Related
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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.)
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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
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?
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.
Hello Z Fold 3 users,
so I have been playing around with my Fold 3 for a month now and I have noticed two things that are really bothering me:
1) Inner crease bump and strange clicking noise when pressing on it - when touching the inner display crease like 1/3 way up from the bottom there is a visible bump in the inner screen. When I touch it it goes down under the pressure and giving the strange clicking noise like the part of the screen is not properly mounted. Anyone experiencing the same issue ?
2) Recently (like one or 2 days ago) I have noticed that when I am using the inner screen sometimes I have black screen appears for like half of the second and then goes back to normal. I am now trying to replicate the issue on the outer screen just for testing purposes but I think something is wrong with my inner screen. Anyone experiencing the same issue ?
I've had mine for about a month now, and i've noticed the inner crease has become a lot more pronounced. It was hardly there at first but now its really noticeable. I'm still happy with the device though.
I don't know how close your issue is to mine but I had an air bubble along crease and a few days later it got bigger and put pressure on the crease until the crease has a thick solid black line from top to bottom and the right side of inner screen no longer worked.
I managed to get it fixed through warranty by going to a samsung service center but not before the phone rep and store rep try to make it seem like I was responsible for the issue. They ended up repairing it in 3 hours but they did a professional job. I thought the phone was a replacement. Had stickers everywhere like when you first buy it. Would have preferred a replacement so I could avoid waiting but that's what Samsung care plus is for with the $250 deductible.
P.S, if you have care plus and you have an issue that is covered through warranty, don't tell them you have care plus or they'll try to get you to do it through them and they always charge that $250 deductible. Warranty repairs are free
@Sugaaa - I think I will wait for now. I read a lot of posts on reddit and a lot of users reported similar thing as I did (inner crease bumps and clicking sound when pressing, they even contacted Samsung support and they said it is normal since one part of the screen is not attached because of the brushes inside the hinge).
As for the second issue (black outs on the inner screen) - I did not notice it on the outer screen, so probably there is either software issue or (I hope not) the hardware issue with the screen. I will be watching the inner screen and if the issue still persists I will go to the Samsung service center. Unfortunately it is very difficult to replicate this issues since it happens randomly :/
By the way - I can see a lot of users complaining about the Z Fold 3. I had Fold 2 previously and I told myself I would never buy Fold 3 but I did... It is terrible that you buy a phone which costs 2000 dollars and you have a lot of issues with it..
As for the Z Fold 2 I had like 6 or 7 versions from different distributors and they all had loose hinge and crackling hinge noise from the beginning - believe me I could not even use the phone without noticing it so I ended up buying another phone. It seems that Samsung made a hinge in Z Fold 3 a lot stronger but still you have another issues to complain about..
letitgoo said:
@Sugaaa - I think I will wait for now. I read a lot of posts on reddit and a lot of users reported similar thing as I did (inner crease bumps and clicking sound when pressing, they even contacted Samsung support and they said it is normal since one part of the screen is not attached because of the brushes inside the hinge).
As for the second issue (black outs on the inner screen) - I did not notice it on the outer screen, so probably there is either software issue or (I hope not) the hardware issue with the screen. I will be watching the inner screen and if the issue still persists I will go to the Samsung service center. Unfortunately it is very difficult to replicate this issues since it happens randomly :/
By the way - I can see a lot of users complaining about the Z Fold 3. I had Fold 2 previously and I told myself I would never buy Fold 3 but I did... It is terrible that you buy a phone which costs 2000 dollars and you have a lot of issues with it..
As for the Z Fold 2 I had like 6 or 7 versions from different distributors and they all had loose hinge and crackling hinge noise from the beginning - believe me I could not even use the phone without noticing it so I ended up buying another phone. It seems that Samsung made a hinge in Z Fold 3 a lot stronger but still you have another issues to complain about..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like a hardware issue if you've already updated software to the latest. Reset the phone, capture video of it while doing it as well as showing it was freshly reset so they don't tell you to reset it to fix the issue, then show them the video. They'll either give you another one or replace the main board on the same day. Since you said it's random, have a camera set up ready to record any time you use the phone like on a desk.
Majority of fold 3 haven't had issues. We're just unlucky. I bought my fold 3 512gb lke new on fb for $950 then got a free warranty repair so can't complain. What I don't like is their reps deciding if phone will be covered under warranty. Lots of people are given a hard time and multiple visits and workarounds to get that free repair or replacement
letitgoo said:
@Sugaaa - I think I will wait for now. I read a lot of posts on reddit and a lot of users reported similar thing as I did (inner crease bumps and clicking sound when pressing, they even contacted Samsung support and they said it is normal since one part of the screen is not attached because of the brushes inside the hinge).
As for the second issue (black outs on the inner screen) - I did not notice it on the outer screen, so probably there is either software issue or (I hope not) the hardware issue with the screen. I will be watching the inner screen and if the issue still persists I will go to the Samsung service center. Unfortunately it is very difficult to replicate this issues since it happens randomly :/
By the way - I can see a lot of users complaining about the Z Fold 3. I had Fold 2 previously and I told myself I would never buy Fold 3 but I did... It is terrible that you buy a phone which costs 2000 dollars and you have a lot of issues with it..
As for the Z Fold 2 I had like 6 or 7 versions from different distributors and they all had loose hinge and crackling hinge noise from the beginning - believe me I could not even use the phone without noticing it so I ended up buying another phone. It seems that Samsung made a hinge in Z Fold 3 a lot stronger but still you have another issues to complain about..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my phone for $850 (no trade in) I just need to stay on my $30 per month phone subscription plan for 21 months. On top of that got freebies and one year free Care+.
I think Samsung just inflated the recommended price and then give huge discount to entice buyer. Samsung never intended to sell the phone at $2000.
Fingers crossed my phone screen can last. Worst case get it replaced using care+.
Sugaaa said:
P.S, if you have care plus and you have an issue that is covered through warranty, don't tell them you have care plus or they'll try to get you to do it through them and they always charge that $250 deductible. Warranty repairs are free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good call, but they'll know you are a care+ customer from the serial no, Shirley?
Zerobim08 said:
I got my phone for $850 (no trade in) I just need to stay on my $30 per month phone subscription plan for 21 months. On top of that got freebies and one year free Care+.
I think Samsung just inflated the recommended price and then give huge discount to entice buyer. Samsung never intended to sell the phone at $2000.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think so too. I got a good deal at au$1,300 for the 512 GB model, (us$967, but includes 10% sales tax, so really about us$880) basically half price by trading in my Z Flip. I bought the ZF for au$1, 000 last year, got $1,300 trade-in!
I also got 2 years of care+ at half price. I'm happy to go naked with the confidence that I can get up to two replacements for any reason
Edit: oh yes, a local Aussie retailer was giving away a Samsung tv and ear pods with the Z Flip 3 too. It is definitely overpriced to allow deals that con you into thinking you're getting a bargain. Still happy though!
Zerobim08 said:
I got my phone for $850 (no trade in) I just need to stay on my $30 per month phone subscription plan for 21 months. On top of that got freebies and one year free Care+.
I think Samsung just inflated the recommended price and then give huge discount to entice buyer. Samsung never intended to sell the phone at $2000.
Fingers crossed my phone screen can last. Worst case get it replaced using care+.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not the case, as mine was $1,800. I did get the $200 Samsung credit from their app, but wasn't even told about it until I contacted Samsung chat about a different freebie listed on the site that the QR Code in the phone box goes to. I bought mine from Sprint so I could pay in installments.
I have a Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 256GB which is less than 4 months old. All of a sudden there is a thick black line anytime I unfold the device on the main screen. The right side of the main screen is also completely unresponsive to touch. The black line is as thick as the fold and does not go away. Main display was completely damaged automatically.
This appears to be a very clear flaw in the device as I've read many other posts regarding the same exact issue. Why is Samsung not taking responsibility for this flaw?
I have a Fold 4 that had some bad pixels on the inside screen. I called Samsung support and got told to go to a UbreakIfit store.
They took a day and when they handed me the device at 6 pm yesterday, the front screen was separating from the device. I showed them this and they took it back saying they forgot to heat up the glue that sticks the front screen.
They gave it back to me at almost 7 pm and it looked fine. When I got home the store was closed already and the phone was working really slow. Then I noticed that the front camera looked like it had condensation.
Now my phone is super slow, my front screen camera is not working and the front screen is again coming apart.
I called Samsung again 5 times. 3 times the people that answered didn't even listen to me. Didn't care what I had to say. One time I was directed to Care+ to spend 100$ to get my phone replaced. For a 1800$ phone this is really bad customer service.
Making me pay 100$ so I can still have a phone for the 7-12 business days that it takes to fix this is horrible customer service.
The last call I asked for a manager and got a lady which almost was laughing in my face and my wife's right next to me. I have been a Samsung buyer since the 1st galaxy, however I never had to deal with Samsung support before.
Samsung support is so bad it's like an ad for Apple.
Samsung support sucks elephant balls bad. The Fold displays are born to crack. Mostly the protective inner display cover but when it cracks it needs to be replaced or it will destroy the display. So expect that in 6-12 months. As you witnessed repairs aren't easy.
Last great flagship Sammy made in my opinion was the N10+. It's been downhill since then.
This N10+ will be 4yo in October, the only repair has been a replacement battery. It looks, feels and runs like new with well over 8k SOT hours on it... the display remains perfect. It's the only Samsung flagship I would reccomend even today.
I replace the inner protective layer with this, just install is carefully and it'll work better than the OEM.
DOME GLASS Whitestone GEN Film Screen Protector for Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (2022) Anti-Bubble HD Clear Hard Coated PET Film Screen Guard https://a.co/d/i9r4Fij
I also used the chat feature to have mine initially replaced on my fold 3 a couple years ago. So yeah, they don't want to replacr it, but they will if you prrss and point out itls a known issue thats ALL OVER the internet.
Thr authorized repair is not fully Sammy's fault. Demand a different store, or they need to replace the device.