Palm Pre already experiencing screen issues; stuck pixels
| by Shawn Brown on July 13th, 2009 |
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I picked up my Palm Pre a little late, about 3 weeks ago and already I am seeing a problem here and there. For one the screen twists a bit and often feels like it is snagging on something when I try to open it. One Thing I never expected though is stuck or dead pixels.
With a resolution of 320×480 pixels you normally would not notice a stuck pixel at all. Today however my phone sporadically turned off twice after having no prior issues like this and as I turned it on the contrast of the black screen revealed roughly 6 or 7 stuck pixels. I did a few checks to see if there were any dead pixels and was very relieved to find that there were none. I am not one to cry over a stuck pixel but this many is a little too much to handle after only 3 weeks.
My next question is will Sprint replace my 3 week old Pre or will they find that this is such a minuscule problem that it does not need to be repaired? Before I go into my local retailer I would like some input from our readers. Have you experienced dead or stuck pixels? If so has Sprint helped you out with your concern?
Update: My Pre just randomly froze up with only the button illuminated accompanied by a short vibration ever 10 to 15 seconds or so. Not sure what is causing all of these issues as I have not tampered with the software in any way.
Update: I went into my local Sprint retailer and was greted with less than a warm hello. After just quickly asking if the store manager had heard anything about a screen problem with the Pre he quickly shut me up multiple times no matter how I phrased the question. He kept saying he knows nothing about any problems and that he never gets feedback on the devices. Take it to a repair locations he said and handed me a poorly photo-copied map. I then took it to a repair location and spoke to a technician. He told me that he could not see the stuck pixels and that it was not enough of a problem to warrant a repair. Looks like Sprint’s customer service is showing their true colors again.
1. Jacob wrote on July 13, 2009
Dude, that’s gay. So, you gonna be writing on here more often?
2. wordweaver wrote on July 13, 2009
I have a horrific loose slider. Been to Sprint corporate store twice to try to exchange. First time, we tried six pres which all had worse sliders than mine. The Sprint rep suggested I give it a few weeks so I left with my original pre. Today, I went back and was informed that while they have new pres in the back, I cannot have one. They are reserved for people on the waiting list. They ordered me a new pre (so they say). However, by the time the new one comes in, I will likely be beyond my 30 day trial.
I’m seriously thinking of returning my pre altogether. I love what the device can do, and it is fun to use. But the hardware issues are making me second guess the wisdom of commiting to a two year contract with this phone.
3. JJ wrote on July 14, 2009
Use the tool to reformat it. See if that helps.
4. Shawn Brown wrote on July 14, 2009
Gave it a shot with nothing, also tried a 4 minute long stuck pixel video on Youtube with no luck.
5. Shawn Brown wrote on July 14, 2009
Jacob its not too bad but man am I not happy about it. Why in the world is this happening so soon? Am I the first to notice? I will be writing here more often, I am kind of taking it in as my baby and writing for some other sites sites as well. I get treated great and enjoy the work.
6. Sprint’s return policy changing due to Pre shortages? | Palm WebOS wrote on July 15, 2009
[...] At this point I am afraid to even try with Sprint’s customer service reputation. I have already had less than desirable results when complaining about the [...]
7. Sprint seeing 40% Pre return rate? | Palm WebOS wrote on July 20, 2009
[...] sure how accurate this number is but we are well aware of the many defects the Pre is having. While dead or missing pixels, loose slider, broken screens, broken volume buttons, loose batteries and a variety of software [...]
8. Jeff Brackman wrote on August 10, 2009
i have had my pre for a few weeks. i haven’t really had any issues that were that bad. i mean, i have the stuck pixels an the software is a tad buggy but all in all its a good phone. i am always surprised at the amount of people who complain about new technology. granted, you pay for something and you want it to work perfect but these things never do. remember the iphone issues in the beginning? i remember when the razr first came out, big issues. if you don’t like the beginning issues then wait several months and then get one. but come on, those of us who want to be the first with the new toy almost always has to deal with beginner issues.
9. Jonathan wrote on September 28, 2009
I feel the pains. I bought the pre the day it came out, and i’ve had it replaced probably 5 or 6 times (Bad Ear Piece, dead keyboard backlight, random freezing and restarting, bad wifi/keyboard freezing, dead ear piece, again).
I had my Treo 700wx for 2 1/2 years, dropped it in 3 feet of lake water, and NEVER had a problem with it.
10. Preonadearm wrote on November 25, 2009
Tender thanks you for details. It helped me in my responsibility