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Help Weird screen-go-black-inside-Desire-case problem.

SkinJob

Well-Known Member
Oct 5, 2010
155
34
Here's one for the books....

Just got a new case for my Desire off eBay. When I have the Desire all the way inserted in the case and try to call a number, the screen goes BLACK. Yet the call can still be heard going through. I am NOT able to get it back no matter what button I press. Not even with POWER OFF for several seconds! Yet... if I push the phone up half an inch (see pic), the screen goes back every time and the buttons work. Did I mention that the screen is fine when the phone is fully inserted in the case, it only goes black when I make a call using the dialer?

I checked and none of the buttons seem to be depressed when the phone is in the case. Even if they were, it should not cause the screen to lock up like that in black, and the buttons as well.


5104710755_a88430330b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1403/5104710755_a88430330b.jpg
 
The case is probably blocking a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor turns the screen off when you're on a phone call so your face doesn't accidentally press random buttons / areas on the phone.

I get it now. There's a sensor causing the screen to go black on the upper left hand corner (area above notification bar). There's a cutout in the case there, but the stupid thing doesn't go high enough, and is blocking the sensor. If I cut a bigger opening, I risk the case coming apart. If I cut the tabs at the bottom the hold the phone, and push it lower in the case, then the speaker and LED are blocked by the top piece. If I return it back to the seller, I will probably spend as much shipping to HK than it cost. :(

And here I thought I did enough research on phone cases before choosing one.... never knew how "sensor-tive" these things were.

FWIW, I also noticed when I grip the sides of the Desire tightly, I can no longer press the dialer or any homescreen icons. When I loosen my grip but still hold the sides, the icons are again accessible. However, the hardware (physical) buttons work, and the screen does not go black, shutting off all buttons. This is a really smart phone. But the case designers are not as smart as the phone.
 
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