They say never to leave a candle or a baby unattended. In our case, that's just extended to one of our favourite smart phones.
We left our Google Nexus One charging on a desk during lunch today. When we returned the screen was rife with hairline cracks and a horrible purple bruise had spread across the gorgeous AMOLED touchscreen.
There was no evidence that the phone had been moved, and the screen doesn't have any scratches or marks on the surface. The thin cracks all appear to be under the glass -- as if the phone had been bent, but not broken.
It could be that some scurvy dog manhandled the phone while our backs were turned and then ran for it when they broke the screen. Or it could be a delayed reaction from spending the last few days travelling around in our pocket, leading the rough-and-tumble life of any mobile phone. It could even be that a tiny meteorite broke through the earth's magnetic shield and penetrated the Nexus One's defences. Or it could have happened entirely spontaneously.
We showed photos of our poor, disfigured Nexus One to Google, and it told us that this is the first time that it has heard of the phone committing hari kiri, and that it will investigate the problem. It recommended that we speak to the manufacturer of the phone, HTC, and we're waiting for a comment from its PR representatives.
The helpful support person staffing the HTC support hotline told us that it would send a courier to pick up the damaged phone. If HTC decides that the problem is our fault, we'll be charged for the repair, but it wasn't able to tell us how much that might cost. The support rep that we spoke to said that he fields about 40 support requests a day, and he had never heard of a screen giving up the ghost like ours did.
Have you traumatised your Google Nexus One? Let us know in the comments. Then click 'continue' to see what it looks like when love dies.
Update: HTC tells us that this is the first time it has heard of any issue with the screen cracking this way during charging. It has asked to collect our Nexus One to investigate fully, and we'll let you know the results.
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Anonymous 12 August, 2010 08:14
This happened to me as well. TWICE. The 2nd time occuring within a month of getting it back from repairs the first time! HTC is completely sh*t! NEVER BUY THEIR PHONES!
Anonymous 15 September, 2010 22:26
Phones should be built to be robust. I bought a Nokia 5230 from Phones 4 You in Guildford (UK). I charged the phone and suddenly a cracked appeared in the glass. I did not drop the phone, was not heavy handed with the phone. In total I paid £90 ($135) with the case which cost me £10.00 ($15.00). IYou can easily repair yourself with kit. But to send away to get fixed would cost about £35.00 ($53). I bought this out of my meagre wages. The shop refuses to exchange it. The greedy, money grabbing firm. Do not buy there.
Anonymous 13 January, 2011 04:24
The same exact thing happened to me today!!!!!!!!!! In my pocket in my jacket all day ( i mean the inside pocket too), and when I got home after listening to 5 songs, the screen was all jacked up.
Anonymous 22 January, 2011 01:32
The EXACT same thing happened to mine! : ( i was out shopping, used my phone several times throughout the day! When i got home and went to check my messages the screen wouldn't work i tried to unlock the phone and turn it on and off then looked closer and the screen was scratchless perfect but the actual soft screen underneath had cracks all over it and nothing but black with a few random streaks of light!! : ( Still don't know what had happened i didnt drop it or anything! maybe during the day some pressure had bent the phone in my bad! Not impressive durablitiy though!
Anonymous 7 May, 2011 05:18
It happened with my Nokia n73 yesterday. Had put it to charge, and later when I checked it ... the screen had a series of cracks running through it. Very strange. My cell though served me well for the last 3 years.
Anonymous 15 June, 2011 07:12
Just got mine while charging on the dock. Screen turned pink at the bottom and worked it's way up, now it's turning blue on the bottom.
Anonymous 25 July, 2011 22:12
When I plled out my phone it was great, i ate my dinner picked it up went to work and when i arrived there.
It was horrible suddenly a gigentic crack from the right lower corner all the way across the screen to the upper left corner.
Nothing weird happend to it it hasn't fallen it hasn't been hugging key's in my pocket.
It just happend.
Any advise on what to do now?
anonymous 19 January, 2012 23:14
Had my nexus for one day and a crack has appeared underneath the screen from.one side to the other. Again dont know how it appeared, it just did, no history of dropping it or bending in my pocket. If this is happening after one day, this is obviously a fault of the design ofvthe phone
tobermoryboy 9 February, 2013 12:10
My Daughters Nexus 7 has just cracked, whilst we watched and photographed it in our computer business. It started whilst she had it on the desk re-charging...
This is the same Nexus that had a warranty issue (http://www.cbits.co.uk/ourblog/?p=166), so I don't know what EBuyer/Asus will say to this but I'm not hopeful (Why does it always happen on a Saturday morning??)
Our Engineer had the same thing happen to his iPad 6 months ago. Apple said it was impossible and he must have dropped it, in the end he let them off the hook and agreed to pay £80 for a "warranty replacement"
My belief is that it’s to do with the device overheating (Particularly when being charged), and is a problem similar to the many devices which have “caught fire” or exploded, probably to to with the battery ?, but certainly it seems to go across many devices and is clearly being denied by the Manufacturers!)
anonymous 20 February, 2013 08:37
HTC phones are too delicate. We have 2 dead ones, a few months old. The after-sales service is not good either.