SGH i337M suddenly doesn't read SIM and has no popups. - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

So I recently sold my SGH i337m and the customer has been messaging me telling me that absolutely nothing happens when he inserts his SIM card. No popup saying no sim detected, nothing. When he goes to settings > more networks > mobile networks there's a pop-up that asks him to "insert sim card", and that's about it.
I know for a fact I sold him the phone WORKING as I made sure multiple times to test the phone with my SIM card and everything worked before I sold it to him.
I've been troubleshooting with him but unfortunately I have not come to a solution yet.
Things I have tried:
Remove battery & SIM then put back in
Reboot in safe mode
Wipe cache in recovery mode menu
Wipe data/factory reset in recovery mode menu
Insert another person's SIM (still no pop up, even when he uses a SIM from a locked company, it doesn't even ask for the unlock pin)
I'm hoping some of you guys have a solution because I've been looking all over the internet and no solutions have worked thus far.
Thanks in advance!

Hardware failure. The SIM card tray needs to be replaced. The part is inexpensive ($10), and it's easy to replace, so long as the person doing the work remembers to remove the foam pad on the original tray and place it on the new one.

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Hardware failure. The SIM card tray needs to be replaced. The part is inexpensive ($10), and it's easy to replace, so long as the person doing the work remembers to remove the foam pad on the original tray and place it on the new one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I contacted a local shop about repairing the sim card tray and they told me it would cost $90 and that it was a 50/50 chance that it would work and is very risky due to having to "replace the I/C on the motherboard". I looked up SIM card trays online and the piece is $5. Are these guys bull****ting me? Could I replace the sim card tray myself with ease? I'm kind of confused. Thanks in advance.

Shortly after I had gotten my S4, the phone suddenly lost the ability to read a SIM card for this very reason. After purchasing a SIM tray off Amazon, I took the back off the S4 and swapped trays. The nice thing about the S4 is that it's easy to get into with a screwdriver. The place wanting to charge you $90 is charging for labor. Not bulls#!^, but pricey when you can do it yourself. I did it, at a cost of about $10 and 15 minutes of my time, and so can you.

Lordodevilz said:
Hey, I contacted a local shop about repairing the sim card tray and they told me it would cost $90 and that it was a 50/50 chance that it would work and is very risky due to having to "replace the I/C on the motherboard". I looked up SIM card trays online and the piece is $5. Are these guys bull****ting me? Could I replace the sim card tray myself with ease? I'm kind of confused. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed its bullcrarp to charge so much. Do it yourself, order from Amazon or wherever it is fastest to you. China to US can be couple of weeks atleast.. takes 10 min max.

Related

SIM card issue... any advice?

I'm not sure if this is a common issue or just an issue with my sim card.
Looks like the sim card just stopped working this morning. I can't make/receive any calls or texts and the lock screen says "Please insert SIM card and restart".
I've restarted about 3 times now and have tried removing and reinserting the sim card, with no luck.
I figure I'll need to take it into a T-Mobile shop to get a new sim card, but my Vibrant has been rooted and has a the Obsidian Froyo rom installed.
Should I just plug the SIM into my old blackberry and take it in that way for replacement?
Or is this some known issue that can be easily fixed?
shm522 said:
I'm not sure if this is a common issue or just an issue with my sim card.
Looks like the sim card just stopped working this morning. I can't make/receive any calls or texts and the lock screen says "Please insert SIM card and restart".
I've restarted about 3 times now and have tried removing and reinserting the sim card, with no luck.
I figure I'll need to take it into a T-Mobile shop to get a new sim card, but my Vibrant has been rooted and has a the Obsidian Froyo rom installed.
Should I just plug the SIM into my old blackberry and take it in that way for replacement?
Or is this some known issue that can be easily fixed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had this happen to me twice. Once, the SIM went bad (it happens).
I called TMO told them that it's not working & they said they'd get me a new SIM. I had the option of going to an authorized TMO store or getting it mailed to me. I went to a store, they installed & it off I went.
The other time, I took some rubbing alcohol and a QTip to it & cleaned it up, let it dry, put it back in & it's been working for a little over a week now
So, I'd try giving it a cleaning first and if that doesn't work, give TMO a call.
If they don't know that you have the Vibrant and think you still have a BB, then yeah, I'd put it back in that rather than bringing in the Vibrant if you have to go to the store. It's just easier when the person helping you isn't trying to force you to change your plan at the same time.
Question: The phone won't let you do anything without a SIM card? If that's true, that's just another reason to be glad I SIM unlocked my phone....that would get annoying!
Old Tmobile sim cards actually have a certain amount of times they can connect to the network tower. If you use airplane mode a lot it you may reach this point quickly.
And some sims cards just go bad. Which I think is the case with yours tjhart85. Take the phone and card to Tmobile. Tmobile will change the sim card for free.
Yup, turned out the sim card just went bad. Called up T-Mobile customer service, they put a not on my acount, and went into my local T-Mobile store and got a new sim card. Phones working great now. They didn't even ask for the old one and didn't have to look at my phone.
Thanks guys!

[Q] No Sim card in phone (Emergency calls only)

Hi,
I rooted my phone using the ultimate s=off guide on this page:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=858996
However, with a SIM card in the phone, it says "No Sim card in phone (emergency calls only)"
I've tried both a Rogers and Mobilicity Sim card and they both work in other phones. How can I get it to read my SIM card?
Thanks in advance for any help. I really hope I can get this working.
I'm really hoping for a reply here, because I have a feeling that the phone is damaged and I bought it on ebay.
I flashed the phone with the royal ginger rom and I tried adding APN settings for Rogers, however nothing pops up for me to select after I click save. It is just an empty black screen.
Is it worth it to buy an unlock code from ebay and try unlocking it that way? It looks like to me that the phone is not recognizing the SIM card at all.
If you used the gfree method and added your APN, it should work, unless theres no coverage in your area.
corey.t.m said:
I'm really hoping for a reply here, because I have a feeling that the phone is damaged and I bought it on ebay.
I flashed the phone with the royal ginger rom and I tried adding APN settings for Rogers, however nothing pops up for me to select after I click save. It is just an empty black screen.
Is it worth it to buy an unlock code from ebay and try unlocking it that way? It looks like to me that the phone is not recognizing the SIM card at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did it work before you flashed the rom?
JDV28 said:
Did it work before you flashed the rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it did not. As soon as I got the phone I tried putting my SIM in and it did not ask me to input unlock code. So I rooted it using the gfree method and it still didn't read my SIM card. I'm left to believe that I was sold a broken phone, so I'm going to ask the seller for a refund.
corey.t.m said:
No it did not. As soon as I got the phone I tried putting my SIM in and it did not ask me to input unlock code. So I rooted it using the gfree method and it still didn't read my SIM card. I'm left to believe that I was sold a broken phone, so I'm going to ask the seller for a refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, good idea. hardware problem that I'm sure the seller knew about
On a side note. Is it possible that the seller did an unroot and reset to factory settings improperly that is what broke the phone? They claim it was fully functional and the seller did do this before shipping, so if that is the case I''m going to make it clear.
corey.t.m said:
On a side note. Is it possible that the seller did an unroot and reset to factory settings improperly that is what broke the phone? They claim it was fully functional and the seller did do this before shipping, so if that is the case I''m going to make it clear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i havent heard of unrooting destroying hardware on a phone... :/
Ok, thank you for your help. This phone was definitely broken when they sent it to me then. They are feeding me a load of bs at the moment. Good thing this purchase was protected by paypal.
corey.t.m said:
No it did not. As soon as I got the phone I tried putting my SIM in and it did not ask me to input unlock code. So I rooted it using the gfree method and it still didn't read my SIM card. I'm left to believe that I was sold a broken phone, so I'm going to ask the seller for a refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's your best move but first, slide a piece of folded paper into the SIM slot and then put the SIM card in under it so it'll make contact, that's the only way my MT4G will recoginze the SIM. I use regular notebook paper folded once and cut to be about 1/2 the width of the SIM slot and long enough to let me grab it and pull it out so I can remove the SIM.
Try it, it might work. If it does, it's not a big deal, you can return the phone or you may decide to keep it.
corey.t.m said:
Ok, thank you for your help. This phone was definitely broken when they sent it to me then. They are feeding me a load of bs at the moment. Good thing this purchase was protected by paypal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no problem, theres a thanks button for that do what the guy right ^ above me just said first and see if that works. if not, get your money back! Goodluck, I hope you decide to get another MT4G
xs11e said:
That's your best move but first, slide a piece of folded paper into the SIM slot and then put the SIM card in under it so it'll make contact, that's the only way my MT4G will recoginze the SIM. I use regular notebook paper folded once and cut to be about 1/2 the width of the SIM slot and long enough to let me grab it and pull it out so I can remove the SIM.
Try it, it might work. If it does, it's not a big deal, you can return the phone or you may decide to keep it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, this is interesting. I'll try it when I get home. I've tried pushing on the SIM with a bit of pressure while the phone was on and it didn't make a difference though. The SIM slot is pretty tight though, do you place the paper first, then the SIM card?
Tried the paper thing and it still didn't work. Going to have to try and get a refund.
You know, now that I think about it, the phone was powered on when it arrived. It was in postal for about a week, could that have caused the SIM to get damaged?

Phone missing sim slot?

So when I got my N4 for some reason it didnt come with a sim tray I looked everywhere in the box and there was nothing. I called the play store and they said they'll be shipping me out a replacement device so I waited for that...(sucks cause I can't even use my phone as a phone).
I finally got my replacement phone and it came with a sim tray but they're saying it's not covered under my warranty and now I'm being charged full price on my credit card for a N4.....
What the heck do I do?
whut
What do you mean? Like the phone itself was missing that or what? If its just that extractor thing, its not such a big deal, you could've used a paper clip....
I'm guessing the phone shipped with the phone and sim ejection tool but the tray that you eject using the tool and where you put the sim was MIA. Someone forgot to put one into the device on assembly lol. I shouldn't laugh but kinda shows how quick these are being fired out of lg for that to be missed.
I would phone Google and explain to them the situation.
You will get a pre authorization amount for the full amount of the phone put against your card but won't be taken so long as you return the defective unit.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
You should CALL Play Store support and explain your situation. They should let you return it since it was missing pieces required for functionality.

[Q] S4 unlocked: reads original SIM but suddenly No Sim Card Error on new SIM

Hi all, I have strange problem with my S4 GT I9505. I read various forums and searched but couldn't find a similar case to this strange problem. I am quite new to android and hope that maybe somebody of you would be able to help me or point me in the right direction to solve the issue below.
Issue
I had the phone unlocked from my provider O2 in UK and moved outside of Europe. My S4 accepted the new SIM card for the first 2 to 3 month. At this time my S4 was unrooted. Out of the blue it started with no sim card error, please reboot when using the new Sim Card.
Here is a list of all changes I done but it didn't help
- unrooted: Factory reset Kitkat, updated to Lollipop
- Rooted the phone as above didn't help, installed various custom ROMS, stock Lollipop, Google play edition. After I flashed the ROM I have for a short time network with the new SIM card but then it starts again with the No Sim Card Error. However, I have no problem with my original O2 SIM card.
- Changed SIM card, checked my new SIM card with other phones and it worked, so it not a fault on the SIM card
- Checked with my provider O2 in UK: phone is unlocked,
- Tried to open Service Menu but none of the codes worked, went to EFS folder/carrier/hidden menu and changed OFF to ON, still could open Service Menu to check if the phone was still blocked etc.
Any guidance how to solve this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Frank
Hardware failure. Replace the sim slot. No messing with software is going to fix that.
Lennyz1988 said:
Hardware failure. Replace the sim slot. No messing with software is going to fix that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I will try this next, hopefully this will fit it!
No reason it shouldn't, and it's arguably the easiest hardware fix you can do since the SIM tray isn't soldered to the mainboard. Just keep in mind the following: when you purchase a replacement tray, don't throw out the old one until you peel the foam pad off the top of the connector and attach it to the new tray. That pad prevents the connector from popping off the socket it sits in.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
No reason it shouldn't, and it's arguably the easiest hardware fix you can do since the SIM tray isn't soldered to the mainboard. Just keep in mind the following: when you purchase a replacement tray, don't throw out the old one until you peel the foam pad off the top of the connector and attach it to the new tray. That pad prevents the connector from popping off the socket it sits in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I changed the SIM/SD card holder today, however, I am afraid it didn't take long for the no sim card error to return. Only difference today, it connects to the mobile network again after reboot.
The strange thing is, I don't get the SIM card error when inserting the original 02 Sim card, only when inserting a none 02 card (phone is unlocked)
Would this mean that the motherboard is defect?
Most likely, yes.

Fixing no sim card detected and no service

Dears
Facing the problem of no service and no sim card detected on my v20 after a reboot or randomly ,i ve tried every thing and found out that the problem is coming from the sim card reader ,there is a space left between the sim card and the reader causing the problem ,the fix is to full the space with a small paper or something to force the sim card into the reader
I know this is a necro post, but I wanted to confirm that this DOES indeed work. I got a second hand V20 from eBay today and couldn't get the thing to recognize the SIM Verizon was giving me at all. Gotta go back tomorrow to have them activate it now that I know this trick works on this phone!!
ShadowEO said:
I know this is a necro post, but I wanted to confirm that this DOES indeed work. I got a second hand V20 from eBay today and couldn't get the thing to recognize the SIM Verizon was giving me at all. Gotta go back tomorrow to have them activate it now that I know this trick works on this phone!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, could you share a picture showing the way in wich piece of paper is placed. Thanks!
ondaparticula said:
Hey, could you share a picture showing the way in wich piece of paper is placed. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ended up sending the phone back for exchange, after a small 1" drop the SIM was dislodged and the adapter broke and got a new one which didn't have the issue, so I unfortunately don't have any pictures. The best way however to place it is to ensure that it is directly over the SIM card and goes into the slot with your SIM, it should be providing some pressure on the back of the SIM to push it into the slot firmly, but not bulge the MicroSD adapter's metal too much, if you've done that, a fall may just break your SIM reader.

Categories

Resources