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Are touch-screen problems plaguing the Nexus One?

Touch-screen issues are the latest reported problems with the Nexus One.

Scott Webster
Scott Webster has spent the better part of his adult life playing with cell phones and gadgets. When not looking for the latest Android news and rumors, he relaxes with his wife and son. Scott also is the senior editor for AndroidGuys. E-mail Scott.
Scott Webster
2 min read

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After only a few short weeks, could it be that the honeymoon phase has ended for some Nexus One owners? Forum posts are alive with disgruntled users complaining about a variety of issues, with this week bringing news of issues involving the touch screen.

A thread started earlier this week by a user reported that their Nexus One was registering the wrong keys when tapping on the screen. After a quick power cycle, the problem disappeared, but the user doesn't appear to be alone. We have yet to see such issues on our Nexus One review model.

Whether software or hardware is to blame remains undetermined, but the news is not the kind of thing you'd expect from a "superphone." Unfortunately, there's not a physical keyboard to let you compose your messages until you have a chance to reboot your phone.

According to Ry Guy, a Google employee, Google and HTC are addressing the issue and are looking to narrow it down to a possible software issue. If that's the case, Nexus One owners can expect some form of maintenance release or software update to be pushed out over the air (OTA) at some point in the near future. Should the issue come down to hardware, however, replacement units will be made available to those looking to swap phones.

If this is, in fact, a hardware issue, it will be interesting to see how well prepared Google and HTC are to repair and replace handsets. There have been numerous reports of people feeling less than satisfied with the ordering process and the attached strings. Although only a relatively small number of people have ordered a Nexus One, it's a very vocal group. If there were to be any snags to the warranty process it could be a black eye to Google and its efforts.

Just two weeks ago it was found that the Nexus One screen was not as accurate as other handsets in terms of registering touch. As suggested by Moto Labs, sometimes adjusting the display algorithm is all it takes to produce better results. Perhaps an OTA update is all that's needed to right things. For now, the best advice we've seen so far is to soft reset your phone.