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Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 – How it looks after a few months of heavy use

by Mike Macias on February 1, 2011

Filed under: Opinion

I thought it would be interesting to share with you how my Nokia N8 is holding up after 2 months of heavy use. I use zero protection on my phone – no case, no screen protector, nothing. Just me and my N8.I’ve never been a fan of adding extra bulk to my devices and screensavers never feel right to me. Besides the extra size it also takes away from the amazing build quality of most Nokia devices, in particular the Nokia N8. I love picking this thing up in the morning and feeling how cold it is because of the metal shell. But how does it hold up after 2 months of heavy use? Let’s take a look…

See in the image below where the top corner meets the side. It’s slightly offset do to a hard fall. It looks worse in the picture than it actually is. I can push it in and it moves just a bit.P1020764 thumb Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 How it looks after a few months of heavy use

No issues with the top of the phone. HDMI port, power button, and 3.5mm audio jack.P1020765 thumb Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 How it looks after a few months of heavy use

Bottom and sides are just fine as well. This N8 has taken quite a few falls but no signs of impact.P1020768 thumb Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 How it looks after a few months of heavy useP1020781 thumb Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 How it looks after a few months of heavy use

And of course the screen is still perfect.Not a scratch can be found.P1020769 thumb Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 How it looks after a few months of heavy useP1020778 thumb Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 How it looks after a few months of heavy use

But not all is in Mike’s N8 love affair. Take a look at the outer edge of the camera block.P1020777 thumb Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 How it looks after a few months of heavy use

I shared this image with my followers on Twitter and nobody seemed to have the same marks. Looks like this is an isolated problem. Take a closer look…P1020776 thumb Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 How it looks after a few months of heavy use

Really nasty! Luckily this isn’t too noticeable in normal lighting at first glance. You have to be really looking closely at the phone to notice. I think it’s because my work desk is not a completely smooth surface and when I pick up my phone I’m not very careful. I tent to slide it towards me then lift it. Now I’ll be more careful with it at work.

There is one last thing that I couldn’t seem to capture in a photo. Take a look at this quick video I made showing a small chip in the bottom left of the phone. That happened when dropping it on hard tile from about 4 feet.

Video:

Overall I’m happy with the build quality of my N8 so far. Besides that big fall I had that offset the side from the top and this ongoing problem I’m having with the camera block – everything is looking good.

Despite my dislike for phone cases I really do need a good case. My second job I work out at the docks in the Port of LA. The work can get dirty out there and I need something to protect my phone. In a few weeks I’ll be reviewing this leather N8 case by Noreve. The review will be posted over at The Mobile Fanatics but I’ll be sure to let you guys know as well. Oh and Ms. Jen pointed me to hicksmade where they make soft and fuzzy cozies to drop your phone into. I may have something custom done to see how I like it.

Are you having any issues with your N8 hardware. I’m curious to see if anyone else is having the same two issues I’m having. Be sure to leave a comment here or drop me a message on Twitter.

About This Author

has written 37 articles for The Mobile Fanatics.

Mike is the editor-in-chief of The Mobile Fanatics Network. Contact him via email or at his twitter page.

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  • http://twitter.com/ch4dwick CH4:D

    I think you must’ve rubbed it a little too hard. I try to avoid running the phone on a table or any surface since I already took into account the protruding camera/speaker/flash module.

  • Mike

    My (slide) lock key is a bit loose and rattles. How about yours?

    • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

      Mine rattles just a bit. I noticed it a few weeks back but now I just ignore it and forget. Not too bad.

  • http://twitter.com/Wolf7 Ryan Ferguson

    This is why I invested in the Otterbox Commuter Series case, I’d hate for my N8 to develop these scratches.

    • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

      Yeah these scratches suck but I can’t get used to cases. We’ll see how my upcoming review goes.

  • Pingback: Wear and tear on my Nokia N8 – how it looks after a few months of heavy use | WOMWorld/Nokia

  • William C

    My N8 has got 2 dents on the upper portion of the metallic rim surrounding its glass due to a fall! My heart breaks seeing it every time! And yes… they are obvious despite being small. If only there’s a way to patch those holes back! :(

    • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

      Bummer man. I can’t imagine having those dents on my N8. Would be horrified.

  • JohnR

    I’m also starting to see the same wear on the edges of the camera protrusion after 2 month’s usage. I think it might be better to place the phone screen side down, since the screen is slightly recessed, it won’t come in contact with the table surface,

    • Anonymous

      I am having the same wear and tear on my dark gray/black N8. I got it in mid December…..I usually keep a napkin or something to lay the N8 on now. I wish I would have known about it. That edge of the camera is the main contact point. Great suggestion about placing the phone screen side down.

  • nexus655

    Mike, just a little hint regarding N8 cases, before testing anything, check if the case design is covering camera’s backside mic. I think it can be an issue since we all want for ours N8′s the best video recording performance, with or without a case.
    Besides Nokia original cases, all that I’ve seen so far are having this important flaw, including the “Noreve” one.

  • Pingback: Nokia N8: Finally Case And Screen Protector Free | The Nokia Guide

  • http://twitter.com/aegisdesign Shaun Murray

    I’ve seen a number of N8′s in phone shops here in the UK where the camera module aluminium casing has come completely unstuck from the plastic under it. It’s partly why I bought a C7 instead.

  • http://twitter.com/jaredmorgs Jared Leon Morgan

    I’m pretty anal when it comes to device protection. At resale time, I know a device with minimal scratches on the body will sell for a little more than one with visible wear and tear. I’ve had both the Impact and Commuter series OtterBox cases for the N8, and would choose the Commuter. Both are designed so the camera block is recessed by about 1-2mm in both cases. For me, I don’t want that very important part of the phone to get *any* impact whatsoever.

  • rhysoid

    Yep i dont have the same wear and tear on the camera frame. the only problem with the n8′s design, scratch-wise, is that around the edges of the screen on the raised border on my black phone it is all scratched and many of my friends have the same problem.

  • Paul_w_jacob

    My N* is unwell. It is 8 montsh old and looks like it has ended its useful life. First the pin pwer charger at the bottom stopped working and now the bottom part of the case has decided to detach itself from teh main body. the new software download in early september makes the phone irritatingly slow I have always found the replication on the internet email next to useless sometines it does sometimes it just wont stop. If i say oince a day at lunch time and then replicate on demand in the  evening i dont expect it to replicate at 5 am !   The internet is unuseable and not intuative at all. To add insult to injury i chose Vodafone which has to be one of teh worst networks in the world after 10 years of O2 and T-Mobile.  Overall not impressed at all.
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