Need Advice – Is This Fair? Fxtec Pro1-X Backer Experience

[drcp 0]

Hey everyone,

I was an early bird backer for the Fxtec Pro1-X on Indiegogo, trusting their vision and promises. Honestly, I’ve been patient through what felt like an eternity of delays, misinformation, and broken commitments from the campaign. During this time, life in my country was turned upside down by a devastating war, but I held onto hope that when the phone finally arrived, it would at least live up to the expectations they set.

What I received, however, is nothing short of a nightmare:

• A broken screen
• A QWERTZ keyboard instead of the expected layout
• A phone that’s inexplicably black and looks used

This is not what I paid for. It’s defective, mismatched, and feels like a cheap replacement—not the brand-new, high-quality device I was promised.

After everything, I feel completely betrayed by Fxtec. I trusted them, waited for years, and this is the result? I can’t wrap my head around how this could even happen.

Has anyone else faced something like this? Is it fair to be treated this way as a backer who supported them from the start? Shouldn’t they be held accountable to make this right?

Any advice on how to approach this or get a resolution would be deeply appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[Hook 3,043]

I'm not sure how to approach the word "Fair" in all of this,  Neither what backers have had to go through, nor all of what FxTec was hit with producing these phones, resulting in what the backers had to go through, are fair. I'm not arguing you are not entitled to feel as you do, or dismissing your concerns, but there is a lot of backstory to this, contained in the IGG updates and in the production thread on this forum.

First, note, when you back a project on IGG you are not even guaranteed a product.  You are investing in hope of a return, not buying.  Despite being hit by disaster after disaster, FxTec did their best to actually get a  phone into people's hands (and I guarantee, it cost them a lot of money beyond what they raised to do that), But the result still sometimes came up short.  If you want to know all the issues, at least read through the updates at IGG.

By the way, your screen isn't broken. They develop black spots in the corners, I have them too, They all do, as do all the replacement screens you can buy. I use a dark background and never notice them.  The Qwertz keyboard is unfortunate, but they did run out of QWERTY and so they filled remaining pledges with QWERTZ..You should be able to reassign the keys. Again, obviously annoying, but they were in no position to solve the problem with new manufacturing. It is probably not used. It was probably opened up to charge or replace the battery as they were held hostage by the shipping expediter for some extended time.  And, yes, they ran out of blue too. None of this should make you happy, but they aren't scammers and deserve some credit for making efforts to get everyone a phone.

Sounds like you have been through some pretty rough things these past few years. I'm sorry that you also ended up with phone that makes you unhappy after all that. There is truly not a lot you can do about it, I'm sad to say. That's always the risk of crowdfunding.   Hopefully you can focus more on how to make the phone more useful.

By the way, I have a moderator role on this forum, but I do not work for FxTec. I'm just a volunteer who tries to keep this still important source of information free of escort service ads.  I'm just another user and this is a user-to-user forum.

I hope things can work out for you to be able to use your phone. Thanks for being quite polite in your venting. I would not have blamed you if you had been less polite, but I appreciate your restraint.  And I truly hope things are settling down irl for you.

[claude0001 1,352]

Hi @drcp,

@Hook has written down all the essential information already.

I just want to add that, while the black spots in the corners are standard for these screens, they do not worsen over time. I own three Pro1 and one Pro1-X: All have the black corners to some degree, but even for the oldest device they have been stable over time.

Concerning QWERTZ vs. QWERTY: F(x)tec lost many QWERTY devices to unauthorized grey marketing by their Chinese logistics partner company, which is likely the reason they ran out while shipping to backers. If you are really unhappy with the keyboard layout: Even practically unused QWERTY devices are quite commonly available on eBay et al., while QWERTZ ones are pretty rare. Maybe you'll be able to sell yours at a good price and get a QWERTY one instead.

Edited December 9 by claude0001

[Rob. S. 1,664]

On 12/9/2024 at 9:18 PM, claude0001 said:

Maybe you'll be able to sell yours at a good price and get a QWERTY one instead

Just an tiny remark on this @drcp – while it will probably be an option, the Pro1 X is also known to come with various connectivity problems which are a bit of a roulette game for each new device. If your Pro1 X has decent connectivity overall, swapping it for another Pro1 X may result in worse core usability. At least I wouldn't sell before I had received and checked the possible replacement.  

[claude0001 1,352]

4 hours ago, Rob. S. said:

[...] a bit of a roulette game [...]

@Rob. S. is absolutely right. QA with F(x)tec phones - especially with the Pro1X - is practically non-existent and you may always end up with a device that has issues in core functionality. And even the "best" specimens come with shortcomings you would never accept from a major manufacturer. Unless you really want that hardware keyboard, you should avoid the Pro1 and even more the Pro1X.

[Doktor Oswaldo 906]

Oh yeah unfortunately.
My pro1-x has nearly no black corners, I gladly switch it for one that has a stable connectivity...

[Lollerobot 8]

I have something from inbetween. Black corners appeared about 7 months in use and connections are... ok. I can make and receive calls pretty well anywhere but the internet connection is pretty bad inside buildings if not connected to wifi. It also seems completely random when the internet does or does not work in a building.

In the end it is usable as my main phone for the past year but I have been looking in to ways to get a stronger internet connection.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

12 hours ago, Lollerobot said:

Black corners appeared about 7 months in use

Sad and interesting. The ones I got, got black corners, but no change over years of usage.

[drcp 0]

Hi everyone,

First of all, thank you for the answers and experiences. Appreciated.

That said, i want to express my deep disappointment with how both the service and the device itself feel "rushed" and unfinished, especially after such a long period of anticipation. I understand the challenges Fxtec faced with production, software, and the various unforeseen hurdles that derailed the project. I truly do. In theory, I should be glad to have finally received my device...

However, I cannot accept issues like malfunctioning screen corners as "normal." This is a terrible user experience. It feels like ordering a burger only to find a fingerprint pressed into the bun, or buying a brand-new car where the passenger seat is broken and the air conditioner only works on one side.

No matter how niche, geeky, or community-driven a device is, it should work properly. That’s just a baseline of respect—not only for customers but also for the brand itself.

Here’s the funny (or tragic) part: I actually have a second order under another name where I purchased additional parts, including a spare screen. That means I’m a double customer and, until recently, a fan of Fxtec's vision. Sadly, the reality of the product has left me utterly disappointed.

To make things worse, I had plans to use this device as a terminal for my personal automation projects. Ironically, my automations heavily rely on "corner signals," where indicator colors change specifically in the corners of the screen. Two of those corners are now unusable for me. This device is on the verge of being useless for its intended purpose.

The most frustrating part is that I’m not against paying for a new screen or a proper QWERTY keyboard to fix these issues. But I currently see no realistic path forward to either use or repair this phone.

I’ve already reached out to Fxtec support and was asked to send photos of the screen, which I did promptly. However, I have yet to receive any follow-up or next steps from them.

Fxtec had an ambitious vision, and I truly wanted to support it. But when the final product feels so incomplete and the after-sales support so unresponsive, it becomes incredibly disheartening.

I appeal to the community and the company: Shouldn’t the bare minimum be a device that delivers on its core promises? What can I do to make this situation better?

Honestly, I’m still holding onto hope. If Fxtec ever creates a third iteration of a QWERTY device, I might even consider buying it—assuming I’m still around to see it!

P.S. Does anyone have real suggestions for QWERTY phones these days? Something actually usable, at least on par with the Key2, would be a dream. 

Thanks again)

[Lollerobot 8]

On 12/14/2024 at 6:19 PM, drcp said:

Here’s the funny (or tragic) part: I actually have a second order under another name where I purchased additional parts, including a spare screen. That means I’m a double customer and, until recently, a fan of Fxtec's vision. Sadly, the reality of the product has left me utterly disappointed.

Oh btw if you haven't received your additional parts bundle yet, send email to their info email about it. I had not gotten mine and they sent it immediately my way after they processed my message. Never got a reply to it and the tracking on the package did not work but it did arrive a few weeks later.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

On 12/14/2024 at 5:19 PM, drcp said:

Fxtec had an ambitious vision, and I truly wanted to support it. But when the final product feels so incomplete and the after-sales support so unresponsive, it becomes incredibly disheartening.

You are not alone with the frustration.

But you might look at it in a different way. It is a minor miracle that they even managed to send people something at all! It is amazing that they did not give up years ago and folded. They really deserved kudos for their fighting spirit.

The Pro1X was indeed rushed, As they had to do almost a completely new phone. Originally it should have been a super easy task of them producing more of the existing Pro1, with tiny adjustments, and practically no (further) development costs. This should have earned them some money. Instead they got swindled and never got the CPUs they bought and could not get them anywhere, and could not even get the blueprints of the phone, so had to design a new device from what they could get, with what money left. And then add Covid... And then some of their devices was 'stolen' by the shipping partner to cover unpaid bills.
I'm not saying that they did not make several mistakes along the line - in the wisdom of hindsight. But I'm amazed they are still standing.

But frankly expecting them to do anything further is extremely optimistic. I highly doubt that there will be any software updates&fixes for neither the Pro1 nor the Pro1X. So we have to let do with what we got. Frankly I'm glad they still pay for this community to exist, so we can help each other here.

Would I wish for a "Pro2", or something similar from another company? Sure I would love it!! Do I believe it will happen? Nope! I think this is very likely to be the very last mobile phone with a proper landscape keyboard integrated. UNLESS someone like Fairphone or similar want to make something modular, where a keyboard could be an option that could work over several generations, and thus the few of us that want keyboards should not bear the full development costs of an entire phone, but sharing it with others, and have a somewhat expensive keyboard option.

[Doktor Oswaldo 906]

On 12/16/2024 at 2:51 PM, EskeRahn said:

You are not alone with the frustration.

But you might look at it in a different way. It is a minor miracle that they even managed to send people something at all! It is amazing that they did not give up years ago and folded. They really deserved kudos for their fighting spirit.

The Pro1X was indeed rushed, As they had to do almost a completely new phone. Originally it should have been a super easy task of them producing more of the existing Pro1, with tiny adjustments, and practically no (further) development costs. This should have earned them some money. Instead they got swindled and never got the CPUs they bought and could not get them anywhere, and could not even get the blueprints of the phone, so had to design a new device from what they could get, with what money left. And then add Covid... And then some of their devices was 'stolen' by the shipping partner to cover unpaid bills.
I'm not saying that they did not make several mistakes along the line - in the wisdom of hindsight. But I'm amazed they are still standing.

But frankly expecting them to do anything further is extremely optimistic. I highly doubt that there will be any software updates&fixes for neither the Pro1 nor the Pro1X. So we have to let do with what we got. Frankly I'm glad they still pay for this community to exist, so we can help each other here.

Would I wish for a "Pro2", or something similar from another company? Sure I would love it!! Do I believe it will happen? Nope! I think this is very likely to be the very last mobile phone with a proper landscape keyboard integrated. UNLESS someone like Fairphone or similar want to make something modular, where a keyboard could be an option that could work over several generations, and thus the few of us that want keyboards should not bear the full development costs of an entire phone, but sharing it with others, and have a somewhat expensive keyboard option.

This. I can't use my pro1x because the reception is to bad (my pro1 was a fine daily driver). But I am still glad I undertook that adventure.
It was a Crowdfunding campaign, so getting a phone at all is a win. It is remarkably how close to pulling it off they got. If corona didn't happened it may have been possible.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

2 hours ago, Doktor Oswaldo said:

If corona didn't happened it may have been possible.

Even in the most optimistic scenario I do not think the Pro1X would have been as good as the Pro1 after they got swindled of the chips. But I do believe they could have been able to deliver something like what people finally got a lot faster AND with some money left for bug-fixing software, to the extend that could have remedied some of the issues.

Also there might have been resources to dig into why the Pro1X for some works OK, and for others not at all network-wise, using the same bands.

I still have a suspicion that there is a some variation in how different network equipment used by different carriers in different places uses the same network bands, and that the Pro1X does not handle all correctly (the protocol is likely to leave room for variation in the implementation). It would have been great if it was tested if the bug followed the position+carrier (that is that the Pro1X got some nasty software bug) OR followed the specimen (a lot of individual Pro1X got the same hardware bug) - I find the later rather unlikely,
And IF my theory is correct, a software fix could have fixed it. not that it ever had stellar reception for those of us where it works, but at the least could have become useful for all/most.

Apart from report on some with missing or ill connected springs that could fix&improve it, I do not think that we have ever had reports on people getting a new device where it was drastically better or worse reception, And that would have been expected if it is a specimen issue.

IDEA:
We really need to find two Pro1X owners living sufficiently close, where it works for one and not the other, and have them meet up,and swap sim, to see if the bug follow the device or the network.

[Doktor Oswaldo 906]

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

Even in the most optimistic scenario I do not think the Pro1X would have been as good as the Pro1 after they got swindled of the chips.

That is what I mean. If I remember correctly this happened in connection to the global shortage of chips during the pandemic.

However, I do mean these problems, not the pandemic in general

[cash 12]

I think others have already made good points in this thread. So I'll just say that I agree with everything in the OP, but others have good points. And it's a miracle fxtec delivered anything. They could have just filed for bankruptcy after so much went wrong.

Anyway, the only thing I will add is my experience and why I think you should NOT SEND IT BACK.

Before things really went bad with the delivery of these devices, I was lucky enough to receive mine in about August 2022. I had a play around with it and quickly noticed one key was very stiff and made typing quite difficult. Otherwise, the wifi signal was awful and I did not even bother testing cellular. But the device did work otherwise.

I promptly got on to support, who were very responsive, gave a few suggestions, but after they failed to resolve the issue, offered to send it back to the UK. I did so, which cost over $100 AUD, as there were very few carriers who would ship from Australia to UK with a lithium-ion battery.

Now is when the nightmare started with fxtec's logistics. Finally, over 2 years on, I received the replacement. It looks possibly used, but also does not turn on. I tried the rubber band trick to get the battery to charge, but there is possibly something else going on which requires a disassembly and is likely beyond my technical abilities. So I am pretty annoyed that I spent over $1000 AUD for a non-functioning device. But at least I have something and there's a chance I can fix it and find a use.

$1000 AUD almost buys a Samsung S24 in Australia by the way, so it does hurt to have a non-functioning device that lacks features of even a 2016 flagship.

[Lollerobot 8]

On 12/19/2024 at 5:55 AM, cash said:

$1000 AUD almost buys a Samsung S24 in Australia by the way, so it does hurt to have a non-functioning device that lacks features of even a 2016 flagship.

Comparing fxtec phone prices to huge company flagships has always been a weird one to me.

It is like comparing a mom and pops shop to a big market. Prices are higher as everything costs more for smaller quantities.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

...indeed, it has been a very very long time since any of the big players offered a phone with a proper keyboard.