Develop Bugs

Way to prove phone is new?

Is there any way to tell for absolute certain that a phone is new?
I know it's easy these days to reset counters and such, so I was just wondering if there was any way to tell for sure if a phone someone sold on ebay is indeed new and not just a clean used or refurbished phone.
Thanks for the info!

impossible !!!
SirKeats said:
Is there any way to tell for absolute certain that a phone is new?
I know it's easy these days to reset counters and such, so I was just wondering if there was any way to tell for sure if a phone someone sold on ebay is indeed new and not just a clean used or refurbished phone.
Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u can't verify if it's new, cause you only need to hard reset the phone to get a brand new phone (OS is as new) !!!!
anyway just look at it,if it looks new, it's new, otherway, it's an old phone !
salut !

Look around it and specifically at the silver line around it.
If the phone is old, the silver line always goes off.
Slt

Yea the silver line is a way to tell and also, look if the chrome color is wearing off the middle button...

Create Boot loop/hang situation

Hi,
Normally I would not condone this kind of behaviour, but here goes:
My brand new desire dropped out of my pocket while getting out of the car after only having it for 5 days or so. I was so gutted I almost cried like a girl in front of my Mrs over a phone! I bought it SIM free for £400 which was even more painful. Thankfully it landed butter side up and there was only very slight damage to the rubberised casing at the bottom.
I want to fake a fault so I can send it back and swap it under the 28 days rule. Has anyone got any idea how I would fake a bootloop/hang? I thought about flashing lots of different roms over the top of one another without wiping. Obviously using the fakeflash method rather than Unrevoked perma-recovery.
I guess there would be something I can do via ADB to a rooted ROM that's a little more precise?
I'm so ashamed I'm resorting to this, but let's face it, these companies make loads of money from us. They'll just send it back to HTC and it will be reconditioned.
TIA!

lmao! this made my day
just put it in the microwave, this will stop it from turning on
send it back saying it one day it got really hot and then it wouldnt turn on again

This is a good way of doing this and is quite reproducible for me any how create a custom scene or two, get a lot of data in the contacts storage by linking accounts to Facebook etc install a home replace ment such as launcher pro beta then go to settings and click clear data in the contacts storage, then in the settings go to htc sense and click clear defaults l, hope fully now when you press home it will ask you to choose a default home again then choose sense, it should now be force closing on ever 5 seconds.
You can fix this by using the search button to search for settings and factory restore, all the while getting a force close message, then factory restore.
I don't condone this action, but it works for me every time.
Good luck lol.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

cgrec92 said:
lmao! this made my day
just put it in the microwave, this will stop it from turning on
send it back saying it one day it got really hot and then it wouldnt turn on again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You put a partially metal object into a microwave! Although you managed to destroy the electrical components of the phone, you could also potentially do damage to the microwave itself and set your house on fire!
Real smart

cgrec92 said:
lmao! this made my day
just put it in the microwave, this will stop it from turning on
send it back saying it one day it got really hot and then it wouldnt turn on again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeh, cheers for that. I was thinking more along the lines of something that was reversible should they refuse to exchange the phone. Your suggestion is a little more permanent than I'd like.

Oh grow up and just be more careful with the phone next time. No need to resort to fraud.

Tander_ZA said:
Oh grow up and just be more careful with the phone next time. No need to resort to fraud.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or buy a case
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

Haha - well it is expensive to get a phone r3paired, i just payed 285 EUR to get my screen changed on my Desire

Technically it wouldn't be fraud, if you created a boot loop that shouldn't exsist. The old fit for purpose and as described law in the UK would cover this. Know the law own the law imop lol.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

naw its not fraud...

28 day rule
PS: There is actually no 28 day rule; this is a total myth, it is merely a policy offered by some of the large electriocal retailers to get one over their competitors.

rchatburn said:
Technically it wouldn't be fraud, if you created a boot loop that shouldn't exsist. The old fit for purpose and as described law in the UK would cover this. Know the law own the law imop lol.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SiL3nTKiLL said:
naw its not fraud...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry guys, it's fraud, either way you look at it.
Firstly, by inducing the boot up loop, using modified ROMs etc, you're voiding the warranty. You're then getting HTC to replace the phone for you under false pretense = Fraud.
Like someone suggested - buy a case for it.

MasDroid said:
You put a partially metal object into a microwave! Although you managed to destroy the electrical components of the phone, you could also potentially do damage to the microwave itself and set your house on fire!
Real smart
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and then claim on your house insurance.

[Q] finicky power button

So my Inc has a weird power button issue. If I slightly touch the button it acts as though I pushed it. My screen comes on a lot due to it.
Ive tried using compressedair to clean out the button area but that's no good. Any way I can fix this without cracking it open?

bukithd said:
So my Inc has a weird power button issue. If I slightly touch the button it acts as though I pushed it. My screen comes on a lot due to it.
Ive tried using compressedair to clean out the button area but that's no good. Any way I can fix this without cracking it open?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
find a case that covers the button and makes it harder to push like a silicon case?
did you ever spill a liquid on the phone?

synisterwolf said:
find a case that covers the button and makes it harder to push like a silicon case?
did you ever spill a liquid on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No spills, I just seems to bewearing out. I have a couple of cases but neither really help.
It actually seems to work better if I slightly touch it and not physically push it.

bukithd said:
No spills, I just seems to bewearing out. I have a couple of cases but neither really help.
It actually seems to work better if I slightly touch it and not physically push it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i bet there is lint or something in the button. they only way to know for sure is to crack it open.

synisterwolf said:
i bet there is lint or something in the button. they only way to know for sure is to crack it open.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still have it under warranty with best buy. Should I just go get a new phone? I'm not gonna void my warranty and still pay for it.

bukithd said:
I still have it under warranty with best buy. Should I just go get a new phone? I'm not gonna void my warranty and still pay for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you still have a warranty then i would see what they can do for you. i dont think they will have an Inc for you they might have you upgrade to a device that is the same value. i would talk to them. cant hurt right?
the warranty is for geek squad right?

synisterwolf said:
if you still have a warranty then i would see what they can do for you. i dont think they will have an Inc for you they might have you upgrade to a device that is the same value. i would talk to them. cant hurt right?
the warranty is for geek squad right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep black tie coverage. Thats what I decided, I went and waited at best buy for 3 hours today and wound up with a crappy loaner phone (LG Vortex 2.2.2).
Hopefully in a few days I will get the faux upgrade but it is entirely possible that Ill just get a refurb inc.
I will miss the Inc if they don't get me another one.

bukithd said:
Yep black tie coverage. Thats what I decided, I went and waited at best buy for 3 hours today and wound up with a crappy loaner phone (LG Vortex 2.2.2).
Hopefully in a few days I will get the faux upgrade but it is entirely possible that Ill just get a refurb inc.
I will miss the Inc if they don't get me another one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:'(
Sent from my Droid Incredible 3D using xda premium

[Q] Defective Microphone- Have had Nitro Since Launch, Now I am Not So Sure

Alright, this is very disconcerting, my faith in LG may be gone.
PREFACE:
I have had this phone since launch and have been on this forum since the day it was started. I have rooted, debloated, and changed launchers. I have no dislike for LG, so please do not call me a hater or a fanboy.
PROBLEM:
Starting a couple of days ago, during calls the person on the other end would only hear static and clicking. I finished the conversation through text. I called somebody else the next day and it worked fine. Today, I was talking to someone for about ten minutes then the static happened and I had to finish the conversation in text. Since the person I was talking to is a close family member I troubleshooted and kept calling them, and then a phone of one of one of my roommate's so that I could hear the problem first-hand. It sounds HORRIBLE. Since then I have used a voice recording app to test the problem.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
I have done the following to determine that this is indeed a hardware problem:
-Turned off all data
-Unlocked ALL "debloated" apps
-Restarted many times
-Put only the original battery in(I have two spare official batteries)
And the problem persists.
QUESTIONS:
-What should I expect will happen with the return/exchange process?
-My original battery has the pink water damage thing turned pink. This phone has never touched water, I think it happened because I have kept the battery in my wallet, which probably has gotten sweat on it. Will LG try to be a **** about this?
-Should I unroot and otherwise restore this phone to stock? If so, how do I do this?
-Is there anything else I should know?
-I need a phone to use, if I cut my SIM card to fit into my old iPhone 4, how will I get it back in?
Thank you, and if there is a possibility I could just return it I may. I LOVE this phone, but I have never had a microphone defect in any other phone I have ever owned. I am starting to wonder how such a large company like LG can allow something like this to happen, rightly so, I am very unsure of the longetivity and overall "completeness" of this phone.

The only other quick and easy thing I would suggest to narrow down the issue would be to try a wired or bluetooth headset.
It's pretty easy to find micro SIM adapters for sale online for 1 or 2 dollars.

I feel like I have some comforting responses to many of your concerns.
First of all, you should have a 1 year manufacturer's warranty against hardware defects. You should be covered.
They will most likely look for the water damage indicator on the battery, but if they are all official batteries then the store clerk won't know the difference. If it says LG on it then you're probably fine.
I saw an "unroot" option in SuperOneClick, but I cannot verify that it's functional for the Nitro. Yesterday was my first root ever. I would find a way to unroot it to be honest. Then do a hard reset and take it in.
As for the SIM going back to the iphone 4, it can be done. I just pulled my SIM and snapped a couple of pics to show you how to cut it and still use it. I didn't cut it myself, it was done by an ebay seller that reactivated my Unlimited Data plan and mailed me the card. He thought I had an iphone 4 so he cut it. I then told him I didn't have the iphone 4 so he set it back in and sent the whole card. It's worked in several phones since then.
I say if you love the Nitro then don't worry. AT&T should honor the manufacturer's 1 year warranty. I've never dealt with it so I don't know how they'll handle it, but they should take care of you.

Just a heads up, the battery is supposed to have pink + signs on it. When those bleed and the sticker is just an ugly mess of pink blotches, that's when it touched water. Not sure what yours looks like but I figured there may be a chance you are seeing the pink + signs and thinking you are screwed.

gte460z said:
Just a heads up, the battery is supposed to have pink + signs on it. When those bleed and the sticker is just an ugly mess of pink blotches, that's when it touched water. Not sure what yours looks like but I figured there may be a chance you are seeing the pink + signs and thinking you are screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, what I was seeing was indeed the little pink crosses.
@gmkelly - thanks for the tip, I tried it out and my wired mic does work.
After unplugging the mic, I set it aside and when I checked again, the nitro's mic was working. I made a call and halfway through the issue started up again. Since then, I have replicated the issue multiple times using the recording app. The mic will work, and then usually stops working again after a few minutes of it being on, usually about 3.5 minutes. Thus the problem is intermittent, and I can replicate the problem for an AT&T rep.
What I really need to know is what to do about it being rooted.
EDIT: Dammit, I am having trouble replicating the problem now. Is there a chance that something in the headphone port is causing this. Ahh, I have a program to write for a C++ class and this is not a good time for this to be happening. Been recording now for 10 minutes and the mic is still working fine.
EDIT 2: Does anyone think showing a recording of the static to an AT&T rep be enough evidence? If anyone wants to hear some static you can get an earful here.

red_solo_cup said:
Alright, this is very disconcerting, my faith in LG may be gone.
PREFACE:
I have had this phone since launch and have been on this forum since the day it was started. I have rooted, debloated, and changed launchers. I have no dislike for LG, so please do not call me a hater or a fanboy.
PROBLEM:
Starting a couple of days ago, during calls the person on the other end would only hear static and clicking. I finished the conversation through text. I called somebody else the next day and it worked fine. Today, I was talking to someone for about ten minutes then the static happened and I had to finish the conversation in text. Since the person I was talking to is a close family member I troubleshooted and kept calling them, and then a phone of one of one of my roommate's so that I could hear the problem first-hand. It sounds HORRIBLE. Since then I have used a voice recording app to test the problem.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
I have done the following to determine that this is indeed a hardware problem:
-Turned off all data
-Unlocked ALL "debloated" apps
-Restarted many times
-Put only the original battery in(I have two spare official batteries)
And the problem persists.
QUESTIONS:
-What should I expect will happen with the return/exchange process?
-My original battery has the pink water damage thing turned pink. This phone has never touched water, I think it happened because I have kept the battery in my wallet, which probably has gotten sweat on it. Will LG try to be a **** about this?
-Should I unroot and otherwise restore this phone to stock? If so, how do I do this?
-Is there anything else I should know?
-I need a phone to use, if I cut my SIM card to fit into my old iPhone 4, how will I get it back in?
Thank you, and if there is a possibility I could just return it I may. I LOVE this phone, but I have never had a microphone defect in any other phone I have ever owned. I am starting to wonder how such a large company like LG can allow something like this to happen, rightly so, I am very unsure of the longetivity and overall "completeness" of this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gte460z said:
Just a heads up, the battery is supposed to have pink + signs on it. When those bleed and the sticker is just an ugly mess of pink blotches, that's when it touched water. Not sure what yours looks like but I figured there may be a chance you are seeing the pink + signs and thinking you are screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh btw, I recalled something an AT&T rep asked me when I was sending back the Atrix for an RMA. He didn't ask me to check the battery for water damage by looking at the pink crosses, he asked me to look for a white dot on the phone itself. The same white dot is on this phone. U can see it right above the middle screw to the right of the SD embossed sign. That white dot will change color (I forgot what color he said, maybe pink too) if the phone is water damaged.
I think nowadays the battery moisture indicator does not really apply anymore. At my job, we have tons of BB batteries that has indicators showing moisture damage but works perfectly fine. It's most likely just because the batteries get warm n moisture can build up by it.

Ok I'm sort of confused. Is this only happening with something plugged into the 3.5mm headphone jack, or are you referring to the actual built in mic on the bottom of the phone?

red_solo_cup;21559845
EDIT 2: Does anyone think showing a recording of the static to an AT&T rep be enough evidence? If anyone wants to hear some static you can get an earful [URL="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16882142/AUD0001.3gp" said:
here[/URL].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OUCH!! I forgot to turned down the speakers n i got a bad shock!
anywho, do u have an at&t authorized repair/warranty center by where u live/work? I say bring your phone n recording over to them n show it to them, let them hear it n explain this happens sporadically. If u want, tell them u can call their phone there n let it sit for 10 minutes or so until it happens again. But just make sure it can be recreated in their presence though. Otherwise u should just call 611 (or is it 511...411?? ) talk with them n wait till it happens over the phone lol!

Ha, just figured out the "multi-quote" system.
AllstarE4 said:
Ok I'm sort of confused. Is this only happening with something plugged into the 3.5mm headphone jack, or are you referring to the actual built in mic on the bottom of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The mic in question is the Nitro's built in microphone.
aquariuz23 said:
OUCH!! I forgot to turned down the speakers n i got a bad shock!
anywho, do u have an at&t authorized repair/warranty center by where u live/work? I say bring your phone n recording over to them n show it to them, let them hear it n explain this happens sporadically. If u want, tell them u can call their phone there n let it sit for 10 minutes or so until it happens again. But just make sure it can be recreated in their presence though. Otherwise u should just call 611 (or is it 511...411?? ) talk with them n wait till it happens over the phone lol!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, the Chicago Warranty center is a couple blocks from my work. It looks like I may be able to get "same-day, face-to-face warranty and technical support." This certainly is good news. And thanks for the info about the water damage indicator, white gold!
I guess my main concerns now are backing up and unrooting.
-I guess I will have to purchase titanium backup and go that route. Anything special I should know about backing up?
-As far as unrooting goes, I think I can recall seeing some post about it on this forum, I will have to go hunting. Are there any known successful methods?
EDIT: according to this thread, [email protected] says he has unrooted it. Thanks again for the help guys, I am starting to think this won't be such a PITA afterall.

Easiest way to unroot is to download superoneclick 2.3.3 and click the unroot button with usb debugging enabled on the phone. I have done it several times without fail.

Which method did you use to root it? I know in the SuperOneClick program there is an "Unroot" button.

use malninion's unbricking solution to unroot your phone and restore it to factory if you are concerned about a root getting in the way of an exchange and are unable to deroot. also, all exchanges of this phone under warranty are for refurbished units, LG policy.

Refurbs are fine if they still hold the 1 year warranty. Do you know the details?

if you are asking me, do I know the details of what?

scott0 said:
if you are asking me, do I know the details of what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, yes. Do you know the details of factory warranty on a refurbished phone?

AllstarE4 said:
Sorry, yes. Do you know the details of factory warranty on a refurbished phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The LG rep and the ATT rep I spoke with yesterday said the refurbs are better and they carry full warranty. I *thought* I heard the LG rep say our phone has a 6 month warranty, new or refurbed but it very well could be 1 year. Both reps said all refurbished phones are tested v. 10% of new phones are tested. Not sure how that makes a refurb better but that's all the details I was given re: the exchange policy.
Also, I went through the troubleshooting of mine on the phone with ATT, that agent issued a return authorization that I could have used locally by just bringing the phone in and getting a replacement. I got the impression that there would be no on-site attempt to fix my phone, just a visual inspection of the glass, case and water damage marks.
I was able to fix my phone so I didn't have to go through with it all.

Maybe it's 6 months on a new one. I think I heard 1 year, but I guess I'm not positive on that.

It does not matter which method you used to root your phone (doomlord or superoneclick), superoneclick can unroot the phone fine without restoring the phone via Mal's guide. I use doomlord to root and superoneclick to unroot on my phone.

red_solo_cup said:
Ha, just figured out the "multi-quote" system.
The mic in question is the Nitro's built in microphone.
Thanks, the Chicago Warranty center is a couple blocks from my work. It looks like I may be able to get "same-day, face-to-face warranty and technical support." This certainly is good news. And thanks for the info about the water damage indicator, white gold!
I guess my main concerns now are backing up and unrooting.
-I guess I will have to purchase titanium backup and go that route. Anything special I should know about backing up?
-As far as unrooting goes, I think I can recall seeing some post about it on this forum, I will have to go hunting. Are there any known successful methods?
EDIT: according to this thread, [email protected] says he has unrooted it. Thanks again for the help guys, I am starting to think this won't be such a PITA afterall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or, you can simply remove the super user icon from the app drawer and they won't even know the phone was ever rooted (unless they go into applications and search for it, which I HIGHLY doubt they will even bother). About backing up, how many apps do you have on your phone? Does it really matter if u have to reinstall them again? If it does, then get TiBu free edition n manually accept every reinstallation process.
As for contacts, sync them all to your gmail acc, n your emails should already be synced anyways. For sms/mms, get go sms pro (free) and it has the feature to backup your sms/mms to the phone which u can then back up to your computer.
Don't bother with restoring to factory settings, just hand the phone to them, removing any icons of apps that might indicate you are rooted.

gte460z said:
It does not matter which method you used to root your phone (doomlord or superoneclick), superoneclick can unroot the phone fine without restoring the phone via Mal's guide. I use doomlord to root and superoneclick to unroot on my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but a reflash = more fun times!

My replacement phone is way worse than original!

Guys I need some suggestions. About 2 weeks ago I dropped my S3 and smashed the screen. So I used my insurance and ordered another one. I absolutely loved my S3 before......
But the new one that they sent me is absolutely slow and laggy and its driving me insane! Everything I do takes a tiny split second longer than normal, but after a while it gets very annoying. Especially since I know what a perfect working one feels like.
When I press the side button to unlock the phone, its laggy lighting up.
When I swype to unlock the phone, its laggy getting to the home screen.
When I hit the bottom home button, its laggy coming back.
You get my drift...
My original was super quick and snappy, and now this thing is driving me nuts.
What would you suggest that I do? Its been this way right out of the box.
Thanks for any suggestions!

tckelsey said:
Guys I need some suggestions. About 2 weeks ago I dropped my S3 and smashed the screen. So I used my insurance and ordered another one. I absolutely loved my S3 before......
But the new one that they sent me is absolutely slow and laggy and its driving me insane! Everything I do takes a tiny split second longer than normal, but after a while it gets very annoying. Especially since I know what a perfect working one feels like.
When I press the side button to unlock the phone, its laggy lighting up.
When I swype to unlock the phone, its laggy getting to the home screen.
When I hit the bottom home button, its laggy coming back.
You get my drift...
My original was super quick and snappy, and now this thing is driving me nuts.
What would you suggest that I do? Its been this way right out of the box.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root it and install a custom ROM, most of them will make even a good device feel umpteen times better. If it's still running poorly after you've tried a few ROMs then box it back up and take it to a store or call the insurance company back and explain the problem.

Esoteric68 said:
Root it and install a custom ROM, most of them will make even a good device feel umpteen times better. If it's still running poorly after you've tried a few ROMs then box it back up and take it to a store or call the insurance company back and explain the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, yea ive thought about rooting it. Ive just never rooted a phone before so I was hoping there was something I could do that was basic and might fix the problem.

It seems unlikely it's a hardware problem. I'd start with a factory reset and see it it's still laggy, then slowly install apps until you figure out what's slowing down the phone.
I'd guess something in the background is grabbing CPU cycles.

update?

lviv73 said:
Take the phone apart,take out the internals,put a bomb inside it and send it back to them,that will let them know not to ship defective phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also heard it's a great way to get sent to Guantanamo bay

yousefak said:
I also heard it's a great way to get sent to Guantanamo bay
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry our president will let him out.

Just out of curiosity, did your replacement device look brand new...or did it look refurbished? They say you cant tell, however, i do know from experience that refurbished phones can show some damage. The reason i'm asking is because the Galaxy SIII is so new i would find it amazing that they already have refurbished devices to distribute on insurance claims. If it was brand new you would know. I would call sprint or your insurance provider and demand a new phone if the lag doesnt resolve itself. Sprint charges almost DOUBLE the price for insurance on the galaxy SIII compared to many other devices. I would be pissed if i didn't get a prefect SIII.
Also, I would strongly advise picking up an OtterBox case for your SIII, those things can keep your phone safe during a nuclear war.

RealTic said:
Just out of curiosity, did your replacement device look brand new...or did it look refurbished? They say you cant tell, however, i do know from experience that refurbished phones can show some damage. The reason i'm asking is because the Galaxy SIII is so new i would find it amazing that they already have refurbished devices to distribute on insurance claims. If it was brand new you would know. I would call sprint or your insurance provider and demand a new phone if the lag doesnt resolve itself. Sprint charges almost DOUBLE the price for insurance on the galaxy SIII compared to many other devices. I would be pissed if i didn't get a prefect SIII.
Also, I would strongly advise picking up an OtterBox case for your SIII, those things can keep your phone safe during a nuclear war.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If its refurbished it will have a sticker under the battery near the IMEI & S/N information with a date when it was refurbed... u can also look under ##786# under "reconditioned status"

I just got a replacement a few hours ago
U just hated those ink spots
My replacement I think it's new
I got it from best buy
The only problem I have is that the usb port is really square on the cover and kinda sharp too
Also on my box there's a sticker that says updated
What does that mean
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

gtuansdiamm said:
I just got a replacement a few hours ago
U just hated those ink spots
My replacement I think it's new
I got it from best buy
The only problem I have is that the usb port is really square on the cover and kinda sharp too
Also on my box there's a sticker that says updated
What does that mean
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it means you have one of the latest if not the latest ota update.

Awesome
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

go into settings, about device and you can check if its refurbished that way easily

Where there
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium