TR Forums

But we MUST make them thinner.
http://www.nextpowerup.com/news/30090/a ... ch-issues/
The video says it all...........................................

...and now they're making phones with headphone jacks. Who cares about a "thin" phone. I wouldn't mind getting a relatively thick phone if they pack up with some long lasting batteries.

HERETIC wrote:

But we MUST make them thinner.
http://www.nextpowerup.com/news/30090/a ... ch-issues/
The video says it all...........................................

Meh, I am sure the same thing is true for Nexus and others. Most are manufactured in exactly the same place as the iPhone.

Microsoldering specialist, WTH. These things are soldered by machine not man. Is that even a job???

Was looking for a screen cover for someone then ran across this.
http://ifixit.org/blog/8309/iphone-6-plus-gray-flicker-touch-death/

Almost made a separate post but since it's already here I'll just add the link. Looks like I'm going to suggest to the person to return that phone and get something else. They just got it this weekend and is still within the return period.

tanker27 wrote:

Microsoldering specialist, WTH. These things are soldered by machine not man. Is that even a job???

Yes.

This is insane, making me wanna start using Android...
I didn't expect it from Apple. Instead they should have rewarded this lady who identified their flaw rather than ignoring and restricting her voice on their forum!

seankay wrote:

This is insane, making me wanna start using Android...

Not much difference there. The Nexus 6P never goes in a back pocket (c'mon, who ever thought this was a good idea?) and it lives in a rigid case to stop flexing problems.

Captain Ned wrote:

seankay wrote:

This is insane, making me wanna start using Android...

Not much difference there.  The Nexus 6P never goes in a back pocket (c'mon, who ever thought this was a good idea?) and it lives in a rigid case to stop flexing problems.

Blackberry Priv seems better or Samsung S7 which is water proof!

Then you just end up with security problems due to the poor software updates roll out.

There are no perfect mobile phones.

My 6S is in pristine condition. Must be because I don't throw it at my wife.

yogibbear wrote:

My 6S is in pristine condition. Must be because I don't throw it at my wife.  :o

That's an oddly specific reason.  Has this been a problem with your phones in the past?

seankay wrote:

This is insane, making me wanna start using Android...
I didn't expect it from Apple. Instead they should have rewarded this lady who identified their flaw rather than ignoring and restricting her voice on their forum!

That's not how apple operates.Their products MUST seem to be perfect/the best no matter how untrue it is-It's part of the big con..................
But as Ned says-anyone stupid enough to put phone in back pocket and sit on it-good luck to them.............

HERETIC wrote:

But as Ned says-anyone stupid enough to put phone in back pocket and sit on it-good luck to them.............

But taking into consideration how much smartphones are subjected to being bumped, dropped, tossed, and flung by most people whether abuse or accidentally. Could thermal expansion/contraction also cause the soldered balls to crack or up lift from the pcb?

Lead-free solder is also a big problem; unleaded is much more brittle than traditional leaded solder. This is a price we pay for eco-friendliness, and in a tech market where devices are viewed as disposable (because they're obsolete after a couple of years) there's little incentive to solve this issue to make lead-free devices last longer.

There's a reason the military has resisted the introduction of lead-free solder for gear that will be subjected to harsh environments and/or long service life. They analyze stuff like this to death, and have a lot riding on their equipment functioning properly under adverse conditions.

I still use old-school leaded solder whenever I do component-level repairs. It's the only way to be sure.

Now, now, lets be fair to Apple. The iPhone 6 & 6+ were the first time that Apple engineers had to deal with designing two different sized phones at the same time, instead of the one at a time they are used too. So cut them some slack.

I always had a suspicion that Apple had cooties.

just brew it! wrote:

I still use old-school leaded solder whenever I do component-level repairs. It's the only way to be sure.

Have some of it in storage and I think you're on the right track as to the solder joint problem. I'm sure the tin whiskering problem is also a contributor.

Besides, who doesn't enjoy the aroma of a fresh tin/lead solder joint? My old Heathkit clocks did that in spades.

Behold?? Heathkit has a new clock kit out?? I built the GC-1005 as a kid and when it died I built a GC-1108 (circa 1992) that soldiers on to this day on my nightstand. Yeah it's pricey, but keeping Heathkit alive is a Good Thing^TM.

Digi-Key will still sell you leaded solder. I've been wondering if there is a cutoff date for that, and whether I should do a "lifetime buy" at some point.

just brew it! wrote:

Digi-Key will still sell you leaded solder. I've been wondering if there is a cutoff date for that, and whether I should do a "lifetime buy" at some point.

Well, 2-3 pounds would be a lifetime buy at this point.

Captain Ned wrote:

just brew it! wrote:

Digi-Key will still sell you leaded solder. I've been wondering if there is a cutoff date for that, and whether I should do a "lifetime buy" at some point.

Well, 2-3 pounds would be a lifetime buy at this point.

Yup. Cheap insurance. I should just do it.

just brew it! wrote:

Yup. Cheap insurance. I should just do it.

1 kilo of 0.6mm 63/37 for $28.70 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Rosin-Solder-Lea ... B007N6QNS2

Captain Ned wrote:

just brew it! wrote:

Yup. Cheap insurance. I should just do it.

1 kilo of 0.6mm 63/37 for $28.70 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Rosin-Solder-Lea ... B007N6QNS2

At least in this case I don't need to worry about lead contamination when buying something made by an off-brand Chinese manufacturer.

Still somewhat inclined to get the name-brand (Kester) stuff from Digi-Key... which, admittedly, may ultimately be sourced from the same Chinese factory!

just brew it! wrote:

which, admittedly, may ultimately be sourced from the same Chinese factory!

Did you ever wonder where old car batteries went to die?

Captain Ned wrote:

just brew it! wrote:

I still use old-school leaded solder whenever I do component-level repairs. It's the only way to be sure.

Have some of it in storage and I think you're on the right track as to the solder joint problem.  I'm sure the tin whiskering problem is also a contributor.

Besides, who doesn't enjoy the aroma of a fresh tin/lead solder joint?  My old Heathkit clocks did that in spades.

Behold??  Heathkit has a new clock kit out??  I built the GC-1005 as a kid and when it died I built a GC-1108 (circa 1992) that soldiers on to this day on my nightstand.  Yeah it's pricey, but keeping Heathkit alive is a Good Thing^TM.

Still using a 1981 made clock (Maplin) surprised the caps haven't dried up by now.................

HERETIC wrote:

Still using a 1981 made clock (Maplin) surprised the caps haven't dried up by now.................

Well, a simple clock circuit won't come close to stressing even 85C caps.

tanker27 wrote:

Microsoldering specialist, WTH. These things are soldered by machine not man. Is that even a job???

They are originally manufactured by machine, yes. The SMT components are aligned and preglued in place, then baked to cure the solder. Heat sensitive bits are installed afterward.  But if you want to replace one or two parts in a finished device, that's a manual job requiring magnificiation and steady hands; for BGA type ICs, an ultrasonic or infrared soldering station is also needed.

Captain Ned wrote:

HERETIC wrote:

Still using a 1981 made clock (Maplin) surprised the caps haven't dried up by now.................

Well, a simple clock circuit won't come close to stressing even 85C caps.

Wet electros still dry out.

A former co-worker had his old 1980s-era Jameco kit clock die a year or so back, I helped him diagnose the failure (and supplied him with some replacement caps from my mobo-recapping stash).

Ryu Connor wrote:

Then you just end up with security problems due to the poor software updates roll out.

There are no perfect mobile phones.

Life's unfair. We can't have everything

HERETIC wrote:

seankay wrote:

This is insane, making me wanna start using Android...
I didn't expect it from Apple. Instead they should have rewarded this lady who identified their flaw rather than ignoring and restricting her voice on their forum!

That's not how apple operates.Their products MUST seem to be perfect/the best no matter how untrue it is-It's part of the big con..................
But as Ned says-anyone stupid enough to put phone in back pocket and sit on it-good luck to them.............

It does makes sense but still, how much would this have costed if they have used the Metal Covering which that lady described. They wanted it to have problems, so they can sell more of these sissy iPhones with troubles in them!

I didn't even watch the video...knew exactly what it was about. From the article:

The issue didn't manifest until recently

That's not entirely true. My wife's 6 Plus had the issue last year. She doesn't carry it in a back pocket or anything like that. If it isn't in her hands it's either in her purse (not crammed in it) or on the counter.

We took it to the local Apple Store and they knew exactly what the issue was, without hesitation. They were even able to squeeze the top of the phone where the chip is and touch would work as long as the pressure was maintained. We walked out of the store with a brand new replacement phone, without spending a dime. I'm not the biggest Apple fan, in fact I don't even carry an iPhone, but I'll at least give them that they'll support the product pretty well.