HTC One lens cover is thin, fragile glass

[csmiller]

On the 15th day of ownership, I discovered that the HTC One build quality isn't all that great when I discovered that the camera lens cover is very thin, extremely fragile and cheap glass that cracks very, very easily.  Neither VZ or HTC will fix it without making you give up your phone for weeks on end and paying a huge fee (more than the cost of the phone). BEWARE.

[Ann154]

Verizon Wireless doesn't repair phones. How much was HTC going to charge you to fix it?

[csmiller]

HTC wouldn't give me a quote other than telling me it could cost anywhere between $90 and $300 dollars to replace a part that surely costs $0.0000001.  At first, they told me I needed to talk to Verizon about it.  I did that, got nowhere, then went back to HTC and got nowhere other than getting vague assurances that it could be fixed within an unspecified period of time at an exorbitant cost.  I hear HTC is not doing so well.  If they want to survive, they better build better quality phones and provide better customer service.

[Ann154]

csmiller wrote:

HTC wouldn't give me a quote other than telling me it could cost anywhere between $90 and $300 dollars to replace a part that surely costs $0.0000001.  At first, they told me I needed to talk to Verizon about it.  I did that, got nowhere, then went back to HTC and got nowhere other than getting vague assurances that it could be fixed within an unspecified period of time at an exorbitant cost.  I hear HTC is not doing so well.  If they want to survive, they better build better quality phones and provide better customer service.

The HTC One doesn't look like it is easy to repair. http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/HTC+One+Teardown/13494

[csmiller]

On the contrary, replacing the lens cover looks very easy:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/HTC+One+Camera+Lens+Glass+Replacement/17695

I'm going to have to resort to the HTC One X lens cover because the HTC One lens cover is impossible to find.

[Ann154]

If you want to void the warranty even further, that's up to you. Good luck.

[csmiller]

Void the warranty even further?  I didn't realize I had voided the warranty already.  Care to elaborate?

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[Ann154]

The cracked glass isn't covered by the warranty.

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[jroeder]

If you look through thin glass, it is clearer than looking through thick glass correct? That's why HTC did it. Picture quality. Sure it is much more fragile but its a give and take situation. If you think it will be easy to replace then stop complaining on the forums and do it. And if your read what voids a warranty and use your resources, you will not have to ask us that question. So since a Lamborghini or Ferrari is fragile, they are not good quality vehicles?

[csmiller]

No, not correct.  Not even close to being correct. Thinness doesn't necessarily mean better clarity.  HTC could have used thicker material that would have been much more durable without compromising clarity.  And, as I have discovered, it's not even glass.  It's plastic, which easily scratches and cracks.

Also, as I stated, it won't be easy to replace because the HTC One glass cover is not easy to find.  I'd have to resort to one that is the right diameter,  but thicker (the HTC One X), and would not sit flush with the phone case.

Ferraris and Lambos don't fall apart during the ordinary course of normal use.  This phone does, apparently, since it is in a case, I have never dropped it and I handle it with care (though not enough, apparently, since it's fragile like an eggshell) and it is still falling apart after less than 3 weeks.