5th LTE with bad screen -- what to do?

[fattank]

This is my 5th LTE with a defective screen. To recap my experience with these devices, here's a convenient list:

#1: Dark, discolored line stretching halfway up the screen.

#2: Severe light bubbling on bottom of screen

#3: Almost a dozen dead pixels (stuck white)

#4: Two dead pixels (stuck white) AND moderate light bubbling on bottom

#5 (current): 2 dead pixels (stuck black).

Some of these devices had other problems, too, but the focus here is on the screen. Each of these problems was verified by the tech in a Sprint store upon return (except the last, since I never went back to return it).

Obviously, the last device (my current phone) has the least severe issue -- two dead pixels I didn't even notice for awhile. Plus, they're stuck BLACK, which isn't as big a deal when watching movies or taking pictures in dark conditions. I discovered them when I was developing an app that utilizes the 720p screen at the pixel level (though to be fair, when I got this last device, I deliberately tried not to scrutinize the screen for fear of discovering more problems).

The questions are as follows:
- What should I do? What would you do?
- If I decide to send it in for repair to HTC, I run the risk of losing the ability to ever achieve S-OFF.

Some things to consider:
- HTC made this phone and somehow passed all of these defective LTE's through quality control.
- Because of this, HTC may claim there is no problem and send the device back without fixing it, costing me time and shipping money.
- HTC may upgrade my bootloader and lock me out of the option to ever achieve S-OFF.
- They may replace the screen with a worse one (this seems somewhat likely given the string of defects).
- A friend of mine who works in quality control introduced me to the concept of batch quality and shipping distributions, indicating the batches shipped to my area (Minnesota) at the time were simply rotten and not to expect the same number of defects in general.

 

[marctronixx]

(moved to HTC forum)

HI,

to respond,

were you given free replacements? did they cost you any money?

if you do not like the device, simply sell it and try again with another device.

You can contact HTC and discuss with them, you may get somewhere--may not. Its free to open up a trouble ticket with them and get the ball rolling to a solution that may work for you.

If you are so concerned about S-off and are afraid sending it in will close up any holes, well then there is your answer.

Depends on how far you are willing to go. you have to weigh the PROS and CONS and see which end works in your environment. I am not sure if anyone over the web could give you the best answer...

 

[3vodroid]

This is my 5th LTE with a defective screen. To recap my experience with these devices, here's a convenient list:

#1: Dark, discolored line stretching halfway up the screen.

#2: Severe light bubbling on bottom of screen

#3: Almost a dozen dead pixels (stuck white)

#4: Two dead pixels (stuck white) AND moderate light bubbling on bottom

#5 (current): 2 dead pixels (stuck black).

Some of these devices had other problems, too, but the focus here is on the screen. Each of these problems was verified by the tech in a Sprint store upon return (except the last, since I never went back to return it).

Obviously, the last device (my current phone) has the least severe issue -- two dead pixels I didn't even notice for awhile. Plus, they're stuck BLACK, which isn't as big a deal when watching movies or taking pictures in dark conditions. I discovered them when I was developing an app that utilizes the 720p screen at the pixel level (though to be fair, when I got this last device, I deliberately tried not to scrutinize the screen for fear of discovering more problems).

The questions are as follows:
- What should I do? What would you do?
- If I decide to send it in for repair to HTC, I run the risk of losing the ability to ever achieve S-OFF.

Some things to consider:
- HTC made this phone and somehow passed all of these defective LTE's through quality control.
- Because of this, HTC may claim there is no problem and send the device back without fixing it, costing me time and shipping money.
- HTC may upgrade my bootloader and lock me out of the option to ever achieve S-OFF.
- They may replace the screen with a worse one (this seems somewhat likely given the string of defects).
- A friend of mine who works in quality control introduced me to the concept of batch quality and shipping distributions, indicating the batches shipped to my area (Minnesota) at the time were simply rotten and not to expect the same number of defects in general.

Im going to ASSUME these phones have all been free replacements from sprint. If that is the case, they will replace this one as well for free. someone told me that if you get two bad refurbs in a row ( again assuming you are getting refurbs) that you would get a brand new replacement. Regardless of that... if it were ME i would get it replaced. But this time DO NOT leave the store until you fully inspect it and you are happy with it. There is an awesome app on the play store called simply "screen test" and it will point out dead pixels or any other screen issues with ease. But again this is just what i would do.