Bad Keyboard Slider

**imnuts** · #1 (**permalink**) 09-30-2010, 06:16 PM

I've been going through replacement TP2's quite quickly the past couple weeks after my original started running really slowly on me (come to a crawl a day after a hard reset, regardless of soft-reset or not). This latest device seems to be good to me except for the slider mechanism for the keyboard/screen. It feels significantly weaker than all previous units I've had and I've almost opened the keyboard a few times taking it out of my pocket. I also opened it and pushed against a scale to see how much force was required to open/close it and it's just over 1 lb., and I can shake the phone and have the screen slide open to show the keyboard, and can close it in the same method, though closing it is more difficult.

Am I just being to critical, or is this a weaker mechanism than usual? Can anyone else try and shake the screen open/closed or see how much force is required to open/close the physical keyboard. I'm getting tired of replacements, and if this really is another bad one, I'm getting a new phone entirely as the replacement units have been terrible.

bobturismo · #2 (**permalink**) 09-30-2010, 07:18 PM

I get like 1lb 4oz to open, that's going extremely slow and smooth, like testing the pull on a trigger.

It takes a good snap to open my keyboard, shaking it like I would a bottle of ketchup isn't enough force.

**horndoctor** · #3 (**permalink**) 09-30-2010, 07:46 PM

Wirelessly posted (htc Pocket PC: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 8.12; MSIEMobile6.0) Sprint T7380)

It sounds like the mechanism is a little loose but you could tighten it up a little by cutting a couple strips of clear packing tape and applying them to the top of the keyboard on both sides of the keyboard. It might create just enough drag to keep the keyboard from sliding out.

**imnuts** · #4 (**permalink**) 09-30-2010, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobturismo

I get like 1lb 4oz to open, that's going extremely slow and smooth, like testing the pull on a trigger.

It takes a good snap to open my keyboard, shaking it like I would a bottle of ketchup isn't enough force.

Thanks. Although it's the same force, I've never been able to shake open a slider phone before, so I'm guessing it's a bad mechanism.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horndoctor

It sounds like the mechanism is a little loose but you could tighten it up a little by cutting a couple strips of clear packing tape and applying them to the top of the keyboard on both sides of the keyboard. It might create just enough drag to keep the keyboard from sliding out.

It probably would, but this is the 5th replacement phone in 3 weeks, though this is probably the least offensive issue I've had yet. I feel like I shouldn't have to do anything to have a working phone.

It was very coarse opening/closing it the first few times, and has gotten very smooth the more I open/close it, but it's also getting easier and easier to just flick open. I was going to try and get the Fascinate tomorrow with the Best Buy deal, but I may stop by the VZW store first to complain some more about bad replacement devices and try to get an Incredible instead.

DatBoiDame · #5 (**permalink**) 09-30-2010, 08:28 PM

Verizon still honors the 3 strikes rule, if u get a phone replaced a certain amount of times within 90 days they have to offer u some type of incentive. Instead of going to the store, call the 1-800 number. All my past phones have been upgraded through this 3 strikes rule

**imnuts** · #6 (**permalink**) 09-30-2010, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DatBoiDame

Verizon still honors the 3 strikes rule, if u get a phone replaced a certain amount of times within 90 days they have to offer u some type of incentive. Instead of going to the store, call the 1-800 number. All my past phones have been upgraded through this 3 strikes rule

If the store is no help, I may call and try to talk to them again about it. The last time I spoke with tech support about getting a new phone, they were not very helpful and refused to do so, though the person I talked to did pause for a moment and try to come up with a response after I asked her how much VZW was going to spend on shipping just for replacement phones (ignoring hardware costs). If I call again, and tech support is of no help, I'll talk to billing as I'm sure they will do a little more to try and keep a customer.

Anybody else care to offer an opinion as to whether they think it's defective or not? The more opinions I could get on this, the better I'd feel arguing the point.

**imnuts** · #7 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 09:55 PM

The rep in the store didn't think that there was anything wrong with the slider, but made note that I felt it may be bad. It may have been ok, but I feel like it's definitely on the softer side as far as resistance to open. The volume up button is loose and doesn't seem to press properly, so I think I'll just wait a few more days and call and try to get it replaced as I feel that the slider is getting worse as it's getting easier to open it the first 0.25" the more I use it.

**imnuts** · #8 (**permalink**) 10-14-2010, 04:29 PM

As an update to this, I noticed yesterday that the case surrounding the screen is starting to separate from the screen itself and letting dirt/dust/everything else down into and around the screen portion of the phone. This portion of the casing is what helps to stop the screen from sliding all the way off on the slider mechanism the way it looks, and it seems that opening/closing the keyboard is what caused the issue. I also noticed other areas of the case that aren't attached firmly and move around when they shouldn't be doing so.

Called tech support today trying to get it replaced with a working phone that isn't a TP2 and they are very persistent. Given that this is the 5th replacement, I was hoping someone would actually realize that their replacement units aren't so great, but apparently not. Asked to talk to a supervisor and one wasn't available. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to wait for them to be able to talk to me and was assured they would call me back. Almost 4 hours later and I'm still waiting for a call. At this point, I'm giving them one more chance to get me a working, NIB phone or I'll be switching to Sprint and likely getting an EVO.

Talon Pro · #9 (**permalink**) 10-14-2010, 11:56 PM

I just wish that my TP1 lasted longer than 9 months before it started acting up. I dont have any problems with my TP2 at all. I think its more user error in most cases than not.

**imnuts** · #10 (**permalink**) 10-15-2010, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talon Pro

I just wish that my TP1 lasted longer than 9 months before it started acting up. I dont have any problems with my TP2 at all. I think its more user error in most cases than not.

I think what caused my initial phone to "break" was one day it was in my pocket at work and it slide vertically somehow about 0.25". It slide back into place and I couldn't figure out how it did what it did, but it was shortly after that when the slowdown started. The replacement units aren't new in box. They look like they're shipped in bulk to a warehouse where VZW tests the basic features to ensure they work and then they slap some protective stickers on them and put them in a small padded bag and then a box just big enough for it and ship it out. Most of my replacements would have never gotten to me had they actually tested the phone for more than 2 seconds.