webOS Hardware

[#1]

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that my screen cycles on and off. If I set it on the desk next to me, it comes on for 5 seconds or so, then goes off for about 5 seconds. Repeats over and over, stops for a while (several minutes), then starts doing it again. If I power off the unit and power it back on, it seems to "cure" it for a while. Additionally, putting it on a charger (touchstone) makes it stop for a while when I take it off (when on the touchstone, the screen stays on the whole time). It doesn't seem to coincide with certain battery level or applications running. I've removed the battery, powered it off several times and it seems to fix the problem temporarily, but I can't find a long-term fix.

Needless to say, I don't get much battery life. Additionally, I have the problem with the clock being fast. 

I'm not sure if this is a hardware or software problem. Any ideas?

Post relates to: Pre p100eww (Sprint)

Message Edited by randomng on 11-06-2009 10:48 AM

[#2]

I have the same issue.  Nothing I do solves it.  I've tried having it charge, having it ping the internet, and I can't stop it.  The speaker seems to make a little crackle when it happens, also.

[#3]

I think mine is a hardware problem. It has now started presenting the "Turn Off/Airplane Mode/Cancel" dialog every so often, as if the power button is being held down. I guess that could be software, but I'm guessing it's a mechanical or electrical problem with the power button. I guess I'll be exchanging it.

[#4]

Mine seems to be the headphone jack.  Surprise.  As I posted earlier, it crackles when the screen goes on and off.  Someone called while it was doing this, and the phone kept switching between headphone and not each time.  The screen going on and off was just the phone thinking headphones were being inserted and removed. 

This is a killer problem.  Neither Pre I've had has lasted two months, both have ended with this problem.  I use the headphones everyday, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.  This is unacceptable.  It needs to be addressed.

I feel so ripped off.  I have 19 months left on my contract, and I don't know what the hell I'm going to do.

[#5]

Hey Pre-Dudes,

I don't know if what I'm seeing is what others are seeing but I'm about to throw my Pre out my third floor window into the pool below (FL, btw).

The Problem:

Intermittently, the touchscreen fails to work at all with the most annoying workaround being the requirement to remove the battery, shutdow and cold start.

Background:

One time it started working when I gave it power from the power cord charger but it went into failure mode as soon as I unplugged the power cord. This made me believe it had something to do with the battery connection but everything else seems to be working like the actual display and keyboard. Try working a Pre with just a keyboard and it's actually worse than my Motorola from 2001. Having partial power seems weird to me from my engineering beginnings because I believe that the display at least uses more power than the touchscreen but I couldn't be sure. Maybe it uses diffferent power that only those brilliant Palm engineers can understand,

One time it began working while I was trying to get the battery out which was neearly impossible without a tool the first time, but now seems as easy as receiving a phone call. Oh wait, I can't receive phone calls because my touchscreen is dead and I don't know the proper key sequence to answer my phone. Try opening it like a flip phone, dummy, you say? Well that's not what I normally do when my phone rings and I get that panicked feeling that I'm going to miss the call. I usually just touch the icon on the touchscreen and all is good. Another call is missed. 

I tried plugging in the headphones and that had no effect when it was in this bad state.

I now have the power charger, cord, battery, phone back cover, phone and cute little palm pouch sitting in a pile on my kitchen table. This is an attempt to "let things settle" as in there might be a 20 minute capacitor in the Pre or maybe moisture from the frequent openings to remove the battery is exacerbating the problem. 

Call to Action:

I was just beginning to not only like the Pre and learning how to use it and now this. 

Please help. 

Scott

[#6]

Not sure if you have a similar problem to me, but mine acted the same way sometimes. I think mine was due to the power button being "stuck" as if being pressed. This made the phone "act" like it couldn't receive other input. My workaround was to slide the screen up -- it almost always came on when I did that. I got a replacement from Sprint, though, and it seems to be working fine.

[#7]

Thanks for your help. There is a wiring issue at least on my phone where the connection to the touchscreen input gets disrupted due to the mechanics associated with opening the keyboard. The workaround is to insert the usb cable and then open and close the keyboard until it works. I'll need a replacement but hopefully this helps someone else because the workaround is not that bad until you get a replacement except having to carry a usb cable with you.

Scott