Glass iPhone 4 backs (w/colors)

[Trius]

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So, I think this is what I've been waiting for ever since I read how easy it is to replace the back cover on the iP4. What do you guys think? This looks to be WAY cheaper than what I've been seeing so far, and they have different colors!

I hate cases, and my only solution so far has been ghost armor.... which is OK at best.. but I still miss the nice glass feel instead of rubber. I think this is the only "case" solution that I can tolerate. And at under $15, sounds pretty good to me.

[URL="http://cgi.ebay.com/Silver-Back-Cover-Housing-Assembly-Glass-iPhone-4G-/190453656918?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item2c57ec2d56#ht_3971wt_1038"]http://cgi.ebay.com/Silver-Back-Cover-Housing-Assembly-Glass-iPhone-4G-/190453656918?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item2c57ec2d56#ht_3971wt_1038[/URL]

 

[Alaerian]

So, I think this is what I've been waiting for ever since I read how easy it is to replace the back cover on the iP4. What do you guys think? This looks to be WAY cheaper than what I've been seeing so far, and they have different colors!
[...]
And at under $15, sounds pretty good to me.

So, having a different color backplate is worth voiding your warranty and possibly damaging your device during installation?
To each his own.

 

[Bawstun]

It'd be REALLY hard to damage your device during installation. You undo the 2 screws and it literally just slides right off. It's so much easier than it ever has been before.

What I wanna know is, since there's no camera diffuser, obviously flash photos would look distorted and unusable...but, as long as you put the OEM glass plate back on, it'd return to normal yes?

 

[Trius]

I think I can remove two Phillips screws without damaging anything. I would, of course, keep my original black back in safe keeping incase I would have to utilize my warranty or for resale.. If you are careful to not scratch up the screws, there would be no way to tell that the back plate had ever been tampered with.

 

[TylerDurden33]

it won't be hard to replace, and won't void warranty if you just switch back to the black back.

But

those are cheap as hell and there is a reason they are 14 dollars. No camera ring and flash diffuser which essentially means your camera will be useless.

 

[Alaerian]

I think I can remove two Phillips screws without damaging anything. I would, of course, keep my original black back in safe keeping incase I would have to utilize my warranty or for resale.. If you are careful to not scratch up the screws, there would be no way to tell that the back plate had ever been tampered with.

/shrug
Your money, not mine. I simply don't think a new color is worth the potential for trouble. Find a case you like.

 

[TylerDurden33]

/shrug
Your money, not mine. I simply don't think a new color is worth the potential for trouble. Find a case you like.

the backs come off super easy. Two screws and it's off.

 

[Trius]

/shrug
Your money, not mine. I simply don't think a new color is worth the potential for trouble.

Well, the potential for trouble is irrelevant, as it couldn't be easier to install as long as you know how to use a screwdriver. I've done plenty of mods over the years that were much more complicated than this.

Find a case you like.

*sigh* it sounds so easy. Maybe i'm more anal about my iPhone than other people, but I can not stand to cover up such a beautiful device with a bulky piece of plastic. I pay premium for the Apple brand because I know the build quality is top notch. At the same time, I want to protect my investment from scratches (for resale value).

those are cheap as hell and there is a reason they are 14 dollars. No camera ring and flash diffuser which essentially means your camera will be useless.

This is my concern as well. I've seen threads here where people have replaced their black back with a white one and I think it looks pretty slick. Problem is, the price is usually between $70-$130 for the back plate.

 

[Alaerian]

...but I can not stand to cover up such a beautiful device with a bulky piece of plastic. I pay premium for the Apple brand because I know the build quality is top notch.

But you want to use a cheaply made nonstock backplate from eBay?
That doesn't make an ounce of sense.

But, like I said previously, to each his own. Good luck to you.

 

[TSX]

I wonder what the quality is like?

 

[Trius]

But you want to use a cheaply made nonstock backplate from eBay?
That doesn't make an ounce of sense.

But, like I said previously, to each his own. Good luck to you.

Ok, here's the deal.

I have had an iPhone since the original in 2007. I like the natural feel of the iPhone, as I feel that a lot of time and effort went into the design of each model. I am looking to accomplish two things here: 1. Retain the original feel of the iPhone. 2. Protect it from scratches. I am extremely careful with my iPhone, so I am not as worried about protecting it from impacts, just light scratches. I have been searching for 3 years now trying to find a solution. I am currently using ghost armor which is as close as I can get.

Even though this may be a "cheaply made nonstock backplate from eBay", It is in fact made of glass. Even cheaply made glass is going to feel more like glass than the ghost armor does (rubbery plastic), while protecting it from scratches and retaining the original form factor. I don't know why you are so against something you have not even seen in person...

The way I look at it is, worst case scenario is that i'm out about twelve bucks, but that is why I posted this thread... For suggestions... do you have any?

 

[TangoDown]

I totally understand what you're trying to do. Have you thought about using the clear rear protector film - same as the front screen protector stuff? Retain the beauty of it whilst protecting it.

 

[Fabienne]

Why don't you just go buy it and try it out? It is pretty cheap and the photos look good. If it arrives and it's awful, you would not be out much loot to find out what was up with those covers. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[powaking]

Let us know if it has the flash diffuser.

 

[Trius]

I totally understand what you're trying to do. Have you thought about using the clear rear protector film - same as the front screen protector stuff? Retain the beauty of it whilst protecting it.

I have the Ghost Armor installed now, which is basically a rubber/plastic skin that is applied to the front, back and sides of the phone. It's a good product, but I miss the sleek glass feel.

Let us know if it has the flash diffuser.

That's what I'm wondering as well. I asked the seller if it comes with the diffuser and camera ring.

 

[qckslvrsiete]

Ok, here's the deal.

I have had an iPhone since the original in 2007. I like the natural feel of the iPhone, as I feel that a lot of time and effort went into the design of each model. I am looking to accomplish two things here: 1. Retain the original feel of the iPhone. 2. Protect it from scratches. I am extremely careful with my iPhone, so I am not as worried about protecting it from impacts, just light scratches. I have been searching for 3 years now trying to find a solution. I am currently using ghost armor which is as close as I can get.

Even though this may be a "cheaply made nonstock backplate from eBay", It is in fact made of glass. Even cheaply made glass is going to feel more like glass than the ghost armor does (rubbery plastic), while protecting it from scratches and retaining the original form factor. I don't know why you are so against something you have not even seen in person...

The way I look at it is, worst case scenario is that i'm out about twelve bucks, but that is why I posted this thread... For suggestions... do you have any?

I'm a little confused because (I admittedly haven't done much research on replacing the backplate on my ip4) this mod would require you to completely replace the black OEM backplate, correct? If one of your goals is protecting the stock backplate from scratches, then you're essentially achieving that by not using it. I guess it just doesn't make too much sense in my mind because it sounds like me saying I don't want to put any wear on a corvette I just bought so I'll buy a kia to drive around while I keep the corvette in the garage.

I will say that I've read a few horror stories on these forums about purchasing these cheap backplates off of ebay. From what I understand they've been known to shatter quite easily, and if that happens it makes them difficult to remove without potentially damaging the inside of your iPhone. Regardless, the backplate you'll be getting won't be near the same quality as the one that came on the phone (again, just what I understand from stories), and if that replacement one breaks you might not even be able to get the old one back on.

Just my two cents.

 

[Trius]

I'm a little confused because (I admittedly haven't done much research on replacing the backplate on my ip4) this mod would require you to completely replace the black OEM backplate, correct? If one of your goals is protecting the stock backplate from scratches, then you're essentially achieving that by not using it. I guess it just doesn't make too much sense in my mind because it sounds like me saying I don't want to put any wear on a corvette I just bought so I'll buy a kia to drive around while I keep the corvette in the garage.

I will say that I've read a few horror stories on these forums about purchasing these cheap backplates off of ebay. From what I understand they've been known to shatter quite easily, and if that happens it makes them difficult to remove without potentially damaging the inside of your iPhone. Regardless, the backplate you'll be getting won't be near the same quality as the one that came on the phone (again, just what I understand from stories), and if that replacement one breaks you might not even be able to get the old one back on.

Just my two cents.

Although I see what you're getting at, your corvette analogy is a little off. If that were the case, I would just keep my iPhone in the box and use my old LG phone instead. It would be more accurate to say that I want to keep the nice tread on my expensive original tires, so I put cheapo ones on it for daily driving.

You do make a good point about the breaking of the backplate. I would imagine that these would be much more prone to breaking than the original back. Ideally, if apple would just offer replacement backplates for a reasonable price, I could just do away with any type of protection and just keep an extra backplate on hand in case anything would happen. Unfortunately, to get an OEM backplate, it's going to set me back $100+.

 

[Pez555]

But you want to use a cheaply made nonstock backplate from eBay?
That doesn't make an ounce of sense.

But, like I said previously, to each his own. Good luck to you.

why sound so bitter?

he specifically said he doesnt want to ADD BULK to the phone by using a case. The quality of the back plate was never in question. So yes it makes a lot of sense.

 

[Vick84]

its simple to change and doesnt look bad at all...except the diffusers problem, but i dont use flash anyways so no big deal for me..

here is video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxPOIdvBA6Q

 

[Trius]

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I totally understand what you're trying to do. Have you thought about using the clear rear protector film - same as the front screen protector stuff? Retain the beauty of it whilst protecting it.

I have the Ghost Armor installed now, which is basically a rubber/plastic skin that is applied to the front, back and sides of the phone. It's a good product, but I miss the sleek glass feel.

Let us know if it has the flash diffuser.

That's what I'm wondering as well. I asked the seller if it comes with the diffuser and camera ring.

So I asked the seller if the diffuser is included, and he told me to look at the picture... Lol. Obviously, I have looked at the picture and I can not tell if it's there or not. I am pretty sure that it is not. I have read that the lack of the diffuser is not really a big deal, but whatever I get I want to make sure I don't lose any quality from the wonderful camera on this device.