XZ2 and XZ2 Compact - Screen sensitivity issues

[CaraMuuu]

Hi there,

There's a problem with the touchscreen sensitivity in the new Sony XZ2 phones, I'm not sure how to define it, but it feels like a dead zone that moves with your finger. The phone will not detect small movements, kind of a precision problem.

I have a video and pictures to demonstrate the issue, comparing the sensibility to my other phone (Galaxy S8):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc55o-36uC4&feature=youtu.be
And a picture:

https://imgur.com/a/LIzyV

I don't think these particular units are defective, I tried the big XZ2 in a store (not the compact) and had the same issue, so we can assume most XZ2 and XZ2 compact are impacted. Let's hope it's just software.

I tried disabling and enabling the glove mode. I tried with my finger and with the pen (made the video with the pen because it's easier to see in a video). I tried two models, normal XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, with identical results. Tried while charging and without the charging cable as well.

It's not an obvious issue or easy to perceive, It just lacks precision in small and fine movements, for example while gaming.

The issue does not exist in the XZ1, so it's not "a Sony thing", the have done it right in the past, it's just affecting the new flagships.

Please help, I need to decide whether to keep my phone or return it, I need to know if Sony is aware of the issue, and if they are planning to fix it by software.

Thanks a lot in advance.

[lukas321]

i noticed also that the screen is a bit unresponsive. its like a delay between touch and movement recognition and displaying movement

[CaraMuuu]

More people are noticing the issue in the XDA forums.

I contacted Sony support and the experience cannot be more frustrating.

A support agent keeps telling me that my device is broken, and I have to send it back to a repair center.

I have sent a video of my device, I have described the issue, told them that I saw this same behavior in other units (3 units in total: my Compact and two regular XZ2), told the guy that other people are complaining about the same thing. The response from the support agent is always something like "thank you for contacting us, we're sorry you are experiencing issues, please send your defective device to your local support center". I wonder if they even read my case. I proactively asked "what do you need from a customer (me) in order to have someone looking at this to acknowledge it as a bug, or else, to determine if this is working as designed". He kept coming back with the same canned response. This is unacceptable. I didn't care a lot about the issue, but I do care about bad customer support.

[Flynn82]

Dear Sony,

sadly i have to confirm this issue with the touchscreen (guess all devices have it). 

And i would really appreciate some honest support. We need to know that Sony takes their customers serious and is working at solving it.

You made a really great device but this is a major bug and i want to know if you can and will fix it. Otherwise i am sure that me and others won't keep it. 

Ich Sony had any software QM they must have noticed that it is a pain in the a** trying to adjust display colour sliders with a touchscreen working like this. Just to name another example..  

[lukas321]

sony wont do anything unless the number of complaints is more than 1% of sold units. believe me. it was the same with the distorted lines in images by their camera lens. they are really slow in such things.

for me personally this is not a big thing as im not gaming.

[Flynn82]

Ich am not gaming either but adjusting sliders or selecting text is not much fun.

Already talked to the support, they have not been a big help, only standard answers. They also claimed to not yet know about the problem... 

[CaraMuuu]

I read recently in a German forum that some user fixed a similar issue (or might be the same, I used Google translate) in his XZ2 Compact by performing a software repair with the Xperia companion app. Apparently this software repair goes further than a factory reset.

Could somebody try and let us know if it helps? I did try the factory reset, but not the repair with the PC software. Unfortunately I don't have the phone anymore, but if this fixed the problem, I will buy one instantly.

[DocBox]

I'll give it a try, but if it involves completely wiping my phone, I'm probably going to hold off on this. Could you link the German forum page?

[Flynn82]

I also ask for the name of the forum, because all google couldnt find it... Would like to read myself without translation what it's about. 

And yes probably the companion will erase your data, at least the software should. But not 100% sure about the app. 

If you don't want to try then i could also do it (not using the phone as daily yet). But won't have time earlier than tomorrow evening. 

[CaraMuuu]

Hi there,

I believe this is the thread, but there might be more: https://www.android-hilfe.de/forum/sony-xperia-xz2.3289/welche-version-habe-ich.873367.html

I have to say that when I contacted support they suggested using the software repair first of all, and I didn't try because I had updated and factory reset my phone already. I thought it would do the same, but apparently the software repair goes a bit further than that...

Please let us know about your results!

[Xiomela]

I have also had some issues drawing/tapping in certain area's on my phone. Seems to me that this is an annoying software bug as a reboot fixes this for me.