Big screen problem

My screen walks away (see addition) just when I am using my phone. It happens very often. It irritates me. I have looked to

the troubleshooter and contacted Fairphone. They say I need to send my phone so they can repaire it.

When I push roughly on my screen several times I fix the problem for a while.

Hopefully you can help me. Can I clean something in my phone? Or repair something? Or can I do something else tot fix it? I hope is. Otherwise I need to replace my phone.

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Welcome to the Fairphone Community.
Due to the modular design of the Fairphone 2 it is prone to contact problems. Did you try to remove the display and check and possibly clean the contacts?

There are some other discussions about screen problems, for example: I found out what caused my FP2 screen freezes / screen becoming unresponsive

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I have the exact same problem and it’s getting worse. I have no idea which contacts to clean and how/with what.

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Thank you for your respons. Yes, I tried both. What is the best way to clean the contacts? I think there is the problem… In the contact between screen and motherboard. Don’t you think?

There is no simple solution for this problem, I’m afraid, here you can find some suggestions: Noisy coloured pixels on my Fairphone 2
Maybe you can contact a fairphone angel in your area to test with a different screen.

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This is a serious issue that definitely puts on hold any thoughts of purchasing a Fairphone again. You blame the “modular design”, but surely if I’m anable to fix this issue myself, Fp should look into long-term solutions and be more forthcoming in offering solutions.

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Fairphone reacted during designing the FP3, it’s more stable. The construction of the FP2 can’t changed anymore, so the community can only give hints on how to deal with the issues, based on own experiences.

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For cleaning contacts use isopropyl alcohol (>90%) and a q-tip.

It is a serious issue for sure, but it’s in this case in fact possibly a design flaw of the Fairphone 2 and of this phone only.
With that model Fairphone most likely took modularity a step too far. The display is a snap on solution with 2 plastic locks for fixing it. In addition the phone is quite flexible, which make it vulnerable to loosing contact between modules that are connected in such a “flimsy” way.
Transporting the phone in a trouser-pocket therefore is not the best of ideas. Plus, the flexibility makes it more likely for debris to enter into the phone, possibly corroding and blocking contacts as well.
Troubles are more likely to occur and to intensify, should one disassemble the phone often for marketing purposes or the like. :wink:
While it really is sad, that this happened, it’s a kind of learning curve. And for such kinds of learning, there unfortunately is no shortcut.


That was then, now is the Fairphone 3.
Fairphone has learned from those troubles. The display now is fixed with 13 screws (they started with less, but added one at a time, until the connection was firm enough in every place) and the phone as such is much more sturdy and less flexible.
Take a look at this techcrunch article based on an interview with Bas van Abel:

With the Fairphone 3 he says the company sought to dial down the “radical” modularity of its earlier crack at the concept — so the result is less of a ‘party trick’ smartphone design, as the Fairphone 2 was (he dubs it a “show off” phone) — and more, well, dull but worthy; modularity as a utility that’s there to enable (occasional) repairs.
“You don’t need the phone to be so super smooth in taking apart to be able to repair it,” he says. “Fairphone 2 goes beyond the idea of repairability. It’s more a show off phone in that sense. And that also comes with risks.”

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Thank you. Still, I paid EUR 535,66 for this phone - a bit steep for a “show off phone”, don’t you think?

I know, I paid 531,64 € nearly six years ago. I fully understand that you are disappointed, I was hoping for a big improvement after the FP1 too.
But now we can only deal with the shortcomings. The phone can’t be changed anymore.

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When I can’t fix my FP2, I will buy a FP3. The sustainable mission I will always support! But I hope I will fix my FP2 :slight_smile:

Thanks for alle the response!!

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Who wouldn’t or couldn’t agree to that statement. (Though the “showing off” extra margin for the fruit someone took a bite of seems no less steep to me. :wink: )

I guess (and sincerely hope), that Fairphone didn’t plan for the Fairphone 2 to be a “show off phone”. They simply aimed at maximum modularity and only the user experience in practical use showed, what obviously the previous testing did not reveal: this kind of modularity in combination with the materials used is not as durable as intended.
Best example is the initial case they used for the FP2. It was one case made of two components, that fit tight around the phone. Unfortunately in every day use, the two components came apart, as one material was more flexible and expanded in heat much more. So they had to design a new casing pretty fast; and they did a really good job in my opinion, as I really like the slim case.
But the general modular design could only be changed with the construction of a new phone. :frowning:

(Please heed, that this is all my very own personal reasoning, since I don’t have any insight into the Fairphone company and their doings.)

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Thanks for this respons. I bent one grabber and my screen is allready working better!

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