Pro1, Ghost touches and other digitizer and display issues

[VaZso 1,988]

24 minutes ago, ToniCipriani said:

This actually explains why sliding your finger on the bottom it might trigger the problem. 

Now I'm curious if everyone is having the problem at the same exact location, which could indicate a recurring problem caused by a particular flaw in the design.

It may also be a design flaw of the display itself anyway or something which may go below the screen causing some pressure at a wrong place.

Edited April 18, 2021 by VaZso

[VaZso 1,988]

Anyway, I assume the "pocket dirt" I have found when replaced my original display was at the same part where the display's ribbon is located.

It was relatively high amount, so it may happen it could go at the edge of the display, pressing the ribbon cable from top and causing some movement, which finally resulted in loose connection after around 8 months of use.

[EskeRahn 5,350]

Has anyone tried to search if the Elephone U / U-Pro  expiriences the same problem? If it does, the issue most likely is in the display unit, if not, we can likely free that, and it must be due to Pro1-specifics (connector, pcb, cable bend....),

[VaZso 1,988]

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

Has anyone tried to search if the Elephone U / U-Pro  expiriences the same problem? If it does, the issue most likely is in the display unit, if not, we can likely free that, and it must be due to Pro1-specifics (connector, pcb, cable bend....),

If I remember well, I have only read issues with replaced displays having problems after a short while (not touch related but vertical lines appearing which may also be a cable issue anyway).
These are about displays ordered from Ali / Ebay.

So that may also be caused by bad quality displays or even not properly replaced ones.

I have not found general issues anyway - also I do not know why some of these displays were replaced, so anything other than physical issue (also I read a lot more of Pro1 than Elephone).

Moreover, I don't know if we may call it a general issue with Pro1, so what the real faulty ratio is.

Edited April 18, 2021 by VaZso

[ToniCipriani 194]

FWIW... this problem makes Spotify SUPER annoying to use. Casually scrolling through a random play list, random song you tap on plays.

[EskeRahn 5,350]

9 hours ago, VaZso said:

Moreover, I don't know if we may call it a general issue with Pro1, so what the real faulty ratio is.

Well hard for us to guess the frequency, but as this and similar threads are not flooded with hundreds of differnt users reporting the problem, it could hardly be called 'general', but there could be some design of something that is vulnerable. E.g. A cable bend.

It could also be a torsion-issue. If the display is sensitive to torsion (twist or bend). A Elephone U as a candybar is likely to be mor rigid than the thin display part of the Pro1.

I saw @ToniCipriani reported it working fine with the display loose not mounted on the frame. IF the frame is twisted/bend a bit it could affect the display mounting it, triggering the issue.

[VaZso 1,988]

4 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

I saw @ToniCipriani reported it working fine with the display loose not mounted on the frame. IF the frame is twisted/bend a bit it could affect the display mounting it, triggering the issue.

It may happen it gets worse when something touches / bends the wide flex cable coming behind the screen at the bottom short edge (top in the photo earlier).

What I know is Pro1's top frame was made of plastic while Elephone's top frame is metal.
...but I don't think that is a problem, although I would be more happy if the outer curved part was metal.
Also, the bottom part of the frame assembly is metal with fixing screws, I don't think it really moves inside if the glue fixing the display does not loosen.

However, if the glue loosens around the screen, especially at the lower side, it may start moving and it may cause the ribbon cable to worn out, so that may be a reason.
Remember, the screen itself is not fixed by screws, it was fixed by glue / double sided tape to the frame's top, then the frame's  top is screwed to the frame's bottom.

So I think the weakest thing in this relation is the glue itself.

What I have also noticed, in Elephone's assembly, the display was glued to the frame in a big surface, it was relatively hard to remove when I bought a display together with its frame by mistake.

However, Pro1 only has glue at the edges of the screen, not at the middle.
It may help if replacing the screen is necessary, but makes easier for the screen to detach if something went wrong.
So it has a reason, but I don't know how it affects a potential problem with gluing.

Basically, the display itself has a high amount of sticky surface, which is mostly covered in Pro1 (by a tape).
However, Pro1's top frame is a thin plastic, so gluing it to the frame at full surface would make it hard to separate, even with potential high risk for the frame to break.

@ToniCipriani, could you check if your display is slightly moving somewhere relatively to its frame, especially at the bottom part?

[ToniCipriani 194]

10 hours ago, VaZso said:

could you check if your display is slightly moving somewhere relatively to its frame, especially at the bottom part?

Not really. But I'll need a bit more clarification before I can answer fully and correctly: when you mean frame, do you mean the bracket where the LCD/Digitizer is glued to, or do you mean that whole LCD/frame assembly to the slider assembly (i.e. the screwed on piece)?

Display seems glued on tightly, I don't see , but the display assembly seems to creak a bit when mounted to the slider assembly.

[ToniCipriani 194]

15 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

It could also be a torsion-issue. If the display is sensitive to torsion (twist or bend). A Elephone U as a candybar is likely to be mor rigid than the thin display part of the Pro1.

I saw @ToniCipriani reported it working fine with the display loose not mounted on the frame. IF the frame is twisted/bend a bit it could affect the display mounting it, triggering the issue.

But this doesn't seem to explain why me taping the black PCB under it improved the issue drastically. I'm day 2 with a 80% functional display. Knock on wood it still hasn't gone nuts.

[VaZso 1,988]

3 minutes ago, ToniCipriani said:

Not really. But I'll need a bit more clarification before I can answer fully and correctly: when you mean frame, do you mean the bracket where the LCD/Digitizer is glued to, or do you mean that whole LCD/frame assembly to the slider assembly (i.e. the screwed on piece)?

I was thinking of the bracket the LCD is glued to.
Maybe it is easier to check when the keyboard is open, so you may press it against the metal back frame

...but it seems it is not moving in your case or at least it is not noticeable.

[ToniCipriani 194]

1 minute ago, VaZso said:

I was thinking of the bracket the LCD is glued to.
Maybe it is easier to check when the keyboard is open, so you may press it against the metal back frame

...but it seems it is not moving in your case or at least it is not noticeable.

If you see the video I posted earlier, I would agree with that assessment, but then again it doesn't explain why taping the PCB would improve it. 

It does somewhat make sense though, from the calculator test where that strip started working again, I was using a bit of pressure, so it could have pressed something back into connectivity.

[VaZso 1,988]

25 minutes ago, ToniCipriani said:

If you see the video I posted earlier, I would agree with that assessment, but then again it doesn't explain why taping the PCB would improve it. 

Where you press is the very same location this wide ribbon cable sits.

Which part of the PCB you have taped?
Currently I have only found an inside photo of the display assemble here.
This is the image.

The display itself is very close to this side - the plastic is thin, and it even has some holes and what you see there is the display itself. More correctly, the copper-coloured part is the display where it is sticky, and gray-coloured conductive tape is glued to the part in question, so the ribbon cable is under it.

If you smooth that part of the display assembly, you practically smoothing the ribbon cable itself.
If the ribbon cable is broken, you may push it to correct position.
If you push or release that area, that may result in a better or worse working of the display (if that is the problem).

I think smoothing other part of the display (middle to bottom for example) will not have any effect.
Anyway, bottom here is the top of the display in reality.

[ToniCipriani 194]

On 4/19/2021 at 6:46 PM, VaZso said:

 

Which part of the PCB you have taped?

 

First attempt in blue, second attempt on the green parts in an effort to improve it. Turns out no difference between the two.

And as of today the phone is still working minus that strip.

Edited April 22, 2021 by ToniCipriani

[dave.liao 8]

A few days ago I just started having ghost touches appear about 3/4th of the way down from the top of the screen.

Contacting Support to see if they have suggestions, or worst case, if a replacement screen is the way to go?

I've been using this Pro1 since July 2020.

[ToniCipriani 194]

On 4/25/2021 at 5:17 PM, dave.liao said:

A few days ago I just started having ghost touches appear about 3/4th of the way down from the top of the screen.

Contacting Support to see if they have suggestions, or worst case, if a replacement screen is the way to go?

I've been using this Pro1 since July 2020.

They'll probably check if you have any physical damages via photos, then send a replacement screen. That or you send it in for repair.

On that note, it's been a week since I patched up the PCB, now mine hasn't gone crazy with the touches, just still that defective strip.

[hka 131]

On 4/7/2021 at 9:26 AM, Slion said:

That's some bad luck, the one I replaced around June last year is still go strong. I wonder what happend to @hka. Did you get your repeat failure fixed too?

Yes! Reported that my replacement failed to fxtec Jan 9, provided some photos showing that there was no outside damage to the phone. Got a new screen March 18.

I hope this one lasts more than 6 months.

[vvv 11]

So I got tired of not being able to hit 'send' buttons and f(x)tec were unresponsive about new screen supplies. I switched out my screen for an elephone one from aliexpress, it was easier than expected, and all good so far.

[ToniCipriani 194]

On 5/26/2021 at 2:34 PM, vvv said:

So I got tired of not being able to hit 'send' buttons and f(x)tec were unresponsive about new screen supplies. I switched out my screen for an elephone one from aliexpress, it was easier than expected, and all good so far.

They're telling me they are getting a batch in August... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[SCΛRECROW 57]

Another one to add to the list. Mine started doing the same thing today, exact same symptoms.

@vvv How's your aliexpress replacement screen doing?

[Slion 1,200]

2 hours ago, SCΛRECROW said:

Another one to add to the list. Mine started doing the same thing today, exact same symptoms.

@vvv How's your aliexpress replacement screen doing?

How long have your been using your Pro1 for?

[SCΛRECROW 57]

7 hours ago, Slion said:

How long have your been using your Pro1 for?

Had mine since mid-December 2019.

[Hook 2,834]

13 hours ago, SCΛRECROW said:

Had mine since mid-December 2019.

Same age as mine (which got fixed by FxTec last January). 

[SCΛRECROW 57]

On 6/22/2021 at 1:07 PM, Hook said:

Same age as mine (which got fixed by FxTec last January). 

Has yours been ok since last January?

[Hook 2,834]

7 hours ago, SCΛRECROW said:

Has yours been ok since last January?

Yes.  No problems at all. 🙂

[vvv 11]

On 6/20/2021 at 8:20 PM, SCΛRECROW said:

Another one to add to the list. Mine started doing the same thing today, exact same symptoms.

@vvv How's your aliexpress replacement screen doing?

It's been good! The color calibration is different from the screen that came stock, but I have a working phone, with a working touch screen, so I'm happy.