Database Develop

no gsm signal no gps signal

i recently lost my battery cover and while waiting for the replacement to arrive i noticed one day that i had no calls all day long which was strange so looking closer i noticed the ! near the antenna icon and also no gps signal at all either.upon closer inspection of every thing i notice that the antenna on the back of the phone was torn.see pic red circle shows where the tear was.so i clean it up and whip out the soldering iron and solder it back together,but it still wont work.is the antenna that sensitive that it wont work even after being soldered back together.do you think replacing the antenna with a new will fix the problem?

junkman123 said:
i recently lost my battery cover and while waiting for the replacement to arrive i noticed one day that i had no calls all day long which was strange so looking closer i noticed the ! near the antenna icon and also no gps signal at all either.upon closer inspection of every thing i notice that the antenna on the back of the phone was torn.see pic red circle shows where the tear was.so i clean it up and whip out the soldering iron and solder it back together,but it still wont work.is the antenna that sensitive that it wont work even after being soldered back together.do you think replacing the antenna with a new will fix the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when you soldered, you could've damaged it further, even a little overheating can ruin it.
Also, the picture doesn't show any tearing, the places you circled is a point to release the casing in that area.

junkman123 said:
i recently lost my battery cover and while waiting for the replacement to arrive i noticed one day that i had no calls all day long which was strange so looking closer i noticed the ! near the antenna icon and also no gps signal at all either.upon closer inspection of every thing i notice that the antenna on the back of the phone was torn.see pic red circle shows where the tear was.so i clean it up and whip out the soldering iron and solder it back together,but it still wont work.is the antenna that sensitive that it wont work even after being soldered back together.do you think replacing the antenna with a new will fix the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is far fetched, but my profession and hobbies bases my know how on situations like this.
when a antenna is placed in a device like this the technicians adjust it to be resonant to specific freq. adding or removing length (like you did when you soldered) adds length to it (the antenna usually in a cell phone is brass or copper) im sure the solder you used is 60/40. so by adding more metal and changing the metals, the antenna is now resonant on diffrent freq's.
instead of giving a lecture on antenna resonation to exlplain here is a link
And like the other member said you might have overheated the board.
So hope this helped. And sorry if it didnt

the pic is not of my phone,just a pic for reference to the area.i used silver bearing solder 62/36/2.the antenna was removed from the phone before it was soldered.i guess ill wait for a replacement to arrive.right now the phone is junk with out a signal.

junkman123 said:
the pic is not of my phone,just a pic for reference to the area.i used silver bearing solder 62/36/2.the antenna was removed from the phone before it was soldered.i guess ill wait for a replacement to arrive.right now the phone is junk with out a signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well since you have a new phone in the mail nevermind, unless you want to share pics and go into specific detail of EVERYTHING you did. And maybee we can help.

Have you taken that plastic housing with the antenna off?
Or has ait had a knock?
I ask because there are small plastic lugs around that housing to keep it firmly in place. If any one of those is not fully engaged the connection with the aerials is lost and you get no signal. Of course a crack that allows enough bending will also cause the contacts to be lost.
To elaborate Look at the second picture here with the black aerial housing removed:
https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms/blobs/retrieve.cgi?attachment_id=812152&native_or_pdf=pdf
You will see the gold coloured contacts for the aerial. Any maladjustment or lugs not engaged or a crack can cause these to loose contact with the board. If the plastic is cracked in a minor way, I'm sure you can work out a way to re-establish the contacts.
Mike

Does anyone know where to buy replacement Aerials? Mine kinda detatched itself from the plastic! :S
Please PM or message me if you do know where I can buy one or if anyone has a dead phone that they wouldn't mind selling for spares.

gwinn said:
Does anyone know where to buy replacement Aerials? Mine kinda detatched itself from the plastic! :S
Please PM or message me if you do know where I can buy one or if anyone has a dead phone that they wouldn't mind selling for spares.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
heres one on ebay.
Item number: 260287161407

[Need] How to change the faceplate of the Magic?

I am so interested to know if someone has guides or videos guidance to change faceplates on the Magic/MyTouch3G.
My girl friend has a black phone and I ordered her a new white housing for the phone from eBay. I received everything including tools but there was no any instructions. I gave a try from what I can see but it was not successful. I even searched on net but no luck yet.
Any comments will be really appreciated.

here's the magic service manual.
it details how to pull apart the phone into it's individual parts (colour pics included)...
http://phandroid.com/htc-magic-manual.pdf
you may or may not need to totally pull it apart just to change the faceplate (i don't know), but it'll still give you a good idea of how it all goes together.

looktall said:
here's the magic service manual.
it details how to pull apart the phone into it's individual parts (colour pics included)...
http://phandroid.com/htc-magic-manual.pdf
you may or may not need to totally pull it apart just to change the faceplate (i don't know), but it'll still give you a good idea of how it all goes together.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for information bro.
Actually, I need to give a try and figure out if I could just pull the faceplate along without totally pulling it apart. It will be so painful as I wont even realize if something goes wrong. Damn wish I had some videos on this.

The mytouch is easy to break down but it would have to be totaly taken apart to change out the plastic housing.

looktall said:
here's the magic service manual.
it details how to pull apart the phone into it's individual parts (colour pics included)...
http://phandroid.com/htc-magic-manual.pdf
you may or may not need to totally pull it apart just to change the faceplate (i don't know), but it'll still give you a good idea of how it all goes together.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh that's awesome. I wasn't even LOOKING for this but it's awesome.

Just one problem with that manual, it's for a prototype version of the sapphire which has the hero style buttons on the bottom instead of the Magic ones. Now, I'm not sure if this is the only difference but just bear that in mind.

I have fully disassembled 3 MyTouch phones. Easiest smart phone to break down so far. Just don't drink any cafiene before hand. not diffucult in any way. just needs a steady hand. HOWEVER! If you have never done this kind of thing before you will likely screw something up. I have been tearing electronics down and repairing them for twenty years. The ribbon type cables can be torn VERY easily, one slip with a screw driver can tear into a board and destroy it beyond repair, too much stress removing a fragile screen can break it. The learning procces on this type of stuff is an expensive one. Go VERY slow and be VERY patient.

Very tempted to replace housing on mine, currently have grubby white Voda one and would like black/red HTC one on ebay. However, as poster said before I have little experience in doing this and nervous to do so. Not sure if I am brave enough!

Can anyone confirm whether or not this housing fits the Mytouch 3G?
It looks like it does. (You can usually tell by the camera hole on the back plate, it's higher on MT3G's) but I'm not sure.
Thanks.
http://cgi.ebay.com/BLACK-OEM-HTC-M...wItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item27abf417a4

Dr.Preston said:
Can anyone confirm whether or not this housing fits the Mytouch 3G?
It looks like it does. (You can usually tell by the camera hole on the back plate, it's higher on MT3G's) but I'm not sure.
Thanks.
http://cgi.ebay.com/BLACK-OEM-HTC-M...wItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item27abf417a4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the same in white color says with Google in back cover, and it worked perfectly with my Rogers Magic. I think Magic, MyTouch3G all come under G2.

That might be a bad sign, as the rogers magic I believe is the 32a mainboard and the mytouch is the 32b mainboard. But then again, maybe the mainboard version has nothing to do with this. Is there someone out there who knows for sure that can confirm this?

Somebody should make a video of the housing replacement... i have changed some housings but never a touch screen phone... help would be appreciated...

Hell ya.. I was googling it for days 'n weeks. There was no luck so I went looking for phone repair shops. Finally found a chinese store and they did it for me for $20. That is my story.

Any luck with a video for this?

Dr.Preston said:
Can anyone confirm whether or not this housing fits the Mytouch 3G?
It looks like it does. (You can usually tell by the camera hole on the back plate, it's higher on MT3G's) but I'm not sure.
Thanks.
http://cgi.ebay.com/BLACK-OEM-HTC-M...wItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item27abf417a4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really late and all, but I don't think that housing would work with MyTouch3Gs because the spot where you speak is on the opposite side of the MT3G

Oh man...That looked very complicated
So, in order to change the housing, I need to fully torn apart my phone?
>.> I knew I shouldn't bought the 3 years warranty for $80

cashoplz said:
Oh man...That looked very complicated
So, in order to change the housing, I need to fully torn apart my phone?
>.> I knew I shouldn't bought the 3 years warranty for $80
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you have to. I would recommend you to give to someone who does phone repairs.

Where did you have it changed? I looked all over pacific mall and no one would do it.

magicalthinking said:
Where did you have it changed? I looked all over pacific mall and no one would do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem on every phone shop in Pacific Mall. But I finally found a one in the Pacific Mall. Probably they are the only people do housing changes for Magic You got to go the area that has phone parts and repair section.
Enter to the mall from the main entrace and turn right and walk all the way down and then turn left. You can find it somewhere in the middle on your left. Sorry I can not remember the name of the shop.
By the way I had my own housing. I do not know if they carry in stock of those.

Oh man, Ive done some research and found a few local phone repair shop who can replace my housing but they all charges over $50.00 = =..I'm going to do it on my own
Okay... I'm finished.
the overall process only should be taking about 30-45 mins.
just follow the guide from step 1-7, then you can jump to step 29 which is remove the LCM from the plate.
Then put the LCM along with rest of the motherboard (watch out there is 2 parts linked together) into your new plate.
Now, put everything back together.

Build Quality

I was just wondering if it is just my phone. I got the developers edition VZW and when I push on the logo in the back of the phone (back/bottom of the phone) I get a tape sound when I release. Like they forgot to put padding or something in the back.
Is this normal?
I was going to go to the VZ store and see if they have the issue.

Same!
I have the regular vzw moto x and it does the same thing! I thought mine was defective or something. Weird...

I have had three Moto Maker AT&T models and none have had this issue. They have had other issues, including faulty haptic feedback, WiFi antenna, and varying degrees of smoothness at the edges (the wraparound glass or whatever they called it) and on the flash (one phone was completely smooth at the edges and at the flash on the back, another has a more pronounced lip).

Slusho said:
I have had three Moto Maker AT&T models and none have had this issue. They have had other issues, including faulty haptic feedback, WiFi antenna, and varying degrees of smoothness at the edges (the wraparound glass or whatever they called it) and on the flash (one phone was completely smooth at the edges and at the flash on the back, another has a more pronounced lip).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also moving onto my third moto x. 2 gsm dev editions, and now i'm just going on to a used at&t model. for me:
1st gsm dev: marks on the screen in low light
2nd gsm dev: dirt embedded in the white backing, rattley/loose vibrations, creaky back
i figure, as long as i'm compromising and not getting a perfect device, might as well save $300 and get a used one where my expectations aren't so high. i just hope i get one with tight vibrations. i wish moto would get their crap together, this is such a beautiful phone.

Wait.. so I'm really interested in getting a moto x but it sounds like there are a lot of problems with the build quality.. Is this only with the phones that are manufactured in the US?

Wheyn said:
Wait.. so I'm really interested in getting a moto x but it sounds like there are a lot of problems with the build quality.. Is this only with the phones that are manufactured in the US?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are a lot of issues on every new phone released. but there seems to be a good bit from the usa factory. if you are in the states... a motomaker phone is your best bet as far as quality goes. my first one was perfect. but dropped it on day four and busted the glass. so they gave me a new one. this one seems to have a weak vibrator. but that is something i can easily live with. as im not a fan of haptic. but i have yet to turn it off because i dont need the battery savings.

Well, I just tried and mine does it too. I never hold the phone in such a way that I'm actually touching that area so not really an issue for me. It does sound like tape, though.

dymmeh said:
Well, I just tried and mine does it too. I never hold the phone in such a way that I'm actually touching that area so not really an issue for me. It does sound like tape, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
while i have no plans of testinf it out...there were leaked pics just before the release that show the x in layers. those pics show that there is some empty space as the back curves up at the camera all the way to the top. there is a lip at the top of the camera to keep the back from flexing in. id imagine that is why you can press down in the first place. just fyi.

OK. So it is normal. From the answers here and going to the Verizon store. They must have a piece of tape for the entire back and a gap at the bottom of the phone. Causing the issue. I am not going to try to do an RMA because it seems to be a design issue.
Aside from this issue, this has been by far my favorite android phone.
Sent from my XT1060 using xda app-developers app

hill180 said:
OK. So it is normal. From the answers here and going to the Verizon store. They must have a piece of tape for the entire back and a gap at the bottom of the phone. Causing the issue. I am not going to try to do an RMA because it seems to be a design issue.
Aside from this issue, this has been by far my favorite android phone.
Sent from my XT1060 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
makes sense and agree. i didnt look at ifixit, so i didnt want to say there was tape. but i know the og droid razr had a back that was taped to the battery. and then the battery was connected by a ribbon. of which i ripped and ruined when taking it apart. so be careful if you ever decide to diy. it helps with twist/flex. so i would have to assume they did the same thing on the x. and it sounds like the tape is a bit bigger than it needs to be. no doubt because the usa plant isnt as good at building phones so they made it easier on the employees. which is why peeps are able to push in and hear a tape sound. it sounds like if it were an eighth inch shorter... this would be a non issue.
and i also agree with you that its not worth worrying about. the bad assedness of the phone makes up for the design flaw.

Hairline cracks - Anyone?

Anyone else notice hairline cracks forming around their Moto X... I have a white X so it's a little more noticeable because the contrast (dirt). I have one at the top (center) near the headphone port, and two on each side of the volume rocker. This reminds me of the iPhone 3GS problems. Another question I have for those that DO have them, have you contacted Motorola for service/warranty replacement?

I've seen this on photos on swappa. When did a quick search, I found pictures of cracks by the headphone jack and around the sim cover.
https://forums.motorola.com/posts/83eb1c001a

Thanks for the link... I didn't even check the sim tray side... Seems as if I'm not the only one

Just an update;I got off the phone with Motorola warranty repair. They will repair or replace my device and send me a loaner in the meantime ( with a security deposit)...
Not too bad

Ya I got three. Two on the Sim card side and one on the volume rocker side. Seems decently solid still so I won't be taking it in.I might tho lol.

Not for sure who your carrier is but I had the same issue.... Called AT&T. They're aware of this issue. Received a new x in the mail the next day under warranty!
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

If this minor flaw is a common thing....I'd rather just keep my phone.....rather than get another that will probably do the same thing. My phone works flawless. What if I got a less flawless phone in return. Lol
Sent from my Moto X cellular telephone...

I had the same issue with a white woven back. One by the sim tray and one by the audio jack, but they only really showed up once i removed the back cover. I've since swapped it out with a wooden back (Walnut i think?) where i haven't had any of the same issues.

I haven't noticed any. I waited a couple months to order my phone so it's not from the first run. Perhaps they improved the material later.

First run black VZ model here. I noticed a couple near the SIM tray. Think they showed up last month. Nothing major, but if it spreads... Then I'll look into warranty repair / replacement.
Sent from my Moto X

Are people with the problem storing the phone in a pocket where it gets stressed when you sit down etc? Obviously the casing is too brittle, just wondering if it cracking from flexing when in a pocket.

None on mine....but it's been in an otter box from the get go.
Sent from my Moto X cellular telephone...

I am looking to buy this phone and would like to know: all these cracks seem to be on the back cover, correct? If so - isn't it user-replaceable? Why is there a need to send it in for repair?

JoeSchmoe007 said:
I am looking to buy this phone and would like to know: all these cracks seem to be on the back cover, correct? If so - isn't it user-replaceable? Why is there a need to send it in for repair?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Moto G's back cover is user replaceable, not the Moto X.

JoeSchmoe007 said:
I am looking to buy this phone and would like to know: all these cracks seem to be on the back cover, correct? If so - isn't it user-replaceable? Why is there a need to send it in for repair?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the majority of these cracks seem to be on the back cover. The back is not supposed to be user replaceable on the Moto X. It doesn't look to be too difficult to remove the back as it's just tabs and one big glue spot. Here's the iFixit teardown so you can see how to remove the backing.

Just an update;
So I've been happily using my loaner phone while my original X was being repaired. Today FedEx dropped off my original phone, un-repaired. Same hairline cracks, absolutely no changes to the phone. Called the warranty department, explained my frustrations, and the rep could only "speculate" that it wasn't repaired because they deemed it physical abuse yet, nothing in the repair notes state that.... While typing this reply, Motorola called me back asking if I wanted to keep the loaner phone instead of re-sending my original back in for repair. So after 2 weeks, a minor mess up on Motorolas part, I've got a brand new phone.
TLDR; after a slight hiccup, Motorola replaced my old phone with a brand new device.

So what should I do if I planed to buy this device? I don't eat a device that will crack without any reason
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

romichaeli8 said:
So what should I do if I planed to buy this device? I don't eat a device that will crack without any reason
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't it be easier to eat if it cracks up easy?
And seriously. These are a handful of people posting about this issue. That really doesn't mean its all devices. Or this thread would have hundreds of posts reporting the issue.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Mine has hairline cracks on the edge of the back cover. These happened from dropping it in its protective case. 0 damage on the actual phone except for these cracks.
Seems like a weak cover. Anybody eles?

i had one on the very back, up the V on verizon and it was about 1 1/2 inches long. told Motorola and i got a code for a new one. hope they can help you out!

Any other N950N owners suddenly have terrible cell signal? Look at this...

So a few of you have seen me mention that my cell signal suddenly became awful after a few days of use, and at first I thought it might be related to flashing CSCs or a 950F ROM but ruled that out since Odining back to full stock didn't have any effect.
I became convinced that something must be loose with the internal antenna wires, and also observed that the signal seemed to be a little better on hot days and a little worse on cold days.
Well after watching a couple YouTube videos of how to pull the back off this thing I fired up the microwave oven with a rice-filled sock for heat and..... it didn't help. BUT! a hair dryer worked wonders, and very quickly. I only had to heat up a small section and use a little blue plastic prying tool in my ifixit kit to really easily get the back of the phone off.
Next, I pulled the plastic pieces off the circuit boards to get to the antenna connectors, fully expecting something to be loose. Sadly I was mistaken. both wires ends were securely snapped down, but I disconnected and reconnected "just in case". I decided to do a real battery pull discharge while I was in here since it couldn't hurt.
-------
Not to be foiled, I decided to fire the phone up naked and just fiddle with the connectors to see if somehow they were still involved.
I was right - sort of. If I apply pressure in certain angles on this connector, the LTE strength will go up to about -82 dBa from bouncing between -98 to -125 dBa - and as a reference point my Note 5 in the same position sits at -82 or -83 dBa
Now I just need to decide on the best way to fix it, I think it might just be bad solder joints on the socket on the circuit board since it appears to be temperature-dependent (on hot days everything expands to make slightly better connections, cold days the parts contract and the connection gap becomes worse). Any other 950N owners experienced this?

Also does anyone know if those antenna connector sockets are surface mount, or if they go through the board completely?

Kalm_Traveler said:
So a few of you have seen me mention that my cell signal suddenly became awful after a few days of use, and at first I thought it might be related to flashing CSCs or a 950F ROM but ruled that out since Odining back to full stock didn't have any effect.
I became convinced that something must be loose with the internal antenna wires, and also observed that the signal seemed to be a little better on hot days and a little worse on cold days.
Well after watching a couple YouTube videos of how to pull the back off this thing I fired up the microwave oven with a rice-filled sock for heat and..... it didn't help. BUT! a hair dryer worked wonders, and very quickly. I only had to heat up a small section and use a little blue plastic prying tool in my ifixit kit to really easily get the back of the phone off.
Next, I pulled the plastic pieces off the circuit boards to get to the antenna connectors, fully expecting something to be loose. Sadly I was mistaken. both wires ends were securely snapped down, but I disconnected and reconnected "just in case". I decided to do a real battery pull discharge while I was in here since it couldn't hurt.
-------
Not to be foiled, I decided to fire the phone up naked and just fiddle with the connectors to see if somehow they were still involved.
I was right - sort of. If I apply pressure in certain angles on this connector, the LTE strength will go up to about -82 dBa from bouncing between -98 to -125 dBa - and as a reference point my Note 5 in the same position sits at -82 or -83 dBa
Now I just need to decide on the best way to fix it, I think it might just be bad solder joints on the socket on the circuit board since it appears to be temperature-dependent (on hot days everything expands to make slightly better connections, cold days the parts contract and the connection gap becomes worse). Any other 950N owners experienced this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I commend you for doing what you are doing. Kudo's as they as say here in America.
Just out of interest, I am aware that Samsung doesn't support foreign devices for warranty. But would they support a foreign device for out of warranty work?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Limeybastard said:
I commend you for doing what you are doing. Kudo's as they as say here in America.
Just out of interest, I am aware that Samsung doesn't support foreign devices for warranty. But would they support a foreign device for out of warranty work?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would they not? They will be charging you.
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

vadimo said:
Why would they not? They will be charging you.
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know that's why I asked the question.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

vadimo said:
Why would they not? They will be charging you.
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Limeybastard said:
I don't know that's why I asked the question.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My best guess is that they might not because they would claim that they don't have the parts or training to service a foreign variant. On the plus side, it's nice to see that the internal layout is identical to the Snapdragon version so I didn't have to do any guess work.

No experience myself but I have seen online numerous times that they will not even if you pay. Lots of manufacturer's do this, it not just with phones. Like Seiko watches for example, you purchase a Seiko say for the Japanese market, Seiko USA will not touch it.

shouren04 said:
No experience myself but I have seen online numerous times that they will not even if you pay. Lots of manufacturer's do this, it not just with phones. Like Seiko watches for example, you purchase a Seiko say for the Japanese market, Seiko USA will not touch it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it's unfortunate since you know they have access to the schematics, repair data etc but refuse to take your money.
As far as my phone goes, I tried reflowing the solder on that antenna connector but it didn't seem to make any difference, and now I can't get the signal to improve back to normal at all (even applying pressure as I did originally).
Funny thing is that my 3G HSPA and HSPA+ (that T-Mobile calls 4g) signals are just fine. If I turn off LTE, it drops to "4G" and aside from being slower than functioning LTE everything works fine. My guess is either something is faulty with that bottom circuit board, LTE modem which is on the main circuit board, or the LTE radio amplifier chip (also on the main circuit board). Once I can get a new replacement USB board I'll swap it out and see if that helps. If not, I'm kind of SOL because if it's something on the main board I would likely just need to get a new phone (can't imagine how expensive a 256gb internal storage board would be brand new but for the price I would feel safer just buying an entire phone).
Really wish there was some way to get Samsung Korea to repair it for me but I don't speak Korean well enough to have that kind of discussion yet, and who knows if they would even agree to it.

Kalm_Traveler said:
Yeah it's unfortunate since you know they have access to the schematics, repair data etc but refuse to take your money.
As far as my phone goes, I tried reflowing the solder on that antenna connector but it didn't seem to make any difference, and now I can't get the signal to improve back to normal at all (even applying pressure as I did originally).
Funny thing is that my 3G HSPA and HSPA+ (that T-Mobile calls 4g) signals are just fine. If I turn off LTE, it drops to "4G" and aside from being slower than functioning LTE everything works fine. My guess is either something is faulty with that bottom circuit board, LTE modem which is on the main circuit board, or the LTE radio amplifier chip (also on the main circuit board). Once I can get a new replacement USB board I'll swap it out and see if that helps. If not, I'm kind of SOL because if it's something on the main board I would likely just need to get a new phone (can't imagine how expensive a 256gb internal storage board would be brand new but for the price I would feel safer just buying an entire phone).
Really wish there was some way to get Samsung Korea to repair it for me but I don't speak Korean well enough to have that kind of discussion yet, and who knows if they would even agree to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear but unfortunately sometimes they really don't have access to repair info & techs that are trained for non domestic market models. Samsung USA may actually not have easy access to Samsung Korea info & parts although I'm sure someone high up on the ladder could get it.
I used to work in electronic depot repair. One of our customers was Sony VAIO, we were one of their authorized repair centers. Not easy to get that kind of relationship as Sony is very secretive, well all OEMs are very protective about internal engineering info. We could get most info for all their laptops & worked with their engineering team. However when we started working on Sony Playstations, Sony Entertainment would not give us the time of day even though we were an authorized provider for Sony VAIO.
I know the case is a bit different but big corporations have regions or different divisions that won't or can not easily work with each other other than on a corporate level even though they are all part of the same parent company.
I'm sure there are lots of people at Samsung Korea that speak english. Whether or not they will help you or if you can get in contact with the right people is the issue. Worth a try. I'm sure parts will be available on ebay someday but probably not for a while.

shouren04 said:
I hear but unfortunately sometimes they really don't have access to repair info & techs that are trained for non domestic market models. Samsung USA may actually not have easy access to Samsung Korea info & parts although I'm sure someone high up on the ladder could get it.
I used to work in electronic depot repair. One of our customers was Sony VAIO, we were one of their authorized repair centers. Not easy to get that kind of relationship as Sony is very secretive, well all OEMs are very protective about internal engineering info. We could get most info for all their laptops & worked with their engineering team. However when we started working on Sony Playstations, Sony Entertainment would not give us the time of day even though we were an authorized provider for Sony VAIO.
I know the case is a bit different but big corporations have regions or different divisions that won't or can not easily work with each other other than on a corporate level even though they are all part of the same parent company.
I'm sure there are lots of people at Samsung Korea that speak english. Whether or not they will help you or if you can get in contact with the right people is the issue. Worth a try. I'm sure parts will be available on ebay someday but probably not for a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very good points. I'm even more sure it is just something faulty with that board. Heated it up for a few minutes with a blow dryer before reassembling the phone again and now my LTE signal is just stable low instead of jumping between low and unusable. Also comparing it to the one from ifixit's USA model Note 8 teardown, they revised it a few days after mine was made, possibly to address whatever caused mine to go bad after a few days of use. The only change I can see is the placement of two chips on the antenna connector side.
Since I can't find parts yet I may just keep trying to fix this one but it's good to know that the usb boards are dirt cheap, for other Samsung models it looks like they go for $5 to $10 on eBay new. Of course if the problem is a break in one of the circuits inside the pcb i can't really fix that (assuming I could even see it, everything on this board is so tiny I need a magnifying glass to work on it).

Kalm_Traveler said:
Very good points. I'm even more sure it is just something faulty with that board. Heated it up for a few minutes with a blow dryer before reassembling the phone again and now my LTE signal is just stable low instead of jumping between low and unusable. Also comparing it to the one from ifixit's USA model Note 8 teardown, they revised it a few days after mine was made, possibly to address whatever caused mine to go bad after a few days of use. The only change I can see is the placement of two chips on the antenna connector side.
Since I can't find parts yet I may just keep trying to fix this one but it's good to know that the usb boards are dirt cheap, for other Samsung models it looks like they go for $5 to $10 on eBay new. Of course if the problem is a break in one of the circuits inside the pcb i can't really fix that (assuming I could even see it, everything on this board is so tiny I need a magnifying glass to work on it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's incredible how small they are able to make things these days. I can relate as I have worked on stuff that small also.
Oh so it it looks like they revised the board? Maybe they just added better filtering? Hopefully it'll be available soon. It could very well be a bad solder joint or defective PCB. The PCB is so thin & can easily get damage by flexing. And all that crap lead free solder they use these days.
I wonder if the parts they sell on ebay are OEM parts? Whatever, as long as they work. They sure do look OEM though. On my N5 the USB port stopped working. It doesn't have any notice physical damage but it doesn't work. Sometimes if I plug in a cable a gear vr screen will pop up. Won't ever fast charge, sometimes it will cahrge normal, & can't transfer data.
I bought a replacement USB port for $5 on ebay along with a replacement back cover in case I broke it. But the damn board also has the front touch screen buttons by the home button. So to install I basically have to disassemble the entire phone, front screen and all. Ah I don't feel like doing all that. Maybe someday but for what, I have this N8 now.

shouren04 said:
Yeah, it's incredible how small they are able to make things these days. I can relate as I have worked on stuff that small also.
Oh so it it looks like they revised the board? Maybe they just added better filtering? Hopefully it'll be available soon. It could very well be a bad solder joint or defective PCB. The PCB is so thin & can easily get damage by flexing. And all that crap lead free solder they use these days.
I wonder if the parts they sell on ebay are OEM parts? Whatever, as long as they work. They sure do look OEM though. On my N5 the USB port stopped working. It doesn't have any notice physical damage but it doesn't work. Sometimes if I plug in a cable a gear vr screen will pop up. Won't ever fast charge, sometimes it will cahrge normal, & can't transfer data.
I bought a replacement USB port for $5 on ebay along with a replacement back cover in case I broke it. But the damn board also has the front touch screen buttons by the home button. So to install I basically have to disassemble the entire phone, front screen and all. Ah I don't feel like doing all that. Maybe someday but for what, I have this N8 now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oddly my Note 5 still works just fine... The main reason I wanted to upgrade is that the battery life is definitely not what it used to be.
Fortunately with the Note 8 most of the goodies are accessible once you remove the pain in the butt rear glass but i figured out that a hair dryer, suction cup and thin plastic pry tool makes the job relatively easy. For the time being I'm just keeping the case on so I don't have to pull the glass off again (granted this means not being able to use the fingerprint sensor)

Kalm_Traveler said:
Oddly my Note 5 still works just fine... The main reason I wanted to upgrade is that the battery life is definitely not what it used to be.
Fortunately with the Note 8 most of the goodies are accessible once you remove the pain in the butt rear glass but i figured out that a hair dryer, suction cup and thin plastic pry tool makes the job relatively easy. For the time being I'm just keeping the case on so I don't have to pull the glass off again (granted this means not being able to use the fingerprint sensor)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, I also purchased a replacement battery for my N5 at the same time. I didn'tbget an aftermarket one though, I got one from a teardown. It was cheap too, under $10. I've been using wireless to charge it. At one point I thought the battery was going bad. It wouldnxt charge past 86%. For a week or so. Then mysteriously it started charging to 100% fine & still does.
I still use it at home for browsing when my N8 is charging wireless. I'm trying to avoid using the USB whenever I can now since my N5 USB port crapped out on me. Odd, this is the first phone I've ever had to have tbe USB port go bad on me. I'm pretty good with taking care of my phones. Hopefully when I open it up it might just be a loose flex cable or something.

Kalm_Traveler said:
Yeah it's unfortunate since you know they have access to the schematics, repair data etc but refuse to take your money.
As far as my phone goes, I tried reflowing the solder on that antenna connector but it didn't seem to make any difference, and now I can't get the signal to improve back to normal at all (even applying pressure as I did originally).
Funny thing is that my 3G HSPA and HSPA+ (that T-Mobile calls 4g) signals are just fine. If I turn off LTE, it drops to "4G" and aside from being slower than functioning LTE everything works fine. My guess is either something is faulty with that bottom circuit board, LTE modem which is on the main circuit board, or the LTE radio amplifier chip (also on the main circuit board). Once I can get a new replacement USB board I'll swap it out and see if that helps. If not, I'm kind of SOL because if it's something on the main board I would likely just need to get a new phone (can't imagine how expensive a 256gb internal storage board would be brand new but for the price I would feel safer just buying an entire phone).
Really wish there was some way to get Samsung Korea to repair it for me but I don't speak Korean well enough to have that kind of discussion yet, and who knows if they would even agree to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have same problem my 4g 3g works fine but no 2g signal at all my operator 2g frequency is pgsm 900mhz.. I checked with other operators 2g working fine on 1800mhz... It's dual sim phone. Changing slot doesn't help either... So what's the possible cause...? My phone is in warranty but service center is 250 kms away.

there is a possibility you touching the connections could be amplifying the signal. Did you insulate yourself to disprove this?

bonerp said:
there is a possibility you touching the connections could be amplifying the signal. Did you insulate yourself to disprove this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly, but since it was affecting only when I applied pressure in a specific angle I don't think I was acting as an antenna. Also, since heating up half of it with a hair dryer seems to have stabilized the connection a bit (it sits around -90 dBA where it was bouncing between that and -130 prior) it seems very likely that something with the board itself is flawed. I'm going to put just the usb / antenna board in the oven tonight to try and reflow all the solder and see if that will fix the connection issue since I can't yet buy a new replacement piece.