I just wanted to share this, since I was able to replicate this issue with three different phones, also asking if other people are having the same issue.
I am using my Samsung Nexus S for three days.
I noticed that the back button (the first capacitive button on the bottom left) appears to have an hardware problem.
Basically normally it works fine, I mean when I'm not using the phone for some hours.
Then if I start to use the phone, after a moderate use (example installing applications from the market, browsing etc) the button gets less and less sensitive.
After some minutes it gets really annoying.
To make it work it is necessary to use a really stronger pressure with the finger, and it is not even always working!
I am planning to return my device, but today talking with some people/colleagues I discovered that two of them have exactly the same problem.
I'm suspecting there is a batch of Nexus S phones with this glitch, I am curious to know how many people have the same problem.
Note:
At first I thought it was a general issue of the capacitive buttons. But I can't replicate the same problem with the other three buttons, they work very smoothly just lighltly skimming the finger over them, even after long usage.
Anyone with the same problem? What is your experience with this button after some usage?
Cheers
I want to say that I noticed something similar the other day, but it was short-lived, and I'm not 100% sure. It wasn't long enough or bad enough to make me think the phone is defective, but I'm a bit used to funky capacitive button responses from my N1 days.
I can't reproduce the issue right now, though. How much usage are you talking about needing to duplicate?
Does your phone get hot, or feel hotter than normal when this happens?
I'd see if there's some particular pattern or software that seems to trigger it if you're interested in trouble-shooting.
The problem goes away when I don't touch the phone for a while (it seems that 1 hour is enough to reset the problem).
It seems "recharging".
Then with normal usage, nothing in particular, just even browsing in the settings/maps/market/browser etc., in few minutes the problem appears. The button definitely loses his "power".
It's very annoying, and my friends confirmed the same behavior.
EDIT:
Forgot to sat that the phone is not getting hotter, everything else is really normal.
Cheers
Mine definitely can be used for much more than a few minutes without the problem you're describing appearing.
I'd take it back. Factory reset the phone to protect your private data before taking it back. After the factory reset, you might want to test the behavior again, if it went away, the phone's not defective, you just had some software glitch.
Reminder, factory reset erases everything on the phone, so if you do it as troubleshooting step, be prepared to have to set the phone up from scratch again...I'm sure you knew this, but just covering my butt in case you didn't. It's a good trouble shooting step no matter what if you don't mind the hassle of re-setting things up.
I have a similar experience with the back button. Not sure what to think yet.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I had a similar problem when I had the Vibrant. Just exchanged it and luckily I got a better one without any problems. I did find out though if you are using the screen protector that came with the phone, it can cause this type of problem.
No problem, I will try everything tomorrow. This is not my primary phone (still loving my rooted Nexus One with CyanogenMod 6.1.1 ;-) I can't renounce to the colored trackball for the different notifications), but just a "dev" phone for testing purposes.
michele72 said:
No problem, I will try everything tomorrow. This is not my primary phone (still loving my rooted Nexus One with CyanogenMod 6.1.1 ;-) I can't renounce to the colored trackball for the different notifications), but just a "dev" phone for testing purposes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The app NOLED from the Market may interest you if you can't live without trackball style color notifications. Seems to work fine when I tested it.
distortedloop said:
The app NOLED from the Market may interest you if you can't live without trackball style color notifications. Seems to work fine when I tested it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, giving it a try.
Anyway, today I factory-reset my telephone and the problem of the back button is still there. I am returning the device.
Back button non responsive
Hi,
I just got my new nexus S (about an hour ago) that I was really excited about and am faced with a problem with the back button too.
Its got factory settings, so it cannot be a downloaded software issue. Also, I have not yet charged the battery at all, its still running on the same battery power that it shipped with.
The other buttons at the bottom of the phone (home, menu and search) all respond fine, its only the back button that does not seem to work. After going through this thread, I tried long-pressing the button, hard-pressing it, pressing just above it, below it, etc. It just wont respond. I had removed the screen protector it shipped with, so that cannot be the issue either.
If this is a known hardware problem (i.e. others have faced it too), irrespective of whether it is acknowledged by Samsung / Google, I'll return the handset. I do not want to spend a fortune and be landed with a handset that does not work - forget working as desired, but it does not seem to be working as designed !
Thanks & Regards,
Rohan
Yep. Definitely a problem here with the back button. There's also two other threads here about it.
I'm having similar problems. I have to touch the button just right for it to work properly
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I was experiencing the same thing with my Nexus S, wasn't sure if it was the case I was using! Took of case and still had problem. I eventually returned mine cause it seemed like it was getting worse! I have a new one worth no problems, definitely a hardware problem! Return it!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
michele72 said:
I just wanted to share this, since I was able to replicate this issue with three different phones, also asking if other people are having the same issue.
I am using my Samsung Nexus S for three days.
I noticed that the back button (the first capacitive button on the bottom left) appears to have an hardware problem.
Basically normally it works fine, I mean when I'm not using the phone for some hours.
Then if I start to use the phone, after a moderate use (example installing applications from the market, browsing etc) the button gets less and less sensitive.
After some minutes it gets really annoying.
To make it work it is necessary to use a really stronger pressure with the finger, and it is not even always working!
I am planning to return my device, but today talking with some people/colleagues I discovered that two of them have exactly the same problem.
I'm suspecting there is a batch of Nexus S phones with this glitch, I am curious to know how many people have the same problem.
Note:
At first I thought it was a general issue of the capacitive buttons. But I can't replicate the same problem with the other three buttons, they work very smoothly just lighltly skimming the finger over them, even after long usage.
Anyone with the same problem? What is your experience with this button after some usage?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
those buttons work over the heat of your finger. thats why after use it doesnt get as responsive. its because the screen is also heated and the heat of the screen is effecting the buttons. thats why you need harder pressure for the phone to understand this is your finger.
same issue was with Nexus 1. less responsive buttons. thats why there is a bigger gap between the buttons and the screen for galaxy S phones. i dont know why they did such a thing again with the nexus S. its like samsung didnt learn from anything from HTCs mistake.
They work with capacitance, not heat. Hence it being called a capacitive screen with capacitive buttons.
I think this is true ...
I have an HTC Desire with AMOLED screen.
When I play a finger intensive game, like "SkyForce Reloaded", after some times, the touch is not registered.
Then I must stop for a while, or change finger
Try that, you will know what I meant.
But, I don't have issue with the back button on HTC Desire because it is a hardware button. I am just trying to explain about loosing touch registration because finger interaction on (s)amoled screen.
PS: SkyForce Reloaded is an old school shot'em up game where you control a little space ship with your finger, shooting enemies.
ll_l_x_l_ll said:
those buttons work over the heat of your finger. thats why after use it doesnt get as responsive. its because the screen is also heated and the heat of the screen is effecting the buttons. thats why you need harder pressure for the phone to understand this is your finger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Desire's digitizer is the same Clearpad 2000 which is used in the Nexus One (and quite a few others), the problem there is that it's pants.
Rusty! said:
They work with capacitance, not heat. Hence it being called a capacitive screen with capacitive buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, isnt called like that because it registers the heat from your fingers. thats why if you try to use a pen, it wont register . and thus. the screen is NOT resistive type "where it will recognize anything since its being pushed by force ? "
Much more too it than that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitive_touch_screen
Rusty! said:
Much more too it than that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitive_touch_screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from your link
"A capacitive touchscreen panel is one which consists of an insulator such as glass, coated with a transparent conductor such as indium tin oxide (ITO).[7][8] As the human body is also a conductor, touching the surface of the screen results in a distortion of the screen's electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance. Different technologies may be used to determine the location of the touch. The location is then sent to the controller for processing.
I just got my phone back from a phone reaire store because my screen was cracked but i have noticed that the home menu back and search buttons are very dim and you almost cannot see the lights even in a dark room,what could the problem be? maybe led slid a little bit after they reassemled it?How can i fix it? I have had to bring it back to the store # times and they gave me my money back and the screen is fixed but would like this problem resolved?
If I recall, the lights are actually on the capacitance buttons. Could be a defective overlay on the screen, adhesive misplaced when removing or installing the new screen, or I guess they could be failing. You would have to tear it back apart to see what the issue actually is.
Okay thanks for your reply...I already know where the buttons are so I think I will just leave them
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA App
Hello!
A few days ago my desire s started acting very weird. Sometimes the four buttons don't work (home, back, etc.) and sometimes my finger gestures aren't recognised. For example if I want to call somebody and then click on the home button my device thinks I pressed on the call button instead. Or if I am in some menu and I click on some of the four buttons, my desire s thinks I pressed the display somewhere else on the screen. Sometimes it helps if I turn the display off and then immediately on. But after a few clicks the same behaviour again.
I wanted to install a custom rom anyway, so I did a full wipe and installed Fallout. But nothing changed. Do you think my device is broken?
Ive had this top my screen was replaced under warranty mine was stick at the time
Sent from my HTC Desire S using xda premium
ratzer said:
Hello!
A few days ago my desire s started acting very weird. Sometimes the four buttons don't work (home, back, etc.) and sometimes my finger gestures aren't recognised. For example if I want to call somebody and then click on the home button my device thinks I pressed on the call button instead. Or if I am in some menu and I click on some of the four buttons, my desire s thinks I pressed the display somewhere else on the screen. Sometimes it helps if I turn the display off and then immediately on. But after a few clicks the same behaviour again.
I wanted to install a custom rom anyway, so I did a full wipe and installed Fallout. But nothing changed. Do you think my device is broken?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your phone has somehow been exposed to high temperatures?
Not that I am aware of. Though these things happened when I was out in the garden playing with my phone while the weather was pretty hot (about 30 degrees). But I don't think that you mean that with high temperatures, do you?
ratzer said:
Not that I am aware of. Though these things happened when I was out in the garden playing with my phone while the weather was pretty hot (about 30 degrees). But I don't think that you mean that with high temperatures, do you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excessive heat can lead to detachment of the adhesive that is bonded touchscreen, it's not making edge contact. It happened to my ex HTC Hero on a sunny day (the phone was black)
Have you tried factory reset maybe this fixes it
Sent from my HTC Desire S using xda premium
kamei said:
Have you tried factory reset maybe this fixes it
Sent from my HTC Desire S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It happened here sometimes with gingerbread stock while on *charging*! Only when charging. It's not happening on ICS RUU update.
I had the same problem a fortnight to a week back... exactly as OP describes (phone 6 months old from new). I've factory reset and changed ROMs, the problem remains.
But since 4 days now, my phone has become completely unusable.
The back and menu touch buttons don't work at all now. And some area's of the screen are dead, and brown coloured.
It's a PITA every time I have to type anything as my keyboard keys don't work at all (and other area's). Then, randomly, after 2-10 seconds, none of the keys or phone touchscreen will work until I off->on the screen.
Anyone please any idea of a fix (to me, it looks like hardware)?
If not, anyone ANY idea how to add a back button somehow? Or even assign the search button the back button function?
I desperately need the back button working. TIA!
I have exactly the same problem with my Desire S (stock ICS). Anybody of you solved this?
Thanks.
I recently had the pleasure of looking at my Photon Q to find a mess of cracks in what had previously been a pristine display. I have no idea how it happened, since the phone had been in my pocket for about ten minutes while I was shopping and it definitely wasn't cracked before that. My only guess is that I bumped into something while I was shopping. I'm guessing this detail is irrelevant, but I'm including it in case it's of-interest.
I've done replacement surgery on phones before, and I was in no mood to do it again so I took it to a local shop. They managed to replace it, but when it came back from the shop it was stuck in landscape mode. I checked out the accelerometer with Z-DeviceTest and it seems to be just fine. It seems like the logical culprit is that the phone always thinks the slider keyboard is open, even when it's not. I don't know how to test for this, though, and I haven't been able to find a Google search incantation that tells me anything of interest.
So my questions are: Does my diagnosis seem plausible? How does the Photon Q detect when they keyboard is open or closed? Is this something that probably got borked in the process of disassembly/reassembly? The phone is going back to the repair guy shortly because he also broke the earpiece speaker and he needs to replace it (at no charge, of course), and I demonstrated the won't-do-portrait-mode problem to him before I left the shop. Is there something along the line of "make sure that you screw the flibbertywidget into the whoozamawhatzit" information that I can give him?
Thanks in advance!
Am running cm11 and there is an option in system; dispay; to set 90,180 degrees etc.
Sent from my PHOTON Q using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
rbeavers said:
Am running cm11 and there is an option in system; dispay; to set 90,180 degrees etc.
Sent from my PHOTON Q using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, when the keyboard is recognised as open, auto-rotate won't work.
A possible workaround is to use a terminal command to simulate keyboard open/close, but I'm not sire if it would work. I'll post the command later.
Sent from Google Nexus 4 @ CM11
Thanks, both of you. I've confirmed my diagnosis, I think-- I've noticed that the keyboard backlight stays on even when the keyboard is closed.
Think that's normal, I us backlight off app to turn it off.
If you paid good money to get your phone fixed, may take it back and make them do it right?
Sent from my PHOTON Q using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
WhipArtist said:
Thanks, both of you. I've confirmed my diagnosis, I think-- I've noticed that the keyboard backlight stays on even when the keyboard is closed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In adb shell:
Code:
dumpsys window | grep mLidState
mLidState=1 means that hw keyboard is out (at least the lid sensor says so)
mLidState=0 hw keyboard is hidden
rbeavers said:
Think that's normal, I us backlight off app to turn it off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's certainly not normal, keyboard backlight is automatically turned off when the keyboard is hidden.
Stuck my head and phone in closet your right it's off when closed.
Sent from my PHOTON Q using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
test magnet sensor...
...slide out keyboard and put any magnet to bottom by space key.
Post result
Solution
This problem is caused by a small magnet being removed during repair. The magnet isn't held in place by screws or tape or anything, it just sits in a small open space between the sliding keyboard tray and the LCD display layers of the phone. The location of the magnet is on the right side of the phone if you are looking at it up-right and about an inch below the volume buttons. Without this magnet the phone thinks the keyboard is out the entire time and the screen won't rotate. Replacing the magnet requires nearly complete disassembly. I've found you can save several minutes and a headache by taking the phone apart until you get to the sliding keyboard tray and taking off the 6 or so screws on the right side, then lifting the right side several millimeters and popping the magnet in from there. This way you won't have to take off the touch screen digitizer and other fragile ribbon cables. Once the sliding keyboard tray is re-attached with screws the magnet can't go anywhere. Good Luck.
The front face buttons dont work, just under the touch screen, the home button, settings, back, go and enter button, right at the bottom of the base. not the slide out keyboard. I have rebooted the phone several times, if I slide out the keyboard I cant use the buttons under the screen. yet my slide out keyboard buttons work just fine. i hope its not dead and its time for a new phone because I only like phones with keyboards, I hate touch screen keys. Do I have to buy a replacement part and is it hard to repair yourself?
If it helps anyone I also noticed that the center or enter key is red but if you look closely at it, its always on it just wont turn off like it used too, and now Im getting prompts that read superuser has been denied. I dont understand why I havent done anything or updated anything. not sure if I should flash the rom again and start over its been working fine the last 8 or so months all of a sudden its been acting up today
There is a small ribbon that connects those buttons, more than likely this is all you need to replace and you should find it for 10$ or less on eBay
Disassembly is easy except for getting to the LCD (which you need to do) just need a hair dryer to loosen the sticky on the back of LCD and be careful taking it off so not to damage LCD, the rest is simple
Best of luck
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
There is this guide as well:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1586028