Ghost inputs on FP4

[phair]

Support cannot tell me what they do to fix the ghost touch issue so I doubt there is any real fix. I am pretty sure there is only a software mitigation. If there is a fix and they are unwilling to tell their users what it is then they are acting antithetical to their ethos. So much for repairability.

[Native]

Finally someone replied in the live chat (after only 10 minutes wait, Fairphone Support no longer available - #124 by Native for original post). Unfortunately the only solution offered is sending in the phone, DIY repair is not possible The answer to my DIY request was that the display will be replaced and some padding will be added, which is not possible to do on your own (“success of a self repair is not guaranteed”) really annoying as this means a factory reset of the phone and (according to support) 14 days without the phone… This is especially unfortunate as e.g. my banking apps require device activations via PIN letters, so quite a lot of effort…

Hopefully the repair will at least really fix the issue…

[user0815]

@Dakkaron

Even if you are using a plastic case, having more conductive mass nearby reduces static buildup a lot.

@Dakkaron

That would mean, the issues are worse in dry air and better in humid air.

@Dakkaron

I don’t have ghost touches, I have a screen that doesn’t react at all if there’s nothing capacitative/conductive next to it.

What you are describing fits very well to my situation:

1. When the phone is lying flat on a surface (not in my hand), it often does not react to input at all. If it does react, it only reacts sporadically, i.e., to some input events but not to others.
2. When the phone is lying flat on a surface, it shows more Ghost inputs than when it is in my hands.
3. When holding the phone only a bit at the very bottom, ghost inputs seem to happen more often than when I cover more of the phone’s back with my hand.
4. I have the impression that your humidity correlation is also true for me.
5. I have the impression that your “works better when lying flat on metal surface than when lying flat on non-metal surface” correlation is also true for me.
6. Your theory would match with users reporting that the problem became less bad when they tightened screws, or added tape or foam to the connector, as this would leave less space to wiggle.

(I’m using the Settings → System → Developer options → Show taps option to see what’s going on)