Hello - Dear XDA Developers Community,
First up... I'm a NOOB! (thought I'd get that out of the way first & foremost).
2nd - Please no suggestions I get my money back (already pursuing that option)
I've had a fairly modest history with Android devices, culminating in my most recent purchase a used Samsung Galaxy SII (18 months old) off eBay from a private seller. Unfortunately, from the minute I switched it on I expereinced chronic problems in achieving a reliable & consistent signal for voice & data. I'm in the UK on a PAYG & 3 are my network provider.
Upon switching the S II on with my old SIM inserted & going through some initial config (google account, SMS configuration settings, etc). I experienced intermittent signal loss for both voice & data. sporadically my phone would have no service or 1 bar (voice only!!). Expecting this to be a transient network issue I switched my SIM back into my old phone (Samsung Galaxy Ace) which gave me a consistent 3G signal. Now alarmed, I called 3 Customer services & we went through a rather lengthy trouble shooting session on the phone (multiple reboots, manually entering network details, restoring factory settings, etc). None of this worked and the 3 guy recommended I upgrade to the latest Samsung approved firmware in the hope that would perhaps fix the problem. I successfully update the firmware (details below) but the problem remained the same....
Current Android Level :-
Android Version : 4.1.2
Baseband Version: I9100NELS1
Kernel Version 3.0.31-889555
I perfomed the same tests at my house with identical results. Galaxy Ace with same SIM had decent, reliable & consistent 3G signal whereas my S2 with the same SIM struggled to achieve 1 bar at best (not even 3G or HDSPA - just a very weak voice signal). I called 3 customer services again who advised following all the action taken (and in light of both locations - B98 9AY & CV11 6GH having no coverage or network problems) the problem is definitely with the handset & there's nothing they can do.
So, I went for a stroll...... Amazingly in other areas I can achieve a good signal with high speed data transfer rates on HDSPA+ (up to 8 meg according to speedtest app). Unfortunately, in the two locations I spend the vast majority of my time (Office & Home) the phone is rarely anything other than a glorified WiFi enabled device.
I also remembered I had a GiffGaff SIM so gave this a try as well. The singal was also patchy at best and I didn't even get anything approaching a data strength reception. I checked on the o2 coverage checker which informed my location should easily be able to pick up a good voice & data signal. All of which strengthens my suspicions the problem is with the handset itself.
I've spent many hours trawling the Internet for solutions and can't see too many instances that closely match the symptoms I'm experiencing. I've downloaded the OpenSignal app - which is of limited use for me. At the moment I'm thinking this will have one of three root causes (at the moment I'm sulking and thinking it's option 1).
1) The Samsung Galaxy S II receiver is simply crap and there's nothing I can do
2) The Samsung Galaxy S II receiver is defective or inefficient at a hardware level (could send off to have it fixed)
3) There's some problem with the drivers/firmware for the receiver that will require a custom ROM upgrade to fix.
I'm open to the idea of rooting & installing a custom ROM to fix this, but only want to go down this route if it's pretty certain to have a positive outcome for this problem.
Thanks for taking the time to read this & look forward to your replies.
Kind Regards,
BrokenSparrow.
try the nordic 4.1.2 rom download HERE link from sammobile.com. flash it and see if it helps other than that you could try different modem files.. there is as thread about it around here some were....... HERE give that a go and see what happens gotta be worth the shot before righting off the whole phone... GOOD LUCK
That's tells me it's most likely down to the particular equipment your carrier is using in the cells close to where you use the phone the most (when it doesn't work). If it were a hardware issue, you'd either have the problem intermittently everywhere or all the time/everywhere. Tho that doesn't completely rule out a hardware issue; I'm just saying, on balance & on the evidence you've offered, that's my theory.
What I'd do in your situation phone-wise is to go back to ICS stock - rooted (not 4.0.4) & flash a bunch of different modems (rooting your phone/having CWM rather than stock recovery will make this process relatively simple) & see if you find one that improves your connectivity where you use the phone most. Unfortunately, modems are black boxes & largely undocumented (publicly at least), so people have found out through trial & error which modems seem to work well with which carriers/in which countries (and sometimes even in certain areas; that variation in equipment carriers use in different base stations).
A good place to start is try all the modems bundled with stock roms released by your carrier. Reasoning being you'd hoped your carrier would have thoroughly tested every facet of a rom before releasing it, and that the modem bundled with it would work with their network most of the time/in most places.
If you still didn't have any joy once you've done that (not very many to try given your carrier has probably only released a handful or roms, so it wouldn't take you long), then you could search here & look at what modems other people had tried with your carrier & try those, then you could start trying any/every modem you can get your hands on (there's dozens; relax, if one doesn't work, the worst thing that can happen to your phone is you'll have no connectivity with that particular modem, which you remedy by going back to one you know works).
If you'd done all that & still had the same problem, I'd be sending it back to seller & frankly, given the problems you've had from the get-go, you may want to consider that sooner rather than later unless you have the stomach to try a lot of stuff that has no guarantee of fixing your problem. You could also have a phone tech take a look at it either before or after you start your own troubleshooting, but if it were me, I'd be returning it given you have no real way of knowing it's history.
brokensparrow said:
So, I went for a stroll...... Amazingly in other areas I can achieve a good signal with high speed data transfer rates on HDSPA+ (up to 8 meg according to speedtest app). Unfortunately, in the two locations I spend the vast majority of my time (Office & Home) the phone is rarely anything other than a glorified WiFi enabled device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root and updae RIL (and SIM)
brokensparrow said:
I'm open to the idea of rooting & installing a custom ROM to fix this, but only want to go down this route if it's pretty certain to have a positive outcome for this problem.
Thanks for taking the time to read this & look forward to your replies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root the handset (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1826497 (thanks pelpa87)) and look into updating the RIL (Radio Interface Layer) / BaseBand (free app available form Play called GetRIL (thanx to SIBBOR) will assist in updating RIL) BaseBand tends to be updates with ROM (so poss update ROM too).
Also, people forget that the SIM card is a micro controller, with its own software, memory and (big pinch of salt here) processor, using a new(er) SIM / USIM card will help improve signal.
All,
Many thanks for your advice so far. I've done the following
- Rooted the phone
- Gone back to ICS 4.0.4 and tried various modems from links provided
- Tried JellyBAM, NordicOS & SlimBean with a combination of different modems
- Ran the GetIRL utility and matched up with Baseband version
I get similar results from all of these steps & the common denominator appears to be the modem. I experience slightly improved reception using NEL3 and XXG3. These improvements are marginal, but do at least give me a voice only connection in the afforementioned locations (but interestingly only on Orange/3 - which I guess is 3's failsafe network).
Also, discovered Samsung warranty for all smart phones is 24 months.... As this handset is only 18 months old it may be eligible for repair as the small print on the warranty statement declares the warranty entitlement can be transferred to different end users. This does represent me with a slightly different problem however! I've been messing around with the phone rather a lot (more than enough to void the warranty). So, before I send it off I need to make it as close to the stock version of Android as I can. These are the things I can think of....
- Install latest stock Firmware via Kies (think this should unroot and put me back on a stock kernel)
- Remove all the zip files used for "tinkering" from the internal SD card
- Also noticed several times there a utility that shows you exactly how many times custom ROM's have been put on the device - so this is something I'm anxious to remove as well. Any other points or advice on how to conceal my "tinkering" from Samsung?
Thanks & Regards,
Graham.
-
Triangle away to reset the rom counter otherwise your there. Triangle away is on xda here some were but you'll have to go search fir it as I dont have a link or computer to hand just now. Good luck.
LSJ Powered Time Machine.
---------- Post added at 06:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:23 PM ----------
FOUND IT... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=22462960
LSJ Powered Time Machine.
It's possible that the previous owner replaced the USB flex cable/board with the newer version, which requires a resistor to be de-soldered otherwise it will have extremely poor reception. The previous owner might not have stumbled upon this fix, and thought he'd just get his money back by selling it. Check LittleCanon's post and pictures on page 2 of this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1611409 and compare the pictures to your usb flex cable/board. It's a very simple & easy fix if that's the case. I replaced the usb flex cable/board on my i777 and had the same exact issue until I de-soldered that resistor, now it works perfectly.
Related
I need help. I spent a week on vacation in Ireland and my little Ralphie let me down. I blush as I write this, but I was actually thinking about the dark side; …the fruit whose name we shall not mention. Talk me off the ledge.
Here is what happened.
I was on the 6 hour flight and decided to play with the phone a bit out of boredom. It was locked up.
No problem soft reset. Continued to lock-up.
No problem, PIM Backup, Hard reset. Then the keyboard would not switch to ABC from 123.
No problem, switch to another SIP. It would hold the change; it kept switching back to the ROM default. No problem, just use the hardware keyboard. A couple of great days in Ireland and it was time to take a quick phone pic to send home. Camera would not work; missed the moment. Fiddled with it a bit, could not get it to work.
No problem, hard reset and try again. Camera works now, keyboard seems to have fixed itself, but phone turns off randomly.
No problem, flash another ROM I have on my storage card. Everything works now except the phone. It has a signal for 5 minutes, then no signal for 5 minutes, over and over.
No problem, switch to manual network selection, could not access the settings.
No problem, hard reset. Works fine now. Ready to take a quick picture at a golf outing where I did not lug my Nikon around. Phone has turned itself off again, missed the moment. Time to surf up some quick directions, IE locks-up.
No Problem, switch to Opera, takes forever to load, my sister already has the directions on her damn iPhone before opera even loads. Crap ..my sister of all people.
So almost every time my cool phone was called into service, it let me down. This was an unusual run, but I spent more time fixing my phone than using it. In 7 days, 2 ROMS, 3 hard resets and more soft resets than I can count. Back home and it’s time to flash a new ROM. I am not defecting and certainly don’t want to open the “just go buy your damn iPhone” discussion: I’m just venting a bit. It just occurred to me that having a ton of great features that only work sometimes, is almost like not having them at all.
I’ll be quiet now.
Doug M.
Here is the advice - keep this great phone, but don't use any of the cooked ROMs, just use the latest official HTC WWE ROM (in combo with 1.12.25.19 radio) - no bugs at all. Every single feature works like a charm - camera, GPS, keyboard, hardware keyboard, Opera, messaging etc. I have never ever seen any bug with that ROM, and I'm using it extensively for months. Cheers
Well, the HTC WWE 5.05.405.1 stock ROM is not bug free but it certainly exhibits considerably less problems.
I always keep the stock NBH on my SD Card on the off-chance that I need to fall back. Now that I have gotten into the habit of compiling my own ROM using the 6.1.21051 kitchen, I've not run into a need to use it - but it's always there just in case, like Linus van Pelt's security blanket.
... sounds like chef'ing might be in your horizon.
hilaireg said:
Well, the HTC WWE 5.05.405.1 stock ROM is not bug free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's interesting. What bugs have you found so far? I cannot recall any of them, at least I'm sure that there are no serious problems. And I'm using all the features - so called "power user".
Most of these items are easily addressed with some tweak or other and some of the issues are carrier compatibility related, so all-in-all it's as stable a ROM as one can possibly expect. A few I've experienced:
- Dropped calls
- SMS not delivered
- Volume too low
- Some applications will not install
- In-call blanking of display; PITA when using VoiceMail
- Poor design for phone security lock; two different ways, should only be one with/without security code
[BEGINSOAPBOX]
I'm Old Sk00l customer service.
I'm of the mindset that a company should not release a product that has not gone through a complete and formal quality assurance process. Further, if there are settings that are known to require tweaking or adjustments, an interface should contain these options to make it easy for the customer to change them.
I've heard every excuse in the book: can't be done, time to market, we'll fix it when the customer finds it, acceptable risk, it's a fault on the <insert partner names here> end of the code, blah blah blah; and quite honestly, I disagree with all of them as the message is the same:
Strive for mediocrity.
Please don't misunderstand my next statement, I welcome sites like XDA (and others) and my involvement here, hopefully proves that. That said, sites like XDA wouldn't be required if companies were more concerned about their customers, less concerned about share-holder dividends, and held the <insert partner names here> accountable for fixing issues promptly.
[/ENDSOAPBOX]
Sorry Doug, didn't mean to hi-jak the thread.
hilaireg said:
Most of these items are easily addressed with some tweak or other and some of the issues are carrier compatibility related, so all-in-all it's as stable a ROM as one can possibly expect. A few I've experienced:
- Dropped calls
- SMS not delivered
- Volume too low
- Some applications will not install
- In-call blanking of display; PITA when using VoiceMail
- Poor design for phone security lock; two different ways, should only be one with/without security code
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first two are radio or carrier related, not ROM's fault. I have had these problems maybe 2 times in several months, but I know exactly who to blame - my carrier. I know that 'cause I work for them , and both times there was a major network overload. You're right about the volume - I've solved that first day I bought Raph, so I forgot it. However, I don't think it's a bug - they did it on purpose so that's the "feature". I think they wanted to avoid possibility of damaging hearing of customers and also distortion.
Regarding last 3 bugs, I have never had problems with installing apps, and I think there were about 1000 programs I've tried so far; I'm not using voice mail; Never had problems with security lock. All in all, this is the most stable (smart)phone I have ever used, and I've used many Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Siemens etc. phones.
No disagreement with the stability statement; and as my previous post indicated ... most issues can be addressed via a workaround (tweak). Just wanted to ensure that Doug was aware that it isn't going to be the perfect ROM either.
Seems like we have a common history for phone usage; I've been with Rogers longer than I've been married, and that's been a LONG time - no disrespect to my significant other, so i've gone through quite a few phones.
@dwmackay:
Bummer dude! After many many days of studying our current set of tools and the way they interact with things, I think there are a number of minor to medium severity issues that need to be addressed, I feel at least one or two of these could be lending help towards making a cooked rom unstable.
I hope to be able to re-code some of these tools soon (time, i wish i had more!)
Much coding is in my future!
Boyz,
Thanks for the replies. Sorry to dump, just a frustrating trip. It seems like a good idea to keep a stock ROM on my storage card. Maybe I'll use NATF 4.7 as my backup ROM. That seems to be the best balance of features and stability.
I realy like 6.5, but I am realy for it to have predicatable behavior.
Da_G,
No extra work on my behalf. You do more than enough for all of us. I greatly appreciate your considerable contribution to this community.
Doug M.
I actually had a similar experience on a work trip (totally my fault). To cut a long story short, be careful about using pim.vol to restore yout pim info. I had pim.vol cooked into my rom, but I flashed a version that was a day or two old. I had new contacts, and instead of backing them up and restoring them with pimbackup, I over-wrote the cooked-in pim.vol with a fresh one from my sd card. Any time I touched the contact tab, it sent manila into a never-ending boot cycle (I did several hard. resets and a re-flash before I realized my error). It took me a while to figure out what I was screwing up, and was really frustrating.
Hello everyone. This is my first post on XDA. I've been lurking for a month or two, and have decided that XDA is the place to be!
I've had my Bolt since April, and like many others I am very frustrated with it. The OTA back in May/June, the one that caused all the random resets, made me start exploring and discovering this thing called 'rooting'. Back then I felt that rooting was a risk I didn't want to take, yet. It reminded me a lot of my Dish Network days, where keeping up with ECM's was an ongoing hell, and I just didn't want to go back there. The OTA after that fixed the resets, and bought some time while I researched rooting.
For the most part, it seems like most of the problems are software related, and the hardware is just being held hostage by crappy coding. BUT, it also seems like most every TBolt owner is on their third device because of hardware issues. I don't want to trade up for a less-than-new device. I did go through an authorized reseller, and bought a year-long, no questions asked warranty, so I can play that card if needed.
My dilemma is that I am ready to root, but if I have bad hardware, I want to return an un-screwed with device. I know that I can unroot, but it would be my luck that it wouldn't go well. And believe me that I considered modding it just to see if it is the hardware or not.
ISSUES: I have various quirky things going on that are obvious software problems, like texts going to the wrong people, butt-dialing (once), CPU lock-ups, erratic scrolling (browsers mostly), software lags, etc.. I think the touch screen, though hardware, is controlled through SenseUI, which has really contributed to my wanting to go with AOSP. The biggest issue I have is with the data connection. I've read a lot of threads on this that have ended in numerous solutions. The most common culprits seem to be the SIM card and the battery cover (idiot design btw). Regardless of whether I am in a good coverage area or not, I have the classic ... 3G..1X..3G..nothing..1X..1X..1X..nothing..3G..nothing..1X..etc. This was really terrible before one of the OTA's, after which it seemed to settle down. I've also experimented with the modem settings, and also the radio settings. CDMA auto PRL works best. Still unsure about the modem settings. Currently I have CDMA only for preferred mode, Enable for Rev A., and Disabled for 1X diversity. I still experiment with these settings, but don't really see much difference. A detailed guide to those settings would be really kick-ass. One day, my phone wouldn't let me make or receive voice calls. Somehow, a setting changed that set it for EVDO only, really strange.
I use Easy-Tether, and have recently been using a Wilson dual-band repeater/amp. I have also found a most excellent app called RF Signal Tracker, which gives me separate RF meters for voice and data, and also shows the state of the SIM card when toggling Airplane mode. I live a little bit out of the city, so I know that serving towers might be causing some headache. With the Wilson, both meters are around -72dbm, which is decent. In town, without the Wilson, it's a little better, around -66dbm. I will stare at this this thing and watch the EVDO meter bottom out at -120dbm and then bounce back. Sometimes it will stay on 1X (for hours probably if I let it), requiring a reboot (or airplane toggle, it varies). Sometimes, while using ET, the signal strength will be awesome, but I get connection errors like it's not even hooked up, or I'll be typing a lengthy post and when submitting I'll get a Connection_Reset error. Sometimes the throughput will blaze (even while streaming), sometimes I'm reaching for a hammer. I have also found that "It works...if i use it," meaning that a data session might start out crappy, but will stabilize. There are times when the data connection is crappy, and rebooting the phone will fix it. And of course, there are many days with no issues at all.
With a hundred different combinations, I can find no rhyme or reason why this handset cannot maintain a data connection with consistency. I'm leaning toward software, but I still can't tell. Others with this problem had their SIM card replaced, which worked, but maybe it was just the battery cover. Is there a fool-proof test I can do that will troubleshoot this? Another possibility might be Big Red Brother compelling me to buy a Nexus.
And: 2.2.1
BB: 1.39.00.0627r
K: 2.6.32.21-g0606a3a
Build: 1.70.605.0
Pete said:
Hello everyone. This is my first post on XDA. I've been lurking for a month or two, and have decided that XDA is the place to be!
I've had my Bolt since April, and like many others I am very frustrated with it. The OTA back in May/June, the one that caused all the random resets, made me start exploring and discovering this thing called 'rooting'. Back then I felt that rooting was a risk I didn't want to take, yet. It reminded me a lot of my Dish Network days, where keeping up with ECM's was an ongoing hell, and I just didn't want to go back there. The OTA after that fixed the resets, and bought some time while I researched rooting.
For the most part, it seems like most of the problems are software related, and the hardware is just being held hostage by crappy coding. BUT, it also seems like most every TBolt owner is on their third device because of hardware issues. I don't want to trade up for a less-than-new device. I did go through an authorized reseller, and bought a year-long, no questions asked warranty, so I can play that card if needed.
My dilemma is that I am ready to root, but if I have bad hardware, I want to return an un-screwed with device. I know that I can unroot, but it would be my luck that it wouldn't go well. And believe me that I considered modding it just to see if it is the hardware or not.
ISSUES: I have various quirky things going on that are obvious software problems, like texts going to the wrong people, butt-dialing (once), CPU lock-ups, erratic scrolling (browsers mostly), software lags, etc.. I think the touch screen, though hardware, is controlled through SenseUI, which has really contributed to my wanting to go with AOSP. The biggest issue I have is with the data connection. I've read a lot of threads on this that have ended in numerous solutions. The most common culprits seem to be the SIM card and the battery cover (idiot design btw). Regardless of whether I am in a good coverage area or not, I have the classic ... 3G..1X..3G..nothing..1X..1X..1X..nothing..3G..nothing..1X..etc. This was really terrible before one of the OTA's, after which it seemed to settle down. I've also experimented with the modem settings, and also the radio settings. CDMA auto PRL works best. Still unsure about the modem settings. Currently I have CDMA only for preferred mode, Enable for Rev A., and Disabled for 1X diversity. I still experiment with these settings, but don't really see much difference. A detailed guide to those settings would be really kick-ass. One day, my phone wouldn't let me make or receive voice calls. Somehow, a setting changed that set it for EVDO only, really strange.
I use Easy-Tether, and have recently been using a Wilson dual-band repeater/amp. I have also found a most excellent app called RF Signal Tracker, which gives me separate RF meters for voice and data, and also shows the state of the SIM card when toggling Airplane mode. I live a little bit out of the city, so I know that serving towers might be causing some headache. With the Wilson, both meters are around -72dbm, which is decent. In town, without the Wilson, it's a little better, around -66dbm. I will stare at this this thing and watch the EVDO meter bottom out at -120dbm and then bounce back. Sometimes it will stay on 1X (for hours probably if I let it), requiring a reboot (or airplane toggle, it varies). Sometimes, while using ET, the signal strength will be awesome, but I get connection errors like it's not even hooked up, or I'll be typing a lengthy post and when submitting I'll get a Connection_Reset error. Sometimes the throughput will blaze (even while streaming), sometimes I'm reaching for a hammer. I have also found that "It works...if i use it," meaning that a data session might start out crappy, but will stabilize. There are times when the data connection is crappy, and rebooting the phone will fix it. And of course, there are many days with no issues at all.
With a hundred different combinations, I can find no rhyme or reason why this handset cannot maintain a data connection with consistency. I'm leaning toward software, but I still can't tell. Others with this problem had their SIM card replaced, which worked, but maybe it was just the battery cover. Is there a fool-proof test I can do that will troubleshoot this? Another possibility might be Big Red Brother compelling me to buy a Nexus.
And: 2.2.1
BB: 1.39.00.0627r
K: 2.6.32.21-g0606a3a
Build: 1.70.605.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to research cellular technology. All the signal amps in the world aren't going to make for a stable lte signal unless they're smart enough to unpack the packets and lie about transmission data. That said, pretty much all your issues sound software related. Some of what you call hardware problems cannot be randomly duplicated by hardware failure or even accurately diagnosed without some knowledge and experience. Restoring to stock is easy and quite reliable. Some do it once or twice a week. I have guides in my thread.
Thank you for the response. I confirmed that it was software. I took it to the reseller and found out that even though I took two OTAs this year, the radio never updated, and was still on the original from the release. I'm at 2.3.4 now, with a stable radio. Feeling like I'll take that plunge, now that I know the hardware is good.
BB: 1.48.00.0906w_1, 0.01.78.0906w_2
K: 2.6.35.10
Build: 2.11.605.5
1.) Has anyone with the "Bluetooth Problem" rooted their phone and found that it fixed the BT issue.
2.) Did the first OTA cause the BT problem on the Amaze.
I bought my HTC Amaze in January 2012. I didn't have my access to my Plantronic headsets at the time. Before I was able to test the Bluetooth on my Amaze, the first OTA came out. I did the update and all was good. Then my headsets came in and I tried them all (3 total -Voyager Pro HD and Explorer.) The range with the Voyager and Explorer was about 1-2 Ft. I basically had to hold the handset next to the Bluetooth headset. The Explorer had a better reception, but both headsets were distorted with the sound of static and would drop connection with a mere turn of the head. After ICS I now get about 8-10 Ft. with lots of static at anything over 3 feet.
My HD2 running CyanogenMod 7 still gets 30 ft. line of sight. And 15-20 through doors and walls.... I guess I'm spoiled.
Thanks for any answers guys.
Nope. Mine works. I have a jawbone prime. No issues with connection.
Sent From My HTC Amaze 4G Via Someone's Room
Maybe there's an issue with your BT antenna? It could be something as similar to the wifi fix (where you add a small piece of aluminum foil to the back of your case where the antenna is).
I have spent alot of time on the T-mo forum in the last few months. For the most part there seems to be a BT issue with at least "some" of the phones. When I updated to ICS the BT did without question get better. Not great.. but marked improvement. The fact that ICS made it better, along with a few posters stating that their phones BT worked fine prior to the first OTA but went bad after the update, led me to believe that the problem may be software related ...ergo the first OTA. The other people that are having this problem also saw a difference when they too updated to ICS.
One update "allegedly" messed up BT on the phone (some anyway) and another made the BT problem better. Strange....
hasoon2000 and kered424 are you guys running stock ROMs? I haven't rooted a custom ROM up to this point because I wasn't sure if it would actually fix the problem. That is why I was seeking a confimation or denial that rooting the phone would fix the problem. My dilemma is returning the phone. I have not unlocked the phone...but I did do the "Leaked ICS." But that is off topic...
I've been running stock for the longest time, but recently switched to NRG's stock-look rom. I've never had an issue with bluetooth (gb, ics, or nrg). When I was running stock, I was rooted, but I doubt rooting will fix your problem.
kered424 said:
I've been running stock for the longest time, but recently switched to NRG's stock-look rom. I've never had an issue with bluetooth (gb, ics, or nrg). When I was running stock, I was rooted, but I doubt rooting will fix your problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for you reply kered424.
I guess what I am really looking for is someone that actually recognized they had the problem and notice a change when rooting a custom ROM onto the phone. I may not find that person here...most people here root without need. I'm all about rooting...I have an HD2 that I still root (my digitizer just went out.) I just do not want to go through the hassle of rooting only to find out that it was the hardware and not the software. I would not even post about this and root the phone...if it were not for the marked impovement when I updated to "Leaked ICS."
It leaves me going: "Hardware?..software?...hardware?...software?"
From your description, it sounds like hardware. Have you tried the aluminum foil trick? That's the only thing I can think of.
Solution to Amaze 4G Bluetooth Issues. Possibly.
I've been reading XDA forums and modding my phones for years and now and at last I may actually have a contribution to make.
Alright all of you suffering with this enormous Bluetooth problem on the Amaze 4G that HTC pretty much refuses to acknowledge or address.
I too purchased an Amaze a couple months ago and was quite satisfied with its overall performance. That is until I received a Bluetooth ipad game controller and set of S9-HD Bluetooth headphones for my birthday. Then the nightmare began. Constant signal loss. If I were trying to text someone the sound would cut out on every key press. The ipad game controller would lose connection before getting through level one on Metal Slug Three played with NEO.emu (an awesome app by the way for its support of that controller). The in call signal quality was terrible and this was after trying multiple headsets. I read about a foil trick to correct this problem but never once found a tutorial on how to do it and the Bluetooth antenna prongs often spoke of were never actually pointed out anywhere. I looked all night for a diagram that would indicate which ones they are. I am guessing the they are the ones on the upper left. Not the top two immediately above the camera. If I am mistaken please make haste to correct me as it will determine the solution I detail. I had to guess I could find no real confirmation of this as they are both top left. Would someone send me a picture of the actual phone with the backing taken off and indicate which leads are to the Bluetooth antenna? As soon as I can confirm this I will post the fix.
I design and repair custom PC's in my free time for the elderly, disabled, and low income and I used that background to do a little experimenting the result was two more 4G bars in my basement and the the headset cutting out once during a three paragraph text. In game sounds were flawless and in call performance was perfect without a single cut out of signal.
As soon as someone discloses where those actual Bluetooth prongs are. I will post the how to and materials needed to perform this very successful solution. Not a 100% but 90% which is certainly better than the 20% us Amaze users have been putting up with.
I'd also like to thank all the developers for all knowledge and effort that goes into making all the cool enhancements and themes I had on my old HD2 and am now leaning how to apply on the Amaze. Hours of fun. You are all very much appreciated and Keep people like me learning new things.
Oh, I am running NRG's latest Aug 6, 2012 ICS Themed ROM release for the Amaze, Stock Kernel, 4EXT (the best!) S-ON, (Bricked my first Amaze with S-OFF).
As soon as I get confirmation of the antenna location and do a little more testing I will post the fix right here (next week or two). I don't want to look like an idiot or give misinformation if I have it incorrect or cause any damagage to anyones phone.
You are right...I could not find anything showing a diagram or pic of where the antenna is/are located. Hopefully somone will provide you with something. Have tried emailing HTC and outright asking for a diagram?
BlackeyedBandit said:
I've been reading XDA forums and modding my phones for years and now and at last I may actually have a contribution to make.
Alright all of you suffering with this enormous Bluetooth problem on the Amaze 4G that HTC pretty much refuses to acknowledge or address.
I too purchased an Amaze a couple months ago and was quite satisfied with its overall performance. That is until I received a Bluetooth ipad game controller and set of S9-HD Bluetooth headphones for my birthday. Then the nightmare began. Constant signal loss. If I were trying to text someone the sound would cut out on every key press. The ipad game controller would lose connection before getting through level one on Metal Slug Three played with NEO.emu (an awesome app by the way for its support of that controller). The in call signal quality was terrible and this was after trying multiple headsets. I read about a foil trick to correct this problem but never once found a tutorial on how to do it and the Bluetooth antenna prongs often spoke of were never actually pointed out anywhere. I looked all night for a diagram that would indicate which ones they are. I am guessing the they are the ones on the upper left. Not the top two immediately above the camera. If I am mistaken please make haste to correct me as it will determine the solution I detail. I had to guess I could find no real confirmation of this as they are both top left. Would someone send me a picture of the actual phone with the backing taken off and indicate which leads are to the Bluetooth antenna? As soon as I can confirm this I will post the fix.
I design and repair custom PC's in my free time for the elderly, disabled, and low income and I used that background to do a little experimenting the result was two more 4G bars in my basement and the the headset cutting out once during a three paragraph text. In game sounds were flawless and in call performance was perfect without a single cut out of signal.
As soon as someone discloses where those actual Bluetooth prongs are. I will post the how to and materials needed to perform this very successful solution. Not a 100% but 90% which is certainly better than the 20% us Amaze users have been putting up with.
I'd also like to thank all the developers for all knowledge and effort that goes into making all the cool enhancements and themes I had on my old HD2 and am now leaning how to apply on the Amaze. Hours of fun. You are all very much appreciated and Keep people like me learning new things.
Oh, I am running NRG's latest Aug 6, 2012 ICS Themed ROM release for the Amaze, Stock Kernel, 4EXT (the best!) S-ON, (Bricked my first Amaze with S-OFF).
As soon as I get confirmation of the antenna location and do a little more testing I will post the fix right here (next week or two). I don't want to look like an idiot or give misinformation if I have it incorrect or cause any damagage to anyones phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still Still No Adequate Solution to Amaze 4G Bluetooth Issues.
badgerdave said:
You are right...I could not find anything showing a diagram or pic of where the antenna is/are located. Hopefully somone will provide you with something. Have tried emailing HTC and outright asking for a diagram?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too. I asked them for a service manual as I am a PC technician to let me figure it out but just like Toshiba laptops. Not a chance.
Update: Unfortunately my Bluetooth antenna mod/fix seems to only have solved the connectivity issue indoors as my headset still cuts out every few seconds outside and drops calls like crazy. I feel as though we've all been suckered by HTC as they will neither let us exchange for a smartphone that works properly or provide a solution to those of us who purchased this factory defective off the shelf phone.
I will still continue my efforts to find a way to enhance the antenna but I will probably never buy anything from HTC again seeing as how they've chosen to not deal with and dodge this widespread problem. T-mobile is no longer selling the Amaze that was the Sales person's response when I told them they were selling a defective product today at one of their stores, However, on the T-mobile website they are giving them away for free with new contracts. Those poor unfortunates that take them up on that offer who know no better.
I am going to demand a refund from either T-mobile or HTC but I doubt I will get one.
The salesman at T-mobile said "Nothing beats a wired headset." jerk!
Again I am sorry for jumping the gun but I was certain I had made a significant breakthrough in solving the Bluetooth problem on the Amaze.
BlackeyedBandit: I once read that the very first OTA is what messed up the Bluetooth on the Amaze. Unfortunately I am unable to comfirm this, or deny it. When I purchased my Amaze in Janaury 2012 my BT devices were being shipped to me. Before these devices got to me, my Amaze prompted me to do an update. I did it. When my BT devices arrived none of them had a range of more than 1-3 Ft. without static and/or terminated BT connection. When the ICS update came out the range increased to about 8-10 Ft.
I want to revert back the ROM that was first released to see if in fact it is better. But....I don't want to go through all those changes to find out it doesn't work any better. My phone is still completely stock...because I want to be able to return it soon. I love the phone and only want the BT to work in a manner that I have become accustomed to with HTC products. And to get the video stereo sound quality fixed too.
This is my second HTC device. The first was the HD2. It was a nightmare with WinMo 6.5 on it. I returned that thing 5 times and never got one that worked right. I eventually...with the help of xda members and others, learned the art of rooting. Once I got that down and rooted Andriod onto it, I was in love. I thought that even with all it's faults, HTC made an awesome device. I just needed to figure out how to "tune it up."
So I believed that the Amaze would be super awesome and looked forward to getting it. I feel let down because BT is a must for me. I'm not sure I will buy another HTC product either. This is the second time I have been burned.
BlackeyedBandit said:
Me too. I asked them for a service manual as I am a PC technician to let me figure it out but just like Toshiba laptops. Not a chance.
Update: Unfortunately my Bluetooth antenna mod/fix seems to only have solved the connectivity issue indoors as my headset still cuts out every few seconds outside and drops calls like crazy. I feel as though we've all been suckered by HTC as they will neither let us exchange for a smartphone that works properly or provide a solution to those of us who purchased this factory defective off the shelf phone.
I will still continue my efforts to find a way to enhance the antenna but I will probably never buy anything from HTC again seeing as how they've chosen to not deal with and dodge this widespread problem. T-mobile is no longer selling the Amaze that was the Sales person's response when I told them they were selling a defective product today at one of their stores, However, on the T-mobile website they are giving them away for free with new contracts. Those poor unfortunates that take them up on that offer who know no better.
I am going to demand a refund from either T-mobile or HTC but I doubt I will get one.
The salesman at T-mobile said "Nothing beats a wired headset." jerk!
Again I am sorry for jumping the gun but I was certain I had made a significant breakthrough in solving the Bluetooth problem on the Amaze.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This Piece of S was offered as a replacement to FIVE HTC Sensations, followed by a Samsung Galaxy S Blaze?, followed by THREE HTC Amazes...all in 11 months. WiFi doesn't work right. Bluetooth is practically useless on the Amaze, and worse when combined with WiFi. I've used it with three different high-end Bluetooth devices (Plantronics (best-I forget the name), Samsung's best, and the Motorola Sliver Elite. All work find with friends' phones when I've tried to troubleshoot. I've used several WiFi routers, access points, repeaters,etc...still the signals fluctuate, the sound warbles, and the calls get disconnected.
I have LITERALLY spent 49:25 hours on the phone with T-Mobile, and 16:30 hours on the phone with HTC. There has been no resolution. T-Mobile...offered...me...the option (get this...) to pay MORE money and get a different phone. I've spent countless hours on websites (I'm a software developer and systems integrator, so I know my way around) and was unable to get anything working. I've had to hold the phone...in my hand...about 1-2ft from my Bluetooth devices to get them to work at all.
The device is FULL of known issues. Bluetooth & WiFi being the only ones about which I care.
I've also gone back to the T-Mobile store twice (which dialing 611 or the 800-number tells you not to do...but after the HTC Sensation, and then the HTC Amaze issues, I had to choice but to go to the face-to-face supervisors and beg for help.) The first supervisor left T-Mobile and the second one "Jodi" was INCREDIBLY rude to me.
T-Mobile's 611/800-number "customer service" has three times not documented anything - and I was on the phone for 1:30 hours/each.
notperse said:
This Piece of S was offered as a replacement to FIVE HTC Sensations, followed by a Samsung Galaxy S Blaze?, followed by THREE HTC Amazes...all in 11 months. WiFi doesn't work right. Bluetooth is practically useless on the Amaze, and worse when combined with WiFi. I've used it with three different high-end Bluetooth devices (Plantronics (best-I forget the name), Samsung's best, and the Motorola Sliver Elite. All work find with friends' phones when I've tried to troubleshoot. I've used several WiFi routers, access points, repeaters,etc...still the signals fluctuate, the sound warbles, and the calls get disconnected.
I have LITERALLY spent 49:25 hours on the phone with T-Mobile, and 16:30 hours on the phone with HTC. There has been no resolution. T-Mobile...offered...me...the option (get this...) to pay MORE money and get a different phone. I've spent countless hours on websites (I'm a software developer and systems integrator, so I know my way around) and was unable to get anything working. I've had to hold the phone...in my hand...about 1-2ft from my Bluetooth devices to get them to work at all.
The device is FULL of known issues. Bluetooth & WiFi being the only ones about which I care.
I've also gone back to the T-Mobile store twice (which dialing 611 or the 800-number tells you not to do...but after the HTC Sensation, and then the HTC Amaze issues, I had to choice but to go to the face-to-face supervisors and beg for help.) The first supervisor left T-Mobile and the second one "Jodi" was INCREDIBLY rude to me.
T-Mobile's 611/800-number "customer service" has three times not documented anything - and I was on the phone for 1:30 hours/each.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro I think you have been extremely unlucky with the amaze. Although it does have some issues (capacitative light bleed, camera flash bleed, lower battery life than one would like, and slow development) most of these have been overcome to a great extent. If you are using a case you will have WiFi issues and possibly Bluetooth (I had WiFi issues with cover on, no BT issues) but that's fixible with a silver cigarette foil (or gold as well Iguess) placed in the battery back cover right beside the camera hole in the cover.
BlackeyedBandit said:
I've been reading XDA forums and modding my phones for years and now and at last I may actually have a contribution to make.
Alright all of you suffering with this enormous Bluetooth problem on the Amaze 4G that HTC pretty much refuses to acknowledge or address.
I too purchased an Amaze a couple months ago and was quite satisfied with its overall performance. That is until I received a Bluetooth ipad game controller and set of S9-HD Bluetooth headphones for my birthday. Then the nightmare began. Constant signal loss. If I were trying to text someone the sound would cut out on every key press. The ipad game controller would lose connection before getting through level one on Metal Slug Three played with NEO.emu (an awesome app by the way for its support of that controller). The in call signal quality was terrible and this was after trying multiple headsets. I read about a foil trick to correct this problem but never once found a tutorial on how to do it and the Bluetooth antenna prongs often spoke of were never actually pointed out anywhere. I looked all night for a diagram that would indicate which ones they are. I am guessing the they are the ones on the upper left. Not the top two immediately above the camera. If I am mistaken please make haste to correct me as it will determine the solution I detail. I had to guess I could find no real confirmation of this as they are both top left. Would someone send me a picture of the actual phone with the backing taken off and indicate which leads are to the Bluetooth antenna? As soon as I can confirm this I will post the fix.
I design and repair custom PC's in my free time for the elderly, disabled, and low income and I used that background to do a little experimenting the result was two more 4G bars in my basement and the the headset cutting out once during a three paragraph text. In game sounds were flawless and in call performance was perfect without a single cut out of signal.
As soon as someone discloses where those actual Bluetooth prongs are. I will post the how to and materials needed to perform this very successful solution. Not a 100% but 90% which is certainly better than the 20% us Amaze users have been putting up with.
I'd also like to thank all the developers for all knowledge and effort that goes into making all the cool enhancements and themes I had on my old HD2 and am now leaning how to apply on the Amaze. Hours of fun. You are all very much appreciated and Keep people like me learning new things.
Oh, I am running NRG's latest Aug 6, 2012 ICS Themed ROM release for the Amaze, Stock Kernel, 4EXT (the best!) S-ON, (Bricked my first Amaze with S-OFF).
As soon as I get confirmation of the antenna location and do a little more testing I will post the fix right here (next week or two). I don't want to look like an idiot or give misinformation if I have it incorrect or cause any damagage to anyones phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too have the bluetooth connectivity issues. The only reference I could find to an "aluminum foil fix" was actually wifi antenna related. However, the thumbnail image is in this post by darll, 15th November 2011: (Wifi signal affected by phone case) in the Amaze 4g General forum.
BT MAC addresss
hasoon2000 said:
Nope. Mine works. I have a jawbone prime. No issues with connection.
Sent From My HTC Amaze 4G Via Someone's Room
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where does the bluetooth get it's MAC address from? (the one under settings/ about/hardware info/ bluetooth address)
chevycowboyusa said:
Where does the bluetooth get it's MAC address from? (the one under settings/ about/hardware info/ bluetooth address)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is on the chip, but I'm not certain. It could also be programmed into the part of the phone firmware that is not touched when flashing.
I also want to report that I've had no issues with BT connectivity, and I have connected with about 8 headsets / handsfree over the past year.
My Amaze can get into a problem state with the BT, where the phone does not acknowledge a change in BT from off to on or vice versa. When this happens the phone starts to overheat, and I have to power completely down, and then power on again - at which point it will show the actual BT status. I've been on NRG almost from the start, so I don't know if this is a hardware issue or a ROM issue. I haven't had it happen in a while - I'm now more careful about turning on the BT (the problem seemed to happen when I was accidentally hitting the switch twice). Since I know how to avoid it, I haven't pursued any fixes.
Have you tried replacing the back cover? That seems like the most probable fix.
bluetooth
bluetooth problems?!
Hi, I have a rooted and s-off amaze with nightmare rom. everything is working but bluetooth. I can turn it on and switch to visibility but the problem is it can not find any devices and also it can not be found by others. I flashed some kernels but it did not work. please if u know a kernel that fixes bluetooth i can try it. thanks
BT
artur-x said:
bluetooth problems?!
Hi, I have a rooted and s-off amaze with nightmare rom. everything is working but bluetooth. I can turn it on and switch to visibility but the problem is it can not find any devices and also it can not be found by others. I flashed some kernels but it did not work. please if u know a kernel that fixes bluetooth i can try it. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This have anything to do with it?:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=54112028&postcount=6
I have a SM G900H (that's what the sticker inside says) that was an e-bay purchase from a Hong Kong seller. I have had a couple of small problems using it, but recently it has started getting worse so I want to try to flash another ROM. The problem now is, after trying to find out more about the phone I'm not sure exactly what hardware I have. Is there a PC utility that can "investigate" my phone, and tell me what exactly I have ?
Flash with Official Firmware
gafflad said:
I have a SM G900H (that's what the sticker inside says) that was an e-bay purchase from a Hong Kong seller. I have had a couple of small problems using it, but recently it has started getting worse so I want to try to flash another ROM. The problem now is, after trying to find out more about the phone I'm not sure exactly what hardware I have. Is there a PC utility that can "investigate" my phone, and tell me what exactly I have ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please mention the types of problems you are facing. G900H is the International Exynos model. I have the same phone.
The ROM development for G900H is slow for some odd reason. To fix issues you are facing, which may be software related, I'd suggest you download and flash the official firmware.
Thank you for replying. I have had problems sometime with charging, the screenbegins to fade and if I'm too slow to respond by disconnecting the phonewill not turn on for a couple of hours. Some apps do not appear to work but iI think that the problem there is related to GPS issues. My GPS is rubbish. When I get to another device later I can state what shows as the model on Bluetooth. I can only remember the beginning which is ALPS. I would like to consider flashing a new ROM but I'm trying to discover what exactly I have inside so that I install the correct ROM for the phone. I have requested information from the eBAY seller but had no response.
Thank you again. More details later.
Apologies for not responding sooner, recent personal issues had taken priority and I've since become accustomed to some of the peculiarities of this phone. The issue I've had with charging (see above) could probably be explained away with a suspect charge cable/connector, as since then I have replaced the cable and secured it for my own personal use. Where the maps are concerned (including sat-nav) the GPS leaves a lot to be desired, in some instances it would appear to be up to a half-mile wrong. This also affects another APP that I cannot use for work purposes (OMNICOM'S Track Locater) that defines my location to help me establish if I'm within a "safe" area. Another APP I still cannot use is a reader of the new QR codes, that relies on the camera function and not the GPS though. I also keep getting notified that "the Galaxy Note 3 widget has stopped working". I have no idea what that means to me, or what it does for this phone. I'm glad that I've now found someone else with this phone, I was beginning to think that it was unique. I include this screen shot taken from the "about" section of the phone, maybe this build has been improved.
Is anyone else experiencing GPS dropouts while tracking running or walking in the S Health app? I continue to see the tracking/GPS icon in the upper left throughout the run regardless so I have no way of knowing if it has stopped tracking while running. It apppears to happen about 1 out of every 3 times.
I've been using it daily for the last two weeks and have had no dropouts
I guess i'll try a factory reset and see if that helps. Thanks for the input. By the way, im not running under anything that should interfere with it accept a divided interstate overpass, but it has never dropped at that particular spot.
Factory reset failed to fix the problem. Guess I'll have to talk to t-mobile or samsung unless anyone else has a suggestion.
I realized today that the GPS symbol is solid when it is working in the s-health app and flashing when it has lost connection. I'll have to research to see if I can get it to 'reconnect' mid run. Even so, it is still a huge inconvenience as I would have to check it constantly throughout the run.
can the gear s use GPS without sim inside and not connected to bluetooth phone?
I had huge problems and it took forever to get GPS signal even locked in after the last updates to Gear Mgr and GearS. In my case, something happened to my phone's GPS and I can no longer connect the two without rapid battery drain. As long as my Gear S is completely disconnected (BT and remotely) from my Note, I have zero GPS issues on my Gear S.
Now that I am thinking of it, I think Gear Mgr may have killed my Note 2's GPS. I'll try to deinstall and see what happens. May just be coincidence that everything happened around the same time.
I have bt disabled when on runs, but it is connected remotely to my phone via gear manager. I haven't tried it with everything disabled (accept location). Maybe I'll give that a try tomorrow.
I did call t-mobile and ordered a warranty replacement. Samsung would have 'fixed' it but I would have been without it for who knows how long.
Nope. Turning off all connectivity did not resolve the gps issue. Guess im waiting on the tmo replacement to see if that resolves it.
The gps is internal hardware on the Gear S. I haven't actually removed the SIM card but I have disabled mobile networks and it still works. Well, partially in my case.
Today, as a test, i removed the SIM and set airplane mode on, disabled mobile networks and bt. The gps tracked my entire run. I have to do at least three more sessions to determine if it fixed the dropout issue, but it confirms that the gps can run entirely independet of cellular/data networks and paired devices.
The GPS has worked three times in a row since removing the SIM card and enabling airplane mode. This tells me that there is some kind of software glitch that is interfering with the GPS when these other services are enabled. My replacement is supposed to arrive today and I plan to do some side by side tests with it to gather more information on GPS performance.
So the replacement arrived yesterday. It was just the watch, no band or accessories. I don't know why I was hoping there would be more. (maybe to have an extra charger) but i digress.
This mornings run with the new device 'all on' (meaning SIM inserted, 4G connected and remotely connected to phone) still using the internal gps though, tracked the entire run. I did notice the GPS symbol had gone away about half way through so figured it had dropped again. But when I stopped the run, the readings were in line with a full tracking and syncing with S-Health (on the Note Edge) showed that it did indeed track the entire run.
Now there are two more issues that need to be resolved before this can be settled as a defective original software/device. First, I have to do a couple more runs. Second, and probably more telling from what some other people have mentioned, is the software update that is available. I haven't installed it yet for this very reason. So, a couple more days and Ill have this figured out.
BUT, that being said, the issue with the original device was a SOFTWARE issue proven by the fact that if I removed the SIM and disabled all comms except gps, it worked every time.
Im not sure that I will install the update though, if the gps is working properly. That would just break it again. I'll wait to see if a future update claims to fix the problem. Knowing how Samsung responds to issues/functionality requests, I wont be holding my breath. The last update was pretty much worthless anyway.
Confirmed, the most recent software update is what is causing the gps to malfunction.
It's Official, Samsung Support SUCKS!
Here is my fairly detailed support/bug report communication with Samsung and their less than worthless response. They basically ignored my troubleshooting information, brushed off the S Health metrics issue and completely ignored the fact that I had suggestions as well. Not to mention their response was worded like spam from somewhere in Asia. Paraphrasing someones issue is not the same thing as addressing the issue. Pointing out the benefits of an update that makes the operation of the device unreliable does not make the update any better. Pointing out that no one has reported the issue when I just have is ignorant. They are lazy and do not want to do anything to make their product better or more reliable. Just another faceless corporation.
Samsung,
This is a technical bug I am reporting related to your recent update for the Gear S (T-Mobile US version SM-R750T). This bug is related to the GPS hardware.
My first Gear S device appeared to work fine while tracking walks and runs using the internal GPS until I received the recent update. (At first I didn't realize it was the update that caused the problem since it came out very soon after I got the device). However, through trouble shooting and obtaining a replacement device from T-Mobile I have been able to confirm that the issue is with the software update.
Please see the attached images for further clarification. After the update, the GPS would drop its connection approximately one out of every three runs I would track. When this would happen, the distance logged by S-Health as well as the calories burned would nearly double. A factory reset did not seem to resolve the issue (but I may have re-installed the update, or it could have been hardcoded into the device once installed, I am not sure of that). What did get it working however, was removing the SIM card and disabling all communications except GPS. Then it would track continuously without failing.
So I got a replacement from T-Mobile and DID NOT install the available update and that replacement device has been working flawlessly since with all comms functioning normally and the Gear S paired remotely to my Note Edge.
So two issues:
1) Software update 'breaks' GPS when Gear S is also connected to mobile networks or paired remotely to a device.
2) S-Health severely over-estimates distances and calories burned when GPS is not being used to track the activity.
This issue can be found on the following developers site where I have documented my activities:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gear-s/help/gps-dropping-t3065107
Here you can see that others have experienced the same issue.
Thank you for your time and I sincerely hope you address these issues in the next update as well as some further recommendations for functionality that I have listed below.
Functionality updates:
Operating System (Tizen)
Add communication (BT, WIFI) toggles to the status drop down.
S-Health
Add personalized workouts to S-Health like weightlifting, just like you can add custom food items.
Add data export feature
Add additional ways of viewing and comparing the data (customizable graphs) so that certain vectors can be compared over time such as time of run, average pace etc.
________________________________________
Dear Timothy,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us at Samsung Technical Support. We always appreciate hearing from our customers.
I see that you would like to report the technical bug reported after the recent update to us.
We haven’t received any attachments along with this email. You would like to inform us that after the update the GPS drops its connection approximately one out of every three runs. When this happen the distance logged by the S –Health and the calories burned will be nearly doubled and you attempted a Factory Reset in-order to resolve the issue.
I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Updating the product will bring positive changes to the device. The new features after the update are as follows. This device operates on Software Version R750TUVU1AOA7.
•Preloaded Stopwatch and Timer
•New icon glossary - Viewed under Settings > Gear Info > Icon Glossary
•DST timer fix for Arizona State
Samsung do not recommend or fully agree to the information shared on non Samsung websites.
As you are experiencing issues with the device, we need to check if the issue is in all the locations or only in a dedicated location. Unfortunately, as the device is replaced and we cannot troubleshoot the device currently.
Honstetly, as of now there are no reported issues after the device is being updated to Tizen.
I appreciate your time.
Should you desire additional assistance, we invite you to access the web-link http://www.samsung.com/us/support/contact to speak to a Chat Specialist. Our technicians are more than happy to assist you further. Chat Support is available 24X7.
For additional support and updates regarding your product, please follow us at @SamsungSupport on Twitter or like our page at https://www.facebook.com/samsungsupport.
Thank you for choosing Samsung products.
If you have a minute, please fill out a brief survey to help us serve you better. To begin the survey, click on the “Start Survey Here” link at the bottom of this email. Please note that you can access the survey page only when the pop-up blocker is disabled in the browser.
Sincerely,
Verlin.
I installed the update on my replacement device and the GPS is working properly on this new device.
illdill said:
I installed the update on my replacement device and the GPS is working properly on this new device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i lock gps on gear s for 30 minute ...... fuuuccckkkk samsung