Razr M Screen/SIM Issue and Replacement Info - Droid RAZR M General

Ok so I just wanted to hit this up since it could happen to someone else...I'll add photos later.
I have 2 Razr M's (one dev and one regular, both unlocked and running Gummy). I use an H20 Wireless SIM in one, and Verizon in the other.
Anyway, I often switch SIMs and SD cards for work and for coverage, or when I don't want to bring both with me. As you know, it isn't always easy to remove the SIM from these phones. I don't often have a tool that will work without damaging anything when I'm out in the field or away on a trip. I will use the other SIM to remove the installed one...sometimes my keys, a credit card, etc. Well, be extremely careful. The edge of the LCD screen is completely UNPROTECTED within this little compartment, and is EXTREMELY vulnerable to damage. I ruined my screen by just BARELY nicking the edge of the screen within this compartment. Luckily I purchased a (ALMOST perfect...long story) replacement screen on ebay for $30. But I thought I'd safe someone the hassle and make sure to take extra care doing this so you don't do what I did.
On another note, screen replacement (digitizer and glass) was EXTREMELY easy compared to other phones I've repaired!

Wow that's some crazy bad luck... I swap out SD cards like no ones business always use mine thumb nail but will exercise caution from now on... Yea I agree this and the og RAZR has by far the easiest screens I've replaced...
We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.

Related

Heartache: The Touch Pro 2 infirmary. (Information for damaged Touch Pro 2's)

Ok. I'm starting to see more and more threads popup about their beloved TP2 taking damage, or getting destroyed. There are links starting to fly around and i thought before it got too crazy and disorganized, I would start to try to collect them into a single thread. Perhaps people could even tell their tales of how their device got damaged, their service experience, and most importantly, the cost of repair (if any).
I also plan to add other things such as backup software and links to parts when i find them.
Hopefully, others plights will serve as a list of what NOT to do to our phones. lol
==================================================
Manual
This is a site that contains all the service manuals for HTC devices. No link yet for the Touch Pro 2/Rhodium, but as soon as one is posted, ill add a direct link.
http://www.mikechannon.net/page1.html
==================================================
Parts
HTC Touch Pro2 BA S390 Battery (1500mAh)
Dutch Supplier
Soon as a U.S. supplier is found, i shall post it here as well.
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Backup
SPB Mobile Backup Full cost $24.99, but their is a trial download. (not sure if this supports device cloning)
Sprite Clone Mobile Clone software. Full seems to cost $300
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The "Wobble"
A lot of people seem to be complaining about their screen wobbling while tilted. Not sure why anyone is messing with it, but regardless, measurements have popped up. (typical guys, lol) My personal TP2 has ~3mm of freeplay. I personally, consider this acceptable. Others have reported as much as 9mm of freeplay. Its been said that HTC claims a little freeplay is normal. How much freeplay is normal to them, is unclear. From what i have gathered around this forum, is that others seem to consider exchanging it when its 5mm or more of movement. Ill keep everyone posted on this.
==================================================
Water Damage
Posting this due to a seemingly number of claims that the water sticker is far too sensitive, and in a fairly bad location.
Water Indicator Thread
==================================================
More to come later
(ok, i only found two or three posts pertaining to actual broken devices, but ive seen reply's here and their mentioning such things.)
*********************************************************************
Great post, should be stickied for future reference.
Story's so far. (thought i saw somewhere that someone had theirs runover, but cant find it now)
Washing Machine
Rough Landing
Hard Turns
Run over by a Car (this made me die a little inside)
Lyian said:
thought i saw somewhere that someone had theirs runover, but cant find it now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it was aegeuss
PumpAction said:
it was aegeuss
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh.. thank you.. Link added.
(also updated main thread)
*bump?*
Anyone have any more major issues with their TP2?
Lyian said:
*bump?*
Anyone have any more major issues with their TP2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My device has 6 bright pixels. Barely noticeable due to such a hi-res screen. Not exactly "damage" but I see you included the screen "wobble" in your list.
Dead/bright pixels in tp2
FYI - CNN.CN are selling spare parts. I have used them in the past for Kaiser parts.
remarks said:
My device has 6 bright pixels. Barely noticeable due to such a hi-res screen. Not exactly "damage" but I see you included the screen "wobble" in your list.
Dead/bright pixels in tp2
FYI - CNN.CN are selling spare parts. I have used them in the past for Kaiser parts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, im including anything that might be considered a hardware issue, that would more than likely cause the TP2 to stop working, or need a particular part replaced.
Never thought i would have to post here. .
so ive had pretty much the worst day of my life. I got hit by a car on my way to work at 530 in the morning. [I ride a bike, since work is a couple streets over]. I have road rashes all over my face, ear, and shoulder. I decided to call in to work, and instead, go to marching band rehearsal. [Still in high school, btw.].. At lunch, me and a couple friends went to CarlsJr. for some eats. and then drove back to the school. I got out of the car and just by fate, my Tmo TP2 fell, bounced off my leg and landed under the wheel. For some reason my friend pulled forward, and then all i heard around me was a crunch. My screen got curb stomped by his tire. I yelled and screamed. after he stopped i told him he ran it over. He, then, backed it up thinking he was still on top of it, and crunched it some more. So now he was parked on my poor, helpless phone. Had no choice but to tell him to roll off of it. She still works. The screen is still touch sensitive, but its cracked to hell. The plastic is cracked from top to bottom, and the top left quarter of the LCD is no more. just a black liquid crystals where color once fulfilled my heart..
well at least i have insurance on it. Will T-mobile replace my handset under the circumstances?
josh_prayyforplagues said:
so ive had pretty much the worst day of my life. I got hit by a car on my way to work at 530 in the morning. [I ride a bike, since work is a couple streets over]. I have road rashes all over my face, ear, and shoulder. I decided to call in to work, and instead, go to marching band rehearsal. [Still in high school, btw.].. At lunch, me and a couple friends went to CarlsJr. for some eats. and then drove back to the school. I got out of the car and just by fate, my Tmo TP2 fell, bounced off my leg and landed under the wheel. For some reason my friend pulled forward, and then all i heard around me was a crunch. My screen got curb stomped by his tire. I yelled and screamed. after he stopped i told him he ran it over. He, then, backed it up thinking he was still on top of it, and crunched it some more. So now he was parked on my poor, helpless phone. Had no choice but to tell him to roll off of it. She still works. The screen is still touch sensitive, but its cracked to hell. The plastic is cracked from top to bottom, and the top left quarter of the LCD is no more. just a black liquid crystals where color once fulfilled my heart..
well at least i have insurance on it. Will T-mobile replace my handset under the circumstances?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be demanding that this persons car insurance cover it, as it was ancillary to the wreck. INAL but it's certainly easy to argue that if he had not hit you, you would not have dropped your phone.
Did anyone hear anything about newton rings or overheat damage on the TP2 like it seems to happen quite often to TouchHD users?
I am a bit afraid of that as HTC seems to deny warranty coverage for that kind of defect and the TP2 uses the same hardware (to large parts).
If you have insurance then you can easily get if fixed right? At least, most insurances also cover repairs due to own faults.
in my experience with Tmo and there insurance..
in the US they use a company called "Assurian"
they insure the LINE that you have with tmobile.. so basically whatever phone you have on that number, is supposedly insured...
they also say no matter WHAT the reason they will cover the cost of the phone...if you drop it, get it wet... crack the screen..whatever...
BUT... this is what i recomend...
before you put a claim in, call tmobile OR assurian, and just cassually ask about how the insurance works...ask what they would cover.. ( chances are they will cover everything)
next they first try to help you fix the phone ( if it were software related issues) then they tell you you have a 100$ deductible and they will replace the phone for you... and pretty much mail you a new phone..
in my circumstance i had a SE p900 i paid $1000 for... when i plugged in the ear peice it broke the internal connector and it never was able to use the handset speaker during calls...
they first "tried" to fix it on the phone by changing settings...obviusly to no avail.. then they said ok, no problem since tmobile doesnt sell p900's we will replace it with the best brand they do sell... unfortunatly none of the phones tmo sold was a valid replacement.. i told them no its unacceptable.... then then argued a little cuz they had to shell out $1000 because when i signed up they told me they would cover any phone for any reason..
anyways... after 100$ deductible and some time on teh phone, they cut me a check for $800....i was very impressed...
you should be fine, i dont think they will try to fix it, i think they will just replace it...also, MAYBE just tell them you lost it, they will replace it with deductible.. this way even though its crunched you will have SOME spare parts... but use caution because if you tell them its lost you cant EVER power it up on your sim chip. it shows on tmobile. then they will try to call you on insurance fraud...
Hello,
I've had a peculiar problem recently.
My internal phone speaker (earpiece, not loudspeaker) sounds pretty terrible now, when it sounded absolutely fine just over the weekend. I did not do anything different than before and I didn't do anything to damage it... (to my knowledge at least)
The problem is... the speaker vibrates and is very distorted and sounds really loud. Like if you were playing music too loudly on a low powered amp/speaker.
I tried installing a new rom and some volume tweaks to lower the volume hoping it's a software thing, but it still sounds very distorted...
Any ideas? Is there an equalizer for the internal speaker?
I'm hoping the speaker itself is not damaged...
Stomped.
Ghost image...
I had to return mine after a week. Two faint bluish purple areas formed on the lcd, almost like a faint image got 'burned' in. I'm not sure how this happened, and it was def a burnt image. They replaced it with no questions asked, but I did get the warranty on the new phone....along with the body glove case.
Finally I have sold my TP2. Traded it in for the Samsung GT-i8000 which will arrive next week.
Though I loved the TP2, it's speed and it's hardware keyboard, it bugged me that it is slowly falling apart (well, not literally).
When I first had it, the screen would hold up and wouldn't wobble much. Now it wobbles so much it annoys me. I guess that is normal wear and tear.
Anyway, that wasn't the most annoying part. It is normal for it to wobble I guess. The worst is the sliding screen has started scratching both sides of the keyboard. Not just minor scratches but deep ones. So much so, I was afraid to slide my keyboard out again. I would of kept the stickers on to protect it but it feel off as time went by. So that is why HTC placed stickers on these things maybe, but unfortunately it never stayed on long enough.
And last but not least, there were newton rings, slam in the middle of the screen. I can notice it when the screen is lit or sleeping. I went to HTC to see if they will fix it for me. Turned out they blame me for putting it my pocket and with prolonged pressure, it will create these rings... Damn! If I knew, I wouldn't of kept it in my pocket without any casing. Never knew my pocket will create these rings. Fixing it costs $1200 HKD. EAT MY SHORTS!
So all 3 added together, I don't want to keep it anymore. I don't want another because of the slider and wobbly screen. I went to Wilson Communications (Hong Kong) and traded it in and when they saw the Newton Rings, they said it is normal for large screens to have them as it's hard for the large piece of top layer membrane to keep rigid long enough. Eventually they all will give in and the rings will appear after prolong usage.
I personally disagree, I think only some will suffer from them as my HD is still ok, no rings whatsoever. Even after it has been in my wife's bag since April.
I also guess I can't wait until WinMo 7 comes out when it will support capacity screen. HTC has some new copyright thingy where you are able to use both a stylus and your fingers (not nails) to operate the system. Some kind of electro-stylus. So accuracy won't be a problem anymore.
Until then, I might have to keep my i8000 for a while. The mrs is not rather happy about me changing phones so often. LOL.
dougstoner said:
I had to return mine after a week. Two faint bluish purple areas formed on the lcd, almost like a faint image got 'burned' in. I'm not sure how this happened, and it was def a burnt image. They replaced it with no questions asked, but I did get the warranty on the new phone....along with the body glove case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like the other reports of pressure on the screen causing damage.. It's not 'burnt' or image burn (which does not happen on LCDs, although a very temporary similar thing can happen but goes away after being powered off for a bit). Most likely your phone screen was pushed inwards at some point.
Screen back scratching keyboard
cocoaju said:
The worst is the sliding screen has started scratching both sides of the keyboard. Not just minor scratches but deep ones. So much so, I was afraid to slide my keyboard out again. I would of kept the stickers on to protect it but it feel off as time went by. So that is why HTC placed stickers on these things maybe, but unfortunately it never stayed on long enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone know if all versions of the TP2 are susceptible to the back of the screen scratching the keyboard (sans stickers, of course)? It looks like some versions (Original HTC, Sprint, Verizon and AT&T versions) have a slight ridge/seam around the perimeter of the kepboard that I assume may make the sliding mechanism better, while the T-Mobile USA version does not have this ridge/seam. Does this slight design change affect the susceptibility of the keyboard getting scratched?
khaytsus said:
Sounds like the other reports of pressure on the screen causing damage.. It's not 'burnt' or image burn (which does not happen on LCDs, although a very temporary similar thing can happen but goes away after being powered off for a bit). Most likely your phone screen was pushed inwards at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That crossed my mind, but I was EXTRA careful to never push too hard. I also kept it in the case on my belt, and never even came close to hitting it or anything. With the money I spent, I made sure I didn't.
I had to DOA my 2nd Pro2 for the same issue. I thought it was software related, but it wasn't. My 3rd one is flawless....
brucemeng said:
Hello,
I've had a peculiar problem recently.
My internal phone speaker (earpiece, not loudspeaker) sounds pretty terrible now, when it sounded absolutely fine just over the weekend. I did not do anything different than before and I didn't do anything to damage it... (to my knowledge at least)
The problem is... the speaker vibrates and is very distorted and sounds really loud. Like if you were playing music too loudly on a low powered amp/speaker.
I tried installing a new rom and some volume tweaks to lower the volume hoping it's a software thing, but it still sounds very distorted...
Any ideas? Is there an equalizer for the internal speaker?
I'm hoping the speaker itself is not damaged...
Stomped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[Q] xperia play disassembly guide?

Hello!
Has anyone seen a disassembly guide / dismantlling guide for an xperia play? I have had a quick look and havent seen one. A video one would be really good and one that looks at the digitizer / glass would be best for me as I seem to have broken mine already, oops!
Cheers
That sucks.
If you have Rogers they have a replacement policy. I would try that before you take it apart. Good luck. I haven't seen any guides yet. It is a pretty new phone.
You have a teardown here, it may be useful: http://www.ubmtechinsights.com/teardowns/sony-xperia-play-teardown/
I have found this, but would still like to see a video if one exists?
http://www.repairyourmobile.net/sony-ericsson-disassembly/sony-ericsson-xperia-play-disassembly/
Cheers
You can get a brand new OEM Sony Ericsson Touch Digitizer Screen on eBay from here: http://cgi.ebay.ca/OEM-Touch-Digiti...ultDomain_0&hash=item27bb11025c#ht_4868wt_905
I just ordered an OEM Xperia PLAY Black Housing Set from them and it's on its way. Funny how those "takedown" photos don't show you how they disconnected the sliding screen from the gamepad base. I got stuck at that part and have no idea how they were able to remove it. LOL
Rogers replacement policy doesn't give you the same model.... They have designated refurbished models available at no cost per person per life... You can only use it once... Unless the customer support was lying to me, that is what she told me.
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
Have you dealt with rogers before? The have no issue flatout lying to your face. I cant tell you how many times I got screwed over by those ****ers. So I get the feeling you'd be SOL
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
The only reason I switched over to Rogers was to get the Xperia PLAY for $99.99 on a 3 year agreement. I've been with Fido eversince and even though they're owned by Rogers now, I can say that Fido deals with their customers way better than Rogers does. When my 3 year agreement is done I'm going back with Fido. I already network unlocked my Xperia PLAY so if I still have it by then all I have to do is get a Fido SIM card.
Xperia Play disassembly pictures
Hey,
I am in the middle of taking apart my Xperia Play to replace the screen. Now, I got everything separated and taken apart except the screen half. I am having problem removing these silver rivets, which look like screws with a covering but the covering doesn't peel/come off. I have attached pictures of these in hopes that someone knows how to remove them.
Additionally, if anyone has experience replacing an Xperia Play screen, I'd love the advice.
Thanks in advance.
McD
Screen
Hi
Dont take the rivets OFF! If you just slide the control pad part off the metal casing you can get to the 2 screws you need to get to.
I have just finished replacing my screen and it is the scariest screen i have ever replaced as you need to go from back to front lol
I have attached a pic of my finished product, sorry i should of taken photos during it but i was shaking lol
Flava0ne said:
The only reason I switched over to Rogers was to get the Xperia PLAY for $99.99 on a 3 year agreement. I've been with Fido eversince and even though they're owned by Rogers now, I can say that Fido deals with their customers way better than Rogers does. When my 3 year agreement is done I'm going back with Fido. I already network unlocked my Xperia PLAY so if I still have it by then all I have to do is get a Fido SIM card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I desperately hope that you did not get locked down to a 3 year agreement to just get this phone. As fun as this phone is (and likely to be used long past when I get another phone, just for Emulators and random games), it is not worth a 3 year contract. 2, I can understand. 1 would be more proper. 3 years is nuts in this industry. They have made back their offset of cost within 1.5 years usually.
Video!!
Hi
For anyone else who might benifit from this, here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3n5ZfkqhzE
Edd
eddieo said:
Hi
For anyone else who might benifit from this, here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3n5ZfkqhzE
Edd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that video link, I think it'll really help other people who might need to do some repairs on their own to their Xperia PLAY. I just wish that I came across that video earlier when I had to disassemble mines, I was so nervous when I was doing it cause all I had to go by where those pictures posted earlier and it left out a whole lot that I had to figure out myself.
Replacing Digitizer
Hello, Flava0ne
Do I have to take entire phone apart to replace digitizer? Is there simpler way to do it? Screen is fine - only digitizer is broken. Can it be removed from the top or bottom top access only?
Thank you
WOW sorry, too many tabs open. Wrong topic!!!
(Disregard this post)
Two questions: How far can you go without breaking a warranty seal and how many internal water damage indicators / liquid sensors are there? I just need to check since they are threatening $300 if they find anything and I work in the cold and frequently see condensation. I do avoid condensation actively and don't even allow it in the bathroom when showering.
---------- Post added at 03:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:03 PM ----------
OK, I went as far as I dared by completely taking apart the bottom piece (gamepad, camera, microSD slot, SIM slot, headset/remote jack, primary and secondary microphone, antennas, speakers, microUSB, etc) and, so far, I have found three. It was pretty easy up to this point and I didn't notice any kind of warranty seal.
I just removed all T6 screws from the back and lifted the catches along the bottom (headset/microUSB) side using my fingernail. One corner should be loose and you can start there and slide with no marring (didn't need my plastic pry tool). I don't know why, exactly, but the internal L & R switches are stuck to black adhesive films covering openings in this black piece but I was able to lift and unstick them without touching the films. Anyway, when you remove and flip this piece over, you should see a white square just below the mSD and SIM card slot. It's actually visible through a pinhole on the other side. If it's pink/red, you've got a problem, even if it's caused by condensation (they will still void your warranty for "water damage"). When I touched it, a plastic film on the back slipped off but stuck back on. The whole thing seems like it peels off quite easily.
Anyway, I would wiggle the power button loose before moving on. Next, there are now two tiny cross-head screws that I used a PH00x50 driver on. Yes, one of them was clearly accessible as soon as you removed the battery, but why remove it until you are ready to remove both? Once those are out, let the headphone jack dangle off its ribbon cable and lift the PCB enough to disconnect the display connector from the PCB... just stick something wide and flat in there and twist. Be careful not to damage the tiny ribbon cable that connects the touchpad area from the gamepad because it still needs to be disconnected. Now, this is OPPOSITE of how many larger but similar connectors work, so pay attention: To disconnect it, locate the tiny darker-colored flap of plastic on the opposite side of the connector from where the cable goes in. Lift it from the opposite side toward the side where the cable inserts. It will stand straight up and then you can slide the cable out. If you have to remove it, the headphone/remote jack appears to work the same way.
Anyway, this should completely free the PCB and leave the gamepad shell attached to the display. The gamepad shell should be free from the front half of the phone now as well, leaving only the sliding metal mounting bracket.
Now, a couple of interesting things here: I can clearly tell that one of the T6 screws by the volume button was protruding too far and caused a visible sliding scratch on the underside of my top shell. It may make sense to loosen these a bit on a new phone before this happens. You can also see if imperfections in the white Teflon sliding bumps are causing scratches on the front (my first phone did not, my second did in no time).
Now, let's go back to the gamepad faceplate. The buttons should easily fall out if you want them too, but I was only interested in finding the water sensors and here are two more: one is right by the microphone hole and the other in diagonally opposite under the Playstation Certified logo. They look identical to the one on the back piece.
I'm sure that there is at least one in the LCD assembly as well, but mine is well sealed and I didn't want to lift any of those silvery-gray stickers covering the screws when I have a warranty replacement on the way. I've gone far enough to satisfy my curiosity.
---------- Post added at 03:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:01 PM ----------
A couple notes on re-assembly:
As expected, it's a bit more difficult, especially because you don't have leverage to reconnect the display when it is in place. The last fold of the cable it supposed to fit UNDER the metal bracket and the slide mechanism doesn't really work if it isn't (a certain panel will not slide back if it is not folded under). I'm not sure how it affects it but it does. You will need a thin, long, flat utensil like a plastic butter knife or something to either A) provide leverage to connect the connector or B) tuck the cable back under the bracket after connecting it. You need to have already connected the touchpads and oriented the gamepad faceplate around/under the bracket, though it will not be secured. The phone also needs to be in the open position. When you tuck the cable under, slide it to the closed position and back. If the cable seated properly, the PCB and gamepad faceplate should sit pretty flat and should no longer be falling off of the bracket even though it isn't really secured.
The D-pad needs to be arranged properly as well. One side is cut. If you look closely, there are three holes in the four inner corners that align with three plus-shaped pegs, so you can't get it wrong if you pay attention.
The power/lock button isn't going to stay in place until you secure the bottom housing, so leave it off until just before you are ready to do that to avoid losing it.
Be careful not to seal dust in the camera lens. Don't forget to put the cross-head screws back before you do the back housing because you can't easily access one. Remember to keep the four black screws by the L, R, and volume buttons a little loose if you had a problem with them scratching the other half of the phone.
Be sure to download the Xperia Play test program from the Google Market and verify that all buttons and touch inputs function properly.
I'll be sure to wear my Looxcie next time.
I feel sorry for you blokes taking apart the xperia
it's going to be a royal pain in the ass. especially when you reach that "point"
the point where you have **** all over the table and you are like god how did i get this deep into disassembly
then the part when you are shaking / nervous about breaking a part, or worse yet. you end up breaking it. i would be real scared lol.
all i can say is go real slow. REAL slow
and if anything wont move. dont force it lol
Hogwarts said:
I feel sorry for you blokes taking apart the xperia
it's going to be a royal pain in the ass. especially when you reach that "point"
the point where you have **** all over the table and you are like god how did i get this deep into disassembly
then the part when you are shaking / nervous about breaking a part, or worse yet. you end up breaking it. i would be real scared lol.
all i can say is go real slow. REAL slow
and if anything wont move. dont force it lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I've just taken apart too many laptops and gadgets before but I never felt that way when I got the back piece completely apart... or maybe "that point" is only after you get into the front assembly. I did the rear in bed with the screws laying on the covers beside me and didn't even lose the arrangement of a single one.
Anyway, moments after getting my RMA replacement shipped email notification this morning, I dropped my R800at that is supposed to be getting sent back and now the touch digitizer is shattered. I've ordered a replacement but I'm hoping that I'll be sending it back with the original from the RMA replacement. Does anyone know if the R800a or R800at will fit a R800 Z1i chassis? These are all over eBay. Also, is there any tamper seal? I understand that there are screws under the silver/gray stickers on the front piece but those look easy enough to reapply.
Did I mention that they wanted to turn my RMA down for the flaking paint on the front buttons alone? The night before I called to RMA for an alarm issue (two days ago), the battery door cracked right at the pry point. I remove it more often than most because I carry a second official battery and a Sony Ericsson EP900 charger, so it failed under normal wear-and-tear, but they wanted to say that I couldn't RMA for my main issue (alarm dismisses itself) because of that EVEN THOUGH THE RMA UNITS DON'T INCLUDE A BATTERY COVER!
Damn. Sony Ericsson can be picky. I babied the thing and only just now dropped it. Perhaps AT&T is a little too cautious with the terms of Sony's warranty (it is processed through them but the rules come from Sony).
CZroe said:
Maybe I've just taken apart too many laptops and gadgets before but I never felt that way when I got the back piece completely apart... or maybe "that point" is only after you get into the front assembly. I did the rear in bed with the screws laying on the covers beside me and didn't even lose the arrangement of a single one.
Anyway, moments after getting my RMA replacement shipped email notification this morning, I dropped my R800at that is supposed to be getting sent back and now the touch digitizer is shattered. I've ordered a replacement but I'm hoping that I'll be sending it back with the original from the RMA replacement. Does anyone know if the R800a or R800at will fit a R800 Z1i chassis? These are all over eBay. Also, is there any tamper seal? I understand that there are screws under the silver/gray stickers on the front piece but those look easy enough to reapply.
Did I mention that they wanted to turn my RMA down for the flaking paint on the front buttons alone? The night before I called to RMA for an alarm issue (two days ago), the battery door cracked right at the pry point. I remove it more often than most because I carry a second official battery and a Sony Ericsson EP900 charger, so it failed under normal wear-and-tear, but they wanted to say that I couldn't RMA for my main issue (alarm dismisses itself) because of that EVEN THOUGH THE RMA UNITS DON'T INCLUDE A BATTERY COVER!
Damn. Sony Ericsson can be picky. I babied the thing and only just now dropped it. Perhaps AT&T is a little too cautious with the terms of Sony's warranty (it is processed through them but the rules come from Sony).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've always said this phone is cheaply made and now i have more proof
mine came brand new out of the box with a blemish on the screen
I'm not picky so i just kept it.
Its a blemish in the LCD screen not the digitizer or glass
and yeah the cheap ass plastic assembly is not helping either.
they should have used aluminum or something. more durable
OK, so I finished the job. I did not see any more water indicators in the top shell and I did not find a single tamper-resistant label in the entire device. I left the slider assembly intact (I think it's riveted) and I didn't peel the flex PCB out of the top shell or off of the touchoads, but it was what anyone would consider "fully disassembled." I seem to have misplaced my camera but video will be coming when I find and edit it.

[Q] Hairline crack "under" the screen.

Hi.
I've got a small question for all. I had my galaxy phone for only 2 weeks now, and treaded it with the same care I've done with all my phones (have had earlier a Galaxy S for 1.5 years without a single scratch on it).
Just a few days ago I saw a very thin crack in the screen, stretching from almost the edge of the top left corner, and diagonally down a bit to the right side.
Curiously as I am, I checked if anyone else had the same problem.
I found a few places online, but not a lot.
[cant add links due to first post]
I want to know if this can be a build problem, since I'm pretty sure I didn't miss treat it.
It doesn't affect the usability of the screen, meaning all pixels and everything with the touch layer seems to be working perfectly, and its quite hard to spot even if you know its there. You need the right amount of light and angle to see it. Perhaps that's why I cant find a lot about it.
Has anyone a similar problem?
That sucks. You might not be able to exchange it since that is physical damage. Youre probably going to have to live with it, sell it or get it repaired which will be costly.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Is that on the digitizer or on the glass? If its on the surface you could throw a screen protector on it to fill it in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoMRO4OiXw4
if its on the digitizer, that shouldn't happen. I would try and get it replaced.
there is certainly no harm in taking it back to the place of purchase to see if they are willing to help...
I've tried to take it back, but they didn't want to take it without examination, and that will cost $150, and from experience, they will probably come to the conclusion that its not a manufacturer error (unless several people reports the same issue)
Its not in the top glass, but as far as I can see, its not in the digitizer either (I assume the digitizer would at least behave differently with a crack in it)
Still hoping that more people have this problem, since that would prove that its a bad batch or something..
Hi Mazy,
I just discovered a hairline crack on my nexus too.
Unfortunately I don't have a camera right now to take pictures of it, but suffice to say the crack matches the one you have!
I cannot think of how this crack came to be - its so new and hasn't been mistreated at all.
I'll try and upload some photos in the next few days if I can borrow a camera to do so.
With some effort I managed to get to take a photo with a webcam (see attachment).
I haven't yet contacted the place of purchase to see what can be done about this - I'll keep this thread posted.
Thanks for that image.. This seems to be more than a coincidence, the angle and size of the crack seems very similar. I suspect that your phone works as normal as well, and that the crack is more or less invisible in normal usage, but in specific angles it shines up?
Have you used any "heavy" program for a long time, meaning did you use a program that could make the phone become warm?
We have two similar phones here, but only one is cracked, and thats the one that we used as GPS, and using that, the phone gets hotter than normal. I dont know if that can affect it at all, but Im trying to figure out what caused it.
Hey op is your phone GSM or CDMA? Australian guy I assume yours is GSM.
I have the exact same crack that you have found in your screen. (Verizon LTE version) Thought maybe I had simply been careless with my phone but then started thinking that it might be a manufacturer issue.
Buff McBigstuff said:
Hey op is your phone GSM or CDMA? Australian guy I assume yours is GSM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a GSM, and from the charger I got, I assume it was meant to be shipped to UK (or any other country with that type of outlet)
Slowburn72: if its possible, please take a picture as well, Im planning to use this thread to prove that this is not a user mistreating the phone, but rather some problem in manufacturing or assembly of the phone.
Slowburn72 said:
I have the exact same crack that you have found in your screen. (Verizon LTE version) Thought maybe I had simply been careless with my phone but then started thinking that it might be a manufacturer issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow guys, I smell something fishy here. Mark one up as my GN has the same thing.
I was out in the winter sun today for the first time with this phone after having it for about 4 weeks when I saw a line going across from the top left, diagonally down to the right side about 1/3 down.
Immediately I thought, WTF! I have NOT dropped this thing and have NOT sat on it. It's been in a case since day one which should also reinforce it. How the hell did I do this? I even tried rubbing it off when I first saw it thinking it was just another fingerprint smudge.
This is a Verizon LTE version so at this point I don't think this is specific to version.
I will also say that I am shocked that I didn't notice this before being a very picky nerd about this kind of stuff. At the same time, I can't actually see this until I get enough ambient light and hold it on an angle. It's a hairline crack beneath the topsheet of glass but not deep enough from what I can tell to affect the display. Most user damage appears to result in shattered outer glass and the fact that our cracks are the same that this is due to assembly or design.
I have a feeling we aren't the only ones with this issue. I have insurance on the phone but no way am I going to make an insurance claim considering we all have the same, and I mean SAME crack.
I will be printing this thread out when going back to where I got mine to kindly ask for a replacement. I will be taking this one up the chain, if I have to, after reading this thread. I am glad this thread was started.
I think we are on to something...
I would contact Samsung and point them to this thread. Maybe if they see its happening to multiple people they will replace it.
Same hairline crack on mine too!
I have had this galaxy nexus less than 24 hours. I literally watched a small scratch like mark turn into a diagonal and long hairline crack across 1 quarter of the screen. I didn't do anything to the phone I've had a nexus 1 for over year with no crack at all. Now I think I know why the guy was trying to sell me the warranty so hard. Will be returning the GN to best buy for a full refund.
Same symptoms everyone else is listing... shows up in only certain lighting and angles. But marked it is... ever presently defective.
Everyone with this defect, are you on gsm or verizon version? Only reason i ask is verizon version case is slightly modifies which can cause loose volume keys. Perhaps this bigger casing puts some awkward twisting force on the screen from the modified production assembly.
Thats why the crack would be in identical location on every one.
Its happened on both gsm and lte
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I have the exact same "Hairline crack". Tried to get it replaced without success.
Btw, it's a GSM version.
I have a version from telus in vancouver canada. My crack is from top right (to the left of the front facing camera) and runs to the middle left side. There are absolutely no scuff marks on the phone as it has not been dropped once. Phone is in mint condition all except for this hairline crack.
I will be returning to best buy to let them know my unhappiness with this phone.
I suspect a change from inside temp afer taking video and pics all day at the local science world.. then going outside is when I noticed a small crack starting to spread. i had the phone less than 24 hours.
Unimpressed!
I also only kept the phone in my x-Large leather jacket pocket by itself.
When the phone is turned on the hairline crack can only be seen from certain angles. When it is turned off it is easier to see from the photos attached.
Coincidentally, a friend bought the GN and just told me over gchat that the same thing happened to his GN phone, as described here.
I would call samsung. Ask to speak to a manager. That is crap. If this many people are having the same crack, it isnt isolated.
While I do not have this problem, I did want to chime in here. For those of you who tried to exchange your Nexus without success, I highly recommend going to another store or taking the matter up the chain until you get a replacement.
There is absolutely no reason they can't exchange the phone. This is clearly a manufacturing defect and there is absolutely no sign of physical abuse that the user could have done to cause this. If I were in your shoes I would not give up until it got replaced.
My last resort would be to go directly to Samsung with pictures and a detailed explanation of the issue. This is completely unacceptable in my opinion.

Galaxy S4 Horror (?) Story

I've become pretty exasperated with these phones lately, so I thought I'd share my experience. My question is: are these phones supposed to be this fragile?
It started two years ago: due to Verizon's discontinuation of unlimited data, I'd convinced my family (me and my parents) to move to T-Mobile. It seemed like a great deal: we could finally upgrade from our Galaxy S Fascinates, and the plan was cheaper too. Me and my dad, both power users, chose S4s, while my mother, who was more of a casual user, picked the S3 since it was cheaper. At first, it seemed great: the S4s were powerful, and the screens were awesome. We purchased the insurance, but neither me nor my dad bought cases, and my mom got an aftermarket back for her S3 with a swing-closed screen cover.
Fast-forward two months later. My mom's S3 started rebooting randomly, especially during periods of high use. It got so bad that we were considering replacing the phone, when I noticed that I could trigger a reboot by running a CPU stress test application. This pointed to a battery that was going bad and couldn't always provide enough voltage to keep the phone running. We replaced the battery, and were off on our merry way.
Over the next year of heavy use, the silver coating on the band of plastic around the front edge of my S4 started to flake off. By summer, it was totally gone, exposing the white plastic underneath. Meanwhile, my dad's S4 had developed an odd issue with the screen , causing vertical bands of color to be visible. It wasn't a huge issue, and he didn't seem to notice it.
After the first year, it all changed. A new issue cropped up first in my dad's, then my S4. It seemed that dirt had gotten inside the case, underneath the proximity sensor. The screen became more and more reluctant to wake up during calls. Dad could seem to keep his in check by canned-airing through the speaker grill on a regular basis, but I had no such luck. Once I hit dial, my screen would turn off for good unless the other person hung up, or I put my phone in a spotlight or direct sunlight. Eventually, I had to start pulling out the battery to hang up a call. I could only check my voicemail by plugging in headphones.
Then came the cracks. That autumn, it happened, that thing all phone-owners dread: After surviving several multi-foot drops with only dents and scratches, my S4 fell off of my leg when I was sitting on the ground, landed upside-down, and developed a small crack off to the side of the screen. It wasn't bad, but I was kind of shaken, since up until then I'd considered my phone screen to be pretty much invulnerable. Then, a week later, it fell only a few inches out of my pocket onto a stucco floor. It landed directly on the screen, and I heard an unholy cracking sound. I picked it up to find two cracks stretching diagonally from the top left to the bottom right of the screen. We discussed getting a new phone, but I decided that it wasn't worth the insurance deductible, especially since I would get a phone with the new KNOX bootloader. Later on, I dropped it another couple times, and the display shattered in a few places.
A few months later, Dad's phone's SIM card holder started to fail. At first, whenever he went for a bumpy motorcycle ride or otherwise shook his phone around, the S4 would lose cellular signal until he rebooted. It got worse over time, to the point where he was rebooting multiple times a day just to stay connected. I decided to do some troubleshooting, and, with his agreement, ODINed it to 4.4 touchwiz with the KNOX bootloader. It had been over a year, so we figured that the warranty had run out. This got results, as soon after booting up the phone it would show an error, "SIM Card Removed!" I guess that the other rom hadn't had this error, and just lost signal when the card momentarily disconnected. Anyway, we contacted T-Mobile, who gave him a new SIM card. The problem persisted, and he had to wait a long time at the store while it was being provisioned. We proceeded to call the insurance, who told us, surprise surprise, that buying the insurance also comes with an extended warranty. Which I had just voided. Now, Dad was really angry, since he had to pay $150 for basically no reason. We got the refurbished phone, but he refused to let me root it because that would void the warranty, and he didn't want to have to pay the insurance again. Instead, even though we had Titanium and Clockworkmod backups of everything, he painstakingly rebuilt all his user data by hand. And so the story ended. Or so we thought.
You see, about a week after he got his replacement, the screen cracked. He didn't drop it; according to him it just spontaneously happened. It wasn't very noticeable, and it wasn't a big deal.
Two days ago, his Wi-Fi just stopped. Completely. It wouldn't turn on in settings. Neither would Bluetooth. He did some research, and it turns out that a common issue with refurb S4s was that the internal Wi-Fi antenna would not make good contact with the mainboard. He went to a T-Mobile store, and found out that that little crack actually voided his warranty, so all of that manual rebuilding he did was for nothing. So, he took apart the phone according to a YouTube video, cleaned the antenna contacts, and put it back together. He turned it on, and it was still broken. Oddly enough, it worked for a while after uninstalling some apps, but it soon broke again. Desperate, he gave it to me in hopes that it was a software problem. I tried two different ROMs, but the issue persisted.
So, his replacement phone is a bust. The thing is, he refuses to consider any other phone because he goes through two or three batteries a day, and needs a phone with replaceable batteries, and these are becoming endangered species nowadays. So, he's going to get another S4 from the insurance company, which might be just as unreliable.
Meanwhile, Mom's S3 is still running Android 4.1, and has given us no trouble since the battery thing.
We owned our fascinates for the same amount of time and never had any hardware problems at all. I gotta think that this isn't normal. Are we unlucky, abusive, or is this actually the normal failure rate for these phones?
To me, the physicality of your use case suggests you should have the phones in strong cases. This kind of phone just isn't as physically robust as say the Motorola phones (e.g. the RAZR max series or even the Moto X). If you are going to be dropping it and taking it for motorcycle rides put it in a case and get a screen protector.
Yes, this slim design centered around an almost border less screen is relatively fragile. And yes the S4 has some design flaws like the sim card problem. My next phone may be a return to Motorola if they have a suitable contender at that time. Or other brand. Most of my phones have been Motorola and they have felt MUCH more solid than any of the recent Samsungs.
A note about removable batteries: instead, consider an external powers pack to recharge the phone. I got a pair of them at Costco... Very convenient!
Good post. Sorry to hear your troubles and best wishes going forward!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk
A long, slightly boring story, but what's the bottom line?
So you got 3 phones a few of which you broke. Just buy a new one and put it in a case. Are you abusive? I don't know. Everyone has their own definition of normal I guess. I don't normally drop my electronics. But hey, it's yours, and you can do whatever you like to it.
I still have my almost 4 year old galaxy s4. It's basically like new, without a single scratch and I gave it to my 9 yo son and got myself an s5.
Yeah, I still dislike using cases because I feel like they make the phone hard to hold, but I'm planning on getting one for my next phone because I seem to be too clumsy not to need one.
I wrote this after I spent like 4 hours getting increasingly frustrated trying to fix my dad's phone, with no results. I guess I'm just wondering if it's worth switching to a different manufacturer because of this ordeal.
I've had my S4 for over two years now and it looks, feels, and runs as good as the day I bought it. No nicks, cracks, scratches, or errors whatsoever. I've had mine in an Otterbox since day one, and I've never dropped it from more than a few feet onto carpet or hardwood a few times.
These Galaxy devices are about like any other device, really. If you abuse them or fail to properly protect them, then they'll crap out on you like anything else. No amount of rooting or roming can fix that.
I kill my battery daily, or I would if I wasn't sitting at a computer most days with a readily available power source. I do enjoy the ability to pull my batter (especially when rooting, hanging, etc...) but power packs work well too.
I've had the dirt in the sensor issue. I just took the phone apart and cleaned it (as canned air did not work in my case). It literally took 10 minutes. My newest issue (which did require an RMA to SquareTrade) was a stuck power button. For a full day I could not turn the phone on. I finally bit the bullet and paid the deductible for a "new" phone. The next day I was able to turn the power on again but I already received my replacement so I just factory reset the old unit and sent it back. Now I have a previously refurbed unit, I can only hope has the power button fixed.
In the end, $500 pieces of small electronic equipment might benefit from having a $10 case on them. YMMV
I've never had the slightest problem with the proximity sensor on mine. About once or twice every month, I'll take the Otterbox off and give the phone and case a nice rub down with a microfiber clothe. It keeps everything nice and clean. I've never had to use compressed air or anything to clean it out.
Protip: a little routine cleaning goes a long way toward maximizing the lifespan of your devices.

Pixel bit the dust.

so i was at the lake today, had the pixel in my pocket, and without even thinking, swam straight into the middle of the lake to get into my buddies side by side.
I had pulled out my phone, realized it wasnt responding (screen was still on) then after me trying to unlock it, it randomly shut off. came back on with a ram dump message, then went off and stayed of for 5 hours. Finally got it to come back on, it kept restarting, i assume the water made the adhesive fail because the glass started lifting away from the chassis (no it wasnt the battery). And now its completely done, just an occasional white flash on half the screen.
luckily i bought the protection plan from google (through assurant) when i bought the device, so im getting that worked out now.
its about time i got a new device anyways. my speaker would always quit working, the back glass was cracked, the volume buttons didnt work half the time, etc. I used this phone like no pixel should be used , haha.
i decided to order a sim tray for one of my 5x's. and figured ill just use it on work or fun days, and switch to my pixel on casual and nicer/professional days.
i know, i know, lots of typing and reading right? well i mainly wanted to ask if anyone had experiences replacing there device through insurance, and how it went. did you get a refurbished device? same color? the rep put alot of emphasis on "it may be new or it may be refurbished, and the color may not be the same"
noidea24 said:
i know, i know, lots of typing and reading right? well i mainly wanted to ask if anyone had experiences replacing there device through insurance, and how it went. did you get a refurbished device? same color? the rep put alot of emphasis on "it may be new or it may be refurbished, and the color may not be the same"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally have never had a device replaced through Google or the device manufacturer, but for those people who had their Nexus 6P's replaced through Google got refurbished devices, random colour and sometimes even a higher storage option than the device they turned in.
Doubtful you'll get a blue, even though it's the nicest looking, but they'll probably send a random coloured one, but hopefully not a VZW variant since that has the un-unlockable bootloader.
noidea24 said:
so i was at the lake today, had the pixel in my pocket, and without even thinking, swam straight into the middle of the lake to get into my buddies side by side.
I had pulled out my phone, realized it wasnt responding (screen was still on) then after me trying to unlock it, it randomly shut off. came back on with a ram dump message, then went off and stayed of for 5 hours. Finally got it to come back on, it kept restarting, i assume the water made the adhesive fail because the glass started lifting away from the chassis (no it wasnt the battery). And now its completely done, just an occasional white flash on half the screen.
luckily i bought the protection plan from google (through assurant) when i bought the device, so im getting that worked out now.
its about time i got a new device anyways. my speaker would always quit working, the back glass was cracked, the volume buttons didnt work half the time, etc. I used this phone like no pixel should be used , haha.
i decided to order a sim tray for one of my 5x's. and figured ill just use it on work or fun days, and switch to my pixel on casual and nicer/professional days.
i know, i know, lots of typing and reading right? well i mainly wanted to ask if anyone had experiences replacing there device through insurance, and how it went. did you get a refurbished device? same color? the rep put alot of emphasis on "it may be new or it may be refurbished, and the color may not be the same"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fell in a lake on july 4th with phone in my pocket.
Worked a little random screen movements(water under the screen)
Next day, wouldnt take a charge.
Chatted with google support, i have no insurance on teh phone.
they directed me to an approved repair shop in my town.
Took it in.
$54 they cleaned it out and dried up the water still in my phone 7 days later as I was on vacation and the Rice did nothing.
Phone works good as new.
Shop said if the corrosion was bad enough they would replace other parts, but fresh water isnt as bad as salt so I was fine.
Phone has been working like a champ since.
Keep it off so you dont induce any shorts and take it somewhere.
Bought a White Pixel XL from Best Buy (I wanted Black but they were sold out and I was in a hurry) and got a protection plan on it. My phone started exhibiting behavior indicative of a factory defect. Best Buy wanted $200 to replace. The protection plan was a colossal waste of money. Luckily I paid monthly for the protection instead of a lump sum up front. Anyways, I went to Google instead, who offered to replace it for free. Sent them my Pixel XL and got a Black Pixel XL in return. So it's possible they'll send you a different color, I suppose. The phone was new in box, not a refurb. Pretty happy.

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