This is apparently, from whatever swill Google decides to spew forth on any given day, a common problem in the S21 lineup. I’ve used Samsung smartphones since the Epic, and while the batteries were always shit, it was never a problem until they couldn’t be replaced by the user. My S21 (basic) was supposed to replace my Note8 (that still works, but needs to be charged at least twice per day).
I had originally bought my S21 to be just a literal phone and last me 8-ish years because I wasn’t doing anything AT ALL on it and three times tonight I was able to separate the housing with only my fingernail. Of course when I try to reproduce this for any kind of photo, the adhesive magically re-bonds, despite not being on a charger once in at least 24 hours.
The real question is, what major brand of phone doing business in the US is actually worth a damn? Google themselves are shite, Apple has always been welcome to eat a dick, and LG is no longer in the game.
Fairphone is sort of “good” in the socio-economic/environmental/repairability sense. Not much for anything else and also not available in the US.
There is also Sony but IIRC they seem to be more interested in keeping their phones closely attached to their Sony ecosystem (it can be used as a viewfinder for Sony cameras). Havent heard from them in a while.
PIxels are the last “good” enough alternative. I like it mostly because I could flash custom firmware on it and be better than stock. This use case is certainly not for everyone because of its quirks as a de-Googled phone.
Motorola based on Qualcomm SoCs are good except for the very low-end (like below G84), Nothing seems to be decent, Sony are in general good but pricey. Asus’s Zenfone lineup also seems to be pretty decent in general but you pay for the size.
The only issue that I have with using a case is overheating, which I believe the heat from wireless charging is what is making the adhesive weak, BUT that probably is my only solution because I can’t even afford a new phone if I wanted to replace it.
Hm… I’ll have to do some research on Motorola’s offerings for future reference. They used to have great flip-phones. I almost forgot that they still did business. Thanks.
For now, I’ve ordered the case that @Trooper_ish suggested (thank you, again) as a stop gap until I can replace the adhesive myself. I’ve also turned off Fast Wireless Charging.
Does anyone know of a good heat resistant adhesive or two sided tape? iFixit seems to only carry E6000, which if I understand correctly is more of a bonding agent than an adhesive used in phones. They do carry a kit for backplate replacement, but I really only need adhesive. Thank you in advance.
It’s so annoying when things fails like this Two part epoxy resins would glue it back together and be heat and water resistant, but would prevent any future opening for repairs if needed. I like Araldite epoxy resin for really robust jobs, some of the other two part resins (like Gorilla brand) have proven to be less robust for me.
@mikejmcfarlane Yeah, I’d really like to repair it in the future if need be, but thanks.
@diizzy I don’t believe so, as it closes back up flat and there isn’t any smell. I’ll check out that tape as it does seem to have decent thermal resistance. I’ll have to try to research if the adhesive thickness will work. Thanks for the suggestion. While I’m in there I’ll double check the battery, though.
Well, now that I’ve had the time to sit down at the computer and look at iFixit’s site, they do sell aftermarket tape already cut for the S21, so when I have the money, I’ll order that and the tools that I don’t already have to follow along with their guide.
Thanks again for all the suggestions. I really appreciate it.
Motorola will be off the table for future consideration.
Unfortunately, unless Fairphone starts selling in the US before 2030 and sticks to their guns, also giving that Samsung doesn’t dig a deeper hole and becomes the company they used to be (not going to happen) I may never get a phone again, which is fine; I’m introverted anyway.
There are technical limitations with an unlocked bootloader and it’ll likely never be a viable option due to how the Android ecosystem works irregardless of brand and model if you want full functionality. Most vendor do not even provide this option anymore so it’s really a non-issue in practice. He doesn’t even discuss the fact that you’re out of luck due to firmware, drivers etc using a 3rd party firmware so again, just a pointless rant.
Well, the warranty statement isn’t anything odd but if that’s thing you probably can’t buy anything.
From Asus (as an example), Unusability or damage to hardware of the product caused
by installing and using any kind of the Unlock Device
App, which is a utility that will unlock your product’s boot
loader but will render the warranty null and void;"
Fairphone:
“5.2 The Warranties do not cover software that is owned by Fairphone or third parties for which an End-User license agreement or separate warranty or exclusions are provided.”
I will admit that that is fair. On my part I did not emphasize the re-selling of the product due to installing a 3rd Party operating system as the point of argument. His rant is about them saying that it is illegal to re-sell the product if you install a 3rd party operating system. He also goes into how an app developer bought the phone to make sure that it works on the specific device couldn’t develop on it because they made you wait a week before you could use their code to unlock it.
And honestly, I’m at a point with all corporations where I genuinely would rather do without.
Two part epoxy resins would glue it back together and be heat and water resistant, but would prevent any future opening for repairs if needed. I like Araldite epoxy resin for really robust jobs, some of the other two part resins (like Gorilla brand) have proven to be less robust for me.
