What to check immediately after purchase?

[hajimeabc]

Hi, planning to buy the Note soon. What should I check immediately after purchase? My list so far is:

- physical damage such as scratch
- dead/stuck pixel
- touch screen

- Is there a self-test on the Note to test various functionality?
- What is the best way to check for dead/stuck pixel and the
touch screen?
- Without turning on the Note, is there a way to tell when the device was manufactured and whether or not it has ICS? Are those information printed on the box? (Samsung in my city announced that ICS will be available in May. Yesterday, a samsung lady in a retain store told me that ICS will be available next week.)


Is it advisable to test the Note in the store? Since some stores do not allow for an exchange if there is a dead pixel or scratch, it is easier to get an exchange if I do it there. However, it might also be better to go home, clean my hands, put on the screen protector and protective case. Then, test.

 

[McGilli]

When mine arrived in the mail - the included battery was dead and needed to be charged first.

So - I would not have been able to test it in a store....

Basically - when you get the box, make sure it is SEALED. it will have two security stickers on the box - one on each side.

If they have been broken, then for some reason someone has already taken it out and done something with it.

Just ask to see it in the box - and if the two seals are on it - just buy it and take it home. I'm sure it will be fine.

(Do dead pixels even exist anymore?)

 

[touringhaggis]

Go to the dialer number pad and type *#0*# to access a number of tests. Yes stuck pixels do still exist, but you would hope that QA catches the majority of them.

I would also check that the touch screen responds all over and then test again with the digitizer pen (remember that the pen may be out of calibration at first but should get better as you draw around the edge of the screen for a while).

Also, turn down the screen brightness and open a white page. Look for odd colouration and banding. The banding is actually unavoidable (as far as I know) but it should not be wildly obvious.

Hope this helps...

Regards,
Eric Ritchie.

 

[hajimeabc]

Thanks touringhaggis. Should I perform these tests while in the store? How to test if the touch screen responds all over? When I first turn on teh Note, will I be asked to point at certain areas to calibrate the pen? Not sure about odd coloration and banding. Do you have pic on what is normal and what is not?

 

[touringhaggis]

Thanks touringhaggis. Should I perform these tests while in the store? How to test if the touch screen responds all over? When I first turn on teh Note, will I be asked to point at certain areas to calibrate the pen? Not sure about odd coloration and banding. Do you have pic on what is normal and what is not?

You should be able to run the *#0*# test in the shop. Part of that test is a touchscreen test and s-pen test. The pen seems to calibrate itself (this is why I said to draw around the corners) if after a while certain parts of the screen are not sensitive to the pen (or your finger) then you may have a problem. No, I don't have a screenshot showing the banding but you will see a slight (very slight of you are lucky) difference in brightness when looking at a completely white screen. This is a limitation of the screen technology it seems. One person has also reported slight miscolouration in one corner of the screen. You can also get a white screen with the above test so all can be done in store but you should have a few days (or weeks) grace period in which to return the phone if you find a problem.

Just one last thing: Enjoy your new phone! I know that I do.

Regards,
Eric Ritchie.

 

[hajimeabc]

Thanks. Are the screen and the case easily scratched? Ideally, I want to put the protection on the screen before touching or testing it. However, if I do that, the store may not allow me to change the device if something goes wrong.

 

[touringhaggis]

Thanks. Are the screen and the case easily scratched? Ideally, I want to put the protection on the screen before touching or testing it. However, if I do that, the store may not allow me to change the device if something goes wrong.

I have no scratches on the screen after about three months of use without any screen protection. I have a pop in case (with a tab to slide out the phone) for when I am not using it. As a result the back and sides of the phone are slightly scuffed. As someone else put it, the cost of a quality screen protector will not be recovered when you resell in two years. I plan to use this phone for much longer than that so I don