Database Develop

How do I know I got a new phone?

Is there a "life" counter like there was in old nokias where you couldnt reset it and it showed the number of minutes the phone was used (both incoming & outgoing) ?

Hm... check the IMEI, every motherboard / phone should have a unique number.

EarlZ said:
Hm... check the IMEI, every motherboard / phone should have a unique number.
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I bought a new phone and I have a feeling it is not new.. thats why I want to know.

oholic said:
I bought a new phone and I have a feeling it is not new.. thats why I want to know.
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Ah.. there are lots of signs if a phone is used, a bit hard to put it into words but when you get it you can really tell.

I alway look for the protective film on the screen to be perfect, I have never had a new phone that isn't. I also look at the accessories and their packaging and if there have been any tamper stickers removed from the box. A friend once bought new N96 from a well known web site that was in actual fact was reconitioned, no protective film on screen and the box had already been opened. But sorry I do not know how to check the phones software.

Its pretty hard to find it through firmware, because a firmware flash resets almost everything. Even in old Nokia phones you can reset the lifetime counter.
Check the manufactured date of the battery, if its only few months old (i.e Oct or later) then chances are the phone is new. Other than that you have to rely on physical signs, condition of the accessories and box. What about the screen protector ? It comes with a screen protector that has some logos printed on it, make sure its there and no dust particles are trapped underneath (an indication that it has been removed and placed back again). The box also has a seal, but most stores breaks it to check for the contents and put warranty stickers or put SIM cards in. Other than that the the phone usually has a fresh new plastic smell.
Its relatively easy to spot a used phone when you carefully examine it, for example if you can find dust under the battery door, in speaker grills , or see fingerprint smudges etc. The battery is usually shipped half full, if you find it dead or 100% charged that might indicated the phone has been used before (at least for a brief period). Also take a closer look at the charger especially the power pins. These are some of the ways you can check, but none of these are guaranteed ways to make sure.

I think you need to enter engineer mode to see some sort of life timer.
You can also check the battery's contact.

ROOT your phone, get root explorer and check system folders creation dates. My oldest files are december 2010 and i bought phone in january.

icsterm said:
ROOT your phone, get root explorer and check system folders creation dates. My oldest files are december 2010 and i bought phone in january.
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Good idea!

Getting new Captivate.. What do I look out FOR?

Hooray!! Sold my Black iPhone 4 16GB AT&T for $440!
Now getting a Captivate used 3 days old for $175 off some dude on Craigslist. Price is about $190-ish where I am, but those are used.
What do I look out for, guys? (Things I know include
- Water damage indicator on battery (but he can replace battery, right?)
> Is there a water damage indicator like on the iPhones that would help me out more?
- Use touchscreen, try all areas
- Check for dead pixels
- See if camera, 3G, wifi, bluetooth work
- See if speaker works for sound, microphone if I get a chance
Anything else guys? One of the more important things I think is a water damage indicator other than the battery?
Thanks a lot XDA! (And I ordered a microsim adapter TODAY!)

Anyone can help me?
10 char

If it has water damage I would not even buy it.

When you get it, go to Settings/about phone/status to check to make sure the IMEI number matches the number that is behind the battery on the white tag. I have seen on here before where someone buys a captivate from ebay or craigslist and the previous owner screwed up something while flashing custom ROMs and now the phone has a generic IMEI number which means it may not work as a phone anymore.
If the IMEI # in settings is showing a number beginning with something like 004, dont even think twice - DONT BUY IT.
oh, yes, and what jetpuck73 said above - water damage = do not buy.

jack man said:
When you get it, go to Settings/about phone/status to check to make sure the IMEI number matches the number that is behind the battery on the white tag. I have seen on here before where someone buys a captivate from ebay or craigslist and the previous owner screwed up something while flashing custom ROMs and now the phone has a generic IMEI number which means it may not work as a phone anymore.
If the IMEI # in settings is showing a number beginning with something like 004, dont even think twice - DONT BUY IT.
oh, yes, and what jetpuck73 said above - water damage = do not buy.
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Click to collapse
Thanks VERY MUCH for that, something I did not know.
And lol maybe I said "water damage" too much, but he said it is brand new and NOT water damaged.
What I wanted to know is HOW to check. There is one on the battery, correct? Any on the phone itself too like iPhone?
Thanks for info!!

gyromanx55 said:
Thanks VERY MUCH for that, something I did not know.
And lol maybe I said "water damage" too much, but he said it is brand new and NOT water damaged.
What I wanted to know is HOW to check. There is one on the battery, correct? Any on the phone itself too like iPhone?
Thanks for info!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sticker I am refering to is actually on the phone, under the battery. Another thing I would look for on the same sitcker is the build number. It is a 4 digit number beginning with either 10 or 11 mayber with a "." in the middle (i.e. 10.07, 10.08, 10.09, 11.01, etc.) If you use GPS at all, I know for a fact (and from hands-on experience) that Captivates with the number 10.07 have CRAPPY gps reception.
I wouldn't worry about numbers on the battery itself. I don't think there is a feature on the Captivate that indicates if it has had water damage.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=873276&highlight=silver+speaker
If it has this mod, buy it without question. *Sarcasm*

It hasn't been clear, so to be clear: yes there is a water indicator on the phone. Plus another on the battery. Its by the battery contacts.
The other problems you originally mentioned aren't known issues. So far I have yet to hear a single dead pixel on a captivate. But checking can't hurt, same with wifi, bt, gps etc. One thing I will say is that sometimes the screen appears to have burn in, in the notification bar. If you pull up an all white picture can can sometimes see shadows of the notification bar, clock, signal, etc. Its not an actual burn, its residual energy or something, there have been a few threads about it. It will usually go away after a reboot. So, if you see what appears to be slight screen burn at the top its fine.
Sent from my Captivate running Continuum 5.6

Alright thanks a lot for the info!!

[Q] HTC M7 bricked by ignorance and stupidity - What parts to replace?

Hi, thanks for looking into this thread.
I've used my HTC M7 during wintersports, where it got a little bit wet sometimes. The phone would only charge when turned off, so I put some WD40 on the mini-USB port and it worked fine again. Same problem week later, tried the same solution, but this second time I'd blown WD-40 under the screen..
So I decided to pull out the screen, ended up with the digitizer, and several screen parts in my hands. So I decided to order a whole new front, and a logic board(for USB port) from China, and put the existing parts over in the new front.
I did this yesterday, and tested the phone without putting the back cover back on yet. The phone worked like it had never worked before: awesome speed. I noticed however, that the speaker didn't work. I díd get sound out of my earbuds using my headphone jack, so it had to be the speaker.
I was so glad that the phone worked, as I do not have any knowledge whatsoever about hardware and I just repaired a phone with a 1.0/10 repairability score (iFixit). In my joy I thought that perhaps refixing a connection cable might do the trick. Now the horror: I touched the connection between the battery and the mainboard with a screwdriver, while it was still turned on.. I saw a sparkle, and since then the phone won't start. (And later I found out that the speaker didn't work because there was no pressure on it. When pressing on the phone, like the back cover would do, it would produce sound).
I've tried completely disassembling and reassembling the phone but that didn't work.
All it does is this loop when I hold the power button for 5 seconds:
- Flickering home/return button
Then when I release the power button:
- The phone vibrates once
- Then it keeps making a startup/boot sound (with about 6 seconds intervals) but the screen stays black, untill it has drained all energy from the battery
When I press the power button for a couple of seconds during this loop, it starts at the beginning of the loop again.
What parts in this phone are probably broken? The main board, or the battery? Both? Or possibly more?
I was just an idiot to touch a live circuit with a screwdriver..
Thanks!

japzz said:
so I put some WD40 on the mini-USB port and it worked fine again.
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Click to collapse
Never put oil on electronics! Clean the port using a Electro contact cleaner and once cleaned you can wash it using a contact enhancer" The only time you want to use WD40 on electronics is to remove surface corrosion. Part must then be cleaned of that oil.
Same problem week later, tried the same solution, but this second time I'd blown WD-40 under the screen..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another reason to use electro contact cleaner. This solution evaporates so fast, like 10 times fast than rubbing alcohol. Even if you had blown contact cleaner under the screen, it would have done nothing.
I touched the connection between the battery and the mainboard with a screwdriver, while it was still turned on.. I saw a sparkle, and since then the phone won't start. (And later I found out that the speaker didn't work because there was no pressure on it. When pressing on the phone, like the back cover would do, it would produce sound).
What parts in this phone are probably broken? The main board, or the battery? Both? Or possibly more?
I was just an idiot to touch a live circuit with a screwdriver..
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Click to collapse
Probably the main board. Doesn't worth it imo. You can get a new M7 for like 150-250$ on ebay.

alray said:
Never put oil on electronics! Clean the port using a Electro contact cleaner and once cleaned you can wash it using a contact enhancer" The only time you want to use WD40 on electronics is to remove surface corrosion. Part must then be cleaned of that oil.
Another reason to use electro contact cleaner. This solution evaporates so fast, like 10 times fast than rubbing alcohol. Even if you had blown contact cleaner under the screen, it would have done nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! This is really helpful information for possible fixes of other phones/parts in the future.
alray said:
Probably the main board. Doesn't worth it imo. You can get a new M7 for like 150-250$ on ebay.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. Indeed, I think I will just buy another product.
But just for the sake of fixing it (not for net present value of the project), I think I will try to buy one with a broken screen or something from the Dutch Craigslist alternative. However, the M7 stores data internally. Where does it store that data? Can I remove a data chip from my (now broken) M7 motherboard, and replace it on a working motherboard?
Thanks! :good:

japzz said:
Thanks! This is really helpful information for possible fixes of other phones/parts in the future.
Thanks for your reply. Indeed, I think I will just buy another model.
But just for the sake of fixing it (not for net present value of the project), I think I will try to buy one with a broken screen or something from the Dutch Craigslist alternative. However, the M7 stores data internally. Where does it store that data? Can I remove a data chip from my (now broken) M7 mainboard, and replace it on a working mainboard?
Thanks! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Data is stored on the emmc chip and is not removable. You can not access your data with the phone not booting.
If buying a used phone for parts, make sure it have a clean imei first. Imei # is tied to the motherboard so if you take a motherboard from a blacklisted imei phone and put it in your phone, you won't be able to connect to any carrier network.

alray said:
Data is stored on the emmc chip and is not removable. You can not access your data with the phone not booting.
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Click to collapse
Well that's a bummer.. But thanks for the clear information!
alray said:
If buying a used phone for parts, make sure it have a clean imei first. Imei # is tied to the motherboard so if you take a motherboard from a blacklisted imei phone and put it in your phone, you won't be able to connect to any carrier network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't really clear to me straightaway, but I will like into how I can look this up etc. Great information to start with. Thanks again!

japzz said:
Well that's a bummer.. But thanks for the clear information!
This isn't really clear to me straightaway, but I will like into how I can look this up etc. Great information to start with. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The IMEI number is a unique identifier. If a phone is declared lost or stolen or is linked to unpaid bills. its imei will be blacklisted. The blacklist is international and every carriers have access to it. If the phone is blacklisted, all carriers will refuse to active the phone on their network. The IMEI # is stored on the emmc chip so its tied to the motherboard. If you change motherboard of your phone, your IMEI number will change to the new one linked to that motherboard. So before buying a phone to swap motherboard, make sure the IMEI is not blacklisted. Ask the seller first and then you can check if the IMEI is valid. If the seller can't provide the IMEI, don't buy the phone.

alray said:
IMEI Explanation
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Click to collapse
Wow thanks for this comprehensive explanation and practical tip. Thanks for helping me again and again, means a lot to me!

Hardware MOD to improve GPS and eliminate lags on ZE550KL

Hello, after many many attempts to make my phone work i think i've found the final solution.
My GPS was barely working, during car navigation It worked intermittently, and so it was completely useless.
In the last try, just before to put my phone into the trash bin, i've tried to cover the contacts of the back cover, where the antennas are, with the graphite of a simple pencil. I've also gently raised all the metal tabs to improve contact.
It sounds crazy, but after that the gps works very well even in indoor.
Since i don't know which contacts are for GPS i've done it on all the contacts, and now even WIFI improved.
Other experiment was to install a 0.5mm thermal pad between what i think it might be the cpu and the backplate of the lcd to dissipate the heat, you can see the area in the attached picture, after that the phone is very reactive and heats a lot less.
I wanted to share this experience with whom wants to try before smashing the phone on the wall and i hope your results will be similar to mine

reddevilx said:
My GPS was barely working, during car navigation It worked intermittently, and so it was completely useless.
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Click to collapse
I have (had) the same issue. Here is my bug report on the official ASUS forums > www.asus.com/zentalk/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=102873
A friend of mine bought the same ASUS Zenfone Laser (I recommend it to him) and he did not experienced this issue. Look at my phone on the left hand side and his phone on the right.
HOT start:
View attachment 3909336
COLD start:
View attachment 3909337
I've send it to the official service center in my country (ROMANIA - Euro Service Center) and they said they've "replaced the conductive tape" and that's it. That did not fixed the GPS issue.
I went for a night run, to test the GPS on my freshly serviced ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser... Below are the results:
In the same conditions, same day, same hour, a Samsung S4 mini was doing great!! (proof below)
reddevilx said:
I wanted to share this experience with whom wants to try before smashing the phone on the wall and I hope your results will be similar to mine
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Click to collapse
Too bad you did not post this earlier as I've send my phone to the service yet again and they did nothing in 21 days.
Given this situation, I've asked them for a "won't fix paper" and they wrote one for me.
Now, I have to buy another phone... :crying:
Seeing this fix from you makes me wonder... why the guys from the service did not try such a thing? Seems pretty simple to me...
Also, If I knew that your solution was that simple to implement, I would have tried it myself instead of send it yet again to the service (as the guys from the service did not "sealed" the phone after they've send it back to me the first time)
Since I don't have a smartphone any more, I've being looking around at the current offers, from other phone makers and ASUS Zenfone 2 still seems like the ideal phone (taking into consideration that I don't want to spend more than 270 dollars on a phone).
I'm wondering if I should give ASUS another try, another phone from the same Zenfone 2 family...

Thermal pad
Can you tell me what is the thermal pad material. Its silicon or other type ?

harun5274 said:
Can you tell me what is the thermal pad material. Its silicon or other type ?
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Not sure. They didn't fixed anything, so I just got my money back for that phone. Too bad... it was quite good otherwise.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo dead. Need help

Hello guys,
I have an old Samsung GT-i9060 phone which I'd received from my previous employer. It has finally given up and is now completely dead. I suspect a faulty charging cable to be the culprit this time as my attempts at superficial repair has proven that the problem is deeper. I tried getting it fixed at a local repair shop but he gave up on the basis that parts aren't available and that the motherboard has gone kaput.
So, to summarize....
Samsung GT-i9060 completely dead
has been dropped several times and cracked digitizer has been replaced.
old battery is not at optimum condition but problem persists when tested with a new battery.
No vibration or samsung/charging logo on display when powered on battery or charging but certain areas of motherboard get heated up if I try to turn it on.
I got some important contacts and backup on this phone which I'd really like to salvage. I invested in a few basic tools and looked up a few tutorials on the interwebz but none seem to help me understand the actual problem. I am a novice when it comes to electronics and can easily try to recover the data through some specialists but the satisfaction in getting it done myself is priceless!
So any kind of help would be immensely appreciated.
Thanks

Make sure that the battery voltage is over 3.6 volt. Then connect phone to pc using usb cable without pressing any buttons then check pc detects phone's soc(broadcom interface) or not.

Thanks. Let me try that out and get back to you.
Update - @engage4 Battery was at 4.27V, fully charged. Connected to PC but it wasn't detected although I observed the same heating issue as mentioned in my original post (see attached pic)
Coincidentally, the memory chip and processor are on the exact underside of the mobo area that I have highlighted (which heats up)

For reference, my previous reply to you is here:
How to check voltage level at a resistor?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F) that appears to be dead. I found the service manual online and I'm now trying to follow the troubleshooting flowchart for power issues. I am stuck at the third step (already), where it tells me to check the...
forum.xda-developers.com
Rizzi87 said:
I suspect a faulty charging cable to be the culprit this time as my attempts at superficial repair has proven that the problem is deeper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by superficial repair? What made you suspect the charging cable?
Rizzi87 said:
I tried getting it fixed at a local repair shop but he gave up on the basis that parts aren't available and that the motherboard has gone kaput.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kaput? I know that word. That's a German word for broken. I wonder if he told you this because he wanted to repair the components on the board, or because he wanted to toss out the old board and install a new board and call it repaired.
Rizzi87 said:
old battery is not at optimum condition but problem persists when tested with a new battery.
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Click to collapse
So you already tested with a new battery. Good! That's one of the first things I would do as well. GSM Arena says the battery is "Li-Ion 2100 mAh, removable". At least you didn't need to send it in or leave it to a repair shop to replace the battery. I remember the time when you could replace the battery of your phone yourself. That in itself was very satisfactory. Those were great times! Those times are gone. Now you have to pay a premium to replace a battery. It's "complicated" they say, and so it's not for everyone (or anyone).
Rizzi87 said:
No vibration or samsung/charging logo on display when powered on battery or charging but certain areas of motherboard get heated up if I try to turn it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hotter than what's usual for a phone that's charging? If it's shorted, charging may damage it further. You can test it of course, but you're risking it. Don't test charge for longer than you need to, preferably not at all as soon as you realize there's something wrong with the device. There's the risk of battery leaking or catching fire. So be careful and don't leave it unsupervised.
Rizzi87 said:
I got some important contacts and backup on this phone which I'd really like to salvage. I invested in a few basic tools and looked up a few tutorials on the interwebz but none seem to help me understand the actual problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of tutorials are you reading or watching? What do you think is the problem?
You have to go over more than a few tutorials if you want to be able to intuitively know what to look for or what to do. One way is to start learning about electronics in general, experiment and learn, before you get down to this specific problem. Another way is to start exploring from the repair side of things and work your way into the topic of electronics repair by troubleshooting this specific problem.
Your problem is most likely caused by a short somewhere on the board. So I would suggest you learn about short circuits or "shorts" for short (duh) and how to find shorts in general, and then work your way down to how to find shorts on mobile phones specifically.
Rizzi87 said:
I am a novice when it comes to electronics and can easily try to recover the data through some specialists but the satisfaction in getting it done myself is priceless!
So any kind of help would be immensely appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that feeling. I'm wired the same way. If I can, I will try to repair and fix things on my own. Sometimes I will take on things I hardly know anything about. I will try anyway and learn in the process. Some things are admittedly more difficult than others. But that's how you learn and grow your knowledge base.
People no longer repair things. They throw out the old and broken things, and just keep on buying new things like on conveyor belt. This is not good in by any means. The biggest negative impact of this I think is that people stop using their head. They begin to believe that everything in the world is automatic. A light bulb is the result of true magic, especially when you throw in smart home plugs and switches into the equation. People are slowly being turned into slaves of consumerism. Common knowledge diminishes, like what household products you can use to remove stains, and we only live to serve a higher purpose of capitalism.
Do you have the service manual for this phone? You can usually find these online free of charge. Do you have a multimeter? The first tool you should buy and learn to use is a multimeter. Learn about the continuity test, diode mode, and how to measure voltage.
I worked as an electrician and I felt like I had to ask about how to measure voltage at a resistor, because I was unsure and didn't want to risk damaging a board more than it already is. As an electrician, I worked with voltages relative to Earth ground. I never worked with electronics, although I did get basic electronics training and I know all the basic components and how they work. We worked with soldering iron as well, and learned to use an oscilloscope. I was best in class at soldering. This was a long time ago though. We programmed PLCs, made Delta and Y-configuration connections of three phase electric motors, worked with relays and contactors, and we learned a whole load of other useful things.
My point is, always ask someone more knowledgeable and experienced if you're in doubt about something, rather than taking a risk or gambling. This is much more important of course when working with unforgiving high voltages and high currents, so as an electrician I learned early on to respect electricity. This was all part of my training and thankfully I have never had any accident. It's OK to make mistakes, and you're bound to make mistakes when experimenting, but you better have a backup plan and put in some kind of safety net, to protect yourself and to protect your equipment or whatever it is you're working on.

R7027 said:
What do you mean by superficial repair? What made you suspect the charging cable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The USB connector on the charging cable I was temporarily using sometime back had a flimsy connector and I suspect the loose connection might have caused 'spikes' and maybe shorted some components/mobo.
I had dropped this phone on numerous occassions and almost everytime the ribbon connector for the LCD would come loose since the connector on the board was a bit wonky. I used to check this and get the phone working again. This is what I meant by superficial repair.
R7027 said:
Kaput? I know that word. That's a German word for broken. I wonder if he told you this because he wanted to repair the components on the board, or because he wanted to toss out the old board and install a new board and call it repaired.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah. He simply didn't bother about repairing or even replacing it on the basis that parts are hard to come by!
R7027 said:
So you already tested with a new battery. Good! That's one of the first things I would do as well. GSM Arena says the battery is "Li-Ion 2100 mAh, removable". At least you didn't need to send it in or leave it to a repair shop to replace the battery. I remember the time when you could replace the battery of your phone yourself. That in itself was very satisfactory. Those were great times! Those times are gone. Now you have to pay a premium to replace a battery. It's "complicated" they say, and so it's not for everyone (or anyone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YEs, I thought the battery maight be the culprit but alas, it turned out to be a problem with the mobo.
R7027 said:
Hotter than what's usual for a phone that's charging? If it's shorted, charging may damage it further. You can test it of course, but you're risking it. Don't test charge for longer than you need to, preferably not at all as soon as you realize there's something wrong with the device. There's the risk of battery leaking or catching fire. So be careful and don't leave it unsupervised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hotter than usual, yes. I have tested and/or repeated the scenario only couple of times so as to not risk any further damage.
R7027 said:
Do you have the service manual for this phone? You can usually find these online free of charge. Do you have a multimeter? The first tool you should buy and learn to use is a multimeter. Learn about the continuity test, diode mode, and how to measure voltage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have invested in a multimeter, soldering iron and supplies and a heat gun. I do also have a manual for the phone and it has helped me partially.

Rizzi87 said:
The USB connector on the charging cable I was temporarily using sometime back had a flimsy connector and I suspect the loose connection might have caused 'spikes' and maybe shorted some components/mobo.
I had dropped this phone on numerous occassions and almost everytime the ribbon connector for the LCD would come loose since the connector on the board was a bit wonky. I used to check this and get the phone working again. This is what I meant by superficial repair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for clarifying.
Now that you mention it, one of my charging cable was a bit flimsy as well. Might be what happened with my phone as well. The connector would wiggle left and right so I would have to make sure it points straight into the port and rotate the phone left and right to make sure it's not tugging on it as I put it down on a book shelf. I always charge my phones on this book shelf as the power outlet is close by.
I have actually four identical Samsung 15 W chargers sitting there, all for the Galaxy S7. Three white ones and one black, and each with its own charging cable. I had purchased some extra chargers just as spares, and one of the chargers had a bit flimsy connection, as you say. I actually once spotted that one of the 4 pins on one of the charging cables was too short, and because of it, it was not charging fast enough. I stripped it down to bare wires, all for science and learning, before throwing it away.
On another occasion, I discovered that one of these cables didn't want to charge my phone when combined with one of the four chargers. It was a perfectly fine looking cable. The same cable worked well on the other three identical chargers though. So this was a bit of mystery I had never seen before. That will remain a mystery. That same charger also worked well when combines with other cables. So both the charger and the cable worked well, but only with others, not with each other. Note that these were all original Samsung chargers and cables. The "travel adapter", model EP-TA20EWE. They all came in original Samsung retail packaging. Although the spare chargers I purchased did have a bit stiffer and thicker cables, when compared to the original that came with the phone. They were presumably made in later years, so Samsung had probably changed them up a little bit.
But this goes to show that there is more to a cable and a charger than meets the eye. I suspect it had something to do with lack of compatibility across the many charging protocols that are in circulation in the fast charging universe, like Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 vs. 3.0 vs. USB Power Delivery 2.0 vs. what-have-you.
So you're not wrong to suspect something as "simple" as a charging cable. Not even a cable can be left alone, they have to make it "smart" and complicated. If the cable doesn't know how to talk the language of the charger, it's useless. Or worse, it can destroy a device. All because industry wants to satisfy inpatient people that want fast charging, and so instead of 1 standard, they make 4 different ones, if Apple Lighting-whatever is included. By the way, the faster you charger a battery, the faster it will lose its capacity and die out.
Rizzi87 said:
Nah. He simply didn't bother about repairing or even replacing it on the basis that parts are hard to come by!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends where you look and how determined you are.
I ordered a new S535 power IC for my Galaxy S7 from Germany via Ebay, and I received it last week. I don't have the exact dates, but it arrived within the same week, so about three to five days. From Germany to Sweden. I also ordered three of the same chip from a supplier in UK, also via Ebay, and it has yet to arrive. This has to do with Royal Mail strikes, so everything is delayed. In addition, I had to pay customs fee and import tax from the UK. Not sure if it will be held at Customs service and delayed even more because of this, or if it will be delivered straight to my mail box since the UK supplier made sure I can pay upfront so it can be cleared for delivery. So I will have 4 of these in total.
Let me give you another example. I have an older car that's well looked after and only driven occasionally. A few years back, it started leaking oil from the rear axis. I went to the authorized repair shop. They told me they had to either replace the differential or rebuild it. But because it's an old timer, there are no parts for it readily available. This is a BMW car and BMW has a good reputation for stock keeping parts for old models for a long time. Well, maybe they don't keep a stock of big parts such as differentials. But it's not true that it's not available. I looked it up online and found several car stripping companies that have a number of these parts to pick and choose from, some of which were in almost new condition. So if they really wanted to, they could have ordered in from there. This is where small and independent auto repair shops order from as well. I even offered to order it myself and deliver to them. But they could not make the needed arrangements. Or rather, they didn't want to. I understood the message. They can't be bothered with something as heavy, oily, dirty, difficult, skill demanding, and time consuming as a differential replacement... and a rebuild is probably as distant as science fiction to them. I never went back there. I used to go to them for years and was always happy. Since they changed the owner and relocated, it's a completely different company. I would never again go to an "authorized" repair shop. They are properly titled "car dealers", because they are more interested in selling you a new car or a used car than repairing your old one.
It's the same with phone companies like Samsung and these places they call "Support Center" where you can walk in to get support and service on the device you already own, and they put up their latest "flagship" models on display and under your nose. That's how you know you're in the wrong place. It's all sell, sell, sell.
Rizzi87 said:
I have invested in a multimeter, soldering iron and supplies and a heat gun. I do also have a manual for the phone and it has helped me partially.
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Make sure to get the needle-like test leads for it. This is needed for probing and measuring tiny components. The ones that came with my multimeter were very good, but they were not fit for the job, because they are not thin enough at the top. Most of the standard test leads have blunt tips. I ordered a pair from Amazon, a complete kit actually, but they are not very good. The whole kit was very cheap and I could not find any other, higher quality, more expensive ones. I don't want to promote Amazon, but I can post a link if you want.
A heat gun might work, but a hot air station is better. You need about 350 C to rework big components like BGA chips. Based on my limited knowledge, but extensive research. You should be able to tell what the temperature is at, and only the more expensive heat "guns" will have a temperature sensor and a digital display.
A service manual is a good resource. I wish I had a complete service manual for Galaxy S7. I looked for a places to buy one but I only found dodgy websites that seemed to be in the business of downloading free manuals, packaging, and selling. So if you have a complete manual, that's better. I only found excerpts of the most important chapters for Galaxy S7, and it has been very useful.

So, umm, there has been no progress on the repair front as I had been away on a trip and got my phone stolen
I was a bit occupied with reporting to the authorities and blocking my phone number hence I couldn't reply earlier.
Btw, I stumbled upon something called as boardview bitmap files; I'm yet to fully explore it but it seems really helpful.