Database Users

Gutted, but I think this phone is going back...

I'm truly upset about this, because I think this phone is almost marvellous. But in the two weeks I've had it a few horrible problems have emerged, and I can't find solutions.
If anyone can help (REALLY help), I'd be very grateful.
So. Here I go:
1) The antennae (or whatever). I'm sitting here, in my study, which is in my garden, about 60 feet from the house. In the house (right on the kitchen window) I have a wi-fi AP, to boost the signal. In my study I have : a PS3; a desktop PC; a (Samsung) netbook; an iPhone 3gs; an HTC TP2, and the SGS2. Every single device has a good-to-excellent connection. Except the SGS2. Which says "poor", except that most of the time it can't get a signal at all - so that's not even as good as "poor";
2) I took a friend to hospital today. There were three of us in the waiting room. The SGS2 had no (phone) reception. The others did;
3) On the way to the hospital I needed to use Google Nav. I plugged the SGS2 into my car charger. It didn't charge. I've since tried three different chargers (and no, they weren't from Poundland). Same thing. The SGS2 just won't charge in my car if it needs plenty of juice. I've been trawling the webs and this seems to be a common issue - but nobody has a definite answer. I was about to spring for an official Sammy charger, but nobody seems to know for sure if it'll do the trick.
4) The sound isn't great, either in fidelity (and I'm using Shure SE530s, just so you know I care about good sound) or volume. It's tolerable, but only that. No comparison to my little Sansa clip, or even (I hate to say) the 3GS;
5) (though not as much as some, it would seem) the battery life is a bit meh. And I'm not a heavy user.
I read many people complaining about silly little things. A lot of them are down to software or simple ignorance. But a super-smartphone that has poor connectivity and can't be used as a satnav (whilst simultaneously charging). Well, I'm sorry, but...
As I said at the top, I'm genuinely miserable about this. I really, really thought that this was the Smartphone to Rule Them All.
And, again, if anyone can offer me hope that things will get better, please do. Sadly, I think I'll be going back to separate gadgets to fulfill my needs. A phone that works as a phone (and maybe a diary); a satnav that charges in the car; a music player that sounds good. Etc, etc.

ive got a crappy 8-in-1 car charger works fine.

I have none of the problems you said in your post so maybe you just got a **** phone, maybe return it for another.

rojdag said:
ive got a crappy 8-in-1 car charger works fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean it works fine when you're also using satnav? Because there seem to be many, many people whose SGS2 won't charge when running satnav.

That's what I was thinking maybe one problem is tolerable but all those things you mentioned I would've been took that boy back for a swap out. Unless you brought it online.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

Mitty1990 said:
I have none of the problems you said in your post so maybe you just got a **** phone, maybe return it for another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, maybe I have a "**** phone". Then again, lots of people seem to be having similar issues. Do you think there was a bad batch? Can you charge the phone in-car whilst using satnav? Is your wifi strength as good as your other devices?
I think I may call Vodafone now and see if a replacement helps. That's if they'll still swap it out.

If you arent happy with the phone, return it/exchange it.
simple as.
As for advice, read the threads.

I also have none of the problems you are suffering. My wifi works as well as any other device I have had. Phone signal is better on the same network a my htc desire. Sound quality is better than my desire. Battery life is so far pretty good and will get better with use and even better once 2.3.4 comes out very soon.
As for your charging issues while using nav this is a common thing with cheap chargers, you might not have got it from poundland but its just not supplying enough juice. Had exactly the same problem when I first got my desire over a year ago, ended up modifying my car charger by soldering the data wires together to force it to max out its current output. Use that same charger for my sg2.

The only problem ive had is the car charger one which i didnt realise untill yesterday. All your other problems dont exist on my phone so mabey exchange it

barneypooch said:
Do you mean it works fine when you're also using satnav? Because there seem to be many, many people whose SGS2 won't charge when running satnav.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just been out to the car and can confirm, it charges fine with google navigation running - seems to make no difference with mine navigation or not.
keep soldiering on dont give up on yer sgs2 yet!

With reference to the car charger problem while using satnav look at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=670702&highlight=car+charger&page=2
Thats the thread from the HTC desire doing the exact same thing. If your charger is 1000ma you should be able to mod it or a cable so that it will happily charge your sg2, if not make sure the next one you buy can supply enough current.

barneypooch said:
1) The antennae (or whatever)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone seems to have love/hate relationships with different routers. In the way I use it, it works as well as a G2 and G2X connecting in the same locations. I have a beast of a router and what I tend to connect to (airports, hotels, airplanes) have better than average equipment. People have had some luck by replacing their router. If it's software, the imminent 2.3.4. update may help.
The SGS2 had no (phone) reception. The others did
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There have been various postings on this. People with issues popped another carriers SIM in the phone and in a lot of cases the problem went away. Try replacing your SIM. If the phone's just not good reception wise in the areas you travel or on the network you use you may have to return it.
3) The SGS2 just won't charge in my car if it needs plenty of juice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using the LG charger from my G2X and it keeps the phone battery-positive using Nav and Bluetooth audio streaming. There's a thread dedicated to this somewhere, do a search.
The sound isn't great I'm using Shure SE530s
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same headphones and am quite pleased with the output. I also stream Bluetooth in my car and the phone easily outperforms the G2 and G2X. There's a long thread discussing audio and a couple of folks using Shure's were getting different results. It might be a hardware issue with your particular phone. But, judging audio is subjective so what's good for me may not be for you.
5) (though not as much as some, it would seem) the battery life is a bit meh. And I'm not a heavy user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an issue with the suspend process in 2.3.3. that drains the battery at idle. The imminent 2.3.4. update should correct this.

I also noted poor wifi signal. Changed my router to a better one and it fixed the issue, however I still have problems in my travels ( hotels, bars, airports ).
Regrading the navigation, I did a total of 2500km ( 2 long trips of 900 km each + other small and medium trips ) with the phone being in nav mode. I had the battery issue you described due to overheating, but as soon as I protected the phone from direct sunlight ( a small piece of paper over it ) or kept a small flow of air on it ( placed it near the AC vent and redirected the flow twoards it ) the issue got resolved. Using a 500mA car USB charger my phone stays cool at about 36 degrees C and the battery gets +1% every few mins ( navigation + wifi tethering on with Kies over wifi activated ). In regards to the software, I mainly use iGo or Copilot.
So solution: make sure you have a little airflow on your phone and a little space between the back of the phone and the phone holder. Satisfy these 2 conditions and you will eliminate the charging problems.

rojdag said:
just been out to the car and can confirm, it charges fine with google navigation running - seems to make no difference with mine navigation or not.
keep soldiering on dont give up on yer sgs2 yet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that, mate. Just to say: my phone "says" it's charging in the car; but when I do a drive with the satnav, then unplug the phone, it hasn't actually been charging. Again, I'm not the only one with this problem (or feature).

@azra2k
"So solution: make sure you have a little airflow on your phone and a little space between the back of the phone and the phone holder. Satisfy these 2 conditions and you will eliminate the charging problems."
Thanks for those suggestions. Really, though: why should that be necessary? It's all a bit Heath-Robinson, is it not? I don't have to put pieces of paper over other satnav devices, or lodge them in the a/c vents.
I may buy the official Samsung charger but there are people elsewhere who've had no luck with that.

barneypooch said:
Thanks for that, mate. Just to say: my phone "says" it's charging in the car; but when I do a drive with the satnav, then unplug the phone, it hasn't actually been charging. Again, I'm not the only one with this problem (or feature).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sat nav will max out the phones power draw, reducing charging to a trickle, it's just a case of taking out almost as much as you are putting in.
I find from using wifi analyser on a few devices what Samsung call two bars in signal strength, most other devices call 3.
Not sure why that is.

barneypooch said:
@azra2k
"So solution: make sure you have a little airflow on your phone and a little space between the back of the phone and the phone holder. Satisfy these 2 conditions and you will eliminate the charging problems."
Thanks for those suggestions. Really, though: why should that be necessary? It's all a bit Heath-Robinson, is it not? I don't have to put pieces of paper over other satnav devices, or lodge them in the a/c vents.
I may buy the official Samsung charger but there are people elsewhere who've had no luck with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm sorry, but I find it completely normal to say that some charger we got off eBay, third-party probably that's not even a brand name, isn't capable of feeding our next gen device that has not only a dual core processor, the most ram on the market on any phone, a GIANT screen, not enough dissipation space (for heat) to keep it thin as thin as thin. I'm worried about battery life as well, but oh well. It's the price we have to pay! hehe.

barneypooch said:
And, again, if anyone can offer me hope that things will get better, please do. Sadly, I think I'll be going back to separate gadgets to fulfill my needs. A phone that works as a phone (and maybe a diary); a satnav that charges in the car; a music player that sounds good. Etc, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear this...but the problem isn't the "GS2" it's your specific GS2. The vast majority of users have maybe one of your problems, which either fixes it self, or fixed through an update. There are even more, who don't even have any of those problems.
I think that you have a faulty unit and if you are upset, get a replacement, because the GSII is one fine device and capable of doing all you need it to do.

Please read my last post for the correct answer to the satnav power supply problem. It has nothing to do with ventilation and everything to do with the type of charger you are using.
You could buy a 1000ma very expensive charger and it still might not charge your phone when under extreme load. Some chargers will only supply 500ma as that is the max that a usb socket on your motherboard is supposed to supply. Doing the mod I described earlier solves this.

barneypooch said:
@azra2k
"So solution: make sure you have a little airflow on your phone and a little space between the back of the phone and the phone holder. Satisfy these 2 conditions and you will eliminate the charging problems."
Thanks for those suggestions. Really, though: why should that be necessary? It's all a bit Heath-Robinson, is it not? I don't have to put pieces of paper over other satnav devices, or lodge them in the a/c vents.
I may buy the official Samsung charger but there are people elsewhere who've had no luck with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only make sure that the AC is blowing through the defrost holes also... the airflow required is minimum. This applies to all phones and even other dark colored gps devices I owned before... In the summer, the sun heats up the phone and/or gps device a lot. As a test, try leaving the phone in the cradle in the car ( under direct sunlight ) for an hour. The phone can be kept at idle, or even closed. It will heat up a lot... I remember I threw away a compact photo camera cause I forgot it on the dashboard for a day, in the summer (it was pretty much melted and very deformed)...
So a bit of common sense will fix the temperature issues... the charging problems appear due to the temperature issues. If the batter temp is above 50 degrees it will stop charging. When you keep the batter under 50 degrees, a 500mA decent charger will be more than enough to keep the phone running and slowly charge the battery.

[Q] Alarms & Notifications

After a fair search I am still yet to find an answer to my question. With the ever increasing amount of fantastic tasks our smartphones can achieve for us nowadays I find it hard to believe that if I turn my device off I am unable to get alarms or notifications.
I have used several Android Roms on my HD2 & yet to find one that is able to achieve this, which leads me to believe its a across the board Android "thing"?
Its not an overly important thing but I just find it quite odd that my ancient Sony Ericsson & Nokia handsets are able to do this even tho their nearly antiques.
If anyone has anyone has any ideas or solutions please reply.
Many thanks.

I have never came across or heard of a phone or app that was designed to turn on the phone simply to retrieve a notification. I (think) i have heard of an app that if your phone is stolen it can turn it on the device if its been turned off but i have not heard of this feature to be used to gather your notifications. What model phones do you say have this feature?

I don't recall the name of the Nokia I had but the Sony Ericsson was a k550i to be honest I don't think it was able to turn on automatically for notifications, but it was able to for say a alarm to wake me in the mornings. As I said it's pretty unimportant really but quite funny nonetheless with today's technological advances.

Why the heck would this even be beneficial? The only way this is possible is if the device stays awake and doesnt fully power down. Plus it would take its own OS in order to do this as the original OS takes a few minutes to load.. This is really stupid and i cant see how anyone wants this.. Just put your device in standby sheesh. -.-

I'm very sorry for my stupidity but I don't see how it is beneficial to try belittling people either? It was merely a question, as I pointed out unimportant but also quite strange how an older device has an auto on option for alarms. If you don't have anything constructive to add? I wish you all the best.

Older phones had volatile memory, and so when turned off they were actually in a low power state.
if you left them 'turned off' for long enough, the battery would be flat and the rom would be back to factory conditions, all data wiped.
the upside was that this low power state meant they were able to monitor for alarms and wake up as necessary.
With non-volatile nand chips, this low power state is no longer needed, and when our hd2 is off, it is really off, so no power to monitor for alarms,

zephyr79 said:
I'm very sorry for my stupidity but I don't see how it is beneficial to try belittling people either? It was merely a question, as I pointed out unimportant but also quite strange how an older device has an auto on option for alarms. If you don't have anything constructive to add? I wish you all the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im sorry i didnt mean to "belittle" anyone or sound mean, harsh, it just felt in your OP that you were bashing the android devs and android in general.. But i seriously dont see a point to having notifs during off stage considering in standby you have a power drain of 1~10ma which is nothing. Again i appoligize for any "belittlement" i caused.

No offence taken or meant at all. I certainly wasn't bashing anyone's work if fact without being a brown noser I have nothing but thanks and praise for the magnificent work the developers have put into not only Android but the whole XDA community.
And also thanks too for your reply regarding the question I thought it must have something to do with a standby like state in the device, I'm happy to leave my phone on to receive my alarms and notifications. I guess I should stop whining and just get an alarm clock lol!

zephyr79 said:
No offence taken or meant at all. I certainly wasn't bashing anyone's work if fact without being a brown noser I have nothing but thanks and praise for the magnificent work the developers have put into not only Android but the whole XDA community.
And also thanks too for your reply regarding the question I thought it must have something to do with a standby like state in the device, I'm happy to leave my phone on to receive my alarms and notifications. I guess I should stop whining and just get an alarm clock lol!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would work although you could always simply put the phone in airplane mode in standby and it loses around 1 percent battery every three hours, more than enough for a single night
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA

Nigeldg said:
That would work although you could always simply put the phone in airplane mode in standby and it loses around 1 percent battery every three hours, more than enough for a single night
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that's what usually tend to do, although it doesn't allow for your emails, notifications etc it certainly conserves our battery juice, thanks for your reply Nigeldg

Well the thing is I personally would not like to be woken up in the middle of the night for a notification anyway, and you get them as soon as you turn your phone on in the morning
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA

Nigeldg said:
Well the thing is I personally would not like to be woken up in the middle of the night for a notification anyway, and you get them as soon as you turn your phone on in the morning
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I totally agree I'm gonna also try the quiet hours function also.

[Q] afraid to let battery hit 0%

Ok, so im not new to android modding, hacking, rooting ,etc. Ive rooted many samsung, motorola and nexus devices. But my question is, is it safe to let the nexus 4 bateey hit 0%? Ive read that nexus 4 is hard to bring back once it hits zero.

jamescable said:
Ok, so im not new to android modding, hacking, rooting ,etc. Ive rooted many samsung, motorola and nexus devices. But my question is, is it safe to let the nexus 4 bateey hit 0%? Ive read that nexus 4 is hard to bring back once it hits zero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It'll turn itself off before it reaches dangerously low battery levels, so just avoid trying to turn it back on until you've plugged it in to a charger.

jamescable said:
Ok, so im not new to android modding, hacking, rooting ,etc. Ive rooted many samsung, motorola and nexus devices. But my question is, is it safe to let the nexus 4 bateey hit 0%? Ive read that nexus 4 is hard to bring back once it hits zero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No phone battery, android or any other should hit 0%. The battery will calibrate itself anyway after a few charges. So just plug it in at 10-15%.

Ive heard that when the phone gets really low, even charging overnight doesnt do anything?

How about you just don't let it hit zero? Do you really want to find out the hard way what might happen? You may live if you jump off a bridge, but would you try it? Come on... a little common sense goes a long way.

If it dies, send it back. Not rocket science is it.

418 iedTign
jamescable said:
Ive heard that when the phone gets really low, even charging overnight doesnt do anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you manage to completely discharge a Li-ion battery you physically damage the battery, however phones (and laptops, and anything else with a Li-ion battery) are set to turn themselves off before the battery is completely discharged. That means the phone may report 0% battery remaining and turn off, but actually there are still a few %% left in reserve to prevent damage to the battery.

When it reaches 0% just turns down itself, plug in to a charger and in 5min you can boot him up without worries. I forgot it one night @ 6% and when i woke up it was switched off.
Its a battery, and even @ 0% doesnt mean the battery reaches 0mv...

sorry but...OMG
Nothing will happen, the phone is set to shut down at 0% but it's a false reading, in reality the battery still has a few mah in reserve... this is so you don't get sudden loss of power which may result in data loss.

Pandalero said:
How about you just don't let it hit zero? Do you really want to find out the hard way what might happen? You may live if you jump off a bridge, but would you try it? Come on... a little common sense goes a long way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or you could know the simple truth: the phone will turn itself off before the battery discharges too much and thus it's perfectly safe to let it run down. Seriously you think there wouldn't be a massive antenna-gate style scandal if you could ruin your phone just by letting it run down naturally? How many people do you think every single day run out of power on their smartphones?

N10AP said:
If it dies, send it back. Not rocket science is it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I think before RMA'ing it he should do some research and try to fix it, in such an occasion. Going straight for the RMA is a bit hasty, and makes Google not want to continue making such great devices for so cheap. I'm sure you didn't mean go straight for RMA, but I wanted to point that out for anyone else reading this.
On-Topic:
As many have pointed out, the battery has it's own circuits to make sure it doesn't reach 0, and to make sure it doesn't over-charge. That's on the battery itself, it has nothing to do with the Nexus 4, the OS, or anything else. You'll be fine. I would still advise in plugging it in at around 10% battery if you can, though.

Thanks for the feedback and help

Johmama said:
Well, I think before RMA'ing it he should do some research and try to fix it, in such an occasion. Going straight for the RMA is a bit hasty, and makes Google not want to continue making such great devices for so cheap. I'm sure you didn't mean go straight for RMA, but I wanted to point that out for anyone else reading this.
On-Topic:
As many have pointed out, the battery has it's own circuits to make sure it doesn't reach 0, and to make sure it doesn't over-charge. That's on the battery itself, it has nothing to do with the Nexus 4, the OS, or anything else. You'll be fine. I would still advise in plugging it in at around 10% battery if you can, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point is, as consumers, we shouldn`t have to research how to fix a dead phone. Google shouldn`t be discouraged with us, they should be on the case to LG as they design and build the phone.
Most people here do like getting their hands dirty with fixing and flashing etc, but why should a consumer fix a faulty phone when the phone has been used as per correct guidelines> It doesn`t make sense to me...
If you bought a brand new car, eg a 2013 Ford and they were selling it at cost price, would it make you want to repair it yourself if the engine was knackered? Of course not, you would expect the dealer to do it.
Don`t feel bad about RMAing devices... It doesn`t matter if they are brilliant value, you want them right. Google`s business model is obviously working for them, or there wouldn`t be a Nexus 4, hell there wouldn`t even be a Galaxy Nexus... Google have taken all of this into account. If a lot of people are getting rejects, then it`s up to LG to sort it...
Does it say in the instructions that you shouldnt let the battery go completely flat or it will kil the phone? No.
So don`t worry about it.

N10AP said:
My point is, as consumers, we shouldn`t have to research how to fix a dead phone. Google shouldn`t be discouraged with us, they should be on the case to LG as they design and build the phone.
Most people here do like getting their hands dirty with fixing and flashing etc, but why should a consumer fix a faulty phone when the phone has been used as per correct guidelines> It doesn`t make sense to me...
If you bought a brand new car, eg a 2013 Ford and they were selling it at cost price, would it make you want to repair it yourself if the engine was knackered? Of course not, you would expect the dealer to do it.
Don`t feel bad about RMAing devices... It doesn`t matter if they are brilliant value, you want them right. Google`s business model is obviously working for them, or there wouldn`t be a Nexus 4, hell there wouldn`t even be a Galaxy Nexus... Google have taken all of this into account. If a lot of people are getting rejects, then it`s up to LG to sort it...
Does it say in the instructions that you shouldnt let the battery go completely flat or it will kil the phone? No.
So don`t worry about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you that you shouldn't feel bad when RMA'ing legitimately. I was merely pointing out that when you have a problem, you should do some research to figure out whether it's a common problem with a common and easy fix before you jump right to RMA. Your post was heavily implying that RMA is the first stop fix-all. You probably didn't mean it to imply that, but to some other person coming here and reading it, they would feel nudged into RMA'ing right off. We are saying the same thing, I was just advising anyone else reading this thread to do a 30 second Google search on their problem before plunging right into the RMA process.

N10AP said:
My point is, as consumers, we shouldn`t have to research how to fix a dead phone. Google shouldn`t be discouraged with us, they should be on the case to LG as they design and build the phone.
Most people here do like getting their hands dirty with fixing and flashing etc, but why should a consumer fix a faulty phone when the phone has been used as per correct guidelines> It doesn`t make sense to me...
If you bought a brand new car, eg a 2013 Ford and they were selling it at cost price, would it make you want to repair it yourself if the engine was knackered? Of course not, you would expect the dealer to do it.
Don`t feel bad about RMAing devices... It doesn`t matter if they are brilliant value, you want them right. Google`s business model is obviously working for them, or there wouldn`t be a Nexus 4, hell there wouldn`t even be a Galaxy Nexus... Google have taken all of this into account. If a lot of people are getting rejects, then it`s up to LG to sort it...
Does it say in the instructions that you shouldnt let the battery go completely flat or it will kil the phone? No.
So don`t worry about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well put... i couldn't have said it better.

N10AP said:
My point is, as consumers, we shouldn`t have to research how to fix a dead phone. Google shouldn`t be discouraged with us, they should be on the case to LG as they design and build the phone.
Most people here do like getting their hands dirty with fixing and flashing etc, but why should a consumer fix a faulty phone when the phone has been used as per correct guidelines> It doesn`t make sense to me...
If you bought a brand new car, eg a 2013 Ford and they were selling it at cost price, would it make you want to repair it yourself if the engine was knackered? Of course not, you would expect the dealer to do it.
Don`t feel bad about RMAing devices... It doesn`t matter if they are brilliant value, you want them right. Google`s business model is obviously working for them, or there wouldn`t be a Nexus 4, hell there wouldn`t even be a Galaxy Nexus... Google have taken all of this into account. If a lot of people are getting rejects, then it`s up to LG to sort it...
Does it say in the instructions that you shouldnt let the battery go completely flat or it will kil the phone? No.
So don`t worry about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you also tank gas in your car after the tank is bone dry, all gasfumes are used and the car stopped?

gee2012 said:
Do you also tank gas in your car after the tank is bone dry, all gasfumes are used and the car stopped?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry can you translate? Trouble understanding u my friend.
If you run out of fuel, you can put more in it and the car isn't dead. With more fuel it will be fine. Bit of a rubbish anology there mate.
I don't know what you are getting at.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

N10AP said:
Sorry can you translate? Trouble understanding u my friend.
If you run out of fuel, you can put more in it and the car isn't dead. With more fuel it will be fine. Bit of a rubbish anology there mate.
I don't know what you are getting at.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My post looks quite clear to me

If you were to completely drain the battery , somehow. Either charge or replace it. Phone will turn on..
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

Yep. It's true that nexus 4s are a little hard to revive after a dead battery. Some revive fine, some die instantly.
I'd say don't get it to 0 though. All batteries will suffer from it.
Sorry if these points have been said already, didn't read the whole thread.

Life expectancy?

How long can one expect a device such as the note 3 to last. Let's say the device in question never is dropped or mishandled. Now with heavy use on a daily basis would you expect all internals and externals to perform flawless for 5+ years. What would the max be. Looking for answers from people who know not guessing please. I'm just curious as many probably are as well. Thank you for all the views and responses.
Sent from my SM-G900V using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com

I am not sure. I am on my second note 3 now since they seen to have an use with the sandisk ultra micro sd card. The phone cooked itself while charging. I can't speak to the actual internals, qa process in the factory and expected life expectancy resulting from those either being robust our weak.

matsuyamakaze said:
How long can one expect a device such as the note 3 to last. Let's say the device in question never is dropped or mishandled. Now with heavy use on a daily basis would you expect all internals and externals to perform flawless for 5+ years. What would the max be. Looking for answers from people who know not guessing please. I'm just curious as many probably are as well. Thank you for all the views and responses.
Sent from my SM-G900V using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would not expect this device to last 5 years. I've used this device heavily - every day - for almost a year now. So far the plastic chrome overlay around the outside has cracked near the volume button - and it was not dropped and it was in a case yet the plastic chrome cracked. I used superglue to patch that crack. Apparently, the silver plastic chrome cracking is not abnormal - especially near the S-Pen (though I never use mine so it didn't happen for me there). I've sat on my phone in bed once (I usually carry it in my back jeans pocket) and it showed no signs of problems - I'm a 5'11 220 pound male so I'm not small. The screen is holding up VERY well - no obvious scratches even though now I go case free (and have for months now).
Of all the phones I use (HTC MyTouch, Motorola Droid 1, HTC Thunderbolt, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, Note 3) - I give the Note 3 very high ratings for durability. It is extremely light - and the big screen allows me to do what I want without hinderance.
Will it last 5 years? I doubt it mostly because of software reasons (most Android phones stop getting updates around 5 years out). Will it last 2 years? I'm betting on it - not planning to upgrade till 2016. Happily running Alliance Rom Build 1 - impatiently waiting for Build 2.
I'm running an Anker (stock sized) battery from Amazon - and for the price - will get a new one next year to keep the thing "fresh"

Thanks for the responses so far. Very good posts. I have had mine half a year it's still in mint condition. I use a neo hybrid case with no screen protector use to use one but I take care of my devices. If I was a dropper I'd have a glass screen protector and otter case lol. I was running alliance now trying jasmine 2.4 waiting super impatiently for a port of the note 4. Yes my last device Droid 4 lasted 3 or 4 years then it went haywire. Hoping my phone lasts awhile interested to see what the note line has to offer for the next few years to come.
Sent from my SM-G900V using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com

matsuyamakaze said:
How long can one expect a device such as the note 3 to last. Let's say the device in question never is dropped or mishandled. Now with heavy use on a daily basis would you expect all internals and externals to perform flawless for 5+ years. What would the max be. Looking for answers from people who know not guessing please. I'm just curious as many probably are as well. Thank you for all the views and responses.
Sent from my SM-G900V using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one "knows" relative to the Note3, it's only been out a year!
However....it is just another electronic product. It appears well built, depending on how often it's charged....over 5 years you may need one or two new batteries but they're user-replaceable.
AMOLED displays should last 8 to 10 years and flash memory should last for about 200,000 write operations.
In other words....it should easily last 8 to 10 years....the "life" of its least reliable, non-user replaceable component.
That presumes the cellular service providers still support the current protocols.
Sent from my Note 3 via Tapatalk

Mine's less than a year old and it just died. Picked up to use it and it's dead. Can't wake it up and it only sits there and gets hot while charging. I baby all of my stuff-this sucks. Only communication I have.
Rich

dorpmuller said:
Mine's less than a year old and it just died. Picked up to use it and it's dead. Can't wake it up and it only sits there and gets hot while charging. I baby all of my stuff-this sucks. Only communication I have.
Rich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say you have a dead (shorted) battery. Pull the battery and plug into charger....will it start now? If nothing else...unless you got it the day it came out, it should still be under warranty.
Sent from my Note 3 via Tapatalk

Wasn't the battery. Got it replaced by Verizon. Something seriously went wrong with the device. All good now!
Rich
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

dorpmuller said:
Mine's less than a year old and it just died. Picked up to use it and it's dead. Can't wake it up and it only sits there and gets hot while charging. I baby all of my stuff-this sucks. Only communication I have.
Rich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read through at your own risk.
Pmfji, but I have had a similar experience. Set up my Note 3 to charge one night, went to sleep, woke up and I could fry a virtual egg on it. The temp was some ridiculous number I can't recall. Totally freaked, thought the thing might explode. Mind went into overload, gotta figure this out, before it burns out!
Kept repeating the mantra, "this is just a computer", over and over. In a former life I used to be a 'Wintel' power user or so I used to think.
Racing through all the possible scenarios, what could be the issue? I checked my tools, not only was the temp outrageous, but the CPU frequency was through the roof as well! Noting the super high temp over a long period—a few HOURS; finally, I thought to pull the battery.
For those who know, not an easy effort given a Zerolemon case (think Outterbox) and humongous, heavy battery amidst visions of seared flesh! ?
Battery out, I could think more clearly. Letting the thing sit and cool for a half hour or so. I sat hoping, whatever the issue, the battery pull killed it. While I struggled to put my foggy brain into overdrive. Not the way to start the day, before breakfast and before my first cup of coffee! Imagine, wake up, grab the phone, cut the alarm, then ? wtf!
Thinking on it, I figured it had to be a problem with some very recent software installed on my—Rooted, Xposed, and otherwise stock Note 3. Could it be one of the Xposed modules??
I had, a couple of days before, after a short stint with 3c's "Battery Manager", swaped it for 3c's "Toolbox Pro" (which among MANY, MANY, MANY tools includes the Battery Manager Pro).
Daunting, comprehensive apps both, of which my primary focus was, at the time, facilitating the Battery Manager so it would provide relatively useful and accurate readings of the Zerolemon's 10,000 mAh battery level at any given time. An effort which was driving this tinkerer absolutely batty! ???
So, after several courses of, pull the battery, think a little, place the battery, watch, feel the temps rise, and pull the battery, the damned thing just would not stop! Finally, I used Toolbox Pro's "CPU Manager" and "Task Manager" to determine which app was monopolizing the CPU percentage use/time; and, concurrently causing the insane CPU frequency, and ultimately frying my phone. Needless to say, the device was not only super hot, but irritatingly sluggish which made this a tediously slow process.
Anyway, culprit found,Titanium Backup and that app was history. Actually, that may have been my first use of Toolbox Pro's "App Manager". One or the other….
Which app was it? Unfortunately, I do not recall, maybe a record is in the logs. How high did the temps go? Again, can't recall, I can vouch it was higher than any temp I had experienced on a Note or any computing device. How's my Note 3? Well it was, well—fine! Showed no consequences, nothing.
That is til I screwed the sound/volume (Wanam and another Xposed module poorly coincide when both utilize the volume button to trigger different functions), but that's another story.
For the record, I am on my FOURTH Note 3!! My present and last Note 3 is suffering the same sound/volume issue, a tinkerer's fortune. Though my first ROM flash should correct that issue.
Hmmm, now how do I flash?? Odin (isn't that a Norse g_d?), TWERP (isn't that some sort of butt humping??), SafeStrap (isn't that a sexual device hung from a ceiling beam??), duhhhh another confused newb….
Thanks to anyone bothering to read through the above.

You said it yourself you left it on the charger all night and woke up and it was hot. You can't leave a phone on a charger all night sleep for 8 plus hours that would fry it and it would be hot overcharging is really bad.
Sent from my SM-G900V using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com

matsuyamakaze said:
You said it yourself you left it on the charger all night and woke up and it was hot. You can't leave a phone on a charger all night sleep for 8 plus hours that would fry it and it would be hot overcharging is really bad.
Sent from my SM-G900V using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I leave my phone plugged up overnight, every night. I have had a replacement phone because the proximity sensor failed, but I've had this one for ~6 months and it's never overheated or done anything like above. Battery life is still great.

+1. Never had a problem with any device charging overnight, be it phone, tablet or laptop.

I leave my Note 3 plugged up All Night, EVERY Night. Anywhere from 5-12hrs depending on the day of the week & how many beers I drank the night before. I've NEVER had anything close to that happening. I do have a Great Battery app, Battery Doctor but I don't think it would stop that from happening if it happens so easily/frequently by charging them to long.as you suggest. There was definitely something funky going on with this guys Note 3. My Note 3 got REALLY Hot one time, while I was at work & it was Off the charge. I actually got a System Temperature Notification that it was over heating. I clicked on my Battery app & it had already found the culprit. I had turned Off Google+ Auto Backup Pic/Vids feature about 2 months prior to this. That morning when I got to work I turned it back on. Google+ started backing everything up at one time, >10gb. & started to Heat it up. The app now will Not backup everything at once unless you click the backup at once option. That was fixed in one of its updates.

Nexus 6 Hard-Mods

So anyone else thinking what im thinking HARD MODS baby. im a anti-government privacy pirate android junkie so naturally i take the camera modules out and im working on the GPS modules but i hav an idea to hav 2 batterys present in the phone now ive alrdy figured out how to mak the room but i need help wit the proper wiring set up. note in order to mak room the wireless copper charging coil will need to b removed "MAYBE" and the originally backin will need a cut out to accommodate the second battery as well as the internal frame<---thats 4 sure then simply apply a slickwrap to cover up
ADDed info: my main concern is the voltage from 2 batterys i know enough that doubling the voltage is bad [rlly bad lol, kill main board etc kinda bad] but doubling the battery capacity from 3220mah to 6440mah isnt CONCERN FIXED ONLY A PROBLEM IF CONNECTED IN SERIES NOT WEN IN PARALLEL ALSO VOLTAGE ON BOTH BATTERIES NEEDS TO B DAM NEAR THE SAME DEAD NUTS THE SAME
Dual battery mods completed safely and successfully on:
nexus 4 - https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-4/general/4200mah-nexus-4-internal-battery-t2239829
samsung s3 - https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/accessories/samsung-4200mah-battery-mod-t1800177
Next issue is a minor soft mod which we'll need insight on the software file on the device the lists the 3220mah will need to b changed these/thise file could b used to calculate the correct battery percent to b shown in status bar or battery stat page in settings IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS LETS DO IT 169% BABY
so a OEM battery is thin and cheap enough that i mite add 2 batteries instead, 3 in total

elite-NSX said:
So anyone else thinking what im thinking HARD MODS baby. im a anti-government privacy pirate android junkie so naturally i take the camera modules out and im working on the GPS modules but i hav an idea to hav 2 batterys present in the phone now ive alrdy figured out how to mak the room but i need help wit the proper wiring set up. note in order to mak room the wireless copper charging coil will need to b removed "MAYBE" and the originally backin will need a cut out to accommodate the second battery as well as the internal frame<---thats 4 sure then simply apply a slickwrap to cover up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a thought, but couldn't you just remove the camera.apks and any files related to GPS? I would imagine that if the files are either not present or disabled that relate to camera and GPS, I would imagine if those things do not work on your phone then big G would not be able to access them either as the files needed are present... hope this makes sense. That way no hardware removal needed.
That being said... an extra battery would be cool

ozzmanj1 said:
Just a thought, but couldn't you just remove the camera.apks and any files related to GPS? I would imagine that if the files are either not present or disabled that relate to camera and GPS, I would imagine if those things do not work on your phone then big G would not be able to access them either as the files needed are present... hope this makes sense. That way no hardware removal needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed but ive done both alrdy to b safe, they could push/sideload wirelessly the files needed to use camera modules my main focus is the dual battery mod any input on the wiring set up unfortunately i dont no much bout batterys to pull this off

as of now with almst perfect conditions i can get round 8hrs SOT but i need more, mmmm battery whore, 8hrs SOT wit 23hrs phone idle, heavy use overclocked games PSP emulater 2.5hrs SOT wit 18hrs phone idle and min. use 3.5hrs SOT 7-9days phone idle not bad but i need better dual better

You must be into some majorly illegal **** if you are doing all this paranoid bull**** to your phone

ozzmanj1 said:
Just a thought, but couldn't you just remove the camera.apks and any files related to GPS? I would imagine that if the files are either not present or disabled that relate to camera and GPS, I would imagine if those things do not work on your phone then big G would not be able to access them either as the files needed are present... hope this makes sense. That way no hardware removal needed.
That being said... an extra battery would be cool
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really too much. As all the fuctionality is still there. The only thing missing is the UI. You could still activate it by command line. Couldnt snap a pic or anything but you could activate the camera and then stream it to where ever if there is a data connection.
pr0ndigy said:
You must be into some majorly illegal **** if you are doing all this paranoid bull**** to your phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not at all. There are some that really do think that the Government is too wrapped up in our lives. There are also companies that require your cell phone to not have a camera.
Too many people these days have no idea about privacy. They have freely given it up. It is good to see someone that looks around at the world he lives in.

Why do you think the government cares about spying on you, specifically? You sound intelligent, did you discover something you weren't supposed to? The government probably isn't the entity you should be worrying about. Walmart secretly owns Google. They are trying to achieve consumer omnipotence. They watch and listen to everything you do and say just so they know what products to sell you.
If you are this worried about it, you should know that at any point, they could send a signal to your phone causing it to go into "kill mode". The battery will send out a high intensity discharge of 50amps causing your heart to stop. If you are lucky enough to survive this, the battery explodes in an attempt to destroy the evidence. They haven't got the system working perfectly yet, that's why we saw all those note 7s blowing up.
They can send the kill mode signal to any phone, even non smart phones, so you probably shouldn't carry a phone. Or just buy the products they advertise to appease them. Your choice, I've probably said too much.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 06:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:48 AM ----------
Guys a bunch of black vans just pulled up outside my house if you're reading this it's too late.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Atticuspoint6 said:
Why do you think the government cares about spying on you, specifically? You sound intelligent, did you discover something you weren't supposed to? The government probably isn't the entity you should be worrying about. Walmart secretly owns Google. They are trying to achieve consumer omnipotence. They watch and listen to everything you do and say just so they know what products to sell you.
If you are this worried about it, you should know that at any point, they could send a signal to your phone causing it to go into "kill mode". The battery will send out a high intensity discharge of 50amps causing your heart to stop. If you are lucky enough to survive this, the battery explodes in an attempt to destroy the evidence. They haven't got the system working perfectly yet, that's why we saw all those note 7s blowing up.
They can send the kill mode signal to any phone, even non smart phones, so you probably shouldn't carry a phone. Or just buy the products they advertise to appease them. Your choice, I've probably said too much.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 06:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:48 AM ----------
Guys a bunch of black vans just pulled up outside my house if you're reading this it's too late.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol

Atticuspoint6 said:
Why do you think the government cares about spying on you, specifically? You sound intelligent, did you discover something you weren't supposed to? The government probably isn't the entity you should be worrying about. Walmart secretly owns Google. They are trying to achieve consumer omnipotence. They watch and listen to everything you do and say just so they know what products to sell you.
If you are this worried about it, you should know that at any point, they could send a signal to your phone causing it to go into "kill mode". The battery will send out a high intensity discharge of 50amps causing your heart to stop. If you are lucky enough to survive this, the battery explodes in an attempt to destroy the evidence. They haven't got the system working perfectly yet, that's why we saw all those note 7s blowing up.
They can send the kill mode signal to any phone, even non smart phones, so you probably shouldn't carry a phone. Or just buy the products they advertise to appease them. Your choice, I've probably said too much.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 06:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:48 AM ----------
Guys a bunch of black vans just pulled up outside my house if you're reading this it's too late.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for me. IT is part of the job. I work in many places that requires them to check on you from time to time. Heck the types of places I work even can dictate what type of device you can own and have with you. You also have to understand that there are things you can do to put yourself on thier watch list. It really isnt to hard to do really.
I perfect example is I was helping my son with a presentation on religious history and after downloading the Quran and was questioned about it less then a week later

zelendel said:
As for me. IT is part of the job. I work in many places that requires them to check on you from time to time. Heck the types of places I work even can dictate what type of device you can own and have with you. You also have to understand that there are things you can do to put yourself on thier watch list. It really isnt to hard to do really.
I perfect example is I was helping my son with a presentation on religious history and after downloading the Quran and was questioned about it less then a week later
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What else were you searching for, roofing nails(for that pesky leak) and pressure cookers (I have tomatoes to can, OK)?
All kidding aside, the amount of information out there on your average cell user is insane. Even before smartphones they could obtain a massive amount of information just from metadata.
I totally have respect for OP. Thanks for taking this thing apart, seeing how it ticks and deciding to make it tick different. Kudos on your cajones, sir!
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Camera: put a piece of electrical tape over the lens or buy a pack of colored round stickers from the dollar tree and put one of the black ones over the lens. OR just take black paint, black marker etc and black it out
Tracking: turn off GPS, uninstall any and all apps
Last step:
Seek medical help for your mental issues

jagpoag said:
Camera: put a piece of electrical tape over the lens or buy a pack of colored round stickers from the dollar tree and put one of the black ones over the lens. OR just take black paint, black marker etc and black it out
Tracking: turn off GPS, uninstall any and all apps
Last step:
Seek medical help for your mental issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You really dont think that turning off GPS on a device with the FEMA chip in it does any good do you?
Sometimes it is amazing how much people really dont know goes on in the world.

zelendel said:
You really dont think that turning off GPS on a device with the FEMA chip in it does any good do you?
Sometimes it is amazing how much people really dont know goes on in the world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lulwut, FEMA chip?
Just glad we're not down that far on the 1984 road as you guys are over there (just yet). But FEMA chip? Any serious sources for that?
And questioning because of Quran searches? That PATRIOT act sure messed up something about your democracy if that is even remotely true.

nazfalas said:
Lulwut, FEMA chip?
Just glad we're not down that far on the 1984 road as you guys are over there (just yet). But FEMA chip? Any serious sources for that?
And questioning because of Quran searches? That PATRIOT act sure messed up something about your democracy if that is even remotely true.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have no idea. That act was the dumbest thing people did and all because of the heat of the moment. They didnt read it and then got mad about it when they saw they gave the gov the right to monitor them.
You have not been around for long huh? The FEMA chip has been in devices for years. Search around. There are plenty of talks about it. Not sure if the FCC blueprints are still on the site but worth a look. There was a huge deal about it as it showed at one time to be connected to the mic and GPS moduals. Mind you this only applies to the US. This is part of the reason why our devs here prefer to get the EU models of devices.
http://vigilantcitizen.com/latestne...ecial-chip-in-cell-phones-to-send-out-alerts/

side tracked
lov n the feed back guys ok mayb i shouldnt hav included the anti-government stuff tho in the header we r gettin side tracked jus listed that 4 examples of hard mods i use now we need to conclude the project on hand dual battery somone has to no sombody who nos somthin bout batterys electrical components voltage regulators etc.
out source to friends and family
JUS IMAGINE UR F**KING AWESOME BELOVED SEXY NEXUS 6 WIT A 6440mah BATTERY GIV N HER JUICE
OK another side project while we wait for feedbac on dual battery
man name ur cars boats d**ks lol motorbikes w/e rite so if u had to pic a nick name 4 ur nexus 6 what would it b. b sides shamu [lol stupid name] or the use of "nexus"

pr0ndigy said:
You must be into some majorly illegal **** if you are doing all this paranoid bull**** to your phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually nope jus dont thinks its rite that ppl can c where i am and what im doin simply as that

For the batteries, connect them in parallel. + to +, - to -. I've done it on other phones and it works fine. I'm not sure how it would react with quickcharge, but I think it would be fine. I've actually been considering doing it on this phone as my battery is starting to show it's age. If I do, I will 3D print a frame and soft outer case much like how the ZeroLemon battery kit for the Note 3 was done.
Since you seem unsure about parallel vs series wiring, please read up on proper handling for lipo cells. I would not want to see anyone make their own Note 7 firebomb.
If you put the charging coil behind a battery, it won't work. Might as well save space and remove it. You might be able to relocate it to the outside battery.
If you are really concerned about GPS and camera, you should disconnect them or otherwise damage them. Can't do much about the mic though. If the GPS is marked, you can probably find a datasheet for it, then just cut the trace for power. Practice on an old PCB if you haven't done this before, you can cause serious damage to the board if you do it wrong. If a state level actor or good hacker is involved, they can still get rough location via cell towers, wifi IDs, and Stingrays. If you are really concerned, you should probably not carry a phone at all, or keep a metalized pouch with you to put it in (faraday cage).
After Snowden, and having worked in some environments, I get where people are coming from with it. In some cases it's not that people are doing anything wrong, they just want to have more control over their privacy. Not everyone wants their lives all over the internet, and there's nothing wrong with that.

jagpoag said:
Camera: put a piece of electrical tape over the lens or buy a pack of colored round stickers from the dollar tree and put one of the black ones over the lens. OR just take black paint, black marker etc and black it out
Tracking: turn off GPS, uninstall any and all apps
Last step:
Seek medical help for your mental issues
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mental help hahahaha im unfixable

ttabbal said:
For the batteries, connect them in parallel. + to +, - to -. I've done it on other phones and it works fine. I'm not sure how it would react with quickcharge, but I think it would be fine. I've actually been considering doing it on this phone as my battery is starting to show it's age. If I do, I will 3D print a frame and soft outer case much like how the ZeroLemon battery kit for the Note 3 was done.
Since you seem unsure about parallel vs series wiring, please read up on proper handling for lipo cells. I would not want to see anyone make their own Note 7 firebomb.
If you put the charging coil behind a battery, it won't work. Might as well save space and remove it. You might be able to relocate it to the outside battery.
If you are really concerned about GPS and camera, you should disconnect them or otherwise damage them. Can't do much about the mic though. If the GPS is marked, you can probably find a datasheet for it, then just cut the trace for power. Practice on an old PCB if you haven't done this before, you can cause serious damage to the board if you do it wrong. If a state level actor or good hacker is involved, they can still get rough location via cell towers, wifi IDs, and Stingrays. If you are really concerned, you should probably not carry a phone at all, or keep a metalized pouch with you to put it in (faraday cage).
After Snowden, and having worked in some environments, I get where people are coming from with it. In some cases it's not that people are doing anything wrong, they just want to have more control over their privacy. Not everyone wants their lives all over the internet, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"parallel" self explanatory
my question is where to put the bridge to hav both batteries usable do i bridge the batteries together which i think would create a charging loop [charging battery 1 would then charge battery 2 until both full] then wen disconnected the phone would still show charging state
[i think] until battery 2 was depleted
i could b wrong now what bout the voltage comin from 2 batteries the battery outputs 3.7v give or tak now doubling that 7.4v should fry the voltage regulators if any present no?

elite-NSX said:
"parallel" self explanatory
my question is where to put the bridge to hav both batteries usable do i bridge the batteries together which i think would create a charging loop [charging battery 1 would then charge battery 2 until both full] then wen disconnected the phone would still show charging state
[i think] until battery 2 was depleted
i could b wrong now what bout the voltage comin from 2 batteries the battery outputs 3.7v give or tak now doubling that 7.4v should fry the voltage regulators if any present no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not how it works. Batteries in parallel charge and discharge together. The voltage does not change. Batteries in series adds the voltages together. In parallel the voltage is the same but the current and capacity go up.
To the phone, batteries in parallel look like one battery. They do self-regulate/charge against each other, but the phone can't see that. For safety reasons, you need to make sure the voltage of the two batteries is similar, within about 0.1 volts, before connecting them. If you connected a fully charged battery to an empty one, the worst case, the full battery would dump power into the empty one trying to fill it to the same voltage. This would likely destroy the empty battery as it would not be able to handle a charge rate that high. It might also damage the full one, as cell phone batteries are not designed for high current discharge.