Is your spare display working well?

[Aeong 4]

To be honest, I'm really pissed now.

Since the main display has black marks on the edges, I replaced it with a spare display that I got as a bonus.

But this one has the same black marks.

I'm really happy that I waited over 2 years for $889 for a device that doesn't make calls, turns itself off, gets hot easily, has a defective screen, a spare screen that is also defective, cheap earphones that I got instead of a spare battery, and 3 pieces of crap screen protector.

Sure, the keyboard is pretty cool and works fine. But what can I do with it?
I'm a programmer, but I'm not one to code or use a terminal outside of the house.
I'm not going to do any document work on this phone.

Oh, this keyboard would be nice for emulator games.
But I already have a much more capable $300 Android gaming console. And it was delivered in a month.

This phone was almost my best phone ever. But it wasn't.

I know the damn FX SCAM guys won't read this post, but I hope they won't do this scam again.

[brunoais 334]

Mine has the marks too. This is an issue with the display manufacturer which seem to have a 70+% failure rate at the screen edges.

However, they scam buyers by cherry picking the displays for test units, so none of the test units have these visible issues.

F(x)tec is scammed and they are incapable and don't have enough money to fight back.

[brunoais 334]

20 hours ago, Aeong said:

But I already have a much more capable $300 Android gaming console. And it was delivered in a month.

When was it released? Was it nearby 2020/1? Was it produced by a company with deep pockets? Those two are VERY important to take into account. You need absurdly deep pockets to handle such kind of market offer.

[claude0001 1,337]

19 minutes ago, brunoais said:

Mine has the marks too. This is an issue with the display manufacturer which seem to have a 70+% failure rate at the screen edges.

As previously stated, I can only agree. I have 2 x Pro1 and 1 x Pro1-X and all displays have these black moons in at least some of their corners. The good news is that they haven't worsened over time, which is 4+ years for my initial Pro1.

[claude0001 1,337]

22 hours ago, Aeong said:

Sure, the keyboard is pretty cool and works fine. But what can I do with it?
I'm a programmer, but I'm not one to code or use a terminal outside of the house.
I'm not going to do any document work on this phone.

Oh, this keyboard would be nice for emulator games.
But I already have a much more capable $300 Android gaming console.

I agree with your criticism of the Pro1-X's remaining hardware and delivery process.

But in these lines you essentially state that you backed a keyboard phone even though you have absolutely no use for a keyboard phone. Of course you have every right to do this. But then do not lateron blame F(x)tec when they indeed ship you a keyboard phone as ordered ...

[Aeong 4]

@claude0001 I just wanted to use this keyboard for messaging and social media comfortably.

[Burkhard 3]

Hello, I always read here with great interest. I also have a pro1x and am slowly getting used to it. I use it as a normal phone with Android. 
Since there seem to be more problems, I would like to order some spare parts just to be on the safe side. But when I search for pro1x on Aliexpress, I don't get any hits. Can you give me some tips, links. Here or as a PM, if that's possible? Thanks, Burkhard

[Rob. S. 1,653]

@Aeong – to be fair, the screen is not "defective", it's a minor cosmetic blemish, and all of us had to put up with it who needed to source a replacement screen outside of Fxtec, which was often the case. On the parts market, perfect replacement screens haven't been available at all now for a long time, and it seems that at this point not even Fxtec is capable to source any.

Your complaints on some of the other issues you mention are, of course, perfectly valid. 

When I was still using my Pro1X which also had basic connectivity issues, practically inhibiting calls and text messages and mobile internet, I decided to carry a small mobile router with a second SIM card, getting internet through WiFi and enabling calls through Voice-over-WiFi. SMS was still a problem, though, which is not good when some services demand SMS as a second authentication factor.

By the way, just as a side note, my $2,000 Honor Magic V2 developed a similar display problem in use but the spots were slowly getting bigger, and it's now been in service for 1½ months and I haven't heard back from them, a status request wasn't answered, I don't even know yet whether it will be processed as a warranty case or not (if not, it may easily cost me $750), and Honor was nearing a two-digit billion dollar revenue already in 2016 (don't have current figures)...

Edited September 3 by Rob. S.

[phukfxtec 23]

On 9/3/2024 at 10:45 AM, Rob. S. said:

to be fair, the screen is not "defective", it's a minor cosmetic blemish

No, it absolutely is a defect. You can try to diminish it by calling it a "minor cosmetic blemish", but this type of issue would not be acceptable on any screen from any manufacturer.

If you bought a new monitor or tv with dead pixels would you not return it/warranty it?

If this defect was found on an iPhone, people would riot. Obviously fx is not apple, but that does not give them a pass on an $800+ device.

 

Edited September 8 by phukfxtec

[Burkhard 3]

Hello, my Pro1x also has a black spot, I also find it very annoying, yes, at the top edge it doesn't really bother me, but...!

I also have to say that it doesn't work as expected.

The camera is total crap. With the original app it rarely or never focuses and the Manuel Camera DSLR Pro app often freezes, despite being a paid version. Not nice. I want my BlackBerry Key2 back. It just worked and always worked. It was just that Android 8.1 was too old.

[Burkhard 3]

Unfortunately, the error on the display is not visible in the screenshot. It is in the top row next to the clock. I took a picture with a different phone, sorry

 

burkhard

[claude0001 1,337]

2 hours ago, Burkhard said:

The camera is total crap. With the original app it rarely or never focuses and the Manuel Camera DSLR Pro app often freezes

Yep. One of the major reasons I went back to the original (SD885) Pro1. Although the Pro1 camera is also quite mediocre, it at least does not have these hangs of the Pro1-X's which make spontaneous picture shooting impossible.

Note that the Pro1-X camera at least did not hang for me when using the camera app built into LineageOS. This prevents access to advanced camera controls though, and anyway the optical quality remains horrible of course. Especially the vignetting is catastrophic on my prawnX. 

As to your screen problem, I think everything has been said already. This has really been my least concern with F(x)tec phones over the last 4 years. If this turns you down a lot, better do not try to use them in your daily life, much more disappointment is lurking ... 😉

Edited September 9 by claude0001

[EskeRahn 5,452]

On 9/8/2024 at 11:06 PM, phukfxtec said:

No, it absolutely is a defect.

Academically speaking yes it is...
But just imagine that fxtec had pre-installed an app giving more rounded corners (maybe hard-coded). Then you would have never noticed that the display-defect existed - but sure it would still be there in principle.

If the Pro1/Pro1X were otherwise close to flawless perfection, I could understand the focus on this. But as there are so many different more serious issues I think the wording of @Rob. S. "it's a minor cosmetic blemish," is quite appropriate for this one.

ADD: Being polemic one could say that it is a question of poor QC. IF they had noticed this as a frequent issue, they could have hid the issue from us with deliberately disabled black corners.

[phukfxtec 23]

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

there are so many different more serious issues

So because of the other issues this is "appropriate"? No. This defect is inappropriate on an $800+ device. I would still want a replacement even it this was the only issue.

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

I could understand the focus on this.

Maybe you understand that the screen is the thing you focus on while using the device. So yeah... I am focused on it, in addition to the countless other issues...

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

imagine that fxtec had pre-installed an app giving more rounded corners

That would be even worse as the rounds are already cutting off text in the terminal, and also cuts part of the AM/PM in the status bar time.

Rounded corners are bad design in the first place, the solution is not to cut off even more pixels and further reduce real-estate.

They should have chosen with a regular flat rectangle screen with no curves or rounds...

Edited September 10 by phukfxtec

[EskeRahn 5,452]

6 hours ago, phukfxtec said:

They should have chosen with a regular flat rectangle screen with no curves or rounds...

Allow me to suggest you to launch a new keyboard slider phone, if you know how it should be done, I would certainly be interested in buying...

All electronic devices are the result of series of compromises and design decisions, there are no perfect devices. Would I have preferred a slightly lesser flat rectangular screen with protected edges? Sure, but not all would. And with that changed design other things might have followed that I might not have liked.

Remember that such a tiny company as FxTec, aren't requesting a display manufacturer to produce exactly what they would find optimal, they try to piece the device together with existing components that can be delivered and to an acceptable price, with as little as possible custom made. And it is sooooo easy in the wisdom of hindsight to say that they should have chosen this or that differently, and I'm sure that for many things they too would love to be able to turn the clock backwards and do something differently.

My Pro1 is far from a a perfect device, but it is for me the least bad available option -for any price- Hence it is still my daily driver despite being five years old and are beginning to show severe signs of wear and tear.

[Burkhard 3]

Hello,

I've marked where the spot is on the screen. I can live with that though. All my apps are set to dark. Bluetooth and WiFi are not good. Making calls works well. The camera is really annoying. I expected more. Even the Uniherz Titan Pocket that I bought for my wife has an acceptable camera. We went to a rock concert on Sunday and it didn't work at all. Not at all. I was really angry. I used the zoom in the dark and the camera froze. And the original camera app never focused. Oh well

 

burkhard

[claude0001 1,337]

7 hours ago, Burkhard said:

We went to a rock concert on Sunday and it didn't work at all. Not at all. I was really angry.

Forget it. The Pro1-X camera cannot handle such light conditions. The Pro1's is better, but still takes a lot of patience and manual intervention (and a good camera app) with night shooting.

The price tag comes from the mech keyboard. Full stop. Other than that they're mid- (Pro1) to low-class (Pro1-X) phones.

7 hours ago, Burkhard said:

I've marked where the spot is on the screen.

The position of the spot on you screen is different from all I've seen before, though. Normally they are all in the corners of the display, and hardly visible in normal operation. So forget what I said before: Might be worthwhile contacting F(x)tec for a replacement after all.

Edited September 10 by claude0001

[phukfxtec 23]

15 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

Allow me to suggest you to launch a new keyboard slider phone,

This is irrelevant and absurd to suggest people just make their own phone.

Imagine hiring someone to do a job and they do it poorly, then when you question them on it they turn around a suggest you do a better job? That's not how it works.

15 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

if you know how it should be done

Actually I do have an idea for how it should be done, but I haven't the resources. Again, irrelevant.

15 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

aren't requesting a display manufacturer to produce exactly what they would find optimal

What is optimal is not even the issue. Having defects in an $800 device is the issue.

Once again, this defect would not be acceptable on any display, from any manufacturer.

I don't care how small or big the company is. They can't hide behind size as an excuse.

It is clear this conversation is going nowhere and will quickly turn unproductive, so I will l end my comments here.

Edited September 10 by phukfxtec

[EskeRahn 5,452]

16 hours ago, claude0001 said:

The position of the spot on you screen is different from all I've seen before, though. Normally they are all in the corners of the display, and hardly visible in normal operation. So forget what I said before: Might be worthwhile contacting F(x)tec for a replacement after all.

Totally agree, that is new to me too.

[EskeRahn 5,452]

7 hours ago, phukfxtec said:

Once again, this defect would not be acceptable on any display, from any manufacturer.

Of course defects are not acceptable... The point is we are talking a company that struggles to even deliver phones to those that have ordered them as well as those that took a IGG perk for one. And for the Pro1X about devices that for some can not even be used as an ordinary phone due to some network stuff (that we still really do not know who affects and who does not) and in THAT context, display issues in the corners should be ranked as "a minor cosmetic blemish".

But sure any one affected should feel free to return the phones for a warranty repair/replacement, and for a larger company I might have done it too - but here I would fear how long it would take and even if I ever would get one back. If they get all the phones back that has a dark corner, my guess would be that it could be the final straw to make them fold, and thus leaving people with no phones at all. But people are in their right to do so.

[phukfxtec 23]

On 9/11/2024 at 6:13 AM, EskeRahn said:

THAT context, display issues in the corners should be ranked as "a minor cosmetic blemish".

the context is irrelevant, I would feel the same if this were the only issue.

to you its minor. to me its severe. now we enter subjectivity, so it's a fruitless debate.

if this major cosmetic blemish was on a TV, it would be returned immediately.

[EskeRahn 5,452]

8 hours ago, phukfxtec said:

if this major cosmetic blemish was on a TV, it would be returned immediately.

As I said anyone should be free to do it, If and when you would get it back is anyone's guess.

On the other hand the fault @Burkhard reported is worse, as it is not just a 'misshaped' corner, that fairly easily can be hidden by software.

And as mentioned, I got the fault too, here my daily driver Pro1:
 

[Rob. S. 1,653]

On 9/13/2024 at 12:11 AM, phukfxtec said:

On 9/11/2024 at 8:13 AM, EskeRahn said:

THAT context, display issues in the corners should be ranked as "a minor cosmetic blemish".

the context is irrelevant, I would feel the same if this were the only issue

You don't understand. If this were "the only issue" (and the company hadn't been on the brink of folding for some time already, I didn't expect any of the 2024 devices to ship anymore at all) no one would scratch their head at your complaining. Context is everything.

What you're doing here is like complaining about a unique car with a special door construction (which is the one thing why it was made and why people were buying it) which in itself somehow works and looks good, but comes with half the expected engine power, in some cars one wheel does not turn, and the lights do not work properly, but you complain about a scratch on the windscreen.

 

Edited September 14 by Rob. S.

[GameboyRMH 17]

I've had three - the one that came with the phone and 2 Aliexpress replacements. The original had 2 tiny black marks in the corners. The first replacement was flawless. Then the phone fell out of my pocket as I got out of a van and that screen shattered when it hit the ground...the next replacement had one large black spot in a corner.

It seems to be that the black spots are areas of dead backlighting, you can still just barely see the content especially in dark rooms with the backlight near minimum.

[EskeRahn 5,452]

8 hours ago, GameboyRMH said:

It seems to be that the black spots are areas of dead backlighting, you can still just barely see the content especially in dark rooms with the backlight near minimum.

Interesting observation!
Unless I'm completely mistaken AMOLED does not use backlighting though, so it is likely something with the corner LEDs actually technically emitting light, but (for whatever reason) they does not deliver at the output effect they are supposed to.