Dust Under Your C500/SP3/SMT5600 Screen? A Possible Solution from Pocket PC Techs…

[Jason Dunn]

I have an Orange C500, and it's generally a fantastic phone: small size, nice screen, great battery life, Bluetooth, camera, and speedy use. So why do I want to throw it out the nearest window? DUST. It's my second C500, and has a horrible amount of dust under the screen. When I'm using it in direct sunlight the dust lights up and makes the display almost useless. You'd think HTC would have learnt their lesson after the dust problems the original iPAQ had, but it seems not - they continue to make phones and PDAs with insufficiently sealed screens, and dust creeps in.I wanted to enjoy using my C500 again, so I contacted the only people I thought could help with this problem: Pocket PC Techs. They're the world-class experts at upgrading and repairing Windows Mobile devices, so I thought they might have a solution. I sent them my phone a few weeks ago, and after some investigation they discovered the problem: the dust is getting in through the ear piece and side vent. The gasket between the LCD clear cover and the LCD itself is not thick enough, nor does it cover enough at the bottom. HTC quality control at it's finest. :roll:Pocket PC Techs can clean the dust out, but the real solution is a a replacement gasket that is the right size to prevent dust from creeping in again. There's a significant up-front cost to Pocket PC Techs in order to get this gasket made, so they need to know how many people would be interested in this fix before they start.So here's the question: would you be willing to pay $50 + return shipping to have the dust cleaned from under the screen of your C500/SP3/SMT5600 and have the gasket replaced to fix the problem permanently? $50 is what they need to charge to make this service pay for itself. Survey time!

[iclark]

Sounds like a fair price but why wouldn't I get iMate to fix my SP3 dust problem (which seems to have gotten worst this week).

If I bought a car and the tail light fell out I would not expect to have to pay to get it fixed if it was still within warranty.

If every model of the same car had the same problem that would be a recall.

Apart from the ground speed I can't see the difference if they are both within warranty (except that I don't need to send off my car for 2 weeks to a different state to get fixed)...

[mpaquette]

I've been reluctant to send my phone off to i-mate (Dubai) because I can't be without my phone for weeks while they correct my dust problem. And from what I've read, sending your phone off to i-mate might get you a dust free replacement, but it's going to collect dust once again because the gasket is poorly designed. If Pocket PC Techs can remove the dust and actually prevent my phone from getting dusty in the future and get my phone back to me quickly, then I would gladly pay them $50 for that service.

[jfreiman]

Well, I'm on my 2nd Audiovox SMT5600 and I have yet to see any dust under the screen.

Well, in the event it ever happens, I'd say, "No" 'cause it's likely that I'll upgrade to a newer device before dust would be a problem for me.

[Jason Dunn]

Sounds like a fair price but why wouldn't I get iMate to fix my SP3 dust problem (which seems to have gotten worst this week).

Well, not everyone has that option - some people who bought the phone from a carrier can't take it back because the carrier doesn't consider the dust to be a valid cause for replacement/repair. Also, you may end up having the same problem again.

[Sven Johannsen]

I voted Yes, I would, but I have to say I don't have a dust problem on my SMT5600...should I add, yet?

I said yes more as an endorsement for PPCTechs. They do ecxellent work and have done so for me. If I had dust, they are likely the only ones I'd trust with it, and I wouldn't hesitate.

[Jerry Raia]

I've got a couple flecks under my screen. Not enough to have this done.

[mpaquette]

I forgot to add......... I have a ton of dust on my SP3i, but my girlfriend has no dust on her SMT5600. I do plan on upgrading when WM 5.0 devices arrive and would probably ebay my i-mate. I think a device filled with dust would fetch about $.50 so there's another reason to have this done.

[surfer]

No more words needeed

Gee, for once I'm glad I bought a Motorola!

But im happy to see that somone have come up with a solution for you guys :)

[Mike Temporale]

I haven't seen a large dust issue. While I do have dust, it's not that bad. I think this is because I don't tend to drop the phone into my pocket. Instead I use the belt case that came with it.

If it was bad, then sure, I would want PPCT to fix it. In the end, hopefully it could be done for a little less than $50. But if that's what it costs, then I would pay it.

[mxm]

I had a ton of dust under my SPV C500 as well. I believe that in Holland Orange does offer the solution under warranty. However this requires you to have an Orange subscription and an original SIM locked phone. I had neither; I've bought mine without subscription and unlocked it through imei-check.co.uk. My guess is that some of you did the same.

Anyway, in my case the warranty is gone (unlocking voids warranty) and for me there was only one option: fixing the dust issue myself. I found the following guide very useful: digimission dust fixing guide (http://www.digimission.com/?page_id=25). I dropped my C500 a few times, which left some nasty scratches (why Vaja doesn't make a case for this model is beyond me), so I took the opportunity to change the facia as well (check eBay UK). It took me about 1,5 hours and I must say I'm pretty content the way things turned out. The dust is gone, doesn't seem to reappear (yet). In case it does, I'll just fix it again!

In my opinion doing it yourself beats paying $50,-, when your warranty is gone. I think the amount is justifiable, but it's still too much.

In regards to Vaja: if anyone feels the same: please help me in convincing Vaya to make a i-Volution style case for the SMT5600 / SPV C500 / SP3 etc.!!!

[Damion Chaplin]

I voted 'yes', but I don't actually have any dust problems yet (knock on wood). I learned the hard way from my old SE phone that carrying it in your pocket (where lint enters the universe) is just asking for dust problems...

If I were to start having dust problems, I would definitely pay $50 + shipping for it to be permanently fixed.

Realistically speaking, I agree with the previous poster who said they would probably have upgraded their phone by the time it becomes a problem, but I'm also thinking about resale value here. How much do you think I could get for an SMT5600 with massive dust behind the screen? Now how much do you think I would get for a dust-free unit?

[Mike Temporale]

In regards to Vaja: if anyone feels the same: please help me in convincing Vaya to make a i-Volution style case for the SMT5600 / SPV C500 / SP3 etc.!!!

I've asked a couple times. AllI hear is that it's not something they are looking into at this time. :?

[ctmagnus]

In regards to Vaja: if anyone feels the same: please help me in convincing Vaya to make a i-Volution style case for the SMT5600 / SPV C500 / SP3 etc.!!!

:onfire: I am so with you on this! I just contacted them about it.

[mxm]

:onfire: I am so with you on this! I just contacted them about it.

Just slightly off topic here, but I did too (second time). Maybe if we keep harassing them about it, they'll consider....

[ctmagnus]

Still slightly ot:Dear Chris,
At present that model is not in our immediate manufacturing plans.

Anyway, thank you very much for your interest in our cases

Best regards

María Cecilia
García Querol
Customer Care Department
www.vajacases.com

:cry:

[mxm]

I had a hilarious response to my second request:

Nora Stolzenwald/Vaja is out of the office:
I will be out of the office starting 18/07/2005 and will not return until 25/07/2005.

:D

[ctmagnus]

I had a hilarious response to my second request:

Nora Stolzenwald/Vaja is out of the office:
I will be out of the office starting 18/07/2005 and will not return until 25/07/2005.

:D

I got this as well, but it was the second response to my only question. But out of the two responses I got, I like this one better as it doesn't say no.

[SnozBerries]

I used to have a dust problem, but about two weekends ago, there was a disaster involving my phone. A melted candy bar joined forces with my 5600, so I had to do something. Rather than chancing a rejected warranty claim, I took matters into my own hands. My phone is now free of chocolate, and the dust problem was addressed at the same time. The phone still has a bit of a chocolate aroma to it, but thankfully my left soft key works again (left soft key answers phone calls and brings up the start menu - two vital commands).

I'm confident that I can clean it again if/when the dust returns. I think that most people who can build a PC can handle taking the phone apart.

[Mike Temporale]

A melted candy bar joined forces with my 5600

8O :lol: Alright, I hate to laugh, but that is kind of funny.

[SPPassion]

Allright, many of us said "yes" in the poll for getting the dust issue fixed, so what's next now? I tried to contact PPC techs via email about a week ago but still waiting for reply. Does anybody know if this feedback (from poll) was forwarded to PPC people and what was their response?

Thanks