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Hi I'm thinking of getting this phone, so I was wondering if anyone can give me some insight into the good and bad points about it, and if you think this is a good choice for a phone.
mark28 said:
Hi I'm thinking of getting this phone, so I was wondering if anyone can give me some insight into the good and bad points about it, and if you think this is a good choice for a phone.
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=914049
those are some good thought about it
my only downfall to the phone is the whole China made screen deal.
1) Get it at Best Buy- $100 with renewal/add a line/upgrade/new contract.
2) Test the screen right in front of them. They'll let you do it. Run dmesg and check line 13-14 for panel type. =2 means you're good. =1 means exchange.
3) Vigorously test the data connection. I feel like some of them have baseband problems switching from 4G to Edge and back to 4G.
4) Check the left side of the phone above the triple charging prods for a gap between the front plate and the side. The first two I opened had a slight gap and coincidentally, antenna problems.
5) As soon as you get home, check the bottom left and bottom right corner for LCD bleeding. (Brighter and coming out of the glass on bottom corners)
This phone is powerful, spectacular, strong and fast. The hardware on it is what the Nexus S should've been but the Quality Control on it is atrociously bad. I'm on my second and I'm exchanging it today because of LCD bleeding. It's getting rather tiresome.
I'm a stone's throw away from going Verizon iPhone on February 10th.
Oh I also wanted to know how's the audio on this phone is. I'm coming from the Xperia X10 & that didn't have the best media audio, I listen to music off of my phone alot
mark28 said:
Oh I also wanted to know how's the audio on this phone is. I'm coming from the Xperia X10 & that didn't have the best media audio, I listen to music off of my phone alot
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Get Power Amp, its great if you want an outstanding music player. Also if you are going to get this phone on contract go this weekend you can get it for free on a 2 year contract.
I also think this is a great phone, but as others have stated, the quality control is bad and so finding the elusive perfect MT4G is a struggle, to say the least. I have exchanged my phone five times, four of which had good displays but other minor issues. I ended up having to compromise on the small things, such as light leaks around the buttons. All of the MT4G I've received have had some degree of light leaks around the buttons. To me, I gave up on getting one that's 100% without them, but as long as it's not where so much light leaking that it's easily noticeable, you should be okay.
Apart from that, it's a fantastic phone and I am much happier with it than I was my previous phone, the Vibrant
Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk
Oh ok thanks for the help, and I'm already a T-Mobile customer so I don't think I can get it for free but I'm planning on buying it on Amazon wireless for $89, which is pretty good.
Well I have pretty good luck, so lets hope I get one with a good screen & without any problems *crosses fingers*
mark28 said:
Oh ok thanks for the help, and I'm already a T-Mobile customer so I don't think I can get it for free but I'm planning on buying it on Amazon wireless for $89, which is pretty good.
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If you are renewing your contact for another 2 years you can get the phone free as long as your not on the Even More Plus Plan.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Essenar said:
2) Test the screen right in front of them. They'll let you do it. Run dmesg and check line 13-14 for panel type. =2 means you're good. =1 means exchange.
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Is there something special you need to do to see that? I ran dmesg on Terminal Emulator on my phone, looked at the output several times and even emailed it to myself to make sure, nowhere in the list of output is the word "panel". I'm a bit baffled.
dmesg buffers wrap. Reboot and look again.
HTC Glacier running CM7 #33
Essenar said:
1) Get it at Best Buy- $100 with renewal/add a line/upgrade/new contract.
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Same thing with T-mobile and its free today and tomorrow.
Get this phone you won't regret it. I miss mines. Screen broke on it. You won't regret it especially with cm 7 installed. As for the next phone I'm getting the lg optimus 2xx and the gslate when they are released.
Alright so I got my gs3 today and I recently noticed that there is a piece of dust near the top of the display. I know it is dust because it is still visible with the screen off. I'm not really bothered by it considering it's about the size of a pixel. Do you recommend I attempt to exchange it, or just live with it. It's in the notification bar and is almost never visible and I didn't notice it the first time I checked it for dead pixels.
tcb4 said:
Alright so I got my gs3 today and I recently noticed that there is a piece of dust near the top of the display. I know it is dust because it is still visible with the screen off. I'm not really bothered by it considering it's about the size of a pixel. Do you recommend I attempt to exchange it, or just live with it. It's in the notification bar and is almost never visible and I didn't notice it the first time I checked it for dead pixels.
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If it doesn't bother you I would just keep it. It is a major hassle switching out phones and the stores will generally fight you tooth and nail to keep from allowing the exchange unless the phone is really defective. Good luck!
The Dark One
I would exchange it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
DarkMage619 said:
If it doesn't bother you I would just keep it. It is a major hassle switching out phones and the stores will generally fight you tooth and nail to keep from allowing the exchange unless the phone is really defective. Good luck!
The Dark One
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To be honest I have more crap stuck in between my screen protector and the Glass. It's hardly noticeable so I'm not really worried. I know if I go into a vzw store they will be difficult. Even if I get a new one it could have a dead pixel smack dab in the center. Still an awesome phone.
It was a huge pain getting my Galaxy S3 replaced at a Verizon store for a legitimate problem- I had a dead pixel. The employee helping me refused to replace it, until finally the manager came and looked at it, deeming it a legitimate problem and allowed me a swap for a new device.
So if it doesn't bother you, don't worry about it.
I had my first GS3 replaced by T-Mobile. Right after I called they sent a brand new one overnight at no cost to me. Sent first phone back with the included return shipping label. Everything was easy as pie.
tcb4 said:
Alright so I got my gs3 today and I recently noticed that there is a piece of dust near the top of the display. I know it is dust because it is still visible with the screen off. I'm not really bothered by it considering it's about the size of a pixel. Do you recommend I attempt to exchange it, or just live with it. It's in the notification bar and is almost never visible and I didn't notice it the first time I checked it for dead pixels.
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I am in Canada but I imagine it still works the same. I never go into the store to deal with problems like that. Call them up (not the individual store). The people on the other end are used to dealing with that all day and have the policy down pat. I would believe they would resolve the issue immediately and send a replacement. At the minimum you will be opening a ticket (file) about the issue. An remember polite and firm, if the original person you are dealing with cannot resolve to your satisfaction request talking to a manager. They have more latitude when dealing with issues.
An I am sorry it's brand new. You are entitled to have it in perfect working condition including not having trapped dust. Give them a call.
P.S. An yes you are bothered by it, or you would of never taken the time to Create your OP. An I would be bothered by it as well.
Good luck.
I'm debating because right now I am bothered by it, but I know in a little while I really won't care. I'll see if I can get it replaced, but if I can't it won't be the end of the world.
Judge34411 said:
I am in Canada but I imagine it still works the same. I never go into the store to deal with problems like that. Call them up (not the individual store). The people on the other end are used to dealing with that all day and have the policy down pat. I would believe they would resolve the issue immediately and send a replacement. At the minimum you will be opening a ticket (file) about the issue. An remember polite and firm, if the original person you are dealing with cannot resolve to your satisfaction request talking to a manager. They have more latitude when dealing with issues.
An I am sorry it's brand new. You are entitled to have it in perfect working condition including not having trapped dust. Give them a call.
P.S. An yes you are bothered by it, or you would of never taken the time to Create your OP. An I would be bothered by it as well.
Good luck.
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Ha Ha, well I got two new ones. the second one had a dead pixel right in the middle.
Dirt Or Dead Pixel Under Screen
I just went through this myself, I bought a new S3 from Future Shop, it was great for the first 7 days then I just happened to have a grey wallpaper up and I noticed faint black lines almost in the middle of the screen and they ran from the top to the bottom, and as I scrolled the wallpaper back and forth they were very noticeable, I myself am the type of guy that now that I know its there it drives me crazy, I ended up taking it into the store and the sales rep looked at it and pulled another out to compare, he sat there for 10 minutes comparing it and finally told me the new one has the same lines but refused to show me it. So I took my phone and left. After I get home just before bed I noticed a black dot near the top, I tried wiping it off for I thought it was dust but it did not move, I could not figure out what it was, I thought dust but how did it get there in a matter of a few hours when I don't put my phone anywhere that it could cause dust to get into the screen like that, I ended up shinning a light on it with the screen off and it was not there so it was a pixel issue, I ended up going back to the store this morning where I had to argue and complain for 20 minutes before they finally exchanged it as they tried telling me it was dust behind the screen, anyway the new one is perfect. There should be no issue when you want to return or exchange your phone especially when you just shelled out $600 to buy it. But I suppose with the mass production of these phones there is bound to be issues with some.
So tomorrow is finally the day I get to upgrade my phone, my fascinate has treated me well these past two years, but its a bit dated now. So I've been following the forums and threads on the S III but I didn't see much people saying anything about specific hardware issues with the phone. When I go tomorrow to purchase my phone, is there any hardware specific stuff to look at to make sure my phone doesn't suffer from quality issues or run tests apps like display tester to test out the phone so I don't come out with a lemon and have to come back to exchange it? Any suggestions on making sure I don't get an lemon is much appreciated.
I wouldn't worry about it. Mine has been rock solid, even after a trip into the pool.
Enjoy your new phone. I'm sure you'll love it.
RyanW114 said:
So tomorrow is finally the day I get to upgrade my phone, my fascinate has treated me well these past two years, but its a bit dated now. So I've been following the forums and threads on the S III but I didn't see much people saying anything about specific hardware issues with the phone. When I go tomorrow to purchase my phone, is there any hardware specific stuff to look at to make sure my phone doesn't suffer from quality issues or run tests apps like display tester to test out the phone so I don't come out with a lemon and have to come back to exchange it? Any suggestions on making sure I don't get an lemon is much appreciated.
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As someone who had a launch fascinate, and upgraded to an s3 in July, let me add my opinion.
Gps. Though still not bulletproof and instantly locking like my wife's iphone 4s, it is way better than the stock fassy and even cm builds
Rom. Stock Rom is way less bloated and tw is way better with a smaller footprint.
Quality. About the same. I miss the 4 capacitive buttons actually. Still find myself hitting the android options key when trying to get to the launcher
I still have my fascinate in case this breaks and needs to be swapped. I do not miss it at all though. I could never find a perfect Rom for it. Something was always broke or buggy. I love my s3. Was going to sell it to get an iphone 5, but I am going to keep it now.
jtiger12 said:
As someone who had a launch fascinate, and upgraded to an s3 in July, let me add my opinion.
Gps. Though still not bulletproof and instantly locking like my wife's iphone 4s, it is way better than the stock fassy and even cm builds
Rom. Stock Rom is way less bloated and tw is way better with a smaller footprint.
Quality. About the same. I miss the 4 capacitive buttons actually. Still find myself hitting the android options key when trying to get to the launcher
I still have my fascinate in case this breaks and needs to be swapped. I do not miss it at all though. I could never find a perfect Rom for it. Something was always broke or buggy. I love my s3. Was going to sell it to get an iphone 5, but I am going to keep it now.
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Glad to have someone who has experience with the fascinate and gs3. I was concerned with the gps since the gps on the fascinate was pretty wonky. I guess the gs3 isn't much different in build quality with the thin plastic battery cover.
I previously owned a Fascinate as well, it was a great phone but outdated.
I was first worrying about the size being (alittle) too big, after few days it seems to be perfect size.
I do not like the physical home button and the external speakers location. The battery cover is a thin flexible plastic cover, atleast it will not shatter if dropped on hard surfaces.
And the most important of all, it is not an iphone. Unless you have a lemon or defected phone, you will love it.
Hyper_Warp said:
I previously owned a Fascinate as well, it was a great phone but outdated.
I was first worrying about the size being (alittle) too big, after few days it seems to be perfect size.
I do not like the physical home button and the external speakers location. The battery cover is a thin flexible plastic cover, atleast it will not shatter if dropped on hard surfaces.
And the most important of all, it is not an iphone. Unless you have a lemon or defected phone, you will love it.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I was worried about the size until I tried out a floor model and to me, felt fine, different from the 4 inches of course but nothing like the galaxy note. I think one major difference is what you mentioned, the physical home button, coming from 4 capacitive buttons to just 3 buttons with one of them a physical one, is pretty different.
A lot of us come from the fascinate. Me too. I find this phone has built nicely on the original fascinate. Adding things that needed along with the general hardware upgrade. Or now thinking on it, Samsung or Qualcomm should have given us a quad core but such as life.
Sent from my Verizon Galaxy S 3 running CM10
tonu42 said:
A lot of us come from the fascinate. Me too. I find this phone has built nicely on the original fascinate. Adding things that needed along with the general hardware upgrade. Or now thinking on it, Samsung or Qualcomm should have given us a quad core but such as life.
Sent from my Verizon Galaxy S 3 running CM10
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Yeah such is life, but having the dual core hold up to that quad core is nice.
On another note, didn't get my galaxy s3 today. So I have unlimited data on my plan and went though hell to try to find a way to keep the unlimited data and get the phone at the discount price. I might of done it, but won't know until verizon sends me my phone in the mail. Will know in a couple days.
It's a great choice ! You will be glad you took the upgrade ! I even enjoy the phone out of the box . This phone is going to be limitless .
RyanW114 said:
So tomorrow is finally the day I get to upgrade my phone, my fascinate has treated me well these past two years, but its a bit dated now. So I've been following the forums and threads on the S III but I didn't see much people saying anything about specific hardware issues with the phone. When I go tomorrow to purchase my phone, is there any hardware specific stuff to look at to make sure my phone doesn't suffer from quality issues or run tests apps like display tester to test out the phone so I don't come out with a lemon and have to come back to exchange it? Any suggestions on making sure I don't get an lemon is much appreciated.
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Click to collapse
Let me be one of the first to say Welcome to the VZW GS3 Family! I may be on GS3 #3, but I think I finally got a keeper. The phone kicks my bionic's a** left and right, and I feel the GS3 is the best phone on the market atm.
As for me being on GS3 #3, I wouldent worry about build quality. First one had the screen gap issue (was back when the GS3 had 1 forum for all carriers), second one had dead pixels, but this current one is a keeper!
I am also new to the verizon fam. Came from sprint and am so happy with this gs3. So much to do that sometimes dont know what to do on the phone. What cool tricks do u suggest. I habeny been on this site in years.
To update everyone, I got my phone today and was able to activate it and keep unlimited! The sweet sweet smell of a new phone with unlimited 4G.
RyanW114 said:
To update everyone, I got my phone today and was able to activate it and keep unlimited! The sweet sweet smell of a new phone with unlimited 4G.
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Did you specifically request to keep your unlimited? I am just curious because I preordered mine and was able to keep it. I am not sure if they are still allowing anyone who has unlimited to transition to the S3 with unlimited or only people who specifically request it... anyone have more information??
The phone is fantastic. I've had no issues with it. Welcome to the family!
I love my GS3. It's a great phone and build quality is pretty good. But I did have a few things though most of them are minor. Do check them out within your return window:
1. My 1st GS3 had GPS issue. Took forever to lock and wouldn't stay locked. Got an exchange for that and the 2nd one is way better, still not perfect but totally usable.
2. My 1st GS3 came with a tiny scratch on the screen. I found it after using the phone for < 2hours. At first I thought I scratched it. Then after keeping the phone in the same pocket (completely naked) for 3 weeks, and then having the 2nd one for a month, no scratch whatsoever. Now I'm pretty sure my 1st one came with the scratch. It's a very tiny scratch can only be seen from certain angle. But it annoyed the hell out of me.
3. Both the 1st and 2nd GS3's back cover have a squeaky spot. The 1st one right behind the volume rocker, the 2nd one behind the home button. Not the worst problem but can get annoying.
I saw other people report screen problem (dead pixel) so running a screen test is probably not a bad idea.
Dirty13ear said:
Did you specifically request to keep your unlimited? I am just curious because I preordered mine and was able to keep it. I am not sure if they are still allowing anyone who has unlimited to transition to the S3 with unlimited or only people who specifically request it... anyone have more information??
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As far as I know if you take a discounted price on a phone, you have to take a share everything plan. Op how did you keep your unlimited?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Dirty13ear said:
Did you specifically request to keep your unlimited? I am just curious because I preordered mine and was able to keep it. I am not sure if they are still allowing anyone who has unlimited to transition to the S3 with unlimited or only people who specifically request it... anyone have more information??
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Click to collapse
I didn't, after June 28th you can't request to keep it. See below how I did it.
moun7ain said:
The phone is fantastic. I've had no issues with it. Welcome to the family!
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Thanks!
simollie said:
I love my GS3. It's a great phone and build quality is pretty good. But I did have a few things though most of them are minor. Do check them out within your return window:
1. My 1st GS3 had GPS issue. Took forever to lock and wouldn't stay locked. Got an exchange for that and the 2nd one is way better, still not perfect but totally usable.
2. My 1st GS3 came with a tiny scratch on the screen. I found it after using the phone for < 2hours. At first I thought I scratched it. Then after keeping the phone in the same pocket (completely naked) for 3 weeks, and then having the 2nd one for a month, no scratch whatsoever. Now I'm pretty sure my 1st one came with the scratch. It's a very tiny scratch can only be seen from certain angle. But it annoyed the hell out of me.
3. Both the 1st and 2nd GS3's back cover have a squeaky spot. The 1st one right behind the volume rocker, the 2nd one behind the home button. Not the worst problem but can get annoying.
I saw other people report screen problem (dead pixel) so running a screen test is probably not a bad idea.
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I was checking for everything, can you tell me more about the back cover squeaky spot, been squeezing it, haven't had any squeaky spots, I assume that means I don't have that problem.
Vorfidus said:
As far as I know if you take a discounted price on a phone, you have to take a share everything plan. Op how did you keep your unlimited?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
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I did a cross upgrade, I was able to transfer my upgrade to a different phone and then have that line upgrade to the s3. When it came, I just esn swap (transferred the phone to my line). Note this only works with ordering from the website. At the store and anywhere else they will force you to switch. Trust me, I banged heads with a lot of people over this.
Vorfidus said:
As far as I know if you take a discounted price on a phone, you have to take a share everything plan. Op how did you keep your unlimited?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
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When I got mine at full price they made me switch before they would activate it but I'm fine with it.
RyanW114 said:
I did a cross upgrade, I was able to transfer my upgrade to a different phone and then have that line upgrade to the s3. When it came, I just esn swap (transferred the phone to my line). Note this only works with ordering from the website. At the store and anywhere else they will force you to switch. Trust me, I banged heads with a lot of people over this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh that makes sense then. I was pretty sure they weren't allowing people to do that anymore no matter what but the way you went about it seems to be a few and far between sort of thing. Nice work on keeping that unlimited data though. props
RyanW114 said:
Glad to have someone who has experience with the fascinate and gs3. I was concerned with the gps since the gps on the fascinate was pretty wonky. I guess the gs3 isn't much different in build quality with the thin plastic battery cover.
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It feels solid to me. Its a thin cover but its all packed together in that slim body pretty tightly so it doesn't feel cheap (at least not to me). You can't tell its a thin plastic back unless you remove it as it doesn't move or give at all when it is on the phone. I think the fascinate felt worse
The GPS is no problem at all on the S3 but I never had issues with it on my fascinate either although I know a lot of people did.
So, I broke the glass on my Infuse a week ago. The LCD touchscreen beneath it is in perfect condition without any noticeable defects. I have dropped my phone from over 5' onto concrete multiple times in the past and nothing broke those times, but I went to get out of my car and it slipped out of my pocket and fell one foot onto asphalt and the screen shattered, at least the bottom half. It sucks, but it happens, right? That is why I pay $5 /month for insurance, it is an expensive phone that i don't want to replace out of pocket. Well, it turns out that the last time I had to file an insurance claim they hadn't updated their pricing policy. It use to be $50 for a claim, but now it is $200! Ridiculously expensive if I say so myself. I went onto ebay and found that they sell the LCD, glass, and tools for $190, but this is an outdated phone, well AT&T doesn't sell it anymore at least. Why would I want to spend close to $200 for a new screen when I only spent $80 to buy the phone 15 months ago???
Now onto my real question:
1) Should I buy the screen replacement and fix it myself? I'm generally really good with electronics... and I've replaced screens in flip phones before.
2) Should I open a new line on my existing account for $10 a month and get the galaxy s3 for $170 and just put my sim card in the phone?
3) or should I go through AT&T's replacement service and get w/e phone they want to give me? (What phone replaced the Infuse anyway?)
What do you guys think I should do?
I have cracked glass on my Infuse (LCD still works fine in my case, I assume it does for you as well).
Here are what I think are the three best options (no particular order)
1 - Send it to Samsung for repair. They'll do it for about $156, including shipping both ways (they send you a shipping envelope). But you'll lose your phone for 1 to 2 weeks.Contact phone number: 1-888-987-4357
2 - Get a used phone on ebay, craigslist, etc.
3 - Live with it and hope it gets better. This may sound wacky, but I have a cracked phone glass and it really honestly seems to have gotten "better" over time. I'm not kidding.
Part of is switching your apps to dark background so you don't notice the cracks as much (and save battery anyway)..
part of it is getting used to the cracks so they don't catch your attention...
and here's the wacky part ... in my case some of the cracks have "gone away" or gotten smaller since the initial damage. I know that sounds silly and I certainly can't explain why it did that (other than to say this is not normal glass), but that is what I observed with my own eyes.
I don't think replacing the whole LCD unit is an attractive option. It costs $150 and you can get a new phone or have Samsung fix it for that much. It is a somewhat delicate procedure from what I have heard so after spending tht $150 there's a small chance you may not have fixed anything.
There is also Infuse Glass for sale for $10 or so but it is apparently unusable... can't replace glass without replacing the entire LCD unit (they're glued together)
you might want to double check ATT website. i got my refurbished infuse for 1 penny. flawless, looked and worked like brand new. so good, i got one for my sister too.
I have an infuse that I'm willing to sell for 150. Everything works besides the USB port being wonky at times...sometimes it works, others it doesn't. So for 150 you could repair your phone and gain another battery/everything else for the same price as sending it to Samsung.
I advise against adding a line...yeah its 170 up front but add another 240 for 10 bucks a month extra over two years. So that's paying essentially 410 for that s3...same with buying it for a penny online...paying 240 for another infuse over two years.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
electricpete1 said:
3 - Live with it and hope it gets better. This may sound wacky, but I have a cracked phone glass and it really honestly seems to have gotten "better" over time. I'm not kidding.
Part of is switching your apps to dark background so you don't notice the cracks as much (and save battery anyway)..
part of it is getting used to the cracks so they don't catch your attention...
and here's the wacky part ... in my case some of the cracks have "gone away" or gotten smaller since the initial damage. I know that sounds silly and I certainly can't explain why it did that (other than to say this is not normal glass), but that is what I observed with my own eyes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Attached are pictures immediately after I dropped my phone. I took them using front-facing camera mode.
Here are photos of the same phone (not repaired) today, about 5 months after I dropped it.
I was not able to recreate the exact same view (not sure how I originally managed to use front-facing camera and mirror to get photo of screen without seeing picture within picture type thing).
But I hope you can see it is a lot better. Tough to capture in pictures but there is no doubt in my mind the cracks somehow got better.
Your cracks got better likely because of the adhesive on your screen protector. That is a decent idea for the op to try though...if no chunks of glass are missing, they could try seeing if a screen protector makes the cracks less noticeable
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I have a screen protector on the phone right now and that is the only reason I'm able to use it. I'll post some pictures in a few showing how it looks.
captemo: How were you able to get an Infuse for $0.01? Was it an upgrade/new line/new customer deal?
electricpete1: they showed up when I posted my reply. Interesting...Makes me wonder what type of nearly self healing glass they implemented on your phone! lol Well, that is interesting, I can still see the impact site on the 5 months after photos, but the cracks seem to be nearly invisible now. [[]]edit[[]]For some reason your images are not showing up.[[]]edit[[]] I'll take a look on another browser and see what it looks like. But I am using a screen protector already.
welchertc: I was actually ready for an upgrade in a month but the account holder was a few hours late on his scheduled payment for an over due account and it bumped my upgrade deadline to July next year. So I would technically keep the new line for 7 months, then deactivate my current line and transfer the number over. (I believe that it possible...correct me if I am wrong though) I'll think about buying your infuse. Could you either show a picture of the screen or describe its condition? Mine was flawless, until it dropped that is.
So, my options are either buy a used one for $50 less, claim insurance, send to samsung (Should I keep the custom rom on the phone or will this send up red flags? I'm running Jellybean), or live with it until I can upgrade?
welchertc said:
Your cracks got better likely because of the adhesive on your screen protector. That is a decent idea for the op to try though...if no chunks of glass are missing, they could try seeing if a screen protector makes the cracks less noticeable
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have the same screen protector on there now that was on there when it cracked (didn't change it).
Maybe the screen protector somehow played a role in the appearance of cracks going away (even though it's the same screen protector).
Maybe the adhesive is soaking into the cracks. Maybe the protector started to pull away from the crack so hides it a little.
Beats me.
Rhamza161 said:
But I am using a screen protector already
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Click to collapse
Same as I was. For whatever reason, the screen that looked horrible 5 months ago after I dropped it looks great now... and I didn't do anything (including didn't change screen protector). I was on the verge of spending $156 to have Samsung fix it, and the only reason I didn't was that I didn't want to give up my phone for the period of 1-2 weeks required for that shipping/repair. Now, based on all the factors I mentioned (using black background, getting used to it, and cracked appearance going away somewhat) I'm glad I didn't spend that money.
here are the pictures:
To me, it looks similar to how mine looked. Heavy damage in one corner with cracks spreading accross the screen.
You could try waiting a month or two (three tops). If you see no change, then go ahead and find your replacement. But you might be pleasantly surprised with substantial improvement in appearance (like I was). In the meantime, set your apps and wallpaper to black for very dark backround.
I think I'll wait and see if I can live with it for a month, and if I cannot...then I'll see about replacing the screen first. I'll start the contact with samsung within the week though. I'd rather get the information now and be able to get the replacement screen as quick as possible if I decide to go that route.
Thanks for the advice guys.
Rhamza161 said:
I think I'll wait and see if I can live with it for a month, and if I cannot...then I'll see about replacing the screen first. I'll start the contact with samsung within the week though. I'd rather get the information now and be able to get the replacement screen as quick as possible if I decide to go that route.
Thanks for the advice guys.
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Click to collapse
OK. I think it was about two months before I noticed the change. I wasn't expecting a change and therefore wasn't looking for a change, so may not have been really observant. You on the other hand have very good quality pictures of screen and will be watching closely.
** Please do come back here and let us know how it turns out.
(I have zero doubt about what I saw, but I also understand it's difficult for anyone else to believe... would feel better if someone else reports similar observations)
I'm always on the forum, but rarely post because the only threads I usually watch are the ones dealing with development. I'll be sure to let you know about the glass though,
Rhamza161 said:
3) or should I go through AT&T's replacement service and get w/e phone they want to give me? (What phone replaced the Infuse anyway?)
What do you guys think I should do?
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I'd like to know what phone replaced the infuse too, especially since its officially considered an obsolete phone now.
As a matter of fact Rhamza, that's the case you should build to AT&T-that the phone is obsolete. I've heard plenty of cases, including myself, of complaints to service providers and getting whatever it is you want, so long as your nice and get a compliant tech in the line.
Tell them (if u want) that "my cat knocked my phone off the table, breaking my screen. I see that this phone is totally obsolete and unavailable to purchase at any authorized att retailers... I feel I deserve a replacement because"...etc..
I've heard of people getting galaxy phones for the infuse, so it always worth shot. The worst that could happen is they say no.
In this economy never pay a dollar more for something if you don't have to. Millionaires don't.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app
Hm, interesting. I'll give it a try. I mean it is worth a shot.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app on jellybean rom.
I finally just went ahead and called samsung and they said the replacement screens including the LCD would cost exactly $155.88 including shipping. I don't think I'll go that route. I get paid Thursday for over 50 hours so AT&T will be contacted about a broken screen.
electricpete1: I have noticed that some parts of the screen do actually look better, however the 4 buttons on the bottom of the screen are starting to not work because of lost glass even after placing a screen protector over the loose pieces. I think they just came off of the LCD portion.
Sliding the unlock to the right on JB (CM10 unofficial) is starting to require a little more pressure than normal.
honestly i'd send it to samsung unless you have insurance, i had bad luck with replacement parts from china despite them having official "samsung" branding and looking legit. the insurance might get you a phone you don't wan't. since i think (not sure) they deal in refurbed phones for insurance but it might however get you an i-777 sgs2 (a nice upgrade if you like the smaller size) since it looks like hey still have new and refurbed i777s in stock online depited it being long out of production like the infuse. but if they a replacement phone you don't want then samsung is the best way to go unless you find a repair service that has a good warranty policy. i've replaced the screen on one of my infuses myself for a single crack across the screen that was barely visable, the replacement screen burned out in under 2 months and it cost me more than what samsung quoted you to fix yours,at the time i didn't want to be without my phone while waiting for a repair and it cost me.
Well I went ahead and went through the insurance company. Supposedly I coudl have had a choice in the phone I was given, but when I clicked on the "Choose more" button it sent me to the same phone, the Galaxy S2 Skyrocket and it said "If you click on 'more options again, you'll be directed to an associate who will attempt to help solve your problem and will not be allowed to continue online at any point" So I stayed with the Skyrocket for now...I'm honestly not sure how I'll like it. Some websites say that the screen is 0.2" smaller than the infuse, other say it is the same. I love my Infuse, but I would rather get a new phone, not one that is a year old already (the skyrocket came out last year in October after all). The phone should be here tomorrow sometime, so I'll report back and let you guys know if it is refurbished or new. In a way I hope that there is something wrong or something I dislike so I can justify attempting to get a nicer, newer phone.
But at least it is coming with ICS and the screen is not broken and there is a modding community here that is amazing! So even if it isn't the best phone I've ever used, it'll still be better than nothing and I can have JB on it within the hour of it arriving. lol
well there was something wrong with it out of the box. (Of course right?) I called Asurion and she said "we'll send you a shipping label and you can send it back to us and when we receive it we'll send you another one right back."
"Wait, I don't have another phone to use while this one is being processed and shipped. What will I do without a phone? I need it for work!"
"Well, go to AT&T and see if they will loan you a phone for about two weeks while we send you another one, but I've never heard of them doing it before."
"Why can't you send me a new phone and when I receive it, I'll send the defective one back?"
"It doesn't work like that."
"If AT&T doesn't hand out a phone for a loan and I miss work because of it, will your company compensate me my $10/hr wage and contact my bosses and explain to them that it is your fault that I missed work?"
"Um, no we can't do that either."
"[[]]sigh[[]] just send me the shipping label and be done with it. This is ridiculous."
"okay. Have a good night." and she hung up the phone.
wth? Rude and not helpful at all. The new phone that I was sent had a defective mic, both on normal calls and speaker phone calls. The AT&T customer service person was really polite and helped me though their trouble shooting guide for the phone and ended up having me go down to AT&T to get a new SIM card. That didn't work, but they activated the new SIM and added the phone to my plan. So the next AT&T rep sent me a phone number to Asurion to get it replaced, because I have 30 days to report a defective device. Well the previous conversation ensued and I find that I am really not satisfied with their representatives. I should have been recording it! jeez.
Here are some photos I took of my Infuse before I put it into the shipping box three days ago.
:crying:
LONG VERSION:
Well when I first got my idol 3 on May 23rd the first thing I did before turning it on was to install a cheap plastic screen protector. I then turned it on, played with it and poured over the outside of the phone. Build seemed good. The only area I genuinely disliked was the design choice laying the glass screen on TOP of the frame/bezels. It looks nice but I thought at the time, 'makes me worry about dropping it, even with a case'. I always use TPU cases with no problems and installed it on the idol. Today my screen shattered. I did not drop the phone (haven't dropped it once in the 3+ weeks I've owned it). I did not bump into anything. The phone was in my side pocket of my work pants (not 'skinny' jeans I wear loose pants/jeans. Side rant: no disrespect to the hipsters but skinny jeans are not in my vocabulary, I don't know anyone that looks good in them ) while I drove from work around the corner to Wegmans (grocery store). Got in the store and pulled out my phone only to see a shattered screen. I thought it was my tempered screen protector ( I put that on a few days after getting the phone once they were in stock) until I noticed I couldn't use the bottom 2/3 of the touchscreen. Digitizer was shot. Ugh. Looking back the only point I can think of where any pressure was applied to the screen would be when I got out of the car and my pants probably tightened when pivoting off the seat. Seriously. That's it. I must have done the same thing 2 dozen times as I almost always go to Wegmans after work and since it's so close I leave the phone in my pocket (loose pockets!!). Afterwards while driving home I always put the phone in it's holster on the dash. I got home and pulled the tempered glass off (incidentally the glass protector is fine..) and took a closer look. Remember "Bendgate" with the 6-plus? Yeah my phone is also ever so slightly bent as well. I baby the hell out of my phone, not a scratch or nick anywhere on the body. I'm so disappointed. I absolutely love this phone and yesterday I would rate alcatel/the phone a 4.5 out of 5 for a stellar product with few issues (obv. the pervasive DT2W issue). But after today I strongly believe they messed up their design by putting the glass on top of the frame and not embedded within the bezels like almost every other phone out there. I'm preparing my email to alcatel now in hopes I get something from them but I know they have no reason to believe my story as to how this happened. I don't believe my actions were a result of misuse by any means as I've owned plenty of smartphones without ever breaking one. I don't expect anything from Alcatel but I seriously hope their next iteration of this phone will be better protected. I'm creating this thread as a warning to all the other owners out there that you need to be very careful handling this phone, If a simple motion such as this can result in a broken screen then I'm sure that a drop will be just as bad even with a tempered glass protector. So everyone PLEASE be careful! Personally I am distrustful of the device's build quality now and will hang on to this until I can buy a replacement screen/digitizer and attempt to replace it myself ( a review on Amazon a few days ago mentioned that screen replacement costs $150, almost the price I paid for the thing) though I will wait to hear back from Alcatel. I'll try to upload a couple pics of the phone, but really all you'll see is an otherwise pristine phone with a broken screen and the leftover residue from my tempered protector (now removed). Ugh, this sucks
Short Version:
My screen broke while in my pocket from minimal to barely moderate pressure and is also now bent, ala #Bendgate. WTF
I can't believe this phone broke that easy, it was either a defective phone or its just fragile. I'm really thinking of returning this phone since it has so many things to it.
Sent from my 6045I
I hope it was just a dud for everyone else's sake, problem is I don't expect Alcatel to replace it under warranty and I'm not willing to spend 75% of what I paid for it on a new screen. THe other issues are minor to me personally, with DT2W being the biggest annoyance. I barely get any lag with animations on top speed and nova launcher and I'm satisfied with the camera for the price point. My previous phone, the HTC One m7 was great until it got the lollipop 5.02 update and then lagged like crazy so I truly believe performance issues will be resolved with an update/root. I'm really devastated this broke so easily as the screen size/front speakers were exactly what I wanted in a phone, not to mention the great battery life I get vs. old phone.
Dang I have a tpu case and tempered glass but I'm scared now lol thinking of returning and getting a OPO
Sent from my 6045I
I seriously considered the opo but for me band support was paramount. I wonder if a hard case would be better for this phone, I know they're harder on the body but would presumably give a bit more structure for the phone. OT, I finally have a use for the reversible feature as it allows me to type on the phone and open most apps flipping the thing upside down over and over :/
Hopefully its not a defect to all phones. I only have till Monday to figure out if I want to return it
Sent from my 6045I
psu2fan said:
I hope it was just a dud for everyone else's sake, problem is I don't expect Alcatel to replace it under warranty and I'm not willing to spend 75% of what I paid for it on a new screen. THe other issues are minor to me personally, with DT2W being the biggest annoyance. I barely get any lag with animations on top speed and nova launcher and I'm satisfied with the camera for the price point. My previous phone, the HTC One m7 was great until it got the lollipop 5.02 update and then lagged like crazy so I truly believe performance issues will be resolved with an update/root. I'm really devastated this broke so easily as the screen size/front speakers were exactly what I wanted in a phone, not to mention the great battery life I get vs. old phone.
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Have you approached Alcatel to see if they will replace the device/display under warranty? Clearly you did not do anything out of the ordinary - drop it to knock it against something - so they *should* replace it, and if not, you should be able to take it up with your credit card company. I feel sorry for your situation. I got my phone for $200, have no problems except the lag ( and more recently more frequent d2w issues ) - and I am waiting for something like you to happen to me. At that time I will have to take it up with Alcatel , because I certainly want to keep the device, for its bright screen and loud speakers alone, for the $200 I paid.
Electronics are not flawless articles - but my suggestion would be give Alcatel support a chance. This will also tell all of us, how good their support really is. Abt 4 years back, I was one of the lucky ones that got in on the $99 HP Touchpad sweepstakes - and right after I got it, the display panel started malfunctioning. So I took it up with HP and they sent me a prepaid box - and had me ship the tablet back to them - and returned it to me after replacing the display. Since that day, that device has been a workhorse for me - Best $90 I ever spent on a piece of electronics. So my point is - sometimes - your immediate experience will be negative - but it is worth give it another chance. And these days, usually your CC company will come to your rescue in such matters.
Oh absolutely. I guess I wasn't very clear about that but I'm retelling my story with them. I certainly hope they do something about it, I just have my doubts.I'll have to read through the terms on my credit card, can't remember if I used Amex or Discover for it.. but I thought you just got an extended warranty through them, no?
Ok I sent out my lengthy email to Alcatel just now, so I'll update this thread when I hear back from them. Also I looked into my purchase and I did use Discover which includes 90-days device coverage including broken screens so I'm covered in case Alcatel doesn't come through. Thanks stl1859, I would not have remembered that if you didn't mention it.
psu2fan said:
:crying:
Short Version:
My screen broke while in my pocket from minimal to barely moderate pressure and is also now bent, ala #Bendgate. WTF
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Click to collapse
many of todays phones has this 2.5D corners, so bad luck...it happens. I got ZTE V5, felt many times so i bought screen protector shield (plastic, not foil) and rugged back cover...anyway felt from 50cm to the ceramic tiles and got broken screen..it happens ...**** happens. Hope you will get osme satisfactory. And minimal to barely moderate pressure, really? Do you think that his would someone believe?
DallasCZ said:
many of todays phones has this 2.5D corners, so bad luck...it happens. I got ZTE V5, felt many times so i bought screen protector shield (plastic, not foil) and rugged back cover...anyway felt from 50cm to the ceramic tiles and got broken screen..it happens ...**** happens. Hope you will get osme satisfactory. And minimal to barely moderate pressure, really? Do you think that his would someone believe?
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Click to collapse
I know it's hard to believe, I have a hard time believing it. Which is precisely why I posted about this. And yes it was minimal to moderate pressure. I did not drop the device, it was in my pocket and I didn't bump into anything. The only pressure exerted was from my pants as I shifted to the left to get out of the car. I've certainly been fortunate over the years to have never broken a screen; I've dropped my previous phones a handful of times, even rolled over one while it was in my pocket. If any of those things would have happened and resulted in a broken screen/bent phone I wouldn't be posting here.. I expect that outcome in those situations. Also no I don't expect Alcatel to believe me, which is why I was so worried about spending my money on a device only to have it fail in this manner. Thankfully due to the suggestion of another member I will be covered thanks to my CC company.
You are still going to try getting a replacement from Alcatel, right ? I am really interested in knowing how efficient they are in handling repair/exchanges.
stl1859 said:
You are still going to try getting a replacement from Alcatel, right ? I am really interested in knowing how efficient they are in handling repair/exchanges.
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Yes, I'm currently waiting on them. Since I submitted the support email going into the weekend I'm giving them through Monday to reply before I start calling them.
Well, As expected.. BTW the phone number listed is not valid. Had to initiate claims online at alcatel.finetw.com Customer care didn't care (haha) how the phone broke, though I wouldn't expect them to. I'll include a copy of my original email with the phone so that hopefully the tech at least takes a look at the strength of the phone.
Dear xxxxxx,
Thank you for getting in touch with us. We understand your concern and we will be happy to assist you. Unfortunately with physical damaged the warranty gets void, so you can contact the repair center and ask how much they will charge you to fix device, the phone number is 496-484-6610..
Best regards,
ALCATEL ONETOUCH
First, that is a pathetic response. With that kind of attitude, they are not going to gain many customers. Second, I don't think that is a valid statement at all. Defects can cause 'physical damage'. It is a piece of electronics after all . If they are not covering 'physical damage' - what are they covering - emotional damage !!!
They probably meant physical *abuse* - which in your case - there was none. So I do not think they have grounds to decline warranty. It appears that they are simply assuming there was 'physical abuse' . Let me ask you - did you explain the incident - to the level of detail that you did over here ? ( meaning how it was in your pant's pocket - and how there might have been some pressure when you tried to get out of your vehicle , etc etc. ) - Or did you simply tell them that you discovered the screen to be shattered one fine day when you took it out of your pocket ?
Are you still engaging with them, or are you going to go to your CC company now ? I am disappointed with their support. Clearly, the only way they can sell anything if they keep pricing their products dirt cheap. Even then, I would think twice before buying from them.
I'm just thinking that this is going to be my last Alcatel product if I even decide to keep it. This support is pretty bad.
Sent from my 6045I
I keep mine in jeans, including skinny jeans and don't have these issues. It doesn't have much give so I have to position it in the pocket with the least pressure points. I would expect screen separation before screen cracking since it is plastic. I have had issue when its hot the double tap to wake will turn on the lock screen and dial contacts if the pocket is big enough for it to move around. So far I am impressed with dragontrail being less prone to fingerprints, but I do everything to avoid scratches and cracks short of a screen protector so take that into consideration.
i dont think any brand will buy your story even if its true. any physical dmg will become a user end fault no matter which product you purchase since theres no way to prove its their manufacturing fault when its physical defect and the end user is using it.
Sent from my 6045I using XDA Free mobile app
This is really the crux of it. And why I said I did not expect them to do anything. The only way to uncover a design flaw IMO is if this starts happening a lot (like bendgate.. well maybe not a lot in that case but some people showing on video how easily it bent). Also yes I went into great detail about the when/where/how the device broke. I also included the details with the phone, imploring the tech to at least look at the device to determine if there's a structural weak point or something. Sorry I took so long to reply, I've been getting my backup device (LG Leon.. ok phone for price but slooooow) setup and haven't been to the site in a few days.
gavolo said:
i dont think any brand will buy your story even if its true. any physical dmg will become a user end fault no matter which product you purchase since theres no way to prove its their manufacturing fault when its physical defect and the end user is using it.
Sent from my 6045I using XDA Free mobile app
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Yeah I'm going through the CC company now. Interestingly I had to pay $40 to send the device back listing the screen as broken, so maybe (knock on wood) it won't be as expensive after all