Electronics/Media

Taking the front shell off of the case and having the phone on with a good data connection and signal, and then laying it into the back half of the case would kill all connectios in a few seconds. 

Remove from the case half and connections would restore in a minute or two.

Reverse/Repeat that operation, and the results would repeat each time.

So, it was either part of the large back pannel covering something in the back of the phone, or something covered by the rubber edge guard.

Before, I had found that if I just uncovered the top end of the phone, prying the full case open just enough to take the rubber off that end, I could get signal and data.  But that actually exposed a fair bit of the back too, although not super open, it made a tunnel/air gap where it was exposed…

I had been doing that though, exposing just the top because the top end of the phone has a teeny tiny, wee little sticker on it that says “DUALCOMM4G”  and I figured it has the 4G transceiver close to that spot.

(as a side note, NO diagram or manual that I could find anywhere on the net says or shows anything about where the antennas are on these things… Or do they even have an antenna anymore? or does the whole thing just eminate/absorb the signal?? )

The problem was, I could Either cut the top end of the rubber off and expose that end, OR cut the back panel out leaving the rubber bumper loop. Not both. And thus not one, then the other, so I had to chose right the first time.

Turns out the construction of the bach is rather robust plasic that a utility knife wouldn’t cut, and power cutting it I knew was going to make a melted mess. And cutting the rubber around the edges of the plastic back wouldn’t leave enough gripping the back of the phone to hold it all together after cutting…

That solved that choice.

So, I cut a generous, but also carefully selected section off the top end of the rubber, leaving a back ridge, but exposing all of the end area.

How it looked more or less before cutting, (this is actually the bottom end, since I forgot to take a ‘before’ pic of the top end)

And the area I cut out;

It still fits good and tight over the front peice, and holds it pretty secure, almost the same as before. Close anyway.  And the BIG improvement being that it worked! I now get good signal, and can get a good data connection from inside the case!

While I was at it, I also cut the built in screen protector out, ironic as that is since I got this case to begin with because it had that feature…  But the case just makes the whole phone too big for everyday use and carry. 

I need to be able to quickly and easilly put the case onto the phone without having to thoroughly clean the inside of one screen and the outside of the other first; To keep from trapping dirt etc between them, that could scuff or mark the phones’ screen(and be anoyingly seen in use too)

With a good screen protector installed directly onto the phone instead of in the case, I can use it without the case for the average days. And then days with rougher activities planned, simply snap the case on and go. I’ll probably end up with the case carried in the truck most of the time, to be able to add it onto the phone mid day if I need to.