So a few weeks ago, my Nexus 4 stopped being able to use Mobile Data. Wi-Fi still works. Voice/Text still worked, just no mobile data. I tried a different SIM card and placed my SIM in another phone and that phone worked fine.
Then a few days later, it just stopped booting. I bought it from a shop called MOBILE STATION in Auckland, NZ. I shipped it back to them with factory ROM and Recovery, but I totally forgot to relock the bootloader! (Even with everything wiped and loaded to stock, the phone still would not boot. I could only connect to it using adb when it was in recovery mode).
They said they cannot warranty it, even if they sent it back to me and I relocked it, because they had seen it unlocked.
As far as I can tell, Google/LG has no way to RMA their phones directly unless you buy it from the Google Play Store. You have to go through the storey you bought it from.
So now I have a $500 brick, that I'm convinced has hardware failure, and it's less than a year old. I've been using a Windows 8 mobile in the mean time, which isn't totally horrible, but is a bit frustrating compared to the functionality of my old Android.
So what do I do with this thing?
You may be out of luck without doing something shady..
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
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Ok, so the obvious solution to my problem is to return the unit and wait for a new one...
That said, here is my dilemma:
My son's birthday came around and he asked everyone for gift cards so he could get the Nexus 7 (his first tablet). We went to Best Buy and they had one, however it was Open Box. Every store in the city is (and has been) sold out, and we were going to get the 2-year in-store warranty anyway, so we went ahead with it.
Now, we got home and I noticed right away that SuperSU was installed. After looking further into it, the guy who returned it (reason it's open box) unlocked and threw a custom ROM on it. I had no intention of rooting or unlocking this tablet for him, so I'm a bit concerned about warranty now.
I returned it to stock via this thread, however knowing ASUS and their by-the-books RMA process, I have some concerns...
Is there ANY way that ASUS could determine that the tablet has been unlocked? Does the lock/unlock event get logged at all?
Alternatively, has anyone successfully sent in and gotten back a Nexus 7 that was at one time unlocked? Anyone get refused?
I really don't want to get stuck with a $200 repair on a $270 tablet...
Thanks guys.
I have the same question. Anyone got any experience yet?
Hmm, so far nobody has mentioned anything like a "flash counter", but I am curious as well to find an actual answer. If we flash custom ROM's or unlock the N7, and then restock it, will the warranty still be honored?
You got a 2 year in store warranty, why return it to Asus then?
Sent from my Nexus 7
This is a Nexus device. The device is setup to be unlocked. Unlocking does not void the hardware warranty.
There is no "counter".
No your previously unlocked boot loader will not affect your RMA process. Only reason it would void your warranty is if you bricked it as a result of the unlocked bootloader. And no there's no flash counter.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Man I would be so pissed!!! I would go to best buy and either get money back or new device. Why would they give you a open device?!?!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I had the exact same problem, maybe worst because mine was in a new sealed box, but hsve custom rom on it, is ur working great? did u flash it back to stock rom?
Sent from my HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio X315e using xda premium
Best buy always sells open box items, generally it's not a problem but ASUS in particular are jerks about it.
I wouldn't Rma through ASUS but best buy likely would after getting it from me.
The minute I found the custom recovery I flashed it all back to stock and re locked the boot loader. Did the ota update and all is normal now, was just curious if there is any history stored of unlocks and such.
Might as well flash him a good ROM now that it's been unlocked anyway
No one's mentioned anything about a flash counter, and given that it's a Nexus, it seems unlikely. Even if there is one it's now water under the bridge.
Anyone have success RMAing a phone in with an unlocked BL but no other mods? With all the red light of death stories I've read in the past couple of days I sure don't want to spend over $700 for one N4 that could do the same thing. (kind of wishing I got a Note II now!)
ThaBrickah! said:
Anyone have success RMAing a phone in with an unlocked BL but no other mods? With all the red light of death stories I've read in the past couple of days I sure don't want to spend over $700 for one N4 that could do the same thing. (kind of wishing I got a Note II now!)
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tiny bump
ThaBrickah! said:
Anyone have success RMAing a phone in with an unlocked BL but no other mods? With all the red light of death stories I've read in the past couple of days I sure don't want to spend over $700 for one N4 that could do the same thing. (kind of wishing I got a Note II now!)
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$700 dollars??? Jeez, someone ripped you off. Did you buy it from eBay? I bet you did.
The Nexus 4 is available on the U.S Play Store as of time.
( it would be more expensive if it was in another country, but since you're using the dollar sign...)
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
scream4cheese said:
$700 dollars??? Jeez, someone ripped you off. Did you buy it from eBay? I bet you did.
The Nexus 4 is available on the U.S Play Store as of time.
( it would be more expensive if it was in another country, but since you're using the dollar sign...)
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
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No, I'm sorry. I had edited down my original question and now it doesn't make complete sense. What I meant was that my phone died on me but I left my bootloader unlocked after reflashing with the image from the developer.google site. I never rooted it but failed to lock the bootloader after reflashing. Now I have the red light of death.
The $700 comes from them holding $300 on my credit card during the RMA process, only to find that I've voided my warranty by having an unlocked bootloader and them charging me for it. That would be over $700 for an N4 that could just do the exact same thing again.
I honestly don't want this phone anymore if all of them are going to die after only a couple weeks use.
The phone is designed to be unlockable via a simple command, so the fact that you have done that should in no way invalidate your warranty. You should have no problem with an RMA.
Sent from my Nexus 4
There is a fix for the red light of dead... It's a hardware problem tho, let me find the youtube video.. brb
I can't find the video (i'm at work) and I have it bookmarked at home, it's on xda tho, you must take out the back part and release a part of the hardware.. It's easy and the guy who found out made several examples, in which if he pressed that chip = red light appear, leaving it without much pressure = normal
I guess take the back off , remove the battery connector , reconnect the connector after a few minutes and put it on charge
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
If the phone is dead, what does it matter if the bootloader is unlocked?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Most everyone says that an unlocked BL voids the warranty, but it doesn't specifically say that in the warranty documentation. I think I'm going to let this thing run down as much as possible then try to connect to it over the weekend, then call Google on Monday if I have no success. Wonder if I should be upfront with the unlocked BL?
you haven't voided the warranty. Honestly, these companies rarely check for those kind of things. They don't have much time to investigate so they go straight to fixing it. I sent my rooted epic 4g w/ screwed up NV items (screwed em up while flashing) in for a fix and they fixed it for me no charge. You should be fine.
i have sent a few devices back for rma from google. each one of them had an unlocked bootloader, root, custom recovery, and a custom rom/kernel. google never gave me any issues with the process, and exchanged my devices within days. if its a hardware issue, they wont have any problems with an unlocked bootloader.
simms22 said:
i have sent a few devices back for rma from google. each one of them had an unlocked bootloader, root, custom recovery, and a custom rom/kernel. google never gave me any issues with the process, and exchanged my devices within days. if its a hardware issue, they wont have any problems with an unlocked bootloader.
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Hope you're right. I went through the RMA process on Monday after them having me try all the various button press combinations that I've tried a million times before. The return sticker they sent me was addressed to an LG repair center in Texas instead of any Google entity - that worries me.
I got my replacement on Thursday but I'm not even going to open the shipping box until I see the pending charges from Google drop off my credit card. If I do get charged then I'll try and sell this thing and cut my losses.
I'm very disappointed in the quality of the N4. I decided to only buy Nexus devices from here on out so that I can get the OS updates, but if they break after a couple of weeks then the only other option is to abandon Android altogether. Too bad because its the Google ecosystem that I like.
ThaBrickah! said:
Hope you're right. I went through the RMA process on Monday after them having me try all the various button press combinations that I've tried a million times before. The return sticker they sent me was addressed to an LG repair center in Texas instead of any Google entity - that worries me.
I got my replacement on Thursday but I'm not even going to open the shipping box until I see the pending charges from Google drop off my credit card. If I do get charged then I'll try and sell this thing and cut my losses.
I'm very disappointed in the quality of the N4. I decided to only buy Nexus devices from here on out so that I can get the OS updates, but if they break after a couple of weeks then the only other option is to abandon Android altogether. Too bad because its the Google ecosystem that I like.
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That's pretty radical to drop Android altogether, if you just wanted quick updates, why didn't you just leave it locked and stock?
ThaBrickah! said:
Hope you're right. I went through the RMA process on Monday after them having me try all the various button press combinations that I've tried a million times before. The return sticker they sent me was addressed to an LG repair center in Texas instead of any Google entity - that worries me.
I got my replacement on Thursday but I'm not even going to open the shipping box until I see the pending charges from Google drop off my credit card. If I do get charged then I'll try and sell this thing and cut my losses.
I'm very disappointed in the quality of the N4. I decided to only buy Nexus devices from here on out so that I can get the OS updates, but if they break after a couple of weeks then the only other option is to abandon Android altogether. Too bad because its the Google ecosystem that I like.
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First of all, I don't get it. Nexus has been great to me, and the 3 others I know who bought it, love it too. Build quality is good, and stock, no issues. Even if you root it, chances of something like that happening are low. I used to have all kinds of phones, from gs2&3 to note 2 to HTC one x. None of them were as hard to mess up as the nexus.
But as far as your original question goes... I rmad galaxy nexus to Google because my earpiece became very crackly. Mine was rooted and unlocked. I kept on putting it off until I realized that the label they sent was only good for 14 days. Ended up sending it rooted and with custom ROM on it, figured might as well try. No issues at all. They didn't say a word.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
chrisMBP said:
That's pretty radical to drop Android altogether, if you just wanted quick updates, why didn't you just leave it locked and stock?
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I reflashed stock firmware onto it in hopes of improving battery life - per a thread on this forum. For me, rooting is unnecessary on the Nexi because there isn't any manufacturer or carrier bloatware to get rid of. I honestly did consider rooting it to try an underclocking app to maybe improve battery life, but it seemed too much of a PITA.
They got my old phone last Wednesday, but the charges are still pending as of today. I decided to go ahead and open the replacement and not worry about it anymore. I noticed the replacement has a higher number serial number, so now I'm off to read the thread that tries do decode it!
Thanks all.
So i tried using matts utility to fastboot restore my razr to 4.1.2, but somehow ended up using my old razr HD's utility. It went through the whole process fine and then when it came to wiping it at the end it said <waiting for device>. Now the phone wont turn on, wont boot into AP fastboot, wont charge, wont do anything- just a black screen. Am i screwed?
I wonder if the "Motorola Factory Cable" works with an M?
Yes, it absolutely does, and may help in this case if the battery has become drained in the meantime while attempting to fix it.
That is it's purpose, to allow a device in any battery state to bypass the battery and power the device on directly so it can be accessed and restored.
If, however, you have managed to corrupt the bootloader and the device does absolutely nothing when the factory cable/adapter is connected, then you may have a true brick which cannot be recovered without special tools and files to repair the bootloader.
Update: I looked up the best rated verizon store in my area (ended up driving 25 miles) and bs'ed a story about how I left it on charger over vacation and when I was back it wouldnt charge or turn on and he was happy to give me a replacement. Verizon isnt all that bad if you know where to go.
Or how to bs
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 4
Glad that worked out for you. Do you pay the monthly insurance?
I've always had good luck when dealing with Verizon with similar things. As time goes on and devices have been getting better I haven't had the need to get a replacement. The last one I went through was probably nearly 2 years ago when a Droid 2 global bricked on me and they exchanged it for a Droid 3.
audiomixman said:
Glad that worked out for you. Do you pay the monthly insurance?
I've always had good luck when dealing with Verizon with similar things. As time goes on and devices have been getting better I haven't had the need to get a replacement. The last one I went through was probably nearly 2 years ago when a Droid 2 global bricked on me and they exchanged it for a Droid 3.
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nope! I just had the standard one year warranty
Hi all out there,
First of all I'd like to apologize for any grammatical mistake and whatnot, and now straight to my issue.
May 2013 I was in the states and decided to buy a nexus 10 which was unavailable in my country ( Italy), after 3 months I dropped it in my swim pool and needless to say it stopped working. I was then redirected by Samsung Italia to a repair shop that handles imported devices. Took them 3 months to fix it and I was charged 310€. Tablet was returned to me with Android 4.2, any Google related app would yes update but would crash when launched. Not on that, the tablet would not find any os update even when 4.4.2 was out for a month. I proceeded to manually update Android and that fixed the Google Apps updates / crashes, until one night the nexus rebooted and got stuck in loop, but after a while it would work for some hours before go back to the loop bug. Sent it back to the repair shop because I suspected something wasn't fixed correctly the first time they had it. Took them a month to give it back to me, nothing hardware wise was replaced, they just performed a software reset and check up . this was 2 months ago and guess what Android release version I got my tablet back? 4.2.......same Google Apps crashes and no system updates to be found. What am I supposed to do? Keep it this way? Return it to the assistance which means at least 1 more month without it? Try to update it by myself risking any boot loop bug which might turn my nexus to unusable? Any idea if it might be a hardware failure and if yes how to determine it?
Sorry for the wall of text
If it were me and I paid 310 euro to fix my n10 and it wasn't perfect I would through a fit as currently you can get a new one for about that cost. Not sure how things work in Italy, but I would talk to Managment of that repair shop and explain that you are sending back, expect it to come back to you working 100% and a month is not exeptable so the better fix it quick and right this time or you want your 310 back and they can keep your n10 (then just buy a new one)
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
demkantor said:
If it were me and I paid 310 euro to fix my n10 and it wasn't perfect I would through a fit as currently you can get a new one for about that cost. Not sure how things work in Italy, but I would talk to Managment of that repair shop and explain that you are sending back, expect it to come back to you working 100% and a month is not exeptable so the better fix it quick and right this time or you want your 310 back and they can keep your n10 (then just buy a new one)
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Mm i know you are probably right, its just that it puts me down thinking what i have to go through again.Just right after i got it back the second time and noticed it was behaving as bugged as before i called them right away.Explained to them once more the things that wouldnt work and got this as an answer "I've just talked with the technician about the google apps crashing and he said thats due to that tablet not being charged to 100% , because only then you can install the apps without a problem"...... so you see what im getting at here...
Anyway ill probably just do as you suggested maybe 3rd time is a charm , keeping my fingers crossed.
Cheers
Lol at not being able to install apps until tablet's battery is charged to 100%. Clearly you are dealing with a hack repair shop. Throw a massive fit and get them to fix it good or demand a full refund.
Ever since i got the zenfone 2 i have had problems, over the past 2 months they have been good, but recently, I've hardly been able to use it. Now, not at all. I've start problems the same day I got it. Now, this stupid problem I have is not booting, sometimes it does but it's hard to boot up (have to spam the power button). If i get it on I can't press the power button or it shuts off and reboots, there's no vibration or sound, I can't factory reset it, update it, or plug it into my computer and for it to recognize. I didn't even do anything to it. I was just playing Pokemon go, it died, and the problems occurred from there. All in all, 4/10, because still a great phone. I've tried everything there is to try, googled anything i can google, nothing has helped, and I need a replacement phone from Asus but doubtful they will give it to me. Sigh...
Even if you bought it used it should still covered by the warranty, send it in RMA
Sent from my ASUS_Z008D
You're not the only one, almost all users experience that kind of problem on some of their bought devices, even Apple and other manufacturer smartphones.
Your chance is to bring it to your nearest Asus Service Center for warranty only if you bought it brand new with your receipt(on most smartphones, minimum warranty should last 1 year).
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA-Developers mobile app
A guy in the news yesterday lost both legs playing pokemon.