Database Info

Water damage indicator?

Is there any other indicator for water damage besides the one on the battery? My phone got wet. It was in a plastic baggie so it only got barely wet, but enough so that it's not working and the battery indicator is red. Thinking about using a friends battery and seeing if I can get it warrantied if that's the only visible indication.

draggindakota said:
Is there any other indicator for water damage besides the one on the battery? My phone got wet. It was in a plastic baggie so it only got barely wet, but enough so that it's not working and the battery indicator is red. Thinking about using a friends battery and seeing if I can get it warrantied if that's the only visible indication.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you can watch this video to see if there are indicators for water inside the phone. Not sure if the inspire 4g is exactly the same as far as location for the indicators. HTC Desire HD is essentially the same phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfatoeWbMRk&feature=related

My phone took a swim with me in a pool when I got pushed in. I immediately took it out of my pocket and handed it off to a person standing by. They disasembled it had it sit out in the sun to dry. Unfortunately, it could not be saved. It must have short circuited as soon as it hit the water. Thankfully, I had insurance on it. When I called the 800 number to file a claim, I told then it sustained water damage. They never asked me to look at any indicators. They took my word for it and processed my claim. But it may be a different procedure for warranty.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

Thanks for that video link. I didn't see anything conspicuous that looked like an indicator. I guess I'll just have to try it and see.

Well I powered the phone up yesterday after letting it sit in a bag of rice for 24 hours. It powered up and went to the CM7 boot animation but I saw that there was water under the screen so I pulled the battery. Letting it sit for a few more days in the rice, in my truck so it gets nice and toasty and hopefully the water will evaporate.

draggindakota said:
Well I powered the phone up yesterday after letting it sit in a bag of rice for 24 hours. It powered up and went to the CM7 boot animation but I saw that there was water under the screen so I pulled the battery. Letting it sit for a few more days in the rice, in my truck so it gets nice and toasty and hopefully the water will evaporate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to avoid direct sunlight to the LCD screen for a long period of time. The suns UV rays can damage it over time. Just a heads up..

I have read in the past with iPhone's sustaining water damage that people would soak it in rubbing alcohol to remove water, and replace the battery, and have it working fine, not sure on the credibility of this but maybe something you should look into?
Also, a few years ago I had an LG flip phone that was in my pocket during an unplanned swim(got pushed in by a drunk friend who thought I had changed) the phone was dead for a long time, but about a month later it booted up fine and worked perfectly for another year, after a year the only remnants of water damage was a speaker that was starting to blow
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App

Drop of bleach on Q-tip will fix red indicators.

ekahan1 said:
Drop of bleach on Q-tip will fix red indicators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol while i don't condone things like this, it sort of made me laugh. nice workaround i guess!

buddy17 said:
lol while i don't condone things like this, it sort of made me laugh. nice workaround i guess!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you shouldn't condone the whole thread then... The very purpose of it is to get the phone warrantied even though it's been gotten wet...

Roland_D said:
Well you shouldn't condone the whole thread then... The very purpose of it is to get the phone warrantied even though it's been gotten wet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
touche lol

kirk123 said:
Try to avoid direct sunlight to the LCD screen for a long period of time. The suns UV rays can damage it over time. Just a heads up..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I've made that mistake before
tjb433 said:
I have read in the past with iPhone's sustaining water damage that people would soak it in rubbing alcohol to remove water, and replace the battery, and have it working fine, not sure on the credibility of this but maybe something you should look into?
Also, a few years ago I had an LG flip phone that was in my pocket during an unplanned swim(got pushed in by a drunk friend who thought I had changed) the phone was dead for a long time, but about a month later it booted up fine and worked perfectly for another year, after a year the only remnants of water damage was a speaker that was starting to blow
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it doesn't dry out I may try that. Makes me miss my old Nextel phone though. I dropped that thing in a flag pond twice and it never missed a beat lol.
ekahan1 said:
Drop of bleach on Q-tip will fix red indicators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know!

I know this is old but I had to find the liquid damage indicator for an Inspire today.
To find the indicator on the Inspire you must remove the bottom panel where your SD and Sim are located. Then under the FC and Bluetooth logo and under the plastic there is a square -- that square is the liquid damage indicator.
Unfortunetly you can not bleach it without removing the void stickers and using a mini star hex screwdriver and taking the phone apart.
If this helps thank me please

I suppose no one would know if taking the back off the atrix would void it's warranty? I don't see any warranty void stickers on any screws. Hopefully there isn't screws under the sticker under the battery.
By the way the bleach doesn't seem to work at all on these new phones. Unless I'm doing something wrong? I don't condone this either just a thought.. any feedback?
I put about 10 drops in total after each drop sitting in the sun drying for 10 minutes each time. Didn't change it at all.

dropped my phone in the toilet,... DOH

okay, i soaked my phone in isopropyl alcohol, then placed it into damprid (a descant, like rice) for almost 52 hours now, the phone functions properly, my speaker will not work, and there is water between my digitizer and lcd.
I am going to place it back in the descant for now, but ive seen no improvement in the amount of liquid between the digitizer and lcd as of yet so it's doubtful i will.
I would like to take my digitizer off and attempt to remove the excess water. ideas? I do have alot of experience in working on small electronics (i fix computers and small electronics for a living), ie. ipods, other phones. just not the thunderbolt, any ideas suggestions? links to a good tear down procedure?
Thanks
-SPIFF

Word of advice...keep it powered off till the liquid is removed, it may screw your digitizer ribbon up or worse.
Here's a really good teardown/repair video.... Good luck!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3rjgVsSWxQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my ThunderBolt using XDA App

I would recomend making sure that you have removed all of the water before putting the battery back in your Thunderbolt. Water conducts electricity and you can fry some of your components.

I would try putting it in the oven for a bit on warm, it might help dry it out.
When my wife washed my flip phone years back, it had water under the screen for a couple of months before it finally all dried out.

nrfitchett4 said:
I would try putting it in the oven for a bit on warm, it might help dry it out.
When my wife washed my flip phone years back, it had water under the screen for a couple of months before it finally all dried out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This can work but be real careful or you'll melt it. I say warm it up and shut it down and then place it in. It should help remove that trapped water

altimax98 said:
This can work but be real careful or you'll melt it. I say warm it up and shut it down and then place it in. It should help remove that trapped water
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think my oven on warm is between 125-150 degrees, cool enough that I can take a plate out without mitts.
Here's a chart of plastic melting points:
http://www.machinist-materials.com/comparison_table_for_plastics.htm
I would just let it cool before doing anything with it.

Ooo not good did the rice trick already?
Sent from my ThunderBolt using XDA App

Just take it apart and dry it out, I don't think baked thunderbolt would be a worthy dinner..
Sent from my ThunderBolt using XDA App

Wow, thats ****ty.

Use a hair dryer to heat it up?

Do you do this work for a job or hobby?
If its your job you should know better than to use isopropyl alcohol, it leaves noticeable residue, go get some denatured alcohol and take the thing apart.
Sent from my ThunderBolt using XDA Premium App

Did you try wiping three times?

adrynalyne said:
Wow, thats ****ty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HA!
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

sklobopes said:
Word of advice...keep it powered off till the liquid is removed, it may screw your digitizer ribbon up or worse.
Here's a really good teardown/repair video.... Good luck!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3rjgVsSWxQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my ThunderBolt using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I would do. You can buy a new screen for cheap, the digitizer costs a little more but if you don't have insurance (like me) it would not be a bad idea.

303bonefish said:
Did you try wiping three times?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol. just shot chocolate muscle milk out my nose and on my shirt. thanks.

microwave, popcorn setting, 6 minutes... works for me every time.

Throw it in dryer with dry close put it in a pocket with velcrow or a zipper
Omgadroid is Linux only

Rice. Wife dropped her BB in the pool last year and we where able to save the phone for another month (and get her data off) by placing it in a bag of white rice for a few days. That stuff sucked all the moisture right out of the phone.
We did find random rice pieces for a while falling out of the phone after it started working though! lol

Rice will do the trick.
Hubby left his Droid Eris in his pocket, so when his pants went into the washer, so did the phone, for a full cycle.
When I transferred the clothes into the dryer I hear a suspicious clink clank...
Took the phone apart, stuck it in rice. After a few days I tried powering it up with the original battery and no dice, so I tried a different battery and voila!
There were some water spots under the screen, but they eventually went away and you can't tell anymore what it went through at all.
The original battery actually started to work again as well, just needed a little longer in the rice and hubby has been using it with the phone since then. All this happened in March or April 2010, can't remember exactly.
Our phones are pretty tough little devices. I have been trying to get hubby to upgrade, but he is stubborn and won't part with his phone lol!

If you do get the liquid out of the screen, please repost and let us know how you did it.

Accidentally put my keys in the same pocket as my One X...

So today I had something unfortunate happen.
I was running late for work and jammed my keys into the same pocket as my phone. I never do that, ever. I always have my right pocket dedicated solely to my phone. Immediately, I thought "well.. so much for having a flawless phone. I guess it's about time, I've had it for over a month. After all, it is just a phone."
After work I drove to the local mall and bought an Oakley eye glass cleaning kit to use with my phone, something that I've been meaning to do for a while. I really only needed the microfiber cloth, as I don't wear glasses but the kit looked too good to pass up.
After carefully wiping down the screen I began to notice something, the screen is fine! I spent a good 15 minutes checking the phone in various lights, eventually going outside to confirm what I was seeing. There isn't a single hairline scratch anywhere on the screen. :victory:
I've had the phone since launch day and I gotta say, I was shocked. I don't use a screen protector, and just sort of accepted the fact that the screen would scratch, but it never happened. Big shout out to HTC and Corning Gorilla Glass for making a screen that (in my mind) doesn't need a screen protector. I'd take pictures of it but the best camera I have right now is my HOX.
Are you guys getting similar results? Or are you all using screen protectors. For those of you who scratched your phone, how did it happen? Do you normally keep keys/change in the same pocket?

ECEXCURSION said:
So today I had something unfortunate happen.
I was running late for work and jammed my keys into the same pocket as my phone. I never do that, ever. I always have my right pocket dedicated solely to my phone. Immediately, I thought "well.. so much for having a flawless phone. I guess it's about time, I've had it for over a month. After all, it is just a phone."
After work I drove to the local mall and bought an Oakley eye glass cleaning kit to use with my phone, something that I've been meaning to do for a while. I really only needed the microfiber cloth, as I don't wear glasses but the kit looked too good to pass up.
After carefully wiping down the screen I began to notice something, the screen is fine! I spent a good 15 minutes checking the phone in various lights, eventually going outside to confirm what I was seeing. There isn't a single hairline scratch anywhere on the screen. :victory:
I've had the phone since launch day and I gotta say, I was shocked. I don't use a screen protector, and just sort of accepted the fact that the screen would scratch, but it never happened. Big shout out to HTC and Corning Gorilla Glass for making a screen that (in my mind) doesn't need a screen protector. I'd take pictures of it but the best camera I have right now is my HOX.
Are you guys getting similar results? Or are you all using screen protectors. For those of you who scratched your phone, how did it happen? Do you normally keep keys/change in the same pocket?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had something similar happen to me today. I have this two pocket canvas pouch that I wear sometimes when I'm working. One pocket is filled with screws, and the other is just for my phone. You already know where this is going. I didn't put the phone in the screw pocket, but I did toss a handfull of wall dogs into my phone pocket, while the phone was still in it. Wall dogs are some seriously nasty screws with massive, razor sharp threads. I realized what I did instantly, and very carefully extracted the screws one by one out of the pocket. Happy to say, there wasn't a scratch on my beloved HOX. I use a Diztronic TPU case and no screen protector. Scary sh*t man.

vestshau used
I've been using a screen protector since I got the phone. I had a Samsung note for a week that had a pretty long scratch on it and don't want the same thing to happen to this phone!

I never do anything risky like this with my phone.. But the lint always seems to get me
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Must be the week lol yesterday I took my kids to a water park so I had my phone in the side pocket of my back pack and was sitting on one of those lounge chairs went to take it out and dropped on the cement it was like slow motion I was like noooooooo!!!!! The phone hit face down. But I was amazed I only had one small I mean small scratch near the bottom corner. I've had the phone since may 4th pre order and never had a case or screen protector on it. But that little scare seeing my hox hit that cement did it I went today and had a zag full body put on it.
Sent from my Nocturnalized Beast

GG2 is generally tougher than metal screws, so it won't scratch.
Sand is a completely different story and if you let it near the screen you will probably get scratches.

gg2 isnt in this phone

KNife stab to the HOXL
I put the HOXL to the test and decided to scratch it on purpose using a sharp knife, you will be amazed by the results. check out the video review i did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpR306UYNBc
Check out the video

Blasphemy!
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA

expertzero1 said:
gg2 isnt in this phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol gg2=gorilla glass 2
Sent from my Nocturnalized Beast

I rock my hox naked and no scratches to date, even drug it across a rock on accident. Mint.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Phone has first generation of gorilla glass not gg2. If this is the first generation I can imagine how 2 is
Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk 2

tererai said:
Phone has first generation of gorilla glass not gg2. If this is the first generation I can imagine how 2 is
Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Incorrect. The HOX definitely has GG2. Aside from the fact that every single article about the HOX on the net says it's GG2, here is a little confirmation from HTC themselves-
This isn't me btw, I just found it in another thread.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

tererai said:
I put the HOXL to the test and decided to scratch it on purpose using a sharp knife, you will be amazed by the results. check out the video review i did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpR306UYNBc
Check out the video
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That made me wince, nice video man. Still gotta worry about grit tho, good to know keys/metal/etc is ok tho
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

tererai said:
I put the HOXL to the test and decided to scratch it on purpose using a sharp knife, you will be amazed by the results. check out the video review i did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpR306UYNBc
Check out the video
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Semi unrelated, but what case is that? I love that look.
Also I know this glass is a beast but I would never go without a screen protector after my G2x bit the dust, literally.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

out of curiosity do any of you have scratches on the plastic housing. I dont want to use a case cause I think it ruins the phones look. Only have screen protector but dont know how well the plastic holds up

ky77 said:
out of curiosity do any of you have scratches on the plastic housing. I dont want to use a case cause I think it ruins the phones look. Only have screen protector but dont know how well the plastic holds up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your answer can be found here: http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/mobile/review-htc-one-x

I'm not sure. Before I replaced my last one x for bad pixels I was without a screen protector for a bit. With very light use I noticed very fine micro scratches that you could see in direct light. Not deep or anything but they were still noticeable and very annoying.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

Put my phone in pocket accidentally with my keys and scratched the screen...not impressed with its durability at all. This is the FIRST phone I have EVER scratched in my life and I have had a ton. Luckily I put on a zagg HD protector after and you can't tell. Pissed me off, but looks fine now. I would be careful going naked with this phone.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Cannot say I've been as fortunate. I have never dropped the phone and mistakenly placed it in the same pocket as my keys 2-3 times and there are MULTIPLE micro scratches that can be seen in the sun and even in normal lighting conditions.
Beautiful screen and phone however but I am quite disappointed.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active: Water Leaks through Screen. Tear Down Study (With Pics)

My GALAXY S4 ACTIVE is a WATER BOTTLE!
Before you ask if I properly sealed the phone or did I press above the ATT logo, the simple answer is YES. I am a seaman, snowboarder, adventurer and gadget lover just like you who fully understand how water is hazardous to our beloved electronics and the steps it takes to prevent accidents. So please read on
The new Galaxy S4 Active attracted my attention because of its waterproof capabilities (as in the advertisements) and the ability to change batteries seem to suit my needs so I grabbed one and decided to take the new phone for a spin.
Test 1 – Messaging in bathroom with wet hands (No direct spraying & submersion at all)
I made sure everything is sealed properly and pressed below the flash, inspected every seal. Then I took it to the bathroom and typed a few messages with wet hands briefly to test the water resistant ability. I dried it with a tower after us and everything was normal.
After an hour or so, I suddenly realized there are strange spikes on the top left part of the screen. They did not look like water damage and the spikes persists in recovery mode as well so it is not software issue. The spikes eventually went away slowly after ~5 hours. This started to get me worried.
Test 2 – Submersion Test (1.5 cm water depth)
So I did the seal inspection again. Left it submerged in a plastic tray with about 1.5 cm height of clean water for around one minutes (Not 1.5 Meters!). Everything looked normal. After a while, the screen started showing spikes again but this time there are lots of “fog” marks at the back of the display! Water got in! The watermarks move if I press my finger on the screen hard enough! As with all electronics and phones, water leaking into the device mean it will quickly disrupt the functionality of the components and eventually shut the whole system down. Rust and deposits will then form if water is not drained out immediately. However, my Galaxy S4 Active CONTINUED TO RUN NORMALLY except for the “flooded” screen. Very confusing indeed!
Again, I waited more than half a day and then the watermarks started to clear away VERY SLOWLY. I put it in a warm place (without overheating and melting it) hoping it to dry out. On day 3, all the fog and marks on the screen are gone. The phone continued to function well. WTF?
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
This picture shows the initial spikes at the top left edge in Test 1. Now also on the right side and the “foggy” watermarks all over the screen after Test 2.
The Tear Down
So I decided to tear it down to solve the mystery. The tear down was carefully performed without damaging it. It’s much easier than taking down iPhones. I found that the side of the phone is completely sealed off by a red gasket. Water should not be able to seep in from the sides. The earphone plug is indeed fully potted and waterproof, the microphone and camera are sealed off also. It looks safe. What’s more interesting is that the two water damage stickers are INTACT! No signs of water entering the circuit boards either. No traces of rusting or depositions. It’s CLEAN!
Tear down was simple. The Red Gasket is clearly seen.
The PCB shows no sign of water damage.
The Water Damage Indicator Sticker is clean!
I suspect that the Water Seeped into the screen from the front. Since the screen is completely bonded with the touch panel, there is no way to take them apart without breaking things. This is BAD! The water must have seeped into the screen ONLY. So no matter how I do the seals properly, the screen will still fill up with water while the phone electronics are dry and continue to run normally. A few S4 Active owners have reported this problem also. This is CLEARLY NOT USER ERROR! Has this happened to you? I have read similar stories of the screen flooding on the internet.
WHAT NOW?
Test 3 will take place and I am going to submerge the phone again and take video of it to proof that water does get into the display despite being fully & properly sealed.

This is helpful but is not the first tear down. Zedomax did a tear down a while back and it is on Youtube.
I can clearly see my gasket is not complete around the screen, I think if I put mine in water I would have the same spikes as you. The rest of the phone is sealed. I did put the phone in water (up to the side of the bezel to test and see if any water would get in and it held it off.

joshuadjohnson22 said:
This is helpful but is not the first tear down. Zedomax did a tear down a while back and it is on Youtube.
I can clearly see my gasket is not complete around the screen, I think if I put mine in water I would have the same spikes as you. The rest of the phone is sealed. I did put the phone in water (up to the side of the bezel to test and see if any water would get in and it held it off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean the gasket is not complete around the screen? The screen glass just seem to be wrapped around fully just like other galaxy phone. There are no visible defects I can see. But I think that's where the water is going in.
It's quite strange because I always used my Galaxy Note 2 in shower and that screen held off all the water... So this phone is waterproof as advertised. BUT It didn't say it won't store any water! :crying:

GreenBot said:
What do you mean the gasket is not complete around the screen? The screen glass just seem to be wrapped around fully just like other galaxy phone. There are no visible defects I can see. But I think that's where the water is going in.
It's quite strange because I always used my Galaxy Note 2 in shower and that screen held off all the water... So this phone is waterproof as advertised. BUT It didn't say it won't store any water! :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The glue adhesive around the glad has a long gap in it which leads me to believe it will seep it

This is EXACTLY what happened to my phone and what it looked like. I will take pictures of the damaged unit when I get home. See my other posts for what happened.
I put the phone in rice for a few days, which got rid of the water bubbles. There was damage (the lines) to the screen, but oddly it functioned fine otherwise. My physical buttons were damaged. The white indicator did not turn pink, except for on the battery.
It is not user error. Maybe some bad glue...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using xda app-developers app

Att and Samsung are replacing water damaged actives for a one time exchange.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2395537
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

possible water condensation
Is it possible that the moisture in the bathroom led to water condensation? That would be different than submerging the phone in water. I submerged mine in a bowl of water and everything worked.

Ok, I got home and powered up the phone for the first time in like 5 days. It has been sitting in rice (just because). Almost all of the screen damage is gone.
The physical back and menu buttons still do not work, but if you didn't know, you could not tell the screen was "damaged" at some point.
Freaking weird.

Brought mine into the pool couple times and haven't had any issues

OP, can you confirm if the USB port is waterproof like the headphone port? Like for example if I went swimming with the USB flap open would my phone survive assuming everything else was sealed?

thatbigmoose said:
OP, can you confirm if the USB port is waterproof like the headphone port? Like for example if I went swimming with the USB flap open would my phone survive assuming everything else was sealed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The USB connector is not waterproof. I have not removed the white housing as seen in the pictures. But there are no indications that it can take water. Also it's not a good idea to submerge USB connectors as they will corrode the pins.
So the current finding is that some of our s4 active phones have faulty sealing around the glass of the front display. The back cover and ports withheld water from getting in. And since the front glass touch panel and display are fused together. It must Have also blocked the trapped water from getting through into the circuitry at the back otherwise the phone would be dead already.
I personally don't believe the glue are so flimsy at the glass since I used my galaxy note 2 and other phones /tablets in shower many times and not a single drop of water gets into the screen. But since this is the most appear ant cause, I will apply silicon glue to the edges of the s4 active glass and see if it helps.
Keep u all posted and pls post if ur s4 active is ok or having issues as well thanks guys.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4

GreenBot said:
...since I used my galaxy note 2 and other phones /tablets in shower many times and not a single drop of water gets into the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why exactly do you need to take your devices in the shower so much? That is kind of weird.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2

JasonJoel said:
Why exactly do you need to take your devices in the shower so much? That is kind of weird.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music, texting, hell sometimes I just surf the web standing under the nice hot shower. I always take my phone in the shower.

thatbigmoose said:
Music, texting, hell sometimes I just surf the web standing under the nice hot shower. I always take my phone in the shower.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, that's when you get to read some news, play some music undisturbed in the morning and after a day of work or going to the pool on weekends. That's why I always valued "true" waterproof-ness.
I am still searching for a suitable glue to seal the gaps on the glass

thatbigmoose said:
Music, texting, hell sometimes I just surf the web standing under the nice hot shower. I always take my phone in the shower.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thatbigmoose said:
OP, can you confirm if the USB port is waterproof like the headphone port? Like for example if I went swimming with the USB flap open would my phone survive assuming everything else was sealed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just checked. The USB port cover MUST be properly plugged in. It is NOT waterproof without the plug and you will leave a hole for water to get in your entire device.

I've brought my S4 Active into the pool several times, made minute long videos, did underwater tests in the sink, and not a single drop of water or defect.

geoff5093 said:
I've brought my S4 Active into the pool several times, made minute long videos, did underwater tests in the sink, and not a single drop of water or defect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Refer to this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2383019
It is not that the S4 Active isn't working (for perhaps most people), its that there are defective units. Until recently, AT&T and Samsung DENIED any replacement, citing water damage was not their fault. Which is true, but if it was already a defective device and you are advertising it as "everything proof" --- you see where the confusion comes it. It's not negligence on the users part, but manufacture error, and in my opinion, advertising error. It's water-resistant, not "proof".
Denying claims based on a long held water damage warranty claim shifts all liability to the user. Might be good practice for most phones, but not this one. It's bad business. I am glad they decided to replace defective units without hassle. It took me a week to get them to issue an replacement for me (and a bad review writing).

ATT is only doing it to avoid a class action suit. If they don't want people to dunk their phones in water then just don't advertise as 'water proof'. They are making the phone look like it is invincible in water with all the demos of the phone in a bowl of water. This is why people are led to do the unspeakable things to their phones such as the OP's did.

thatbigmoose said:
Music, texting, hell sometimes I just surf the web standing under the nice hot shower. I always take my phone in the shower.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay... whatever works for ya. I'm in the shower all of 5-7 minutes. I can live without a screen for that long. Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2

Here are my 2cents
Well definitely. Shower is just a small part of it. But as the phone suggests, "Active" can be interpreted as going to the sea, lakes, mountains and outdoor a lot which means there will be water and rain. It's not a tough phone but it should perform as advertised with reasonable waterproofing capabilities.
I Do agree that water damage should NOT be in part of the warranty because there are a lot of possible scenarios that the phone manufacturer can't possibly cover. For example:
Not properly sealing the back cover, ports etc. (I drowned my Galaxy S1 years ago by not completely sealing the waterproof bag properly many years ago.)
Take a plunge with the phone in your hands (impact force may cause a leak. I drowned a iPhone 4S with Lifeproof case by plunging into a pool last year *fixed*)
Dunking it in champagne buckets full of ice (Well it might be ok)
Excessive vibrations/impacts that cause non water damaged failures
Not rinsing the phone after each submersion (may corrode the seals)
Sand and dirt getting onto the sea while you are at a beach or so (compromises the seal. Had a personal experience too.)
Possibly more cases of course...
LESSONS LEARNED...
BUT, if a user properly sealed it and go through the proper care procedures & didn't do one of the things listed above but the phone simply leaked. I would say It's most likely a Defect! We have a user confirming that if he submerge his phone up to just below the screen, it's waterproof. We have isolated the problem through a logical step by step approach. It is disappointing to me rather than getting furious honestly that the phone has failed me. I am also happy to know some people's Active are waterproof as advertised.
I have found a suitable silicone glue that I will use to apply to the edge of the screen bezel to see if I can make the screen waterproof. I hope I can finally start to use the phone again after a week from purchase.
Keep you all posted. :highfive:

Possible to repair camera lens?

Doesn't look like I've scratched it. Looks like I've ruined whatever coating that originally came on it. Wondering if it's something that can be fixed. I can still take pictures, but they come out a bit soft.

I looked around online and found this to be a somewhat common issue. I followed the instructions in an article I read to use a drop of water and credit card to remove the film/coating. This worked great for me and my pictures stew now crystal clear

mlin said:
I looked around online and found this to be a somewhat common issue. I followed the instructions in an article I read to use a drop of water and credit card to remove the film/coating. This worked great for me and my pictures stew now crystal clear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll looking into doing that. I just hope the glass underneath that coating isn't as easily scratched. I haven't had this issue with any of my previous HTC devices.

replica9000 said:
I'll looking into doing that. I just hope the glass underneath that coating isn't as easily scratched. I haven't had this issue with any of my previous HTC devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a wide known issue that a bunch of people have tried. I myself did it with alcohol a qtip to get the coating off and microfiber cloth to wipe. Takes time but it works.

The Stig 04 said:
It's a wide known issue that a bunch of people have tried. I myself did it with alcohol a qtip to get the coating off and microfiber cloth to wipe. Takes time but it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually did this with a qtip and toothpaste. Cleared the foggy pictures right up!

Qtip and toothpaste is what I did and it worked great!

Thanks for the info. I did do a little bit of the lens with a credit card earlier. Did seem to make a good improvement. I'll try the q-tip thing next to finish it.

After you get it clean, get the lens protectors from SlickWraps or make your own.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

RikRong said:
After you get it clean, get the lens protectors from SlickWraps or make your own.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They distort pictures, if you ever use flash they will make a ghosting effect on the pictures, but it shouldn't affect daytime shots as much as night shots.
I wouldn't use anything, I scratched my coating off a couple months ago and don't have any other scratches yet. I have the phone in my pocket all the time.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

BadUsername said:
They distort pictures, if you ever use flash they will make a ghosting effect on the pictures, but it shouldn't affect daytime shots as much as night shots.
I wouldn't use anything, I scratched my coating off a couple months ago and don't have any other scratches yet. I have the phone in my pocket all the time.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never had any issues with them.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

If I remember correctly, it isn't a protective coating, it's an anti-reflective coating. Could serve dual purpose but not positive

RikRong said:
I've never had any issues with them.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I have.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I put that slickwrap thing on perfectly and never touched the underside during application. They definitely distort photos just as any kind of protector or film would do on any lens. The first one is actually with only the smaller lens covered, but you can clearly see if the light reflects it at the correct angle it'll definitely mess up the picture.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

darienms1986 said:
If I remember correctly, it isn't a protective coating, it's an anti-reflective coating. Could serve dual purpose but not positive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been reading a couple threads on this, and apparently that coating is supposed to be a UV coating. Also seems the lens in only plastic.

The lens is glass. The coating scratches. You can just alcohol or toothpaste apparently to remove it. I tried toothpaste and a q-tip myself and managed to clean up the center enough to get me clear photos again.

What makes me mad is I've had this thing in a case almost since day one and the few times I've used a cloth or q-tip to clean the lens.. it seems scratched to hell and back... I only just noticed it.. and I'm beside myself.. My images are fuzzy and seem a strange tint ... almost a yellowish tone when taking a picture of something white.. I've used alcohol.. no go.. am I left with a phone now? LoL.. Sucks this happened because I take very good care of my phones.. my DNA just has 1 scratch on its lens and has never been in a case..

jbarcus81 said:
What makes me mad is I've had this thing in a case almost since day one and the few times I've used a cloth or q-tip to clean the lens.. it seems scratched to hell and back... I only just noticed it.. and I'm beside myself.. My images are fuzzy and seem a strange tint ... almost a yellowish tone when taking a picture of something white.. I've used alcohol.. no go.. am I left with a phone now? LoL.. Sucks this happened because I take very good care of my phones.. my DNA just has 1 scratch on its lens and has never been in a case..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
magic eraser or toothpaste with a qtip will work very easily, I kept mine in a case since day 1 also.
Don't sweat too much about it, it's only a film layer. Mine looks brand new and I repaired it about 3 months ago. It's a manufacturing defect, no rhyme or reason for it. My sister doesn't use a case and hers still has no scratches, mine was scratched to hell within 2 months and mine was in a good case.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

BadUsername said:
magic eraser or toothpaste with a qtip will work very easily, I kept mine in a case since day 1 also.
Don't sweat too much about it, it's only a film layer. Mine looks brand new and I repaired it about 3 months ago. It's a manufacturing defect, no rhyme or reason for it. My sister doesn't use a case and hers still has no scratches, mine was scratched to hell within 2 months and mine was in a good case.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope so.. I'll give it a shot.. I just couldn't figure out how this one got so messed up when my old HTC DNA still has the SINGLE scratch on it that I remember putting there.. And it's never been in a case and my nieces/nephew use it a lot for games and taking pictures..

jbarcus81 said:
I hope so.. I'll give it a shot.. I just couldn't figure out how this one got so messed up when my old HTC DNA still has the SINGLE scratch on it that I remember putting there.. And it's never been in a case and my nieces/nephew use it a lot for games and taking pictures..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's just luck of the draw.
Toothpaste and a magic eraser are both softer than the glass and harder than the film. It'll scratch the film right off and won't damage the glass at all. Just keep working it until it comes off completely.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

jbarcus81 said:
I hope so.. I'll give it a shot.. I just couldn't figure out how this one got so messed up when my old HTC DNA still has the SINGLE scratch on it that I remember putting there.. And it's never been in a case and my nieces/nephew use it a lot for games and taking pictures..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip to clean the rest of the film off of the lens. Took about 5 minutes. I don't know what HTC did differently, because my M7 or any of my previous HTC phones haven't had this issue.

replica9000 said:
I used isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip to clean the rest of the film off of the lens. Took about 5 minutes. I don't know what HTC did differently, because my M7 or any of my previous HTC phones had this issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try the toothpaste route.. Alcohol hasn't worked.. But I know I haven't scratched this lens at all.. I'm careful, and it being in a case all the time? It's never flush with whatever surface I have it on.. So.. Who knows.. I'll hit HTC up if I can't figure it out...