G1 protective screen breaks under intended usage

[Nick.Piette]

I am writing this post to inform G1 users that the T-mobile G1 screen will crack under normal use so be careful.
Tapping the notifications bars left me with a cracked screen. I purchased this phone Wednesday October 29th and the screen cracked Friday October 31st. I went into a T-mobile store wanting a new one and they told me physical damage would not be taken back. This was not physical damage caused by dropping the phone, but by using it as it was intended. I had purchased insurance which still meant to get the phone replaced I would have to spend 140 dollars, 40 dollars cheaper then the actual phone cost to purchase, 180 on a two year contract. I contacted Customer care and was transfered to G1 support where I was told there was nothing they could do because it wasn't a know issue yet. I am dumbfounded that this kind of defect would not be taken in to examine and better the product, instead they want me to pay for them to look at the defect. Pictures will be posted when I find a camera that can take high quality photos. The crack originated at the top of the screen and cracked to the right, to the bottom, and to the left leaving the screen hard to read. I am posting in all G1 forums to alert that user base that if this defect does occur, T-mobile will do nothing about it.I would suggest against getting this phone until this defect is taken care of because it is a key feature of the product.

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1434&stc=1&d=1225645525

[JohnnyLicious]

wow that sucks,

guess i gotta becareful with mine..

i wanna see those pics.

[isaac65]

That's why it's called a touch screen and not a tap screen. No need to tap on the screen for anything. A simple light touch is all that's required, but I see your point. They should have replaced it. Can't you still take it back since you're still in the 14 day grace period? I read somewhere on here that someone replaced their phone using that 14 day grace period just because it was squeaky.

[Nick.Piette]

it was not a hard tap, pretty much a touch and I tried, they said no to the 14 day grace period because of physical damage.

[K.Krstnsn]

Arnold "The Tapanator" over here.

[dcTmoguy]

i have not heard of this issue anywhere else around the internet, so its not even close to being a known issue as of now. maybe keep lookin out for it.

[Nick.Piette]

My best guess is that they didn't strengthen the edges of the phone but worried more about the center, problem is with the notifications bar being up at the top you will have to apply pressure to get it to come down. My phone never worked with a light touch.

[jrokwitdacapitals18]

That's why it's called a touch screen and not a tap screen. No need to tap on the screen for anything. A simple light touch is all that's required, but I see your point. They should have replaced it. Can't you still take it back since you're still in the 14 day grace period? I read somewhere on here that someone replaced their phone using that 14 day grace period just because it was squeaky.

Tap u know what he means . There is no way a screen should do this that just mean the g1 is a poor design . I mean come on the creaking , screen problem, when u slide it open it's a little crokit,etc . Htc or who ever needs to recall the phones and give us better stronger phones . I still have the screen that came with it so I hope it will be fine.

[Nick.Piette]

i have not heard of this issue anywhere else around the internet, so its not even close to being a known issue as of now. maybe keep lookin out for it.

I agree, when I called the G1 support line they didn't know about it either, but rather then give me a new phone and investigate it, they want me to pay them to look at it.. Something is wrong with this way of thinking. I am hoping with my posts around various sites I can raise some awareness about the issue.

[K.Krstnsn]

i call BS about them not hooking you up.

back in the day when i had a SK i sat on it and cracked the screen and they gave me a new one.

[Nick.Piette]

i call BS about them not hooking you up.

back in the day when i had a SK i sat on it and cracked the screen and they gave me a new one.

I agree, I had a SK before this much more durable... but those were made by Moto....

[K.Krstnsn]

you missed the part were i said they gave me a new one for cracking the screen.

[Nick.Piette]

you missed the part were i said they gave me a new one for cracking the screen.

well I wish I was as lucky as you were :p

[jrokwitdacapitals18]

it's getting outta hand with all these problems the g1 is having . I just encounter a new where someone was calling but it would vibrate twice and the ringtone would be really quiet. Then all of sudden it would just be silent with no vibrate just the callers name. It's bs if they don't do something about all these problems then I might be a proud iPhone owner soon. I love the g1 but come on it's getting out of hand.

[tread]

I agree, I had a SK before this much more durable... but those were made by Moto....

actually, the slide was the only sidekick that was manufactured and designed by motorola... most of the others were designed by danger and manufactured by sharp

[andrews240]

I'm with K. Tmo will usually do anything to please and keep a customer, be it right or wrong. I admit, when I first read your post I wanted to call BS. I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt, even on the Tmo CS since I have noticed that the G1 is causing all kinds of issues with their level of customer service. I hope that it all works out for you, but I don't hope that it becomes a known issue. My G1 is working great so far and I am up to over 2 days battery life now too. Either way, good luck.

[Nick.Piette]

actually, the slide was the only sidekick that was manufactured and designed by motorola... most of the others were designed by danger and manufactured by sharp

that is very true, I mispoke as I was using the slide. at any rate I really hope this thread will flourish with disapointment for T-mobile the more we speak about this the better chance it will be brought to the attention of them and possibly get this fixed.

[K.Krstnsn]

i seriously dont see how you cracked the screen by tapping on it.

[Nick.Piette]

i seriously dont see how you cracked the screen by tapping on it.
I can't explain why it would occur, hence the posts on many different sites, but at the same time it shouldn't have. My best assumption is that I tapped a weak spot. This is not the LCD screen below it, but the protective cover. it should of been able to take more then that. I made sure to take care of this phone, did not put it in my pocket kept it in my travel bad, always in the carrying case. I wasn't abusing the phone just using it as it was intended. I understand a lot of times people treat these things like crap and are looking for excuses to blame others for their mistakes, and yes had I been to rough with it and it broke I would of sucked it up and paid the 140 dollars to get it replaced. As that is not the case I am bringing this up.

[Nick.Piette]

Here is a link to the phone picture, this is not the quality I wanted to take as the camera I use is out on assignment. it was taken with a blackberry

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1434&stc=1&d=1225645525

As you can make out from the picture the crack originates from the top and arcs three times.

[K.Krstnsn]

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat ... that looks way serious i was thinking a little .5cm crack

[secrecyguy]

I am going to call this BS.

This is the first reported case of this.

There's no way they will make the screen that weak. If that is true, I think we would have heard about it much sooner and lots of complaints about it.

As long you left the protective screen or put on your own screen protector, it will also protect the screen if it was that weak.

If you really did break your screen which I feel you did not, I bet you don't even used a G1, than you were to rough on your phone.

So I don't think anyone need to worry about this.

[ahahemnab]

How did you carry it? I would bet that the break was started by something else and "tapping" made it take off... kinda like a windsheild...

[Nick.Piette]

I am going to call this BS.

This is the first reported case of this.

There's no way they will make the screen that weak. If that is true, I think we would have heard about it much sooner and lots of complaints about it.

As long you left the protective screen or put on your own screen protector, it will also protect the screen if it was that weak.

So I don't think anyone need to worry about this.

I left the protective screen on, that wouldn't of protected anything. It is the first case of this so instead of trying to toss it under the rug lets see if others have the same problem

[Nick.Piette]

How did you carry it? I would bet that the break was started by something else and "tapping" made it take off... kinda like a windsheild...

I carried it in my messenger bag, in the carrying case that it came with.

[jrokwitdacapitals18]

Hold on how do u know that it had any thing to do with the protection screen? It had to be something elese but hey maybe I'm wrong.

[Jet]

Oh man, I put my G1 on my back pants pocket all the time and it`s still doing good.

[Nick.Piette]

Oh man, I put my G1 on my back pants pocket all the time and it`s still doing good.

Be careful, if it cracks with just a little pressure, sitting on it will mean its a toast.

[lightforce]

looks like a crack from dropping it. My dads razr happend that way too. Same with a friends Dash.

[Jorsher]

Odd, I've been using purely touch phones for years, and the only time I've ever had a screen crack like that is when I put too much pressure on the edge of the screen while it was in my pocket and I was leaned on it over a car to work on it.

Even though I REALLY don't see this being a slight "tap" like you claim, I doubt it will be enough to worry about for normal users. Even if the LCD wasn't secured, do you realize how much pressure is needed to create a crack that long? That's more than a tap...

I just pressed down way harder than I ever would at that same location, and it didn't budge. Did you tap it with a hammer?

[Nick.Piette]

Odd, I've been using purely touch phones for years, and the only time I've ever had a screen crack like that is when I put too much pressure on the edge of the screen while it was in my pocket and I was leaned on it over a car to work on it.

Even though I REALLY don't see this being a slight "tap" like you claim, I doubt it will be enough to worry about for normal users. Even if the LCD wasn't secured, do you realize how much pressure is needed to create a crack that long? That's more than a tap...

I just pressed down way harder than I ever would at that same location, and it didn't budge.

you're correct, it shouldn't make a crack that long from that kinda pressure, so if it did then one might ask why was the screen made so poorly.

[MattyMatt5481]

we got "Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime" up in here, where's Sarah Marshall?

[MattyMatt5481]

Here is a link to the phone picture, this is not the quality I wanted to take as the camera I use is out on assignment. it was taken with a blackberry

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1434&stc=1&d=1225645525

As you can make out from the picture the crack originates from the top and arcs three times.

Back and to the left...........Back and to the left...............

[Cow_King]

I am writing this post to inform G1 users that the T-mobile G1 screen will crack under normal use so be careful.
Tapping the notifications bars left me with a cracked screen. I purchased this phone Wednesday October 29th and the screen cracked Friday October 31st. I went into a T-mobile store wanting a new one and they told me physical damage would not be taken back. This was not physical damage caused by dropping the phone, but by using it as it was intended. I had purchased insurance which still meant to get the phone replaced I would have to spend 140 dollars, 40 dollars cheaper then the actual phone cost to purchase, 180 on a two year contract. I contacted Customer care and was transfered to G1 support where I was told there was nothing they could do because it wasn't a know issue yet. I am dumbfounded that this kind of defect would not be taken in to examine and better the product, instead they want me to pay for them to look at the defect. Pictures will be posted when I find a camera that can take high quality photos. The crack originated at the top of the screen and cracked to the right, to the bottom, and to the left leaving the screen hard to read. I am posting in all G1 forums to alert that user base that if this defect does occur, T-mobile will do nothing about it.I would suggest against getting this phone until this defect is taken care of because it is a key feature of the product.

Similar posts have been made here:
http://www.tmobileg1forum.com/tmobile-g1-and-google-android-news/g1-protective-screen-breaks-under-intended-usage/msg398/#msg398
http://www.everythinggphone.com/forum/g1/g1-protective-screen-breaks-under-intended-usage-145.html#post535


You say "Similar posts have been made here" as to make it sound like some one else posted the same kind of problem.

You posted those. as of today that i know of this is the first "cough cough" problem of this kind. i agree with other users that are calling this BS sounds and look s like form the pic you had it in your pocket and or dropped it and you want a free replacment. i agree with t-mobile on this one man i dont think you shoudl get a free replacement.

Just my opinion...

[xformdave]

no way that happened from a "tap" stress cracks from pressure FTW.

[IceDroid]

That's why it's called a touch screen and not a tap screen.

LMAO well put.

[doobio]

I call BS too. Either way you should have said you got the phone like that and returned it.

[svtjackal]

BS, that didn't happened with "a light tap" you either drop it or you lean on something while the phone was in your pocket



similar post have been made here

Yeah similar post made by yourself:rolleyes:

[here]

ok i have never disagreed with what someone has said on here but i truly do not believe that the screen breaks that easily. The reason I say this is I have the toddler lock app on my phone as does my husband and our 9 month old loves it. I know we shouldn't let her but she smacks it and earlier she dropped it and when she went to pick it up she knelt on it:eek:. and actually my 6 year old was messing with it also and i'm sure he was giving it more than a little tap

[lethalillness]

If the screen broke like THAT from a tap then everyones would be broken by now, also the whole story is BS because 3 months ago I threw my sidekick lx, yes I threw it, had a big crack down the screen, the sd card wouldn't read, and tmo still replaced it for nothing because as long its not been exposed to water its fine.

[Nick.Piette]

as an update they are looking at the correlation between the loose covers and cracking screens. there might be the possibility that stuff is moving around behind it causing more pressure to the screen area.

[Nick.Piette]

BS, that didn't happened with "a light tap" you either drop it or you lean on something while the phone was in your pocket




Yeah similar post made by yourself:rolleyes:

right i was posting where else I had made this notice, so that people could get more input from other sites.

[LGSilva]

Do people realize that it's a touch sensitive screen, not a pressure sensitive screen?
Maybe people are pressing the screen too hard. Just a little touch will do it.

[NetCom]

That picture looks like someone was "touching" G1 screen with the hammer "clicking" on those notifications.

PS. What notifications are in the top of the screen in the middle anyway?

PS2. I am not surprised that T-Mobile won't do anything. Insurance wise, you should have bought something better than that T-Mobile insurance which is just a ripoff. You pay $6/month and when you request new phone (your gets damaged, lost, etc) you get refurbished phone with 6 month warranty and you have to pay for it $140 ... now, that is just insane :rolleyes:

My suggestion is - contact HTC manufacturer and ask for the screen repair (parts and labor) ... bottom line is if you want it fixed you will need to pay some money that's for sure.

PS3 To me that picture shows abused G1 - I can't figure out how you tapped with the finger on the screen and it just cracked.:confused:

[pllb]

I don't really believe it but if it is indeed true, that sucks buddy.

[Nick.Piette]

This looks like something that was caused by the owner. There's no way in hell that this could have been caused under normal usage.
what exactly do you think I was doing with it? after spending 180 dollars it is not like I'm going to just go around and smash it against something. I was using it just like any normal user. I love how everyone here is Like BS BS BS, look at the SK, they didn't know about the power breaking with the slide but it was occurring. Someone brought it to their attention and they fixed it. Not every one had that problem. I am trying to bring this to the attention of them, not to get a new phone, not going to happen, but instead to try to better the product. so instead of just trolling this why not try to give a REASONABLE suggestion as how it could of happened. I can guarantee it was not dropped, it was not in my pocket, if I WATCHED it crack it couldn't of been.

[Jorsher]

Nobody has said you intentionally broke it, it's just hard to believe it was broke with "normal" use. It doesn't take much pressure to touch anything on the screen. Definitely not enough to crack glass.

If it did break with "normal use," I see that as a one in a million incident. I just still have my doubts after all the abuse I've put my previous touchscreen phones through that had softer LCDs.

[DKYang]

Do people really tap "hard" at the notification bar? I barely touch it and it works for me. Even though it's touch screen, it seems like you would have to press it pretty hard to crack it since this is capacitive and not resistive(?).

Anyways, couldn't you just cancel the contract, if you're still under the 14 days?

[Nick.Piette]

I could but I am still out 180 dollars + 10 to "restock"

[crazythunder]

alot of bs calls. i'm the type to give the benefit of the doubt and say you simply got a bad unit. built on a monday so to speak. it happens with any product on the market. on that alone, i'd expect a replacement. but something like that is impossible to prove as far as fault goes i guess. i'd send it back if they simply wanted me to pay shipping. pay for a new phone? nope. i'd notify the bbb and take it from there.

[malik]

mine cracked also....they want me to pay the $140 deductible after only having the phone for 6 days. They can have it back. It's getting returned tomorrow and I'm done with t-mobile. Not the first time they've done me dirty.

iPhone here I come!!!!!

[malik]

Correction...the actually screen isn't cracked. It's the pixels or something that are "discolored" and it looks like a crack. Not sure what that is considered. Nevertheless, the phone's getting returned.

[secrecyguy]

That picture looks like someone was "touching" G1 screen with the hammer "clicking" on those notifications.

PS. What notifications are in the top of the screen in the middle anyway?

PS2. I am not surprised that T-Mobile won't do anything. Insurance wise, you should have bought something better than that T-Mobile insurance which is just a ripoff. You pay $6/month and when you request new phone (your gets damaged, lost, etc) you get refurbished phone with 6 month warranty and you have to pay for it $140 ... now, that is just insane :rolleyes:

My suggestion is - contact HTC manufacturer and ask for the screen repair (parts and labor) ... bottom line is if you want it fixed you will need to pay some money that's for sure.

PS3 To me that picture shows abused G1 - I can't figure out how you tapped with the finger on the screen and it just cracked.:confused:

I noticed the picture is little bit blurry and there's no close up shots of it. hmmm...

[secrecyguy]

Correction...the actually screen isn't cracked. It's the pixels or something that are "discolored" and it looks like a crack. Not sure what that is considered. Nevertheless, the phone's getting returned.

Thank you, Nick.Piette or iPhone FanBoy.

[svtjackal]

mine cracked also....they want me to pay the $140 deductible after only having the phone for 6 days. They can have it back. It's getting returned tomorrow and I'm done with t-mobile. Not the first time they've done me dirty.

iPhone here I come!!!!!


see ya, don't let the door hit you on your way out.

[AK74AL]

mine cracked also....they want me to pay the $140 deductible after only having the phone for 6 days. They can have it back. It's getting returned tomorrow and I'm done with t-mobile. Not the first time they've done me dirty.

iPhone here I come!!!!!

nick is that you?

[tread]

Do people really tap "hard" at the notification bar? I barely touch it and it works for me. Even though it's touch screen, it seems like you would have to press it pretty hard to crack it since this is capacitive and not resistive(?).

Anyways, couldn't you just cancel the contract, if you're still under the 14 days?

if you cancel the contract, then you have to return the phone... if you didn't have to do that, anyone can screw t-mobile and get a free discount on the phone...

and if you don't return the phone, per t-mobiles contract that you signed they are legally able to cancel out your service if you don't return the phone AND charge you the early termination fee

[DKYang]

Well, if you return the phone, you get your money back besides the $10 restocking fee, right? If they aren't going to give a new replacement for the cracked screen. Then just pay the $10, wait a little bit, and sign up again. Instead of having to pay $140 again if that was the only option to get the new phone.

This is how I was thinking of it. Not getting the phone for a free discount. Maybe this only works with a non-cracked screen phone, oh well. Just asking....

[tread]

Well, if you return the phone, you get your money back besides the $10 restocking fee, right? If they aren't going to give a new replacement for the cracked screen. Then just pay the $10, wait a little bit, and sign up again. Instead of having to pay $140 again if that was the only option to get the new phone.

This is how I was thinking of it. Not getting the phone for a free discount. Maybe this only works with a non-cracked screen phone, oh well. Just asking....

yep, you cannot return a broken device... the 10 dollar restocking fee is to cover their costs for so many exchanges people do, it doesn't cover anything other than that...

now if you return a phone because you don't like it and do not exchange it, there is no restocking fee if its not damaged... so obviously there is no check in place for this, if you want to exchange a phone, return it, wait a day or two, go to another store etc...

[Cow_King]

what exactly do you think I was doing with it? after spending 180 dollars it is not like I'm going to just go around and smash it against something. I was using it just like any normal user. I love how everyone here is Like BS BS BS, look at the SK, they didn't know about the power breaking with the slide but it was occurring. Someone brought it to their attention and they fixed it. Not every one had that problem. I am trying to bring this to the attention of them, not to get a new phone, not going to happen, but instead to try to better the product. so instead of just trolling this why not try to give a REASONABLE suggestion as how it could of happened. I can guarantee it was not dropped, it was not in my pocket, if I WATCHED it crack it couldn't of been.


You say

" I am trying to bring this to the attention of them, not to get a new phone, not going to happen, but instead to try to better the product"

but i think my problem is their have been over 600k of these phones sold and so far only you just 1 has had this kind of problem?

If it were a problem with the product we would have seen alot more of this kind of thing.

It sounds like to me with you spamming different web sites you just want to try and give this awesome phone a bad name.

[Nick.Piette]

1) that is not me, I really like the phone and have been calling everyone I know at T-mobile as I am a mobile developer.

2) I am not trying to bash the name, I love the phone and the capabilities is has, I am just upset with the hardware.

[Frito]

I work in the glass industry and I will say that even with glass as thin as our screens are will not crack under normal pressure from normal use of the phone unless there was previous damage to the glass before you pressed on it, if there was a small micro crack or chip pressing on the glass will cause it to "run" and thats how a crack gets larger

you may have had a defective screen though that had a small possibly even tiny crack in the edge of the glass at the top there from the mfg process or something external and the repeated use of the phone has caused it to run

I would however have to say that your experience here is prob. very rare and i doubt anyone will have this issue without the screen being damaged by something external

sorry about the cracked screen n all, just raise hell with CC or go to a t-mo store and if theres no visible chips on the screen showing how it was cracked i'm sure they will replace it but it may be difficult to get it done initially best of luck with getting it solved

[Jorsher]

I have my doubts, but it's not impossible to get a defective unit. That screen still would have had to be under a lot of stress, either by how it was assembled or how it was used. I still don't see how it was used for a few days then one of the "normal" taps suddenly cracked it like that, but lets get back on topic and stay away from the "you liar u suck!" stuff.

[maclondon]

i agree its probably a defective part that was damaged in manufacture. and in use putting in / out of pockets and the general wear and tear that a mobile device can survive has caused it to worsen.

or you broke it by accident - and didn't realise - again it may of not shown at the time
but got worse over time.
its a mobile device it should be able to handle reasonable wear and tear.
though sitting on it probably wouldnt count as reasonable ;)

[ehenry23]

My phone was on the arm of my couch and got bumped and fell onto the carpet and the top left corner of the screen cracked. There are no chips or impact point, it looks like a stress crack. It wasn't dropped on the cement or outside. I'm in the same position and don't know what to do. Obviously the screen was made extremely weak or dropping on the carpet w/ a screen protector would not have caused this.

[jeffsaha]

i have a similar issue but with the camera lens protector on the back. fell from ~1.5 feet from the ground inside the g1 case with an invis shield full body cover, and cracked the whole lens cover. so hold that g1 with a kung fu grip if you dont want the back of your g1 to look like you used it to stop a bullet.

[refused9150]

It wont break under normal use. I've sat on mine plenty of times and no damage of any kind.

[hyperdroid]

I wouldn't return this phone for you. Its physical damage. If you want an easy way out send it to the warranty. They will charge you 100 bucks out of warranty fee, but it beats the 130 price on insurance.

[Lynzerlot]

This makes me a little nervous. I am currently waiting for the G1 I ordered after the screen on my T-Mo Shadow cracked to the point of uselessness from being stepped on by my 40 lb dog on the couch. That phone was actually my 2nd Shadow in 6 months - the first had a display that stopped working outright after being dropped from less than a foot onto carpet (no crack). Shadows are also designed/manufactured by HTC so I will be pissed if my G1 is just as fragile. I admit I do not baby my constant-use electronics but at the same time I have never, ever had a similar problem with another phone or small electronic device. Point is - could this just be a general HTC design problem?

Looks like I will be ordering monthly equipment protection as soon as it UPS knocks on my door.

[juice]

Arnold "The Tapanator" over here.

LOL!

So far mine's been good.
I think someone is on the R.O.I.D.S. program.

[swaney29]

ha ha hell naw chocolate news.. you know hes black right.. you know hes muslim.. thank you for voting for mccain ha ha

[androidmonkey]

that looks like something hard hit the top of the screen.

[Paging Dr B]

apple did the same thing when people starting breaking their glass screens on the iphone. Well instead they would tell people they could fix it for $250 (when they first released it). It sucks to hear that yours broke. Damn... thats the one thing i never had to worry about with my blackberry or with my treo. I dropped those damn phones a bunch of times (they were work phones so i wasnt as careful) and they took a beating and kept on working. One of my buddies even accidentaly backed over his BB while pulling out of the driveway and his phone only suffered scratches on the surface.

[Paging Dr B]

mine cracked also....they want me to pay the $140 deductible after only having the phone for 6 days. They can have it back. It's getting returned tomorrow and I'm done with t-mobile. Not the first time they've done me dirty.

iPhone here I come!!!!!

Be warned....iphones suffer the same fate. Do a google search for cracked iphone screens and you'll read a bunch of horror stories identical to yours.

So far it doesnt sound at all like a defect. The xbox 360 and its RROD 16% (love my 360 but this stat scares me) failure rate is a defect. Thats 16 out of every 100 xbox 360's will suffer from the Red Ring of Death.
This sounds like bad luck. Lets just say for the sake of it that there have been 300k G1's sold...and this is the first any of us have heard of a screen cracking then...that's something like 0.000001% of phones that have defective glass. I think any company would take that stat any day of the year.

[Frito]

any phone with this type of screen is going to be made of glass, the durable phones that dont crack under heavy abuse commonly have a polycarbonate type of plastic screens on the outside of the phone so its near impossible to break that sort of material (its small arms bullet resistant at 1/4" thickness )

i don't think its possible for them to manufacture capacitive touch screens without using glass it works by some sort of coating they put on the screens I can tell because if you look at the screen when its turned off at a near 0 deg angle with a light source reflecting off it you can see a purplish colored rainbow, its a coating on the bottom side of the glass, much like a low-e coating used in modern insulated window glass

[Ianscape]

IMO that did not happen from a tap. I keep my G1 in my font pocket on my uniform or in the side pocked of my BDU's and I am leaning over my cruiser all the time or smashing into things, and that has yet to crack the screen so I doubt this was from a tap or a touch.

My Dash has held up just the same with the same beating. And I've even thrown that against a wall in anger.

Was the phone cold when it was touched and the glass weak? Did it go from being cold in a car to a warm room and then touched?

[LtData]

has anyone noticed most of the people with problems seem to have under 10 posts ? just sayin'

oh yeh, I dropped mine from my hip onto a metal door threshold and didn't even scratch it. My luck must be better than others.

[gbk1]

has anyone noticed most of the people with problems seem to have under 10 posts ? just sayin'

We all got problems -_-
I got over [a lot] posts in Windows forums.

[tokyomonster]

I can't see the pictures here at work, but I will say this:

HTC seems to be somewhat inconsistent with their build qualities..

My girlfriend purchased a shadow about 6 months ago. She had left it on the counter and our cat knocked it about 4 feet off the counter on to hard tile, and the screen shattered.

Now, with a fall like that, I'm not exactly suprised, but it was a bummer none the less. That happened about 3 days after she got the phone.

She was able to get a nice tmo rep to replace the phone for free. The one she has now is regularly stuffed in her back pocket, and has been dropped a few times, and only has a few knicks to show for it. Hell, it was dropped (on accident, of course) into a toilet once..and it's still kicking(took a few days for it to work again, and it's only because I let my GF know in advanced that if that ever happens to remove the battery ASAP)

So, to sum it up, I'm merely adding anecdotal evidence to inconsistent build quality from HTC, and not agreeing with any one side on this thread :)

[Jeewone]

I was closing the hood on the backhoe I was running and dropped my 1 week old G1 on the street from a height of 7 feet!!! The battery cover flew one way and the battery flew the other! I thought the phone was toast. I put the battery back in closed the battery cover and waited for it to reboot. Everything works like new with the execption of a few minor scratches to the battery cover. Good thing I had a screen protecter on it though. This phone is tmore durable than it looks and I am using the proof as I write this!!!

[s15274n]

Did you take the picture of the phone with your iPhone?? I hit my screen pretty hard and no issues at all... heck, I even dropped it landing face down already.

[Op3nTheJar]

My best guess is that they didn't strengthen the edges of the phone but worried more about the center, problem is with the notifications bar being up at the top you will have to apply pressure to get it to come down. My phone never worked with a light touch.


If you have a hard time with the notification bar something is wrong with the phone, it is a bit narrow so its hard to catch it with a slight brush sometimes but if you use a lingering touch the strip expands and you can bring it down no problem. If you have some kind of case on ur phone this will make it that much more harder to catch the notification bar to bring it down but even still theres no need for a HARDER touch or tap or whatever. :P

[Op3nTheJar]

I am writing this post to inform G1 users that the T-mobile G1 screen will crack under normal use so be careful.
Tapping the notifications bars left me with a cracked screen. I purchased this phone Wednesday October 29th and the screen cracked Friday October 31st. I went into a T-mobile store wanting a new one and they told me physical damage would not be taken back. This was not physical damage caused by dropping the phone, but by using it as it was intended. I had purchased insurance which still meant to get the phone replaced I would have to spend 140 dollars, 40 dollars cheaper then the actual phone cost to purchase, 180 on a two year contract. I contacted Customer care and was transfered to G1 support where I was told there was nothing they could do because it wasn't a know issue yet. I am dumbfounded that this kind of defect would not be taken in to examine and better the product, instead they want me to pay for them to look at the defect. Pictures will be posted when I find a camera that can take high quality photos. The crack originated at the top of the screen and cracked to the right, to the bottom, and to the left leaving the screen hard to read. I am posting in all G1 forums to alert that user base that if this defect does occur, T-mobile will do nothing about it.I would suggest against getting this phone until this defect is taken care of because it is a key feature of the product.

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1434&stc=1&d=1225645525





I wanted to add, The day after I got my phone I dropped it, i was running with the little pouch upward suddenly the phone flew up into the air and SMACK right on the ground the whole thing fell apart and it landed on its face, two scrathes on the back, nothing doin to the screen, so, a slight tap? really? come on. COME ON!

[tokyomonster]

Just saw the picture. Really, there's no way that happened if you were using the phone as intended(remember it's touch sensitive, not pressure).

It's possible that it was stressed already from previous abuse, but I can't imagine a touch that would do that to the screen.

[Gardenwife]

I know, and the first T-Mo Dash phones had a problem with weak screens. They took care of the people.

[smoger]

no way that crack is from normal use. it's almost comical that anyone would expect people to believe that(and hilarious that a few in the beginning of this thread actually did).

also,.. "piette" and "malik" are both star wars characters... hmmmm

[androidmonkey]

lol, someone should delete this thread. But then again, its pretty funny

[Nick.Piette]

Phone was replaced.. Im not the only one who experienced this.. but seeing how you guys treat whistle blowers... I wouldn't expect them too.
and no Piette.... actual last name.

[moriartye]

My husband and I had the same experience. However our phones were purchased 6 months ago. My screen cracked top right hand corner and also top left to the bottom. My husbands phone cracked just a few days later. We had recently put screen protectors on the phones. My husband thinks maybe the protectors don't expand properly with the phone. We of course went to T-mobile only to hear the physical damage line. T-molbile told us it is from physical damage, however there is not a scratch on the screen and neither one of us throw the phone around the room. We have insurance on both phones but hate to purchase two more phones assuming the same thing will happen. I would have been willing to purchase a different model but insurance says no. We will stick with the broken screens as long as we can. We will also do everything possible to make sure everyone knows how T-mobile did not stand behind a product. So feel free to tell everyone about the G1 screen cracks.

[edgargeminis620]

My husband and I had the same experience. However our phones were purchased 6 months ago. My screen cracked top right hand corner and also top left to the bottom. My husbands phone cracked just a few days later. We had recently put screen protectors on the phones. My husband thinks maybe the protectors don't expand properly with the phone. We of course went to T-mobile only to hear the physical damage line. T-molbile told us it is from physical damage, however there is not a scratch on the screen and neither one of us throw the phone around the room. We have insurance on both phones but hate to purchase two more phones assuming the same thing will happen. I would have been willing to purchase a different model but insurance says no. We will stick with the broken screens as long as we can. We will also do everything possible to make sure everyone knows how T-mobile did not stand behind a product. So feel free to tell everyone about the G1 screen cracks.

easiest thing to do would be to replace the digitizer.

[InsightGoalie]

I know this is a necro'd thread and a really old post but, shenanigans. I work Asset Protection for Wal-Mart and I've had my phone fall out of my pocket during takedowns several times. Once my phone flew out of my pocket while running in the parking lot, scratched the plastic around the top of the screen and the battery plus cover flew off. On another stop I had a runner so I grabbed his shirt and ended on the ground on my butt. My phone was in my rear pocket. We were thrown to the ground, my pocket with the phone in it was ripped to shreds, my phone had scratches around the screen and one incredibly small crack on the top right corner of the screen. That cracked part of the screen even still functions (and the guy didn't get away). Just a few days ago I took down another runner and my phone flew out of my pocket. Added more scratches to the plastic but nothing else.

No way did my phone survive multiple times falling out of my pocket while running and being in my pocket while slamming someone to the ground and this guys cracked on a "tap."

[MurphysLaww]

It amazes me that someones phone broke from tapping it.

Mine was an original pre-order, and after several hard falls, and way too many times being put in my back pocket with my wallet and then me driving home with it there, finally cracked on the inside of the screen.

I don't blame T-mobile/HTC for this in any way, I'm surprized it lasted this long, but I would like to fix it on my own.

anyone had any experience with purchasing the screens off Amazon ?

I have a 5-6mm black spot now on the screen that is growing due to the crack on the inside.

http://www.amazon.com/T-Mobile-Google-Android-Digitizer-Replacement/dp/B0029Z3L1O

or these guys ?

http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=3868878

[Hands0n]

I took a look at the OP and have been left wondering WTF he's been tapping it with! Could it be a 6lb lump hammer perhaps? Or maybe he has a cloven hoof instead of a hand!

As I write this I am looking at my G1, the construction of it is worthy of the designers of the Forth Bridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Railway_Bridge), it is positively industrial in nature. I've seen lesser built military gear!

So how exactly does this lad go and break the screen quite so drastically just by finger tapping. The point impact required to make the screen shatter like that suggests an angled "shot" that sent the energy from top to bottom of the screen. It simply isn't going to happen by tapping away with a human finger. The image does not fit the description, and vice versa. I'm not surprised, then, that T-Mobile has told him to go away.

Sorry if it is the gods honest truth but I don't buy it for a moment. That screen didn't break with a finger tap. Well, not unless we've got ourselves a bona fide Clarke Kent as the OP.

[edgargeminis620]

It amazes me that someones phone broke from tapping it.

Mine was an original pre-order, and after several hard falls, and way too many times being put in my back pocket with my wallet and then me driving home with it there, finally cracked on the inside of the screen.

I don't blame T-mobile/HTC for this in any way, I'm surprized it lasted this long, but I would like to fix it on my own.

anyone had any experience with purchasing the screens off Amazon ?

I have a 5-6mm black spot now on the screen that is growing due to the crack on the inside.

http://www.amazon.com/T-Mobile-Google-Android-Digitizer-Replacement/dp/B0029Z3L1O

or these guys ?

http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=3868878

i use ebay and its no problem as long as the seller is located within the continental U.S.

[ChewyNet9]

I have a crack that looks exactly like that, and I've had the phone for a year. I got the crack from the phone dropping about 2-3feet off the edge of a chair onto a wood floor. And it feel on the side with the screen. I dropped it around 4 times onto its back before this so it's obviously the dropping it onto it's screen that killed it. But yeah, I'm planning on just buying the part from Amazon( http://www.amazon.com/T-Mobile-Google-Android-Digitizer-Replacement/dp/B0029Z3L1O ) because it's the glass that broken not the actual LCD.

"This is the ouside glass with touch function or touch panel, if you have a cracked glass and your lcd still display normal then this is the part you'd need." <- From the description for the product on Amazon.

[edgargeminis620]

simple. if its the touchscreen/glass, it should be the digitizer what your looking for. and yep sounds like that whats you need

[moriartye]

has anyone noticed most of the people with problems seem to have under 10 posts ? just sayin'

oh yeh, I dropped mine from my hip onto a metal door threshold and didn't even scratch it. My luck must be better than others.
I don't think it has anything to do with how many post one has. I just don't have the time to sit here and type. It doesn't change my cracked screen. I was just curious if others were having the same problem.