The purpose of the design of the back cover

[aznmode]

Originally Posted by japper88

I wonder how much money it cost for Sprint to hire some industrial design firm to make the battery cover? Is that why for retail the Sprint TP2 is $350 and the Verizon one which is very close to the international unlocked GSM version is only $199???

I'm sure it's because verizon is trying to be more competitive with their pricing then they jack you with their rate plan. Comparing the back covers, looking at Verizons it should cost more. But functionality, the Sprint is better since it doesn't muffle sound as much when the phone's on its back. Ahh..maybe that's where the price difference comes from. lol.

[aznmode]

There's really only 1 way to confirm if those plastic piece dissipate heat from the phone. Just leave the cover off if your on wifi or when it's charging. If the phone's still not hot then that isn't what those are made for.

I'm wondering if it's to provide more firmness to the back cover without affecting the overall thickness of the cover. Just where it's needed.

[inflewence]

I thought it was to disperse the sound somehow. like a speaker box. I'm a producer so I'm always thinking in terms of sound anyway.

I tested it and it sounds a slight bit difference but not enough for the normal ear to hear (not to say I got a bionic ear but I listen different, and that difference in sound could just be the cover itself vs open.)

It could be designed like that because they wanted to have it as a big speaker like they said, then couldn't find a practical way to implement it.

I could just be wrong on all accounts.

[kabuk1]

It'd be funny if the back's design was purely for decoration

The mesh is probably 50% decorative & 50% to keep dust out. I like the design of the sprint cover, it's all artsy-fartsy. I'm thinking about dyeing the orange mesh purple though.

[japper88]

It might look artsy but it's not that professional looking, so I just use a nice black Seidio case to cover it up.

[racemepls]

It's funny because I was the first one criticizing Sprint about the back cover when they're version first leaked. I hated the pictures but in person I think the back cover looks awsome, almost Matrix like. I actually do still see the heat issues once in a while even when I'm talking and not teathering.

[Dr.8820]

you guys do know the all those holes aren't holes, right? there are only two slots in the cover, both for the speakers. one is long and one is wide. maybe the felt inside the cover does something, but the holes are just for sound.

[Mr. X]

*shakes head* guys the back cover was not designed as a "heatsync" it was designed to look all sprint like. Its plastic, has the same shitty thermal properties as the phones chassis.... how would that be a heatsync? there would be no benefit.

Heat sinks function by efficiently transferring thermal energy ("heat") from an object at a relatively high temperature to a second object at a lower temperature with a much greater heat capacity.

so.... yeah...

[japper88]

I think it's all about kick backs. Some important guy at Sprint wanted to hookup his friend's industrial design firm. So he gave him a contract to make a battery cover, which he didn't need to do because HTC already paid bought some Dutch industrial design firm to design battery covers. With some of the money he was paid to make a special "Sprint" battery cover he paid his buddy that hooked him up. Either that or HTC was going to have a bigger speaker and changed their mind at the last minute (someone else posted this idea too). Imagine how thick the TP2 would be with a speaker that big???

[mawst95]

plastic doesn't work as a heat sink.

/thread