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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.
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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
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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've been experiencing an issue with the Home button since the day I got the device.
A few times the Recent Applications screen has popped up seemingly on its own, while I was in the middle of doing something else. At first I thought it was just a software glitch and carried on. The haptic feedback pulses twice quickly. The backlight of the Home button turns off, the backlights for the Back, Menu and Search buttons stay on, the Back, Menu, Search and Home buttons no longer respond to touch or generate haptic feedback, essentially paralyzed. It remains this way for approximately nine seconds before the Home button lights up again and the all of the shortcut buttons become responsive again, otherwise the only way to get out of the Recent Applications screen is to either cycle the power button and unlock the screen, or select one of the recent applications.
I have figured out how to reproduce this problem by pressing around with the very tip of my thumb along the seam where the glass and plastic lip meet with a little more pressure than normally necessary to register a touch. I am careful to avoid touching the normal hot zone for any button. I start from the far left corner under the search button, and make my way towards the home button little by little. Somewhere between the Menu and Search buttons when I release my thumb after pressing firmly, the haptic feedback pulses twice and the issue occurs. I can reproduce this issue anywhere along the edge on the bottom right half of the phone and about 1" up the right side of the phone, far from the Home button.
I suspect there is something wrong with the capacitive layer of my screen.
Please see if you can reproduce this or something similar on your phone, just bear in mind that you will need to press firmly (not too hard but not soft).
The unfortunate thing about this problem is that it can be activated inadvertently while gripping the phone during normal operation, interrupting whatever you are doing for the time it takes to resolve itself.
This is literally the only issue I've had with the phone in the week I've owned it and I am considering whether or not I want to play russian roulette with exchange units (and other issues like bad screens and bad weak back buttons) because everything else seems to be perfect.
Video of the issue in action here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gqqeVbePYA
Same thing happens with me on the swap unit I got today. Bummed like no other.
Tried replicating this with my device with (thankfully) no results.
one and one... I wonder how many other phones are affected then, and how many people have it but haven't noticed yet, e.g.; "you're holding it wrong".
Hm. Just tried to replicate this on my Nexus S, no issues.
Mine did the same thing at least twice a day. However, it has not happened again since the GRH78 update. (Knock on wood).
Have your received the update?
This just happened to me for the first time about an hour ago. I have the new update too, sadly.
Yes I have the update.
I can't replicate this problem, but nonetheless, it still happens.
I have this same problem with my back button. I can't replicate it but it just randomly happens to me. I have the update and I also tried using Paul's Tom and it still happens.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
This happens with my back button.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
happens to mine too, also the home button. doesn't bother me too much, though. and I also have the update.
I had something even weirder tonight.
I did a factory reset, then proceeded to install everything back on when I noticed that my home key wasn't doing its job at all. Still had the haptic feedback so the input was received, but it did absolutely nothing. So I did another factory reset and that seemed to have cured the problem. My home button is working again (but i still have the other problem from time to time)
Had it happen again inadvertently today, if you notice from my video the spot where it can be activated next to the Maps icon also happens to be conveniently where your finger ends up when swiping to unlock. I was holding the phone one handed and unlocking with my thumb and it triggered the problem. Might try for an exchange this week. It shouldn't behave this way.
For those of you who are experiencing it with your Back button, does the backlight turn off for 9 seconds on your Back button?
I don't know everything about how the hardware works but I'm guessing that there is some kind of short, the controller for the capacitive layer gets confused and resets. Could explain why it takes the same amount of time to come back to normal every time. It also seems like it might be related to case/screen flex, where pressing on a part of the case bends the capacitive layer just enough to short the circuit.
This issue came on my two days old Nexus S too, but with the back button. It has happened two times now. I think that's a software issue that come along with Gingerbread. It's something like it registering a touch and sometimes the OS think it was the buttons that were pressed...
ViLANDER said:
This issue came on my two days old Nexus S too, but with the back button. It has happened two times now. I think that's a software issue that come along with Gingerbread. It's something like it registering a touch and sometimes the OS think it was the buttons that were pressed...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does your back button black out for ~9 seconds?
I haven't had any button issues whatsoever since I got mine on the 24th.
No, more like two seconds.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
selectormoldy said:
Does your back button black out for ~9 seconds?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, more like two seconds.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
Here's a new video shot today showing the issue occurring with only normal light touching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6YFcOZwX2o
Also last night it happened while I was inserting a cable into the headphone jack.
Hello. Basically I need to know are the Touch-Capacitive buttons on the Skyrocket part of the screen or a separate part altogether? Can they be replaced? My friend gave me the phone and it works just fine it's just that before he gave it to me he accidentally dropped it in water so the only issue I have is the buttons will stop working at random times. The screen still functions just fine but the buttons will not respond whatsoever. They'll still light up but I cannot press them. Thank you for your time.
Ryan6700 said:
Hello. Basically I need to know are the Touch-Capacitive buttons on the Skyrocket part of the screen or a separate part altogether? Can they be replaced? My friend gave me the phone and it works just fine it's just that before he gave it to me he accidentally dropped it in water so the only issue I have is the buttons will stop working at random times. The screen still functions just fine but the buttons will not respond whatsoever. They'll still light up but I cannot press them. Thank you for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use lmt launcher or a rom with PIE or nav bar built in. No need for capacitive buttons anymore. Cheaper than replacement too.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
I think I saw somewhere awhile back that the capacitive buttons are actually separate from the screen itself. You can look up a teardown on Google though to confirm it.
Sent from my SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app
Capacitive buttons are indeed separate. Replacing them without damaging the screen can be tricky, though.
I'd clean the main board of the phone and the connectors.
So on various android devices with capacitive buttons over the years, mostly Samsung, I've always had an issue fat fingering the capacitive buttons. OPO seems to be no different. I'm running the latest CM nightly and its been driving me crazy. What i mean is ill be doing something on the screen close to the bottom edge and accidentally hit one of the capacitive buttons. I know the obvious answer is to switch to on screen buttons. I am currently using the on screen buttons while I wait for a CM build I think will fix my issue to finish, but I've noticed something else. Switching to on screen buttons seems to really help with touchscreen issues.
So my questions are A) does anyone else "accidentally" hit the capacitive buttons while using their OPO like all the time, and B) has anyone else noticed using the on screen buttons helps with touch issues? Or appears to at least.
Yup. This build does indeed fix my issue with the capacitive buttons.
Reviews are really bad with the sensitivity of the haptic buttons for volume control and on/off. Some people have said an update with better accuracy is required. This is a deal breaker for me and I have owned almost every phone since HTC started. Currently I own the u11+. Please give you reviews here after you have spent some time with the phone and possibly tweaked any possible settings to make your experience better. Thank you.
No issues for me. They seem to work as expected, though I rarely use the buttons. I am failing to understand why the reviewers are making such a big deal of this. Mkbhd's review seems spot on to me...
I'm playing around since a week with my U12. Can't find a sensitivity of the buttons that fits my needs...
My index finger touches the On/off button every second time I use the phone...don't know why they installed the button so deep...(or my hand is to big )
When I'm in the YouTube App or PubG in Landscape mode, the volume and power buttons doesn't work...
I'm a realy fan of HTC and owned all HTC flagships since the diamond...but that buttons drives me crazy!!!
Hope for an update
So far, I have no issues with the buttons. I went into it know that they weren't real buttons and didn't expect them to act as such.
No issues with the buttons for me either.
Here also no issues.
Grtz
Everything working as expected on my end as well. No issues at all.
Sent from my HTC U12+ using XDA Labs
I have just one issue with them, that sometimes they react if I touch the phone without even touching the buttons. For example I grab my phone (on the lower part) and suddenly my volume is all the way down.
Also if you have edge sense enabled, and you just pick up the phone you sometimes have the blue dots (to indicate that you're "pressing" the phone) visible - without actually pressing it. The dots go away shortly after you do something on the phone .... as if they calibrate itself or sth.
I have u12 plus for 12 days. For my use the haptics buttons are a real disgusting. In particular the power button. An involuntary light pressure is enough to turn off the display. Really unnerving. Every day makes me curse this thing. I'm waiting for an update, if htc does not fix these buttons, I'll sell the phone absolutely. Unfortunately, if htc fails it will only be because of him and of these useless experiments.
Shark5060 said:
I have just one issue with them, that sometimes they react if I touch the phone without even touching the buttons. For example I grab my phone (on the lower part) and suddenly my volume is all the way down.
Also if you have edge sense enabled, and you just pick up the phone you sometimes have the blue dots (to indicate that you're "pressing" the phone) visible - without actually pressing it. The dots go away shortly after you do something on the phone .... as if they calibrate itself or sth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same issue with my buttons, I'll be holding the phone below the power button and it will trigger the screen on or off. Also I noticed sometimes depending how i'm holding the phone I can't get the power button to react. This is my biggest complaint about the phone other than the software being the exact same since the HTC 10.
I don't have any issues with these buttons. Everything works fine for me. I'm already used to it after playing with the device for 3 hours.
Sent from my HTC U12+ using XDA Labs
Today i've received mine U12+ and I don't really understand why reviews complain about those buttons. They are fine really, when I press I fell haptic feedback. They are neither too easy or too hard to press, for me they are fine =)
I STILL have no issues with the buttons. I don't really use the power button to turn the screen on. I use the fingerprint sensor or a swipe. Volume button works great for me.
I've bumped the power button while using the phone, sure. Not exactly an issue to rage over for me.
My only confusion is that the button presses feel like a linear actuator (Taptic Engine), but the rest of the system's haptic feed back feels like a normal spinning weighted motor.
Hi, i have also Problems with the volume Buttons. They working like charme. But they dont working right in landscape Mode if there is any contact with my Fingers/hand on the display. I think the Buttons are being ignored if the "3 Finger gestures" is on limit.. Can anyone proof this?
Elponius said:
Hi, i have also Problems with the volume Buttons. They working like charme. But they dont working right in landscape Mode if there is any contact with my Fingers/hand on the display. I think the Buttons are being ignored if the "3 Finger gestures" is on limit.. Can anyone proof this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tried to go in landscape mode, put my thumb on the screen and tried to change the volume buttons up/down and turn the screen off with power button. The buttons didn't recognise the presstouch here either. Don't think that's a problem though, but build in to the software.
Update; wait the do work over here!
Sent from my HTC U12+ using XDA Labs
Nearly every review before the phone was released: The buttons are horrible! Don't buy! Don't buy! The buttons stink! Why did they change them?! They're horrible! This is stupid! Don't buy!!
Nearly everyone who owns the U12+: What the *$% was the fuss about? The buttons work fine! Took me a few hours to get used to it, but I've got no real problems! They work just like regular buttons! Don't "not buy" just because you're afraid the buttons suck!
I mean ... do you think the initial//review devices were REALLY that bad and there was this huuuuuge improvement before the device was released to the public, or people just don't like change, or do they just have ulterior motives?
I get it's an $800 flagship with no headphone jack and rear glass with no wireless charging (but QC4!), but this phone has been EVERYTHING I was hoping it would be -- premium device with no notch, above-average speakers, IP68, sd card, snappy fingerprint scanner, bootloader unlockable and killer cameras. No buyers remorse here!
Well, I really don't get why reviewers are so mad about those buttons. If you wanted this phone because it's a complete package (well... almost, no Qi charging), don't let the button "problem" (at least for reviewers) drive you away. It's a great phone and my only grief is the lack of 3,5mm jack but I knew that it won't be here....
Btw
Usonics are really good
I have the U12+ now for 2 weeks and got used to the buttons. I mean, yes they could be a bit more responsive and i think HTC will fix that with an Update. If not, i am sure someone on XDA will. I really dont understand the bad reviews. No Notch, for real? Like it would make a phone that much better. No 3,5mm? Nothing special these days, get used to it. My battery on averange usage is great. I do watch Netflix, use Whatsapp, listen to Spotify and take here and there some pictures. I get 1,5 - 2 days battery. I am not a huge HTC fanboy but also cant denide that i really like what they did with the HTC 10 and M7. Its something new, wasnt there before and it doesnt mean its that bad, just give it some time to get used to it. Hope they fix some small issues with Android P Update. I would like to set the sensitivity for the buttons in the settings.
Sorry for my english
Everything works well here. Buttons and even the double tap for one hand operation no problem.