Software update: FP4.SP2J.B.086.20230807

[Spongebob]

@loseyourself

I’m just happy that they seem to be doing something about all the issues now.

I’m just sad that it took them nearly 2 years from release to do so.

I have just tested this with myself.
It works exactly as it should for me. It’s strange that it’s so different. It would have been great if the user could set the sensitivity himself, e.g. in 3 steps, for such different scenarios. Of course, I don’t know how to do this and it’s easier said than done.

[UPPERCASE]

I haven’t found a way to reliably reproduce the issue. My assumption is that it has to do with sensitivity, but maybe something else is at play.

[cosmic]

Wow, this topic is convoluted with discussions that have nothing to do with the recent software update and its effects, both positive and negative.

Makes it hard to spot information about those.

@AngusMcFife

If I hold the phone in my hands, the touchscreen works without any issues. If I lay it down, I can barely get the 2-finger zoom to work, like 1 out of 10 times. Interestingly, as soon as I touch the phone lying on the desk with my other hand, it works well again.

Seems to be exactly like that for me, in all orientations.

@erickonix

After the lastest update of ghosts touch is hard to enlarge the image and using the Google map rotation with 2 fingers.

Same for me, but only when the phone is placed on the table with no contact of my hands, just the fingers on the touch screen.

@yvmuell

Noted that as well, however I know this from the FP3 already, and at the end I dont care as long as the Ghost Touches are gone for others (I never had any), as I think those are more severe compared to this.

I agree, it is less problematic than ghost touches I assume, however it is also something that hinders the use of the phone. For example, when I place the phone in the car holder, I cannot control it by just touching the screen, I need to grab it with my full hand as if I was holding it to get my touch inputs recognized. Same when I place it on a table to show something to someone. I never had this before this update.

[Razem]

Indeed, while the phone is laying on the table, it is a bit harder to navigate it. I don’t mind it that much because 99% of the time I just pick up the phone. But it’s true that I used to not have to put as much pressure on the display when it was on the table. It seems to me that there is also a significantly reduced sensitivity in the middle of the display (where the ghost touches used to appear). But then again, when I hold the phone in my hand, everything seems perfectly fine.

It’s weird. I’m using the official protective case which should insulate the phone from my hand. There shouldn’t be that much of a difference.

[peci1]

@cosmic

Same for me, but only when the phone is placed on the table with no contact of my hands, just the fingers on the touch screen.

Okay, I was able to reproduce it by laying the phone on the table and removing the official cover. With the cover, the problem is much less frequent.

[mde]

That depends on your local phone operator who has to approve the rollout for their network. Occasionally, updates are not rolled out on certain networks because of known issues that have to be fixed first. But give it a little more time, sometimes it’s surprisingly slow with some operators.
I have not received the update either so far (Congstar /Proximus ).

[AngusMcFife]

@peci1

Okay, I was able to reproduce it by laying the phone on the table and removing the official cover. With the cover, the problem is much less frequent.

I am using the official cover as well, but I don’t see any difference if I take it off. I assume this varies greatly with the conductivity of your desk, mine is a painted wooden surface.

[nafets]

I am not sure if my ghost touches have vanished after the update, I saw a glimpse of them but not enough to conclude it is the ghost touches again.
But I did experience a new phenomenon. Sitting outside a restaurant under a giant sunshade the display brightness dimmed down to an unreadble setting and I had to move the phone into a bright spot to make it light up the screen and then I switched off automatic brightness.
Weird, I have never had that effect before the update… I know that scientifically speaking this is no evidence of course, just coincidence maybe…

[yvmuell]

So you are saying the brigthness slider moved down actually?

[nafets]

Yes, it did. Then I switched off the “A” and moved it up manually.

[KurtF]

@AngusMcFife

If I hold the phone in my hands, the touchscreen works without any issues. If I lay it down, I can barely get the 2-finger zoom to work, […] as soon as I touch the phone lying on the desk with my other hand, it works well again.

Interesting. It doesn’t do this on mine:
In my hand it’s like before the update. Lying on a (wooden) table, no touching except the screen, it works just the same too. No difference I could see.
(Both test made with Google Maps. I’ve never experienced ghost touches. Phone is almost a year old, heavy use.)
Disclaimer: It’s hot and humid right now, this might have something to do with it, I guess those are the ideal conditions for the FP4’s touchscreen.

I know that my FP4’s screen is affected by temperature (it’s much less sensitive in cold: Back in winter, while outside (around 2-5°C), the screen became quite unresponsive. Not to the point of being unusable, but definitely annoying), and since finger touches are registered by capacitance, humidity would probably change their response too (guessing).

------ EDIT:

No, error, actually I do have the same effect (less responsive when lying on the table). I had forgot to unplug the charging cable! The charging cable did the “holding hand” effect…

So yes, you seem definitely onto something here. And for those who use it in their car, plug it in, that should restore touch screen sensitivity.

------ EDIT again:

Apparently there is even simpler: Just plug a USB cable into the phone, doesn’t need to actually be connected to anything! I tested it by just plugging the official USB-C to mini audio jack adapter, with nothing plugged in it!
Despite its only 10 cm length, it was enough to restore touch sensitivity, so it doesn’t need much.
(Also posted further down, but I thought I’d assemble everything here)

[facetto]

would be interesting to listen to @anon64862762 opinion to these issues.

[yvmuell]

probably a bit more patience to breath and check and see what is reported helps. Yasen proofed multiple times he will be back when he has some information and not everyone need to ping him over and over again thats just spamming his mailbox and increasing the chance to loose track.

Edit#: who wants to discuss this further, please do it here to keep the topic update topic as clean as possible

Another random discussion about FP

I don’t see anybody pinging him here. And 4 days is enough time for a company to breathe before giving a statement. I really wonder how such things are in the work surroundings of people defending the extreme slow movement of FP. Maybe my conception comes from I am working in a commercial company while others are not used to that?

[wof]

Since my first comment got split out I want to mention again that scrolling smoothness is also affected. It’s a bit like scrolling with a mouse wheel where it snaps to the ratchet but the hitching is more subtle. I suspect most people won’t consciously notice it but it’s a big papercut that gives an impression of a sluggish, underpowered phone. This effect is more pronounced when lightly touching, on a desk, etc. so it’s probably related to the same set of changes.

[AngusMcFife]

@KurtF

No, error, actually I do have the same effect (less responsive when lying on the table). I had forgot to unplug the charging cable! The charging cable did the “holding hand” effect…

So yes, you seem definitely onto something here. And for those who use it in their car, plug it in, that should restore touch screen sensitivity.

Thank you for your suggestion with the charging cable, I could reproduce that here. Leaving the phone plugged in when in a car may not be a solution, but for me it is certainly an acceptable workaround.

P.s., I love the suggestion that we have to hold hands with our phones so they are more sensitive, that’s so cute

[yvmuell]

I just tried to zoom in a map while the phone was in the car mount and I had to touch it somewhere at the back or side to make it work. A third finger of the same hand was sufficient.

[G33K2303]

@anon64862762 Any update on the .086 release to the download page?

[Holly1]

Thank you for this thread. I thought I was going crazy, pressing my screen trying to get it to respond! Seems I have the issue of the screen being less responsive when it’s flat but fine when held upright. I got a screen protector a few days before the update but was fine until I updated.

[anon64862762]

Hi all,

I just wanted to thank you for the detailed feedback about the touch sensitivity after the update. There’s already an internal bug report about this and it will be treated with a high priority. I will periodically monitor this topic and forward relevant feedback to the team.

Please be mindful that we’ll need time to investigate why the display reacts differently, depending on how it’s placed and whether it’s charging. After we have a better understanding of these factors, we’ll have to adjust the calibration and make sure it doesn’t have any other unintended consequences. We are still at the start of this process and there is a lot going on in the background (including a certain Android upgrade) so don’t expect it to be fixed in the next update.

I’ll let you know when there’s a clearer ETA.