Touchscreen Issue

[Wooster123]

Hi,

Have just purchased a new Nexus one from the US (am based in India). So the phone is basically not under warranty.

The phone is a new piece and everything is in place. However there is a part of the screen that is unresponsive. It's the part where the "asdfghjkl" row of the keyboard is.

Have tried hard and soft reset

Was wondering if anyone else has faced such issues and whether this is a hardware or a software issue. Any suggestions on what I should do next?

Again I am based in New Delhi India.

Cheers,

 

[bassmadrigal]

If the screen is completely non-responsive to touch in that area (not just in the keyboard), it sounds like your digitizer (the touchscreen itself) is broken. I would contact the people you bought it from, because they may be willing to accept a DOA (Dead On Arrival) exchange.

If they aren't willing to do it, there are replacement digitizers you can get online, however, it does require a little finesse to get the phone apart and the touchscreen replaced.

 

[Wooster123]

If the screen is completely non-responsive to touch in that area (not just in the keyboard), it sounds like your digitizer (the touchscreen itself) is broken. I would contact the people you bought it from, because they may be willing to accept a DOA (Dead On Arrival) exchange.

If they aren't willing to do it, there are replacement digitizers you can get online, however, it does require a little finesse to get the phone apart and the touchscreen replaced.

Yup,

Its completely non responsive in that area. A couple of time they do respond by sliding over the key. But touching the key does not register.

Replacing a digitizer sounds scary. Is there anyway I could possibly ensure that it isn't software issue or something before I take the leap and purchase a digitizer.

Also could someone give me links to a place from where I could purchase a digitizer and a good guide to replace the same.

Cheers,

 

[bassmadrigal]

Yup,

Its completely non responsive in that area. A couple of time they do respond by sliding over the key. But touching the key does not register.

Replacing a digitizer sounds scary. Is there anyway I could possibly ensure that it isn't software issue or something before I take the leap and purchase a digitizer.

Also could someone give me links to a place from where I could purchase a digitizer and a good guide to replace the same.

Cheers,

About the only way I can think of to check if it isn't software is to load different firmwares on there. You could try the passimg method to take you back to an older stock version of android, or you could unlock the bootloader and try a custom one like CyanogenMod.

Replacing the digitizer is a pretty in-depth job, but there was a guy on youtube that documented him doing it with like a 40+ part videos. It is what I used when I replaced mine.

As for replacement parts, I used ebay, but there are other sites out there that sell them. A search on google should pull them up (I can't do it here as the ones I found were blocked).

 

[Wooster123]

About the only way I can think of to check if it isn't software is to load different firmwares on there. You could try the passimg method to take you back to an older stock version of android, or you could unlock the bootloader and try a custom one like CyanogenMod.

Replacing the digitizer is a pretty in-depth job, but there was a guy on youtube that documented him doing it with like a 40+ part videos. It is what I used when I replaced mine.

As for replacement parts, I used ebay, but there are other sites out there that sell them. A search on google should pull them up (I can't do it here as the ones I found were blocked).

Ok.

Am in office right now. So would go home and flash a different firmware. Will let you know if that works.

Also unrelated, the guide I read on Lifehacker suggested SuperOneClick for rooting the phone and installing a different ROM using ROM manager. So logically I don't have to unlock the bootloader right? Not that it would make a difference since the phone is anyway out of warranty. Was just wondering. Sorry if the query seems a tad noobish.

Cheers,

 

[Wooster123]

Nope. That didn't work. Rooted and flashed the latest Cyanogen Mod. The problem still persists. Sucks.

Have reverted to Stock ROM and Unrooted.

Any Help?

Cheers,

 

[danger-rat]

Enable full rotation, and use the phone upside down?

 

[bassmadrigal]

If you are having the same issue present on mulitple firmwares, I think it has to be the digitizer. Is there seriously no DOA warranty from the people you ordered it from? The seems like a bad company to deal with.

@rat haha... but it still doesn't solve his bad touchscreen... although he could at least type.

 

[dchn2]

if you have cyanogenmod installed, there is a test module (under dev tools in the app launcher) called pointer location, which can visualise the pointer as your finger touchs the screen. if your finger go over the region in question (lower half, i believe), you can see if the pointer has been misdirected to a wrong place, or if the finger touch has not been registered at all. may not be a cure, but at least you'll know what the issue is. hope it helps.

 

[Wooster123]

if you have cyanogenmod installed, there is a test module (under dev tools in the app launcher) called pointer location, which can visualise the pointer as your finger touchs the screen. if your finger go over the region in question (lower half, i believe), you can see if the pointer has been misdirected to a wrong place, or if the finger touch has not been registered at all. may not be a cure, but at least you'll know what the issue is. hope it helps.

Yes tried that. Got a mixed result. Horizontally swiping the screen from left to right on the non responsive area does not register anything. Swiping top to bottom slowly produces a small gap where the screen is not responding. However doing a fast swipe top to bottom does show I line even at the part where the screen is non responsive otherwise. Can't say what to make of it.

On the positive note, I had a word with the seller (on Amazon) about my current predicament. They told me that they could give me a refund/replacement if I were able to ship the product back to New Jersey. An insured package through Blue Dart wasn't however turning out to be a feasible proposition. So the seller has agreed to give me a part refund and let me keep the phone. The exact detail are still in negotiation. So lets see.

And finally, there is a feature in CyanogenMod which allows the top bar to be shifted to the bottom (for tablet owners basically). Enabling that option on my phone however shifts the keyboard a little up. Giving me full functionality (as the unresponsive part of the screen is not taken up by the keyboard anymore)
Now the only issue is while trying to type in the landscape mode with either the 'e' or the 'i' key not working (depending on whether you're holding the phone with the trackball on the left or the right)

So it's working fine for the past couple of days. Will be taking the phone to HTC here in India. They've given an initial quote of Rs. 500 (around $10) to replace the digitizer (labour only) provided I can procure the digitizer myself. A digitizer would cost me around $30-35 (including shipping). So a total repair job of around $40-50. Now lets see how much partial refund the folks at Amazon are willing to offer.

Since the phone is quite cheap (I got for $269 unlocked) doesn't make sense to send it back and incur a fortune on shipping alone.

Sorry for the long post. I'll try to post a screen shot of the 'Pointer Location' results.

Cheers,
Roy

 

[Wooster123]

Here are the screenshotsscreenshots

This one is moderate speed vertical Stokes. Notice how the colour changes as the pointer approaches non responsive area.

Tried to draw straight horizontal lines. Gets fuzzy in the non responsive area.

Fast vertical lines. Does not seem to be a problem here.

Any comments?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

 

[Wooster123]

And here's showing that all keys work fine in portrait.

Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

 

[Wooster123]

Bump. Any suggestions?

Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App