Likely they have a standard procedure to test from manufacturer distant to manufacturer caused, following a decision tree, that is not a learning system.
Such a procedure needs constant (automated) monitoring for the frequencies of found failure causes, and move tests for these causes forward. Thus skipping tests that ultimately would lead there eventually anyway reduces consumer/client frustration as well as support costs.
However, a young company can not set up everything perfectly at once, so I’m willing to concede them some slack for their first 1…3 years (depends how quickly issues become visible and how easy it is to change SOP).
Ran into a similar issue. I found my microphone worked depending on the angle of the screen. Clearly seemed to be an issue with the cable at the lid joint. Same behavior in Windows or Linux. Lots of testing with support and they came to the same conclusion.
Unfortunately, the laptop is 2 years old and out of warranty.
What’s worse is that the cable is not available for purchase.
So I had to buy a whole new lid. What a waste! $100 after tax and shipping for a $5 cable. Definitely not the Framework experience I was expecting when I bought it.
This was my problem as well. Sometimes the mic would work, other days it would not. I was beginning to go crazy. Thank you some much for your answer/hint.
For me it is about the cable at the right hinge. Pushing that around a bit has helped/“solved” the problem, but the mic is still not working in all screen positions (mainly not with the screen completly flat). But a least i know the problem and can get it working in most positions.
I hope this helps other people with the same problem. Maybe a different thread should be created for this specific problem, but i am not sure about that. I for sure had huge problems finding this solution/problem description so far down this thread.
This post helped me as well to figure out that ribbon cable is the cause.
As this is a Hardware issue, please make some noise and share your thoughts in this post, it will be helpfull as Webcam flex cable is NOT available for sale seperately, so 100$ just to fix the damn microphone.
i too was facing the same problem. almost went insane, decided to wipe my openbsd installation cause i thought sndiod is acting up and try linux, then spent a day in wtf mode just to look into this thread and learn about the screen angle and the cable. i am attaching a picture of the flex cable (it is on the side of the power switch) which is at the top of the framework tool (not the black or the white one above it). Framework support, you need to address this hardware problem. i already replaced the whole camera module thinking that it was the photodiode in the switch, and you can’t force all your users to pay $100 for just a cable. It is not about the money, it is about the waste you are creating in the process. All your users are people who are trying to minimize their impact and support a repairable laptop and then you go ahead and ignore such a major issue? yet you send the parts in recyclable paper boxes? you can do better!
I looked more carefully at the cable and it seems like that it needs more length because i suppose it was originally glued to the back. Right now part of the cable where flat cable goes to wires is not glued and sit in the air. I guess that this is why cable broke in the end and the reason for that - it is not fully made for 180 position of the screen movement. It definetely needs improvement in terms of design.
