HTC One camera purple tint possible fix

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mrrick

Senior Member
May 23, 2011
3,209
1,646
Ormond Beach FL.
I've uploaded a few here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/104802323@N05/

Right now I'm still uploading a lot but this is enough to say the qx100 does everything as advertised and it is a great accessory. Albeit not price conscious.

The biggest complaint is play memories

Aaaand sold! ;)

thanks man. They deft look great for sure. I'm not willing to part with this phone just because of the camera issues, but I am willing to spend the 250 for the qx10 to have a 19mp 'lense' to pair with this phone. I have my old htc one X I've had laying around for a backup that I'm going to sell to help cover most of the cost for this accessory. Thanks again!

*s¡gned
 

domineus

Senior Member
Jun 16, 2007
2,391
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Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
Xiaomi Mix Fold 3
Aaaand sold! ;)

thanks man. They deft look great for sure. I'm not willing to part with this phone just because of the camera issues, but I am willing to spend the 250 for the qx10 to have a 19mp 'lense' to pair with this phone. I have my old htc one X I've had laying around for a backup that I'm going to sell to help cover most of the cost for this accessory. Thanks again!

*s¡gned

not sure about the qx10. Those pics were taken from the qx100. I didn't go with the qx10 because to me it just wasn't worth it
 
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pewpewbangbang

Senior Member
Feb 13, 2010
2,046
257
Ann Arbor & NYC
I called up AT&T device service. They are definitely pretty straightforward about giving a replacement, only problem is apparently any damage to the phone can possibly be considered physical damage that voids the warranty and you get charged.

I have a few nicks on my phone from dropping it once, but otherwise the screen and everything is perfect. I have this one big dent though and they said something like that can void the warranty. I have to go to the service center to get it checked out if I want to get it replaced or risk doing the replacement over phone and possibly getting charged when sending my phone in.

Not sure how severe the damage needs to be, he said if I could stick my nail in it.
 

phsetaknev

Senior Member
Feb 26, 2012
618
49
Sydney
Which update actually does resolve this purple tint issue?

I updated my phone to 4.2.2 and im still getting this issue. Its true that ISO 100 resolves the issue, but when the NIGHT mode is ON then you will not be able to edit the ISO setting which in turn produces the purple tint. There needs to be a fix for this, or else I will be going for a replacement. The only thing thats stopping me is that there is no guarantee that the new piece will not have this issue in it. :(
 

salwansk

Senior Member
Dec 4, 2012
101
6
I updated my phone to 4.2.2 and im still getting this issue. Its true that ISO 100 resolves the issue, but when the NIGHT mode is ON then you will not be able to edit the ISO setting which in turn produces the purple tint. There needs to be a fix for this, or else I will be going for a replacement. The only thing thats stopping me is that there is no guarantee that the new piece will not have this issue in it. :(

correct, i replaced my phone twice with no luck. i have a brave friend who opened his phone and replaced the camera himself... now his phone working fine, but he end up with some dents on the white plastic edges while he disassembled the phone..........he going to get a new housing for $40 to fix the dents, so the total will cost him around $80 including the camera... i believe he was lucky, because the camera was used but a good one no purple issue...:silly:
 
I didn't have it prior to 4.3 so at least in my case I believe it is also software related.

Same here. I have photos I took before I went on 4.3 and I didn't have any tinting whatsoever. I think all the back-and-forth on the various HTC One camera threads are the result of the complaints of people who DO have legitimate hardware camera getting conflated with those of people who are having software-related camera issues.
 

MrFEr

Senior Member
Mar 3, 2012
146
57
Budapest
Don't forget that even the US dev editions received android 4.3 they only get what we (international unlocked) received with 4.2.2. The same exact sw addons. Quick settings, new menu button behaviour etc...

So we have to wait for the next update with Sense 5.5.

If there's a sw fix, that update will contain it. If not, than we have to think about replacements which I want to avoid because of the HDR microphones.

The US dev 4.3 doesn't have any cam fix.


Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
 

Xerro-Five

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2013
243
90
Vancouver
Same here. I have photos I took before I went on 4.3 and I didn't have any tinting whatsoever. I think all the back-and-forth on the various HTC One camera threads are the result of the complaints of people who DO have legitimate hardware camera getting conflated with those of people who are having software-related camera issues.

That's an interesting possibility! Especially considering some going into the update didn't have any problems, yet htc just tried to implement a universal fix despite even those with the issue having it to a variable degree. I've thought for a while that's why it works for some but not others. And of course tweaking a working phone would be unlikely to have a good outcome. But we can only say this for the 4.3 update since the 4.2 update was never intended to address this issue (so it wouldn't change the camera - those people must be coincidental).




Don't forget that even the US dev editions received android 4.3 they only get what we (international unlocked) received with 4.2.2. The same exact sw addons. Quick settings, new menu button behaviour etc...

So we have to wait for the next update with Sense 5.5.

If there's a sw fix, that update will contain it. If not, than we have to think about replacements which I want to avoid because of the HDR microphones.

The US dev 4.3 doesn't have any cam fix.


Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

I would be very surprised if the US 4.3 wasn't the same as the Canadian one in terms of the camera, and the Canadian one definitely changed the camera when I updated. The brief information page on the update did not specifically mention camera changes, but they were clearly in there. I can show you what I mean if you like. The 4.3 update in other places also changed people's camera.

Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
 

dave1343

Member
Jun 29, 2010
6
0
Do not expect a software fix for this.

I bought an HTC One and had purple tint issue. Placing it down on the camera lens whilst in the camera mode caused the screen to go completely purple.

SWMBO brother also has an HTC One and SWMBO dad has 2 HTC Ones and when placed next to mine in camera mode with the lens on the table they stayed completely black.

I received a replacement HTC One and now mine also stayed completely black.

SEND THEM BACK.

Do not hold out hope for it being fixed with software.
 

pewpewbangbang

Senior Member
Feb 13, 2010
2,046
257
Ann Arbor & NYC
Exchanged my HTC one at the device service center, fairly straightforward. Showed her some pictures where I had a pink purple haze circle in the middle of pictures. This new one is cosmetically perfect and all.

But I think the camera is worse on this one, that or it's the new 3.5x firmware I just updated too.

Purple/red haze when placing camera down instead of complete black.

Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
 

mrrick

Senior Member
May 23, 2011
3,209
1,646
Ormond Beach FL.
Exchanged my HTC one at the device service center, fairly straightforward. Showed her some pictures where I had a pink purple haze circle in the middle of pictures. This new one is cosmetically perfect and all.

But I think the camera is worse on this one, that or it's the new 3.5x firmware I just updated too.

Purple/red haze when placing camera down instead of complete black.

Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Take it back for another, and make sure to test it before leaving the store. Even update while there at the store to make sure it will stay black. I had to do the same thing. We finally found one that stayed black and I couldn't be happier. The att DSC are the way to go if you have one close enough to you.

*s!gned
 

combat goofwing

Senior Member
Mar 3, 2009
3,261
513
Google Pixel 6 Pro
so couple of questions, i have the purple screen issue
is it able to be fixed by a software update?
are HTC aware of this issue?
are they working on a fix?
is there any official word from HTC on what to do if your device has the issue


Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
 

Ardmanz

Senior Member
Nov 2, 2011
271
26
Mines got progressively worse with each update.

I should probably send it back but it's going to mean going through the whole rigmarole of flashing RUU, updating blah blah blah (otherwise they may not fix it under warranty) and I'll probably lose s-off by what ever they do. I don't know if I use my camera enough to warrant all the hassle especially when I may get one back which is just as bad. It's mighty annoying though.
 

Xerro-Five

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2013
243
90
Vancouver
so couple of questions, i have the purple screen issue
is it able to be fixed by a software update?
are HTC aware of this issue?
are they working on a fix?
is there any official word from HTC on what to do if your device has the issue


Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

For a very few 4.3 improves things, but for most it doesn't help and may make it worse for those without an issue previously. For me it changed it but not really an improvement for example.

Yes, they've admitted it.

Yes, apparently. In many emails sent to owners who have complained it seems there may be another OTA that will try to address the problem. No word on when.

They keep spouting the same bs of "wait for the next update then send it in if that doesn't work." I've seen this message 20-30 times, and it's crap, they just don't want to lose money by replacing 85% of cameras. But so far (and for the foreseeable future) replacement of the phone or sensor is the ONLY FIX.

Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
 
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Nightf0x_007

Senior Member
Nov 5, 2012
818
90
Exchanged my HTC one at the device service center, fairly straightforward. Showed her some pictures where I had a pink purple haze circle in the middle of pictures. This new one is cosmetically perfect and all.

But I think the camera is worse on this one, that or it's the new 3.5x firmware I just updated too.

Purple/red haze when placing camera down instead of complete black.

Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

same thing here puprle/pink circle then tried 3.5x gives same as yours result

can you post me your camera senesor version
 

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  • 12
    Just want to let every developer know, I have a possible way to fix the purple tint.
    This is my findings...

    When you set your saturation and explosure to -1, the purple tint just gone. But saturation -1 seems too much for the photo. It is ideal to have -0.5 or somthing.

    It is nice that if a developer know how to modify the Camera setting and make it default.

    UPFixE_zps52cc7648.jpg
    7
    Mine is stone cold and it still happens. Since it didn't happen prior to the 4.2.2 update, it definitely isn't a hardware issue.

    This is most likely an incorrect assumption. If you check out the primary thread for this issue http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2317507 you'll see that it cannot be software alone and is mostly hardware. I'll spare you from reading through the 260+ pages in the thread, here's a summary of why:

    -For many it can be induced by heat (physical induction means physical problem). Some can be fixed by cooling below 20 degrees (same)
    -On both Google and normal editions
    -Independent of batch and factory (so far)
    -On all versions of OS and firmware (definitely not just 4.2)
    -Worsens with time (software doesn't behave like that)
    -Replacing the sensor temporarily fixes it
    -Replaced sensors seem to begin to develop it again with time
    -It is well known that some image sensors are more prone to this kind of heat noise problem

    Why do some phones not have it? Could be luck (a few better sensors in an ocean of not so good ones), maybe it hasn't developed yet (we know it gets worse with time), or maybe there's actually more than one problem going on here. The last possibility is interesting because while everyone seems to have the color issue, some aren't as impacted by factors, some have other patterns of noise, etc... It's hard to say.
    But it can't be entirely software given the above.
    6
    Arvato Germany Experience

    I am writing this post to let everyone know about my experience concerning the service that HTC offers in Germany through Arvato (in Bielefeld).

    My phone, a red unbranded HTC One with an August mfg. date, was purchased in the UK the last days of September 2013. It came with an ST sensor made in July. At first it was ok, then gradually its sensor began degrading. The firmware upgrade that came with android 4.3 and introduced the software fix (the one that defaults the iso at very low levels when in low light) at first did the trick, but as time passed the problem became so severe that the fix didnt work anymore.
    During the last month even daylight photos had a hint of purple. All this time I was hesitant to send my phone for repair due to 3 reasons: a) All the horror stories stated here (phone back with the same problem,or fixed phone that later on developed the same problem, or scratched/poorly handled phone), b) the fact that I didnt want to be left with a phone that cannot be s-offed, as well as c) the fact that I didnt want to lose my 40$ Spigen Glas.tr that I have fitted perfectly and that is so hard to find nowadays.
    I decided to bite the bullet and send it for repair, facing the concequences. Since I currently live in Germany, Arvato was my only choice. The whole procedure lasted 7 days, including a weekend and the days the phone was in transport.

    Results:

    -The phone came back very, very well packed. Its condition was INTACT. Except from 2 tiniest, pinhead-shaped dots in the apex of the chassis close to the volume rocker, marks that you cannot see (and trust me when I say that they are nearly invisible, I am heavily OCD) the phone returned in the same pristine condition exactly as I sent it, covered in plastic foil front and back, in a sealed plastic bag, in a ton of bubblewrap.
    -Except from the replaced camera sensor (which the enclosed repair details state as a SHARP one, although in the sensor info file it is stated as the classic OV) they replaced the top and bottom speaker covers, the volume rocker (with a more matte one) the already flimsy USB port, the headphone jack, and half a dozen of thermal insulation pads.
    -Lastly, the fact that blows my mind (in a good way) is that they didnt mess with my glass screen protector at all! Although they explicitly stated that the screen protector will be destroyed and discarded, I insisted on taking care of it if possible, and they did. My phone came back with the protector intact, and on top of that they even included a new HTC screen protector on the box!

    The aftermath:

    -The phone now takes crystal clear pics in every lighting condition. Its not only that there is not a single hint of purple in low light, the phone now focuses faster in any condition, and the resulting pics are sharper. I believe that during the last period the old sensor was so much degraded that even in broad daylight the photos produced were not only a little bit tinted, but also very very soft ( as if someone messed with the sharpness option of the camera)
    -The device now doesnt heat as much as it used to. Previously after a heavy game or video recording the phone was getting really hot, to the point that it still felt warm after a while even through my jeans pocket. Now it just gets a little warmer, and thats all.

    After this experience I have no choice but to undoubtedly reccomend Arvato Services in Germany, as they proved to be really good at what they are doing, at least with that particular problem. Should you live, or have the opportunity to send the phone for repair in Germany, dont hesitate. I wish I would have done it earlier, given the fact that I now see what I was missing by having a crippled camera.So, kudos to Arvato Germany, I wish that every official HTC repair center would act in such a professional manner.
    6
    So I was playing around a bit just to see what would make the pics better. I believe heat is certainly a contributing factor. I have an Otter Box Defender case which protects it well but, it may be part of my problem. Once I took the case off, the purple tint was virtually gone. Even pointed into a dark room, the screen stayed dark. The pics were okay but I found you really need the flash to be on to get a clear pic. My ISO was set to 200 and saturation was set to -1. Not sure if this will help anyone but I thought I would share.

    Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app

    How is your weather where you are? is hot? how much?.
    The problem appears after you reach 34.5C° (95-94F), you can check the temp of your phone dialing *#*#4636*#*# and then choose battery.

    This problem is called "amp noise", and is electrical interference to the sensor, the sensor has a bad shielding.
    If they just keep replacing the same sensor (same model, same shielding) the problem WILL come back after some use and degradation of the shielding.
    You can correct (sort of) this noise using exposure-controller apps, like Camera FV-5.

    To reduce the heat from the phone, and have more time to make a shot or record a video, you can set power save mode on, and limit the CPU.
    All of this can HELP but not fix the camera, even replacing the sensors will NOT fix this issue until HTC improves the shielding of the sensor.
    This can be helped via FW also, but its a longshot, maybe with 4.4? some people reported to having the problem almost fixed with that.

    If in my country was winter right now, I will never gonna find out this, 'cause here we have 8 months of cold, below 16C°, and the phone under 34C° performs great.

    High ISO in a phone is a bad idea, little room and so much hot and noise.
    The Galaxy S4 have only 800 ISO max, and that's for a reason.

    Maybe the problem is the motherboard, or the design itself, and it's too expensive to totally fix it, who knows, but i know for sure, that ISO +800 in a phone is gonna be tricky, and that is why this problem is happening again to people who got the sensor replaced, from all over the world, and in differents time-frames.

    Amp noise happens to every camera, even the most expensives, the longer you got the camera on

    Wanna do a test? just go to a low lighted room, and turn on your camera and set the ISO at its highest (1600 i think?), and just focus something, but make sure that the corners of your camera are in a dark spot and wait, but do not let the camera go in sleep mode, we want to have ful exposition, and test how fast the sensor will heat up.
    Most of the cameras, after 15 minutes or so, wil show some blue-purple amp noise in the corners, that is normal.
    If your phone, after 5 minutes or less starts to show purple-blueish spots on the corners, then it's not properly shielded/heat protected, and that duration will go down with time.
    PD: If you live in a cold country its obvious that the test will be affected.

    Sorry for my english, its not my prim language.

    PD2: The explanation of why the screen will turn all purple/red when you cover the lens or enter a dark room is simple, is 'cause the phone, when detects no light at all, it will set the ISO to the max, in order to get some light, that makes the sensor heat up really fast, and if hets up, and had a bad shielding then the noise happens.
    The 4.3 "fix" just make this mechanism work backwards, now when the phone detects a lot of dark, or complety dark, it sets iso to 100, to prevent overheating.
    And thats why also some users experiment some "flashing" like a disco in some low light conditions after the 4.3 fix, 'cause the phone says:

    -OH SHT! THERE IS NO LIGHT NO LIGHT! I MUST TURN ISO 100, MUST FIX THIS HEAT!
    but then detects light
    -OH WAIT! THERES SOME LIGHT HERE! LETS RAISE UP THE ISO!
    but then you just move the phone a little to the left and...
    -OH NO! DARK AGAIN, LOWER THE ISO NAO!!

    Result: flashing screen disco madness xD
    5
    Just to add my 2 cents, so it’s not worth much. I tried an experiment bylocking the AE and AF on an object or color in a given light level, and then testing on a dark flat black surface. First I did it on a (low-light) red item, and got a fantastic blue noise. then i tried a low-light white object, locked that and got indigo noise. I then used a blue surface in bright light and had pure dark, no noise. When i remove the AE and AF lock, in the facedown all dark mode, it shifts to red noise.

    So, the pattern is (as I see it) is all that the sensor chip does is collect the data,what we see is what the software renders from the sensor. White balance and ISOlevel have a huge factor in what color noise, and when. If you have your ISOthrough the roof and no real info hitting the sensor, the software willdecrease the software based tolerance for noise by increasing the ISO until allyou have is noise. After that, the noise color is dependent on the color tempof what the auto WB sees, and will gradually work its way to"daylight" or "cloudy" equivalency. You can test this bygetting to the point where you have red noise, and then manually changing thewhite balance through the selections. As far as a fix, the sensor is doing itsjob. The software would have to be tweaked to not get so noisy in an ultra-darksituation, and use an algorithm to remove appropriate color noise in high ISOsituations based on the detected color temp (WB).

    You had the basic concept down up until you mentioned tweaking software. No algorithm can get rid of the shroud of noise that basically overwhelms the sensor and prevents it from capturing actual image data. The problem is that the old camera modules aren't properly shielded. Thermal and electrical noise from other parts of the phone are always interfering with the sensor, though in bright light, you won't notice it because the ISO (sensitivity) is turned down and you still have a large signal-to-noise ratio. In low light, where the signal is pretty weak, that's when you run into problems. At that point the noise is physically "blocking" the photons and the camera isn't able to distinguish between real and garbage data.