Is anyone having basic build quality issues with the NC hardware? I just exchanged my first one because it had a mushy power button that didn't click, and the replacement i find makes a creaking noise whenever i grab it by the left side. I know it's going to drive me crazy if I don't exchange it again.
I haven't experienced any of those... in fact I find the construction to be quite solid. Bad batch maybe?
I returned my first Nook Color because there was a dust speck in the screen. I couldn't rub it out and it kept bothering me so I brought it back to B&N and they gave me a brand new one. I wonder what they will do with the one I gave them. Everything seemed to work except that one dust particle in the screen.
Mine had a dead pixel which awoke after a bit of use, but other than that (and I'm picky) it's been really solid. The touchscreen is a bit wacky at times, but that could be me - I have extremely dry skin and that can cause issues.
bruceleroyjr said:
I returned my first Nook Color because there was a dust speck in the screen. I couldn't rub it out and it kept bothering me so I brought it back to B&N and they gave me a brand new one. I wonder what they will do with the one I gave them. Everything seemed to work except that one dust particle in the screen.
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this plus the frame on my first was loose and the sd door magnet didnt work right my girlfriends (bought at same time) has no issues
milkham said:
Is anyone having basic build quality issues with the NC hardware? I just exchanged my first one because it had a mushy power button that didn't click, and the replacement i find makes a creaking noise whenever i grab it by the left side. I know it's going to drive me crazy if I don't exchange it again.
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Click to collapse
Funny, I am having the exact same issue with my NC. Creaky left side. Kinda makes a 'click' noise in about a one inch spot on the left middle by the screen. Kind of annoying but I suppose I'll live with it..
Definitely experiencing the creaking as well, and now I am noticing the back left side has some 'give' to it, allowing me to actually push it in slightly. The right side is perfectly firm. Anyone else notice this? Only had it for a few days, so if this is an isolated issue I will return/exchange it.
Thanks
+1 mushy power button here too.
no dead pixels though so I think i'm going to keep it.. I've got 'QuickBoot' installed anyways as a workaround
Mine is creaky, too. Everything that matters (to me) appears to be working well.
The top frame may be a 'snap-on' thing that snaps-on from right to left resulting in a bit of a space on the left side about a 1/3 of the way up. I'm sure most folks are sensing/feeling/hearing the 'creak', especially when moving through different ambient temperatures.
Touch and squeeze most of your devices (notebooks, phones) that are composed of different materials, e.g. plastic and metal, and, more than likely, they 'creak', too.
I have the creaking too. I thought about exchanging it but I don't really notice it anymore.
I returned my first nook color because of the creaking on the right side. It only happened after the device warmed up.
The second one is now doing the same thing on the left back. As much as I love it, it doesn't seem very solid.
sent from my NookColor using tapatalk
Yeah i've got the creak top left corner. Doesn't bug me much but I do plan on keeping an eye on it.
I've got the creaky left side too. It hasn't bugged me too much, but the USB cable did catch on fire when I plugged it into my Nook this morning.
So that was fun.
mtmyers said:
I've got the creaky left side too. It hasn't bugged me too much, but the USB cable did catch on fire when I plugged it into my Nook this morning.
So that was fun.
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Huh?
10 char
The first NC I brought home had a dust particle right in the middle of the screen, too. Exchanged it, and the new one creaks right below the N button. No power button issues, though!
mtmyers said:
but the USB cable did catch on fire when I plugged it into my Nook this morning.
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Ahaha, funny joke. !.
I'm thinking of returning mine too. I have creaking. Anyone else have a bowed panel where the home button is? The left side is about a 0.5 mm lower then the center and the right side is about 0.25 mm lower then the center.
Such a shame. It is nice device. Its the best built android device I have seen.
mrintegrity said:
Ahaha, funny joke. !.
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Seriously, the USB cable sparked and caught fire when I plugged my Nook Color into it this morning.
It didn't appear to damage the Nook, but the USB cable end is burnt and blackened.
Needless to say I'll be taking it back.
I'll take some pictures in a bit.
Took some pictures, I'll post them when I get 8 posts under my belt and can post pictures.
mtmyers said:
Took some pictures, I'll post them when I get 8 posts under my belt and can post pictures.
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You know, that actually doesn't sound far fetched to me. For some reason the USB cable does not want to work in 2 of my known working USB slots. Windows gives me the standard "USB root hub has detected a power surge" message. So it wouldn't surprise me at all if it caught fire. I plan on seeing about a third party cable if I keep running into weirdness with it.
Is anyone else having this problem:
I noticed that if I press down on the middle left side of the screen in portrait mode (the very edge of the screen) that I hear a "click" sound, almost like it's loose underneath. The rest of the screen doesn't click, only this part. I've read other reports about people having issues with the screen coming up, and was concerned. Nothing looks loose, and everything feels solid, but again, slightly concerned.
There's another thread going on about this very thing: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1774438
--
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
Not really. I mean yes at first I had to press down REAL hard and it was a very minute one, but not terrible. Now it's not doing it anymore so it just may have been a placebo effect for me.
Is it very noticeable on yours? I only noticed it when I depressed quite hard in the exact middle left of the border (not the screen).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
dzap said:
Not really. I mean yes at first I had to press down REAL hard and it was a very minute one, but not terrible. Now it's not doing it anymore so it just may have been a placebo effect for me.
Is it very noticeable on yours? I only noticed it when I depressed quite hard in the exact middle left of the border (not the screen).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Sup dzap! :highfive:
Not too noticeable. I hear the click mostly when I left my finger off the side. Almost like something is coming up. On visual inspection, everything "looks" ok.
huge issue on this build, adhesive releases the glass and thus the sound you feel hear. charge it up, N7 will heat up and this sound will become less pronounced becasue glue will soften and then when it cools off the clicking sound will be back. They must be saving on the glue to get it under $199
phonic said:
Sup dzap! :highfive:
Not too noticeable. I hear the click mostly when I left my finger off the side. Almost like something is coming up. On visual inspection, everything "looks" ok.
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dvzzz said:
huge issue on this build, adhesive releases the glass and thus the sound you feel hear. charge it up, N7 will heat up and this sound will become less pronounced becasue glue will soften and then when it cools off the clicking sound will be back. They must be saving on the glue to get it under $199
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Thanks for the info. If all it ends up being is a slight noise every so often, I can live with that. If the screen starts falling apart - that's a different story. I didn't even notice it until I started looking for problems .
I had the same problem on my 5th GNex. I exchanged it for another one. It depends how much it bothers you I guess.
dvzzz said:
huge issue on this build, adhesive releases the glass and thus the sound you feel hear. charge it up, N7 will heat up and this sound will become less pronounced becasue glue will soften and then when it cools off the clicking sound will be back. They must be saving on the glue to get it under $199
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Click to collapse
I had this problem and am in middle of getting a replacement unit. However, I am hesitant of the adhesive/heat theory going around, partly from others' reports of clicks, although I heard none (but I didn't push as hard as some) and partly as the ifixit teardown didn't mention adhesive other than partially securing the battery to the frame--and, adhesive is something they always like to mention. Moreover, the pics they show suggest a mixture of clips and screws securing things internally. I suppose I am suggesting we try to not take things for granted
kboya said:
I had this problem and am in middle of getting a replacement unit. However, I am hesitant of the adhesive/heat theory going around, partly from others' reports of clicks, although I heard none (but I didn't push as hard as some) and partly as the ifixit teardown didn't mention adhesive other than partially securing the battery to the frame--and, adhesive is something they always like to mention. Moreover, the pics they show suggest a mixture of clips and screws securing things internally. I suppose I am suggesting we try to not take things for granted
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Click to collapse
I've been hearing the same. It sounds like people are assuming it's adhesive when it's really some sort of retainer clip that locks the device in place. I can't really comment one way or another, but based on what I've been hearing from user reports, I'd bet my car it's clips... not adhesive. But hey, I may be wrong and riding my bike to work tomorrow.
You are right, I should not be making definitive statements, I checked iFixit and I do not see a glue there but at the min my screen issues have something to do with heat and expansion, once the device on charge or in my hand for extended period of time the left side separates and rises .5-1mm above the bezel, I press it in and then it "sticks" for another hour or so. I am perhaps incorrectly assumed an adhesive but it must be a weak clip that cannot hold the glass once body expands... At the end of the day, my goal was to keep this little powerhouse N7 but hate to press that glass in all the time until I break it. I am sure they will eventually fix it in the new builds 3-6 months from now but all I was saying that many many folks are reporting separating bezel issue, it must be more than a coincidence.Returned to Sam's club it but there is no replacement for it for another 30 days or so coming to Sam's Club and by then there can be competitors coming, e.g. nanoiPad. Even though I really liked the Android N7 too bad Asus QA is not in the big league, but you cannot have everything at $199 or $260, quality costs money, I know Motorola overengineered Xoom to stand up on quality and it did.
kboya said:
I had this problem and am in middle of getting a replacement unit. However, I am hesitant of the adhesive/heat theory going around, partly from others' reports of clicks, although I heard none (but I didn't push as hard as some) and partly as the ifixit teardown didn't mention adhesive other than partially securing the battery to the frame--and, adhesive is something they always like to mention. Moreover, the pics they show suggest a mixture of clips and screws securing things internally. I suppose I am suggesting we try to not take things for granted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I made this comment in the impressions thread but am trying to bring more light to it...
Put your phone face down, rub your thumb on the upper half of the phone, does it creak at the top? Its almost like the rear glass wasn't put on properly on my device - it creaks like plastic. I'm really surprised by this since most reviews say the thing is completely creak free. And yes its somewhat annoying because I can hear the creaking more and more when I am just handling the phone....
Thanks
Edit - made a video.... now that its happening more often it seems to be due to the plastic/rubber trim (which goes around the phone) not fitting properly, its flexing between the front and rear glass. BLah, I wish I had a bumper to see if that would minimize the issue. Its very noticable now. I added a 2nd video on youtube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT_JhcS90eI
Hope people will be able to answer this if the phone creaks at all I don't think I'll get it
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
No creaking at all from my device. The power button is a little wiggly tho...not as solid as the volume rocker which is kind of annoying, but not a deal breaker or anything.
dbdynsty25 said:
No creaking at all from my device. The power button is a little wiggly tho...not as solid as the volume rocker which is kind of annoying, but not a deal breaker or anything.
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This +1
Stand on your head and rub the left corner counter clockwise.... Do you hear that noise? Come on guys.... really?
But to answer your question no mine does not creak perhaps you should return if you rub the back of it a lot.
Nope, no sort of creaking with mine in any form, and the buttons are all very firmly in place. The whole device feels extremely sturdy and well built.
Get a life or get out more there are more important things in life
asasione said:
Get a life or get out more there are more important things in life
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You're an idiot - I started the thread to get real comments...
As my original post says, it occurs in regular situations when handling the phone. There is a creak on upper half of the rear or top of the device. It's annoying to spend any substantial amount on a device and have it creaking when new. I'll try to make a video later.
The buttons are fine on mine though - no issues there.
asasione said:
Get a life or get out more there are more important things in life
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I mistakenly thanked your post but that I feel the opposite.
We are on XDA and on the Nexus 4 forum, it isn't like the OP is making a huge deal out of it. He is just wondering if any other people have been experiencing the same issue.
People post on these device-specific forums to discuss about the particular device, people are well aware that there are things in life outside of smartphones without you having to point it out.
it is completely solid, power button doesnt wiggle, there is a bit of a rattle when tapping the top but thats the camera lens I assume (only rattles when tapping near the camera)
Yeah I don't think it should be creaking at all, especially since the back is glass and non-removable. As you said, it probably wasn't put on right. I would wait a couple of weeks until this whole order fiasco is fixed before calling about doing a warranty exchange.
idividebyzero said:
it is completely solid, power button doesnt wiggle, there is a bit of a rattle when tapping the top but thats the camera lens I assume (only rattles when tapping near the camera)
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Same here.
vexx786 said:
Yeah I don't think it should be creaking at all, especially since the back is glass and non-removable. As you said, it probably wasn't put on right. I would wait a couple of weeks until this whole order fiasco is fixed before calling about doing a warranty exchange.
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Agree - especially when the majority of people say its extremely solid. I'll post a video later tonight (I'm at work right now) so people can have something to relate to...
Added a video for you guys....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT_JhcS90eI
dale_cooper said:
Added a video for you guys....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT_JhcS90eI
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Mine creaks on the bottom
mine doesn't creak at all. Of course I don't sensually rub mine on the top of the glass where there is no touch feedback, but to each his own.
hondarider525 said:
mine doesn't creak at all. Of course I don't sensually rub mine on the top of the glass where there is no touch feedback, but to each his own.
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lol...
It creaks under real world situations if I grip the phone on both sides to turn on power it will flex and creak. If I grip with my index finger on top of the phone and fingers on both sides on the top, it creaks.
My phone doesn't creak no matter how I hold or press on it
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
seriously? cmon guys...u guys look for annnnny thing to ***** about. no device is perfect...
No creak, wobbliness, dead pixels, shaky mic, but I do have that line in the top right in the plastic. I kinda like it, it gives the phone character.
Post-end edit and TL;DR for others having the sort of problems I was:
The power button will, if held in (or stuck engaged) for 10 seconds, reset the phone. Unconditionally. If your phone starts randomly resetting after the power button is pressed (or after you press it, the shutdown menu appears, then the phone resets), your power button is sticky and needs to be replaced. Save yourself some frustration and stop using the button to sleep/wake your phone. Pop the keyboard slider open half an inch to wake it up, use a widget or one of CM and SlimKat's many shortcuts to put it to sleep. Unless you're still on stock JB, in which case quit being on stock JB you square you're probably limited to widgets.
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Bought a D4 off ebay. According to the seller, there's nothing wrong with it, aside from "the power button occasionally does not work".
And until this afternoon, not even that. The phone was working flawlessly. So, I sat down and flashed it so I could transfer my PagePlus account over, which also seemed to be successful; 1x and 3g signals, nice and strong. And even after that, it was fine for a bit.
Then, I go to put the phone to sleep...and it wouldn't. The power switch problem that the seller described rearing its ugly head, seemingly. So I kept trying, and every few button presses, the shutdown menu came up, rather than the device sleeping. Seemed like a sticky button, easy enough to fix.
And then...the phone reset itself. And now, when it's woken with the button, there's a decent chance that it resets itself within 10 seconds of leaving the lock screen; assuming it even wakes up with the button, which seems to be rather hit-and-miss. Putting the phone to sleep with the button is equally fidgety, but doesn't seem to be able to reset it.
I'd already planned on replacing the button, if necessary; I'm not at all afraid of opening the phone up. What concerns me is the self-resetting, which as I understand the Droid 4 is only supposed to do if the power button and volume- buttons are held; I haven't so much as touched the volume buttons since this started.
Should I send it back for a refund, or is the self-reset behavior a symptom of a stuck/failing power button, and likely to go away if I open it up and replace it?
My power button did same thing a year ago.
The power button is two parts external and internal
I took it apart and pulled the external part off, it just pulls straight off.
Now need a pen or something to press button, but normally use a widget to turn screen off and use an volume button app to turn screen on
There are replacement power buttons on eBay but never got around to it.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
sd_shadow said:
My power button did same thing a year ago.
The power button is two parts external and internal
I took it apart and pulled the external part off, it just pulls straight off.
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Click to collapse
So wait. Despite how loose/flimsy it feels, it's actually the external plastic bit getting stuck/hung up? I figured it was the actual button being gunked up (poor-quality grease or somesuch) and sticking.
And, is the phone supposed to reboot if only the power button is "held", then? That's what I'm primarily worried about; whether the power button is responsible for the reboots, or it started at the same time by coincidence and something else is actually wrong.
With mine the exterior part was sticking and causing reboots, yours may be different
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Hmm, seems to be different indeed. Out of curiosity, I very carefully slipped a screwdriver in above the plastic button to open a small gap, and clicked the actual hardware button with a small paperclip...nothing. Holding it long enough seems to eventually make contact and put the phone to sleep, clicking it repeatedly sometimes causes the shutdown menu to come up (and shortly thereafter a reboot)...
Very strange behavior. Think I have some electrical contact cleaner around here somewhere, maybe I can squirt some of that down into the button...failing that, I guess I can live with it, hoping it's just the button itself and not something wonky with the board logic, and eventually change the button for something a bit higher quality...
Septfox said:
Hmm, seems to be different indeed. Out of curiosity, I very carefully slipped a screwdriver in above the plastic button to open a small gap, and clicked the actual hardware button with a small paperclip...nothing. Holding it long enough seems to eventually make contact and put the phone to sleep, clicking it repeatedly sometimes causes the shutdown menu to come up (and shortly thereafter a reboot)...
Very strange behavior. Think I have some electrical contact cleaner around here somewhere, maybe I can squirt some of that down into the button...failing that, I guess I can live with it, hoping it's just the button itself and not something wonky with the board logic, and eventually change the button for something a bit higher quality...
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Click to collapse
This happened to my old SE XPERIA X2, the switch wore off. In this case I got the switch replaced under warranty claim.
Generally all the faulty micro switches I opened had somehow faulty flat spring inside. If it is the case, it won't click soundly when pressed. Then you need to replace the whole switch (or the spring if you can find the same), no cleaning can help.
I can't imagine any valid SW situation leading to reboot because of pressing only the power switch - unless you installed some utility to do it, which I doubt. Maybe the Vol Down button is faulty/sticky too?
I'd try to clean the insides first (if the cleaner gets inside the switches, even better), and if that doesn't help, get inside and check these two switches yourself. You can't get a refund then though
LuH said:
Generally all the faulty micro switches I opened had somehow faulty flat spring inside. If it is the case, it won't click soundly when pressed. Then you need to replace the whole switch (or the spring if you can find the same), no cleaning can help.
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Click to collapse
Mine makes a clicking sound and seems to return after being pressed. However, comparing it to the volume buttons (which look to be the same switch going by the teardown pictures I've seen), it does sound and feel slightly less "crisp".
LuH said:
I can't imagine any valid SW situation leading to reboot because of pressing only the power switch - unless you installed some utility to do it, which I doubt. Maybe the Vol Down button is faulty/sticky too?
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Click to collapse
Yea, completely stock, since I was flashing the phone over to PP before doing anything else.
I was kind of hoping someone on stock or modified stock would come in and test it for me; hold the button down for a good 10-20 seconds, see what happens. It's not supposed to happen, but I've read elsewhere online that it's one of the symptoms of a sticky button.
Curiously, the Volume- key seems to be working perfectly, sounds and feels like I would expect.
LuH said:
I'd try to clean the insides first (if the cleaner gets inside the switches, even better), and if that doesn't help, get inside and check these two switches yourself. You can't get a refund then though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually have some "QR Electrical Cleaner" here that I obtained from Walmart a while back...unfortunately someone lost the nozzle, so I can't get a concentrated blast down around the switch stem :\
Wedging the plastic external button aside and spraying it in the general direction of the top of the switch doesn't seem to have done anything, unfortunately. I think these switches are probably semi-sealed unless in the pressed position, which is going to make things interesting...
And yes, you're right, doing anything further would technically void the warranty. Thinking about it, though, I actually did get a pretty good deal; the phone is obviously a return from a customer who found the problem early on, as it's basically new in condition with a completely unscratched screen. Even if I can't get the button working right, the phone wakes up with the keyboard, and a notification widget puts it to sleep...and if the button isn't used to wake it, it doesn't seem to stick (or at least register as it), so the phone continues working properly. So, a mostly-perfect phone, for all of $27.50, with the potential to be perfect.
Once my screen protector gets here and I'm not afraid of scratching the glass up, I think I'll open it and see what I can find out. It should be easy enough to short the contacts at the rear of the switch and see that the board is working properly; if so, then I can go hunting for a compatible switch. I can't seem to find any direct replacements, unfortunately.
Which reminds me, any guesses as to why there are three poles on the switch rather than two?
Edit: nevermind, looking at pictures it seems that the two "outer" pins attach to the common pad on the board, while the center pin is attached to the appropriate circuitry.
Septfox said:
Mine makes a clicking sound and seems to return after being pressed. However, comparing it to the volume buttons (which look to be the same switch going by the teardown pictures I've seen), it does sound and feel slightly less "crisp".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like a swan's song...
Septfox said:
Yea, completely stock, since I was flashing the phone over to PP before doing anything else.
I was kind of hoping someone on stock or modified stock would come in and test it for me; hold the button down for a good 10-20 seconds, see what happens. It's not supposed to happen, but I've read elsewhere online that it's one of the symptoms of a sticky button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Luckily I just fastbooted mine Completely stock 188, only rooted and with SS installed - which should make no difference. To my complete surprise, while holding the power down, it shows the Power menu after 2 secs and forcibly reboots after 10 seconds. So I guess your only problem is the power button :good:
Septfox said:
And yes, you're right, doing anything further would technically void the warranty. Thinking about it, though, I actually did get a pretty good deal; the phone is obviously a return from a customer who found the problem early on, as it's basically new in condition with a completely unscratched screen. Even if I can't get the button working right, the phone wakes up with the keyboard, and a notification widget puts it to sleep...and if the button isn't used to wake it, it doesn't seem to stick (or at least register as it), so the phone continues working properly. So, a mostly-perfect phone, for all of $27.50, with the potential to be perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great catch If you find another, let me know
Septfox said:
Once my screen protector gets here and I'm not afraid of scratching the glass up, I think I'll open it and see what I can find out. It should be easy enough to short the contacts at the rear of the switch and see that the board is working properly; if so, then I can go hunting for a compatible switch. I can't seem to find any direct replacements, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually bought one two years ago while buying mine D4 to have the whole package stuffed with all imaginable replacement parts sent from the US - postage to Europe was about 1/3 of the whole price. I never used any of the replacement parts yet, guess I got lucky I don't have it on me now though...
Septfox said:
Which reminds me, any guesses as to why there are three poles on the switch rather than two?
Edit: nevermind, looking at pictures it seems that the two "outer" pins attach to the common pad on the board, while the center pin is attached to the appropriate circuitry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My guess is in some other devices the switch may switch between two circuits, not just break/connect the circuit. I think most of the switches I saw had the unnecessary third leg. Also it may help it hold tighter to the PCB.
LuH said:
Luckily I just fastbooted mine Completely stock 188, only rooted and with SS installed - which should make no difference. To my complete surprise, while holding the power down, it shows the Power menu after 2 secs and forcibly reboots after 10 seconds. So I guess your only problem is the power button :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thank you! Now I don't have to strip it down until I have a new switch in hand...though I'm still tempted to, just for fun. Strange that the phone can be rebooted by only holding the power button, though.
LuH said:
Great catch If you find another, let me know
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Click to collapse
Certainly. FYI, the seller I got it it from is named "soonersoft" if you want to use ebay's Follow Seller thing, by the looks of their listings they seem to mainly do business in items returned under warranty for damage/defects.
LuH said:
I actually bought one two years ago while buying mine D4 to have the whole package stuffed with all imaginable replacement parts sent from the US - postage to Europe was about 1/3 of the whole price. I never used any of the replacement parts yet, guess I got lucky I don't have it on me now though...
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Click to collapse
I've been thinking about it, and even if I could find a 1:1 replacement, it might be better to just replace it with an entirely different, more common switch. Having looked it up, power switch failures aren't incredibly frequent, but they are enough that I would rather have a more reliable (or at least, cheaper to replace), more standard design. Ebay is full of cheap bulk lots of microswitches, just gotta find one small enough.
LuH said:
My guess is in some other devices the switch may switch between two circuits, not just break/connect the circuit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, maybe. I just had the thought that it might alternatively be a dual-stage switch (e.g. as are used for cameras), with one of the stages disabled or defective to the extent that it could only be sold as a single-stage switch. Such would be a good way to get rid of components that would otherwise be garbage.
Whichever it is, it seems to me that such a small switch with so many moving parts inside, in a location and with a role that it sees a lot of use and abuse, is just asking for trouble...that the problem isn't more widespread is a testament to the quality of the switch manufacturer's design and assembly, I guess.
Regardless, it looks like only a dual-pole switch is actually needed, so that considerably widens the range of possibilities.
Thanks for the assistance, it has been invaluable. Now I can continue loading up and enjoying my phone without worrying that it's going to suddenly drop dead...well, more than the usual worrying, anyway
Septfox said:
Awesome, thank you! Now I don't have to strip it down until I have a new switch in hand...though I'm still tempted to, just for fun. Strange that the phone can be rebooted by only holding the power button, though.
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I know your feelings, even though I waited for a first issue to rationalize opening it up, which was only this summer, after almost two years. I'm still a student and the phone was ****load of money for me. Now that they are so cheap (and I don't see any potential replacement on the market as QWERTY devices vaporized) I'm not that cautious.
BTW most breakdown instructions or videos specify you'll only need T5 screwdriver but if you want to disassemble the display part as well, which you will need to, you'll need T3 as well (T4 still kinda fits to the screws, but it's T3). When you slide the diplay (or keyboard, depending on your point of view) out, you can see the small screws next to the outer rim.
Also, the phone heavily relies on adhesive - be sure to have plenty and be aware that after first opening the see-through plastic piece with rear camera, flash LED, hole for opening the back door and with two screws underneath will never look the same, you'll be lucky to have it somehow stick with most parts looking OK. I never saw anywhere replacement for this printed adhesive, the "HD 720p" sign gets semi-destroyed when opening it...
Septfox said:
Certainly. FYI, the seller I got it it from is named "soonersoft" if you want to use ebay's Follow Seller thing, by the looks of their listings they seem to mainly do business in items returned under warranty for damage/defects.
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Click to collapse
Thanks
Septfox said:
I've been thinking about it, and even if I could find a 1:1 replacement, it might be better to just replace it with an entirely different, more common switch. Having looked it up, power switch failures aren't incredibly frequent, but they are enough that I would rather have a more reliable (or at least, cheaper to replace), more standard design. Ebay is full of cheap bulk lots of microswitches, just gotta find one small enough.
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Or you can do it the hardcore and noticeable way I used to fix out old home LCD monitor's faulty power switch - solder wires to the PCB, take it out the hole left after the switch plastic and solder to them a switch of your choosing that will hang outside the phone... You can tell people that it's an antenna that helps with bad reception in your area
Septfox said:
Yea, maybe. I just had the thought that it might alternatively be a dual-stage switch (e.g. as are used for cameras), with one of the stages disabled or defective to the extent that it could only be sold as a single-stage switch. Such would be a good way to get rid of components that would otherwise be garbage.
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Not likely IMO. This was marketed as luxurious device, I don't think they'd do it. Also the new switch isn't as expensive I guess, especially compared to all the advanced electronics inside.
Septfox said:
Whichever it is, it seems to me that such a small switch with so many moving parts inside, in a location and with a role that it sees a lot of use and abuse, is just asking for trouble...that the problem isn't more widespread is a testament to the quality of the switch manufacturer's design and assembly, I guess.
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Yup, I never understood how microswitches, especially those used in mouses, could take so much...
Septfox said:
Regardless, it looks like only a dual-pole switch is actually needed, so that considerably widens the range of possibilities.
Thanks for the assistance, it has been invaluable. Now I can continue loading up and enjoying my phone without worrying that it's going to suddenly drop dead...well, more than the usual worrying, anyway
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I'm glad I helped Enjoy your "brand new" slider
LuH said:
BTW most breakdown instructions or videos specify you'll only need T5 screwdriver but if you want to disassemble the display part as well, which you will need to, you'll need T3 as well (T4 still kinda fits to the screws, but it's T3).
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Good to know. As it turns out, I don't have anything below a T6 or 7, so no adventures in disassembly for me today.
LuH said:
Also, the phone heavily relies on adhesive - be sure to have plenty and be aware that after first opening the see-through plastic piece with rear camera, flash LED, hole for opening the back door and with two screws underneath will never look the same, you'll be lucky to have it somehow stick with most parts looking OK. I never saw anywhere replacement for this printed adhesive, the "HD 720p" sign gets semi-destroyed when opening it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fond memories of stripping my Ally down to the digitizer come back to me; everything simply snaps or bolts together and there's nary a drop of glue to be seen :<
I wonder if I can eyeball pictures of a removed plastic bit and use a straightblade bit to simply "drill" through mine to the screws...will have to keep it in mind when I evenetually open it up.
Any suggestions on what kind of glue to get? All I have around are hot glue and Gorilla Glue, neither of which strike me as particularly appropriate for this sort of thing.
LuH said:
Or you can do it the hardcore and noticeable way I used to fix out old home LCD monitor's faulty power switch - solder wires to the PCB, take it out the hole left after the switch plastic and solder to them a switch of your choosing that will hang outside the phone... You can tell people that it's an antenna that helps with bad reception in your area
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sad thing is, I would have actually done this with my first flip-phone. Heck, my current computer is a collection of loosely-assembled parts kind of haphazardly spread out on a nearby endtable, so I can say I would definitely do this to a phone ; \
LuH said:
Not likely IMO. This was marketed as luxurious device, I don't think they'd do it.
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Click to collapse
Yes, a luxurious device with a Pentile TFT display, non-removable battery, entirely plastic casing and no dedicated camera button :v
There's no denying that it's a nice phone, but I see a lot of cut corners; what's another one that the majority of users will be fortunate enough to never notice?
Septfox said:
Fond memories of stripping my Ally down to the digitizer come back to me; everything simply snaps or bolts together and there's nary a drop of glue to be seen :<
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Click to collapse
I too hate this adhesive hell
Septfox said:
I wonder if I can eyeball pictures of a removed plastic bit and use a straightblade bit to simply "drill" through mine to the screws...will have to keep it in mind when I eventually open it up.
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Click to collapse
I was thinking the same. Don't know what straightblade is, but I wouldn't recommend any blade - the plastic is pretty thick. My plan would be to really cautiously drill it by an actual power drill. There's a bit of space between screws and the plastic piece, so I think it's safe to drill.
Septfox said:
Any suggestions on what kind of glue to get? All I have around are hot glue and Gorilla Glue, neither of which strike me as particularly appropriate for this sort of thing.
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Double-sided adhesive tape I bought cheap 3mm wide one off eBay, works like charm. Also I thought they say it's 3M as in 3 meters long, but actually got a 3M branded one, possibly 3 meters long
Septfox said:
The sad thing is, I would have actually done this with my first flip-phone. Heck, my current computer is a collection of loosely-assembled parts kind of haphazardly spread out on a nearby endtable, so I can say I would definitely do this to a phone ; \
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Click to collapse
I don't see how it's a bad thing The phone would look badass
Septfox said:
Yes, a luxurious device with a Pentile TFT display, non-removable battery, entirely plastic casing and no dedicated camera button :v
There's no denying that it's a nice phone, but I see a lot of cut corners; what's another one that the majority of users will be fortunate enough to never notice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True...
LuH said:
I was thinking the same. Don't know what straightblade is, but I wouldn't recommend any blade - the plastic is pretty thick.
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Click to collapse
Sorry, what I was referring to was a flat-edge screwdriver bit, in the same style as one of these for example. A small, sharp one makes a surprisingly good boring tool once you get it started.
LuH said:
Double-sided adhesive tape I bought cheap 3mm wide one off eBay, works like charm. Also I thought they say it's 3M as in 3 meters long, but actually got a 3M branded one, possibly 3 meters long
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Click to collapse
Ah, double-sided tape. I probably would have gone for rubber cement or somesuch, but this is a much better idea...far less messy.
LuH said:
I don't see how it's a bad thing The phone would look badass
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And cats everywhere would instantly be huge fans of it.
Septfox said:
Sorry, what I was referring to was a flat-edge screwdriver bit, in the same style as one of these for example. A small, sharp one makes a surprisingly good boring tool once you get it started.
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That's an interesting idea
Septfox said:
Ah, double-sided tape. I probably would have gone for rubber cement or somesuch, but this is a much better idea...far less messy.
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I tried it and turns out while it works great for the main body (the first frame that probably wouldn't even need it in the first place), the tape I bought is a disaster for the digitizer. Since there is a pressure contact for the ear speaker being pressed by the adhesive connection only, it gets pressed away all the time. I got to re-assemble it with new tape every like two or three weeks, which is unbearable. Any alternative idea? I don't think we have rubber cement here - tried to google it and it seems it's used only in the US. I don't want to use any solution that's too permanent though - the time may come when I shatter the glass and need to replace it.
Also the display screws may actually be T4 - it seems my T3 and T4 screwdrivers are a tad more thick than they are supposed to be, compared to my brother's bit more expensive set.
LuH said:
I tried it and turns out while it works great for the main body (the first frame that probably wouldn't even need it in the first place), the tape I bought is a disaster for the digitizer. Since there is a pressure contact for the ear speaker being pressed by the adhesive connection only, it gets pressed away all the time. I got to re-assemble it with new tape every like two or three weeks, which is unbearable. Any alternative idea? I don't think we have rubber cement here - tried to google it and it seems it's used only in the US. I don't want to use any solution that's too permanent though - the time may come when I shatter the glass and need to replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.
I haven't taken mine apart yet - waiting on soldering wick so I can replace the power button with minimal mess - and wasn't planning on stripping it down that far anyway, so all I have to look at is the teardown guide. It looks to me like you could:
Press in the screen glass at the top to where it's supposed to be (to align the speaker with the frame as best as possible)
Get some sort of thin material to fill in/bridge the gap between the sides of the speaker and the frame
Inject a small amount of superglue into the gaps between frame/material/speaker
Finding something to bridge the gaps shouldn't be too difficult, anything will work (the superglue will just soak and make it rock hard anyway), it's only there so there's not enough of a gap for the superglue to shrink and void as it dries.
Just don't use enough glue that it works its way down to the glass, or it'll be a pain to detach later.
Like so (blue: spacer/shim, red: glue):
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Alternatively, gluing the speaker directly to the board it interfaces with (using a small shim between them to make room for the contacts)...but the positioning might be trickier to get right.
'course, these both have the problem of being rather permanent...and while I haven't read that there are widespread problems with the ear speaker going out, it does seem to occasionally happen. I just don't really know of any adhesives that are both strong enough to hold without eventually coming apart, and weak enough to be somewhat easily removed if needed : \
LuH said:
Also the display screws may actually be T4 - it seems my T3 and T4 screwdrivers are a tad more thick than they are supposed to be, compared to my brother's bit more expensive set.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a cheap set off ebay that includes T3-T6, so I should be good to go for when I eventually get around to opening the whole thing up (it is certain to happen at some point, if for no other reason than curiosity). At the moment I'm just enjoying customizing SlimKat and playing with the phone; it's so much more able in every way than the old LG I came from, it's ridiculous. Curiosity can, in this case, wait a while~
Septfox said:
It looks to me like you could:
Press in the screen glass at the top to where it's supposed to be (to align the speaker with the frame as best as possible)
Get some sort of thin material to fill in/bridge the gap between the sides of the speaker and the frame
Inject a small amount of superglue into the gaps between frame/material/speaker
Finding something to bridge the gaps shouldn't be too difficult, anything will work (the superglue will just soak and make it rock hard anyway), it's only there so there's not enough of a gap for the superglue to shrink and void as it dries.
Just don't use enough glue that it works its way down to the glass, or it'll be a pain to detach later.
Like so (blue: spacer/shim, red: glue):
[picture shown in above post]
Alternatively, gluing the speaker directly to the board it interfaces with (using a small shim between them to make room for the contacts)...but the positioning might be trickier to get right.
'course, these both have the problem of being rather permanent...and while I haven't read that there are widespread problems with the ear speaker going out, it does seem to occasionally happen. I just don't really know of any adhesives that are both strong enough to hold without eventually coming apart, and weak enough to be somewhat easily removed if needed : \
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I think when I bought the phone in summer 2012 I was like "cool, the only known issue is not showing up in my unit", and almost two years later when earpiece problems started, I was like "****, it finally caught me"...
The idea of hard-fixing the earpiece is nice, I actually thought of it before. I'd love it to be fixed to the PCB, thinking of some non-sticky insulation to be put between the earpiece and the digitizer. It's holding really tight on the digitizer though. I'll see what I can do when I open it up next time - I fixed it this Saturday, so I think it should hold itself somehow at least till the weekend
I was thinking of soldering it to PCB, but was quite scared of messing it up. Super glue is interesting alternative idea But I'm a bit afraid that it will tear the PCB's top layer apart when being pushed away continuously by the pressure contacts. I'll probably first try gluing it to the frame as you indicated in the picture and see then Hope I'll get to send pictures here, although it's a hard thing to do with a phone (my only camera) taken apart...
LuH said:
The idea of hard-fixing the earpiece is nice, I actually thought of it before. I'd love it to be fixed to the PCB, thinking of some non-sticky insulation to be put between the earpiece and the digitizer.
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Click to collapse
Paper~
alternatively, thinner and clear, plastic/saran wrap. Stick it down in there, then simply tear the little bit out that covers the speaker hole (or probably easier and cleaner, take a craft knife to it).
LuH said:
I was thinking of soldering it to PCB, but was quite scared of messing it up. Super glue is interesting alternative idea But I'm a bit afraid that it will tear the PCB's top layer apart when being pushed away continuously by the pressure contacts.
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Click to collapse
That's a good point, PCB pads aren't strong at all (found that out while pulling a replacement switch off another phone, which is why I'm waiting on wick; don't want to tear my traces up).
I'd like to propose a combination alternative, then
Get some of your double-sided tape, stick a small strip to where the speaker sits on the PCB, try not to get stuck to it
Find a pair of lengths of small-gauge wire, an inch apiece should be enough
On each side, solder one wire to the copper interface pads
Using a small pair of wire snips, snip off the sprung sections of the contacts on the earpiece speaker, leaving enough to solder to
Solder the other ends of the wires to the remainder of the contacts on the speaker
Carefully align the speaker with the PCB, and stick it to the double-sided tape
Finally, tuck the wires out of the way so they don't get pinched and severed when the front assembly is bolted back on
The double-sided tape should be under little to no strain, so it ought to be fine for this task. The digitizer won't be receiving spring pressure from the speaker anymore, so it should stay put. Everything should be oK.
The only potential problems I can think of are that the lack of a seal between digitizer and speaker might reduce the earpiece volume somewhat, and the extra sound movement in the top of the phone casing might have some interesting interactions with the second mic up top.
Of course, this is only if you decide to add something to insulate/destick the digitizer, which actually might not be necessary without the glass being sprung outwards all the time.
It's completely reversible regardless (just need a new speaker and clean up the solder and tape on the PCB), so...might be a better alternative than just straight gluing everything together.
So after all I came up with an alternative solution: since I succeeded on fastening the digitizer with two layers of adhesive tape so well it still holds together for over two months now, I just needed to make the contacts hold so I don't lose the earpiece sound when they don't. The contact for pressure pins is actually not on display's PCB, but on a T-shaped strip of metal, attached to the display, so I just bent the arms in and it works like charm since
Heh, two layers.
Glad to hear you got it worked out. Now I know what to do in the (hopefully unlikely) event that I ever have this issue.
For my end of things, my adventures in power button repair have unfortunately met a disappointing end; the power button completely quit working for normal functions shortly after my last post. The tools I ordered came in, I opened up the phone and tried shorting the leads on the button, to make sure it was indeed the button that was bad. Nothing, nada, no response. I then performed some exploratory surgery on the button (as I have a suitable replacement sitting here), and found it to be of a somewhat simple, rugged design (typical metal-dome design, center pops down to make contact, sides/pins 1 and 3 are common). No manufacturing faults evident.
Working theory is that somewhere in the circuit that it completes, there is a defect. A component that overheated each time the button was used until the point of complete failure, perhaps. Curiously, the button (or rather the pads, no more button at this point) can still be used in combination with Volume - to reset the device. It just...won't respond to normal short/longpresses. I'd imagine there's another trace that splits off before the defective component, leading to the Volume - button and creating a sort of hardware AND condition that triggers a reboot.
Don't know. Don't have the knowledge, nor the equipment, to really diagnose it properly, let alone affect repairs. Guess I'm stuck with popping the keyboard open to wake it until the glorious day that the Droid 5 comes around~
Rate this thread to express how you think the HTC 10 feels in terms of quality. A higher rating indicates that it feels premium and high-quality (attention to detail is high, manufacturing defects don't exist, etc).
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
My home-button/fingerprint sensor seems to be loose, after a while of not touching it the first touch seems to depress it back into place and then its fine for a while.
Labeled said:
My home-button/fingerprint sensor seems to be loose, after a while of not touching it the first touch seems to depress it back into place and then its fine for a while.
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Click to collapse
Same here. I thought it's just me. Feels annoyed at first. I can't stand if something wrong happened with my phone (especially hardware issue). Usually I'm thinking to sell it and buy a new one.
But for this issue, I think i already get used to it.
*cheers*
Same on the loose home button
But i guess its not that bad as i forgot about it for the last 2 weeks...
Screen defect is horrible, design wise could've been 2mm thinner.
What screen defect are you referring to and is this a widespread issue?
My vibrator motor became loose one night, i only had it for 20 days tops and never dropped it
Labeled said:
My home-button/fingerprint sensor seems to be loose, after a while of not touching it the first touch seems to depress it back into place and then its fine for a while.
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Click to collapse
maxupp said:
Same on the loose home button
But i guess its not that bad as i forgot about it for the last 2 weeks...
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Click to collapse
coolsight said:
Same here. I thought it's just me. Feels annoyed at first. I can't stand if something wrong happened with my phone (especially hardware issue). Usually I'm thinking to sell it and buy a new one.
But for this issue, I think i already get used to it.
*cheers*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
I have the same issue. My Home/fingerprint button is loose from the center to the left.
When I push it, I sometimes here crunchy noises (rarely when I put my thumb on it which is enough to unlock the phone).
The home button and the fingerprint sensor are both working fine so I won't send it back for now but this is an annoying detail (I can't stop thinking about this when I look at my phone ).
HaveYouSeenMyBrain said:
Hello,
I have the same issue. My Home/fingerprint button is loose from the center to the left.
When I push it, I sometimes here crunchy noises (rarely when I put my thumb on it which is enough to unlock the phone).
The home button and the fingerprint sensor are both working fine so I won't send it back for now but this is an annoying detail (I can't stop thinking about this when I look at my phone ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it mostly happens to me after being in my pocket, just sitting around my house and it never does it.
Just dropped mine from 4 ft face down onto hard kitchen tiles, not a mark, phew
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I generally love this phone. The feel of the case is great and the glass screen is equally smooth. My only complains are:
1. Camera bump. I hate using a case, but I feel like I'm going to scratch / break my camera off because of how it sticks out of the back of the phone.
2. The sharp edges on the bottom, specifically around the USB port cut into my finger when I hold the phone.
3. While I think it looks fine on the Carbon Grey, the plastic strip along the top looks bad on the Silver version of the phone.
I don't think I would've ever noticed the looseness of the home button had I not read this thread. I never push on it, just lay my finger over it to unlock or go back home so it never occurred to me to check for movement. My screen is great (may have slightly color issues, but I don't really compare it to other devices so it doesn't bother me). The body of the phone to me also seems to be top notch. No chipping or scratches as of yet...my Nexus 6P chipped and bent rather easily and I tend to take care of my phones.
This guy destroys phones and he said the HTC 10 is a Tank.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ62ixgzhrI
Perfect so far but I am disappointed with the black coating... a small drop and the bright aluminium shines through immediately... Why dont they mix paint with metal and then shape it instead of coloring if after ... its annoying watching those dents that are super visible just because it is painted :/
because you can just mix paint in with molten aluminum...
I have my 10 since yesterday and I am very happy with the build quality so far. The device has a premium feel to it and it is definitely the best quality smartphone I have ever had (including the iPhone)
coolsight said:
Same here. I thought it's just me. Feels annoyed at first. I can't stand if something wrong happened with my phone (especially hardware issue). Usually I'm thinking to sell it and buy a new one.
But for this issue, I think i already get used to it.
*cheers*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, I'm new here, I live in Germany, HTC is not so popular here , so I checked the international forums for information about my HTC 10.
I got my HTC 10 in August and I have the same problem with the home-button/fingerprint sensor. I'm anytime very careful with all my mobiles, so I have no idea why it is happen the same.
May I ask you it is getting worst with the home-button/fingerprint sensor since your last post here?
Sorry for my poor Englsih )
It feels and looks like an Iphone 3GS to me
this feel that every flagship phone should have
I have the newly released red one and the power button is a little hard to press, I kinda have to press it with my nail to push it.