HTC EVO 4G Problems: Glass Separation and Light Leakage

By Alan Ng

14 June, 2010 Cell Phone Information, Cell Phones 4:32 am

We have yet more problems on the HTC EVO 4G handset to tell you about now, as it has been reported that the device is suffering from glass separation issues and possible light leakage.

That is according to this report from Engadget, who state that they have received a collection of complaints from users, that the glass on their HTC EVO screen is starting to loosen up from its mount on the device.

Sounds pretty bad doesn’t it, but this can’t be a wide spread problem can it? Engadget also add that the problem is also leading to ‘excessive light leakage’, which is thought to get worse the more times users press their screen when cleaning.

We have heard nothing from HTC yet regarding the matter, but we’re sure we will if the problem becomes more widespread. Can any of you confirm that this is happening to your EVO or not?

We’ll update you when we hear more details on this.

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HTC EVO 4G

dirtfarmer

I checked, I have two, and neither one is separating
Jacob

I am, screen on the bottom has risen slightly and has light leakage
Jim

I also have separation and light leakage. The EVO started as a great phone, but it seems HTC's QA is not up to par. Almost ever day/week there is an issue with this device battery…etc, reports has also surface about screen unresponsive on different materials like the HTC Incredible.
roger

I have a seidio innocase which wraps around the glass edge, removed it to check, no problems.
don

Me too. Mine is not as bad as my dads though.
Harry

My Evo is doing fine. I have no problems with the battery or the screen. Its funny how so many Apple fans are doing their utmost to find whatever faults they can in the Evo. If you are going to find faults then I suggest that you be objective and stop misleading the public. I was told the battery didn't last, well it lasted all day for me. What I did was turn the bluetooth, 4G and WiFi radios off, since I am not using them. When I need them I will turn them on. After a full week of use I have found no flaws in the hardware and I have used a magnifying glass looking for those flaws you are mention.

Conclusion, this phone is as good as it gets and there is nothing Apple can do to make their next iteration any better. I can't wait for the iPhone 4 (not 4G) to be released so that a real comparison of both phones can be made. Based on what was shown at Apples annual 2010 WWDC the Evo is hands down the better smartphone. In fact is its better than the combined iPhone and iPad.
- Michael
  
  I love my EVO, but I am having the same issues. Some complaints are justified….
- Don
  
  I have to agree Harry. It is a great phone, and it isn't a big deal to manage the battery power to a point where I have my phone running 3 days of normal use without a charge.
  
  I would also like to point out that the face glass gluing issue is a problem with three symptoms. Unresponsive touchscreen, light bleeding and the physical separation. It isn't 3 separate problems
  
  My EVO has been flawless apart from the auto resetting some have reported, but that is an issue I am sure either HTC or Sprint will have a fix for soon. As far as the iPhone 4G is concerned, I have to smile when I see the Apple faithful buying the new phone in droves in spite of the fact that it will not have a 4G network to connect to until the last quarter of 2011. So essentially they are buying a 3G phone with less functionality and fewer features than the EVO for the next 18 months. I guess that is what they consider an intelligent purchase.
  - Global Philosopher
    
    Just to put things in perspective. I recently puchased a 3D Samsung TV. I did not buy it for the 3D but because it was overall better and cheaper than the previous model Samsung model. Taking this into consideration you will understand that the reason I am buying an iPhone 4 isn't because of any partilcar feature but because it offers the best overall match of functionality for my needs…as well as far superior build quality.
Ken

Use my EVO all the time can't seem to keep my hands of off it. It has taken an off road trip and thanks to my occupation it has even been drop tested (purely accidental and upsetting). The bottom line is I have had no issues. No bad audio in ear piece no crazy noises when checking voice mail no cracked screens or separation problems, just a wonderful experience with an addictive electronic device. Awesome pictures and fun times messing with my i phone buddies, LOL. So glad I got it and would never regret recommending it to anyone!
Robert

I bought my EVO a week ago and immediately added a Pt case as well. After reading this article I removed the case and sure enough the glass is separating on the bottom…both sides but the left is worse than the right. I have no idea if this will get worse over time, but for now the phone is working great and it outperforms my expectations.
don

Yeah i agree. People from both parties sure do go out of there way to blast a product. The battery life on the Evo is pretty decent. It does take more effort to manage the battery when compared to the iphone. This could definitely be a buying point in the android vs apple debate. But if you are an android fan, then I am assuming you know the ins and outs of maximizing battery life.

I decided to figure out how my battery would perform when I worked a full day at my job. I ended up at 15 hours when the battery was under 5%. I was satisfied because I texted a bunch during the day. Had a few phone calls..77 minutes of total talk time. And I checked my Facebook, Twitter, and my usual websites multiple times during the day. No mobile tv, gps navigation, or any other data intensive programs. All this was on 3G since I had no need for 4G.

As far as the screen issue goes. Yeah it sucks. Price we pay for getting a device early. I am definitely not going to accept this issue. I am hoping HTC and Sprint can fix this asap because we all payed good money for this device. The same price iphone users pay for their quality phones. Only reason I am semi understanding is because Apple releases one phone, compared to HTC churning out tons of phones a year. So this is probably an unfortunate side effect. But they do need to fix this, or I will have to either switch to another carrier for better android devices..of even the iphone
anthony

I cant agree with the guy saying the evo works great I am using my evo now 2 type this and all I can say about this phone is It’s buggy hands down they have a lot of problems to work out with this phone from the battery only lasting me 3 hours top with how I like ta use my phone 2 its odd problem that only I seem to be having of it receiving text messages but not in the order it should 2 lagging on sending me my voicemail and in the slow process of sending me my voicemail not letting any other calls go threw and much more I was really hoping that this phone would be above and beyond but it has really let me down I feel like I have wasted my money and best buy has 35% restocking fee so now I have ta sell this phone on Craigslist 2 sum sad sap and tell him how great this phone is and how much I love it and take his money and go buy an ipad and go back 2 my hero and only paying $70 instead of $80 for 4G signal that I don’t even get here in san Jose.
Mike

Well my Evo has been working great and unless you have every feature on all the time, 3 hours is insane. I get 12-15 hours easy. No issues at all with the screen separating either. Mine works great. I know so many of these complaints are bogus, it's funny! The Evo works amazing here.
http://www.facebook.com/njckatkins Njck Atkins

Yes my screen is separating too. not cool
AKS

I have the glass separation issue and light leak as well, I got my phone just last Friday
art. happy evo owner

Didn't see this one coming. Let's get real people. The light leakage was posted in all the previews of the phone. It was known about literally months before the EVO came out. As far battery life, for a device with a 4+ inch display and a 1ghz processor, not to mention the 4g radio, it does pretty good on the battery. Do you cry about your super laptop only lasting 3 hours on its battery? Didn't think so. Doesn't anybody remember the iPhone problems when it first came out? At least i got my EVO activated on the first try. IPhone had and still has its flaws too.
Joe

anthony, your phone is definitely buggy. I can tell, your period button has to be defective.
Jared

I've had mine since release, no problems until today. I can see minor leakage on the left side, and under the home an search keys.
ltwhiteagle

I agree with everyone so far who responded. It's a really cool phone. I did my first video chat using a new version of Qik for Evo found in the market. But having that laggy low quality video chat coupled with the 8MP camera, huge screen and vast options, hardly out weight the multitude of other problems. I too have the light bleeding out of the bottom on both sides of the phone. Also, my phone resets whenever it wants to, like the other day, it reset 4 times in an hour without me even touching the phone. The first day I used it, I depleted the battery and took me 2 hours to have it charge again using several different outlets, chargers, and multiple battery pulls. Another thing I hate so far is how sprint ruins a perfectly good phone by preloaded their impossible to uninstall software that sucks battery because force kill works on it for 3 minutes, then they fire back up again. This includes the sprint navigation, amazon mp3, sprint zone and voicemail to name a few. I hope they address these issues asap or I'm using their 30day money back guarantee even if I have to take the 15% restocking fee hit that they put in the fine print.
Shawn

3 Problems:

Light Leakage
Bottom Left corner is lifting up, so glass seperation
Earpiece Speaker at max volume is distorted and sounds like a blown out speaker.
BurtC

it's separating on the bottom right more than the left but it's still a cool phone. On the speaker problems I found a fix by inserting a Q-tip in the headphone jack and carefully wiggling it. Use the Q-tips with paper stem not the plastic ones and you will also have to remove a bit of the cotton at the tip first.
Keith

I have 4 areas on the bottom of my screen where light is leaking each is about 1/8 inch long. Screen is lifting slightly, if I press on the screen, the leaks stop. Sprint just told me that its noted as a complaint with them but it is “normal for the build” and does not cause any problems with function… They are right, it doesn’t but my 4 day old, 500$ phone looks like crap in the dark LOL.
Javier

I have major light leakage on the bottom part of the phone by the home and menu button. I also have glass separation on the bottom of the phone too. I spent $450.00 on this phone. This problem needs to be sorted out ASAP. I intend on getting this phone replace from Sprint,.
Susan

I guess I am truely lucky. My phone is working top notch. I have had no problems with the battery, screen, light leaking or any other problems. I send text, talk and play games and my battery still has power by the end of the day. It is 9:44pm and I am still sending out texts. Send it back and get a new one or get a different phone. I love mine and I am going to keep it. Good luck.
Chas

No problems with my EVO and I got it the day it came out. I have a case on it and I've look but see no faults with the screen. Still loving my EVO!
- chocolate drop
  
  You’re not having any problems yet . Love the evo , but it has way to many flaws .:-(
BEN

Hii everyone to be honest I had my evo 4g for 2 days The phone really have battery problems even not using it drains the battery About the screen yeah does have splits light leakage But to make it worse they charge you $10 premium service automatically thats BS No 4G available in all areas sucks even more Wake up this is reality people
Smelk

I exchanged my EVO for a new one because of a WiMax problem. I was also seeing gaps between the screen in the trim. You could see the light in these gaps.
Joe

I was going to get one of these but from all the comments, I think I will wait a bit longer and stay with the Pre.
john

Ok so if u have some light seperation there is some good news I would like to share. I have the evo and I got stuck with one that has glass seperation. So i call sprint tech support on Monday and on Wednesday I had a new one sitting on my porch when i got home from work. It was very hassle free and I’m typing on the new one now. It didn’t cost me a penny and I just have to send the old one back in 15 days. The only complaint i hace is i have to download all my apps again but its a small price to pay for a hassle free phone replacement. Fyi i said this was brand new but she did mention that it could be a refurb. I can’t tell the difference if it is. I love refurbed anyway cause what ever was gonna break already broke amd mow it’s fixed. Anyway it’s wofking like a charm. If u have light leakage i would hurry and call before they change their mind. Good luck.
bill

Well here it goes … I love the HTC evo but I have a few problems with my second one as well with the first one I got. My screen is separating light leakage speaker is blown vibrate when I receive a message st send a message stopped working. Oh and the first one I had the charge port broke internally and they told me it was physical damage I hadn't had the phone for two weeks.