Database Users

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!!

Desire HD "Death Grip" Reception Issues with Videos

Ok so yesterday (in Sydney, Australia) I returned my HTC Desire HD after I was facing poor reception when compared to 2 other phones used in the same room of the house. I did carry out the factory reset as suggested by HTC and also wiped the SIM cards clean. For the tests I used a Nokia 6120 and a Sony Ericsson k530i. I also used SIM cards from 3, Telstra and the one that came with the Desire HD from Vodafone. In all the tests the Desire HD had significantly worse reception (at least if the reception icons are anything to judge by).
Yesterday Vodafone replaced my Desire HD on the spot as I was within 28days of purchase. At first I seemed to think the reception was better on the new phone however this was with the phone laying on a box and not touching it. As soon as I picked up the phone reception became lousy again like my previous Desire HD. After reading comments from other users on this site regarding the antenna being in the cover plate at the bottom I tried holding the phone in different positions to see if this bottom cover plate really did affect things. The two videos linked to here show my findings using the brand new replacement phone I picked up yesterday. Also in the second video is shown if a factory reset or a gel case changes this isse.
Now that I've got a better understanding of what is causing this issue I will contact HTC again to see what they say about it. I'll keep you updated. Please post feedback on your phone including what carrier & country you are using and what ROM and radio version is loaded. Thanks
Here are the two videos I made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ljHtUMOH8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr16fGAVzQg

Okay I've contacted HTC in Australia and the person taking my call has looked at the two videos. He's said he has documented the issue and will forward the videos on to the HTC engineers to have a look at. Will let you know if they contact me with any updates. Feel free to contact HTC if you find similar issues with your phone. I would think the more people reporting this to HTC, the more importance they should place on trying to fix this issue.

Mine id exactly the same. I already noticed this since last week when I got it. Just dont hold it at the bortom.

are you part vampire or some thing
turn your lights on
put your phone in a case and your problems will be solved

Framedtrash said:
are you part vampire or some thing
turn your lights on
put your phone in a case and your problems will be solved
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AHEM. bit sounds like someone i know.. may be Stevey ..
But yes when reception is low, take your hand of the antenna at the bottom. I own a K530i too, where antennae is at back. I will get poor signal, if i hold it in particular way or if i keep it in cushion or so. but K530i antennae is ergonomic to hold but desire hd is placed right at where my palm holds it. this happens with WIFI too when i hold my fingers covering the side. but again its bearable. lets see how it holds in the long run.

At least the DHD, is ambidextrous. You can hold it with either hand just grip it in the middle. Compared to The iphone 4 which has crap signal when used by right handed girls. Lol lol lol.

Well, never had this problem even when I cover the bottom part the signal just drops 1 bar and that's it, no problems with the signal and whatsoever.

To the OP, just wondered what build no. and baseband is on your phone???

Originally posted by
Framedtrash are you part vampire or some thing
turn your lights on
put your phone in a case and your problems will be solved
Yesterday 07:02 PM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There problem is for an amateur like myself posting youtube videos is that if I don't decrease the exposure then you cannot see clearly the reception bars especially when I look at the backlit screen from the Sony Ericsson. I wanted to be sure most of all you can clearly see the what the phone screens are displaying.
Secondly please look at video 2 in the link it clearly shows how the Desire HD works in my experience in a case. Bascially a gel case solves nothing in my situation or at best maybe only delays by a few seconds the reception loss when holding the bottom.
Originally posted by nm8 To the OP, just wondered what build no. and baseband is on your phone???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please look at video 1. It clearly show the software information page in the video which shows the ROM verison, radio version, kernal version and baseband (or radio version) from the stock Vodafone Australia ROM that came preloaded as of yesterday January 23. I don't believe recent radio or ROMs fix this issue as SWIM loaded 1.72.405.3 with the latest radio his phone to try to solve this issue, that didn't fix it so SWIM then tried around 4 different radio versions including the latest "test" release from UK and still no significant improvement. I'd be happy to hear other's feedback on this and what ROMs and Radio versions they use and if any real improvement. I will make clear though that with my brand new phone, it is stock and unmodified.
I mean no disrespect guys when I say this, I'm happy to take constructive criticism and feedback just please have a look at the two videos first and consider everything explained and put forward before posting a quick response.
As I mention in the video this issue is not as bad with Telstra and 3 SIM cards in my room as they seem to have better reception and don't drop as many bars (but they still do drop bars) holding the phone in the "death grip". The worst is the included Vodafone SIM card which the phone is on a contract with and doesn't get completely full reception before holding the phone as shown. I would imagine that the same scenario would be replicated elsewhere. Find an area where you don't get full reception and see how much it drops when you hold your phone like I have in the video. Again this is going to most affect data while browsing the web ect rather than calls where you are likely to hold the phone differently.
I don't want to start a war or get people upset here. I love the Desire HD and Android. I've paid for a long term 24month contract and I plan on keeping my phone. I'm only just surprised to find out this issue and I hope HTC will take it seriously to try to find a way to help out with solving it. Take care guys. Again if anyone else wants to alert HTC to this issue I think they will be more likely to treat this with more importance. As present HTC Australia seemed to say they'd heard nothing about it and played it down a bit.

Ok, you say the recpetion is worse than your older phone are you actually measuring the recpetion or looking at the bars?. More importantly does it actually result in dropped calls? I believe the issues with the iPhone4 (and if apple are to be believed all phones in the world released before it) where that the bars are only a vague representation of signal strength and that if held wrongly it dropped calls.
I don't pay enough attention to the signal bars, but certainly my ability to make and recieve calls is no worse than my previous HTC Magic and better than my wife's iPhone 3g

Just tested on my phone and here are the results... If i push the bottom of phone to my palm the bars drop from 4 to 2, when holding it in such way that palm covers the bottom bars drop from 4 to 3.... When holding it normally i have full bars, so i dont really see a problem...

Just adding my 2 pence, prior to updating my Radio I would get low or no signal at home. Probably the only draw back of living in rural Wales.
Now after flashing the latest Radio 26.04.03.30_M, I get a solid 3 bars 90% of the time.
No new cell towers have been constructed, the locals would go mental! In essence what I'm trying to say is, try an update your Radio.
Ensure you follow all guides to the letter.

Still no response from OP, as to whether this has a detrimental effect on real world reception i.e dropped calls, so as to whether this is an actual problem at all!
Edit: I assume from the resounding silence, that there's is no actual real world effect?... Nothing to see here move along please!

^^ I'm sorry I cannot answer that question as ever since got the phone with this SIM card I've been waiting for Vodafone to get back to me to change over my existing phone number so I've put on hold to use this Vodafone SIM card to make any calls. I can't believe that many years after the Australia wide (I believe government) policy to be able to keep your phone number that Vodafone are making a stink about it being such an issue to swap my number over. So in short I haven't been using the new SIM card and only been using Wi-Fi because I want to wait till it's transferred to my old number. I would imagine holding the phone vertically as shown that web browsing on zero bars wouldn't be great. If someone could test this googling net speed test with the bottom held and then without the bottom held I would be most grateful. I would also guess that once I move to an area with even less reception that data would drop out completely. Again this is just my educated guess. Others will probably have more experience on this.

ghostofcain said:
Ok, you say the recpetion is worse than your older phone are you actually measuring the recpetion or looking at the bars?. More importantly does it actually result in dropped calls? I believe the issues with the iPhone4 (and if apple are to be believed all phones in the world released before it) where that the bars are only a vague representation of signal strength and that if held wrongly it dropped calls.
I don't pay enough attention to the signal bars, but certainly my ability to make and recieve calls is no worse than my previous HTC Magic and better than my wife's iPhone 3g
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bars cannot be trusted and that's why we have a little thing called FieldTest. Dial *#*#7262626#*#* and you can see the actual signal strength in dbm. When completely covered and the palm pressed to the antenna the signal drops 7-10 db which should not be a problem. I normally hold the phone a little higher, covering only a small part of the antenna and the signal drop is even smaller - like 2-3 db. That's for WCDMA, for GSM frequencies it should be even more negligible. Too lazy to test it though .
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

tkolev said:
The bars cannot be trusted and that's why we have a little thing called FieldTest. Dial *#*#7262626#*#* and you can see the actual signal strength in dbm. When completely covered and the palm pressed to the antenna the signal drops 7-10 db which should not be a problem. I normally hold the phone a little higher, covering only a small part of the antenna and the signal drop is even smaller - like 2-3 db. That's for WCDMA, for GSM frequencies it should be even more negligible. Too lazy to test it though .
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's about the same with GSM at least for me, which to be honest isn't a worry, so again I don't see this as being an issue in real world use

ghostofcain said:
It's about the same with GSM at least for me, which to be honest isn't a worry, so again I don't see this as being an issue in real world use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 4
Signal strength with the iPhone is ~5 db worse than the DHD. Both phones laying on the table so no touching whatsoever. When touched (with just one finger) at the "sweet spot" (bridging the WiFi and gsm antennas) the signal on the iPhone drops like 15-20 db. Both phones are in WCDMA mode.
Again I normally hold the phone higher than the cover by the sides of the phone. Unfortunately with the iPhone my ring finger goes exactly where the most trouble is caused, but if you ask a certain someone that's because I'm holding it wrong
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

I read this a few days ago. It may prove useful repeated here.
http://m.gizmodo.com/5740076/giz-explains-why-your-call-dropped

Yoshi_523 said:
Please post feedback on your phone including what carrier & country you are using and what ROM and radio version is loaded. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hello,
i am from austria europa and its the same
when i hold the handy with my fingers only on the top i have 4points
when i hold it with my right hand i have 4points sometimes 3
when i hold my handy with the left hand i have 2 points
i thought the last week.. why i have ever a problem when i call out from here ...never i had it with my nokia n80.
right now i know it..... super work from HTC... siro points for her
it was my last HTC handy for sure... also some others as
incoming call display doesn't indicate that a call is forwarded etc.... but thats an other story
tnx
cqf

Same here.
When I hold the phone with my right hand it drops 1 bar (around 6db in FieldTest)
When I hold the phone with my left hand it drops 2-3 bars (around 12db in FieldTest).
When it poor reception areas (around 2 bars signal) holding in the left hand it switches from 3G to 2G.
I think there is definitively a signal problem, especially for left handed people.
It would be nice to gather more impressions.

[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

Ahh, yes. Monday... beginning of the week. Oh! And the screen on my Nexus 7 cracked.

Not really sure how it happened. I had the thing in my pocket, as I had done no less than 300 other times. Never sat down or had anything else in my pocket, etc. Just did it as I was getting other things together to go out the door. Went to get in my car, took it out of my pocket and got inside. When I set it on the passenger seat I took notice to what I thought was a hair. Of course, it wasn't a hair. It was a crack. I sat the thing on my passenger seat, and drove to work, which is like... 500 yards away... looked over to pick it up and go inside and I had a second crack branched off of the original. Nice.
I did not have noticeable screen lift or creaking of any sort. Previously I had applied a good amount of pressure by hand to the area to see if I could duplicate what other users were talking about, but I never could. If I had to judge, based on insanely crazy ADD assessments, I would say I had the ever so slightest amount of screen lift on the left side. I'm talking a difference of about a thickness of a sheet of paper, and the ridge on the left still existed, even though I would have to say it may have not been as deep as the right side.
So now I'm kind of wondering what to do. I've never worked on a tablet, but I've taken apart countless laptops and even done LCD swaps on them. Part of me wonders if I should just purchase a new screen for it. I mean, can you do that? I'm looking around online and I'm finding LCD replacements, but I'm not sure what to think of them, as it's the glass that cracked. Is the surface glass/LCD panel itself all one unit?
I'm halfway debating that I un-root this thing (since ASUS seems to be a hater in that department) and send it back to ASUS for repair. Of course, it'll be a 2 week turn around, which is awesome, and I'm not even sure if it'll be covered. I always felt a screen crack was a hard thing to argue. Something involving pressure had to do it, but oddly I have no explanation for it.
I have no idea, overall... what do you guys think? I began to really use the tablet a lot, and I even just got the thing fully rooted to use USB OTG with it and my 500GB external HDD packed of stuff, which I thought would be nice on a trip coming this October.
tl:dr, screen cracked, which solution?
Purchase new LCD replacement, install myself. Pros - could epoxy any weak area on the left side. Cons - it's a repair that costs money that I'm not sure is justified on such a new unit
Un-root, return to ASUS, hope there's no hassle. Pros - could be free warrantied repair. Cons - is it "really" fixed against left-side screen problems? And LOL @ having to un-root.
Sell cheap on Ebay, set cash aside, wait for something else. Pros - maybe something better is soon to come? Cons - I'm down a device for what could be a semi lengthy time, which I had begun to use as a personal laptop replacement (between desktop and tablet, it was a pretty solid combo for me)

First of all, can you please verify that the left side of your screen is actually below the bezel?
Here is the best way to check I've found.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30720892#post30720892
Even if the screen lift is subtle enough to ignore, there's going to be an equally subtle amount of flex. That means repetitive stress, and there have been user reports of lifted screens cracking under normal use.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-7-tablet-forum/201712-screen-lift-but-lazy-return.html
And here is a post by someone like yourself who went to ASUS about it. They sent him a fruit basket with his replacement of course.
http://rootzwiki.com/topic/32838-cracked-screen-upload-picture-please/
Although the cause of your crack is unverified, I don't think we should assume that it happening on the left side is a coincidence. Your experience is consistent with other reports.
I personally returned three units for minor screen lift and asked for a refund on the third because I decided to treat this as a potentially serious issue. In my opinion, only customers who trust the Play store warranty implicitly should consider tolerating a hair of separation.
I hope you can resolve this with ASUS. It's a longshot but worth trying.
And by 'resolve' I mean convince them to recognize this as a manufacturing flaw before sending it in.

pxlitup said:
convince them to recognize this as a manufacturing flaw before sending it in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is demonstrably a manufacturing flaw with the N&'s screen LINK
Any flexing is out with the design parameters of any hard glass touch screen and as such flexing will lead to premature failure.

I understand. I've been retracing my steps all morning and I'm downright baffled at what I did to cause this. I had the tablet on the kitchen counter, along with my keys, phone, and laptop bag... put the phone in one pocket, tablet in another, walked outside, took tablet out of my pocket, and bam - I saw it. So it's a matter of about 9 steps I took to my car. No stairs, no epic falls on my rear end, nothing like that. It's because of that (coupled with the fact it happened on the left side) that I'm wondering if it is some more food for thought in regard to it being a design flaw.
pxlitup said:
And here is a post by someone like yourself who went to ASUS about it. They sent him a fruit basket with his new one of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apologies... I'm unsure if the fruit basket/new tablet was sarcasm or if I somehow missed it. Are you suggesting that ASUS repaired his cracked screen without issue??
And by 'resolve' I mean convince them to recognize this as a manufacturing flaw before sending it in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I somewhat tried to do that over the phone just now. I didn't have my serial number handy but I did everything I could aside from giving them the serial number, so I need to call back later when I can get the box and give them the rest of the info. As I talked with the rep, I explained to him I've done a great deal of reading about the Nexus 7, and I stressed that the left-side screen issues don't seem to be exactly uncommon. He said the most common thing he hears about screen cracks is when people have the tablet sitting in extreme hot/cold and reverse the temperature quicker than they realize. Meaning if they leave the tablet in their car overnight and it's cold, bring it inside and use it while sitting against the fireplace, then they may face the issue. I stressed two or three times that I had no idea how this happened and that I applied no pressure to the tablet to cause this. He said if ASUS finds that it's customer caused, you'll have the option to pay for the repair and have it sent back. Otherwise, you'll get it repaired and sent back without question.
I know with him being on the phone and not having seen this issue personally it's hard for me to assure him that this is either a fluke thing or a design flaw, but he didn't really seem too concerned (or aware) of what issues I brought up that I've heard about from the Nexus 7. I mentioned that some users reported that their screw seemed to be too long, causing an unevenness and therefore a perfect storm often resulting in a cracked screen. I also brought up other various screen separation issues, but he seemed to be unaware of them. Granted, he's just the front end phone support rep, so maybe he doesn't know as much as the techs do who actually work on the devices.
That being said, I'm not sure that I can get a guaranteed feeling before sending it in that this will be covered under warranty. All I can really do is wait to hear back from them and if they come back and say it was caused by customer negligence, to be aware of the facts in regard to what screen issues are out there to make for a compelling counter-claim. I'm doubtful it'll matter, though. It's not like it's an internal issue where the CPU seized up, something beyond customer control. Hopefully this won't be a headache...
In other news, I didn't use my tablet since the screen is of course cracked, but I just realized the entire touch interface is not working either.
Perfect start to the day. :good:

JaSauders said:
I understand. I've been retracing my steps all morning and I'm downright baffled at what I did to cause this. I had the tablet on the kitchen counter, along with my keys, phone, and laptop bag... put the phone in one pocket, tablet in another, walked outside, took tablet out of my pocket, and bam - I saw it. So it's a matter of about 9 steps I took to my car. No stairs, no epic falls on my rear end, nothing like that. It's because of that (coupled with the fact it happened on the left side) that I'm wondering if it is some more food for thought in regard to it being a design flaw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Screen lift would explain it. Check your tablet more thoroughly using the following guide, and take a photo if possible.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30720892#post30720892
If your lift is significant enough to be discovered by this visual test then it will not be difficult to prove.
Apologies... I'm unsure if the fruit basket/new tablet was sarcasm or if I somehow missed it. Are you suggesting that ASUS repaired his cracked screen without issue??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click the corresponding link?
ASUS told him to take a hike.
Well, I somewhat tried to do that over the phone just now. I didn't have my serial number handy but I did everything I could aside from giving them the serial number, so I need to call back later when I can get the box and give them the rest of the info. As I talked with the rep, I explained to him I've done a great deal of reading about the Nexus 7, and I stressed that the left-side screen issues don't seem to be exactly uncommon. He said the most common thing he hears about screen cracks is when people have the tablet sitting in extreme hot/cold and reverse the temperature quicker than they realize. Meaning if they leave the tablet in their car overnight and it's cold, bring it inside and use it while sitting against the fireplace, then they may face the issue. I stressed two or three times that I had no idea how this happened and that I applied no pressure to the tablet to cause this. He said if ASUS finds that it's customer caused, you'll have the option to pay for the repair and have it sent back. Otherwise, you'll get it repaired and sent back without question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can provide some evidence that your screen wasn't flush that should improve your chances.
ASUS is not a company that cares. The best you can do is legitimately present your case to a rare CSR who does.
Calling unprepared and baffled isn't going to work. Don't threaten, but you'll need to be assertive and better informed.
I know with him being on the phone and not having seen this issue personally it's hard for me to assure him that this is either a fluke thing or a design flaw, but he didn't really seem too concerned (or aware) of what issues I brought up that I've heard about from the Nexus 7. I mentioned that some users reported that their screw seemed to be too long, causing an unevenness and therefore a perfect storm often resulting in a cracked screen. I also brought up other various screen separation issues, but he seemed to be unaware of them. Granted, he's just the front end phone support rep, so maybe he doesn't know as much as the techs do who actually work on the devices.
That being said, I'm not sure that I can get a guaranteed feeling before sending it in that this will be covered under warranty. All I can really do is wait to hear back from them and if they come back and say it was caused by customer negligence, to be aware of the facts in regard to what screen issues are out there to make for a compelling counter-claim. I'm doubtful it'll matter, though. It's not like it's an internal issue where the CPU seized up, something beyond customer control. Hopefully this won't be a headache...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screw theory and other warranty friendly experiments have been pretty much discredited.
Here is the current working theory for why the left side is able to lift up, summarized by yours truly because it's easier to find my own posts, but trust me that this has been corroborated by several teardowns.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=30707430#post30707430

I took no less than 30 pictures. It's impossible to really grab a solid image of what's going on. Here's the best I could do.
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"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
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"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
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The screen lift you see is definitely worse now than it originally was, likely due to the actual crack relieving whatever pressure the screen was previously under.
If you notice, there's two cracks on the left side. The one that's a bit more rounded and lower on the left side was the original. As I said, I got in the car and went to work a mile away. Once I took another look, a second crack appeared - which is the one that shoots up the left side of the screen.
Fingers crossed.

JaSauders said:
I took no less than 30 pictures. It's impossible to really grab a solid image of what's going on. Here's the best I could do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to take a better picture, preferably without the trippy reflection, but the edge of your screen is definitely higher than the bezel.
That's a very good thing.
The screen lift you see is definitely worse now than it originally was, likely due to the actual crack relieving whatever pressure the screen was previously under.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This photo proves that the left side of your screen is higher than the bezel, and if you explain that your screen was lifting up before it cracked -- which it almost certainly was, even if you failed to notice it before -- then you have as good a chance of ASUS honoring your warranty as anyone.
I suggest that you correspond with ASUS and try to get them to acknowledge that this doesn't appear to be your fault before sending it in. You would need to get their assessment of the photo to do this, probably via email.
If you notice, there's two cracks on the left side. The one that's a bit more rounded and lower on the left side was the original. As I said, I got in the car and went to work a mile away. Once I took another look, a second crack appeared - which is the one that shoots up the left side of the screen.
Fingers crossed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If ASUS tries to screw you, try explaining what happened to Google Support. Although you didn't buy your device from the Play store, Google may take an interest in your case if ASUS fails to honor its warranty by accusing you of causing a well known manufacturing flaw.
You did buy this from somewhere other than the Play store, correct?
I'm just making sure you understand that Google handles Play store warranties. You wouldn't need to deal with ASUS at all if you ordered it there.

Thanks for your response. Yes, I bought it from Wal-Mart. Right now I'm almost wishing that I bought it from the Play store as Google sounds like they offer significantly better support than ASUS.
I know I need to take a better picture as well, it's just what I had at the time, so I at least wanted to give you guys some degree of a visual.
I did end up getting through to ASUS a 2nd time (had to call back because I didn't have my SN handy). The call ultimately got disconnected. No idea what happened... I heard him, he didn't hear me. I did explain in the conversation that I am well aware of what issues exist and I want this thing repaired. It's a C60 model, which sounds like the first gen with the questionable issues at hand. He did however say, well the one curve ball is, the techs are going to ask a very valuable question - was the device sent out with a cracked screen?
I pretty much almost went off the deep end there. I said, do me a favor, and take down these notes. There is a design flaw. Period. Google acknowledged it. ASUS should too. My device fell under this category. This issue will be addressed and repaired by ASUS.
At this point he sounded to be more "on the same page" with me, so we went to go through the RMA process, but then the call got wacky. I have to admit, I am exceptionally concerned about the comment he made. How on earth can they base cracked screen repairs on a premise like that.
At any rate, we'll try calling back again. Hopefully there won't be a headache, but I'm not convinced it'll exactly be easy. The tablet otherwise is in absolute perfect shape, so there's definitely no sign of a drop, etc. Who knows, maybe ASUS will surprise me?
EDIT - also, their on hold "did you know?" messages are enraging me. "Did you know that if you have a single bright or dead pixel on your LCD screen, ASUS will replace the entire thing for free?"
Don't worry. I wrote that little tid bit down for later reference if this turns into a fiasco. :good:

Well, I'm sending the gizmo back today. I'm questioning how I should handle it. ASUS really has me on edge since their warranty support seems extremely sub par based on what some users said already about repairs. Also, based on the fact the one rep I spoke to said it's unlikely they'll fix it without charging me sent me through the roof, as he said there's no design flaws - despite the fact Google has even said that... maybe include a picture and a short note in the box:
"Here's a picture depicting the screen lift that had existed prior to the crack forming, which is directly in line with the design flaw that plagued a few of the first generation devices that Google has confirmed. Hope this helps."
I don't want to come off as if I want to pick a fight, but I'm just on edge due to what the rep told me. On the flip side, I could always wait until they call me saying they'll charge me, then go from there. Meh.

Note 3 poor wifi, extra bar signal?

I have recently purchased a Note 3 (SM-N9005), currently running it rooted with the Polish NB3, unfortunately knox triggered, but never had a faulty phone before, so I hope that continues!
One thing that has been bugging me in an otherwise great phone, is the wifi signal, quite weak to say the least, my Sony Xperia Z is roughly 2 bars stronger in the same place, in fact, so is my Q10 and various mobiles I have collected over time (Xiaomi Mi2s, Pantech 840s), annoying to say the least, tried all the tweaks and settings mentioned here and elsewhere and while they may help some, for me the signal is still very poor.......
Was watching an excellent tear down video here:
When he mentioned making sure the little contacts for the antennas were sufficiently bent upwards to make a good contact, very interesting!
So I carefully popped off the back after taking out all the twelve little screws, and proceeded to gently bend upwards the two connectors for GPS and wifi, I also ever so slightly roughed the silver connector with a fine needle, all done in theory to aid signal.....
As for the results, well, with the same ROM, and no router reboot etc.... the wifi that used to hover at one signal pip, maybe two, now moves between two and three, it even went full bar briefly, which it had never done before from the spot I used! And there are a few more SSID's in the list too
I am now as you would expect, very happy, the wifi still isn't fantastic, but it's a damn sight better now!! :good:
Please don't try this and then blame me if you mess up your phone, I take no responsibility if you do, posted this just because I was quite surprised with the results!

No one the least interested, thought with all the threads about the poor wifi this find may have been of interest? Unless I'm late to the show and this is already been done and dusted

no one is interested because its a high risk low reward scenario.
Happy you had good results, but most people dont want to risk destroying their beloved note for a potential (minute) signal increase.

nakedtime said:
no one is interested because its a high risk low reward scenario.
Happy you had good results, but most people dont want to risk destroying their beloved note for a potential (minute) signal increase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't say minute, having SSID's that weren't there before and one to two bars better signal is the exact opposite of that!
As for how difficult it is, unscrewing 12 screws and lifting off the back cover is a piece of cake, in fact you don't even need to remove it, just lift one corner away, watch the first few mins of the video, it's petty simple....
My phone didn't have the warranty sticker over one of the screws either, and the phone was brand new and sealed from the provider, weird

I've never had issues with the signal on my Note 3.
The (admittedly many) times I do get a lousy signal, the fault lies with the provider, not my phone. (I know exactly where each tower is and what its range is. And I'm usually outside of it.)
As for WiFi, once I moved the Router out of the reinforced concrete cupboard, I always get a full signal...

to the OP , very useful thread dont be put off because theres been little responce, like the guy said few would dare to unscrew there beloved Note but still useful to know.

Yeah the 3G and 4G signal seems strong, just poor wifi when compared to multiple phones in the same spot, at least that was the case
I guess I trust my hands more than most, bad flashes are more of a concern for me than a few dozen screws lol

Thanks
I gave my phone for repairs once and the wifi reception has been below par since. Had tried what you have posted before but was not quite sure if I had the wifi pin right. Also I had only tinkered with the raised connector on the board and hadn't roughed up the connector on the back panel like you did.
Well your post gave me some courage and with the help of the video that you linked I tried it. Unfortunately, I broke the connector and that obviously made my problem much worse!
But then out of desperation I thought I would get some common copper wire to try and connect the board with the antenna and it actually worked Looks extremely ugly but my note 3 now connects to wifi routers even better than my note 1. I am attaching screenshots of the two phones with the wifi analyzer app. There is also a picture of the copper wire mesh that i put below the wifi antenna connector on the panel before I put it all back together.
Definitely do not recommend that anybody try what I did. It was an extremely foolish thing to do for someone as clumsy as me.
Thanks still OP. My Note 3 is in top form again thanks to you

I did that and it fixed my poor GPS signal and it worked really well. I'll do it again for wifi pin

I did that and it fixed my poor WIFI signal. Thanks man.

I had slight water damage to my old Note 3. Since then my GSM signal has been really poor. I replaced the USB flex cable, as the phone wasn't charging as well - replacing it obviously did the job, but GSM signal issue remained.
Cleaned the GSM connectors and lifted the pins - that didn't help. When using o2 SIM inside the building it connects to o2 network straight away (signal not very good btw). When using other (Virgin in this case) SIM it doesn't connect at all and displays "Emergency calls only" message.
I think it might be the MoBo fault now, isn't it?

O2 OK but no VM reads as no CSC or wrong CSC .
Phone firmware has no knowledge of VM settings .