Develop Bugs

Another handset speaker gives up a ghost

Well, I've never connected headphones to my Defy (oft give reason for this failure) but today my handset's speaker works no longer. Actually, I hardly ever used it, prefering instead to use the (excellent) speakerphone, but where more privacy is desired there's a need to use the handset's speaker, so I will be asking for my Defy to be replaced/repaired, BUT, I've customized it extensively (it's rooted, and all) so I'm wondering what should I back up from it, and how, to later restore it all to the replacement device, and be back to where I'm now?
Thanks

I'd hope Clockwork recovery should backup everything.

MarSOnEarth said:
Well, I've never connected headphones to my Defy (oft give reason for this failure) but today my handset's speaker works no longer. Actually, I hardly ever used it, prefering instead to use the (excellent) speakerphone, but where more privacy is desired there's a need to use the handset's speaker, so I will be asking for my Defy to be replaced/repaired, BUT, I've customized it extensively (it's rooted, and all) so I'm wondering what should I back up from it, and how, to later restore it all to the replacement device, and be back to where I'm now?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- do a nand backup in order to restore it when defy is repaired.
2- do a full factory reset from recovery.
3- Flash you version of original firmware from http://and-developers.com/sbf:defy

Thank you both for your suggestions. Here's one thing that still gives me a concern; what if the reason for the failure is somewhat software related, or a hardware/software combination. Then, restoring en masse the original software could potentially overwrite the software part of the fix.
BTW, I'm not going to rush to exchange the device, and chance getting another one that would fail again until this whole affair settles down. So far Motorola has been pretty mum on the issue, even if seemingly responding in the afirmative to the guy in Germany who took appart a failed device and determined to his satisfaction that the problem was with how the speaker is soldered. His contention was that it was the interaction between the speaker and the headphone jack. OK, this seems like a reasonable conclusion, BUT, I have not used headphones with my Defy nor have I ever dropped it. The speaker simply worked in the evening of one day, and it didn't the following morning after the device was sitting on the nightstand during that time.

Update: I stopped by a T-mobile store hoping to see if they had phones from the new production runs and exchange mine. The store had no Defys at all, so the clerk arranged for a warranty replacement. It will be cross-shipped. Holding my breath now, but it sounds like in the States T-mobile is repairing the phones. I was told that my replacement will arrive without the Sim, the memory card, or the back cover.
____
Tapped into XDA app on Moto Defy

So, I received the replacement phone. Happy to say that it's a new unit from the new production run; mine is the BT09 series. Also, having the phones side by side, I see no difference in build quality (there was a post suggesting that the newer phones were of lesser built and lower quality materials); both phones feel equally solid, with no rattling switches, and the materials (plastics) look and feel the same.
Now, it turns out that restoring my old setup on the new phone will take some doing. Since I was not using Blur for my e-mail accounts (except one Exchange account for work) I needed to recreate my Google accounts. Nothing to it, but the Market apps are a different matter; only the paid apps were "remembered". Should I just restore all my apps from Titanium Backup backup? BTW, the Blur version is still the original one, before the OTA latest update.

[Q] Calling sound quality problem

Hi everybody
I'm suffering from a sound problem while making calls. Sound in call got buzzes sometimes, seems periodically, means that i can guest when it is muted completely (about 0.5s duration) or when it's like strong wind sound beating at the opposite line's micro. I tested this with a waiting piece of music from a friend (his provider offer a waiting song when people are waiting to get connect to him) and the song got buzzes and muted at exact points.
It's not caused by ROMs, as i change rom almost everyweek and the issue remains constantly.
I did some testing methods relating to sim:
- Put my sim in other handset, sound is good.
- Put other sim in my DHD, sound is bad but with other buzz and muted circles
- Put other provider's sims in my DHD, same stories
So i guess it's not because of sim-card.
I've had this problem for a while, and decide to ask here because i cannot find out a proper solution. My phone has the latest radio.
After clarifying and asking some of my friends, i found this problem is not speaker-related (which i fear the most) but mobile signal-related. The symptom is getting better or worse when i "touch" the two prongs next to the simcard, under the bottom hood. They are the antenna of this phone, right? I tried to raise them a little bit, or lower them a little bit (of course very small changes because these components are tiny and seems fragile) because i heard somebody in XDA told so to improve signal strength or something like that. But the issue only changed (better or worse, hardly to realize), it didn't disappear.
So anyone can give me a suggestion on this case? What do i suppose to do to make call quality better? Because it is annoying really! Have ever imagine a high-end device would provide such a poor service for a basic purpose like this. I often lose information or important points during conversations because of this f***ing issue! Not good at all!
Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone? Anyone can help?
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA App

i had this problem before. Its the hardware. Brought it to HTC 3 times before they exchanged a new set for me

Really? Sounds very badly! Is there any other way to repair, because my handset is rooted and not bought officially from HTC agents so it's a pain to contact with HTC, especially when they appear to be not really helpful like in your case @topucash

well, you can always flash a RUU or restore from your backup of the stock rom. I actually had to request for a 1 to 1 exchange , else i expect myself to visit them forever

Can not really follow you. What did you mean by "else i expect myself to visit them forever"?
And what did HTC tell you about this issue? Did they call them "hardware problem" or something?

Any one can help me please, i'm dying of suffering from this awful issue

Low In-call volume

I got my GS3 a couple weeks ago used from somebody and ever since I've noticed that the front speaker is extremely low, even when the volume boost is enabled. If I am anywhere that isn't almost completely silent then it becomes almost practically impossible for me to here the person on the other end unless I put the phone in speaker mode and use the external.
I took the phone in to a sprint store and they told me there was nothing that they could do, so I took the problem into my own hands and replaced the front speaker myself with a replacement part that I purchased off of eBay but that didn't seem to help at all. At this point it's beginning to get extremely annoying, having to use the loud speaker just so I can hear the person on the other line and I am very confused as to what the problem may be. I figured that replacing the speaker would of taken care of any hardware issues that may have existed but that doesn't seem to be the case. Could there be something else causing very low speaker volume, hardware or software related? I've done some research and this doesn't seem to be a common problem with GS3's in general so I'm pretty stumped as to what is going on.
I am still on stock (unrooted)

Not sure if you are rooted or not but it may be worth a try. Try flashing a different rom other than stock? See if it is a software issue instead(ya know). Im willing to bet since your ballsy enough to tear down your phone, you have root.
How was the tear down btw?

munsterrr said:
Not sure if you are rooted or not but it may be worth a try. Try flashing a different rom other than stock? See if it is a software issue instead(ya know). Im willing to bet since your ballsy enough to tear down your phone, you have root.
How was the tear down btw?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, i definitely have no problem rooting, I was just holding off until I fixed the earpiece but you're right, I might as well give it a try seeing as I don't have any other options really.
The tear down wasn't bad at all. It was my first time taking apart my phone and all it took was a tiny bit of patience and a couple screw drivers.

So I finally rooted my phone and I've been messing with custom roms all day but I am still having issues with the speaker. Does anybody have any idea what may be causing this? I'm assuming it has to be something hardware related but I've already changed the speaker so I'm not sure what else could be malfunctioning...
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Lumia 900 - Volume level during the call very low

Hi,
I first posted this help request on Nokia Support Discussions on August 13, but amazingly I received no reply to date (I can't insert the link since I have no privileges for that as a new user).
I am experimenting a very weird and annoying problem with my Lumia 900. Some weeks ago, the volume level during the phone call became suddenly very low and barely noticeable. I can hardly hear the other speaker both calling and receiving a phone call. Apparently this behaviour is restricted to the phone call feature in normal mode. If I press the loudspeaker button, for example, I can hear the conversation perfectly as usual. Same using my earpiece: I can hear and talk without any problem. Moreover, the audio output appears to be OK outside the phone call itself: when using apps, music, games or any other feature except the phone call, I can't spot anything abnormal in the volume level, everything appears to work properly.
I would like to point out that:
1) the volume level during the call is set to the max. level as usual (10/10)
2) the master volume of the device, as set though both right-hand buttons, is set as usual to the max. level (30/30).
3) I turned off and on the device, I removed and reinserted the SIM card many times since then, unfortunately the problem persists
4) I did not notice any other problem before this happened, nor the device suffered any "catastrophic" event (such as drop, water or similar).
Basically, I can only hear a speaker during a phone call either keeping the loudspeaker always on or using the earpiece. It's like my call volume were set to 1 or 2, while it is actually set to 10.
Can you help me determine whether this issue may be software or hardware related in first place? Unfortunately bringing it to the Nokia Customer Care is not the first option for me at the moment. I bought my device in Europe, but I am currently in South America. I may consider using the local Nokia Customer Care and paying a fee, but first I would like some clarifications from engineers or advanced users.
Finally, a guy on another forum suggested me a hard reset. I confess I never did that before, is there any step-by-step instruction for this? Or does it make sense to wait for the next software update through Zune (currently I have 8779.12201, a new update however has been already released and should be available for my language within days or weeks).
Thank you very much in advance for any useful information

You can wait for the update or try a hard reset. A reset will restore you phone to factory fresh, so you will lose everything currently stored on the phone; photos, apps, messages, settings, etc. So be sure to sync with Zune to backup photos and videos first, and sync with your Live ID mail account to sync contacts. Restoring email accounts, contacts, apps and media are all easy, but could take a few hours (depending on how many apps you have). If you prepare for the reset (as you can) it makes things easier.
If your other option is to send you phone out for service, that could take weeks. So while painful, rh hard reset is the "quick" fix. If your volume problem persists after the hard reset, then you know its hardware related (be sure to check before and after installing any apps to eliminate any possibilities). If so, and after telling Nokia Care that a hard reset didn't solve the problem, it might just get you a replacement. Quicker than sending it out for an inspection. Hope you get it worked out.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express Pro

It makes no sense to wait. I assume you are still under your initial warranty, so do the hard reset...after, as jimski says, you save off any pics or music specific to the device. You will lose SMS and SMS history , and any game scores.
Use reinstalled to reinstall apps after the reset, to get or apps installed more quickly.
Hard reset is a harsh way to test this out. However, if you test the phone before reinstalling apps, you cut to the chase real quick. If this is a hardware issue, do NOT wait for a fix. Replace the device and be done with it.
Good luck

First of all, many thanks to you both for your kind reply. It is refreshing to finally have someone listening to you when you really need.
It appears that a hard reset should be the first step to do in any case. While I have no idea when the next update with Zune will be available for my language, I can try to solve the problem alone. Is there any tested step-by step procedure for flashing Lumia 900 or Lumia devices in general? If yes, would you please point me there with a link?
Both your replies convinced me that bringing the phone to the Nokia Customer Care here in South America is definitely not a good idea. Yes, I am still under my initial warranty, I bought my device end of June, the problem is that I bought it in Europe, so my warranty is not supposed to cover me here. If the issue is at hardware level, there is very little they can do here for me without to exburse a lot of money, not to talk about the waste of time. Should the hard reset not work, I guess I'll have to wait for my next travel to Europe or having someone bringing it there for me to have my device replaced.
Anyway, I will let you now about any progress.
Many thanks for your help.

barrel owl said:
First of all, many thanks to you both for your kind reply. It is refreshing to finally have someone listening to you when you really need.
It appears that a hard reset should be the first step to do in any case. While I have no idea when the next update with Zune will be available for my language, I can try to solve the problem alone. Is there any tested step-by step procedure for flashing Lumia 900 or Lumia devices in general? If yes, would you please point me there with a link?
Both your replies convinced me that bringing the phone to the Nokia Customer Care here in South America is definitely not a good idea. Yes, I am still under my initial warranty, I bought my device end of June, the problem is that I bought it in Europe, so my warranty is not supposed to cover me here. If the issue is at hardware level, there is very little they can do here for me without to exburse a lot of money, not to talk about the waste of time. Should the hard reset not work, I guess I'll have to wait for my next travel to Europe or having someone bringing it there for me to have my device replaced.
Anyway, I will let you now about any progress.
Many thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll start by saying, the Hard Reset will not force you to re-flash your phone. It just resets it back to stock settings. This is in fact the easiest and best way to try to resolve problems with your phone. To do so, go into your settings menu. Go to About, and scroll down to 'reset your phone', tap that, and follow instructions. This will delete all your data and messages, so be sure you've backed up first.
If you Absolutely NEED to flash your phone back to OEM Stock, you can use my link here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1605144
One other thing to check (and what I suspect to be the problem) is the speaker itself. It sounds to me like you either have a failing speaker, or something is in the speaker hole. Look closely at it and see if there is dirt/lint/chocolate/peanuts/earwax/etc packed in the speaker grill. It's pretty easy for this to happen. Try blowing it out with canned air and see if that helps. Otherwise, it's probable that the speaker is going out or the connection is failing.
Good Luck, and be sure you decide before your warranty is gone. Send it off ASAP if the above items don't help. PS: Flashing back to stock may void your warranty, so decide if you want to take that chance, rather than wait for repair to return it.

Thank you very much again for your time. And yes, I had found that link in this forum and was already duly reading it. I just did not post this because I still have no privileges to post links.
SuperSport said:
One other thing to check (and what I suspect to be the problem) is the speaker itself. It sounds to me like you either have a failing speaker, or something is in the speaker hole. Look closely at it and see if there is dirt/lint/chocolate/peanuts/earwax/etc packed in the speaker grill. It's pretty easy for this to happen. Try blowing it out with canned air and see if that helps. Otherwise, it's probable that the speaker is going out or the connection is failing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One last question. Would you please clarify whether Lumia 900 has one or more speakers? The speaker grill on the bottom of the device has apparently no noticeable dirt or other foreign material inside it, anyway I will try blow it with air, maybe it will help. One thing I can't explain to me is why everything appears to be OK with the volume level except during phone calls. As I mentioned in my first post, the audio output with music, apps, games etc. is normal. When I use the loudspeaker in phone calls, no problem. So the question: is there any other speaker in Lumia 900 which is used for phone calls, for example on the top of the device? I don't think so, but if yes, this would definitely point to a hardware problem of THAT speaker.
Anyway, I will let you know about any progress.
Kind regards

barrel owl said:
Thank you very much again for your time. And yes, I had found that link in this forum and was already duly reading it. I just did not post this because I still have no privileges to post links.
One last question. Would you please clarify whether Lumia 900 has one or more speakers? The speaker grill on the bottom of the device has apparently no noticeable dirt or other foreign material inside it, anyway I will try blow it with air, maybe it will help. One thing I can't explain to me is why everything appears to be OK with the volume level except during phone calls. As I mentioned in my first post, the audio output with music, apps, games etc. is normal. When I use the loudspeaker in phone calls, no problem. So the question: is there any other speaker in Lumia 900 which is used for phone calls, for example on the top of the device? I don't think so, but if yes, this would definitely point to a hardware problem of THAT speaker.
Anyway, I will let you know about any progress.
Kind regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are in fact two different speaker outlets. There's the one at the bottom which is speakerphone, games, apps, etc... Then there is the one at the top in that little slot. That's the one I suspect is either clogged, or going bad.
EDIT: Do you have a case installed that might be blocking that speaker?

SuperSport said:
There are in fact two different speaker outlets. There's the one at the bottom which is speakerphone, games, apps, etc... Then there is the one at the top in that little slot. That's the one I suspect is either clogged, or going bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it. That makes (unfortunately) perfect sense. Chances are then that the issue is actually at hardware level
SuperSport said:
EDIT: Do you have a case installed that might be blocking that speaker?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No case.
Thanks a lot

Same issue with my lumia asian rom...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

Wow! I thought I was going crazy....'cause I've had the same issues for the past few months. When I got my Lumia 900, I was pleasantly surprised that my in-call volume actually DIDN'T need to be set to max (10/10), and I usually dialed it back to 8/10. Nice...but it began to get quiet so that even on 10/10 it was difficult to hear callers -- especially if I was standing outside. I thought it had to do with a ROM or firmware update, but so few people noted the same problem that I just assumed my phone was faulty.
<sigh>
Anyhow, I found this thread just 30 minutes ago, read through your story, and (for whatever reason) thought it thru more fully. I realized that since I keep my phone in my pocket, maybe the thin ear speaker grill (just above the screen) is full of lint?!? I grabbed a soft, dry toothbrush and took about 30 seconds to brush it out. I could actually see the debris clearing away. Made a test phone call and voila.........my earpiece volume is loud once again! Easy fix. Almost too easy
I hope this helps.

did you ever resolved the problem?
Hi guys love the forum finally joined !
So i recently bought ebay Lumia 900 they are going for cheap =) loving it!
In my case the speaker was working great actually the first week it was way too loud kept it under 7/10 all of a sudden now
i cant hear almost anything below 8/10 and when i go all the way to 10/10 it sounds muffled like a blown speaker already tried cleaning the grill
very carefully it had dust but that didn't help and also erased averything from the about settings
.
Anymore suggestions? Im in the latest update and obviously no warranty .
Thanks :cyclops:

Hi
Are there any updates on this problem,because I am also experiencing this and I think it happened after I did an update with Zune .
Thanks

Hard Reset to Nokia Lumia to address low volume during calls
How do you to a hard reset of the phone. I am ready to try that to solve the low volume problem. I literally took the phone out of the box on Thursday last week. I am getting very frustrated.
Thanks

Hopefully someone can help

I'm really hoping that someone can come up with a solution to this problem. Back in September, my mother purchased a s6 edge+ under the At&t Next plan. Everything worked fine until November, when calls started dropping and people were saying that either they couldn't hear my mother or she couldn't hear them. There's also a lot of static when making calls.
The first thing we did was take the phone in to an AT&T store for repairs and they figured it was an issue with her sim card. After replacing the sim card, the problem went away, but eventually came back. Going back to the store a second time, a representative suggested taking it to tech support. We did and they couldn't do anything except get a warranty replacement. However, when the replacement came, it had the same issue.
Now my mother is practically ready to rip some heads because basically, no matter who higher up she talks to, they're saying that the only thing they can do is keep sending replacements. There's a complete refusal to offer a different type of phone or any other kind of help at all.
My question is does anyone know what the problem is and how to fix it? If not, is there any other route she can take or is she stuck paying for a phone that is defective?

This is what I would do...
Well, the only thing you can do that I know of is to try and sell it like it is or for parts.
Be honest in the description but be satisfied with the income because its actually pretty high.
1. remove all personal info including all synced accounts to the phone
1a. Make sure you take the sim too
2. soft reset
3. hard reset
4. clear the cache on the device
5. reboot to make sure everything runs smoothly
buy a new phone.
That's what i'd do. Not a XDA expert. Maybe if you hold onto it for a few months a solution will come up.

toledodj said:
I'm really hoping that someone can come up with a solution to this problem. Back in September, my mother purchased a s6 edge+ under the At&t Next plan. Everything worked fine until November, when calls started dropping and people were saying that either they couldn't hear my mother or she couldn't hear them. There's also a lot of static when making calls.
The first thing we did was take the phone in to an AT&T store for repairs and they figured it was an issue with her sim card. After replacing the sim card, the problem went away, but eventually came back. Going back to the store a second time, a representative suggested taking it to tech support. We did and they couldn't do anything except get a warranty replacement. However, when the replacement came, it had the same issue.
Now my mother is practically ready to rip some heads because basically, no matter who higher up she talks to, they're saying that the only thing they can do is keep sending replacements. There's a complete refusal to offer a different type of phone or any other kind of help at all.
My question is does anyone know what the problem is and how to fix it? If not, is there any other route she can take or is she stuck paying for a phone that is defective?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There issue could either be, A - service where she is at is lacking for the phone, and/or it is how she's holding the phone; holding near the bottom by the base of the phone, it does cause interference with talking on it when using. Try having her holding near the middle to avoid call interruptions or even using a headphones for calling. Reason for holding it differently is because the antennas of our phones are located on the bottom, hence holding the bottom of the phone will cause call interruptions. Furthermore, the only thing that AT&T can do is offer a replacement.
I hope this helps you and good luck. ??

Maxninja said:
There issue could either be, A - service where she is at is lacking for the phone, and/or it is how she's holding the phone; holding near the bottom by the base of the phone, it does cause interference with talking on it when using. Try having her holding near the middle to avoid call interruptions or even using a headphones for calling. Reason for holding it differently is because the antennas of our phones are located on the bottom, hence holding the bottom of the phone will cause call interruptions. Furthermore, the only thing that AT&T can do is offer a replacement.
I hope this helps you and good luck. ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the most part, she uses a Bluetooth headset. I also use at&t and call quality is fine for my Nexus 6p

Yes, but she has a 6 E+ correct? As I said, the antenna of the phone is located on the bottom and thus holding the bottom WILL cause call quality to be little to none leading to dropped calls. It sucks so I use a headset to avoid that and/or I hold it differently. That is the only thing 'bad' about it.
Yes, yes, comparing 'other' phones isn't going to help to justify call quality; it's redundant. I gave the two best options to fix the issue; hold the phone differently than the bottom and if it still doesn't work normal, keep on bugging AT&T for replacement(s). Those are the options. If you don't like either of those, (just my hunch ?) sell it and hope to get enough money for a new phone.