Database Users

We deserve a better hardware, don't we?

I dropped my Universal yesterday. My fault. True.
And now it thinks there is always the headset in, so it's stuck and I can't answer the calls using the phone microphone, just bluetooth. And I can't hear the sms alert.
Again, my fault.
BUT it was already faulty, I had to put something in-out the heasdset hole because the sensor didn't work very well (it's a well known problem).
I should change the mother board, now, and I don't want to spend so much money. :evil:
Also because it happened to me to put the Universal in my pocket and... surprise, the screen was broken (substitution: round 150 Euro). Then I bought also a leather case to avoid this problem in the future.
I used to have a Sony UX50 (unfortunately NOT the Vaio UX50, same name, but it was Palm, not Windows XP) and I kept it with no prob in my pockets, and it fell down several times, surviving!
I'm not saying it should be unbreakable, of course, but my opinion is that a mobile device should be more robust. :?

Mate its all a matter of luck really. Im sure theres users on here like me who keep it in there pocket, who have knocked it around, and who have had some spills with it and theres still works fine. Well mine does. You people though who put them in your pocket and break the scrrens, id love to know what you are doing to have such an impact come down on your leg you break the screen.
Either that or your extraordinarily uncoordinated and walking into poles all day....in any case yours should be more durable, but you got unlucky unfortuntely.

This reminded of two anecdotes.
1) You're right, the sensor doens't work well. On my way to work the headphone jack slipped a quarter of a millimetre while I was listening to hardcore gangsta rap. You should have seen my face rushing for my pocket, desperatly trying to figure out what was happening. Even more shocked where the train passenger, having to listen to the Universal full blast :-D
2) I wouldn't call the the Universal flimsy, but it definitely doens't seem like the kind of device that could handle shocks well. I had 6 nokias and 3 motorolas before, and all 3 motos died (I'm rough with my devices ). The nokias where dropped off buildings and slammed against walls (don't ask) yet kept on soldiering. I would dare to subject the universal to the same treatment.
:lol:

:lol:
I decided to send my babe to Germany, where it came from, trying to resolve the problem.
In the meanwhile, I ordered the Nokia E61, by far an interesting smartphone (and, as you mentioned, Nokia phones are robust!).
My first Nokia, really amazing: wifi, bluetooth, 3g, latest symbian operating system.
If the Universal returns home, maybe I'll keep the Nokia as really "mobile" solution (that is in my pocket) and the Universal for business (taking notes, extensively browsing the web...)

Nokias, robust?
You obviously never had an 8210 lol
My wife and I really liked these phones when they came out so we had one each. We got through on average one a month. As I may have mentioned elsewhere in this forum, my wife doesn't do technology very well, walking into poles, dropping phones in toilets, coffee, beer, and other assorted disasters. I'm very careful with mine yet these 8210s seemed to be made of rice paper.
I'm now on my second HTC unit and the construction seems adequate, but not great. The hinge will be the first thing to go on my Uni, but that won't be because I'm rough with it, it just seems to be a weak point.

JasJar Universal screen broke for no apparent reason.
My JasJar was on a hotel bed. On moment I was playing with it. Put it down. Picked it up in a few minutes and the screen was broken and leaking liquid internally.
In this same hotel My little girl previously pissed on a imate PDA2.
Bad luck places aside. I had nokias 9X00 series the calm shell pda type. Those are much stronger than most HTC stuff.
I mean I paid lots and I mean lots of money for the JasJar, really as far as I know it is THE MOST EXPENSIVE MOBILE WITHOUT REAL DIAMONDS IN IT. And we get a flimsy case. The cover of the LCD is very weak. Very.
Take care of your HTCs.
Really HTC the next JasJar should be stronger and have more ram. Hello, we are buying the most geeky phone, a little more ram will really help. Wimps may be able to live on less ram but someone who buys jasjar would not.

PReDiToR said:
Nokias, robust?
You obviously never had an 8210 lol
My wife and I really liked these phones when they came out so we had one each. We got through on average one a month. As I may have mentioned elsewhere in this forum, my wife doesn't do technology very well, walking into poles, dropping phones in toilets, coffee, beer, and other assorted disasters. I'm very careful with mine yet these 8210s seemed to be made of rice paper.
I'm now on my second HTC unit and the construction seems adequate, but not great. The hinge will be the first thing to go on my Uni, but that won't be because I'm rough with it, it just seems to be a weak point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just shows how different people can have different experiences. I still have an 8210 and it's by far the toughest phone I've ever had. (admittedly I've got it in a G-shock type cover I found online, but that's been soaked, thrown about, crashed on a motorcycle etc etc and still works fine. (Admittedly it's the 2nd one I had - the screen became faulty on the first).

the good ol 8210s I had mine for so long, actually I had mine for about 1.5 years but then my mum had it for over 3 years. So 4.5yrs out of the one phone and during that time it had been pounded and dropped a hundred dozen times.
Such tiny phones, simple phones. The old days hey.
memories....

Most solid ever would have been my nokia 3310. That thing was shaped like a brick but was also solid as a brick. I dropped it hundreds of time, one time it even went completly under a car! I also threw it away as hard as I could against a wall (I get mad sometimes :evil: ). Well, short of a few cracks in the cover, that phone still works today.
It doesn't resist water though, a friend of mine swam with his ( :lol: ) and the poor thing worked for like a few hours then stopped.

I'm a little curious...

Hi guys,
I'm just a little curious. I've been lurking over the Xperia for a very long time now (ever since it was announced). I've read that people are having cracks all over the phone, even from people who have had the phones for as long as 3 months.
Why do people still purchase the phone knowing that the problem exists? Why blindly fork over so much money?
Oh, and by no means am I a trying to start a war or anything, I'm just curious. I've really been wanting to get this phone for such a long time now, and I'm really rather disappointed that Xperia's build quality is just crap.
What are your thoughts?
Cheers.

dude, there is a thread started by me.
In tat i say taht i threw my phone in a fit of rage, and it bounced off the floor, and hit two walls before falling down again. and alas, the slider is loose, but i can get it fixed. Other than that, no cracks, no broken lcd, no nothing.
And by the way, mine is a 08w44, this is the production batch everyone's having trouble with. So if my phone can come out with flying colours outta the torture i put it thro, i would say the build quality is good overall.

well it depends on what "crap" for you means, for your standards for a phone. But generally I would say people look these into a phone but not limited to:
1. Feature
2. Design
3. Advantages
4. Price
as for me I bought the phone not knowing the crack until 2 days that the phone is already with me and I'm looking at this forum for apps and custom stuff. You may consider things that Xperia can upset you but by far, its still the king of the hill.
with a few disappointments though, I still love the phone, and starting to hate the service.

The ones having problems with the phone are the ones that complain.
That's normal.
The ones without problems have no need not complain.
So don't think that a thread where all the cracks unite is representative for the whole series. Even a fraction of users have these cracks. Of course, that's still too many, but there is no need to be afraid of buying this phone because of this issue. The chance to get of a faulty one is very low.

Only a couple of production batches were affected with this issue
I've had 3 xperias sofar and none of them had cracks
What's more: IMHO, even a cracked xperia would be better than an Iphone or anything else out there

gtrab said:
Only a couple of production batches were affected with this issue
I've had 3 xperias sofar and none of them had cracks
What's more: IMHO, even a cracked xperia would be better than an Iphone or anything else out there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A cracked xperia X1 is a far better option than a cracked iphone 3g... (every batch of them seems to crack, same as their mac books)

Guys,
Thank you for your replies so far. I apologize, I guess I was wrong to be quick about assuming that a lot of Xperias have these problems. I still wish to get this phone, and have been bidding my time, hoping that the quality control will get better over time (perhaps HTC will change the materials or something).
Right now, I was wondering, are the cracks specific to colors (Black vs Silver)? Or are there issues on both colors anyway?
Also, which product batches are affected by this issue?
The problem is, if I purchase a gray market phone, say, from Amazon or something, and there is no warranty on it, and I do get a crack, how can I go about repairing the chasis?
Cheers.

Looking at the crack thread, it would seem that cracks were more common in the silver models.

throw mine on the floor yesterday and some1 accidently stepped on it. looks as new as when i bought it. and no problem at all.

Well
Looking at the cracks and their positioning it seems to me that the cracks seems to be due to a weak point in the design and some people just manage to break them. The one near the stylus I'm guessing happens because people are pulling it out at an angle and putting stress on the body, instead of taking it easy.
The one inside, by battery seems to be that theyre getting a "bending" force applied to them, back pockets anyone? sitting on them? Anyway, had mine a week, seems ok, dropped it a few times,no problems, got a crystal case on it now too for Xtra protection.
Will see how it goes after a while, but to be honest, if it does crack etc, i'm sure the provider would have to replace it?

Guys,
Well, if I buy it from Amazon, it comes with no warranty and it is an unlocked phone.
I also disagree that the price of X1a is the same as X1i. The reduced video capabilities should have affected X1a's pricing (which is why I am not even considering SonyStyleUSA).
Cheers.

gtrab said:
Only a couple of production batches were affected with this issue
I've had 3 xperias sofar and none of them had cracks
What's more: IMHO, even a cracked xperia would be better than an Iphone or anything else out there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whoa, I'd love to have one of your phone. Though without the crack in my case, I still liked my phone. By the way, since you got three phone I was wondering, when I borrowed my cousin's black Xperia, the arc slider seem just a little oo shaky compared to mine, hers rebounds a bit when sliding in and out. mine doesn't .Don't you notice any differences in your X1s?

PoisonWolf said:
Guys,
Well, if I buy it from Amazon, it comes with no warranty and it is an unlocked phone.
I also disagree that the price of X1a is the same as X1i. The reduced video capabilities should have affected X1a's pricing (which is why I am not even considering SonyStyleUSA).
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know the laws in your country, but as far as I know, when you buy a new phone you always have warranty from the manufacturer as long as you have an invoice (bill?) for it.
Of course, you will have no provider where you can go, but sonyericsson itself has to be responsible.

They're not hot pixels, it's dust!

Okay, so I've had a few Heros and sent them all back apart from the one I have now. The main reason for returning 5 Heros so far, was the quality of the screen. Basically there was dust under the screen. I initially thought it was stuck pixels but I'm now certain it's dust.
Dust is visible during the boot animation. It looks like stuck pixels; really bright little points of light. The reason they're visible during the boot animation is because for some reason, the backlight is up full when the phone boots. This will highlight little specks of dust which may not necessarily be visible at other times.
Now, I've noticed another type of dust speck. This kind is visible when the phone is off, or in sleep mode. This type of dust speck is lit by ambient light, so it is visible only when the screen is off, or showing a black image etc, in bright daylight.
So logically, this would lead me to believe that there are at least 2 layers of screen into which dust can find its way and consequently show itself up differently; either highlighted by the screen backlight (like during the boot animation) or highlighted against the screen by ambient light.
When I got the Hero I'm currently using, I was glad to have finally received one with no screen dust. 2 days later, and I have 2 specks of dust, one of each type, both on the left hand side of the screen. This is B.S. because I'm obsessive about screen imperfections, and if dust is getting in now then what's it gonna look like in a month, or 10 months?
Why do HTC have such bad quality control? Or why have they made a screen that isn't sealed so any dust, lint or any other pocket sh*t combination thereof can get inside and irritate the hell out of me? This makes HTC look like amateurs. My SE P1 has sat in my pocket for 2 years and still has a visibly perfect screen.
I am now considering disassembling the handset to impliment my own cleaning and sealing of the internals. Does anyone know if there exists in circulation a technical manual for the Hero?

I had a feeling they weren't hot/dead pixels - 'cos they're only noticable to me when I adjust the viewing angle and blast my brightness up to full and on a black screen/image.

I think it should be accepted that the phone is a load of crap and that it's not going to be able to live up to what was promised.

tatwamasi said:
I think it should be accepted that the phone is a load of crap and that it's not going to be able to live up to what was promised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and who cares what you think?
Its actually a cracking phone despite some teething problems and i have had some, many people have had NO problems at all.
Its NEVER sensible to buy any new product when it first comes out as you often get initial 1st production run issues, especially in complex devices
so your basically talking out of your crack

My Nokia E71 had the same problem. The screen (what you think is the screen) is a protective glass/plastic sheet and the dust can get behind it (between it and the lcd). I only got it sorted when the dust built up so bad and it took the repair shop about 15 minutes to fix.
spacecat said:
and who cares what you think?
Its actually a cracking phone despite some teething problems and i have had some, many people have had NO problems at all.
Its NEVER sensible to buy any new product when it first comes out as you often get initial 1st production run issues, especially in complex devices
so your basically talking out of your crack
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

spacecat said:
and who cares what you think?
Its actually a cracking phone despite some teething problems and i have had some, many people have had NO problems at all.
Its NEVER sensible to buy any new product when it first comes out as you often get initial 1st production run issues, especially in complex devices
so your basically talking out of your crack
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to be rude.
On topic, I'm not sure how many more things need to be wrong with this handset before you'd agree with me. Aside from the all the hardware faults being reported people are recommending turning off widgets and apps (what's the point in multitasking if it takes twice as long?) and deleting parts of the OS to get it to run at something approaching smoothly. I know there are updates due but right now pretty much anything you want to do with the phone seems to be flawed. (funnily enough I'd finished typing the "anything" before my phone displayed "a" on the sceen).
Fair enough if you're loving it (though I could uncharitably say who cares what you think) but there's no way I'd recommend this phone to a friend.

I think you should accept that your talking crap, go on any site about any new tech and people are slagging it off this works that doesnt etc etc.
You will also find lots of people saying its great.
Now your backtracking on your own post , what if the update makes its great your going to look an even bigger twat than you look now.
Phone has been barely out a couple of months

tatwamasi said:
No need to be rude.
On topic, I'm not sure how many more things need to be wrong with this handset before you'd agree with me. Aside from the all the hardware faults being reported people are recommending turning off widgets and apps (what's the point in multitasking if it takes twice as long?) and deleting parts of the OS to get it to run at something approaching smoothly. I know there are updates due but right now pretty much anything you want to do with the phone seems to be flawed. (funnily enough I'd finished typing the "anything" before my phone displayed "a" on the sceen).
Fair enough if you're loving it (though I could uncharitably say who cares what you think) but there's no way I'd recommend this phone to a friend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
spacecat said:
I think you should accept that your talking crap, go on any site about any new tech and people are slagging it off this works that doesnt etc etc.
You will also find lots of people saying its great.
Now your backtracking on your own post , what if the update makes its great your going to look an even bigger twat than you look now.
Phone has been barely out a couple of months
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tatwamasi, I know you are right with some points about the hardware faults and all but i guess ( i wont say i think ...lol) that every new phone that comes out at one point has them.
Buying a product just after its release is a risk to take if you know what i mean but hey who cares as long as the warantee is there
anyway, i think the htc hero is a great phone. Its just that many of us had high expectations. too much maybe. Many of us complain of the lag and stuff... so far i havent used any smartphone without one. of course you might mention the "iphone" to me but let me just say that i prefer a laggy phone with the capability of running applications on the background than a smooth one without the multitask capab.
Like spacecat said, i am sure there'll be an update to fix these things.
Cheers!!!!!!!

Here here!
Awsome Handset! Awsome O/S!
Teething issues to be epected with all devices of this stature!
and if you implement the correct apps and methods your lag issues are solved! (e.g swapper + Taskill) Simpuls! Worked for me
I know as I, most of the guys here on XDA have been running winmo for donkeys and android is a breath of fresh air!
This is XDA-DEVEPLOPERS lets stop *****ing and do something productive.....
P.S.... come on, really Dust in the screen you evven admitted you cannot see it while in normal operation

spacecat said:
I think you should accept that your talking crap, go on any site about any new tech and people are slagging it off this works that doesnt etc etc.
You will also find lots of people saying its great.
Now your backtracking on your own post , what if the update makes its great your going to look an even bigger twat than you look now.
Phone has been barely out a couple of months
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In no way did I backtrack. I can't be bothered to argue with you though. Bye!

tatwamasi said:
I think it should be accepted that the phone is a load of crap and that it's not going to be able to live up to what was promised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me know of a product that doesn't live up to what was promised. Oh and please explain your meaning of 'promised'

Can I be the ref here and step in with some points that can't really be denied.
1. Dust under screen: Unacceptable. Heard of quality control? Shoddy screen manufacture is fine, even expected in a handset from Tesco that costs £10. Not in the £400 HTC Android flagship.
2. Screen gap. Also unacceptable. I don't even need to explain why.
3. Early adoption = expect problems. I disagree. This is true in practice but not in principle. I didn't pay £400 to be a beta tester. If you can't get the tolerances/design/software sorted out for the first batch then don't sell any until you do.
I'll be the first to say that the Hero is one of the best handsets out there if not THE best, but these little manufacturing issues are a huge fail.

I feel your pain.
Since over a month I want to buy the HTC Hero. At different shops I checked about 7 or 8 devices - all had at list a single dust spot under the screen.
Completely agree with you, that is unacceptable. It doesn't take much in the manufacturing process to secure a dust-free environment.
So, as long as HTC is not able to provide a dust-free screen, I won't buy a HTC device.
I'll have another look at a new shipment when my dealer calls me. That will be it.
Dust under the screen is very irritating especially in bright daylight.
My eyes get fixated on it, can't help it! How much easer can life be for others who just don't care or just don't see it.

panmores said:
I feel your pain.
My eyes get fixated on it, can't help it! How much easer can life be for others who just don't care or just don't see it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well i have no dust under the screen. ( touch wood touch gold) . Maybe because the protective shield i applied on my screen goes slightly beyond the screen, thus covering the gaps and everthing. It is hardly noticable if u ask me.

deeren said:
Well i have no dust under the screen. ( touch wood touch gold) . Maybe because the protective shield i applied on my screen goes slightly beyond the screen, thus covering the gaps and everthing. It is hardly noticable if u ask me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For most peoples' cases, the dust was there before they received the phone - i.e. during the manufacturing process. For me, the dust is not such a big deal as it's not causing any problems with my day-to-day usage. Only when the dust starts to cause dead pixels, will I worry. But for now, I'm loving my Hero (even more so, now with Paul's latest 1.4.1 custom ROM) to bits!

tatwamasi said:
I think it should be accepted that the phone is a load of crap and that it's not going to be able to live up to what was promised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lmao, spoken like a true sadass.
Fact is when a phone comes out for the first month it isn't really what anyone expects, phones are always hyped up to be more than they are, or how would they sell? Happened with the Touch HD, Touch Pro, Touch Diamond, Touch Pro 2, heck, it was even with the iPhone for much much longer till Apple pulled their finger out.
The recent update from MoDaCo (1.4.1) has vastly improved things, and this isn't even the official update and its only the 1st update.
This phone lives up to my expectations because I was on earth, not somewhere out there drifting in space.
There are still issues with the phone, but like with all custom roms, they address the problems. Thanks Paul and all the developers / users out here who are feeding back problems to HTC and then fixing them for us great owners.

Oh, back on Topic. I had one spec which only showed on startup, but its gone now so I guess it was just dust. I wasn't bothered though, couldn't tell it was there in use.

Oh come on, worst reception of any handset I've ever had (across 5 separate Heroes) and build quality standards through the floor are the hallmarks of the Hero in my experience.
That's not taking into account the software issues (which I could stomach knowing that there's an update on the way).
Sorry if those things are to be expected, it's just that I've never had so many issues with a handset, but apparently it's standard? Oh well, welcome to your world then, I guess I should expect nothing to work when I buy it and hope it gets sorted later. It's unfortunate that this has been my introduction it's just that previously, everything did just work! (With the exception of the crappy camera on my W960i, that was much better after the update).
I appreciate that people feel some kind of bizarre emotional attachment to their purchases but I don't get why they'd say "I happened to get a good one so it doesn't matter! You have no right to be disappointed" when the issues are real and out there.
Perhaps it was naive of me to expect my text messages to arrive, for video playback to work and for me to be able to make phone calls on my phone (especially when the same SIM delivers decent reception in the same spot in another phone) but it does significantly diminish the experience for me. Camera's better than I thought it'd be, I'll give it that.
Either way, I'm not crying about it and my comment was meant to be flippant. Allowing myself to see my phone as a piece of crap that isn't going to work properly has given me the opportunity to chill out about it and not get annoyed. It's just a phone, oh well. I was hoping it'd be able to replace my iPod but I guess it won't be able to.
And that is how I made peace with the Hero. With any luck the significant issues in software will be sorted in the update. Until they are, I don't think I could possibly recommend it though and right now, I think I should have got an iPhone. C'est la vie.
Was that spoken like a true Sadass? Hope you got a big laugh if so.

I had initial issues LED failure, but it has since been repaired and the video playback is poor.
Otherwise im loving it , great form factor/design balance between screensize and phone size.
internet is superb on the browser and tethered to my laptop,
phone calls and messaging/emails work great and im lovin the apps and market place.
Love the customisable 7 screens no lag that i have noticed.
Best phone i have ever had YES perfect NO but what is..... if the update improves the video i dont know how i could fault it right now

tatwamasi said:
Oh come on, worst reception of any handset I've ever had (across 5 separate Heroes) and build quality standards through the floor are the hallmarks of the Hero in my experience.
That's not taking into account the software issues (which I could stomach knowing that there's an update on the way).
Sorry if those things are to be expected, it's just that I've never had so many issues with a handset, but apparently it's standard? Oh well, welcome to your world then, I guess I should expect nothing to work when I buy it and hope it gets sorted later. It's unfortunate that this has been my introduction it's just that previously, everything did just work! (With the exception of the crappy camera on my W960i, that was much better after the update).
I appreciate that people feel some kind of bizarre emotional attachment to their purchases but I don't get why they'd say "I happened to get a good one so it doesn't matter! You have no right to be disappointed" when the issues are real and out there.
Perhaps it was naive of me to expect my text messages to arrive, for video playback to work and for me to be able to make phone calls on my phone (especially when the same SIM delivers decent reception in the same spot in another phone) but it does significantly diminish the experience for me. Camera's better than I thought it'd be, I'll give it that.
Either way, I'm not crying about it and my comment was meant to be flippant. Allowing myself to see my phone as a piece of crap that isn't going to work properly has given me the opportunity to chill out about it and not get annoyed. It's just a phone, oh well. I was hoping it'd be able to replace my iPod but I guess it won't be able to.
And that is how I made peace with the Hero. With any luck the significant issues in software will be sorted in the update. Until they are, I don't think I could possibly recommend it though and right now, I think I should have got an iPhone. C'est la vie.
Was that spoken like a true Sadass? Hope you got a big laugh if so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hold my hands up on that one, I thought you were only talking about software issues, not hardware, so I apologise.
I completely understand where you are coming from regarding hardware, seems HTC have had issues on a couple of their latest phones, Diamond 2, Pro 2.
I had a Touch Pro 2 and after the 5th, I gave up and got a refund. The hinges were loose, faulty, slack. The screen had actual dead pixels. Keyboards faulty. Screen loose.
Other than moving back to my Touch HD which was perfect in every way (after having custom rom made, and it really needed Windows Mobile 7 to make it perfect), I thought the Hero was the next step.
Hardware wise, for me, it is. It is perfectly built, feels solid in my hand, screen nice and clear, reception perfect for me (same as all other HTC devices I've had and my iPhone 3g).
I know some people have had major issues with phones and the majority seem to be the people with Orange's Graphite branded phones, gaps in screens, poor reception etc and it must be certain production lines causing the issue.
Hopefully more roms coming out will make the software spot on, but as for hardware, they all need sending back as £400 is a lot for a phone, like I said about the Touch Pro 2, when your paying that much for a phone you expect it to be perfect (hardware).
Aside from the hardware, there is so much achieved in this latest update from MoDaCo (1.5) and more and more software on the Market everyday, software will be 110% in the near future.
Hope your hardware issues get sorted, send it back!!

[Q] How Loose is Your Hinge?

The subject of this thread says it all, how loose is the hinge on your G2?
OPTIONS DEFINED
Very Loose = keyboard opens on its own, doesn't remain closed when held upside down or sideways, screen wobbles when typing on it
Loose = keyboard opens with some effort (jiggling/shaking), opens a little bit when held upside down or sideways
Not Loose = keyboard feels secure, doesn't open on its own, keyboard remains closed when held upside down or sideways
Mine = very loose (after one week of use)

I think you need to add some objective qualifiers/descriptions for each of the categories to make this thread even remotely meaningful. The descriptions in the poll choices are completely subjective. What makes "extremely loose" different from " somewhat loose" or "not loose"? For instance, I've read some people's screens wobble when the keyboard is open and they are typing. Does yours do that? Is it looser now that one you first received it?

Mines not at all then again I don't really use the keyboard. I can hold it upside down and it won't unhinge, it does feel wobbly whenever I type on the keyboard though.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

redpoint73 said:
I think you need to add some objective qualifiers/descriptions for each of the categories to make this thread even remotely meaningful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Added some definitions to the choices. If you have anything that should be added/changed let me know. I'd really like to make this poll beneficial for all of us.
redpoint73 said:
Does yours do that? Is it looser now that one you first received it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is very loose. It was nice & tight when I first got it, but about one week after receiving it (brand new) it's now very loose.

mine is pretty loose. it was when I got it and it hasn't gotten any worse. at first I was really annoyed but honestly, I got used to it and don't care anymore. I know that might sound hard to believe but it's true for me at least.
it only comes open at a strange angle that its never actually in. I can make it come open by itself but it never has just during regular use. the only part that still bothers me really that there is a give to the screen when using the touchscreen with the keyboard out. but just in terms of functionality, there's really no effect.

Please make sure you vote by selecting one of the radio buttons at the top of the first page.
Also worth mentioning about my phone is that it opens slightly when I pick it up from a flat surface (e.g. desk, table), so I have to remind myself to pick it up from the bottom of the phone versus just the top or sides.

My impression from reading the various threads on this topic is that the phone is not designed to stay closed when held upside-down or sideways. I haven't seen anybody mention theirs staying closed under these conditions. But I would be curious to hear if there are some like that.
Mine opens by itself when upside-down or sideways. But I have to try very intentionally to hold only the keyboard part, and not touch the screen part at all. Its so awkward and unnatural to hold the phone this way, that I'm on the verge of dropping the phone. Its never opened unintentionally from normal use. The screen does not wobble at all when the keyboard is open. I guess that makes mine "somewhat loose". The phone is exactly one month old, and the looseness does not see to have changed over that time period.

redpoint73 > Does your screen open up at all when you pick up your phone when it's laying down on a table or other flat surface? That's what bothers me the most about this loose hinge. Every time I pick up my phone I am reminded at how loose the hinge is.

dustrho said:
redpoint73 > Does your screen open up at all when you pick up your phone when it's laying down on a table or other flat surface? That's what bothers me the most about this loose hinge. Every time I pick up my phone I am reminded at how loose the hinge is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe just a tiny bit (almost imperceptibly). Only noticeable by the fact that if I drop the phone lightly in the palm of my hand, I can hear the two halves "flop" back together lightly. This is the only case where I can raise a criticism (and a very minor one at that) regarding the hinge. I would prefer it to be tighter in the closed position, but it really doesn't bother me. Mostly only when I read threads like this that make me think about it

redpoint73 said:
Maybe just a tiny bit (almost imperceptibly). Only noticeable by the fact that if I drop the phone lightly in the palm of my hand, I can hear the two halves "flop" back together lightly. This is the only case where I can raise a criticism (and a very minor one at that) regarding the hinge. I would prefer it to be tighter in the closed position, but it really doesn't bother me. Mostly only when I read threads like this that make me think about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you thought about adding adhesive magnetic tape to your phone? There are threads that go into detail about that, and I think I'm going to give it a shot.

dustrho said:
Have you thought about adding adhesive magnetic tape to your phone? There are threads that go into detail about that, and I think I'm going to give it a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw that thread. I don't know if it bothers me enough to add magnets. I would also be concerned about the effect the magnets would have on the phone's magnetic compass.

My one would go to "very loose" categorie :-( Keeping in mind that my phone is just 3 weeks old, it's realy sad...
Sent from my HTC Desire Z, using magic XDA app

I did an online chat with a TMO rep today, and will be doing an exchange for my phone. Unfortunately they will be shipping me a refurbished one, even though my phone is just one week old. The TMO rep stated that "the loose hinge is a known issue," and if that's the case why are they not exchanging this phone with a new one? Seriously pisses me off.

Don't you have trading standards or some regulatory body like that who can advise on your rights? A refurbished item in exchange for something a week old?.... that wouldn't happen here in the UK.

Mine is firm. and I got mine the first day radio shack started selling them which was 3 months ago if I remember correctly never had a problem texting upside down at all and never oppend byitself and best of all never exchanged it either 8D
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

dustrho said:
I did an online chat with a TMO rep today, and will be doing an exchange for my phone. Unfortunately they will be shipping me a refurbished one, even though my phone is just one week old. The TMO rep stated that "the loose hinge is a known issue," and if that's the case why are they not exchanging this phone with a new one? Seriously pisses me off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't stand for that. Call, talk to technical support, state your case and when they tell you they can't do anything because it's a known issue, ask for a supervisor, or customer loyalty.
They will send you a new phone, but I can assure you that the hinge will be just as loose as the one your exchanging it for. I'm 100% convinced it's designed that way.

For those who don't know me here, I previously owned the MT4G. I experienced major issues with the phone and exchanged it a total of FOUR times, meaning I had in my possession (not at once) a total of five MT4Gs. The first four phones had incredibly bad creaking buttons, the fifth one had perfect buttons but a washed out display. I refused to continue going the route of MT4G swapping, so they suggested me going with a different phone, and I chose the G2. The G2 they sent me arrived last week, brand new in a prestine unopened box. The hinge was perfect, not too tight and definitely not loose like it is now. Each day it got a little bit looser, and now it's just ridiculously loose to the point that it opens no matter how I hold it.
So, maybe they're shipping me this refurb because I've already gone through so many exchanges, but two of their top phones have so many issues that it just makes me sick. With all the issues with the G2, MT4G and Vibrant, I'm shocked I haven't heard about any lawsuits against TMO. Or at the very least, I think TMO should be proactive about this and admit that there are problems with these phones, and that they should be more than willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the customer is happy. I have to say I was treated very well during all those MT4G exchanges, and I feel they did everything they could to make sure I was a happy customer. But, I'm still not thrilled being told that I need to accept a refurb for a G2 that was technically brand new and just one week old.

digital_exhaust said:
They will send you a new phone, but I can assure you that the hinge will be just as loose as the one your exchanging it for. I'm 100% convinced it's designed that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
My hinge is somewhat loose. It doesn't bother me at all, it doesn't affect daily use. I notice people on this forum and others are too caught up on this non-issue imo. Honestly if your one of those people where a loose hinge is gonna bother you, you might as well get another phone. No point in getting a replacement G2 for a loose hinge when its most likely gonna be the same.

boost3d23 said:
I notice people on this forum and others are too caught up on this non-issue imo. Honestly if your one of those people where a loose hinge is gonna bother you, you might as well get another phone. No point in getting a replacement G2 for a loose hinge when its most likely gonna be the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is an issue because some people have received a G2 that has no problems whatsoever with the hinge and others have received a G2 with a loose hinge (like myself). I'd be totally fine with the phone if everyone's phone was the same, but knowing that some have a normal/strong hinge (not loose) and mine is super loose makes me feel like I'm not getting exactly an issue-free phone. No way in hell was this phone designed to be loose like that. It shouldn't open up the second I pick it up off the table, but no matter how I pick it up or hold it the screen moves around or opens up. It's just not right. If it stayed closed until I gave it some force to actually open up, I'd be totally fine with it. Once it's open the looseness doesn't bother me one bit, but I can't have a phone that refuses to stay closed when it should be closed.

As I understand it (so take this with a grain of salt), this isn't illegal (at least in the US) and is actually standard practice for many companies (to use refurbished stock for warranty replacements and new ones if that stock has been depleted). If you have ever filed a warranty claim on a defective laptop for example, odds are you will receive a refurbished one in replacement (or if they are repairing it by replacing the motherboard, it'll most likely be with a refurbished board). In fact most warranties (probably all) clearly state replacements may either be new or refurbished. This is probably why you haven't heard about any lawsuits. Add to this the fact that this particular issue is very subjective (as you've probably noticed just by how dismissive many of the users are on the forum with regards to the issue) and making a legal case becomes even tougher. Also, unless T-Mobile or HTC has officially stated this to be an actual defect (and not just an offhand comment of a customer support rep), they can simply say it was working as designed (or at least within the spec'ed tolerances). While it all definitely feels unfair in some situations, it's unfortunately just how it is with US consumer protection laws. They have no obligation to replace your unit with a new one, only a working one. I believe if the replacement they send you is defective as well, you can get a refund for the phone (T-Mobile's policy).
That being said, if you are upset about it, I agree that you should try talking to T-Mobile again. Make a big fuss about it to them. More times that not, they would rather appease the customer than lose one or face bad press. With your phone being only a week old, maybe you can ask if they would do something like issue you a refund and then place another order for a new phone?

[Q] [DISCUSS] HD2 Damaged - Opinions Requested!

So over a trip I went on, my beautiful HD2 stopped working. I have my suspicions as to what caused the damage, but they still come off as odd. Basically, I had my HD2 working perfectly ... I went into the bathroom to take a shower ... and I guess it was steamier than usual [since I was in a different climate than usual] ... the next day the device would vibrate to indicate boot but only display a faint logo onscreen of the ROM I am using [meaning backlight broken] then it would turn off after trying to boot I guess. I checked out the phone, looked for damage or water or anything ... couldn't find anything significant. I did notice that the tags on the phone and batter, which I learned are for water detection, had turned red. That struck me as odd because it wasn't the first time I had the phone in the bathroom with me. In any case, at this point the device won't even turn on ... plugging in the charger does nothing. It is basically dead.
NOTE: AT NO POINT DID THIS PHONE GO INTO THE SHOWER OR TOILET OR WHATEVER. IT WAS PLACED DOWN ON A DRY SURFACE BEFORE THE SHOWER.
So I am going to T-Mobile tomorrow, see if they will be kind to me haha. I highly doubt it, because the tags don't lie .. regardless of whether or not I feel it was a valid case of "water damage".
So, if they give me warranty and provide me with a new HD2, then this thread will be useless, but under the assumption they don't ... I was wondering if the HD2 is the phone to stick with.
I think it is great and all, but I always wonder if there is something better.
I was reading that the Nokia N8 can be run on T-Mobile USA when unlocked, I am not sure of the truth behind that ... but the specs on that device look pretty awesome. I just don't like that it is a huge switch from WinMo/Andro/WP7 capabilities. It also doesn't have that XDA-Developers community backing.
That is basically all I was thinking in terms of alternatives ... any other thoughts?

Man that really sucks about your HD2, and that is very curious that the water indicators turned red. I also don't think you will get much love from T-Mobile either because of the water indicators. But I say get another HD2, I know it is starting to become a older device now but to me there is just no other phone out there that can stand up to the awesomeness of the HD2. Besides you know if you get anything besides a HD2 you will be kicking yourself in the butt later on for not getting another HD2.

The Nokia N8 will not keep you happy, there are issues with both the software and hardware, similarto the issues Nokia software has been displaying from the 5800/5530 software fiasco.
I would never go near a top range nokia - they have lost the plot over the last 2/3 years. all imho of course

I have a myTouch 4G/HTC Glacier and the phone is a beast. screen looks awesome(but not as big as hd2), hspa+, 768mb RAM, front facing camera, etc...lots of nice ROMS and great devs. Im running cm7 rc4 on mytouch and get 30+ hours on a full battery charge

So I went to T-Mobile today ... they instructed me to call Customer Care and they should be able to send me a new device. Looks like I am sticking to the HD2.
I am still curious though: I am aspiring to be a Software Developer (actually, Cornell CS '15 ), and for that reason I know the HD2 is a great phone for me [I think it is like 5 different OSes it can run]. I have been curious, because I haven't had the time to sit down and do this myself, which OS is best to have on NAND ... since now the HD2 can do WinMo, Andro, [and WP7?] on boot. I feel like WinMo is a great choice, because then I can use HARET to boot Android ... but then I can't use WP7. And if I choose WP7, then I am stuck with just that. And if I choose Andoird, then I am stuck with just that.
I dunno ... just something to ponder I guess Opinions are greatly appreciated

Keep checking this thread m8 for ppl's views on OS.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1020358

Cyclonezephyrxz7 said:
So I went to T-Mobile today ... they instructed me to call Customer Care and they should be able to send me a new device. Looks like I am sticking to the HD2.
I am still curious though: I am aspiring to be a Software Developer (actually, Cornell CS '15 ), and for that reason I know the HD2 is a great phone for me [I think it is like 5 different OSes it can run]. I have been curious, because I haven't had the time to sit down and do this myself, which OS is best to have on NAND ... since now the HD2 can do WinMo, Andro, [and WP7?] on boot. I feel like WinMo is a great choice, because then I can use HARET to boot Android ... but then I can't use WP7. And if I choose WP7, then I am stuck with just that. And if I choose Andoird, then I am stuck with just that.
I dunno ... just something to ponder I guess Opinions are greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you choose WP7, you can run Android off SD card via MAGLDR.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

So its official, adios HD2
I wish the device weren't so darn expensive! Unless I get paid as I am expecting for a little job I did recently, I may have to put off my hopes to get another HD2 for a while.
Anyone have any good recommendations of where to buy a New or LIKE New HD2 cheap? ... I can deal with superficial damage on the back-side, as long as the camera lens and the entire front side have NO damages to them [and of course the phone functions like new]. I have scavenged ebay a bunch today...best offer I could find was about 300$ for a brand new device, 280$ for a Like-New that fits my criteria ... 250$ for a like-new that is a little less appealing.
*note: changing the thread title so it doesn't seem to go off topic

Cyclonezephyrxz7 said:
So its official, adios HD2
I wish the device weren't so darn expensive! Unless I get paid as I am expecting for a little job I did recently, I may have to put off my hopes to get another HD2 for a while.
Anyone have any good recommendations of where to buy a New or LIKE New HD2 cheap? ... I can deal with superficial damage on the back-side, as long as the camera lens and the entire front side have NO damages to them [and of course the phone functions like new]. I have scavenged ebay a bunch today...best offer I could find was about 300$ for a brand new device, 280$ for a Like-New that fits my criteria ... 250$ for a like-new that is a little less appealing.
*note: changing the thread title so it doesn't seem to go off topic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may be willing to sell my hd2

So I ended up buying a new [Used] HD2. I was told that the only issue was the metal plate over the batter [which I saved from my old HD2] ... so I was fine with it. I just got it today, it had a few minor scratches on the screen as well as what i think is a tiny Crack. So I am debating putting up with it, or calling the guy up and asking him what is up with that...
I purchased it on eBay ... so I just wanted your opinion on this: I bought it pretty cheap [235$] in comparison to other offers on the site, and the description was:
HTC HD2 (T-Mobile) cell phone
Used but in overall excellent condition
The only issue is that the metal cover on the back has some scratches, nothing major, screen is excellent
Includes phone /w battery and charger only, charger is not the original HTC charger, but it works 100%t
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I called the guy up to ask a few questions: Is it just the back-plate that has superficial damage? Has the device been tested to work as though new? The screen has nothing on it? And the guy basically told me that the back-plate was the only issue. Now that I have the phone, though, there are those minor scratches, and that small crack on the screen, as well as the cover to the earpiece missing/worn so it is silver now, and also the top right and left corners have a bit of damage.
Basically, when I put the soft-shell cover I have over it [stock], I can't see any of the superficial things except the screen, so they don't bother me as much. After all, it was listed USED, so I expected so much. I am just concerned about the SCREEN. If it is a crack on the screen, it will just get worse with time, am I right? If it were a scratch I could deal with it MAYBE, but being a crack I just don't want to have to look towards buying a THIRD device later on due to a cracked screen ...
[by the way, this crack wasn't a result of shipping I think ... it was in a nice thick layer of bubble-wrap and none of the bubbles had popped.]
So what is your opinion? Should I call this guy up, see what the deal is? Or should I deal with it?
Opinions appreciated!
EDIT:: Here are some low-res photos [one close-up, one far away]. I had to use my Exca to take them, I couldn't find my camera
www.chicken-eggsolutions.com/Max/IMAGE_026.jpg
www.chicken-eggsolutions.com/Max/IMAGE_027.jpg

Swapping just the one piece is harder than swapping a glass digitizer screen combo, since to get them apart involves baking the phone for so many minutes at (I think it is) 60 degrees, then you will need to glue the new one back to the digitizer.its not just a simple swap. Plus the screen is the last piece in the stripdown process, EVERYTHING comes apart before you get to the screen.
If I were you I'd consider asking for some money back and live with the crack, or if he wont go for that tell him you want full refund. But you need to be quick, eBay will support your claim but leave it too long makes it look dodgy.
as for cracked screen getting progressively worse, that's not necessarily the case. I dropped mine ages ago (several months) and it now has around 8 or9 large cracks, all the way through the glass radiating from one corner all the way up to the top, and they are no worse now than when it happened, (i have a screen protector to save my fingers from possible sharp bits) though the rigidity has suffered greatly, and it now creaks and groans when it gets pressure in my pocket.

Yeah, I figured so much about the screen ... Turns out what I have is screen+digitizer, but the cable for the digitizer isn't in any condition where it will work again, haha. I didn't expect/want to do a screen-replace when I took apart my broken HD2.
Yeah, I know I have to act quickly for eBay to hold up a better case, in case the guy doesn't want to be easy about it. I just got the phone literally an hour ago in the mail.
I'll try to have some more higher-res photos up by tonight because I am still not sure if it is just a nasty scratch, or a crack...and as you can see my Excalibur doesn't exactly take a good picture haha. What I find odd is that usually a crack starts at the edge of the glass and progresses inwards, but this one starts in the middle of the screen and has like 3 little 'legs' of it coming out. I'm not scratch/crack expert so I can't really say ... I'll just have the photos up later.
Otherwise, I'll probably call the guy up tomorrow, see what the deal is/is going to be.

I would demand a Partial refund if you are happy enough with the phone.
If you get it, buy a zagg invisible shield screen protector to preven the crack from getting any worse. Had some good and bad luck with ebay purchases, but thats a story for another thread

Could be a pressure crack, I have a friend with a desire HD and he sat down with it in pocket, and a lighter against the screen, and he has a similar sounding crack, a few small cracks radiating out from a tiny central chip.

Okay, so I got the higher-res images ... the links are as follows:
www.chicken-eggsolutions.com/Max/IMG_0278.jpg
www.chicken-eggsolutions.com/Max/IMG_0279.jpg
www.chicken-eggsolutions.com/Max/IMG_0280.jpg
www.chicken-eggsolutions.com/Max/IMG_0281.jpg
I think that 280 shows it the best, the others give you a view of it in respect to the whole phone. It isn't huge or anything ... decently sized. When the screen is on, I really have to look to find it. Besides feeling it with my finger as I swipe over it, I wouldn't really be bothered by its being there. My friend said it seems more like a surface scratch, but unlike the other scratches, I can actually feel this one [which is why I think it is more like a crack]. Ohh semantics!
In any case, just another curious question. Seeing as I just got the phone, I haven't put on any custom ROM or anything, assuming I would have to settle an issue potentially, but I realized when trying to hook the phone up to my computer that the SD card didn't register. It had registered just fine earlier today, and at my friends house. Then I didn't use it for maybe 4 hours. Then just now it didn't register. It was fixed with a reboot. Is this likely an OS thing that will be fixed with a new flash of a better ROM [this is running a STOCK rom by the way]. This phone would be pretty limited without its MicroSD Card slot. I just want to make sure that if that is a hardware issue, I bring that up.

I guess this will be the final post/update:
I talked to the guy, and he offered me either to ship it back at my expense [but still get a full refund], or he could give me $25 for the inconvenience/hassle. Having really thought about it, looked at the scratch/crack. I took him up on the latter offer.
I guess it just means I should be more careful when using the phone. After all, its like I said: I can't notice it unless I look for it when the device is on. Its a shame that there was a crack on the screen, but for $200, I think it is a darn good bargain. Also, the MicroSD card slot has been working just fine...I think it was an OS thing. If the MicroSD card slot does turn out to be an issue, hopefully it is within the next 40 days, haha, so I can still get it covered by Buyer Protection. Further, I simply cannot find a price as good as that
So, I guess this is the end of this thread. Thanks to anyone who helped