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Help Hairline crack at power button.

I believe the trim ring is metal with a painted or powder-coated black surface. I think that the paint or coating is cracking and not the ring itself. If this is the case, then the failure is cosmetic.

If someone can show that the ring is plastic, then the crack would indicate a failure of the ring and that would be substantial and not cosmetic because the ring could eventually fall off.
 
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I believe the trim ring is metal with a painted or powder-coated black surface. I think that the paint or coating is cracking and not the ring itself. If this is the case, then the failure is cosmetic.

If someone can show that the ring is plastic, then the crack would indicate a failure of the ring and that would be substantial and not cosmetic because the ring could eventually fall off.

Well, I have BOTH cracks, and with the one at the VOL DOWN button I can bend the ring up away from the frame. It is indeed plastic, and it is the result of a defective design. I walked into a Sprint store just the other day and asked about it, and she said that even though it's a defect, because I don't have insurance it would still be a $35 fee. Bleh, don't really want to spend $35 when it's seemingly okay as is, but as a neat freak, it annoys the HELL out of me.
 
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Well now mine is worse...but it's due to my own fault...rather my car insurance company who forced me to call them for no reason...

So now instead of a small hairline crack, my power/lock button does not work anymore unless you jam your fingernail in it.

Not to get too random, but I wonder if this hairline crack wasn't there, how much damage would've been done to the top? There are about 7 different scratches on the top and it forced the button to be shoved down into the phone slightly. I assume that the phone first landed on it's "head" and this is what caused it. If the Evo design wasn't flawed, it might not have been damaged this much. This is my first time dropping the phone since I first got the phone in October 2010 :(
 
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The mod is the engineer but I think this happens because your phones are getting too hot/cold. Plastic casings that experience huge temperature changes will encounter this problem. Watch the battery temps of your phones.

The power button is as far away from the battery as any thing on the phone. There is no heat in that area.

It is from pressure when turning the phone or or off. My G/F never uses the power button (No Lock, so she uses the volume key to turn the phone on, and never shuts the screen off other than by time). Her plastic is unblemished. Mine is cracked because I turn the screen off with the button.
 
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I was afraid of this problem so I had lock bot for awhile and then I rooted and installed CM 7. I can now use the volume rocker to wake the phone and the pull down menu to put the phone to sleep. The only time I ever touch the power button is shut down (completely power down) and restart like in the case of a battery change.
Lotta wear and tear on that power button if you use it every time to wake the phone.
 
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The power button is as far away from the battery as any thing on the phone. There is no heat in that area.

It is from pressure when turning the phone or or off. My G/F never uses the power button (No Lock, so she uses the volume key to turn the phone on, and never shuts the screen off other than by time). Her plastic is unblemished. Mine is cracked because I turn the screen off with the button.

I didn't say anything about a battery temp. Going from hot to cold or cold to hot environments during the summer and winter months can weaken the plastic as you slam your big ass thumb down on the power or volume buttons. Those are the most stressed areas of the phone. I can drive around with the windows down during the summer and this phone can get pretty hot. So I will roll up the windows and turn on the AC.

I have the Seidio Innocase Active on my phone which is made of rubber and plastic. The case absorbs the pressure of my fingers when pressing on the volume and power buttons. Also, I use the app Screen off and Lock so I don't have to use the power button to put my phone to sleep. I can use the screen to make the phone sleep.
 
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This is crap. I have had my Evo for about a month, maybe 2 months....the whole time its been in a otterbox. I took the case off today just to give a random reset...and boom....hairline crack right at the power button...phone has never even been dropped.... So Sprint is fixing these or what??? I pay the full insurance every month on it.
 
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