lenovo laptop, they are much more robust than anything made today, with the possible exception of military stuff!

Re:C'mon

[DickBreath]

By signing his comment he is proving his identity so that you know it is really him.

-- DickBreath

Re:C'mon

[tlhIngan]

It's not a conspiracy theory, it's called Planned Obsolescence, and it's been going on since the fifties. Point being, there's no upside for manufacturers to make anything that lasts more than a few years.

There's also not much point overdesigning something so it lasts forever, when most people will toss it in a few years, either. Sure it feels good, and you'll make the couple of people who use their devices until it's not just obsolete, but the company doesn't exist anymore.

Sure, somethings should last forever, like things that are no longer produced but have long utility lives (arcade games, pinball machines, etc), but high technology? I'm sure even with today's retro gaming kick you can still get access to plenty of 486 PCs to run DOS and your games for a long time coming;.

Re: C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

I keep mine in my safe deposit box. Besides being great protection, no bothersome calls or texts disrupt my day.

Re:C'mon

[AmiMoJo]

Unless your phone is built into a General Products #4 hull it's going to get cosmetic damage without a skin/case. Some people don't care.

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not like they build a ticking bomb into the phone.

But yes, they probably tell their engineers to aim for a year or whatever. Fragility, battery cycles, you name it.

Step 1) Make it look pretty during the 30-second "review" journalists get during expos
Step 2) Do whatever gets it off the store shelves
Step 3) There is no step three, they already bought it, who cares

Re:C'mon

[OrangeTide]

It's just a hobby right now. We hope it goes viral and brings a lot of viewers to our YouTube channel.

Re:C'mon

[Fwipp]

Yep. I got a $60 android phone (unlocked) a year ago and I probably drop the thing daily. The cheap plastic bezels have bent a few times, but it's easy enough to bend it back into shape. The worst damage it's suffered is a small scratch to the screen (from one of the many times I put it in my pocket with my keys, no doubt).

And if I bust it, a replacement is only another $60. :P

Re:C'mon

[brunes69]

I have never understood the logic of paying $800+ for a premium device that YOU KNOW will be worth less than 25% of it's original price in 3 years, and sticking that device in this crazy ugly giant case. It would be like taking your brand new car and covering it in thick foam shrink-wrap before driving it around, to "preserve it", even though it's value will drop regardless.

Myself? I abuse the hell out of my phone, and use an ultra-think case that is JUST ENOUGH to keep it from shattering on drop. Phone is loaded with nicks and scratches. Guess what? I don't give a shit because those nicks and scratches are not detracting from it's eventual resale value in any meaningful way.

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

Duh, you don't DROP a car

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

two weeks before I got the phone

So you actually received the Terminator edition of the Otterbox Defender; it was sent ahead of time to prevent any catastrophe to your GS8+

Re:C'mon

[Schugy]

Only idiots buy phones that aren't usable without a case. I want to feel the 750$ in my hand and not the silicone or plastic junk around it. BTW I still use a flip phone.

Re:C'mon

[No Longer an AC]

As an ex-smoker, I don't see the point of having something thinner than a pack of cigarettes.

I carried those things around for years and learned not to crush them in my pockets.

Re:C'mon

[Plumpaquatsch]

By signing his comment he is proving his identity so that you know it is really him.

Then he should PGP sign it.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.1 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org/

GuvfvfnsnxrCTCfvtangheriD8DBQE5Pf 40WyoKbftXl6kRAsWJAJ4hj7FzPX8M9MWZ av9u6yjbHXWGKwCfSiKA wTaJ/lfY1ETv3R/uJrtGTbI=
=BDOH
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Re:C'mon

[Plumpaquatsch]

Duh, you don't DROP a car

Tell that to the guy I just (*) saw driving his car over a ca. 18 inch high ledge

(*) okay, two hours ago.

Re:C'mon

[thegarbz]

Or maybe we have $750 to burn. Or maybe they are actually cheap to fix. Or maybe people actually like the look of their device sans case.

Only an idiot would think that everyone is in the same situation as themselves and call others idiots for it.

Re:C'mon

[thegarbz]

Personally I do and have yet to have a problem with frailty or battery life. One man's gimmick is another man's desired feature.

Re:C'mon

[Radiophobic]

I would say that only an idiot pays $750 for a phone that needs to go in a case. Part of the appeal of having a nice phone that you pay a lot of money for is what the phone looks like. I have an htc one m9. I have dropped it hundreds of times, it's not in a case and it's screen is still in great shape.

Re:C'mon

[mjwx]

Only an idiot uses their $750 phone without a good case. I received my Otterbox Defender for the GS8+ two weeks before I got the phone. I've dropped it several times with no problems.

- Necron69

Only an idiot buys a $750 phone when a $375 phone is just as good, if not better. Sorry, not sorry.

My Nexus 5X has taken a few tumbles and is no worse for wear.

I'm also not a klutz that goes around dropping stuff contently, in the 18 months I've had it, I've dropped it twice.

Re:C'mon

[Anonymous Coward]

Only an idiot spends $750 on a great looking phone and then puts it in a case.

- Necron70

I'm not upgrading

[ckatko]

I'm not upgrading from my waterproof, durable S5 with easily replacable battery, SD card slot, and headphone jack, until they (Samsung or Apple) make a product that actually improves on it.

I really don't understand why people will buy "newer" products that are actually inferior. I mean, I get the "it's newer it must be better" people who don't have time to evaluate. But when you're spending $600+ on something, how can you not notice the LACK of features from your previous phone? Am I the only one who has to be careful with my financial purchases?

Re:I'm not upgrading

[fahrbot-bot]

I'm not upgrading from my waterproof, durable S5 with easily replacable battery, SD card slot, and headphone jack, ...

My Kyocera Hydro VIBE has all that, so ditto.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[slazzy]

I think a lot of people are on Cell contracts which allow a free or almost free phone every few years. Personally I use a pay-as-i-go plan, which saves a lot, but I have to buy my phone at full price.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[Anonymous Coward]

My NEC Terrain has all of that, and a keyboard.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[TWX]

I went to Kyocera to replace my Galaxy SII. It's not the brand-new-bells/whistles phone, but at some point I realized I didn't really need or even want all of the latest bells and whistles, I wanted a durable, reliable phone that just always works.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[Anonymous Coward]

you will when your apps stop working.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[johnsmithperson123]

Unfortunately, upgradability is a niche concern. I mean, I might even go for a phone that is a half inch thick or even a whole inch, if I can upgrade/replace RAM, battery, wifi, drive, etc.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[DontBeAMoran]

Google tried and unfortunately "people don't want that".

Re:I'm not upgrading

[Anonymous Coward]

sometimes your current phone develops a glitch. My nexus 6p now starts cutting off around 25% charge (just shuts off), I preordered it. Sadly I will be getting a new phone soon (I ordered a heat gun and a battery so I will try and salvage it, but I suspect that will be the phones death knell). I will probably get a oneplus 5 (or if I can wait a bit longer possibly a lg v30), yes they cost money but that is life (most things worth having do)

Re:I'm not upgrading

[ThatNakedGuy]

The S5 was the last good phone Samsung made. It does everything I need. Why upgrade?

Re:I'm not upgrading

[PrimaryConsult]

Why even stick with Samsung? LG's flagship phone (G6) is far better. Durable, has headphone jack and SD card, and wireless charging (which I didn't really see the convenience to until I got it - saves wear on USB port). Unfortunately it's the first one to not have removable battery, but I'd been carrying one of those USB recharger things around anyway, better than a spare battery since the same unit can recharge whatever USB device dies first. Not worried about battery death since my Samsung Galaxy S3 battery outlasted both that phone, its warranty replacements and the refurbished S4 they eventually sent me. I'm banking that battery tech has improved since then.

That said, if your S5 does everything you need, no reason to upgrade. I only did because the S4 had a hardware (or firmware) bug that resulted in arbitrary text messages being delivered to me hours (or sometimes days) after they were sent. After looking online I realized this was a known problem with S4s.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[torkus]

You're a few years out of date my friend (or perhaps not from the US)...most cell providers have gone the route of separating the phone and service prices these days.

They will also finance it over 2 years for you but the effect is the same and you can pay it off any time.

Besides that, the phones were never free. You just paid more each month to cover it...and continued to do so once you were out of contract as well.

Re: I'm not upgrading

[Anonymous Coward]

But LG phones (and Google's which are made by LG) seem to end up in a boot loop after a while. So no thanks.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[eam3]

Amen! I love my S5 and as "pretty" as the S7 and now the S8 are, I'll stick with my trusty reliable S5 for now.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[sremick]

Right there with you, for all the same reasons. And with a third-party firmware, I'm current on Android 7.1.

No phone since the S5 has been able to sell me on being an improvement/upgrade. Apparently phone makers don't want my money.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[argStyopa]

Yes.

According to Facebook, the rest of us are all wealthy, happy, beautiful people with astonishingly sexy partners, well-adjusted children, at least 2 pets that are CONSTANTLY making adorable faces for our instagram feeds and who not only have spare time to go out to dinner/clubs every night, but to also fill our weekend with delightful fun family projects (that always work out) and take fun vacations at least three or four times a year.

If you are not ALLof those, well, you are clearly a desperately unhappy borderline sociopath not acceptable in my friend circles.

Re: I'm not upgrading

[thundercattt]

I agree. I still have my Rugby LTE. Still running original 4.4.1 because Samsung never updated the OS ever. It's rugged, been whipped against a wall and survived (purposely). No need to upgrade.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[Stormwatch]

It's worse, people will DEFEND the new product when you point it's actually inferior. Utterly baffling.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[Anonymous Coward]

Expensive smartphones aren't worth having unless you're insecure and lazy.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[epyT-R]

Not really baffling. Society has slowly shifted towards associating purchases with self worth and social exclusivity. While this was always true to some extent it has gotten much worse in recent years. They've become more important than more objective criteria like performance and reliability.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[PRMan]

I'm with you. I am still rolling along on my S5, having seen nothing that improves on it.

It is getting a little slow with the latest updates, but now I'm waiting for a 600MHz phone so I can get gigabit with T-Mobile next year.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[PRMan]

I replaced the batteries on all 4 Galaxy S5s. They had the same problems as the Note 7s (getting extremely hot, rebooting, bulged battery). But since I could replace them with Anker batteries for $12 each, I just did that. And we got a charger and an extra so we can grab one anytime.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[burtosis]

I'm not upgrading from my waterproof, durable S5 with easily replacable battery, SD card slot, and headphone jack, until they (Samsung or Apple) make a product that actually improves on it.

I really don't understand why people will buy "newer" products that are actually inferior. I mean, I get the "it's newer it must be better" people who don't have time to evaluate. But when you're spending $600+ on something, how can you not notice the LACK of features from your previous phone? Am I the only one who has to be careful with my financial purchases?

But they are better. They make more money for Samsung, which is the bottom line.

OH - you meant better for you! Good luck with that my friend, I think we will be waiting a long time.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[Falos]

I coasted all the way down to ~$5/mo while platinumtel was around. I just needed to be reliably on-call, very rare need for data.

If you guys favor a reliable alacarte, it's not like I'm contracted to anything.

Re:I'm not upgrading

[thegarbz]

how can you not notice the LACK of features from your previous phone?

Depends. Do you use every single feature your current phone has to offer? I'm sure there's a few features on the S5 that I couldn't care less about. Removable battery is one of them.

So what would I miss going from the S5 to the S8:
USB-B I'll need a new cable.

What would I get with the S8 that I don't have on the S5:
Faster CPU
More memory
Dual SIM
Better screen
Better camera
Updated version of Android
Samsung Pay
Far better waterproofing
Bluetooth 5
Iris scanner
Barometer
SpO2 meter
Not messing with the stupid water cap on the USB port.
USB-C
Access to the microSD card in a way that doesn't compromise the integrity of the worlds smallest seal (seriously calling the S5 waterproof is a joke).

Yeah the lack of features is really incredible. So tell me. What features do you lack other than a removable battery that by-n-large no one gives a crap about?

Fashion over function

[geekmux]

"The S8 is made almost entirely of glass, and has barely any top or bottom bezel, which is why the phone is marketed as having an "infinity screen."

An infinity screen.

You know what else goes to infinity these days? Marketing fashion over function to the ignorant masses who love that shit.

So much for common sense design.

Re:Fashion over function

[ckatko]

>So much for common sense design.

[[Lithium battery heat intensifies.]]

Re:Fashion over function

[Thanatiel]

More like common dense design.

Re:Fashion over function

[fahrbot-bot]

"The S8 is made almost entirely of glass, and has barely any top or bottom bezel, which is why the phone is marketed as having an "infinity screen."

An infinity screen.

So much for common sense design.

Could be worse. Could be made with an Infinity Stone - holding *that* would be a bitch.

Re:Fashion over function

[DontBeAMoran]

and beyond!

Buzz Lightyear could not be reached for comment.

Re:Fashion over function

[Holi]

These days?

Fashion over function is hardly limited to "these days".

Re:Fashion over function

[AlanBDee]

You're not alone. Smart people will drive a car until the wheels fall off and use their phone until it doesn't turn on. (or can't hold a charge for a full day)

Re:Fashion over function

[hey!]

You know what else goes to infinity these days? Marketing fashion over function to the ignorant masses who love that shit.

So much for common sense design.

Well, in a world where silliness sells, silly design *is* common sense design.

For years cell phones rudimentary, and data services over the air were bad, proprietary, and costly. You had to pay for an add-on service on some carriers to get your photos off your phone. Then Steve Jobs picked the weakest carrier that was big enough -- in the US that was AT&T -- and made them an offer. That's how the stranglehold of carriers on phone features was broken, and the results were for many people a revelation. But not for those of us working on mobile apps before the iPhone ... to us this was how things should have been all along.

But as much as Jobs deserves credit for cutting off the carrers' balls, he also introduced the phone using public to the assumption that a flagship phone was supposed to be ground breaking. And maybe that was OK for the first few years, but ten years on now it's not a reasonable expectation. But until the public gives up the equation of pointless novelty with "cool", we're stuck with it.

Re:Fashion over function

[Aighearach]

Marketing fashion over function to the ignorant masses who love that shit.

So much for common sense design.

Sounds fine to me, what do the masses need a bunch of function for?

Re:Fashion over function

[geekmux]

Marketing fashion over function to the ignorant masses who love that shit.

So much for common sense design.

Sounds fine to me, what do the masses need a bunch of function for?

I keep asking myself that same question every time a new smartphone model is released, and we find the manufacturing marketeers decided that 4K capability was absolutely necessary on a 6" screen, along with 200 other battery-draining, privacy-sucking "functions" consumers never asked for.

Re:Fashion over function

[Aighearach]

Oh, I think consumers did in fact ask for silly resolution that looks "as good as real life." They don't have a use case for it, but they've been asking for that since we were drawing with our fingers on the cave walls by firelight.

Personally, what I want is electronic tools that designed are designed as tools with features targeted at my use cases. I'll just go ahead and laugh at myself for that and save the manufacturers the trouble!

On a funny note

[Anonymous Coward]

If it doesn't explode when you drop it, it's fine.

Re:On a funny note

[OrangeTide]

Samsung offers two distinct smartphone lines to choose from:
A) Screen shatters on the slightest tap,
B) Sets you on fire.

Both product lines are extremely popular. Scientists, neurologists, sociologists, and psychologists need to research this phenomenon to better understand the failing in consumer choice before capitalism collapses in a heap of broken flaming smartphones.

Re:On a funny note

[DontBeAMoran]

The results of that research will make you depressed. Very, very depressed. Which will cause you to look down. You'll notice you haven't bought new shoes in a while. And then you'll decide to go buy new shoes to make you happy.

And that's the beginning of the end.

Re:On a funny note

[Anonymous Coward]

The Pinto didn't. Just when you rear ended it.

Electronics insurance company?

[Anonymous Coward]

:electronics insurance company SquareTrade

I bet no one reads the small print - you know where they fuck you.

Do you know what their margins are? 92%. Yeah, fucking drug runners would go legit if they knew how much they can make in the: "extended warranty", "electronics insurance" racket.

Oh! The 8%? That's to pay the executives and the people who say "NO SOUP FOR YOU!" or "HERE IS A VERY VERY USED MODEL to replace the phone you bought yesterday! Ignore those scratches and sperm stains. Sorry for the inconvenience!"

Re:Electronics insurance company?

[Anonymous Coward]

SPERM STAINS??? What the hell are people doing with/to their phones?

Re:Electronics insurance company?

[Stormwatch]

Checking porn in bed, duh.

Re:Electronics insurance company?

[Anonymous Coward]

Like everyone says until they're blue in the face, "Don't buy insurance"

I had an insurance policy for my last phone because my dad was like "it's the best thing evarrr! :-D" and I trusted his opinion.

Then, the phone was physically falling apart and I was like "ah, no worries, I'm insured! :-D"

So I go to take it in and they were like "you're better off keeping it, because if it has physical damage - regardless the cause - we replace it with a refurbished phone, and it costs you $100.

So I keep it.

Then a year later - it gets stolen!

Once again, I refer to my trusty insurance - Oh what do you mean my deductible (towards a refurbished phone) is higher than what I can buy outright on eBay!?

Yeah, I got fucked and they didn't even take me to dinner first.

Re:Electronics insurance company?

[DontBeAMoran]

Yeah, I got fucked and they didn't even take me to dinner first.

Consider yourself lucky. That's more action than most Slashdot readers have ever experienced.

SquareTrade Video

[Kunedog]

Here's a video of the drop tests:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

It has a high dislike ratio and comments are disabled, which are often major red flags. Anyone know why?

Re:SquareTrade Video

[DontBeAMoran]

Because they don't want 5000 Apple fanboy comments about how that Android phone sucks, ignoring the fact that Apple's phones are fragile too.

I wish people would drop the childish mentality that "plastic is crap". The toughest phones out there have plastic cases.

Re:SquareTrade Video

[Anonymous Coward]

I wish people would drop the childish mentality that "plastic is crap". The toughest phones out there have plastic cases.

I work with someone who grabs every new tech device and tries to flex it on the theory that if it flexes it is cheep. I keep trying to tell him that flexing absorbs shock. Bend or break is the rule to stress. He also believes heavier things are higher quality. He grew up in the era when they added heavy weights to plastic telephones to make them feel quality.

Re:SquareTrade Video

[Anonymous Coward]

Cheep?

Re:SquareTrade Video

[PRMan]

He thinks flexing phones are the sounds that come out of a small bird.

Re:SquareTrade Video

[jon3k]

I'm pretty sure Apple fans aren't giving the video a thumbs down, so I don't think that logic holds. More than likely its the massive number of Android users coming to defend it.

so much for all that testing...

[RotateLeftByte]

that Samsung plastered over our screens earlier this year.
If the thing is that fragile could they have another Note 7 on the cards?
If it is that bad, I'd expect an awful lot of returns and their warranty costs will skyrocket.
What dropping the phone not covered by the warranty? That will do their reputation a lot of harm and after the note 7 fiasco, it could be a financial disaster for Samsung.

Now, if the forthcoming iPhone 8 is as robust as others then a lot of people will be heading in that direction rather than going with the S8.

Time to get the popcorn in. This has a long wat to go.

Glass is good

[fustakrakich]

It doesn't melt and burn like plastic. So this phone should be relatively fire resistant.

What's Infinity? The number of pieces it becomes when you drop it?

Re:Glass is good

[Anonymous Coward]

Drops in the video are 6 feet, which is unusually far for an accident. Drops from 3 feet would be far more interesting from a real world testing perspective. Wouldn't look as good for their customer protection racket though.

Re:Glass is good

[DontBeAMoran]

While I agree that six feet (~183cm) is too high for a drop test, in my opinion three feet (~91cm) is way too low. Unless you're a midget, of course. I just measured and while using my phone I'm holding it at around four feet (~122cm) from the ground.

Re:Glass is good

[Anonymous Coward]

183cm is where I hold my phone to my ear, where it accidentally slips out of my hand on a stone floor.

I once dropped a mac book pro (a generation before the unibody) on a tile floor at the vegetable shop, it fell out of an open back pack which was on my back at the time. Easy 120cm or so. It actually survived, with a big dent in the corner, about 0.5 cm deep, it had a crumple zone it seems, the bend metal didn't even touch the logic board.

Re:Glass is good

[DontBeAMoran]

Oh right, I forgot that a few people still use their smartphones to make phone calls.

Re:Glass is good

[Plumpaquatsch]

Oh right, I forgot that a few people still use their smartphones to make phone calls.

Even not so tall women will drop their phones from 6 feet when it slips while making a duckface selfie.

Figures, I just bought one

[Anonymous Coward]

because my old Samsung phone was stolen

Re:Figures, I just bought one

[DontBeAMoran]

Don't worry! In about a week your new phone will look so crap that nobody will want to steal it.

If You Want a Great Android Phone

[Anonymous Coward]

just get a Google Pixel. You get pure Android, no bloatware, and arguably the best camera on a smartphone at the moment. Never understood the hype over Samsung phones. Been buying Nexus and now Pixels since 2012, don't think that will change.

Re:If You Want a Great Android Phone

[Anonymous Coward]

the camera gives you crystal clear audio during calls! Its also a subwoofer!

fast fashion

[kiviQr]

Welcome to a mix of fast fashion and form over function that is making a ton of money for phone producers. Amazing that 98% of users buy glass back phones and cover them with ugly cases. So what was the point of glass back? $5 plastic cover was too durable?

Re:fast fashion

[Pascoea]

Amazing that 98% of users buy glass back phones and cover them with ugly cases. So what was the point of glass back? $5 plastic cover was too durable?

Spot on. My S6 is "gorgeous", glass back, aluminum frame, looks awesome. Too bad I'm scared to death of breaking it and keep it in an "ugly" otterbox. On the plus side, when by case gets ratty I can spend another $30 for a new one. Even if the phone didn't have the fancy glass back or thin bezel I'd still probably have it in a case, just for the piece of mind.

Re:fast fashion

[PRMan]

Meanwhile. My S5 has an "ugly" plastic back. I've dropped it several times and it still works. I don't even have a case on it except my hip case. I can change the battery (great for an instant charge since Anker provided me with a charger when I bought 2 batteries) and the micro SD card (recently put in a 64 GB because I was running out of space on my 32 GB). Fantastic.

Re:fast fashion

[thegarbz]

Amazing that 98% of users buy glass back phones and cover them with ugly cases.

98% of people buy covers for their phones? Where do you live, bubblewrap city?

I know someone with an S7

[kilodelta]

And she hates it and is sorry she bought it.

Durability wise it's definitely going to break

[Anonymous Coward]

Funny that's what it says on Page 3 of my Tata Nano owner's manual.

Smartphones are accessories

[sinij]

Smartphones for most people are fashion accessories that could also be used to watch cat videos and check facebook. This is why actual usability is a very distant consideration.

More marketing wank

[Anonymous Coward]

No bezel means you're fat fingers constantly trigger the touchscreen. Thinner phones = more easily damaged, and too me, dropped, phones. Im getting sick of companies pushing innovations that are actually harmful to my use of the device.

TVs? Look how thin mine is! Who fracking cares? Its still sitting on a 2 foot deep entertainment center to hold the 1 foot deep electronics I attach to the TV ("but I put mine on the wall", well then you really dont need it to be thinner do you?). Dont worry that they took out the speakers to get the TV this thin; they can sell you those separately for your convenience. Dont worry that the flatness kills the light diffusion and causes bright spots. Soon they will sell us light diffusion devices separately. But look how thin!

Sorry. Im tangent-ranting now. Umm. Samsung. Stop it. Be better.

Supervillain phone

[jensend]

"I did it because of the kids! They called me Mr. Glass!"

Re:Supervillain phone

[Anonymous Coward]

+1 Unbreakable reference

Dear Samsung

[nightfire-unique]

I have one thousand US dollars I wish to give you in exchange for a phone with the following characteristics:

- Flagship specifications (processor, memory, etc)
- Removable/replaceable battery
- SD card slot
- Large battery (4000+ mAh)
- Water resistance and rugged(ish) design
- Proper sensor array: IMU, GPS, thermometer, hygrometer, pressure, ambient light
- Popular world LTE band support

I am not alone. Please address my market segment.

Re:Dear Samsung

[GuB-42]

You basically want a Galaxy S5, 2017 edition.

Re:Dear Samsung

[PRMan]

LG G4?

The battery is only 3000 mAh (which given the new efficiencies in Android is plenty), but it has everything else.

Re:Dear Samsung

[Anonymous Coward]

how about proper usb c 3.1 support or at the very least mhl or slimport support (heck dual sim too, why not), maybe the lg v 30 will do all htis and not boot loop.

Re:Dear Samsung

[Anonymous Coward]

and a boot loop issue

Re:Dear Samsung

[Anonymous Coward]

Just get the "active" version of the s6 or s7? Or wait for the active version of the s8?

If you really wanted it you should have Googled this for a few seconds.

Re:Dear Samsung

[Anonymous Coward]

Observe the upcoming Oukitel K10000 Pro which has a 10Ah battery, detailed specs are not known yet though.

Re:Dear Samsung

[Anonymous Coward]

https://www.fairphone.com/en/

Re:Dear Samsung

[nightfire-unique]

Close, but the battery is glued in. No thanks.

Thanks!

[RumGunner]

I really did need new shoes, I found a hole in the one by looking down. Good call!

What scratches?

[Gabest]

Ah, those are just cracks Ma'am.

Not to mention the most explosive

[OneHundredAndTen]

After all, it is a Samsung phone - such phones are well known for their explosiveness and their bloatware load. Well, if you are stupid enough to pay $800 for a gadget, better make sure that it comes with lots of software. And that it is really explosive.

Peak Fumble

[TheRealHocusLocus]

[repost 'cause no one reads my shit anyway]

MARKETING! STAT! New product and campaign. Moshi moshi.

New phone rounded edges and corners thinner no buttons.
Like all our other phones?
No, different. Quadrilateral yet not rectangular. This shape.
That is a coffin shape. Looks like.
Yes I drew it much to show, but real angle here no more than 5 degrees off vertical.
But everything we make is rectangular! People want display go to edge.
Make people want this instead. Put button or something in edge part, new shape is important.
Why this idea? Why now?
We must change. Our product line has reached 'peak fumble'.
So the Fumble Working Group told you this?
Yes. First they tell us, we must pay Hollywood to have actors toss phone to each other in movies.
+Then they tell us in commercials people must do everything with one hand. Like card trick.
+Then they say side buttons flush with case because they were helping fingers hold on.
+Then it was thin! Thin! Thin! So hand cannot securely wrap around, phone pops up and out.
+ But now they say we reach 'peak frumble'. Phones dropping has leveled off. Must do something.
How will new shape help?
We have years of rectangular phone now, thin phone. People nervous, hold it tightly, right?
And?
This new phone when you squeeze will shoot out of hand like pumpkin seed! Is brilliant!
That is nice. You should do it both ways make wedge shaped too thicker on display end.
Why so?
Young female demographic, tight jeans rear pocket. They sit down and their phone extracts itself easily.
Yes! These two things work together. We need to form a Lost Phone Working Group.
Great, now we need to hear from Suddenly Screen Crack Working Group. How are things?
Screen crack in warranty is down, but post-warranty screen crack is line that falls, like so.
Needs improvement. Tell us again about your tension over time initiative.
Bezel glass is mounted on gasket, and we start with gasket thicker on one end.
+Then heat treat and press gasket flat before manufacture. Case allows expansion but glass does not.
+This way we can reach triple tension on glass two months out of warranty.
+ At one year even more. Even one meter drop onto wood surface triggers fracture.
I have seen the report. But to provide this tension, the gasket must be backed with metal, yes?
Unfortunately yes. A thin but strong outer frame casting of treated steel. Heavy.
True, but increased heaviness improves the cracking profile because it results in more impact.
GOOD, THEN. We will go with the new shape, thicker on one end, and sell the idea that heavier is good.
+ That should be easy. We introduce idea herring that heavier means you can hold onto it easier.
+ And go with the tension gasket idea. I want to see a crack profile that starts peaking at six months.
+ And we must strive for total cracking by a year and one half. One hundred percent, people!
Meeting is adjourned.

Obligation to repair

[Anonymous Coward]

The Repair Industry Mafia at work.

Counterfeit

[DrYak]

It's like the difference between a bayonet style combat knife and a Swiss Army Knife. The former is more durable

Well, if you source your "Swiss Army Knifes" from China...

But the rest of the comparison is spott-on :
Just like a combat knife is - well - a knife designed for combat, whereas a Swiss Army Knife has only "army knife" in the name* and is basically designed to be a toolbox-combo-with-kitchen-cutelry-drawer that fits in your pocket (and a very useful one at that),
similarly a classic phone is mainly designed to be a portable phone, whereas modern smartphone are mostly designed to be "computers that fit into your pocket and fill a good chunk of all your daily computing needs (plus can also make calls)".

---
*: i.e.: despite the "Swiss Army" name, it's not a military combat knife. It's more like a kitchen knife issued by the swiss army, hence the name.

RAZR2

[DrYak]

Are you thinking of the Droid RAZR?

In between was also the RAZR2.
That one had a 3G variant in Europe.
The one I inherited from my brother kept working very well as a back-up phone until it got lost/stolen in a train.

And there are still cell towers able to fall back to GPRS in Europe (a.k.a. "2.5G") so a RAZR could get even internet connection in some regions.

mine survived drop off roof and porch this week

[feldmark]

In the last week I've accidentally dropped my Huawei Hero 6X off my 1st story roof and off a 6 ft porch. One barely visible dent in the rear of the case. If you want a difficult to break mobile (and aren't worried about Chinese software) get a Hero 6X for $249. (I think they've got a $50 coupon out for mother's day so it's $199 and they are in the process of updating to 7.0. Only drawback for me is lack of NFC.)

Durability

[Anonymous Coward]

The new NOKIA line is pretty good. Build like a tank.
But the S8 is faster. So think what you want. A phone that is fragile but fast or a phone that is reasonably fast for internet use, but does not brake.

Nokia 6 Teardown - Build Quality Review - Repair Video

From youtube -> The Nokia 6 is one of the STRONGEST phones I have ever tested. It is time to see what makes this phone so ridged. What gives the Nokia 6 its structural strength? Thick metal? A zillion screws? Lets find out in this complete disassembly and teardown video of the Nokia 6.