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back to article Who's got the WD-40? Owners of Motorola's rebooted Razr whinge about creaky hinge

Not only is the Motorola Razr a nostalgic homage to a simpler time, but it's foldable too. Unfortunately, it's the latter feature irking some users, who have complained about unpleasant noises whenever they snap their pricey devices into the clamshell mode. Tweets about the faulty blower have swiftly gone viral, with one …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    I have no idea.

    To laugh or cry. I really don't know at this point.

    It's like getting the Shark with lasers on it's head delivered and working exactly as requested... to find it's a Tiger Shark, and the stripes clash with the uniforms to the evil minions... Do you send it back, or keep it for the utility?

    25 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Devil

      Re: I have no idea.

      Laugh. People who would spend that kind of money on a silly folding fone deserve what they get.

      10 2 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I have no idea.

        Especially when they expose themselves on Twitter.

        They presumably think "I'm a really cool person who can afford $1400 for a bleeding-edge phone, here is me "reaching out" to customer service."

        We think "If you were an engineer and not a narcissist, you'd know the rule about "Never buy anything till it reaches version 3".

        11 0 Reply
        1. DJV Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          "Never buy anything till it reaches version 3"

          Unless the FIRST version is called 3.1 in which case you need to wait for at least version 13 before it's (possibly) safe to use.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_NT

          2 0 Reply
      2. Phil Kingston
        Reply Icon

        Re: I have no idea.

        It's only silly while it's 1st-gen.

        The smart folk are waiting for the next model (if indeed there is to be one).

        2 0 Reply
  2. Inventor of the Marmite Laser Silver badge

    Death of Rats

    <SQUEAK>

    30 0 Reply
    1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Pint

      Re: Death of Rats

      Thank you - That just boosted my mood wonderfully.

      6 0 Reply
  3. redpawn

    WD-40

    Great stuff. It contains a wax like substance which hardens over time and can only be dissolved with more WD-40.

    5 0 Reply
    1. richardcox13
      Reply Icon

      Re: WD-40

      Well yes, but then it is not there to be a lubricant. It will displace water, free stuck things and help clean things.

      But then you need a longer term solution for the ongoing lubrication.

      5 0 Reply
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: WD-40

      It will actually be dissolved by most non-polar solvents. It is a wax. It gets harder as the lighter fractions slowly evaporate with time, AFAIK it doesn't actually harden like linseed oil or teak oil.

      However, using silicone spray instead may not be a good idea because the stuff can penetrate into weak electrical pressure contacts and cause intermittents.

      0 0 Reply
    3. Chris G
      Reply Icon

      Re: WD-40

      Other (better) lubes are available.

      Non sprayed PTFE is good for most plastics, some propellents are not plastic friendly.

      0 1 Reply
  4. spold Silver badge

    Well obviously..

    you're folding it wrong.

    26 0 Reply
  5. Clipperlover

    People just want to complain

    Every new technology has its critics.When television first premiered at the Worlds Fair.People were saying we dont need this.We have radio.A movie came out Murder By Television.George Orwell wrote 1984.Big Brother is watching through the TV.Now because of Social Media Any New technology gets highly Criticized.We should see this for what it is.Instead of what it isnt.A step in the right direction.Take something small fold it out into something Big.Is it perfect .No.Nothing is.Do cars bteakdown?Do tvs breakdown? Do laptops get viruses.People if you dont like something dont buy ir.And if you do.Dont complain.

    3 16 Reply
    1. IGotOut Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: People just want to complain

      So if you pay several hundred dollars / pounds for a faulty product, you just put up with it?

      Now "we" have social media, the company's can't hide defective products.

      3 0 Reply
      1. bronskimac
        Reply Icon

        Re: People just want to complain

        Is it faulty though? It performs it's functions perfectly as far as I can see. I don't remember any of the publicity material saying it doesn't squeak :)

        6 0 Reply
        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: People just want to complain

          "Is it faulty though? It performs it's functions perfectly as far as I can see. I don't remember any of the publicity material saying it doesn't squeak :)"

          I agree. The problem isn't the function it's people wanting a premium feeling product because of the price without appreciating the engineering challenge. I don't see the problem really, it folds and thats the USP.

          Oh you don't like the way it folds? Errm and what would you like me to do?

          I think my sympathy is lacking for this.

          5 0 Reply
          1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
            Reply Icon

            Re: People just want to complain

            I’m pretty sure I remember the original RAZR being quite noisy. I don’t remember the hinge being silent, though not loud or anything - but it always closed with a lovely satisfying snap. Which felt like a nice definite way to end a call. I loved my RAZR. Sigh. Ergonomically perfect. Shame about the software...

            Watching the screen bend in those videos makes me feel queasy. I really can’t believe they’ll last long. Especially if people keep wobbling them open and closed like that.

            6 0 Reply
        2. Sgt_Oddball
          Reply Icon
          Holmes

          Re: People just want to complain

          Certain products have a known reputation for squeaking, even lending their name to a remedy method (for example Rega record decks are known to squeak when started, to avoid this you push the turntable then start it, known as the 'Rega nudge').

          But, in this instance I'm pretty sure it implys either poor allowances for material behaviour or a lack of a suitable lube (after all, there ain't no replacement for lubrication).

          1 0 Reply
      2. DiViDeD
        Reply Icon
        Headmaster

        Re: People just want to complain

        Ummm... The company's what, exactly?

        3 0 Reply
      3. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: People just want to complain

        "So if you pay several hundred dollars / pounds for a faulty product, you just put up with it?"

        That's how the car industry started. Likewise TV retail. Both were constantly breaking and needed fixing and/or tweaking just to get them to work. Nowadays, they are mostly reliable.

        1 0 Reply
    2. Imhotep
      Reply Icon

      Re: People just want to complain

      Well sure, that is one point of view isn't it?

      0 0 Reply
    3. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: People just want to complain

      The Motorola marketing department seems to employ people with the same level of English skills as its engineering department employs people with hinge design skills.

      3 0 Reply
      1. Waseem Alkurdi
        Reply Icon

        Re: People just want to complain

        The Motorola Lenovorola marketing department

        Fixed.

        2 0 Reply
        1. chuBb.
          Reply Icon

          Re: People just want to complain

          Just seems to be carrying on the tradition of RAZR's being a triumph of form over function

          the build quality was crap back then, and seems to be crap now as well

          1 0 Reply
    4. ibmalone
      Reply Icon
      Facepalm

      Re: People just want to complain

      Every new technology has its critics.

      Hinges are new technology? I'm off to patent the wheel! (Again.)

      2 0 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: People just want to complain

        Too late. My method and implementation of converting rotary to linear motion using van der Waals forces between an actuator and a substrate is going through the EPO right now.

        2 0 Reply
        1. ibmalone
          Reply Icon

          Re: People just want to complain

          Fine, so long as you are happy to license my process of using the Pauli exclusion principle to support a non-eccentric elliptical prism and the design for a rigid linkage and mounting to allow two or more such devices to increase stability of an attached platform while reducing friction.

          1 0 Reply
  6. Camilla Smythe
    Boffin

    Navigate to Audio Apps

    Turn off 'Creak'.

    Fixed!

    10 0 Reply
  7. bronskimac

    When flip phones came out, way back in the twentieth century, we loved the whole Star Trek communicator thing but now, really? Sounds like some kind of ratchet thing going on. People are happy to pay inflated prices to have the latest and "greatest" I'll stick to my Huawei midrange. last year's model, great value and it rarely squeaks.

    3 1 Reply
    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      I've got to admit I'd pay money for Neo's phone from the Matrix. The screen covers the keys, so no inadvertent typing, and frankly, it was a cool phone.

      If I could get a model like that when I retire and can allow myself to get rid of this effing "smart"phone technology, I'll be happy.

      4 0 Reply
      1. Alumoi Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        You mean one of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_8110

        0 0 Reply
        1. Francis Boyle Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Yes,

          but as mentioned in the article the real 8110 isn't spring-loaded so you're never going to look as cool as Neo.

          2 0 Reply
          1. chuBb.
            Reply Icon

            Re: Yes,

            The scroll wheel/joystick was absolutly brilliant on the 8110, despite not being spring loaded if you whipped it out with enough florish you could take neo style calls (as long as you had muscle memory for the pickup button)

            0 0 Reply
            1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
              Reply Icon
              Happy

              Re: Yes,

              Last time I whipped it out with a flourish, I got thrown out of the restaurant, then arrested.

              5 0 Reply
            2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
              Reply Icon

              Re: Yes,

              I had an aftermarket sliding cover for my Nokia (the bigger forerunner of the 3310) - and if you flicked your wrist just right, you could get it out of your pocket and flick it open with one movement. Until the mechanism broke and a piece of plastic flew off into the sunset.

              With practise - and I'm ashamed to admit I did practise this - I could get my RAZR out of my pocket, insert the side of a thumbnail between the two halves of the clamshell, so that you could flip the phone open one handed on the way from pocket to ear. As it had a screen on the front, you could even see who was calling as you did it.

              0 0 Reply
          2. D@v3
            Reply Icon

            Re: 7110

            Had a spring loaded slide, was great fun, til it stopped working.

            There was also one of the smaller nokias that had a button on each side, that when pressed the main body of the phone would 'rise' out of the lower part of the phone, slowly.

            0 0 Reply
  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fx: CREAK

    Igor: Good eeefffning thir

    2 0 Reply
    1. Chris G
      Reply Icon

      Re: Fx: CREAK

      There should be a phone assistant app for that, it would still probably spy on you but would be way cooler than Siri et al.

      1 0 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Black Helicopters

        Re: Fx: CREAK

        A phone assistant that helps implement your plans for world domination and can also fix major injuries is one I could get behind. The only problem is that it would be on its way out of the secret passage even as the black helicopters were arriving - or the peasants with torches and pitchforks.

        1 0 Reply
  9. Oh Homer
    Facepalm

    And the award goes to...

    I nominate this for the First World Problem Award 2020.

    Creaky phone?

    Christ.

    9 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: And the award goes to...

      Pretty much. To me it sounds more solid with that snap. But yeh, a bunch of douches complaining, it's not called Twatter for nothing.

      I can only imagine what rotary phones would of inspired in these people... mass shootings?

      1 0 Reply
  10. Grunchy Silver badge

    I preferred the original StarTac, who cares about the Razr. They brought back the wrong one!

    2 0 Reply
  11. Oh Matron!

    Balance...

    I got to play with one last November at a Google event and was pleased with the build quality, foldability, screen quality, and lack of squeak from the hinge. The ability to snap it shut was quite cool too.

    I suspect the noises are from the tears of people who bought one after realising that, apart from a folding screen, it's got not more utility that a $200 budget android phone

    1 0 Reply
    1. Waseem Alkurdi
      Reply Icon

      Re: Balance...

      I got to play with one last November at a Google event and was pleased with the build quality, foldability, screen quality, and lack of squeak from the hinge. The ability to snap it shut was quite cool too.

      Hope you realize that this isn't exactly 'proof'. I didn't have a problem, ergo there isn't a problem.

      0 0 Reply
      1. chuBb.
        Reply Icon

        Re: Balance...

        Where is this claim of proof?

        But its pretty obvous that this is a non issue, just a case of of 1 in 1000 phones were assembled by someone about to go on tea break/finish 16 hour day on production line to return home to resource hab unit 0XFFA9

        Probably missing a PTFE washer, or its got the same old RAZR problem of people putting them in back pocket, sitting on the thing and then crying that its bent/warped/cracked

        2 0 Reply

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