Your Note 2 Is Not Defective. [Solutions To Common Quality Issues Found On Note 2]

winlinmac001 · Jan 21, 2013

I'm sure many of us have gone through countless returns, replacements, and refunds, with Samsung's range of Galaxy smartphones, believing that our phones were defective as a result of absurd manufacturing anomalies and quality control problems. Though, we are not Samsung factory workers, it appears Samsung has given us some labor. Obviously spending $700+ on a phone is not little. However, according to Samsung, everything I am about to disclose is normal. To alleviate the hassle of dealing with a company that has a pretty poor track-record when it comes to quality control; I would strongly advise not to return your Note 2 to the service center or store for the following reasons,

I have listed common problems some of us have come across; along with are some Do-It-Yourself Tips and Tricks to resolve these minute problems.

Squeaky back cover?
- Ensure all sides of the back cover have clipped in properly; there should be no gaps, the fitting should be seamless
- If that doesn't resolve the squeaking, replace the back cover with a new one (cheap plastic tends to expand)
- Try not to remove and install the back cover over and over again, as that will eventually weaken the plastic clippings on the back cover

Light leaking on sides of home button?
- The home button has plagued Samsung for the past couple of years. But don't worry, your home button is not defective.
- The button is not uniformly seated properly, that explains. As a matter of fact, your home button should be flushed, not elevated above the display. To check if your button has light leakage, go into a dark room, angle your phone while the capacitive lights are on, and verify light leakage in the home button area.
- Solution: Place a piece of tape over the whole button, ensure that the tape is placed beyond the edges and sides of the home button. The tape will help keep the button seated properly and flushed, equally on both sides. Now as long as you massage and use the home button a few times a day, and remove the tape after a couple of weeks, the light will no longer protrude through the sides of the home button.

Black specks / Bezel Chrome Finish production errors?
- A lot of you may not be noticing this; only if you orient your phone at a particular angle, you may notice the chrome paint color inconsistency on the bezel (the chrome paint job was not done properly), black specks will show to some degree; now if it bothers you so much, put a case on. There is nothing you can do about it; all Note 2's have this quality control problem one way or the other.
- You don't have to worry if the metallic painting is not done properly behind the phone, as the back cover will conceal it.

Loose Volume Rocker control buttons / Power button?
- As long as you feel the button feedback and hear the button press on both volume and power keys, but feel that the buttons are loose, use a case, or massaging the buttons for a little while will help.

AMOLED Display Issues?
- Refer to the following thread, http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2108073

I will update this thread if I can think any more things to look out for when buying a Note 2. If you have any suggestions share them in this thread. Hopefully, someday, this thread can have a sticky.

Hope this helps, enjoy your phone! :cowboy:

This thread applies to International Note 2 and U.S. Carrier Variants.

winlinmac001 · Jan 21, 2013

Titanium Grey color Note 2's noticeably have a minuscule gap between the bezel and glass on top.

Just like the Galaxy S3, the Ceramic White Note 2's are notable for the bleeding light around the LED indicators and touch-capacitive buttons.

------------------------------------------------------
Any additional solutions will be posted here.

Titanium Grey color Note 2's noticeably have a minuscule gap between the bezel and glass on top.

Just like the Galaxy S3, the Ceramic White Note 2's are notable for the bleeding light around the LED indicators and touch-capacitive buttons.

---

Many have spotted small gaps between the bezel and the glass of the display. I have cross-checked with over '12' Note 2 pieces across several stores, and they all have this gap in various areas, (i.e. top of the unit, bottom of the unit, and near the power / volume controls).

Secondly, although I could not find this on my T-Mobile Note 2 (I even used a magnifying glass to confirm), some of you may have noticed that the bezel is NOT 100% molded. If you inspect closely, you will notice a joint at which it appears your bezel is cracked, but is not. You might find this disappointing, but according to Samsung standards, the joint appearance is completely normal. Some joints (meeting of both sides of the bezel) will be very prominent, and some will not (in the case of mine).

Unfortunately, Samsung does not have consistent quality control with their devices, and you will definitely spot manufacturing variations, but don't be alarmed.

You should really consider these variations as consistent according to Samsung's quality control.
---

Visiting the squeaking back cover again, this sometimes also occurs when the end-user forcefully removed the back-cover by chance. Treat your Note 2 with care.

However, some back-covers are indeed cheaply Made by Samsung, and the clippings are not always made consistently; therefore, you will see different results from unit to unit.

---

An XDA user had asked me if the Grey Note 2's are most affected,

I've seen over a dozen Note 2's and 'Grey appears is most affected." However, it is difficult to confirm because very few stores have the White Note 2 on display in my area. One store did have '2' White Note 2's for demonstration pieces, and I felt they were manufactured through better quality standards than the Grey Note 2.

However, the White Note 2's do indeed have the gap on top of the unit (very noticeable), and I felt like the White units heat up quite fast compared to Grey. The home button on the White Note 2 is not that recessed (feels quite elevated) compared to the Grey Note 2. The light on the capacitive buttons on the White Note 2 bleed very noticeable compared to the Grey.

xy90 · Jan 22, 2013

Hey! One question! Just recieved my note 2 the other day - and I've found some sort of strange thing happening on the top right of the glass of the screen. It seems like there is this really tiny gap between the screen and the body.
Its almost as the screen is just the tad bit tiny on the upper right side! Is this something I should send my phone in for?

mariosraptor · Jan 22, 2013

Re: Think You You Have A Defective Note 2 Because of This? Think Again! ['Tips & Tric

Everything you've listed is a reason to return the phone.
When paying this kind of money no matter what the imperfection is , it is unacceptable.
Would you keep a car with these imperfections. NO. why? Because is more expensive?
It does not matter. This phone for me is like buying an Aston Martin and accept it with manufacturing flaws. NEVER.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

winlinmac001 · Jan 22, 2013

No device is perfect; unfortunately, Samsung's quality control is sub-par to Apple's; Plastic, that's all. There is no reason for you to return your phone for the above reasons, especially because you might get something worse in return.

What you are describing with the glass, is something you to show us by posting a picture.

Titanium Grey color Note 2's noticeably have a minuscule gap between the bezel and glass on top.

Just like the Galaxy S3, the Ceramic White Note 2's are notable for the bleeding light around the LED indicators and touch-capacitive buttons.

There is nothing you can do about the above. If that makes you uncomfortable, I suggest buying a different phone model from a different company like LG and Apple.

Do post pictures to show us what you are seeing.

Cheers

bushako · Jan 23, 2013

Re: Think You You Have A Defective Note 2 Because of This? Think Again! ['Tips & Tric

Im sorry but I dont see any solutions in your posting that will make me not want to get my phone exchanged if it suffered those defects mentioned. It is also the users responsibility and within rights to refuse a replacement device if its also defective. im paying good money for quality here, I dont expect anything less in return interms of its build quality and after sale service.

Sent from the Rabbit Hole

winlinmac001 · Jan 23, 2013

You probably won't realize this, but almost all Samsung devices, particularly, the Note 2 have at least one of the above mentioned quality issues. Samsung's quality control has been and will always be questionable. Not enough people complain to Samsung to get these problems resolved. Chances are, you will realize the above mentioned quality issues along the way with the current device you are holding. The above mentioned problems have all been asked and discussed on this forum before; I consolidated all of these problems into one thread with solutions, to help others stick to their current Note 2's. Chances are, you might get something worse in return. Therefore, enjoy what you have; eventually, you will be transitioning onto some other phone in the near future. Cheers. :good:

bushako said:
Im sorry but I dont see any solutions in your posting that will make me not want to get my phone exchanged if it suffered those defects mentioned. It is also the users responsibility and within rights to refuse a replacement device if its also defective. im paying good money for quality here, I dont expect anything less in return interms of its build quality and after sale service.

Sent from the Rabbit Hole

winlinmac001 · Jan 23, 2013

Funny observation about the Note 2 bezel is that Apple fan-boys will probably think Samsung copied Apple with its bezel chrome-finish quality control paint issue (that too on a black / titanium grey model, similar to Apple's Black model), lol. Apple says, their iPhone 5 paint issue is normal; Samsung probably considers it the same. That's why I listed a solution in my 1st post, - Cheers.

bushako · Jan 23, 2013

Re: Think You You Have A Defective Note 2 Because of This? Think Again! ['Tips & Tric

winlinmac001 said:
You probably won't realize this, but almost all Samsung devices, particularly, the Note 2 have at least one of the above mentioned quality issues. Samsung's quality control has been and will always be questionable. Not enough people complain to Samsung to get these problems resolved. Chances are, you will realize the above mentioned quality issues along the way with the current device you are holding. The above mentioned problems have all been asked and discussed on this forum before; I consolidated all of these problems into one thread with solutions, to help others stick to their current Note 2's. Chances are, you might get something worse in return. Therefore, enjoy what you have; eventually, you will be transitioning onto some other phone in the near future. Cheers. :good:

I must be one lucky son of a gun then

other than a tiny gap between the bezel and the screen, which was caused by a drop, I dont have any of those defects. I dont know if its a defect but I notice the phone is easy to flex and creaks but thats probably because of all that plastic.

Sent from the Rabbit Hole

winlinmac001 · Jan 23, 2013

You must be then, take good care of your Note 2. Plastic can find its way, if you know what I mean. I'm on my 3rd Note 2; has better build quality, thus far, I have no creaking what-so-ever, :good: The first Note 2 I had didn't have the light seeping between the home-button, but creaking was considerably there. However, most of the Units I have seen do have creaking and some light seeping through the home button. I have to say, though, the solutions I listed indeed work to rectify most of the problems most Note 2 owners eventually come across. Replacing the back-cover 'should' free away the creaking.

bushako said:
I must be one lucky son of a gun then other than a tiny gap between the bezel and the screen, which was caused by a drop, I dont have any of those defects. I dont know if its a defect but I notice the phone is easy to flex and creaks but thats probably because of all that plastic.

Sent from the Rabbit Hole

bushako · Jan 23, 2013

Re: Think You You Have A Defective Note 2 Because of This? Think Again! ['Tips & Tric

winlinmac001 said:
You must be then, take good care of your Note 2. Plastic can find its way, if you know what I mean. I'm on my 3rd Note 2; has better build quality, thus far, I have no creaking what-so-ever, :good: The first Note 2 I had didn't have the light seeping between the home-button, but creaking was considerably there. However, most of the Units I have seen do have creaking and some light seeping through the home button. I have to say, though, the solutions I listed indeed work to rectify most of the problems most Note 2 owners eventually come across. Replacing the back-cover 'should' free away the creaking.

As for the back cover...I took off the back cover, tried and it still creaks. It must be from the housing frame. Checked my friends Tab 10.1 and its even worse. I think with the combo of size and plastic makes it bound to flex easily. Either way it doesnt really annoy me much. But I sure hope Sammy steps up its game with build quality in future releases in comparison to HTC and Sony.

Sent from the Rabbit Hole

EarlZ · Jan 23, 2013

I have none of the issues above aside from a slight screen uniformity issue seen on grey colors, everything else is great. Wish they would really up the quality control on the next generation screens.. at least is its miles better this time compared to the Galaxy S2 and Note 1.

winlinmac001 · Jan 23, 2013

I don't have any uniformity issues; something I remember EarlZ pointing out earlier on the N7000 forums last year. However, every Note 2 owner suffers from the Mura Effect, which varies from screen to screen. I just hope Samsung works on quality control on their future products or else they could be facing hurdles along the way.

brusyev · Jan 24, 2013

winlinmac001 said:
You must be then, take good care of your Note 2. Plastic can find its way, if you know what I mean. I'm on my 3rd Note 2; has better build quality, thus far, I have no creaking what-so-ever, :good: The first Note 2 I had didn't have the light seeping between the home-button, but creaking was considerably there. However, most of the Units I have seen do have creaking and some light seeping through the home button. I have to say, though, the solutions I listed indeed work to rectify most of the problems most Note 2 owners eventually come across. Replacing the back-cover 'should' free away the creaking.

Winlinmac I appreciate your attempt in helping us coupe with the defects on our Note 2 phones but my first question to you would be how much are you getting paid to write this? I am now on my 5th device. The first device was returned due to a failed volume rocker button. I had it in a Otterbox case and used it lightly. After few days the (lower) volume button fell in and was unusable. The second device I received arrived with a very noticeable dent on bezel and no it was not one of those discolorations you are talking about. It looked like someone had dropped it on the floor at the factory. I refused the return of the third device as the right corner of the plastic bezel looked like it was glued together and looked like it was not sanded/cut but rather painted over with plastic molding still sticking out it!.. The fourth device had a power button failure after few days of light use. It took me more than 5 attempts to turn the screen off at random times and no it’s not a software issue as the same issue occurred in Safe Mode. The sales rep confirmed the defect and exchanged the device. The fifth device I got is in a much better shape than the previous four; however, the "black" area around the LCD for some odd reason is wider on one side than the other. My wife also has the same phone and her Note 2 is also suffering from the bezel defects. I have lost tons of valuable time re-configuring and moving data on to my replacement phones not to mention pay for gas driving to exchange my devices. You know Winlinmac you were right about one thing when you said not to go exchange our devices and that is because we will get something worse in return. What are the chances that one will exchange 5 phones (6 if we count my wife's) and have defects on all of the devices? I wish I was the only one experiencing this but I am not. That should tell you something about Samsung's quality control. So far, the comeback from people like yourself was that customers are expecting simply too much when it comes to quality, have OCD etc...What do you expect for shelling $700? If you are content with your defective device then I am happy for you. That should tell us a bit about your quality standards. I paid full retail price for my devices and expect a quality product from a large, reputable company like Samsung. I would change the title of your original post to say "Think You You Have A Defective Note 2 Because of This? Exchange it now!!!!" We need more customers to voice their concerns about these quality issues and take this to the media if Samsung will not listen (I am sure Apple will not mind picking up on the story). It is posts like yours that encourage people to stay content with their defective devices and letting companies like Samsung get off the hook. This results in defective devices being released with each generation of phones.

winlinmac001 · Jan 24, 2013

I understand what you are saying. I'm on my 3rd Note 2, and the Quality Control does indeed greatly differ. Unfortunately, Samsung is not Apple, and will never be when it comes to acknowledging it's own problems. The only way to voice your concern is to e-mail the CEO or prepare a Class Action Lawsuit. Unfortunately, many of us on XDA are not really that inclined to endorse such a thing since XDA is mainly a development forum; most of XDA's members, including me (frankly), change our phones every year, because that's how technology is revolving around us nowadays. I've had a Galaxy S, S2, & Note 1, in the past, and all ended up back to the store for full refunds only because of Samsung's Quality Control.

Now, when it comes to the Note 2, i really gave it a positive thought, and found solutions, to make my decision and transition easier to cope with. Whatever you described, I have come across as well. Samsung will learn some-day.

Now, I am only hopeful that I enjoy this phone for the remainder of this year.

brusyev said:
Winlinmac I appreciate your attempt in helping us coupe with the defects on our Note 2 phones but my first question to you would be how much are you getting paid to write this? I am now on my 5th device. The first device was returned due to a failed volume rocker button. I had it in a Otterbox case and used it lightly. After few days the (lower) volume button fell in and was unusable. The second device I received arrived with a very noticeable dent on bezel and no it was not one of those discolorations you are talking about. It looked like someone had dropped it on the floor at the factory. I refused the return of the third device as the right corner of the plastic bezel looked like it was glued together and looked like it was not sanded/cut but rather painted over with plastic molding still sticking out it!.. The fourth device had a power button failure after few days of light use. It took me more than 5 attempts to turn the screen off at random times and no it’s not a software issue as the same issue occurred in Safe Mode. The sales rep confirmed the defect and exchanged the device. The fifth device I got is in a much better shape than the previous four; however, the "black" area around the LCD for some odd reason is wider on one side than the other. My wife also has the same phone and her Note 2 is also suffering from the bezel defects. I have lost tons of valuable time re-configuring and moving data on to my replacement phones not to mention pay for gas driving to exchange my devices. You know Winlinmac you were right about one thing when you said not to go exchange our devices and that is because we will get something worse in return. What are the chances that one will exchange 5 phones (6 if we count my wife's) and have defects on all of the devices? I wish I was the only one experiencing this but I am not. That should tell you something about Samsung's quality control. So far, the comeback from people like yourself was that customers are expecting simply too much when it comes to quality, have OCD etc...What do you expect for shelling $700? If you are content with your defective device then I am happy for you. That should tell us a bit about your quality standards. I paid full retail price for my devices and expect a quality product from a large, reputable company like Samsung. I would change the title of your original post to say "Think You You Have A Defective Note 2 Because of This? Exchange it now!!!!" We need more customers to voice their concerns about these quality issues and take this to the media if Samsung will not listen (I am sure Apple will not mind picking up on the story). It is posts like yours that encourage people to stay content with their defective devices and letting companies like Samsung get off the hook. This results in defective devices being released with each generation of phones.

winlinmac001 · Jan 26, 2013

Updated Post # 2

winlinmac001 · Jan 26, 2013

I wanted to also mention, that I did come across one dummy unit today (Grey), and was surprised to see the same chrome-finish problems like the actual units. If you angle the bezel a bit, you will see the chrome finish vary a bit in different areas as a result of variations in the paint-finish.

You can scratch the bezel and paint will chip off, quite easily (Similar to Apple's iPhone 5 aluminum coating). However, keep in mind, the material used on the Note 2's bezel is different to some degree.

brusyev · Jan 29, 2013

winlinmac001 said:
I wanted to also mention, that I did come across one dummy unit today (Grey), and was surprised to see the same chrome-finish problems like the actual units. If you angle the bezel a bit, you will see the chrome finish vary a bit in different areas as a result of variations in the paint-finish.

You can scratch the bezel and paint will chip off, quite easily (Similar to Apple's iPhone 5 aluminum coating). However, keep in mind, the material used on the Note 2's bezel is different to some degree.

I know what you mean. On one of the phones I had, the silver finish was partially coming off. It's hard to explain but it looked like the coating was too thick on one side and didn't stick on the other, it could be easily scratched off with a nail.. I didn't want to take any chances with it since I was exchanging that unit. The truth is that majority of Note 2 phones have some sort of defect on them, some more than others and it just depends on the customers quality standards. You can tell my standards are pretty high, but you do not need to have a 20/20 vision to notice these defects. As I said earlier, if you feel that a phone with defects is worth $700 or more dollar's than it's your thing. I owned HTC N1 in the past and the quality of that device was much superior to Note 2. It's a shame that Samsung feels that it's customers should accept things as they are and continues the "defective" phone trend. I am still thinking whether I should keep my current (5th device) which has uneven black area around the LCD screen and has started lagging a times. This is something that even the case cannot cover. I have this week to make that decision as my 30 days will be up. I may just give up on Samsung completely but not without a fight. Writing a letter to the CEO...I wish there was a survey done on just how happy the customers are with Samsung's quality standards....Why not rename the this thread to something like "Your Note 2 is Defective? [Solutions To Common Quality Issues Found On Note 2]? I feel that the name of this thread is misleading....

---------- Post added at 02:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:01 AM ----------

winlinmac001 said:
I understand what you are saying. I'm on my 3rd Note 2, and the Quality Control does indeed greatly differ. Unfortunately, Samsung is not Apple, and will never be when it comes to acknowledging it's own problems. The only way to voice your concern is to e-mail the CEO or prepare a Class Action Lawsuit. Unfortunately, many of us on XDA are not really that inclined to endorse such a thing since XDA is mainly a development forum; most of XDA's members, including me (frankly), change our phones every year, because that's how technology is revolving around us nowadays. I've had a Galaxy S, S2, & Note 1, in the past, and all ended up back to the store for full refunds only because of Samsung's Quality Control.

Now, when it comes to the Note 2, i really gave it a positive thought, and found solutions, to make my decision and transition easier to cope with. Whatever you described, I have come across as well. Samsung will learn some-day.

Now, I am only hopeful that I enjoy this phone for the remainder of this year.

I hope for the same... My 30 days are almost up and I am trying to make a decision to take a refund or simply keep it...exchanging for another phone seems like a foolish idea as my next one may be in a worse shape... the sad truth is that there is nothing better on the market than Note 2 and I really like this phone....if not for the defects. Unlike you and many others, I like to keep my devices for two or three years before upgrading...I guess this is why I feel that this is a big thing for me....staring at a defective phone for the next several years if you know what I mean....

EarlZ · Jan 31, 2013

winlinmac001 said:
I don't have any uniformity issues; something I remember EarlZ pointing out earlier on the N7000 forums last year. However, every Note 2 owner suffers from the Mura Effect, which varies from screen to screen. I just hope Samsung works on quality control on their future products or else they could be facing hurdles along the way.

By mura effect if you mean those lines/blotches seen on dark/black colors, I have none.

I wanted to exchange my unit but I considered that I might get a unit with far worse problem, I rarely see the uniformity issue on greys its usually visible only when i press the menu button on the home screen. I'll probably have my display replaced at around 9 months from now. Really pleased with the display so far as compared to my previous devices.

winlinmac001 · Feb 1, 2013

Even if you don't have the lines / blotches, the Mura still exists, you just can't distinguish them as they are in the form of stains this time (takes up most of the display; explains why blacks are blacker in a dark setting compared to the S2 and Note 1); these panels are not embedded with the technology from Ignis Innovation.

Your Note 2 Is Not Defective. [Solutions To Common Quality Issues Found On Note 2]

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