[Q] Mysterious cracked screen Z1 anybody? - Xperia Z1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi Guys
Yesterday I took my phone out of my pocket and immediately realised it had 4 or 5 thin cracks emanating from the left, roughly where the charging flap is.
This is a MASSIVE headache. The phone was perfectly fine one moment as I recorded a video with it... I then put it in my pocket and when I removed it 30 mins later it had broken. I did not drop, bang, bash, knock nothing it. I paid cash for my phone so I have guarded it with my life. I never had anything else in the pocket with it and it was loose fitting shorts.
Now normally this would not be the end of the world, but I am on holiday in South Africa. I live in the UK so warranty repairs I assume would have to happen there. I have Amex insurance on it, usually they are very good, but if they send me a new phone I would likely be liable for a huge chunk, as in 40% of the value, import duty.
If they make a cash value payment to me I can buy the phone here, but then if it breaks in the UK the service centre there won't touch it.
I honestly feel really angry about this. I sold my iphone 5 in September and bought this phone, knowing full well that perhaps the biggest price I would pay would be the drop in after sales care. I would have been able to live with the crack until I get back to the UK, but like I said my phone is totally unusable.
Oh yes and I am only going back in May!! That is 5 more months so I can't be without a phone for half a year...
Has this happened to anybody? My circumstances are pretty unique, but can anybody offer any advice at all? surely people's phones break while on holiday, Sony can't just turn their back on me?
Thanks,
Johann

I think it's a unique case but just to be sure can you post some pictures?

eclyptos said:
I think it's a unique case but just to be sure can you post some pictures?
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Ok my only camera is my phone, but I will borrow my mum's phone tomorrow and take some pictures in the light. I have heard about spontaneous cracks with the Z ultra but not really Z1... I would be keen to know if anybody else discovered cracks...

Hi I didn't end up taking a photo but thought I would post an update.
I called Sony Mobile South Africa and they will NOT do a warranty repair here as the phone was bought in the UK (Why did I leave Apple??) however if I want to I can have them fix the screen for me for R4000 which is £236!! Plus the phone would have to be couriered to Johannesburg about 1600km away from Cape Town...and couriered back at my expense....
I then contacted Sony Mobile UK and a warranty repair can only happen if I courier the phone to the UK and pay for the courier back to SA. One of the major risks in this would be potentially being slammed with an import duty on the phone of 40% which would be about £240... even though I do not live here and will be taking the phone with me back to the UK in May...
In the end I had to courier it to London at £40 today my partner will now collect the phone and send it to my insurance company who will then either fix it or replace it.... my partner will then send the phone back to me at approximately £70.
Why am I telling you all this? Basically, don't let your phone break when you are on holiday... especially if you are on a long holiday like me, 5 months...
Sony's aftersales care is PATHETIC compared to Apple... I keep on asking myself, why did I do this? I knew it at the time and it was perhaps the single biggest thing putting me off leaving Apple... little did I know my phone would break just 3 months after getting it...and that a cracked screen in Xperialand means UNUSABLE screen... unlike my apple phone that had cracks in the screen for many moons before I bothered to fix it.

eclyptos said:
I think it's a unique case but just to be sure can you post some pictures?
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It's not exactly a unique case. See here:
http://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperi...a-self-cracking-screen-like-the-Z/td-p/401577

re
I have this issue as well, sent mine in today.. Not a single case, same issue as the Z...

Related

O2 are the most shocking company ever !!

I thought this little story would show O2 in a slightly new light....
a couple of weeks ago, my prized XDA2s developed 2 faults....one, it the on/off switch stopped working and the only way to power off was to remove the battery (??!!) and two, there was no audio what so ever coming from the speaker....nothing on media player, nothing on a call (although i rarely used it as a phone)....
so, i rang the legendary CS and was told by a young person who clearly was on their first day of social speaking, that i needed to take it to my nearest O2 store...
this i did, to be told it needed to go away for repair (no replacements allowed) and that it would be approx 2 weeks......no loan unit, nothing....
anyway, phone call 2 weeks later from an entirely different branch to say my phone was back........
so, go into the store to collect only to be told by the assistant that they had not repaired the unit...........IT WAS WATER DAMAGED !!!!
personally, i have never used the pda in the rain, it has never left the expensive leather case that i lovingly enveloped it in.......plus, the screen was and still is in pristine condition, protected by the expensive protector that i purchased for it..................WATER DAMAGED!!!
he then proceeded to show me a photocopy of the main board with more arrows than a Red Indian convention - allegedly this was my board indicating all the alleged water damage...........
so after much discussion, whereby the assistant grunted, huffed, rolled his eyes, looked around the store several times at another argument that was taking place, he basically informed me there was nothing i could do........'claim on your household insurance'...........which bit of 'it has never been in the rain' did he not understand............
no repair, no replacement, don't care if i did write to Head Office, please take your £259.99 lovely pda with no audio/power button and leave....
WELL O2, YOU REALLY HAVE GOT LOUSY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE.....
so if anyone wants knows anywhere i CAN get this fixed, i would be grateful
oh, and yes, i would definitely recommend Orange/Vodafone/T-Mobile to anyone !!!!
ouch....that sucks...were u on an insurance plan?
I was having a look through this insurance plan I'm on from o2 (oh...and not a fan of o2, just got the contract so I could get the phone for 99.99 and use it on vodafone) and if mine ever messes up *crosses fingers* then I'll probably call them up and tell them I lost it!
At least then I can be sure I'll get a working one back. lol
There is now a clause with lost phones, your claim must be accompanied by a police report number and then, at their discretion, they make a decision as to whether it is a "valid" loss, if they decide it isnt valid you get nothing it seems. I think the only people who need worry are those that have made multiple claims by way of getting a new phone every year.
all the networks are crap really, none them care, they are all halfwits in customer services.........and they still charge us a fortune for calls
It is fortunate of me, as i do not need to suffer from lousy customer service but the XDA in Singapore definitely cost more than those over at your side.
Hi, my name is Dom and I've been without my O2 XDAIIs for 1 week now. (thanks - I needed to get that off my chest)
I took my phone to an O2 shop last Monday and gave them a list of faults as long as the average M25 traffic jam. They told me 7-14 days and we should have it back.
If they tell me my unit is WATER-DAMAGED, I will be in contact with my solicitors. The closest my unit has been to water was being clipped to my belt while I took a wizz!!! Also, the only marks on the unit are the wear on the keyboard of the sliding mechanism and a slight scuff mark on the right edge where I knocked into a wall by a cyclist (crazy idiots).
My advice - contact a solicitor. Get he/she to get in tough with O2 regarding a replacement unit. The solicitor will cost a bit but it should get you a positive responce from O2. You might be able to get out of them.
Good luck!
Dom
Not only get a solicitor but make sure that the solicitor applies for costs as well as a replacement, that way it costs you nothing, assuming you win.
You may even be lucky and find a solicitor who is prepared to have a go on a no win no fee basis as it is likely to only take a few threatening letters to sort it out.

Broken AT&T Tilt Screen

As this is my first post I would just first like to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to this forum, without it this new smart phone user/AT&T subscriber wouldn't have been able to figure anything out.
Long story short: I just bought a new Tilt like three weeks ago and the LCD is already cracked. AT&T doesn't offer insurance on this phone and I am not entirely sure about HTC's manufacturers warranty. I checked across the forums and found some good information regarding replacing broken Tilt LCD screens, it all just seems fairly old. What I am wondering is what is the cheapest, easiest way to fix the LCD on the Tilt? Right now the cheapest I can find the LCD/Touchscreen combo with the right tools is $69.99 plus $12.99 S+H. Is this the best bet? Any other options I haven't thought of yet?
Also, I can't seem to find detailed picture instructions regarding the LCD swap anywhere on the forum? So where are the best directions for this online?
Now, time for a little rant. How the hell does AT&T not offer insurance for a phone that retails for over $300 brand new? Let's get serious here, it's an expensive piece of gadgetry that I happen to pay a lot of money for to use every month. The least they could offer their highest paying customers is a chance for insurance. By not offering insurance to their customers AT&T is basically saying "Piss off, oh, and make sure you pay your bill on time!" with a permanent smile on their face as they walk to the bank with our money. I'm sick of phone companies saying "I'm sorry, theres nothing I can do for you" to the customers that finance their paychecks, vacations, and replacement trophy wives boob jobs. I understand it's a service based industry and everyone wants their service, giving them the ultimate upper hand in the situation. But let's start thinking a little bit more with our heads and a little less with our wallets. It's time for these places to realize how ridiculous they are sometimes.
Apologize for the missive their, but man did it feel good.
l3urton32 said:
As this is my first post I would just first like to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to this forum, without it this new smart phone user/AT&T subscriber wouldn't have been able to figure anything out.
Long story short: I just bought a new Tilt like three weeks ago and the LCD is already cracked. AT&T doesn't offer insurance on this phone and I am not entirely sure about HTC's manufacturers warranty. I checked across the forums and found some good information regarding replacing broken Tilt LCD screens, it all just seems fairly old. What I am wondering is what is the cheapest, easiest way to fix the LCD on the Tilt? Right now the cheapest I can find the LCD/Touchscreen combo with the right tools is $69.99 plus $12.99 S+H. Is this the best bet? Any other options I haven't thought of yet?
Also, I can't seem to find detailed picture instructions regarding the LCD swap anywhere on the forum? So where are the best directions for this online?
Now, time for a little rant. How the hell does AT&T not offer insurance for a phone that retails for over $300 brand new? Let's get serious here, it's an expensive piece of gadgetry that I happen to pay a lot of money for to use every month. The least they could offer their highest paying customers is a chance for insurance. By not offering insurance to their customers AT&T is basically saying "Piss off, oh, and make sure you pay your bill on time!" with a permanent smile on their face as they walk to the bank with our money. I'm sick of phone companies saying "I'm sorry, theres nothing I can do for you" to the customers that finance their paychecks, vacations, and replacement trophy wives boob jobs. I understand it's a service based industry and everyone wants their service, giving them the ultimate upper hand in the situation. But let's start thinking a little bit more with our heads and a little less with our wallets. It's time for these places to realize how ridiculous they are sometimes.
Apologize for the missive their, but man did it feel good.
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Mike Channon has links to Disassembly guides. Try a search for "Kaiser Disassembly Guide." My expert opinion, remember advise it worth waht you pay for it , is that the $70 is a good deal.
EDIT: I'm in a good mood. Searched for you today. Kaiser Disassembly Guides.
And s response to your rant. See this is why Mobile Phone Companies have the WORSE customer service rating of ANY business.
yea I cracked my screen as well about a month after having it.. I ended up buying a screen replacement for 115 off of ebay...
But now be careful... When i broke my screen, I thought that was the only damage the phone took... well the impact was right above where the sim tray is... and it damaged it as well.. my phone wasn't able to read sim cards anymore after replacing the screen... So I did a bold move, and told AT&T warranty support that my phone all of a sudden didnt read my card anymore.. i sent it back to them, and they sent me a replacement...
they could have charged me $400 for sending them a broken "out-of-warranty" item but i lucked out
l3urton32 said:
..How the hell does AT&T not offer insurance for a phone that retails for over $300 brand new? Let's get serious here, it's an expensive piece of gadgetry that I happen to pay a lot of money for to use every month...
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That is exactly why they don't provide insurance for it. I asked a friend who works for them and he said that was the main reason. However if you live in dc metropolitan area there is a company called "Simply wireless" that offers insurance for any kind of mobile device and its 60 or 70 bucks upfront one time and insurance is good until something happens to device. Didn't get it myself but could be worth looking into.
p.s. i was also going to refer you to micheal but i Jimmy's already done it
Thanks to both of you already. Jimmy thanks for posting those directions, they look a little more intense than I thought but I don't think I'll have a problem replacing it myself. the $70 is way cheaper than the $170 from pocketpctechs.com
How would I make sure everything else is working fine on my phone? It's still syncing fine with my laptop and sends/receives calls, so I imagine its still fine. Is there a SIM access point through WMDC? Just to check that?
Also, anyone know any other ways to possibly get around this warranty here? The screen broke this morning, and I'm still not entirely sure how it happened. I had left my wall charger back home and only had my usb plug to charge my phone from. I woke up to the screen cracked and my phone being really really hot. The phone was at the foot of my bed, so I am not ruling anything out like me accidentally pushing in the screen, but has there ever been issues with the Kaiser's over heating and popping their LCD screen?
Thanks
Thanks to both of you already. Jimmy thanks for posting those directions, they look a little more intense than I thought but I don't think I'll have a problem replacing it myself. the $70 is way cheaper than the $170 from pocketpctechs.com
How would I make sure everything else is working fine on my phone? It's still syncing fine with my laptop and sends/receives calls, so I imagine its still fine. Is there a SIM access point through WMDC? Just to check that?
Also, anyone know any other ways to possibly get around this warranty here? The screen broke this morning, and I'm still not entirely sure how it happened. I had left my wall charger back home and only had my usb plug to charge my phone from. I woke up to the screen cracked and my phone being really really hot. The phone was at the foot of my bed, so I am not ruling anything out like me accidentally pushing in the screen, but has there ever been issues with the Kaiser's over heating and popping their LCD screen?
I used to work for Simply Wireless, and Mobile Solutions.. both a crooks.. dont buy from them, and definietly dont buy their insurance...
even though they are trying to clean their act up, their are 100% sales driven and dont give a f*ck bout their customer... trust me like i said, i worked for them...
if ur in the DC metro area, check out Wireless Jungle, they are located in Burke, Manassas, Herndon, and other parts of NoVA, they are excellent imo
l3urton32 said:
Thanks to both of you already. Jimmy thanks for posting those directions, they look a little more intense than I thought but I don't think I'll have a problem replacing it myself. the $70 is way cheaper than the $170 from pocketpctechs.com
How would I make sure everything else is working fine on my phone? It's still syncing fine with my laptop and sends/receives calls, so I imagine its still fine. Is there a SIM access point through WMDC? Just to check that?
Also, anyone know any other ways to possibly get around this warranty here? The screen broke this morning, and I'm still not entirely sure how it happened. I had left my wall charger back home and only had my usb plug to charge my phone from. I woke up to the screen cracked and my phone being really really hot. The phone was at the foot of my bed, so I am not ruling anything out like me accidentally pushing in the screen, but has there ever been issues with the Kaiser's over heating and popping their LCD screen?
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Click to collapse
honestly i doubt heat caused it... looking at my phone, i have enough room to stick my fingernail under the casing sourrounding the screen, so there is alittle room to move in case heat does expand the internals. My phone has gotten pretty damn hot before, to the point where i couldnt hold it (forgot it in the car with wifi bt and gps on... in 105F temp) and it was still fine....
I dont condone this... but when i broke my screen, i was extreemly careful in replacing it, and made sure not to add any additional scratches... once i was done, the phone looked like it did on day 1... so when i sent it back to AT&T there was no way they could tell it had been cracked open...
if ur phone still rings, and u can answer the calls, u should be ok...
I actually had the insurance prior to switching over to the tilt in October. In December my screen cracked and I called them and they said that since I was a long standing customer, they would replace it. they sent me a refurbished phone in 2 days.
I broke the scren again in February and this time I did not call immediately. about a month later I went past the store and told him the situation and he said to call again. I did and they sent me another one. they canceled my policy because I had two claims in one year. but they told me that I could pick it up again in a year.
Moral: always ask...you never know!
Awesome, more good info from everyone. I'm from the Rochester, NY area. Any idea if theres some sort of place that will insure any branded phones in my area? Google is failing me here. Also, do these places have to check your phone before they insure it? If theres some way I can get around that and put insurance on my phone I would just wait like a week and send it in...
yea if they "forget" to remove the insurance plan... or if u ask a stupid rep to add it, and they do... ur golden, and they will replace ur phone... I'm still grandfathered in with my insruance
btw kendall sent u a pm
so maybe AT&T is getting a little smarter. I called and got 4 different customer service reps and all of them told me it was ineligible...no luck with the bull**** approach. HTC USA said no go on everything too... I am getting a little fed up here. I have had this phone for only 3 weeks and everywhere I go everybody pretty much just dismisses me. My favorite dialog of the day came with one AT&T rep who was pissed off at more than just me trying to get an answer from her. And this is after she already told me the Tilt was ineligible for insurance
Me: So basically what your trying to say is that if I break my phone I'm pretty much screwed
AT&T Lady: umm... well. You can apply to get insurance on your phone and than you would be covered.
Me: you just told me I can't put insurance on my phone at all and you can't fix it for me
AT&T Lady: Wait. You can't put insurance on this? Hang on. (here she put me on hold to, what I assume at least, check her facts again) Alright Mr. Davis we can't insure your phone. Can I offer you a replacement Tilt at full retail price?
Let's get it it together AT&T, support the customers that pay your bills. We don't get the corporate discounts you get so it's a little ridiculous having to deal with all this crap.
Suggestion here...add an LCD Replacement walk-through to the Kaiser specific Wiki...or perhaps a whole section concerning DIY repairs and mods...Just something concise so it's a little easier to find. Thanks again to everyone though.
Lcd Screen
the cheapest i found was $65 for the lcd and $8 Shipping from. WWW.HTCLCD.COM comes with the tools to replace it.
Good instructions also on their website.
belize2004 said:
the cheapest i found was $65 for the lcd and $8 Shipping from. WWW.HTCLCD.COM comes with the tools to replace it.
Good instructions also on their website.
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Thanks a lot! I'm ordering now and will see how it all works out.
I found a new place that will replace the screen with quick turnaround for $125
www.northbayelectronics.com
I am sending mine today!
well my screen cracked... anyone think of a reason this replacement screen won't work? I bought it just now, $14, no big deal if it isn't what I need... but can anyone see how this might not be what I need?
http://cgi.ebay.com/TOUCH-SCREEN-FO...NameZWD4VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em124
that auction appears to just be for the touch screen overlay, not the LCD screen.
ericmcintire said:
well my screen cracked... anyone think of a reason this replacement screen won't work? I bought it just now, $14, no big deal if it isn't what I need... but can anyone see how this might not be what I need?
http://cgi.ebay.com/TOUCH-SCREEN-FO...NameZWD4VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em124
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I'm trying it. Please see:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=337102&page=10
and the page after. Should be interesting.
i ordered from htclcd.com (redirects to blackberry8100parts.com) on tuesday afternoon; i just received it from DHL. came in two separate boxes, one was the screen and tool, the other was another tool (different sizes). price was 68.80 including shipping from omaha, ne to knoxville, tn. regrettably i left the tilt at home so i can't do the replacement in the office today; i'll update when i've done the replacement (successfull or otherwise...) this evening or tomorrow morning. i'll try to remember to take some pics.
take off the four outer screws, and GENTLY GENTLY GENTLY pry the outer plastic bezel/frame off. you have to remove a philips head screw inside and to the left of the ear-peice speaker (as you look at the board from the back of the ear-peice (i.e. the inside of the bezel); i did not put this screw back on when re-assembling, i did pry the ear-piece connectors up a little to make sure they had enough stroke to make contact. you will need to remove GENTLY the adhesive that holds the sim-carrier to the back of the screen. once the parts are apart you can see the plug to remove the screen from the back of the button pad. reverse to reassemble. you do not have remove any peices from the main body or remove the screen from the main body IF you are only replacing the touch screen. i'll have my pics uploaded some time tomorrow. FYI, htclcd.com did not include the "plastic tool" that you are to use to pry the bezel off with but judicious use of a micro-driver and a guitar pick got the job done; for 20$US less than the competition and 2 day delivery, i am very happy with my purchase from them (htclcd.com = blackberry8100parts.com).
cheers all!

Warranty Woes - help please!!

recently my camera failed and the x1 went back to Sony, I've now had an email saying the phone is unrepairable and I have to pay £10 to have it returned unfixed.
I called them up and they say the mainboard is bent and not covered under warranty. The case is perfect, the screen is perfect and the phone has never been dropped etc.. They said this can happen even when the phone is in a pocket or bag but classed as accidental damage so not covered. They also said it's not a replacement part and I would need to buy a whole new phone, even if I was happy to pay for repair myself.
Is this right? Do they have to prove it was dropped? Is there no way of getting this fixed even if it costs me? Who can I complain to about this?
Thanks for any advice you can give..........
What country do you live in? And has this issue happened within 6 months?
If in the UK, you may be covered by 'The Sale of Goods Act 1979' if you believe the phone was not of satisfactory quality (plus a few others reasons). However as far as I know, this would protect you from the seller, not SE.
Put simply, goods are expected to last a reasonable amount of time within normal usage (which i would argue means keeping within your pocket). If it breaks within 6 months, it is the sellers responsibility to prove that it was fit for use at the time it was sold (very hard for them to do if others are working fine). After 6 months you have another 5.5 years (4.5 years in Scotland) where you are still protected but it your responsibility to prove the goods were unfit at the time of sale.
Might be worth a shot. Info can be found on the website for BBCs Watchdog TV program: http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/consumer_advice/consumer_law_sale_of_goods_emp.shtml
thanks for that, unfortunately i've had it for about 9 months so SOGA won't be easy for me to prove. I just cant get how they say it has been damaged by me, there's no signs of dropping, the phone is absolutely mint! I'm very mad indeed
the same thing has just happened to me with vodafone in the uk.
phone was sent back to the service centre as some of the keys on the right-hand side of the keyboard were working intermittantly which i believe is a common issue.
the phone was returned to me with a blurry picture of what may or may not be the inside of my phone saying that the phone had been damaged and was not covered by warranty. my phone has never been dropped and has been very well take care of. :-(
I have asked that they escalate my complaint and I'll be getting a call back tomorrow but I don't hold out too much hope. Not quite sure what too do after that but I wont stop there, considering the cost of the phone originally it's taking the p***
sounds shocking. Good luck mate and what country are you in?
I have just picked my phone up from an o2 store after sending it off for repair, the keys only worked intermittently (as previously posted) along with a few other issues. I received t.he handset back with a "Beyond Economical Repair" diagnosis, claiming that i had somehow bent and cracked the motherboard due to physical damage. I had to instead claim from o2 insurance costing me £25. I think in the future its much better to contact Sony Ericsson directly.
I'm in the UK and today had a call back from the escalations team who just confirmed what I was told yesterday, basically bent board, not our problem, buy a new one. They will send it back for free though which I'm supposed to be grateful for.
I'm now going to take it to their director of support, when you look at the 1000+ posts about the cracks and another 2 replies in this thread about the 'bent mainboard' the manufacture of this phone is questionable to say the least and goes a long way to prove the sale of goods act 'unfit for purpose' rule. I'm happy to take this to civil court if needs be........I'm a principals man and I'm seriously pi**ed...
Can you send it back to Sony? Sony repaired my damaged screen/cracked casing for free in about 7 days
i think it depends on country, in my they even charge me changin the case, becouse "they didnt get any input about cracks in case". i show them xda thread with numeros complaining and no luck, had to pay...
I recently sent the phone back to change the keyboard and upgrading of firmware. I had to wait 3 weeks for a keyboard cos they went out of stock for it.
They even changed my cover that had some scratches without even me asking. Also the D-pad was changed cos of some peeling.
I thought that they gave me a reburbished set so I checked the IMEI, its ok. They even offered me an extended warranty program where I pay around 70SGD and it covers even accessories like headphones and such for a one-to-one exchange scheme.
This is SE Singapore Support.

where is the water indicator? (and questions on warrany)

I need to get a nexus one handled thru warranty, but HTC says basically if anything is wrong they'll charge for a new phone. I've never dropped it in water but I just want to make sure just in case like if some steam got in or something, I really don't want to pay $500 for a refurbished phone or something like that.
Has anyone gotten a N1 replaced thru HTC?
also, where is the water indicator thing on the phone? Can it be seen if you take the cover off?
here:
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/6436943/1/liquiddamage?h=5096a4
I am not sure if there are any others.
The picture is of the back of my phone, at the very bottom with the rear lower cover off. Picture courtesy of HTC
On mine, there is also a water indicator under the battery terminal leads. Remove the battery, and look just below the connectors. You'll see a white sticker. or red if it's gotten wet.
Also note, that these stickers do not change color in humidity, they must touch standing water, you would need nearly 100% humidity + 100% condensation for it to change. Which under normal weather conditions (even a shower's steam) it would be impossible for it to change... And if you did get it to change from humidity, it's beyond the tolerance of the device and has voided the warranty.
Just as you can't put it in a 600 degree oven for an hour and say "i don't know what happened, it just melted in my hand" and expect a warranty replacement, or repair.
they have set standards for what the device can handle, certain number of G forces, high and low temperature, and humidity. any one of these items can void your warranty. Only a few can they really tell if it happened (water is most common).
If you think you're prone to doing these kinds of things, damaging electronic devices. You can buy insurance from some 3rd party companies, who'll replace the device, in the event it's stops working, damaged, or even stolen. Granted you're going to end up paying into the insurance for more than the phone's worth. But you'll get a brand new phone, if your friend steals it. (But they have ways of finding out if it's turned on, and they can track these things, insurance fraud is a crime, and they aren't stupid about it.) ;-)
In addition to the two sports mentioned above, my battery (stock) also has a water indicator strip on the side of it.
thanks guys, huge help.
@ mellow cat, I don't want to open the device up for fear of really voiding my warranty, I guess there's no way to see that without taking it apart eh?
@ next two dudes, thx, my strip is still white, so that pretty much means the inside is going to be white as well and I should be safe for a warranty claim right?
The water strips show two points where the water could enter. Near the battery is for the headphone jack. And the bottom is the USB port. If you did drop it in a 1/4 cup of beer (like a friend of mine with his iphone) but only went half way it'll show on the bottom.
If you're worried about steam then the battery one should be enough to ease your concern.
But any other damage like bumps and bruises on the phone is enough for them to deny your warranty claim. (Also assuming you bought new not a refurbished. Refurbs will be denied because they don't have stock serial numbers. I've worked at netgear doing support claims like that... so I know how those kinds of things work.)
Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
well ****.
Here's what I'm dealing with:
The phone is my girlfriend's. I bought it brand new from Google for her. About 2 months later she left on the top of her car and drove off, it fell near the freeway. Brick.
Sent it to Asurion and paid the deductible, obviously they sent a refurb.
Fast forward 2 weeks ago, the power button would work 1 out of 3 times pressing it, suddenly it stopped working altogether, so that would be a manufacture error. The phone has normal nicks on it, but no big dents or anything that it looks like it was dropped (to me). The battery indicator is white, although she says she had it in the bathroom while showering, not in the shower, but in the bathroom.
Called HTC, they said they'd replace it on warranty for free provided it didn't show user ****-ups. They are making me put $500 on a credit card in case they have to charge my ass.
So I am really worried they are going to "find" something wrong with it and charge me. She really loves this phone and can't have another one because she has to have that lighted track ball. I just want the ****ing power button fixed, that is it, nothing else. Never rooted, never anything.
This thing is pissing me off, why so much drama just to fix something it would take their tech guy like 10 minutes? It's still within a year of original purchase.
Any thoughts or advice?
orangekid said:
Sent it to Asurion and paid the deductible, obviously they sent a refurb.
Called HTC, they said they'd replace it on warranty for free provided it didn't show user ****-ups. They are making me put $500 on a credit card in case they have to charge my ass.
So I am really worried they are going to "find" something wrong with it and charge me.
This thing is pissing me off, why so much drama just to fix something it would take their tech guy like 10 minutes? It's still within a year of original purchase.
Any thoughts or advice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first question is, what about the insurance co? Have you asked them about a replacement since they sent you the first replacement?
I've dealt with a similar situation with a laptop. I ended up suing gateway for my laptop back.
So HTC will find that it's a refurb. They will charge you for the repair. This should be a reasonable cost for repair ($60-160 no more than that).
HTC should only be asking for $500 hold if they are sending you a replacement, and that they don't want to be shortchanged in the event you don't send yours back.
They may still charge you for repairs, they may not.
But the $500 should be released either way.
If they do not do it this way, go file a civil lawsuit for the $500 damages. They won't fight it, and it'll cost you about $35.
If they do fight, then you've got your ducks in a row (you'll win), you should have your replacement anyway. Just go with it.
This is from personal experience, and I hope it goes smoothly.
They said they would replace it for free even though I told them it was a refurb via Asurion because the original purchase date is less than a year, but if they find that I ****ed it up in any way (e.g. water damage) they'd charge the $500, So I can pay $80 to fix it like you say or attempt to get the free replacement (they already know it's a refurb) chancing they charge me $500.
$160 still seems like too much money to fix something that is a common failure on their end while it's still under warranty.
I can get a replacement refurb thru Asurion for $130 so paying $160 seems ludicrous (I know you said they may charge only $60 but what are the odds)
orangekid said:
I can get a replacement refurb thru Asurion for $130 so paying $160 seems ludicrous (I know you said they may charge only $60 but what are the odds)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, Are you a gambling man?
Your options:
1) pay 130$, get another refurb.
2) take a chance, that that phone has never seen water. And are you willing to put $500 on the poker table for that?
Also, if you enjoy legal battles and can spare the $500 for a few months, if they do charge you the $500, then you can sue the insurance co for sending you a bad refurb, in damages of $500... since you know it's never seen water since you've had it. (it's not your fault its water stickers were set off, you shouldn't have to pay the $500. I'm not one for sue-ing everyone, but in this case, it's going to hurt you in $500 if you didn't) But thats a last ditch effort.
flibbertigibbet007 said:
So, Are you a gambling man?
Your options:
1) pay 130$, get another refurb.
2) take a chance, that that phone has never seen water. And are you willing to put $500 on the poker table for that?
Also, if you enjoy legal battles and can spare the $500 for a few months, if they do charge you the $500, then you can sue the insurance co for sending you a bad refurb, in damages of $500... since you know it's never seen water since you've had it. (it's not your fault its water stickers were set off, you shouldn't have to pay the $500. I'm not one for sue-ing everyone, but in this case, it's going to hurt you in $500 if you didn't) But thats a last ditch effort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well I do play hold 'em a lot with friends over bbq and beers but that's a different story.
so maybe I'll just chance the $500 and send it in for warranty then if HTC pulls a fast one I'd do a civil suit on Asurion for $500 for sending me a jacked up phone?
maybe, I mean this whole thing sucks and $130 is insane for the damn power button.
ugh
Hey you've got more guts than I do. But you're probably on a good bet. Although I don't gamble much.
Please let me know how it ends up. I'd love to hear a good ending.
Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
This thread made me really laugh. I was afraid of the $529 on credit collateral for the repair, but after going through it EIGHT TIMES (yes EIGHT) I can assure you they don't check the phone that thoroughly. As long as you didn't swim with the phone, everything's covered. Make sure your screen is not HEAVILY SCRATCHED or CRACKED, this can cause them to get ancy. The biggest problem is them sending you a lemon, and I've gotten 7 of them so far, ranging from dust under screen to power button to LCD Flicker and coloration/dead pixels. I swear its like a grab bag...
Dnlsmy I'm talking of past experience with other warranty claims and from my experience working at netgear. I don't know how lenient HTC is about their warranty. But from what you say you sound pleased other than the refurbished units you got back...
All I can say is good luck.
Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
UPDATE:
ok so I ended up just sending the device to HTC, go the new unit last tuesday. Girlfriend couldn't be more pleased, noticed the difference in the button right away.
HTC didn't charge me for a new phone, so guess they didn't find anything wrong with it, glad she never let me root it, lol.
Looks like this will turn out a happy ending, thx to everyone for chiming in, I'm sure I'll be back to these forums for a Nexus related question at some point
now if you'll excuse me there's a new CM7 ROM on my HD2 that needs flashing

[q] my z1s screen is cracked!

I don't know why, but I'm sure I didn't do it. My Sony Xperia Z1s C6916, which I bought from T-Mobile USA, suddenly had a crack in the screen, across the screen, left to right. The screen now is unresponsive and keep reading wrong touch controls. I cannot use it anymore.
Now I google it and found it's a well known problem amongst the Xperia Z series user, and that Sony, most of the time, won't recognize that is a manufacturer defect, and won't repair it under warranty.
As much as I hate it, I need to get it fixed. Question is.... to those with a similar problem, did you send your phone in to Sony for Screen replacement on any Z series ( Z, ZL, ZR, Z Ultra, Z1, etc.). To those who paid for the repairs, how much was it? I just wanna know because a local mobile phone repair shop can do it for $150 USD, more or less.
However, as much as I would hate the Sony right now, I trust them for repairing on their own products, resealing it the water-resistant ways, Though you can make sure that I'll treat it like any other phones, water-resistant or not.
What I'm concern about is the cost. Xperia Care online are idiots who can't tell the difference between a Sony Xperia and a Samsung Galaxy.
Also, I contacted Sony via email, twitter and facebook. I asked how and where to send the phone in. None have reply. on via email, they gave me the reference number.
What I need is for them to open a case, RMA form and number, and an address for me to send it to.
They are taking it awfully slow and I'm hating them for it.
If I could choose, I would want to send it straight to Sony HQ in Japan for repairs.
Have you tried calling them? Their customer service is very good.
Sent from my C6916 using xda app-developers app
I have to deal with support of various manufacturers daily (working as an it professional)
In Germany it's like this:
As end user your reseller must look at the case. If you bought it in a store go there and ask them.
HOWEVER
I've discovered that most of them are stupid and/or non cooperative.
So your best chance is calling the Sony support. Go to their website and look up their telephone number. When you call them you most likely need to give them some kind of serial (imei). After, tell them your problem and you most likely will get a return sticker. Send in your device via mail and get a repaired (or new) I device about a week later.
I've discovered that this way is the fastest and less troublesome way to deal with broken devices
Sent from Xperia Z1
I'm in a similar situation. TMo US took one look at it and said they won't fix it, and then informed me that I didn't have device protection on my plan (thought I had, grumble grumble) so they can't do anything for me. Called their claims department, was again informed that they cannot do anything for me.
Has anybody had luck with Sony HQ performing repairs? Or, has anybody had any luck with swapping over a clean screen and digitizer from another Z1s? I can follow teardown and rebuild guides to make the swap, and have all the small device tools necessary to swap the screen.
Meanwhile, my wife has no phone until we find some solution ...
mariussilverwolf said:
I'm in a similar situation. TMo US took one look at it and said they won't fix it, and then informed me that I didn't have device protection on my plan (thought I had, grumble grumble) so they can't do anything for me. Called their claims department, was again informed that they cannot do anything for me.
Has anybody had luck with Sony HQ performing repairs? Or, has anybody had any luck with swapping over a clean screen and digitizer from another Z1s? I can follow teardown and rebuild guides to make the swap, and have all the small device tools necessary to swap the screen.
Meanwhile, my wife has no phone until we find some solution ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just sent my phone in to Sony Repair @ Laredo, TX, USA. wish me luck,
BigDnm01 said:
I just sent my phone in to Sony Repair @ Laredo, TX, USA. wish me luck,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Subscribing to this thread, because I noticed exactly the same thing yesterday. Took phone out of pocket and the bottom right of the glass is cracked. Not affecting use (for now) because it is in the large bezel area, but I did nothing but take it out of my pocket. Please let us know if it is repaired under warranty by Sony - I know TMo is going to say it was my fault.
Don't some of you use a leather pouch to protect the phone? It takes most of the pressure on the screen when in the pants or something
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
HellRoot said:
Don't some of you use a leather pouch to protect the phone? It takes most of the pressure on the screen when in the pants or something
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never been much of a pouch (or case) user. If I knew the phone glass would crack spontaneously, I probably would have done something different (like not buy it).
gtownie said:
Never been much of a pouch (or case) user. If I knew the phone glass would crack spontaneously, I probably would have done something different (like not buy it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
most users have screen protectors
i use the speigen tr glass
i have dropped it onto concrete 20 + times still no screen damage
BigDnm01 said:
I don't know why, but I'm sure I didn't do it. My Sony Xperia Z1s C6916, which I bought from T-Mobile USA, suddenly had a crack in the screen, across the screen, left to right. The screen now is unresponsive and keep reading wrong touch controls. I cannot use it anymore.
Now I google it and found it's a well known problem amongst the Xperia Z series user, and that Sony, most of the time, won't recognize that is a manufacturer defect, and won't repair it under warranty.
As much as I hate it, I need to get it fixed. Question is.... to those with a similar problem, did you send your phone in to Sony for Screen replacement on any Z series ( Z, ZL, ZR, Z Ultra, Z1, etc.). To those who paid for the repairs, how much was it? I just wanna know because a local mobile phone repair shop can do it for $150 USD, more or less.
However, as much as I would hate the Sony right now, I trust them for repairing on their own products, resealing it the water-resistant ways, Though you can make sure that I'll treat it like any other phones, water-resistant or not.
What I'm concern about is the cost. Xperia Care online are idiots who can't tell the difference between a Sony Xperia and a Samsung Galaxy.
Also, I contacted Sony via email, twitter and facebook. I asked how and where to send the phone in. None have reply. on via email, they gave me the reference number.
What I need is for them to open a case, RMA form and number, and an address for me to send it to.
They are taking it awfully slow and I'm hating them for it.
If I could choose, I would want to send it straight to Sony HQ in Japan for repairs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to save a lot, you can try to replace the screen by yourself. But it is hard job...
Share a Z1 repair guide with u. Hope it can help you.
Sony fixed my cracked phone, free of charge. I guess it was under warranty. They didn't even contacted me, they just ship it back to me with a UPS tracking number.
BigDnm01 said:
Sony fixed my cracked phone, free of charge. I guess it was under warranty. They didn't even contacted me, they just ship it back to me with a UPS tracking number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow you really got lucky! Either that, or Sony knows there's a problem with their phones and don't want to get into a whole debacle about it.
aooga said:
Wow you really got lucky! Either that, or Sony knows there's a problem with their phones and don't want to get into a whole debacle about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really feel I lucked out. I was thinking I need to pay 200-300 USD for repairs and was dreading it. I even didn't wanted to send it in because I didn't have the money to spare.
BigDnm01 said:
I really feel I lucked out. I was thinking I need to pay 200-300 USD for repairs and was dreading it. I even didn't wanted to send it in because I didn't have the money to spare.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well ok then. Looks like it is time to try and find a backup phone to use for a week or so while I send mine in.
BigDnm01 said:
Sony fixed my cracked phone, free of charge. I guess it was under warranty. They didn't even contacted me, they just ship it back to me with a UPS tracking number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any idea how long after they received it you got that tracking number? They've had mine for a little over a week and I'm just curious. Thanks
In about 2 weeks, i remember i sent it via fedex 4-11, they receive it 4-15 and i received the tracking number on the 25th.
LotoTutu said:
If you want to save a lot, you can try to replace the screen by yourself. But it is hard job...
Share a Z1 repair guide with u. Hope it can help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a good method to reduce cost, but you'll have a higher chance in losing your water / dust resistance. You can also damage your phone if you're not careful. Not sure if people really care about the resistances though.
BigDnm01 said:
I don't know why, but I'm sure I didn't do it. My Sony Xperia Z1s C6916, which I bought from T-Mobile USA, suddenly had a crack in the screen, across the screen, left to right. The screen now is unresponsive and keep reading wrong touch controls. I cannot use it anymore.
Now I google it and found it's a well known problem amongst the Xperia Z series user, and that Sony, most of the time, won't recognize that is a manufacturer defect, and won't repair it under warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sent my phone in to Laredo as well, my phone didn't have a warranty associated to it and they replaced the screen (along with some other parts) for free. If you want water/dust resistance, shell in the $25 for inspection / shipping and see what they'll charge you. For me they just repaired it without leaving an email or phone call. If they charge you an unreasonable price ($150 < x) then have them send it back to you and repair it yourself or have a third-party vendor do it for you.
kentexcitebot said:
This is a good method to reduce cost, but you'll have a higher chance in losing your water / dust resistance. You can also damage your phone if you're not careful. Not sure if people really care about the resistances though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In fact , the Sony customer support can't guarantee water resistance either after disassemble your Z1s.
The oem precut adhesive should not cause any problems with ruining your ip58 waterproof.
I've done lcd swaps and it should be properly sealed if you use that. As I've read, brand new Z1s have leaked water aswell so it might be about luck.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Free mobile app
BigDnm01 said:
My Sony Xperia Z1s C6916, which I bought from T-Mobile USA, suddenly had a crack in the screen, across the screen, left to right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This just happened to my bf's z1s. He put it in his pocket when he got out of the car, walked into our apt, and when he took the phone out it was completely cracked and the screen was unresponsive.
He's sending it out today be checked by Sony. The rep made it VERY clear that the "engineers" would look at the phone and determine if it was a manufacture defect or not. If it was a defect, they'd fix it and return it. If not, then they'll call and discuss repair options.
You might not be able to tell from the photos, but the cracks are under the glass, and it's clear that it's not do to user abuse. Hopefully the "engineers" see it the same way.
Posts like these helped convince us that sending the phone to Sony was worth a shot, so I just wanted to share our experience. I hope he has the same success you did with getting it fixed. I'll update in a couple of weeks on the verdict.
PS: for anyone else that faces this issue, TMO insurance will not cover this without a $150 deductible. We were told that regardless of what caused the crack, they don't exchange phones with cracked screens. The TMO rep we talked to def didn't believe that the crack happened spontaneously. Don't waste your time.

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