Galaxy S7 Active - Screen Cracked - No Impact! In my pocket!

[GSCmont]

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum, but a veteran when it comes to the internets and technology. I recently purchased the GS7 Active specifically to avoid worrying about damaging the device/water issues. As we all know, the water tests have recently been showing some very concerning results. More concerning than the water-proofing issues is what happened to my device last week.

I took my phone out of my pocket and noticed what I originally though was a scratch... perhaps a hair? My brain wasn't even processing the possiblity that the middle of the screen randomly cracked for no reason. After trying to blow away the hair/wipe off the scratch/smudge I quickly realized that the impossible situation is very possible.

I have a crack right through the top center of the screen in my brand new GS7 Active! Are you kidding me?! It's a very strange crack too, curved in the center with small perendicular cracks along the larger crack.

I've owned a GS2, 3, 4, and 5... skipped the 6 and went for a GS7 Active. In every previous Galaxy I've owned I have never once damaged the device. I've dropped a few in my day. But never would I assume the GS7 Active would simply crack in my pocket!!!

Worst than this, there are other reports of this happening the same exact way on the Samsung forums.

AT&T is not being helpful at all. Trying to force me to file an insurance claim. Or send the device back to Samsung for them to repair it and send me a replacement. Ok? Great! I call Samsung, they laughed at me and said "We don't send out replacements... you can send us the phone and we may decide to repair it in 14 business days".

Ummmmmm.... no! I need my phone for work. 14 business days?! It is clearly a defect with the device itself.

What are my options? Now that the GS7 isn't even waterproof, and I'm now seeing evidence that the screens are cracking/fogging/smudging beyond reason... I'm hoping that Samsung steps up to the plate and fixes the device/sends us new ones or* allows for a refund/replacement.

Otherwise, it's off to the BBB and to make sure that everyone knows not to purchase the Active product line until Samsung makes good on their advertised features.

:'(

 

[mstrblueskys]

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum, but a veteran when it comes to the internets and technology. I recently purchased the GS7 Active specifically to avoid worrying about damaging the device/water issues. As we all know, the water tests have recently been showing some very concerning results. More concerning than the water-proofing issues is what happened to my device last week.

I took my phone out of my pocket and noticed what I originally though was a scratch... perhaps a hair? My brain wasn't even processing the possiblity that the middle of the screen randomly cracked for no reason. After trying to blow away the hair/wipe off the scratch/smudge I quickly realized that the impossible situation is very possible.

I have a crack right through the top center of the screen in my brand new GS7 Active! Are you kidding me?! It's a very strange crack too, curved in the center with small perendicular cracks along the larger crack.

I've owned a GS2, 3, 4, and 5... skipped the 6 and went for a GS7 Active. In every previous Galaxy I've owned I have never once damaged the device. I've dropped a few in my day. But never would I assume the GS7 Active would simply crack in my pocket!!!

Worst than this, there are other reports of this happening the same exact way on the Samsung forums.

AT&T is not being helpful at all. Trying to force me to file an insurance claim. Or send the device back to Samsung for them to repair it and send me a replacement. Ok? Great! I call Samsung, they laughed at me and said "We don't send out replacements... you can send us the phone and we may decide to repair it in 14 business days".

Ummmmmm.... no! I need my phone for work. 14 business days?! It is clearly a defect with the device itself.

What are my options? Now that the GS7 isn't even waterproof, and I'm now seeing evidence that the screens are cracking/fogging/smudging beyond reason... I'm hoping that Samsung steps up to the plate and fixes the device/sends us new ones or* allows for a refund/replacement.

Otherwise, it's off to the BBB and to make sure that everyone knows not to purchase the Active product line until Samsung makes good on their advertised features.

:'(

How recently did you purchase it? If it's within the 15ish days, I'd return it.

 

[GSCmont]

AT&T explicitly told me "If the device is damaged in any way, we won't allow a return. Even if it is a manufacturer defect." Then proceeded to tell me that I should contact Samsung directly... when I expressed frustration, then told him I did contact Samsung and their policy was going to leave me phone-less for nearly a month they then told me "You can always change carriers if you are unhappy."

 

[Slade8525]

please post a pic.

 

[GSCmont]

I'll work on getting a pic of the crack using my wife's phone. It's hard to see (especially the tiny perpendicular cracks along the main one), but, the concern right now is that it will spider and get worse.

Right now I'm in a rock and a hard place... both company's policies for handling defective hardware are completely unacceptable.

The best offer I have is AT&T willing to sell me a galaxy express 3 at a discounted rate to cover my usage while the S7 Active is out for repairs. But, still, the time waste/crappy replacement phone is not ideal.

If I broke it, I'd be fine with any solution or paying the deductible, etc. But, this is not the case. It is completely unacceptable that I'm feeling "stuck" right now with a cracked phone.

 

[drapelyk]

GSCmont,
I am in an extremely similar situation. My S7 Active cracked under the glass out from the back button after it took a single tumble from 29 inches onto a wood floor that my old S4, wife's S5 Active, my former S6 Active would have taken in stride. I'm convinced that there is some manufacturing/assembly issue with the digitizer layer. The LCD panel and the outer glass are flawless. This happened 4 days after I bought it from AT&T, and neither AT&T nor Samsung was helpful in resolving the issue. AT&T would do nothing, as I didn't have insurance. (and even had I, it would have been $200 to make a claim) Samsung wouldn't provide a replacement, but would only allow me to ship the phone in to determine the problem. My phone sits in Texas with Samsung as we speak. I am awaiting their diagnosis, and I'm hoping they find their product at fault. If not I don't know what I will do, as the repairs themselves will be $100's of dollars I'm sure. I know this, though, I will not be a Samsung or AT&T customer if the issue isn't resolved, and I will do everything in my power to dissuade others from being one as well.

In fact, how about this. If this is against the rules, edit my post or let me know.
Here are some keywords for search engines to chew on.
S7 Active cracked, S7 Active bad, S7 Active breaks, broken S7 Active, S7 Active cracking, cracking S7 Active, cracked S7 Active, don't buy S7 Active

 

[GSCmont]

Sorry to hear it Drapelyk...

Tough break. Yeah, this is absurd how AT&T and Samsung will not stand behind their products. This is an exclusive AT&T only device manufactured by Samsung, and neither company will make an exception or admit that there is an issue.

Update: I just got off the phone with an AT&T warranty specialist who told me there is nothing they can do... but then went on to explain that the SAME thing happened to HIS Galaxy S7 Active. Literally, a cracked screen when he pulled it out of his pocket. And he still didn't empathize or even attempt to escalate it. I told him that the statistical chances that him and I had the only 2 GS7 Actives that had pocket-based no-impact screen fractures was not possible. He argued me and said that "all kinds of crazy things like this happen to him". SMH.

So, yeah, I'd bet a lot of money that there is an inherent flaw with the GS7 Active. Will Samsung/AT&T make good on this? Or will they continue to play dumb and hope this issues are minimal/go away?

Super annoyed right now. I don't know if that rep on the phone thought his story about his cracked GS7 was supposed to make me feel better... but, what he DID do was add another data point to show that there is a manufacturer defect with the device's screen.

I have insurance, but, I refuse to pay $200 to get a replacement device that could simply crack again in my pocket. If you purchase a $10,000 TV and it lights on fire after 2 weeks, how would you feel if the store said "Oh... well, just give us $2,000 and we will give you another one!"

Seriously?!

 

[tkuhe]

Worst than this, there are other reports of this happening the same exact way on the Samsung forums.

Where are these forums?
Can you two post some pics. First I have heard about cracked screens on the S7A.

 

[Phoneguy108]

Samsung needs to acknowledge the issues and recall the S7A

 

[jlczl]

OK, I know there's flukes once in a while but this really seems odd. The S7 Active has been drop tested all over the place. There's even a YouTube video of it being dropped at all angles and even face first something like 50 times from 4 or 6 feet without any damage to the screen. How can it be that it would crack just being in your pocket?

Pics please.

https://youtu.be/1Gdx37VDbmA

 

[drapelyk]

So I just got off the phone with Samsung and after being very polite and persistent with them they are taking care of my situation. I won't mention the exact details, but I will continue to recommend Samsung products. I would recommend dealing with Samsung on this one. I think they have a problem with the S7 Active LCD/Digitizer/Outer Glass unit. Hopefully, this is an issue limited to the early adopters and not a design flaw in the product itself.

If I can persuade my family to transition to another carrier rather than AT&T I will be pleased. My phone broke 4 days after purchase and all AT&T would do is chant "physical damage". All they did is waste my time. As the retailer who sold me my phone, they should have at least investigated my claims. I was even treated with sarcasm by a rep in the store about how I wouldn't be able to buy a car, wreck it, and return it...

I'm an ***** (why is toidi <- backwards, censored, lol) and never took any photos, but I can describe it. My crack originated from the back button and stretched probably 3/4 the way to the edge of the screen. The initial crack looked just like a christmas tree high density, white, fine cracks forming from the back button and becoming fewer as you move to the edge of the phone. From there a few long cracks splintered, just as you would expect glass to, from that initial crack then around the center of the screen and some at the bottom of the screen under the buttons.

I hope my experience helps someone else, and as GSCMont pointed out, might become extra data used to indicate a real problem Samsung might have on their hands. I will come back to this thread and answer any questions anyone else might have... Good luck everyone! Don't back down, but be polite!

 

[GSCmont]

Got some pics, posting below! I got some serious light to reflect off the surface so it could highlight the odd cracks.

Also, here is one other example on Samsung's forums of the same issue occurring while in someone's pocket: https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Galaxy-S-Phones/s7-active-screen-cracked-by-itself/td-p/12025

 

[GSCmont]

Samsung needs to acknowledge the issues and recall the S7A

Agreed. While I commend drapelyk for sending his phone away to Samsung to have it repaired, and it sounds like they are doing a great job with it... I have a much larger concern that this will simply happen again. Furthermore, I depend heavily on my phone for work and can't afford to have it MIA for 2+ weeks.

 

[Slade8525]

Where are these forums?
Can you two post some pics. First I have heard about cracked screens on the S7A.

indeed; the AT&T rep dropped his personal, rather worn-looking caseless S7 Active on a tile floor and implored me to do the same (i politely declined) and upon inspection it was scuffed (many appeared to be old scuffs and abrasions) but no serious damage, he also left it in a fishbowl for a good 15 minutes while i was checking out; clearly not the first time he had done so. He had a glass screen protector to cover the polycarbonate, which makes sense (i had one ordered already).

maybe defective unit.

 

[planoman]

Got some pics, posting below! I got some serious light to reflect off the surface so it could highlight the odd cracks.

Also, here is one other example on Samsung's forums of the same issue occurring while in someone's pocket: https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Galaxy-S-Phones/s7-active-screen-cracked-by-itself/td-p/12025

View attachment 231995

Those do appear to be scratches...?

 

[GSCmont]

Those do appear to be scratches...?

Agreed, from the picture they look like scratches... with the right lighting/angle you can see how deep they are. Unfortunately there's not really an easy way to get a picture of that however. Also, if they were simply scratches I would be just as confused. Nothing was in my pocket at the time, and ever since I noticed it, I made sure that nothing was ever in the same pocket the phone was in and the larger crack actually spread.

The upper portion of the crack was never there originally (where it began to pull to the left towards the front facing camera).

Going to try and find some time to send this away for repair.

 

[planoman]

Agreed, from the picture they look like scratches... with the right lighting/angle you can see how deep they are. Unfortunately there's not really an easy way to get a picture of that however. Also, if they were simply scratches I would be just as confused. Nothing was in my pocket at the time, and ever since I noticed it, I made sure that nothing was ever in the same pocket the phone was in and the larger crack actually spread.

The upper portion of the crack was never there originally (where it began to pull to the left towards the front facing camera).

Going to try and find some time to send this away for repair.

I assume you always put your phone in your pocket- screen to thigh?

 

[GSCmont]

Yessir.

 

[planoman]

Check the Samsung website under accessories for the S7 Active. They have what appears to be a top layer screen replacement for the S7 Active? Could be a screen protector also but not sure.

 

[Maryelis Santiago]

Sign my petition, enough is enough. These people are making millions and won't even take accountability for faulty products:

https://www.change.org/p/att-recall-att-samsung-galaxy-s7-active