Question Camera full of dust - Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

Hello guys, can you please so me a favor and look for dust under the glass of the main camera module?
I was unlucky with the mi 11 u again
First the mi10 and the mi 10 pro afterwards the Poco x3 and now the mi 11 ultra. I'm so freaking unlucky and I hope tradingshenzen will fix this as soon as possible.
Best regards
P.s. everything you can see in the pictures can't be cleaned off - i tried my best and after using a flashlight I was 100% sure it's under the glass.

Damn that's unfortunate, man. I read about some other phone having this issue, I think it was the OnePlus 5 or 6 a few years ago. People had to send back the phone.
My Mi 11 Ultra is arriving tomorrow so I can't check right now, but once it arrives, I will.
I hope you get it sorted. Good luck.
UPDATE: so I did check the cameras for dust and it looks like there's none on my unit. Lucky me.

Looks like defective unit. Exchange it

jericho246 said:
Damn that's unfortunate, man. I read about some other phone having this issue, I think it was the OnePlus 5 or 6 a few years ago. People had to send back the phone.
My Mi 11 Ultra is arriving tomorrow so I can't check right now, but once it arrives, I will.
I hope you get it sorted. Good luck.
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Yes I was reading about it too. All models I've listed had the same dust spots. The Poco was the worst tho, it was actually so bad it was affecting the quality of the pictures.
avetny said:
Looks like defective unit. Exchange it
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I will try my best. I'm from germany and the devices is from tradingshenzen...i don't know how they will react I have read horrible story's about them when it's coming to exchange devices or reparing them ..

I don't have any issues with my Mi 11 Ultra like this, seems definitely like a defective unit. So better to exchange on this.

hotto1996 said:
Yes I was reading about it too. All models I've listed had the same dust spots. The Poco was the worst tho, it was actually so bad it was affecting the quality of the pictures.
I will try my best. I'm from germany and the devices is from tradingshenzen...i don't know how they will react I have read horrible story's about them when it's coming to exchange devices or reparing them ..
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If u paid by PayPal u have 30 days for exchange or return

avetny said:
If u paid by PayPal u have 30 days for exchange or return
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From which date? From the date I bought it or from the point I got it? I bought it on the 03.04 already but I got it almost 4 weeks later and where did you get your information from? I can't find any on the website

hotto1996 said:
Yes I was reading about it too. All models I've listed had the same dust spots. The Poco was the worst tho, it was actually so bad it was affecting the quality of the pictures.
I will try my best. I'm from germany and the devices is from tradingshenzen...i don't know how they will react I have read horrible story's about them when it's coming to exchange devices or reparing them ..
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That's bull****. I have ordered there a few times and also hadn't issues with refund or repairing. (auch from Germany)

Kollachi said:
That's bull****. I have ordered there a few times and also hadn't issues with refund or repairing. (auch from Germany)
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Good to know! Thanks

tupac19861013 said:
I don't have any issues with my Mi 11 Ultra like this, seems definitely like a defective unit. So better to exchange on this.
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Okay, I already opened a support ticket in TS. I will keep you guys up to date^^

Son of a biscuit stick. I was wondering what the odds were that someone had literal dust in their camera module. I went ahead and checked my Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra... I have dust in mine too. Or rather one big spec of dust. I cleaned the outside surface with no avail. I just got my unit last Friday too. I've reached out to WondaMobile, to see what can be done. Have you guys ever encountered any issues with Wonda? This is my first purchase from them and I have no idea what's in store for me.

panda24z said:
Son of a biscuit stick. I was wondering what the odds were that someone had literal dust in their camera module. I went ahead and checked my Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra... I have dust in mine too. Or rather one big spec of dust. I cleaned the outside surface with no avail. I just got my unit last Friday too. I've reached out to WondaMobile, to see what can be done. Have you guys ever encountered any issues with Wonda? This is my first purchase from them and I have no idea what's in store for me.
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Update! I sent WondaMobile an email and they responded extremely fast. They asked me to send it back, so they could check the device. If it is factory faulty, not man made damages. They have agreed to refund me. They also stated that device is out of stock atm, so a replacement was not guaranteed. However, I could submit it for a warranty claim and see if they can get me a replacement that way instead, if it's deemed a man made damage.

panda24z said:
Son of a biscuit stick. I was wondering what the odds were that someone had literal dust in their camera module. I went ahead and checked my Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra... I have dust in mine too. Or rather one big spec of dust. I cleaned the outside surface with no avail. I just got my unit last Friday too. I've reached out to WondaMobile, to see what can be done. Have you guys ever encountered any issues with Wonda? This is my first purchase from them and I have no idea what's in store for me.
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Hey! Thx for your reply. Again: I'm responding quite late I'm not getting any notifications. Well I need to give it back too and they will look for dust. Thing is it's not really big -, I'm afraid they telling me it's fine but I don't think having any kind of dust anywhere is "Fine" for a 1100€ flagship. Thx for you post tho, it could help me out to get some pressure on them if needed. I will play my joker PayPal card too if it's nesescary.

No dust is "normal" for ANY phone. I checked mine and it's absolutely perfect.
Most likely a faulty batch
Good luck and keep us posted on the developement !
Cheers !

You guys are making me afraid to check mine lol

I'm debating on sending the unit back. Shipment is at least $65 USD and then god knows how long the wait will be. There is no guarantee that they will replace the unit. I could get a refund, but it'll take a couple of weeks to get it (with shipment and processing). I personally feel like Wondamobile will refund me, but it's just a hassle.
The spec of dust is on my telephoto, which I don't use anyways. It doesn't really affect me much. It's easier for me to just open up the device, clean the lense and reseal it. The dust is not inside the camera, but right on the glass layer above it. Doing so would affect the IP68 rating, since it probably won't have the same water resistance. I don't really put my phone in such environments. So other than a small inconvenience, it's not too bad.
However, I do agree that buying a phone with dust is not acceptable. Especially for the hefty price tag. A consumer should not be required to fix a manufacturing issue. But after evaluating my options, it's easier and cheaper for me to just fix the issue myself. Granted that I enjoy tinkering with tech and I have some general experience taking electronics apart.
But yeah, I would say ship it back. If the issue is indeed a manufacturing issue and there is no resolution/ they refuse to address the issue, totally reach out to your bank or PayPal to get that addressed. I hate doing charge backs, but sometimes they are needed. Especially when if it's a issue you had no control over it.

panda24z said:
I'm debating on sending the unit back. Shipment is at least $65 USD and then god knows how long the wait will be. There is no guarantee that they will replace the unit. I could get a refund, but it'll take a couple of weeks to get it (with shipment and processing). I personally feel like Wondamobile will refund me, but it's just a hassle.
The spec of dust is on my telephoto, which I don't use anyways. It doesn't really affect me much. It's easier for me to just open up the device, clean the lense and reseal it. The dust is not inside the camera, but right on the glass layer above it. Doing so would affect the IP68 rating, since it probably won't have the same water resistance. I don't really put my phone in such environments. So other than a small inconvenience, it's not too bad.
However, I do agree that buying a phone with dust is not acceptable. Especially for the hefty price tag. A consumer should not be required to fix a manufacturing issue. But after evaluating my options, it's easier and cheaper for me to just fix the issue myself. Granted that I enjoy tinkering with tech and I have some general experience taking electronics apart.
But yeah, I would say ship it back. If the issue is indeed a manufacturing issue and there is no resolution/ they refuse to address the issue, totally reach out to your bank or PayPal to get that addressed. I hate doing charge backs, but sometimes they are needed. Especially when if it's a issue you had no control over it.
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I couldn't say it any better although I would strongly advice you to ship it back. Remember you got a ceramic back - it's way harder to open without breaking it. I'm working at a German mobile Refurbisher and im dealing with these kinds of things every day but I wouldn't do that on a new device which costs around 1000+€. Isn't there any way for them to exchange it with another unit maybe from another costumer who gave back the mobile? They can't repair it anyway. This device is most likely to be sold in a few years to Refurbishers like I am one. I wrote with a guy from tradingshenzen and he told me that he will either give my money back after recieving the device or swap it against a new one if possible from another costumer who gave it back and which isn't opend up. I hate dealing with give backs too it's super annoying to me...i waited 6 weeks for my device just to wait a few weeks more now too although I'm really glad that I got the possibility to send it back to a German service point.

hotto1996 said:
I couldn't say it any better although I would strongly advice you to ship it back. Remember you got a ceramic back - it's way harder to open without breaking it. I'm working at a German mobile Refurbisher and im dealing with these kinds of things every day but I wouldn't do that on a new device which costs around 1000+€. Isn't there any way for them to exchange it with another unit maybe from another costumer who gave back the mobile? They can't repair it anyway. This device is most likely to be sold in a few years to Refurbishers like I am one. I wrote with a guy from tradingshenzen and he told me that he will either give my money back after recieving the device or swap it against a new one if possible from another costumer who gave it back and which isn't opend up. I hate dealing with give backs too it's super annoying to me...i waited 6 weeks for my device just to wait a few weeks more now too although I'm really glad that I got the possibility to send it back to a German service point.
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Thanks for your feedback. I'm confident that I can get it opened and sealed up. There is always a risk though and It's never the same afterwards, compared to a new factory sealed device. I still have some time to reevaluate the situation. I'll think it over today and decide tomorrow morning.
What I'm not looking forward to is the wait and the loss of an additional $65 for shipment. I knew that ordering a phone internationally was a risk, and that's just one of the downsides.
Wondamobile support told me that they did not have any global units in stock, and that they didn't know when they would come back in stock either. So a replacement was not something they could do. They stated that they could conduct a warranty claim and see if Xiaomi can get that replaced, if I wanted to go that route. The other option would be to refund the device of course. Honestly, if I do ship it back I'll just get it refunded and wait for the device to be more wildly available.
All I know is if I get my $1300 back, I'll be extremely hesitant to purchase any phone internationally again. I'll see if maybe there is a more local seller. Only time will tell.
Thanks again. I'll keep you posted on what I decided tomorrow morning, but now I am aiming more towards the refund. Might even buy the white version in the future with the refund.

panda24z said:
Thanks for your feedback. I'm confident that I can get it opened and sealed up. There is always a risk though and It's never the same afterwards, compared to a new factory sealed device. I still have some time to reevaluate the situation. I'll think it over today and decide tomorrow morning.
What I'm not looking forward to is the wait and the loss of an additional $65 for shipment. I knew that ordering a phone internationally was a risk, and that's just one of the downsides.
Wondamobile support told me that they did not have any global units in stock, and that they didn't know when they would come back in stock either. So a replacement was not something they could do. They stated that they could conduct a warranty claim and see if Xiaomi can get that replaced, if I wanted to go that route. The other option would be to refund the device of course. Honestly, if I do ship it back I'll just get it refunded and wait for the device to be more wildly available.
All I know is if I get my $1300 back, I'll be extremely hesitant to purchase any phone internationally again. I'll see if maybe there is a more local seller. Only time will tell.
Thanks again. I'll keep you posted on what I decided tomorrow morning, but now I am aiming more towards the refund. Might even buy the white version in the future with the refund.
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The only good news is, they get cheaper with time... But this is really crappy build quality from Xiaomi and further proves they are not really ready to compete on the world flagship stage with Samsung and Apple etc
Some people paid ~$1500 for devices with manufacturing dust in the camera lenses which is just unacceptable imo
i had a look at mine and can't see anything but I haven't used a magnifying glass and a torch yet because I have no return option anyway since I got mine from the first batch released in China

speedtripler said:
The only good news is, they get cheaper with time... But this is really crappy build quality from Xiaomi and further proves they are not really ready to compete on the world flagship stage with Samsung and Apple etc
Some people paid ~$1500 for devices with manufacturing dust in the camera lenses which is just unacceptable imo
i had a look at mine and can't see anything but I haven't used a magnifying glass and a torch yet because I have no return option anyway since I got mine from the first batch released in China
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Agreed, they should be putting in more measures to ensure quality is met before they ship the devices out.
This has been my first Xiaomi phone, and now I'm hesitant to try getting a new Xiaomi phone in the future. It could have just been bad luck on my side, but I'm certain more customers are bound to have the same dust issue, hence why this post is even a thing.
I really wanted to give Xiaomi the benefit of the doubt with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, but you are correct. They're just not on the same level as Samsung and Apple yet. I want to be optimistic, but for now I'll make sure to wait several months before commiting to a new Xiaomi phone. Just so I can know all the possible quirks and issues. Only then can I really decide if it's worth it.

Related

New Nook nicer screen!

I returned my Nook and got a new one and was amazed at how much better the screen is. Mine had a slight bleed at the bottom I wasn't sure if that was all of them or not.
Anyways aside from the bleed gone, the screen is much more vibrant and clear. Just an fyi if anyone has a weird screen don't settle!
Cool, mine has a dead pixel that appeared only 2 days after I purchased it - I've been debating whether or not it's worth the time to reflash back to stock, etc... etc... and exchange it. I think I will.
My first nook had white splotches on the screen. I took it back to the store and the guy wouldn't exchange it. As soon as I told him I wanted my money back he changed his mind and gave me another one. He was a ****.
Then, after a week, the nook started creaking and squeaking all around the bezel. I called to get it exchanged. They said I had to go into the store. I went into the store. They said I had to do it online or on the phone. I called on the phone and argued with some lady for 30 minutes after which she told me that if I sent my current nook back and they didn't think anything was wrong with it, they'd charge me $250. I hung up and called right back and got a woman who was ok and told me the other lady was an idiot. Thanks guys.
I received my third nook in the mail. The A/C charger jack was broken. I couldn't put the jack in. So i called to get this replaced and argued with some guys in India for an hour and finally got a replacement.
I'm on my 4th nook. Barnes and Noble sucks and I will never buy another electronic device from them again.
Yeah I was not impressed with their phone support either. All these companies not only outsourcing to India but only allowing the support person to use scripted conversation is even worse.
I called to deregister a device since I forgot to deregister before returning a NC and the lady was an idiot reading from a script she didn't even understand.
Roku is another horrible company for India scripted phone support.
Unfortunaley India gets beat up a lot by Americans for this when it might not be so bad if the scripts were taken away and they just hired smarter people.
I got mine at best buy, and getting it replaced for the phantom ghost tap issue was easy as pie. The new one works great. The girl at the counter was kinda cute too, so it was like win-win!
indagroove said:
I got mine at best buy, and getting it replaced for the phantom ghost tap issue was easy as pie. The new one works great. The girl at the counter was kinda cute too, so it was like win-win!
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is the return policy at best buy 14 days too?
wpbear said:
Yeah I was not impressed with their phone support either. All these companies not only outsourcing to India but only allowing the support person to use scripted conversation is even worse.
I called to deregister a device since I forgot to deregister before returning a NC and the lady was an idiot reading from a script she didn't even understand.
Roku is another horrible company for India scripted phone support.
Unfortunaley India gets beat up a lot by Americans for this when it might not be so bad if the scripts were taken away and they just hired smarter people.
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When I called BN phone support, they were not in India.
t3rabyte said:
tldr..
I'm on my 4th nook. Barnes and Noble sucks and I will never buy another electronic device from them again.
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My wife and I both got a NC, same store, about a month apart. Both of ours work perfectly.
Don't assume because you had 2 problematic NC's doesn't mean everyone has, or that overall quality is bad. (Yes, I said 2.)
The only issue with my screen is some binding/pinching where the bezel meets the LCD which causes slight bright spots at the bottom edge. I've seen this same issue with lower quality LCD monitors. Otherwise pleased with screen quality. Having worked in electronics manufacturing, I came to learn how variable quality control can be with some manufacturers.
Best Buy has one month reuturns but after that your screwed unless u buy insurance. my 1st NC ate an 8 gig microUSB and started bleeding by the vol. B&N took sent another straight away with postage paid for the return. NO PROB and they do have a vibrant screen from all angles.
a case would keep your nook safe from most screen probs, and be shure to line up your mcards.
EverythingNook said:
is the return policy at best buy 14 days too?
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Technically yes, but they will help with warrenty issues after that date to some degree as well.
n8nmad said:
Best Buy has one month reuturns but after that your screwed unless u buy insurance.
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I did buy the insurance, but didn't have to use it even though it was something like 45 days or more after I bought it. I brought it in planning to use the insurance (which is a one time shot apparently), but she told me they could just do it as a warranty exchange since it was so new. I'm not really sure how long they extend it for, but I was happy.
khaytsus said:
tldr...
Don't assume because you had 2 problematic NC's doesn't mean everyone has, or that overall quality is bad. (Yes, I said 2.)
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Wow, yeah, my post was just soooo long.
If you read it, it said I had three bad nooks (Yes, I said 3). I never said everyone has bad ones. I said I won't buy from them again because their support sucks and their products are defective.
Maybe next time you comment on a post, read it first.
My first NC was defective. It had a bad accelerometer and/or a bad power button. Essentially, if you set it down occasionally it would act as if you pressed and held the power button and then tapped OK to shut down the tablet.
Here's a vid I took of it to convince the BN store staff I wasn't going nuts:
YOUTUBE DOT COM/watch?v=Zfit4oG4WaA
I'd bought the extended warranty but this happened within the first week of ownership. I talked to the manager of the store where I bought it and she swapped it for a new one and applied the warranty to NC #2. I'd heard the phone support was horrible, so made it a point to buy it locally. I'm glad I did.
I'm loving my new one. I'm going to Hawaii in a week and, for the first time in my life, will be travelling without a laptop. All I'm taking is my NC and a BT keyboard for it.
Are you sure you had a problem? Because khaytsus bought one for himself and his wife and didn't have any issues LOL
Wow, good thing the store owner was helpful. The guy on staff at my local BN refused to do anything and said all returns or exchanges definitely needed to go through the website.
I'm still not happy with my current Nook. The panel below the "N" button is depressed on both sides. But I'm sticking with it for now.
Backlight bleeding is pretty much the norm for any LCD screen. I've seen it on desktop monitors, TVs, laptops, tablets...etc. It will exist on even on the top of the line models and "best" brands.
If you just have only some slight backlight bleeding, I would discourage you from trying to exchange it. You're likely to get something worse like dead pixels.
I spent half an hour one the support line a second ago because my USB cable fried. The lady tried to have me enter my credit card number for some reason so I could buy "NOOKBooks". I argued with her for about 5 minutes and then she told me all I need to enter is my shipping address. She said that they would mail the replacement cable free of charge in 24 to 48 hours.
I didn't spend anytime on hold even though the automated message said that they are flooded with tech support calls.
wpbear said:
it might not be so bad if the scripts were taken away and they just hired smarter people.
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Smarter people ask for a lot of money (if they are paying more money then whats the point of outsourcing) even in India only those who can't really find another job for themselves take up job's in call center's.
well I just returned my nook with a transformer incoming... i sure hope it has as good of a screen or ill prob end up another nook. lol

Second & Third Wave of Nexus 7's

Got a call from Gamestop today to come pick up my Nexus 7, originally I was schedule to receive it on the third wave around Aug 8th.
I let the dude know I didn't want to pick it up due to all the problems I'd been reading about and was wanting to wait it out for the second & third waves.
My question is this: Are these second and third waves going to be any different from a manufacturing standpoint? Or can we expect to endure the same problems most first wave users are being plagued with? Google's aware of all these problems, but are they doing anything different to amend them? I'm reeeeally not trying to risk picking up a defective device and have to go through the whole defective unit return.
I am extremely interested in any professional opinions on this too (quotes from employees?)
Mine is currently reserved at gamestop, waiting for that call/text.
One more thing... I was told by the Gamestop employees that any defective exchanges would be done from the stock in-store (wouldn't this just be more of the same wave of defective tablets?) and can only be done within 30 days and after that you will have to go through the manufacturer.... Would this be Asus or Google? And are we better off purchasing through the Google Play store themselves? In the unfortunate case of the unit going bad after the 30 day grace period is up from Gamestop.
From the conversation I had with the representative when I was doing warranty exchange on mine, anything after the initial wave of devices should not have the screen creek issue. They are making sure all the screens are secured properly now. The other reason I was returning mine was because of the terrible screen flicker, he did not touch on that and said, "he has only heard about a few cases of the screen flicker."
So it looks like the screen creek should be fixed for sure but I am not sure about the other issues.
roush611 said:
From the conversation I had with the representative when I was doing warranty exchange on mine, anything after the initial wave of devices should not have the screen creek issue. They are making sure all the screens are secured properly now. The other reason I was returning mine was because of the terrible screen flicker, he did not touch on that and said, "he has only heard about a few cases of the screen flicker."
So it looks like the screen creek should be fixed for sure but I am not sure about the other issues.
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Yeah, the guy at my Gamestop was completely clueless to any of these device problems. I'm pretty worried about dead pixels, even if they're not showing up right away, but down the road. I'm seriously considering getting back my deposit and waiting for Google to address these issues and let us know they've been fixed. Because at this point, I feel that it's almost like playing russian roulette with these early units. :/
hullbay said:
Yeah, the guy at my Gamestop was completely clueless to any of these device problems. I'm pretty worried about dead pixels, even if they're not showing up right away, but down the road. I'm seriously considering getting back my deposit and waiting for Google to address these issues and let us know they've been fixed. Because at this point, I feel that it's almost like playing russian roulette with these early units. :/
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Just go get the damn thing, if there's a problem then take it back or call Google, it's got a one year warranty for that stuff. Everyone still waiting on theirs from Google, and you won't go pick yours up now wtf, I got mine from GameStop a week and a half ago and it's fine. Stop being a vagina and go get it and have fun with it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
First, you must keep in mind that more people are going to a forum to complain than compliment. That's just human nature.
I believe the screen flicker has more to do with your wifi connection than the device.
I pre ordered mine through Google so I guess that would make it first wave and it's a near perfect as a tablet can be.
The most popular issue is screen lifting on the left portrait side. Other complaints are nowhere near as common.
After I returned my 16 with screen separation to Sam's, I called Google CS twice this weekend to find out what's being done about this, in order to make a better informed decision about buying another one. Both reps I spoke with were aware of the issue but said that it was very rare, a bad batch.
Although I knew that they were understating the frequency of this problem, I did decide to order the 8. My experience with the first one was overwhelmingly positive, and I missed having it. Mostly it was the rationalization that if I order from the Play store I can exchange it as many times as I need to.
If I was aware of the information that would be posted Monday, I probably would have waited.
In case you missed it, someone disassembled theirs with a heat gun and gave us the current working theory for why this is happening.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29194958&postcount=372
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29202762&postcount=391
You really should read his analysis, but I'll summarize. There is a ledge around the inside of the frame. It is covered with double-sided tape. The display rests on this ledge and relies on its adhesion to stay seated. The ledges for the top and bottom sides of the device are the widest (12 and 16 mm), and the right ledge is 6.5 millimeters.
The left ledge is the only side that isn't a constant width. The top and bottom portions of the left ledge are 3 mm, but there is a middle portion that is even narrower to make room for the touchscreen input cable. It's only 1.5 mm wide.
Since this is the common point of separation, it seems likely that the adhesive on the left ledge is not strong enough to fasten the display to such a narrow contact area.
Full credit to Simon Haddow (nexus7dude) for this information and these images.
If he's right, the cause of left side screen lifting is present in all units. The obvious possible solutions are to either redesign the frame, which would be disastrous, or to increase the strength of the adhesive being used on this ledge.
Some people are being told by CS that it was a gluing problem. If that's true, new units should have a stronger bond, at least along the left ledge.
My order will be delivered tomorrow. I'm not optimistic that they've already made these changes to outgoing units.
But at the same time, as long as Google honors its role in Play store warranties, I expect to be happy with this purchase.
pxlitup said:
The most common issue is screen lifting on the left portrait side. Other complaints are nowhere near as common.
After I returned my 16 with screen separation to Sam's, I called Google CS twice this weekend to find out what's being done about this, in order to make a better informed decision about buying another one. Both reps I spoke with were aware of the issue but said that it was very rare, a bad batch.
Although I knew that they were misrepresenting the frequency of this problem, I did decide to order the 8. My experience with the first unit was overwhelmingly positive, and I missed it. Mostly it was the rationalization that I can exchange it as many times as I need to.
If I was aware of the information that would be posted Monday, I probably would have waited.
In case you missed it, someone disassembled theirs with a heat gun and gave us the current working theory for why this is happening.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29194958&postcount=372
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=29202762&postcount=391
You really should read his analysis, but I'll summarize. There is a ledge around the inside of the frame. It is covered with double-sided tape. The display rests on this ledge and relies on its adhesion to stay seated. The ledges for the top and bottom sides of the device are the widest (12 and 16 mm), and the right ledge is 6.5 millimeters.
The left ledge is the only side that isn't a constant width. The top and bottom portions of the left ledge are 3 mm, but there is a middle portion that is even narrower to make room for the touchscreen input cable. It's only 1.5 mm wide.
Since this is the most common point of separation, it seems likely that the adhesive on the left ledge is not strong enough to fasten the display to such a narrow contact area.
Full credit to Simon Haddow (nexus7dude) for this information and these images.
If he's right, the cause of left side screen lifting is present in all units. The obvious possible solutions are to either redesign the frame, which would be disastrous, or to increase the strength of the adhesive being used on this ledge. Some people are being told by CS that it's a gluing problem. If that's true, they should be correcting units by using a stronger bond, at least along the left ledge.
My order will be delivered tomorrow. I'm not optimistic.
But at the same time, as long as Google honors its role in Play store warranties, I expect to be happy with this purchase.
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Good info. Ill be keeping an eye on mines down the road. If it eventually lifts in the area shown, then ill just send it in to get stronger bond applied. I ordered through playstore and haven't noticed anything. But that's what warranties are for. This is something that will easily be covered of it does happen. I can see why some units are having this happen. Based on your summary and the pics.
sway40 said:
Just go get the damn thing, if there's a problem then take it back or call Google, it's got a one year warranty for that stuff. Everyone still waiting on theirs from Google, and you won't go pick yours up now wtf, I got mine from GameStop a week and a half ago and it's fine. Stop being a vagina and go get it and have fun with it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree 100%. People complain about the problems. They don't complain about fine units. I'm sure many many more people have good units than bad ones. And if you happen to get unlucky... return it! Some people....
Just talked to a Google rep. We have a 15 day "grace period" where we can get facilitated exchanges through Google. After that we hhave to deal with Asus.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
ikn0wagh0st said:
Just talked to a Google rep. We have a 15 day "grace period" where we can get facilitated exchanges through Google. After that we hhave to deal with Asus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't they been telling people that warranties for Play store purchases will be handled by Google for the first year?
I hope you're trolling.
EDIT: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1773057
There's an entire thread about it.
pxlitup said:
Haven't they been telling people that warranties for Play store purchases will be handled by Google for the first year?
I hope you're trolling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe me, I wish I was trolling. I'm sure every rep is saying something different. Try calling, the wait time is under a minute.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Ya I've returned 3 here in canada (2 staples, 1 best buy) all had glass separation issue
im terrified to go buy another one, but i dont know how long to wait, not sure if 2nd batches have been shipped to canada, if they have been fixed even; no idea, im just gonna wait as long as i possibly can
I just picked up my N7 at FutureShop this morning and everything seems to be fine.. been watching the transformer movie to kill the batttery and nothing blew or anything..
Of course I do too have the same problem with the screen being slightly lifted.
ikn0wagh0st said:
Believe me, I wish I was trolling. I'm sure every rep is saying something different. Try calling, the wait time is under a minute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got off the phone. He reassured me that this was absolutely not the case and that Play store orders will be handled by Google for 12-month warranty claims.
I asked him if there was any documentation of this, and he said that he would send me something.
E-mail from Google said:
The Nexus 7 is manufactured by ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Please contact Google
customer support for service on the ASUS limited 12 month warranty for the
Nexus 7 if purchased from Google Play, and refer to the warranty card in
the Nexus 7 packaging or visit www.asus.com for details on the ASUS
limited warranty.
If your Nexus 7 wasn't purchased from Google Play, please contact ASUS
directly for warranty service by using one of the contact options at
www.asus.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't found the warranty on ASUS website yet, but I did find the Nexus 7 warranty on a Google support page. It looks disturbingly like an edited version of the above.
http://support.google.com/googleplay/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2662734
Google Play said:
The Nexus 7 is manufactured by ASUSTeK Computer Inc. ASUS provides a limited 12 month warranty for the Nexus 7. Please refer to the warranty card in the Nexus 7 packaging or ASUS for details on the ASUS limited warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SS2006 said:
Ya I've returned 3 here in canada (2 staples, 1 best buy) all had glass separation issue
im terrified to go buy another one, but i dont know how long to wait, not sure if 2nd batches have been shipped to canada, if they have been fixed even; no idea, im just gonna wait as long as i possibly can
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my point in all this.
Sighx said:
I just picked up my N7 at FutureShop this morning and everything seems to be fine.. been watching the transformer movie to kill the batttery and nothing blew or anything..
Of course I do too have the same problem with the screen being slightly lifted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is everything fine, yet your screen is being lifted? Lol. That's unacceptable.
--
Big key words are "if purchased from Google Play". So for everwhere else selling it, Asus handles the warranties after the 30 day "grace period" ie: Gamestop? Which is what I was originally told by the employee. Wonder how well they are with this whole scenario. Might just grab my deposit back and hold out a month or so and re-order from the Play Store when they've had a chance to work out these kinks. If anything, I feel like re-sellers won't be getting these newly fixed units as quick as well as the guarantee of the 12 month warranty from Google themselves, rather than try to deal with ASUS.
SS2006 said:
Ya I've returned 3 here in canada (2 staples, 1 best buy) all had glass separation issue
im terrified to go buy another one, but i dont know how long to wait, not sure if 2nd batches have been shipped to canada, if they have been fixed even; no idea, im just gonna wait as long as i possibly can
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here,
I've bought 2, 1 from staples and 1 from Future Shop. Mainly it is the screen flicker problem. If ONLY google would smarten up and RELEASE A ****ING STATEMENT and let us KNOW if some of these issues could or will be fixed in a future patch!
qwerty123321 said:
Same here,
I've bought 2, 1 from staples and 1 from Future Shop. Mainly it is the screen flicker problem. If ONLY google would smarten up and RELEASE A ****ING STATEMENT and let us KNOW if some of these issues could or will be fixed in a future patch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Exactly.
hullbay said:
Yeah, the guy at my Gamestop was completely clueless to any of these device problems. I'm pretty worried about dead pixels, even if they're not showing up right away, but down the road. I'm seriously considering getting back my deposit and waiting for Google to address these issues and let us know they've been fixed. Because at this point, I feel that it's almost like playing russian roulette with these early units. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wtf is wrong with you? So a couple of people come to a forum to cry about a device issue, while others stay off the forums and love the device, and that makes you want to not buy the N7? Toughen up buttercup.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Returning my Nexus 7 to Google Deutschland

Hi all,
I just wanted to share my experience with Google Play in Germany. I am a native of Australia, but I have been living in Germany for about three years. As such, my German language skills are pretty good, but I often find it hard to speak over the phone. I noticed that my Nexus 7 has left side screen lift a week ago; I have a C8O, which is otherwise perfect, but I figured I should be completely happy with the device and not just partially happy. I also wanted to avoid any possible problems in the future. Additionally, the capacitors in my charger sound like they are going to pop at any second, so that was also of concern.
Anyway, I called their customer support, and the person I dealt with (Annette) was fantastic. She was patient with me, and when I described the problems, she straight away offered an exchange for a new device. So, I will order a new device today, and ship the problematic tablet back after I receive the new one. Which means I am not tablet-less; another surprise. Lets see how the return process goes, but so far, so good. Fingers crossed I receive a C9O with no manufacturing defects and a charger which doesn't sound like its about to explode!
Cheers,
0
That is great.
I live near Germany and I got my Nexus 7 with 1 bad pixel, considering for RMA...
once they receive the original device back. it will take you about two months on average to get your money back. But this is only if you stay on them about it.. Its all over the net about this trouble.. My bank has filed a Dispute with them for me and about 10 or there people who live in the area of my city for this exact issue.. you are very likely to get another device as bad or worse then the one your sending back...
So if you do not see your money in two weeks file fraud with your back. GOOGLE Needs to step up and fix this issue..
erica_renee said:
once they receive the original device back. it will take you about two months on average to get your money back. But this is only if you stay on them about it.. Its all over the net about this trouble.. My bank has filed a Dispute with them for me and about 10 or there people who live in the area of my city for this exact issue.. you are very likely to get another device as bad or worse then the one your sending back...
So if you do not see your money in two weeks file fraud with your back. GOOGLE Needs to step up and fix this issue..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen so much of this about, what a terrible method of a returns process, charging you for another device because the device you bought is broke?
What if it was a kid who'd saved all his pocket money to get the device, only for it to be broke, do they expect that kid to spend night and day doing paper rounds so he can buy a second, in order to return the first?
Sounds to me like this is their plan, and hope that alot of the customers do not complain and therefor they have sold that person two devices.
Very bad move of Google and totally destroying for their reputation in my opinion.
erica_renee said:
once they receive the original device back. it will take you about two months on average to get your money back. But this is only if you stay on them about it.. Its all over the net about this trouble.. My bank has filed a Dispute with them for me and about 10 or there people who live in the area of my city for this exact issue.. you are very likely to get another device as bad or worse then the one your sending back...
So if you do not see your money in two weeks file fraud with your back. GOOGLE Needs to step up and fix this issue..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am hoping that this won't be the case - They have not yet informed me that I will need to purchase a second device in order the RMA the first I purchased. Until they tell me that, I will wait and see. Regardless, German banks are, in my experience, very particular about fraud; I have contacted my bank previously about a charge which I didn't recognise and it was reversed the same day. I will see what happens, but thanks for the heads up
google will send you a email with a link in it. This link is to start the replacement process. What it does is charge your card for a second device. They send it to you. When you receive it you send them the old device.. Then you have to wait . after 14 days you call them to get the charge taken off your card. then it takes them about 3 weeks to get back to you. then a week or so later if you keep calling it will show up in google wallet that its been refunded.. (This is where im at in the process) . Im told by google they have given me my money back and to call my bank. My bank says THEY HAVE NOT and to file fraud charges. This cost 65.00 per device so i have waited and been putting pressure on google.. I will file the charges monday. I Asked my lawyer friend and he says that he might be able to MAKE Google come to Kentucky for a small claims case for the charges .
I Would if you can try to contact asus and see if they can let you send it to them to be REPAIRED.. atleast you know someone will be looking at it . If you go thru all of the above and end up with another bad device . Asus thou i think there support is lousy here in the us.. Are for better then Google..
Just my opinion sorry if i took this thread in the wrong direction.. But its something that many are having issues with and you have the right to know. Some people have had good experience in the exchange process. But it seems only a few .
Good Luck ..
UPDATE:
Okay, so step two in the RMA process has finally been completed. After seemingly forgetting the fact that I called the week before last to organise an RMA, I called Google again on Monday. The guy I dealt with was a bit less understanding of my language difficulties over the phone, but we got there in the end. I got the email with the cart link, and clicked this and 'paid' on Wednesday morning (even though they don't charge your card, it seems that they simply check that your card can cover the extra charge if need be). I actually used a debit and not a credit card, and the balance hasn't been touched at this point.
My new device just arrived! It seems they express-posted it to me, which is generous of them. Its another C8O, same as my 'old' tablet, and thus far doesn't have obvious left-side screen lift - But I will charge it up fully tonight, and see whether it occurs under heat. Meanwhile, I will unroot and lock the bootloader again on the old unit, just in case...
Fingers crossed for a lift-free Nexus 7 - but with all the other problems around, I am not holding my breath!
lanyao1920 said:
That is great.
I live near Germany and I got my Nexus 7 with 1 bad pixel, considering for RMA...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
one bad pixel most likely doesn't turn your device into a faulty one. i am not sure how they deal with that problem, however my experience on other devices were, that they will replace the device only if it had like 7+ dead pixels.
just throwing in my 2 cents.
Wilks3y said:
I've seen so much of this about, what a terrible method of a returns process, charging you for another device because the device you bought is broke?
What if it was a kid who'd saved all his pocket money to get the device, only for it to be broke, do they expect that kid to spend night and day doing paper rounds so he can buy a second, in order to return the first?
Sounds to me like this is their plan, and hope that alot of the customers do not complain and therefor they have sold that person two devices.
Very bad move of Google and totally destroying for their reputation in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the end they will advertise with the most sold tablet just cause everyone had to buy another one for the exchange process on RMA
the0bserver said:
UPDATE:
Okay, so step two in the RMA process has finally been completed. After seemingly forgetting the fact that I called the week before last to organise an RMA, I called Google again on Monday. The guy I dealt with was a bit less understanding of my language difficulties over the phone, but we got there in the end. I got the email with the cart link, and clicked this and 'paid' on Wednesday morning (even though they don't charge your card, it seems that they simply check that your card can cover the extra charge if need be). I actually used a debit and not a credit card, and the balance hasn't been touched at this point.
My new device just arrived! It seems they express-posted it to me, which is generous of them. Its another C8O, same as my 'old' tablet, and thus far doesn't have obvious left-side screen lift - But I will charge it up fully tonight, and see whether it occurs under heat. Meanwhile, I will unroot and lock the bootloader again on the old unit, just in case...
Fingers crossed for a lift-free Nexus 7 - but with all the other problems around, I am not holding my breath!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope everything is fine.
I noticed my N7 had a faulty speaker yesterday and I brought it back to my retailer ( about 21 days passed after purchase ). I had my fingers crossed to get an immediate replacement there. But well they decided to send it to ASUS. So i am stuck with that. Guess it will take a few days longer that way. As the speaker problem is quite common, i am expecting a replacement. However now i am tablet free for the next 2 weeks i guess. Don't want to buy a new one just to cancel the deal within 14 days. Who knows, instead of returning the money, they'll just give me a gift card.
If anyone is interested, I'll update.
So - Long awaited update.
After two replacements with the same problem, they agreed to refund me once I had sent the tablets in and they were checked to ensure that they were not damaged (Of which they definitely weren't). I flashed both back to stock and relocked the bootloaders before I sent them in - They were as-new (aside from the sh*tty manufacturing problems).
The two replacement tablets were sent in on 30.10.2012. They confirmed that the tablets were received in The Netherlands on 31.10 via overnight express. I am still waiting for my refund, even though I was told it would take 'a maximum of 14 days once the tablets are received'. Its now been 42 days. The rep I have been dealing with tells me constantly that she has done all she can for me, and that she is waiting to hear back from another department. When I suggested that perhaps she should escalate the situation to a manager, she supplied me with a physical address where I could 'send my concerns'.
For a company laying claim to being the biggest internet company in the world, their customer service is nothing short of sh*t. I've experienced better customer service from Vodafone in the past - and that's saying something.
I have learned my lesson here - if you must buy Nexus products, buy them from a bricks and mortar store - NEVER BUY THEM DIRECT FROM GOOGLE.

Warning to all those who are going to return or may return

warning to all!!!: 1st off the camera on this device is NOT what it was described as. unless the lighting is absolutely perfect, the pictures are FULL of noise and grain. i purchased this device with $40 worth of accessories. it was shipped to me 2 days LATE also. i went to return it and One Plus REFUSED to return/refund my accessories because i opened them.
if you want to try this phone out and dont care about the camera quality go for it...but you have been warned. also, if you are at all curious - DONT buy anything with it. because you won't get your money back
Very glad I read the return policies before I purchased my OP5. Unless there is something you aren't telling us, like damage to the accessories or missing packaging, OP should be refunding you 85% of the purchase price for those. Unless, of course, you are outside the return window...
I have a suspicion there is more to this than you're letting on.
Elnrik said:
Very glad I read the return policies before I purchased my OP5. Unless there is something you aren't telling us, like damage to the accessories or missing packaging, OP should be refunding you 85% of the purchase price for those. Unless, of course, you are outside the return window...
I have a suspicion there is more to this than you're letting on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn....with OP3T, it was 100% return...
Turn of the hdr mode and go for it
The hdr pictures are full noise and motion.. But hdr off or hq mode are good quality
fredderf81 said:
warning to all!!!: 1st off the camera on this device is NOT what it was described as. unless the lighting is absolutely perfect, the pictures are FULL of noise and grain. i purchased this device with $40 worth of accessories. it was shipped to me 2 days LATE also. i went to return it and One Plus REFUSED to return/refund my accessories because i opened them.
if you want to try this phone out and dont care about the camera quality go for it...but you have been warned. also, if you are at all curious - DONT buy anything with it. because you won't get your money back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, the accessories are in demand right now if you can ship quick. Just throw them on eBay and make it clear it ain't shipping from China. Or pm me if you're looking to sell for half off lol.
I know this thread is already a bit older but I did want to share my story. After Oneplus finally confirmed me that there actually is a display issue "with some people", I wanted to return it due to induced dizziness/headaches.
- Support confirmed my used bumper case would be refunded.
- Rma refused to accept bumper case as it's opened
- Oneplus' Paypal dispute team refused also
- Paypal claim decided in my favor and will refund the full amount =)
fredderf81 said:
warning to all!!!: 1st off the camera on this device is NOT what it was described as. unless the lighting is absolutely perfect, the pictures are FULL of noise and grain. i purchased this device with $40 worth of accessories. it was shipped to me 2 days LATE also. i went to return it and One Plus REFUSED to return/refund my accessories because i opened them.
if you want to try this phone out and dont care about the camera quality go for it...but you have been warned. also, if you are at all curious - DONT buy anything with it. because you won't get your money back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should of stuck around for the software updates camera works great now I have no issues with it
str8str said:
Should of stuck around for the software updates camera works great now I have no issues with it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i had purchased the 128gb edition - a few things; i first off felt like the device wasnt finished. i want a decent device right out of the box, not 9 updates the first month the thing is out. i have had MANY MANY android phones over the years and while many do go through updates, they have, for the most part, been small, incremental, non-major update issues. this was not what i felt with the 5. From what i have continued to read up to this day, the camera is great! .... as long as you are outdoors and have enough light. the indoor, non-flash, low-light photos continue to be be reported as noisy/grainy and i just can't justify spending that sort of money on a device with a sub-par camera like that.
in addition to that we have the 911 issue fix where the battery now drains fast. my current device, htc 10, calls 911 just fine. there is the jelly-screen effect where the devices were made with the screen inserted backwards, or inverted, or however they screwed it up, i decided i DID actually want some sort of water resistance IP rating on the device. i also wanted a device that will be compatible with band 71 (600mhz) tmobile and even though they used the 835, it was not built-in. there is/was a bug regarding recording stereo sound when the handset is held in landscape mode audio is recorded in stereo, but if you hold it after spinning it counterclockwise from portrait mode then the stereo recording is reversed.
it is a fine phone for many but i just can't spend that much money on that specific device. i will wait for a dual-camera setup with OIS and software that can handle low-light conditions to appear, then get that one
I requested refund around July 2nd, shipped it and op Acer repair center received it on the 14. I received email saying they found it on the 16th and they will examined it and issue refund within 2 days. Untill this day I have received my refund and have called and chatted with OP several time. They keep telling me to wait for Acer to issue refund.
Its so frustrating..
Anyone else had issue with refund?

Advice Needed for repair after a truck run over my Pixel 5

I had an accident a couple of days ago, where I fell from my bike and my phone dropped on the street, from the phone holder. I didn't realize that immediately and by the time I saw it, unfortunately, it was already run over a truck. I had the original fabric cover on it and visually only the display is broken, but it was switched offline after the accident so I presume there is some more serious internal damage. I have tried to switch it off/on from the power button, to connect it to a PC but there was no indication that it is alive.
I tried to contact Google to see what are my repair options, and unfortunately, on their side, I can only select the type of damage, pay it in advance and send the phone to them. The problem is that I am not sure if it is worth paying close to 150 Euro just to realize at a later stage that this phone is beyond repair and that I have not only broken my phone but poured 150 Euro down the drain. I have tried to explain this to Google's support personnel, but they did very little to understand my situation and in the end, they said they cannot help me any further.
Unfortunately in Germany, there is no other official repair center. This left me quite disappointed with Google and their inflexibility. The other problem is that this is not a common phone, so finding spare parts is difficult and normally those spare parts are quite expensive. The display only in Ali Express costs 160 Euro. I tried to contact a local repair shop and they only told me 300 Euro for the display change and if the new display doesn't work I would need to pay only 30 Euro. I have even contacted iSmash, who is the authorized repair center for this phone in the UK, but they told me that they don't deal with customers outside the UK.
So what do you think, what is my best option. I really don't want to throw away this phone, I really liked it and it would be quite a pity but I don't want to spend money on a lost cause either. For me, the best would be to diagnose somehow what's not working in the phone and then to decide if it makes sense to proceed with the repair or not.
@gstoyanov It's probably not the display since you can't even power it on. Thankfully it doesn't seem like you were seriously injured in the fall. Time to pitch it and buy something you can live with. The 4a, brand spanking new, is only like 300 Euro or the 4a 5G if you want that is maybe 100 Euro more. It's unfortunate but sh*t happens to these devices when they fall but you can live to bike another day. Just my 2 cents, I'm sure others have opinions too. And then again it will depend on your finances of which I have no idea about so take it with a grain of salt.
bobby janow said:
@gstoyanov It's probably not the display since you can't even power it on. Thankfully it doesn't seem like you were seriously injured in the fall. Time to pitch it and buy something you can live with. The 4a, brand spanking new, is only like 300 Euro or the 4a 5G if you want that is maybe 100 Euro more. It's unfortunate but sh*t happens to these devices when they fall but you can live to bike another day. Just my 2 cents, I'm sure others have opinions too. And then again it will depend on your finances of which I have no idea about so take it with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this is also what I suspect, I have now a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge running Pixel Experience ROM, which is exactly like my Pixel, but the battery is dying really quickly, and have some problems with the charging. Apart from that, all is working more or less fine. I think I will wait till Pixel 5A. I really wanted to save the Pixel 5 though.
Oh, and it is all good with me, just got two superficial bruises, but nothing serious, there were some road repairs in the bike lane and I needed to go almost to the middle of the streets, where there were tram rails. I got pretty scared at the beginning because I didn't know where exactly on the street I fell and went to the side of the street really quickly, afraid that I might get hit by a car. Only after about a minute, I have realized that my phone is missing and the bloody cover was blending really well with the road, so it took me really a while to spot it. Only a truck and a car passed by during this time, but considering the damage, I would say that the truck run over my phone.
gstoyanov said:
Yes, this is also what I suspect, I have now a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge running Pixel Experience ROM, which is exactly like my Pixel, but the battery is dying really quickly, and have some problems with the charging. Apart from that, all is working more or less fine. I think I will wait till Pixel 5A. I really wanted to save the Pixel 5 though.
Oh, and it is all good with me, just got two superficial bruises, but nothing serious, there were some road repairs in the bike lane and I needed to go almost to the middle of the streets, where there were tram rails. I got pretty scared at the beginning because I didn't know where exactly on the street I fell and went to the side of the street really quickly, afraid that I might get hit by a car. Only after about a minute, I have realized that my phone is missing and the bloody cover was blending really well with the road, so it took me really a while to spot it. Only a truck and a car passed by during this time, but considering the damage, I would say that the truck run over my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really good to hear. I bike a lot and know what falls are like, they're not fun and they are scary. So that's the good news. Now for some (possibly) bad. The 5a is larger, plastic, and from what I understand not available outside the US and Japan. It is 5G but probably not in the EU. Should be coming out within a few weeks so you can wait and see. What's the status of 5G by you? I see all these threads about bypassing the 5G restrictions with root but I don't really follow it since I get it here by default.
Since you do have a phone that's working perhaps you can try to take the 5 apart and see if you can tell what's broken inside. What if it's only a connector or something simple then you can replace the screen. Just to tinker around, they have videos I'm sure of how to get the phone open. Once the 6 comes out the prices on Swappa for the 5 will drop at least 100 Euro so if you can wait... Once those batteries go on the Samsungs it's lights out. I know I had one way back and finally the darn thing damn near exploded and popped the screen up off the body and that was it. Bottom line, you're ok. The phone can be replaced.
Sure, my idea is to wait and see what the new phones would be and eventually buy a new phone. Right now is not the best time to invest in a new phone, I think the best is around autumn when all the new models are released. I was thinking of opening the phone, I have some experience, already trying to open and exchange the motherboard of a Nexus 5, with another apparently faulty motherboard. I have the tools as well, the problem is that due to the fact that this is not a very popular model, finding spare parts for it would be really difficult. As I said, only the display on Ali Express costs 160 Euro. Opening the phone and finding that the problem is trivial would void my warranty and I would end up trying to put a new display with dubious quality on my phone for a high price.
I am just a bit losing hope in Google. A friend of mine got a Pixel 4a 5G because I have recommended generally the 4a line as a good deal for the money and she is complaining that the touchscreen in the lower part is completely unresponsive. Apparently, this is a known issue, which was supposed to be fixed by Google with an SW update and there was a big thread in their product forums. Now the thread is deleted from there and Google is refusing to take a look at her phone under warranty because she had dropped it once and according to them this is enough of an excuse.
I really like the SW experience of the Pixel phones, but this behavior is hard to tolerate. So this autumn, I will think really hard whether to buy a Google phone or buy a phone from another vendor.
@gstoyanov I've only had pretty good experiences with Google replacements but that was before the pandemic when you could reach a CSR on the phone and even a supervisor. I don't think that's the case now. And then I'm in the US and we are a nation of laws or so I've been told. lol j/k. Do you have 5G there and is it quick? It's kind of sketchy here, hit or miss on speeds vs. LTE. Because if you don't then the 4a without 5G is a steal imo, at least for a temp phone until November.
But what I was thinking is that if you have experience in pulling it apart then why not try it without purchasing an expensive replacement screen and see if you can get it to boot. Well unless the screen is so cracked that it's pointless. But if you can bring it back to life then you can decide if you want to spend the money or run it as is until you get what you want. Just a thought. Actually, I'm curious what is really wrong with the phone haha.
In terms of the 4a 5G screen I'll bet it's been fixed in later builds. Same thing happened here with a gap on the Pixel 5. Early, EU adopters had this wicked gap around the frame but by the time it shipped in the US that gap was gone.
Edit. NVM looks like the 4a 5g is discontinued.
yes, we have here 5G, but I am not so much sold on the whole 5G bandwagon. It would definitely take a hit on the battery life and the 5G network is still not dense enough for this to really matter. As a matter of fact, GSM coverage in Germany is pretty bad, I am coming from an East European country where Internet access is leaps and bounds better than in Germany, not to mention that it also comes for a fraction of the price here.
The screen is totally broken, I don't think that it would fire up. So if I open it, I would need to try it on a screen, meaning that I would need to purchase a replacement and eventually hope that I can return it for free. The problem is that if I order the display from China, there is a good chance to be stopped at the customs, and I would need to go there and pay some additional money and this is a bit overkill maybe.
@gstoyanov Yeah, not worth it when you put it that way. Oh well, eye out for the 5a 5G, keep it pristine and sell it on Swappa when the 6 comes out in November. ;-) That's my plan with the 5. But full disclosure or trade in with Google. Oh as a side note I dropped my P5 on the cement face down 7 days after purchase. Smashed to smithereens. Brought it into UBreak and it was their first one and it cost me $220 just for the screen replacement which is all that shattered. Not even a nick on the body. They did a flawless job and it is as good as new. I made an insurance claim and got the full $220 back surprisingly. Suffice it to say I handle it with an iron grip or two hands now. One handed only when over carpet. haha.
Did you go over the Google Repair center from the Google Store? There you can select the type of damage to your phone and usually get a better price than directly contacting their authorized repair centers. It is really convenient, the only problem being that you need to pay upfront, and this in my case is not the greatest option.
This is the first time I am cracking the screen, but nowadays all the phones are so slippery. I kind of missing my Oneplus One for which I never bought any cover. Making the back grippy of that phone was such a good idea.
Take it apart and have a look.
A connector may have come loose... maybe the battery.
gstoyanov said:
Did you go over the Google Repair center from the Google Store? There you can select the type of damage to your phone and usually get a better price than directly contacting their authorized repair centers. It is really convenient, the only problem being that you need to pay upfront, and this in my case is not the greatest option.
This is the first time I am cracking the screen, but nowadays all the phones are so slippery. I kind of missing my Oneplus One for which I never bought any cover. Making the back grippy of that phone was such a good idea.
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Click to collapse
The Google repair center is mail in only and 7 - 10 days turnaround. The authorized repair walk-in is UbreakIfix which is where I brought it and it was repaired within about 3 hours or so. I can't imagine it would be under $200 even if I sent it in to Google. I'd have to go thru the whole process just to get a price. Any idea what they are charging for cracked screen only?
The quotes me
bobby janow said:
The Google repair center is mail in only and 7 - 10 days turnaround. The authorized repair walk-in is UbreakIfix which is where I brought it and it was repaired within about 3 hours or so. I can't imagine it would be under $200 even if I sent it in to Google. I'd have to go thru the whole process just to get a price. Any idea what they are charging for cracked screen only?
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they gave me a price in GBP, which was close to 150 Euro and that in USD is around 180. So I presume it is slightly better than what you paid, but not significantly. You can actually check it for yourself, just go to https://store.google.com/repair put the EMEI on your phone, select a cracked screen and you will see it. I presume it might be cheaper because here the taxes are pretty high.
gstoyanov said:
The quotes me
they gave me a price in GBP, which was close to 150 Euro and that in USD is around 180. So I presume it is slightly better than what you paid, but not significantly. You can actually check it for yourself, just go to https://store.google.com/repair put the EMEI on your phone, select a cracked screen and you will see it. I presume it might be cheaper because here the taxes are pretty high.
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If they were worth anything >they< would give you a repair estimate for little or nothing.
Denon Electronics does. That's customer service.
Google just sucks. A local repair shop can do you better.
Having enjoyed many biking excursions myself like you I know you're wishing the hardware healed as easily as the body
Carry on.
gstoyanov said:
The quotes me
they gave me a price in GBP, which was close to 150 Euro and that in USD is around 180. So I presume it is slightly better than what you paid, but not significantly. You can actually check it for yourself, just go to https://store.google.com/repair put the EMEI on your phone, select a cracked screen and you will see it. I presume it might be cheaper because here the taxes are pretty high.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$188 for cracked screen + tax in USD. So not much different than I paid. Comes to a little over $200 and I paid $30 more for same day service. Since I don't have a replacement device that wouldn't have worked for me anyway and the fact I got reimbursed, even though unbeknownst to me at the time, made it a good deal. You gonna wait for the 5a?
bobby janow said:
$188 for cracked screen + tax in USD. So not much different than I paid. Comes to a little over $200 and I paid $30 more for same day service. Since I don't have a replacement device that wouldn't have worked for me anyway and the fact I got reimbursed, even though unbeknownst to me at the time, made it a good deal. You gonna wait for the 5a?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem being any impact that breaks the display can easily cause deeper damage.
The chipsets themselves can be destroyed by high G impacts alone with no direct contact. A fall from 4 feet onto concrete can generate enough G force to do this. This why using a case is important as it decreases the G force spike to tolerable levels.
The multilayered mobo traces (with internal traces) and solder joints are vulnerable to PCB flexing. Solder joints themselves are a relatively weak, with no lead solder they are downright brittle. Most phones hopefully still use leaded solder, if not even exposure to cold can crack them... no lead solder is not your friend
Never use it on repairs!!!
When a phone is literally run over mobo damage is very probable but doesn't always happen. The other pcbs are also at risk.

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