Swapping baord to fix IMEI - Upgrading, Modifying and Unlocking

So I bought a phone and unfortunately the IMEI got blocked 2 days later for failure to pay EIP.
I can still return it but I am wondering if the IMEI is stored on the mainbaord?
If this is the case I could take my broken phone of the same model (LG L9) and put that board into the working phone to fix it?
Or will there be other components which are fingerprinted that do not allow this?
Essentially I would be fixing the broken good IMEI phone with the working bad IMEI phone.
Just wondering if this is possible as it is not changing the IMEI but rather putting a good IMEI good board from a busted screen phone into a new phone.

Related

[Q] Help with imei number

I purchased a phone off CL. I tried to put a SIM card in but it doesn't recognize one. So i realized the IMEI number on the back does not match the IMEI number in android OS. It doesn't say 000000 or one of those fake IMEI 049 numbers. It just has another IMEI number. My question is, is there a way to modify the numbers to match the IMEI number i have on the back of my phone?
I actually didn't know it didn't match until i sent it to samsung to fix. I thought it was just a problem with the SIM tray but they stated that the IMEI numbers don't match. As a result, they just sent my phone back without fixing anything.
Please help me out. It's on stock rom and not rooted
Again.. the phone is not blacklisted.. I want to change the IMEI number (software) shown in android OS to match the IMEI number (hardware) that i have shown on the back of my phone. I don't know why it's not the same.
Thanks for your help
when phones are refurbished, they change the imei number so its probably just a refurbished phone. Leave the imei alone. Im pretty sure the imei doesnt affect the phone recognizing the sim card anyway, but i could be wrong on that
TheAtheistOtaku said:
when phones are refurbished, they change the imei number so its probably just a refurbished phone. Leave the imei alone. Im pretty sure the imei doesnt affect the phone recognizing the sim card anyway, but i could be wrong on that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do change the IMEI when they refurbish, but they also put a brand new sticker on it that shows the new IMEI. Also it's a different sticker than the one that comes on a new phone. It's a different size and it positioned differently. Makes it VERY clear if your phone is new or refurbished.
Aznn0, though you may not realize it what you bought is a stolen/blacklisted/insurance exchange/etc S4. It had a bad IMEI and the seller changed it (illegally) and then sold it to you without bothering to mention the device's history.
If you changed it to the IMEI listed on the back of the phone (And I am telling you in no undercertain terms that you should not!) I'd bet latge sums of money that the phone would go dead because the IMEI listed on the back is a blacklisted number.
So Samsung won't touch it ever again. They will never do a repair for you. If it breaks, you're on your own to fix it.
None of this is probably your fauly and I believe you didn't know what you bought. But it is what it is.
Regardless, asking questions about how to change an IMEI are expressly not permitted on XDA. I know you didn't know, so no hard feelings. But don't ask about how to change an IMEI here again.
Skipjacks said:
They do change the IMEI when they refurbish, but they also put a brand new sticker on it that shows the new IMEI. Also it's a different sticker than the one that comes on a new phone. It's a different size and it positioned differently. Makes it VERY clear if your phone is new or refurbished.
Aznn0, though you may not realize it what you bought is a stolen/blacklisted/insurance exchange/etc S4. It had a bad IMEI and the seller changed it (illegally) and then sold it to you without bothering to mention the device's history.
If you changed it to the IMEI listed on the back of the phone (And I am telling you in no undercertain terms that you should not!) I'd bet latge sums of money that the phone would go dead because the IMEI listed on the back is a blacklisted number.
So Samsung won't touch it ever again. They will never do a repair for you. If it breaks, you're on your own to fix it.
None of this is probably your fauly and I believe you didn't know what you bought. But it is what it is.
Regardless, asking questions about how to change an IMEI are expressly not permitted on XDA. I know you didn't know, so no hard feelings. But don't ask about how to change an IMEI here again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea they do put a new sticker on it, but allot of sellers on ebay/craigslist remove the sticker so that they can sell it as "new" and get a few extra bucks. most sellers assume that buyers wont ever find out which is probably true 90% of the time
Thanks for all your replies.
It's weird because I put in both the IMEI numbers listed from the back of the phone and the one listed in android and they came back clean. I used one of those free esn checker websites. I know they aren't 100% reliable but damn..
I thought matching the IMEI number would do the trick.
It sucks...
I'm having the exact same problem! Mine is an s4 active and when I called my phone service provider they didn't tell me that mine was blacklisted or anything either...
error 119 your mobile phone's imei number not match, plz help me

Note 2 : Will motherboard replacement change IMEI number?

Hi Guys,
Really like this forum for many smartphones.
Here is my issue : I have a bad wifi chip(Definitely not a software issue, tried everything) and I asked the Samsung service center guy to go ahead and replace the motherboard.
I verified with him that would the IMEI number be changing with a new motherboard and he said that the IMEI number will not change for this phone even if the motherboard is replaced? How is this possible.
Is this guy trying to cheat me by charging me the full price for a new motherboard and ending up not replacing the board at all but instead doing some semi-satisfactory soldering work on the wifi chip to may be get it working temporarily?
Thanks in advance for answering
yep it wont change cuz the imei saved in the efs folder...so probably they have some tool to back it up from old main board and restore it to the new one ( if u are doing at samsung service center but im not sure about outside that )
Samsung Service Centre work is guaranteed...
They dont have tool to bakup efs, they write imei number using a tool on the new mother board. Same way it is done by z3x box.
Motherboards don't come with prebuilt imei from factory they are written on them using tools while packing the phone thats it is possible to write older imei to new/fresh motherboard .... I have worked in service centre they charge very much for their parts but don't do that kind of cheating stuff. You may get your phone's motherboard checked somehwere else to fine out if it's new or not
yahyoh said:
yep it wont change cuz the imei saved in the efs folder...so probably they have some tool to back it up from old main board and restore it to the new one ( if u are doing at samsung service center but im not sure about outside that )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it is possible to spoof the IMEI?
@sachin-sharma
Am based in Bangalore and am looking for a new motherboard for my note2. Samsung service centre will not look at my phone once it is rooted. How can I buy a original mother board, unusedIf possible cheaper than Samsung ? Local repair guy is asking INR 7500
Thanks in advance
beeshyams said:
@sachin-sharma
Am based in Bangalore and am looking for a new motherboard for my note2. Samsung service centre will not look at my phone once it is rooted. How can I buy a original mother board, unusedIf possible cheaper than Samsung ? Local repair guy is asking INR 7500
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. I messed with my phone and made IMEI null. went to them and they restored stock TW and still could not get IMEI back. hence said to replace motherboard. I later managed to bring it back without motherboard change. THe point here is that they will replace it happily.
P.S. I did this in bangalore.
Thanks and what was the cost and how long back was this, if you don't mind
My imei number is corrupted.
saurabh40629 said:
No. I messed with my phone and made IMEI null. went to them and they restored stock TW and still could not get IMEI back. hence said to replace motherboard. I later managed to bring it back without motherboard change. THe point here is that they will replace it happily.
P.S. I did this in bangalore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Even iam facing the same problem they restored the stock TW. And the problem persists samsung service centre guys told to replace the mother board. So is it possible to restore the imei number . If yes how. Even iam from bangalore. I use Note2. Please help me out.
[email protected]. 9008416479.
Jayaprakash.v said:
Hi
Even iam facing the same problem they restored the stock TW. And the problem persists samsung service centre guys told to replace the mother board. So is it possible to restore the imei number . If yes how. Even iam from bangalore. I use Note2. Please help me out.
[email protected]. 9008416479.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is my another post in different thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=57991998&postcount=85
I managed to restore my IMEI. and till now I have done it several times. Go through posts after my post.
btw can you explain , how did u lose IMEI? Which ROM did u flash?
My old mother board imei no copied to new mother board. How do I check date of written on new mother board
If I have a new mother board replaced in my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 that won't power on, is there a chance I can get my pictures retrieved from that phone (that won't power on)?
The only easy way I know to possibly retrieve the pictures may be to try the motherboard in another working phone.
How was it determined that the motherboard is causing the power-on problem?

Can someone clone an imei without physically having the device

Im purchasing a g3 from cl and i ask the guy to send me the imei so i can verify that its not stolen and all the good stuff and he told me he would not send it because he did that before and someone clone it and his phone stoped working. My question is. Is this possible i always thought this was a safe practice when dealing on cl
He may be saying that cause it's got a bad imei and he doesn't want you to know because you won't buy the phone then. I don't know if you can clone an imei without having the device.
I thought the same it most likely stolen he is very persistent
Sounds like it has a bad imei then
Technically you can write an imei to a different device without having the original device, however this guy in particular you can simply call the phone company 3way you, him, and the company. And verify over the phone that way, and if he doesn't want to do that either then the phone is a bad imei device and I'd advise against buying it.
Yea i decided not to he seemed to persistent about making the the deal

Used phone IMEI tag torn off

Hey all,
I've just bought a used G3 online, everything is perfect and almost new as stated:good:. But, when i excitedly opened the phone's back cover and removed battery to put my sim card and sd card in, I found out that the IMEI tag has been part torn/cut off with a blade (pic attached).
Now, that is slightly freaking me out as to why has this been done.
Could anyone shed some light on it, as I've 7days left, within which i can return the phone to the seller.
hsyasin said:
Hey all,
I've just bought a used G3 online, everything is perfect and almost new as stated:good:. But, when i excitedly opened the phone's back cover and removed battery to put my sim card and sd card in, I found out that the IMEI tag has been part torn/cut off with a blade (pic attached).
Now, that is slightly freaking me out as to why has this been done.
Could anyone shed some light on it, as I've 7days left, within which i can return the phone to the seller.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking on my G3, the removed part is the serial number.
Maybe the seller had a refund offer and had to send the S/N ? (usually it's the box one but hum....)
I had 20€ off for a Quick Circle Case, but I sent the label on the box.
Thanks for that raptor2003..
I'm just wondering, can it cause some sort of an issue in the long run, like if i need to get something done under warranty from lg...
FYI: I don't know if i've valid lg warrantly.
In fact is there a way to find out when the phone was manufactured or if i've lg warranty?
hsyasin said:
Thanks for that raptor2003..
I'm just wondering, can it cause some sort of an issue in the long run, like if i need to get something done under warranty from lg...
FYI: I don't know if i've valid lg warrantly.
In fact is there a way to find out when the phone was manufactured or if i've lg warranty?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know there is that with Apple's products, but I don't know if other manufacturers do that.
I've looked a bit to see if we can find the S/N in some software menu. But I haven't found anything. Nothing in the famous hidden menu.
Did you get the phone from Smartfonestore as a refurb?
Thelargeportion said:
Did you get the phone from Smartfonestore as a refurb?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i did, and it was a grade A.
Likewise. And mine has the same sticker taken off. I emailed them but got a crap reply; fingers crossed it doesn't break.
Most likely the motherboard was swapped and a new imei was issued
In Australia serial removal usually means the device has been repaired/serviced/not new. These devices are no longer new/ownedby original owner so serials are removed, so can no longer be sold as new. Serial and IMEI are different things. Typically serial is for manufacturer to identify devices. IMEI are for unique device tracking across world/country. IMEI you can check in ABOUT in settings, missing IMEI sticker i wouldn't worry about, make sure it is NOT registered as stolen tho.

What to Expect when I get LG Warranty Swapped Board for Bootloop?

Hi,
My ATT H810 LG G4 bootlooped long ago and I was told I was out of luck as the original warranty ran. Since the arbitration forced the warranty to be extended to 30 months in the US, I sent it to LG Fort Worth and they are sending it back with a "Replaced board" for the BS reason "Unit is not charging with cable" (they don't want to document a bootloop problem).
Anyway, I have a few questions while I wait to get it back:
Are they just putting in boards which will eventually bootloop or did they ever implement a hardware fix? Which Serial Numbers are "fixed?"
Relatedly, what I sent in was a 506 serial number. I understand that they may simply reflash the board to that old SN and IMEI and the old sticker will be the same. Is there a way to check what the actual new SN is to see if it's from a "good" batch?
They told me that the 30 month warranty for me was up on March 1, so I just slid under the bar. Is there a new warranty on the repair? If not, is there a stress application to try and force it to bootloop again before March 1? Maybe it's pointless if they're just putting boards into it which are bound to fail...
I know that these points have been covered over the years, but I really can't figure out the current information.
Many thanks in advance!
smileyspeople said:
Hi,
My ATT H810 LG G4 bootlooped long ago and I was told I was out of luck as the original warranty ran. Since the arbitration forced the warranty to be extended to 30 months in the US, I sent it to LG Fort Worth and they are sending it back with a "Replaced board" for the BS reason "Unit is not charging with cable" (they don't want to document a bootloop problem).
Anyway, I have a few questions while I wait to get it back:
Are they just putting in boards which will eventually bootloop or did they ever implement a hardware fix? Which Serial Numbers are "fixed?"
Relatedly, what I sent in was a 506 serial number. I understand that they may simply reflash the board to that old SN and IMEI and the old sticker will be the same. Is there a way to check what the actual new SN is to see if it's from a "good" batch?
They told me that the 30 month warranty for me was up on March 1, so I just slid under the bar. Is there a new warranty on the repair? If not, is there a stress application to try and force it to bootloop again before March 1? Maybe it's pointless if they're just putting boards into it which are bound to fail...
I know that these points have been covered over the years, but I really can't figure out the current information.
Many thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In terms of your board, if they replaced the board, it will have a new IMEI and serial number (mine did when the replaced it, ironically to fix screen image retention, so afterwards it had to go back again anyway)
ThePiGuy said:
In terms of your board, if they replaced the board, it will have a new IMEI and serial number (mine did when the replaced it, ironically to fix screen image retention, so afterwards it had to go back again anyway)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If anybody reads this in the future, just a quick note about what they did in the end. They sent it back after "Replaced board" for the BS reason "Unit is not charging with cable". It failed after about 30 minutes of use, would not restart, and would not take a hard reset.
So, I sent it back (the repair has a 90 day warranty). This time, they listed it as "Symptom: Not powering up Repair: Replaced board". So far it's been working fine after this second repair.
Note that the IMEI and S/N (506) stayed the same after both repairs.

Categories

Resources