An HTC spokesperson has confirmed that HTC is now looking into published reports of glass separation and light leakage problems in its EVO 4G, an Android-based smartphone released by Sprint on June 7.
"We have seen a handful of reports on the issue that you mention, and we are in the process of investigating," said Keith Nowak, senior PR manager at HTC, in an e-mail to Brighthand.
The reports center on users' complaints about loose, peeling, and improperly sealed screens on the EVO 4G, and about screens that are not completely flush.
UPDATE: HTC has promised that it is making a change to the production process for this model that will prevent future screens from having the slight separation of the layers that some users have reported.
The company is also working on a software patch that will clear up a lack in screen sensitivity that affects users in very dry areas.
The first WiMAX-enabled phone to be released in the US, the EVO 4G is being sold by Sprint, a wireless carrier which has long struggled to catch up with Verizon and AT&T in wireless subscriberships.
HTC has previously produced a number of other smartphones for US wireless carriers, including the Windows-enabled Touch Pro and Touch Pro 2 and the Android-based Hero, Legend, Desire, Droid Incredible, and Google Nexus One, for example.
Much Debate
"Some may think it is a minor issue, and perhaps it is, but for those of us who paid $200 for [the EVO], which we will keep for at least a year, I believe it is vital for these issues to be fixed now, rather than later," wrote one user, Android 17, in the Android Forums.
"[A] side effect of the screen being raised/not being sealed well could be a higher chance of picking up dust beneath the screen, something that might not be instantly noticeable, but could add up over time," he speculated.
Some users have suggested tightening the two screws on the back of the phone as a workaround solution. Others have responded, though, that this approach hasn't worked for them.
Users are reporting either that screen problems were immediately evident straight out-of-the-box, or that the issues cropped up on their own after only a few days of use.
On the other hand, others maintain that they're totally happy with their EVO 4Gs. "Wow...I guess I should be lucky. [Mine] is perfectly fine. Sorry to hear about everyone's problems," wrote daytonaUSA.
While the outcry has been particularly loud around the EVO 4G, the complaints about the device also include references to experiences with less than spectacular workmanship in other phones from HTC, such as the Hero, the Incredible, and the original HTC Touch Pro.
"Hmmm this does not surprise me...coming from an HTC Touch Pro. We TP (Touch Pro) users had sooooo many issues with the build quality and it NEVER got better. It got so bad with the returns that Sprint phased it out quickly and started giving us TP2s (Touch Pro 2s) as replacements," neoshi said. "Welcome to the HTC world."
