Which Devices Skipped Quality Assurance

evolutionqy7

If you remember back in June, XDA writer ElCondor wrote a very nice piece that talked about how mobile devices were essentially going backwards developmentally speaking. More specifically, it talked about a new marketing strategy that dealt with releasing mid to low end range devices more often, while technology was advancing. In that article, he also brushed upon the fact that due to the very fast deadlines, some devices were going out with many defects, which happens to be the topic of this article.
As of lately, we have seen a myriad of new devices hitting the shelves. Devices from many different manufacturers that were promised to be the next best thing in this tech world of ours, either did not deliver what was promised, or worse. There are a few specific cases to mention that have been taken to public media because of them being such colossal mistakes, and clearly major design flaws and lack of quality control from the manufacturer. The following are some of these so called “mistakes”.


1. iPhone 4
Quite possibly one of the most awaited devices of the year. Leaked before launch, and everything, the device was a sure hit in the market. Almost immediately post release, people started complaining about having dropped calls and poor signal in places where this should not happen. As it turned out, the design of the antennas in the body of the device was not properly thought out. Placing the hand on the bare phone body would close a circuit between the antennas, which would cause the drop in signal. Apple is currently working towards a solution, but has suggested that using a silicone case would prevent this event from happening.


2. HTC EVO 4G
The long awaited device from Sprint, famous for being the first 4G device available in the US, had a great launch. After this, users started complaining about various issues (some of them hardware related). Some of the best examples are: glass screen getting separated from the rest of the device, issues with wifi connectivity, and as of lately, users have been reporting issues with the body of the device cracking around the power button. Considering the price tag on the device, it is not a pretty sight to see it falling apart without having mishandled it.


3. Samsung Galaxy S Series
The Galaxy quickly became Samsung’s newest flagship devices as they came out with several variants for different carriers in different markets. These devices are power packed, but not flaw free. Two of the major issues that have come out in the light of the mobile device community have been a very noticeable lag in the whole device experience, and a very inaccurate aGPS. Both of these are software related issues, but these are things that are easily noticeable, which makes you wonder how they missed them during development.
What has pushed these manufacturers to start releasing devices that are flawed or otherwise not completed? As ElCondor pointed out in his article, the shorter deadlines for releasing new, fresher looking devices into the market is having a toll on quality. The question is: mobile enthusiasts have never demanded new devices to be released every 6 months. So, why are manufacturers trying to adapt a society not fully ready for them to take on said models? If they believe it is a good selling strategy, they better up the efforts on the Quality Assurance market since not only will they scare away potential customers like this, but also will start driving current and long time users away with such maneuver since service and support departments are shifted to the newer products, thus reducing the customer support efforts on the existing ones.
So, the take home message is this: if you want to sell more, make sure you get it right the first time.
What do you think? Please leave us some comments and your thoughts.

Source XDA