How to diagnose and fix WiFi problems on the HTC One X
If you’ve been having some WiFi connectivity issues with your HTC One X, you’re definitely not alone. And unfortunately, it looks like some of these problems could be hardware related, rather than something that could be easily fixed in an OTA software update. According to the maker of the video above:
When I gently squeeze the side back of my phone the signal gets stronger, almost as strong as my comparison, the HTC Desire … This WiFi problem is definitely hardware related and not due to a software bug (as I first thought). I have reported the phone DOA (dead on arrival) and I hope HTC will address this issue as soon as possible since it seems to be a common problem.
This is apparently due to a loose internal WiFi antenna connection. To diagnose the problem for yourself, just squeeze the back side of your phone gently, between the camera lens and the volume buttons. Using an app like WiFi Analyzer, check and see if your signal improves while squeezing, and drops back down again when you let go.
Negative side effects of this problem include reduced battery life, Bluetooth interference, and (obviously) poor WiFi performance. And while fixing it is do-able, it definitely requires a certain amount of braveness. Here are the instructions, word-for-word, from one person who attempted a fix:
- Remove the Sim and Sim-Tray
- Duck tape up the power and volume buttons, to save time fiddling with putting them back in afterwards.
- Out of the recommended methods to open your phone below I would prefer to use my finger nail and or a guitar plectrum, I imagine this to be the best way to avoid scratches and damaging the case/screen. BE CAREFUL not to push the tool used too far inside the phone as this will cause damage.
- I would probably use a soldering iron to make a secure connection between the pins, I fear that just bending the pins up slightly might develop the same issue again later on.
Luckily, HTC is aware of the problem; an official HTC rep is even monitoring the XDA thread where a lot of this conversation is occurring. Therefore, if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably want to wait and see if HTC starts some kind of official exchange program or offers another solution.
[Android Police] Thanks, Adriel!
