Pixel bit the dust. - Google Pixel XL Questions & Answers

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"
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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"
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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.

Related

Manufacturing Floor - Cracked Screen

Good Morning Guys and Girls,
Just wondering if anyone has experienced the same issue as me and how they got on.
I have had my phone exactly 3 weeks today I was using my phone and it was absolutly fine (no scratches/dents etc) put it face up on a table went had a showever when I came back there is a very large split in the screen perfectly straight (which would indicate manufacturing problem) going from top left corner half way down the phone to the right side.
I have spoken to HTC and they say its a chargeable fix as the warranty doesn't cover accidental damage but its not accidental damage! I have just phoned up my provider who said it would have to be sent back for them to determine whether it was accidental or not before sending out a new one but then they realised I actually got it through the carphone warehouse (as T-mobile direct were out of stock) and have now said I will have to take it to them as its their phone even though my contract was taken out with T-mobile direct.
This is a pain!
can you upload a photo?
Sure you had no impact before that? Or excessive pressure like in a pocket. Maybe it cracked later.
If not I don't know, maybe some faulty panel indeed that had a weak area that cracked due to thermal stress or something. In the lab it is probably easy to determine if it was cracked from the inside or due to external impact or torsion.
I have had a couple of light bumpbs but no damage/scratches after them and it was sitting all night on charge in my front room got up this morning picked it up used it for a minute (still fine) walked away came back 15 minutes later to find a crack. Noone had touched it.
Normally when I break a screen its a tiny crack and not normally in a perfect straight line. This one is 2.6" long
Pretty upset with this as its only 3 weeks old. I have had HD / HD2 / TD / TYTN etc and really abused them and I only end up with minor chips and scratches after about 10 months. Where as this one I have really tried to look after it
Also to add I never put my phone in my back pocket wher eI can sit on it.
It never shares a pockets with coins / keys or anything else that can damage it
And I will try and get a photo of it somehow - only cam I have at the moment is on the phone so don't think I can use that
Heres a picture, you can see where the light is reflecting is roughly the start point of the crack and it goes out both ways. I just don't see how a crack like this can form on its own sitting face up on a table.
That really sucks man.
I am going to get a hard cover for my phone. Don't want a cracked screen.
Having a look at your picture though - there doesn't seem to be a pressure point of impact etc. So what you're saying looks to be correct.
Hope you get it sorted.
I know thats what is frustrating me. Everyone telling me its accidental damage and I know I am not lieing, I have broken screens in the past and seen many more and I know how accidental damage looks you normally have a point of inpact as you say, its normally small or if it is big normally has multiple fractors no just one long steady line.
Yes, exactly.
However - you're going to have a hard time proving this to any retailer. As they normally have a very strict policy on warranty claims.
I'll get my way I have a nack of getting things I want from shops and businesses
I am hoping like the guy said at T-mobile as its only 3 weeks they might just do a handset swap rather than fixing it.
Anyone by any chance know how much it is to get a screen replaced?
Done some research for you - you're looking at 70 + pounds to replace it.
Thanks. Hmmmm thats quite a bit that I don't really have. Just hope I can get them to accept it as warranty. Might have to visit all stores in Sussex until one agrees to repair it lol.
Well it is even more, if you didn't actually cause the crack on the screen!
Hoping my Desire doesn't suffer the same fate as yours!
Good luck. My advice is do not put it on a table and walk away!
Ill post here how I get on.
I will be sure to keep a constant look on it, while I leave it on the table. Will test later if the same situation arises when leaving it on a chair.
Jokes aside: mine fell twice already. Once it was after a week I had it, it landed from about 1 meter high, 50cm far away after it slipped from my hand when picking it up from ... a table ! (I see a pattern, the desire doesn't like tables). Landed and rolled on my polished floor and I still can't see no visual damage. From that day on, I grip it so firmly, that it almost behaves like an iphone4
Second time it was from about 30cm and obviously no damage.
I had it for about 2-3 months and -knock wood- screen is ok.
It does look as a factory defect.
Is ur handset not insured either mobile phone insurance or as it happened in your house - your house insurance
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Well, don't know how the law is over there with you. But here in the Netherlands (and I thought it was EU, but not sure). Within a certain period of time the seller of the device is the one that should prove it wasn't used properly etc.
So.. they can say whatever they want about it being accidental damage. But at least here in this country, it's not up to you to prove otherwise. THEY have to prove you mistreated the device.
Your screen cracks without mistreating the device, sounds like a proper warranty claim to me!
It could be there has always been some tension on the screen, and when it got hot or cold it finally cracked. Who knows. I'd say let them prove you mistreated the device.
i work for carphone warehouse mate i wouldnt no what to do really say some thing elswe is wrong with it like crashing or some thing. depends on how noticeable try putting a cheap screen protector on it and see if it cant been seen then take it back LOL gimme a message if you want any more info =]
Don't CPW give you 3 months insurance for free as a come on?
That's nasty. I dropped mine from 30cm onto a wooden floor and the battery cover flew off and it sticks up in one corner now so had to bend it back to shape!
Good luck getting it sorted out.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

Shattered Screen :(

Hey you guys.
I just wanted to say that after maybe a month of using the htc 8s smartphone, my screen broke. I wouldn't even say anything if I knew it was my fault, but I don't think I did anything wrong.
Let's start from saying that i use all my phones with care - I don't throw them, don't even put them to one pocket with keys, coins or whatever. But on the other hand I don't use screen protectors or protective cases. Doing all that I've never had trouble with none of my phones or any other devices. My previous phone - 2011 xperia mini pro still looks pretty after almost 2 years of usage; before that I've had htc desire which is kinda bulletproof because after using it for I think over 3 years now it has barely a few scratches and knocks. Also I'm using Blackberry (i know it's somewhat different from those smartphones listed before) as my secondary phone for some time and it's still in great shape.
Few weeks earlier time came to purchase new device because my contract with carrier was close to expire. Times are tough so I don't have so much money to spend on a phone and have never used a Windows Phone before so the htc 8s drew my attention. After few minutes of playing with it I sort of started to like that phone (it changed with time but it's not time to talk about that). I signed new contract and went back home with a brand new htc in my pocket. Of course - new phone so I took even more care of it. One day I was walking down the street and texting and someone was walking by me and knocked the 8s out of my hands. It landed on sidewalk with just one little knock on the corner, I don't think the screen even touched the ground. Some time after that unpleasant scene i put my 8s on the table (screen is fine), look away for few seconds, look back on the phone - the screen is broken... literately shattered. I was like 'HAHA... wait... what?' I just sat there for 5 minutes looking at it and still couldn't believe it happened.
Day after that I went to my carrier and explained the whole situation and the guy couldn't believe it too. But he sent my phone back to htc. Few days later they text me that repair is gonna cost me like $100. I said no way, i don't have that money on me. Htc delivered the phone back to carrier.
Right now I'm stuck with a broken phone. Of course it's still kind of usable but not comfortable to use. So my question to you guys is if anyone of you was in that situation or your phone broke in any similar way. Any advice will be good really.
Welcome to the club.Mine 8S also felt down and the touchscreen cracked.I am checking eBay every day and watching how to price goes down.Till now it`s 47$ for the full lcd with the digitizer.I am not sure if it will be the same quality as the original one but i don`t have another choices.My carrier asks 90$ for the repair and there are not such other repair services around that can replace the screen.
Hi Janko, just throw it into trash and get a Nokia. Mine got broken a week after purchase. It´s a crap anyway, looking good but worth sh*t. I had a Nokia WP before, and it was also much faster. With this HTC 8s, I saw a WP device lagging for the first time, experience is much different from Nokia.

LG G3 - Cracked Lens after few hours out of the box

i just Bought my LG G3 Yesterday ,
it was used gently, as i appreciate the feeling of a new device in my hands like any geek,
i did not drop it ( no need to justify here )
i took my G3 to show off a friend and i asked people were in the room if anyone noticed that my phone fell in the past few minutes - one of them is working in a cellular shop and he immediately brought me the news that he already knows what happened by my response because some one who bought g3 from his store came back with the exact same crack and claim he did not drop the phone at all as well.
so i have a broken Lens, camera cant take photos right and i am Deeply disappointed By Lg as i was expecting a higher build quality,
i might be the first to report but just - wait for it ,
people will Google the problem and i am just the first to let you know.
photos added
I don't believe it. Your friends lied.
Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk
It doesn't just crack I dropped mine off a balcony 3 floors onto some rocks and it broke the screen of my F400S and some other stuff, but the lens was fine. Hence why I have a D850 but lenses don't just crack.
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I just had the same thing happen to mine. Not sure how or why it happened but it did. It was in my hot car turned off for an hour or so and then when I got home ours later, I noticed it. It has never been dropped or hit.
i think someone hijacked your phone... lol friends are friends...
Sent from from my LG-D855
It is a very, very small chance that it happened by itself - BUT if the glass was fitted in the phone, and was made with too high tension; it COULD technically brake "on its own". However, very rare for this to happen...
I just tried pressing my lens with my thumb, with quite a lot of pressure - didnt do anything
Anyone know where I can get a replacement lense or where to be looking for them when they come available? Talked to LG and they said they could repair but it would take 2 weeks and they could not tell me what it would cost. I can use my camera because my glass is completely gone over the camera, I would just like to get something over it to keep dust out.
Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
I just bought an LCD separator machine send it to me I need practice lol. I seen someone else say the sent there's into lg and cost $150 to fix. You could always get a square trade warranty and go that route
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
If I could just find a thin 1/2 inch diameter piece of glass, I could fix it myself. Problem is finding the glass. Would not be hard at all to fix and like I said my camera works perfectly fine.
I just had the exact same thing happen. Phone was fine last night. Set it on night stand before bed. Showered and got ready in the morning. No drops. Got in the car in the morning and touched something jaggedy when I was stopped at a light. Weiiiird. Looks exactly like OP's pic. Luckily I paid for insurance since it's included in T-Mobile's jump program, so hopefully they'll swap it out.
It is one of the areas of the phone which get hotter from use, but I find that an unlikely factor in causing that problem.
DroidApprentice said:
It is one of the areas of the phone which get hotter from use, but I find that an unlikely factor in causing that problem.
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Yeah, I'm really at a loss. I kept it in the bathroom as I showered, but it doesn't get that hot/humid...not enough that one would think it'd make a substantial difference.
Hate to say it, but my lens just cracked as well about an hour ago. I went to take the phone off my desk, and it kinda slipped from my fingers. The phone never made it completely off the desk. The two bottom corners were still touching, and the top half maybe a few cm off. Nothing I would ever consider a drop. When I flipped the phone around, to my surprise the lens was cracked. I don't know what to say? Any other phone I've owned in the past this wouldn't have happened to it in this very same situation.
WilliamStern said:
Hate to say it, but my lens just cracked as well about an hour ago. I went to take the phone off my desk, and it kinda slipped from my fingers. The phone never made it completely off the desk. The two bottom corners were still touching, and the top half maybe a few cm off. Nothing I would ever consider a drop. When I flipped the phone around, to my surprise the lens was cracked. I don't know what to say? Any other phone I've owned in the past this wouldn't have happened to it in this very same situation.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, man. My old HTC M7...I always run skinless, treat my phones like dirt. Dropped it maybe three times onto concrete from waist height, nothing. So this is pretty gnarly.
Update on T-Mobile, they basically said that they'd take it back under warranty IF it's a manufacturer's defect. But because it's physical damage, they'll probably flag it as user error and charge me for it. I'm claiming manufacturer's defect because I swear this happened spontaneously without a drop whatsoever. So now I basically have to call LG directly, and I'd probably be up for a fight. If anyone here has experience or advice it'd be greatly appreciated.
Same Issue
Hey, I had the same issue with the AT&T version, ended up having to send it back along with my powermat (since I assumed that might have caused the crack). They repaired it without charge since they determined that it was indeed a manufacture defect. So if you have something similar it is probably a manufacture defect, and hopefully they will make a note of this soon.
julz05 said:
Hey, I had the same issue with the AT&T version, ended up having to send it back along with my powermat (since I assumed that might have caused the crack). They repaired it without charge since they determined that it was indeed a manufacture defect. So if you have something similar it is probably a manufacture defect, and hopefully they will make a note of this soon.
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Click to collapse
I just looked at my phone last night and I have the same issue. I'm on att and I'm going to call them today to see if they will repair it for me. I'm a bit upset honestly. The camera world buy the broken glass distorts the pictures and makes them look foggy. Julz05 who did you send it back to? LG or AT&T?
No matter what, I can never stay away from android for long.
idelgado782 said:
I just looked at my phone last night and I have the same issue. I'm on att and I'm going to call them today to see if they will repair it for me. I'm a bit upset honestly. The camera world buy the broken glass distorts the pictures and makes them look foggy. Julz05 who did you send it back to? LG or AT&T?
No matter what, I can never stay away from android for long.
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Click to collapse
I sent it back to LG. I called the LG service number and explained the problem, they issue a RA# and you have to send it to their warehouse. Took them almost 2 weeks to fix the phone, and they are just mailing it back now
I wanted to come back and post an update for my circumstance just in case any in the future needs to do the same.
Unfortunately I couldn't send my unit back to att or lg because my water damage sticker had been tripped. I had my phone in my pocket and I went on a ride in an amusement park and didn't realize we want under waterfalls! Needless to say I got soaked and water seeped into the phone but after sticking it in rice overnight I was lucky enough to not have water damage besides the tripped sensor. I went on a search and found a seller on eBay selling the top piece which includes the camera lens cover, power/volume rocker. It cost $38 plus $6 shipping and took about a week to get to me. To replace it was fairly easy. Removed 7 screws and unsnapped the old part and then applied the new piece.
One thing to note: the original piece States 850 in various areas and the new piece States 855. However it is the same exact part and for $44 I replaced itself myself without having to be without my phone. Here are some pictures :
Here's the link for the eBay auction http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=351144850263&alt=web
No matter what, I can never stay away from android for long.
Just found this thread after my UK D855 did exactly the same, I've had it several months. found Replacement parts on ebay
Exact Same Problem
Hi - today I found the exact same fault in my phone. Like other posts here, I did not drop it or get any impact on the phone.
I am in New Zealand and am really disappointed in what I thought was otherwise a great phone. I now have to waste my time trying to establish whether I have any cover for this problem and also realise that it looks like impact damage and technicians will claim it was my fault.
I think this is a manufacturing fault and reading here confirms that something is very wrong here.
Thanks.

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.

Question uBreakiFix for screen repair. Anyone use em? How scared should I be? They have to run Google diagnostics?

My Pixel 6 Pro came with a weird dark blemish on top of screen when I first got it. I lived with it but recently the phone has developed 2 perfectly round clumps of dead pixels with a faint light line going across the screen
Phone has never been dropped or in water.
So uBreakiFix said they can fix this under warranty but they either have to wipe my device or run Google diagnostics.
I do not want my phone wiped. I don't care about the Google "test" they have to run but will that work on a rooted device running stock Android? It should right?
Just trying to make sure I know what I'm getting into here
You should be good. But I'd raise the possibility that the fingerprint sensor will require pain in the @SS recalibration. I say pita cuz many peeps have issues trying to even d/l the tool but that's been awhile, dunno if it's still a hassle or not. Ask them if google includes a new FPS sensor with the new screen or not. I've read that they are sold/installed as a single unit. Either way, I'd tell 'em to make damn sure the FPS for sure works b4 giving it back. For all I know this may no longer be an issue, not sure. Sent P6a in and it came back with a new screen and a completely unreachable FPS! Thing is...it went in for a completely unrelated issue! My screen & fps were just fine. A few 'words' x2 were said and I got a brand new replacement. But, that was google, not ifixit. Just ask/mention the the fpr. I'm sure they've done tons of 'em.
May be they should rename it to "uBreakiFixKinda". I had my Pixel 6 Pro screen replaced and they didn't seal the screen properly and just simple splash of water ruined the camera and Bluetooth radio. I had my Pixel 6 Pro taken in the swimming pool before the screen replacement and I didn't encounter this issue. Anyway, I went back to the store and asked then if they applied the water resistance sealing and their reply was yes. And when I showed them the issue, they said it's not their fault
krips2003 said:
May be they should rename it to "uBreakiFixKinda". I had my Pixel 6 Pro screen replaced and they didn't seal the screen properly and just simple splash of water ruined the camera and Bluetooth radio. I had my Pixel 6 Pro taken in the swimming pool before the screen replacement and I didn't encounter this issue. Anyway, I went back to the store and asked then if they applied the water resistance sealing and their reply was yes. And when I showed them the issue, they said it's not their fault
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that's kinda scary. Were there any visual cues or everything looked and felt right after the repair?
Hand76 said:
Well that's kinda scary. Were there any visual cues or everything looked and felt right after the repair?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My wife's Pixel 5a randomly stopped working about a month ago; we used UbreakIfix for the warranty repair. I'd say it was perfect.
Hand76 said:
Well that's kinda scary. Were there any visual cues or everything looked and felt right after the repair?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything looked and felt quite right to me until this water thingy happened.
I had a bad experience and ended up needing to send the phone in for replacement. I specifically wanted to keep my device and avoid this, but I should have just done this in the first place. I will never go to a shop individually again.
So I just had my display replaced and I wanted to update with my expierice and some advice that may help.
I'm on Long Island, we have uBreakIFix shops in almost every town. I called several locations to ask the same questions till I landed on someone who was not only very friendly but very knowledgable. His buisness card actually says Google Representative on it.
So first advice, actually only adivce lol (((Ask if they have or know a store that has a Google Representative)))
I went in to see him. He quickly told me the black circles on my screen were not dead pixels but blemishes, a form of "leaking" from the oled display and that its either a manufaturing defect or damage from falls. He never questioned me. No factory reset needed. One hour later he came back out from the back, appologized for the delay, and gave me my phone back looking brand new.
He even confirmed before his work that he uses the special adhesive supplied to keep the phone waterproof. Something that probably wasn't done for the user above (krips2003)
So I dont want to jinx it...But as of now I have a perfect screen again.
Overall expierience 10/10 (For Now)
Anyone in NY or on Long Island PM me and I will give you his info. He is also a Pixel 7 Pro user so he really knows and uses our phones
Hand76 said:
So I just had my display replaced and I wanted to update with my expierice and some advice that may help.
I'm on Long Island, we have uBreakIFix shops in almost every town. I called several locations to ask the same questions till I landed on someone who was not only very friendly but very knowledgable. His buisness card actually says Google Representative on it.
So first advice, actually only adivce lol (((Ask if they have or know a store that has a Google Representative)))
I went in to see him. He quickly told me the black circles on my screen were not dead pixels but blemishes, a form of "leaking" from the oled display and that its either a manufaturing defect or damage from falls. He never questioned me. No factory reset needed. One hour later he came back out from the back, appologized for the delay, and gave me my phone back looking brand new.
He even confirmed before his work that he uses the special adhesive supplied to keep the phone waterproof. Something that probably wasn't done for the user above (krips2003)
So I dont want to jinx it...But as of now I have a perfect screen again.
Overall expierience 10/10 (For Now)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it could be the case with the uBreakiFix store in my place in Louisville, KY. I think sometimes these sort of things happen for good/bad. But for me it turned out good. Since I needed a phone back then that could handle to splash better, I bought the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. This was my first Samsung device after Galaxy 7 Edge. Initially, I was missing some of the P6P exclusive features, but then I discovered some other goodies on this phone and now I'm hooked. And with the Android 13 with One UI 5, it's on a different level.
So I used to work for one. They should be using factory screens and seal when fixing the phones along with samsungs. I would say to not expect it for iPhones unless they are warranty repairs where your warranty provider sends you to one.
Usually though the repairs should be done well and most are tested as well as they can. There is a water proof testing for samsung but unless google implemented the same test to test its case pressure I am not sure it can be tested.
I also suppose the amount of damage to your screen will also help determine how well sealed the new screen is as well.

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