[Q] No Signal at all after replace the housing - XPERIA X1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

After the replacing of my X1's housing with the new one in the SE Service center I went home gladly with my new X1 housing. I noticed there's an error in signal in my X1 when I was checking my phone at the SE center.. But I thought it was maybe due to poor reception thus I neglected it. (the officer in the SESC say so)
Now I know that there's some new problem arise.. Any idea what might cause this error? the phone can read the Sim card but there is no signal (no connection, no call or no data can be made). i try to check the antenna module, but it seem to be OK (i did not see any problem on it).
the next day i came to the SE center, they said it might be something wrong with the software (since i am used using cooked rom) how come it can make any different while i'm using it before i replace the housing. and they have to take it into the HQ. and guess what, it may take another 6-7 week... WTF
is there anyone having the same problem with me?

Well if you have the tools, you can try openingu p the bottom cover, that little rubber thing where it has the mini sony ericsson logo. Open that rubber up, and you should see a mini screw in the middle, open that up take it out, maybe just give it a quick clean, fit it back properly, and make sure everything is tight and see how that works out.
I've seen/heard a few people having such issue when taking the housing off, and not placing that radio/reception thingy back properly, therefore causing issues with reception.

briian_ said:
Well if you have the tools, you can try openingu p the bottom cover, that little rubber thing where it has the mini sony ericsson logo. Open that rubber up, and you should see a mini screw in the middle, open that up take it out, maybe just give it a quick clean, fit it back properly, and make sure everything is tight and see how that works out.
I've seen/heard a few people having such issue when taking the housing off, and not placing that radio/reception thingy back properly, therefore causing issues with reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did it twice, just to make it sure that everything was on their place, also try to flash the ROM, The Radio but still remain the same....
any other suggestion or idea what should I do?

Same problem!
I had disassembled my phone by myself twice; the first time it worked perfectly, the second, unfortunately, it didn't!
I bought a new antenna module for U.S. $10, installed it myself (warranty ended three months ago), walked out of the service centre and voila; I had reception and managed to make a few calls. However, on the way back home, all calls placed while driving dropped every 5km, which means the hand-over between cell towers was failing. The moment I walked home it was dead; no reception whatsoever indoors.
Now the way I see it, this could be due to one of the following two reasons: either the RF power amp failed, which means that most probably the phone needs a new main board (too expensive, not worth it) or something went wrong during the assembly, like the smearing of a sensitive part by skin oil (thus causing a short circuit) or failure to position a connector or multiple ones to connect properly to their respective terminals/connection points.
Upon further investigation, I noticed that my phone wasn't properly grounded; whenever I connected it to a computer to sync using ActivSync or in disk drive mode, I got a small electrical shock (painful though) whenever I touched the phone. This, however, doesn't occur at all when I connect the phone to the wall charger. I disabled USB charging since day 1 of owning my X1i
I believe that the battery cover acts as a ground for the phone electronics; it touches four golden connectors which in turn touch the mini USB port, the GPS/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna, a point on the main board half an inch away from where the loudspeaker is, and the metallic cover placed over the phone RF chips. Failure to ground the phone properly can result in either damaging any of these chips, building up a static charge that affects the antenna performance, or an open-circuit condition for one of the many systems on board.
Since my phone is fully working as a PPC now (PPC functions, Panels, Keyboard, Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc...) and since I get reception outdoors, and since I have a brand new antenna module, I am guessing that either the RF amplifier is dead, or the housing is ****ed up beyond repair (i.e. it can't be aligned perfectly to get perfect contact on all said points) that it's either shorting a connection, or opening one that is vital for the cellular radio to function properly.
So what to do? Well I forced my phone to do two things:
1. Settings > Phone > Band
- Network type: I chose GSM instead of Auto, as we don't have consumer CDMA in Egypt
- GSM/UMTS Band: I chose the correct band for my provider instead of Auto.
2. Settings > Connections > Advanced Network > Disabled HSDAP
What happened? It worked indoors for a minute, and then stopped working again! Frustrating! So what did I do? I ordered a completely new housing off CNN and will attempt to rebuild the damned thing.
I will update you if I find out anything or reach any results with this phone that I love so much and hate more than anything I have ever hated in my life...

More info!
- During the drive mentioned above, the phone was switching between H, E and G, which means that all three RF chips are, or all components of the whole RF chip if it's one responsible, are working. At one point I got 4 bars of H and call quality was perfect between hand-over failures.
- Before disassembling my phone for the second time, people were complaining about high-pitched static; it can blamed over the mic, the RF (antenna or chip) or humidity levels (which are currently as high as 85%) affecting cellular communication channels.
- Flashing the firmware (R3A Generic UK) and hard-reseting didn't solve the problem.

More Info!
- The battery cover isn't the phone's ground; it's grounded by being connected to four ground points: the mini USB port metallic frame, the GPS/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna ground, a ground point on the main board and the metallic cover over the sensitive RF chips.
- This is definitely an assembly problem. The reception is great outdoors switching between all bands and speeds. On my drive to work today it worked getting G, E, 3G and H all in 4 bars. The signal, however, is completely unstable, jumping from one speed to another. I am more inclinded now to believe that a new housing will fix this problem. Your housing was probably handled poorly at the service centre, which in turn caused this problem.
My advice is to shake them a little bit and see what they will do.

A New Housing didn't fix it!
I purchased a new housing from CNN. It came in good condition. The phone looks brand new now but still no signal. I am sending it in for service. I guess I blew up my Power Amplifiers...
Good luck mate!

melaskalany said:
I purchased a new housing from CNN. It came in good condition. The phone looks brand new now but still no signal. I am sending it in for service. I guess I blew up my Power Amplifiers...
Good luck mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same problem haa...
I still waiting for a good news from the service center... I have been waiting for a month..
I wish You a good luck too...

I'm having the same problem. I opened up my phone a few days ago to clean the keyboard. The bottom row wasn't working correctly. Unfortunately after I closed it up again, it wouldn't get any reception (and the keyboard's bottom row was still not working correctly).
So I figured it was the antenna and tried to reposition it. I even removed the rubber layer as described here: http://blog.whitesites.com/How-to-Increase-Reception-on-Sony-Xperia-X1__633958291637656250_blog.htm
Outside I get ok reception, but it's far from stable, inside I get none. And even if I get reception inside, once I pick up the phone, signal drops. So I thought about grounding as well, problem is I even tried rubber gloves and that doesn't solve the problem. I'm afraid replacing the antenna's won't help here and my xperia is dead. Anyone has any other ideas?

Been there too!
I tried the same solution the blog explained. However, I ended up not getting any signal at all. It's only after I purchased a new cellular antenna+buzzer module that the phone started getting an unstable signal outdoors.
Did you notice any small pieces falling off the main board or the housing? It's either a hardware failure or a simple short/open circuit situation that can be fixed in a blink of an eye!

Question
Is there any possible way, hardware or software, to test whether all chips on the main board function properly? I tried the diagnosis tool available here but it doesn't check the chips one by one.

Service Centre
I took my phone to the service centre 6 hours ago. With the new housing on, and new screws that I scored from a secret source of mine, they deemed the phone untouched and serviceable; i.e. it passed for a phone that hasn't been tampered with!
They told me to call back in four days. I will keep you guys updated. Cheers!

I wonder if that'll fix it So to summarize you have:
- new housing
- new screws
- new vibramotor
- new antenna
And those things twice and that fixed it maybe?
I guess it's time for a new phone for me

Vibramotor?
Who said anything about changing the vibration motor? I installed a new antenna + buzzer module; i.e. a new cellular antenna and a new loud speaker (external speaker). The loud speaker is housed within the antenna module. My bad, maybe that part was vague because I never explained it enough.
And yes, it has a brand new housing too. I only installed the lower part though, as the upper part is just fine. Maybe they will fix it man; maybe they won’t I really don't know. I do hope they will fix it though.
I am currently using a backup cheap Nokia and ordered the Sony Ericsson Aspen. If they ever fix my X1 then I can change seamlessly between both phones. If not, then I will just use my X1 as a media/GPS device in my car and an Internet device over Wi-Fi.

Lucky you..... if they can fix yours in a few day... since mine has been in the service centre more than a month, without any news...
they said to me that it will take about 6 week...

What a joke!
The phone remained at the service centre for a week. They called me yesterday, and told me that the phone was fixed and that the total cost was EGP 100 (~U.S. $18). I went over and as soon as I held the phone in my hand to test it, it lost the cellular signal. When placed on the counter, the phone had a constant E signal.
I asked to speak to the manager, who told me that they just reflashed the phone with the latest firmware (Generic UK R3A, which I already had installed). Oh, and before that, he said he was sorry but the phone had a hardware problem and that they don't fix hardware; they only flash firmwares and if that doesn't fix the phone, then the user is pretty much on his own! I refused to receive the phone, so he gave me a refund for my money and promised to have its hardware checked and get back to me in 24 hours!
What a joke, what an f'ing joke! I already regret ordering the Aspen that is due to arrive next week with a friend of mine returning from Paris...

melaskalany said:
The phone remained at the service centre for a week. They called me yesterday, and told me that the phone was fixed and that the total cost was EGP 100 (~U.S. $18). I went over and as soon as I held the phone in my hand to test it, it lost the cellular signal. When placed on the counter, the phone had a constant E signal.
I asked to speak to the manager, who told me that they just reflashed the phone with the latest firmware (Generic UK R3A, which I already had installed). Oh, and before that, he said he was sorry but the phone had a hardware problem and that they don't fix hardware; they only flash firmwares and if that doesn't fix the phone, then the user is pretty much on his own! I refused to receive the phone, so he gave me a refund for my money and promised to have its hardware checked and get back to me in 24 hours!
What a joke, what an f'ing joke! I already regret ordering the Aspen that is due to arrive next week with a friend of mine returning from Paris...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG...
I do hope that you will get the good news next...

Bad News!
Deep breath... Ok!
Here is the deal: the service centre officially announced that the fault lies within the Mainboard; i.e. my guess that the Radio Frequency (RF) Power Amplifier Chip is toast was correct. They want to charge 90% of the phone's original retail price (which was EGP 4000 = U.S. $700) for a new Mainboard. I replied that that was impossible. They will contact SE's HQ and get back to me on Saturday to see if they can offer any other alternatives.
I guess that is the end of my ride with the X1. I will sorely miss it; it was a great phone while it lasted. Let's hope that the Aspen won't die on me in a year as well...

Related

Can Diamond take the heat? Repair Odyssey.

Hello all,
I bought a HTC Touch Diamond on August 13 because my
old smartphone (a HTC/Qtek S200 which I LOVED) was broken.
In the phone shop, I told the salesman that my main interests
were good WIFI (Wireless LAN) and navigation capabilities.
He recommended me the HTC Touch Diamond.
He said it had a built-in GPS and would be compatible with my
existing navigation software. Indeed it was.
Initially, the Diamond performed fine though it got noticeably
warm with an active WLAN connection. Also, when using it
in the car for navigation, it gets incredibly hot. Not just
warm, the lower half of the plastic back cover is almost
too hot to touch.
After a few days, the WLAN connection started dropping its
connection all the time, requiring a soft reset to get it going
again. Often, the Opera mobile browser would cause the
phone to lockup completely, also requiring a soft reset.
Over time, the WLAN stability deteriorated further and further
until it refused to initialize the WLAN chip at all. Clicking the
WLAN symbol in the Comms manager would briefly display the
"hourglass" symbol and subsequently nothing happens at all-
the WLAN just stays off. A hard reset didn't work either
(just killed all my data - otherwise no beneficial effect).
I can't say it really surprised me, given the extreme temperatures
this phone generates.
Because at this time my mum was hospitalized with cardiac
problems, I had no opportunity to return it to the phone
shop within the first few weeks.
Instead, I called HTC and they gave me a repair ticket and had
the phone collected from my home by UPS, sending it to the
"Eurotwice" repair centre in Belgium. I included a full error
description with the phone. Two weeks later I received the
phone back with a note that "no error had been found".
Bummer. I don't know what the heck these guys tested, but
a simple click on the WLAN symbol would have shown them
immediately that the WLAN is broken.
So, I called HTC again and was given another repair number
etc, and my phone was collected for the second time on
September 24 for yet another repair attempt. Today is
October 20, so I called HTC to inquire what's taking them
so long.
They called the repair centre and it turned out they're waiting for
replacement motherboards to arrive from Taiwan. It might take at
least another 10 days, they said, "with luck".
All in all, my brand new Diamond has been in repair for a
total of 6 weeks and I still haven't got it back. It remains
to be seen if it'll work as advertized after the repair. If so,
I guess it'll be "luck". I'm keeping my fingers crossed but
my gut feeling tells me that Diamonds aren't forever.
Hi,
i am in the same situation...
Also here in Italy there are no spare parts for the diamond (i am waiting for a new mainboard)
Mine is in the repair center from the first days of september....
Seems that they are waiting the same spare parts shipments from taiwan, but never arrives...
I had to send mine off to be fixed as well....twice.
I couldn't receive any signals on my phone so i sent it to be fixed. got it back after about 5days, and the phone was fine..........for a day. Sent it off the next day and this time it took just over a week. From the repair form it says they replaced the mainboard. It works perfectly fine now.
Hopefully i won't have to send it away again.
houying83 said:
I had to send mine off to be fixed as well....twice.
I couldn't receive any signals on my phone so i sent it to be fixed. got it back after about 5days, and the phone was fine..........for a day. Sent it off the next day and this time it took just over a week. From the repair form it says they replaced the mainboard. It works perfectly fine now.
Hopefully i won't have to send it away again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
In which country?
thanks
Mine was in repartion too... They had to change the mainboard because the device didn't start anymore... It did only the boot up sound, but no screen, no lights....
But I don't think it is the heat! Else much more people would have the same problems... I think we had the "bad" model. Mine works fine now too, had some problems to get a signal with the GPS, but it works noch really fine!
Do you think that the replacement motherboards are technically different/more reliable than the "originals"?
Today I had the opportunity to play with an Iphone 3G.
It's cool (I mean, it doesn't get warm).

SIM not recognized when Tilt is shut..

This problem came out of nowhere. I have been using the same ROM for several months (version: 3.29.707.0 WWE) and have not installed anything new to the phone. If I slide the phone shut, it loses it's signal (in an area where I have plenty of bars). When I open the comm manager, turn off the phone service, then turn it back on I get the message saying that my SIM card is missing. When I slide the phone open and repeat the process of opening the Comm Manager and turning off the phone service then back on, everything is fine. Does anyone know if this is a hardware or software problem. I am going to re-flash shortly and see if that changes anything.
EDIT: I have just flashed to NGY Professional v1.2 - M2D Fix. Everything works fine when the device is slid open. As soon as I close the phone, it tells me to insert a SIM card. While the phone is open, I started the SIM manager program, it listed all numbers saved to my card. I then slid the phone closed. It kept the numbers displayed until I exited the program. HELP PLEASE!!!!
Kid gloves / TLC
Orflin, I have had similar trouble with my Tilt, but yours seems a bit more well behaved. In my case, the problem was physical. Your problem seems too perfect to not be software or firmware related. At any rate, perhaps my take will help:
Shortly after receiving my Tilt, my device began to intermittently lose power (resulting in a soft reset) or lose signal upon opening the device. I took it to a retail location and a representative was able to reproduce the issue. She then opened the device VERY slowly while pressing firmly on the action. This steady transition allowed the device to function with nary a hiccup until my replacement unit arrived that did not exhibit this annoying behavior.
I recently re-lived this when I decided to purchase an oversized battery with a custom backplate to replace my scorching hot, aging standard battery. Outside warranty, I needed a solution. I discovered that my new battery was ever-so-slightly slimmer in the dimension that forces terminal contact. I used cardstock to increase contact with the springy posts and cleaned the posts. The device now no longer soft resets, loses signal, or corrupts the display on opening. It seems that the jolt of opening the device can exceed the rate of compliance of the springy posts when extended and that this can lead to unpredictable behavior.
Since your device fails when closed instead of open I suggest the following:
1) Clean the battery terminals and the spring posts
2) Pad the compartment on the side opposing the springy posts to increase the force on the posts
3) Clean the underside of the display panel and the remainder of the sliding area
4) Clean the SIM contacts
5) Check and double check the action of the SIM panel (as well as verify power-loss on opening)
6) Retard the sliding action to the best of your ability
7) Power-on the device in the opposite user interface orientation (while open/while closed)
8) Reproduce the issue under unusual gross orientation (use the device upside-down, screen face down)
9) Use the device in a low humidity environment after desiccation
Wish you the best!
Bad electrical contact either on the SIM connector itself (remove SIM, clean and reinsert), or maybe more likely the connections inside the phone between the screen assembly and main body, the connector might have moved a bit.
same problem
I too have this problem recently. I have tried hard resetting the phone, getting a new sim. I will try all of these including flashing a new rom and report back. If anyone has any other ideas PLEASE help.
my symptoms for the doctors of the Kaiser World:
When my phone is slid open and I reset or turn it on phone works as normal and can make calls, receive messages, ect. When I make a call "open" then close the phone or close the phone then make a call it stays on full service until I press call. I get the error message "operation failed" and then "the SIM card is missing" until I slide it open and reset the phone in wireless manager, where it acts normal again with full service.
EDIT: Flashed ROM no difference, same problems
Took apart my whole phone looking for a culprit and to my surprise have found none. The ribbon cable for the sim card (my best guess) seemed to be in very good condition... I am now OFFICIALLY stumped.
Actually, it really sounds to me that this IS a problem with the ribbon.. My sons tilt stated its problems with the same way (except his would only work while it was open). All it takes is one of the copper wires inside the ribbon to break (even just on the inside). If it only works in one position or the other, it woudl be because the 2 end peices get contact then... the ribbon could ahve gotten caught or pinched or something, and that would do this.... Just my opnion...
Even i started facing the same problem. the phone would loose network connectivity and would take few minutes to catch it back. sometimes it would give me SIM CARD missing error. i had to restart the phone to make the SIM CARD detect, but most of the times it would not detect. on slide opening the screen the SIM CARD would get detected 1 out of 50 times. later i gave the phone for HTC authorized service center over there the technician narrowed down the problem to a damaged flex cable which connects the SIM CARD module to the motherboard. will be getting my TILT back from service tomorrow. . will get back tomorrow with the results...
I have this problem too ... but not just when shut.
It's permanent now.
hey guys.... i had the same problem too... after a couple minutes use the sim would " not be detected.." all i did was took a little sticky note and folded it a couple time to make it the size of the sim card.. then i ripped half of it off... then i opened the sim hatch and slid the paper in between the sim and the little silver bracket that holds the sim in...
it seemed to have put more pressure don on the sim so the contacts touch better i suppose... i did this a month ago and have not had a single little problem since.. might be an easy fix for some of you.. .. hope i heled : )
Update
mukhunthan did you have an update? I am wondering if I should buy a SIM card socket (found it for 50 bucks) or a broken parts tilt off ebay so I also have backup parts but could run into the same problem... Also, if it is not the SIM socket then I would be out 50 bucks. Does anyone have any opinions?
jetblck116 said:
hey guys.... i had the same problem too... after a couple minutes use the sim would " not be detected.." all i did was took a little sticky note and folded it a couple time to make it the size of the sim card.. then i ripped half of it off... then i opened the sim hatch and slid the paper in between the sim and the little silver bracket that holds the sim in...
it seemed to have put more pressure don on the sim so the contacts touch better i suppose... i did this a month ago and have not had a single little problem since.. might be an easy fix for some of you.. .. hope i heled : )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same fix worked for me
update:
bought a brand new SIM card socket and replaced. Turned on the phone, and while it seemed promising, the same thing happened. I have officially given up and want to through the phone across the room (lol) Have tried everything now from the paper to cleaning contacts, a new socket, new SIM, checking connections, ect. I guess I will be calling this one problem a failure. Now I have just purchased a used one off Ebay so I can have the busted one for spare parts (LCD, speaker, styli', batteries, housing, ect).
Thank you all for your input
hi....here is the update.. Got my phone back from the service center with a replaced SIM CARD Flex. It is working now perfectly.
I have the same exact problem like everyone else. The sim just shuts down when I slide it shut.
I was able to get a cheap replacement Tilt via CL, but my new replacement has horrible reception compared to my old one.
I checked around on the site, and now it looks like I will have to flash my radio to get a better reception.
If anyone has any tips for a first timer, please PM me.
Thanks!
Gooker1 said:
I have the same exact problem like everyone else. The sim just shuts down when I slide it shut.
I was able to get a cheap replacement Tilt via CL, but my new replacement has horrible reception compared to my old one.
I checked around on the site, and now it looks like I will have to flash my radio to get a better reception.
If anyone has any tips for a first timer, please PM me.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try upgrading the radio . U may use 1.70.09.01 radio. As far my experience it provides decent signal and also better battery life.
Try upgrading the radio . U may use 1.70.09.01 radio. As far my experience it provides decent signal and also better battery life. After upgrading the flex my phone started acting weird, call would get connected and on audio on ear piece. later upgrading the radio solved the issue.....
Same here
I have the same issue with my tilt.
I have disassembled it and found out that the main flex cable is damaged.
I have bought one at ebay and currently waiting for delivery.
People, as the sim card socket and it's flex are not moving parts, there's no chance it being damaged. The problem is in the main flex cable that connects the mobo and LCD unit.
My damaged flex shows about 5 lines that are damaged, they are cut off.
PS with this problem the microSD slot is also unavailable.
The phone lits up upon inserting the SD but it wont show up in storage.
I wish U luck.
But be sure that I'm right
I'm having the same problem as well... I'm going to try the sticky note procedure and really hope it works. I can't afford to spend $50 on a used phone :'(
has anyone come up with something new? ive just had the same problem, and here in mexico i dont think there are any htc centers...so im pretty much depending on u guys! pleeeeeeeeease lol
have any of you tried a new sim in it as i have found that the sim warp slightly with heat from the phone. I had this problem a while back and simply slightly bent the sim flat again and pushed the two metal runners down slightly to make better contact. Worked for me

Xperia unable to connect to my mobile provider

I recently submitted my X1 for warranty repair and it was mailed back unrepaired.
I suppose a few beads of sweat made it into the casing and caused a little corrosion around the microphone.
This voided the warranty.
Feelings I had nothing to lose I carefully disassembled the phone and cleaned the corroded parts with contact cleaner.
Upon reassembling the phone turned on and operated as norm.
Except now it's constantly saying "No service" I can't connect to Tmobile but I can connect to wifi.
Any suggestions?
just a thought: did you already check/rerun your connection setup?
Yeah I sure did,
When i reinsert the sim the auto connect feature kicks in
It pulls up Tmobile, I select it and it configured
But the antenna stay reds/exclamation point.
I try to search for a network and it just says no service
Does this mean the hardware is working because it see's it initially?
I took it apart again tonight cleaned up a little more corrosion...Sigh to no avail as far as the mic
But all the connections around the antenna appear to be good
Bad news!
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the same thing happened to me, and apparently, it's irreversible.
The phone has two antenna modules; one on the top around the camera lens and sensor, which is responsible for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS signals, and another on the bottom that is responsible for cellular voice and data signals. This explains why your Wi-Fi is working; because it relies on a different antenna and a different transceiver (transmitter/receiver) chip.
As for why you are not getting any service, there can only be one explanation: your Power Amplifier (PA) chip is toast. That chip is responsible for drawing power from the battery to boast the cellular signal enough to penetrate walls and such, thus sustaining a connection. Try your phone outdoors, if it's working, then you only blew up your PA. If not, then maybe you blew up your cellular transceiver altogether in the process of disassembling and reassembling the phone.
The only way to verify this will be sending your phone again to the service centre. They connect a test kit to your main board to check the on board chips. That's what happened to me, I disassembled the phone to clean around the microphone too as many people were complaining about static noise on the line when I call them. My phone is currently at the service centre awaiting a final decision by Sony Ericsson either to give me a free main board, a free X1, a free X2 or refund 75% of the retail price I paid, as they ruled out that the PA chip failure is caused by bad grounding and isolation, which the disassembly process (even if done carefully) can sort of exploit.
Sorry mate!
why would they give you free anything?
You opened up the device which voids the warranty
mcdoogles said:
why would they give you free anything?
You opened up the device which voids the warranty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think he told them that...
Sony Ericsson's Incompetency and HTC's Bad Q.C.
I didn't tell them I disassembled the phone. I think almost X1 owner out there have had it with Sony Ericsson and HTC for bringing such a poorly built device to the market and charging premium for it. We will all be in denial if we keep saying that the X1 is the best phone ever. We wanted it to be, but it's just not. Problems existed from day 1: buggy software on release, battery cover finish, slider cable, battery red light, keyboard, weak signal, headphone jack, cracks, LED module, Vibration motor, etc... The list is endless really. I paid U.S. $800 for my X1, spent another U.S. $100 on cases and screen protectors, treated the phone better than I treat my Oakley’s, and it still didn't last more than one year. For the love of God, I had never even put it down on any surface what so ever, except for my car seat, without placing a Microfiber cloth or something below it. The stress owning this phone had caused is equal or even greater than the joy using it had brought. I absolutely loved the panels and the things I used to do with it, I even bought the Sony Ericsson Aspen recently, regardless of the Windows Phone 7 launch, but still it was just too damn stressful to take care of it. Cleaning the dust between the body and the keyboard daily so as not to scratch the finish on the keys of the slide out keyboard, being extremely careful when sliding it in and out, how slowly you have to push headphones in and pull them out of that insanely tight socket, all that have made me extremely angry at Sony Ericsson.
There is another thread in the Q&A section started by a user who has the same problem, only that time it happened AT Sony Ericsson's service centre BY a Sony Ericsson's repairman. Why would a Power Amplifier chip fail with no electricity connected to it upon disassembling/reassembling the phone if it weren't properly protected against Mechanical Stress? Mechanical Stress that even a Sony Ericsson technician couldn't discover?! If I have to trick them to get what I paid for, or get part of my money back, I will. They sure tricked us all to buy that piece of... incompetent engineering I would say in the least.
One more thing...
In Egypt, the warranty period is only one year long. Mine ended in June 2010, so I was already without warranty when I disassembled the phone. The fact that they couldn't discover that it was disassembled further seduced me to play the Angry Costumer role, and so far it is working. Worst case scenario, I will just take it back and use it as a Wi-Fi based portable Internet device around the house, and an In-Car Media & Navigation device on the move.

What happened to my radio?

OK I have been using my N1 for almost 2yrs now. I love it, but out of nowhere the connections on bluetooth, wifi, 3G, and occasionally cellular drop. Coincidentally it happened when 2.3.6 was released and I refused (updated since no change) the update. When I use my bluetooth headset I'm told I sound like I am underwater. I installed CM7 thinking that would solve it (maybe it's a stock ROM issue) but it was still the same. I can put my phone next to the router and still show (1bar) a poor connection .
OK so what can I do to fix this? I don't want to purchase a new phone (besides this glitch it looks mint) right now. Also I don't really have the cash for it either. Someone said the antenna may be loose (don't know how that would happen) and I could open it up and fix it.
Now you all Mod software but has anyone actually opened up an N1 and is there really a way to tighten the antenna? Please let me know if anyone else has had this issue or is there a way to test for a solution.
Thanks
A little more info
Was just on a cell call and noticed that the green cellular indicator turned white (no idea if that's related) it is back to green now and full. However this seems to be a pattern of being green 3G and Cell strength to white. Hope that provides so more info to someone trying to help me.
Green/white is an indication of connection to Google servers, nothing else.
Radio is only responsible for 3G data, bluetooth and WiFi are completely different entities and aren't related to radio. If you're experiencing bad reception - most probably your antenna contacts need cleaning or are misplaced, open the lower cover (not the battery one) and look there (this cover IS the antenna - just don't know which one).
Special tools?
Jack_R1 said:
Green/white is an indication of connection to Google servers, nothing else.
Radio is only responsible for 3G data, bluetooth and WiFi are completely different entities and aren't related to radio. If you're experiencing bad reception - most probably your antenna contacts need cleaning or are misplaced, open the lower cover (not the battery one) and look there (this cover IS the antenna - just don't know which one).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK found a teardown on youtube of the Nexus one so I understand the antenna is on the bottom. However it looks like they used a special tool to open the case on the bottom. Where would I get that? Also considering I paid for it outright (yep unsubsidized direct from Google); even if I'm out of warranty would you recommend (if this is something more complicated) I send it to HTC for repair? Someone else said the Broadcom chip may have gone bad if both the wifi and bluetooth seem to stop working or have poor reception. Not sure if that seems correct since if it went bad I would think it wouldn't work at all but before I make tool marks trying to take it apart I figured I'd ask.
I'm not sure the repair will be worth it, financially.
If you want to open the lower part of the case - you may only need a small flat screwdriver and good hands, to avoid scratching the surface.
Something else now
OK now voice dial command isn't working when I hold the bluetooth button. Maybe indeed it is the chip. I was able to take off the plastic cover but I need to get a T5 screw driver (lol for some reason smallest I have is T6) so I will get one tomorrow and see how it goes. There is one more cover to remove and put back on. Financially since I paid full price I'm not sure why it's not worth fixing? I figured HTC would charge around $100 for a repair. Which is less than going price for a new (i.e. Galaxy Nexus II) phone . Also I haven't seen any new phones with a trackball (which I love for the notifications and when I need precise movement) so I really don't want a new phone till they add something like an optical trackball or improve precision on finger location. Also I might get lucky if the credit card I purchased it on will cover a repair (they double warranties) and I still have a few months left.
Nope!
Jack_R1 said:
I'm not sure the repair will be worth it, financially.
If you want to open the lower part of the case - you may only need a small flat screwdriver and good hands, to avoid scratching the surface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK got the required tools and took it apart (both covers on the bottom) and then re-assembled it back, making sure I seated the vibrator motor back carefully. Turned on the wifi and still have same issue. So guess my phone is broke further than I can repair it. Thanks for your advice but unless there is software to check that chip it looks like only option is HTC.
Yes, looks like it might be damaged beyond the home repairs capability.
Financially - If I were you, instead of spending $100 on Nexus One repair, I'd sell it for parts for $70 or so, added the $100 you wanted to spend on the repair, and bought a used MT4G in good condition. You'll lose colored trackball (and get a trackpad - which, if you use Sense ROMs that this phone runs perfectly, will be absolutely useless), but gain WAY better phone, in just about every aspect you can think of. The same applies to any phone you can get for cheap from "outdated" MSM8x55 family - Desire HD/Desire Z/G2/Desire S (some of them aren't compatible with T-Mobile frequencies, put attention). I know this from first hand experience, since until recently I had 3 of them - Nexus One, MT4G, and Desire S for my wife. Guess which phone did I get rid of?
But - just in case you'll want to follow this advice and settle specifically on MT4G - make sure you read MT4G forums thoroughly before you do. There are 2 weak points for MT4G - the screen (more important) and the eMMC chip (less important, but still counts). Both can come in 2 variations, better and worse. Make sure you choose the better.

Found a Midnight OnePlus 3T on Craigslist for $10! The issues are...

Hey guys,
So I've personally owned this device before and sold it, however, luckily I was looking about on Craigslist and managed to run into a post where this lady was selling her Midnight 128gb OP3T for $10 due to the wifi not working. The phone is literally spanking new and the only thing I can think of is water damage. She said the wifi suddenly stopped working and spoke with OnePlus Tech support and wasn't going to pay $275 to fix it so she just wanted it gone. So I figured whats there to lose, right? I went home performed a factory reset on the phone and the wifi actually was working. Then I realized it's intermittently working. I found that out because after sometime it suddenly disables itself and I have to sleep the device for like two minutes and it'll kick back on. The proximity sensor is also dead too. I did the *#808# to test the sensor and nothing is generated. These are the only real issues this phone has. The loud speaker also sounds a bit off... I'm sure I could easily replace that too.. It could just be me. I've posted the snapshot of the proximity sensor test. The wifi was currently working when I took that snapshot and like I said it's a hit or miss.
I haven't gotten into the device just yet, however, I'm planning to check the water damage sticker once I do as that is my suspicion. I'm waiting on my tool set I ordered on Amazon at the moment. My question is, do you think replacing the wifi antenna cable will fix the wifi connectivity issue? The phone is currently on 8.0 Oreo and I haven't tried performing a complete reset/restore so I'm not sure that could be a fix. Also the phone doesn't get too hot and usually with water damaged devices the phone typically overheats pretty fast due to corrosion. I guess I'll find out after I open the device, but for now do you guys have any other suggestions? I've heard of the whole IPv6 intermittent wifi issues and can assure I have IPv6 disabled.
Thanks for taking the time to read my question!
The WIFI thing isn't something I think you can just replace, I think you would just need to replace the board right?
Yes, you would need to replace the mainboard of the phone. However 10$ is quite cheap for a spare screen and midnight black metal casing. Just find a cheap 3T with broken screen and switch mainboard with that one and you have a working phone. [emoji16]
Before doing that, check the phone's board and look for corrosion. If you find any, try cleaning it up gently, with some alcohol and if you manage to get it all cleaned up, try testing it again to see if it solves the problem.
If you get the schematic for this device and have a boardview program you could find the wifi circuitry..... it is more than likely some short to ground due to the fact that you are feeling heat.... due to liquid damage or not. Sometimes changing a small component can fix the issue but you need a microscope, heat gun, solder pencil, etc......

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