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: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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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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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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Click to collapse
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
So I got the Moto Z for my birthday, September 19th, and today February 6th I have to consider the phone as dead, as there's too many problems with it..
First problem I had with it, was the vibrator, it made a noise as if it's rubbing against the chassis. This happened after about a month and never went away.
It was problem free for the most part, up until after Christmas, when I put it in my pocket, went for a walk with the dogs, pulled the phone out mid walk and.. The screen was cracked.
A single hairline crack from edge to edge.
I've noticed the glass lifting off the frame on the right side, and so I believe the battery is swelling up and this caused the crack.
There's no pixel damage, but after this all kinds of problems have been surfacing, the screen won't always turn on when someone is calling.
The bottom proximity sensor won't always wake the screen any more.
The finger print sensor is made of plastic, and is now so scratched that I have trouble unlocking the phone with it.
Battery life was never even half decent, if I didn't charge it to and from work I couldn't make it last 12 hours.
Now it's even worse obviously.
Phone can die at any time when it drops below 10% charge, like no "shutting down" notification, screen just goes black.
Connecting the charger it'll go from 0% to 15% in seconds, or take 20 minutes to even boot again.
The ringtone/earpiece speaker has cracked, and is completely unusable now, at the very lowest volume there's a marked crackling noise, turning it up you can't hear what people say on youtube or when making calls.
The magnetic compass has never worked right, it'll make large jumps when turned south, by about 20 degrees west or east.
Makes playing Pokémon Go quite difficult as it'll jump uncontrollably around the south mark.
Occasionally the map will just keep rotating until you make the calibration movements 2-3 times.
It'll drop 4G connectivity and the reception is about half as many bars as my Moto X 2014.
The frame was bent when I climbed up a attic ladder, so the aluminium quality is rubbish. (A few weeks after the self-cracking incident)
I tried contacing Lenovo, but they won't take the battery for warranty as the glass is cracked, the fact that I tried telling them the crack is because of the battery was left on deaf ears.
My wife's HTC One M7 had the same thing happen after 11 months and they replaced the entire phone no questions asked.
Lenovo didn't keep the hardware designers, and is simply trying to churn out a few Lenovo phones with the Moto name before the brand name is truly dead.
In conclusion; Motorola is dead. Don't buy this phone.
You maybe got a bad one, it can happens. I also have the Moto Z and I use it everyday with my moto 360, I bought both like 3 month ago. Also I'm on Nougat and I don't have any issue that you describe, the only thing I also notice is the phone auto shutdown but below 5% which I find normal to save the battery, other phones maybe shutdown at 1% but in fact there still a couple of % more left.
Wow that sucks. Sounds like you got a dud. My Z has been excellent. battery has been amazing and haven't had any problems with the vibration motor.
wilder_mason said:
Wow that sucks. Sounds like you got a dud. My Z has been excellent. battery has been amazing and haven't had any problems with the vibration motor.
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Same here. I've had it since November and no problems at all.
Hahahahahahaha That was a funny post. It was satire right?
I've had 4 Moto Z's and loved them all. 2 Verizon variants, 1 Verizon Force variant, and one US unlocked. The frame on this phone is incredibly sturdy as seen here:
https://youtu.be/kZOfYo4JDIw
All of the damage to your phone has nothing to do with Motorola and everything to do with YOU. Phones don't damage themselves, the speakers don't crack, the fingerprint readers dont scratch themselves, it was you. It sounds like you trashed your phone and now are trying to place blame on someone else (Motorola).
For you to come in here and tell everyone not to buy this phone is absurd. Like I said, I've had 4 of these phones and not one has shown any problems at all. The problem is yourself, not Motorola, not Lenovo, not self-shattering glass, and not self-scratching metal.
You dropped your phone down a flight of concrete stairs and it fell end over end bouncing on every step on the way down. It cracked your screen, scratched your fingerprint reader, jarred your vibrator loose, cracked your speaker, and uncalibrated your compass. Lol That's what happened.
PS the proximity sensor can be finicky. That's the one thing I'll give you. The rest is "rubbish".
BTW, that "sudden shutdown" I experience on my G5, too and it's really bad. After 10-12 it gets down rapidly and sometimes it takes only 30 seconds of usage for the phone to shut down after you are 10%.
tersagun said:
BTW, that "sudden shutdown" I experience on my G5, too and it's really bad. After 10-12 it gets down rapidly and sometimes it takes only 30 seconds of usage for the phone to shut down after you are 10%.
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The battery expanding, cracking the screen, and causing the phone to shutdown randomly at or below 10% should be replaced as a defect. He has a good point with that part. But unfortunately in the warranty it specifically states everything to do with the battery is not covered under warranty. Pretty sneaky way of Lenovo to basically *not* warranty this phone because the battery is locked in and part of the whole construction.
I have to agree, if you haven't bought one yet, don't do it. I do like this phone for its features and mods, but it is designed to be completely disposable. Prices of phones with locked in batteries really should be half the price of what they are.
Dude you need a Z force
If I couldn't have a Force and camera wasn't a huge issue, I'd get a Play. I see no point getting a Z if you can get either the Force or Play unless you just want a really skinny phone.
seh6183 said:
Hahahahahahaha That was a funny post. It was satire right?
I've had 4 Moto Z's and loved them all. 2 Verizon variants, 1 Verizon Force variant, and one US unlocked. The frame on this phone is incredibly sturdy as seen here:
https://youtu.be/kZOfYo4JDIw
All of the damage to your phone has nothing to do with Motorola and everything to do with YOU. Phones don't damage themselves, the speakers don't crack, the fingerprint readers dont scratch themselves, it was you. It sounds like you trashed your phone and now are trying to place blame on someone else (Motorola).
For you to come in here and tell everyone not to buy this phone is absurd. Like I said, I've had 4 of these phones and not one has shown any problems at all. The problem is yourself, not Motorola, not Lenovo, not self-shattering glass, and not self-scratching metal.
You dropped your phone down a flight of concrete stairs and it fell end over end bouncing on every step on the way down. It cracked your screen, scratched your fingerprint reader, jarred your vibrator loose, cracked your speaker, and uncalibrated your compass. Lol That's what happened.
PS the proximity sensor can be finicky. That's the one thing I'll give you. The rest is "rubbish".
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Why would I lie?
I'm genuinely sad, this was my birthday present (to myself) after a really long wait, as I couldn't afford the 2015 model last year.
I haven't mistreated it, I've been super careful.
I've been a Motorola fanboy since the V3i, owned most models since then.
Based on teardowns, it's built like a Lenovo device, and that confirms it for me at least that they've probably fired the old chassis engineers.
I know it's a bit ridiculous, but I feel a bit lost now, I want a new smartphone, but there's no other brands I've ever enjoyed..
Shadowdancer123 said:
Why would I lie?
I'm genuinely sad, this was my birthday present (to myself) after a really long wait, as I couldn't afford the 2015 model last year.
I haven't mistreated it, I've been super careful.
I've been a Motorola fanboy since the V3i, owned most models since then.
Based on teardowns, it's built like a Lenovo device, and that confirms it for me at least that they've probably fired the old chassis engineers.
I know it's a bit ridiculous, but I feel a bit lost now, I want a new smartphone, but there's no other brands I've ever enjoyed..
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I'm still using my Moto X (2014) and similarly consider the Moto Z (dual SIM preferably) as my only attractive upgrade.
I empathize with the poor experience you've suffered with it, especially as it was a birthday gift. However, I suspect that your experience is the exception and that you received a dud. It happens. And although Motorola's warranty and customer service seem very poor, perhaps you might consider repurchasing when prices drop after the new model is released. I am currently researching root and other support options for the dual SIM variant before "pulling the trigger" (on eBay)...
Sent from my XT1095 using Tapatalk
I put it in my pocket, went for a walk with the dogs, pulled the phone out mid walk and.. The screen was cracked
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You bent the frame, you either leaned on something, or if your pants were too tight, just compressed it too much. It's crap luck, but it's not motorola's fault, nor is it a warranty claim.
Your battery would only expand enough to crack a screen if it were very highly overheated. like, shorting out overheated, in the 80-90 degree range, basically hot enough that you would have had second and third degree burns in your pocket (battery expansion occurs at about 90 degrees on average in lithium cells, there are many, many, many studies on this subject, especially since Samsung last year)
The finger print sensor is made of plastic, and is now so scratched that I have trouble unlocking the phone with it.
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Stop carrying your phone in a pocket filled with change?! or something? I've had my moto Z the better part of a year, and my fingerprint sensor is spotless, I can't even imagine how you scratched yours.
Phone can die at any time when it drops below 10% charge
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Do you know how lithium batteries work? 10% across 6 cells mean each cell has less than 2% battery.... at less than 1% you do irreparable damage to a cell, it will never take a full charge again if you drain it completely. So unfortunately, 10% is actually a completely reasonable number to shut down at.
Speaker breaking? No idea how you accomplished that, usually take a pretty solid impact or water damage to blow a phone speaker to the point of cracking even at the lowest volumes.
Reception wise, I'll admit mine shows less "bars" but remains connected regardless. It's less about not having signal, and more, appearing to have less.
I will agree, the compass isn't the greatest, it's easily calibrated though (using google maps)
Sound like you bent your phone, and if you hadn't, you'd have a warranty claim on the speaker, and "possibly" the battery. But since you broke your screen, you're screwed. You SHOULD be able to send it in for repair and pay them to fix it/replace it, usually for much less than the cost of replacing it.
Sorry about your luck mate.
I decided to follow up on this review with my one year review of the phone.
So far I have none of the problems you have listed, and I'm very careless with my tech (Read: Broken every single screen on every phone I have ever owned)
The only complaint I have is that the finger print sensor gets dirty easily, though I assume that's more likely a mix of the finish on it and my fingers getting oily.
Battery life is meh, but I have the battery mod so no problems yet (2-3 days usually with my usage, as opposed to the Xperia X being 4-5)
I do have one problem with your review, apart from many of the problems seeming self inflicted, this one particularly stands out.
Shadowdancer123 said:
First problem I had with it, was the vibrator, it made a noise as if it's rubbing against the chassis. This happened after about a month and never went away.
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This sounds like a manufacturer defect.
That should've been the moment you asked for a return or warranty repair.
Edit at end of post.
This all goes back to before I even ordered the phone. I wanted the grey one. I emailed twice about it. They kept telling me it will be released soon and to watch their social media accounts to find out when it will be released knowing full well they weren't releasing those. This was months ago and those additional colors are still not out. So that was deceit #1. My last phone was an S6. Its connector was so loose a charging cable wouldn't stay in. Coupled with a diminished battery capacity, I needed a phone and I didn't want another Samsung.
I decided to go ahead and order the black one. As soon as I completed the order, I got a message asking if I wanted to know when the phone is certified by Verizon. Wait, what? At no point was that knowledge made public before my purchase. Android Authority put something out the next day or so. That was deceit #2.
About that time, the bandwagon of bad reviews based solely on what the PH-1 didn't have as well as the crappy camera app hit the media. I don't consider any of those things essential to a phone. I actually thought it was good to omit them and I didn't really care about the camera app. I'll admit, I defended Essential...a lot. I'm eating crow right now.
It arrived and the first thing I noticed was how freaking slippery this thing was. Unless it was on a perfectly horizontal surface, this thing was sliding off.
The second thing was the rough, fine sandpaper like plastic around the screen. I don't like the feel, at all, of that plastic. More importantly, why wasn't the entire side titanium? That's what was advertised. All I heard about is how durable the ceramic and titanium combination was. The drop test animation on their website show there phone hitting at a perfectly perpendicular angle to the surface. That was deceit #3. More on that later.
I put in the Verizon sim from my S6 and saw that my phone now had half the reception of my S6...half. Sitting next to my wife with her S6, she's pulling 4G and in out of 3G and 1X. All the settings were correct according to Verizon. I am in a weak cell area, yes, but never dropped calls. Calling now is virtually impossible without calling over WiFi...which brings me to the next issue. I'm with Verizon, so natively I have no WiFi calling or visual voicemail and whatever other features Verizon has limited me from using. There's even less signal in my area with AT&T so I'm stuck with Verizon. Wonderful. With some help from an XDA member, I was able to get Hangouts set up for WiFi calling but now I'm using two dialers.
Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone.
After one week, rub marks began to appear on the ceramic back of the phone. I ordered a skin to cover it up.
After 3 weeks, rub marks appeared on the screen! Listen, I am extremely anal about the care of my phones. No keys, no coins. The only thing that goes in my left front pants pocket, ever, is my phone. So, apparently cloth takes it's toll on this phone.
My phone was one of the ones with the cheap paper mesh over the ear speaker (really?). That thing is pretty much non-existent at this point. They wouldn't replace my phone for that like they did for everyone else before me but that's fine, they offered to repair it for free which I declined. I didn't want the hassle of being separated from the phone that long.
My phone freezes occasionally, like completely freezes, unable to even turn off the phone until it restarts itself after about 30 seconds or so.
The screen off wake up or whatever it's called never works when I pull my phone out of my pocket. I have to shake it to see the time - pointless, since, at that point, it's easier to just fingerprint unlock than to shake it.
Many screen touches don't register, this is probably the most annoying thing overall about this phone.
The camera is really laggy, but everybody knows that.
And then the thing happened, I dropped it. From pocket height, I dropped it and it hit on the Achilles heel of the phone, the edge of the screen. Remember that plastic? Well, that thin plastic curves up to the edge of the phone. It gets thinner and thinner towards that top corner of the screen and it doesn't protect anything, especially the weakest part of gorilla glass, the edge. It cracked the corner of the screen. If that edge is not protected that will be a deal breaker on all future phones. That edge was supposed to be covered with titanium, damnit.
It still works but it's an eyesore and every time I look at this phone, I feel taken. I feel like a fool for buying this phone. It is a very aesthetic but poorly designed cheap ass phone sold at a premium price. They literally cut corners on this build. They owe me some titanium and whole slew of accessories, btw, but they can keep it all. I'm not even going to buy another one for $450 which I think is the going price now.
Anyway, thanks for letting me rant. I was thinking maybe the Pixel 2, but it appears they have issues of their own....maybe a flip phone.
Edit 12/28/2017:
In order to get data working after being connected to any WiFi, a restart is required. After a restart, I'm connected to LTE+ or whatever is actually available. This is true every time after being connected to WiFi. Credit to another user in these forums.
The one I just got from best buy about 3 weeks ago is a very noticeable difference. I know what you mean and I also had 3 returns but the latest one after reading the comments on xda really led me to believe there is a bad batch. So before I left the store I inspected it and hand weighed it. Even asked the rep to hand weigh it and there was a difference. right now I have no problems to report and I'm quite happy.
Even the signal issue that is claimed I haven't experienced because it's on par with my m9 and assumably my x pure.
Honestly... I know your stuck with your rant... But give it the final xda try. Inspect it before leaving the store and you will notice the weight and the back is much less slippery.
Also... I recommend worth Ave group insurance. Had them for years, and it's 79 dollars for a year with 800 dollar coverage and 50 dollars deductible which is deducted from the 800 dollar claim
The charger is usb-c cause it uses usb-c power delivery, just like the pixel. That's the correct standard and can handle higher wattage.
The scratches on the back are the oleophobic coating, not the ceramic.
The gorilla glass 5 scratches just the same as other devices with that version of gorilla glass.
If you weren't happy with the device, return within the 15 return period. I did. You can always rebuy.
The reason Essential can't give a date for the other colors is because the manufacturing process for that ceramic is difficult. They're doing each color in batches because you can't make multiple colors of ceramic at once in one furnace. You didn't see Xiaomi making different colors of the mi mix. It was black and many months later the white. That's all, and they're a much larger company with more resources.
The phone has improved since launch. 1st production models seemed to have QC issues (one reason I returned mine)
I received mine on Tuesday from Amazon it took me all of about half and hour to figure its going back 15Dbm difference then my moto z force. Not acceptable.
The workmanship on my white one is stellar. Absolutely zero issues the connectivity is great better than any device I've ever had on Verizon. The cameras responsive works great I'm not a professional photographer, I don't need professional photographer level results, but I get very good pictures. Absolutely love this device and with the Incipio its running naked, no screen protector.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
Honestly i was excited to get this phone i could get pass all of the small issues but then I noticed the following problems with the screen.
The screen is really slow to respond to touch input My pixel xl did not have this problem.
The display itself is an IPS display but this screen is the worst one i have seen perform on a phone there is a lot of ghosting (image blur on a moving object)
I compared it to a unit that was on display on a store and it had the same slow touch input and ghosting issues.
So the slow touch input affects the phone as to how fast you can type and switch apps etc. The phone does not respond to fast actions very well and sometimes misses touch inputs.
You can drag your finger on top of an app and swipe it left or right and you can see that the app will be way far back where your finger was a second ago. s8, pixel xl, note 5 dont have this problem (I own them) The display on this thing is disappointing and you can also observe horizontal lines on the display.
I think this phone would of been successful if they used an AMOLED display.
I would say that the display has very realistic colors but thats it.
Whats the point of a high end spec'd phone but has an underperforming display....
I'm the sort of person who's not the first in line to get anything. I wait for things to percolate and germinate and then make my move. I also usually wait until cases are available before buying.
Just recently got my PH-1, just over a week old and it's just great. Haven't even bothered with rooting or modding, just fine stock. Got a nice Tudia case from eBay and all's well.
Using it with Sprint, no problems or issues of any kind. Best activation process i've had in all my years with Sprint (considering the horror that i went through with the Nexus 6P).
I'm in. Very in with the PH-1.
So I get a lot of what your saying, I went the other and have learned to love my PH-1. In-Fact I will go as far to say it is my Favorite phone to carry all the way back to OG Moto Droid...
One comment about your rant though:
"Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone. "
So many phones come C to C now. My desktop and laptop both even have a couple C ports. Spend the $3 on Amazon for a cable if you need one man, this is not a fault of Essential.
Here's what I got for USB to USB C
USB Type C Cable, Snowkids USB C Cable (USB 3.0)(2-PACK 6.6ft) Nylon Braided Fast Charger for Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 G6 G5 V20,Nintendo Switch,Galaxy S8 Plus,Google Pixel 2,HTC U11 Plus (Grey) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5KL10L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_X8MdAb1EMKPS8
---------- Post added at 12:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 AM ----------
LordLugard said:
I'm the sort of person who's not the first in line to get anything. I wait for things to percolate and germinate and then make my move. I also usually wait until cases are available before buying.
Just recently got my PH-1, just over a week old and it's just great. Haven't even bothered with rooting or modding, just fine stock. Got a nice Tudia case from eBay and all's well.
Using it with Sprint, no problems or issues of any kind. Best activation process i've had in all my years with Sprint (considering the horror that i went through with the Nexus 6P).
I'm in. Very in with the PH-1.
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Click to collapse
Lol we're about the same boat except my first phone didn't activate on sprint
bigmook said:
The workmanship on my white one is stellar. Absolutely zero issues the connectivity is great better than any device I've ever had on Verizon. The cameras responsive works great I'm not a professional photographer, I don't need professional photographer level results, but I get very good pictures. Absolutely love this device and with the Incipio its running naked, no screen protector.
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Click to collapse
You must be going solely based on signal bar icons. If you compared dBm readings, you'll see essential is significantly worse than whatever phone you last came from. Signal is definitely one of the weakest points of this phone.
No sir I am going by real world usage as compared to my Nexus 6p which was totally functional. I don't look settings I just use it if it works it works. And it works very well.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
in case you did not know, they replace the phone for $200.
I got one from amazon for verizon and i havent had any signal issues. I am on Oreo beta now as well. As for the front screen i do have a slight knock in it as well not sure from what.. I did get the $13 tpu case off amazon and it does help quite a bit.. with handling it.
And I will prob be moving to the LG v30 when it comes available on amazon.. Since i can buy it try and if i dont like it return it with out being hit with stupid fee's
I wanted to pick up a oneplus 5T but people say oneplus doesnt support verizon..
Bye Felicia!
Titanium to the edge of the screen would break the screen if the phone got warm and then cooled down, since metal expands/contracts. So yea, dropping your phone on the edge is going to break the screen, but the alternative you're ranting about would cause the phone to break if you had it in your pocket and pulled it out in cold weather.
umx said:
I got one from amazon for verizon and i havent had any signal issues. I am on Oreo beta now as well. As for the front screen i do have a slight knock in it as well not sure from what.. I did get the $13 tpu case off amazon and it does help quite a bit.. with handling it.
And I will prob be moving to the LG v30 when it comes available on amazon.. Since i can buy it try and if i dont like it return it with out being hit with stupid fee's
I wanted to pick up a oneplus 5T but people say oneplus doesnt support verizon..
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I've seen some folk on reddit that dropped their already activated Verizon SIM in the 5 and had it connect to LTE with VoLTE. So long as you don't *need* the CDMA to work, it should work. Just don't ask Verizon for any help.
Seamonkey79 said:
Titanium to the edge of the screen would break the screen if the phone got warm and then cooled down, since metal expands/contracts. So yea, dropping your phone on the edge is going to break the screen, but the alternative you're ranting about would cause the phone to break if you had it in your pocket and pulled it out in cold weather.
I've seen some folk on reddit that dropped their already activated Verizon SIM in the 5 and had it connect to LTE with VoLTE. So long as you don't *need* the CDMA to work, it should work. Just don't ask Verizon for any help.
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As long as I get LTE and 4g thats all i care about.. verizon isnt of any help anyways lol..
umx said:
As long as I get LTE and 4g thats all i care about.. verizon isnt of any help anyways lol..
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Most LTE phones should work on Verizon 'out of box', provided they have the antennas necessary. I know the OnePlus 5 was missing a couple of Verizon bands, but the majority of them were there.
Seamonkey79 said:
Most LTE phones should work on Verizon 'out of box', provided they have the antennas necessary. I know the OnePlus 5 was missing a couple of Verizon bands, but the majority of them were there.
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yea ill have to give it a shot.. and see.. worst case ill grab a v30 used or wait to next round of phones.
Ok, the rest of your rant is pretty justified. I feel you. These are valid points. However, you just start bringing up random stuff that doesn't make any sense to a complaint about the phone
bL1X said:
I put in the Verizon sim from my S6 and saw that my phone now had half the reception of my S6...half. Sitting next to my wife with her S6, she's pulling 4G and in out of 3G and 1X. All the settings were correct according to Verizon. I am in a weak cell area, yes, but never dropped calls. Calling now is virtually impossible without calling over WiFi...which brings me to the next issue. I'm with Verizon, so natively I have no WiFi calling or visual voicemail and whatever other features Verizon has limited me from using. There's even less signal in my area with AT&T so I'm stuck with Verizon. Wonderful. With some help from an XDA member, I was able to get Hangouts set up for WiFi calling but now I'm using two dialers.
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So, wifi calling doesn't work because Verizon hasn't properly provisioned it in their system? That is a problem with the phone?
It seems like it is a problem with Verizon, which you should be asking them to fix.
Just leave it at: The signal sucks. I am looking at this phone right now. Signal sucks. I agree.
The whole Verizon thing just seems like a weird complaint
Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone.
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Click to collapse
Literally no phone with USB C comes with the type of charger you are discussing. ZERO.
USB C-USB C cables are capable of 3A
USB A-USB C is limited to 2.4A
All phones with USB C come with a USB C-USB C so that the phone will charge faster! Every single one since the Nexus 6p/5X
The screen off wake up or whatever it's called never works when I pull my phone out of my pocket. I have to shake it to see the time - pointless, since, at that point, it's easier to just fingerprint unlock than to shake it.
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I have my old Nexus 5x sitting right here. I decided to run a little experiment.
The Nexus 5x was about as successful as the PH-1 at "wake up". It missed about 25% of the time.
This feature is notoriously iffy.
I mean, I get the rant. You seem upset. I understand.
Those three points just seem arbitrary and don't even reflect legitimate issues with the phone.
The essential phone is Verizon approved... Correct?
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
The glass back on this phone makes me a little nervous. Why have that "feature" at all? I've managed to avoid damaging my phones for long periods, including a glass backed Nexus 4 that I used for at least a few years, but they do fall sometimes and we don't always get lucky. How fragile is the glass on the back of the phone? For that matter, how fragile is the glass on the display? Do all colors have the same glass back or are some other materials?
I can find a Pixel 2 XL on eBay or Swappa for a similar price. But it wouldn't have a warranty. Aside from that, is there any reason why the OP6 would be a wiser purchase than the Pixel 2 XL? I value display quality, ability to root and customize, T-Mobile reception in the US. I don't demand a top of the line camera and/or audio quality, but I'd prefer something close enough. More subjective, this question, I know....
Thoughts are welcome.
I can't say how fragile, what I can say is mine took a waist high drop onto concrete. It had the OnePlus case on it and landed pretty much directly on the corner. I thought for sure it was broke but it wasn't. That's been my only drop so can't offer anything outside that.
I do agree with the question on why the glass back with no wireless charging but whatever, it's what they did. I had the OnePlus 1 since new that got passed to my daughter and actually, just about 2 weeks ago she finally killed it by dropping it, screen shattered. Phone was used heavily for several years. I also had the OnePlus 3 from new that my son has now, it's just fine. I think overall, build qualities pretty good on OnePlus devices but you can break anything.
Mine fine from 2 feet approximately 5 times and from approx 6 feet 1 time and from 3 feet approx 2 or 3 times. I am rocking a spigen case worth the official tempered glass protector. But without that my 6 feet drop would have shattered atleast 1 glass for sure. And no other phone could also survive it. Glass is glass and metal is metal. But i bet that the oneplus 6 would be a worthy buy.
(this is kinda personal preference, but here goes: )
Reasons to get Pixel 2 XL:
-Front facing speakers
-Best smartphonecamera (cause of Google camera)
Reasons to get Oneplus 6
- Better display (even with the lower resolution)
- SD 845
- lower price
- Headphone jack
- More RAM
- Probably longer official software support.
(When official Google camera gets released for SD845, i'm not certain the Pixel 2 XL will have the better camera, current ported Google camera for Oneplus 6 is already getting really good)
Stumbled yesterday avoiding an old lady. Dropped my phone in the process onto the pavement from a couple of feet.
Ended up with a cracked screen across the top (pretty patterns etc etc) Screen seems still responsive.
Anyway, what surprised me was the damage caused after a pathetic drop. Really thought this phone was a bit more robust. HAd the plastic case on the body a screen protector too. My first ever cracked screen. Gutted.
Costs so far using threads here and elsewhere are £150 ish. With the 7.1 coming out in a few weeks here in the UK should I hang fire and buy a new 7.1?
Just updated to Pie yesterday too.....:silly:
7.1 is far inferior to the 7 plus.
Slower SoC, smaller battery. And pretty much same price.
MatthiasDS said:
7.1 is far inferior to the 7 plus.
Slower SoC, smaller battery. And pretty much same price.
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Click to collapse
Looks to me like they have added this display thing and taken away what makes the phone a good phone.
They have wayyyy too many phones out at the moment.
divvykev said:
Looks to me like they have added this display thing and taken away what makes the phone a good phone.
They have wayyyy too many phones out at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it's actually the successor to the Nokia 7, which wasn't widely available. The 7 Plus will probably get a successor in the 7.1 Plus, which is tipped to get a Snapdragon 710.
divvykev said:
Stumbled yesterday avoiding an old lady. Dropped my phone in the process onto the pavement from a couple of feet.
Ended up with a cracked screen across the top (pretty patterns etc etc) Screen seems still responsive.
Anyway, what surprised me was the damage caused after a pathetic drop. Really thought this phone was a bit more robust. HAd the plastic case on the body a screen protector too. My first ever cracked screen. Gutted.
Costs so far using threads here and elsewhere are £150 ish. With the 7.1 coming out in a few weeks here in the UK should I hang fire and buy a new 7.1?
Just updated to Pie yesterday too.....:silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you decide to send the phone in for repairs make sure you take a lot of photos of the phone before sending it.
I cracked the screen also and send it to repair using HMD repair service. Below a few thoughts:
Pros:
- collection, repair and delivery was quick - 7 days from collection to delivery back.
Cons:
- Phone came back with a new scratch on the back (about 3mm long) which I am sure was not there before I send it for repair.
- The replacement screen has a very thin scratch which I saw only 2 weeks after the phone was delivered (I was in holidays when it arrived).
First I thought that the screen is not Gorilla Glass, but since the repair (2 months ago) I have no other scratch on the phone. I guess (I am not sure though, just my impression) they are using grade B screens for replacement.
I did not reported to repair center because it is barely visible and because it was 2 weeks after the delivery.
Also because all the hassle to change phones and setup again.
So if the crack is not too bad (my screen was still working also, but was completely shattered on one side) I would recommend to keep using the phone until they release Nokia 10 and put the £150 towards that.
trveller72 said:
If you decide to send the phone in for repairs make sure you take a lot of photos of the phone before sending it.
I cracked the screen also and send it to repair using HMD repair service. Below a few thoughts:
Pros:
- collection, repair and delivery was quick - 7 days from collection to delivery back.
Cons:
- Phone came back with a new scratch on the back (about 3mm long) which I am sure was not there before I send it for repair.
- The replacement screen has a very thin scratch which I saw only 2 weeks after the phone was delivered (I was in holidays when it arrived).
First I thought that the screen is not Gorilla Glass, but since the repair (2 months ago) I have no other scratch on the phone. I guess (I am not sure though, just my impression) they are using grade B screens for replacement.
I did not reported to repair center because it is barely visible and because it was 2 weeks after the delivery.
Also because all the hassle to change phones and setup again.
So if the crack is not too bad (my screen was still working also, but was completely shattered on one side) I would recommend to keep using the phone until they release Nokia 10 and put the £150 towards that.
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Click to collapse
Have lost trust in HMD as a setup. The way they have messed up the updates is something and your not the only one who has mentioned this issue with repairs to me. The drop was hardly anything but the damage is quite scary.
May look at Moto 6 next.
divvykev said:
Have lost trust in HMD as a setup. The way they have messed up the updates is something and your not the only one who has mentioned this issue with repairs to me. The drop was hardly anything but the damage is quite scary.
May look at Moto 6 next.
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I do not think it's HMD's fault only.
A friend had to send an S8 plus to have the screen replaced, and same thing happened to him also. I think it's a 'common practice'.
Moto G6 (I asume) is miles away specs vise compared to Nokia 7+ and no Android one.
Bought a new 7 Plus. Sod it. Better the devil you know. Thanks for all guidance and advice folks.