Do Japanese phones have better build quality than western phones?

**Super Chimp** · 05-20-2009, 04:56 PM

One of the things I remember best about my SH903 was how well built it was and it seems to me many of even the more expensive western phones I have had of late have inferior build quality to it.

Samsung are usually fairly good but as far as Nokia goes even with the N series I have been left often less than happy with their build quality.

I tell you I even getting to stage that I would sacrifice the internet on my phone if I knew it wasn't going to start getting build issues after two or three months.

**stevetam** · 05-20-2009, 05:16 PM

supposedly keitais have superb build, there is a picture around here of a 920SH that was chewed by a dog and still intact in one piece.

Still, no matter what everyone says, Nokia's quality is very poor. My USB cover snapped off, and my casing is warped leaving dust to seep into the screen.....

**deasine** · 05-20-2009, 07:55 PM

Nokias are horrible. Sony Ericssons used to be amazing... but phones now are just as bad as Nokia. I hate Samsung in the first place so I wouldn't buy their phones. And LG is okay.

**stevetam** · 05-20-2009, 07:57 PM

Sony Ericsson used to be tanks, but knwo they have to cheap so that they can get their PROFIt (If they are even making any now) I really hope the Idou is made really well unlike the C905 problems

**stevetam** · 05-20-2009, 08:58 PM

check this:

Originally Posted by ipwnj00 - HARDWAREZONE

Just to share, this is what happens :P

Cheers,
ipj

**yangj08** · 05-21-2009, 02:13 AM

That was chewed by a dog? Amazing. And that's why I'll never leave the keitai world- even if fully functioning keitai are expensive, they don't break so easily. As I've said before, my iPhone looks worse at two weeks than my 904T after 2 years- and the 904T's been through worse than the iPhone has.

**AL9999** · 05-21-2009, 03:33 AM

I just read about a Japanese user breaking their iPhone, one drop onto concrete and the entire front shattered on it. I've dropped my 903 several times now and the worst I've got is a paint scrape on one of the corners. Even the camera optical zoom still works flawlessly.

This phone is beginning to approach four years old now. It's amazing

(Having said that I really want the latest, but Sharp isn't helping me here at all

)

**Super Chimp** · 05-21-2009, 04:00 AM

Originally Posted by AL9999

I just read about a Japanese user breaking their iPhone, one drop onto concrete and the entire front shattered on it. I've dropped my 903 several times now and the worst I've got is a paint scrape on one of the corners. Even the camera optical zoom still works flawlessly.

This phone is beginning to approach four years old now. It's amazing

(Having said that I really want the latest, but Sharp isn't helping me here at all

)

I dropped my SH903, GX20 & GX30 all at least once & they all survived undamaged. Yet most of the western phones that I have accidental dropped come away with some form of damage however minor.

As an aside it probably is time for you upgrade AL9999 as even by Sharp standards four years is a long time for a phone.

I only had two complaints about the SH903 one that it had no external display & two I could never get the e mail to work on it.

**dbaf14** · 05-21-2009, 04:11 AM

I will never buy an Nokia again !
their build quality is bad
their batterys are bad (after a half year just could make 2 calls with it then empty!!/new battery costs about 70EuR new condition)

display-light come and go from time to time, sometimes work , sometimes not

nokia software and apps are good and the software inventory become richer and richer,,,

but its like driving an Ferrari with just an 5 liter GAS storage and a 5 volt battery

--SE's phones i think has long life but looks very damaged very near after buy!

--i often bricked Samsung and LG's phones while flashing/modify and always get keep them working again!
so i think they are very stable and always to repair!

--and the main thing is ~ All Keitais i got are still in same condition when i got them since 2001 up to now

**AL9999** · 05-21-2009, 04:31 AM

Yeah... I really need to upgrade... and I think an AQUOS SHOT (ugh) 933SH would do just nicely.

**Chillyman** · 05-21-2009, 05:30 AM

^ Yeah since you have been using the older keitais for quite some time... I think everyone would agree it's time for you to upgrade

**AL9999** · 05-21-2009, 05:56 AM

I really want to, and I would if I could get exactly what I've got now with something more, which I can't.

What I've got now:

* A keitai-style phone that works properly without any sort of hack or persuasion (ie no hypersim/unlock)
* Internet access
* Japanese email, keitai style (and the ability to type it too, minus the emoji)
* A decent camera with optical zoom

Either one of those four I will lose no matter what Sharp phone (or any phone in the market for that matter) I upgrade to. That's the problem. ><

**Super Chimp** · 05-21-2009, 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by AL9999

I really want to, and I would if I could get exactly what I've got now with something more, which I can't.

What I've got now:

* A keitai-style phone that works properly without any sort of hack or persuasion (ie no hypersim/unlock)
* Internet access
* Japanese email, keitai style (and the ability to type it too, minus the emoji)
* A decent camera with optical zoom

Either one of those four I will lose no matter what Sharp phone (or any phone in the market for that matter) I upgrade to. That's the problem. ><

I always wondered how many SH903s they sold outside of Japan, I bet the number wasn't that great. Even in the UK on a contract it was a prohibitively expensive phone to get.