Weird title, isn't it? Thing is I am a bricked device sufferer. And I couldn't repair it in my country cause it has motherboard problem. See I am seeing still some new users are getting motherboard problem out of nowhere. There has been an unofficial news that some devices manufactured before September 2015 are having motherboard problem. So only solution is replacing the motherboard. I didn't know this info before buying a new G4.
As a root enthusiast, I would definitely unlock my bootloader by now. But I cannot do that as it will void my warrenty if anything goes south again. U can already find many unlocked bootloader owners are having motherboard issue (even recognised developer S3V3N also), so obviously they cannot claim warrenty anymore. This is a painful feeling that when or whether my device will have motherboard problem again.
LG isn't saying anything officially why this problem is arising. There must be a specific motherboard batch that is having the bootloop issue and LG must know it. If LG were a good company who think about their consumers, not only profits, they would already publish a list of IMEI of those devices or at least give some ideas how to identify which devices may have the issue. Right now it's completely uncertain if my new device will ever get bootloop issue and if so, when???? I wish my phone would get into bootloop now since I am having locked bootloader, so that I could replace the motherboard and then use my phone free of tension the way I want.
I don't know if you guys understand my pain, but it's a matter of humanity. Not everyone is capable enough to buy a new phone twice or thrice a year, right?
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
If you haven't voided your warranty then send it back and get a replacement. If you have voided the warranty, then that is surely the risk you take when deciding to root etc?
I didn't root or do anything to my phones if I couldn't afford to buy a replacement right away. Perhaps you should also err on the side of caution.
mgolder said:
If you haven't voided your warranty then send it back and get a replacement. If you have voided the warranty, then that is surely the risk you take when deciding to root etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey man, try to understand the point. breaking yr screen is one thing, getting yr phone soaked in water is one thing, but getting faulty motherland in a almost new device is totally unpredictable and uncool and should not be. a brand new device should not have such a major issue. but as it persists, being a leading OEM, LG should acknowledge it publicly or help people find out a solution. that's what I meant. suppose if I would know that my device has already a faulty motherboard inside which is prone to cause trouble, I could go now and ask for a replacement. That would be convenient, isn't it?
lurker316 said:
I didn't root or do anything to my phones if I couldn't afford to buy a replacement right away. Perhaps you should also err on the side of caution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
But the fact remains that if the phone is as it left the factory, and was bought brand new from a retailer, then you are entitled to a repair or exchange. So just do that.
Sent from my PLK-L01 using Tapatalk
See, LG has stated that they cannot maintain the full scope of the warranty. If the motherboard is shot, and it has nothing to do with what software you've installed, why would LG not honor the warranty?
You are correct in some units being defective before the September builds. Sprint has listed a recall with their technicians and T-Mobile has been replacing bootlooping devices no questions asked. The way to determine the date of manufacture of your device is in the first 3 numbers of the serial number. The first number would be the year, so a 5 means 2015. The next 2 numbers are the month. So 09 would be September.
Do units made after May 2015 show HW rev other than 1.0?
Doug B.
KennyG123 said:
You are correct in some units being defective before the September builds. Sprint has listed a recall with their technicians and T-Mobile has been replacing bootlooping devices no questions asked. The way to determine the date of manufacture of your device is in the first 3 numbers of the serial number. The first number would be the year, so a 5 means 2015. The next 2 numbers are the month. So 09 would be September.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So an s/n starting with 509 would be safe than?^^
Darkmasterhk said:
So an s/n starting with 509 would be safe than?^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is what it sounds like as Sprint was told "before September"
Does that only count for US devices or are devices globally affected? I have 507 on a H815-EUR in Germany.
nitrous² said:
Does that only count for US devices or are devices globally affected? I have 507 on a H815-EUR in Germany.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine was bought in Germany and starts with identical serial number.
Already motherboard replaced....
chaki- said:
Mine was bought in Germany and starts with identical serial number.
Already motherboard replaced....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but why has yours been replaced? Had it have the listed symptoms? Mine doesn't.
THX for this post - H815 EU (bought in Slovakia) already at seller and waiting how they will deal with that - Also similar problems appeared in Poland (developer S3V3N from here), another thread in troubleshooting section started by some Thailand and Israeli users.
nitrous² said:
Yeah, but why has yours been replaced? Had it have the listed symptoms? Mine doesn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine has started to restart itself outta nowhere. But before that i had installed the z cpu app and strangely it showed that the processor its clocked at 1.2 ghz...
After the bootloop started it couldn't been stopped till the battery died. It got crazy hot of course.
Tried to charge it. It did charge a bit then stopped charging either. And it was officially dead?.
Send it for repair.
After two weeks i got it back. On the repair report was stated that motherboard was unable to repair so they put new one. And a new usb port too.
nitrous² said:
Does that only count for US devices or are devices globally affected? I have 507 on a H815-EUR in Germany.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is global and effects a small percentage of the ones made before September.
Samsung had similar probs 3 years ago with the s3 sudden death bug that was a faulty emmc controller chip literally thousands had their motherboards replaced, plug it in at night wake up dead phone mine worked fine for 11 months then just died
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
Everyday new users are facing bootloop problem. All having serial no 505....... But most of the devices were made on that batch.. I am getting frustrated. Exactly feeling like the Thread Title. I wish I could go to LG & change my current device to a new one.....
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
KennyG123 said:
You are correct in some units being defective before the September builds. Sprint has listed a recall with their technicians and T-Mobile has been replacing bootlooping devices no questions asked. The way to determine the date of manufacture of your device is in the first 3 numbers of the serial number. The first number would be the year, so a 5 means 2015. The next 2 numbers are the month. So 09 would be September.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is just the piece of enlightenment we all need. many peeps in my region speculate if the bootloop are software related or heat related
Are there an Vs986 (Verizon) confirmed faulty motherboards?
Hey all,
My friend just got a brand new galaxy s4 on Friday the 8th of January this year. She's had multiple software problems on lollipop, many force closes and heavy battery drain for the last few days. It's been plagued with issues. Now her screen is messing up, there's a clear line of some sort of app imprinted on the screen, she also says a time has been imprinted on the screen where it shows in the notification bar. Is her phone just a defect or is it just lollipop?
Last night she dropped it from about one and a half feet onto the screen, its got a tempered glass screen protector on it but now the screen has those imprints. I've attached the photo. Looks to me like burn in but she said she thinks she noticed it since she dropped it. Surely the S4 couldnt be that bad? What do you think of it? Any way to fix it?
Thanks,
Lachy
http://i.imgur.com/pWb3IH9.jpg
Are you sure it's a genuine phone? I doubt new phone would have such problems.
GDReaper said:
Are you sure it's a genuine phone? I doubt new phone would have such problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it has a download mode (not just recovery), it should be a real S4.
Humm.....
Looks like a refurbished or used phone..... Burn-ins shouldn't appear this fast, as a S4 owner myself I didn't notice any burn-in in my 2 year old phone.
Try installing Phone INFO from Play Store and do a refurbish test or something like that in the menu section.
GDReaper said:
Are you sure it's a genuine phone? I doubt new phone would have such problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, all of the features are working, air view, infared sender etc. Runs pretty smooth, feels like a legit phone. No scratches or anything. I'll get her to get that app. Thanks!
EDIT: Has a download mode
CHIN3S3_N00B said:
Looks like a refurbished or used phone..... Burn-ins shouldn't appear this fast, as a S4 owner myself I didn't notice any burn-in in my 2 year old phone.
Try installing Phone INFO from Play Store and do a refurbish test or something like that in the menu section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you, surely something like this couldn't have been from a drop at two feet though? I'll get her to download that app you mentioned and report back
News
Okay hey everyone got some things to report back. The phone has a download mode, so it is a legit version. I got her to download the phone info app and I have pasted the screenshots below. It was bought at an electronics expo in Singapore advertised as a new Galaxy S4 GT-i9500 for $239. Something weird I have found is that the samsung info app states it is a SPH-L720T, which after I googled saw it was the Sprint LTE version. All of the other apps, including about phone in settings state it is the GT-i9500. One thing to note is that she is on a holiday in Singapore, but has a prepaid card from Starhub (I don't think the LTE bands match up though) and is apparently getting 4g on her phone (tried switching to 3g but to no avail), but doesn't want to check because she'll waste her credit. I find this weird because the apps state different things. It didn't look refurbished to me and I didn't notice the streaks across the lines. What do you guys make of this?
http://imgur.com/a/9YO2l
Thanks heaps!
Lachy
EDIT: She noticed three more lines running through the screen. But now they're more obvious, looks like it's getting worse. Not a great experience for a brand new phone
SECOND EDIT: Her sisters phone also has the line in the middle, albeit much much feinter. Are both of these defective?
It is definately refurbished.
It probably has been repaired with parts from different S4 models and then sold as refurbished. That's why there is no match between the phone model info. This might also be the reason for the various problems.
Edit: If it really is brand new she can take it back to the store for warranty service. Every store offers warranty with brand new products. Refurbished phones also have some sort of warranty I think.
Edit2: The screen might need to be replaced. As for the app problems, check the phone model in download mode and flash a rom (stock rom) for that model. Apps can be fooled, download mode not so easily.
GDReaper said:
It is definately refurbished.
It probably has been repaired with parts from different S4 models and then sold as refurbished. That's why there is no match between the phone model info. This might also be the reason for the various problems.
Edit: If it really is brand new she can take it back to the store for warranty service. Every store offers warranty with brand new products. Refurbished phones also have some sort of warranty I think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was sold as brand new. Her sisters states black as the colour in that phone info app, when it is white. And also has 4g. But unlike this one the model number is GT-i9500. On the box I remember it said American version only, for use with american sims only. But then it worked with the one from Singapore. This is super weird :/
toobywedge said:
It was sold as brand new. Her sisters states black as the colour in that phone info app, when it is white. And also has 4g. But unlike this one the model number is GT-i9500. On the box I remember it said American version only, for use with american sims only. But then it worked with the one from Singapore. This is super weird :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do they have warranty? If yes, send the phones to service. If no, the store is not legit and they got hustled.
As I said, brand new products have a warranty, generally for a 2 year period.
---------- Post added at 02:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 AM ----------
The L720 model is a I9505 from Sprint.
I doubt Samsung would mix parts together..
I'm telling you, those phones are clearly not factory new. They have been repaired with spare parts from various S4 models.
GDReaper said:
Do they have warranty? If yes, send the phones to service. If no, the store is not legit and they got hustled.
As I said, brand new products have a warranty, generally for a 2 year period.
---------- Post added at 02:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 AM ----------
The L720 model is a I9505 from Sprint.
I doubt Samsung would mix parts together..
I'm telling you, those phones are clearly not factory new. They have been repaired with spare parts from various S4 models.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks about right. Her sisters phone was also meant to be a GT-i9500 but by the IMEI it says it's a SGH-1337 which is the AT&T 4G LTE. I guess both of these phones were false advertised as the GT-i9500 (even on the box) and as brand new. Looking like they're definitely replaced parts or something?
Yea. The original phones might have had their screen broken so they took the motherboards and put them into other frames. I like to call them frankenphones.
I don't think Samsung would do that. So somebody else repaired them. Factory new phones don't come with mixed parts and used screens.
toobywedge said:
Looks about right. Her sisters phone was also meant to be a GT-i9500 but by the IMEI it says it's a SGH-1337 which is the AT&T 4G LTE. I guess both of these phones were false advertised as the GT-i9500 (even on the box) and as brand new. Looking like they're definitely replaced parts or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yap, agree with @GDReaper , they just assembled those phones with parts that they could find and didn't at least try to flash a new firmware for Singapore before they sell it. And that product name... I think the nomenclature used is jflte for all Qualcom variants and the two or three last words are to specify which like jfltexx for international LTE(GT-i9505) jflteatt for AT&T(SGH-I337) but jfltefreshspr... of which spr is code for Sprint.... but that fresh which means refreshed?????
In my opinion give back those phones and order a refund if possible, if not you'll have to change those screens which where I'm living now still has a nasty price of 130 euro (the touchscreen and the AMOLED one are bundled together) Which will cost almost the cost of the phone....
EDIT1: They probably grabbed some i9500 box or made some with cardboard and covered it with printed exterior and also replaced the broken safety anti-tamper seals for them to look authentic and genuine which they are not.
Other thing is that they just cosmetically replaced those models with i9500, that like i said before they didn't even try to flash a new firmware as they are afraid bricking those devices.
My mother has an S3 which also has the same kind of burn in problems you describe, so clearly this is a problem with Samsung screens, I have never seen this on any other screen except my pals old plasma flat-screen TV....
tommern said:
My mother has an S3 which also has the same kind of burn in problems you describe, so clearly this is a problem with Samsung screens, I have never seen this on any other screen except my pals old plasma flat-screen TV....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well. It's not Samsung's fault it's the natural degradation of AMOLED matrix due to heavy use or prolongued static image display.
The drop did it. I know this because someone I know has a same problem, and I saw this a several times. Also sadly, there is no way to fix this problem ;(
Sent from my E300K, jaltektt - CM 12.1
Hey everyone,
Not sure exactly how to start this thread, but this is not only going to include a few questions from me, but also discussion on how this is possible, have you seen anything like it, and why its done?
So to start off, a few weeks ago my dad dropped his Galaxy A5 and broke the screen, long story short, got him a new phone, was a brand new flat Galaxy S7 from a local store in Pakistan.
The seller was very persistent in saying that it's a 100% genuine and even has warranty, albeit not one that applies in Pakistan, but it does have 'foreign warranty'.
Now I have to mention here that there are normally 3 types of phones available here:
-Sold officially through an authorized distributor / retailer. An official Samsung Galaxy S7 goes for about 620 USD with 1 year warranty and accidental coverage in Pakistan.
-Smuggled / imported illegally from abroad. Usually still sealed, you can tell because of the foreign languages on the instruction booklet, and/or a European CSC. A smuggled Galaxy S7 would go for about 550 - 570 USD.
-American variants of flagship phones, more commonly known as 'kit' phones. Imported in bulk, wrapped in bubble wrap, and shipped as is. No box, no accessories. Just the phone itself. A 'kit' T-Mobile Galaxy S7 (G930T) for example, would be around 400 - 420 USD depending on the seller.
I chose for option 2, the smuggled / imported one, for the sole reason that the official retailer for Samsung did not have a flat GS7 in stock, there was a 2 week waiting period. So I went for the smuggled one, since it was raining heavily that night, I was in a hurry to get home, so I didn't even open the phone in the shop, I just picked up what I thought was a 'brand new' phone and went on my way. The box said G930F, and Silver Titanium on it. It also had a suspicious 'Smart Care 24 month warranty' sticker on the top left corner of the box.
ALSO, I needed a Dual SIM phone, so I assumed the box would say G930FD, but it didn't, again, I noticed all this stuff when I got home.
See here:
As I started noticing these little things, I instantly noticed the sticker on the front of the box said:
SM-G9300FZKAXSG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now, the G9300 model means it's the Chinese / HK variant, with the Snapdragon 820, rather than the Exynos 8890.
However, the 'FZKAXSG' part was obviously fake, because the first few letters refer to the device colour and storage or something, and the 'XSG' part refers to the UAE CSC, which is impossible, since the G9300 is exclusive to HK and China.
I was hesitant to open the box, but I still went ahead with it, since fake boxes are also common here, I reluctantly cut the seal, and pulled out the phone, which at first glance, did not look silver AT ALL, in fact it looked nothing like my Silver Titanium S7 edge. It looked more 'Gold' to me than anything else, but I could be wrong.
In fact, it seems as if it's a mix of both Silver and Gold.
Excuse the fingerprints and air bubbles, I had actually put the plastic back on, after checking the phone, this picture was taken after I was done with the phone.
Turn the phone around, and there's the ordinary Samsung DUOS branding, underneath is where the sh*t begins. The font in which the IMEI, S/N, and country of origin are written looked 100% fake and again, nothing like the way it's written on my S7 Edge.
Furthermore, it said G930F on the back, which it definitely wasn't.
The sticker on the back that should've said G930FD if it actually was a Dual SIM, said G9300 instead. The IMEIs check out to be clean, but do not belong to an S7, you can check online.
Unsurprisingly, the accessories are also upside down, on my S7 Edge box, the headphones are on top, and the charger and cable are below it.
Now, I turned the phone on, went through the setup process, this is where I just wanted to punch myself and the seller.
Settings > About > Model Number: SM-G9300
It was Android 6.0.1, with a security patch of June 2016.
There was no Software update button anywhere in the settings app.
I downloaded the Phone Info app, and installed it. It said 0x0 KNOX, model number SM-G9300. Manufacturing date was March 2016, and the Colour / Internal Storage tab says 'Gold / 32GB'.
I checked the firmware tab, where the Bootloader, PDA and Baseband showed that of a G9300, but the CSC code said 'G9350ZZH1ABP9', which is that of an S7 Edge.
CSC code itself said 'TGY' which is a Hong Kong CSC, which I assume was done to get Google Play Services installed on the phone, since the G9300 has only one firmware available on SamMobile, which has a CHC CSC, which is Chinese, which means no Google Apps installed.
And just to confirm any remaining doubts I had, the Phone Info app confirmed it was a Snapdragon 820, and not the Exynos 8890.
So, this has fake IMEIs, a strange ROM with parts of the flat S7 and the S7 edge, a fake back cover, and probably because of the fake back cover, the camera hump and the chrome ring around the heart beat sensor and flash is protruding a lot more than it should be.
I then went back to the seller, where there was another guy already arguing with him, he had sold the same G9300 phone to that guy who was complaining that the phone would FC a lot, and was getting extremely warm.
I knew this seller, so I asked him to cut the bull**** and give me a 'real' brand new Galaxy S7. He handed me another shady looking S7 box, with G930FD on the back, took the phone out and it checks out to be a 930FD, hardware wise at least. Works like one, looks like one, has an Exynos chipset. BUT, NO Serial Number and IMEIs of a G930A? WTF
I then asked him about that again, where he goes to say, 'all the S7s coming to Pakistan are like this'. In the same location, there were a few other shops selling S7s and sadly, they were all like this. Fake back covers, fake IMEIs, fake boxes, and no serial numbers. They all work fine though.
Here is a Gold Platinum GS7 that I got from him, that works fine as well, but just has the weird protruding camera hump and the fake back cover that has the fake font and no Serial number written on it.
Sorry for the extremely long post, just wanted to create this thread for discussion purposes and to express how saddening it is to see this sort of crap happening, only in Pakistan as far as I know.
Let me know if you've seen anything like this before, and if so, where? Also, how do they manage to pull it off? Flashing different IMEIs, and why do the phones not have a Serial Number in the settings app? It just comes up as a bunch of random numbers, rather than starting with Rxxxxxxx and Phone Info detects no S/N at all.
However, all the phones have 0x0 KNOX and work perfectly fine as well. In fact, I even flashed 7.0 Nougat on it, and there's nothing wrong with it.
Cheers,
murtaza02
murtaza02 said:
Hey everyone,
Not sure exactly how to start this thread, but this is not only going to include a few questions from me, but also discussion on how this is possible, have you seen anything like it, and why its done?
So to start off, a few weeks ago my dad dropped his Galaxy A5 and broke the screen, long story short, got him a new phone, was a brand new flat Galaxy S7 from a local store in Pakistan.
The seller was very persistent in saying that it's a 100% genuine and even has warranty, albeit not one that applies in Pakistan, but it does have 'foreign warranty'.
Now I have to mention here that there are normally 3 types of phones available here:
-Sold officially through an authorized distributor / retailer. An official Samsung Galaxy S7 goes for about 620 USD with 1 year warranty and accidental coverage in Pakistan.
-Smuggled / imported illegally from abroad. Usually still sealed, you can tell because of the foreign languages on the instruction booklet, and/or a European CSC. A smuggled Galaxy S7 would go for about 550 - 570 USD.
-American variants of flagship phones, more commonly known as 'kit' phones. Imported in bulk, wrapped in bubble wrap, and shipped as is. No box, no accessories. Just the phone itself. A 'kit' T-Mobile Galaxy S7 (G930T) for example, would be around 400 - 420 USD depending on the seller.
I chose for option 2, the smuggled / imported one, for the sole reason that the official retailer for Samsung did not have a flat GS7 in stock, there was a 2 week waiting period. So I went for the smuggled one, since it was raining heavily that night, I was in a hurry to get home, so I didn't even open the phone in the shop, I just picked up what I thought was a 'brand new' phone and went on my way. The box said G930F, and Silver Titanium on it. It also had a suspicious 'Smart Care 24 month warranty' sticker on the top left corner of the box.
ALSO, I needed a Dual SIM phone, so I assumed the box would say G930FD, but it didn't, again, I noticed all this stuff when I got home.
See here:
As I started noticing these little things, I instantly noticed the sticker on the front of the box said:
Now, the G9300 model means it's the Chinese / HK variant, with the Snapdragon 820, rather than the Exynos 8890.
However, the 'FZKAXSG' part was obviously fake, because the first few letters refer to the device colour and storage or something, and the 'XSG' part refers to the UAE CSC, which is impossible, since the G9300 is exclusive to HK and China.
I was hesitant to open the box, but I still went ahead with it, since fake boxes are also common here, I reluctantly cut the seal, and pulled out the phone, which at first glance, did not look silver AT ALL, in fact it looked nothing like my Silver Titanium S7 edge. It looked more 'Gold' to me than anything else, but I could be wrong.
In fact, it seems as if it's a mix of both Silver and Gold.
Excuse the fingerprints and air bubbles, I had actually put the plastic back on, after checking the phone, this picture was taken after I was done with the phone.
Turn the phone around, and there's the ordinary Samsung DUOS branding, underneath is where the sh*t begins. The font in which the IMEI, S/N, and country of origin are written looked 100% fake and again, nothing like the way it's written on my S7 Edge.
Furthermore, it said G930F on the back, which it definitely wasn't.
The sticker on the back that should've said G930FD if it actually was a Dual SIM, said G9300 instead. The IMEIs check out to be clean, but do not belong to an S7, you can check online.
Unsurprisingly, the accessories are also upside down, on my S7 Edge box, the headphones are on top, and the charger and cable are below it.
Now, I turned the phone on, went through the setup process, this is where I just wanted to punch myself and the seller.
Settings > About > Model Number: SM-G9300
It was Android 6.0.1, with a security patch of June 2016.
There was no Software update button anywhere in the settings app.
I downloaded the Phone Info app, and installed it. It said 0x0 KNOX, model number SM-G9300. Manufacturing date was March 2016, and the Colour / Internal Storage tab says 'Gold / 32GB'.
I checked the firmware tab, where the Bootloader, PDA and Baseband showed that of a G9300, but the CSC code said 'G9350ZZH1ABP9', which is that of an S7 Edge.
CSC code itself said 'TGY' which is a Hong Kong CSC, which I assume was done to get Google Play Services installed on the phone, since the G9300 has only one firmware available on SamMobile, which has a CHC CSC, which is Chinese, which means no Google Apps installed.
And just to confirm any remaining doubts I had, the Phone Info app confirmed it was a Snapdragon 820, and not the Exynos 8890.
So, this has fake IMEIs, a strange ROM with parts of the flat S7 and the S7 edge, a fake back cover, and probably because of the fake back cover, the camera hump and the chrome ring around the heart beat sensor and flash is protruding a lot more than it should be.
I then went back to the seller, where there was another guy already arguing with him, he had sold the same G9300 phone to that guy who was complaining that the phone would FC a lot, and was getting extremely warm.
I knew this seller, so I asked him to cut the bull**** and give me a 'real' brand new Galaxy S7. He handed me another shady looking S7 box, with G930FD on the back, took the phone out and it checks out to be a 930FD, hardware wise at least. Works like one, looks like one, has an Exynos chipset. BUT, NO Serial Number and IMEIs of a G930A? WTF
I then asked him about that again, where he goes to say, 'all the S7s coming to Pakistan are like this'. In the same location, there were a few other shops selling S7s and sadly, they were all like this. Fake back covers, fake IMEIs, fake boxes, and no serial numbers. They all work fine though.
Here is a Gold Platinum GS7 that I got from him, that works fine as well, but just has the weird protruding camera hump and the fake back cover that has the fake font and no Serial number written on it.
Sorry for the extremely long post, just wanted to create this thread for discussion purposes and to express how saddening it is to see this sort of crap happening, only in Pakistan as far as I know.
Let me know if you've seen anything like this before, and if so, where? Also, how do they manage to pull it off? Flashing different IMEIs, and why do the phones not have a Serial Number in the settings app? It just comes up as a bunch of random numbers, rather than starting with Rxxxxxxx and Phone Info detects no S/N at all.
However, all the phones have 0x0 KNOX and work perfectly fine as well. In fact, I even flashed 7.0 Nougat on it, and there's nothing wrong with it.
Cheers,
murtaza02
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, the option you selected was the worst of all three. Purchasing a new boxed pack phone without local warranty is a very risky idea. I have bought a Note 4 Exynos, an S6 and an S7 during the last couple of years.
The Note 4 was N910C version in used condition with box and all accessories.
S6 was box packed without warranty or you can say with international warranty.
S7 was a verizon kit.
Guess what? The S6 proved to be my worst purchase ever. After a couple of months its charger stopped working and again after few days the handsfree also broke. While the Note 4 worked perfectly with all its accessories through out my holding period. Currently the S7 is also working perfectly and even its pressure sensor is showing the correct readings which shows it is still water proof sealed.
So always remember that in Pakistani markets, buying a new phone without local warranty is just like buying a refurbished phone and is 99% of the times, a waste of money.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Pretty sure these devices are stolen/reported stolen/bad imei devices bought from another country. IMEI's have then been changed and serial numbers removed (not sure how they did that) so that they cannot be traced back. Boxes can be original or fake.
Also, your seller is shady, very shady. Pretty sure he knows what he's selling , else he would go after his distributor for selling him fake phones, but he aint. So, he very well knows what phone he's selling.
If I were in your position, I would have waited 2 weeks and got one from Samsung authorized seller.
sirius_gamer said:
To be honest, the option you selected was the worst of all three. Purchasing a new boxed pack phone without local warranty is a very risky idea. I have bought a Note 4 Exynos, an S6 and an S7 during the last couple of years.
The Note 4 was N910C version in used condition with box and all accessories.
S6 was box packed without warranty or you can say with international warranty.
S7 was a verizon kit.
Guess what? The S6 proved to be my worst purchase ever. After a couple of months its charger stopped working and again after few days the handsfree also broke. While the Note 4 worked perfectly with all its accessories through out my holding period. Currently the S7 is also working perfectly and even its pressure sensor is showing the correct readings which shows it is still water proof sealed.
So always remember that in Pakistani markets, buying a new phone without local warranty is just like buying a refurbished phone and is 99% of the times, a waste of money.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
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I might know you from another forum, PG.
Tbh, Karachi is a way different market than the crap you get here in Rawalpindi. There's way more variety there than there is here.
The things you mentioned with the S6, only the accessories died, which meant the phone was okay I guess?
Same for the S7, I'm not using the provided charger, I'm using my own that I got from Dubai.
Haven't tried the headphones.
Other than that however, the phone works perfectly.
I haven't had an issue before like this, most of the brand new phones I do buy are without local warranties, I don't fancy paying 10-15k extra for something I'll never use.
And believe me, thankfully, I've never had the need for a warranty.
The exception being my current S7 edge, which I've bought with the local warranty and insurance because the other ones weren't available.
Appreciate the post though, and the advice. After this I'm kinda spooked, so I'll probably stick to local warranties then, even though they're unreasonably expensive.
Cheers buddy, nice to see Pakistanis on XDA.
Sent from my SM-G935F
munchy_cool said:
Pretty sure these devices are stolen/reported stolen/bad imei devices bought from another country. IMEI's have then been changed and serial numbers removed (not sure how they did that) so that they cannot be traced back. Boxes can be original or fake.
Also, your seller is shady, very shady. Pretty sure he knows what he's selling , else he would go after his distributor for selling him fake phones, but he aint. So, he very well knows what phone he's selling.
If I were in your position, I would have waited 2 weeks and got one from Samsung authorized seller.
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Click to collapse
The original IMEIs were probably bad, hence them being changed to those of different phones, makes sense.
I myself didn't know that erasing or changing serials and IMEIs on Exynos phones was possible.
Sadly, the shady seller thing is true, all sellers know what they're selling, but each one will react differently when asked about it. Some will eventually crack and be honest, some will be stubborn d*cks and not admit it, and some will be so scared of the authorities that they'll offer you some form of compensation.
Advice taken though, and definitely will be used for the next purchase. I was looking forward to getting an imported Galaxy S8 then, but after this experience, I'll probably just settle for the officially sold one with a legit warranty.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
The original IMEIs were probably bad, hence them being changed to those of different phones, makes sense.
I myself didn't know that erasing or changing serials and IMEIs on Exynos phones was possible.
Sadly, the shady seller thing is true, all sellers know what they're selling, but each one will react differently when asked about it. Some will eventually crack and be honest, some will be stubborn d*cks and not admit it, and some will be so scared of the authorities that they'll offer you some form of compensation.
Advice taken though, and definitely will be used for the next purchase. I was looking forward to getting an imported Galaxy S8 then, but after this experience, I'll probably just settle for the officially sold one with a legit warranty.
Sent from my SM-G935F
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Click to collapse
Samsung Service box is what they would have used I guess, same hardware as that at official Samsung repair center.
Also, because you are technically sound/tech sayvy you found that the first one was fake. Someone who is not technically sound would never have found that out and kept using it assuming it's the real thing.
munchy_cool said:
Samsung Service box is what they would have used I guess, same hardware as that at official Samsung repair center.
Also, because you are technically sound/tech sayvy you found that the first one was fake. Someone who is not technically sound would never have found that out and kept using it assuming it's the real thing.
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Click to collapse
All tips and tricks I've learnt from XDA. I honestly wouldn't be able to tell at all, if I hadn't read so much stuff here.
Another thing I wonder is if the refurbishment or tampering was done inside Pakistan, or somewhere abroad and then the boxes get repacked and sent here?
Because it's really inconsistent how the boxes are so well copied, they look exactly like real ones, but then the IMEI stickers, the different font on the back cover, the protruding camera lens is where they lack the finesse, and their shoddy workmanship starts to show.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
All tips and tricks I've learnt from XDA. I honestly wouldn't be able to tell at all, if I hadn't read so much stuff here.
Another thing I wonder is if the refurbishment or tampering was done inside Pakistan, or somewhere abroad and then the boxes get repacked and sent here?
Because it's really inconsistent how the boxes are so well copied, they look exactly like real ones, but then the IMEI stickers, the different font on the back cover, the protruding camera lens is where they lack the finesse, and their shoddy workmanship starts to show.
Sent from my SM-G935F
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No clue on that.. Would be profitable to do it inside your own country though...
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
I have seen similar things but your case is unique. You should return the phone and ask for full refund from your seller and then buy phone from Samsung store.
We can't say for sure about that other shops or market is selling same phones. May be it is just your guy.
Sent from my Note
Guys, could you with 930F and FD confirm if the serial number is printed on the back cover of your phones?
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
Guys, could you with 930F and FD confirm if the serial number is printed on the back cover of your phones?
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, G930F laid out like this
IMEI xxxxxx/xxxxx/xxxx. SN xxxxxxxxxx
*Detection* said:
Yep, G930F laid out like this
IMEI xxxxxx/xxxxx/xxxx. SN xxxxxxxxxx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Much appreciated.
Country of origin mentioned as well?
Actually I'm going out tomorrow to return the refurbished ones to the seller and get a refund.
Gonna show him this thread just to prove him wrong. Idiot keeps insisting that S/N isn't printed on the S7, but it is on the S7 edge.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
Much appreciated.
Country of origin mentioned as well?
Actually I'm going out tomorrow to return the refurbished ones to the seller and get a refund.
Gonna show him this thread just to prove him wrong. Idiot keeps insisting that S/N isn't printed on the S7, but it is on the S7 edge.
Sent from my SM-G935F
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CE0168 (!) (Not to be disposed in bins symbol here)
G930F SAMSUNG, YATELEY, GU46 6GG, UK
DESIGNED & ENGINEERED BY SAMSUNG
IMEI: XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXX/X S/N: XXXXXXXXXX
That's everything it says at the bottom of the back panel of the G930F S7 Flat
*Detection* said:
CE0168 (!) (Not to be disposed in bins symbol here)
G930F SAMSUNG, YATELEY, GU46 6GG, UK
DESIGNED & ENGINEERED BY SAMSUNG
IMEI: XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXX/X S/N: XXXXXXXXXX
That's everything it says at the bottom of the back panel of the G930F S7 Flat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly how it is on my S7 edge as well.
Thanks for confirming.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
That's exactly how it is on my S7 edge as well.
Thanks for confirming.
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No probs, good luck with the refund
How do you know the phone is even genuine samsung hardware, not fake imitations that china manufacturers are pumping out?
The stolen IMEI is possible but why would changing that number require a new fake back cover to be put in place? Seems very odd.
Also regarding dodgy sellers knowing what they selling usually by their reaction you can tell if they aware, e.g. I brought 2 western digital hard drives from amazon about 6 months ago from a 3rd party selller, I noticed odd behaviour with the drives so started checking details of the firmware etc. and then someone gave me a tip to check the serial numbers on western digital's website, sure enough the serials were invalid and that confirmed they were fake's. It turned out the seller was in my city, so I paid him a visit, he wasnt there but I spoke to him on the phone, and he was giving me excuses like they HP OEM drives not using WD warranty, for sure I knew then he knew what he was selling, as otherwise he would have been in shock, thank me for the discovery and pulled his product of the amazon website. In the end he refunded me and I purchased them again directly from amazon.
I live in the UK which shows this stuff isnt limited to eastern countries.
murtaza02 said:
Guys, could you with 930F and FD confirm if the serial number is printed on the back cover of your phones?
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. The back says "SM G930FD. DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED BY SAMSUNG. MANUFACTURED IN INDIA. IMEI 1/2 and then the S/N"
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
chrcol said:
How do you know the phone is even genuine samsung hardware, not fake imitations that china manufacturers are pumping out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know man. Phone Info claimed the phone was genuine but was missing a valid Samsung S/N.
It showed Exynos 8890 and everything seemed okay, it even accepted a G930F Odin file and I flashed it to Nougat.
IMEIs belonged to some budget AT&T phones from the US, the quality of the back cover was horrendous, you could tell the font was wrong, and don't even get me started on the box. It was so poorly copied, I just hate myself for not checking while I was at the store.
Anyway, I did eventually go back and get a refund from him, and I'm sure as hell not going back to that guy again.
He was so stubborn, he refused to admit they were refurbished / fakes and kept insisting they were brand new.
Sent from my SM-G935F
djpeesh said:
Yes. The back says "SM G930FD. DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED BY SAMSUNG. MANUFACTURED IN INDIA. IMEI 1/2 and then the S/N"
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Click to collapse
The fake didn't say anything about being engineered by Samsung.
It was like:
SM-G930F SAMSUNG YATELEY GU46 6GG UK
MADE BY SAMSUNG
IMEI 1: IMEI 2:
No S/N and no country of origin either. Also, none of the phones said G930FD regardless of being Dual SIM.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
I don't know man. Phone Info claimed the phone was genuine but was missing a valid Samsung S/N.
It showed Exynos 8890 and everything seemed okay, it even accepted a G930F Odin file and I flashed it to Nougat.
IMEIs belonged to some budget AT&T phones from the US, the quality of the back cover was horrendous, you could tell the font was wrong, and don't even get me started on the box. It was so poorly copied, I just hate myself for not checking while I was at the store.
Anyway, I did eventually go back and get a refund from him, and I'm sure as hell not going back to that guy again.
He was so stubborn, he refused to admit they were refurbished / fakes and kept insisting they were brand new.
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have a market here in Bombay where you get almost perfect knockoff phones. They're so perfect that you can't figure out what's real and what's not.
My regular phonewalla was telling me about how he got scammed by someone who exchanged a fake S7 (somehow they don't seem to have S7 edge fakes) for 25k rupees and bought some other phone. He only found out when he sold that phone to another customer and that customer took it to the service center for some issue.
He's now started making sure that people's numbers are actually their own and asking for address proof whilst exchanging phones.
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