Sonofa...I Broke My Smartphone!

[Jason Dunn]

So perhaps I was tempting fate when I wrote about this same topic back in April (http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/index.php?topic_id=14305), but on Friday morning I had my hands full with a few things as I was getting out of my car and after taking a few steps I dropped my T-Mobile Dash on the parking lot asphalt. It landed face down, and I froze for a second then picked it up. I brushed it off and it looked ok, so I thought I was lucky yet again and put it in my pocket. It wasn't until I looked at it a few hours later that I saw I had indeed destroyed the screen. Check out the damage:

http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/dash-cracked1.jpg

And here's a close-up of the sad, sad reality:

http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/dash-cracked2.jpg

The Dash is the best Windows Mobile device I've ever used - I think it's a superb blend of great engineering and aesthetics. To be without my Dash is a very painful thing. But all hope is not lost! The fine folks at PPC Techs (http://www.ppctechs.com) have offered to fix the screen for me - they offer a T-Mobile Dash LCD screen repair (http://www.pocketpctechs.com/main%7Eunit%7ET-Mobile_Dash-772%7Earea%7Erepairs%7Eitem%7EHTC%2DLCD01%7Ename%7ET%2DMobile+Dash+LCD+Replacement+Service.htm) for $139 USD if you find yourself in the same situation. My Dash is boxed up and ready for shipping, so hopefully a few weeks from now I'll be back to rocking the Dash. In the meantime, I've decided to use the HTC Touch full time and we'll see how that goes...

[onlydarksets]

That looks brutal - sorry to hear about it! At least you've got the hookup for the repair, and a backup phone, right?

[Darius Wey]

Ah, good ol' Pocket PC Techs. Good to see this one's not heading to the gadget graveyard.

That looks brutal - sorry to hear about it! At least you've got the hookup for the repair, and a backup phone, right?

In his last paragraph, Jason mentioned he'd be using the HTC Touch as a backup phone, so he won't be WM-less for the next few weeks.

[Prosper]

Sorry to hear about it :?

[Mike Temporale]

Ouch! That's not cheap. :(

[Stinger]

I remember when I dropped my SPV C500 in a car park. The screen broke in similar fashion. I was devastated. I wonder why HTC Smartphone screens are so prone to shattering? I've never had any problems with the Nokia/Sony Ericsson/Samsung phones I've owned. In fact, one Nokia I had got launched a good 10 metres when I slipped on some ice and survived!

[scottb]

That's tragic! That's also why I pay for insurance.

[John Cody]

I also love my Dash - so much so that I just purchased a backup unit for $265 from 1luckyday. So, if something happens to my current unit, a quick sprite restore to the new unit and I'm back in business :)

[onlydarksets]

In his last paragraph, Jason mentioned he'd be using the HTC Touch as a backup phone, so he won't be WM-less for the next few weeks.

That's what I was trying to say, but failed to convey well...

***long quote trimmed by mod JD***

[Mark Larson]

I also love my Dash - so much so that I just purchased a backup unit for $265 from 1luckyday. So, if something happens to my current unit, a quick sprite restore to the new unit and I'm back in business :)

You pay $265 today... isn't that an opportunity cost? Couldn't you put that same money in the bank and purchase JIT or as needed?

Technology gets cheaper every day so its very curious to me why people purchase "backup" phones, especially high-end ones that depreciate a lot. :oops:

[John Cody]

You pay $265 today... isn't that an opportunity cost? Couldn't you put that same money in the bank and purchase JIT or as needed?

Technology gets cheaper every day so its very curious to me why people purchase "backup" phones, especially high-end ones that depreciate a lot. :oops:

Well, holding on to the money and only buying a replacement phone when needed will maybe save me some dough, but I will then be without a device (that I depend on 24/7) for almost 3-4 days by purchasing it online. So, any potential savings in money is canceled out by the loss of use in my opinion. You might then say "Well, don't wait by buying it online, just go to a store to buy it". But, any device that comes down in price significantly (to obtain the savings you are suggesting), is probably no longer carried in stores because it's an older model. So, I would almost certainly need to buy it online. Yeah, I could also just buy a newer model (that a local store may have so I can get it right away), but I have a lot of money invested in the accessories and software for the model I have. So, I would just have to spend more money to buy new accessories and software updates for the new device - again any savings by holding onto my money is canceled out.

Besides, when I eventually do upgrade to a newer model, I could always sell the backup unit on ebay for about 1/2 of the price I bought it for. So, $140 to me is easily worth the the convenience of being back up to speed within minutes of a problem.

Thats why I almost always purchase a backup for anything that I depend on heavily.

[Tim Williamson]

I just cried a little bit... :cry:

I only have my Samsung dumphone as a backup...but I just figure, if I ever break my Dash then that gives me a good reason to upgrade to the latest and greatest device! :)

[Jason Dunn]

I remember when I dropped my SPV C500 in a car park. The screen broke in similar fashion. I was devastated. I wonder why HTC Smartphone screens are so prone to shattering?

I wouldn't say HTC phones are any more or less fragile than other phones - this is the fourth (at least) time I've dropped that phone, and I dropped it once already on concrete, and it survived every time. It's pure chance whenever you drop it how it lands...and the landing point will determine the damage.

[Jon Westfall]

Originally when I saw the post title, I thought Sonofa was a new piece of software or some strangly named technology. Sadly it was much worse...

We Hope your little friend comes back home quickly and safely!

- Jon & Jon's Dash

[Janak Parekh]

I remember when I dropped my SPV C500 in a car park. The screen broke in similar fashion. I was devastated. I wonder why HTC Smartphone screens are so prone to shattering?
I wouldn't say HTC phones are any more or less fragile than other phones - this is the fourth (at least) time I've dropped that phone, and I dropped it once already on concrete, and it survived every time. It's pure chance whenever you drop it how it lands...and the landing point will determine the damage.
Well, that and the fact that Jason has particularly bad luck with PDA phones. ;)

Seriously, Jason, I'm so sad to see that little guy broken up like that. Seeing as how I held and reviewed your Dash unit, this one hits particularly home. It's just such an amazingly small device, that I agree that it's worth fixing.

--janak

[Pete Paxton]

I absolutely love my dash. It's the greatest device on the market for me. I would literallly freak if I dropped it and came out with a cracked screen. All I can say for your loss is :puppydogeyes:

[extravagant]

sorry to hear....i am currently using the hp 6925 ppc phone with qwerty, i was wondering how u are finding using the HTC touch as it has no actual buttons (I find a phone really hard to use without a qwerty)

Can you please tell me how the screen on the HTC is, is it that regular plastic inferior feeling touchscreen as seen on ppcs? or is it a nice glass or something material like the iphone that has a better feel when using ur finger....

and how do u find using the touchscreen keyboard, is it harder?

Also does anyone know if another version of the touch will be released with GPS (the touch seems best since its so small etc, my hp is a brick!)

Thanks and sorry to hear

[Rocco Augusto]

You should have had a Blackjack. I accidentally dropped my phone and then ran mine over the other day with my girlfriends Scion and it came out like a champ!

I didn't even realize I dropped it until I started pulling out and saw in on the ground. The first thought that went through my head was "Ha! Some sucker lost his Blackjack, now I'll have two!"... Then I realized I was that sucker! ;) :lol:

[jcjdoss]

You should have had a Blackjack. I accidentally dropped my phone and then ran mine over the other day with my girlfriends Scion and it came out like a champ!

I didn't even realize I dropped it until I started pulling out and saw in on the ground. The first thought that went through my head was "Ha! Some sucker lost his Blackjack, now I'll have two!"... Then I realized I was that sucker! ;) :lol:

That's messed up, funny, but messed up. Thanks for making me feel better about my BlackJack though

[Rocco Augusto]

That's messed up, funny, but messed up. Thanks for making me feel better about my BlackJack though

My pleasure! :lol:

[ricksfiona]

Is the Dash screen touch-sensitive? I was thinking about the T-Mobile Wing... But I'm not sure about the price...

[ctmagnus]

No touch screen on the Dash.