Stuck buttons

[chrisquinn_99@YAHOO.COM]

I have also experienced the broken button issue several times on several new and refurbished imagios. Finally, I got fed up (again) and called tech support. I told them that I was about to leave Verizon regardless of the ETF, if I couldn't have a reliable working phone. I've been a customer since before it was Verizon and explained to them how stupid it would be to lose a customer over this. I told them that I didn't expect a new phone, but I did expect a different, comparable phone. The agreed to send me a samsung omnia 2. They are also sending me a new battery, phones cover, and wall charge for the omnia 2 in exchange for my imagio accessories. It should get here tomorrow. I told them I would be ok with the original droid as well, but apparently it is not part of their "upgrade" matrix to go from windows mobile to android. I hope this helps someone. I love htc and think everything they do is innovative, but the software doesn't matter if they can't get the hardware right.

[gcianc]

Just got my 3rd replacement Imagio today. Yesterday I went to a corporate VZW store to complain. The saleman - as usual - are eager to help when you tell them "i'm letting my contract expire so i can change carriers if needed)" so he calls over the manager.

The "manager" says "i use Palm and i'm on my 4th device this year myself". Sorry.

ROTFLMAO typical verizon customer service

Originally Posted by chrisquinn_99@YAHOO.COM

I have also experienced the broken button issue several times on several new and refurbished imagios. Finally, I got fed up (again) and called tech support. I told them that I was about to leave Verizon regardless of the ETF, if I couldn't have a reliable working phone. I've been a customer since before it was Verizon and explained to them how stupid it would be to lose a customer over this. I told them that I didn't expect a new phone, but I did expect a different, comparable phone. The agreed to send me a samsung omnia 2. They are also sending me a new battery, phones cover, and wall charge for the omnia 2 in exchange for my imagio accessories. It should get here tomorrow. I told them I would be ok with the original droid as well, but apparently it is not part of their "upgrade" matrix to go from windows mobile to android. I hope this helps someone. I love htc and think everything they do is innovative, but the software doesn't matter if they can't get the hardware right.

[m4f1050]

The SEND and MULTIMEDIA keys are stuck on my wife's Imagio. This sucks. So many break and they act like you're the only one having the issue, what's the deal here??!??!?!?!!!

We should get a petition going and have them replaced with Omnia II or Fathom!!!

[y0himba]

End key stuck on mine also. Verizon rep said that there were no manufacturer issues or reports of this problem. I was looking at a report of the problem on their forums as I spoke to the rep.

Replacement is on the way, should get here today.

[Slack3r]

I just wanted to let you guys know that there may be a fix for stuck buttons... that is, as long as you are comfortable disassembling your phone.

The button panel is relatively easy to take off, you just need to follow the basic disassembly instructions in my other thread.

Once you remove the circuit board, on the back of the phone under black tape, there should be two small screws that are holding on the buttons. If you unscrew these, you can either push through the back or carefully lift up the buttons. Mine came off in two parts, which are the actual button sensors, which are all on a flexible PCB and glued lightly to the case, and the physical buttons, which are all attached to a solid plastic panel, but yours may come off with both attached to each other. If that's the case, you can probably just separate them with minimal force.

Now here's the part that would need some experimentation... if the problem is the actual button sensors being worn out, you would most likely have to source a replacement strip, which unfortunately I have been unable to do. The other option is that if the physical buttons are somehow worn out or damaged, it may be possible to buy a dummy phone, and salvage the buttons from that.

This is all up in the air, as my phone didn't have the stuck button issue after getting it back from Verizon and I haven't been able to try anything, but it would be great if anyone who has the issue and is comfortable with opening their phone could check. This is the dummy phone I was referring to:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-DUMMY-PHONE-...item563f43ebd7

I plan on updating my original thread with this information among other things, but I'm still working on a complete re-write.

[djp952]

Slack3r, I'd be happy to plunk down $25 to replace my buttons, and have the tools necessary, but do you know for sure that a dummy phone has all the parts? I don't recall ever playing with the dummy at VZW to see if the buttons do anything. Most of us seem to suffer from the 'slipped disc' problem, but I don't think those would be present on the dummy.

If you think otherwise, I'm willing to give it a try for ya I've spent more and gotten less more than I'd like to admit - LOL

[yatman60]

I'm on my 5th phone. The biggest part that sucks is that each time I get a replacement, I have to pay to get the damn thing unlocked so I can flash it with the newest ROM. LAME!

[m4f1050]

Originally Posted by yatman60

I'm on my 5th phone. The biggest part that sucks is that each time I get a replacement, I have to pay to get the damn thing unlocked so I can flash it with the newest ROM. LAME!

Not only that, but you would have to pay to get it SIM unlocked (if you're not with Verizon like me...)

[Slack3r]

Originally Posted by djp952

Slack3r, I'd be happy to plunk down $25 to replace my buttons, and have the tools necessary, but do you know for sure that a dummy phone has all the parts? I don't recall ever playing with the dummy at VZW to see if the buttons do anything. Most of us seem to suffer from the 'slipped disc' problem, but I don't think those would be present on the dummy.

If you think otherwise, I'm willing to give it a try for ya I've spent more and gotten less more than I'd like to admit - LOL

The problem is that I'm not sure, as I've never seen a dummy Imagio, but I've heard reports of people successfully salvaging buttons for other phones.

But now that you mentioned it, there were little plastic discs in between the button sensors and the physical buttons... If the problem is simply that one of them slipped off, you may not even need replacement parts, you can just open it up and re-seat it, and maybe add a dab of glue so it stays in place.

[djp952]

Originally Posted by Slack3r

The problem is that I'm not sure, as I've never seen a dummy Imagio, but I've heard reports of people successfully salvaging buttons for other phones.

But now that you mentioned it, there were little plastic discs in between the button sensors and the physical buttons... If the problem is simply that one of them slipped off, you may not even need replacement parts, you can just open it up and re-seat it, and maybe add a dab of glue so it stays in place.

Yeah, those damn discs are stupid. It turns out I lost my fourth button today (only END is original and unbroken), and I couldn't find a T5 screwdriver (T7 is as low as I have, oops), so I opted to just go with the fix that I used on the SEND button -- replace the membrane with flexible glue that more or less permanently sets the disc in place above the switch, let that set up for a while, and then tack the button faces back on with a dab more glue, and weight lightly overnight.

I'm 99% certain I'm just going to pay full price for a WP7 upgrade if/when Verizon carries a good model, and as long as I have ONE functional button to wake the phone from lock, I'm good.

I fixed the Windows button "properly" last time, but of course a couple trips in the back jeans pocket allowed the disc to slip again.

The "fleixible glue instead of the membrane" fix seems to work OK, provided you're very careful not to get any glue under the disc and use a glue that will remain flexible. (I've used clear GE Household Glue from Home Depot for my buttons). My first mistake was self-repairing a phone under warranty. It's snowballed from there - LOL. It may not be "right", but it still works!!

edit: I saw the commercial for the Samsung Fascinate BOGO deal on TV, and the Imagio was a BOGO. If VZW didn't screw up the Fascinate so badly software-wise, I was going to get my wife the Fascinate and use the BOGO to replace the Imagio. After we read all the reviews, we decided to just pass