Prospective HTC Buyers: Beware of Poor HTC One Build Quality!!

[Thunderbird005]

I'm new to these forums but feel compelled to share with you all that my HTC One (M7) has devolved into a useless form only 14 months of light use (no rain, no major shock, just in my back pocket).

While it was an enticing purchase when I bought it due to its sleek, elegant design and aluminum pack panel, the product itself is of laughably low quality. I knew upon receiving it and noticing the misaligned speaker holes, panel gaps at the top and bottom, and a screen that was not manufactured flush on the phone surface that this might turn into a rough ride. I spoke with reps when I received the phone and they told me not to be alarmed. However, after 14 months of normal use, my phone dies after about 15 seconds of use and the adhesive holding my screen to the body has come undone so that now there's massive gap underneath it. This is perhaps due to the incredible heat emitted by the phone when I use certain apps like navigation.

Basically, sure the phone looks great and contains competitive hardware. But what really matters is reliability and reasonable build quality. The HTC One exhibits neither of those qualities, and I therefore highly recommend that any of you considering a new phone look into the Samsung S5, iPhone 5S, LG G3, etc.

I do not anticipate purchasing another HTC product again unless they improve themselves!

Disclaimer: I am an engineering student at MIT and am in no way partial to any other brand of smartphone. I am currently using my old backup iPhone 4, which is functioning just fine and dandy

 

[joe_fresh]

By the look of the second to last picture, I dont think the screen is bad, I think the frame is bent.

 

[05 TypeS DC5]

Idk man mine looks mint since launch day I've dropped several time and even accidentally kicked my phone. I use a cheap super thin tpu case and my phone looks mint.

Those pictures look like maybe someone sat on the phone or maybe it was sitting in the sun and melted idk. I've never seen one in such bad shape and I have a few friends with HTC one m7s.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[ram1220]

The frame is probably bent because the OP keeps the phone in the back pocket. When you sit on the phone and don't take care of it then this is what happens. I have had my One M7 since October 2013 and it still looks brand new. No problems at all. But then again I take care of my phone.

 

[MONDINGO]

Mines mint as well.. Don't keep it in your back pocket...

Sent from my HTC One using AC Forums mobile app

 

[IAmSixNine]

I think what really happened is the OP has a unit with a bad battery.
With him mentioning the phone dying after 15 seconds of use, plus the fact that the screen is bowing out like that makes me think of a battery pack going bad and releasing gasses. This causes the sealed batter pack to swell up. I have seen this happen on numerous blackberry, motorola and iPhones.
I have actually seen an iPhone 4 and 4s have the screen pushed out and the battery door broken off because of the battery pack going bad and swelling up. I also have some of these batteries at my office. (i work in the smart phone repair field so i have seen this before)
This in my opinion has nothing to do with poor build quality. Its like what the fire dept uses for rescues. They take giant air bags and inflate them to lift heavy objects. In this case the gasses forming in the battery pack have found the weakest point. It very well cant break through the aluminum so its pushing the glass off where the adhesive is the weakest.
Heat is one of the worst things for Lion packs. That and letting the battery voltage get to low. It will speed up the break down process inside the battery pack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU7cpP8qaVs
These videos is a good example of a battery pack swelling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFwn0MJTw6A

 

[bytebuster]

I don't know where and how you bought it, but I may as well be a fake one. My cousin in Germany has a Vodafone shop and I have seen there a lot of fake phones bought as genuine by a lot of people. Most of them are bought on internet. If you don't know the difference or has an original phone to compare it then you would think that it is genuine but not fake. Search youtube then you would see a lot of videos about this.

 

[anon(8215685)]

I knew upon receiving it and noticing the misaligned speaker holes, panel gaps at the top and bottom, and a screen that was not manufactured flush on the phone surface that this might turn into a rough ride. I spoke with reps when I received the phone and they told me not to be alarmed....

Basically, sure the phone looks great and contains competitive hardware. But what really matters is reliability and reasonable build quality...

I do not anticipate purchasing another HTC product again unless they improve themselves!

Disclaimer: I am an engineering student at MIT and am in no way partial to any other brand of smartphone. I am currently using my old backup iPhone 4, which is functioning just fine and dandy

Was this a brand new, never been sold/used, bought by a reputable company, and not off of E-bay, Craigslist, or from the back of a van? Granted the phone could have somehow slipped through HTC's quality control, been damaged during shipment, or been dropped/stepped on/damaged by an employee of the company that sold the phone, but it seems extremely odd to be sold in the condition described as new. It also seems odd, to a degree, that when the issue was brought to the attention of the seller, that they said not to be alarmed. No offense, but common sense says you should have returned the phone immediately and demanded another phone or a refund. It's ridiculous to pay for a brand new product and receive a product that obviously has issues and is not brand new.

If HTC Ones truly have poor build quality, then why hasn't it ever been mentioned in reviews? In these forums? I realize you're upset, but the issue you have with your phone does not equate to ALL HTC Ones having poor build quality. More than likely it means you got screwed, scammed, or for whatever reason accepted a phone that probably should never have been sold.

Best of luck and no offense intended...just curious.

One more thing that seems odd is why do the threads below, posted with a different screen name, have the same pics as this thread? Just curious.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/htc-one/399253-ignore-thread.html

http://forums.androidcentral.com/htc-one-m8/399245-ignore-post.html#post3708700

 

[ucfgrad93]

No problems with my almost year old M7. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another HTC phone.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[LedZappa]

Preordered. Mine is in like new condition and operating like it except for on very small dent I got by dropping it on concrete and I'm talking hangnail small.

 

[lastidavailable]

Nice catch. Looks like guerilla marketing by an HTC competitor.

 

[05 TypeS DC5]

Just looks like an online troll making stuff up seen this exact same post from different username.

Dude should get a life no one is going to believe he got the phone like that or that magically phone started falling apart by itself..

Posted via Android Central App

 

[RiseAgainst94]

Just looks like an online troll making stuff up seen this exact same post from different username.

Dude should get a life no one is going to believe he got the phone like that or that magically phone started falling apart by itself..

Posted via Android Central App

This is not a fake from what I can tell. You are obviously too blinded by bias to see that there is some error in some HTC phones (which is to be expected for all devices). If someone else posted something similar than you might figure that this is a reoccurring problem and not someone making up a problem about a phone that has been out for well over a year.

He has obviously had the phone for a while because the hairline gaps that he referenced can be seen on multiple occasions with some of the first batches of HTC One's, just try googling "HTC Hairline Gap." Actually, here is some help in doing that:
https://www.google.com/webhp?source...&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=htc one hairline gap

@IAmSixNine actually had some useful information to share and I agree that based on the presented problems the issue is most likely with the battery that HTC used, not with the device itself.

 

[anon(8215685)]

This is not a fake from what I can tell. You are obviously too blinded by bias to see that there is some error in some HTC phones (which is to be expected for all devices). If someone else posted something similar than you might figure that this is a reoccurring problem and not someone making up a problem about a phone that has been out for well over a year.

He has obviously had the phone for a while because the hairline gaps that he referenced can be seen on multiple occasions with some of the first batches of HTC One's, just try googling "HTC Hairline Gap." Actually, here is some help in doing that:

@IAmSixNine actually had some useful information to share and I agree that based on the presented problems the issue is most likely with the battery that HTC used, not with the device itself.

How is 05 TypeS DC5 "blinded by bias?" If anything he's blinded by the obvious/facts and decided to share his opinion. It is also obvious the OP had the phone for a while as he states he's had it for 14 months:

I'm new to these forums but feel compelled to share with you all that my HTC One (M7) has devolved into a useless form only 14 months of light use (no rain, no major shock, just in my back pocket).

While it was an enticing purchase when I bought it due to its sleek, elegant design and aluminum pack panel, the product itself is of laughably low quality. I knew upon receiving it and noticing the misaligned speaker holes, panel gaps at the top and bottom, and a screen that was not manufactured flush on the phone surface that this might turn into a rough ride.

I agree with you whole-heartedly that there is some error in some HTC phones (which is to be expected for all devices). This likely happens with all manufacturers. The issue I have, no offense to the OP, is that a person would buy a product that they acknowledge had obvious issues when they received it after purchase and then feels "compelled" to complain and bash the manufacturer 14 months later when the product ceases to function/no longer functions correctly. I also have to wonder why anyone, after noticing defects, would accept a rep from the company they purchased the defective product from telling them not to be alarmed. Seriously? When you pay for a new product and receive a product that does not appear new or has obvious defects, you are either entitled to an exchange for a new/defect free device or refund. In my opinion if something doesn't make sense, it's likely untrue. Maybe the OP's situation is legit, but it sure seems like trolling/BS to me. Whatever the case is I wish the OP nothing but the best with his iPhone 4 and his studies.

 

[oditius]

Trolling is when you post a controversial post like this one, knowing it will get the HTC fanboys all riled up and never come back to defend your OP. But maybe come back under a different name to do so to stir the pot more. But that is besides the point.

14 MONTHS????? Someone actually keeps their phones that long? I think the longest I ever kept one was 6 months. LoL

 

[vtpmt81]

Trolling is when you post a controversial post like this one, knowing it will get the HTC fanboys all riled up and never come back to defend your OP. But maybe come back under a different name to do so to stir the pot more. But that is besides the point.

14 MONTHS????? Someone actually keeps their phones that long? I think the longest I ever kept one was 6 months. LoL

Most people keep their phones for at least 18 months - average is 24-30 months.

 

[Relgoshan]

Trolling is when you post a controversial post like this one, knowing it will get the HTC fanboys all riled up and never come back to defend your OP. But maybe come back under a different name to do so to stir the pot more. But that is besides the point.

14 MONTHS????? Someone actually keeps their phones that long? I think the longest I ever kept one was 6 months. LoL

I kept my Echo 3-1/2 years....it still works great. OP is an engineering student not a mechanic. Probably marathoned some video gaming who knows what else on it. I agree with the battery being related to the screen getting pushed out, especially after one year since most battery warranties are only 90 days...

Sitting on your phone is a risk, proportionally more dangerous in relation to how broad it is. My phone was even 'tested to survive being sat on' and I still wouldn't do it all the time....

Fact is, phone out of warranty and quite possibly beyond cost-effective repairs too. GG pick another, and be a little more attentive before it gets to this point. I mean my brother is an engineer, he always lets his cars to the brink of death on important things like tires and brakes...engineering does not make people smarter about this stuff. Lesson learned bro.

 

[TimmE]

Do you think this guy was trolling on his own or do you think he is one of those trolls Samsung was hiring?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[05 TypeS DC5]

I think he is probably doing this on his own if not its just sad.


And for the record I'm not an HTC fan boy. I actually prefer Samsung over HTC. My next phone will be Galaxy S5 Prime. But with that said this phone has best build quality of all 2013 phones and it's a phone I would use as a measurement to how build quality should be.

This phone feels great in the hand and doesn't feel cheap, bendable or plastic and has a nice weight to it. Just me personally I preferred how touchwiz felt and how it synced to my Samsung 3d TV.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Thunderbird005]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies and sorry for the delay in responding. I've been busy with school stuff, and as I mentioned in my original post, I don't check these forums often. Also, I did post the same pictures other places and erased their content because they were apparently in the wrong location, e.g. the new HTC thread. I didn't, however, delete the entire posts because I couldn't figure out how to do that :/

It seems these problems with my phone were anomalies (at least hopefully) given the number of you who were outraged by the pictures. Well, unfortunately, this is not a joke and actually happened! I sent the phone back to HTC, and according to their tracking page it seems they've repaired the phone and are sending it back to me with no charges mentioned! Let's hope that's indeed the case--I'll let you know what it looks like when I get it back: pictures and all.