HTC One (M8): Camera Lens Issue

[Kaenon11]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Okay thanks for this! Now my lens has more scratches and a bit hazy now. Im scared.

Posted via Android Central App

Mine went through the same phase. I wish I would have taken incremental pictures as I was cleaning it...
Photos became hazy, due to smearing of the coating and increase in marks on the coating.

As long as all you're using is a Q-tip and IPA, it shouldn't scratch the actual lens.

Keep at it and let us know how it turns out.

I only have a little residual coating left around the outer part of the lens but I don't feel the need to work to get that off...

 

[whitezee10]

Mine went through the same phase. I wish I would have taken incremental pictures as I was cleaning it...
Photos became hazy, due to smearing of the coating and increase in marks on the coating.

As long as all you're using is a Q-tip and IPA, it shouldn't scratch the actual lens.

Keep at it and let us know how it turns out.

I only have a little residual coating left around the outer part of the lens but I don't feel the need to work to get that off...

I hope this turns out well!! Will report afterwards.

Update:

Still smeared, with more scratches. Im tired now, been doing it for a long time. Will try again tomorrow. Hope itll be okay.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[eyecon82]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Please people, do not use toothpaste or any similar abrasive on the lens. Depending on the toothpaste you could either have good results or ones that are detrimental.

The easiest fix is a cotton swab and isopropyl or rubbing alcohol.

Continue to wipe the lens vigorously, and you will begin to haze the lens by smearing the coating. Continue to use new cotton swabs and more ipa. Use circular motions, cross motions or whatever but continue to forcibly clean the lens.

Soon it will be good as new, scratch free! No finger nail, credit card required. Just cotton swabs, ipa and 15 minutes of your time.

Posted via Android Central App

Especially the ones with the micro crystals... Maybe regular old toothpaste works, but I'd be careful of the ones with sand like particles in them

-Sent from Tapatalk

 

[whitezee10]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Okay was desperate so i used plain white pepsodent toothpaste. All the friggin haziness and scratches were now gone! All thats left is the film that looks like an outer ring. Will finish it off later tonight. Rest is crystal clear!

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Kaenon11]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Okay was desperate so i used plain white pepsodent toothpaste. All the friggin haziness and scratches were now gone! All thats left is the film that looks like an outer ring. Will finish it off later tonight. Rest is crystal clear!

Posted via Android Central App

Yup. Good work

Posted via Android Central App

 

[blink1me82]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Maybe I'm being too paranoid but the second I found this thread I went ahead and ordered the slick wraps camera protectors.. I order 2 just in case. The first time around, the screen protector ended up being really scratched, to the point where it was affecting image quality, in less than a week. I put on new ones, and now it's been 3 days and the protector is really scratched again!

Are there any better quality / scratch resistant camera protectors out there or am I better off just taking them off completely and hoping for the best?

 

[Steve Geoghegan]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

I have an M8. The phone is protected by a supcase and glass screen protector. The supcase has a deep back recess so the lens is not in contact with surfaces. I keep the phone in a pocket of my jacket alone. No keys no coins

The lens is getting progressively worse. It appears that even polishing it causes scratches. Photos are now blurred and I'm forced to return it and hope HTC do not blame wear and tear.

The best defence I have is that by comparison the depth sensor above the camera is completely unmarked. Dies this suggest a problem with the lens cover? I think so. We will see.

 

[whitezee10]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Yup. Good work

Posted via Android Central App

Thanks to your post id have chickened out if it werent for your advice haha.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[whitezee10]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

I have an M8. The phone is protected by a supcase and glass screen protector. The supcase has a deep back recess so the lens is not in contact with surfaces. I keep the phone in a pocket of my jacket alone. No keys no coins

The lens is getting progressively worse. It appears that even polishing it causes scratches. Photos are now blurred and I'm forced to return it and hope HTC do not blame wear and tear.

The best defence I have is that by comparison the depth sensor above the camera is completely unmarked. Dies this suggest a problem with the lens cover? I think so. We will see.

Hi i also tried to polish mine last night, and it became smeared and has lots of scratches. Its the film that is scratched.

However now i was able to get the film away and its now crystal clear again. You may try the steps we did at your own risk. Cheers!

Posted via Android Central App

 

[chubz#IM]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Count me in as one of the unlucky people that is on the receiving end of the phantom haze and scratches on the camera lens cover. Phone has been in a case since day 1. The worst about all of this is the phone has limited use since I have a dedicated work phone and switch back and forth with the Nexus 5 and the M8 as my personal phone. It literally picked up scratches on the camera lens being exposed to the air. I cant remember one time in the three months that I've owned the phone where it would have been sitting in sand or a pocket etc.

I did try the alcohol and toothpaste method of removing the film but it's made a complete mess and there still micro scratches all over the lens. The rest of the back of the phone shows no scratches.

I opened up a repair ticket and the customer service representative did allude to the fact that i would probably have to pay for a non warranty covered issue.....I then sent an email to Jason MacKenzie of HTC, for good measure I sent a tweet to him too. I love the phone, I don't want to even think about HTC not coming through on the repair. The last thing I want to do is give Samsung my money these days. I'd rather go back to Apple.

 

[Eclipse2K]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Count me in as one of the unlucky people that is on the receiving end of the phantom haze and scratches on the camera lens cover. Phone has been in a case since day 1. The worst about all of this is the phone has limited use since I have a dedicated work phone and switch back and forth with the Nexus 5 and the M8 as my personal phone. It literally picked up scratches on the camera lens being exposed to the air. I cant remember one time in the three months that I've owned the phone where it would have been sitting in sand or a pocket etc.

I did try the alcohol and toothpaste method of removing the film but it's made a complete mess and there still micro scratches all over the lens. The rest of the back of the phone shows no scratches.

I opened up a repair ticket and the customer service representative did allude to the fact that i would probably have to pay for a non warranty covered issue.....I then sent an email to Jason MacKenzie of HTC, for good measure I sent a tweet to him too. I love the phone, I don't want to even think about HTC not coming through on the repair. The last thing I want to do is give Samsung my money these days. I'd rather go back to Apple.

Come on man! Don't mention that fruit of a phone here. We like Robots! Androids!

Lol, but both Samsung and HTC are having issues though. HTC has a bigger issue though as a scratched camera lens is far more severe than a water resistant cover breaking off. At least when Samsung's breaks you can use it still but when you remove for charging you have to keep track of it.

Best of luck getting it resolved though.

Samsung Galaxy S5 (Verizon)

 

[chubz#IM]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

I just tried one more round of polishing and still nothing. I'll await a response from Jason MacKenzie. I will not pay out of pocket for someone thinking a plastic lens cover was a good idea.

With the build quality HTC was going for, I can't believe they didnt go with a glass lens cover. The Nexus 5, a $350.00 dollar phone has a glass cover!

 

[Preformer19]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

I thought this was pretty funny, so I thought I'd share it with you.

I received an email saying that my device was received at the HTC repair facility, and that there were a few discrepancies that needed to be looked at before the device would go through the repair process.

I said to myself, "I know exactly what this is. They think that their is damage that falls outside of the warranty". Well here's the thing. This is the way I received my replacement: scratched camera lens cover (AGAIN), camera lens was protruding out of the back of the phone, the volume rocker was loose, and the top of the screen near the top speaker grill was raised. After receiving this device, I immediately called HTC, and got ANOTHER ticket going for this phone (I made them waive the shipping fee for me...I wasn't going to give them crap). So I sent the device back immediately. And now I get an email saying that there were some discrepancies? Are you friggin' kidding me? You can't recognize your own crappy repair service, HTC? You ain't pinning the damage on me, that's for sure.

This is the most hassle-some and unbelievably poor service I have ever experienced. My next phone is most likely NOT going to be an HTC device. I give them my money and look what they give back...unbelievable...

 

[Dizfunctions]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Apparently it's just a coating that needs to be wiped away.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

 

[Jonathan Figueroa]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Just a heads up on removal. I used toothpaste and q-tips (it'll actually fix small scratches on glass).

1- I put scotch tape over the speaker grill up top (if your doing the selfie cam also) to prevent paste from going in there.

2 - Put some regular ole toothpaste on the end of the q-tip (I used cogate) and just rub it into the lens. You'll want to polish it in there in circular motions so you'll need to use some elbow grease.

3 - Wipe it off and see how it is. I was able to get all of it off on the selfie cam. Probably about 95% off the rear camera.

4 - Enjoy your minty fresh lens!

 

[anon(596177)]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Going on a little over a month now with my phone and thus far the only thing I have seen on my lenses is rogue lint. I'll be keeping a very close eye on it though because this thread is giving me tech nightmares hah

Sent from my HTC One (m8) using Tapatalk

 

[Legobricke]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Maybe I'm being too paranoid but the second I found this thread I went ahead and ordered the slick wraps camera protectors.. I order 2 just in case. The first time around, the screen protector ended up being really scratched, to the point where it was affecting image quality, in less than a week. I put on new ones, and now it's been 3 days and the protector is really scratched again!

Are there any better quality / scratch resistant camera protectors out there or am I better off just taking them off completely and hoping for the best?

I tried the Slickwrap and it always appeared hazy..... I switched to the Nillkin Tempted Glass kit.... It came with lens protectors.... installed them and I have been scratch free since....

 

[chubz#IM]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

I called back the service center and just had them ship me a new phone with the credit card hold. I also tweeted to Jason MacKenzie about my displeasure about a premium device that has build quality as it's selling point but has an Achilles Heel in a plastic camera lens cover.

Most of us these days are paying full price for a device, we expect the little things like this to not be over looked. It's not so much about innovation anymore. It's about getting it right and paying attention to detail is where it starts.

Update:
Received a call from HTC's Special Products team, they assured that my advantage swap will not be used for something like this nor will there be any associated charges. I asked why the used a plastic cover for the camera lens and he said it's something they definitely overlooked and now have seen a lot of issues being reported to them. I told them i was definitely concerned about it happening again and I told them if it does, I'll contact them again. He told me absolutely.

HTC's customer service, is top notch IMO. I'm glad they are trying to make things right. I just hope I'm not calling them back up three months from now over the same issue.

 

[ruslah]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Hello,

I've had my HTC One M8 for 4 weeks and I too am experiencing scratches on the lens. I've had my M7 for a year and it doesn't even come close to how bad my M8 has turned out.

I would just like to say, to the people getting suckered in, as did I, to the q-tip/alcohol/toothpaste/credit card wiping, Do not attempt. All it did was make my lens even worse than before. Now the back camera takes horrid pictures and the lens looks destroyed. Thanks online people -_-

From afar it may look like it worked, or the lens is cleaned.
View attachment 121043

But up close you can see the lens is scuffed and scratched all to hell, because of the attempted fix that seemed to "work" for others.
View attachment 121044

View attachment 121045

Have you done anything about this at all?

It also hasn't worked for me, and I have pretty much the same result as you. I've tried a lot of stuff, and for a long time.

Pretty damn annoying, as I had the chance to take some really good photos at an event the other night, but they come out terrible.

I'm thinking about trying to remove the lens cover all together. I done that on my One XL after it had the same problem (but this was from carrying it around in my pocket for 2 years with no protection at all.

 

[Preformer19]

Re: HTC One (M8): Camera lens cover issue

Talked with an individual from the special projects team. I had told them that the HTC customer representatives tried to push the Advantage Plan on me, and that I couldn't get a replacement device should my screen crack in the future. He said that this issue falls under a 'repair' and that I still have the HTC Advantage Plan to use. He is also attempting to reverse my initial charge of $20.00, considering that a free shipping label is provided under the 'repair', and I was forced to pay.

My replacement for my replacement is on it's way. Let's hope it's something closer to the quality of the original phone I paid $200.00 for.