All those with cracked casings, please post photos and explain further.

[Guest glossywhite]

I hadn't noticed until I read this thread then had a close look! But yep, the black plastic is cracked on both sides between the silver strip and the screen, and the silver plastic is cracked in 3 places on the left hand side, and one place on the right hand side. Not good!! I've never taken the back off, and have had since Xmas. I do have a bad habit of having it in my back jeans pocket tho, so that must put some curvature stress on it when i sit down, even tho I'm not actually sat on it!

Oh joy!

Now I've seen a crack on the black bezel on the right, halfway down, and I'd not noticed *that* before... and that is on a two day old, brand new replacement.

[EDIT]

Having said this, my premium monitor - the Dell 2001FP, has a 0.25mm(ish) wide crack, diagonally, from the top right hand inside corner to the top right outside corner, and it's never once spolit the use or enjoyment of its' superb IPS display. I think it *kinda* bugged me for the first hour, when I noticed it around 2 years ago, but then I resigned to it, and it's of no consequence whatsoever.

If the San Diego were to fall apart due to this cracking, it would be a problem, but it definitely is not, so it isn't an issue to me any more. Finally, it was *only* when xena_wales mentioned their bezel cracking that I looked and found it - barely noticeable unless you are hunting for it. Nevertheless, it's pretty laughable that a manufacturer selling a handset that was £200 at one point, is using materials that fracture as soon as they're looked at; Huawei and ZTE seem to make many handsets without these poor quality issues, and they make *many* cheap models.

Edited April 7, 2013 by glossywhite

[Guest glossywhite]

Please remove, accidental post.

Edited April 7, 2013 by glossywhite

[Guest Roids]

I hadn't noticed until I read this thread then had a close look! But yep, the black plastic is cracked on both sides between the silver strip and the screen, and the silver plastic is cracked in 3 places on the left hand side, and one place on the right hand side. Not good!! I've never taken the back off, and have had since Xmas. I do have a bad habit of having it in my back jeans pocket tho, so that must put some curvature stress on it when i sit down, even tho I'm not actually sat on it!

Stone the crows, I just removed the Sikai silicone case I've been using for the past 6 or so months, and the description of your cracks matches mine exactly!

Silver plastic: 3 on the left, 1 on the right. Black plastic: 1 on the left, 1 on the right.

[Guest glossywhite]

Stone the crows, I just removed the Sikai silicone case I've been using for the past 6 or so months, and the description of your cracks matches mine exactly!

Silver plastic: 3 on the left, 1 on the right. Black plastic: 1 on the left, 1 on the right.

Anyone for a class action law suit? :P lol

I thought crack dealing was illegal? :P

AH! found out who the designer of the OSD is...

Edited April 7, 2013 by glossywhite

[Guest glossywhite]

I don't understand the thought processes of the people that designed this 'phone - they promote "Gorilla glass" and they've used aluminium for the micro SIM tray, and yet they've so obviously skimped on the silver strip around the outside, the power button, the volume rocker and on the bezel material (did they even do proper materials testing?).

My question, overall, is WHY? Why such a confusing and contradictory mixture of tough and unbelievably flimsy materials? Astoundingly poor decisions were made, it seems.

Edited April 7, 2013 by glossywhite

[Guest Andymac1969]

I feel like i'm being driven paranoid by all the reports of cracking and dodgy power buttons on these phones, I might wrap mine up in cotton wool, and think the phone on rather than pushing the power button, do you think I will get 12 months out of it using it like this? :P

Andrew

[Guest glossywhite]

I feel like i'm being driven paranoid by all the reports of cracking and dodgy power buttons on these phones, I might wrap mine up in cotton wool, and think the phone on rather than pushing the power button, do you think I will get 12 months out of it using it like this? :P

Andrew

Just enjoy it mate - and remember - if you want FoxConn to make a decent, hard-wearing 'phone, you'll have to get one from the iPhone plant :D

[Guest Andymac1969]

Just enjoy it mate - and remember - if you want FoxConn to make a decent, hard-wearing 'phone, you'll have to get one from the iPhone plant :D

Like this one? :ph34r:

Andrew

[Guest glossywhite]

Like this one? :ph34r:

Andrew

Yes! exactly like that one.

[Guest BlueMoonRising]

Although there seems to be some confusion over who actually makes it(either Gigabyte or Foxconn) I believe the actual design is Intels original one, They decided that it was "good enough" and just went into full production(perhaps driven by time goals).

Since I've had no trouble with the bezel(touch wood) I wonder if perhaps Gigabyte made the initial batch and Foxconn the later ones? Just a thought, is there anyway to tell without taking the back off?

[Guest glossywhite]

~~ [uPDATE] ~~

Unbelievably good news! :D

I just called my contact @ Orange executive office, and explained that I was not moaning or wanting to cause a fuss, but my *replacement* has also got a tiny crack (and I explained in detail where it was, and that it IS tiny and doesn't affect operation at all), and they said to me: "the best thing we can do for you is to offer you a full refund via cheque, since we don't want to keep sending you phones if they are going to have defects in them".

I asked what I would do to get the 'phone back to them for the refund, and they said: "Oh no, you keep the 'phone, it is the very least we can do for all the trouble you've had"

Oh my! What amazing service, and what a kind person! They also mentioned that my complaints about the fractures are taken very seriously, and have been fed back to the relevant people.

A FREE SAN DIEGO!

Mega impressed with that person / dept at Orange! Thank you!

Edited April 8, 2013 by glossywhite

[Guest sang3eta]

I've got the same problem 4 cracks in my Orange San Diego case after only 20 days!

Never been abused, not had the back off, I just downloaded 4 games and played them until the battery ran out and charged it back up.

I've had an Orange San Francisco/ZTE Blade for 2 years and never had any issues at all with that so this looks like a design/manufacturing fault.

Here's my video evidence...

Edited May 10, 2013 by sang3eta

[Guest techosdkid]

~~ [uPDATE] ~~

Unbelievably good news! :D

I just called my contact @ Orange executive office, and explained that I was not moaning or wanting to cause a fuss, but my *replacement* has also got a tiny crack (and I explained in detail where it was, and that it IS tiny and doesn't affect operation at all), and they said to me: "the best thing we can do for you is to offer you a full refund via cheque, since we don't want to keep sending you phones if they are going to have defects in them".

I asked what I would do to get the 'phone back to them for the refund, and they said: "Oh no, you keep the 'phone, it is the very least we can do for all the trouble you've had"

Oh my! What amazing service, and what a kind person! They also mentioned that my complaints about the fractures are taken very seriously, and have been fed back to the relevant people.

A FREE SAN DIEGO!

Mega impressed with that person / dept at Orange! Thank you!

Seriously, you're a very lucky man. How did you get the number, to contact Orange executive office ?

Also, Do you think they would consider giving me a refund, as my phone has various amount of cracks on the casing (3 hairline cracks on casing but 3 cracks on the black outer bezel around the screen of the phone) ?

Edited May 9, 2013 by techosdkid

[Guest BlueMoonRising]

Seriously, you're a very lucky man. How did you get the number, to contact Orange executive office ?

Also, Do you think they would consider giving me a refund, as my phone has various amount of cracks on the casing (3 hairline cracks on casing but 3 cracks on the black outer bezel around the screen of the phone) ?

Either an e-mail to [email protected] or a call to the Orange Executive Office 0800 079 0134. They do seem to be getting a little antsy on people phoning them there although it may just be the attitude of the customers phoning them that's rubbed them up the wrong way.

On whether you'd get a refund(or credit really) who knows?

[Guest Thedarkphonetech]

Thanks. Emailed them about my case cracking and power button. How long did it take for them to reply you email? They said 7 days!?

[Guest Donkey Oaty]

I wouldnt phone them if I were you.

I was very polite when I called and they were very insistent that they can only assist if you have first gone through and exhausted all other channels.

They tried to get me to reveal how I had come by their number so they could stop it being used.

[Guest DaveSimonH]

To be honest, as long as the power button doesn't break I'm not bother by any cracks. By the way my dad picked up an OSD a couple of months after me, it went straight in a protective case and he hasn't removed the back. His still has a couple of cracks on the silver plastic (inc one by the volume buttons).

[Guest MrPuddington]

I wouldnt phone them if I were you.

I was very polite when I called and they were very insistent that they can only assist if you have first gone through and exhausted all other channels.

They tried to get me to reveal how I had come by their number so they could stop it being used.

Same here - but how do you exhaust all other channels if the hotline droid refuses to connect you to a manager? Clearly the channels are all clogged with complaints, and now the **** is blowing out at the top :-)

[Guest MrPuddington]

Stone the crows, I just removed the Sikai silicone case I've been using for the past 6 or so months, and the description of your cracks matches mine exactly!

Silver plastic: 3 on the left, 1 on the right. Black plastic: 1 on the left, 1 on the right.

I was just going to say how do you treat your phones - but I checked mine, and I also have two cracks next to the volume button. Now this is slightly annoying, but I hope it does not affect the structural integrity?

[Guest Thedarkphonetech]

I got a replacement !!!! She's so nice !

[Guest glossywhite]

Selling inferior products? Expect complaints!

Why should the customer have to go through some pre-planned act, and follow an "escalation procedure" which eventually ends up at the exec office *anyway*, just to satisfy the corporate bosses? EE need to grow a spine, and SERIOUSLY re-assess their "policies" and overall treatment of their customers, and sell products which are thoroughly tested, and if complaints amass - as is happening now, show some decency and replace, compensate or RECALL them.

The executive office is PRECISELY the right place to call - they're not going to change their phone number overnight, so any corporate bluff would be stone-walled by me - sorry EE, take control of your business. Keep ON complaining to that number, and they'll get so fed up of all the complaints, hopefully that will be enough motivation for the pen pushers to take REAL action, instead of rehearsed lip service.

EE = terrible customer "care".

Edited May 14, 2013 by glossywhite

[Guest MrPuddington]

EE = terrible customer "care".

I completely agree, they join a few selected companies on my "do not deal with" list. They demonstrate industry leading arrogance, outstanding incompetence, and a consistent lack of care for customers and the law .

But in the mean time I still need to get my unlock code out of this Kafkaesque company. :-(

Edited May 15, 2013 by MrPuddington

[Guest sang3eta]

A video of a 5th crack I've now noticed appear! This is now the 25th day of careful ownership. Never dropped, the back's not been off.

2 Days ago I went through an epic 32 minute support call to get them send a return for repair bag. Still waiting on that.

Edited May 15, 2013 by sang3eta

[Guest Thedarkphonetech]

Haha ^^lol same it took me 4 days of calling to get replacement "

[Guest glossywhite]

A video of a 5th crack I've now noticed appear! This is now the 25th day of careful ownership. Never dropped, the back's not been off.

2 Days ago I went through an epic 32 minute support call to get them send a return for repair bag. Still waiting on that.

You are an **incredibly** good cameraman - someone with the same attention to detail as me :)

Have you sent these videos to Orange? I'd do so.