[Ben]

My Nokia N95 8GB has just developed a fault, as far as I can tell.

On pictures taken today there's a rather large black fuzzy spot. In a landscape picture it's towards the bottom, just left of the middle. I've checked over all of my previous pictures and they're all fine, so I have no idea what has gone wrong!

Lens is clean (I was about to eat my words regarding covers) and I have rebooted the phone :/

I guess I'll be calling Vodafone unless anyone has any nuggets of wisdom? Hopefully they'd just send me out a new one? :S They better!

[Hands0n]

Oh that does not sound at all well. The most likely reason if it is not optical (and you've checked that) is going to be a failure on the CCD itself. And that is just not good news, it means a total replacement - beyond repair outside of the factory I'd say. Go for a complete replacement handset, don't accept a repair.

Thats the trouble with electronics. If you can just get them past 3 months without problem the chances are that they'll last very many years. It is that first 3 months that are critical - any faults will normally come out in that time.

[chaslam]

Dont Worry about it, it happened on my Original N95. It happened just before I went to LA with WOM world. Did it a few times and it was very strange. It looked like a big dark shadow on the picture and video, looked like dirt on the lens, but it wasnt. Infact, after a little while I found that the spot actually moved as I moved the phone around! For example, if I would tilt the phone down, the spot to slowly start to move down! Was very strange indeed. Anyway, I managed to tilt it enough so the spot went off the screen, and its never come back or not had that problem since. It was strange, like a bit of dirt or dust, or even a small animal living in the lens haha.

Try tilting it around a little and see if it moves. If not, give it a couple of days and if its still there, ring vodafone or take it to a NSC.


My Nokia N95 8GB has just developed a fault, as far as I can tell.

On pictures taken today there's a rather large black fuzzy spot. In a landscape picture it's towards the bottom, just left of the middle. I've checked over all of my previous pictures and they're all fine, so I have no idea what has gone wrong!

Lens is clean (I was about to eat my words regarding covers) and I have rebooted the phone :/

I guess I'll be calling Vodafone unless anyone has any nuggets of wisdom? Hopefully they'd just send me out a new one? :S They better!

[Ben]

Thanks chaslam!

I'm unable to get mine to move unfortunately (I've just given it a jolly good shake around... shh!) but I'll give it a couple of days anyway... I love the phone, it's perfect, and with electronics these days getting anything that's good is such a gamble! I'd rather not see it get replaced if possible, so here's to hoping a weekend of partaying will help shift the 'black spot'.

[chaslam]

Yes, it took mine a couple of days before it actually started moving, and then suddenly I started the camera, and it moved! As you can probably imagine I was quite surprised, as I thought it was a problem with the camera. Maybe if it becomes dislodged over the next couple of days it might move like mine did. Its probably just a spec of dusk or fluff, I dont think its an actual fault with the camera, but still very very annoying.

[Hands0n]

Sounds like Chaslam (and maybe you) then had a dead microscopic creature inside, a dust mite or something smaller maybe. Its got to be something that could make its way into the electronics, and to actually get onto the CCD itself would be a feat! Considering the CCD is so small, to get a small spot on the image is going to take something very small indeed. These devices are normally hermetically sealed at manufacture.

I suppose you could always try tapping the handset on one side on a rubber mat or something shock-absorbing.

It'll be interesting finding out the outcome :)

[jsaonline]

Hi Ben, any luck with your problem? I am having the same issue but the speck isn't moving. If it doesn't "fix itself" by next week I'm taking it in to a care centre.

Thanks,
J

[Ben]

Hello!

Sorry to have not updated the thread.

I bought my handset over the phone, and they gave me one of the online tariffs, but despite this I actually had my handset exchanged in my local Vodafone store, no questions asked. I was able to transfer the items I needed to keep in the shop before handing back my faulty N95 8GB and leaving with the new one.

Best of luck, I'm sure you wont have any problems getting it repaired or replaced. Personally I'd push for a replacement, but that depends how old your device is.

[jsaonline]

Great, many thanks Ben! I'll go into an O2 store next week and try to exchange it there. The phone is very new as I've only just got it (I received it Saturday). I have most of the original packaging, but I have thrown away some of the plastic bits and inner packaging for the phone. Do you think that would be a problem?

[Ben]

You should be fine, I just swapped my handset - nothing else - but then that was with Vodafone.

The phone was bought direct from O2 I take it? If not, you'll need to return it to the place where you bought it from.

[jsaonline]

Thanks Ben, I'll give it a try today. I bought direct from O2, but from their online shop so they might tell me to do it over the phone instead of directly at a shop but I'll still try that option first. Sad to see my phone go, I've grown quite attached to it! :)

[Ben]

Lol, yes, I had grown rather attached to mine as well... I'm sure I felt a tear well up in my eyes as I handed the one back, but once I'd transferred my bits and bobs on to the new one I couldn't tell the difference :D

[jsaonline]

Sorry guys this post is a bit OT, but FYI if anyone is on O2 and have bought a phone online or over the phone, you can't return it to an O2 shop (unless I was just BSd). You have to call them and they'll arrange a new phone delivered to your home when they'll pick up the old one.

Even more OT, Ben - just noticed you are from Whitstable. Only been in the UK 2 years but love that place. A work mate lives there so have been there a few times already.

So new phone on Tues, thanks Ben for your advice!
J :D

[gorilla]

I think O2 shops are a separate company to O2 online, hence the reason why you have to ring them up to get a replacement. Don't the shops offer different tariffs to the ones online as well?

[jsaonline]

Yeah, that's true. I thought they might be able to work with each other (in terms of replacing my phone) but I guess it's more admin for them and it's easy enough for me to ring them up and organise a replacement.