Magnet screen on off damage. Myth or Fact?

FaeMinx

Senior Member
May 9, 2009
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I have been using my samsung cover the one same as above except white since april 13, it comes free with the phone aside from getting it dirty i have not notice any dead spot while using the pen, however this thread got me worroed so is this for real?should is top using my samsung cover that has magnets?
You need to decide for yourself if it's worth the risk.

Fact: Magnets have been proven to cause dead spots.

Does the Official Book Cover cause dead spots over an extended period because it uses magnets? There is no conclusive proof of this... yet.

Are you willing to find out? :angel:
 

purple_zergling

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2012
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I was drawing on top of my laptop, probably where the hard drive is (it's an hdd not a SD) and it doesn't register strokes for the S-Pen after a while. I ditched my old Poetic Slimline and switched on error to the STM Cape.

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cathulu

Member
Aug 18, 2011
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Can't believe magnets would result in permanent damage. Wacom doesn't believe it either. The physics don't make sense. The tablet has a layer of tiny loops on a substrate beneath the screen (the digitizer) that are stimulated by an alternating current to create a weak magnetic field. This substrate is shielded from stray magnetic fields from the electronics in the body of the tablet. The pen is detected by electro magnetic resonance with this weak magnetic field - wacom technology. This is susceptible to a magnet in a poorly designed cover but in no way would cause permanent damage. If some metal items under the screen in the body of the tablet got magnetize over time by opening and closing the cover then it is conceivable some impact might be noticed by the residual magnetism but that can degaussed as noted earlier.

---------- Post added at 11:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 PM ----------

Replying to this forum is buggy with the note 8. Once you get fill close to filling the reply Window you can no longer navigate with the pen to get to the bottom of the message...
 

biblefreak

Senior Member
Sep 21, 2010
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How many people have access to a degaussing wand? I think for the higher price of this tablet Samsung should have put a little more thought into the interference a magnetic activated case could cause. They could use another technology for wake sleep functionality, they could have put the sensor down below the home button away from the digitizer etc. I like so many things about the device that it makes more sense for me to use a non magnetic case rather than take a chance at damaging my device for the convenience of not having to push a button to wake up my device.

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cathulu

Member
Aug 18, 2011
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I don't think a degaussing wand is required, I put it out as possible but in actuality it is not probable. Indeed it is highly improbable. There is not much iron in samsung tablets, or metal of any kind lol. To me this is a myth of permanent damage.
 

Slade8525

Senior Member
Aug 29, 2007
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i believe this is a myth actually. i left 70+ 1/16x1/2 'coin' shaped N42 neodymium magnets on my S3 on purpose, as well as on my Canon T2i and Nikon D300, right near the mainboards and sensor; they all functioned fine with the magnets stuck to them as well as afterwards.

also left the magnets on them overnight. these devices are shielded and flash memory is not affected.
 

janjannsen99

Senior Member
Jan 6, 2013
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i believe this is a myth actually. i left 70+ 1/16x1/2 'coin' shaped N42 neodymium magnets on my S3 on purpose, as well as on my Canon T2i and Nikon D300, right near the mainboards and sensor; they all functioned fine with the magnets stuck to them as well as afterwards.

also left the magnets on them overnight. these devices are shielded and flash memory is not affected.
That's not what we're talking about it does affect the digitizer and or stylus

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---------- Post added at 08:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:11 PM ----------

A magnet is used to turn the screen off/on when you open and close the cover.
How does that work because it doesn't do that when I open or close it. Is there a setting I missed

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Slade8525

Senior Member
Aug 29, 2007
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That's not what we're talking about it does affect the digitizer and or stylus

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---------- Post added at 08:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:11 PM ----------



How does that work because it doesn't do that when I open or close it. Is there a setting I missed

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i saw a few threads worried about permanent damage, my bad.
 

sputnik767

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2010
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Here are my findings based on my Moko slim case. The smart cover function is activated by a magnet positioned on the left side of the tablet, between the screen and the edge. The magnet on the Moko case is built into the cover roughly 0.5 cm from the part where the cover folds over the left edge of the tablet. The magnet is positioned in such a way that the magnet never interacts with the screen itself, and stops about 0.5 cm from the screen. In short, a properly designed case incorporates the smart cover without interfering with the display. Samsung's design is not flawed here. Secondly, while I don't dispute that a magnet interferes with the pen, I am not convinced that it causes permanent damage. Lastly, I've been using my case for a couple of weeks with no ill effects.
 
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genius24k

Member
Jan 31, 2011
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You need to decide for yourself if it's worth the risk.

Fact: Magnets have been proven to cause dead spots.

Does the Official Book Cover cause dead spots over an extended period because it uses magnets? There is no conclusive proof of this... yet.

Are you willing to find out? :angel:
Ill stick with the offical book case for now, have been using it more than a month now and have not seen any damage to my digitizer, will just return it for warranty if something goes wrong

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roustabout

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2011
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I'm using a case that has a wake/sleep magnet in the cover, and a physical latch mechanism at the edge rather than a magnetic catch.

I've tried to find dead spots near the sleep/wake magnet and do not see them.

I used a MUCH stronger magnet for years on my nook color to no ill effect. But I placed that magnet after checking the edge it would be near and figuring out where the ferrous material was in the device, then keeping the magnet a few centimeters away from that.

The Wacom digitizer is a different beast entirely, but many of the sleep/wake magnets don't impact it.

I too was surprised to see the effect of the magnets in the Samsung case that hold the cover down.
 
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Grogck

Senior Member
Mar 28, 2008
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Here are my findings based on my Moko slim case. The smart cover function is activated by a magnet positioned on the left side of the tablet, between the screen and the edge. The magnet on the Moko case is built into the cover roughly 0.5 cm from the part where the cover folds over the left edge of the tablet. The magnet is positioned in such a way that the magnet never interacts with the screen itself, and stops about 0.5 cm from the screen. In short, a properly designed case incorporates the smart cover without interfering with the display. Samsung's design is not flawed here. Secondly, while I don't dispute that a magnet interferes with the pen, I am not convinced that it causes permanent damage. Lastly, I've been using my case for a couple of weeks with no ill effects.
Which Moko 'slim' case are you using? They have several. I've been eyeing this one due to how thin it is
http://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Lightwei...TF8&colid=1HTKI4BBVSH9V&coliid=I2T3F4015JULJ5

But I imagine this one might be a bit 'safer'
http://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Slim-Cov...d=1369778349&sr=8-1&keywords=moko+slim+note+8
 
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kisrita

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May 15, 2008
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Which Moko 'slim' case are you using? They have several. I've been eyeing this one due to how thin it is
http://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Lightwei...TF8&colid=1HTKI4BBVSH9V&coliid=I2T3F4015JULJ5

But I imagine this one might be a bit 'safer'
http://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Slim-Cov...d=1369778349&sr=8-1&keywords=moko+slim+note+8
I purchased both. I like the cover that doesn't cover the bezel. The other one ripped after a couple of weeks, in exactly the same spot as someone else posted. I'm going to take a chance on the magnetic covers. If I can get two years out of this tablet I will be surprised. At the rate Android tablets have been improving over the last two years, is really hard not upgrading once per year. I still have my two year old Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it's barely usable now. I don't expect this tablet to fare better.

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sputnik767

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Dec 28, 2010
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Which Moko 'slim' case are you using? They have several. I've been eyeing this one due to how thin it is
http://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Lightwei...TF8&colid=1HTKI4BBVSH9V&coliid=I2T3F4015JULJ5

But I imagine this one might be a bit 'safer'
http://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Slim-Cov...d=1369778349&sr=8-1&keywords=moko+slim+note+8
The first one. I do not like the 2nd one because it goes around the bezel. Like I said before, the magnets do not come in contact with the screen, not even close, and keep in mind that this is part of the actual design of the device. I use the stylus for writing every day and I have seen no ill effects. A good rule of thumb is to take these alarmist posts on the enternet with a grain of salt. I have a feeling that samsung engineers that designed these tablets do know what they are doing when it comes to magnetic interference.
 
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p107r0

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Jan 29, 2010
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I carry my Note I in Zenus case, which has a small magnet in the middle of the back (used for keeping the vertical stand leg in place).
After a year the magnet had no permanent effects on the device, however it affects stylus writing accuracy/thickness in the area directly above it. But, after removing device from the case everything works as it should.


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Grogck

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Mar 28, 2008
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The first one. I do not like the 2nd one because it goes around the bezel. Like I said before, the magnets do not come in contact with the screen, not even close, and keep in mind that this is part of the actual design of the device. I use the stylus for writing every day and I have seen no ill effects. A good rule of thumb is to take these alarmist posts on the enternet with a grain of salt. I have a feeling that samsung engineers that designed these tablets do know what they are doing when it comes to magnetic interference.
The first I listed looks MUCH preferred due to thinness (not going around the bezel.) Agreed on that being the preferred choice due to general usability. Anything else and we're suddenly carrying around a small book and negating some of the portability of the device IMO.

I just shelled out $400 (Samsung - please avoid the rush and go ahead and lower the price to the deserved $299-$329 to help sales and 3rd-party-support) and am still wanting to play it safe with my new gadget. I typically use a non-book style TPU case around the house, but want a good, slim case for business/meeting purposes. Pulling the trigger based on your feedback and cost/risk/reward. If you don't hear negative feedback from me in this thread beyond the next week or so that means I'm not having any issues.
 
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hertsjoatmon

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Dec 10, 2012
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If I can get two years out of this tablet I will be surprised. At the rate Android tablets have been improving over the last two years, is really hard not upgrading once per year. I still have my two year old Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it's barely usable now. I don't expect this tablet to fare better.
I've found the oposite, with the custom ROM and kernel support from this site my TF101 is still going strong (released april 2011). I can run most modern games on it like Real Racing 3 etc. The only reason I'm getting a newer tablet is for drawing with and portability.

A good rule of thumb is to take these alarmist posts on the enternet with a grain of salt. I have a feeling that samsung engineers that designed these tablets do know what they are doing when it comes to magnetic interference.
I didnt meen to be scare mongering when I started this thread. I had just seen posts about it on older note forums where people had the device for a while and was hoping people could ease my concerns. I'm still on the fence though. I imagine that the official case would have a magnet that is just strong enough to trigger the desired effect. I still worry that some 3rd party case will have much stronger magnets though and while I'm now convinced that no perminent damage could be caused, I dont have access to a degausing wand should part of the digitizer become magnetised through extended exposure.
 

sputnik767

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2010
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I've found the oposite, with the custom ROM and kernel support from this site my TF101 is still going strong (released april 2011). I can run most modern games on it like Real Racing 3 etc. The only reason I'm getting a newer tablet is for drawing with and portability.



I didnt meen to be scare mongering when I started this thread. I had just seen posts about it on older note forums where people had the device for a while and was hoping people could ease my concerns. I'm still on the fence though. I imagine that the official case would have a magnet that is just strong enough to trigger the desired effect. I still worry that some 3rd party case will have much stronger magnets though and while I'm now convinced that no perminent damage could be caused, I dont have access to a degausing wand should part of the digitizer become magnetised through extended exposure.
I am actually happy that you started this thread, and I was not referring to you specifically regarding my "alarmist posts" comment. Your thread prompted me to look into this potential issue further, as well as to actually analyze my magnetic case to see if the magnets come in contact with the screen. I've seen a lot of very alarmist posts in forums for other devices such as the Note II regarding magnets, and I don't feel that many of them accurately represent the issue. From what I can tell so far, magnets do distort the action of the pen when in direct contact with the screen while you are writing. When you remove the magnetic field, everything should go back to normal. I am not sure if the permanent damage claims can actually be substantiated. And most importantly, Samsung designed this device to work with magnets. As long as your case utilizes magnets in a safe manner (as in the way Samsung intended it), you should see no ill effects.

---------- Post added at 05:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:46 AM ----------

The first I listed looks MUCH preferred due to thinness (not going around the bezel.) Agreed on that being the preferred choice due to general usability. Anything else and we're suddenly carrying around a small book and negating some of the portability of the device IMO.

I just shelled out $400 (Samsung - please avoid the rush and go ahead and lower the price to the deserved $299-$329 to help sales and 3rd-party-support) and am still wanting to play it safe with my new gadget. I typically use a non-book style TPU case around the house, but want a good, slim case for business/meeting purposes. Pulling the trigger based on your feedback and cost/risk/reward. If you don't hear negative feedback from me in this thread beyond the next week or so that means I'm not having any issues.
Assuming the quality control on those cases is uniform and the magnets on your case are in the same position as mine, you're not going to see any issues. I think I'm going on 3 weeks now with that case, and a week earlier with another magnetic case. Using my tablet daily I have not seen any issues.
 

eyecon82

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May 30, 2010
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I also think it's a myth


I've had the official book cover case which does have a magnet in it and no issues..

please provide proof before making claims like this

All ipad flip covers have magnets in them and they haven't had any issues