yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[EVO 4G General] DetroitFlyer:
Getting Hosed!

Sprint is trying to claim that this is not a known issue.... I have told several Sprint folks up the chain of command that they are lying and treating their customers poorly.... Then they say that it is a cosmetic issue and they will not cover it.... So, they tell me I have to talk to HTC. HTC also claims that this is not a known issue. They tell me I have to send them my phone so they can look at it, determine if it will be repaired under warranty, repair it, and then send it back. If all goes well, the turnaround time is 6 to 10 business days.... Yeah, I can really afford to give up a phone I need for work 6 to 10 days.... What world do these people live in anyway? HTC suggested that maybe Sprint would give me a "loaner" phone. (Yeah, maybe some old flip phone or something). Both organizations seem to have adopted the policy of making this a very difficult thing to have repaired under warranty. If you throw up enough roadblocks, people will give up.... Frankly, I have had all I can stand from both organizations.... HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE customer service.
[EVO 4G General] aimbdd:
Where you going? Lol just as bad at Verizon. Believe me....
[EVO 4G General] drivendaily:
Last plastic bezel phone i own...hopefully

I didn't read through the thread entirely so I'm not sure if someone else has posted it...but the reason the phone cracks at this spot is because there is no support on the other side of the bezel at this point. Combine that with thin material in a location where the user is going to apply pressure thousands of times over the phones lifetime and you're bound to have fatigue...and ultimately a crack.

I had a nice rep replace the bezel for me in January for this, but its cracked again a few months later.
[EVO 4G General] DetroitFlyer:
I wonder....

Yeah, that is my concern with simply sending the phone back to HTC for a repair. I lose the phone for 6-10 days and if all they do is replace the bezel, it may crack again in the near future. Even now I find myself being very careful when I push the power button leaning to the outside of phone away from the crack.... l can also see what looks like the beginning of a crack at the volume down button. Once again, I find myself being very careful when I push there to minimize the pressure on the frame. I have heard that maybe some of the newer phone have raised buttons that might result in less pressure being placed on the frame.... As a person that always works to keep his phone in perfect condition, this is driving me crazy. As for another carrier, I'm not a fan of Verizon or AT&T. Maybe T-Mobile. They actually have 4G service here in Detroit unlike Sprint.... Of course T-Mobile will soon be a part of AT&T. Maybe it is time to look into carrier pigeons....
[EVO 4G General] aimbdd:
xda should start a cell phone company! hah.
[EVO 4G General] gman8966:
I have a crack in the bottom left corner and around the power button.
[EVO 4G General] beesneazy:
Have been lucky enough to not have this issue with any of my Evo's, but a friend who got his 3-4 weeks ago has one at the power button. I've seen others that are more 'rough' on their phones than him who don't have this problem either. Sad face.
[EVO 4G General] KB112:
Do any of u with this crack use a case? One reason I like these cheap ebay tpu cases is their sturdiness and the buttons. The power button and volume rocker have an internal tab/hump inside the case. So you can press the buttons easily and they work great.

I could see this helping people with cracked bezels. The case will apply more direct pressure on the button specifically, instead of spreading the pressure from your finger onto the bezel too. I have no cracks or anything, my cases have been great so far.
[EVO 4G General] bjrmd:
My wife had a broken usb, connection off the motherboard, which is also real common. Was told she had to go through insurance by local store (after going to 3 places) and order a new one since they has no stock. They would not admit this is an HTC defect. Then called customer serv and tech support. They were of no help. Bottom line, about 6 hrs spent getting nowhere, no loaner or replacement yet.

Very disappointed in Sprint.
[EVO 4G General] DetroitFlyer:
Doubtful

This has nothing to do with cases or normal handling of the phone. This is a design and/or manufacturing defect. I purchased a well used EVO 4G on eBay. The phone had the typical indictions of being well used, some case scratches and scuffs, a chip, etc. Still, that phone had ZERO cracking at the power button and ZERO cracking at the volume down button. It was the 002 hardware version as well. My brand new 003 hardware version cracked almost immediately.... Since there are so many of these out there, Sprint and HTC seem to want to not risk admitting that this is a known issue. Instead, they have decided that it is better to yank around their customers and hope that most of us will not leave.... Risky at best IMHO. Everytime I look at my cracked case my blood boils. It is a shame that after 7+ good years with Sprint I am now so angry that I cannot see straight....
[EVO 4G General] dougdascenzo:
Crazy I never noticed before because I had the carbon fiber skin, but I removed it today and sure enough I have a hairline crack from the power button to the front of the phone. Doesn't seem to be a big deal though, so I will probably not replace until it actually becomes a problem.
[EVO 4G General] lolwut?:
0004, buddy has 0003 both of us have never had a problem with the power button.
[EVO 4G General] david black:
I have a hairline crack identical to the one in the first post.

:(
[EVO 4G General] :
Same here.
[EVO 4G General] KB112:
I hear ya and understand your frustration Detroit. I was just talking about the case, as it may prevent further damage for some. Perhaps avoid cracking for others. I know I wouldn't be happy if my phone bezel was splitting from normal use.
[EVO 4G General] Axe-08:
Omg, I just checked and mine has a small crack. Ahhhhh

Sent from my HTC evo
[EVO 4G General] jerryparid:
I dropped it from ~4 feet today. While inspecting, I found the power crack and volume rocker crack. Not sure if it was result from the drop, but I have two small cracks now.
[EVO 4G General] threestripebrand:
well after coming across this thread for the first time i was relieved to find out that my evo has no cracks.

white evo, hardware v3 in an otterbox from day 1.
[EVO 4G General] SurferNerd6987:
Mine's had a crack in it for awhile. Since its cosmetic..Sprint won't do anything.
[EVO 4G General] nhutpham:
I have a hairline crack at the power button, a hairline between the usb and hdmi logos, and two cracks by my volume rocker that have actually broken off a piece (it stays in if I jam it in there, but is likely to be lost sooner or later).

It is most likely from drops, my phone isn't in horrible shape but has taken a few 3-4 foot falls from my desk to my wood floor. The rest of the phone, including the rest of the bezel, are in perfect shape.

Does anyone know where I can get a new bezel? I'm assuming I won't be able to get it fixed at Sprint, although I may try. I'm thinking I want to fix my phone by the time I upgrade so I can sell my phone for a good price if I need to.
[EVO 4G General] life:
i work in construction and have dropped my phone on pavement, rocks, and everything else, no cracks, dents or scrapes. only a little dirt in the front speaker. i have a otter box but its not on the phone, makes it to hard to pull in and out of my jeans when its on.
[EVO 4G General] DetroitFlyer:
Major Bummer

After fighting with Sprint for weeks about my new phone having the power button crack, I got a refurb. I have been VERY careful with the refurb, have not dropped it and really gone out of my way to not put any undue pressure on the power button area.... Well, I checked today and after having the refurb for only about a month it is cracked at the power button. JUST LIKE THE NEW PHONE I HAD REPLACED. I can just imagine what Sprint will say this time around. Honestly, I could not have been any easier on this phone. I even let it time out and automatically shut off many times just so that I would not have to use the power button.... I hate to live with this kind of poor product design, but fighting with Sprint every month is going to get old as well.... Good Grief!
[EVO 4G General] hddvd:
so thats what it is!
[EVO 4G General] sand1303:
004 hardware since December. Crack free!
[EVO 4G General] Chewieez:
Mine has been cracked for months.... doesn't affect anything, but it's a bummer.
[EVO 4G General] dinoman22:
Sorry to see that.

I dont treat my phone as I should, the extended battery makes up for it, I have dropped my phone twice, once on the top left corner and once on its face, no case, nothing is cracked just scratches where it was dropped, and a tiny scratch on the screen 004 hard ware.

Good luck
[EVO 4G General] jasonb1108:
I had EVO since launch hardware 0003 no problem yet
[EVO 4G General] liable:
mines cracked
[EVO 4G General] android242:
I have the crack too, but I'm clumsy and drop my phone all the time. I just kind of shrugged it off though since it doesn't effect the operation of my phone. A while back I had an issue with my screen giving off weird distortion when I turned it on, so I took it apart and attached the connections and its been fine since. As long as I have root I won't be going any where a Sprint store if I can fix it my self.
[EVO 4G General] jr71x:
You can order the bezel from eBay for like $6
[EVO 4G General] decayer177:
Before my replacement evo (sadly with the 2.3.3 ota), mine had a crack near the volume button. They claimed it as physical damage and wouldn't replace it unless I went straight through Asurion and a $100 fee. But after a lot of phone calls, I got the replacement and no fee was required.
[EVO 4G General] jr71x:
Yeah, I've had mine for over a year now, dropped a few times, dog got a hold of it, and was on the rain all night, lol, the bezel is like $6, the digitizer is $20, the plate was like $8 and a new batt. with cover is like $10=new phone
[EVO 4G General] skullzaflare:
welll had mine since april, and dropped it 3 times so far. no scratches or cracks :), theres 1 indention on the framing on the left side thats it. also i have reflashed my phone dozens of times :)
[EVO 4G General] stellarose:
I've had my EVO since launch date. Hairline cracks on power and volume buttons. The functionality of the phone is intact. I don't have issues with the phone. *Not a Refurb fan*
[EVO 4G General] madsquabbles:
i tried to see if i could get mine replaced and they said i could have up to a 30 day wait. my trial expires in 3 days. they told me a loophole that could extend my 30 days and i may use it to see if new stock comes in.
[EVO 4G General] clockcycle:
Yeah, man it ticked me off because I absolutely love the phone and everything about it. But shoot man if this is how it holds up to normal use of the power button just past 30 days of ownership, I could just imagine how it will hold up for the next 2 years.

Some people reporting cracks on both sides and others adding that their volume area showing similar cracks.

It's a design flaw, a defect Sprint and HTC should be made aware of. So that their new units and customers don't have to deal with it.

Personally I don't mind. But it is Sprint's Flagship phone, their baby, first 4G, they are riding lots on this.. Do they want reason for legitimate owners to hesitate buying one?

I know you understand. I too spoke with a manager at the original store I had pre-ordered mine and he also told me the same thing they told you.

Is it really a reason to return and get it exchanged? Perhaps not, but it's a lot to do with personal preference and tolerance.

I've seen people with their screens poping out, power buttons stuck, battery cover falling off. They just electrical tape, double stick tape and push down on what ever's poping up...

30 days, $500 (you are still paying that much or more through your phone plan, so don't kid yourself you only paid $199..)

Thanks,

-CC
[EVO 4G General] dezoris:
On mine the bezel is also crack at the power button facing the screen.
[EVO 4G General] Sprockethead:
^^ Same here. Now it is eating at my soul.

I went to the Sprint repair center after lunch. DENIED! They said it was not a known issue.

Although it sounded like if it were a known issue then we all get replacements. So go ahead and get it listed on your notes early. I did. Once it hits their issues list I'll go ahead and replace my phone since I have it documented and all.
[EVO 4G General] clockcycle:
I did go to my original pre-order store. The Manager said that he wasn't aware of this issue, took my phone to talk to his techs. I looked at the tech room, about 6 were fondling my defenseless phone like a stripper at a bachelor party (reminded me of night at the roxbury). Everyone wanted to get a first hand look at the "defect".. My Poor girl, when I got her back I wiped her down and put her clothes back on.. Manager says, ok I am gonna put you down on the new replacement waiting list.

-CC
[EVO 4G General] willy900wonka:
I don't have the defect, so i'm just mentioning this for completeness. How do you all know it's a crack, and not a scratch?

IIRC the pry open slot on the back cover, is near the button. Could it have been a slip of a tool at the factory?
[EVO 4G General] Bielinsk:
You can see the crack from the speaker enclosure. It is a crack.
[EVO 4G General] tedruggiero:
weird

never dropped or anything...cracked on both sides..mine is rooted and all..dont want to do that again..my evo sits in the car during the day...so it sees a lot of heat...wonder if that might be the issue..
[EVO 4G General] madsquabbles:
well, i've cancelled my evo acct. didn't want to but there really wasn't much of a choice since they don't have any instock and today is my last day to cancel.

i was just starting to love the phone :(
[EVO 4G General] regalpimpin:
I've got the crack, never dropped.

treat it like a baby.

It's not all the way thru to the front by the speaker yet.

Gonna have account noted, but wait on replacing.. See where this goes.
[EVO 4G General] engagedtosmile:
whats this loophole?
[EVO 4G General] Temragon:
Also cracked, didn't notice it.

I'd be fine with it myself except for the fact that the power button is hard to press anyway (Impossible to press on the side near the crack), so it's going to get more stress.

My 30 days is up in a day and I really can't get to the store, though, so since my screen isn't separating I'll just wait on it for now.
[EVO 4G General] thisguyinoc:
I have a soft skin cover on mine and lifted it up to check after seeing this thread and sure enough, it was cracked.....too bad I'm on day 31. I sent an email to Sprint, let's see what they say.

****************SPRINT'S RESPONSE******************

No thanks.....I keep the crack and save my $100. Thanks for nothing.
[EVO 4G General] Joshr:
Mine is cracked. Also very difficult to press the power button on the left side by the crack. Crack goes all the way through when viewed from below by the speaker grill.
[EVO 4G General] herzzreh:
You're a *****! I never would've noticed this otherwise... ugh...
[EVO 4G General] nief1313:
Just took mine to the sprint store, they said They cant replace it since it is not a known/reported issue with Sprint or HTC.
[EVO 4G General] Sprockethead:
So has anybody gotten a return outside of their 30 days because of this?
[EVO 4G General] Sprockethead:
I was told by #2 customer service that this is a known issue. Then I spent my lunch at the corporate Sprint store to switch it out and they told me that it wasn't a known issue.
[EVO 4G General] Frankie_Bones:
Nothing to add other than I have the cracks too, it seems really odd that it would crack there because it doesn't seem to receive too much pressure. I have never dropped my device.
[EVO 4G General] clockcycle:
I would suggest those of you with the issue to have the tech make notes on your account, so later on when enough people call in and they decide to make it a known issue in their system, you can have them refer back to the notes.

-CC
[EVO 4G General] grkfire:
I found a crack by the volume down button... :(

I've gotten over it since it's nearly invisible..
[EVO 4G General] Quiksmage:
man.... I had to REALLY look to see it, but it's there only going towards the speaker grill. What in the hell. I treat this thing like a baby and it has never fallen any distance at all.

I bought mine from BB and don't have TEP or any other insurance and I'm past 30 days. Should I still bother to have sprint notify my account?
[EVO 4G General] Bielinsk:
I don't think there is any harm in having it notated in your account.
[EVO 4G General] psx2p:
Holy crap mines cracked in the exact same spot and its never seen rough usage or been dropped.. i thought i was the only one with that problem, good to know
[EVO 4G General] madsquabbles:
You get 35 days to ship the phone back. So i can still hold on to it sans phone service. If during those 35 days i change my mind they said just give them a call and i can restart my service. Or i can just place an order for a new one later. They said i could open a new line at any time a new shipment comes in.
[EVO 4G General] engagedtosmile:
35 days? Thought it was just 30 days.
[EVO 4G General] liquidkernel:
No crack for me... yet. You guys got me all worried now!

Ugh, HTC must've rushed the release of the Evo. Oh well, still an amazing phone (especially after the 30fps fix).
[EVO 4G General] kratos313:
Just checked mine and there is a hair line crack going toward the screen but not the battery

Don't know how this happened but i never dropped on hit my phone in any way.
[EVO 4G General] gonzoangel:
my hero isn't cracked at all :D
[EVO 4G General] heygrl:
The worst part about something like this is that, it's bound to get worse. Just like with the the iPhone 3G+S plastic backing
[EVO 4G General] thisguyinoc:
That's exactly what I'm afraid of. I guess this is HTC/Sprints way of making more money off this phone by charging customers for new replacements.
[EVO 4G General] thisguyinoc:
Those that have the crack, are you using a case/cover or going naked? I have the crack and am using a soft silicone cover.

I'm thinking that having a cover is causing us to press harder on the power button area and causing the casing to break.
[EVO 4G General] Quiksmage:
i have a gel cover and i have it.
[EVO 4G General] madsquabbles:
you have 30 days to cancel you account to no get locked in. but if you return via ups, they'll send you a return kit. you've got 35 days to ship the phone after receiving the return kit.

so it gives you 35 more days to wait for fixes to the phone. but unless you've got a back up you'll be phoneless.
[EVO 4G General] Bielinsk:
The cover I use is a clear plastic cover, but the top and bottom are open, so this could not effect the button.

The issue is pressing the prower button from the front, you press down on the ridge above the speaker as well. The power button is recessed to far.
[EVO 4G General] nebenezer:
UPDATE:

After several calls to Tech Support, Customer Care, Telesales, and 2 store visits my replacement has been approved.

I hope the next one is in better condition.. I had a very slight amount of light leakage in the top left corner and dust starting to appear under the screen right at the same spot.

Also, fwiw, I do not use any kind of case, just a Zagg shield. It is my belief that this crack in the housing is 100% manufacturing/assembly defect and NOT caused by end users.
[EVO 4G General] nbakid2000:
Nothing here, but I have a Platinum brand case on it I got on release date from Best Buy for 30 bucks.

Edit: no cracks that I can see...but I refuse to take the case off this thing because it's such a pain to deal with. So I really don't know.
[EVO 4G General] regalpimpin:
UPDATE

Went to one store. They couldn't do anything because it had to be approved by a "tech"

But both of their display phones had the crack so I pointed it out to them.

Went to second location, with the "techs"

They didn't even look at it, instead the floor manager at the counter glanced at it for 2 seconds and ordered me a new one.

Not that this one will be any different, but now I know to be extra careful I guess.

I was still within my 30 days, by a day or so.

Should be here in a day or two.
[EVO 4G General] ek9manr:
Dude ,I have the same exact crack on mine!

Sent from my Damage Control Evo 4G Device
[EVO 4G General] clockcycle:
This picture was just taken using my replacement EVO, of the demo unit at the Sprint corporate store in Coral Gables Florida.
[EVO 4G General] SooooneR:
Yea I think your right about the cover also it seems to be happening with just a lot of use. So did anyone get a new phone outside the 30 days? I had 2 options free refurbished replacement or 100 for a new one. I said more then likely its going to do it again so why would I pay another 100 bucks? I just hate getting a refurbished when my phone is 40 days old. I feel so violated when I didn't do anything to cause the crack. lol I did tell her I wanted a call back next Friday... to check and see if I was satisfied with the condition of the refurbished and she said no problem if it isn't cosmetically to my liking she would send another. :D
[EVO 4G General] BuddaBelly:
I'm at 3 weeks on my phone and I just went to clean it and it finally cracked. I think with use they will all crack eventually. I'm up in the air on getting a replacement though. I have the 003 with Nova screen and really don't like my wife's Epson screen. I have been checking my phone for the crack every few days and have been trying to avoid undue pressure on the button but it cracked anyway.
[EVO 4G General] booloobunny:
This is frustrating. I am on my 2nd EVO and after seeing this thread I checked the phone and it has the crack. It's not bad.... yet. Like other said, I can see all the phones having this issue after a certain amount of time.
[EVO 4G General] BuddaBelly:
I think our only real option at this point is to assign the volume rocker to wake the phone from sleep. I think that would be ok and would for sure reduce the number of presses on the power button. Its just a bad design as the power button is hard to push and its location right next to the speaker which had a void allowing the plastic case to crack.
[EVO 4G General] goldt:
After 3 weeks i now too have a crack under the volume button, it hasn't reached the screen but i am afraid that it will. Called sprint, they told me its not a known issue, sure its not. Not sure what to do, if i exchange it, it will probably be the same after a few weeks.

These cracks and the screen issues has it been resolved in the latest evo's?
[EVO 4G General] BuddaBelly:
Yeah I went to Best Buy today and the display phone was cracked. So I showed one of the sales guys and he whipped out his Evo and his was cracked too. He said he never even noticed it before then. I am under my 30 day period and Best Buy did agree to give me a new phone but they didn't have any in stock but expected more this week. I'm still up in the air about weather to exchange my phone or not as I think they will all crack eventually.
[EVO 4G General] goldt:
We should all make sure sprint and htc are aware of this, cause i just talked to htc and he is saying he is not aware of this and might not be covered by manufacture warranty after the 30 days which is unacceptable.

I wonder what is the worst case, what if it reaches the screen. If we exchange the phone we might get this and screen separation as well lol
[EVO 4G General] nebenezer:
Got my new evo on Monday. She's a beauty. 100% crack free ;)
[EVO 4G General] BuddaBelly:
Yeah best buy just called me and said my replacement was in so off I go to get a crack free EVO. Only bad thing is I have no idea which screen I will wind up with.
[EVO 4G General] mrmomoman:
Mine is cracked as well. I had cover seidio on mine still cracked.

Waiting on replacement.