[Q] "Phantom" Soft Keys - Samsung Epic 4G Touch

I've been having an issue with my softkeys (settings, home, etc...). They will randomly press opening settings, going back and opening the recent apps. Usually it does a combination of all of them and the only way to fix it is to turn off the screen and turn it back on.
I first thought this was a rom problem and switched to a new one. This didn't help so I believe it has to do with hardware. I looked up online and people say that it is a screen or battery problem. So I flashed to stock ICS and brought it into sprint, the guy was nice and stuff but he said he couldn't do anything unless we could make it happen. It wouldn't do it, so he couldn't do anything about it.
I'm wondering if it actually is a software issue or something that I'd be able to fix myself. Has anyone had any problems like this? It's not too often but often enough to be annoying. Any help would be nice.
Thanks in advance

I've heard pepper have issues with soft keys in low signal areas but never heard of that issue.. When you left the store did you have the problem on stock ics still
-TeaM VeNuM Like A Boss

Well, I flashed back to Paranoid when I got back home and so far I've had no problems. I haven't been using my phone though, I'll have to see how this goes.

MiguelHogue said:
I've heard pepper have issues with soft keys in low signal areas but never heard of that issue.. When you left the store did you have the problem on stock ics still
-TeaM VeNuM Like A Boss
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I have the issue of menus open and close in all apps and from home screen in low to no signal areas. Some times making the phone unusable. If I turn mobile data off seems to cure the random menu opening issue... Becomes 1/2 a phone... No data and 10 a month for... What oh ya high speeds data... Used to get 10 Meg download on 4G until a couple months ago.. Now only getting 700K, I think the Sprint tower near my house was stolen lol is that a word? FI27 is out, might help. My phone has been flagged for liquid damage so hard to find out if it's a hardware problem causing the menu issues. My upgrade isn't until May so I will make the most till then. NOTE 2? Little Rant in your thread OP... Sorry
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

I don't mind the rant
I think it may have something to do with signal however. I was at work today and I got a bunch of random presses again. There was a good sized storm and I only had a bar or two. I'm also still wondering if it is software but I cant even stand to use stock ICS to see if it happens, if I couldn't use custom roms I don't think I would even own an android phone.

I was at the gym last night... 1 to no bars, menus and soft keys started poping like crazy... Turned off mobile networks.. 3G data and not one more Phantom menu press... If I wasn't so lazy I would use a custom prl and roam control... Bet that would cure my low signal areas. I will test that theory soon.
I had same menu action when I Odin stock el29 GB, with all modems I flashed
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Xynche said:
I don't mind the rant
I think it may have something to do with signal however. I was at work today and I got a bunch of random presses again. There was a good sized storm and I only had a bar or two. I'm also still wondering if it is software but I cant even stand to use stock ICS to see if it happens, if I couldn't use custom roms I don't think I would even own an android phone.
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I have use menu other Android devices my first phone was a Samsung moment, i rooted all my phones and i 've never had this problem, i even called Samsung and they say its sprints network not software or hardware, so i will take my phone to another store to see if i have better luck

I was experiencing the same problem on Gamer Mod. Even reflashed after fully wiping everything and still had it happening... was using apex launcher...but never happened to me before. Anyway wiped again and flashed back to blue kuban and its gone.
Shame because I really liked gamer mod.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

I don't see how a network can cause an issue like this though.
Also, I've tried wiping and flashing multiple roms on everything from GB to JB and still the same thing.

It is a low signal issue. The end. Only solution.. Get it replaced. My co worker had it. So I had first hand experience with it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

When I brought it in he said he can only do something if we could duplicate the problem. Should I call Sprints call center and see what they can do? Would they already know about the problem or are they going to pretend like they've never had an issue like it. Do I have to flash back to stock ICS or do they not care? Sorry about the questions, I'm just pretty new to having my own phone plan and my own problems and don't really know how to deal with them yet.

Xynche said:
When I brought it in he said he can only do something if we could duplicate the problem. Should I call Sprints call center and see what they can do? Would they already know about the problem or are they going to pretend like they've never had an issue like it. Do I have to flash back to stock ICS or do they not care? Sorry about the questions, I'm just pretty new to having my own phone plan and my own problems and don't really know how to deal with them yet.
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You have to unroot the phone or they will say the rooting its causing this problem or even worse they will say it's big no no to root phones and they will invalidated your warranty, show them this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKG-iq4XezU so they get an idea what the problem is

That is really odd, hadn't heard of that before. I instantly thought hardware, but it sounds like it has been proven otherwise. Is your device under warranty? If so, could be worth the hassle of a replacement, otherwise sprint call center is pretty worthless in general. They will give you pre made responses and tell you they were not aware of any such issue unless you get someone who actually gives any kind of a crap haha. Good luck! Be sure to post any updates!

Xynche said:
When I brought it in he said he can only do something if we could duplicate the problem. Should I call Sprints call center and see what they can do? Would they already know about the problem or are they going to pretend like they've never had an issue like it. Do I have to flash back to stock ICS or do they not care? Sorry about the questions, I'm just pretty new to having my own phone plan and my own problems and don't really know how to deal with them yet.
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Click to collapse
The only way to duplicate the problem everytime on my phone is to go to a low signal area. Ask the Sprint tech to go with you maybe buy them a cup of coffee and a donut.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Xynche said:
I've been having an issue with my softkeys (settings, home, etc...). They will randomly press opening settings, going back and opening the recent apps. Usually it does a combination of all of them and the only way to fix it is to turn off the screen and turn it back on.
I first thought this was a rom problem and switched to a new one. This didn't help so I believe it has to do with hardware. I looked up online and people say that it is a screen or battery problem. So I flashed to stock ICS and brought it into sprint, the guy was nice and stuff but he said he couldn't do anything unless we could make it happen. It wouldn't do it, so he couldn't do anything about it.
I'm wondering if it actually is a software issue or something that I'd be able to fix myself. Has anyone had any problems like this? It's not too often but often enough to be annoying. Any help would be nice.
Thanks in advance
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Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1877155&highlight=ghost

Ok, before I call in I have one last question. Will they send me a loaner phone? I need my phone for work and what not so if I cant get something temporary then I'm not even going to be able to send it in.

Not sure if this will answer your question but a co-worker recently had to take his OG EVO in for service. They gave him a loaner phone, an EVO 3D.
My wife's E4GT had the same phantom soft key issue. It was recently replaced due to another unrelated issue and so far, no issues.
Sent using my HTC EVO 4G and a magic wand

Very last question, I promise. Should I call Sprint or call Samsung directly? I'm most likely going to try and get it replaced this weekend. Hoping that everything goes well.

Short of a sledge hammer or selling the phone is there any remedy?

Phantom keys were crazy on my phone yesterday. I hadn't seen the problem very much in a week or so. I have no idea what was going on, but cleared dalvik cache and that seemed to help. No problems with it today. I wish I could figure out a correlation besides poor signal.

Related

Rooted Kernels and Loss of Service

We're trying to determine the "root" (pun intended) of the problem so if you wanna come in here and start a fight go find a local bar to do so. We need to try and locate the source of the problem so either post something useful or walk away.
There seems to be some confusion and I dont know if its being ignored or what but theres an issue with these kernels that needs to be looked into further before new ones continue to be released.
Theres an obvious problem for a good amount of people and everytime I look I see comments that there isnt a problem. So heres everything I could quickly find regarding it.
Now Im not trying to be a **** about this but I dont get how the issue is unheard of when its one of the biggest topics in this section. And so we're clear, this is happening in ALL kernels. Unfortunately its been more profound in Zedos because it seems more people went with his method.
All Im asking is before more and more kernels are released that someone at least acknowledge the problem and see if it can be addressed before more and more people root and start complaining because they were told there was no LO.S. bug
zedomax said:
data drop? dunno about that, this shizzle will not drop. It's ZEDOMAX!
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zedomax said:
jump and we will find out. no they should be worked out. there was no data loss kinks in da first place, where did u get that?
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________
joetemp75 said:
Man I was fine then I flashed v5 and got the no signal issue
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SupahDave said:
Everything seemed to be fine last night but today I've had 4 separate times now where my phone has lost signal all together and needed to be rebooted to get phone/data back. When this has happened I tried going into About-->Status to see if I could see anything odd and I kept getting a FC of com.android.phone
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jimbobtexas said:
I did. No love. I'm without a signal, period.
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MILH0U5E said:
Got the no signal issue here too. I put it in airplane mode overnight and upon waking this morning the no signal circle was there. I had to do a reboot to get 3g and cell signal back.
Looking forward to seeing this process develop.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
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wbyrd said:
Yeah this just happened to me too, everything was fine this morning then I played a game of solitaire and after going back to my home screen I saw the circle. Rebooted phone and everything came back on. It's possible that the circle was there before I played the game of solitaire but I didn't notice until right after I quit playing.
Hopefully it gets straightened out soon. At least rebooting fixes the problem, I can handle rebooting for a little while if needed.
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plmiller0905 said:
I can't really deal with the issue of having no service. My daughter has a heart issue and can't afford to miss a call. It's not like I walk around all day literally looking at my phone's screen seeing if I have service or not.
I did reboot...so like your's my service is back up.
But I definitely hope this gets fixed soon. I'd rather have root with broken heptic feedback than the inability to receive calls.
But I'm sure the Op the get it fixed...
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volwrath said:
I've had a dead call issue and also tday my radios were just dead and there was a circle in the middle of the notification barr. A reboot fixed the issues each time, but I think it might be a problem. I thing newer kernels will also fix said issues. Still very satisfied
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JLine05 said:
I am having the issue of the phone (voice) and sms not working. Strange because everything else is working fine. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.
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mcflargen said:
Still seems to have the data drop issue. Popped it on the second u dropped it, was great till a min ago. least a "restart" fixes it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
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joetemp75 said:
Man I just lost data again. This sucks
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
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kindaskimpy said:
I'm giving this one a try because with the zedomax kernel I kept losing 3G and CDMA calling and not even noticing it unless someone told me they'd been trying to reach me for hours. A quick reboot would solve the issue but then it would happen again.
I'll report back and let you guys know if this one is giving me the same issue.
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bbedward said:
I did this one because losing service on the other one, haven't lost it yet but its only been a couple hours
Sent from my sprint galaxy s2
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fordmanck said:
I tried both, i'm back on this one. I lost service with zedos twice and haven't on this at all.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
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Telling you right now someone is going to come in here and go "this belongs in General" then a mod will move your thread and deduct 5 points from something, not sure...but just a heads up
I also see a lot of people having issues, but I'm now on day 2 of flashing Zedo V1 and have yet to experience any of these issues. Not sure what I did different, but everything just works... The only thing I did was after rooting was getting my MSL from Sprint and erased the proxy servers in the ##3282 menu.
EDIT: Ok, I just lost service 1 1/2 day after rooting... Bug finally hit me..
I dont mind it being moved and I have no clue what the deduction in "points" does but I'll deal with it.
Now Im getting much better battery but I know people are still losing service on the new OC kernel. My roommate happens to be on e the unlucky ones.
Man...thanks for posting this. Hopefully the mod doesn't close this thread. This definitely is a concern and a serious matter. I don't care if these kernels are, "use at your own risk" these kernels should've been listed as betas, and/or the bugs should've been listed and further testing should have been. If those steps were taken, I bet a lot of people would've held back from flashing them. I know I would have.
Shabby posted this earlier in the other thread (post 160):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1267762&page=16
One thing that got to me was this morning I woke up, hoping to see a stock kernel and/or a way to return to stock. And instead, I see a new overclockable kernel. To me that's just not right. I think that you have to prioritize. That's like putting out a rom that has all data broke. Then instead of fixing it, you put out another rom...while disregarding the issues with the first rom. At least acknowledge the issue and let everyone know it's been worked on....don't just blow it off.
I know some of the devs over in the Evo forums was good about this....if something went haywire with one of their roms or mods...they were all on top of it to get the issue fixed and they also communicated with posting updates on the matter.
Like I said, hopefully the mods don't close this.
I'm definately gonna follow this thread...thanks Wingzfan
i rooted yesterday using zedomax method, did the OC kernel last night.. havent had any issues so far ..
plmiller0905 said:
Shabby posted this earlier in the other thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1267762&page=16
post 160
I'm definately gonna follow this thread...thanks Wingzfan
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Bubby does have the stock kernel pulled. I was testing it till 1:30 in the morning but he's gotta recompile it. It was bootlooping so today thats his first order of business.
As for the kernels, I flashed it by choice. I dont blame the devs for ANYTHING, Im just saying acknowledge theres a bug and lets see how to resolve it.
I've been reading through the rooted kernel threads as well prior to jumping on the root wagon and have seen several people mention that they are not rooted and have experienced the loss of service so it seems that the issue may not be exclusive to the rooted kernels...possibly a Samsung bug?
Very possible which is why im hoping we can get an idea of how man people are rooted vs non rooted having it. Now the only thing is I cant find any complaints online about nonrooted phones doing it except a few here and youd think it'd be widely discussed
Sent from a Galaxy far far away...
OrygunGal said:
I've been reading through the rooted kernel threads as well prior to jumping on the root wagon and have seen several people mention that they are not rooted and have experienced the loss of service so it seems that the issue may not be exclusive to the rooted kernels...possibly a Samsung bug?
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Yeah...I read those too. However, I never lost any service at home with any android phone I've owned..Nexus S 4g, all Evo's, Epics etc. Then today I wake up and I have no service....maybe it is a samsung bug, but I'd rather return to stock myself to see if the issue was still there.
Stocks on its way i promise. Probly tonight actually. Bubby was really close last night. Once we get that Id be curious to see what happens.
Sent from a Galaxy far far away...
wingzfan said:
Stocks on its way i promise. Probly tonight actually. Bubby was really close last night. Once we get that Id be curious to see what happens.
Sent from a Galaxy far far away...
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Sounds good...can't wait
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
This is an issue that started with mine also yesterday. But not only did I lose data but gps also. A reboot fixed it but I would like to know whats going on. I just came from the evo 3d and there was an issue that had to do with the prl so I am going to give that a shot with the 11115 prl that fixed the evo. Will post back with the results later today.
On V5, Ive only had the loss of data once in about 12 hours, versus about 3 times on Zedo V1.
I also did http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17703908&postcount=11 for the hell of it to see if that helped (even though I got it at a sprint store)
For the record:
A) People have reported this issue even on the stock kernel. It is not clear where the cause is.
B) For kicks (and because it cannot hurt) I did the whole profile/PRL update thing that someone suggested. Be it luck or real benefit, I have no had the issue since.
wingzfan said:
Very possible which is why im hoping we can get an idea of how man people are rooted vs non rooted having it. Now the only thing is I cant find any complaints online about nonrooted phones doing it except a few here and youd think it'd be widely discussed
Sent from a Galaxy far far away...
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Click to collapse
I would think it would be widely discussed as well so that seems odd. I'm waiting to see what evolves or at least for stock kernel (an undo) before flashing a rooted one. I don't have TEP.
It's still a bit early for the issue to be too widely discussed.
dmarden said:
For the record:
A) People have reported this issue even on the stock kernel. It is not clear where the cause is.
B) For kicks (and because it cannot hurt) I did the whole profile/PRL update thing that someone suggested. Be it luck or real benefit, I have no had the issue since.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice. I was told by a helpful Sprint cust. serv. rep. a while back that you should update your PRL & Profile when you go into a new area (tavel, move, or even long commute to work) regardless of which phone you have. I would think unboxing your phone would qualify as well. It sure couldn't hurt.
---------- Post added at 06:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:53 AM ----------
dmarden said:
It's still a bit early for the issue to be too widely discussed.
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Click to collapse
Good point. Many people would not likely research on the web/forums, instead they'd likely address the issue directly with Sprint.
plmiller0905 said:
Yeah...I read those too. However, I never lost any service at home with any android phone I've owned..Nexus S 4g, all Evo's, Epics etc. Then today I wake up and I have no service....maybe it is a samsung bug, but I'd rather return to stock myself to see if the issue was still there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ever owned a Samsung phone before?
This is my 3rd one and I swore after the last one Id never buy a Samsung phone again but I got sucked back in. Samsung is notorious for shipping phones with all kinds of bugs that should be considered showstoppers then pushing out fixes months later.
It would not surprise me at all if that was the case here. I am one of the ones having this issue and I am not rooted. Ive lost data several times after hanging up a call. The data never restores and I have to toggle 3G to get it come back.
I dont think this is a kernel issue. I think its something to do with the rest of the OS, either that or the kernel is a different problem thats just acting the same way.
Ok thats what i was hoping to find is nonrooted and rooted people who are having the issue. Now on my moment this issue was huge so i went to htc and maybe thats the case again. Maybe sammy dropped the ball again. Question is what can be done about it.
Sent from a Galaxy far far away...

Intermittent signal

Alright, I've had my phone for just over a year and this problem has been getting worse and worse... (I've been rooted and flashed different roms throughout the time - and no difference)
Most of the time I get great reception with the phone. However there are a few areas (aka my house) that it's a lower signal and it creates this problem.
People on the other end can hear me (for the most part), but I get extreme clipping (think the drivethrough speaker, but worse!)
I've tried different modems and prls, and nothing really changes. I've called up sprint and they have no suggestions. Once they did a provisioning, and that helped for a week or so.
Today I tried something new. Before I made a call, I toggled Airplane mode off/on. When I made the call right after, it was fine. But try doing that when your getting an incoming call!
My wife also has an epic (rooted and with a few different roms), but she does not have this problem. I really don't want to return it to Best Buy, because I'm afraid that I'll get a refurb.
Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Seems like you have a bad radio someone had a similar problem not quite as bad but go to sprint and ask if they'll test the radio on the cell and it should fail and they'll fix it for you.
Sent From My Cyan Samurai
Also I have terrible signal in my house but clear as day voice so your radio may be limited with low signal and bad.
Sent From My Cyan Samurai
Biggoron said:
Also I have terrible signal in my house but clear as day voice so your radio may be limited with low signal and bad.
Sent From My Cyan Samurai
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bigg is right. plus, a refurbished phone is not always bad. a refurbished phone actually goes through more quality tests than new ones, especially to make sure the bugs are worked out.
Best Buy Black Tie Insurance gives you new phones. I have gotten 2 on my account so far.
kennyglass123 said:
Best Buy Black Tie Insurance gives you new phones. I have gotten 2 on my account so far.
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Click to collapse
Well I guess I'm glad I have the insurance after all. How recent was your latest replacement?
Also, how was the process? I mean, for something that's obviously not physical damage like a cracked screen or something, do they just give u a new phone right then and there? Or do you have to wait for them to send it away for service/testing...?
I guess you did a factory reset beforehand - right?
altimuh said:
Well I guess I'm glad I have the insurance after all. How recent was your latest replacement?
Also, how was the process? I mean, for something that's obviously not physical damage like a cracked screen or something, do they just give u a new phone right then and there? Or do you have to wait for them to send it away for service/testing...?
I guess you did a factory reset beforehand - right?
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It was my 2nd phone on the account, my GFs and each time I go to Best Buy they don't even question it. Even if PRL won't update. They have Rapid Exchange, just did one 4 weeks ago. They take the bad phone and either loan you a Blackberry or bring in a phone you might still have, then 2 days later the new phone arrives and they swap it back.

Menu key menu pops up during low signal

I have an extremely annoying issue. I've seen some posts reporting this on various boards, but it seems most people throw a default answer out there that it's a hardware issue. I'll explain why I don't think that's the case.
The menu that comes up with you press the "menu" capacitive key has been popping up and down rapidly and repeatedly when I'm in a low signal area. This didn't start happening until after Samsung/Sprint fixed the LOS issue. I'm thinking it has something to do with the way they fixed it, which I don't have any technical or general knowledge of. Most of the time, the screen and keys will not be responsive unless I hit the power key to turn the screen off and turn it back on. It's even more annoying since it vibrates everytime the key is "pressed". I don't think this is simply a hardware issue as the only time this presents itself is the same times the LOS issue used to. I'm sure it's tied to that fix somehow.
Is anybody else having this issue? This may be a long shot, but I installed the LOS Checker zip, (I forgot which dev created it), and never uninstalled it, but I've upgraded many roms since then and don't think it would still be installed.
If any of you do have this issue, did you ever install that LOS Checker zip?
Rom= Blazer Rom EL29 v3.8
Kernel = rogue 1.4.1
Started happening to me recently as well. Im running Calks still on GB with ICS theme. I haven't paid attention to my signal when it happens but you are right, turning off the screen does stop it momentarily. I agree this may not be a hardware issue as well. I've just been bearing it because I plan on changing phones soon anyway.
Edit: It just started happening after this post. Signal was at 1 bar...
Epic-ly tapped from my Galaxy S II
Zoidpilot said:
Started happening to me recently as well. Im running Calks still on GB with ICS theme. I haven't paid attention to my signal when it happens but you are right, turning off the screen does stop it momentarily. I agree this may not be a hardware issue as well. I've just been bearing it because I plan on changing phones soon anyway.
Edit: It just started happening after this post. Signal was at 1 bar...
Epic-ly tapped from my Galaxy S II
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Did you happen to install this? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1326569
Happens to me too. Menu button hitting itself at random times.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I have this same issue. I never realized it correlated with low signal. The issue cropped up 3 times today and each occurrence was with low signal. Good eye sir.
Do any of you undervolt or use a kernel that runs less than standard voltages?
My device is undervolted quite a bit and was wondering if it may be part of issue as i don't remember having this problem prior to that.
I am removing my undervolts and will report back if i still have this issue.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
I'm on stock rooted. Always happens on different occasions. I just turn the screen on and off and usually it'll fix the problem
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I was gonna post the same thing I just realized this morning that it always coincides with low signal
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I think its a hardware issue. Im running the same setup on my replacement phone and haven't had the issue since.
I experienced this ever since I got the phone back in september but I didn't wise up until the 14 day period ended. there are two threads in the Q&A section concerning this, one that i started and another that i contributed to.
I would be trying to text and the menu button would pop up and i would accidently hit something on the menu that came up bc the button spazzes out randomly and consecutively and sometimes for a solid 5 seconds, but like the rest of you im sure, it wasnt confined to any single app so it was impossible to find one thing to blame. it would have to be something system-related or hardware-related (btw i did flash the LOS checker some time ago)
I believed the low signal theory for a while, as well as having a corrupted flash. but I experienced the spasms with full bars of service AND after a complete Odin restore to stock everything without restoring any of my past data whatsoever. thus I deferred to the "default" that it is hardware-related.
that was months ago.
I got so fed up with it, i decided to do anything to make it stop. So, I recently opened up my device and took everything apart and found that the water indicator just above the capacitive buttons had been activated. keep in mind I DID NOT EVER have any encounter with water. in fact, the other water indicators were perfectly undisturbed. this pissed me off because that means there might have been an accident or something while they were being manufactured that would have damaged the button - idk just another theory.
This is my main piece of evidence supporting my claim that it is hardware-related:
I ended up breaking the screen trying to separate the glass from the digitizer (stupid, I know bc theyre fused together) so I ended up buying a new screen/digitizer. put it in myself. i haven't had it since. I'm running the EXACT same set up as before I replaced my screen and its been about a week and no instances. I would be experiencing the sporadic menu button randomly, several times a day but it has completely disappeared.
i suggest to you all: bring it in to Sprint if you bought it from them or invest in a new screen off ebay if you bought it from a 3rd party seller (Amazon, wirefly, letstalk), i got my new screen for $65 shipped and it was in pristine condition. now im living a happily-ever-after ending
i'll keep a close eye on this thread to help you all with your endeavors/theories though
if any of you plan on opening up ur device, i suggest you do some homework so as not to destory your phone - its still an amazing device. or you can just ask in this thread and i can give tips to everyone
good luck!!
Thanks for all the updates.. I've noticed I'll sometimes get this error, but my phone will be showing full bars where I KNOW I have a poor signal.. for instance, my elevator at work..
Is there any sort of logging app I could run and go into an area I know this will happen to find out what's going on?
IsThisOneTaken said:
Thanks for all the updates.. I've noticed I'll sometimes get this error, but my phone will be showing full bars where I KNOW I have a poor signal.. for instance, my elevator at work..
Is there any sort of logging app I could run and go into an area I know this will happen to find out what's going on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sometimes the signal bars are inaccurate (like you described). your true signal is found in settings>about phone>status>signal strength. 0-1 bars is really about -90 to -100 dBm
devs use logcats to analyze issues with the internals
http://forum.samdroid.net/f38/tutorial-how-get-logcat-example-check-battery-drain-2543/
I just checked a few other boards and it seems a number of people have confirmed it correlates wih low signal. There are a few people that keep popping up on multiple threads stating it's a hardware issue, only because a new screen fixed it. I would be fine with that logic if there weren't so many people stating it correlates with low signal. Also, it seems most people haven't really experienced this issue until after the LOS fix. Now, at the same times I used to have LOS issues, I now have this. I'm guessing it has something to do with internals and whatever they did to update it may be separate from modems or roms, since people have gone back to stock and still experienced this issue.
I haven't done a search, but is there an information source that states exactly what Samsung did to address the LOS issue?
I'm going to ODIN back to the original shipped EG30 package and test it out.. I never did OTA updates.. always through ODIN, etc. I'm going to see if I update through OTAs if anything is different. I'll report back.
I had experienced it since around the 1st week of october. i didnt have los fixed until i flashed chris41g's experimental kernels, not sure when all that was though. i was convinced it was related to signal too, but i would still happen on the highway/in public with 3 bars of 4g and ~50-60 dBm
would be interesting if you figure it out though
Yea I ODIN'd back to EG30 and now OTA'd to EL29.. no issues yet but we'll see tomorrow when I'm in elevators. After doing all this, I realized I probably need to do a full EEPROM reset and then go through this... don't really feel like doing that tonight though.
Im pretty sure this is in fact a samsung phone issue in general. I came over to sprint and the e4gt from verizon and the fascinate. I loved that phone, but it had this exact same issue. I have not in fact had it happen to me so far with the e4gt yet. I have a sneaking suspiscion that this issue goes hand in hand with undervolting, but thats just my own personaly theory.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Happens to me on the rare occasion as well. Might be an issue with the phone?
I called this one during the LOS era. It definitely occurs in low signal areas. I could never get LOS so I went into known dead spots and sure enough those random pop ups happened
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
*Luke* said:
Im pretty sure this is in fact a samsung phone issue in general. I came over to sprint and the e4gt from verizon and the fascinate. I loved that phone, but it had this exact same issue. I have not in fact had it happen to me so far with the e4gt yet. I have a sneaking suspiscion that this issue goes hand in hand with undervolting, but thats just my own personaly theory.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed there were a few other threads on Samsung devices with issues.... hmmm. Did you ever try limiting your underclocking to a higher clock speed? This may be a noob question but for the EG4T, is anything less than 800mhz considered underclocking?
JohnCorleone said:
I called this one during the LOS era. It definitely occurs in low signal areas. I could never get LOS so I went into known dead spots and sure enough those random pop ups happened
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe I remember seeing your post haha... I'll see what I can do if I mess around with clock speed.

Menu randomly popping up

Road trip yesterday, using telenav app for GPS on my E4GT and noticed when cell signal was low, the menu button seemed to go crazy and phone was unresponsive. Searched here, but it doesn't seem to happen to everyone.
Is it hardware related? Should I get new phone? Does it happen with ICS?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
rehpot1 said:
Road trip yesterday, using telenav app for GPS on my E4GT and noticed when cell signal was low, the menu button seemed to go crazy and phone was unresponsive. Searched here, but it doesn't seem to happen to everyone.
Is it hardware related? Should I get new phone? Does it happen with ICS?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This happens to me when signal is low, my thought process is that if it's searching for signal, the cpu is prioritizing that rather than keeping track of the menu button.
Was your battery life terrible, by chance?
I have the telenav app too - I haven't really used it much, I usually use the Google navigation.
However, right after the update, on first boot, Telenav appeared and said "updating" and hung - I had to battery pull, which made me nervous about Telenav on ICS.
And, my first day, I got about 6-7 hours LESS battery life than I had previously.
I'm strongly leaning towards simply uninstalling it.
Barry life great, 10-15 hours on EL29 rooted, CWM. thinking about rooted ff18 w CWM, but love good battery life. I use it all day for work.
Freaking menu spaz is driving me crazy. I'll get rid of it if its a normal problem in low signal areas.
It did it without using telenav as well. Heck, its doing it right now. Very frustrating.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Its a problem with the screen itself. I had that but it would happen regardless of battery life.
Just ask them to replace the screen/fix the screen.
Took it to sprint store today, they wanted to know if I had rooted it, said they would have to factory reset it. then if the problem continued, I could come back. Left the store, walked around a nearby big box store and it started again. Went right back, they said a replacement phone would be here in five to six days. Forgot to ask if I could have one in a box there. No charge, just got the phone two weeks ago.
Tech did mention that lots of people were bringing in the E4GT to have the ICS upgrade removed because it wasn't working as good as the GB.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
rehpot1 said:
Took it to sprint store today, they wanted to know if I had rooted it, said they would have to factory reset it. then if the problem continued, I could come back. Left the store, walked around a nearby big box store and it started again. Went right back, they said a replacement phone would be here in five to six days. Forgot to ask if I could have one in a box there. No charge, just got the phone two weeks ago.
Tech did mention that lots of people were bringing in the E4GT to have the ICS upgrade removed because it wasn't working as good as the GB.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went a couple of days ago and was told that I was the second person to arrive that morning mentioning an issue with the newest update causing issues. I had 3 problems going on with my phone but this was the main issue. I had unrooted the phone and reset everything before I walked in so I wouldn't have them go through the trouble of doing that and waste time. I told them I have tested many things: flashing roms, modems, even PRLs (I knew the tech, so I was open about these things). I've had this issue for well over a month now and I got used to it but wouldn't mind getting it removed. I have done my own experiments and none seem to resolve it.
Their internal forums don't know what exactly is the cause of this "phantom menu press" but they are aware of the new ICS causing it. Their 2 solutions was either replacing the screen or a new phone. Although I was happy about a new phone (my phone has seen the concrete a couple times), I was hoping to see a fix at that moment.
Next time you go to the store, ask them to have the screen replaced. It could be that it is a faulty screen (sensor wise). I work for an engineering company and it is unbelievable how many new parts arrive faulty or with intermittent problems from the manufacturer.
swaarley said:
This happens to me when signal is low, my thought process is that if it's searching for signal, the cpu is prioritizing that rather than keeping track of the menu button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had this problem since GB, it seems to happen when you have low signal and on 3G...I hardly use 4G but I have noticed this issue doesn't happen on WIFI...try a day or two without using 3G in the areas where you get low signal and let us know
GH0 said:
Its a problem with the screen itself. I had that but it would happen regardless of battery life.
Just ask them to replace the screen/fix the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do agree, I have had sprint replace my battery in hopes for this to be the culprit and disappear. No luck but I have seen an improvement in battery life hehehe
Darkfire963 said:
Their internal forums don't know what exactly is the cause of this "phantom menu press" but they are aware of the new ICS causing it. Their 2 solutions was either replacing the screen or a new phone. Although I was happy about a new phone (my phone has seen the concrete a couple times), I was hoping to see a fix at that moment.
hehehe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I'm on stock EL29, not ICS. Interesting if it only happens to Some after update if its a suspected hardware issue.
rehpot1 said:
Road trip yesterday, using telenav app for GPS on my E4GT and noticed when cell signal was low, the menu button seemed to go crazy and phone was unresponsive. Searched here, but it doesn't seem to happen to everyone.
Is it hardware related? Should I get new phone? Does it happen with ICS?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my thread. Similar problem so I figured I would paste the link here for more reference.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29246442#post29246442
New phone (like new replacement), no more problems.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Defective Radio?

I have been having a lot of problems with my new honey, namely in the signal department! I went through a whole thing with it right after activation...it worked, then didn't, then did...etc. A chat session, phone call, & 2 trip to the actual store (all in 1 day!) resulted in them doing a factory reset and sending me on my looney way. It seemed to have helped, for about a day and a half. Now it is dropping signal again! It seems to do so, sometimes, when I have the wifi on. But then sometimes not (I'm not sure if wifi is culprit or coincidence.)
The ATT store employees said I may have changed a setting (I'm sure I didn't as I don't know of any setting that would even cause that!) and also "explained" my signal will naturally fluctuate...(They think I am an idiot, obviously and of course the phone was working fine when I was there...duh!) They also gave me a new sim card.
I *really* want to love this phone! But I'm finding it frustratingly undependable. Texts won't send when I need them to. I'm not getting them either, always. Voice is hit or miss when it drops (sometimes it works, sometimes not.) I have ALSO noticed the signal is not as strong as my old beloved Cappy. That thing was a horse (and I'm thinking of going back to it if this new one doesn't wise up!) Seriously, $300 bucks for a brand new phone & it can't keep a proper signal?
Is it the radio? Is it the software (still 100% stock, unrooted)? Should I make them give me a new one? What if it doesn't work, either? Flashing it to fix the issue is fine for me, but I've been holding out for multi-view before I get flash-crazy. lol Not to mention I may have to return it so better to not mess with it [yet]. I'm very frustrated & tired of getting looked upon like I'm the typical woman idiot who is not as smart as her new smartphone!!! I am NOT imagining it!!!
k.babymamma said:
I have been having a lot of problems with my new honey, namely in the signal department! I went through a whole thing with it right after activation...it worked, then didn't, then did...etc. A chat session, phone call, & 2 trip to the actual store (all in 1 day!) resulted in them doing a factory reset and sending me on my looney way. It seemed to have helped, for about a day and a half. Now it is dropping signal again! It seems to do so, sometimes, when I have the wifi on. But then sometimes not (I'm not sure if wifi is culprit or coincidence.)
The ATT store employees said I may have changed a setting (I'm sure I didn't as I don't know of any setting that would even cause that!) and also "explained" my signal will naturally fluctuate...(They think I am an idiot, obviously and of course the phone was working fine when I was there...duh!) They also gave me a new sim card.
I *really* want to love this phone! But I'm finding it frustratingly undependable. Texts won't send when I need them to. I'm not getting them either, always. Voice is hit or miss when it drops (sometimes it works, sometimes not.) I have ALSO noticed the signal is not as strong as my old beloved Cappy. That thing was a horse (and I'm thinking of going back to it if this new one doesn't wise up!) Seriously, $300 bucks for a brand new phone & it can't keep a proper signal?
Is it the radio? Is it the software (still 100% stock, unrooted)? Should I make them give me a new one? What if it doesn't work, either? Flashing it to fix the issue is fine for me, but I've been holding out for multi-view before I get flash-crazy. lol Not to mention I may have to return it so better to not mess with it [yet]. I'm very frustrated & tired of getting looked upon like I'm the typical woman idiot who is not as smart as her new smartphone!!! I am NOT imagining it!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would definitely take it back and make them give you a new one.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Sounds like your antennae is shorting out or something like it wasn't soldered properly or the cable isn't secure. Would explain why WiFi affects it. I'd go there and demand a replacement and if they don't wanna budge your within 30 day no questions return. Then go to a diff store and get a new one. I really don't see it being a software issue.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
cjsspape said:
Sounds like your antennae is shorting out or something like it wasn't soldered properly or the cable isn't secure. Would explain why WiFi affects it. I'd go there and demand a replacement and if they don't wanna budge your within 30 day no questions return. Then go to a diff store and get a new one. I really don't see it being a software issue.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it possible that whatever the problem was, it miraculously resolved itself? I had it drop signal two more times since this post, then nothing since. It's been working perfectly. I hate to keep it if it might arise again but I hate to return it if it was some weird fluke thing.
This may or may not be related to the above problem: has anyone noticed their reception is not as good as on a previous device? I had a Cappy and it always got great signal. I noticed this one is not as strong in the same places I previously visited with my old phone. Although admittedly, it seems to be improving. Does that even make sense or is even possible? Just like me, my phone has to be the goofball of the bunch!
k.babymamma said:
Is it possible that whatever the problem was, it miraculously resolved itself? I had it drop signal two more times since this post, then nothing since. It's been working perfectly. I hate to keep it if it might arise again but I hate to return it if it was some weird fluke thing.
This may or may not be related to the above problem: has anyone noticed their reception is not as good as on a previous device? I had a Cappy and it always got great signal. I noticed this one is not as strong in the same places I previously visited with my old phone. Although admittedly, it seems to be improving. Does that even make sense or is even possible? Just like me, my phone has to be the goofball of the bunch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha I'm glad its working better but I still think it may be hardware related. I get better signal now with this device then my sIII or my note before it. Have ya done anything to your phone at all? Root mod etc?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
cjsspape said:
Haha I'm glad its working better but I still think it may be hardware related. I get better signal now with this device then my sIII or my note before it. Have ya done anything to your phone at all? Root mod etc?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. I've done nothing because I'm having this returning debate. lol I'm itching to though!
This is classic "my car doesn't work so take it to the garage then it works fine and they will make fun of you" If I do return it what do I say? It is documented about my "troubles" as per the ATT phone rep. Though if I can't reproduce the problem they're just going to send me on my way, I'm afraid.
k.babymamma said:
Nope. I've done nothing because I'm having this returning debate. lol I'm itching to though!
This is classic "my car doesn't work so take it to the garage then it works fine and they will make fun of you" If I do return it what do I say? It is documented about my "troubles" as per the ATT phone rep. Though if I can't reproduce the problem they're just going to send me on my way, I'm afraid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With enough "negotiating" they'll take it back haha. Plus are you still within your no ask return window? Just explain how its sporatic but annoying to the point its not functional for reliable use and they should do something within their power to help ya out
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
k.babymamma said:
Nope. I've done nothing because I'm having this returning debate. lol I'm itching to though!
This is classic "my car doesn't work so take it to the garage then it works fine and they will make fun of you" If I do return it what do I say? It is documented about my "troubles" as per the ATT phone rep. Though if I can't reproduce the problem they're just going to send me on my way, I'm afraid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You spent enough money on the device, you should be absolutely happy with it, not apprehensive. If you wait past the return date, it's going to sit in the pit of your stomach for 20 months and ruin your enjoyment of it until you can upgrade again. Not worth it. Smile your brightest smile, walk into the store, very nicely tell them that you've had multiple issues and the AT&T phone reps said to go in and ask for an exchange. That's it. They're going to count on you being intimidated and going away. Smile, be nice, and don't be intimidated.
If they say you have to reproduce the problem, invite them to spend the day with you. The Note 2 is amazing and you shouldn't settle if you believe your hardware is having problems.
UserNamer said:
You spent enough money on the device, you should be absolutely happy with it, not apprehensive. If you wait past the return date, it's going to sit in the pit of your stomach for 20 months and ruin your enjoyment of it until you can upgrade again. Not worth it. Smile your brightest smile, walk into the store, very nicely tell them that you've had multiple issues and the AT&T phone reps said to go in and ask for an exchange. That's it. They're going to count on you being intimidated and going away. Smile, be nice, and don't be intimidated.
If they say you have to reproduce the problem, invite them to spend the day with you. The Note 2 is amazing and you shouldn't settle if you believe your hardware is having problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I have decided to take it in later today, as my 14 days is up on Friday. I hope they have stock of them. Anyhow...I have another question. If a phone is sitting still with no movement (and the weather is good, lol) will there be variations in signal strength? I get 3 bars with 4G showing, then it drops to one tiny bar. Sometimes the 4G disappears then reappears. The it will go back up to 4 bars. All in the course 5 minutes! I do realize signal will vary with movement but will it if your phone is just sitting there?
I am trying to experiment a little. I just realized/remembered that I had (uneventfully) dropped my phone (not hard, in-case) about the same time as my dropped signal problem pretty much resolved itself. So then I was like, hmm, maybe there IS something loose inside. I've tried gently shaking/jarring it here on my desk, coincidentally with the bars dropping back to just 1 as a result. But then again it may be coincidental as they are seeming to waiver A LOT. I just wondered if it is normal.
I never really stared at my old phone (Galaxy1) here at my desk but I'm almost positive it always had more than 1 bar at this same location and I never noticed it waiver like this one. But like I said I never had to make myself stare at it to check, either! lol Just wondering if someone knows a little more about cellphone signal 101 than me.
I have the issue of no 4G HSPA+ but I can get a strong LTE signal when in an LTE reception area. I'm wondering if you are in an LTE area and can get LTE? Where are you located?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
I have noticed problems with my GN2 as well. Mine shows I have signal but my data stalls or doesn't seem to work as it should. I'm in an area where there shouldn't be any problems. Only seems to happen in non LTE areas. Whenever I have LTE signal this thing is blazing fast.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Update: Took the phone in. Basically, they had never heard of the issue with this phone. But...I walked away with a replacement. So far so good though I've had it only a few hours. The girl was very nice & explained even though I was borderline limit she would take care of me. I told her I received it Fri the 9th but she said they were basing the 14 days on the 7th! I said I didn't physically have it till the 9th! Jeeze. Moot point since she was going to take care of it anyhow but it just concerned me how (corporate) att could chop 2 days of my in-store return time!
So no, I'm not in LTE land, unfortunately. 3g H+ & E only though I can't complain about the coverage or speed. Good enough for me 4 sure.
The signal bars waivered quite a bit even while in the store. They said while some fluctuation is normal it shouldn't be as much as it was doing especially with the close proximity of the tower & good weather and especially while just sitting on the counter.
I downloaded the free app "No Signal Alert" from the Play Store. In just a few hours it recorded lost signal 4 times! (In a very good coverage area) [my first phone b4 the exchange] Consider using it if you want to see if you are losing signal like I was. Handy app!
Hopefully this is a good one. I know it sounds goofy but this phone seems to even move faster than the other. Weird. It will be interesting to hear if anyone else is having this problem. Maybe there was a bad batch of them or something? Like the Nexus I read about & their signal problems.
Sent from my awesome gn2 jesusphone using xda app-developers app
Haha im glad that they helped ya! No its not goofy or silly to think that one phones faster then another because no two phones are alike. The silicone chips are very different and performance can very greatly. I had an s3 that wouldnt take custom kernels to save its life but I got it replaced after a two year old and a toilet incident haha and that one took even the most abusive settings in stride!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
I have a similar situation with mine. LTE will be working fine but then I notice that once I connect to my home wifi and then either leave my wifi range or turn off wifi the LTE icon will show in the status bar and it will show that it's sending and receiving data but Web pages will stall and never load, Play Store will timeout, and SpeedTest.net will start up but the needle will freeze about 1/8 of the way up indefinitely. I've toggled data at this point but it never fixes it, I have to restart the phone at which point LTE works perfectly but once I get back on my wifi the cycle will repeat, this has happened reliably for about the past week.
Do you all think I have a defective radio or am I missing something? I'm still within my return Window and will probably swap it Friday.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
williamsjscott said:
I have a similar situation with mine. LTE will be working fine but then I notice that once I connect to my home wifi and then either leave my wifi range or turn off wifi the LTE icon will show in the status bar and it will show that it's sending and receiving data but Web pages will stall and never load, Play Store will timeout, and SpeedTest.net will start up but the needle will freeze about 1/8 of the way up indefinitely. I've toggled data at this point but it never fixes it, I have to restart the phone at which point LTE works perfectly but once I get back on my wifi the cycle will repeat, this has happened reliably for about the past week.
Do you all think I have a defective radio or am I missing something? I'm still within my return Window and will probably swap it Friday.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea my wifi lte transfer is always spot on so something may be wrong
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
williamsjscott said:
I have a similar situation with mine. LTE will be working fine but then I notice that once I connect to my home wifi and then either leave my wifi range or turn off wifi the LTE icon will show in the status bar and it will show that it's sending and receiving data but Web pages will stall and never load, Play Store will timeout, and SpeedTest.net will start up but the needle will freeze about 1/8 of the way up indefinitely. I've toggled data at this point but it never fixes it, I have to restart the phone at which point LTE works perfectly but once I get back on my wifi the cycle will repeat, this has happened reliably for about the past week.
Do you all think I have a defective radio or am I missing something? I'm still within my return Window and will probably swap it Friday.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds very similar to how mine is acting. I'm wondering if it is the ATT smart WiFi app causing the problem. Shows data incoming and outgoing but stalls.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
kkl0wn said:
Sounds very similar to how mine is acting. I'm wondering if it is the ATT smart WiFi app causing the problem. Shows data incoming and outgoing but stalls.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly how it's acting for me. I just now disabled the AT&T Smart WiFi app and after a quick restart and toggle test there was no problems, but I'm not sure if the problem will only pop up after I've been on wifi for a while. I'm going to see if it keeps doing it tomorrow.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Disabling Smart WiFi appeared to fix the problem.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
What I noticed today is that when this same issue happens, with 4G icon and wifi icon both active, it occurs after I manually check for a firmware update within the system settings. The 4G icon doesn't go away until I reset the phone.
Also I manually deleted the all the AT&T boat ware apps before this was happening so the smart wifi app is not causing this for me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Weird, if you get the issue and don't have the Smart WiFi app then it must be something else and it was coincidence that it worked normal for me today. I've only checked for firmware once (when I first got my phone) so it must be something else causing it. I'm hoping the multi view firmware will also have a fix for it.
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