[Q] Capacitive touch screen quality (Synaptics 3k)

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Hi everyone

I just bought a DHD and I am quite happy with it.

The biggest problem that I have with the device is the fairly inaccurate touchscreen. I am wondering whether it is just my device or is anyone else having the same issue.

Just to clarify, the touchscreen found in DHD is a Synaptics 3000 rather than maxtouch as some people believed. (/sys/android_touch/vendor shows "Synaptics_3K_0x108") Synaptics touch panels are commonly believed to be of lower quality than Atmel ones. I am quite upset HTC did not use Atmel ones as they did on Evo 4G.

So, the problem:

The problem is the touchscreen fails to properly register my finger in the horizontal direction. Vertically there is no problem. If I slide your homescreens slowly and steadily in the horizontal direction, the screen sticks and jumps. Across the whole screen there are about 11 such "sticking positions". The stickiness is consistent across the screen. If you scroll webpages sideways or down in landscape mode, you see the scrolling is not smooth. But vertical scrolling there is no problem at all.

So basically I am having exactly the same behavior on my DHD as this guy in

youtube.com/watch?v=JiNa8EHkViE

If i draw diagonal lines with my finger with normal pressure, I get very wavy lines, very similar to Light pressure for Desire in

cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/500x_touchscreen.jpg

So I'm wondering whether anyone else is having the same problem as I do?

Can this be a design flaw (poor quality panel?) or driver flaw (touch algorithm fails to take into account for the characteristics of the panel?)

edit:
I think it is normal for capacitive touch screens to exhibit this behavior. But it is quite severe on my DHD. This is problematic because the low horizontal accuracy is annoying when you want to select text / adjust a slidebar / type in portrait mode.

If you ain't happy, return it.

I'm not sure 'if you ain't happy return it' is a very courteous response to a valid and well-thought-out post.

That's very interesting.... Just another in an increasing list of niggles I have with this phone. HTC seem to have cut a few corners with the DHD.

Sadly, unless one goes iPhone, there aren't many decent alternative devices out there for the more discerning smartphone user... otherwise I'd give HTC a wide berth myself.

No offence was meant when I stated that if your not happy with what you have bought, return it.

As with any high end consumer electronics, if it doesn't work as it should, get it replaced or get a refund.

Originally Posted by andyharney

No offence was meant when I stated that if your not happy with what you have bought, return it.

As with any high end consumer electronics, if it doesn't work as it should, get it replaced or get a refund.

Thank you for your suggestion. Do you own a DHD? Can you contribute by sharing your experience on the accuracy of the touchscreen if you do?

I indeed do own a DHD. I got mine from one of the first batches available in the UK. Unlocked & unbranded.

Fortunately for me I have not had a single issue that others have described. My display is bright & vivid, the proximity sensor works perfectly, no INIT process lag, GPS is very fast. The list goes on.

The touchscreen I feel is excellent. If you have downloaded & played "What the Doodle" from the market you'd soon realise if you had a faulty touch unit.

My experience with other Android devices (HTC Hero) and other HTC devices (Kaiser, Alpine & Blueangel) teaches me that although each device may have same specs & almost the same hardware, each one, like humans, has character.

If this "Character" is something you are Ok with, e.g dodgy proximity sensor, then excellent. However as your describing something that is more than just "Character" i.e a dodgy touchscreen, I would get the DHD exchanged.

I think this issue has already been covered here (even the video you linked is made by the guy that posted that thread). The sensor quality is a fact of life. Ranting about it would make no difference whatsoever. You can either live with it or not. Your choice.

Ranting??? I am largely happy with my device (as, I imagine, the OP is). But I think if we have niggles we are perfectly at liberty to bounce these off other forum members to see if others are having the same experience, and we should be able to do so without being made to feel like a nuisance.

I didn't understand the "ranting" post either.

We all choose to visit here and contribute what we can. No-one should feel like their being a nuisance.

I wanted to understand my device and would like to see if what I experienced is also experienced by others so I can consider getting a replacement from HTC. now the issue seems to be cut and dried because every dhd seems be be exhibiting the same behavior. but I am keeping my dhd because, as I said as the very first thing in my first post, I am quite happy with my device.

apparently xda is filled with all very helpful people. thanks to all of you.:)

and BTW thanks to tkolev for pointing out the thread. the issue might be fixable through a software update is surely a home thing to know.

Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App