Develop Bugs

Warning - touch pro 2 has moisture detector sticker on the OUTSIDE

Hi,
I thought id post this here as well, as its a concern for Touch Pro2 owners.
Basically, the Touch Pro 2 has a little sticker under the battery cover, but on the outside, which goes from cross-hatched to red if it gets red. If you send one in for repair with it red, the UK repair centre doesnt even look at it, and bills you over £300 for a repair (or £20 to get the phone back unrepaired).
Thing is, im sure it hasnt met water. It must have been my sweaty hands when changing the SD card (whose slot is right next to the sticker).
I advise everyone with a touch pro 2 to cover the sticker somehow (i covered it in a tiny bit of paper, which in turn i covered with plastic tape on my replacement touchpro2 from ebay).
See my original thread (with a picture) here
http://www.modaco.com/content/pocke...657/htc-uk-refusing-to-repair-my-touch-pro-2/
Im currently in dispute with HTC about this. I filled in their customer service satisfaction survey with very low marks, and someone from HTC rang me, and said he would try and sort it. Ive also written 2 letters to their head office and their repair centre to complain.
George

Is it possible to just cover the sticker with a piece of cellophane tape?

Thanks for the heads-up dude. Just checked mine and it's half turned read. It's about a week old so no idea how it happened. Unless rain somehow got in it, but if you can't use them in the rain without voiding warranty that is shocking.

Interesting - mind attaching that picture here for those of us who aren't members of the other forum? This is pretty scary for HTC to base their entire decision to warranty on a moisture-sensitive sticker......

Here is the pic...
Here is the picture HTC sent me. Interesting to see other(s) have had the issue. Has anyone else got a red sticker despite not having got it wet? that will help my case with HTC if it comes to small claims situation...
thanks
George

ripnetuk said:
Here is the picture HTC sent me. Interesting to see other(s) have had the issue. Has anyone else got a red sticker despite not having got it wet? that will help my case with HTC if it comes to small claims situation...
thanks
George
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow...thats kind of sneeky of them to do. I have had someone spill water next to my phone and that would ahve easily caused it to turn red. Or lets say your talking on the phone in the rain. If a water dropplet hits it the right way, the red sitcker is going to show. I guess I will put scotch tape over it.

Just checked mine and found a red sticker. Hope I dont have need of repair service.

Yep my 10 week old one is pinky red, still works ok, I don't think it has changed since I had it though?

It might be different on the CDMA model, but I don't see one near the microSD slot. There is one on the opposite side that is clearly visible. With 3 internal moisture detectors (one on the headphone jack), one on the side, and one on the battery, it sure sounds like some planned obsolescence just through regular wear and tear.
Also, remember that the sticker is already pink/red, but it will bleed out when wet (or even humid).

ripnetuk said:
Here is the picture HTC sent me. Interesting to see other(s) have had the issue. Has anyone else got a red sticker despite not having got it wet? that will help my case with HTC if it comes to small claims situation...
thanks
George
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the picture, George! Mine is still nice and white with red cross hatches, BUT..... I noticed that the mount I was using from ProClip custom mounted on my air vent in my vehicle produced a TON of condensation on the backside of my phone the last time I removed it - today was a hot one here in Florida! Since the air vent is largely blocked by the phone's holster, I decided to suffocate the vent by pulling off the vent and putting a plastic bag inside it and then reassembling the cover, so it isn't out of place.
Considering I run a vinyl graphics company, I'll be getting a small square of my thin by heavy duty metallic grey vinyl cut out and put over an oversized section of the moisture detector!!! NOT going to have anyone dispute warranty issues with me over unpredictable weather or a small amount of condensation!!!

Wow, I checked my phone which I just got a week ago, and that sticker is already is half red (other half is still white). Of course it was no where near water except for maybe when I put on the screen protector. I hope we get enough complaints about this to HTC so they'll work something out with us. By the way, I have a Sprint TP2.

AssassinsLament said:
Of course it was no where near water except for maybe when I put on the screen protector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(remembering that I just said I run a vinyl graphics company....)
Why in the world did your phone come into contact with water when you were putting on the screen protector???????????

GarciaM25 said:
(remembering that I just said I run a vinyl graphics company....)
Why in the world did your phone come into contact with water when you were putting on the screen protector???????????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprayed the screen with a water based solution to apply the screen protector?

Got a response back from HTC
Dear Sir,
I apologise for the delay getting back to you - I wanted to be certain I had all the information at hand before replying.
I am afraid that unfortunately, the answer is not good, and the repair centre and sticking with their stance in this matter.
This quote comes directly from our escalations office, after they received your letter:
Keeping a phone in plastic bag in Hot or Humid conditions can cause condensation, especially when there is a temperature change. Not being able to package the phone “correctly” is not a suitable claim, the packaging arrived with us undamaged.
Actual fault is irrelevant, the device has been in contact with moisture and has been modified without consent (illegal software)
Modification without consent is against the warranty card. The use of non HTC software to unlock a device or install unofficial, and unlicensed versions of Microsoft products is also against the warranty, and in the case of Microsoft software also illegal and infringes on copyright laws. If this had been the only issue he would have been quoted for Mainboard replacement only.
The effects of moisture entering a device cannot be predetermined, the fact that a part has not failed yet due to moisture does not assure that it will not fail in the future. In order to be certain that a moisture affected device will function until the end of the warranty period we therefore must replace all possible components.
Whilst we value our customers, in this instance we are unable to agree to your request for a warranty repair on this device.
HTC can only assist you further by providing documentation to support any insurance claim you may be able to make for accidental damage, or by returning your device to you unrepaired which we will not charge you for.
Unfortunately, I cannot push this any further. This decision is above my authority, and I have to abide by our Head Offices decision.
I understand this may be a frustrating response after such a long wait and I wish the news were better. I can only recommend at this point that you contact your insurance company and raise the issue with them.
Best Regards,
HTC Europe Customer Care

AssassinsLament said:
Sprayed the screen with a water based solution to apply the screen protector?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eeek, okay! Well, I've never done that for screen protection, and I buy package of 17" monitor screen protectors to cut up and use for loads of little projects.... Did the instructions tell you the glue had to adhere that way? Most newer screen protectors don't use that type of adhesive anymore, bonding to the surface without leaving an residue that would be required when using water-based solutions........ If a screen protector kit I purchased required me to spray on something water-based before application, I'd throw it out and start with something a little less abrasive and potentially damaging!
And George, that SUCKS..... wow, well, now you know why I buy a SquareTrade warranty for EVERY expensive electronic item I own, right down to the Jawbone2 I use everyday! When my charging / data USB port broke on my first Kaiser, it was during the 1 year warranty, so I called HTC first - they told me that it was a wear and tear item, it would cost well over $300 to repair, and that NO warranty company would repair it under their terms and conditions..... I promptly called SquareTrade, they had me send it in, and in 8 days later, I had a brand new charging port installed at NO cost to me!
For more details, check out www.squaretrade.com - and no, I don't work for them, but I tell everyone I know about how great they are and cheap their plans are!

My Response to HTC
Can you tell me the official address of HTC UK please so I can
instigate county court proceedings?
And can you relay the following back to your head office please (or
even better, give me a contact there so I dont have to bother you
again)
1. I have a number of people who support my claim that the sticker can
turn red without the device having got wet enough to cause damage. See
my link to the forum earlier.
2. What I didnt realise earlier is that the sticker in question is on
the outside of the phone - i accept I might have handled it with
sweaty hands. If you had found a sticker on the inside that indicated
water ingress, I would accept your point.
3. It didnt have illegal software on it - it had Windows Mobile 6.1
(ok, not the original rom). i am licensed to use Windows Mobile 6.1,
as that came with the device. The exact build of the rom is NOT an
excuse to not repair my device
4. The 'condition' of warranty regarding 'illegal' software was only
sent to me AFTER you booked the phone in. I wasnt told this in the
original email when I sent it off.
5. I dont NEED HTC's 'consent' to install whatever I want on my phone.
It was bought unlocked, and had an official WM6.1 build, downloaded
from HTC.
6. Are you seriously saying that HTC replace mainboards in preference
to re-flashing the rom? thats plain mad, and not very environmentally
friendly.
Anyway, what is comes down to is that I dispute that the device got
sufficiently wet for you to dishonor the warranty.
Furthermore, HTC know full well that the rom, and the red sticker has
nothing to do with the problem reported (they say themselves that its
not relevant). I believe I have a good chance at getting this sorted
out by the county court system, which will only cost me around £30 - a
gamble im willing to take.

GarciaM25 said:
Eeek, okay! Well, I've never done that for screen protection, and I buy package of 17" monitor screen protectors to cut up and use for loads of little projects.... Did the instructions tell you the glue had to adhere that way? Most newer screen protectors don't use that type of adhesive anymore, bonding to the surface without leaving an residue that would be required when using water-based solutions........ If a screen protector kit I purchased required me to spray on something water-based before application, I'd throw it out and start with something a little less abrasive and potentially damaging!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Static-cling screen protectors are so 2005:
Installation video
Scratch test video
A little water never hurt anything. No, it's not glue, and it doesn't leave any adhesive residue. You can keep living in the dark ages, but the 3M Scotchgard material is amazing. I've done over a dozen installations on my devices and never had any water damage, and I've never activated a moisture detector. Zagg was one of the first to make this available pre-cut for electronic devices, but there are at least a half dozen startups (Best Skins Ever, PhantomSkinz, Ghost Armor, BodyGuardz, etc.).
And no, I don't work for any of them either. Maybe it's because I've done water cooling on my PC that it doesn't scare me to use a small amount of mostly non-conductive water and then let it dry for 24 hours.

Thanks for the heads up, I was wondering what that was.
Mines perfectly fine, red and white stripes, but I'll cover it up with something.

thats a horrible picture. where EXACTLY is this sticker supposed to be? on my usa tmobile version, the only sticker i see is located on the side of the case next to where the battery sits.if this is the sticker you're referring to, it seems like a pretty logical place to me. water would have to creep in to the side of the battery to hit the sticker. unless you have one somewhere i don't? you mean on the inside of the battery cover? your post say's on the "outside". ???

crazythunder said:
thats a horrible picture. where EXACTLY is this sticker supposed to be? on my usa tmobile version, the only sticker i see is located on the side of the case next to where the battery sits.if this is the sticker you're referring to, it seems like a pretty logical place to me. water would have to creep in to the side of the battery to hit the sticker. unless you have one somewhere i don't? you mean on the inside of the battery cover? your post say's on the "outside". ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, look to the left of your MicroSD card maybe?

Cracked Glass (camera cover)

Today I had the M9 in a window mount for GPS. After arriving, I took it from the holder to see the sapphire glass had a big crack through it. This phone is 6 days old, hasnt been dropped or anything. Always in a case and always in an inside pocket or on the sofa arm in my house when not in my hand.

It looks a clear case of insurance
Sent from a mobile gadget...

That's not good & one would expect the sapphire to hold up to even high temperatures.
Insurance & or return for replacement.

Duncan1982 said:
That's not good & one would expect the sapphire to hold up to even high temperatures.
Insurance & or return for replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No insurance on it so far, but will be popping back to the store ASAP. Ive always loved HTC Build quality but this has left me baffled and frustrated

DjLukeW said:
No insurance on it so far, but will be popping back to the store ASAP. Ive always loved HTC Build quality but this has left me baffled and frustrated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeh can understand why, hopefully an isolated incident.
Get back as soon as you can & good luck.

Looks like the case is scratched and the camera glass looks like it has an impact point on it..

It definately isnt or hasnt. I sed to work in mobile retail so I know excactly how it looks and sounds. But can guarantee that it nothing has impacted it.
Also IRL the crack is perfect and there is no impact point visible

DjLukeW said:
It definately isnt or hasnt. I sed to work in mobile retail so I know excactly how it looks and sounds. But can guarantee that it nothing has impacted it.
Also IRL the crack is perfect and there is no impact point visible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should be within the return/exchange period which would not use up your Uh-Oh claim.

shenye said:
you should be within the return/exchange period which would not use up your Uh-Oh claim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the UK we dont have that.
However, sensible staff in O2 Hanley sorted me out today and replaced my phone as they could see it was a definate quality issue.
Case closed

DjLukeW said:
In the UK we dont have that.
However, sensible staff in O2 Hanley sorted me out today and replaced my phone as they could see it was a definate quality issue.
Case closed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that's great news, now to enjoy what is a great device

Were you climbing trees? Bro you must be like Tarzan. Sorry to hear that.

That's crazy. The sapphire glass on that is supposed to be tougher than gorilla glass.
Sent from my 0PJA2 using XDA Free mobile app

I'm not am expert in this area, but don't assume too much about sapphire. Though its very scratch resistant due to its hardness, it is also very brittle, and can easily chip or crack especially when impacted on an edge or corner.

Did not know that. Thanks for the info. I really don't want a case but I might have to buy one.
Sent from my 0PJA2 using XDA Free mobile app

You aren't the only one to have this happen to their M9 friend. I was lucky enough to be a part of the HTC champions program and have had the HTC m9 since before it was available to buy. Somehow or another the glass on my camera lens cracked as well. The device had previously never been dropped (was in a case) and at the time was in a box. I'm now wondering if the glass is cracking due to some sort of heat issue.
I had to use the "uh-oh" insurance to have repaired unfortunately.

My htc one m9 dev edition was always in a case from day one never dropped or mishandled , I have been looking at the camera glass every time I put it down because of this post and I always lay it down on the face of the screen because temper glass protector and case keeps it from touching the table. I just came back to my phone and there is a clean crack from top to bottom almost in the center of the camera glass. Now I don't know what to do I ordered directly from HTC I guess I will be contacting them, I love the phone but I am not to happy about this.
update: Chatting with HTC Support they have no knowledge of this issue.
update: Only option given was to use my uhoh protection, I declined because if this is a common problem it should be fixed and what if it happens again, having reference number made so I can contact a supervisor when I get home.
update: 1-866-449-8358 is the number HTC has given me and it sends me directly to a operator saying to check the number and try again, I have really started to dislike this whole experience and seeing how its still under 30 days that I just got off the phone with their third party order center Digital River they said I will receive a shipping label in a few days to mail the device back, I really don't want to go to another device but after this I might, if I do stay with the One m9 Ill just order through my carrier to make a much less painless return if it happens again, but after all the wasted time there are other devices from manufactures that I never had any problems with.

My M9 camera cracked too
Hey guys, my camera cracked as well after 2 days of owning it with no sort of mishandling it at all. I just pulled it out once and noticed the camera is cracked. It would be really nice of HTC to recognize it is faulty hardware & offer to replace it for M9 owners...

Lens glass cracked within 24hrs of owning it
Lens glass cracked within 24hrs of owning it, took it back to Sprint. They won't replace it.

Well I am jumping ship, even though I really like this phone, I feel the company is becoming a joke, all tech support can do via chat is issue a uhoh protection and good luck reaching htc in the USA, seems they must have forgot to pay the phone bill. This issue needs to be proven and known but I am not going to spend my money on quality testing, hopefully they will revise the part, but without enough people complaining I doubt anything will be done. It almost feels like it is intentional to get us out of the uhoh protection.

Same thing happened to my phone a few weeks ago. I let my phone charge overnight, woke up & it was blazing hot. I thought nothing of it. I was looking at my phone & noticed a clean crack on the lens. I sent it back and it wasn't counted as a UH-OH protection. That's a plus.

Whitestone application

This may seem like a dumb question but I do not trust myself applying this screen protector and I was curious if anyone provides a service that will.

Chronos300 said:
This may seem like a dumb question but I do not trust myself applying this screen protector and I was curious if anyone provides a service that will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure you could take it to any repair shop and they'll do it for you for a fee.

Chronos300 said:
This may seem like a dumb question but I do not trust myself applying this screen protector and I was curious if anyone provides a service that will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to find those repair shops that has experience in doing lcd repairs especially those that uses loca.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

do it yourself just take your time and be patient. I did on my note 8 and its just about perfect just a couple pieces of dust along one edge but screen is money. unreal how easy it is

Anyone else get cracks in their Whitestone screen protector? I haven't been rough at all with my device and I've got a good couple of cracks off on the left side and one wierd crescent shape crack in the middle of the screen protector ?

jonkillops said:
Anyone else get cracks in their Whitestone screen protector? I haven't been rough at all with my device and I've got a good couple of cracks off on the left side and one wierd crescent shape crack in the middle of the screen protector ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup got a crack on the right edge, also take care of my phone and never dropped...

Same here, I'm very self aware and extra careful with all my phones, this seemed like it magically appeared one day when I was on my couch

My theory; why it cracked!
fullmetal509 said:
Same here, I'm very self aware and extra careful with all my phones, this seemed like it magically appeared one day when I was on my couch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm ordered two Glass screen protectors (not Dom glass) from a vendor on Amazon for my Pixel 2 xl, after perfect installation of the first glass screen I have noticed all along the right side of my phone that the screen protector is not touching the phone glass. It was not a bubble, but a narrow air space from top to bottom of the phone screen.
I remove the glass protector and installed the second one, same issue again!
I suspect that the Pixel 2 xl glass is not equally straight across the surface of the phone! I believe its a quality issue with pixel 2 xl screens.
Because the surface is not evenly straight, when the dome glass adhesive is cured, it pulls the glass screen unevenly which causes the cracks in the glass.

Chronos300 said:
This may seem like a dumb question but I do not trust myself applying this screen protector and I was curious if anyone provides a service that will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be adventurous...
They have a lifetime warranty, even for human error. Link

BR7fan said:
Be adventurous...
They have a lifetime warranty, even for human error. Link
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may not be aware of this, but there are a lot of reviews indicating that Whitestone's customer service is abysmal. If you have an issue, they may give you a warranty replacement, however they make you pay return shipping, so you essentially end up paying 1/3 the price of the protector (which isn't cheap to begin with) to ship it back to them and then maybe after a month or so they'll get you a new one.

cognitivedissonance said:
You may not be aware of this, but there are a lot of reviews indicating that Whitestone's customer service is abysmal. If you have an issue, they may give you a warranty replacement, however they make you pay return shipping, so you essentially end up paying 1/3 the price of the protector (which isn't cheap to begin with) to ship it back to them and then maybe after a month or so they'll get you a new one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea but that's better than paying $50. I'll gladly pay the 1/3.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs

General Hairline crack, inner screen, feels like screen protector.

Anyone else have hairline cracks on the fold of the inner screen? Mine feel like they are on the screen protector, my screen display is fine. Anyone else experiencing this?
Talking to support now, supposed to take to an authorized repair place. They say it covered by warranty due to normal use causing the cracks. Being sent to an authorized Samsung repair place.
Just inconvenient.

Adhesive failure. Probably due to excessive stretching of the plastic protector during assembly.

blackhawk said:
Adhesive failure. Probably due to excessive stretching of the plastic protector during assembly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Likely, but luckily it's covered by the warranty.

dirtybudha said:
Likely, but luckily it's covered by the warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you end up getting this fixed under warranty? Mine did the same thing (and the entire screen protector along the fold ripped up all at once).
I did a chat and they told me to take it in to get it fixed, but I'm curious as to what they'll do.

Squeaky369 said:
Did you end up getting this fixed under warranty? Mine did the same thing (and the entire screen protector along the fold ripped up all at once).
I did a chat and they told me to take it in to get it fixed, but I'm curious as to what they'll do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Squeaky369 said:
Did you end up getting this fixed under warranty? Mine did the same thing (and the entire screen protector along the fold ripped up all at once).
I did a chat and they told me to take it in to get it fixed, but I'm curious as to what they'll do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I did. They sent me to a certified repair shop.
They essentially replace the whole interior screen. The process worked, but the guys at the location were not that knowledgeable. We plugged it into a computer and it didn't see the USB access. Once I got it home, it worked on my computer. Who doesn't have the drivers for a device that they repair?
Anyway, it works great now.

That's good to hear it worked out for you. My inner screen also failed in the same manner with hairline fractures and black line down the middle turning it in to a Microsoft Duo. I've been on the phone with Samsung three separate times and have had nothing but resistance from them. They sent me to a local repair shop and the manager told me I must have gotten a piece of sand in the hinge or something....huh? He said go ahead and start a claim, but the final word was with him. He also said he got rid of his Fold 3 because he didn't want the same thing to happen to him. So there's definitely a problem with some of the units out there. I'll be sending mine to Samsung soon. I have no confidence that Samsung will actually cover this under warranty in my case due to the treatment I've received from their customer service. It's upsetting.

What a bummer... I got my phone Sept 24, and now on March 24, I just noticed that I have a small crack right where the phone folds. I am going in to Verizon tomorrow. The "Samsung Care+" wanted me to send it in with $249... This is definitely a warranty issue.

I went to my local corporate Verizon store this morning. They will treat it as warranty and my replacement phone arrives tomorrow. The area manager was there, took pics of the screen, and the phone to document current condition (which I appreciate) before approving the swap. Plus she says they are monitoring how many come in like this. Mine wasn't the first. They suspect, like many here, that it's the screen protector. (I guess the Flip 3 has issues too, but my daughter has one that is so far so good).
Now, as long as Verizon doesn't declare my phone as "damaged" by me it will be a free swap. If not, they'll try to bill me. But the area manager agrees that it looks like a defect (and it really is a defect).
One last gripe: I guess I was too eager to get my Fold 3 to realize that the "protection plan" carries a potential $249 fee for a broken screen. Thank goodness this is a defect.

emtownsend said:
. They suspect, like many here, that it's the screen protector. (I guess the Flip 3 has issues too, but my daughter has one that is so far so good).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you mean that they suspect the screen protector is broken or that the screen protector is causing the UTG screen to break?

The thought was that the screen protector is cracking, but not the screen. I've not lost any functionality over the area that is "cracked".

Yeah, when I ran my finger nail over the cracks it would snag. It was absolutely my screen protector...which is factory installed and therefore falls under the manufacturer.
Yes, I think this will be an issue. I don't think this will totally kill the market or much of the sales. My replacement is still going strong, and I haven't heard too many others experiencing the cracks.
I'm sure the Fold 5 will have it all together. Hahaha

100% screen protector, I just replaced mine myself and small crack in the crease is gone!

Yeah, my nail would catch on it. At least it's not the screen...oy. That would be a nightmare.

Checked online, there is a few threads on the Sammy forums, and removing the inner screen protector does NOT void warranty. If the display/screen is damaged in the process, then iti is void.
My replacement protector, OEM, got it's first hairline crack. Gonna remove the OEM one and replace it myself. That way I can just replace it when it goes bad.
NOW I'll say I wouldn't recommend this phone to anyone because of this issue. Samsung failed here, but there's a chance to learn from it and improve it.

dirtybudha said:
Checked online, there is a few threads on the Sammy forums, and removing the inner screen protector does NOT void warranty. If the display/screen is damaged in the process, then iti is void.
My replacement protector, OEM, got it's first hairline crack. Gonna remove the OEM one and replace it myself. That way I can just replace it when it goes bad.
NOW I'll say I wouldn't recommend this phone to anyone because of this issue. Samsung failed here, but there's a chance to learn from it and improve it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
getting the same OEM Samsung screen protector was a bad decision and you should've known that already since it broke once. Samsung's screen protector is an ultra thin plastic layer that's why it breaks. I removed it myself and knew its nature. That's why I installed the Whitestone Dome Film instead (myself) and this protector is elastic and bends easily with the fold. You get definately no cracks because it's a film layer.
try it and you won't regret it. By the way it's so easy to install, and costs only $10- $15

A: How should I have known?? They could have replaced it with better materials.
B: Thanks for the insight into the Whitestone Dome.

Question If you're noticing loosening of the screen protector internal screen...

Get that screen protector replaced in an authorized repair center whether or not you have an active warranty.
Don't do any of the following:
don't attempt to replace it yourself no matter how simple it might seem to you
(The repair centers have a rig to assist them in doing this. And if you screw up, you could end up with a more serious problem.)
don't ignore it because it seems trivial or small
don't wait for the problem to "ripen" before acting
if your warranty has expired: don't decide that this doesn't warrant action
Why?
Over the past week or so, the protector started slowly separating down the crease area of the screen. So I brought it in to a local Samsung-authorized UbreakitIFixit by Asurion. The technician said he's seen a flow of these cases. I went a step further and said that I'm hearing that there are a number of people reporting cracked screens. He nodded and said that-- once the protector starts separating like mine was doing-- this starts to create a degree of pressure on the folding area of the screen. Basically he was telling me that what seems like a trivial cosmetic problem could turn into something far more serious. And expensive.
In my case, I bought my Z Fold 3 shortly before it was replaced by the Z Fold 4-- and I am still covered by the warranty. If you are in the same position, Samsung has what I would call a "silent recall" where they will cover a one-time screen protector replacement. Go to the Samsung service area on their website and avail yourself of this!
And if you are past the warranty, I'd urge you to take the precaution and pay to have the protector replaced-- you sure don't want to face a complete screen replacement-- you might not even consider the cost justifiable.

Apparently this is true; if cracked it will eventually take out the display. I was reading a review and that Australian reviewer didn't have kind things to say about this. He gives the protector a 4-6 month lifespan, if you make a year you're lucky.
He further said this has been a persistent issue; don't expect the next generation to be more durable.

Hmm, I have to replace my wife's every 4 months or so using the Orzero. It is a bit of a learning exercise, but not that hard(key it to do long side first and get the fold crease right at the start). YMMV.

xnappo said:
Hmm, I have to replace my wife's every 4 months or so using the Orzero. It is a bit of a learning exercise, but not that hard(key it to do long side first and get the fold crease right at the start). YMMV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for letting us know that you feel confident doing this yourself. I also see a YouTube demonstration video from the company. I'm not sure that I'd do a neat job but it's good to know that it's possible.
You also opened my eyes to the frequency of replacement that made sense to both of you,

The Whitestone protector comes with a rig so that you place it perfectly right. Only thing you need to worry about is dust getting under it as you're putting it on (some people do it in the bathroom after steaming it up with a hot shower).
My OEM protector lasted over a year. It did separate along the crease at the top and it kept getting longer and longer, so I finally replaced it after months of the separated area. The replacement brought back the anti-fingerprint feature which had worn off the original one, so I was happy about that for sure. Doing it once now, I'll probably replace it next once that anti-fingerprint feature has worn off again since it wasn't as bad/hard as I thought it would be. No need to be intimidated by it after all!

ButterflyFlutterflyMyOhMy said:
The Whitestone protector comes with a rig so that you place it perfectly right. Only thing you need to worry about is dust getting under it as you're putting it on (some people do it in the bathroom after steaming it up with a hot shower).
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ButterflyFlutterflyMyOhMy said:
No need to be intimidated by it after all!
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I have learned so much on xda-developers.com over the years. The two previous posts are really helpful. I found the Whitestone installation YouTube video and now I see how the jig works. I hope I won't have to replace the screen protector but now I realize a couple things:
It's wise to replace the inner screen protector once separation starts appearing
It's entirely possible to do the job myself if / when the warranty no longer applies.