Google Pixel 3 Clear Glass Mod Looks Magnificent

cageymaru

cageymaru

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JerryRigEverything on YouTube has decided to modify his Google Pixel 3 to have a clear, transparent back. To make the look completely clear, he removed the black adhesive that made the phone water resistant so this mod isn't for everyone. But the finished look is really awesome to stare at. It almost made me want to trade in my smartphone for an upgrade! Contact Made By Google on Twitter if you want to petition them for a clear back version.

This Totally Clear Pixel 3 is one of the coolest transparent phones I have ever made. With the colorful wireless charger and NFC it makes an outstanding presence underneath that clouded glass. Its almost like google wanted to show off the internals of their newest flagship; the Pixel 3. The Pixel 3 XL is not as pretty inside. This whole project of taking apart and removing the color on the Pixel 3 from Google, took a little over an hour. Scraping away the color on the inside of the glass is tedious. Glass is glass, and might break during this process. So I do not recommend that you attempt to make your own Pixel 3 clear.
 
That was pretty cool. I don't have the disposable income to use a phone without a case, never mind possibly break a brand new one doing something like this though.
 
All glass phone... not sure what anyone that buys a phone is thinking if they think that glass is ok for a device we carry around almost all day / everyday.
but it looks cool clear.
still not sure why.
 
p05ta1 said:
All glass phone... not sure what anyone that buys a phone is thinking if they think that glass is ok for a device we carry around almost all day / everyday.
but it looks cool clear.
still not sure why.
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It is a bad idea. The problem is your typical consumer equates value with texture/feel. People will say something feels cheap depending on the plastic texture used on the outside. Metal makes people feel it is a strong build or expensive but this is terrible for a RF device. So the next choice ends up becoming glass. Most don't realize how little the outer case actually costs in relation to the rest of the product, but they will form an opinion of value just on that simple thing.
 
Is it just me or did it sound more like clear plastic while he was scraping the paint off from the inside?
 
SomeoneElse said:
Is it just me or did it sound more like clear plastic while he was scraping the paint off from the inside?
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Yeah I thought so at first too. I was like omg he trashed it, but it came out clean. There's no way it's plastic, that razor would have destroyed it.
 
SomeoneElse said:
Is it just me or did it sound more like clear plastic while he was scraping the paint off from the inside?
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Err you do realized the white part is a plastic laminate. This is intended to hold the glass together when it is dropped rather than shattering into a billion sharp pieces. That's one of the drawbacks of this mod in which it becomes easier to shatter/more sharp and dangerous when broken. He's scraping plastic off of glass.
 
GreenOrbs said:
Err you do realized the white part is a plastic laminate. This is intended to hold the glass together when it is dropped rather than shattering into a billion sharp pieces. That's one of the drawbacks of this mod in which it becomes easier to shatter/more sharp and dangerous when broken. He's scraping plastic off of glass.
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I did not realize it was a plastic laminate, that makes more sense now.
 
Why can't I buy this!? Just don't laminate the glass and follow all other production steps, should save on production costs and it looks way better!
 
FrozenSteel said:
Why can't I buy this!? Just don't laminate the glass and follow all other production steps, should save on production costs and it looks way better!
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Better yet, laminate with a clear plastic and seal it with the same waterproof glue on the edges. Just don't put any of the white or black coloring in the laminate layer and you can have it all.
 
p05ta1 said:
All glass phone... not sure what anyone that buys a phone is thinking if they think that glass is ok for a device we carry around almost all day / everyday.
but it looks cool clear.
still not sure why.
Click to expand...

That's all high end phones these days. LG G7/V40? Glass front/back. Samsung S9/S9+/Note 9? Glass front/back. iPhone XS? Glass front/back. OnePlus 6? Glass front/back. Huawei Mate 20/Pro/X? Glass front/back.

It is just how all of this generation's phones are. There's really no getting away from it unless you go lower end. As for the reason, there's a few. Note I'm not claiming these are GOOD reasons, just the reasons it is happening:

1) Phone makers all copy each other. When something becomes the "new way" of doing things, they all jump on the bandwagon. This is the current bandwagon.
2) Metal backs aren't compatible with wireless charging, so they have to go to glass or plastic if they want that, and it is a feature they are including.
3) It allows the phones to be a bit lighter and thinner than a metal back.
 
Tech pr0n at it's finest, naked cell phones. LOL this guys narration is hilarious. Could imagine him doing an Scully style autopsy.
 
I'd love more phone manufacturers to start doing transparent glass backs stock. I would never do it myself because it would never be water resistant again.
 
Darunion said:
It is a bad idea. The problem is your typical consumer equates value with texture/feel. People will say something feels cheap depending on the plastic texture used on the outside. Metal makes people feel it is a strong build or expensive but this is terrible for a RF device. So the next choice ends up becoming glass. Most don't realize how little the outer case actually costs in relation to the rest of the product, but they will form an opinion of value just on that simple thing.
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Ceramic made of microcrystal zirconium oxide is the best alternative.
 
The dream material is actually sapphire. Compared with ceramic it would be possible to make both the screen and the back out of the material since it can be transparent. Sapphire is the hardest common material short of diamond so it would be almost scratch proof.

Apple tried in 2013 but the yields were to low /cost to high for mass production. They were able to make some but at too high of a cost. Glass is just way cheaper.

Edit: personally I think a sapphire screen with a ceramic back would be heavenly. You could save some money by going with the opaque ceramic on back and it's only a little softer than sapphire (8.5 vs 9 on mohs scale)
 
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Love my V20, I have dropped it from my 4in 35 lifted Jeep (fell out of short pocket getting in/out) probably 5 times. Juts some small nicks. The phone was built to come apart to save it'self. Does an awesome job! My work phone is an s9+ and has an otter box. I do not understand glass phones. No case for my V20, replaceable battery, etc.

I wish the Vxx after that were the same, but no, rugged is gone, replaced with glass! WTF?

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Dan UCF said:
Google should just sell a version like this. I'd probably pick it up.
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Ya I was going to say these companies should charge like an extra $150 and do stuff like this from the factory, free profit margin.
 
Darunion said:
It is a bad idea. The problem is your typical consumer equates value with texture/feel. People will say something feels cheap depending on the plastic texture used on the outside. Metal makes people feel it is a strong build or expensive but this is terrible for a RF device. So the next choice ends up becoming glass. Most don't realize how little the outer case actually costs in relation to the rest of the product, but they will form an opinion of value just on that simple thing.
Click to expand...

Very specifically its the need for wireless charging. Metal kills wireless chargers, prior to qi taking over people were perfectly happy to make metal phones. Maybe at some point we will see some other material feel high end, maybe leather on plastic or something.
 
rudy said:
Very specifically its the need for wireless charging. Metal kills wireless chargers, prior to qi taking over people were perfectly happy to make metal phones. Maybe at some point we will see some other material feel high end, maybe leather on plastic or something.
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Personally I loved the plastic backs on the Note 3 and 4. They had a textured feel that was kinda like leather. Very nice in the hand, good grip, I thought they were great. However my V40 is glass back because, well, if you want a high end phone now they are all glass back.
 
This is actually really cool looking.
Nothing stopping Google doing this
They can still line the interior of the glass with clear plastic
For the clear edition they could also maybe have diff colour cables for the QI coil etc. that would be sweet


Then I would stick a black case on it :D
 
TheOne&OnlyZeke said:
This is actually really cool looking.
Nothing stopping Google doing this
They can still line the interior of the glass with clear plastic
For the clear edition they could also maybe have diff colour cables for the QI coil etc. that would be sweet


Then I would stick a black case on it :D
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Laying out pcb's is fun until industrial design wants to bring back the era of see through devices, then i have to make things pretty as well as functional :/
 
NemesisX said:
Isn't that what everyone is trying to do?
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Usually less so with component placement and trace routing. Typically it is function over form but with clear cases, then industrial design and marketing can have input on that as well. >.<
 
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