Over the last few days my out of warranty Samsung Galaxy S3 16GB has been freezing and rebooting all by itself. This morning the incidences got more frequent until it shut down and won't reboot.
I plugged it into the wall charger but no joy, no charging lights etc...
I left the battery out for five minutes, put it back in but it's still dead.
Took it to a store and tried a brand new battery. Still dead.
Going online, I see that many people have been having freezing/rebooting issues, followed by dead S3's.
I've tried a few old wives tricks I found online. None of them work.
Online research shows heaps of people have had this problem, something to do with the motherboard.
So I went on Ebay looking for a replacement motherboard. I have questions.
1. My phone was bought in New Zealand, to run on the 2 degrees 3/4G network. If I swap to another NZ network sim it will work.
Does this mean I have an unlocked phone? So do I have to buy an unlocked motherboard or can I buy an ex Verizon, Sprint etc.... motherboard?
2. Heaps of the motherboards advertised have 'bad esn'. what does that mean and can it be easily fixed?
3. Is there anything else I should know?
lime&soda said:
Over the last few days my out of warranty Samsung Galaxy S3 16GB has been freezing and rebooting all by itself. This morning the incidences got more frequent until it shut down and won't reboot.
I plugged it into the wall charger but no joy, no charging lights etc...
I left the battery out for five minutes, put it back in but it's still dead.
Took it to a store and tried a brand new battery. Still dead.
Going online, I see that many people have been having freezing/rebooting issues, followed by dead S3's.
I've tried a few old wives tricks I found online. None of them work.
Online research shows heaps of people have had this problem, something to do with the motherboard.
So I went on Ebay looking for a replacement motherboard. I have questions.
1. My phone was bought in New Zealand, to run on the 2 degrees 3/4G network. If I swap to another NZ network sim it will work.
Does this mean I have an unlocked phone? So do I have to buy an unlocked motherboard or can I buy an ex Verizon, Sprint etc.... motherboard?
2. Heaps of the motherboards advertised have 'bad esn'. what does that mean and can it be easily fixed?
3. Is there anything else I should know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read all the sudden death threads we have here.
You should also be very specific about the exact model you have.
Related
Hi People,
Recently I have had loads of low or no signal at all issues. This seems to have happened after a HD2 binge of 4 hours while the phone was on charge.
I have tried flashing several roms and radios but no luck. Have now reverted back to stock with little success.
Any ideas of where I could buy a new antenna? Or any suggestions?
Thanks
Can you not send it in for repair? Surley they wouldnt charge you as its their problem.
Wish I could!
I replaced the LCD myself, which meant the warranty stickers are gone, i tried to save them but it ripped when i took it off. Im pretty sure they would pick up on it.
OK so my friend dropped her sgs 2 today. Now the screen won't work
It won't power on and can't access download and recovery modes. Would a USB jig help at all or is she a paperwieght?
Didn't think that it might be because the screen is dead?
Sent from my GT-P7510
thteddieboii said:
OK so my friend dropped her sgs 2 today. Now the screen won't work
It won't power on and can't access download and recovery modes. Would a USB jig help at all or is she a paperwieght?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if the screen is not working, it can be replaced.. jig would not help if the problem is with the screen..still the phone is under warranty?
Swyped from: GT-I9100
Sent using: XDA Premium App
Thanks guys
Thinking it might be the screen cause it does warm up when it charges..
Guess its not the screen! Doesnt make any sounds whatsoever.. just heats up during charging thats it.. can i save this phone or is she dead? picking it up today or tommorow to see if i can fix it.
cheers for helping guys xD.
Same issue from a lend out phone at JB Hifi
Having the same issue only the phone is a spare lend out phone from JB Hifi while my SGS2 i9100T, which I purchased about a week ago brand new, is in for a screen assessment (bad blue tint) just so I can get a refund. I powered up the lend out phone no problems, worked for a while then stopped working, won't power up or anything. Download, recovery, usb jig, battery out 5 mins, battery charged seperately in charger, phone is dead.
Shame on you JB Hifi Canberra!
Shades of **** Smith's new *coughsReturneDcoughs* external hard drives
Wish I had a fix for you Unfortunately, given it's a loan phone, you're a bit limited so far as flashing something else goes (I wouldn't risk it, put it that way).
Slither2006 said:
Having the same issue only the phone is a spare lend out phone from JB Hifi while my SGS2 i9100T, which I purchased about a week ago brand new, is in for a screen assessment (bad blue tint) just so I can get a refund. I powered up the lend out phone no problems, worked for a while then stopped working, won't power up or anything. Download, recovery, usb jig, battery out 5 mins, battery charged seperately in charger, phone is dead.
Shame on you JB Hifi Canberra!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be a problem with a faulty SD card - Remove it and try and switch on.
It could be a problem with the screen - If any of the key-lights come on, then that is likely the problem.
It could be a problem with a very flat battery - I had this problem with an old HTC. The solution was to remove the battery, plug in the phone to the charger (not USB to computer), leave it for a couple of minutes, plug in the battery and leave for a couple of hours. Finally try and power it on.
MistahBungle said:
Shades of **** Smith's new *coughsReturneDcoughs* external hard drives
Wish I had a fix for you Unfortunately, given it's a loan phone, you're a bit limited so far as flashing something else goes (I wouldn't risk it, put it that way).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turned out that the "loan phone" they gave me was a returned faulty phone from a previous customer. They gave it to me simply to shut me up!!! I came back the next morning and confronted them and they gave me a motorola defy loan phone????!!!!! I swear they will bend over backwards to avoid having to refund a phone. He asked another sales person why it was returned and was told that the phone was randomly powering down!!!!!! I asked them what happened regarding the previous customer and the store person said JB lost that claim and had to give in to the customers request(whatever that was). That gives me evidence that a refund at JB may exist?
Yeah ? That's disgraceful And Australian retailers honestly wonder why Australian consumers avoid buying from them at every possible opportunity. There's one more reason right there.
**** em. If a phone starts playing up badly within a week like that, the retailer should replace it no questions asked. At the end of the day they're going to be reimbursed by Samsung, them doing the right thing like that just saves you the grief of having to go thru hoops with Samsung.
And given they couldn't/wouldn't do that with you in the first instance, I'd demand a "decent" lend phone i.e a brand new SGS2 (which they should have given you in the first place). If they refuse to play ball, make a scene in front of other customers. Get management involved. Threaten them with consumer affairs, etc.
Slither2006 said:
Turned out that the "loan phone" they gave me was a returned faulty phone from a previous customer. They gave it to me simply to shut me up!!! I came back the next morning and confronted them and they gave me a motorola defy loan phone????!!!!! I swear they will bend over backwards to avoid having to refund a phone. He asked another sales person why it was returned and was told that the phone was randomly powering down!!!!!! I asked them what happened regarding the previous customer and the store person said JB lost that claim and had to give in to the customers request(whatever that was). That gives me evidence that a refund at JB may exist?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a similar issue
Hello, Im not sure if i am having the excact same issue, but this thread seemed similar to what im expereincing.
i bought a S2 6 days ago, reached into my pocket today to find my Display wont turn on.
did some standard stuff, power cycled.
removed the battery, soft and hard reset.
i got the screen to work for a second when i booted into download mode and it prompted to confirm this is what i wanted to do, but otherwsie the screen seems dead. when i power it on, nothing happenson the screen.
did i somehow like turn my brightness to 0? or like turn off the display?
i dunno i just upgraded from a Galaxy Spica, so im not super familiar with the handset yet.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
dpaterso said:
Hello, Im not sure if i am having the excact same issue, but this thread seemed similar to what im expereincing.
i bought a S2 6 days ago, reached into my pocket today to find my Display wont turn on.
did some standard stuff, power cycled.
removed the battery, soft and hard reset.
i got the screen to work for a second when i booted into download mode and it prompted to confirm this is what i wanted to do, but otherwsie the screen seems dead. when i power it on, nothing happenson the screen.
did i somehow like turn my brightness to 0? or like turn off the display?
i dunno i just upgraded from a Galaxy Spica, so im not super familiar with the handset yet.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you can get into download mode, then flash stock fw using odin.. otherwise go to service center...
hope you have warranty..
Swyped from: GT-I9100
Sent using: XDA Premium App
I know this thread had been on here already and i look for help but still found no resolution to the problems. So Please i am bringing it up again to see if any help can be offered again.
This started back in April, my phone suddenly stopped charging one day from any outlet, charger and even through the computer. There are times it charge but very slow and other times it won't charge at all. I have tried new chargers, batteries, outlets, rebooted and even had new roms in there. All did not do anything to help. I purchased this phone from Expansys- USA. The warranty was still good so I sent it in. The wait time was 6-8 weeks.
Those bastards at Samsung made me wait 3 months and I barely got it back this week. After 3 GODDAMN months in repair, it came back in no better condition than when it left. WTFFFF!!!!!
Now I am extremely angry for wasting my time like that. Since it came back, i have more problems than when it left. The phone now does not recognize any charger other than the Samsung Official charger. It will only light up the charging symbol from a Samsung charger or when i plugged into a computer. Other than that it won't recognize any other charger. Now the first day i got it back, it charged fine. Then a few hours later, the same problem surfaced and now i am back at square one.
Please help me, this is really frustrating and i have not found any solution anywhere on this forum or other sites. Even Samsung didn't do jack for me. Now my only options left are to get a new phone (which i do not want to) or replace the USB ports, and I am not even sure if it is the USB ports.
PLEASE HELPPPPP!!!
It is sad to hear that your S3 is not working, nevertheless be careful with what language you are using .
maybe this will help: https://www.google.com/search?q=S3+...xda&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:{referrer:source} ??
you could try to get back to the service centre?
otherwise, if you are not satisfied with Samsung buy another phone...
get a short, thick charging lead, this solved my charging issues.
Sent via TCP/IP
Thanks, but the service center is in the UK for international S3 and i have no contacts with them. Expansys USA won't give me any info.
Try use another cable, i encountered the same problem, i changed 3 charger but my problem was cable.
Okay thanks for reassuring me that warranties are not only carp in my country. Maybe your port need cleaning, also does your phone enter driving mode at random? As I had a similar issue.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Problems with electronic items aren't uncommon, failures with Samsung don't appear any higher than most other manufacturers but do occur.
Buying a model with no warranty service in your continent is probably best avoided, you might have been lucky but the chance of requiring a repair during the two year period is worth considering.
The phone is not a piece of crap Its just your unluckiness. Hope you get your device repaired soon
lphan said:
Thanks, but the service center is in the UK for international S3 and i have no contacts with them. Expansys USA won't give me any info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try to directly call them?
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013)
I dont mean to offend anyone, I apologize for it. I mean to say that Samsung is not helping me out as it should. I have tried numerous cables and also clean my ports many times.
Unluckiness may be this time for me, but my issue is not an isolated incident. However, coming from a high tier phone like this is disappointing.
I have tried contacting Samsung UK who told me they handle warranty repairs through a 3rd party. I contacted that 3rd party, and i'm not sure if that 3rd party is the one Expansys-USA sent my phone too. However, that 3rd party said they don't handle international repairs -__-, back to square one. Now that i got my phone back, I really don't know what to do. I believed i have exhausted all my options and now trying to replace the port. But I don't see any issues with it, but i'll update after. I really can't afford another phone.
I had a recent similar problem with my phone refusing to charge or taking 2-3 hours to increase by a few miserable percent. This followed some slight liquid (beer) entering the reverse of the phone following a boozy night out that resulting in no recollection of what actually happened. I suspected the battery had suffered liquid damage and following contact with EE regarding a possible replacement on the insurance I paid for they refused to replace it (I never told them what actually happened). A week or so later I simply tired using another charger which worked without any issues at all. Reverting back to the original for confirmation, this did the same thing as before. I was fortunate not to have ruined the phone and/or battery and the issue came back to the charger. It's always worth a shot
WEll the phone finally wokrs now!! ANd the problem was hardware this entire time -_-.....i replaced the usb port and everything good again. The usb port didn't appear to show any signs of wear and tear either. Well now this is my solution for those with similar problems. thanks for all your help again.
Galaxy S3 32 gb died - same symptoms as 'sudden death' - what is it?
Hi all,
Since many posts excluded 'sudden death' to be the reason for the 32gb Galaxy S3 model, I opened this question. I also used the forum search, but didn't find any related posts.
A few hours ago I faced exactly the symptoms which were diagnosed to be a "Sudden Death": I checked emails, put the phone back into the case. 20 minutes later I wanted to check emails again and unlock it. Nothing happened but the green LED was flashing. So I put out the battery, put it in again and wanted to start it. Everything remained black - no LED, no display, nothing - dead. Beforehand, during the past week, the phone froze a couple of times. No big deal, I only hat to manually restart it.
The big difference is: It's a 32 GB version !! I read that they don't face that problem. However, those posts were 8-9 months old and I can't imagine it to be anything but the sudden death. Can I certainly exclude the sudden death or did it happen to others as well?
Thanks a lot!
//P.S. The phone was somehow flashed/rooted, but since I only bought it a week ago from another used, I don't have any details about the software etc. I'm afraid.
You can try another battery but if nothing happens when you plug a charger in then your motherboard is probably blow.
Take it to a repair centre, they can try usb jig to test.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
This is my second padphone in 3 weeks and both devices have lost mobile data connection. The first time AT&T told me it was because of a crack on the screen. Made no sense but I paid the 200$ for insurance and got it replaced now the replacement is doing the same thing. For no reason at all I will loose all connection and the phone says no service and then comes back after a random amount of time.
Is anyone else experiencing this behavior?
Sent from my ASUS PadFone X using XDA Free mobile app
Not at all. Sorry.
I had the same problem too. Just change the sim card to a new one and it will be alright again
Have you updated the IMEI with at&t? I had some small issues with my data until I updated. Tether didn't work either. It would give my computer an IP but wouldn't pass traffic.
Sent from my ASUS PadFone X using XDA Free mobile app
infinitpain said:
This is my second padphone in 3 weeks and both devices have lost mobile data connection. The first time AT&T told me it was because of a crack on the screen. Made no sense but I paid the 200$ for insurance and got it replaced now the replacement is doing the same thing. For no reason at all I will loose all connection and the phone says no service and then comes back after a random amount of time.
Is anyone else experiencing this behavior?
Sent from my ASUS PadFone X using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello XDA Community,
I would like for anyone reporting any issues relating to heat and data to please contact me with details.
Are you using Wi-Fi, LTE, Streaming movies, Videos, Playing games, or using certain Applications?
Was your Padfone X docked when this happened?
Please provide your Serial Number.
I would like to gather as much information as possible and I cannot do it without this communities help.
Please email me at [email protected], place case number N140842602 in the subject line along with your username.
Lose power first?
infinitpain said:
This is my second padphone in 3 weeks and both devices have lost mobile data connection. The first time AT&T told me it was because of a crack on the screen. Made no sense but I paid the 200$ for insurance and got it replaced now the replacement is doing the same thing. For no reason at all I will loose all connection and the phone says no service and then comes back after a random amount of time.
Is anyone else experiencing this behavior?
Sent from my ASUS PadFone X using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you lose power first? Were you in tablet mode when it happened? You should check out the "Phone Died" thread and contact [email protected] You are not alone and this seems to be a fairly widespread issue. It was not the crack on the screen. Scott's email is [email protected].
Same issue as modirator
aselsley said:
Did you lose power first? Were you in tablet mode when it happened? You should check out the "Phone Died" thread and contact [email protected] You are not alone and this seems to be a fairly widespread issue. It was not the crack on the screen. Scott's email is [email protected].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the phone was in the tablet while charging. This happened to me 3 times. 1st device I had taken the phone out of the charger and it wouldn't power on until I connected the phone directly to the charger. But it didn't have data connection when it finally powered up. The 2nd device I disconnected the charger from the tablet then pulled it out but it still happened. 3rd device I disconnected the charger from the tablet and tried powering on the device through the tablet. Still same problem the thing wouldn't turn on. So i pulled the phone out plugged it to the charger held the power button. It came one and as you guess no network. But in my case I get no network at all. So if there is a fix please let me know because this is very frustrating. I have had 3 of the phones and all of them have now had the same exact problem. My opinion is that this is a malfunction with the tablet. Because from my experience it never happens when the phone is charging directly through the charging cable.
No fix yet...
acriar said:
Yes the phone was in the tablet while charging. This happened to me 3 times. 1st device I had taken the phone out of the charger and it wouldn't power on until I connected the phone directly to the charger. But it didn't have data connection when it finally powered up. The 2nd device I disconnected the charger from the tablet then pulled it out but it still happened. 3rd device I disconnected the charger from the tablet and tried powering on the device through the tablet. Still same problem the thing wouldn't turn on. So i pulled the phone out plugged it to the charger held the power button. It came one and as you guess no network. But in my case I get no network at all. So if there is a fix please let me know because this is very frustrating. I have had 3 of the phones and all of them have now had the same exact problem. My opinion is that this is a malfunction with the tablet. Because from my experience it never happens when the phone is charging directly through the charging cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Acriar for the additional information. So far every failure like this is pretty consistently in conjunction with the tablet. No, I don't have a fix. I wish I did, because your reply does not give me much hope for my third device. Again, let [email protected] know. Hopefully they are putting sufficient engineering resources on to this to fix it else the Padfone X's life in the US will be short at best.
acriar said:
Yes the phone was in the tablet while charging. This happened to me 3 times. 1st device I had taken the phone out of the charger and it wouldn't power on until I connected the phone directly to the charger. But it didn't have data connection when it finally powered up. The 2nd device I disconnected the charger from the tablet then pulled it out but it still happened. 3rd device I disconnected the charger from the tablet and tried powering on the device through the tablet. Still same problem the thing wouldn't turn on. So i pulled the phone out plugged it to the charger held the power button. It came one and as you guess no network. But in my case I get no network at all. So if there is a fix please let me know because this is very frustrating. I have had 3 of the phones and all of them have now had the same exact problem. My opinion is that this is a malfunction with the tablet. Because from my experience it never happens when the phone is charging directly through the charging cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my experience with the first phone. AT&T replaced that one. Didn't replace the one w/ dead pixels.
Similar problems with dropping network
I began having problems with the network dropping 2 weekends ago. I moved my phone from my pocket to the station, but the station never 'start'. When pulled out, the phone would not start. Neither was low on battery. Finally got the phone to start when I plugged it into the charger. That has happened a few more times since then. After that, the network was totally undependable for the night and next day, despite restarts of all types. I was on a trip, and when I got home the problem continued for the night, but then disappeared the next morning before I could take it to the ATT store. Worked fine a few days, then occasionally could connect and occasionally not. A restart of the phone usually gets the network back - but not always. My wifi connection has always been available when wifi was around, but the LTE is suddenly disappearing fast. Will send note to Scott, but wanted to add to this thread. BTW, great site. Thanks for the info here. Best padfone x forum I've found by far.
Asus repair: they truly are out in a league of their own.
dibblebill said:
Exactly my experience with the first phone. AT&T replaced that one. Didn't replace the one w/ dead pixels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For those of you with this problem the answer is to contact Asus. From my analysis when I sent mines in here's the problem. So as you see from my response the phone was over charging when left in the tablet for an extended period of time. Well it's not that the tablet wasn't managing this charge correctly it was the charger as well. I say this because when they returned my device it was accompanied by a new charger, and yes they replaced the tablet as well. But there is a new feature in their UI that request you use the factory charger when charging your device while in the tablet. I checked the numbers on the old charger that i had from my previous phones ( the failed one's before) and it had a different version number on it than the new one they sent. I also noticed some of the AMPs and voltage had been changed. That all said I want to give a big thank you to Asus repair because they are actually an honest bunch, and here's why. So as explained above i, like many of you, have had several of these devices. Just so happened that on the third one I'd been working out on hot day and when I arrived home was still sweating. The wet sensor for the device, for those that don't know, is right on the back where your fingures rest while holding it. As expected I touched it while sweating and it turned red, was unaware of this at the time however. Soon after the third device failed and I tired returning it to At&t. They explained they could not accept it due to the wet sensor. I explained that the phone was not water damaged and the problem that existed was the same as the past devices I returned. But they washed their hands of it and would not take it back. On to Asus; they were taking my tablet in as an RMA and explained they could check the damages on the phone, after I explained my situation. They explained they would let me know the repair cost for the phone before returning the devices. I asked if they would take an honest look at it in this case, explaining that if they found water damage that I would fully pay for the repairs but if the damage was due to the malfunction could they just fix that. Well they, unlike AT&T, did just and replaced the damaged device. I must say it is very rare for a company to have such conviction to its customers and truly appreciate their dedication. And if you are wondering about how the new setup is after the update so far no problems.
acriar said:
For those of you with this problem the answer is to contact Asus. From my analysis when I sent mines in here's the problem. So as you see from my response the phone was over charging when left in the tablet for an extended period of time. Well it's not that the tablet wasn't managing this charge correctly it was the charger as well. I say this because when they returned my device it was accompanied by a new charger, and yes they replaced the tablet as well. But there is a new feature in their UI that request you use the factory charger when charging your device while in the tablet. I checked the numbers on the old charger that i had from my previous phones ( the failed one's before) and it had a different version number on it than the new one they sent. I also noticed some of the AMPs and voltage had been changed. That all said I want to give a big thank you to Asus repair because they are actually an honest bunch, and here's why. So as explained above i, like many of you, have had several of these devices. Just so happened that on the third one I'd been working out on hot day and when I arrived home was still sweating. The wet sensor for the device, for those that don't know, is right on the back where your fingures rest while holding it. As expected I touched it while sweating and it turned red, was unaware of this at the time however. Soon after the third device failed and I tired returning it to At&t. They explained they could not accept it due to the wet sensor. I explained that the phone was not water damaged and the problem that existed was the same as the past devices I returned. But they washed their hands of it and would not take it back. On to Asus; they were taking my tablet in as an RMA and explained they could check the damages on the phone, after I explained my situation. They explained they would let me know the repair cost for the phone before returning the devices. I asked if they would take an honest look at it in this case, explaining that if they found water damage that I would fully pay for the repairs but if the damage was due to the malfunction could they just fix that. Well they, unlike AT&T, did just and replaced the damaged device. I must say it is very rare for a company to have such conviction to its customers and truly appreciate their dedication. And if you are wondering about how the new setup is after the update so far no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I agree- ASUS's handling of the issue wasn't bad. They even replaced my scuffed tablet dock back cover. But it wasn't the charger- mine went out while discharging, every time. Sometimes within seconds of being docked. I had two different tablet dock hardware versions and both failed on me. It was something in the phone's handling of it, is my guess, seeing as the firmware update seemingly fixed it.