When good cell phones go bad

The cursed Nokia 6131

(Credit: Nokia`)

The Nokia 6131 always seemed liked a decent cell phone. I never got the chance to actually review it, but when I examined its AT&T cousin, the 6126, I gave it a "very good" rating.

So last week, when I was waiting to receive a new phone that I had ordered, I dusted off a spare 6126 that we had around the office. Unless I'm on vacation, I'm one of those people who has a hard time going without a cell phone.

My broken button.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

For the first few days, the 6126 worked fine. Though it's not the fanciest handset around, it delivered on call quality and battery life. But that all came to a crushing end two days ago when I dropped the 6126 (as I tend to do). It bounced off my shoe and hit a concrete floor. While it continues to make and receive calls as normal, the flip phone will not stay closed. Each time I try to close it, it just pops back open. That means I have to carry it around in the open position, which needless to say is more than inconvenient. The problem seems to be with the small button on the hinge that you can use to open the phone. The button is stuck in the "pressed" position and I've been unable to pry it free.

Both the Nokia 6133 and the 6126 also feature the hinge button. Have any Crave readers encountered the same problem? I doubt I'm alone but even if I am, that button and the spring-loaded hinge seem to be design flaws.

Update: In response to the naysayers below, I'm quite responsible for my own actions. But a phone's hinge should not break after one drop, even after bouncing off my shoe onto a concrete floor. I've seen the iPhone drop on a sidewalk and come with just a few scratches. And if a button is designed so that it can interfere with the phone staying closed, then that is a design flaw.

[backslashtech]

Design flaw?!? Are you serious? You DROPPED the thing...on a concrete floor, no less! I agree that it might not be the most rugged phone, but the last time I checked the specs, "rugged" and "able to survive abuse and drops on concrete" weren't mentioned. If you need something rugged in a cheap phone, go find an old i305 from Nextel. That's IF you can find a Nextel dealer anywhere.

[kippy91]

I have had my Nokia 6126 for over a year and have had no problems with my pop-open button, though I have dropped it several times. It is a great phone, but I think dropping phones on concrete might damage most other phones as well, in one way or another.

[jkurz42]

You know, the same thing happened to me the other day, with an egg. It was sitting there on the counter and I accidentally knocked it off. It fell to the floor and broke. I couldn't believe it. Needless to say, I'm taking it back to the store.

[P8TYS]

I agree - how can you possibly think or say this is a design flaw. This is a failure on your part to take responsibility for something that seems to be entirely your doing.
Use a cover of some sort if you tend to drop it - at least you will have tried to minimize the damage from dropping.

[oldefosse]

I have seen this exact thing happen with this phone. The plastic ring around the button is probably bent inward, preventing the button from popping out and latching. I used a small knife to cut away the bent part, and it worked again. There is probably no internal damage. When it works, I love the latch feature.

[dashingemt]

My wife has had the nokia version for over a year and has dropped it numerous times. Still works like a charm. Now this is no high end phone, but it does its job. So you dropped it and now its broked. I dropped my blackberry and it broke, can I take it back and claim a design flaw. Good god, when are people going to take responsibility for their actions and stop blaming everything and everyone else. YOU DROPPED IT AND BROKE IT....the only design flaw is in your hand. Want to blame god for that one too?

[BustJlaze]

You kidding me? "Naysayers"? For someone who deals with electronics so often, I gotta ask ya...when have you EVER dropped a piece of equipment on concrete, and didn't pick it up at least HALF expecting it to be broken?

[urr_quasdim]

While it's true that Nokia stopped producing button-operated flip phone openers (the 6267 and 6290 don't have it) I am not sure that button was a design flaw. When operated as intended, it works flawlessly (I've had a 6126 for over a year) but there is a limit to what a phone can take in terms of (unintentional) abuse; all manner of malfunctions can happen as a result. The fact that the phone still works after hitting a concrete floor is a tribute to Nokia's design prowess. As someone commented earlier, droppers should keep their phones in a sturdy case.

[dashingemt]

Naysayer....or realist. I have conducted 15 non scientific research studies (in the past 5 minutes) and they all showed one conclusion. Gravity will always pull things down. And concrete is harder than plastic. If I drop a baby on it head should I be upset that its skull cracked after ONE drop? Be happy that the hinges are still intact and all of the calling functions work. If you are in that bad of a pinch use a rubberband to hold it together. Dropping is not normal wear and tear and if you think it is, then like posted above get a phone that is made to be dropped.

[Braznahan]

I hate to say it, but the posters are correct. The button is a feature, not a flaw. It was put there on purpose, and this is not the only phone to use this feature. the button is designed to quickly open the phone, you dropped it and that constitutes a mistake on your part. Just like scratching a screen, or breaking a battery cover. In light of your question though, i noticed someone said something about fixing it with a knife. Seems like a reasonable place to start.

[jmhaynie]

You guys commenting on here really are being a little ridiculous and harsh. A simple phone should not break like this, and I suspect that most phones would not. In fact, this is probably just a fluke, and this one hit just right to have this problem. Come on, I have an LG CU500 that has been through the ringer. I have a habit of flipping my phone in my hand, and occasionally, it drops to the ground. I have probably dropped it 20 times over the last year or so with no mechancial or electrical problems. Everything still works fine. I'd be pissed if I dropped my phone once (onto my shoe no less) and it wouldn't stay closed.

[richs_64]

[dmania]

WOW!!! I never wrote a comment before but after reading this I can't resist. This is truly the most ridiculous article I have ever read. What got me the most was the update comment, how could you compare it with an iphone which is not even a flip phone??? EVEN SO, are you sure it was only a few scratches??? Are you sure the iphone didn't have any cover??? May be if it was only a couple inches fall. The whole article is simply unbelivable...design flaws??? least likely...comparing a flip phone to a NON-flip phone to make a point??? totally speechless...

[richs_64]

i have the same nokia for over a year and dropped it many times. still works great. you dropped it and now its broken. when i dropped my ti-83 and it broke, mind you though that those are "supposedly" built to withstand the hectic college life, can I take it back to staples and claim a design flaw? Good god, when are people like you going to take responsibility for your own actions and stop blaming everyone else. it just PAINS me to think that you really believe that it was nokia's fault when YOU DROPPED IT AND BROKE IT....the only design flaw is in your head

[sbo246]

I'm on my second Nokia 6126, the first one was stolen off my desk at work. I've had my second one for about two weeks. For me, there are not many cell phones which last very long, as I tend to severely damage them in every which way possible. My original 6126 was tortured for about a year, yet always worked. When I say torture, I mean, dropped on hard surfaces, dropped in a glass of beer, put through the washer (and dryer, which somehow miraculously cured it), kicked, tossed, and a lot of other things. My new one fell on gravel a few days ago, and low and behold the flip button was stuck in the down position, rendering the phone flipped open indefinitely. So I took a mini screwdriver and pried the plastic button out completely. Now it closes again. I don't have a "push-to-flip" button anymore, but I could care less as long as the phone works.

[twall411]

I believe that the flip button was a serious design error. I carry my phone in my pocket along with keys and loose change. I also have a tendency to stand up and sit down during the course of the day. In the process the phone consistently pops open. On more then one occasion the a key or a coin has become trapped in the clam shell and when I sat down it cracked the display. I could live with the first crack. But the second and third have rendered it unusable. I have heard this reported from others. Most people see it only as an annoyance. A clam shell phone should be pocket safe. Clearly they have learned this lesson since they no longer incorporate that feature in their phones. Finally a note to you naysayers. Years ago I was a reliability engineer for a telephone manufacturer. One of the tests we performed on all of our hand set products was a series of 6 drops from ear height onto a concrete floor with 1/16 inch asphalt tile. This was outlined in Bell Telephone Spec 48005. I wonder how many companies test to the old Bell Labs standards. A hand held phone will be dropped and it should not render a phone unusable. That is just good engineering.

[audgie463]

I am baffled by the opinions of previous reviewers. Granted, any electronic device is meant to be handled with care, but cell phones are so frequently used that they must be built to withstand a rare, or even occasional, drop. To drop it once should not cause a defect. Durability is an important characteristic for cell phones, and it is absurd to claim that this button is not a design flaw or that "the owner should take responsibility" when there was only one drop. Let's be realistic here.

[maptor]

Hey Kent! Great article, even though it is rather old at this point (I wound up here somehow after reading your review of the Nokia 7510). What many of the commenters above don't seem to take into account is the target-audience for these devices. While Nokia does have some quality issues, they're usually only spotted by high-end devices which are usually bought by only picky power-users. (I'm a Nokia fan-boy but even I'll admit to that.) These lower-grade devices are supposed to be made to be dropped, kicked around, and keep on working. They're not made to be scratch-resistant while doing those things, as they're made out of plastic (to cushion the innards).

So I'd have to agree with you. There's no excuse for a problem THIS big occuring with a drop. I know you're a careful guy, so the drop was probably more than unintentional and more than likely the only "abuse" the phone has ever had to endure. If it's going to malfunction (and I'd consider staying open to be a malfunction) then it's a quality issue / design flaw.

I noticed how on the 7510 review you mentioned how you "could open the phone up <yourself>". My idea with Nokia's odd push-button mechanism is their original design language (candybar) was an entirely one-handed affair if need be. Many flip-phones can be operated one-handed, but a push-button makes them much easier.

Just my two cents, felt like supporting you since I like your reviews and happened to agree with you on this one. (Even though some of your reviews I'm not entirely on-board.)

-Maptor

[nutterbutt]

The same thing has happened to my phone. I am guessing it was dropped, My nephew was using it at the time. I used a rubber band to keep it closed. I took it to the AT&T store but they said it could not be fixed. They did not even give it an effort. I just now picked at the button with a needle and pried the button up. I can no longer use it but at least now I don't need the rubber band!