[DISCUSSION] The Desire-Z keyboard hinge thread - how loose is yours?

andrewilley · Nov 6, 2010

I know there are plenty of threads about G2 hinge issues, but I'd like to know about your Desire-Z keyboard hinges now that it has shipped.

I've just received my second Desire-Z this morning and it's probably worse than the first one. If pick up the phone, absolutely horizontal, from a table just by holding the upper section, the keyboard just falls half-open.

Surely it shouldn't be like this? Here's a quick youtube video I took of my first phone:

Just wondering if I've been really unlucky, or are they basically all like this? I really hope not...

Andre

p3eps · Nov 6, 2010

Mine does exactly the same. I'm not sure if this is normal or not, but I'm not very happy with it.
My other concern is that the screen wobbles back and forth when I have the phone closed if I tap on the left and right edges.

I think this is probably a design flaw rather than a specific device problem. You'll probably find they're all the same

Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

LickTheEnvelope · Nov 6, 2010

Cant quite tell what the angle is in the video.

If I pick up mine by just the top piece then it droops, but doesn't slide out.

If I hold it upside-down by the base it droops, but can't slide.

Whenever I pick up the phone though I hold it by the base, so in normal use it's perfectly fine.

andrewilley · Nov 6, 2010

I'm basically assuming that the spring should be just strong enough for the phone to hold itself together (i.e. without the keyboard dropping away at all) when it is gently lifted up from a flat surface. That's the benchmark I would want to see anyway, and neither of mine will do that.

I might take this up with HTC and see what their view on it is - I just hope they don't do an Apple and patronisingly say "you're holding it the wrong way".

Andre

p3eps · Nov 6, 2010

I've just sent off an email to superEtrader asking for a refund as I'm not happy.
I hope they take it back without any hassle since their website says I can't return it if its been opened. Someone on here kindly pointed out the Distance Selling Regulations say I can open it and play with it (I have the PDF stored on my PC!), but I don't want to have that sort of hassle.

mk27 · Nov 6, 2010

my phone has the same problem as the video.

Also, the screen slides down when im lying down, holding the phone by the keyboard.

john boot · Nov 6, 2010

My phone isnt quite a loose as in the video, but it does droop if I pick it up by the top section rather than the base & also if I am lying down and hold by keyboard it will start to shut... I kinda expected to have a loose hinge based on reviews that I had seen for G2 & at this point its only a very minor niggle, so I wont do any return until I find out there are Desire Zs out there that actually have a firm hinge.

On another note, I noticed yesterday that the black backing of the keyboard is a bit bubbly.. Im hoping that the backing wont start coming away down the road... but I guess only time will tell.

schriss · Nov 6, 2010

I found it hard to do what was shown on video, I never grabbed phone like this before. It never opened on its own even slightly. Also owned TP2 and never held it by the screen. I dont think people would actually ever hold it like that.
No offense to anyone, I just dont see any issues with my hinge. I know it opens when I hold it like on video or upside down, but If I havent read some posts, I would never try it.
This is just my personal opinion on the "hinges"

JupiterDroid · Nov 6, 2010

The design is for the way we hold and use our phones.. I feel for you bro, but noone holds their phone at the angle your showing this at..

I have had no problem at all yet with the everyday use of this beast

)

JD

daft.71 · Nov 6, 2010

Honestly, at first it bothered, but really, it really starts to make sense for me now how it acts. If our hinge would be stronger, it'd be more difficult to open it and might have us actually break it.

Also, when I hold it while typing, I instinctively put my index fingers along the side of the keyboard/screen (once it is opened) and type with my thumbs. That way, it's impossible for the screen to fold back in closed position.

When I pick up my phone, I really don't pick it up by only one of the parts (screen/base). It's actually quite heavy at 180g and if I don't want to drop it, I rather pick up nicely and firmly.

So, really, after 4 days with my phone, the thing that bothers me more now isn't the screen, but the weight difference between my old Samsung Galaxy S (with gel back) and the Z.

Actually, funny anecdote, while playing Angry Birds, I actually opened the keyboard so I had a better grip on the phone.

JupiterDroid · Nov 6, 2010

daft.71 said:
Honestly, at first it bothered, but really, it really starts to make sense for me now how it acts. If our hinge would be stronger, it'd be more difficult to open it and might have us actually break it.

Also, when I hold it while typing, I instinctively put my index fingers along the side of the keyboard/screen (once it is opened) and type with my thumbs. That way, it's impossible for the screen to fold back in closed position.

When I pick up my phone, I really don't pick it up by only one of the parts (screen/base). It's actually quite heavy at 180g and if I don't want to drop it, I rather pick up nicely and firmly.

So, really, after 4 days with my phone, the thing that bothers me more now isn't the screen, but the weight difference between my old Samsung Galaxy S (with gel back) and the Z.

Actually, funny anecdote, while playing Angry Birds, I actually opened the keyboard so I had a better grip on the phone.

+1000000

QUOTE:Also, when I hold it while typing, I instinctively put my index fingers along the side of the keyboard/screen (once it is opened) and type with my thumbs. That way, it's impossible for the screen to fold back in closed position:END QUOTE

I could not have put it better myself....

JD

Pickx · Nov 6, 2010

I think I'll just keep mine until we get confirmation that better-designed Desire Zs have been produced. The replacement is from HTC and not my supplier, so I should be able to do it at any time during the next 2 years... right?

wrapper · Nov 6, 2010

Mine is pretty solid - I even text in bed and it doesn't fall. I have opened the keyboard once or twice by accident, which is quite funny..

schlockmaster · Nov 6, 2010

Desire Z on Bell Canada Hinge problem

I have already gone through two DZ's and both have the "weak" hinge. Thankfully mine does not do what is shown in the Video in post #1, thats definitely a defect in my opinion. Just to compare notes on a relative basis here is what mine does.

When the phone is closed I turn it sideways (landscape) lift it from the bottom and then press on the left and right edges with my thumbs. The screen snaps nicely into place. If I then grap the device by the top two corners of the screen and lift it straight up and hold it perfectly horizontally the keyboard drops down. However, if I lift it up at a slight angle the keyboard remains "attached" to the screen. It seems as though there is a magnet of some kind holding it in place.

I instinctively hold it with forefingers and thumb to type much as I do on my Motorola Milestone which slides straight up and down and has no "hinge".
As for lying on my back and typing in Bed if I just hold the bottom portion keyboard along then the screen drops down. HOWEVER that is an extremely awkward way to type for anyone I would imagine.

The question is, did HTC design it to work in this way knowing that people "instinctively" do these types of actions in this way?? I am not sure they conduct such a detailed ergonomic study. There are people that have no hinge issues at all, but unless they apply specific tests as I did here it would be difficult to know if they are experiencing similar problems. If they are doing what comes naturally and holding it as nature intended then they would not deem that there are any problems.

Just my two cents.

GlitchZero · Nov 6, 2010

This is worse than the "Is my trackpad wobbling?!" threads on CrackBerry. It's supposed to be loose so you can open it with one finger, according to HTC. If you don't like it, take it back (you can definitely get a refund, since it's only been out like 4 days or whatever) and get a new phone. Seriously. You want a stiff slide, get a Milestone, then you have nothing to complain about.

toosas · Nov 7, 2010

Bought 2 today, they're (identically!) quite loose. I was really worried before buying that I'm gonna get the 'loose one' but to be honest it's not an issue as it's a very weird way to hold your phone and like others said you instinctively hold the device with your thumb and index fingers as that's where they end up when you open the phone. Furthermore, if opened and held vertically just by the bottom, the top part stays in place and only drops down at ~40 deg angle, so unless you text a lot in bed while holding the phone upside down and holding it just by the bottom bit, you won't have a problem. If I lift it up like in the video (it's actually quite an effort) the parts will separate.

hamish909 · Nov 7, 2010

Yeah, mine is the same, but dont know why people are making such a big fuss on it, why not for example make a big fuss on the speaker quality instead?

JupiterDroid · Nov 7, 2010

Yeah the speaker is ****, its the one thing that is crap with this phone...

Sent from my Desire Z Beast

vinokirk · Nov 7, 2010

Did you ever think choosing a phone would be like choosing a girlfriend. At least with the Desire Z you can test it out in the shop to see if its loose before getting it home and having a nasty surprise lol XD

anther9 · Nov 7, 2010

I never knew I had a hinge problem until I watched the videos. Some people have way to much time on their hands.

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

[DISCUSSION] The Desire-Z keyboard hinge thread - how loose is yours?

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