How many other users recieved a phone with FAULTY HARDWARE?

[C0ffeeFreak]

Hi folks,

My phone arrived last week and, the anticipation was palpable. I was so happy to be rid of google / apple.

Everything seemed to work out of the box - except calls (microphone). No problem its probably the OS right?

I spend a few hours trying out different OS's, each having the same problem. Finally, by chance, I discovered that the microphone does indeed work when you hold / persuade the charging port towards the screen. It fails if you don't hold it.

Contacting support, I requested information on:
- the procedure to return the item, and
- the progress of the rest of the order (docking bar).

The not very prompt reply was to download the diagnostic OS and run the microphone test. The question regarding the rest of the order was completely ignored.

The Microphone failed the diagnostic test. (SURPRISE!!!)

Reporting this to support and waiting another day, I was advised to unscrew the phone and check that the cable connecting the charging port board was seated.
(Even though it still charged perfectly normally, but ok whatever, I'm talking to an expert right?)

Upon examining the interior of the phone, the charging port cable was indeed already seated (SURPRISE!!!)
I noticed that the charging port board was able to 'move' slightly around one of the screw mount points.

Reporting this to support, I was asked to provide a photograph.




After sending the photograph, I was advised that the photo would have to be sent to an engineer for examination.

Days later, I receive a request for my address, so a new charging port board could be sent for me to install myself.

At this point I advise support that I do not have the tools for any micro-soldering, and have no experience doing such phone surgery and would rather not risk it.

Support sends the link to a video of the operation, which I again advise I am not confident to do.

Support has now, advised my of an address in California to ship it to for examination... (I'm in Australia)



At this point I want to ask you guys... am I being unreasonable that I just want to get a refund now? this is turning into a time and money wasting poopshow.

I really just wish I could have got a phone that worked


Best regards all,
John

It's happened a few times and I have always followed the threads and it seems to get worked out one way or another, sometimes months later. These phones are a Beta. Pine64 is studying your problem and wants you to send it to someone to look at it that figure out exactly whats wrong and what went wrong in manufacturing to prevent and correct it. Many of us that get involved with Pine64 products are Linux tech enthusiast and phone geeks with knowledge or seeking the knowledge on exactly every aspect on the this project. We study the devices, we study the lines of code, we can take the Pinephone apart and put it back together again. There are many of us. My second Pinephone the buttons fell out of the plastic back the first time I took it off to pull the battery transfer tab (the piece of tape). I fixed it with some contact cement. My first Pinephone has a couple dead pixels in the far upper right corner but you can only see them when the phone is booting. I love my Pinephones. I love watching the development of the distros and working on the phones. They have come so far in just a year. I would fix it myself and if I wasn't capable I would pay someone who was. There are many people like me. Pine64 can't keep up with the demand. On any given day here in the USA there are 3-5 Pinephones for sale in on eBay and they sell for $100 to $250 over the price you paid because people want them and don't want to wait. Even the early UBPorts CE editions with the defective boards go for top dollar. I just want to see it succeed. Mainline open source Linux phones free of spyware. Privacy. With privacy switches. If this isn't your thing and you don't want to deal with the charging port board swap (if that is what it needs) you have a 30 day warranty and every right to use that guarantee and return it and get refunded. No one will think any less of you here. These phones are getting close to being marketable to the masses. Mobian is very close. Arch is right behind it. Plasma anything is a mess no matter what Pine64 says in their podcast. The software is slowly being optimized for the hardware and the hardware is being tweaked and standardized for mass production. So in conclusion, if you don't want to deal with it, request to return it and a refund and buy one next year when they work out the kinks. No one will think any less of you here. Good luck and best wishes, Mike, AKA C0ffeeFreak.