Related
I made this comment in the impressions thread but am trying to bring more light to it...
Put your phone face down, rub your thumb on the upper half of the phone, does it creak at the top? Its almost like the rear glass wasn't put on properly on my device - it creaks like plastic. I'm really surprised by this since most reviews say the thing is completely creak free. And yes its somewhat annoying because I can hear the creaking more and more when I am just handling the phone....
Thanks
Edit - made a video.... now that its happening more often it seems to be due to the plastic/rubber trim (which goes around the phone) not fitting properly, its flexing between the front and rear glass. BLah, I wish I had a bumper to see if that would minimize the issue. Its very noticable now. I added a 2nd video on youtube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT_JhcS90eI
Hope people will be able to answer this if the phone creaks at all I don't think I'll get it
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
No creaking at all from my device. The power button is a little wiggly tho...not as solid as the volume rocker which is kind of annoying, but not a deal breaker or anything.
dbdynsty25 said:
No creaking at all from my device. The power button is a little wiggly tho...not as solid as the volume rocker which is kind of annoying, but not a deal breaker or anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This +1
Stand on your head and rub the left corner counter clockwise.... Do you hear that noise? Come on guys.... really?
But to answer your question no mine does not creak perhaps you should return if you rub the back of it a lot.
Nope, no sort of creaking with mine in any form, and the buttons are all very firmly in place. The whole device feels extremely sturdy and well built.
Get a life or get out more there are more important things in life
asasione said:
Get a life or get out more there are more important things in life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're an idiot - I started the thread to get real comments...
As my original post says, it occurs in regular situations when handling the phone. There is a creak on upper half of the rear or top of the device. It's annoying to spend any substantial amount on a device and have it creaking when new. I'll try to make a video later.
The buttons are fine on mine though - no issues there.
asasione said:
Get a life or get out more there are more important things in life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mistakenly thanked your post but that I feel the opposite.
We are on XDA and on the Nexus 4 forum, it isn't like the OP is making a huge deal out of it. He is just wondering if any other people have been experiencing the same issue.
People post on these device-specific forums to discuss about the particular device, people are well aware that there are things in life outside of smartphones without you having to point it out.
it is completely solid, power button doesnt wiggle, there is a bit of a rattle when tapping the top but thats the camera lens I assume (only rattles when tapping near the camera)
Yeah I don't think it should be creaking at all, especially since the back is glass and non-removable. As you said, it probably wasn't put on right. I would wait a couple of weeks until this whole order fiasco is fixed before calling about doing a warranty exchange.
idividebyzero said:
it is completely solid, power button doesnt wiggle, there is a bit of a rattle when tapping the top but thats the camera lens I assume (only rattles when tapping near the camera)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here.
vexx786 said:
Yeah I don't think it should be creaking at all, especially since the back is glass and non-removable. As you said, it probably wasn't put on right. I would wait a couple of weeks until this whole order fiasco is fixed before calling about doing a warranty exchange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree - especially when the majority of people say its extremely solid. I'll post a video later tonight (I'm at work right now) so people can have something to relate to...
Added a video for you guys....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT_JhcS90eI
dale_cooper said:
Added a video for you guys....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT_JhcS90eI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine creaks on the bottom
mine doesn't creak at all. Of course I don't sensually rub mine on the top of the glass where there is no touch feedback, but to each his own.
hondarider525 said:
mine doesn't creak at all. Of course I don't sensually rub mine on the top of the glass where there is no touch feedback, but to each his own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol...
It creaks under real world situations if I grip the phone on both sides to turn on power it will flex and creak. If I grip with my index finger on top of the phone and fingers on both sides on the top, it creaks.
My phone doesn't creak no matter how I hold or press on it
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
seriously? cmon guys...u guys look for annnnny thing to ***** about. no device is perfect...
No creak, wobbliness, dead pixels, shaky mic, but I do have that line in the top right in the plastic. I kinda like it, it gives the phone character.
I just noticed this evening that I have a little bulge under my SIM slot. The rubber protrudes about 1mm, and is about 1/4" long. It happens to be exactly above where my ring finger rests when I hold my phone, as if my finger (over the past 6 days) has forced the separation. It's nothing a bumper or case won't fix -- but I don't have a bumper or a case.
Hopefully it's an isolated case **He naively says starting at the screen lift on his Nexus 7**
ralexand said:
I just noticed this evening that I have a little bulge under my SIM slot. The rubber protrudes about 1mm, and is about 1/4" long. It happens to be exactly above where my ring finger rests when I hold my phone, as if my finger (over the past 6 days) has forced the separation. It's nothing a bumper or case won't fix -- but I don't have a bumper or a case.
Hopefully it's an isolated case **He naively says starting at the screen lift on his Nexus 7**
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont see it. Can you get a closer picture?
Sent from my GT-P7310 using xda premium
ctowne said:
I dont see it. Can you get a closer picture?
Sent from my GT-P7310 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy specs mate. Or get a better monitor.
Oh nevermind I see it now. I would send it back. He said under so i was looking under. That is more like above it.
Sent from my GT-P7310 using xda premium
Looks like the rubber band warping. Not sim slot.
I ordered a nexus 4 and all I got was bo.
Yeah, that looks like a clear defect. I'd definitely have Google replace it.
I've had mine for over a week. It doesn't have that issue. Thank God.
That's a definite defect. Get a replacement ASAP.
Sent from my Nexus 7
At least it still works mine is lifeless
Hi
Might just be clip on the back cover that hasn't engaged. Can you clip it back in by squeezing the back at that point against the front?
Regards
Phil
PhilipL said:
Hi
Might just be clip on the back cover that hasn't engaged. Can you clip it back in by squeezing the back at that point against the front?
Regards
Phil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, it's surprisingly stubborn. I've put quite a bit of pressure trying to "pop" it back into place to no avail. I really do hope this isn't a mass problem. I'm going to do an RMA (also have the rattle & hiss). The next one I'll have a case from Day 1.
Hi
ralexand said:
Nah, it's surprisingly stubborn. I've put quite a bit of pressure trying to "pop" it back into place to no avail. I really do hope this isn't a mass problem. I'm going to do an RMA (also have the rattle & hiss). The next one I'll have a case from Day 1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The rattle is just the plastic lens in the camera related to auto focus, a lot of phones have the same rattle, search for "camera rattle". Hiss is caused by the DC-DC power converters in the phone, it's a known issue with low power equipment such as mobile phones, just do a search for the terms "dc dc converter audible noise". These are not faults, just side effects of the technology that most people will ignore or not notice.
Such is the variable nature of these components you may get another phone that appears better or just the same or even worse, but very likely the rattle will always be there as that is just how the cameras are at rest with nothing powering the magnetic servo of the lens.
Obviously the bulge in the side of the case shouldn't be there, certainly a reason to get it replaced.
Regards
Phil
OP - I finally received my phone yesterday and noticed that I too have the same little bulge. Mine is on the opposite side of the phone. It does look like it's just a clip that didn't engage. However, like you, I tried to push it in to no avail. Since there is nothing else wrong with my phone at all I am holding off on sending it in for an RMA because I'd be afraid to get a phone with worse defects. This one is so minimal that I can live with it. Especially since I REALLY have to look for it to see it.
With that said, I'm contemplating just removing the backing, which I have read is super easy (just remove the two screws at the bottom and the sim tray and it pops off). I was thinking about doing this to inspect that little section to see if something is just protruding a tiny bit that can be easily corrected. I'm going to wait until I see others have successfully removed the backing before attempting it myself.
Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.
UPDATE: I called Play Support and told the rep about the issue. He said I'm not the first person to have the small bulge and recommended an RMA since it's considered a defect so I went that route.
I returned a Nexus 7 that had the same problem. There was no screen lift, so I hesitated, but after taking the back off and seeing that internal components were pressing the bezel outwards (and the screen had been attached onto the already-bent bezel, leaving the bulgey spot without any adhesive to speak of even if I could get the bezel straight) I decided I didn't want to wait for dust to start creeping in and took it back. Glad I did, my replacement was perfect. Hope you get the same result with a new N4 (whenever they get around to having a new one for you :| ).
Damn I have the buldge to Don't know if i'm just noticing or if it's been there all along. I've decided i can live with the tiny amount of hiss in the ear piece and the camera rattle (which i've been told and believe is normal and not a defect). Can't decide if this is something that'll worsen over time or just live with this in fear of getting a device with worse issues. DOH
marnel47 said:
Damn I have the buldge to Don't know if i'm just noticing or if it's been there all along. I've decided i can live with the tiny amount of hiss in the ear piece and the camera rattle (which i've been told and believe is normal and not a defect). Can't decide if this is something that'll worsen over time or just live with this in fear of getting a device with worse issues. DOH
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't fret. I called Google about this issue since I have it too. The rep told me he had a few reports of this and recommended an RMA for it. It won't get worse but if it does bother you just call and have them send you a new one. The process is really easy. I've done this in the past with other Nexus devices as well. They send you a new one within 3-5 business days and put an auth charge on your card for the full price of the phone. Then, when you get the new phone you put the old one in the box and send it back to them. When they receive the phone they remove the auth hold. This way you are never left without a phone.
Anyone opened theirs up?
Sent from my Nexus 4
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
fabian.ecker said:
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would u mind taking a picture of the inside where u added tape to stop the backplate from creaking and upload it. I've tried many things to fix it to no avail.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
i will as soon as i find some time. there is another thread here on xda. it's for the wifi model but i adapted the suggestions for my nexus 7. also, what i did for mine might not work for yours. my suggestion is, figure out where the noise is coming from, add some double sided tape or foam close it partially and try it. took me about 2 days of trial and error to achieve an acceptable state
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1848013
here is the link
fabian.ecker said:
i will as soon as i find some time. there is another thread here on xda. it's for the wifi model but i adapted the suggestions for my nexus 7. also, what i did for mine might not work for yours. my suggestion is, figure out where the noise is coming from, add some double sided tape or foam close it partially and try it. took me about 2 days of trial and error to achieve an acceptable state
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much. My only creak is on the right side where the battery is and close to the bezel. Did u happen to have one there as well? Wish me luck lol off to void my warranty
Sent from my [insert phone model here]
fabian.ecker said:
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bookmarking so I recognize your nick on an upcoming "My wifi doesn't work!" thread.
Don't worry about your warranty! there is a "seal" sticker INSIDE the case but popping the back off will most certainly not void your warranty. it's more like the battery cover on a galaxy s3 or a nexus s than anything else!
fyi i had it on the right, left, and top of the device
Thats right folks, the out edge of this that lies around the screen is very, very brittle and thin. I have never dropped the phone and it has been in my spigen leather pouch for my old nexus since I bought it, no idea how it got dented, and its only very slight without scratches but it is definitely there.. just a forewarning.
vodka7 said:
Thats right folks, the out edge of this that lies around the screen is very, very brittle and thin. I have never dropped the phone and it has been in my spigen leather pouch for my old nexus since I bought it, no idea how it got dented, and its only very slight without scratches but it is definitely there.. just a forewarning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange. The Cruzerlite (which are thin TPU cases, cheap in my opinion) drop test stood up to NUMEROUS drops & the device survived without any sign of damage. Not a scratch or dent.
Is you device white or black? My old Nexus 10 had a defect in the black soft touch coating that looked like a dent, but it was more likely an issue in the molding or application process.
vodka7 said:
Thats right folks, the out edge of this that lies around the screen is very, very brittle and thin. I have never dropped the phone and it has been in my spigen leather pouch for my old nexus since I bought it, no idea how it got dented, and its only very slight without scratches but it is definitely there.. just a forewarning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pics?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Endoran said:
Pics?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is the white version, but the dent is on the top right above the camera, on the black portion, right where the side casing touches the glass. I would have a very hard time photographing this because of where it is on the phone/lighting etc.. ill try when I get home though.
vodka7 said:
Thats right folks, the out edge of this that lies around the screen is very, very brittle and thin. I have never dropped the phone and it has been in my spigen leather pouch for my old nexus since I bought it, no idea how it got dented, and its only very slight without scratches but it is definitely there.. just a forewarning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a picture speaks a thousand words
I have about 5 or so nicks on the sides where the glass and plastic edge meet on my naked white N5. I agree that the plastic used is pretty brittle but it's not noticeable unless you really look for it.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Get a sufficient case otherwise you can't really complain...
I have one little mark or nick as well where the plastic case meets the glass on that tiny little lip. My 2 year old got a hold of my phone and dropped it on a metal external hard drive case the day I got it and it landed right on 90 degree edge of the case... I went temporarily insane. It is very small but kind of surprised me I guess. I dropped my galaxy S3 many times and never got more than the little hairline scratches you see in glossy plastic. That soft touch coating seems to have some give to it. It was my fault. My parents gave my kids a new ipad mini and I set my phone on top of it. I was in the other room and heard him say "new tablet". I knew at that moment the mistake I had made...
I have one of those really slim cases on the way which would have prevented it. I typically don't use cases and am usually not bothered by the small marks I get on my phones but because some of those ultra thin cases are so slim now days I am going to try one out. Marking up a brand new phone is a little different than one that's a year+ old...
I too, also have a slight dent under the screen bezel part of mine. I have never dropped mine. Noticed it while it was on the table; that the reflection of the curtain was slightly bent at the one area, instead of being completely straight. Looked closely, and sure enough, there was a dent. It's not noticeable during day-to-day use, but you CAN notice it if looking at the reflection it shows.
The chrome bezel on the nexus 4 was susceptible to dents as well.
A few weeks ago the Nexus 5 flew out of my hands and landed on our concrete driveway. I feared the worst, but only a small dent in the upper left corner of the back panel and some scratching is all that happened. Lucky me, but I still hate it. Never had a single blemish on the Nexus 4.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
The sides of this phone are fine, besides the fact that they collect dust like crazy. The screen, however, is not. Another guy posting on Android Central also reported having a dent, similar to mine. I actually think this dent came with my device. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago, but disregarded it, as I thought it was the screen protector that came with the phone, but I decided to remove it and check again. It IS a part of the screen
Hobbesfed said:
The sides of this phone are fine, besides the fact that they collect dust like crazy. The screen, however, is not. Another guy posting on Android Central also reported having a dent, similar to mine. I actually think this dent came with my device. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago, but disregarded it, as I thought it was the screen protector that came with the phone, but I decided to remove it and check again. It IS a part of the screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normal. That's why most early glass screen protectors were not sticking properly.
bblzd said:
Normal. That's why most early glass screen protectors were not sticking properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normal? How is a dent on the screen normal? My Nexus 10 does not have this, my old Samsung Vibrant does not have this. Why would a dent on a Nexus 5 be normal?
Hobbesfed said:
Normal? How is a dent on the screen normal? My Nexus 10 does not have this, my old Samsung Vibrant does not have this. Why would a dent on a Nexus 5 be normal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say it's normal because of the following reasons:
1) it doesn't effect the usage of the device in any way
2) it's barely noticeable even in the "perfect" lighting conditions
3) many have reported the exact same thing in the early tempered glass threads; the only time it has ever come up or been noticed.
So why exactly is it a problem for you? Corners were cut to make this phone at a cheap price I would think that's pretty clear. It's also not the screen itself but around it.
Dented
In my N5 have no dent and any scratch..
I love with my N5
bblzd said:
I would say it's normal because of the following reasons:
1) it doesn't effect the usage of the device in any way
2) it's barely noticeable even the "perfect" lighting conditions
3) many have reported the exact same thing in the early tempered glass threads; the only time it has ever come up or been noticed.
So why exactly is it a problem for you? Corners were cut to make this phone at a cheap price I would think that's pretty clear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a difference between "corners being cut" to make the device cheaper and really poor quality control. I understand them using a less camera module and a lower capacity battery, and a screen that washes out when tilted, etc, but the numerous issues with the hardware is ridiculous. Dents in screen, poor GPS connectivity, Wi-Fi problems, dust under screen, loose vibration motor, rattling buttons, and so on.
There is no reason for hardware bugs like this. To lower the price, lesser powerful hardware is used, but the low price is no excuse for poor quality. Like some users said, in terms of hardware, this device is like an alpha, and the only way to receive the "perfect" device is to continuously RMA.
We paid for the device, we should not be getting so many faults and issues.
Hobbesfed said:
There's a difference between "corners being cut" to make the device cheaper and really poor quality control. I understand them using a less camera module and a lower capacity battery, and a screen that washes out when tilted, etc, but the numerous issues with the hardware is ridiculous. Dents in screen, poor GPS connectivity, Wi-Fi problems, dust under screen, loose vibration motor, rattling buttons, and so on.
There is no reason for hardware bugs like this. To lower the price, lesser powerful hardware is used, but the low price is no excuse for poor quality. Like some users said, in terms of hardware, this device is like an alpha, and the only way to receive the "perfect" device is to continuously RMA.
We paid for the device, we should not be getting so many faults and issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is it even a defect? It's not even noticeable. No one would consider it a hardware bug except apparently you. Please explain how this effects the usage of your device in any way.
Poor quality control is EXACTLY how corners are cut. Manufacturing anything has margin of errors and the less margin of error you're willing to release the more phones are "thrown away" and the more money a released device will cost. I'd explain more but I'm sure Wikipedia or a Google search can better explain the finer points of manufacturing and quality control then I can.
You read the specs of the phone and it has everything a $700 phone has but it costs $400. How did you think that was accomplished?
bblzd said:
.
You read the specs of the phone and it has everything a $700 phone has but it costs $400. How did you think that was accomplished?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a lot of discussion about that price... but Google routinely undercuts the competition when it comes to the nexus line (looking at you, 7)
Looking at the specs of the 5, then looking at comparable phones out ing the market, the only conclusion I can come to is that Google is letting these things go at either zero margin, or (my thought) at a fairly beefy loss.... kicking back cash to LG to cover their losses.
All you need to do is look at the other phones available at the same full retail price... does the 5 seem anywhere close to those? Nope, it blows them all out of the water... laughable in most cases. Now, you can cut corners to lower prices, but you can't cut THAT much.
LeoRex said:
There is a lot of discussion about that price... but Google routinely undercuts the competition when it comes to the nexus line (looking at you, 7)
Looking at the specs of the 5, then looking at comparable phones out ing the market, the only conclusion I can come to is that Google is letting these things go at either zero margin, or (my thought) at a fairly beefy loss.... kicking back cash to LG to cover their losses.
All you need to do is look at the other phones available at the same full retail price... does the 5 seem anywhere close to those? Nope, it blows them all out of the water... laughable in most cases. Now, you can cut corners to lower prices, but you can't cut THAT much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The actual cost break down might never be known. One thing is for sure though, LG is not willing to take any loss and whatever Google may have paid them "extra" they will still try and build the phone as cheap as they possibly can.
LG does not consider the Nexus as their flagship phone and will never treat it as such. It's a phone they were contracted to build and they will cut every corner they can. It's just business.
Post-end edit and TL;DR for others having the sort of problems I was:
The power button will, if held in (or stuck engaged) for 10 seconds, reset the phone. Unconditionally. If your phone starts randomly resetting after the power button is pressed (or after you press it, the shutdown menu appears, then the phone resets), your power button is sticky and needs to be replaced. Save yourself some frustration and stop using the button to sleep/wake your phone. Pop the keyboard slider open half an inch to wake it up, use a widget or one of CM and SlimKat's many shortcuts to put it to sleep. Unless you're still on stock JB, in which case quit being on stock JB you square you're probably limited to widgets.
---
Bought a D4 off ebay. According to the seller, there's nothing wrong with it, aside from "the power button occasionally does not work".
And until this afternoon, not even that. The phone was working flawlessly. So, I sat down and flashed it so I could transfer my PagePlus account over, which also seemed to be successful; 1x and 3g signals, nice and strong. And even after that, it was fine for a bit.
Then, I go to put the phone to sleep...and it wouldn't. The power switch problem that the seller described rearing its ugly head, seemingly. So I kept trying, and every few button presses, the shutdown menu came up, rather than the device sleeping. Seemed like a sticky button, easy enough to fix.
And then...the phone reset itself. And now, when it's woken with the button, there's a decent chance that it resets itself within 10 seconds of leaving the lock screen; assuming it even wakes up with the button, which seems to be rather hit-and-miss. Putting the phone to sleep with the button is equally fidgety, but doesn't seem to be able to reset it.
I'd already planned on replacing the button, if necessary; I'm not at all afraid of opening the phone up. What concerns me is the self-resetting, which as I understand the Droid 4 is only supposed to do if the power button and volume- buttons are held; I haven't so much as touched the volume buttons since this started.
Should I send it back for a refund, or is the self-reset behavior a symptom of a stuck/failing power button, and likely to go away if I open it up and replace it?
My power button did same thing a year ago.
The power button is two parts external and internal
I took it apart and pulled the external part off, it just pulls straight off.
Now need a pen or something to press button, but normally use a widget to turn screen off and use an volume button app to turn screen on
There are replacement power buttons on eBay but never got around to it.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
sd_shadow said:
My power button did same thing a year ago.
The power button is two parts external and internal
I took it apart and pulled the external part off, it just pulls straight off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So wait. Despite how loose/flimsy it feels, it's actually the external plastic bit getting stuck/hung up? I figured it was the actual button being gunked up (poor-quality grease or somesuch) and sticking.
And, is the phone supposed to reboot if only the power button is "held", then? That's what I'm primarily worried about; whether the power button is responsible for the reboots, or it started at the same time by coincidence and something else is actually wrong.
With mine the exterior part was sticking and causing reboots, yours may be different
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Hmm, seems to be different indeed. Out of curiosity, I very carefully slipped a screwdriver in above the plastic button to open a small gap, and clicked the actual hardware button with a small paperclip...nothing. Holding it long enough seems to eventually make contact and put the phone to sleep, clicking it repeatedly sometimes causes the shutdown menu to come up (and shortly thereafter a reboot)...
Very strange behavior. Think I have some electrical contact cleaner around here somewhere, maybe I can squirt some of that down into the button...failing that, I guess I can live with it, hoping it's just the button itself and not something wonky with the board logic, and eventually change the button for something a bit higher quality...
Septfox said:
Hmm, seems to be different indeed. Out of curiosity, I very carefully slipped a screwdriver in above the plastic button to open a small gap, and clicked the actual hardware button with a small paperclip...nothing. Holding it long enough seems to eventually make contact and put the phone to sleep, clicking it repeatedly sometimes causes the shutdown menu to come up (and shortly thereafter a reboot)...
Very strange behavior. Think I have some electrical contact cleaner around here somewhere, maybe I can squirt some of that down into the button...failing that, I guess I can live with it, hoping it's just the button itself and not something wonky with the board logic, and eventually change the button for something a bit higher quality...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This happened to my old SE XPERIA X2, the switch wore off. In this case I got the switch replaced under warranty claim.
Generally all the faulty micro switches I opened had somehow faulty flat spring inside. If it is the case, it won't click soundly when pressed. Then you need to replace the whole switch (or the spring if you can find the same), no cleaning can help.
I can't imagine any valid SW situation leading to reboot because of pressing only the power switch - unless you installed some utility to do it, which I doubt. Maybe the Vol Down button is faulty/sticky too?
I'd try to clean the insides first (if the cleaner gets inside the switches, even better), and if that doesn't help, get inside and check these two switches yourself. You can't get a refund then though
LuH said:
Generally all the faulty micro switches I opened had somehow faulty flat spring inside. If it is the case, it won't click soundly when pressed. Then you need to replace the whole switch (or the spring if you can find the same), no cleaning can help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine makes a clicking sound and seems to return after being pressed. However, comparing it to the volume buttons (which look to be the same switch going by the teardown pictures I've seen), it does sound and feel slightly less "crisp".
LuH said:
I can't imagine any valid SW situation leading to reboot because of pressing only the power switch - unless you installed some utility to do it, which I doubt. Maybe the Vol Down button is faulty/sticky too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, completely stock, since I was flashing the phone over to PP before doing anything else.
I was kind of hoping someone on stock or modified stock would come in and test it for me; hold the button down for a good 10-20 seconds, see what happens. It's not supposed to happen, but I've read elsewhere online that it's one of the symptoms of a sticky button.
Curiously, the Volume- key seems to be working perfectly, sounds and feels like I would expect.
LuH said:
I'd try to clean the insides first (if the cleaner gets inside the switches, even better), and if that doesn't help, get inside and check these two switches yourself. You can't get a refund then though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually have some "QR Electrical Cleaner" here that I obtained from Walmart a while back...unfortunately someone lost the nozzle, so I can't get a concentrated blast down around the switch stem :\
Wedging the plastic external button aside and spraying it in the general direction of the top of the switch doesn't seem to have done anything, unfortunately. I think these switches are probably semi-sealed unless in the pressed position, which is going to make things interesting...
And yes, you're right, doing anything further would technically void the warranty. Thinking about it, though, I actually did get a pretty good deal; the phone is obviously a return from a customer who found the problem early on, as it's basically new in condition with a completely unscratched screen. Even if I can't get the button working right, the phone wakes up with the keyboard, and a notification widget puts it to sleep...and if the button isn't used to wake it, it doesn't seem to stick (or at least register as it), so the phone continues working properly. So, a mostly-perfect phone, for all of $27.50, with the potential to be perfect.
Once my screen protector gets here and I'm not afraid of scratching the glass up, I think I'll open it and see what I can find out. It should be easy enough to short the contacts at the rear of the switch and see that the board is working properly; if so, then I can go hunting for a compatible switch. I can't seem to find any direct replacements, unfortunately.
Which reminds me, any guesses as to why there are three poles on the switch rather than two?
Edit: nevermind, looking at pictures it seems that the two "outer" pins attach to the common pad on the board, while the center pin is attached to the appropriate circuitry.
Septfox said:
Mine makes a clicking sound and seems to return after being pressed. However, comparing it to the volume buttons (which look to be the same switch going by the teardown pictures I've seen), it does sound and feel slightly less "crisp".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like a swan's song...
Septfox said:
Yea, completely stock, since I was flashing the phone over to PP before doing anything else.
I was kind of hoping someone on stock or modified stock would come in and test it for me; hold the button down for a good 10-20 seconds, see what happens. It's not supposed to happen, but I've read elsewhere online that it's one of the symptoms of a sticky button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Luckily I just fastbooted mine Completely stock 188, only rooted and with SS installed - which should make no difference. To my complete surprise, while holding the power down, it shows the Power menu after 2 secs and forcibly reboots after 10 seconds. So I guess your only problem is the power button :good:
Septfox said:
And yes, you're right, doing anything further would technically void the warranty. Thinking about it, though, I actually did get a pretty good deal; the phone is obviously a return from a customer who found the problem early on, as it's basically new in condition with a completely unscratched screen. Even if I can't get the button working right, the phone wakes up with the keyboard, and a notification widget puts it to sleep...and if the button isn't used to wake it, it doesn't seem to stick (or at least register as it), so the phone continues working properly. So, a mostly-perfect phone, for all of $27.50, with the potential to be perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great catch If you find another, let me know
Septfox said:
Once my screen protector gets here and I'm not afraid of scratching the glass up, I think I'll open it and see what I can find out. It should be easy enough to short the contacts at the rear of the switch and see that the board is working properly; if so, then I can go hunting for a compatible switch. I can't seem to find any direct replacements, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually bought one two years ago while buying mine D4 to have the whole package stuffed with all imaginable replacement parts sent from the US - postage to Europe was about 1/3 of the whole price. I never used any of the replacement parts yet, guess I got lucky I don't have it on me now though...
Septfox said:
Which reminds me, any guesses as to why there are three poles on the switch rather than two?
Edit: nevermind, looking at pictures it seems that the two "outer" pins attach to the common pad on the board, while the center pin is attached to the appropriate circuitry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My guess is in some other devices the switch may switch between two circuits, not just break/connect the circuit. I think most of the switches I saw had the unnecessary third leg. Also it may help it hold tighter to the PCB.
LuH said:
Luckily I just fastbooted mine Completely stock 188, only rooted and with SS installed - which should make no difference. To my complete surprise, while holding the power down, it shows the Power menu after 2 secs and forcibly reboots after 10 seconds. So I guess your only problem is the power button :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thank you! Now I don't have to strip it down until I have a new switch in hand...though I'm still tempted to, just for fun. Strange that the phone can be rebooted by only holding the power button, though.
LuH said:
Great catch If you find another, let me know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Certainly. FYI, the seller I got it it from is named "soonersoft" if you want to use ebay's Follow Seller thing, by the looks of their listings they seem to mainly do business in items returned under warranty for damage/defects.
LuH said:
I actually bought one two years ago while buying mine D4 to have the whole package stuffed with all imaginable replacement parts sent from the US - postage to Europe was about 1/3 of the whole price. I never used any of the replacement parts yet, guess I got lucky I don't have it on me now though...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been thinking about it, and even if I could find a 1:1 replacement, it might be better to just replace it with an entirely different, more common switch. Having looked it up, power switch failures aren't incredibly frequent, but they are enough that I would rather have a more reliable (or at least, cheaper to replace), more standard design. Ebay is full of cheap bulk lots of microswitches, just gotta find one small enough.
LuH said:
My guess is in some other devices the switch may switch between two circuits, not just break/connect the circuit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, maybe. I just had the thought that it might alternatively be a dual-stage switch (e.g. as are used for cameras), with one of the stages disabled or defective to the extent that it could only be sold as a single-stage switch. Such would be a good way to get rid of components that would otherwise be garbage.
Whichever it is, it seems to me that such a small switch with so many moving parts inside, in a location and with a role that it sees a lot of use and abuse, is just asking for trouble...that the problem isn't more widespread is a testament to the quality of the switch manufacturer's design and assembly, I guess.
Regardless, it looks like only a dual-pole switch is actually needed, so that considerably widens the range of possibilities.
Thanks for the assistance, it has been invaluable. Now I can continue loading up and enjoying my phone without worrying that it's going to suddenly drop dead...well, more than the usual worrying, anyway
Septfox said:
Awesome, thank you! Now I don't have to strip it down until I have a new switch in hand...though I'm still tempted to, just for fun. Strange that the phone can be rebooted by only holding the power button, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know your feelings, even though I waited for a first issue to rationalize opening it up, which was only this summer, after almost two years. I'm still a student and the phone was ****load of money for me. Now that they are so cheap (and I don't see any potential replacement on the market as QWERTY devices vaporized) I'm not that cautious.
BTW most breakdown instructions or videos specify you'll only need T5 screwdriver but if you want to disassemble the display part as well, which you will need to, you'll need T3 as well (T4 still kinda fits to the screws, but it's T3). When you slide the diplay (or keyboard, depending on your point of view) out, you can see the small screws next to the outer rim.
Also, the phone heavily relies on adhesive - be sure to have plenty and be aware that after first opening the see-through plastic piece with rear camera, flash LED, hole for opening the back door and with two screws underneath will never look the same, you'll be lucky to have it somehow stick with most parts looking OK. I never saw anywhere replacement for this printed adhesive, the "HD 720p" sign gets semi-destroyed when opening it...
Septfox said:
Certainly. FYI, the seller I got it it from is named "soonersoft" if you want to use ebay's Follow Seller thing, by the looks of their listings they seem to mainly do business in items returned under warranty for damage/defects.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Septfox said:
I've been thinking about it, and even if I could find a 1:1 replacement, it might be better to just replace it with an entirely different, more common switch. Having looked it up, power switch failures aren't incredibly frequent, but they are enough that I would rather have a more reliable (or at least, cheaper to replace), more standard design. Ebay is full of cheap bulk lots of microswitches, just gotta find one small enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or you can do it the hardcore and noticeable way I used to fix out old home LCD monitor's faulty power switch - solder wires to the PCB, take it out the hole left after the switch plastic and solder to them a switch of your choosing that will hang outside the phone... You can tell people that it's an antenna that helps with bad reception in your area
Septfox said:
Yea, maybe. I just had the thought that it might alternatively be a dual-stage switch (e.g. as are used for cameras), with one of the stages disabled or defective to the extent that it could only be sold as a single-stage switch. Such would be a good way to get rid of components that would otherwise be garbage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not likely IMO. This was marketed as luxurious device, I don't think they'd do it. Also the new switch isn't as expensive I guess, especially compared to all the advanced electronics inside.
Septfox said:
Whichever it is, it seems to me that such a small switch with so many moving parts inside, in a location and with a role that it sees a lot of use and abuse, is just asking for trouble...that the problem isn't more widespread is a testament to the quality of the switch manufacturer's design and assembly, I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, I never understood how microswitches, especially those used in mouses, could take so much...
Septfox said:
Regardless, it looks like only a dual-pole switch is actually needed, so that considerably widens the range of possibilities.
Thanks for the assistance, it has been invaluable. Now I can continue loading up and enjoying my phone without worrying that it's going to suddenly drop dead...well, more than the usual worrying, anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad I helped Enjoy your "brand new" slider
LuH said:
BTW most breakdown instructions or videos specify you'll only need T5 screwdriver but if you want to disassemble the display part as well, which you will need to, you'll need T3 as well (T4 still kinda fits to the screws, but it's T3).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. As it turns out, I don't have anything below a T6 or 7, so no adventures in disassembly for me today.
LuH said:
Also, the phone heavily relies on adhesive - be sure to have plenty and be aware that after first opening the see-through plastic piece with rear camera, flash LED, hole for opening the back door and with two screws underneath will never look the same, you'll be lucky to have it somehow stick with most parts looking OK. I never saw anywhere replacement for this printed adhesive, the "HD 720p" sign gets semi-destroyed when opening it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fond memories of stripping my Ally down to the digitizer come back to me; everything simply snaps or bolts together and there's nary a drop of glue to be seen :<
I wonder if I can eyeball pictures of a removed plastic bit and use a straightblade bit to simply "drill" through mine to the screws...will have to keep it in mind when I evenetually open it up.
Any suggestions on what kind of glue to get? All I have around are hot glue and Gorilla Glue, neither of which strike me as particularly appropriate for this sort of thing.
LuH said:
Or you can do it the hardcore and noticeable way I used to fix out old home LCD monitor's faulty power switch - solder wires to the PCB, take it out the hole left after the switch plastic and solder to them a switch of your choosing that will hang outside the phone... You can tell people that it's an antenna that helps with bad reception in your area
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sad thing is, I would have actually done this with my first flip-phone. Heck, my current computer is a collection of loosely-assembled parts kind of haphazardly spread out on a nearby endtable, so I can say I would definitely do this to a phone ; \
LuH said:
Not likely IMO. This was marketed as luxurious device, I don't think they'd do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, a luxurious device with a Pentile TFT display, non-removable battery, entirely plastic casing and no dedicated camera button :v
There's no denying that it's a nice phone, but I see a lot of cut corners; what's another one that the majority of users will be fortunate enough to never notice?
Septfox said:
Fond memories of stripping my Ally down to the digitizer come back to me; everything simply snaps or bolts together and there's nary a drop of glue to be seen :<
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too hate this adhesive hell
Septfox said:
I wonder if I can eyeball pictures of a removed plastic bit and use a straightblade bit to simply "drill" through mine to the screws...will have to keep it in mind when I eventually open it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking the same. Don't know what straightblade is, but I wouldn't recommend any blade - the plastic is pretty thick. My plan would be to really cautiously drill it by an actual power drill. There's a bit of space between screws and the plastic piece, so I think it's safe to drill.
Septfox said:
Any suggestions on what kind of glue to get? All I have around are hot glue and Gorilla Glue, neither of which strike me as particularly appropriate for this sort of thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Double-sided adhesive tape I bought cheap 3mm wide one off eBay, works like charm. Also I thought they say it's 3M as in 3 meters long, but actually got a 3M branded one, possibly 3 meters long
Septfox said:
The sad thing is, I would have actually done this with my first flip-phone. Heck, my current computer is a collection of loosely-assembled parts kind of haphazardly spread out on a nearby endtable, so I can say I would definitely do this to a phone ; \
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see how it's a bad thing The phone would look badass
Septfox said:
Yes, a luxurious device with a Pentile TFT display, non-removable battery, entirely plastic casing and no dedicated camera button :v
There's no denying that it's a nice phone, but I see a lot of cut corners; what's another one that the majority of users will be fortunate enough to never notice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True...
LuH said:
I was thinking the same. Don't know what straightblade is, but I wouldn't recommend any blade - the plastic is pretty thick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, what I was referring to was a flat-edge screwdriver bit, in the same style as one of these for example. A small, sharp one makes a surprisingly good boring tool once you get it started.
LuH said:
Double-sided adhesive tape I bought cheap 3mm wide one off eBay, works like charm. Also I thought they say it's 3M as in 3 meters long, but actually got a 3M branded one, possibly 3 meters long
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, double-sided tape. I probably would have gone for rubber cement or somesuch, but this is a much better idea...far less messy.
LuH said:
I don't see how it's a bad thing The phone would look badass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And cats everywhere would instantly be huge fans of it.
Septfox said:
Sorry, what I was referring to was a flat-edge screwdriver bit, in the same style as one of these for example. A small, sharp one makes a surprisingly good boring tool once you get it started.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's an interesting idea
Septfox said:
Ah, double-sided tape. I probably would have gone for rubber cement or somesuch, but this is a much better idea...far less messy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it and turns out while it works great for the main body (the first frame that probably wouldn't even need it in the first place), the tape I bought is a disaster for the digitizer. Since there is a pressure contact for the ear speaker being pressed by the adhesive connection only, it gets pressed away all the time. I got to re-assemble it with new tape every like two or three weeks, which is unbearable. Any alternative idea? I don't think we have rubber cement here - tried to google it and it seems it's used only in the US. I don't want to use any solution that's too permanent though - the time may come when I shatter the glass and need to replace it.
Also the display screws may actually be T4 - it seems my T3 and T4 screwdrivers are a tad more thick than they are supposed to be, compared to my brother's bit more expensive set.
LuH said:
I tried it and turns out while it works great for the main body (the first frame that probably wouldn't even need it in the first place), the tape I bought is a disaster for the digitizer. Since there is a pressure contact for the ear speaker being pressed by the adhesive connection only, it gets pressed away all the time. I got to re-assemble it with new tape every like two or three weeks, which is unbearable. Any alternative idea? I don't think we have rubber cement here - tried to google it and it seems it's used only in the US. I don't want to use any solution that's too permanent though - the time may come when I shatter the glass and need to replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.
I haven't taken mine apart yet - waiting on soldering wick so I can replace the power button with minimal mess - and wasn't planning on stripping it down that far anyway, so all I have to look at is the teardown guide. It looks to me like you could:
Press in the screen glass at the top to where it's supposed to be (to align the speaker with the frame as best as possible)
Get some sort of thin material to fill in/bridge the gap between the sides of the speaker and the frame
Inject a small amount of superglue into the gaps between frame/material/speaker
Finding something to bridge the gaps shouldn't be too difficult, anything will work (the superglue will just soak and make it rock hard anyway), it's only there so there's not enough of a gap for the superglue to shrink and void as it dries.
Just don't use enough glue that it works its way down to the glass, or it'll be a pain to detach later.
Like so (blue: spacer/shim, red: glue):
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Alternatively, gluing the speaker directly to the board it interfaces with (using a small shim between them to make room for the contacts)...but the positioning might be trickier to get right.
'course, these both have the problem of being rather permanent...and while I haven't read that there are widespread problems with the ear speaker going out, it does seem to occasionally happen. I just don't really know of any adhesives that are both strong enough to hold without eventually coming apart, and weak enough to be somewhat easily removed if needed : \
LuH said:
Also the display screws may actually be T4 - it seems my T3 and T4 screwdrivers are a tad more thick than they are supposed to be, compared to my brother's bit more expensive set.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a cheap set off ebay that includes T3-T6, so I should be good to go for when I eventually get around to opening the whole thing up (it is certain to happen at some point, if for no other reason than curiosity). At the moment I'm just enjoying customizing SlimKat and playing with the phone; it's so much more able in every way than the old LG I came from, it's ridiculous. Curiosity can, in this case, wait a while~
Septfox said:
It looks to me like you could:
Press in the screen glass at the top to where it's supposed to be (to align the speaker with the frame as best as possible)
Get some sort of thin material to fill in/bridge the gap between the sides of the speaker and the frame
Inject a small amount of superglue into the gaps between frame/material/speaker
Finding something to bridge the gaps shouldn't be too difficult, anything will work (the superglue will just soak and make it rock hard anyway), it's only there so there's not enough of a gap for the superglue to shrink and void as it dries.
Just don't use enough glue that it works its way down to the glass, or it'll be a pain to detach later.
Like so (blue: spacer/shim, red: glue):
[picture shown in above post]
Alternatively, gluing the speaker directly to the board it interfaces with (using a small shim between them to make room for the contacts)...but the positioning might be trickier to get right.
'course, these both have the problem of being rather permanent...and while I haven't read that there are widespread problems with the ear speaker going out, it does seem to occasionally happen. I just don't really know of any adhesives that are both strong enough to hold without eventually coming apart, and weak enough to be somewhat easily removed if needed : \
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I think when I bought the phone in summer 2012 I was like "cool, the only known issue is not showing up in my unit", and almost two years later when earpiece problems started, I was like "****, it finally caught me"...
The idea of hard-fixing the earpiece is nice, I actually thought of it before. I'd love it to be fixed to the PCB, thinking of some non-sticky insulation to be put between the earpiece and the digitizer. It's holding really tight on the digitizer though. I'll see what I can do when I open it up next time - I fixed it this Saturday, so I think it should hold itself somehow at least till the weekend
I was thinking of soldering it to PCB, but was quite scared of messing it up. Super glue is interesting alternative idea But I'm a bit afraid that it will tear the PCB's top layer apart when being pushed away continuously by the pressure contacts. I'll probably first try gluing it to the frame as you indicated in the picture and see then Hope I'll get to send pictures here, although it's a hard thing to do with a phone (my only camera) taken apart...
LuH said:
The idea of hard-fixing the earpiece is nice, I actually thought of it before. I'd love it to be fixed to the PCB, thinking of some non-sticky insulation to be put between the earpiece and the digitizer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Paper~
alternatively, thinner and clear, plastic/saran wrap. Stick it down in there, then simply tear the little bit out that covers the speaker hole (or probably easier and cleaner, take a craft knife to it).
LuH said:
I was thinking of soldering it to PCB, but was quite scared of messing it up. Super glue is interesting alternative idea But I'm a bit afraid that it will tear the PCB's top layer apart when being pushed away continuously by the pressure contacts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good point, PCB pads aren't strong at all (found that out while pulling a replacement switch off another phone, which is why I'm waiting on wick; don't want to tear my traces up).
I'd like to propose a combination alternative, then
Get some of your double-sided tape, stick a small strip to where the speaker sits on the PCB, try not to get stuck to it
Find a pair of lengths of small-gauge wire, an inch apiece should be enough
On each side, solder one wire to the copper interface pads
Using a small pair of wire snips, snip off the sprung sections of the contacts on the earpiece speaker, leaving enough to solder to
Solder the other ends of the wires to the remainder of the contacts on the speaker
Carefully align the speaker with the PCB, and stick it to the double-sided tape
Finally, tuck the wires out of the way so they don't get pinched and severed when the front assembly is bolted back on
The double-sided tape should be under little to no strain, so it ought to be fine for this task. The digitizer won't be receiving spring pressure from the speaker anymore, so it should stay put. Everything should be oK.
The only potential problems I can think of are that the lack of a seal between digitizer and speaker might reduce the earpiece volume somewhat, and the extra sound movement in the top of the phone casing might have some interesting interactions with the second mic up top.
Of course, this is only if you decide to add something to insulate/destick the digitizer, which actually might not be necessary without the glass being sprung outwards all the time.
It's completely reversible regardless (just need a new speaker and clean up the solder and tape on the PCB), so...might be a better alternative than just straight gluing everything together.
So after all I came up with an alternative solution: since I succeeded on fastening the digitizer with two layers of adhesive tape so well it still holds together for over two months now, I just needed to make the contacts hold so I don't lose the earpiece sound when they don't. The contact for pressure pins is actually not on display's PCB, but on a T-shaped strip of metal, attached to the display, so I just bent the arms in and it works like charm since
Heh, two layers.
Glad to hear you got it worked out. Now I know what to do in the (hopefully unlikely) event that I ever have this issue.
For my end of things, my adventures in power button repair have unfortunately met a disappointing end; the power button completely quit working for normal functions shortly after my last post. The tools I ordered came in, I opened up the phone and tried shorting the leads on the button, to make sure it was indeed the button that was bad. Nothing, nada, no response. I then performed some exploratory surgery on the button (as I have a suitable replacement sitting here), and found it to be of a somewhat simple, rugged design (typical metal-dome design, center pops down to make contact, sides/pins 1 and 3 are common). No manufacturing faults evident.
Working theory is that somewhere in the circuit that it completes, there is a defect. A component that overheated each time the button was used until the point of complete failure, perhaps. Curiously, the button (or rather the pads, no more button at this point) can still be used in combination with Volume - to reset the device. It just...won't respond to normal short/longpresses. I'd imagine there's another trace that splits off before the defective component, leading to the Volume - button and creating a sort of hardware AND condition that triggers a reboot.
Don't know. Don't have the knowledge, nor the equipment, to really diagnose it properly, let alone affect repairs. Guess I'm stuck with popping the keyboard open to wake it until the glorious day that the Droid 5 comes around~