Database Users

Screen lifting

Has anyone else encountered the screen starting to lift by the ear piece?
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App

uborame posted about this problem in a thread about a week back (I'd link it, but for some reason I'm not allowed to), and I've had the same problem, bringing us to a count of 3 reports that I've seen. It seems as though this is a somewhat rare issue, but isn't isolated to just one device...
Do you use a case? I don't, but could see how a case might hold things together such that it would prevent this issue.
I'm actually planning on returning my Aria and moving up to the Captivate since I'm in the 30 day window and can get the Captivate for the same price I paid for the Aria. The screen separation issue and chatter about what upgrades this phone may or may not get have me concerned about its longevity.

The Aria uses a two piece screen/digitizer assembly; as in the digitizer glass sitting over the screen. What you are experiencing is the digitizer seperating from the display beneath it; it's simply held in place with the usual double-sided foamy tape.
RepairsUniverse has a video on how to disassemble/replace the screen -- That's the info you need to get at it... but you'll only have to go about half way, enough to get the digitizer seperated.. then replace the tape, reseat, reassemble.
The Aria is *not* a durable phone; IMHO one of the more breakage prone units... Kind of regret going with it for this reason, but figure I'll just learn it inside out and keep fixing it until it's FUBAR.
Honestly the screen issue doesn't bug me much. The digitizer is a 50 dollar part I can replace in <1 hr if I screw up and kill it again -- My main concern is water damage -- The way the case mates with the screen/digitizer looks like a real invitation for capillary action to destroy the phone with just a little bit of fluid... We'll see how that works out...

My phone also seems to have this issue. The left side of the screen has lifted itself ~.5mm higher than the wall of the backplate. I noticed this a couple of days after I bought the phone, but I brushed it off assuming I was just being critical.
Very unfortunate...

Hinge clicking sound?

So I got a replacement phone and order a new replacement for a a missing pixel on the lower side of the screen. But I hear a clicking sound like if its a spring clicking sound on G2 when opening it??? Anyone know what this is????
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

I do not know what it is but I have had the same faint clicking sound. I have had the phone since day 1.

what's the part#?

MARINERMOOSE241 said:
I do not know what it is but I have had the same faint clicking sound. I have had the phone since day 1.
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Yea like a spring clicking sound not a regular click
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Mine does it too. I just ignore it. Its just part of the phones overall hardware suckage imo.

My hinge clicks, but only because the screen moves up and down when the phone is closed. If I move the screen up and down while the phone is halfway open, I can see the clicking sound is coming from the ribbon cable. My replacement is on it's way.

Yeah its been discussed before. It's from the ribbon sticking.
What disappoints me about this phone is that it could have been perfect, build quality wise, except they ruined it by skimping out on hinge quality.

joebobjoe said:
What disappoints me about this phone is that it could have been perfect, build quality wise, except they ruined it by skimping out on hinge quality.
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Yup, if only it was as good as the G1 except without that creaking sound we had. It really is a solid phone though. Just hate the fact, that dust gets over there, and it won't come out just by blowing over there.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

joebobjoe said:
Yeah its been discussed before. It's from the ribbon sticking.
What disappoints me about this phone is that it could have been perfect, build quality wise, except they ruined it by skimping out on hinge quality.
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Yea but the G2 I had before did not have this clicking sound it gets annoying tho.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Not sure it really is the ribbon. I'm pretty sure I've got this whole hinge thing figured out and why sometimes they start tight and then work themselves to nothingness.
Here is my theory...
The hinge bars are metal and they interface with another small metal strip in the screen. The ends of the hinge bars are not a circle but a eccentric cam shape. They interface with and tension by this other small metal strip essentially using it as a spring. Over time the metal strip bends in and the aluminum on the hinge bar cams wears down. Starting tight(er) and then finally ending loose. I think the sound you are hearing is the small metal strip binding and then springing back. You can verify the wear I'm talking about by inspecting the hinge arm by the screen when phone is all the way flipped out. You'll see it's anodizing is already wore off from the wear.
Hope someone understands what i'm talking about here.

simobile said:
Not sure it really is the ribbon. I'm pretty sure I've got this whole hinge thing figured out and why sometimes they start tight and then work themselves to nothingness.
Here is my theory...
The hinge bars are metal and they interface with another small metal strip in the screen. The ends of the hinge bars are not a circle but a eccentric cam shape. They interface with and tension by this other small metal strip essentially using it as a spring. Over time the metal strip bends in and the aluminum on the hinge bar cams wears down. Starting tight(er) and then finally ending loose. I think the sound you are hearing is the small metal strip binding and then springing back. You can verify the wear I'm talking about by inspecting the hinge arm by the screen when phone is all the way flipped out. You'll see it's anodizing is already wore off from the wear.
Hope someone understands what i'm talking about here.
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I'm almost deff it is not the ribbon because my old G2 didn't do the click so it Can't be the ribbon if so than the old G2 would've do the click since it also had a ribbon. You say the hinges loosen up but my old G2 never got loose it was tight and I had for almost a month so that can't be either, since the day 1 never loosen up one bit. And this one is also tight but the difference is it has the click. Wow htc really screw up big time here like seriously all these phones all got different hardware built, and you ask yourselves why the heck is that. And the thing that really gets me angry is their stupid silence on this. I order another exchange on this phone again this will be my third one now and should be here by wednsday man I just hope I got a good once and for all. Or htc will have their phone back so they can fix their crappy hinge. I don't care what they're going to do but make my hinges tight spring load them do whatever you want but I want it to close or open when I want not when gravity feels like it lol
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but my one-week-old G2 is starting to exhibit the same sound when opening the keyboard. This doesn't happen when I close it, just when it opens. It's a very faint clicking sound, nothing too alarming (for the moment anyway), but it just started today. After searching these forums for a similar complaint, I've come across this one and have a few questions to ask.
1) Does the sound go away on its own after time (if you didn't exchange it)?
2) If it's not exchanged, will the problem or sound get worse?
3) Has anyone figured out exactly the root cause of this sound?
Thanks everyone!

dustrho said:
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but my one-week-old G2 is starting to exhibit the same sound when opening the keyboard. This doesn't happen when I close it, just when it opens. It's a very faint clicking sound, nothing too alarming (for the moment anyway), but it just started today. After searching these forums for a similar complaint, I've come across this one and have a few questions to ask.
1) Does the sound go away on its own after time (if you didn't exchange it)?
2) If it's not exchanged, will the problem or sound get worse?
3) Has anyone figured out exactly the root cause of this sound?
Thanks everyone!
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Anyone?
I'm pretty certain that the sound emitting from my phone is being caused by a spring, but it's hard to pin-point what side of the phone it's coming from. Is there only one spring for the hinge or are there two? I'm not so bothered by the sound (even though it does bother me a bit), but I'm more concerned that this could become a problem for the phone itself (i.e. hinge breaking).
Hope to hear from others regarding this.

dustrho said:
Anyone?
I'm pretty certain that the sound emitting from my phone is being caused by a spring, but it's hard to pin-point what side of the phone it's coming from. Is there only one spring for the hinge or are there two? I'm not so bothered by the sound (even though it does bother me a bit), but I'm more concerned that this could become a problem for the phone itself (i.e. hinge breaking).
Hope to hear from others regarding this.
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Here is a (with pics) thread detailing tearing down and reassembling the hinge mechanism. The linked thread should answer your questions, but to answer your question quick like there's only one spring for both sides of the hinge.
Hope this helps.

Dammit, I didn't notice it until I saw this thread.

The clicking sound on my DZ was coming from the ribbon. When opening, the ribbon come in contact with the top of the keyboard portion of the device. whatever the ribbon is wrapped or coated in is causing the clicking sound when the keyboard is open, the ribbon lies flat.
Solution: I simply took a damp qtip and whipped the area where the ribbon make contact with the device. Result is no more clicking sound.

fablife said:
The clicking sound on my DZ was coming from the ribbon. When opening, the ribbon come in contact with the top of the keyboard portion of the device. whatever the ribbon is wrapped or coated in is causing the clicking sound when the keyboard is open, the ribbon lies flat.
Solution: I simply took a damp qtip and whipped the area where the ribbon make contact with the device. Result is no more clicking sound.
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Did you use water or something else? I'm curious to know if it's my hinge or the ribbon cable causing the clicking sound on my hinge. I can't figure out which of the two it might be.
Also, does anyone else think this issue is caused by the vibration feature of the phone? I believe the vibration on this phone is much more powerful than other phones I've owned, and I wonder if that has had an impact on the hinge or spring mechanism. Thoughts?

dustrho said:
Did you use water or something else? I'm curious to know if it's my hinge or the ribbon cable causing the clicking sound on my hinge. I can't figure out which of the two it might be.
Also, does anyone else think this issue is caused by the vibration feature of the phone? I believe the vibration on this phone is much more powerful than other phones I've owned, and I wonder if that has had an impact on the hinge or spring mechanism. Thoughts?
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I justed a little water - I just made the tip damp - not dripping wet because I was cleaning where the ribbon makes contact with the device - I did not want to use any sort of chemicals - plain water did the trick.
I agree with you on the haptic feedback; I would love to turn in off completely if someone knows how to do that on the stock Bell DZ Rom, please do tell.

Loose screen

So my screen is really loose and this is my 2nd epic that has done this... Is there a way to get it repaired without getting a completely new phone?
I don't have insurance and don't feel like getting it just for this. I'm just very irritated by how loose it feels... Makes it feel very cheap
Sent from my Nexus S with a keyboard

Is your screen loose or is it the slider mechanism?

I should have specified better. It's the slider mechanism. Particularly the left side can have a gap 3-4x larger than if it was pressed flat against the keyboard + body.
It's bad enough to the point where if its slide out and we hit a bump on the bus, it makes a rattling sound from being so loose. It's particularly exaggerated when extended

You're pretty much going to have to take it back to sprint.
What are you doing to put so much wear on your slider mechanism?

I'm not exactly sure... I don't even use the physical keyboard much when swype is available. My first phone had the same issue but i took it back within my first 30 days.
This 2nd one I've had for 4 months now and its been an issue from the first 2 weeks. I keep the phone in my pocket and am starting to think that the back and forth stress of my pants / leg pushing on it is loosening it when i'm walking on campus (~1 mile a day of walking). I haven't dropped the phone once (either of the 2 for that matter) and pretty much treat it like a fragile piece of china (it feels that way... ) when i'm putting it down on a table.
It just comes across as being built very very poorly.

Mine is the sane way. When I push down on the left side to touch something thwpe whole top piece goes down with it. It's very loose and has a big gap if looking at it from the side. Mine has been like that since like he first wk. I just don't feel like taking it back in cause I have my phone setup perfectly.

Cracked Screen

Hi Guys,
I just wanted to see if anyone else had this problem. I pre-ordered the Atrix and got it Feb 23rd. Since then I have been very happy with the phone. Then yesterday, while at work I pulled out my phone (which has a permanent home in my front, left pocket) and I noticed a crack in the lower, left hand side that starts from about a third of the way up the left side of the phone down to the bottom, beneath the "home" button.
Anyhow, I have no idea how this happened. I have been incredibly careful with the phone. I got the Speck case first, but didn't like how it was too bulky and have been using the BodyGlove TPU case ever since I got the phone.
I feel like there must have been some defect with the glass or something. Perhaps a micro-fracture that got worse in my pocket? Has anyone else had this problem of seemingly spontaneous cracking? It's a single clean crack. I can't find any damage anywhere else on the phone (in case someone else dropped my phone without me knowing). Other than the crack the screen is working perfectly.
Today, I contacted ATT (for 4 hours!) and tried to get some sort of resolution to my problem. I was told that I was SOL and if I want, they'd "help" me out by selling me a non-contract Atrix.
I have been so ticked off since I found the crack that it's all I can think about it. I wouldn't even be so angry if I'd drop it, but this seems like not my fault at all. I bought their case and I kept the phone safe. Am I the only one this has happened to? Do you guys think I should just chalk it up to the phone gods and accept it or should I keep calling Att to complain?

Hard to say, really. I'd try taking it in to a store. calling someone... they can't really SEE the phone first hand... so they're probably just assuming you dropped the phone which caused a "crack".... which would actually usually cause "Cracks". I'm not saying it's a definite... but you MIGHT have better luck taking it to an AT&T store. I mean, insured or not, i'm pretty sure phones usually have a limited warranty for this type of stuff.

Well the digitizer screen and lcd are seperate so it should be a cheap fix. There are places online that will replace the glass for around a $100.

cracked screen
I had my replace called onsite cellular repair and they charged $140 for it.

Sounds like you leaned against something without realizing it. I too keep my phone in front left pocket and have caught myself leaning against tables and the like with my phone. I doubt very much it was a defect.
Sent from WinBorg 4G via Tapatalk

You do realise it's Gorilla Glass, right? i kinda doubt something as simple as leaning against something would do it in.

If you have insurance and can go without a phone for a couple days you could pull your sim card out of your phone and report the phone lost/stolen. You will probably have to pay a fee to the insurance company. Im not sure if that would be cheaper than just having it fixed though.

I preordered one and have been using it and picked up another on eBay with a cracked screen and replaced it. If you are interested in having it repaired I would be willing to do it. I've done iPhone 3G repairs since it came out and 3GS. That was my first Atrix. Had no issues and worked perfectly after

elementaldragon said:
You do realise it's Gorilla Glass, right? i kinda doubt something as simple as leaning against something would do it in.
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Gorilla glass does not equal indestructible, and yes, leaning against something with your body weight can cause damage, especially if you lean close to a corner. Do some research on Gorilla glass.............it takes only 4000g (4kg/9lbs) of pressure to induce radial cracking, and 800N (80kg/175lbs) to induce complete failure. So, you see, it is entirely possible to crack the glass by leaning against something!

CaelanT said:
Gorilla glass does not equal indestructible, and yes, leaning against something with your body weight can cause damage, especially if you lean close to a corner. Do some research on Gorilla glass.............it takes only 4000g (4kg/9lbs) of pressure to induce radial cracking, and 800N (80kg/175lbs) to induce complete failure. So, you see, it is entirely possible to crack the glass by leaning against something!
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Well.... the video's i've seen of tests on gorilla glass seem to show more pressure required even when weakened with sandblasting. I know it's not indestructible, but it's a lot harder to break than standard glass. And even the numbers you mention seem a bit odd. 9lbs to crack, but 175lbs to fail?
Even if all that IS true.... if you, too, are one to keep your phone in your pocket, you should know that typically people who DO make one of their front pockets their phone's permanent home (Which is odd, cause it seems to almost always be the front left pocket), they generally know not to lean with something pressing against the phone. I keep my phone in my front left pocket. And it's not even basically an idea of telling one's self not to lean against it. it's basically done subconsciously. And if that's not enough, when you feel that rather large square gently pressing against your thigh.... you tend to get the idea really quick that you shouldn't be doing what's about to be done.

Dr. HerbLove said:
Hi Guys,
I just wanted to see if anyone else had this problem. I pre-ordered the Atrix and got it Feb 23rd. Since then I have been very happy with the phone. Then yesterday, while at work I pulled out my phone (which has a permanent home in my front, left pocket) and I noticed a crack in the lower, left hand side that starts from about a third of the way up the left side of the phone down to the bottom, beneath the "home" button.
Anyhow, I have no idea how this happened. I have been incredibly careful with the phone. I got the Speck case first, but didn't like how it was too bulky and have been using the BodyGlove TPU case ever since I got the phone.
I feel like there must have been some defect with the glass or something. Perhaps a micro-fracture that got worse in my pocket? Has anyone else had this problem of seemingly spontaneous cracking? It's a single clean crack. I can't find any damage anywhere else on the phone (in case someone else dropped my phone without me knowing). Other than the crack the screen is working perfectly.
Today, I contacted ATT (for 4 hours!) and tried to get some sort of resolution to my problem. I was told that I was SOL and if I want, they'd "help" me out by selling me a non-contract Atrix.
I have been so ticked off since I found the crack that it's all I can think about it. I wouldn't even be so angry if I'd drop it, but this seems like not my fault at all. I bought their case and I kept the phone safe. Am I the only one this has happened to? Do you guys think I should just chalk it up to the phone gods and accept it or should I keep calling Att to complain?
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Click to collapse
Buy cellphone insurance from them, and replace it a week later. Then if that doesnt work, you may want to try this link for new glass.
http://www.globaldirectparts.com/Motorola-ATRIX-4G-MB860-Touch-Screen-p/mot1039620.htm
And then try this manual.
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Motorola-Atrix-4G-Teardown/4964/1

elementaldragon said:
Well.... the video's i've seen of tests on gorilla glass seem to show more pressure required even when weakened with sandblasting. I know it's not indestructible, but it's a lot harder to break than standard glass. And even the numbers you mention seem a bit odd. 9lbs to crack, but 175lbs to fail?
Even if all that IS true.... if you, too, are one to keep your phone in your pocket, you should know that typically people who DO make one of their front pockets their phone's permanent home (Which is odd, cause it seems to almost always be the front left pocket), they generally know not to lean with something pressing against the phone. I keep my phone in my front left pocket. And it's not even basically an idea of telling one's self not to lean against it. it's basically done subconsciously. And if that's not enough, when you feel that rather large square gently pressing against your thigh.... you tend to get the idea really quick that you shouldn't be doing what's about to be done.
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Got the numbers right from Cornings white papers. 9lbs is a lot of pressure on one point, and 175lbs is pressure applied with impact at an angle of 45 degrees. I might add that sandblasting will not put stresses into materials in the same way a scratch or point pressure will. Sandblasting will weaken in a more uniform manner, (and is generally used for stress relief), whereas a scratch is more localized. When you see these manufacturer videos, advertisements, etc., you have to remember they will always make things look the absolute best, so will show what is perceived to be abuse, when in actual fact a scratch or "dent" is much more normal for everyday use. I don't know about you, but I have never accidentally sandblasted my phone, but I have dropped them, scratched them, and applied pressure to them in various ways.
In my work, I lean over and into areas a lot, and that's when I sometimes feel the pressure on the phone against my thigh. I don't like holsters. Had Otterbox for my iPhone, and it dropped more with that than anything because it always got bumped off. If I remember, I remove my phone from my pocket before activities where it can have pressure applied to it.
As for the left front pocket, with men..........that's probably because users are predominantly right handed, and hold their phones with their left hands, using the right hand to swipe, etc. (You might find that women tend to put there phones mostly in their rear right pockets also when using pockets).

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the replies. I guess it could be from the leaning. I don't think I would have ever leaned on it in a way that I would have thought should have caused any damage. If it was due to leaning, I am very disappointed in the quality of that glass. And from the look of the crack I wouldn't have guessed leaning was the culprit, but since no one else has chimed in with spontaneous cracking, I only have myself to blame I guess.
Also, thanks for the tips on how to fix my phone. I did not get the insurance so that's not an option. As for the warranty, that only applies to defects that aren't physical, which is kinda bollocks because they assume there's no such thing as physical defects. I did look into the screen replacement. Sites online charge as much as I paid for the phone which is lame and buying the screen to do myself requires the purchase of 3. Anyone else need a replacement screen or have an extra to sell?

you can get screens on ebay for 60 a piece.

Hey neotekz, thanks for your tip! I went on ebay and found lots of digitizers. Is that the part I need?
To anyone who's done this already, do you have a recommendation of which one to buy? There seems to be lots of different prices. I guess I want to get an official OEM, but almost all of them say OEM. Do you think there's a big difference between them?
Also, do you guys think there's any problem with not fixing it right away? Will it cause other problems? Thanks for your help.

loose bezel

Ive had my nexus s since launch an ive noticed that the bezel around my screen is loose. When i apply pressure on the sides of my phone like squeezin it alittle it creaks an moves some. I first thought it was the battery cover but when i remove it i can see the bezel moving. Anyone else notice this on theres?

I returned a couple different NS for various reason and some had a squeaky bezel and some didn't. None of them were loose enough where there was any significant movement. Sorry to say but it sounds like you have a defect. Call Samsung, I'm sure you're still under warranty. It takes a couple weeks between sending it out and getting it back but at least it will be fixed and hopefully working properly. Good luck.

i can't say it's normal, but i guess it's pretty commom, mine is like yours and other two pieces i have tested are a little more or less equal... the weird thing is some users notice and some don't. my friend's nexus is just like mine and he never noticed until i told him!

I've noticed that the plastic piece at the bottom of the phone (where the USB port and hole for the mic are) creaks a little when I push on it. Nothing I'm fretting over but enough to be noticeable.

I just looked at my friends an his is really bad on the sides. He thinks it might be from taking the battery cover off an on alot. I wish there was some way to tighten it cause its now starting to bug me but not enough to send to samsung. I cant go without a phone for a few weeks

just like i said! =o)... and no way i will send it to samsung!
i guess i will wait whole piece comes out so i'll fix it with superglue! =o)