Related
Hello everybody,
First of all, I've been following the XDA Forums for many years now, having owned and played around with quite a few different phones. I've always found the answers and solutions I need from the community so I just wanted to share my recent experiences with my GT-N7000.
Now while I'm certainly no expert in electronics, I do have a good understanding and hope this information could really help somebody else out.
The Problem
A few months ago, I managed to trip over the trailing USB cable, pulling the phone off the table with some considerable force. After this, it started with intermittent connection problems, combined with poor / slow charging. I would often find that it would report charging absolutely fine, whilst still draining the battery. Maybe worth mentioning, as far as I can recall, the phone never reported being charged / plugged in when it wasn't.
After some time, the problem worsened until I was unable to charge the phone at all. Also note that the USB connection to the computer also didn't work. I came across a very useful youtube video, to which I would like to thank the author.
OK, so I can't post links, but head over to youtube and enter "watch?v=pD9R-YUT69Q" at the end of the URL
I found the part that needed replacing for £12.95 on amazon, which arrived within a few days. I've put some helpful hints at the bottom with regards to actually dismantling the phone to avoid too much text up here
again, no links so go to UK Amazon and enter "/Samsung-GT-i9220-Charger-Connector-Replacement/dp/B009X6BGDM" at the end of the URL.
I found that this seemed to largely fix the problem, however, issues still remained with maintaining a consistent connection. These issues got worse over the following few weeks, until again, I could barley charge the phone. The steps to make it charge consisted of using a specific few chargers (any HTC or Samsung branded cable would work, *perhaps because of the extra 'clips' on the metal shield*), firmly push the connector into the phone, then apply a reasonable amount of pressure downwards when holding the phone flat and level. This would usually charge the phone, however, on occasion charging would randomly stop, or after unplugging at 100%, the battery level would instantly drop to around 70%.
Other odd anomalies such as entering recovery mode when plugging in with the phone switched off, or entering driving / docking mode while connecting the charger with the phone switched on occurred too.
* Complete speculation
The Solution
After much frustration, it wasn't until I considered the 'orange' plastic unit which covers the charging board (secured by three screws). It was orange on my phone, however, could be different on yours.
On the underside of this removable unit, are two copper plates approx 1mm by 1mm. These lined up with two spring loaded 'arms' on the replaced charging board underneath. In my case, these two cooper plates were slightly dented meaning that a poor connection occurred between the board and the unit.
The solution was to a) Pry the metal arms further apart using a very thin piece of plastic, raising them slightly and b) raise the entire circuit board underneath very slightly. This was done using a very thin piece of plastic (I used a small cut-off from a pill packet, and removed the foil coating, then folded it over on itself to increase the thickness), and placing it directly underneath the two metal arms under the charging board.
And since then, I can report that my phone will now consistently charge again. I am once again, able to both use and charge my phone at the same time.
It maybe worth noting that if you're suffering from similar problems that this board may not need replacing, although in my case, I also suffered damage to the micro usb port so had no other option. This is still by far cheaper than sending the phone off for repair as this is something that most people can do if, like me, you are no longer covered under warranty.
Taking the phone apart
This was actually remarkably strait forward and easy to do with some basic tools. The tools I used are:
A very small Philips screwdriver (preferably magnetic)
A small spring loaded hair clip (for separating the front and back)
Plastic tweezers
A small plastic container (for the screws you remove)
And finally, some common sense
The hair clip I found to be the best tool for removing the front and back because of its thin width and plastic coating which prevented scrape marks, although anything extremely thin and plastic should just about do.
Hopefully from the pictures I'm going to attempt to attach, you'll see my N7000 is white (what a bad choice that was ) and the gap was between the very delicate white plastic lip and silver plastic body, I imagine the black version is constructed in an identical manner although I cannot confirm this.
I found the best place to start (assuming the screen is towards you) when prying the front and back apart was just below the volume buttons on the left side. I then worked my way down that side, attacking directly to the left and right of usb port next. Then just below the power button and continue down the lower right hand side. The top I found to be slightly trickier, but start just to the left of the headphone port, then pry the corners.
Now, I can at times be a little clumsy, so my phone naturally has some ware and tare. All in all, I added two very small scuff marks on both the top and bottom, and have taken the phone apart several times. I would video it, however the similarities between the video above and the N7000 are minimal in terms of de-constructing.
Also worth noting, on one occasion, I didn't have the plastic tweezers available, and I found that if you're incredibly careful, you can detach the mini flex cables using a small plastic disposable spoon, the like you find in service stations . Additionally, the screws used in the casing are a different size to the three on the removable plastic unit, so don't mix them up.
Conclusion
I think that is everything useful, however, feel free to ask questions if I didn't cover anything. I've seen a lot of charger related problems in this thread, and haven't found anything like this, so sorry if this information is not beneficial or of use.
I would also like to comment that before I replaced this board, I experienced many of the described problems in relation to the cable used. I have found that as long as I use a reasonable quality cable and any USB wall adapter rated at 1A, I get a consistently good charge every time. I have experimented with a few cheap cables, including a few from the 99p store which seem to charge slightly slower, although since replacing the board and adjusting the metal arms I rarely have issues when charging now.
Regards
Tom
My phone has done the exact same thing. would you recommend sending the phone away to be fix or is it easy enough for a average person to fix it by them self?
william_1434 said:
My phone has done the exact same thing. would you recommend sending the phone away to be fix or is it easy enough for a average person to fix it by them self?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I literally just got done with this process myself....Took all of 15mins. Very simple to do. Definitely the average person can fix themselves.
Go ahead and give it a shot!
tb_tom89 said:
Hello everybody,
First of all, I've been following the XDA Forums for many years now, having owned and played around with quite a few different phones. I've always found the answers and solutions I need from the community so I just wanted to share my recent experiences with my GT-N7000.
Now while I'm certainly no expert in electronics, I do have a good understanding and hope this information could really help somebody else out.
The Problem
A few months ago, I managed to trip over the trailing USB cable, pulling the phone off the table with some considerable force. After this, it started with intermittent connection problems, combined with poor / slow charging. I would often find that it would report charging absolutely fine, whilst still draining the battery. Maybe worth mentioning, as far as I can recall, the phone never reported being charged / plugged in when it wasn't.
After some time, the problem worsened until I was unable to charge the phone at all. Also note that the USB connection to the computer also didn't work. I came across a very useful youtube video, to which I would like to thank the author.
OK, so I can't post links, but head over to youtube and enter "watch?v=pD9R-YUT69Q" at the end of the URL
I found the part that needed replacing for £12.95 on amazon, which arrived within a few days. I've put some helpful hints at the bottom with regards to actually dismantling the phone to avoid too much text up here
again, no links so go to UK Amazon and enter "/Samsung-GT-i9220-Charger-Connector-Replacement/dp/B009X6BGDM" at the end of the URL.
I found that this seemed to largely fix the problem, however, issues still remained with maintaining a consistent connection. These issues got worse over the following few weeks, until again, I could barley charge the phone. The steps to make it charge consisted of using a specific few chargers (any HTC or Samsung branded cable would work, *perhaps because of the extra 'clips' on the metal shield*), firmly push the connector into the phone, then apply a reasonable amount of pressure downwards when holding the phone flat and level. This would usually charge the phone, however, on occasion charging would randomly stop, or after unplugging at 100%, the battery level would instantly drop to around 70%.
Other odd anomalies such as entering recovery mode when plugging in with the phone switched off, or entering driving / docking mode while connecting the charger with the phone switched on occurred too.
* Complete speculation
The Solution
After much frustration, it wasn't until I considered the 'orange' plastic unit which covers the charging board (secured by three screws). It was orange on my phone, however, could be different on yours.
On the underside of this removable unit, are two copper plates approx 1mm by 1mm. These lined up with two spring loaded 'arms' on the replaced charging board underneath. In my case, these two cooper plates were slightly dented meaning that a poor connection occurred between the board and the unit.
The solution was to a) Pry the metal arms further apart using a very thin piece of plastic, raising them slightly and b) raise the entire circuit board underneath very slightly. This was done using a very thin piece of plastic (I used a small cut-off from a pill packet, and removed the foil coating, then folded it over on itself to increase the thickness), and placing it directly underneath the two metal arms under the charging board.
And since then, I can report that my phone will now consistently charge again. I am once again, able to both use and charge my phone at the same time.
It maybe worth noting that if you're suffering from similar problems that this board may not need replacing, although in my case, I also suffered damage to the micro usb port so had no other option. This is still by far cheaper than sending the phone off for repair as this is something that most people can do if, like me, you are no longer covered under warranty.
Taking the phone apart
This was actually remarkably strait forward and easy to do with some basic tools. The tools I used are:
A very small Philips screwdriver (preferably magnetic)
A small spring loaded hair clip (for separating the front and back)
Plastic tweezers
A small plastic container (for the screws you remove)
And finally, some common sense
The hair clip I found to be the best tool for removing the front and back because of its thin width and plastic coating which prevented scrape marks, although anything extremely thin and plastic should just about do.
Hopefully from the pictures I'm going to attempt to attach, you'll see my N7000 is white (what a bad choice that was ) and the gap was between the very delicate white plastic lip and silver plastic body, I imagine the black version is constructed in an identical manner although I cannot confirm this.
I found the best place to start (assuming the screen is towards you) when prying the front and back apart was just below the volume buttons on the left side. I then worked my way down that side, attacking directly to the left and right of usb port next. Then just below the power button and continue down the lower right hand side. The top I found to be slightly trickier, but start just to the left of the headphone port, then pry the corners.
Now, I can at times be a little clumsy, so my phone naturally has some ware and tare. All in all, I added two very small scuff marks on both the top and bottom, and have taken the phone apart several times. I would video it, however the similarities between the video above and the N7000 are minimal in terms of de-constructing.
Also worth noting, on one occasion, I didn't have the plastic tweezers available, and I found that if you're incredibly careful, you can detach the mini flex cables using a small plastic disposable spoon, the like you find in service stations . Additionally, the screws used in the casing are a different size to the three on the removable plastic unit, so don't mix them up.
Conclusion
I think that is everything useful, however, feel free to ask questions if I didn't cover anything. I've seen a lot of charger related problems in this thread, and haven't found anything like this, so sorry if this information is not beneficial or of use.
I would also like to comment that before I replaced this board, I experienced many of the described problems in relation to the cable used. I have found that as long as I use a reasonable quality cable and any USB wall adapter rated at 1A, I get a consistently good charge every time. I have experimented with a few cheap cables, including a few from the 99p store which seem to charge slightly slower, although since replacing the board and adjusting the metal arms I rarely have issues when charging now.
Regards
Tom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im glad to see that you have managed to solve your usb issue simply.
Mine is out of warranty somehow and i have been searching all the possible ways since 2012 April..
This is the thread : "[Q] [q] USB BRICK - Devs PLZ HELP!!!"
william_1434 said:
My phone has done the exact same thing. would you recommend sending the phone away to be fix or is it easy enough for a average person to fix it by them self?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too need to replace my usb port. This topic has helped cheers.
I called Samsung and the rep said that Samsung class any damage done to the micro usb connection to be external damage and thus not covered by warranty.
Seeing that shipping to Samsung is $16 AUD and the replacement part is $12 AUD I know what I will do .
Awesome post!
I've had problems with the charging port for a long time. Replaced the board 4 times from ebay and Amazon; sometimes reception was bad, other times the charging port didn't work unless forced down. So I thought it was just bad replica boards and gave up. Bought an external charger instead.
I had to use the phone recently so I thought I'd try fix the problem again. I got a hold of an original board form a broken n7000 and still same problem (hold down to charge). That's when I got suspicious...it should have fixed it this time. Even separated the metal pins more and didn't work.
Luckily I found your post and added some packing behind the board...and it worked!!! Separating the pins wasn't enough.
Great tip :good:. Definitely worth a bump even though it's an old post. Finally solved my problem and may help others who think the board is faulty.
You sir, are my hero,
Thanks so much for this post, saved me from a headache on rampage. Had the same problem and did replace the USB flexcable as well with the same result.
But this fixed it all!
Thanks again!
Found another cheapest and easiest solution of all, it works magic for me. Do refer to the video here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJcCK5ZVSAY
Thank you
tb_tom89 said:
Hello everybody,
First of all, I've been following the XDA Forums for many years now, having owned and played around with quite a few different phones. I've always found the answers and solutions I need from the community so I just wanted to share my recent experiences with my GT-N7000.
Now while I'm certainly no expert in electronics, I do have a good understanding and hope this information could really help somebody else out.
The Problem
A few months ago, I managed to trip over the trailing USB cable, pulling the phone off the table with some considerable force. After this, it started with intermittent connection problems, combined with poor / slow charging. I would often find that it would report charging absolutely fine, whilst still draining the battery. Maybe worth mentioning, as far as I can recall, the phone never reported being charged / plugged in when it wasn't.
After some time, the problem worsened until I was unable to charge the phone at all. Also note that the USB connection to the computer also didn't work. I came across a very useful youtube video, to which I would like to thank the author.
OK, so I can't post links, but head over to youtube and enter "watch?v=pD9R-YUT69Q" at the end of the URL
I found the part that needed replacing for £12.95 on amazon, which arrived within a few days. I've put some helpful hints at the bottom with regards to actually dismantling the phone to avoid too much text up here
again, no links so go to UK Amazon and enter "/Samsung-GT-i9220-Charger-Connector-Replacement/dp/B009X6BGDM" at the end of the URL.
I found that this seemed to largely fix the problem, however, issues still remained with maintaining a consistent connection. These issues got worse over the following few weeks, until again, I could barley charge the phone. The steps to make it charge consisted of using a specific few chargers (any HTC or Samsung branded cable would work, *perhaps because of the extra 'clips' on the metal shield*), firmly push the connector into the phone, then apply a reasonable amount of pressure downwards when holding the phone flat and level. This would usually charge the phone, however, on occasion charging would randomly stop, or after unplugging at 100%, the battery level would instantly drop to around 70%.
Other odd anomalies such as entering recovery mode when plugging in with the phone switched off, or entering driving / docking mode while connecting the charger with the phone switched on occurred too.
* Complete speculation
The Solution
After much frustration, it wasn't until I considered the 'orange' plastic unit which covers the charging board (secured by three screws). It was orange on my phone, however, could be different on yours.
On the underside of this removable unit, are two copper plates approx 1mm by 1mm. These lined up with two spring loaded 'arms' on the replaced charging board underneath. In my case, these two cooper plates were slightly dented meaning that a poor connection occurred between the board and the unit.
The solution was to a) Pry the metal arms further apart using a very thin piece of plastic, raising them slightly and b) raise the entire circuit board underneath very slightly. This was done using a very thin piece of plastic (I used a small cut-off from a pill packet, and removed the foil coating, then folded it over on itself to increase the thickness), and placing it directly underneath the two metal arms under the charging board.
And since then, I can report that my phone will now consistently charge again. I am once again, able to both use and charge my phone at the same time.
It maybe worth noting that if you're suffering from similar problems that this board may not need replacing, although in my case, I also suffered damage to the micro usb port so had no other option. This is still by far cheaper than sending the phone off for repair as this is something that most people can do if, like me, you are no longer covered under warranty.
Taking the phone apart
This was actually remarkably strait forward and easy to do with some basic tools. The tools I used are:
A very small Philips screwdriver (preferably magnetic)
A small spring loaded hair clip (for separating the front and back)
Plastic tweezers
A small plastic container (for the screws you remove)
And finally, some common sense
The hair clip I found to be the best tool for removing the front and back because of its thin width and plastic coating which prevented scrape marks, although anything extremely thin and plastic should just about do.
Hopefully from the pictures I'm going to attempt to attach, you'll see my N7000 is white (what a bad choice that was ) and the gap was between the very delicate white plastic lip and silver plastic body, I imagine the black version is constructed in an identical manner although I cannot confirm this.
I found the best place to start (assuming the screen is towards you) when prying the front and back apart was just below the volume buttons on the left side. I then worked my way down that side, attacking directly to the left and right of usb port next. Then just below the power button and continue down the lower right hand side. The top I found to be slightly trickier, but start just to the left of the headphone port, then pry the corners.
Now, I can at times be a little clumsy, so my phone naturally has some ware and tare. All in all, I added two very small scuff marks on both the top and bottom, and have taken the phone apart several times. I would video it, however the similarities between the video above and the N7000 are minimal in terms of de-constructing.
Also worth noting, on one occasion, I didn't have the plastic tweezers available, and I found that if you're incredibly careful, you can detach the mini flex cables using a small plastic disposable spoon, the like you find in service stations . Additionally, the screws used in the casing are a different size to the three on the removable plastic unit, so don't mix them up.
Conclusion
I think that is everything useful, however, feel free to ask questions if I didn't cover anything. I've seen a lot of charger related problems in this thread, and haven't found anything like this, so sorry if this information is not beneficial or of use.
I would also like to comment that before I replaced this board, I experienced many of the described problems in relation to the cable used. I have found that as long as I use a reasonable quality cable and any USB wall adapter rated at 1A, I get a consistently good charge every time. I have experimented with a few cheap cables, including a few from the 99p store which seem to charge slightly slower, although since replacing the board and adjusting the metal arms I rarely have issues when charging now.
Regards
Tom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice solution, i will try at home later.
Hey all,
i have an issue with my usb flap. I can close it, and the phone allready survived some water. But as a mechanical engineer i am not happy with the seal for the usb port.
I try to explain it: when i close the seal it keeps popping out a little bit. Depending on which side i press in first (Top or bottom) the other one pops out about 0.5 to 1mm. In the end the flap seems to feel more comfortable in the position where the top side stays out. Some employee told me that is normal, i had nothing to compare so i have to believe him for the moment. Thats why i ask you guys if your device has the same or not.
Thanks for your help. Sorry for my english.
Greatz
I have the same problem currently. This is my second Active. The first didn't do this. I'm considering a warranty replacement, but I don't want to spend the time setting everything up again.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4
Open the flap, then pull it just a tiny bit so the side section is exposed (you pull in the direction of the power button side of the phone, so to the right just a bit). When you insert it, you need to slide that section back into the area it's designed for, pressing down on the left side somewhat firmly (left in terms of you staring at the screen). When that's done, press down on the right side so it's flush - so the whole cover is flush with the bottom of the phone.
There's actually two "levels" of it being closed: the first is close to being flush but not completely; this level kills the water-resistant feature and your phone too if you don't seal it properly and dunk it.
The second level is when it's truly in place, and you can actually feel it when it "snaps" into that position - when it's truly in place the cover is totally flush with the bottom surface of the phone.
Just something I had to come to understand myself in my short period of time owning the GS4A.
Might be helpful info, might not, but that's how I've come to understand it and seal that USB port cover personally without issues.
My cover has been getting worse. I can still get it to snap into place, but I have to get it positioned just right or it does not seal completely. I think that it will probably break off soon and become lost. Does anyone know if the seal is easily replaceable? I haven't seen the part listed on the parts thread. It is frustrating to think that the only option may be to send it back to replace a 10c part. Considering the design intent of this phone, I certainly thought that Samsung would have developed an inductive charging back long before the USB seals would start wearing out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4
Hear's another thing (pun intended) about that microUSB port cover: it works in conjunction with the speaker as well meaning that whole bottom section is a "woofer" port enclosure, basically, taking the term from speaker enclosure technology.
When the cover is in place and sealed properly, you get "more bass" (ok it ain't much but it's very noticeable to me) when audio is coming from the speaker. If you remove the cover while audio is playing, voila, it turns all tinny and full of nothing but very high end frequencies. And when the cover is in that first level of being attached, you still will hear mostly high end frequencies - only when it's properly in place and the seal is in effect does the audio tone change, at least in my situation.
Just something I noticed, thought it was somewhat cool the first time it happened, I thought I had broken something when the audio took on that high tinny and harsh quality.
Mine broke last night and called samsung the tech guy telling me thats the fist time that the seal port cover broke.and I have to wait 2weeks to get it done.should I go att instead but not sure they will replace this thing...
pink_lady03 said:
Mine broke last night and called samsung the tech guy telling me thats the fist time that the seal port cover broke.and I have to wait 2weeks to get it done.should I go att instead but not sure they will replace this thing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd call AT&T's warranty line.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4
br0adband said:
Open the flap, then pull it just a tiny bit so the side section is exposed (you pull in the direction of the power button side of the phone, so to the right just a bit). When you insert it, you need to slide that section back into the area it's designed for, pressing down on the left side somewhat firmly (left in terms of you staring at the screen). When that's done, press down on the right side so it's flush - so the whole cover is flush with the bottom of the phone.
There's actually two "levels" of it being closed: the first is close to being flush but not completely; this level kills the water-resistant feature and your phone too if you don't seal it properly and dunk it.
The second level is when it's truly in place, and you can actually feel it when it "snaps" into that position - when it's truly in place the cover is totally flush with the bottom surface of the phone.
Just something I had to come to understand myself in my short period of time owning the GS4A.
Might be helpful info, might not, but that's how I've come to understand it and seal that USB port cover personally without issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both of the ones I have are the same as this. I've had to really explain to the missus that she can't just 'sorta' close it otherwise it's not waterproof any more. I haven't had any issues yet but as soon as that wireless WiQiQi proves itself battle worthy (or at least doesn't mess up the seal on the back) I'm putting in for 2 of them ASAP. I haven't used any sort of wireless charging yet but I'm pretty confident that I won't ever buy a phone that doesn't have it ever again, same as I won't ever buy a non-waterproof phone after the Rugby Smart and the S4A have proved themselves worthy.
br0adband said:
Open the flap, then pull it just a tiny bit so the side section is exposed (you pull in the direction of the power button side of the phone, so to the right just a bit). When you insert it, you need to slide that section back into the area it's designed for, pressing down on the left side somewhat firmly (left in terms of you staring at the screen). When that's done, press down on the right side so it's flush - so the whole cover is flush with the bottom of the phone.
There's actually two "levels" of it being closed: the first is close to being flush but not completely; this level kills the water-resistant feature and your phone too if you don't seal it properly and dunk it.
The second level is when it's truly in place, and you can actually feel it when it "snaps" into that position - when it's truly in place the cover is totally flush with the bottom surface of the phone.
Just something I had to come to understand myself in my short period of time owning the GS4A.
Might be helpful info, might not, but that's how I've come to understand it and seal that USB port cover personally without issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine unfortunately never snaps. I can push it to the desired position, but it never stays there.
So I have to replace it.
Hate this just because of one little part...
From mechanical view this problem seems logic. The seal fits into the housing and the USB port. The housing is connected to a print board and the USB port is on the print. The seal must fit very exactly and over this array of possible small failures a exact position is hard to get...
Greatz and thanks
Sent from my GT-I9295 using xda app-developers app
If I can make a suggestion, take it as such for those (of us) that have the GS4A and may or may not be having issues with the microUSB cover/flap/etc:
Personally I can't wait to get my GS4A set up and working with a wireless charger. I'm still on the fence at the moment over which one to get/use but I'll figure it out. But because of the fact that I hate plugging and unplugging the GS4A (or any smartphone) and knowing that each time I do it I'm just creating that much wear and tear on the microUSB port, I purchased the app called Wifi File Transfer Pro a very long time ago and I have never had one single moment to regret the purchase (that means I LOVE IT).
I'm not a shill for it, but honestly, for a buck and change there's no better such app on the Play marketplace that I've been able to track down and I've tried about 30 of them meaning apps that allow you to connect to your device over your Wi-Fi network for file transfers to and from the device, etc.
The only reason I plug my GS4A in is to charge it these days and I'm just getting tired of doing it as frequently as I do because... I currently have a cheap Samsung counterfeit battery - learned the hard way with that one - but I have a real Samsung battery on order, should be here by Friday, purchased with that 50% off code they gave me for registering the GS4A with Samsung a few weeks back.
So in a few days I'll have a wireless charger, a real legit Samsung battery (brand new, even), and I'll use the microUSB port one last time, hopefully to do a proper full charge on that battery (with a 2A charger, even) and then once that's done I'll close that flap with the intention of never opening it again.
But seriously, if you're doing a lot of transfers to and from the phone for whatever reason, look into that app - Wifi File Transfer Pro from smarterDroid - or some other such wireless transfer app depending on your needs and wants (because there are several dozen of them on the Play marketplace and take the wireless route. Yes, using the microUSB is faster overall because it's a hardwired connection but I typically get 6-10MB/s using this app and my 11n network.
Go truly wireless or go home and save that microUSB port just for emergencies...
pink_lady03 said:
Mine broke last night and called samsung the tech guy telling me thats the fist time that the seal port cover broke.and I have to wait 2weeks to get it done.should I go att instead but not sure they will replace this thing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine broke off the first week I had it. Horrible design. Terrible application. I kept the plug but since I am constantly plugging in to power up it is more of a hindrance than a feature. Wireless will be an issue unless they will fit inside a protective case. The Active is already too thick to fit in most cases made for the regular S4.
It's the same thickness as the GS4 for the most part, barely a millimeter difference, but the GS4A is a bit longer top to bottom. There are a lot of cases available now for it that accommodate the differences (longer body length, slight expansion at the end rubber caps top and bottom back, etc). Those Diztronic ones are some of the thinnest full body cases I've seen so far but I went the Unicorn Beetle route and have been nothing but happy since I first put it on.
Yes the flap could have been done better I suppose, but I've got a cheap LG prepaid using a similar mechanism with the microUSB port cover and I've plugged unplugged that phone a thousand times over the years, still works fine.
Sometimes I think people should just take better care of their hardware...
A soft case without an opening for the flap would be nice Than it looks better and we can not destruct the flap
So I'm in the process of replacing the ear piece speaker. It has always acted up but finally completely went out when I dropped the phone today. Tore the phone apart and pulled the bad one out, and put it back together, so for the time being it's a phone with no speaker, but strangely now the rear camera doesn't work either.
So I'm curious, maybe I still don't have the ribbon cable from the camera seated correctly. But do you think maybe the camera and speaker are on the same circuit and without the speaker in there the camera won't work?
The ear piece not working can usually be fixed by bending the metal pins. I've managed to fix3 Droid's this way. that being said, I don't think the camera has anything to do with the ear piece.
Check if you've inserted the ribbon properly. The ribbon goes in pretty deep. It's easy to make a mistake when connecting the ribbon.
You wouldn't have some instructions for that procedure, do you? Or is there an iFixit video? Have the same problem with the speaker.
Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk now Free
Bumping this old thread in the event that someone in the future finds it useful. Obviously, replacing the speaker will VOID YOUR WARRANTY in every way possible, and if you're not careful will ruin your phone! But, if you're like me, your D4 is long out of warranty and it'll be a cold day in hell before you give up your keyboard.
That being said, I just replaced the speaker in my D4, after the stock speaker fizzled and died after almost 2 years. Every now and then it would "fuzz out" and I'd gently tap the phone against my head (which I'm sure looked quite comical) and it would stop. Finally the speaker gave up the ghost entirely and it was nearly impossible to hear. I used resources from this site to guide me in taking it apart.
You'll need a torx T5 and T3 driver - DO NOT try to use any substitute drivers if you don't have an official T5 or T3, like I did - you will strip the screws (they strip VERY easily) and you'll need to bust out the dremel to drill/grind away the screw, or buy a whole new LCD/digitizer assembly for $~70 (which, as of this posting, are getting harder to find). You might think that you can fudge it with an eyeglass repair flathead driver, but you can't. Trust me. T3 and T5 drivers are cheap online, do it right.
For the actual replacement speaker itself, I got a speaker for a Nokia Lumia 610 on ebay for about 4 bucks (free shipping!). It's almost identical to the stock D4 speaker, but it looks to be a little better quality and the actual place where noise comes out looks to be ever so slightly bigger. It "sits" in a little pocket in the outer housing/screen digitizer, held in place by the flex cable. You'll see once you get there.
Make sure both the dual snap connector that connects the mainboard to the screen/digitizer is securely fastened, and also make sure that the tiny snap connector that goes from the screen to the digitizer itself is securely fastened as well - this second snap connector is up by the notification LED. I scared myself when I re-assembled everything and my touchscreen didn't respond. Also, when you're working up by the notification LED, there's a small piece of white-ish rubber that sits between the actual LED itself and the little hole where light comes out on the front of the phone. It's crucial that you don't lose this - the LED is a few mm offset from the hole, and this piece of rubber glows and creates the notification light that you see on the front. Without it, no notification light.
Be careful with the mainboard, replacement units are very hard to find and will only get rarer as the D4 ages. It's basically the heart of your phone.
Tweezers and a "safe-open pry tool" (basically a piece of soft plastic to ease apart the pieces of your phone) make this process easier as well.
Another note: there are 2 hidden T5 screws behind the bezel that surrounds the rear camera and flash. When you go to peel this up, you'll probably ruin it - this is poor design IMO, and mostly inevitable. Good news though, replacement camera bezel parts are available online for a few bucks.
All in all, this process isn't difficult, but requires really good light (super bright lamp or headlamp) and will give you a greater appreciation for your phone and how it's both a magical little black box as well as just a collection of shiny bits.
Good luck!!
Khiraji said:
You'll need a torx T5 and T3 driver - DO NOT try to use any substitute drivers if you don't have an official T5 or T3, like I did - you will strip the screws (they strip VERY easily) and you'll need to bust out the dremel to drill/grind away the screw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Listen to him. I learned this the hard way and that is precisely what I had to do. Taking a dremel to my cell phone... I never want to sweat bullets like that again.
Post-end edit and TL;DR for others having the sort of problems I was:
The power button will, if held in (or stuck engaged) for 10 seconds, reset the phone. Unconditionally. If your phone starts randomly resetting after the power button is pressed (or after you press it, the shutdown menu appears, then the phone resets), your power button is sticky and needs to be replaced. Save yourself some frustration and stop using the button to sleep/wake your phone. Pop the keyboard slider open half an inch to wake it up, use a widget or one of CM and SlimKat's many shortcuts to put it to sleep. Unless you're still on stock JB, in which case quit being on stock JB you square you're probably limited to widgets.
---
Bought a D4 off ebay. According to the seller, there's nothing wrong with it, aside from "the power button occasionally does not work".
And until this afternoon, not even that. The phone was working flawlessly. So, I sat down and flashed it so I could transfer my PagePlus account over, which also seemed to be successful; 1x and 3g signals, nice and strong. And even after that, it was fine for a bit.
Then, I go to put the phone to sleep...and it wouldn't. The power switch problem that the seller described rearing its ugly head, seemingly. So I kept trying, and every few button presses, the shutdown menu came up, rather than the device sleeping. Seemed like a sticky button, easy enough to fix.
And then...the phone reset itself. And now, when it's woken with the button, there's a decent chance that it resets itself within 10 seconds of leaving the lock screen; assuming it even wakes up with the button, which seems to be rather hit-and-miss. Putting the phone to sleep with the button is equally fidgety, but doesn't seem to be able to reset it.
I'd already planned on replacing the button, if necessary; I'm not at all afraid of opening the phone up. What concerns me is the self-resetting, which as I understand the Droid 4 is only supposed to do if the power button and volume- buttons are held; I haven't so much as touched the volume buttons since this started.
Should I send it back for a refund, or is the self-reset behavior a symptom of a stuck/failing power button, and likely to go away if I open it up and replace it?
My power button did same thing a year ago.
The power button is two parts external and internal
I took it apart and pulled the external part off, it just pulls straight off.
Now need a pen or something to press button, but normally use a widget to turn screen off and use an volume button app to turn screen on
There are replacement power buttons on eBay but never got around to it.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
sd_shadow said:
My power button did same thing a year ago.
The power button is two parts external and internal
I took it apart and pulled the external part off, it just pulls straight off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So wait. Despite how loose/flimsy it feels, it's actually the external plastic bit getting stuck/hung up? I figured it was the actual button being gunked up (poor-quality grease or somesuch) and sticking.
And, is the phone supposed to reboot if only the power button is "held", then? That's what I'm primarily worried about; whether the power button is responsible for the reboots, or it started at the same time by coincidence and something else is actually wrong.
With mine the exterior part was sticking and causing reboots, yours may be different
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Hmm, seems to be different indeed. Out of curiosity, I very carefully slipped a screwdriver in above the plastic button to open a small gap, and clicked the actual hardware button with a small paperclip...nothing. Holding it long enough seems to eventually make contact and put the phone to sleep, clicking it repeatedly sometimes causes the shutdown menu to come up (and shortly thereafter a reboot)...
Very strange behavior. Think I have some electrical contact cleaner around here somewhere, maybe I can squirt some of that down into the button...failing that, I guess I can live with it, hoping it's just the button itself and not something wonky with the board logic, and eventually change the button for something a bit higher quality...
Septfox said:
Hmm, seems to be different indeed. Out of curiosity, I very carefully slipped a screwdriver in above the plastic button to open a small gap, and clicked the actual hardware button with a small paperclip...nothing. Holding it long enough seems to eventually make contact and put the phone to sleep, clicking it repeatedly sometimes causes the shutdown menu to come up (and shortly thereafter a reboot)...
Very strange behavior. Think I have some electrical contact cleaner around here somewhere, maybe I can squirt some of that down into the button...failing that, I guess I can live with it, hoping it's just the button itself and not something wonky with the board logic, and eventually change the button for something a bit higher quality...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This happened to my old SE XPERIA X2, the switch wore off. In this case I got the switch replaced under warranty claim.
Generally all the faulty micro switches I opened had somehow faulty flat spring inside. If it is the case, it won't click soundly when pressed. Then you need to replace the whole switch (or the spring if you can find the same), no cleaning can help.
I can't imagine any valid SW situation leading to reboot because of pressing only the power switch - unless you installed some utility to do it, which I doubt. Maybe the Vol Down button is faulty/sticky too?
I'd try to clean the insides first (if the cleaner gets inside the switches, even better), and if that doesn't help, get inside and check these two switches yourself. You can't get a refund then though
LuH said:
Generally all the faulty micro switches I opened had somehow faulty flat spring inside. If it is the case, it won't click soundly when pressed. Then you need to replace the whole switch (or the spring if you can find the same), no cleaning can help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine makes a clicking sound and seems to return after being pressed. However, comparing it to the volume buttons (which look to be the same switch going by the teardown pictures I've seen), it does sound and feel slightly less "crisp".
LuH said:
I can't imagine any valid SW situation leading to reboot because of pressing only the power switch - unless you installed some utility to do it, which I doubt. Maybe the Vol Down button is faulty/sticky too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, completely stock, since I was flashing the phone over to PP before doing anything else.
I was kind of hoping someone on stock or modified stock would come in and test it for me; hold the button down for a good 10-20 seconds, see what happens. It's not supposed to happen, but I've read elsewhere online that it's one of the symptoms of a sticky button.
Curiously, the Volume- key seems to be working perfectly, sounds and feels like I would expect.
LuH said:
I'd try to clean the insides first (if the cleaner gets inside the switches, even better), and if that doesn't help, get inside and check these two switches yourself. You can't get a refund then though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually have some "QR Electrical Cleaner" here that I obtained from Walmart a while back...unfortunately someone lost the nozzle, so I can't get a concentrated blast down around the switch stem :\
Wedging the plastic external button aside and spraying it in the general direction of the top of the switch doesn't seem to have done anything, unfortunately. I think these switches are probably semi-sealed unless in the pressed position, which is going to make things interesting...
And yes, you're right, doing anything further would technically void the warranty. Thinking about it, though, I actually did get a pretty good deal; the phone is obviously a return from a customer who found the problem early on, as it's basically new in condition with a completely unscratched screen. Even if I can't get the button working right, the phone wakes up with the keyboard, and a notification widget puts it to sleep...and if the button isn't used to wake it, it doesn't seem to stick (or at least register as it), so the phone continues working properly. So, a mostly-perfect phone, for all of $27.50, with the potential to be perfect.
Once my screen protector gets here and I'm not afraid of scratching the glass up, I think I'll open it and see what I can find out. It should be easy enough to short the contacts at the rear of the switch and see that the board is working properly; if so, then I can go hunting for a compatible switch. I can't seem to find any direct replacements, unfortunately.
Which reminds me, any guesses as to why there are three poles on the switch rather than two?
Edit: nevermind, looking at pictures it seems that the two "outer" pins attach to the common pad on the board, while the center pin is attached to the appropriate circuitry.
Septfox said:
Mine makes a clicking sound and seems to return after being pressed. However, comparing it to the volume buttons (which look to be the same switch going by the teardown pictures I've seen), it does sound and feel slightly less "crisp".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like a swan's song...
Septfox said:
Yea, completely stock, since I was flashing the phone over to PP before doing anything else.
I was kind of hoping someone on stock or modified stock would come in and test it for me; hold the button down for a good 10-20 seconds, see what happens. It's not supposed to happen, but I've read elsewhere online that it's one of the symptoms of a sticky button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Luckily I just fastbooted mine Completely stock 188, only rooted and with SS installed - which should make no difference. To my complete surprise, while holding the power down, it shows the Power menu after 2 secs and forcibly reboots after 10 seconds. So I guess your only problem is the power button :good:
Septfox said:
And yes, you're right, doing anything further would technically void the warranty. Thinking about it, though, I actually did get a pretty good deal; the phone is obviously a return from a customer who found the problem early on, as it's basically new in condition with a completely unscratched screen. Even if I can't get the button working right, the phone wakes up with the keyboard, and a notification widget puts it to sleep...and if the button isn't used to wake it, it doesn't seem to stick (or at least register as it), so the phone continues working properly. So, a mostly-perfect phone, for all of $27.50, with the potential to be perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great catch If you find another, let me know
Septfox said:
Once my screen protector gets here and I'm not afraid of scratching the glass up, I think I'll open it and see what I can find out. It should be easy enough to short the contacts at the rear of the switch and see that the board is working properly; if so, then I can go hunting for a compatible switch. I can't seem to find any direct replacements, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually bought one two years ago while buying mine D4 to have the whole package stuffed with all imaginable replacement parts sent from the US - postage to Europe was about 1/3 of the whole price. I never used any of the replacement parts yet, guess I got lucky I don't have it on me now though...
Septfox said:
Which reminds me, any guesses as to why there are three poles on the switch rather than two?
Edit: nevermind, looking at pictures it seems that the two "outer" pins attach to the common pad on the board, while the center pin is attached to the appropriate circuitry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My guess is in some other devices the switch may switch between two circuits, not just break/connect the circuit. I think most of the switches I saw had the unnecessary third leg. Also it may help it hold tighter to the PCB.
LuH said:
Luckily I just fastbooted mine Completely stock 188, only rooted and with SS installed - which should make no difference. To my complete surprise, while holding the power down, it shows the Power menu after 2 secs and forcibly reboots after 10 seconds. So I guess your only problem is the power button :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thank you! Now I don't have to strip it down until I have a new switch in hand...though I'm still tempted to, just for fun. Strange that the phone can be rebooted by only holding the power button, though.
LuH said:
Great catch If you find another, let me know
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Certainly. FYI, the seller I got it it from is named "soonersoft" if you want to use ebay's Follow Seller thing, by the looks of their listings they seem to mainly do business in items returned under warranty for damage/defects.
LuH said:
I actually bought one two years ago while buying mine D4 to have the whole package stuffed with all imaginable replacement parts sent from the US - postage to Europe was about 1/3 of the whole price. I never used any of the replacement parts yet, guess I got lucky I don't have it on me now though...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been thinking about it, and even if I could find a 1:1 replacement, it might be better to just replace it with an entirely different, more common switch. Having looked it up, power switch failures aren't incredibly frequent, but they are enough that I would rather have a more reliable (or at least, cheaper to replace), more standard design. Ebay is full of cheap bulk lots of microswitches, just gotta find one small enough.
LuH said:
My guess is in some other devices the switch may switch between two circuits, not just break/connect the circuit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, maybe. I just had the thought that it might alternatively be a dual-stage switch (e.g. as are used for cameras), with one of the stages disabled or defective to the extent that it could only be sold as a single-stage switch. Such would be a good way to get rid of components that would otherwise be garbage.
Whichever it is, it seems to me that such a small switch with so many moving parts inside, in a location and with a role that it sees a lot of use and abuse, is just asking for trouble...that the problem isn't more widespread is a testament to the quality of the switch manufacturer's design and assembly, I guess.
Regardless, it looks like only a dual-pole switch is actually needed, so that considerably widens the range of possibilities.
Thanks for the assistance, it has been invaluable. Now I can continue loading up and enjoying my phone without worrying that it's going to suddenly drop dead...well, more than the usual worrying, anyway
Septfox said:
Awesome, thank you! Now I don't have to strip it down until I have a new switch in hand...though I'm still tempted to, just for fun. Strange that the phone can be rebooted by only holding the power button, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know your feelings, even though I waited for a first issue to rationalize opening it up, which was only this summer, after almost two years. I'm still a student and the phone was ****load of money for me. Now that they are so cheap (and I don't see any potential replacement on the market as QWERTY devices vaporized) I'm not that cautious.
BTW most breakdown instructions or videos specify you'll only need T5 screwdriver but if you want to disassemble the display part as well, which you will need to, you'll need T3 as well (T4 still kinda fits to the screws, but it's T3). When you slide the diplay (or keyboard, depending on your point of view) out, you can see the small screws next to the outer rim.
Also, the phone heavily relies on adhesive - be sure to have plenty and be aware that after first opening the see-through plastic piece with rear camera, flash LED, hole for opening the back door and with two screws underneath will never look the same, you'll be lucky to have it somehow stick with most parts looking OK. I never saw anywhere replacement for this printed adhesive, the "HD 720p" sign gets semi-destroyed when opening it...
Septfox said:
Certainly. FYI, the seller I got it it from is named "soonersoft" if you want to use ebay's Follow Seller thing, by the looks of their listings they seem to mainly do business in items returned under warranty for damage/defects.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Septfox said:
I've been thinking about it, and even if I could find a 1:1 replacement, it might be better to just replace it with an entirely different, more common switch. Having looked it up, power switch failures aren't incredibly frequent, but they are enough that I would rather have a more reliable (or at least, cheaper to replace), more standard design. Ebay is full of cheap bulk lots of microswitches, just gotta find one small enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or you can do it the hardcore and noticeable way I used to fix out old home LCD monitor's faulty power switch - solder wires to the PCB, take it out the hole left after the switch plastic and solder to them a switch of your choosing that will hang outside the phone... You can tell people that it's an antenna that helps with bad reception in your area
Septfox said:
Yea, maybe. I just had the thought that it might alternatively be a dual-stage switch (e.g. as are used for cameras), with one of the stages disabled or defective to the extent that it could only be sold as a single-stage switch. Such would be a good way to get rid of components that would otherwise be garbage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not likely IMO. This was marketed as luxurious device, I don't think they'd do it. Also the new switch isn't as expensive I guess, especially compared to all the advanced electronics inside.
Septfox said:
Whichever it is, it seems to me that such a small switch with so many moving parts inside, in a location and with a role that it sees a lot of use and abuse, is just asking for trouble...that the problem isn't more widespread is a testament to the quality of the switch manufacturer's design and assembly, I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, I never understood how microswitches, especially those used in mouses, could take so much...
Septfox said:
Regardless, it looks like only a dual-pole switch is actually needed, so that considerably widens the range of possibilities.
Thanks for the assistance, it has been invaluable. Now I can continue loading up and enjoying my phone without worrying that it's going to suddenly drop dead...well, more than the usual worrying, anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad I helped Enjoy your "brand new" slider
LuH said:
BTW most breakdown instructions or videos specify you'll only need T5 screwdriver but if you want to disassemble the display part as well, which you will need to, you'll need T3 as well (T4 still kinda fits to the screws, but it's T3).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. As it turns out, I don't have anything below a T6 or 7, so no adventures in disassembly for me today.
LuH said:
Also, the phone heavily relies on adhesive - be sure to have plenty and be aware that after first opening the see-through plastic piece with rear camera, flash LED, hole for opening the back door and with two screws underneath will never look the same, you'll be lucky to have it somehow stick with most parts looking OK. I never saw anywhere replacement for this printed adhesive, the "HD 720p" sign gets semi-destroyed when opening it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fond memories of stripping my Ally down to the digitizer come back to me; everything simply snaps or bolts together and there's nary a drop of glue to be seen :<
I wonder if I can eyeball pictures of a removed plastic bit and use a straightblade bit to simply "drill" through mine to the screws...will have to keep it in mind when I evenetually open it up.
Any suggestions on what kind of glue to get? All I have around are hot glue and Gorilla Glue, neither of which strike me as particularly appropriate for this sort of thing.
LuH said:
Or you can do it the hardcore and noticeable way I used to fix out old home LCD monitor's faulty power switch - solder wires to the PCB, take it out the hole left after the switch plastic and solder to them a switch of your choosing that will hang outside the phone... You can tell people that it's an antenna that helps with bad reception in your area
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sad thing is, I would have actually done this with my first flip-phone. Heck, my current computer is a collection of loosely-assembled parts kind of haphazardly spread out on a nearby endtable, so I can say I would definitely do this to a phone ; \
LuH said:
Not likely IMO. This was marketed as luxurious device, I don't think they'd do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, a luxurious device with a Pentile TFT display, non-removable battery, entirely plastic casing and no dedicated camera button :v
There's no denying that it's a nice phone, but I see a lot of cut corners; what's another one that the majority of users will be fortunate enough to never notice?
Septfox said:
Fond memories of stripping my Ally down to the digitizer come back to me; everything simply snaps or bolts together and there's nary a drop of glue to be seen :<
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too hate this adhesive hell
Septfox said:
I wonder if I can eyeball pictures of a removed plastic bit and use a straightblade bit to simply "drill" through mine to the screws...will have to keep it in mind when I eventually open it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking the same. Don't know what straightblade is, but I wouldn't recommend any blade - the plastic is pretty thick. My plan would be to really cautiously drill it by an actual power drill. There's a bit of space between screws and the plastic piece, so I think it's safe to drill.
Septfox said:
Any suggestions on what kind of glue to get? All I have around are hot glue and Gorilla Glue, neither of which strike me as particularly appropriate for this sort of thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Double-sided adhesive tape I bought cheap 3mm wide one off eBay, works like charm. Also I thought they say it's 3M as in 3 meters long, but actually got a 3M branded one, possibly 3 meters long
Septfox said:
The sad thing is, I would have actually done this with my first flip-phone. Heck, my current computer is a collection of loosely-assembled parts kind of haphazardly spread out on a nearby endtable, so I can say I would definitely do this to a phone ; \
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see how it's a bad thing The phone would look badass
Septfox said:
Yes, a luxurious device with a Pentile TFT display, non-removable battery, entirely plastic casing and no dedicated camera button :v
There's no denying that it's a nice phone, but I see a lot of cut corners; what's another one that the majority of users will be fortunate enough to never notice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True...
LuH said:
I was thinking the same. Don't know what straightblade is, but I wouldn't recommend any blade - the plastic is pretty thick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, what I was referring to was a flat-edge screwdriver bit, in the same style as one of these for example. A small, sharp one makes a surprisingly good boring tool once you get it started.
LuH said:
Double-sided adhesive tape I bought cheap 3mm wide one off eBay, works like charm. Also I thought they say it's 3M as in 3 meters long, but actually got a 3M branded one, possibly 3 meters long
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, double-sided tape. I probably would have gone for rubber cement or somesuch, but this is a much better idea...far less messy.
LuH said:
I don't see how it's a bad thing The phone would look badass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And cats everywhere would instantly be huge fans of it.
Septfox said:
Sorry, what I was referring to was a flat-edge screwdriver bit, in the same style as one of these for example. A small, sharp one makes a surprisingly good boring tool once you get it started.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's an interesting idea
Septfox said:
Ah, double-sided tape. I probably would have gone for rubber cement or somesuch, but this is a much better idea...far less messy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it and turns out while it works great for the main body (the first frame that probably wouldn't even need it in the first place), the tape I bought is a disaster for the digitizer. Since there is a pressure contact for the ear speaker being pressed by the adhesive connection only, it gets pressed away all the time. I got to re-assemble it with new tape every like two or three weeks, which is unbearable. Any alternative idea? I don't think we have rubber cement here - tried to google it and it seems it's used only in the US. I don't want to use any solution that's too permanent though - the time may come when I shatter the glass and need to replace it.
Also the display screws may actually be T4 - it seems my T3 and T4 screwdrivers are a tad more thick than they are supposed to be, compared to my brother's bit more expensive set.
LuH said:
I tried it and turns out while it works great for the main body (the first frame that probably wouldn't even need it in the first place), the tape I bought is a disaster for the digitizer. Since there is a pressure contact for the ear speaker being pressed by the adhesive connection only, it gets pressed away all the time. I got to re-assemble it with new tape every like two or three weeks, which is unbearable. Any alternative idea? I don't think we have rubber cement here - tried to google it and it seems it's used only in the US. I don't want to use any solution that's too permanent though - the time may come when I shatter the glass and need to replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.
I haven't taken mine apart yet - waiting on soldering wick so I can replace the power button with minimal mess - and wasn't planning on stripping it down that far anyway, so all I have to look at is the teardown guide. It looks to me like you could:
Press in the screen glass at the top to where it's supposed to be (to align the speaker with the frame as best as possible)
Get some sort of thin material to fill in/bridge the gap between the sides of the speaker and the frame
Inject a small amount of superglue into the gaps between frame/material/speaker
Finding something to bridge the gaps shouldn't be too difficult, anything will work (the superglue will just soak and make it rock hard anyway), it's only there so there's not enough of a gap for the superglue to shrink and void as it dries.
Just don't use enough glue that it works its way down to the glass, or it'll be a pain to detach later.
Like so (blue: spacer/shim, red: glue):
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Alternatively, gluing the speaker directly to the board it interfaces with (using a small shim between them to make room for the contacts)...but the positioning might be trickier to get right.
'course, these both have the problem of being rather permanent...and while I haven't read that there are widespread problems with the ear speaker going out, it does seem to occasionally happen. I just don't really know of any adhesives that are both strong enough to hold without eventually coming apart, and weak enough to be somewhat easily removed if needed : \
LuH said:
Also the display screws may actually be T4 - it seems my T3 and T4 screwdrivers are a tad more thick than they are supposed to be, compared to my brother's bit more expensive set.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a cheap set off ebay that includes T3-T6, so I should be good to go for when I eventually get around to opening the whole thing up (it is certain to happen at some point, if for no other reason than curiosity). At the moment I'm just enjoying customizing SlimKat and playing with the phone; it's so much more able in every way than the old LG I came from, it's ridiculous. Curiosity can, in this case, wait a while~
Septfox said:
It looks to me like you could:
Press in the screen glass at the top to where it's supposed to be (to align the speaker with the frame as best as possible)
Get some sort of thin material to fill in/bridge the gap between the sides of the speaker and the frame
Inject a small amount of superglue into the gaps between frame/material/speaker
Finding something to bridge the gaps shouldn't be too difficult, anything will work (the superglue will just soak and make it rock hard anyway), it's only there so there's not enough of a gap for the superglue to shrink and void as it dries.
Just don't use enough glue that it works its way down to the glass, or it'll be a pain to detach later.
Like so (blue: spacer/shim, red: glue):
[picture shown in above post]
Alternatively, gluing the speaker directly to the board it interfaces with (using a small shim between them to make room for the contacts)...but the positioning might be trickier to get right.
'course, these both have the problem of being rather permanent...and while I haven't read that there are widespread problems with the ear speaker going out, it does seem to occasionally happen. I just don't really know of any adhesives that are both strong enough to hold without eventually coming apart, and weak enough to be somewhat easily removed if needed : \
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Well, I think when I bought the phone in summer 2012 I was like "cool, the only known issue is not showing up in my unit", and almost two years later when earpiece problems started, I was like "****, it finally caught me"...
The idea of hard-fixing the earpiece is nice, I actually thought of it before. I'd love it to be fixed to the PCB, thinking of some non-sticky insulation to be put between the earpiece and the digitizer. It's holding really tight on the digitizer though. I'll see what I can do when I open it up next time - I fixed it this Saturday, so I think it should hold itself somehow at least till the weekend
I was thinking of soldering it to PCB, but was quite scared of messing it up. Super glue is interesting alternative idea But I'm a bit afraid that it will tear the PCB's top layer apart when being pushed away continuously by the pressure contacts. I'll probably first try gluing it to the frame as you indicated in the picture and see then Hope I'll get to send pictures here, although it's a hard thing to do with a phone (my only camera) taken apart...
LuH said:
The idea of hard-fixing the earpiece is nice, I actually thought of it before. I'd love it to be fixed to the PCB, thinking of some non-sticky insulation to be put between the earpiece and the digitizer.
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Paper~
alternatively, thinner and clear, plastic/saran wrap. Stick it down in there, then simply tear the little bit out that covers the speaker hole (or probably easier and cleaner, take a craft knife to it).
LuH said:
I was thinking of soldering it to PCB, but was quite scared of messing it up. Super glue is interesting alternative idea But I'm a bit afraid that it will tear the PCB's top layer apart when being pushed away continuously by the pressure contacts.
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That's a good point, PCB pads aren't strong at all (found that out while pulling a replacement switch off another phone, which is why I'm waiting on wick; don't want to tear my traces up).
I'd like to propose a combination alternative, then
Get some of your double-sided tape, stick a small strip to where the speaker sits on the PCB, try not to get stuck to it
Find a pair of lengths of small-gauge wire, an inch apiece should be enough
On each side, solder one wire to the copper interface pads
Using a small pair of wire snips, snip off the sprung sections of the contacts on the earpiece speaker, leaving enough to solder to
Solder the other ends of the wires to the remainder of the contacts on the speaker
Carefully align the speaker with the PCB, and stick it to the double-sided tape
Finally, tuck the wires out of the way so they don't get pinched and severed when the front assembly is bolted back on
The double-sided tape should be under little to no strain, so it ought to be fine for this task. The digitizer won't be receiving spring pressure from the speaker anymore, so it should stay put. Everything should be oK.
The only potential problems I can think of are that the lack of a seal between digitizer and speaker might reduce the earpiece volume somewhat, and the extra sound movement in the top of the phone casing might have some interesting interactions with the second mic up top.
Of course, this is only if you decide to add something to insulate/destick the digitizer, which actually might not be necessary without the glass being sprung outwards all the time.
It's completely reversible regardless (just need a new speaker and clean up the solder and tape on the PCB), so...might be a better alternative than just straight gluing everything together.
So after all I came up with an alternative solution: since I succeeded on fastening the digitizer with two layers of adhesive tape so well it still holds together for over two months now, I just needed to make the contacts hold so I don't lose the earpiece sound when they don't. The contact for pressure pins is actually not on display's PCB, but on a T-shaped strip of metal, attached to the display, so I just bent the arms in and it works like charm since
Heh, two layers.
Glad to hear you got it worked out. Now I know what to do in the (hopefully unlikely) event that I ever have this issue.
For my end of things, my adventures in power button repair have unfortunately met a disappointing end; the power button completely quit working for normal functions shortly after my last post. The tools I ordered came in, I opened up the phone and tried shorting the leads on the button, to make sure it was indeed the button that was bad. Nothing, nada, no response. I then performed some exploratory surgery on the button (as I have a suitable replacement sitting here), and found it to be of a somewhat simple, rugged design (typical metal-dome design, center pops down to make contact, sides/pins 1 and 3 are common). No manufacturing faults evident.
Working theory is that somewhere in the circuit that it completes, there is a defect. A component that overheated each time the button was used until the point of complete failure, perhaps. Curiously, the button (or rather the pads, no more button at this point) can still be used in combination with Volume - to reset the device. It just...won't respond to normal short/longpresses. I'd imagine there's another trace that splits off before the defective component, leading to the Volume - button and creating a sort of hardware AND condition that triggers a reboot.
Don't know. Don't have the knowledge, nor the equipment, to really diagnose it properly, let alone affect repairs. Guess I'm stuck with popping the keyboard open to wake it until the glorious day that the Droid 5 comes around~
Greetings,
Dropped my phone a full foot. Now the screen flickers green. I'm guessing the screen is broken. Any way to test that other than replacing it?
How do screen replacements go with this device? I'm pretty handy myself and might even attempt it if I could confirm it's the screen that's broken. I've done my own screen replacements before, but it's been some time.
Any chance the screen ribbon cable could be loose? There is no visible damage.
Thanks.
PS: of course, I have no insurance/protection. Oii.
Don't feel too bad, one time I dropped a pro cam on a ESD padded work bench top from about 6 inches and did more damage to that $7G cam than your smartphone retails for
$hit happens even in controlled environments... get a good case moving forward.
It could be a loose connector.
Or a fractured solder joint. The BGA chipsets don't like it when the mobo flexes.
You could replace the display only to learn it was actually a mobo failure. I lean more towards a mobo failure if there's no visible damage to the display.
Pull the cover and inspect it... an easy fix is always a great fix.
blackhawk said:
...Or a fractured solder joint. The BGA chipsets don't like it when the mobo flexes.
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Oii... Thanks for this thought; I was afraid of something like this.
Makes me wonder if metal/glass phones hold up better?
ToryEarly said:
Oii... Thanks for this thought; I was afraid of something like this.
Makes me wonder if metal/glass phones hold up better?
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May not be as bad as it seems...
On my Note 10+'s I use the Zizo Bolt case. Without it my first one would be history by now, if it doesn't corner hit on a drop it face plants. I've dropped it close to a dozen times from 1-4 feet onto concrete with zero damage. I don't like handling it without a case as it's a slippery fish
A good case reduces/lengthens the G loading spike making impacts survivable as well as protecting the exterior.
A 2 layer design like the Bolt provides excellent drop protection. It's important that the out shell or whatever holds the case together doesn't come loose on impact...
For those memorable flying end over end multiple impact events. Even with a small drop though I inspect for damage.
I'm actually in a similar situation. Dropped my phone from about 1 or 2 feet and I have the green screen flickering as well. The phone works. I can get call and talk via headphones. But my question that I'm trying to figure out is if there is a way to put the phone into file transfer mode from a connected computer since I can't do it from the phone.
GrandAdmiral said:
I'm actually in a similar situation. Dropped my phone from about 1 or 2 feet and I have the green screen flickering as well. The phone works. I can get call and talk via headphones. But my question that I'm trying to figure out is if there is a way to put the phone into file transfer mode from a connected computer since I can't do it from the phone.
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Developer options>usb settings.
You need to load the driver on the PC maybe too.
blackhawk said:
Developer options>usb settings.
You need to load the driver on the PC maybe too.
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That's not the issue (already rooted). The screen is non-responsive.
GrandAdmiral said:
That's not the issue (already rooted). The screen is non-responsive.
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Uh-oh. If it was working before the plunge you likely either had a connector dislodge or suffer a mobo failure from the impact.
It's happened to me twice both from barely 1 feet. The screen itself was not cracked. Ifixit luckily submitted it as a manufacturers defect since the screen wasn't broken. The first time they were nice enough to not wipe my phone. The second time they did wipe my phone without telling me. Something about their policy uh.
Ended up going with the poetic revolution case. And it's handled a 2ft drop without issue. Had the Spigen tough amor prior.
They said just replacing the screen resolved the issue.
Sorry to hear this OP.
$hit does happen.
I was using an old htc 10 for about 4 years, I finally upgraded to the Pixel 5 on release day.
About a month late, on my birthday I had it on my laptop and it drops flat faced down on the screen.
by some act of God I actually had a glass screen protector on it and had no damage!
I now don't use a scren protector, but oh well.
Somehow the back glass camera is cracked though, even though it wasn't ever dropped after this..
I think I'll look into the 5a instead of fixing it. It's not much more.
andybones said:
Sorry to hear this OP.
$hit does happen.
I was using an old htc 10 for about 4 years, I finally upgraded to the Pixel 5 on release day.
About a month late, on my birthday I had it on my laptop and it drops flat faced down on the screen.
by some act of God I actually had a glass screen protector on it and had no damage!
I now don't use a scren protector, but oh well.
Somehow the back glass camera is cracked though, even though it wasn't ever dropped after this..
I think I'll look into the 5a instead of fixing it. It's not much more.
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The screen protector will transmit a lot of the G loading directly to the phone. Something is going to absorb that energy one way or another. Not always obvious either.
Ideally if you have a good case with raised display guards it will soak up enough of the energy so that nothing is stressed to the breaking point.
Mobos and cams are intolerant of high G loading and flexing. A monetary G spike of 2000Gs* can be generated by a fall from bench height to a hard floor. Hard materials absorb little energy unless they bend or break; they can readily conduct it though to internal assemblies... or the other side of the phone.
*how to destroy an IC by dropping it on the floor.
blackhawk said:
*how to destroy an IC by dropping it on the floor.
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So you're saying I should probably be really gentle with these ceramic TD8749s and MD8755s then?
V0latyle said:
So you're saying I should probably be really gentle with these ceramic TD8749s and MD8755s then?
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If they land on a hard floor on the body rather than leads they can pull enormous G's. As I got more experienced I was more careful not to drop IC's and to use ESD protocols with the more sensitive chips.
There are a couple of issues with dropped phones The internal bonds to the chip can be broken. Even more fragile is the mobo's solder flowed on components especially the BGA chipsets. No way to inspect those for damage. Internal mobo traces may also be opened. With bent frames and broken glass the odds the mobo or display will be damage increases.
Some of the cams have moving parts as well as their sensor's mounting points. More recently that became more of a concern to me as they aren't cheap and a pain to replace.
If the manufacturer uses lead free solder it's a death wish for the device. No lead solder is much more brittle and has poor flow characteristics making the bond is less secure.
Cell phones are exempt from the lead ban but who knows if they use it? No lead solder becomes even more brittle in cold temperatures. Conformal coating is also needed for fine pitch traces to prevent silver dendrites for forming with the no lead solder over time.
blackhawk said:
If they land on a hard floor on the body rather than leads they can pull enormous G's. As I got more experienced I was more careful not to drop IC's and to use ESD protocols with the more sensitive chips.
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I was being sarcastic can't be too careful with 50 year old IC's
V0latyle said:
I was being sarcastic can't be too careful with 50 year old IC's
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Didn't recognize the numbers. LM3914, I still be careful with that cool IC