F(x)tec Repairability plans for the Pro1

[Noir 112]

seen lots of those lines on S7edges. not on S7. the curved ones are flexible and tend to have line issues more often than hard (flat) oleds.

regarding the aliexpress panels: bad luck? improper handling?

S8 did not have these problems. iP X had. even if they have no curved oled, they use a flexible oled aswell.

I will sooner or later have to try an aliexpress part for my pro1 aswell... :D

[david 929]

It could be a problem with how they were installed and it could be a problem that happens to some percentage of screens regardless of how they are installed. I saw enough people report the issue that it makes me think there could be a real issue with sourcing the screen from these suppliers. I'd like to find another source as a result. If anyone finds other sources, please post links to them.

[david 929]

One very bad thought did cross my mind. If the screens are all the same no matter where they are coming from and f(x)tec is getting them from the same sources, then I sure hope they have done thorough screen-on testing with enough of them do have uncovered any of these types of problems. It would not be good if mass production ended with 20% of the phones having this issue, for obvious reasons.

 

It is also possible that there is some interaction between the phone and the screen that is causing the issue, hence something unique to the Elephone that isn't a problem with the Pro1.

 

My guess is that they have done such testing and that they haven't seen the issue, or else they would have made a change to the screen used. I'm going to stay with that happy thought for now. :-)

[netman 1,424]

One very bad thought did cross my mind. If the screens are all the same no matter where they are coming from and f(x)tec is getting them from the same sources, then I sure hope they have done thorough screen-on testing with enough of them do have uncovered any of these types of problems. It would not be good if mass production ended with 20% of the phones having this issue, for obvious reasons.

 

It is also possible that there is some interaction between the phone and the screen that is causing the issue, hence something unique to the Elephone that isn’t a problem with the Pro1.

 

My guess is that they have done such testing and that they haven’t seen the issue, or else they would have made a change to the screen used. I’m going to stay with that happy thought for now. :-)

 

The pro1 has good support behind the screen, as can be seen from the teardown pics http://matland.be/fxqa/img/teardown.jpg so that would definitely help evenly distribute forces and have no stuff pressing it sharply from the back. For example in the nokia 5 where I clumsily destroyed a screen (and had another one arrive DOA with such lines actually) there was nothing there and the IC on the ribbon of the screen itself did not have enough clearance and pressed the screen to death, in the Pro1 there's not that possibility as the ribbon goes in a separate compartment instead of being tucked under the screen directly.

 

Also there is no huge super common issue with Elephone U/"U Pro" phones themselves that i can find on the google, so that would indicate those panels from BOE aren't bad by nature. It's not to be underestimated how tricky it can be to replace such a screen though. And fxtec appears to have done a fair amount of testing, they showed videos of drop testing etc on twitter, those tests would show such issues I think.

[david 929]

Do we know that the drop testing was done with the phone on and the screen on? I would hope they were able to do robot testing of pressing the hardware and virtual buttons on the phone, with the screen on, in order to test durability of those sub-components.

 

Good point about the Elephone's lack of screen issues. Although, one does wonder, why were the users replacing their screens? Did they break them, or did the screens get lines or go black? Let's assume they were simply broken by dropping them. Then we are back to square one, which is, where else can we get replacement screens, other than the ones that have these line issues, regardless of the reason? Where do f(x)tec and the Elephone's manufacturer get them?

[Kzin 33]

and now my Droid 4 has failing keyboard switches.

 

That's Likely just dirt, I cleaned under mine, the keys required more pressure to work, but the clean fixed it.

 

[GameboyRMH 18]

GameboyRMH wrote:

and now my Droid 4 has failing keyboard switches.

 

That’s Likely just dirt, I cleaned under mine, the keys required more pressure to work, but the clean fixed it.

 

Interesting, I'll look into this, I assume you just disassembled the main body of the phone to get under keys and clean it?

[Kzin 33]

Kzin wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote:

and now my Droid 4 has failing keyboard switches.

 

That’s Likely just dirt, I cleaned under mine, the keys required more pressure to work, but the clean fixed it.

Interesting, I’ll look into this, I assume you just disassembled the main body of the phone to get under keys and clean it?

 

Yup, there is a disassembly guide "https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Motorola+Droid+4+Teardown/7759", see step 13, the white cover comes off the motherboard, I used isopropyl alcohol on a rag to wipe the motherboard, check the metal contacts in the white part too, but I did not use the alcohol on that.

[david 929]

@EskeRahn: I saw your personal page where you explained what those non-smooth areas are in the lower corners of the keyboard (https://eskerahn.dk/?p=3556). If those are stickers covering screws to disassemble the phone, how would one replace them after taking the phone apart? Are they hard plastic with some sort of sticky material on the back that could be re-applied, or is the whole thing a soft material sticker?

[EskeRahn 5,464]

@eskerahn: I saw your personal page where you explained what those non-smooth areas are in the lower corners of the keyboard (https://eskerahn.dk/?p=3556). If those are stickers covering screws to disassemble the phone, how would one replace them after taking the phone apart? Are they hard plastic with some sort of sticky material on the back that could be re-applied, or is the whole thing a soft material sticker?

 

They are hard, and I'm pretty sure they are cosmetic only. Should you damage (or loose) one of them I think it would be easy to replace them by any other sticker, home cut. There are also seven circular stickers on the back of the display part with similar purpose.

[elvissteinjr 359]

I gotta admit, I'm not really liking the look of those stickers. Repairability is neat, but I feel like I'll never open up my unit so I'd almost prefer them to be not there just for me.

From a logical standpoint, my take is a bad one, I get it. So Eske, I take it you hadn't messed with them yet and they stand out like that from the start, right?

Really wish they'd be a bit closer to the case color, but from the photo it also seems to depends a lot on the lighting. Mhm.

[EskeRahn 5,464]

I gotta admit, I’m not really liking the look of those stickers. Repairability is neat, but I feel like I’ll never open up my unit so I’d almost prefer them to be not there just for me.

 

From a logical standpoint, my take is a bad one, I get it. So Eske, I take it you hadn’t messed with them yet and they stand out like that from the start, right?

 

Really wish they’d be a bit closer to the case color, but from the photo it also seems to depends a lot on the lighting. Mhm.

 

Well I too think the stickers could have looked better, but if our complaints are down to the look of some stickers, I think that could be seen as they have done a very good job... :-)

[pedro4444 36]

Hello

I have questions?

What replacement parts?

When can we order any replacement parts?

Now I do want new order and I need order replacement parts with together phone. (flex cable)
is it possible?

 

thanks

[Tim6263 134]

For details like this you will get better information communicating with the company: info@fxtec.com.  The community here does not have information like this, especially because the phone is not yet freely available.

[FlyingAntero 871]

Chen did mention earlier that they are looking for an option sell spare parts also. But is not an official statement.

https://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p=1555034&postcount=935

Also there might be chance of selling spare components. Tearing down this device isn't difficult, for screen or battery replacement.

[EskeRahn 5,464]

2 hours ago, pedro4444 said:

Hello

I have questions?

What replacement parts?

When can we order any replacement parts?

Now I do want new order and I need order replacement parts with together phone. (flex cable)
is it possible?

 

thanks

One spare part we know is already available: The Display and TP unit, as it is from Boe and is the same also used for the "Elephone U Pro" , see above also.

[pedro4444 36]

so display ist the same: Elephone U Pro      ok thanks information 

I hope my display will not crash 🙂

What do you think TP unit?

 

Now I want only flex cable, because is very importnant ...

oki i try meessage to info@fxtec.com

[EskeRahn 5,464]

3 hours ago, pedro4444 said:

What do you think TP unit?

TP=Touch panel. I do not know if you can get the TP and Display as separate units, or  they come integrated from BOE, But the whole thing is available for less than $100, ( BF060Y8M-AJ0-7702 ), so if either function should fail, it is an affordable thing to change both.

[EskeRahn 5,464]

56 minutes ago, _DW_ said:

Yes companies really need to do this more.  TBH it's simple design the small one then the 2 larger sizes come free just put bigger screens in 😄.  That wouldn't work with a keyboard phone though you would expect the keyboard to be redesigned.

On the other hand, the same keyboard designs and mechanisms could most likely be reused over many generations of interiors. Though of course say a next gen GSM could require design changes for different antennas.

[_DW_ 628]

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

On the other hand, the same keyboard designs and mechanisms could most likely be reused over many generations of interiors. Though of course say a next gen GSM could require design changes for different antennas.

Yes quite true you would only need to do a lot of design on the first iteration (like pro1) then it will be refinement of the individual sized boards (based on customer feedback hopefully!)  why they should create a pro1 lite 😄

[EskeRahn 5,464]

14 minutes ago, _DW_ said:

Yes quite true you would only need to do a lot of design on the first iteration (like pro1) then it will be refinement of the individual sized boards (based on customer feedback hopefully!)  why they should create a pro1 lite 😄

Indeed let us hope this will be a hit, and open for all the possibilities.

In the minimal version I imagine a few years down a variant that reuse as much as possible, but with 5G version antennas, and with what other upgrades that would be obvious to do in say 2021 or 2022. Sticking to existing 4G antennas, they might even offer us to send in the devices for an upgrade, so we when getting it a fresh battery and usb-plug also can get some other internals upgraded.

[VaZso 1,998]

3 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

In the minimal version I imagine a few years down a variant that reuse as much as possible, but with 5G version antennas, and with what other upgrades that would be obvious to do in say 2021 or 2022.

I hope the same - I mean they may reuse as much of Pro1 as possible (like keyboard mechanism), maybe do some improvements where necessary and redesign mostly the main board with up-to-date components, maybe replace screen with another one, etc. (Also this is the most logical step for them.)

3 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

Sticking to existing 4G antennas, they might even offer us to send in the devices for an upgrade, so we when getting it a fresh battery and usb-plug also can get some other internals upgraded.

Do you mean to upgrade the internals with most of the parts intact?
I don't know if it would be a good thing (but it depends on the actual technological level of the industry), but if there may be a theoretical option for that, I would be more happy to receive all of the components and put it together by myself. 🙂
(I don't really like to send such things by shipping agents, I don't really like to give my phone out of my hands and it would be not easy to manage to send back every customer of their own phone which they have sent.)
Also, Pro1 may be something like a historical phone if everything go right.

[EskeRahn 5,464]

22 minutes ago, VaZso said:

Also, Pro1 may be something like a historical phone if everything go right.

Of course I meant you could upgrade some of your Pro1s, you could keep the rest of them for your personal phone-museum. 😜

But more seriously, yeah, they could sell the parts for self replacements too. And one could be a new pcb with newer chipset in say 2022.

But IF they changed the parts themselves, it might get a status a bit like "refurbished", that came with a warranty also, thus inciting people to upgrade 😇

[VaZso 1,998]

24 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

But more seriously, yeah, they could sell the parts for self replacements too. And one could be a new pcb with newer chipset in say 2022.

Anyway, i would be happy if all parts of Pro1 would be available to purchase at an appropriate (not too high) price - so if anything would break, a competent user or service may have a chance of getting life to a faulty Pro1 again.

...and one reason of doing this (at user side) is the possibility of avoid data loss in a lot of unexpected events, which would be a big plus.

Also, I know skilled service person who repairs laptops and can also repair phones but does not accept phones because of bad repairability (glued parts, higher risks) but would happily repair Pro1 phones based on what F(x)tec said about assembly.

I have also repaired some laptops and phones but that is not my main job, however, I may do some short of service when necessary.

Edited November 12, 2019 by VaZso

[silversolver 849]

I know I'm a weirdo among most mobile users, but I keep my devices a LONG time. I have an order in for the Pro1, so nothing anyone says here is going to change anything in that regard, but I am wondering about parts availability.

I have been swapping stuff in my old Droids for some time now; this has allowed me to keep them running long past when most people would have binned them. The screen is the same as some Elephone something-or-other, which means that it should be available. How about the battery? I assume the case and hinge are proprietary; will these ever be available as replacement parts?

I hope that I can keep this running for 7-8 years like I've had to do with Droid 4 devices because no one made anything else.

EDIT: this doesn't make much sense contextually because it was merged in from a thread I created before I found this one.

Edited November 21, 2019 by silversolver
Explanation of presence