Microsoft Working To Deliver Software Patch, Hardware Update For Wonky Lumia 535 Touchscreen

Some owners of Microsoft's recently released Lumia 535 smartphone have been complaining of sensitivity issues with the device's touchscreen, serving as a buzz kill for the first Microsoft-branded Lumia handset after the company acquired Nokia's mobile unit. The good news is Microsoft is aware of the problem and is working on a software update (or hardware changes if need be) that it hopes will fix the issue.

It's been a tricky thing for Microsoft to track, as not everyone experiencing problems complained of the same symptoms. According to Delfin Vassallo, Social Media Operations Manager for Microsoft Mobile, the issue can present itself in one of several different ways.

• Functionality of the scroll up/down and swipe left/right functions.
• Scrolling up/down or swiping left/right can result in an app or link being activated unintentionally.
• Functionality of the zoom in/out feature can be compromised if the user's fingers are less than 20 mm apart.
• Text editing, particularly at speed, can result in characters being missed.
• 'Ghost touch' - use of the touchscreen in wet/moist conditions.
• If the user's fingers are wet or the atmosphere is damp (i.e. entering a warm room from cold outdoors) buttons on the touchscreen can be activated unintentionally

Microsoft actually released an over-the-air (OTA) update back in late December to address the issue, and while it solved many of the problems users were experiencing, several symptoms still remain.

"We assure you that Microsoft does take matters like this very seriously and our teams are working frantically to resolve this concern for our customers," Vassallo said.

If you're one of the users affected, you can try some of these troubleshooting tips while you wait for a software fix.