Saturday, September 21, 2013

HTC One Problems Roundup and Fixes

They say that if you can't succeed the first time, you should try again, maybe you'll get things right the second time. This is what hapenned with HTC One X's successor, the beautiful and remarkable HTC One. Although this smartphone was praised by most users and gadgets website alike, it still has its flaws and problems. In this article, I will try to gather some of the most important HTC One issues as spotted by users.

HTC One sound problem
There are a lot of users that reported an annoying noise coming from the sound system of HTC One, especially when the user is using headphones. The static noise is more often heard when the music is paused or when the tracks are chaning, in the pause between them. Also, popping noises have been reported when a notification sound plays. A possible fix for this problem is to turn of Beats Audio option from the notification panel and to turn of the NFC option. HTC has not release any statement regarding the sound issues encountered in HTC One, so it is still unknown if this happens because of the software or the hardware. As an aditional fix, you can try to use a different pair of headphones and see if the noise is still there.

Capacity buttons problem
In some cases, HTC One's capacity buttons will not work properly, and when you are trying to use the phone the buttons will not light up. In order to see if there is a hardware problem, you could try to cover with your hand the proximity sensor located in the upper left part of HTC One. If you see no light on the buttons, you may experience a sensor malfunction. Also, you could try to download Android Sensor Box and diagnoze your smartphone.

Unresponsive buttons
This is probably very annoying, since most users are using those two main buttons found under the screen a lot. There was no oficial statement regarding this issue, but I have few possible solutions it: you may try to touch the display few times before using the butoons (this may improve the buttons), you can try to calibrate them from the menu (Settings - Language & keyboard - HTC Sense input - Advanced - Calibration tool) and try to slightly touch them while calibrating and ultimately you may try to remove the screen protector (if you are using one).

Dead or stuck pixels
This is a common issue found in LCD screens, and since the HTC One is using a 4.7″ Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen, from time to time on of those pixels may get stuck on a specific color (red, blue or green). If the pixel is dead, you can do nothing about it. You may try to send the phone to the service and use the warrany, but I'm not sure they will replace the display just because there is a dead pixel. So, in this case, you'll end up with a display that has a tiny black pixel. If the pixel is just stuck on one of those colors (red, green, blue), you can try to use a stuck pixel remover from Play Store. If you are lucky, it will come back to life using that app.

HTC One is chargins slow
This problem was also encountered in HTC One X and it's a shame that they did not fixed it so far. I know, the HTC One has a big capacity battery and it needs a lot of time to charge. But man, charging that smartphone for 5 hours is just too much! HTC said that the charging process is slower in order to maintain the battery's health to maximum for a long period of time, but what about our nerves? So, the possible solution is to use the wall charger (which seems to charge the phone faster) and try to charge it over night (I know, it's a poor solution). Sorry guys!

Bad case, scratches
There are no other words to describe this issue. Some users reported that their HTC One had imperfect finishes. Strange bulges or gaps between the metal and the plastic were reported. If you bought a new HTC One and you don't like the build quality, the obvious solution is to return it and ask for a new one.

1 comment:

NotHappy said...

I am a very frustrated HTC One X consumer... So here's my story: Bought my 1st HTC One X phone in December 2012 and luckily bought a 2 year warranty outright from Best Buy for $175.00. That was the best money spent! My 1st phone was set in a very thin layer of water.

In January 2013 I got my 2nd HTC One X. Cracked the screen - my bf says it's from carrying my phone in my back pocket & sitting down. I am 135 lbs! I dropped that phone and the crack got worse.

My 3rd HTC One X worked pretty good and lasted the longest. I dropped it, screen cracked & kept using it. In the Chicago O'Hare Airport I dropped it again & the screen shattered. I cut myself on the glass. I didn't have a screen protector because I needed to submit for the screen protector warranty replacement. In search for a cheap screen protector to protect me, I searched for a tech store. Found one & got 2 screen protectors (not for HTC One X phone, but worked) for free because the store clerk held up his HTC One X phone displaying a shattered screen & asked if I needed the screen protector to hold everything together... LOVED the irony & told him I should start an online support group for victim's of the HTC One X phone.

I received my 4th HTC One X in October 2013. This phone had problems charging & screen didn't always respond to touch. I called Best Buy regarding my concerns. That night my phone overheated playing Candy Crush Saga and stopped working.

Now it's November 2013. I guess phone # 5 is in, but I still need to pay someone to recover important data. They will be in on Monday so I have to wait to pick up my phone cuz I will need to return the old one.

Moral of the story: Don't carry your phone in your back pocket no matter how much you weigh, submit your screen protector warranty immediately upon waiting for a replacement, make sure your child doesn't spill water on a table that you are about to put your phone, get a durable case in case you don't have a warranty plan like I do, and think twice about getting a phone that has a built-in SD card if you need phone records and data for custody issues...

Know whom to go to within your community that can extract the data from your phone if needed. Finally, have a back-up tracfone if you plan on having an unreliable phone... my tracfone has saved me many times this past year!