Hardware locked phones are considered defective - Vibrant General

pretty sure this has been said before but I thought i'd say it again, today my phone soft bricked on me (stuck on galaxy s screen) and my phone is hardware locked, so I went to tmobile and complained (online)... they are going to send me a replacement cuz i'm under warranty... but here's a snippet i thought u guys might be interested in...
^Marcus W: Your phone is under warranty.
^Marcus W: Would you like this replacement shipped to your billing address?
Me: Yes, is there a way to make sure i get a device that can do a hardware reset?
Me: I don't want to end up in the same situation out of warranty without being able to hardware reset the phone
^Marcus W: They are all capable of doing a hardware reset, however your phone is having a software defect that is preventing this.
Me: No, my phone was never able to do a hardware reset, and I've read online that there are a lot of Vibrants not able to do a hardware reset
Me: so I want to make sure the replacement phone I get is able to
^Marcus W: Okay.
^Marcus W: The replacement device should resolve this issue.
^Marcus W: You have two options of shipping.
Me: Okay, if I get the replacement, and it is not able to do a hardware reset, can I come here again to get another replacement that does? I don't want to be stuck in a situation where this happens again and I'm out of warranty
^Marcus W: You get a automatic year warranty on your device. If you can not do a hardware reset that phone is defective.
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i thought it was funny that he said you can't do a "hardware" reset because of ur "software" problem hahahaha
anyway, just a confirmation that if you're phone can't do a hardware reset, it's considered defective

It's possible that the software(Rom? Bootloader?) baned the hardware keys.

i had the same exact chat with t mob online last week, but had the phone replaced at the store instead of online. it was also hardware locked (3rd one so far) Hopefully you'll have better luck.

What's funny is he said that the replacement will allow you to use the hardware buttons. Only the tech who work on the phones know that.
Sent from my Samsung Vibrant

It seems to be that either you or the rep (or most likely both) are confusing "unable to enter recovery/download mode via hardware buttons" with "unable to perform a factory reset".

raduque said:
It seems to be that either you or the rep (or most likely both) are confusing "unable to enter recovery/download mode via hardware buttons" with "unable to perform a factory reset".
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it doesn't matter, hard/factory reset is accessible from the recovery menu. since he cannot access the recovery menu, he also cannot access hard reset.

qtilt112 said:
it doesn't matter, hard/factory reset is accessible from the recovery menu. since he cannot access the recovery menu, he also cannot access hard reset.
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^^^ this is correct
they were gonna make me pay for shipping, so i instead called in and the rep waived the fee luckily, i complained that the phone has been defective since I got it, so i'm not gonna pay for shipping for a phone that's been defective since i bought it (not even a month ago)... I asked them if it's possible to send me a phone that will be able to hard reset and they told me that they will send me the most up to date version of the phone so it should not be defective and should hardware reset (but my guess is they "will" in fact send me the most up to date version of the phone, but as we all know, it won't let u do a hardware reset... i.e. go to recovery menu)

How can I check for this problem on a new Vibrant?

With phone off, hold vol+ and vol- and power button. AFter the logo disappears the first time, release power button and you should be in *yellow text* recovery method.

Confirmed
I just wanted to add my own experience, and hopefully clear the air.
There are alot of defective galaxy s floating around (ie vibrant and the like), that is they cant get into recovery using the 3 button procedure. Well they are not actually defective, my best guess, is due to a fualty firmware update the manufacturer started using.
I just got my vibrant and couldnt get into recovery mode with the 3button procedure. I thought i was just stupid, and i tried it so many times with diffrent methods and it didnt work. So i went to a tmobile store, and tired it on a display phone, and it worked instantly on my first attempt.
I did an exchange at the store, and it still had the same issue (cant get into recovery) thats with the new phone.
In conclusion, my advice to anyone that has this issue, if your still under the 14 days grace try and exchange asap, and hopefully you will get a working one. If your 14 days are up and you have the warranty plan, try and get that replaced.
If you are none of the above, just wait patiently, because i believe that the fix is very simple and not complex(that is for those who developed this thing) i believe its just some files missing in the new firmwares.
Eugine, is right on the money on this. Follow him and you will get a fix.
Im just gonna wait for either eugine or tmo, samsung to release the patch.
I also would advice to not root/flash your phone if you have this issue, untill this has been resolved.

actually if u've had your phone for less then a year, u can still get it exchanged... (and nobody here has had it for more then a year obviously lol)... it still falls under the 1 year manufacture warranty because the phone is defective... just get it sent in and get a new one that'll "hopefully" not be hardware locked... and if it is, do it again till u get one that isn't locked...

ookas said:
actually if u've had your phone for less then a year, u can still get it exchanged... (and nobody here has had it for more then a year obviously lol)... it still falls under the 1 year manufacture warranty because the phone is defective... just get it sent in and get a new one that'll "hopefully" not be hardware locked... and if it is, do it again till u get one that isn't locked...
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I would have done this except for the fact that I don't live in the US and purchased my Vibrant there. So for me the turn around in getting a new phone would be weeks, if not months. Simply not worth it as there's a chance I'd end back up at square one.
I'm really hoping Eugene or someone else (more knowledgeable than myself) finds a fix for this.

Quick question on this - after they exchange it, is there any way for t-mobile to determine that the phone was rooted & had a custom rom installed (thereby voiding the warranty), and then charging me for both phones?

dsmithok said:
Quick question on this - after they exchange it, is there any way for t-mobile to determine that the phone was rooted & had a custom rom installed (thereby voiding the warranty), and then charging me for both phones?
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Yes they are able to find this out if they try to and look at the phone. Will they is the question. Most likely not.

I just got my replacement phone today and am SO glad to say, it's not hardware locked =) according to the rep when i was talking to her, the newer phones shouldn't be hardware locked and the ones that were are deffective and was not done on purpose

ookas said:
I just got my replacement phone today and am SO glad to say, it's not hardware locked =) according to the rep when i was talking to her, the newer phones shouldn't be hardware locked and the ones that were are deffective and was not done on purpose
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Of course she's gonna say that... what else would she say? There's no doubt in my mind that T-mobile did this on purpose and then changed their minds. Way too many phones have the issue. If it was QC related there would be other things going wrong with the phones, yet it's JUST THIS ISSUE.

vapotrini said:
Of course she's gonna say that... what else would she say? There's no doubt in my mind that T-mobile did this on purpose and then changed their minds. Way too many phones have the issue. If it was QC related there would be other things going wrong with the phones, yet it's JUST THIS ISSUE.
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considered there are hardwarelocked phones from all dates both in august and september... i wouldn't at all be surprised if it was qc issues

qtilt112 said:
it doesn't matter, hard/factory reset is accessible from the recovery menu. since he cannot access the recovery menu, he also cannot access hard reset.
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derp derp... i forgot that you might need recovery to factory reset in case of a bootloop.

Hey so if i call them up and say i cant get into recovery mode, is that good enough? Or will they ask me why i need to go into recovery mode in the first place. I want to root the phone, but obviously they probably will not accept such an answer. So do i need a reason or what?

Related

Bell phones and the lack of 3 button combo

I'm starting a new thread because it doesn't necessarily fall in to unlocking of the phone (as I've been asked).
I'm guessing any new purchases of this phone will have the recovery/download 3 button combo feature completely disabled.
The reason why I say this is that I've been to 5 different stores between yesterday and today (with the most recent one having a stock amount of 9 phones) and here are my findings:
Every single boxed up phone has the feature disabled. (All I did was have them install the battery (no sim or anything) and pass the phone to me).
However, every one of those 5 stores that I went to, I did it flawlessly on their demo phones.
So my guess is, as the demo phones would have been the first batch Bell provided (and some being on display before any actual product released to the public), all subsequent batches of these phones will have this feature disabled.
I went to 2 different best buys that have ample stock of the phones because it is onsale this week, and none of them worked... nor did they work at the future shop I attended or the 2 bell stores (including the one I purchased and returned initially).
But every single demo did.
So if anyone got their hands on the very first batch of phones and it works then you're a lucky one. For the rest of us, I think we are S.O.L.
There's got to be a way to do it... Anyone know a Bell Representative or better yet a person inside samsung that will leak that info to you?
Heck I don't even want to unlock the phone. I'll stay on Bell's network, I just want to be able to load new versions of Android without any risk of bricking my phone.
Thank you! It was annoying reading all those posts abt this in that thread.
And I'm not too sure that the new phones don't have it. There have been a few people on the thread that have said that they got the phone at launch, and it didn't have the feature, but when they went to return it and get a new one (from the new shipment) it was fine...
So really I dont think its very easy to tell if its gonna work or not...
I think I'll wait til september to buy the phone.
I don't care too much about custom roms and the like, the stock one is fine, but Bell has a history (See the i7500L) of not updating their firmwares in a timely fashion. The i7500L is still on 1.5. Terrible if you ask me, considering the "open-source" feel of android.
So there are rumours, I don't know if its true or not, that bell is going to have an official 2.2 update in september. Maybe then I'll buy it and by then all phones will have the 3 button combo on them.
I just went to a local future shop here, and the phone representative contacted their Bell Rep, who was at another store, he couldn't do it on the phones they had there, but promised to call Samsung on Monday to find out if their is an alternate way.
Maybe you have to hit a reset button along with it. I remember doing something similar on my old HTC diamond phone, maybe this is the same thing (sort of).
Too bad, I loved this phone all the 4 days I had it (up until reading about the 3 button combo). I sort of miss it.
I just put a call in to Samsung to find out why some work and some don't, they said because the phone was so new that I had to call a number specifically set up for support on the Galaxy S but they are only open Monday to friday..
So hopefully with all this calling around I'm doing something will be figured out.
I got my Vibrant on launch day, 3 button combo didn't work. Swapped it out for a new one, from a new shipment last Thursday (august 12th) 3 button combo works.
arr0ww,
Can you confirm what i've been reading on wiki then?
It states:
"Note: There are many Bell I9000M floating around with this feature disabled, without the Download Mode enable you wont be able to restore from a failed firmware flash. We highly recommend you to take it back and exchange it for a model that can work properly with the 3 button combination. The first batch from around Aug 5 or Serial # ending with 6000000 have the 3 buttons combo disabled, the new batch after Aug 11 with Serial # ending with 6500000 have the working 3 buttons.
example of full Serial # 89302610202006500000"
Do your last 7 digits end with 65 and not 60?
Also, where did you get yours exactly? I think if its close to me, I'll just pop by that store and get it (assuming your somewhere in the GTA).
I got mine first thing Launch morning. My serial is 59XXXXX. 3 button combo IS working.
it shouldn't be hard to fix the issue. from what i've read, and people have said, the 3-button combo is written into the SPL part (256kb) part of the Nand. all we would theoretically have to do is flash our SPL with some else's 3-button enabled SPL. now two of my friends bought their phones same day as me, and have theirs enabled, and both are rooted, so it's not hard to get our hands on a copy.
i have posted another thread in the software technical section about this and haven't gotten any replies (maybe it's the wrong section). the g1 users flash their spl, but they don't talk about how to make an image of the current spl. so i'm stuck here. i know it can be done, just don't know how yet.
apparently nandroid backup doesn't backup the spl, so that's useless to us. from the SPL backup kit for the g1 users, i read the batch file, and it reads specific hex addresses in the nand and writes them to a file, but i would assume these addresses are different for our nand. so once again, useless.
For all those that have their 3 button disabled... can you confirm if your serial ends with 60XXXXX? Maybe its limited to just that batch of s/n's.
As for wang1chung.. hopefully its a simple fix.. but i'll refuse to buy one again unless I get one that is confirmed working or easily fixable to get it working without a cable.
Thanks
Electroz said:
I got mine first thing Launch morning. My serial is 59XXXXX. 3 button combo IS working.
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it is possible the bug was only in the batch with numbers ending in 60xxxxxxxx
since the ones on 59xxxxxxxx works, and 65xxxxxxxx works
that seems to be the logical sense
this would be nice
problem is, no one has been able to get a way to extract, and flash back the good SPL to the bad phones
wang1chung said:
it shouldn't be hard to fix the issue. from what i've read, and people have said, the 3-button combo is written into the SPL part (256kb) part of the Nand. all we would theoretically have to do is flash our SPL with some else's 3-button enabled SPL. now two of my friends bought their phones same day as me, and have theirs enabled, and both are rooted, so it's not hard to get our hands on a copy.
i have posted another thread in the software technical section about this and haven't gotten any replies (maybe it's the wrong section). the g1 users flash their spl, but they don't talk about how to make an image of the current spl. so i'm stuck here. i know it can be done, just don't know how yet.
apparently nandroid backup doesn't backup the spl, so that's useless to us. from the SPL backup kit for the g1 users, i read the batch file, and it reads specific hex addresses in the nand and writes them to a file, but i would assume these addresses are different for our nand. so once again, useless.
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Hey guys, are you still able to start in recovery mode with a cable and ADB. I would like to know cause my G-sensor is dead and I went to Best Buy to exchange it and the phones were all lacking this mode.
I didn't swap ysterday because of this but I have to do something before aug. 20. After that I will have to see with bell what they want to do and it will surely go for a repair. I would prefer to have a new one working right away but the lack of recovery mode is discouraging me.
my s/n is 52xxxxx and 3button is disabled
sp991, recovery mode is still accessible via adb to those with the 3button disabled.
allgamer, i only suggested that as no one else had suggested anything else? i assumed it would be possible since the g1 users can read their spl via the command " pmemdump -a 0x8c000000 0x40000 " and save it to a .nb file to update later. maybe this would be better accomplished in the hands of talented coders/developers.
Mine is 64xxxxx and it is disabled.
adb works.
I exchanged my first i9000m coz the download mode wasn't working.
The second one I got two days ago goes into download/recovery mode without problem!! This one has IMEI ending with 65xxxxxx and manufactured in Aug.
I also tested new one at Bell store today which had IMEI # 65xxxx as well, but it didnt go into download mode. The guy at the store said it was the newest batch as they received it yesterday, and now i'm totally confused....coz I thought all newer batchs are download mode enalbed..
sp991 said:
Hey guys, are you still able to start in recovery mode with a cable and ADB. I would like to know cause my G-sensor is dead and I went to Best Buy to exchange it and the phones were all lacking this mode.
I didn't swap ysterday because of this but I have to do something before aug. 20. After that I will have to see with bell what they want to do and it will surely go for a repair. I would prefer to have a new one working right away but the lack of recovery mode is discouraging me.
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do you have any other best buy store that you can go to?
try testing with the Download mode, it's easier than testing with the Repair mode
the Download mode kicks in right away, after you put in the battery, and do the 3 button test
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S/Vibrant_GT-I9000M
check the wiki for some visuals
you can do it even with the plastic back and screen protector on top
trueimage said:
Mine is 64xxxxx and it is disabled.
adb works.
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Click to collapse
ADB will always work, but it's useless if it gets bricked
good to know 64xxxxxxxx is not good
so i guess batches between 60xxxxxxxx to 64xxxxxxx are bad?
since the 59xxxxxxxx were good, and 65xxxxxxxxxx are also good
karakake said:
I exchanged my first i9000m coz the download mode wasn't working.
The second one I got two days ago goes into download/recovery mode without problem!! This one has IMEI ending with 65xxxxxx and manufactured in Aug.
I also tested new one at Bell store today which had IMEI # 65xxxx as well, but it didnt go into download mode. The guy at the store said it was the newest batch as they received it yesterday, and now i'm totally confused....coz I thought all newer batchs are download mode enalbed..
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Click to collapse
that's exactly what we are trying to find out, to see if there is any pattern
but if the one you tested with 65xxxxxxxxxxx didn't work, then i guess we can't really identify it via the serials numbers, and only can be tested manually.
Try downloading the new firmware for bell the JH2 that you can download via Kies this might fix the 3 button combo for people have issues. as the recovery screen is a bit different. give your a warning now that you have entered the system menu. the old recovery screen did not have this.
Someone that can't get into recovery should try this update..
no dice, just updated
EDIT: what's worse is i thought it would've at least helped with the gps lag, and now i can't find my location at all. under the gps performance testing option, i can't pickup any satellites whatsoever.
i'm pissed now, as i needed it to go on a roadtrip tomorrow

[Q] Suddenly won't boot, help

I have a Galaxy S as shipped by Bell Canada. It doesn't have the 3 button download mode so I'm staying away from 3rd party roms for now.
It is unlocked and rooted. All has been well until today. I had it off for a while to use the SIM in another phone. When I turned it back on it asked for the SIM unlock code. I Dismissed that and checked the phone, all seemed well other than no SIM activation. I turned it off and removed the SIM and now it won't boot. I get the usual logo, the song, and for a long time the S logo. If I wait long enough it then appears to be off. If I press the back or menu key they will light up but that's it. I can't do anything else other than pull the battery.
I tried the hard reset with holding volume down and tap the power button. That only turns it back on with the same problem. The actual SIM is fine and working in another phone.
Is there anything I can do? If I could hard reset it I'd take it back to the store but I hesitate for now while it still contains my data.
this is a problem i have just posted about a couple of mins ago
but i can get it recovery mode and fatory reset with the vol up, home and power
then it will boot but obviously i have to then reset everything from scratch which is really annoying so anyone got any idea re this
lucky for you that you can get into recovery. Right now I'd be happy with a hard reset, it doesn't take long to rebuild the setup. I'd like to know who decided to remove the recovery mode, that's evil and keeps me from simply resetting the device.
its all the apps re downloading and installing them and resetting up accounts and swype and all that lot need a fix asap
do you know what version of andoid you are running
yes but at least you can get a working phone again, I can't without being able to get into any boot menus. Honestly it only takes 30 minutes to setup again from scratch. I'm on 2.1 and what I find at least on my HTC when it had 2.1 is that I setup the google account, let it sync contacts etc, then from Market Downloads I'll see listed all my apps that were previously installed. As long as I don't leave that screen I can install each app one after the other. Or a proper backup....
Any other magic key combos to reset this thing???
did you try hooking up to kies?
Yes but that does nothing since it never fully boots.
3rdcoast said:
I have a Galaxy S as shipped by Bell Canada. It doesn't have the 3 button download mode so I'm staying away from 3rd party roms for now.
It is unlocked and rooted. All has been well until today. I had it off for a while to use the SIM in another phone. When I turned it back on it asked for the SIM unlock code. I Dismissed that and checked the phone, all seemed well other than no SIM activation. I turned it off and removed the SIM and now it won't boot. I get the usual logo, the song, and for a long time the S logo. If I wait long enough it then appears to be off. If I press the back or menu key they will light up but that's it. I can't do anything else other than pull the battery.
I tried the hard reset with holding volume down and tap the power button. That only turns it back on with the same problem. The actual SIM is fine and working in another phone.
Is there anything I can do? If I could hard reset it I'd take it back to the store but I hesitate for now while it still contains my data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing happened to my phone, but a factory reset did nothing. The internal SD card gave out. Phone is now sent away for 3 - 6 weeks awaiting repair.
my phone did this to me today too, I was just about to post about this when I saw this thread.
So its an SD Card problem? theres no hope of getting it fixed without sending it in?
Yes I think it is the internal card meaning there isn't anything good enough to reset to. I walked the phone over to the store and I'll have to wait for new stock next week. Actually I'm lucky they will exchange it since I bought it outright which apparently is "against policy" even though they list a no contract full price. We'll see how it goes next week but overall I despise the telco industry in this country.
3rdcoast said:
Yes I think it is the internal card meaning there isn't anything good enough to reset to. I walked the phone over to the store and I'll have to wait for new stock next week. Actually I'm lucky they will exchange it since I bought it outright which apparently is "against policy" even though they list a no contract full price. We'll see how it goes next week but overall I despise the telco industry in this country.
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i went to best buy today to try and exchange it, and apparently they only have a 14 day exchange policy with phones despite it saying 30 day on the receipt, anyhow i phoned samsung and they said i have to go through bell, even though im using the phone on telus, so that should be interesting.
So all the people that are having this problem have the Bell model?
Today i got mine off eBay, as soon a i turned it on, i get exactly the same thing.
It wont load into Android, i see that galaxy S logo and then black screen.
If i go into recovery i see "cant mount SD Card".
The more is search this forum the more i see that all the people with this problem are owners of the Bell i9000M model.
I seriously think they have some defect with the manufacturing line of the phone.
Have you guys installed any firmware on your phone before this happened?
mine is like that out of the box.
Mine is the same Bell model. There seems to be some issues with them which makes the lack of download mode even more dangerous. Right now it doesn't feel like the warranty is going to cover us for problems not our fault. I hope they replace it next week but if it still lacks download mode I'll remain nervous.
Seems like everyone is with the Bell model but my questions is:
Have you guys installed another firmware than the factory one which caused this to happen?
Are you running Stock?
We need to try and narrow this down as i am seeing too many posts about this issue, and they are with the Bell model.
clubtech said:
Seems like everyone is with the Bell model but my questions is:
Have you guys installed another firmware than the factory one which caused this to happen?
Are you running Stock?
We need to try and narrow this down as i am seeing too many posts about this issue, and they are with the Bell model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i put new firmware on it last week, can't remember what it was but it was upgraded through kies so it's one samsung pushed to me, not a froyo unstable one.
bigc_13 said:
i put new firmware on it last week, can't remember what it was but it was upgraded through kies so it's one samsung pushed to me, not a froyo unstable one.
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Click to collapse
Thanks. if it was pushed to you via Kies i assume you were running stock JH2.
So it just stopped booting out of the blue?
To the OP: have you install any firmware on your device before this happened?
clubtech said:
Seems like everyone is with the Bell model but my questions is:
Have you guys installed another firmware than the factory one which caused this to happen?
Are you running Stock?
We need to try and narrow this down as i am seeing too many posts about this issue, and they are with the Bell model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't flashed any 3rd party roms. I did do the official update via Keis which even at the store today they reminded me that I should do the update.. That update seemed to go well and has been working for over a week until I turned it off for an hour. It still isn't clear if the disabled 3 button mode is hardware or software related but we all seem to have that in common too. So before they dismiss the whole thing and we get hosed over technicalities such as unlocking it should be clear that there are clear defects in these phones as far as I can tell.
I want to be comfortable that I'm not left out of hundred of dollars just because I choose to buy it outright and not be tied to contracts. Samsung has to play nicely because it is their phone. Bell has to play nicely because they are bringing them in and distributing to retail. What carrier I use should be irrelevant because the problems are not related to usage.
FYI, the clerks went off for conference to decide if I somehow got the phone against policy. Either they trust my story or I got mine moments before they got the memo about not selling outright.
clubtech said:
Thanks. if it was pushed to you via Kies i assume you were running stock JH2.
So it just stopped booting out of the blue?
To the OP: have you install any firmware on your device before this happened?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, stock JH2 from Kies. Not rooted. Boots to Galaxy S logo, then black screen. Mine is sent in for repair... Almost two weeks now.
Seeing more and more of this being posted. There is obviously some issues with this phone.
clubtech said:
Thanks. if it was pushed to you via Kies i assume you were running stock JH2.
So it just stopped booting out of the blue?
To the OP: have you install any firmware on your device before this happened?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Our posts crossed..
Yes I believe mine had the JH2, the official keis offered firmware. I was looking forward to the biggie update at the end of the month so wasn't about to risk bricking before then. Irony stepped in anyway.
I'm a bit nervous until I get a new one. At that point if the 3 button mode still doesn't work I'll remain nervous that I'll get another potential brick.
edit-> yes, I simply shut it down for an hour or two to use the SIM in another phone to test that phone. At next boot it died. I knew something was wrong when the logo stayed up for much longer.
I have the 3 buttons enabled so it is not related to the 3buttons being disabled, however when i boot into recovery it clearly displays an error that it can not find the internal SD.
There is definitely something wrong with the Bell Galaxy S corrupting itself.
I bought mine from an eBay seller, he is saying the phone booted fine when he shipped it but when i opened the box today i only got this black screen after logo.
Gladly the seller will take it back.
Maybe this is why there are shortages everywhere in Canada. I hope the caught this up and are fixing it with the new batch.

[Q] LG repair costs

My phone is bootlooping and I can't access recovery. I can't restore the phone's stock software because I edited build.prop and it's not showing up as a Verizon phone. I decided to bite the bullet and just pay LG to reset it. However, when I contacted them to do this they told me I need to mail the phone in and they will tell me how much it costs after their tech looks at it. I'm worried if I do this that they'll charge me an exorbitant amount to fix it... Does anyone have any idea how much they usually charge to do this?
Sending the phone off to LG should be your last resort. It sounds like you've not tried everything!
Send it in to warranty. As long as there's no physical damage Verizon isn't going to give a rats a$$
06stang said:
Send it in to warranty. As long as there's no physical damage Verizon isn't going to give a rats a$$
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Click to collapse
Well, in another thread a Sprint tech said that LG did not give them a method to flash the stock software if the model check failed. I assumed this was the case for Verizon as well. I'll call them tomorrow and ask, I may have misunderstood what he wrote. I can't seem to find his post now. I'll update this post after work tomorrow if they can recover the phone.
theoneofgod, what is it that you think I haven't tried yet? If you have a suggestion which would save me the trouble of sending this phone in I would be super happy. To recap, here's what I've tried:
1. Using hard keys to factory reset (on TWRP 2.6.3.1 so it actually factory resets instead of booting into recovery)
2. Hitting "adb reboot recovery" over and over as TWRP loads and performs factory reset (this worked for people on 2.6.3.1 on AT&T but doesn't seem to be working on my Verizon phone for some reason. I've tried it dozens of times and even wrote a batch file which spams "adb reboot recovery" many, many times faster than I could type it)
3. Flashing the .tot file through download mode (Model check fails)
4. Flashing the .kdz file through download mode (Hangs at either 4% or 10% and asks me to restart. Never gets past 10%)
5. Entering my IMEI into the LG update tool, letting it download the software for the phone, and letting it try to flash the software (it fails)
What was the reason for bootloop? i also change my model name to make camera app show pics in menu, but it didn't help, and i returned to stock build.prop. So whats your story? Its good to know what i should NOT do with the phone.
Yea a good idea if you share what you've done so readers can be aware of it. Goodluck to your G2 pal and we're sorry for you..
marshygeek said:
Yea a good idea if you share what you've done so readers can be aware of it. Goodluck to your G2 pal and we're sorry for you..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Np don't mind sharing, thanks for the sympathy this definitely sucks aha. I usually add in qemu.hw.mainkeys=1 to get rid of the software keys when I put a new ROM on. It worked the first time I did it on this phone, my best guess is that I mistyped something. I'm not 100% sure why this is making my phone not show up as a Verizon model during the model recovery check...someone more knowledgeable than me would have to explain that.
Melodycd, I think you should be fine doing that as long as you're careful. I was pretty careless and made a lot of mistakes to get in my position. As long as you don't do ALL of the following things you should be safe:
1. Not have the latest recovery
2. Not have USB debugging enabled
3. Mess up while editing a build.prop file so you bootloop
It doesn't matter what they can or can't do with the phone. They don't care what you did to it as long as it's not physically damaged or have water damage. Software issues can be fixed. If they couldn't flash new software they wouldn't have CLN devices to send out for warranty.
I've sent in several dozen phones that I left rooted (for legitimate defect concerns) and none were charged back. They don't need to know what happened to the phone when you call all they need to know is its not working and to send you out a device. They'll receive yours, flash it or send it back to LG to flash, then send it out to someone else as a warranty device.
06stang said:
It doesn't matter what they can or can't do with the phone. They don't care what you did to it as long as it's not physically damaged or have water damage. Software issues can be fixed. If they couldn't flash new software they wouldn't have CLN devices to send out for warranty.
I've sent in several dozen phones that I left rooted (for legitimate defect concerns) and none were charged back. They don't need to know what happened to the phone when you call all they need to know is its not working and to send you out a device. They'll receive yours, flash it or send it back to LG to flash, then send it out to someone else as a warranty device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay I'll send it in tomorrow. Thanks man, I was just worried that since the phone says "rooted" in download mode they would flip out about it. Appreciate the reassurance.
ccmbr002 said:
Okay I'll send it in tomorrow. Thanks man, I was just worried that since the phone says "rooted" in download mode they would flip out about it. Appreciate the reassurance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just sharing my experience. Over the past 5 years I've been rooting and returning. I can't guarantee anything but i can tell you my experiences and what I've been told by vzw people I know.
I had my g2 repaired when it was rooted. My camera wasn't working atall would just show up black when i opened the app. I sent it in rooted w CWM recovery as i stupidly forgot to remove it. And i had a replacement within 5 days no questions asked.
Not sure if this is because i am in UK or not, but they didn't blink an eye.
Swanseatom said:
I had my g2 repaired when it was rooted. My camera wasn't working atall would just show up black when i opened the app. I sent it in rooted w CWM recovery as i stupidly forgot to remove it. And i had a replacement within 5 days no questions asked.
Not sure if this is because i am in UK or not, but they didn't blink an eye.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep I was just worried because the Verizon phone explicitly states that it is rooted. Just to follow up for those who are on Verizon and are stuck bootlooping and with no way to flash the stock ROM, what 06stang said held true for me (so far). The Verizon rep on the phone couldn't help me (she said she needed me to put my SIM card in my G2 when I was calling her from my old phone) so I took it to a Verizon store. The dude checked it for physical damage, tried to turn it on, and when he saw it bootloop he put in an order to get me a replacement phone. I'll report back in a week or two after I send in my rooted phone and let people know what happens, it seems like they won't charge me as of right now though.

Had the phone for 1 day...

While I was listening to Soundcloud the phone rebooted and now its in a bootloop.
Just great! Can't start the phone.
borisb said:
While I was listening to Soundcloud the phone rebooted and now its in a bootloop.
Just great! Can't start the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you know i really dislike recommending this but you may have to do a factory reset of the device :
1- Fully Turn off your Device
2- When is completely off : PRESS AND HOLD VOLUME UP + POWER till you see the Recovery Screen
3- With the volume buttons navigate to WIPE / FACTORY RESET and PRESS POWER Button.
4- Reset System.
hope that helps. good luck
DrakenFX said:
you know i really dislike recommending this but you may have to do a factory reset of the device :
1- Fully Turn off your Device
2- When is completely off : PRESS AND HOLD VOLUME UP + POWER till you see the Recovery Screen
3- With the volume buttons navigate to WIPE / FACTORY RESET and PRESS POWER Button.
4- Reset System.
hope that helps. good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I need to do that I am returning the phone.
Issues like that will return and I will lose my data all the time.
Suddenly the note 7 does not look so expansive.
borisb said:
If I need to do that I am returning the phone.
Issues like that will return and I will lose my data all the time.
Suddenly the note 7 does not look so expansive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
understandable but believe it or not, sometimes after doing the first Factory Reset fixes a lot of current issues when you boot the device for first time or after OTA's or Big Update...
just give it a try and if still having issues just do what's best for you
I got no update yet.
I reset to factory defaults and cleaned the cache. Nothing happened.
Removed the SIM and the SD and did it again.
Still bootlooping.
I knew this phone is too good to be true.
Now I have to return it.
Talked to ZTE.
The phone cannot be replaced cause they dont have anything to replace it with.
You never had to return a Samsung or LG? I have.
Any phone you get can have its issues. I know your frustrated but just get a replacement or return it and move on.
You can ask for suggestions and try them but bashing the device because you possibly got a bad one doesn't help you at all. And it probably didn't make you feel any better either.
borisb said:
I got no update yet.
I reset to factory defaults and cleaned the cache. Nothing happened.
Removed the SIM and the SD and did it again.
Still bootlooping.
I knew this phone is too good to be true.
Now I have to return it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably bad emmc block and it can't recover from it. You would have to re-flash factory image to bypass it if corruption is in one of the critical partitions
tolymatev said:
You never had to return a Samsung or LG? I have.
Any phone you get can have its issues. I know your frustrated but just get a replacement or return it and move on.
You can ask for suggestions and try them but bashing the device because you possibly got a bad one doesn't help you at all. And it probably didn't make you feel any better either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did have an issue with the note 5 and it was replaced at AT&T. But ZTE have no replacements.
Here is a snippet of the conversation.
Boris Ba: So if I do an RMA
Boris Ba: how long will it take?
John P.: The wait would be until we get in additional supplies which would 9/9.
Boris Ba: and ZTE thinks its a normal retail behavior?
John P.: It is not. The demand for the device has been greater than initially anticipated. This is definitely not the norm.
Boris Ba: This sucks. I will not buy this phone for the second time.
Boris Ba: And I need to spend energy to send the phone back.
John P.: I completely understand your decision given the circumstances.
peramikic said:
Probably bad emmc block and it can't recover from it. You would have to re-flash factory image to bypass it if corruption is in one of the critical partitions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you link the instructions?
borisb said:
I got no update yet.
I reset to factory defaults and cleaned the cache. Nothing happened.
Removed the SIM and the SD and did it again.
Still bootlooping.
I knew this phone is too good to be true.
Now I have to return it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which Software version were you????
try flashing B18_to_B20 patch of you were in B18 this update may fix your issue
and i meant flashing over Stock recovery
peramikic said:
Probably bad emmc block and it can't recover from it. You would have to re-flash factory image to bypass it if corruption is in one of the critical partitions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking the same thing. If ZTE would just release a full system image, software-related issues like these could be fixed by the end user by reflashing through recovery, no need to RMA...
borisb said:
Can you link the instructions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately we don't have such an image for the US model, only for China and Global(Eu) which is also a ZTA blunder considering they relesased BL unlock. Quite a few problems are solvable with it, but ZTE has not released one yet. Probably what drained their initial RMA stock, if they had proper one one to begin with.
Sorry to get your hopes up...
DrakenX is correct.
First thing I do when I get a new phone is a hard reset. This will insure you get a proper install of the OS compared to the OS being installed on a 100 phones at once all hooked to a data rack and drawling from the same image.
All phones are initially installed this way the same with proprietary crap computers like Dell, HP, Sony and all the rest. If there is any type of power glitch or lag in the data stream it can affect your original out of the box install. So in short ALWAYS hard reset a new phone for peace of mind.
peramikic said:
Unfortunately we don't have such an image for the US model, only for China and Global(Eu) which is also a ZTA blunder considering they relesased BL unlock. Quite a few problems are solvable with it, but ZTE has not released one yet. Probably what drained their initial RMA stock, if they had proper one one to begin with.
Sorry to get your hopes up...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh.
Too bad. Well I got a refund from newegg so no worries.

Bricked/randomly shuts off

Hello everyone! So my problem aroused a few days ago when I noticed my phone would randomly reboot and get stuck on the boot screen. I would have to mess around and finally only to get a few minutes of usage. I had King Rom installed which I believe was the issue. Fortunately, while trying to use Odin to recovery to stock, it shuts off in the middle of recovery mode. Now I am getting the screen that says: an error has occurred while updating the device software. please use the emergency recovery function in the smart switch pc software. I have been up all night trying to fix this with no results. I am so upset because I rely on my phone for my job as I am a delivery driver. I can't afford a new phone right now and I don't know what to do. It seems like I am pretty much SOL. I am hoping someone will be able to help me! Thanks so much
Somehow I was actually able to restore it to stock successfully in Odin. But before it will finish the initiation process it reboots over and over and the issue persists. Could there be another factor as to why this has happened?
slimspittle said:
Somehow I was actually able to restore it to stock successfully in Odin. But before it will finish the initiation process it reboots over and over and the issue persists. Could there be another factor as to why this has happened?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you're unlucky it might as well be a hardware related failure.
If you look through XDA, there are more and more people having the boot loop problem right now (me included).
Especially after the latest December FW update.
I would try to do a emergency restore through SmartSwitch, then factory reset.
That's the last thing I tried, although it didn't help me in the end and now my mobile is back at Samsung for repair.
If it still bootloops after these steps I think you're out of luck and have to contact a Samsung repair center.
slimspittle said:
aroused
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Arose is the word i think you were looking for!!
MisterKanister said:
Well, if you're unlucky it might as well be a hardware related failure.
If you look through XDA, there are more and more people having the boot loop problem right now (me included).
Especially after the latest December FW update.
I would try to do a emergency restore through SmartSwitch, then factory reset.
That's the last thing I tried, although it didn't help me in the end and now my mobile is back at Samsung for repair.
If it still bootloops after these steps I think you're out of luck and have to contact a Samsung repair center.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well my phone is the International from Kenya and I'm not sure if Samsung will honor the warranty. I am able to get to the point where you add your Google account. From that point, it gets stuck at ''just a sec''. From that point, it starts to freeze. I guess somehow the phone is still messed up. Think I should try flashing it again?
Do you have TWRP or any custom recovery, does it freeze when your in that menu? Do you have an external SD inside?
dude9946 said:
Do you have TWRP or any custom recovery, does it freeze when your in that menu? Do you have an external SD inside?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I do not anymore and it freezes when the firmware has loaded and it says optimizing apps. And yes I do have a an SD Card
Long shot... have you tired booting up the phone without the card in? It's really sounding like a hardware problem, maybe GPU if it gets triggered reliably...
dude9946 said:
Long shot... have you tired booting up the phone without the card in? It's really sounding like a hardware problem, maybe GPU if it gets triggered reliably...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So this time I actually retried Odin with stock restored from a different website. Then bypassed adding a google account. From that point, I no longer got to the ''just a sec'' screen. I was actually able to fully set up the device. I am assuming it will still have issues occasionally. We will see though. I am very lucky because I go to work in a few hours and would miss out on so much tips! Thanks everyone for your support! If the phone still has problems after a restore how do you get a hold of Samsung if its an International phone. Do you have to send it back to the country of origin?
Samsung may decide that you need to contact the country of origin, I know for example Sony stopped supporting international phones in their repair centers last year... While you have the phone up and running try to get some diagnostic info on why its happening.
dude9946 said:
Samsung may decide that you need to contact the country of origin, I know for example Sony stopped supporting international phones in their repair centers last year... While you have the phone up and running try to get some diagnostic info on why its happening.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How would I go about doing that?
slimspittle said:
How would I go about doing that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you could get CPU-Z from the app store and take screenshots.
Although i dont thing that would help, just call the samsung support line and select to go to phones and explain whats happening. you wont have to send the phone back to the country of origin.
Cyber5hark said:
you could get CPU-Z from the app store and take screenshots.
Although i dont thing that would help, just call the samsung support line and select to go to phones and explain whats happening. you wont have to send the phone back to the country of origin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree you should call Samsung, However you might* still need to send it back to its Origin... It's totally up to Samsung's current policy on supporting international phones. Due to cost, a lot of repair centers really only keep parts/new phones for the ones locally available. However, It's also possible that they are able to contact their international warehouse for parts... So who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Keep us updated though, other users in your situation would love to know what happens!
dude9946 said:
I agree you should call Samsung, However you might* still need to send it back to its Origin... It's totally up to Samsung's current policy on supporting international phones. Due to cost, a lot of repair centers really only keep parts/new phones for the ones locally available. However, It's also possible that they are able to contact their international warehouse for parts... So who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Keep us updated though, other users in your situation would love to know what happens!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay so now it is stuck in a bootloop even after restoring to Odin again. I will try to get a hold of Samsung to see what they say. If not, I paid for my phone with my Wells Fargo Credit card and they have insurance. May get a replacement through them if Samsung won't help
So I just called them and they said to go into my local Samsung store within Best Buy to have them reflash the firmware lol. Going to take it their now to see what happens. Wish me luck
slimspittle said:
So I just called them and they said to go into my local Samsung store within Best Buy to have them reflash the firmware lol. Going to take it their now to see what happens. Wish me luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha! did you tell them you already tried... good luck, keep us updated!
@slimspittle dont let us down, we need an update!
Okay so to send it in to Samsung(No charge for software issue as they said) they want a receipt with the IMEI on it. I bought the phone from Amazon and their is no IMEI on the receipt.

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