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The corner of the button part is coming off

i just noticed the corner near the home button has a tiny bend that starts seperated from the layer beneath it....it looks like an old screen protector got a little bend in the corner but that is the surface of the phone!!! is there anyway to replace it or i cant do anything just waiting for it to come off?
it is ridiculous how an expensive phone like touch pro uses such low quality plastic that can actually get bend and i feel really helpless now =(

Yeah, mine is doing that too. Except it's on the "back" button side. It doesn't really affect anything. I'm just worried that if something gets caught on it, it might peel back further.
Nothing can make this phone suck though! It rules!!!

Yeah, unfortunately the TP/Diamond are suffering from some manufacturing defects, probably because it's a "new" design style for HTC. My TP has a touchscreen defect that conveniently showed up after the two-week return/exchange period.
Protective case, learn to love it.

Do you guys think they would be willing to replace a new case if i pay them?

My device shows the same behavior since this morning. Its about 1mm, so nothing to worry about and it seems to stick pretty well on the rest, thinking about rasping the edge off a bit to make it smoother
Is this getting worse on yours? Last post is 3 weeks ago .......

Any chance someone would post a picture of this? I'm thinking about the Fuze, but I can't stomach another HTC phone full of hardware flaws.
season007 said:
Do you guys think they would be willing to replace a new case if i pay them?
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Click to collapse
If it's really a defect, they should replace it without you paying them.

Considering that ATT offers a 1 year manufacture warranty. I can't see why you wouldn't be able to return the phone and get a replacement. It is obviously a problem with the design of the phone.
It wouldn't hurt to try and go to an ATT store and see if you can get a new FUZE!!!

Well, as we all know, HTC always claims that they don't know anything about the problems we address to them.
When I first complained to their support that I am having GPS lag, they told me I was the only one in the whole world suffering that problem, so it must be related to the software I installed.
Luckily they can not deny hardware problem so easily, as long as it is clear that there wher enot caused by misuse.
I don't have this particular problam, yet, but as I am already on my thrid TP (the first two had a defect hardware keyboard and black paint falling off), I would like to get some photo evidence of the users here, who unfortunately have the button part coming off.
That way we can show to HTC that more users have that problem, before we send back our devices, and maybe negotiate a direct replace, instead of rapair procedure, which takes up to 2 weeks.

season007 said:
i just noticed the corner near the home button has a tiny bend that starts seperated from the layer beneath it....it looks like an old screen protector got a little bend in the corner but that is the surface of the phone!!! is there anyway to replace it or i cant do anything just waiting for it to come off?
it is ridiculous how an expensive phone like touch pro uses such low quality plastic that can actually get bend and i feel really helpless now =(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My AT&T Fuze started doing the same thing after just two months. However, the bent plastic corner of the clear laminate was RAZOR sharp. My wife went to answer the phone and it resulted in a very serious slash to her cheek. This defect resulted in a very serious cut to her face!!
What is even more disappointing is that AT&T said that warranty does not cover this issue and said that the only way I was getting a replacement was if I paid the $125 deductible from the [email protected]*t insurance they scammed me on. I would have thought for $5/mo. I was completely covered.
The AT&T customer care rep was rude and not willing to help. A request to speak to his manager didn't get me far either. Even after I threatened to switch all 30 phones at my company back to Verizon Wireless they didn't seem to care.
At last I called HTC America directly this morning, explained my issue and they turned me over to a product specialist who told me that they know of no such issue. Despite my insistence they refused to replace the phone. Therefore, I WILL cancel all 30 lines my company has with AT&T and go back to Verizon...I hear the Samsung Omnia is not a bad smartphone!!

Display problem (broken??) - HTC support & warranty

Hello everybody,
I want to tell you what happened to my Touch Pro this evening:
On the display (also if the device is off) appeared a small rectangle in the center (about 2x3 cm) made from bubbles. Well, not bubbles, I’m quite sure that are liquid crystal. If I put pressure with the finger the “bubbles” move and follow the pressure also out form the edge of this small rectangle)
As I can reach a decent camera I’ll post some photos of this rectangle.
The strange thing is that the device didn’t fall in ground, didn’t have temperature range; nothing hit it and so on. It was in my pocket well safe!!
If display is on the problem is quite invisible, if display is "black" or off... ....Grrrr!!!
Now, my questions:
1) Warranty is also for display?
2) How warranty works in Italy? Where should I ship the item? Which times?
3) If I have ship the device, sould I load the original rom & radio? Where can I find the rom?
Certainly, first thing I’m going to do Monday morning Is to call Italy HTC’s support number…
Thanks a regards,
Andrea

The "oil spot" problem isn't a broken display. It's the touch sensitive layer, which has been subject to too much pressure (carrying it in your pants pocket, etc). This has been happening on a bunch of Touch Pros and Diamonds. You should still be able to use it just fine, but touch sensitivity may get worse over time.
HTC may or may not be willing to replace it for you (and if so, they may or may not charge some kind of fee). Although it's just a hardware change, you should probably recover stock SoftSPL for warranty.
I have the "oil patch" problem with my Touch Pro. Unfortunately when I first noticed, HTC would not fix it for me, so I still have the oil patch on my screen, although everything still works fine so far. If it gets worse, I plan on buying a replacement LCD/touchscreen and replacing it myself:
http://mobile.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=03799

I've noticed this problem on quite a few of the original touch / elf / 6900 phones, including my old personal phone which I used in this condition for many many months without every having any actual issues. It is strange but like you said: pretty much not noticeable when on and probably just best left alone unless it really bothers you.

I have the same spot but it is not causing any problems that I noticed but there is many who have this spot in the diamond forum.

today i also noticed this on my touch pro..i sort of fell asleep on it and i think i might have messed it up
i can see that oil spot that you mention but only if i tilt the phone at a certain angle and only if the screen is off.When the display is on i can see everything properly
The problem:
Touch function is messed up badly..i tested in notes application and sometimes when i press at a point X the dot appears somewhere else on the screen...Internet browsing is a pain in the ass like this...
i also noticed one thing..i took the stylus out, put the phone next to my ear and i tapped at the area outside the oil mark. I get the normal soft sound and pressure feeling as it should be.. When i do the same at the oil spot its rather hard feeling and sound..
i will contact HTC on monday and see what they say about it..
otherwise i will get a replacement for 159euros (inc installation) from pdatech...

Happened to my Fuze...
Happened to me too 60 days into owning it. I carry all my phones in my pocket, but have never had this problem. I brought it into the at&t store that I got it at and they never saw it either (it is only a few months old for them and have not had any complanints yet). They were going to replace it for me but were sold out. They had me call the warranty department and they replaced it with a refurbished unit (although all of their refurbished units are brand new as of this point because the phone is so new for at&t).
If you got your phone through at&t call warranty support and they will swap it out if the unit is under warranty (which being 2 months old at this point it will be).

This happened to my Fuze as well. I tried to call AT&T support and visit a corp store but they ruled it as physical damage, thus voiding my warranty. Apparently the "crystals" under the display are cracked/damaged, causing the rectangle. Who knows.

has anyone successfully sent a touch pro raphael to HTC repair shop to be repaired under warranty with this issue?? its really bothering me that i can see it and i feel like it will affect my phone eventually...

Add me to the list too.. I am going to try to get mine replaced through Sprint if it gets bad. I hope they know this is an issue/defect and not something like water damage

ez345 said:
has anyone successfully sent a touch pro raphael to HTC repair shop to be repaired under warranty with this issue?? its really bothering me that i can see it and i feel like it will affect my phone eventually...
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I believe this is a design/quality issue. I posted about this same problem here some weeks back. HTC will not repair under warranty, paid in total 77 pounds to get this fix from them. I believe they are aware this is a problem because in the warranty book, screens are not covered even when its not your fault. They call it Newton ring .

Funny thing that a lot of people started noticing this issue very recently: as if a cheap component came to the end of its life cycle.. propably in my head only..
Anyway: I noticed this on my TP a few days ago and I'm going to drop my phone to the local service. It's the second time in just over 4 months.. crappy build quality really
also: Diamond users have had the same issue: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=439410

Local HTC service got back to me: they're insisting that it's a 'mechanical fault, not covered by the manufacturers warranty'. Then it gets better: the estimated repair cost is 275 euros (that's roughly 355 USD) for the replacement of the display and front cover.
Naturally I'm going to challenge this as the oily patch appeared over night when the phone was sitting on a table.

not that im questioning what happened but personally i find it difficult to imagine how it can get the oil spot just by sitting on the table :S
normally you would expect this after exserting enough force on the screen. Personally that was my case. I sort of fell asleep on the phone and might have hit it on the metal edges of the bed..anyway i got mine replaced from pdatech.nl for ~170euros including installation costs..

Well if I had to venture a guess, I'd say that the 2h navigation on the night before took its toll on the display and during the night it just spread out and became visible..

how dodgy. I have been getting this problem, but funnily enough I thought it was due to air pressure, because it happened to mine when i was on the plane.
anyway i was just coming home from someplace real hot (40C), and it kept giving me the screen alignment problem for a few weeks, kept thinking i was pressing the top right corner of the screen regardless where I pressed. However, found that putting slight pressure on the screen for a few hours (i.e. a weight) fixed the screen alignment problem temporarily (for a few hours).
Anyway, just came back on the plane from someplace real cold (-10C), now the problem has ceased.
???? air pressure? or temperature variation?
I don't have the screen oil spot problem you guys have however.
Here's to it lasting a little while longer...

I asked for a more detailed report of the fault and the service just said that 'It's a fault defined as OOW (Out Of Warranty) by the manufacturer' and that there's nothing they can do but charge me for the repair. Note: they're not even putting the blame on me saying 'abuse/misuse'!
Now I'm going to go to the seller (expansys) and hope that they have some interest in keeping customers happy (and maybe have more business with them in the future!) and make things right (=fix my phone or replace it).

Wow, and I thought I was the only one. I've noticed the same oily stain after falling asleep on the phone. I've had it for a month now, and I've gotten used to it. It does not seem to affect the sensitivity or the accuracy on the touch screen. At least not in my case.
Does anyone have any experience replacing the touch screen by themselves? Is it a complicated operation? I would greatly appreciate a 10-step-guide on how to replace the screen, if it's going to be an issue over time.

disassembly guide
check out the wiki of xda click on service manuals and look for raphael. its on page 19 of the PDF

I noticed this issue on my Touch Pro today morning! I used my phone last evening and everything was fine. Now the touch screen doesn`t work at all. Great.

Same issue
I have also been victim of the oily patch.
I have had the Sprint Touch Pro since November and it just happened within the past 2 weeks.
Maybe this is due to not putting the screen protector on the phone.
I'm going to try visiting the Sprint Repair Center to replace it and then put the InvisibleShield Screen Protector on it.

AT&T Fuze screens, softkeys peeling off!!!!!!!!

I am extremely disappointed in the quality of my AT&T Fuze quality. The clear plastic laminate covering the soft keys at the bottom of the phone is starting to peel off after only 2 months at the HOME and BACK button corners.
This resulted in a razor sharp edge to protrude from the phone at the Home button. My wife went to answer a call and when she pulled the phone up to her face it resulted in a very deep slash to her right cheek. I was surprised on how badly my phone cut my wife. We couldn't get the bleeding to stop as it put a deep cut into the side of her face. I called AT&T and informed them of what happened and requested that they replace the phone but they say this issue is not covered under warranty. The idiot on the phone implied that I must have dropped the phone. The request to talk to his superior got me little results.
FYI...even with the $5/mo. insurance AT&T tried to tell me that I would have to pay a $125 deductible for a replacement unit. You cannot SuperGlue these corners back down without risking also gluing down the soft keys or I would have tried to fix the phone myself. I even threatened to take the 30 lines my company has with AT&T wireless (we average $150/mo per line) back to Verizon Wireless if they did not replace my phone and still they could care less.
My next move was to call HTC America this morning but they too were of no help. I was transfered to some product specialist who claimed they had no record of such an issue. So I am stuck with a very expensive phone that is falling apart.
Since AT&T was so rude and unhelpful I am taking all 30 of my employee's lines plus those of my family back to Verizon and it will be the last HTC product I buy. High performance phones but dare you have any problem I learned the hard way that AT&T nor HTC are willing to stand behind their product. I hear that the Samsung Omnia is supposed to be a great smartphone and I've had good luck with Samsung products. The Omnia lacks the VGA screen but boasts a 5MP camera...at this point I'll take if over an overpriced HTC product that begins to fail soon after purchase! I also remember how Verizon was almost always too willing to replace a quirky smartphone every time I had an issue.
I have to believe that others must be having the same defective issue with their Touch/Touch Pro/Fuze screen or soft keys peeling off. If so we need to gang up on HTC to do the right thing and replace these phones!!!

ummmm.... The "soft keys" are the virtual buttons on the screen at the bottom. The HARD KEYS are the Home and Back, etc.
I could see them warping from sun/heat, water/sweat exposure and possibly a glue failure where the edges roll/lift up.
I expect half your issue is dealing with the wrong people the wrong way. Regardless of how/why the laminate is rolling up, there should be a repair kit at some level to replace that panel... (I doubt that you could do so without disassembling the phone) HTC OEMs the phone to AT&T/Sprint/Verizon and it is AT&T/sprint/etc's responsibility... not HTC.
Call their support line and immediately ask to speak to their supervisor, get their name if they do not do so, hang up and call again until you get transferred. Explain that you have something to the effect of manufacturer's flaw and you want a REPLACEMENT or REPAIR on your relatively new phone as the way it is now it is potentially safety issue.
Arguing with the $7.00 phone reps accomplishes nothing...

more megapixels mean better!!!!

I remember dealing with customers like this at Best Buy when i worked in the Geek Squad (not a pleasant era of my life). They come in hooting and hollering off the bat and no one wants to help them. I was willing to fight for the customer %99 of the time, but when your in my face and start the conversation with "first things first" you get no where.
Try being nice to the rep, charm can get you along way. Threats get you no where in most cases. Otherwise you become that guy who is talked about later on "hey remember that jack ass this morning? yeah he though he could get what ever he wants with that big vein popping out of his head. Classic! Ha Ha"

steeler560 said:
I am extremely disappointed in the quality of my AT&T Fuze quality. The clear plastic laminate covering the soft keys at the bottom of the phone is starting to peel off after only 2 months at the HOME and BACK button corners.
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It would be nice to see some pictures. The Dpad section looks to be one solid piece of plastic, so i'm curious as to how it actually separates.
sp00nix said:
I remember dealing with customers like this at Best Buy when i worked in the Geek Squad (not a pleasant era of my life). They come in hooting and hollering off the bat and no one wants to help them. I was willing to fight for the customer %99 of the time, but when your in my face and start the conversation with "first things first" you get no where.
Try being nice to the rep, charm can get you along way. Threats get you no where in most cases. Otherwise you become that guy who is talked about later on "hey remember that jack ass this morning? yeah he though he could get what ever he wants with that big vein popping out of his head. Classic! Ha Ha"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being unkind is unattractive, period. However, it's not the customer's responsibility to make you feel warm, fuzzy, and respected. When you work in customer service you're being paid money in exchange for turning angry people into not-angry people. You have to use your people skills and stop feeling so entitled. (From someone who's worked many years in customer service).

i kinda miss worded my self, i would try and work things out regardless of the attitude of the customer. I am VERY tolerant when it comes to people and i have been commented by co-workers on how well i handle things. When people become stubborn and don't listen to what you have to say is when things become difficult. If your nice i'll put a good word in to management to have a rule or two bent in your favor. I'm not saying if you act like an ass i will not help you at all, i just wont be going that extra mile.
Example, iPods. I would deal with dozens of ipods a week (and i mean 4 dozen on a good week). Some times they would be fully covered under warranty, and some times not. If it looks like your dropped it the warranty is void. Now if its not working, but has a minor dent like it was dropped, and they claim it worked post damage, then i may be able to pull a string or two to help you out. If i say it might not be covered and steam shoots out your ears and you throw it at me, well, i will tell you to leave. Telling me you will never shop at a best buy again has no effect on me. That just means i have one less jerk to deal with. I worked in one of the busiest stores in the are, and being so close to Philly and some other not so nice areas i had to deal with allot of scum bags.
What i am trying to say, be nice. It helps. What i am not saying is that i will dismiss your case if your mean or inconsiderate. If some one comes in and brightens my day, i will try and return the favor.

kgbeezr1 said:
It would be nice to see some pictures. The Dpad section looks to be one solid piece of plastic, so i'm curious as to how it actually separates.
I have heard about the button area rubbing on the corner of the screen and causing the laminate to come up, particular on the corner of the home key. Therese a few threads in here about that. That whole pad i believe is held in with some 2 sided tape and i think some got out with a crooked pad.
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I just hope your wife is fine now. I would second what Radimus said in the second post in this thread. Keep calling and try to reach a supervisor, who, most of the times, will understand your problem. What I have learned from speaking to AT&T reps is, that each one is different. Some are really willing to help, while others just doing the job because they have to. If the supervisor does not help, ask how you can formally lodge a complaint or file a report about your issue.
Something worth noticing is that the sales rep make notes - maybe not always, but they do - about what the customer called about and what was the result. So, deal with them in a way that would make things fall on your side in the future. I can certainly understand how frustrated you would be.

This is wired, because I thought I was the only one who's phne that happen to. I was trying to figure out what I did wrong. But now since this came up, I know it is the ATT Fuze phone this is happeing to. Maybe if some how we keep telling them they will figure it is there fault. I take very good of my phone, so I know it is next from heavy use. PLus just like you, I had it for ONLY a couple of months.

sp00nix said:
I remember dealing with customers like this at Best Buy when i worked in the Geek Squad (not a pleasant era of my life). They come in hooting and hollering off the bat and no one wants to help them. I was willing to fight for the customer %99 of the time, but when your in my face and start the conversation with "first things first" you get no where.
Try being nice to the rep, charm can get you along way. Threats get you no where in most cases. Otherwise you become that guy who is talked about later on "hey remember that jack ass this morning? yeah he though he could get what ever he wants with that big vein popping out of his head. Classic! Ha Ha"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps the problem with AT&T customer care is that they think just like you. Nowhere did I say I was "hooting and hollering off the bat..." I was calm and courteous that was until 1) the jackass giggled when I told him that my wife was slashed by the phone 2) I learned the representative accused me of dropping the phone and made a note on my account that I said the phone was dropped. This phone was never dropped and not once did it come up in our call so why make a note on my account that the phone was dropped? I'll tell you a lazy service rep that took the easy way out . By the time he transfer me to a manager it was no use...she immediately noticed in my account notes that the rep noted that I had dropped the phone when I never did! I think in my case I had every reason to be upset.
UPDATE: I did get AT&T to replace the Fuze but it was only when the local AT&T store called in and said that the phone was not holding it's charge. Now, the scary part. The representative on the phone who works in the warranty department asked to speak to me and said that they were shipping out a replacement Fuze. IF they find anything on the phone that they consider "physical damage" I will automatically be billed $499 on my AT&T Wireless account with no chance for refund or opportunity to dispute.
The replacement phone has not showed up yet, but I am almost tempted to send it right back in fear that I will get charged $499 for this laminate issue. How do I know that they won't call the issue "physical damage?"
I never had these issues with Verizon and am thinking about shipping the phone right back, sell my Fuze on eBay for whatever I can get for it and run back to AT&T. I also politely called and e-mailed HTC America (for those here that assume every customer has anger issues.) No reply to my e-mail or voicemail despite sharing with them photos of my wife's injury.

extensive said:
more megapixels mean better!!!!
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Click to collapse
NO it doesn't but if AT&T won't take care of the problem I'll switch back to Verizon and the Omina has better specs than the Verizon version of the Touch Pro...

The only thing that irks me more than people who hoot and holler is people who threaten, "If I don't get my way, I'll just switch to..." Do you actually think companies care? For every customer they lose, there are another 10 on the fence they can just convince to buy their product/sign up for their service.

BBowermaster said:
The only thing that irks me more than people who hoot and holler is people who threaten, "If I don't get my way, I'll just switch to..." Do you actually think companies care? For every customer they lose, there are another 10 on the fence they can just convince to buy their product/sign up for their service.
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Click to collapse
The only thing that irks me more than people who hoot and holler is people who don't read a thread before replying. I never hooted or hollered at anyone, though I had every right to do so. I never "threatened" anyone at AT&T or mention pulling our phones...I know they don't care if my company leaves AT&T or they would have taken care of the issue. I just stated what my intentions were since AT&T and HTC refused to help.
Hmmm...do you work at AT&T as a Customer Care rep? Did you work Saturday afternoon? Are you that rude agent I had to work with? Darnell Walker, is that you????????

To help steer this conversation in a slightly more productive direction;
got any pictures of the damage in question? i'd just like a reference for the future if it starts popping up on my end.

Da_G said:
To help steer this conversation in a slightly more productive direction;
got any pictures of the damage in question? i'd just like a reference for the future if it starts popping up on my end.
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Click to collapse
I will be sure to get you a few pics in the morning...thanks!

SUE!!!!!! I would sue HTC and or AT&T for the injury to your wife. Then once you get what you want out of them, then switch to Verizon.

i should prolly take pictures of mine. its doing the same thing. its very slight but very pokey. if you slide you finger across it, it stabs you.

I wouldnt really worry about AT&T billing you for the damaged phone. I probably did 3 or 4 warranty replacements over the last few years and ALL of the phones looked like they went through hell. My tilt didnt align properly and had paint chipping everywhere, also a lot of spots where it kissed the concrete. They took it back just fine.

SUE Them and Look for Overseeing Agencies.
You should sue them. Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........
You have a case here if you did not dropped the phone.
You can find direct contact to the president or regional manager (you need to insist and insist, it is not going to be easy, all the down line will tell you they can help, just don't loose your time and talk to the BIG GUYS), and ask for a meeting, once you show evidence they WILL REPLACE IT.
JUST write down the date you first NOTICED THEM about the issue, so they CANNOT say that you did not in TIME.
IF you CANNOT succeed, then I'M SURE AS HELL there's GOT TO BE an AGENCY where you can COMPLAIN ABOUT THEM (Like FCC or Whatever that will put them Penalties, and at that time they WILL BEG YOU to PLEASE let them REPLACE IT for YOU) and you will see how fast they will move.
I've Been Manager and Owner of my Own Business, Contracts, ETC. since 17, I hope my experience HELP YOU on HOW to CLAIM your RIGHTS as a CONSUMER.
AND REMEMBER TO BE GOOD and SOFT with your words, LOOK like as Responsible and Professional you can be.
Take Care.

the actual phone's laminate is coming off??? or are u guys talking about the included screen protector that doesnt seem to like to stick onto the phone around the corners.
I had to snip my screen protector with a nail clipper to keep it from ruining my pants. it started rolling back and became quite sharp.

Power button fell off - per Verizon - "Known issue" affecting ~ 1% of devices

Power button fell off - per Verizon - "Known issue" affecting ~ 1% of devices
Here's one sure to make everyone happy: per Verizon's technical support when I called in this morning to tell them my SGS3's power button had fallen off: (and I asked "is that common?") "Well, I'm not supposed to say, but it's a known issue. We'll overnight you a new one by 3PM tomorrow." For them to say it's a known issue, per my insider in Verizon Customer support, we're talking at least 1/2 of 1% of them - divvy that up amongst the 10 million+ built during the first 6 weeks while ramping up for delivery to all major North American cell-phone companies, that means they are EXPECTING to see 50,000+ of them back between all of the carriers! Can you say "crappy build quality"? I thought you could. We deserve better than this, and I baby my new toy like it's a piece of gold. It's never seen a floor, much less been dropped 6" on a table.
Give me a break! (no, not literally - sh!t, I was just kidding!)
Those of you with let's say "Otterbox" cases that have some type of captive device for the buttons are likely going to live through it, unless it becomes a real pain-in-the-a$$. However, those of us with the standard holsters should expect them to start falling off of about 1 in 100 units. That just sux! I'm told that they've already made an engineering change that makes the button less easy to dislodge, but - frankly mine just fell off in my hand - or rather popped off when I unlocked the screen this morning. :crying:
I happen to have an i535 (VerizonWireless) Blue with 32GB, but it's universal in the first production run, after talking to my insider source, who works in their Atlanta center technical support as a 2nd level manager. My system info says it's "Hardware version: I535.10" (last line at the very bottom under "about device".)
From what I can tell, other than using a captive button type case, you're just SOL. I dunno 'bout everybody else, but for me this is simply unbelievable - but I spent 6 hours today doing my homework before I posted.
While I'm carping, I've already gotten my 2nd battery replacement from Verizon, also. They say there is a "big lot" of bad ones. I got to the point where I was discharging from 100% to less than 30% in under two hours (twice, now) - without me even unlocking the phone. Curiously enough, the batteries VerizonWireless is shipping as replacements do NOT have the "Samsung" official pink hologram label. Go figure?!? Maybe I'm just fighting a bad one, and the new unit will not exhibit this problem? I sure hope so!
OK, not much to see (I can't find it anymore, or I'd show a pix - other than the side of mine with a hole in it); move along...

ratledge said:
Here's one sure to make everyone happy: per Verizon's technical support when I called in this morning to tell them my SGS3's power button had fallen off: (and I asked "is that common?") "Well, I'm not supposed to say, but it's a known issue. We'll overnight you a new one by 3PM tomorrow." For them to say it's a known issue, per my insider in Verizon Customer support, we're talking at least 1/2 of 1% of them - divvy that up amongst the 10 million+ built during the first 6 weeks while ramping up for delivery to all major North American cell-phone companies, that means they are EXPECTING to see 50,000+ of them back between all of the carriers! Can you say "crappy build quality"? I thought you could. We deserve better than this, and I baby my new toy like it's a piece of gold. It's never seen a floor, much less been dropped 6" on a table.
Give me a break! (no, not literally - sh!t, I was just kidding!)
Those of you with let's say "Otterbox" cases that have some type of captive device for the buttons are likely going to live through it, unless it becomes a real pain-in-the-a$$. However, those of us with the standard holsters should expect them to start falling off of about 1 in 100 units. That just sux! I'm told that they've already made an engineering change that makes the button less easy to dislodge, but - frankly mine just fell off in my hand - or rather popped off when I unlocked the screen this morning. :crying:
I happen to have an i535 (VerizonWireless) Blue with 32GB, but it's universal in the first production run, after talking to my insider source, who works in their Atlanta center technical support as a 2nd level manager. My system info says it's "Hardware version: I535.10" (last line at the very bottom under "about device".)
From what I can tell, other than using a captive button type case, you're just SOL. I dunno 'bout everybody else, but for me this is simply unbelievable - but I spent 6 hours today doing my homework before I posted.
While I'm carping, I've already gotten my 2nd battery replacement from Verizon, also. They say there is a "big lot" of bad ones. I got to the point where I was discharging from 100% to less than 30% in under two hours (twice, now) - without me even unlocking the phone. Curiously enough, the batteries VerizonWireless is shipping as replacements do NOT have the "Samsung" official pink hologram label. Go figure?!? Maybe I'm just fighting a bad one, and the new unit will not exhibit this problem? I sure hope so!
OK, not much to see (I can't find it anymore, or I'd show a pix - other than the side of mine with a hole in it); move along...
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So....I think you are blowing this way out of proportion. I've seen far worse production issues from other cell phone companies.
Plus if you think 1% is bad, you shouldn't look at those kind of statistics from other mfg of other products.
Example? Harddrives. Platter hard drives have a fail rate between 21-25% depending on brand. 1% is nothing...
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

nosympathy said:
So....I think you are blowing this way out of proportion. I've seen far worse production issues from other cell phone companies.
Plus if you think 1% is bad, you shouldn't look at those kind of statistics from other mfg of other products.
Example? Harddrives. Platter hard drives have a fail rate between 21-25% depending on brand. 1% is nothing...
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
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And the first production of the xbox 360 had like a 33% fail rate that it would eventually overheat and get the Red Ring of Death.

arkard1 said:
And the first production of the xbox 360 had like a 33% fail rate that it would eventually overheat and get the Red Ring of Death.
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It had to be way more than 33%. Those things were dying left and right. Wasn't it at least 50%?

Agreed with the above two posters.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

I'm not trying to sound an alarm, I'm just telling people to expect it, and that it's a known issue. I suppose I did overreact a bit, but then again, I treat my little baby like a golden egg, and if mine just hopped off the side, they aren't made worth a darn. The fix is almost insignificant, involves adding a 1/10th of a cent piece of pliable plastic and tabs on the button to grab hold of from inside the case. If it was your $650 piece of gold ruined by a less than 5 cent engineering problem that should have been caught before the first one shipped, you'd be upset, too - wouldn't you? You should be, and I can assure you that another couple hundred thousand other people are going to be as well. Being 'first' should not = being a beta tester. The darned things should work out of the box before they ship, it's a classic case of rushing them out the door without a sanity check.
I'll live with my paper clip until tomorrow afternoon, and then spend 6 or 8 hours reloading everything on my phone including hours wasting time reconfiguring every single application and password on the phone. It's just a case of greed vs. speed, it's easier to fix that 1% after they fail than it would have been to fix them all before they shipped and not have 1% (or more, I suspect) of people waking up to find their phone basically useless (how can I answer a call if I can't unlock the screen easily?) and they did absolutely nothing except standard daily operations? Sorry, I might be overreacting at first, but it's just a #FAIL that could have been easily avoided - in $650 million worth out of $65 billion dollars sales - give or take. Fortunately Verizon (I don't know about other carriers) is handling it with free overnight shipping, but the idea that I'm likely getting a refurbished phone instead of a new unit just doesn't sit well with me. Sure - it's just as possible at this point I'll get a new unit, but - they say it's a refurbished unit just in case they do ship you one, and no amount of *****ing gets you past the 14-day limit on guaranteed new units, which itself is absurd. YMMV, it always does.

bummer

yeah I had it happen to me the first day I had mine. They sent me a replacement no questions asked. This was within the first couple of days preorders started shipping. It only took them 4 days to get me a replacement though.

Yet again. Using the Xbox as an example. How many red rings could have been avoided by a few dollars difference to make the Xbox more efficient.
Same thing applies to cars what have you.
1% is nothing compared to other manufacturers. Your just mad it happened to you and that you are in that "1%" and I understand that.
Even when it comes to drugs. A 1% "fail" rate isn't much for a test group.
If you had 500 dollars and I told you that investing in xyz company you had a 99% chance of doubling your money and 1% chance of loosing it all, you'll probably invest without much thought. If I told you the same company you would have a 25%+ chance of loosing all your money you are going to think twice.
1% is nothing...
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

ratledge said:
I'm not trying to sound an alarm, I'm just telling people to expect it, and that it's a known issue. I suppose I did overreact a bit, but then again, I treat my little baby like a golden egg, and if mine just hopped off the side, they aren't made worth a darn. The fix is almost insignificant, involves adding a 1/10th of a cent piece of pliable plastic and tabs on the button to grab hold of from inside the case. If it was your $650 piece of gold ruined by a less than 5 cent engineering problem that should have been caught before the first one shipped, you'd be upset, too - wouldn't you? You should be, and I can assure you that another couple hundred thousand other people are going to be as well. Being 'first' should not = being a beta tester. The darned things should work out of the box before they ship, it's a classic case of rushing them out the door without a sanity check.
I'll live with my paper clip until tomorrow afternoon, and then spend 6 or 8 hours reloading everything on my phone including hours wasting time reconfiguring every single application and password on the phone. It's just a case of greed vs. speed, it's easier to fix that 1% after they fail than it would have been to fix them all before they shipped and not have 1% (or more, I suspect) of people waking up to find their phone basically useless (how can I answer a call if I can't unlock the screen easily?) and they did absolutely nothing except standard daily operations? Sorry, I might be overreacting at first, but it's just a #FAIL that could have been easily avoided - in $650 million worth out of $65 billion dollars sales - give or take. Fortunately Verizon (I don't know about other carriers) is handling it with free overnight shipping, but the idea that I'm likely getting a refurbished phone instead of a new unit just doesn't sit well with me. Sure - it's just as possible at this point I'll get a new unit, but - they say it's a refurbished unit just in case they do ship you one, and no amount of *****ing gets you past the 14-day limit on guaranteed new units, which itself is absurd. YMMV, it always does.
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Why don't you just make a nandroid
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

mine fell of on launch day, had to use an old tooth pic to restart until they sent replacement. watch out for using shell cases that snap over buttons they seem to increase chance of losing button

trueagle said:
mine fell of on launch day, had to use an old tooth pic to restart until they sent replacement. watch out for using shell cases that snap over buttons they seem to increase chance of losing button
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Great! I can't imagine how much fun I'm going to have putting it into Odin download mode so I can unroot it and put it back to factory specs. Should be a challenge. I just went into options and set the "use home button as power" (or however it reads) for the day, expecting FedEx "any time now". At least it lets me easily unlock, since "never" for screen timeout isn't an option even if you're plugged in (charging). Fun, fun, fun!

ratledge said:
Fortunately Verizon (I don't know about other carriers) is handling it with free overnight shipping, but the idea that I'm likely getting a refurbished phone instead of a new unit just doesn't sit well with me. Sure - it's just as possible at this point I'll get a new unit, but - they say it's a refurbished unit just in case they do ship you one, and no amount of *****ing gets you past the 14-day limit on guaranteed new units, which itself is absurd. YMMV, it always does.
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I was also upset with this...i had my phone for 3 weeks...screen started having discoloration within it in the bottom left corner...i talked to regular rep, escalation rep, and a sup...didnt get anywhere......i didnt buy a device to have a refurbished one 3 weeks later...i mean you can even buy certain cars and take them back within a month. or any other product on the stores shelf, take it back, you get a new one, not a refurb....(most of the time anyways).....

Mine fell out when I was taking my bumper case off a little too quickly. I was on a support call with Verizon for signal issues and the woman kinda freaked out! I just popped it back into place though, good as new! She wanted to send me a new phone, but forget that. lol.

I have an ATT version but I am having issues as well. My button has not fallen off, but i am having sporadic restarts. It seems if i feather my finger over the power button (not depressing it) it will turn on and off the screen. Even sometimes just around the button would do that. Randomly i get a shutdown menu that pops up on the screen. It is obvious that the power button is flawed in the phone.

Same thing happened to me when i was out with my friends a few weeks back... And yeah, you're blowing this way out of proportion. It just popped back in, hasn't been an issue since.

Yeah 1% is really nothing, but it does suck when it is you. I do believe the power button to not feel as solid as the volume buttons. It just doesnt have that click like the volume rocker does, or it could just be me

Busted Screen...Design flaw?

:crying:
LONG VERSION:
Well when I first got my idol 3 on May 23rd the first thing I did before turning it on was to install a cheap plastic screen protector. I then turned it on, played with it and poured over the outside of the phone. Build seemed good. The only area I genuinely disliked was the design choice laying the glass screen on TOP of the frame/bezels. It looks nice but I thought at the time, 'makes me worry about dropping it, even with a case'. I always use TPU cases with no problems and installed it on the idol. Today my screen shattered. I did not drop the phone (haven't dropped it once in the 3+ weeks I've owned it). I did not bump into anything. The phone was in my side pocket of my work pants (not 'skinny' jeans I wear loose pants/jeans. Side rant: no disrespect to the hipsters but skinny jeans are not in my vocabulary, I don't know anyone that looks good in them ) while I drove from work around the corner to Wegmans (grocery store). Got in the store and pulled out my phone only to see a shattered screen. I thought it was my tempered screen protector ( I put that on a few days after getting the phone once they were in stock) until I noticed I couldn't use the bottom 2/3 of the touchscreen. Digitizer was shot. Ugh. Looking back the only point I can think of where any pressure was applied to the screen would be when I got out of the car and my pants probably tightened when pivoting off the seat. Seriously. That's it. I must have done the same thing 2 dozen times as I almost always go to Wegmans after work and since it's so close I leave the phone in my pocket (loose pockets!!). Afterwards while driving home I always put the phone in it's holster on the dash. I got home and pulled the tempered glass off (incidentally the glass protector is fine..) and took a closer look. Remember "Bendgate" with the 6-plus? Yeah my phone is also ever so slightly bent as well. I baby the hell out of my phone, not a scratch or nick anywhere on the body. I'm so disappointed. I absolutely love this phone and yesterday I would rate alcatel/the phone a 4.5 out of 5 for a stellar product with few issues (obv. the pervasive DT2W issue). But after today I strongly believe they messed up their design by putting the glass on top of the frame and not embedded within the bezels like almost every other phone out there. I'm preparing my email to alcatel now in hopes I get something from them but I know they have no reason to believe my story as to how this happened. I don't believe my actions were a result of misuse by any means as I've owned plenty of smartphones without ever breaking one. I don't expect anything from Alcatel but I seriously hope their next iteration of this phone will be better protected. I'm creating this thread as a warning to all the other owners out there that you need to be very careful handling this phone, If a simple motion such as this can result in a broken screen then I'm sure that a drop will be just as bad even with a tempered glass protector. So everyone PLEASE be careful! Personally I am distrustful of the device's build quality now and will hang on to this until I can buy a replacement screen/digitizer and attempt to replace it myself ( a review on Amazon a few days ago mentioned that screen replacement costs $150, almost the price I paid for the thing) though I will wait to hear back from Alcatel. I'll try to upload a couple pics of the phone, but really all you'll see is an otherwise pristine phone with a broken screen and the leftover residue from my tempered protector (now removed). Ugh, this sucks
Short Version:
My screen broke while in my pocket from minimal to barely moderate pressure and is also now bent, ala #Bendgate. WTF

I can't believe this phone broke that easy, it was either a defective phone or its just fragile. I'm really thinking of returning this phone since it has so many things to it.
Sent from my 6045I

I hope it was just a dud for everyone else's sake, problem is I don't expect Alcatel to replace it under warranty and I'm not willing to spend 75% of what I paid for it on a new screen. THe other issues are minor to me personally, with DT2W being the biggest annoyance. I barely get any lag with animations on top speed and nova launcher and I'm satisfied with the camera for the price point. My previous phone, the HTC One m7 was great until it got the lollipop 5.02 update and then lagged like crazy so I truly believe performance issues will be resolved with an update/root. I'm really devastated this broke so easily as the screen size/front speakers were exactly what I wanted in a phone, not to mention the great battery life I get vs. old phone.

Dang I have a tpu case and tempered glass but I'm scared now lol thinking of returning and getting a OPO
Sent from my 6045I

I seriously considered the opo but for me band support was paramount. I wonder if a hard case would be better for this phone, I know they're harder on the body but would presumably give a bit more structure for the phone. OT, I finally have a use for the reversible feature as it allows me to type on the phone and open most apps flipping the thing upside down over and over :/

Hopefully its not a defect to all phones. I only have till Monday to figure out if I want to return it
Sent from my 6045I

psu2fan said:
I hope it was just a dud for everyone else's sake, problem is I don't expect Alcatel to replace it under warranty and I'm not willing to spend 75% of what I paid for it on a new screen. THe other issues are minor to me personally, with DT2W being the biggest annoyance. I barely get any lag with animations on top speed and nova launcher and I'm satisfied with the camera for the price point. My previous phone, the HTC One m7 was great until it got the lollipop 5.02 update and then lagged like crazy so I truly believe performance issues will be resolved with an update/root. I'm really devastated this broke so easily as the screen size/front speakers were exactly what I wanted in a phone, not to mention the great battery life I get vs. old phone.
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Have you approached Alcatel to see if they will replace the device/display under warranty? Clearly you did not do anything out of the ordinary - drop it to knock it against something - so they *should* replace it, and if not, you should be able to take it up with your credit card company. I feel sorry for your situation. I got my phone for $200, have no problems except the lag ( and more recently more frequent d2w issues ) - and I am waiting for something like you to happen to me. At that time I will have to take it up with Alcatel , because I certainly want to keep the device, for its bright screen and loud speakers alone, for the $200 I paid.
Electronics are not flawless articles - but my suggestion would be give Alcatel support a chance. This will also tell all of us, how good their support really is. Abt 4 years back, I was one of the lucky ones that got in on the $99 HP Touchpad sweepstakes - and right after I got it, the display panel started malfunctioning. So I took it up with HP and they sent me a prepaid box - and had me ship the tablet back to them - and returned it to me after replacing the display. Since that day, that device has been a workhorse for me - Best $90 I ever spent on a piece of electronics. So my point is - sometimes - your immediate experience will be negative - but it is worth give it another chance. And these days, usually your CC company will come to your rescue in such matters.

Oh absolutely. I guess I wasn't very clear about that but I'm retelling my story with them. I certainly hope they do something about it, I just have my doubts.I'll have to read through the terms on my credit card, can't remember if I used Amex or Discover for it.. but I thought you just got an extended warranty through them, no?

Ok I sent out my lengthy email to Alcatel just now, so I'll update this thread when I hear back from them. Also I looked into my purchase and I did use Discover which includes 90-days device coverage including broken screens so I'm covered in case Alcatel doesn't come through. Thanks stl1859, I would not have remembered that if you didn't mention it.

psu2fan said:
:crying:
Short Version:
My screen broke while in my pocket from minimal to barely moderate pressure and is also now bent, ala #Bendgate. WTF
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many of todays phones has this 2.5D corners, so bad luck...it happens. I got ZTE V5, felt many times so i bought screen protector shield (plastic, not foil) and rugged back cover...anyway felt from 50cm to the ceramic tiles and got broken screen..it happens ...**** happens. Hope you will get osme satisfactory. And minimal to barely moderate pressure, really? Do you think that his would someone believe?

DallasCZ said:
many of todays phones has this 2.5D corners, so bad luck...it happens. I got ZTE V5, felt many times so i bought screen protector shield (plastic, not foil) and rugged back cover...anyway felt from 50cm to the ceramic tiles and got broken screen..it happens ...**** happens. Hope you will get osme satisfactory. And minimal to barely moderate pressure, really? Do you think that his would someone believe?
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I know it's hard to believe, I have a hard time believing it. Which is precisely why I posted about this. And yes it was minimal to moderate pressure. I did not drop the device, it was in my pocket and I didn't bump into anything. The only pressure exerted was from my pants as I shifted to the left to get out of the car. I've certainly been fortunate over the years to have never broken a screen; I've dropped my previous phones a handful of times, even rolled over one while it was in my pocket. If any of those things would have happened and resulted in a broken screen/bent phone I wouldn't be posting here.. I expect that outcome in those situations. Also no I don't expect Alcatel to believe me, which is why I was so worried about spending my money on a device only to have it fail in this manner. Thankfully due to the suggestion of another member I will be covered thanks to my CC company.

You are still going to try getting a replacement from Alcatel, right ? I am really interested in knowing how efficient they are in handling repair/exchanges.

stl1859 said:
You are still going to try getting a replacement from Alcatel, right ? I am really interested in knowing how efficient they are in handling repair/exchanges.
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Yes, I'm currently waiting on them. Since I submitted the support email going into the weekend I'm giving them through Monday to reply before I start calling them.

Well, As expected.. BTW the phone number listed is not valid. Had to initiate claims online at alcatel.finetw.com Customer care didn't care (haha) how the phone broke, though I wouldn't expect them to. I'll include a copy of my original email with the phone so that hopefully the tech at least takes a look at the strength of the phone.
Dear xxxxxx,
Thank you for getting in touch with us. We understand your concern and we will be happy to assist you. Unfortunately with physical damaged the warranty gets void, so you can contact the repair center and ask how much they will charge you to fix device, the phone number is 496-484-6610..
Best regards,
ALCATEL ONETOUCH

First, that is a pathetic response. With that kind of attitude, they are not going to gain many customers. Second, I don't think that is a valid statement at all. Defects can cause 'physical damage'. It is a piece of electronics after all . If they are not covering 'physical damage' - what are they covering - emotional damage !!!
They probably meant physical *abuse* - which in your case - there was none. So I do not think they have grounds to decline warranty. It appears that they are simply assuming there was 'physical abuse' . Let me ask you - did you explain the incident - to the level of detail that you did over here ? ( meaning how it was in your pant's pocket - and how there might have been some pressure when you tried to get out of your vehicle , etc etc. ) - Or did you simply tell them that you discovered the screen to be shattered one fine day when you took it out of your pocket ?
Are you still engaging with them, or are you going to go to your CC company now ? I am disappointed with their support. Clearly, the only way they can sell anything if they keep pricing their products dirt cheap. Even then, I would think twice before buying from them.

I'm just thinking that this is going to be my last Alcatel product if I even decide to keep it. This support is pretty bad.
Sent from my 6045I

I keep mine in jeans, including skinny jeans and don't have these issues. It doesn't have much give so I have to position it in the pocket with the least pressure points. I would expect screen separation before screen cracking since it is plastic. I have had issue when its hot the double tap to wake will turn on the lock screen and dial contacts if the pocket is big enough for it to move around. So far I am impressed with dragontrail being less prone to fingerprints, but I do everything to avoid scratches and cracks short of a screen protector so take that into consideration.

i dont think any brand will buy your story even if its true. any physical dmg will become a user end fault no matter which product you purchase since theres no way to prove its their manufacturing fault when its physical defect and the end user is using it.
Sent from my 6045I using XDA Free mobile app

This is really the crux of it. And why I said I did not expect them to do anything. The only way to uncover a design flaw IMO is if this starts happening a lot (like bendgate.. well maybe not a lot in that case but some people showing on video how easily it bent). Also yes I went into great detail about the when/where/how the device broke. I also included the details with the phone, imploring the tech to at least look at the device to determine if there's a structural weak point or something. Sorry I took so long to reply, I've been getting my backup device (LG Leon.. ok phone for price but slooooow) setup and haven't been to the site in a few days.
gavolo said:
i dont think any brand will buy your story even if its true. any physical dmg will become a user end fault no matter which product you purchase since theres no way to prove its their manufacturing fault when its physical defect and the end user is using it.
Sent from my 6045I using XDA Free mobile app
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Yeah I'm going through the CC company now. Interestingly I had to pay $40 to send the device back listing the screen as broken, so maybe (knock on wood) it won't be as expensive after all