[Poll] Micro Arc Oxidation failure - HTC One S

This is just a poll thread to gather some statistics about the HTC One S body issue.
Please, vote only if you are using the device for some days (3 and more) and do not vote if you have a brand new phone out from the box.
And, if you would have this issue after your "Not issued" vote, please, leave a comment.
Thank you.
Discussion thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1589364
P.S Moderators, please, merge this thread with the disscusion one.

SH23, 5 days, no issue YET
Hi,
I've been using my black One S during 5 days.
SH23 with no real issue yet, except that the USB port edges have some "micro" clear spots
I still voted "no issue" because its much smaller than what is shown on the pictures.
Hopefully this pole will be merged with the other thread

We've started a poll yesterday in a german thread. Results are:
Black issued: 40
Black not issued: 27
Silver issues: 2
Silver not issued: 10
Total number: 79
The two cases with "silver issued" hab no problem with the unibody, but the plastic sim-cover. As far as I know all devices have HT23 or SH23 SN.
http://www.android-hilfe.de/htc-one-s-forum/poll-956-hat-lackschaeden-am-htc-one-s-nicht.html

Good initiative. Hope it gets merged

I do not want to piss in the pool here, but over in the MAO failure discussion thread it was recently mentioned that the first 4 digits do not tell us anything but year and month of manufacture. It takes the first 5 to really peg it down to the exactly to the day of manufacturing.
Also I am not sure if it makes sense to throw both of the sites of manufacture into one put. HT stands for a Taiwan factory and SH for... I forgot - Shenzhen or Shanghai I think.
I think for this to be useful it should take into account the first 5 digits AND separate the locations. My reasoning: the SH facility might have had a "good" (non issued batch) during three days of March, while the HT facility produced issued phones on those dates. Then, later on, the HT facility may have had a few good days, while the SH facility put out crap. With the current setup this is meddled up and there is not really much info to be gathered, except the overall percentage of ppl who have issues with the devices made in March in both locations. It does not indicate whether SH or HT is better or worse.
Of course this would make for a complete overkill of poll options. (Assuming the first were made on the first of March it would take 30 options for each facility).
Suggestion: Change or close this thread and create a new one with the poll options "No issues (yet)" - "Major issues" - "Minor issues" and maybe a second poll asking when the first issues were noticed ("First day", "within 3 days", "within 5 days" etc.)
And then request users the users to post a picture or at least a description of the issues (at top edge, around all edges, around sim cover, around USB Port) and the first 5 digits. Then the entire thing would be much easier to follow and notice trends.
Of course that would require moderator or someone with permanent editing rights to take in all the new posts and add them to some sort of list / table in the First Post for easy reference.
But if done this way it would probably make for a useful source of info even for HTC engineers, becaue from what I gather a lot of ppl who have this problem and post in the debate thread are not ready or willing or able to send in their phones just yet for inspection by HTC.
Just my 2 cents
Just my two cents.

I'm quite short on time but wanted to quickly provide the recent numbers:
Black issued: 46
Black not issued: 32
Silver issues: 2
Silver not issued: 10
Total number: 90
But: I agree absolutely on the fact that SNs are not helping much right here!

psych0t1c, I think you are right about the S/N. It`s just the first batches. But the poll options with "days used" is not so good, cause some users are more careful than others
All we can do, is just collect the stats "Issued / Not issued". And ofcourse it`ll be very good if people post the photos and comment on if these scratches appeared after they had already voted.

psych0t1c said:
I do not want to piss in the pool here, but over in the MAO failure discussion thread it was recently mentioned that the first 4 digits do not tell us anything but year and month of manufacture. It takes the first 5 to really peg it down to the exactly to the day of manufacturing.
Also I am not sure if it makes sense to throw both of the sites of manufacture into one put. HT stands for a Taiwan factory and SH for... I forgot - Shenzhen or Shanghai I think.
I think for this to be useful it should take into account the first 5 digits AND separate the locations. My reasoning: the SH facility might have had a "good" (non issued batch) during three days of March, while the HT facility produced issued phones on those dates. Then, later on, the HT facility may have had a few good days, while the SH facility put out crap. With the current setup this is meddled up and there is not really much info to be gathered, except the overall percentage of ppl who have issues with the devices made in March in both locations. It does not indicate whether SH or HT is better or worse.
Of course this would make for a complete overkill of poll options. (Assuming the first were made on the first of March it would take 30 options for each facility).
Suggestion: Change or close this thread and create a new one with the poll options "No issues (yet)" - "Major issues" - "Minor issues" and maybe a second poll asking when the first issues were noticed ("First day", "within 3 days", "within 5 days" etc.)
And then request users the users to post a picture or at least a description of the issues (at top edge, around all edges, around sim cover, around USB Port) and the first 5 digits. Then the entire thing would be much easier to follow and notice trends.
Of course that would require moderator or someone with permanent editing rights to take in all the new posts and add them to some sort of list / table in the First Post for easy reference.
But if done this way it would probably make for a useful source of info even for HTC engineers, becaue from what I gather a lot of ppl who have this problem and post in the debate thread are not ready or willing or able to send in their phones just yet for inspection by HTC.
Just my 2 cents
Just my two cents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You make a very valid point, but it could very well be for nothing as well. For example the phones prone to this error could be within each batch much like processors, where the ones of lesser quality are sold as lower-end models.
My point being, we could put a lot of effort in this but the best thing is to just make a huge deal out of it so HTC will solve it for us. Of course feel free to go along, the data should be interesting anyhow

OldЕr said:
This is just a poll thread to gather some statistics about the HTC One S body issue.
Please, vote only if you are using the device for some days (3 and more) and do not vote if you have a brand new phone out from the box.
And, if you would have this issue after your "Not issued" vote, please, leave a comment.
Thank you.
Discussion thread is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1589364
P.S Moderators, please, merge this thread with the disscusion one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Decided not to merge. I see you have already provided a link to the other thread and this one is closed. That should suffice
Rick

Related

Suggestions please for XDA

Hi
Please suggest a XDA for me . I am 100 miles from nearest shop to see and try XDA's
I have had the o2 XDA Mini S (wizard ) for a year now and I hardly ever use it.
Its simply too bulky and heavy to carry round with me all day. I had hoped that the bigger screen size than my Nokia 6600 would make it easier to use as I need reading glasses now to see anything. Unfortunately the text sizes on the wizard are minute and I find simple jobs like taking a series of pictures and storing them very fiddly and ill-logical . You have to use the pen .
Making calls is straightforward enough but texts are... well I have never sent one cos I cannot work out how to send one. The same goes for sending picture messages on this thing its reallly hard work.?
What I need is this
Large screen
Large text size option for making receiving calls
built in simple to use camera
No slide-out keyboard (too bulky)
Must be thin and light enough to carry in shirt breast pocket.
Bluetooth and 3G
Can anyone suggest an XDA they have used even an old out of date model It doesn't have to be current just simple to use
i doubt such a device exists,
a large screen makes for a large device, but VGA is the biggest screen resolution and size, but, they are all BIG devices with keyboards.
you can change the text size on the wizard but it doesn't change the size in the start menu or file explorer or program/system menus - there may be a registry setting though, i don't know.
i assume all the cameras will be the same to operate with wm.
for no keyboard and small and lightweight you'll need to check something like the xda orbit (i forget the htc name) but that's almost the same as the mini s (htc wizard) except without the keyboard. and with a 2mp camera.
nearly all phones have bluetooth now, but being 100miles from a phone shop will you even have 3g access/coverage.
you could look at 'smart phones' instead of 'ppc phones'
looking at your other posts
http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?searchid=1302479
esp the flame, it seems you'd be better off with a normal phone not a ppc where you need to set it up how you would like to use it, that's the whole point, i doubt any two users are on exactly the same setup. On my phone sending a text takes TWO keystrokes (excluding message, unless i predefine it) from start to finish, I've never had another phone that would do that
I just noticed you live in merriott, which is 12 miles from Yeovil, where you nearest o2 (or any phone) shop is.
i also live nearby and there is no 3g coverage in this area
Hi thanks for your response.
yes I seem to remember a similar XDA mini s which did not have the pull out keypad but frankly it will still run winmobile5 and be an absolute pig to use like the wizard is.
yes there are phone shops in Taunton and Yeovil but none with xda's there.I reckon the nearest shop with a decent selection is going to be Bristol or Exeter 100 miles return groan
I have trawled through 100s of smart phones but don't like any of them to be honest. The screen sizes are too small for me to see the text (The 6600 is just about big enough at 2" )
All the modern phones all look the same bland black and boring with far too many features and a tiny screen. Have you seen the LG Shine ? it looks to be the most promising at the moment
Although the 6600 is a brick it is the easiest most intuitive phone I have ever used Everything you want id just a single click away just wish it was available half the thickness and weight.
I had looked previously at the o2 XDA 11i . It has a camera and large screen presumably you can adjust the text size and it doesn't look as big as the XDA mini s
You do know that HTC devices all run windows mobile?
Why do you even ask for advice on a new xda if you hate so much about them, and if you hardly ever use your wizard, will you use any other ppc more?
Yeovil has the same phone shops as any other place (I was in Bristol on Thursday and Yeovil every week) if you are buying on a contract, o2 selling xdas, t-mob & mdas, orange & spvs, vodafone, carphone warehouse, phones4u...
why don't you just get a tiny 2mp camera off eBay and a nokia 3300 or whatever they're called nowadays...
wow how unlucky was I to get a tosser like you eh I could have got anybody else and I got you.
If you can't be bothered to be civil don't bother to offer help is my advice
pleasant fella aren't you
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=269623 maybe you could have got a reply like in this thread again.
what are you even taking offence from?
lets recap,
you want an xda but not wm os
you want a big screen but not a big device
you want 3g but live in an area with no coverage...
you want a flying pig?
why are you wanting a ppc phone???
I thought I was being polite.
I suppose I expected intelligence but rarely see any on here. I had forgotten the last flaming. Seems like the only peeps on here are unemployed disgruntled kids who think the world owes them a living and spend all day flaming everyone else or keying cars.
I said the wizard is too heavy and too bulky to carry round with me all day. Read my post !..
The wizard has a lot of faults just count the number of posts over the last 12 months and see what percentage are happy users .
I didn't say I didn't want m5 os I just said I don't need it . My car's top speed is 172 and I don't use that either !....
I need a large screen for easy visibility mobile screens are too small.thats the main reason why I am considering an xda for the screen size. I said this already
It doesn't have to have 3g but as I travel 150 miles a day at work over 4 counties it would be useful.I don't need 3g at home why would I ?
I am going to de-register as a member and will not be seeing this thread or site again so all you idiots out there that feel like flaming again it will only you reading it (if you can read) ha ha
peanut said:
I suppose I expected intelligence but rarely see any on here. I had forgotten the last flaming. Seems like the only peeps on here are unemployed disgruntled kids who think the world owes them a living and spend all day flaming everyone else or keying cars.
I said the wizard is too heavy and too bulky to carry round with me all day. Read my post !..
The wizard has a lot of faults just count the number of posts over the last 12 months and see what percentage are happy users .
I didn't say I didn't want m5 os I just said I don't need it . My car's top speed is 172 and I don't use that either !....
I need a large screen for easy visibility mobile screens are too small.thats the main reason why I am considering an xda for the screen size. I said this already
It doesn't have to have 3g but as I travel 150 miles a day at work over 4 counties it would be useful.I don't need 3g at home why would I ?
I am going to de-register as a member and will not be seeing this thread or site again so all you idiots out there that feel like flaming again it will only you reading it (if you can read) ha ha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, you should try showing some respect to the people who are trying to help. They dont have to spend there time typing away thinking of ways to help you.

GPS PASSION - HTC CRUISE test

here the test and review by GPS PASSION
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=105771
energy59 said:
here the test and review by GPS PASSION
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=105771
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This device, as attractive as it may be, is starting to rack up some real negatives:
1) the confused (for consumers) situation with the Qualcomm chip and the US Court injunction (what effect may that have on overall sales and consequently warranty, quality control etc ?)
2) variations in build quality (sliders, screens unglued etc)
3) constant WWE ROM supply problems and high prices
4) the ongoing argument over video drivers (may not be a real issue, since it seems unlikely to me that any class action will actually occur)
I'm getting a small amount of "sand in my shoes"
I wonder: why are we bashing this device more and more lately? The more we bash, the less people buy, the worse TC sales are, the less support we'll get and eventually we might wind up with NO software updates at all..
So let's try to think about the positive things shall we
ianl8888 said:
1) the confused (for consumers) situation with the Qualcomm chip
2) variations in build quality (sliders, screens unglued etc)
3) constant WWE ROM supply problems and high prices
4) the ongoing argument over video drivers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: is a non-issue, by the time in 2009 when HTC will need to use a new chip, this device will have been replaced in all likelihood, or will have a slightly different chipset. No problem.
2: I've not heard of any problems, slight noise from a screen and concerns here and there, but no issues with previous build so why this one? Anyway, you get a defective one, you return it!
3: supply will level in a month or two, place an order now and you should have it early Feb. The fact that it's popular should tell you a lot.
4: again is a non-issue - either you want a multi-purpose phone like this or you don't. The video will be as released, I don't believe anything more will happen with it. It's fine as released for general purpose stuff...
Essentially, if you wanted a high-performance video device this one was never for you; if you want a great PDA phone it is. Make your choice. For me build quality is excellent and the rest is of no importance.
If you want great video performance buy a Cowon iAudio A3 (I got the A2), great rendering to high resolutions too in widescreen format, bigger and heavier than the TC but good for all your video/audio/FM radio/pictures/document needs. No input possible of course. That's why I needed the TC
SabbeRubbish said:
I wonder: why are we bashing this device more and more lately? The more we bash, the less people buy, the worse TC sales are, the less support we'll get and eventually we might wind up with NO software updates at all..
So let's try to think about the positive things shall we
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple.
Post cognitive dissonance:
http://www.ciadvertising.org/sa/fall_03/adv382J/mbabbott/advertising.htm
There have been high expectations from the device for a long time, combine that with the difficulty in actually getting hold of one and a couple of new models from other manufacturers on the horizon, and those expectations will change. Cognitive Dissonance is a much more difficult problem for companies to manage these days, mostly because of the internet.
I must say, truly interesting! And indeed I've caught myself luring to Eten and LG devices, but none are up to the TC challenge imho.
All i can say is i am right with rickgillyon.
Everyday, i am happy to have TC.
GPS, sound, screen, weight, radio, phone are perfect.
A lot of Applications are available.
I haven't buy this device for video but if it works well, i will use it some times.
Ziggy
fishes234 said:
Simple.
Post cognitive dissonance:
http://www.ciadvertising.org/sa/fall_03/adv382J/mbabbott/advertising.htm
There have been high expectations from the device for a long time, combine that with the difficulty in actually getting hold of one and a couple of new models from other manufacturers on the horizon, and those expectations will change. Cognitive Dissonance is a much more difficult problem for companies to manage these days, mostly because of the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True enough, although I have not yet made a decision to dissonate about. I had been somewhat interested in the ETEN X800 until some independent tests showed a slowness in its response - some people report it is now improved with some ROM changes, others don't think so.
My decisions tend to be based on the actual experience of the product - paper specifications simply weed out those that do not interest me to start with.
It's also interesting that the optimists here discount issues - eg. one reply to my "sand in my shoes" post suggested that by 2009 the Qualcomm Court injunction will be irrelevant as HTC will be using a different chip. But I don't really intend to change devices annually, so for me it is a potential issue, particularly as the outcomes cannot be easily predicted.
Supply is an issue - we've been given way too many false dates since August to believe "the next one". And there has been no real attempt at an explanation - but given the seemingly unglued screens and flimsy controls reported on some units, quality control on production issues may be a factor. Simply returning it is a very last resort, especially from O/S. It's far better to avoid the problems to begin with.
But then, without the optimists life would be dull I suppose. Even when they quote posts selectively ...
ianl8888 said:
It's also interesting that the optimists here discount issues - eg. one reply to my "sand in my shoes" post suggested that by 2009 the Qualcomm Court injunction will be irrelevant as HTC will be using a different chip. But I don't really intend to change devices annually, so for me it is a potential issue, particularly as the outcomes cannot be easily predicted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The outcome is already known, replacement chips are ready according to Qualcomm, and you won't have to change your device - they won't make us hand our phones back in...
As I say, it's a non-issue for the end user.
rickgillyon said:
The outcome is already known, replacement chips are ready according to Qualcomm, and you won't have to change your device - they won't make us hand our phones back in...
As I say, it's a non-issue for the end user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've discussed this out in another thread - so repetition is pointless. If you believe Qualcomm's rationalisations (after they have been convicted of knowing patent infringement), then I have some shares in the Sydney Harbour Bridge for you. Cheap, too. Such chips need to be fabricated, then assembled in new devices for testing. Qualcomm's "new" chips are also subject to a further Court examination next February before design release- the time and results of that are not predictable.
I'm not suggesting that the devices already sold will be recalled - do you understand the term "straw man" ? If world wide sales of the P3650 are repressed through this issue, HTC will reduce development and support for this model as fast as it can ... that's the core of my comments.
It's racking up real negatives. The only defence to this is cool examination of potential outcomes, or risk wasting money.
Chips need to be fabricated? Really? I'd never have guessed...
Fact is that Qualcomm, naughty as they undoubtedly are, have been working on this problem for some time as they knew they would lose. I see no reason to doubt that chips will be ready, and will be available. The reason Qulacomm will be hurrying out a replacement is to avoid the punitive commission they are paying right now.
HTC support? Surely you're kidding?
If, as you say, the issue stretches beyond early 2009, and supplies stop in early 2009, what's the difference? How often have you seen real support or development of an HTC product after the first few months? IME that support and development only comes in the cooked ROMs.
This still looks to me like the best device available right now, and with Qualcomm and HTC able to use the chip until 2009, not much of an issue for us. What's the alternative?
I am surprised at the amount of stick this device seems to be generating. I bought it as a replacement for my original Touch as I missed 3G and I have to say it's a fairly stunning device. Build quality on my unit is excellent, the slider and the scroll wheel are firm and responsive. The unit itself performs what I expect of it: PDA, email, fast internet. I fully expect this to be my longest lasting phone for quite a while, easily until end of FY 2009/2010. Problems like video drivers etc I don't really understand, it's adequate for a phone. If I want to watch videos I tend to use a full video capable device (eg PSP) rather than try to watch them on a phone.
SabbeRubbish said:
I wonder: why are we bashing this device more and more lately? The more we bash, the less people buy, the worse TC sales are, the less support we'll get and eventually we might wind up with NO software updates at all..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But if we don't bash them, they think everyone's happy with the current performance and they don't bother improving it or doing anything about it.
andyturner said:
But if we don't bash them, they think everyone's happy with the current performance and they don't bother improving it or doing anything about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No no, I do insist we bash them PERSONALLY, but not on the sales websites, as potential future customers may be scared in the future, even if the issue is already resolved, and therefore make the release of TC a fiasco, which would make HTC not distribute any sw updates...
Just a question:
How much would an external antenna help to get a better signal?
I would like to use the TC to track a short hike. Due to the test mentioned above, I would be forced to take the TC in my hand all the time. So I thougt I plug in an external antenna and fix the end somewhere to my clothes/backpack. Would that help?
Straputsky said:
Just a question:
How much would an external antenna help to get a better signal?
I would like to use the TC to track a short hike. Due to the test mentioned above, I would be forced to take the TC in my hand all the time. So I thougt I plug in an external antenna and fix the end somewhere to my clothes/backpack. Would that help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on the satellite coverage... My country has only 8 satellites covering it, so we couldn't utilize it fully even if we wanted to. (I don't know the background but thats the max number of lockons everyone gets around here)
But if your TC performs well in the city, i don't see any need for an external antenna, but an extra battery is a different story. And I hope you have other tracking softwares in your arsenal than the included TomTom...
gnick666 said:
...And I hope you have other tracking softwares in your arsenal than the included TomTom...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With TomTom it would be a very short trip.
No, I plan to use TrackMe which was created by someone here in the community. It allows you to turn of the display, so the device consumes less power.
The problem is, that the TC didn't perform that good and I was thinking if it performs better with an external antenna. Especially in wooden areas I hope to gain a significant better signal.
Straputsky said:
...Especially in wooden areas I hope to gain a significant better signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd definitely get a better reception, but that would increase battery drainage. Bigger external antenna, heavier the drain on the battery.
But you can always pack the external antenna, and use it if needed. You won't loose anything, and we'd get some fieldtest results from the woods in Germany
@rickgyllion
Wot, no Harbour Bridge shares ? I'll even lower the price ! Oh well ...
"If, as you say, the issue stretches beyond early 2009 ..." I never said that, I simply pointed out that Qualcomm still faces unpredictable Court examination of its new designs. An inconvenient fact ...
"How often have you seen real support or development of an HTC product after the first few months?" Since the 1st non-English ROM devices have now been out a few months, one might think that stage has already been reached.
Between Qualcomm and HTC, it's a real stuff-up.
My attempt at resolution is that I have pre-ordered both the P3650 and an alternate non-HTC device. Both are due "in February" or "real soon now" or whichever comes first. When one or the other finally makes it to the retail market, then I'll make a decision.

[Q] Asus Worst Support Ever!!! What does it take to reach Lvl 2 or 3 support?

Ok, So I dont really start threads about complaining but I had to on this one. I had the most frustrating experience with Asus support today.
I'm having two issues one with audio and one with the dock both have been reported by MANY users.
Sound issue: The left speaker volume is much lower than the right
Dock Issue: Keeps diconnecting after a few seconds to a few minutes after using and has dropped wifi 3 times. turning off track pad has *SEEMED* to correct this.
So here we go. I call asus support and describe the issues I have and also tell the guy that a lot of other people I knew in user groups were having the same exact issue I had. His first question... "That's running windows 7 right? Are you Fu**ing kidding me???? The about the dock issue "Is the dock manufactured by Asus?" ARE YOU KIDDING????
So I tell him it's obvious he knows nothing about the product and I would like to speak to a supervisor or someone who actually knows the product. He puts me on hold coming back on the line every 2 minutes to tell me he is looking for a supervisor.. He transfers me.. it rings for like 10 minutes straight and disconnects me.. I call back ask for a supervisor right away, Same thing.. transfers me rings and rings and get cut off, call back a 3rd and 4th time. Same thing! Now mind you I have been doing this for about 2 hours now..
I finally get a supervisor on the phone after 5 calls and tell him the issues and he says they can only repair it.. Why should something brand new have to be repaired? you dont buy something brand new and expect that it needs to be repaired, if it does need to be repaired when it's brand new then it SHOULD just be replaced...
So fine, I ask about cross shipping, even offering my CC # as security, He says he cant do it. Fine.. I'm super pissed at this point. He tells me I would get an email with the RMA info in 3 minutes, it's been 15 and still no email.. Then I ask if they ship a prepaid box to send it back in.. Nope they dont even do that! Almost every company I have dealt with has at least sent as box to ship the unit back in.. In all my years I have NEVER had such a frustrating experience with support(and I have had many)
I love the TF, but because of the service I received and this issues I'm experiencing this will be the first and last asus product I buy again!
Great concept, great idea but major fail in QA and launch.. Like I said I usually dont start threads like this but I'm so frustrated!!
Please if you are experiencing the issue with your left speaker volume being lower than the right please call Asus and report it. if it is a sw issue like some suspect then then if a lot of people report it we might see a fix quicker.
If you are having an issue with the dock keep becoming unresponsive report that as well!!! They wont know there is a problem unless people complain about it. And these two issues I dont consider minor or nit picking..
ASUS SUPPORT #'s
US 1-888-678-3688
canada # 1-888-616-2787
I have the speaker issue you mention but it's not a dealbreaker for me. Hopefully a firmware update will correct it. If not, I can live with it. They already know about the dock issues and the next firmware is meant to address them.
While I'd hate to be kept waiting and have to chase up on a support line, that's the way it's been with all companies in my experience over the last 10 years or so. Usually outsourced to some place you can't understand what they are saying from their accent. The best way to get support nowadays is to go via their official forum because that way you air your issue in 'public' and usually that gets a response from the company.
Few things. First, they have 2 new tablet devices on the market, the Eee Pad (That's you) and the Eee Slate that runs Windows 7 so I can understand his confusion. He would also be required to ask if the dock is made by Asus due to third party products such as bluetooth keyboards as well as fakes.
Secondly, you would be surprised by just how many people try and return brand new products even though they fully function. By saying they will only repair it is a way to deter those who just want a new product because the box is slightly damaged or as a way to obtain a full refund if they dislike the product etc. It actually is an expensive process to pay for return shipping, restocking, refurbishing or even replacing a product.
I can understand your frustration but it's hard for any company to take on everyone's issues on a case by case basis. I do wish you good luck on getting your products fixed one way or another.
Calling low level techs wont do you any good with any company.
The sound issue is a known firmware issue (if you read the [info] thread on the firmware it list this as an open issue that will be resolved). There is nothing support can do until the software changes (surprise there isn't an equilizer that would allow you to set the shift manually).
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The dock is mostly likely a software issue (no clue why it impacts wifi). This is the negative of being on the bleeding edge.
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You have two choices - return it and wait for the technology to mature or live with it until it is fixed but chances are fixes will take a few weeks.
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I guess there are a few other choices - gripe to your blue in the face - give it a few weeks till you reach the end of the return period and then make a decision.
-
From what I have read the dock issue is not hardware or at least specific to your instance of the dock.
-
It was like this with the P67 (read the threads on the various motherboards and bios isssues); it was like this with [pick your favorite bleeding edge technology].
-
In this specific case asus is fighting two levels of bugs/maturity. Their firmware/hardware AND honeycomb (which adds its own problem). While the speaker issue is likely asus issue it would not surprise me if the many of hte issues with the dock is honeycomb.
True story: Last week I cracked the face of my new Skagen watch being drunk and doing god-knows-what. I accidentally dropped it face down a couple of days later, and the weakened face completely shattered. I wrote Skagen asking them how much it'd cost to fix the watch, understanding it was non-warranty work and a result of my own idiocy. They wrote back and said they'd fix it for free, I just had to pay $9 S&H. I love their watches anyway, but now I'll never buy another brand.
Point is, I hate where customer service has gone these days. It's refreshing and shocking when a company goes out of its way to keep a customer rather than throwing up roadblocks to keep from helping them. I hope Asus gets it together on the tablet side. Simply rationalizing why they gave this guy a hard time is why it's gotten this way in the first place, no accountability.
*Old man-esque rant over*
jake21 said:
The sound issue is a known firmware issue (if you read the [info] thread on the firmware it list this as an open issue that will be resolved).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I better correct you there before this gets quoted everywhere. It's in my list of "things NEEDING to be fixed". I don't know if it WILL be fixed. Caps for emphasis there. The list at the top of my thread are the things that should be out in the next update.
EDIT: I've now changed my thread around to make it clearer for people, as there have been a few others misquoting it too.
Semi-related:
I purchased an Asus eeepc 1000HE when it launched about two years ago. It started making a terrible noise that I diagnosed as fan noise. A new fan was about $20 and I would have to void my warranty to replace it. I emailed Asus, telling them exactly what the problem was, etc. I had to pay to ship it to them, so I packaged it up and printed out a sheet with my name/info stating EXACTLY what the problem was. I also asked them to replace one of the rubber feet that had fallen off.
I got my netbook back about 10 days later with a note that said "technician heard grinding noise, replaced with (model number) refurbished hard drive". There was nothing wrong with my drive. I also noticed that the other rubber foot had fallen off/been ripped off, so the fool that was working on it just put a single foot in a bag and put it in the box. Didn't even bother to reattach it or fix the other one like I had asked. I ended up with a crappy refurb that is noisy, a still broken fan, and one less rubber foot. When I called to complain and inform them of their stupidity they told me I would have to pay to ship it back, and that I would get another refurb'd drive and hopefully a new fan. I ended up just replacing the fan myself, solving my problem. Should have done that in the first place :\
With all that being said, Asus customer service is TERRIBLE. The technician must have been an idiot, and as mentioned the outsourced phone support is annoying/time consuming to deal with. I have dealt with plenty of company's customer service in my time but Asus is tied with Philips (that's another story) for the worst.
I really hope that my TF doesn't have any problems because I would never want to deal with those idiots again.
Is any of the other companies better ? I've had great service from non-computer companies (similar to the guy's story about his watch). However, tech companies have been a crap shoot for me largely depending on the individual I manage to contact.
Two companies I've been very happy with (for service) have been g.skill and canon both of which have not only given excellent service but also detail technical information that demonstrate deep understanding of products (this is canon-usa; I've heard not so happy things about canon in some other markets).
-
Oh well can't help with asus; can't defend them as i've never required service from them; but they've never screwed me over either (though the shipping policy is harsh and I'd probably avoid them had i realize prior to purchase).
graffixnyc said:
So I tell him it's obvious he knows nothing about the product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sounded kind of impatient here. He said the same thing about windows seven and pressing F7 to get to safe mode. I just patiently explained to him that we were talking about two different products.
Im coming on here to counter your experience: in dealing with my bricked transformer I've received awesome customer support including expedited shipping although still no cross shipping or prepaid but I wasn't worried about that.
In fact I even got a call from a technician (his personal cell #) and he told me about the progress they made in fixing the issue and he said if I ordered another TF and it experienced issues to call him back first thing.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
jake21 said:
The sound issue is a known firmware issue (if you read the [info] thread on the firmware it list this as an open issue that will be resolved). There is nothing support can do until the software changes (surprise there isn't an equilizer that would allow you to set the shift manually).
-
The dock is mostly likely a software issue (no clue why it impacts wifi). This is the negative of being on the bleeding edge.
-
You have two choices - return it and wait for the technology to mature or live with it until it is fixed but chances are fixes will take a few weeks.
-
I guess there are a few other choices - gripe to your blue in the face - give it a few weeks till you reach the end of the return period and then make a decision.
-
From what I have read the dock issue is not hardware or at least specific to your instance of the dock.
-
It was like this with the P67 (read the threads on the various motherboards and bios isssues); it was like this with [pick your favorite bleeding edge technology].
-
In this specific case asus is fighting two levels of bugs/maturity. Their firmware/hardware AND honeycomb (which adds its own problem). While the speaker issue is likely asus issue it would not surprise me if the many of hte issues with the dock is honeycomb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too heard the sound issue was firmware related since so many people I know that have the tf are experiencing it, but there have been two people so far that have said the sound is the same level on both sides, running the same FW as I.
I'm not really upset about the issues, it's a first gen device so they are expected. What got me was the way I was dealt with by support. I work in it and have dealt with many vendors etc.. hell even moto sent me a prepaid box to ship the xoom back in. That's not really the big deal because it's only a few bucks, but it's the principle. I felt like I wasnt treated as a customer should be treated. I dont expect them to kiss my ass but be willing to work with me a little bit, dont make it impossible. I seriously got the run around by them. Every tech I got was a tech in training. When I was explaining the first call to either the 3rd or 4th guy(cant remember which) and saying that the 1st tech didnt know the product he said "I see" So then I asked the 3rd or 4th guy.. "So what OS is in the Asus eee pad transformer?" he was stumped and hesitated then heard him typing. And I then said "you see this is why I need to speak to level 2 or level 3 support or a supervisor, because I need to speak to someone who knows this product well and who can actually understand the product well enough to understand the issue I'm trying to report."
I love the product, I really do but at the same time the way I was given the run around today making 5 calls before I got a supervisor is not acceptable cs if you ask me.. that's what ticked me off the most..
oh well.. I finally got the rma email. Part of me wants to send it in asap and part of me wants to wait a couple of weeks to see if it is indeed a sw issue and will be fixed.
If it was a known sw issue by asus, wouldn't they have known about it when I called in? So I honestly was calling them with the hopes of getting confirmation that it was a sw issue, but the tech told me the opposite that it's a hw thing and that's why they are giving me an RMA..
I dont know. I dont nit pick about little things (creaking, a **little screen bleed etc...) but things like the dock keep disconnecting and sound coming more out of one channel to me are pretty big flaws
on a good note, when it's docked and closed it does feel nice in the hands and everything else except these two issues for me is great
I had some of the same issues with the L1 techs - lack of knowledge and escalation to a supervisor that just rang over and over for 10 minutes until I gave up and called back. I can understand L1 having issues with a brand new device like this -- I had to correct them repeatedly when they asked questions like "did you check the Windows services?". But I would think that, in the next few weeks, they should definitely be up to speed.
My own device is RMA'd and on it's way to California now (problematic touch screen and a smudge / bad pixel on the screen) and we'll see how it goes. If they at least fix my issues then I'll be satisfied. But if it comes back in the same shape it was in (or worse) then I will start yelling. So I have to wait and see what the outcome will be.
Not to defend Apple in any way, but one thing I have to say about them is that they do have very good customer support. But of course you pay a premium for that.
I actually also called today because my brand new transformer has pretty bad light bleed. The rep i talked to said he had never heard of that before in his life. I realized i was just talkin to a moron and hung up. I hope ill get a better rep next time i try calling. There will always be a some clueless people working customer service.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
I worked for a hardware company doing technical support for several years.
Believe me, they put stuff out there and don't bother to train their support staff on it. Happens all the time. Or we'd know about it, but they would drag their feet for MONTHS before we got any real training. Of course, by then we had learned enough through supporting it that the training was only somewhat helpful.
Just throwing my own unrelated out there... bought an asus 26 inch monitor two years ago, it had a black speck of dirt trapped between the screen and plastic shielding.. anyways I called, sent it in. I got my unit back (I knew it was mine because of some surface scratches I had on my unit) with the dirt removed. I have to say i was impressed.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
Come to think of it.. I wonder if that "supervisor" I spoke to was really a supervisor at all.. Because when he was telling me they would do a RMA for me and I asked about cross shipping he put me on hold for a few minutes like he had to go find out if that was an option. If he was a supervisor wouldnt he have known if that was an option or not? Anyway, I have sent an email to two people in public relations and that Eric liu guy that was here on the forums. I also filed a complaint with the better business bureau. Not for the issues I have with the product but the terrible customer service I received and was given the run around. And when I asked for people's names they only gave me fist names, no badge numbers or last names. It was really just one of the worst tech support/cs issues I've ever had. those phone calls were like something out of a nightmare
graffixnyc said:
I also filed a complaint with the better business bureau.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You (and anyone else who gets support run-around) should contact The Consumerist website. The BBB has no real teeth anymore but The Consumerist has a wide enough reach to publicly shame the company into fixing issues which is often the only way to get them to respond these days (unfortunately).
Well, I had many RMAs with Asus b4, my motherboards are all Asus. IMHO, the L1 Techs are just normal CSR without any knowledge abt their products. They just simply check your serial # and issue RMA. I always pushes them to give me a returns Fedex shipping label and sometimes I got it. Probably it's depend how many times the product had "RMAed" . So usually I 'll want to speak to the L3 Tech in CA, rather those @ Indiana. L3 are the one who can give u the replacement and fast shipping. Probably the TF don't have those premium warranty offers.
rogconnect said:
Well, I had many RMAs with Asus b4, my motherboards are all Asus. IMHO, the L1 Techs are just normal CSR without any knowledge abt their products. They just simply check your serial # and issue RMA. I always pushes them to give me a returns Fedex shipping label and sometimes I got it. Probably it's depend how many times the product had "RMAed" . So usually I 'll want to speak to the L3 Tech in CA, rather those @ Indiana. L3 are the one who can give u the replacement and fast shipping. Probably the TF don't have those premium warranty offers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you reach level 3 support? When I was talking to the L1 tech and asked for a supervisor or lever 2 or 3 support he never mentioned getting me a higher level agent
this is kinda typical for most tech companies.. L1 support is always crap..no surprise...
as an engineer works for Netgear myself (we occassionally fill in the role of L3 support), I totally understand your frustration as I always feel the same when talking to these guys.. they just have no idea what they're talking about..
however if you think about it again..it's not really their fault...they have to support hundreds of products so you can't really expect them to answer everything...and they don't really have any power to make decisions for refund, pre-paid delivery label, etc..
the best thing you can do is to ask for a L2/L3 support who really understands the product you are talking about

A9 uses Gorilla Glass 3 not 4

Hi all, I wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of the fact that there is widespread false information regarding this component of the A9.
EDIT: Both HTC and Corning have confirmed the device uses GG 3.
Timeline of events:
Oct 20: A9 announced as having Gorilla Glass 4
Oct 20: Internet is filled with articles repeating this information
Oct 28: Reviews of A9 appear online, some reviewers such as: The Verge, SlashGear, and PocketNow state that the device uses Gorilla Glass 3., most others (ArsTechnica, GSMArena, AndroidPit, etc) all mention the use of Gorilla Glass 4.
Oct 28: HTC silently edits the website to remove the number '4' from any references to the Gorilla Glass on the A9.
Current state: 95% of the information posted online about this phone states Gorilla Glass 4, but there is good reason to believe this is incorrect. HTC did not make a statement to it's customers, even to those of us who pre-ordered during the time where it was advertised as having Gorilla Glass 4.
Nov: Consumers who contact HTC are told the device uses GG4.
Dec: Corning confirms that HTC is using GG3.
Dec: HTC confirms GG3 via twitter
Sources:
The current USA htc.com page no longer specifies the version of Gorilla Glass.
"The HTC One A9 features a super-thin metal frame with an elegant finish, expandable SD card memory and edge-to-edge Corning® Gorilla® Glass. "
Current HTC USA site
HTC USA site on Oct 21 2015, and shown on Canadian HTC website as of Dec 3.:
"The HTC One A9 features a super-thin metal frame with an elegant finish, expandable SD card memory and edge-to-edge Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4. "
It is listed by Corning as using Gorilla Glass 3, and also by the following review sites: Slashgear, PocketNow, The Verge, Engadget, and ZDNet.
So what do you think about this - Does it even matter? Is it the last straw?
I'll admit that the screen on my A9 has performed just fine so far (other than the brightness control), but regardless I feel like HTC has pulled a fast one.
Note: User cameron1292 has contacted HTC and was told the A9 uses GG4. Posted here
Dec Update:
Corning provided the following statement:
Corning said:
Hi ...,
Thanks for your note. HTC’s official product website (http://www.htc.com/us/smartphones/htc-one-a9/buy-b/)
simply references Corning® Gorilla® Glass.
However, we’ve reached out to HTC and they have confirmed that the One A9 uses Gorilla Glass 3. They have expressed confidence in the proven performance of Gorilla Glass 3 and have indicated the device passed a stringent set of drop, scratch and bend tests conducted by both HTC and their operator partners worldwide. If you have further questions, you can reach out to HTC directly.
Thank you,
The Gorilla Glass Team
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kardon403 said:
Edit: User cameron1292 has contacted HTC and was told the A9 uses GG4. Looking for more confirmation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to confirm. Was it HTC USA that confirmed GG4?
If I wasn't on my phone I would have posted the chat. The two said I can assure you it's cornering 4. And I said are you positive because there is widespread online talk about it being 3. And they assured me again that it was 4. That could be a deal-breaker for me and I might call att and try and get it swapped. Their site also says 4
---------- Post added at 09:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 PM ----------
Haz04 said:
Just wanted to confirm. Was it HTC USA that confirmed GG4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes USA
The fact that HTC intentionally removed the reference to GG '4' from the online description really says it all. There is fairly solid evidence that the device is not what they say it is, if it's true then this is some genuine widespread false advertising. HTC knew about the error sometime around the end of Oct, it's nearly been a month and the device is still advertised as using Gorilla Glass 4.
Kardon403 said:
The fact that HTC intentionally removed the reference to GG '4' from the online description really says it all. There is fairly solid evidence that the device is not what they say it is, if it's true then this is some genuine widespread false advertising. HTC knew about the error sometime around the end of Oct, it's nearly been a month and the device is still advertised as using Gorilla Glass 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeppppp. It's still on ATT website as 4. I'm thinking about calling them and getting a different phone. I like this one a lot but the fact that I'll be paying 500 for a phone now with gorilla glass 3 not 4 and the false advertising kind of pisses me off.
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Corning has provided the following statement:
Corning said:
Hi Kardon,
Thanks for your note. HTC’s official product website (http://www.htc.com/us/smartphones/htc-one-a9/buy-b/)
simply references Corning® Gorilla® Glass.
However, we’ve reached out to HTC and they have confirmed that the One A9 uses Gorilla Glass 3. They have expressed confidence in the proven performance of Gorilla Glass 3 and have indicated the device passed a stringent set of drop, scratch and bend tests conducted by both HTC and their operator partners worldwide. If you have further questions, you can reach out to HTC directly.
Thank you,
The Gorilla Glass Team
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feel free to bury your head in the sand if you think the A9 uses GG4.
It was certainly a downer when I came across this too ... but then again it didn't affect my buying decision.. Wish HTC had got it right the first time though.
A GG3 confirmation from HTC twitter.
https://twitter.com/CozyTech/status/672162126350434304
Well it's settled then, thanks for the info. At least I can say my a9 screen still looks perfect after 2+ weeks of use
I appreciate knowing the truth about the glass, although it is really an unimportant issue IMHO. Many phone makers don't say which glass they are using - often because they don't use Gorilla Glass and consumers neither know nor care about competitors.
What bothers me here, and on the other thread, are the accusations of dishonesty on the part of HTC. I suppose those saying such things are not very experienced with what it takes to do a simultaneous world-wide product introduction. In an earlier life I was a high tech product manager, and I do understand how mistakes like this can happen, and are not fixed in an instant (and particularly for such a small detail). My guess is that the A9 was originally planned (likely from a year or more ago) to have GG4 (and the 617 SoC). By the time the phone was in prototype stage the preliminary marketing materials (brochures/datasheets/website/PRs/manuals/support & training materials/etc) were being finalized, and included the description at that time. Then sometime before production started a decision was made to revert to GG3 - possibly for cost or availability reasons. To then go back and change all of those materials was a substantial effort, and was never going to happen instantly. Consider that every national subsidiary, every carrier that is handling the phone, every web page in every country (and language) had to be corrected, and each of those was likely not under the direct control of the HTC product manager for the phone. All work-in-process needed correction. And everyone who had already been trained had to get the message, and then remember the new description. And then how to remove all of the old references? In short, it is a huge task, and one not done quickly. Meanwhile this is happening at crunch time. The crucial holiday shopping season has begun, customers (and carriers) are clamoring for product, and there is either a supply shortage, unexpectedly high demand, or both. Product development is still continuing on the Verizon and Sprint models, production has been delayed on the red and gold versions. A response was quickly organized to contact the disappointed pre-order customers, another distraction.
Keeping all of the above in mind, do you really think it reasonable to expect an instant and total fix to such a small detail?
Cut some slack folks.
CarinaPDX said:
I appreciate knowing the truth about the glass, although it is really an unimportant issue IMHO. Many phone makers don't say which glass they are using - often because they don't use Gorilla Glass and consumers neither know nor care about competitors.
What bothers me here, and on the other thread, are the accusations of dishonesty on the part of HTC. I suppose those saying such things are not very experienced with what it takes to do a simultaneous world-wide product introduction. In an earlier life I was a high tech product manager, and I do understand how mistakes like this can happen, and are not fixed in an instant (and particularly for such a small detail). My guess is that the A9 was originally planned (likely from a year or more ago) to have GG4 (and the 617 SoC). By the time the phone was in prototype stage the preliminary marketing materials (brochures/datasheets/website/PRs/manuals/support & training materials/etc) were being finalized, and included the description at that time. Then sometime before production started a decision was made to revert to GG3 - possibly for cost or availability reasons. To then go back and change all of those materials was a substantial effort, and was never going to happen instantly. Consider that every national subsidiary, every carrier that is handling the phone, every web page in every country (and language) had to be corrected, and each of those was likely not under the direct control of the HTC product manager for the phone. All work-in-process needed correction. And everyone who had already been trained had to get the message, and then remember the new description. And then how to remove all of the old references? In short, it is a huge task, and one not done quickly. Meanwhile this is happening at crunch time. The crucial holiday shopping season has begun, customers (and carriers) are clamoring for product, and there is either a supply shortage, unexpectedly high demand, or both. Product development is still continuing on the Verizon and Sprint models, production has been delayed on the red and gold versions. A response was quickly organized to contact the disappointed pre-order customers, another distraction.
Keeping all of the above in mind, do you really think it reasonable to expect an instant and total fix to such a small detail?
Cut some slack folks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what you're saying, I might have sensationalized the issue somewhat. Still, they didn't even bother mentioning it to customers who pre-ordered the device. Not only did they do a poor job correcting the information, they intentionally made it ambiguous by not specifying '3'.
I don't care about the glass, I just think the way they handled it is questionable. This is why I made a poll, everyone seems to have a different opinion on the matter which is great. I don't expect an 'instant' fix, but over a month after release is a bit much. It only takes a second to add it to the bottom of the notice email all pre-orders received regarding the delay on shipping + verizon support. The biggest thing for me is that they updated the site right away, but when doing so they intentionally left out the new information. I guess I expect too much.
Kardon403 said:
they intentionally made it ambiguous by not specifying '3'.
they intentionally left out the new information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is that you keep assuming ill intent without any evidence whatsoever. You obviously have no clue about how hard it is to propagate changes at the last minute in a large operation. My guess is that the product manager did send out an email announcing the change in spec, but there is no way his distribution would go directly to all who needed to know, and we all know how messages morph as they pass through multiple hands. I can well imagine that the website coder got the message to remove the "4" without specifically being told to replace it with a "3", and not wanting to risk further errors did not add the "3" on his own. That is how these things happen. No dishonest intent, just imperfect humans.
The thing is, HTC has gone out of their way to preserve good will. I have never heard of a consumer goods company actually calling customers to apologize for a delay and offer alternatives (an expensive and resource-consuming effort). And to offer customers a credit for 25% of the value of the product is very generous. I think that is clear evidence of their intent to treat their customers well. They do not deserve to have their reputation impugned.
It is worth noting that this introduction has suffered from poor planning and/or implementation. I do sympathize with the delays in coding and FCC approval of the carrier-specific models (each one needing a separate approval), and the apparent delay in availability of the colored aluminum cases. It is a very difficult choice to delay the introduction until full availability or hit the Xmas sales season, but not both. Still, these problems should not be leaking out into the customer base.
It is a popular trope to see corporations as evil. A corporation is not a person (regardless of what our flawed Supreme Court may say); it is an organization of many people. While there certainly are executives who do bad things, much of what goes wrong is the result of human error. I have found it best to remember: never assume a conspiracy when simple incompetence is a sufficient explanation.
Greg
So you're saying at the end of Oct, when they updated the site, they didn't know it was 3? They sure knew it wasn't 4. Is it too much to ask for them to have emailed the people who pre-ordered to let them know of the mistake? Is it too much to expect that when customers call in to ask, they would not be lied to?
Wouldn't you think the instruction to update the public facing website would be fairly specific? This is probably the most popular page on their site.
I just don't understand why HTC deserves so much 'slack'. They still haven't updated the Canadian website and it's December. When I was a teenager I worked at a job maintaining accurate prices/info on 100's of items, it's not actually that difficult. I don't see why I shouldn't expect more from such an established brand.
I don't think HTC is evil, I like the brand, I still have my first HTC phone and it works like new. I bought the A9, I like HTC, but I don't like seeing them operate like this.
I guess you are taking the point of view that it was a honest mistake, but I think the move to omit the new found information was completely intentional, which is why the site is not currently reading "Gorilla Glass 3" and it probably never will.
Note: I've edited some of my previous posts, in case anyone wondering what CarinaPDX is referring to.
Want to bump this. Did anyone else hear about this more? HTC told me via e-mail that the phone *in the USA* still uses GG4.
I have lots of tiny scratches on my phone already. USA a9 with a dot view case. I had a screen protector, but it kept sliding on my phone. I took it off about a week ago, and since then, scratches.
TehPwnd said:
I have lots of tiny scratches on my phone already. USA a9 with a dot view case. I had a screen protector, but it kept sliding on my phone. I took it off about a week ago, and since then, scratches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you serious? My A9 never had a screen protector and it has been a month now.. around 4-5 times dropped on the wooden floor, but absolutely no scratch on glass/body. Try wiping those scratches (if you used dot view case, it looks like scratches, but when you wipe them, it should be clean again) and post how it goes. I need to order a screenguard too maybe
---------- Post added at 02:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:14 AM ----------
km8j said:
Want to bump this. Did anyone else hear about this more? HTC told me via e-mail that the phone *in the USA* still uses GG4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same response multiple times
CarinaPDX said:
The problem is that you keep assuming ill intent without any evidence whatsoever. You obviously have no clue about how hard it is to propagate changes at the last minute in a large operation. My guess is that the product manager did send out an email announcing the change in spec, but there is no way his distribution would go directly to all who needed to know, and we all know how messages morph as they pass through multiple hands. I can well imagine that the website coder got the message to remove the "4" without specifically being told to replace it with a "3", and not wanting to risk further errors did not add the "3" on his own. That is how these things happen. No dishonest intent, just imperfect humans.
The thing is, HTC has gone out of their way to preserve good will. I have never heard of a consumer goods company actually calling customers to apologize for a delay and offer alternatives (an expensive and resource-consuming effort). And to offer customers a credit for 25% of the value of the product is very generous. I think that is clear evidence of their intent to treat their customers well. They do not deserve to have their reputation impugned.
It is worth noting that this introduction has suffered from poor planning and/or implementation. I do sympathize with the delays in coding and FCC approval of the carrier-specific models (each one needing a separate approval), and the apparent delay in availability of the colored aluminum cases. It is a very difficult choice to delay the introduction until full availability or hit the Xmas sales season, but not both. Still, these problems should not be leaking out into the customer base.
It is a popular trope to see corporations as evil. A corporation is not a person (regardless of what our flawed Supreme Court may say); it is an organization of many people. While there certainly are executives who do bad things, much of what goes wrong is the result of human error. I have found it best to remember: never assume a conspiracy when simple incompetence is a sufficient explanation.
Greg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! Do you work for HTC??? "The thing is, HTC has gone out of their way to preserve good will."
My experience has been anything but 'HTC going out of their way...'
I pre-ordered my unlocked A9. Received an email from HTC acknowledging my order and another stating a delay. That was the last time I EVER heard from HTC regarding my order. I've never received my order either.
I've contacted HTC numerous times to cancel my order and finally just the other day received an email from HTC acknowledging my cancellation request. From the time I pre-ordered until the email regarding my cancellation, I contacted HTC numerous times and was repeatedly told my order was still being fulfilled even though during my previous contact I canceled. This happened on at least 4 different occasions. I was never contacted by HTC offering me any discount or even an apology. I ended up buying my unlocked A9 off of ebay and paying more than my pre-order price at HTC.
They are complete idiots in my book. I've been supporting HTC for quite awhile, M7, two M8's and now the A9. If you look up, 'one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing', you will see the company HTC.
Really liking the phone though, but like most everybody else, am not liking that they switched the specs and dropped GG4 without so much as a $*#@ you very much! Absolutely horrible customer service.
No, I don't work for HTC. In fact purchasing this phone is the first time I have had any dealings with them.
My point was that an error in published spec, likely the result of a late spec change, is in no way a sign of evil intent. Even the best managed corporations make small mistakes like this. Stuff happens.
I will stick with my positive comments about personal phone calls and discounts. Somebody was trying to help out customers, at considerable expense to HTC. I suspect that the effort got called off before everyone was reached as it became apparent how many resources were being tied up in the process.
On the topic of incompetence, well yes they have demonstrated heroic levels of it. They seem to be flailing around trying to fix things, only to raise expectations that then aren't met. In my case a few days after receiving my A9 (after cancelling and re-ordering per HTC) I was sent 3 emails at the same time that alerted me to the fact that the original order that was cancelled had indeed just shipped, that it was a mistake and that a return authorization was issued, and how to properly return it. Oh, and my account was charged another $400 which they would give back when they received the phone. Also, for a single day many accessories were offered at deep discounts, but since some were out of stock it was impossible to order to lock in the price. Why offer a sale price when the customer can't actually buy the product, or for that matter why have a one-day sale at a time that many customers still haven't received their pre-ordered phones?
What is distressing is the seeming randomness of the preorder process. Some buyers received the products without problems. Others got phone calls and/or emails regarding the problems. Others apparently heard nothing. And for some of us that were helped by re-ordering the product, we found an additional product shipped (and billed).
So far I really like the A9. It does seem that HTC has their product act together. But their North American marketing/sales arm has a remarkable resemblance to the gang that can't shoot straight - something we can agree on. I hope they get someone in there who knows their product management, and who has the authority to get the IT system fixed. The home team in Taiwan should be pretty upset about this.
Greg
If GG3 or GG4 i do not care. I have no scratches in my Display. No tiny Scratches, no big Scratches. The Display is very good. On iPhone 6 i had after three Days tiny Scratches. On HTC One A9 after three Weeks no Scratches.

Nord vs 8 vs 7T

My 6T is on its last legs, there is something wrong with the phone reception, everyone tells me that they can barely understand me when I am on the phone (but not on Whatsapp or other VOIP apps).
Things that are important to me, arranged in order of priority
a) Best in class battery life
b) Rootable - the only two mods I do that require root are install AdBlocker and AFWall+, then I Magisk hide the InTune crap
c) 6.4-6.5" screen - smaller is too small, larger requires 2-handed opertion
d) Screen that is readable in daylight - the 6T really struggles there
e) Reasonable update schedule
f) Clean-ish Android experience
g) $800 or less price, preferably $600 or less
Things that are a don't care
1) Camera - the phone is a utility camera for me, when I want great pics I reach for a real camera
2) High pixel count or referesh rate - I mostly read news/blogs/articles on the phone
3) 5G - it ain't gonna be viable in the US for a few years, so why pay for something that just sucks battery and does nothing useful
4) Selfie lens, optical telephoto, portrait mode, etc - see #1 above
Based on the above the Nord hits all the right specs, but I am going to have to take a flier on importing it via some shady channel.
By all accounts the Pixel4a is a good phone with a sh*tty battery. The Pixel 4 is a great phone with a marginal battery. And battery is #1 for me.
Samsung prices are ridiculous
Moto software updates are non-existent
Which kind of leaves me with the OP line. From what I have read the primary difference between the 7T and the 8 is the 5G and a slight QCOM processor upgrade, which I don't care about. At this point the 8 will also get software updates a year or so longer than the 7T. But I can get the 7T for $450 tax free from B&H, while the 8 will set me back a minimum of $700+tax, for allegedly a very similar phone .
Am I missing any other important differences between the 7T and the 8?
Any suggestions on where to "safely" get a Nord in the US?
Any other phones I should cosnider?
TIA
I think you may have to wait for special Nord launch in US with snapdragon 665/662. Price about 300usd or chose Google pixel 4a with 765g snap. Smart chose. Nord wins for me cuz it's cheapest phone with best oxygen os experience. One Plus switch (APK) rock!
i would think 7T is the model to go after..
8 is as you mentioned not much an upgrade except in the price domain..
for nord (or its vairant) no matter which is imported into the US will be (subjectively) slightly worse than 7T anyway..
as an OT note, i just got myself a nord with a nearly identical set of criteria (and dis-criteria)..
GroovyGeek said:
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@GroovyGeek THREAD CLOSED as duplicate of https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-8/help/op8-vs-7t-vs-nord-t4153315 and https://forum.xda-developers.com/general/general/7t-vs-8-vs-nord-t4153313, although the first one has also been closed and the latter one moved to the General forum.
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