[Q] Bought an S3 secondhand, any common issues to check for? - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

As per the title, I have bought an S3 today which will be with me tomorrow. Before I tell the seller all is well I want to make sure the phone is 100% etc as you never really know why people are getting rid.
Can anyone give me a list or point me in the direction for the most common issues so I can make sure this handset doesn't let me down or I realise when its too late.
Many thanks,

try to see if there's any display issues, cracks, chips, or scratch

There's a thread with known issues which may be helpful to you: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1683945
Also.. OP, you may try posting in the correct section- Q&A's not General.
sent from my Galaxy S III

Related

[Q] Radiation?

Is this phone safe?Ive read that this phone has 1.47 sar(specific absorption rate)...wont it be a problem?
If you are so worried, then you shouldn't use any cell phones. Find a phone box and make your calls the old fashioned way. If you are going to get brain cancer from a cell phone, it's not going to matter which phone you use. Also, I would like to see where your concerns come from.
"Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between cell phone use and the risk of developing malignant and benign brain tumors.
The most significant study of long-term use is the 13-country Interphone study, which is a multinational consortium of case-control studies. Interphone was coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (3). The primary objective of the Interphone study was to assess whether RF energy exposure from cell phones is associated with an increased risk of malignant or benign brain tumors and other head and neck tumors. Participating countries included Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (4).
Interphone researchers reported that, overall, cell phone users have no increased risk for two of the most common types of brain tumor―glioma and meningioma. In addition, they found no evidence of increasing risk with progressively increasing number of calls, longer call time, or years since beginning cell phone use. For the small proportion of study participants who reported spending the most total time on cell phone calls, there was some increased risk of glioma, but the researchers considered this finding inconclusive. The study was published online May 17, 2010, in the International Journal of Epidemiology (5). "
Taken from: National Cancer Institute
definitely not safe, In addition to cancer, there is a possibility of getting repetitive stress injury from swiping the finger reader. Also might get arthritis from holding it in the same position all the time. Hey, I hear the I-phones are different than all others. Ever try one of them?
You might have a thick boned skull, don't worry about radiation in that case.
You two need to chill. If a guy is worried about radiation, there's no reason why you guys should be making fun of him.
Swyped from my HoneyGlowed Atrix
Sinful Animosity said:
You two need to chill. If a guy is worried about radiation, there's no reason why you guys should be making fun of him.
Swyped from my HoneyGlowed Atrix
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Said guy should do some homework first. Took me less time to find the Cancer Institute posting than it did for him to create the thread!
CaelanT said:
If you are so worried, then you shouldn't use any cell phones. Find a phone box and make your calls the old fashioned way. If you are going to get brain cancer from a cell phone, it's not going to matter which phone you use. Also, I would like to see where your concerns come from.
[/URL]
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Come on dude, this is one step short of the "tin foil hat" troll comment...
zmokez008 said:
Is this phone safe?Ive read that this phone has 1.47 sar(specific absorption rate)...wont it be a problem?
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YMMV on this, based on who you talk to.
For a while people got concerned with the San Francisco Radiation Law.
Recently that too got scaled back.
There's also numerous cancer studies that suggest / don't suggest that this increases a risk to cancer. (too much to post)
From my own personal opinion, (and I'm just an "average Joe") Use Bluetooth whenever possible with ANY cell phone regardless of the SAR rate.
You could probably waste an entire month reading all the studies out there, but who knows if any are fudged one way or another. I mean tobacco seemed safe a while back too right?
Finally for anyone that is starting to get paranoid, just remember that you can get skin cancer from being in the sun too long without proper protection...
CaelanT said:
Said guy should do some homework first. Took me less time to find the Cancer Institute posting than it did for him to create the thread!
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That's why thus is the Q and A section. So people can ask questions. If everybody did their homework we wouldn't have this section.
Swyped from my HoneyGlowed Atrix
Sinful Animosity said:
That's why thus is the Q and A section. So people can ask questions. If everybody did their homework we wouldn't have this section.
Swyped from my HoneyGlowed Atrix
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My point being, for some people it is too easy to just post questions in the forums without going to the trouble of even researching anything themselves first, and expecting the rest of us to magically come up with answers. As you will see, I posted a link to the National Cancer Institute page relating to this, so I did in fact help the OP, but why could the OP not have done the same quick Google search as me on the subject?
Yes, Q&A sections are for Q&A, but hey, would you like it if I posted questions like "will my phone die if I drop it in baked beans?", or "what will happen if I plug my wall charger into a 3 phase outlet at work?". Some questions can be easily answered without posting needlessly because you were/are too lazy to at least do some research yourself first. And if you have done some research, haven't found your answer, or don't understand what you have found, then post questions and show people you have at least made an effort on your own first.
What is this fallaout 3? The radiation the phone gives off isn't going to kill you.if you're worried text instead of call.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
I wouldn't care. This is Q and A forum. He asked a legit question and was wondering about this device in particular.
He didn't ask if cell phones in general are able to give us cancer,.he asked about thus phone in particular.
Swyped from my HoneyGlowed Atrix
CaelanT said:
Yes, Q&A sections are for Q&A, but hey, would you like it if I posted questions like "will my phone die if I drop it in baked beans?", or "what will happen if I plug my wall charger into a 3 phase outlet at work?". Some questions can be easily answered without posting needlessly because you were/are too lazy to at least do some research yourself first. And if you have done some research, haven't found your answer, or don't understand what you have found, then post questions and show people you have at least made an effort on your own first.
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Apples and oranges...
There's troll questions, and then there's questions where people honestly don't know the answer and would like the help of others.
I could understand if this was posted in the Dev thread, but OP didn't do anything wrong...
Maybe you atrix guys should buy one of these sarshields ?
http://www.sarshield.com/index.htm
20$ to spend for your health isn't wrong at all.
Maybe someone of you have the possibillity to check the sar value by himself or in a near institute and post the difference.
I will buy one anyway for my sgs2 with low radiation and i will test the difference by myself, this will take some time too.
just my 2000 cents..
(•.•) said:
Maybe you atrix guys should buy one of these sarshields ?
http://www.sarshield.com/index.htm
20$ to spend for your health isn't wrong at all.
Maybe someone of you have the possibillity to check the sar value by himself or in a near institute and post the difference.
I will buy one anyway for my sgs2 with low radiation and i will test the difference by myself, this will take some time too.
just my 2000 cents..
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I'm not by a computer right now to provide any links, but Google some reviews on that.
From what I've read about those in the past, those things seem to be a money making scam...
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA Premium App
ccrows said:
I'm not by a computer right now to provide any links, but Google some reviews on that.
From what I've read about those in the past, those things seem to be a money making scam...
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA Premium App
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Yeah I've heard that as well.
If those don't work. Just go make a case out of lead
they say.. using a headset will help. get one.
This thread is kinda funny. I work at a nuclear reactor. Radiation from my phone is pretty low on my "things to worry about" list.
CaelanT said:
Said guy should do some homework first. Took me less time to find the Cancer Institute posting than it did for him to create the thread!
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Well I guess we don't need forums at all then right....all the answers are out there somewhere. The point of a forum, in a q and a section, is to o gain information that you do not know from someone who might. That is all the op was after.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
mobileweasel said:
This thread is kinda funny. I work at a nuclear reactor. Radiation from my phone is pretty low on my "things to worry about" list.
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Is that you Homer?... j/k!
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA Premium App

Answer me this question (I'm sure you will)

What's with the no help with my problem? I'm a smart man, and I rarely seek others for help because I feel I'm more capable then the rest. But when I hit a wall and I can't find my way to the other side I seek for the answers, and what a waste I should have known that to be. This big and wonderful community of very smart and talented individuals is a let down. I'm not trying to insult any one. I'm just making it known that there are people who truly seek help, and I know the answers are here, now it's a disgrace to see someone very patiently and generously seeking help only to be practically ignored till the thread slips down deeper into the forums to be lost and forgotten FOR GOOD. Here's my real question, what does it take to get answers? I'll be searching else where and on my own to figure it out by myself, then I'm going to do the opposite of you all, and I'm going to share my knowledge with someone who needs it just as bad as me. Because I am grateful, that is all.
/rant
Ya'll can say what you will, I may see it but I wont be reading it.
Good day!
Totally agree! Even though they no the answer they tell you to search there forums for 3 hours!!
do you have an issue? Maybe I can help, ill try anyway
Sent from my Dell Streak
I've already searched these forums and a lot of other places on the internet. I haven't found anything of help, if you think you could help me here is my thread with my question.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1324844
I learned a long time ago to never be disappointed means to never expect anything, from anyone. Well it's a different case when there's a forum dedicated to QUESTIONS, and ANSWERS. I expect the knowledgeable ones who can help TO help.
@imsohawker: You need to be aware that there are over 4,000,000 members on this site. Of them, the Streak community is a tiny one, which is why it's located in the Low Activity and Legacy section of the site. Most Streak owners do not have AT&T, being in Europe and Asia. Of the ones that do have AT&T, you are the first I've seen that has a "pay as you go" plan. So if you aren't getting answers to your questions it's likely because your situation is so uncommon that no one here has any practical experience that can allow them to answer it.
I did in fact attempt to help you out, but there is only so much I can do, simply because I am not on a "pay as you go" plan through AT&T. I'm sorry. I wish I could be more helpful.
@markdexter: Be aware that when you created a username on XDA Developers you agreed to abide by the site's rules. The number one rule on the site is search before you post. If it's abundantly clear that the poster did not search before posting, e.g. asking how to root the Streak, you will get told to use the search engine. Usually I am nice enough to provide a link and mention using the search engine the next time, but for repeat offenders, I report their posts for violations of rule number 1.
While XDA members are rather knowledgeable people, at least for myself it's more gratifying to find out the answer yourself than it is to have it spoonfed to you.
Very well said. I know the statistics, and how low on them I am. I was hoping I could of at least had someone with the general know-how guide me, but as you said I'm the first you've seen with a "pay as you go" AT&T plan. Sorry for the outbursts! I was in the wrong to assume with such large numbers of knowledgeable folk that I'd get lucky enough to have someone fall in my lap with the answer I was looking for. Again thanks for the attempted help, which is better than none. Much appreciated!
I would get a new sim card to start, I also think it has something to do with pay as you go.
also have you tried changing the network type? On your dial pad, type *#*#4636#*#* then press phone information, then at the bottom, theres options try wcdma only, or gsm only Just go through them, worth a shot
Sent from my Dell Streak
Sent from my Dell Streak
I think it may have something to do with my pay as you go too, the first android phone I had bought unlocked (LG GW620) I had problems with my phone telling me my SIM wasn't inserted, I believe I resolved the problem but I forgot how, that was 2 phones ago but I know it would still occasionally tell me to insert my SIM, and my previous phone (unlocked sidekick lx) I had problems with losing service a lot, though sometimes it still showed I had service (bars) but I couldn't send messages or anything. So I'm almost concluding it's my SIM being a pay as you go SIM and it has restrictions maybe? I did however call AT&T's support and they have changed the IEMI of my sim to match my dell so I was hoping that would fix my issue but it hasn't, also I just tried the WCDMA only and that didn't work, and I think I already played with these settings but not through the dialer code. I'll try the other but I'm doubting it, but everything's worth a shot. Thanks
All I did was buy a cheap 10 gophone and used the sim outta that and activated it online...did the same for t-mobile....i was switching between the two cards to see which service I liked better..maybe try that....i had no issues what so ever. Btw my phone was orignally att locked which I got unlocked.
Sent from my Dell Streak using xda premium
I read your original post as soon as you wrote it, as well as your others and found it interesting, but not having a clue as to what the problem was I did not chime in.
You may try a more general forum on XDA, as this is probably not a streak specific issue. Also, I have found the forums on At&t wireless's website to be surprisingly helpful.
Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

[Q] i need a new ROM please create for me!!

my phone from china
android 2.3.6
can you help me
June Oliver said:
my phone from china
android 2.3.6
can you help me
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That has to literally be the worst description of a phone I have seen. This would be the equivalent of walking into the mechanic to get your car fixed and you ask him, "Hey, can you fix my car? It's the one with 4 wheels." Not trying to be a jerk, but this is meant to be a community to learn and get some help, not a request line. I suggest you do some more research on which phone you have. This might not be easy due to the nature of cheap Chinese android phones that rarely have much documentation, but it's quite possible there is already a development community specifically for your phone (which also might have clones that use the same or similar software that could be used). But if that's something that you can't be bothered to do, then the amount of time and research needed to properly mod your phone probably is going to be more than you are ready for as well.
to help me
es0tericcha0s said:
That has to literally be the worst description of a phone I have seen. This would be the equivalent of walking into the mechanic to get your car fixed and you ask him, "Hey, can you fix my car? It's the one with 4 wheels." Not trying to be a jerk, but this is meant to be a community to learn and get some help, not a request line. I suggest you do some more research on which phone you have. This might not be easy due to the nature of cheap Chinese android phones that rarely have much documentation, but it's quite possible there is already a development community specifically for your phone (which also might have clones that use the same or similar software that could be used). But if that's something that you can't be bothered to do, then the amount of time and research needed to properly mod your phone probably is going to be more than you are ready for as well.
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'
can you help me..my facebook acc is soobii9x i will give you some information pls sent me a massage soon!!thanks

buy this phone

i wanna buy a phone and i searched for it a lot because my sony z3+ was really bad and made me sad a lot.....plz tell me about this phone.battery and heat and android os(is that really pure android?how is the interface?)and screen and etc .because i had a brain tumor i can not work with screens that hurt my eyes.does this phone hurt eys?ty all
Don't buy this phone
A total waste of 240$ !!!
No support from UMIDIGI to serious software bugs
I've not noticed any "serious software bugs". What do you mean?
hotphil said:
I've not noticed any "serious software bugs". What do you mean?
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Look at this. The moderator has deleted several posts from me. Also I've been banned three times, just to complain about the problems found in the ROM and the bad treatment received by the company.
Never more Mediatek and above all never more UMIDIGI.
Sorry, but not knowing how to use a product is different from the product being bad.
I was going to answer you, but ... I'll just ignore you.
Not worth it.
That's fine. But in that thread all you've posted is that there's "problems" with battery, camera and Bluetooth. You've posted no details. Kinda makes it hard for them to help you. And, as an aside, there's not many other people reporting the same issues. That's a very long way from being "bugs" that affect all units/users.
Interesting, a whole thread full of users who do not know how to use their mobile and can not distinguish a bug from its clumsiness.
Luckily we have experts like you who know how to light our way.
Thank you for your valuable help.
I have an umi z and i definitiefly say "dont buy any umi phone !!!"
It's true ,my battery gets swollen after 3 month of normal using and you have no chance to get a simple answer to your mails to the support team.
On a umidigi forum a "developer " just talking bull**** to us customer.
hotphil said:
That's fine. But in that thread all you've posted is that there's "problems" with battery, camera and Bluetooth. You've posted no details. Kinda makes it hard for them to help you. And, as an aside, there's not many other people reporting the same issues. That's a very long way from being "bugs" that affect all units/users.
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I really love the fan boys who use the phone no more than to browse facebook and make calls. We posted the issues they are the ones who did not ask for details. Al they do is saying "oh, we dont have that problem on our testing devices". learn to read more or come earlier to read the deleted posts and maybe you find more about how useless umidigi is.
Just saying that if the vast majority of users aren't having those issues then you've been unlucky or there's something else wrong.
hotphil said:
Just saying that if the vast majority of users aren't having those issues then you've been unlucky or there's something else wrong.
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The vast majority does not know what a damn 4k is altough the processor supports. The vast majority does not now what Volte is and does not needs it because they dont know what it does. The vast majority does not use bluetooth as a principle. The vast majority has the phone to say it is deca core without knowing what that really is

Note 4 Questions

Hi, I am new to the site, So I will say sorry now if I am posting this in the wrong spot or if someone else has answered this question already. I tried to do a search in here before posting this, I did not find anything.
My gf works for a hotel and when people leave items such as old phones, they have to get rid of them after a while, they either throw them away or keep them if the person does not come back for them. I was given this Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on T-Mobile. The person who owned it never came back for it, but blacklisted it, so I'm assuming he/she got a new phone with insurance, just my guess. I would like to know how I can use this with my AT&T service. I have already rooted the phone, deleted tons of apps I no longer need or use. The phone is basically a small tablet right now. I have looked, and looked on the internet for a few years now with no lucky, the only luck I have come close to having is a place in a mall getting it to work, but I would have to pay $50 and they said no guarantee it would stay unblacklisted. So my main question, is there a way I can get this thing working with AT&T or is this not possible? I have seen another post similar but not quite the same, someone said all you have to do is install an AT&T Firmware over the T-Mobile one, I have only seen one person say this and it was on here, all of the other searches throughout the years on other sites have said nothing about this. So I'm at a stand still here, No clue what I should do. I know some people just say, use one of those websites that do it, well I don't trust those, So I would rather find a fix I can actually try myself. I know it's an older phone, but It would be cool to try it out as a phone for a while to see if I would want to change over to an Android Phone.

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