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Well its seems Google were right, the 3G Nexus has a slight difference in that the Side Microphone has moved position due to the SIM Card Slot, so you can not use an existing Nexus case with the 3G Version if you still want to use the Mic for Google Voice etc.
Example Images Attached Below
Also top microphone moved to the side just above the power button, which is kinda annoying since none of my cases now fit.
Back to using a Jiffy bag as a case/sleeve
WarningHPB said:
Also top microphone moved to the side just above the power button, which is kinda annoying since none of my cases now fit.
Back to using a Jiffy bag as a case/sleeve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers, Had not noticed the top one, too busy trying to mod my leather case for the side one, Rats!!!
Yeah I thought about modding the Asus travel cover but I don't think its worth the hassle lol, might just get another cheapy third party case and mod that to fit instead
But there shouldnt be any problems with cases liko moko, ivso slim cases/stands, right?
Sent from my GT-S5830 using xda premium
There might be some issues with other cases again because of the mic placement, but tbh it's not all that much of an of an issue unless you use the mics
If someone finds a case that has all ports exposed, please let us know.
To be totally honest, I am please they have redesigned the back of the Nexus 3G. Hopefully it will mean that the left screen left problems will be a thing of the past.
This case should still work fine:
http://www.amazon.com/MoKo-Automati...=1353023742&sr=8-1&keywords=moko+nexus+7+case
And I highly recommend it. I've bought two (for me and family members) and it's rock solid. Plus, the seller is the best on Amazon.
drilling a hole in the proper place will solve all problems....
Quick compilation of possible differences between 3G and Wifi versions - if anyone with both models can confirm these, that'd be great!
1) Side mic placement : confirmed in first post
2) Top mic placement : confirmed by WarningHPB in second post. Do you have a picture of the top edge to show case manufacturers?
3) Headphone jack placement :
- Mentioned in this thread. However, I'm not able to spot a significant difference in location in available (but separate) pictures of the two versions:
a) Wifi model: http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/4510722/P1060611-verge-1024_verge_super_wide.jpg
b) 3G model: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1728309/DSC_2471-300px.jpg
pianoblack said:
Quick compilation of possible differences between 3G and Wifi versions - if anyone with both models can confirm these, that'd be great!
1) Side mic placement : confirmed in first post
2) Top mic placement : confirmed by WarningHPB in second post. Do you have a picture of the top edge to show case manufacturers?
3) Headphone jack placement :
- Mentioned in this thread. However, I'm not able to spot a significant difference in location in available (but separate) pictures of the two versions:
a) Wifi model: http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/4510722/P1060611-verge-1024_verge_super_wide.jpg
b) 3G model: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1728309/DSC_2471-300px.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Headphone jack seems unchanged, just put a tpu case on my 3g and it lines up. as mentioned, the two mics have moved significantly. I can say that the tpu case I have doesn't seem to adversely affect the microphones, every test I've run on my Nexus 7 worked just fine. Would still probably be worth drilling out the holes for the mics though.
Housing design changed in 3g? Screen lift on the left side removed ASUS?
Couldn't you just cut some holes in the appropriate places of your current case to remedy the problem? Like take a really hot pin and poke it through the areas where there were changed features?
Lots of Internal Board Changes,
Here is an image showing the 3G and Wifi Variant Side by Side.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/33717226/NEXPAIR.jpg
Problem lock on the back cover on the left side of change?
flashyphotos said:
Lots of Internal Board Changes,
Here is an image showing the 3G and Wifi Variant Side by Side.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/33717226/NEXPAIR.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. Very interesting. Sadly doesnt appear they have changed the way the left side is designed..unless the one they are comparing it to has also been redeisgned. So, its possible that the screen will still lift if that is right. But then they could have changed other things that are not visible from this.
AngeleDei said:
Thanks for that. Very interesting. Sadly doesnt appear they have changed the way the left side is designed..unless the one they are comparing it to has also been redeisgned. So, its possible that the screen will still lift if that is right. But then they could have changed other things that are not visible from this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Wifi Version on the left of the image is a Launch Day device. So it is from very early in the production run I would imagine. Never had any problems with this particular one no screen lift etc.
The 3G One is also a Launch Day device for the 3G Model. (No Problems with that one either, no screen lift etc)
I just took Needle (for Sowing, not the ones crackhead use, although they would work)
Held it with some Pliers, Heated it up with a Lighter..
And Poked a hole...
Works Great, people in Hangout can hear me fine, Sounds as good as with no cover.
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
fabian.ecker said:
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would u mind taking a picture of the inside where u added tape to stop the backplate from creaking and upload it. I've tried many things to fix it to no avail.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
i will as soon as i find some time. there is another thread here on xda. it's for the wifi model but i adapted the suggestions for my nexus 7. also, what i did for mine might not work for yours. my suggestion is, figure out where the noise is coming from, add some double sided tape or foam close it partially and try it. took me about 2 days of trial and error to achieve an acceptable state
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1848013
here is the link
fabian.ecker said:
i will as soon as i find some time. there is another thread here on xda. it's for the wifi model but i adapted the suggestions for my nexus 7. also, what i did for mine might not work for yours. my suggestion is, figure out where the noise is coming from, add some double sided tape or foam close it partially and try it. took me about 2 days of trial and error to achieve an acceptable state
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much. My only creak is on the right side where the battery is and close to the bezel. Did u happen to have one there as well? Wish me luck lol off to void my warranty
Sent from my [insert phone model here]
fabian.ecker said:
To all people who have this problem! I recently got the Nexus 7 3G and the back was creaking so badly you could easily hear it across a large room. The noise seemed to come from the "nexus" logo near the top of the device.
I found the culprit an double checked with an older 16GB model. They changed the design of golden contact springs for the wireless radios from a simple C shape design to some complicated folding Z shaped spring design. It is those springs that upon being depressed rub metal on metal and make this horrible creaking noise. I don't know how many 3G's are affected but mine definitely was.
My solution was to open it up, which is easy enough to do with a guitar pick or something similar, just check YouTube, and to bend the springs until they stopped making noises under load.
While I was in there I also added double sided tape wherever necessary to stop the plastic from creaking (because they left out a lot of the foam they put in the older models, maybe to fix the screen lift issue??) and I re-wrapped the battery protection circuit because the circuit board was rubbing on the battery and making noises as well. (also, my battery was strangely wedged sideways in it's compartment)
All in all it's rock solid now, no creaks, nothing. And it feels like a really quality device now. Suffice to say that I should never have had to do this in the first place in order to own a device that is in satisfactory condition and one is not embarrassed to pass along in a group of friends because of the noises it makes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bookmarking so I recognize your nick on an upcoming "My wifi doesn't work!" thread.
Don't worry about your warranty! there is a "seal" sticker INSIDE the case but popping the back off will most certainly not void your warranty. it's more like the battery cover on a galaxy s3 or a nexus s than anything else!
fyi i had it on the right, left, and top of the device
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 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.
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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).
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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?
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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.
Galaxy S21 series design flaw leaves a lot of room for user error
Samsung's new Galaxy S21 series, and especially the Galaxy S21 Ultra, is shaping up to be a great addition to ...
www.sammobile.com
" Samsung has relocated the SIM card tray with the Galaxy S21 series and this component can now be found at the bottom edge, right next to the microphone. As usual, the SIM tray can be ejected by inserting a SIM ejector tool into a tiny round hole, and it so happens that this orifice is millimeters away from the microphone, with both having roughly the same diameter. "
...open the link above for more.
Brilliant. That's going to make for a rude surprise.
The mic is not going to break, do you really think they didn't think of that?
The mic is not in the way of the actual hole..
After 4:50 here you see how flat the mic actually is.
I did put it in the wrong hole lol...
You can see the outline of the sim card tray so didn't have this issue, also the back protection cover when you first take it out the box very specifically says where which hole to push - so hopefully not many will have any kind of issue.
"Pete always seems to get off at the wrong stop..."
Whew. I thought that this was way more of a problem than it actually is. I was thinking that you have to be very careful when inserting the SIM tray back into your phone! But after reading this, no no, you just have to put the SIM tray removal pin into the SIM tray hole instead of ramming it through your phone's microphone lol. No problems at all, thankfully.
So I suppose that all of the people breaking their microphones aren't even looking at the bright labels that say exactly where to NOT place your SIM tray removal pin, haha.
NippleSauce said:
Whew. I thought that this was way more of a problem than it actually is. I was thinking that you have to be very careful when inserting the SIM tray back into your phone! But after reading this, no no, you just have to put the SIM tray removal pin into the SIM tray hole instead of ramming it through your phone's microphone lol. No problems at all, thankfully.
So I suppose that all of the people breaking their microphones aren't even looking at the bright labels that say exactly where to NOT place your SIM tray removal pin, haha.
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So Samsung now is putting on bright labels?
Bah-ha-ha-ha... so there -is- a problem
I suspect the labels only exasperates the direness of the situation like someone telling you "I told you so!"
Males with their refined tactile senses rarely use visual cues to find holes anyway.
Maybe Samsung should add a "wrong hole!" audio warning too
blackhawk said:
So Samsung now is putting on bright labels?
Bah-ha-ha-ha... so there -is- a problem
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I believe that those labels have been there the whole time (found pics of the phone that were uploaded 5-6 days ago with those labels attached)... But I suppose that they're more visible on the phantom black version of the phone as the labels are all bright white. But either way, I don't really see this as a problem. I mean, the microphone hole isn't even touching or located on the SIM card tray, lol. So if someone ends up ignoring the labels and shoves they're SIM tray removal pin into the microphone hole, then they kinda deserve a broken mic, haha.
NippleSauce said:
I believe that those labels have been there the whole time (found pics of the phone that were uploaded 5-6 days ago with those labels attached)... But I suppose that they're more visible on the phantom black version of the phone as the labels are all bright white. But either way, I don't really see this as a problem. I mean, the microphone hole isn't even touching or located on the SIM card tray, lol. So if someone ends up ignoring the labels and shoves they're SIM tray removal pin into the microphone hole, then they kinda deserve a broken mic, haha.
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On my 10+ there were no labels straight out of the factory sealed box. I actually had two new units because of problems with the first one.
I almost made that mistake but noticed my aim was off.
Samsung really put it in harm's way as with no case you're likely to put the phone on a flat surface. Depending on the angle and lighting unless you're specifically looking for that hole you could mess up.
The devil is in the details...
Just imagine, a whole cottage industry based on replacing damage Samsung mics
blackhawk said:
On my 10+ there were no labels straight out of the factory sealed box. I actually had two new units because of problems with the first one.
I almost made that mistake but noticed my aim was off.
Samsung really put it in harm's way as with no case you're likely to put the phone on a flat surface. Depending on the angle and lighting unless you're specifically looking for that hole you could mess up.
The devil is in the details...
Just imagine, a whole cottage industry based on replacing damage Samsung mics
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I guess. But I suppose what I'm trying to say is the fact that people who are messing this up are basically in a very, very similar situation to people who break their toaster ovens due to putting glasses of milk in there to only heat up the liquid. In other words, if you don't know how to do something, read the instructions first and there won't be a problem. And luckily enough, on the S21U specifically, the instructions are literally plastered right on the device lol.
So for me, a similar problem to this one would be me cooking chicken in a new oven at 500°F for 45 minutes and then complaining about the oven company for selling a broken, food-burning product (when in reality, the problem was just due to my personal lack of knowledge and refusal to do any research - which would literally just take one, simple Google search =P ).
But I wuv toaster oven warmed milk... the trick is putting a layer of olive oil on the top.
I received my S21 ultra today, and I am afraid to say I am on of those people who insert pin in wrong hole. Now my question did I just broke the mic or it oky. I tried pretty hard lol.
No, like in all previous samsung phones, engineers have foreseen this issue and prevented this.
There's an engineered design and they have thought of All of the pop tart covered sticky finger kiddos swapping out daily drivers yall.. design features an offset channel and a complete cell-style reverb channel that would take some serious skill and the floppiest, limped out, no viagra style noodle Sim tool that's too depressing to ever exist anyway...
Get a grip, don't make me find and SS the "post durability test" teardown vid where #Jerryrigeverything mentions the "thoughtful and clever" subtleties of the classy way we overlook this type of small eng feats Samsung puts out for us. If u guys ever fell aware of the cooling sectionals insanly engineered thermal efficiency youd die of lawsuit daydreams or sumn idfk
but seriously now all jokes aside those willing to carry this behavior as an acceptable mic issue venture just to waste time!! Big middle to ya, and then last for those misinformed enough to believe this narg or act like they do shame on you...
Samsung deserves betta,, all jokes aside, bc yeah, whew.. stomach hurtin...
It's obviously a little more hilarious than humanly possible Samsung would let this **** happen, this we know... Can we engineer different style jokes maybe some that include a format of a strictly standardized amount of intellectual content, and an age consent barrier.
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. ^This tall to ride
On the newer versions there isba nervous sounding female voice saying :
*'Ooh that is the wrong spot!'
* ok not really .