[Q] Anyone know of a cheap and reliable phone repair service? - Sprint Samsung Galaxy S III

I have my phone (SPH-L710) bootloader unlocked, and running an AOSP ROM. Anyway, a while back I destroyed the charging port on my phone. I was hoping I could just upgrade my phone, however I cannot afford to do so at this moment.
Does anyone know of a phone repair service that will not switch my device with a new one (as that would give the possibility of getting a 4.3 official model with Knox), or factory restore it when I send it in? Preferably around ~$60 (or less) for the repair?
I am located in Southeast Michigan, if that helps.

tpike1296 said:
I have my phone (SPH-L710) bootloader unlocked, and running an AOSP ROM. Anyway, a while back I destroyed the charging port on my phone. I was hoping I could just upgrade my phone, however I cannot afford to do so at this moment.
Does anyone know of a phone repair service that will not switch my device with a new one (as that would give the possibility of getting a 4.3 official model with Knox), or factory restore it when I send it in? Preferably around ~$60 (or less) for the repair?
I am located in Southeast Michigan, if that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in So Cal so my place wont work for you but there may be local branches. I use CPR (Cell Phone Repair) but we were visiting family in Oregon and needed my daughters S3 charge port fixed and I found a place called 3G http://www.yelp.com/biz/3g-mobile-inc-salem who fixed it for $50 or $55 and said they have people send them phones, they fix them and send them back. If you don't have anyplace near you maybe call them.

broken phone
get a wireless charger that's what I did.my ports been broken for a year and the wireless charger was only 20.00 been using it ever since quick,cheap and works great

MIKEY309 said:
get a wireless charger that's what I did.my ports been broken for a year and the wireless charger was only 20.00 been using it ever since quick,cheap and works great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought a QI charging system, but it's slightly slower than a wired connection. Plus, a wired PC connection is helpful sometimes.

tpike1296 said:
I have my phone (SPH-L710) bootloader unlocked, and running an AOSP ROM. Anyway, a while back I destroyed the charging port on my phone. I was hoping I could just upgrade my phone, however I cannot afford to do so at this moment.
Does anyone know of a phone repair service that will not switch my device with a new one (as that would give the possibility of getting a 4.3 official model with Knox), or factory restore it when I send it in? Preferably around ~$60 (or less) for the repair?
I am located in Southeast Michigan, if that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Instead of sending it off, take it to a local repair place, it's a fairly easy job for them to do, usually is under $60. Provided you don't live out in the boonies.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Related

Samsung Won't Replace my Galaxy Nexus GSM (made in Korea!) Help!

Hey guys! My phone's wifi antenna seems to be borked. Won't turn on (stuck at: "turning on wifi...", but never goes on), and it's causing my phone to reboot over and over and over again without stopping! Horrible! I tried to get Samsung to send me a replacement, but they won't because it was made in Korea. Anyone know what I can do? Has anyone had success getting a replacement GSM phone made by Samsung?
Please help! I'm really stuck! Thanks!
did you buy it off a website? Contact the website..
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
How do you know it's a hardware defect? Did you try reflashing the stock images?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
We need more info. Are you rooted? What rom u on? Have you tried to use adb to go back to stock?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
i was rooted when it started rebooting, so I went back to stock and the same thing happened. I'm 100% stock everything right now, locked bootloader and it wont stop rebooting. I don't really care to solve the problem of the rebooting, I just want to know how others here were able to send it in to Samsung and get a replacement (GSM model).
Anyone know?
Thye have told me they won't fix my UK supported GSM nexus also.
I would have to send it to the UK facility to get it repaired or replaced, but that facility will NOT accept shipment to/from the USA.... So I would have to find someone in the UK to accept the phone, send it it, receive it, and send it back to me.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
lafrad said:
Thye have told me they won't fix my UK supported GSM nexus also.
I would have to send it to the UK facility to get it repaired or replaced, but that facility will NOT accept shipment to/from the USA.... So I would have to find someone in the UK to accept the phone, send it it, receive it, and send it back to me.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you and I are in the same boat. That is so sucky! I will never buy a phone off contract again!
buying a canadaian phone outright would probably be a pretty "normal" warrenty experiance...
Where did you purchase your Nexus? Try contacting the reseller to see if they can handle the warranty or repair for you.
Next time go with Negri Electronics if plan on purchasing another international phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
I had the same problem but luckily I purchased my phone from Negri and well they have shipped it to Samsung for repair but I am without my Nexus for going on two weeks now and it could be up to 4 weeks before I see it again. But atleast they were kind enough to get it repaired for me.
OP tell us where you bought the phone from... it matters. Samsung (usually) won't process warranty claims if you imported a grey market device. You have to contact the site you purchased from to initiate the warranty claim.
This is why its so important to choose your importer carefully based on how they handle warranties.

Claiming Warranty for Optus/Virgin users in Australia

Hey everyone, so since i got my One X in July last year, i've had to send it for repair twice.
I'm with Virgin here in Australia, but Virgin's repair handsets get sent to Optus' repair centres, so this post will apply to both Virgin and Optus users as well as any other carrier that uses Optus' network (eg. TPG).
Anyway, on to the point now!
The first time i sent my phone for repair, it had the infamous Wi-Fi antenna fault. I sent my phone in with an Ordroid ICS ROM. Much to my surprise, i was not charged for repairs and they replace the motherboard, battery and battery copper foil for me for free - all under warranty. However, it was reverted to stock and the bootloader was locked when i got it back.
The second time i sent my phone for repair, it simply stopped charging or being recognised via a USB cable on any PC, so i couldn't charge it at all (i don't have a dock to charge it with). Anyway, this time, i sent my phone for repair with Renovate Final 3 on it. I didn't get to revert to stock before sending it because i ran out of battery completely! Anyway, i got my phone back today (it's fixed) and funnily enough, they didn't charge me for repairs AND it still has Renovate ROM on it hahahaha! To make the matter even more amusing, the bootloader is still unlocked and CWM is still there too! So they didn't even touch the software this time other than to wipe my data haha!
So for those who are afraid of sending their Optus or Virgin phones in for repair because you have an unlocked bootloader, it seems that you don't have any reason for concern.
For those who are specifically interested in what store i went to and where, please PM me.
I hope this helps some of you!
Edit: Here's what Virgin handed back to me (see attachment). The part about the discharge level is interesting (besides the stupid typo they made).
I also laughed at "Found after market software installed in this handset", no sh*t, i sent it in with Renovate ROM on it lol, though they could be referring to apps still.
What state are you in ?
I'm in Victoria. I really thought it was a fluke that I got away without having to pay for repairs the first time but after my phone came back a second time (while still under warranty) without me having to pay for repairs, it showed that Optus' repair centres don't care if people have voided their warranties.
Has anyone else here who is with Virgin or Optus had a similar or different experience?
magic_android said:
I'm in Victoria. I really thought it was a fluke that I got away without having to pay for repairs the first time but after my phone came back a second time (while still under warranty) without me having to pay for repairs, it showed that Optus' repair centres don't care if people have voided their warranties.
Has anyone else here who is with Virgin or Optus had a similar or different experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, can you PM me where you went. My HOX is fine, but always handy to know.
trevagreene said:
Cool, can you PM me where you went. My HOX is fine, but always handy to know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries . Check your PM now.
Hey mate, was planning to send mine off to repair too, currently on Optus. Might I inquire, how long did it take for repairs? PM me the details too please
tomascus said:
Hey mate, was planning to send mine off to repair too, currently on Optus. Might I inquire, how long did it take for repairs? PM me the details too please
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check your PM (Y). It tends to vary it seems. Depends what the repair is for. What's wrong with your handset?
had mine repaired in vic through optus around october last year,the sensors stopped working think it had viper rom ,they didnt say anything ,5 weeks later i recieved a brand new phone not a refurb was happy,still working perfect ,
I'm with Virgin, they don't use Optus repair centres for the One X. The Virgin HOX also has a different CID. But yes, Virgin doesn't care if you have voided your warranty, my bootloader was relocked.
magic_android said:
Check your PM (Y). It tends to vary it seems. Depends what the repair is for. What's wrong with your handset?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was for WiFi fault, can't live without my smartphone for that long so I might have to fix it myself.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
desiretouchpad said:
had mine repaired in vic through optus around october last year,the sensors stopped working think it had viper rom ,they didnt say anything ,5 weeks later i recieved a brand new phone not a refurb was happy,still working perfect ,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's so lucky that they gave you a new one!!!! They still gave me the same worn out HOX that i've had since last year after both repairs which was slightly disappointing (even though it was ambitious to expect more still).
Feepitee said:
I'm with Virgin, they don't use Optus repair centres for the One X. The Virgin HOX also has a different CID. But yes, Virgin doesn't care if you have voided your warranty, my bootloader was relocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Virgin HOX definitely has a different CID, in fact its CID is not branded. I spoke to someone on HTC's support chat about my phone's CID and IMEI and they said that mine was a modified Vodafone handset (i don't know how they could have made that more confusing).
Anyway, as far as my experience goes, the Virgin store that i've given my HOX in to for repair has sent it to an Optus repair centre both times (check the photo i added to the first post). Either way though, it seems like neither Virgin or Optus care about voided warranties which is awesome.

Verizon Galaxy Nexus no data or cell service / Possible hardware problem

Recently i have purchased a used Verizon Galaxy Nexus from a seller on ebay. It is in excellent shape and has no cosmetic damage to the phone. The persone i purchased it from was a reputable seller and had the feedback to back it up. Now with that said. The phone was listed as broken because the seller could not get the phone to connect to the Verizon cell network.
So i bought the phone thinking that maybe the phone had some deleted files on it that i could replace or better yet. Just flash all new software to the phone and remedy the problem. Thus i would have bought a phone for a quarter the price of a new one and have a fully functioning phone.
As far as flashing and roming goes. I am no novice. I have owned many Android phones, in fact thats all ive owned lol, but this one is causing me some frustration. So here is a list of the things i have done to remedy the problem to no avail...
1) Factory Reset- no go
2) Complete Re-Flash of the entire framework - Im talking everything. Careful fastboot flash of every elemet of the android ecosystem
3) Radio swapps from older versions to newer versions.
4) Multiple reboots and toggleing airplane mode over and over again.
5) Flashed several aftermarket roms.
6) Toggled the test mode in phone settings using the hidden menu (*#*#4636#*#*)
For a short period of time last night i was able to get the phone to display up to 3 bars of service using the method described in #6 I NEVER got data working and i could only temporarily call out. My girlfriend would see me calling in on her phone but immediately upon answering it would drop my call. The phone never rang on my end and it cannot receive calls. Also cannot send text messages.
I thought for sure i could fix this one, but for some reason it is being stubborn. Please Help me XDA!!! Your my only Hope!!!
P.S. As an aside i did take the phone apart and check to make sure nothing was damaged. All the components look top shape and all the little snap connectors are securely fastened. No metal contact prongs are bent and everything is clean of dirt and debris.
does it display your IMEI *#06#?
maybe some NV_DATA corrupted or it can be hardware issue
Does indeed show imei and I had it checked for lost / stolen / blacklist by Verizon. At the store now to get it checked out.
And that is actually meid that that code pulls.
Sent from my large and in charge GN2 using Forum Runner
And the verizon store could not do any good. Has anyone ever ordered a replacement back casing from ebay or anywhere else on the web? Im thinking it may be a ribbon cable somewhere. Maybe even the bottom board that houses the headphone jack and a series of winding antenna leads.
I am still open to suggestion though so anyone with any information on the matter please let me know.
EDIT: Been looking at Cell phone repair shop and they have the antenna / headphone replacement in stock. They also have the back mid frame with all the antennas on it as well.
I feel like this is a 50/50 shot in the dark as to which part i need to fix this problem. Gonna give them a call tomorrow and see.
I've ordered a new mid frame in the hopes that there is a torn ribbon cable somewhere in the old one. I'm still not certain that's what it is though.
Anyone with some insight please get back to me.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Forum Runner
Bump.
Still need some help guys. This is a very perplexing problem that i would like to fix.
Anyone? Mods? Admins? Devs? I need some help here. Don't let me down xda!!!
Sent from my large and in charge GN2 using Forum Runner
sounds like a unconnected/torn radio cable to me.
Zepius said:
sounds like a unconnected/torn radio cable to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been all through the device and checked all the connections and hardware. Everything has a firm connection and is in top shape. I even replaced the back midframe cover with a brand spanking new (OEM Samsung) one. Its behaving like a software problem in that I can toggle between 3G and 4G and get 3G for a brief moment and can even call out, but the moment that someone answers the call it drops service and i have to start the process all over again.
UrbanDroid said:
I've been all through the device and checked all the connections and hardware. Everything has a firm connection and is in top shape. I even replaced the back midframe cover with a brand spanking new (OEM Samsung) one. Its behaving like a software problem in that I can toggle between 3G and 4G and get 3G for a brief moment and can even call out, but the moment that someone answers the call it drops service and i have to start the process all over again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try fastboot flashing the factory images from google.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
blackhand1001 said:
Try fastboot flashing the factory images from google.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've done this as well several times. 4.2.2 and 4.2.1 and yes i made sure i had the correct firmware for my version of the phone. Verizon toro.
Edit: Has anyone ever sent in their phone to Samsung for RMA? I called and talked to someone and tried to work through the problem and she came to the conclusion that I should send it in at no cost and that I wouldn't be charged anything unless I authorized them payment before. Essentially they will run through the phone and check everything out for free and see if it can be fixed.
UrbanDroid said:
I've done this as well several times. 4.2.2 and 4.2.1 and yes i made sure i had the correct firmware for my version of the phone. Verizon toro.
Edit: Has anyone ever sent in their phone to Samsung for RMA? I called and talked to someone and tried to work through the problem and she came to the conclusion that I should send it in at no cost and that I wouldn't be charged anything unless I authorized them payment before. Essentially they will run through the phone and check everything out for free and see if it can be fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the same thing. Bought one from ebay in good shape. Was told it functions. I have the HTC Rezound so the sim wouldnt fit. Went to Verizon and they put in the mini sim and no service. Reset the phone and even tried a new sim. I have since tried different roms and radios, but still no service. Luckily the seller has a 100% guarantee so looks like this one is going back. From what I have read, these are prone to radio issues.
Sir Lemmiwinks said:
I did the same thing. Bought one from ebay in good shape. Was told it functions. I have the HTC Rezound so the sim wouldnt fit. Went to Verizon and they put in the mini sim and no service. Reset the phone and even tried a new sim. I have since tried different roms and radios, but still no service. Luckily the seller has a 100% guarantee so looks like this one is going back. From what I have read, these are prone to radio issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. I've read multiple threads about radio issues, but here's the thing. Every one of them claiming to have signal issues also had the random reboot issue. They all were even having problems flashing any Roms or anything else for that matter.
I on the other hand have had zero problems flashing anything. Fastboot works 100%, Recovery flash works 100% and I can unlock and lock the boot loader without issue. Its an odd problem.
Sent from my large and in charge GN2 using Forum Runner
UrbanDroid said:
Yeah. I've read multiple threads about radio issues, but here's the thing. Every one of them claiming to have signal issues also had the random reboot issue. They all were even having problems flashing any Roms or anything else for that matter.
I on the other hand have had zero problems flashing anything. Fastboot works 100%, Recovery flash works 100% and I can unlock and lock the boot loader without issue. Its an odd problem.
Sent from my large and in charge GN2 using Forum Runner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had an issue flashing, it would abort for no reason. I would also have issues getting into CWM. After playing around with it all night, I don't think its a software issue. I've been reading the antenna has given other people issues and some have even tried to replace them. a Rep from Verizon thought it was the sim reader. I don't believe that because the phone registers a sim and the number tied to it (which is my number). Under status, I does read different every time.
Network: searching for service
Signal strength is usually at: -120dBm 99asu
Mobile network type: (varies) CDMA - 1xRTT:7 or LTE: 13 or unavailable
Service state: out of service
Roaming: not roaming
Mobile network state: (varies) Disconnected or Connected
I've tried different combos such as CDMA and Home LTE Automatic and so on. I think its just a poor design. Seems to be only the CDMA devices tho.
Did OP ever arrive at a solution or at least pinpoint the cause of this problem? I am currently experiencing a pretty much identical problem to the one described (with the exception that I don't even get a 3G signal -- complete lack of signal). My problem started after a brief Airplane mode toggle yesterday and I haven't been able to get on the network since.
Thanks.
I think it's a hardware problem tbh.
I modded mine to work with the palm pre touchstone inductive charging kit. In the process wires were soldered, rear housings were mutilated and the phone was tortured a bit. I was never happy with Samsung's **** build quality so I eventually just ditched it altogether.
I decided to repair it and give it to a family member so I replaced the back housing and USB port with parts ordered off ebay. Ever since my repair work the thing cosmetically looks almost mint. However no OS will recognize it anymore (windows throws an "invalid descriptor" and won't install a driver) and 3G/4G/wifi reception is almost nonexistent. Switching roms or radios doesn't seem to help, and obviously I can't odin a factory image. Pretty much boned.
pbourdyk said:
Did OP ever arrive at a solution or at least pinpoint the cause of this problem? I am currently experiencing a pretty much identical problem to the one described (with the exception that I don't even get a 3G signal -- complete lack of signal). My problem started after a brief Airplane mode toggle yesterday and I haven't been able to get on the network since.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had a similar problem in regards to a lack of signal. It just completely gave out while driving a couple days ago (interestingly enough, the music I was streaming via Soundcloud stopped right as I passed the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, which ironically is a 4G dead zone for Verizon). This was a refurbished replacement device that I got about 15 months ago, and was running the latest OmniMetal rom flawlessly for the last few months.
I arrived at this thread and followed all the steps that OP took to try and fix it. Ended up reverting to an earlier 4.2.2 rom and reflashed the radios thinking that might solve the problem. Upon reboot was able to connect to mobile data and make phone calls briefly, but about an hour later the same thing happened. Brought it to the store and swapped out the SIM card for a new one, no dice.
Fortunately VZW is doing open enrolment for phone insurance, so I added it for $10/month to get an extended warranty. Now I'm going to restore everything to stock, lock the bootloader and send it back for a new one. Assuming there are no problems with the replacement, I can cancel the insurance plan, bringing the cost of the replacement Gnex to just 10 bucks.
Was anyone out there able to successfully modify the radio hardware for cheap?
coltronathon said:
I think it's a hardware problem tbh.
I modded mine to work with the palm pre touchstone inductive charging kit. In the process wires were soldered, rear housings were mutilated and the phone was tortured a bit. I was never happy with Samsung's **** build quality so I eventually just ditched it altogether.
I decided to repair it and give it to a family member so I replaced the back housing and USB port with parts ordered off ebay. Ever since my repair work the thing cosmetically looks almost mint. However no OS will recognize it anymore (windows throws an "invalid descriptor" and won't install a driver) and 3G/4G/wifi reception is almost nonexistent. Switching roms or radios doesn't seem to help, and obviously I can't odin a factory image. Pretty much boned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the same mod, and other than losing my pc connection (which frankly is never needed) it's been great. You have to be very careful and take your time. I'm not even convinced that my pc connection issues are related to the Palm mod, I think they just happened to coincide. Either way, I don't need it so I never bothered tracing it down.

[Q] IMEI - Can I change it on my SGS3 - I747M

Hi Folks,
Here is my situation, I have a SGS3 I747M which got water damage because of ATV accident, my carrier Virgin Mobile Canada wants $340 to replace it because I am not due for an upgrade yet! I bought another brand new SGS3 I747M for 1/3 of the price only to find out that the IMEI has been blocked by Telus because the phones previous owner canceled her 3 year contract prematurely.
So now I am screwed both ways! After several days of trying to wipe and re-image the phone I finally got it unlocked but once I put in my SIM card the phone tells me that I am not registered on mobile network, if I put it in my old phone it works. So, my question is can I change this new phones IMEI number to the current one that I have?
Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers
Your best bet is switch motherboards. Open it and take out your motherboard from the working one and put it in the other one. Someone in a cell phone repair shop will do it for you if you cant.
barlie said:
Your best bet is switch motherboards. Open it and take out your motherboard from the working one and put it in the other one. Someone in a cell phone repair shop will do it for you if you cant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would but the problem is with the MB, the phone heats up and last only 4-5 hours on one charge, even with new bat. The camera too does not work even if I replace the actual camera with he other phone.
This topic is not allowed on XDA, and is a crime in many countries.
</thread locked>

Question T-Mobile Network Issue

Hello
Hopefully someone here can point me in the right direction for help or assist.
I purchased a unlocked Galaxy Z Fold3 off of Swappa.com. Ive purchased many of phone off this site and had no issues including this Fold3. When I got the phone i placed my T-Mobile sim in the phone and all was fine since the phone was unlocked. When T-Mobile pushed the Android 12 update out we all know it caused issues with the phones network. Since i did not purchase the phone from T-Mobile i sent my phone to Samsung so they could fix the issue. Since they knew of the issue with T-Mobile they replaced the motherboard of the phone. Well that sim locked the phone to the original carrier which i found out was Spectrum Mobile. Spectrum states they cannot unlock the phone because they cannot see the IMEI on their network. T-Mobile sees the IMEI on their network from when i used the phone before the update, but they stated that since the original carrier is Spectrum, they have to unlock the phone. Samsung states that one or the other will have to unlock the device because they do not have carrier unlock codes even though they replaced the motherboard which cause the phone to lock again. After weeks of the back and forth i paid a site to give me a unlock code for the phone via Spectrum Mobile. the code they sent did not work and they refunded me my money. But now im stuck with a brick unless i get a Spectrum Mobile account. The phone works fine on their network but i refuse to get their internet service so i can get a mobile account just to use the phone.
Anyone have any advice as to how i can get the phone unlocked again? I reached out to the person i purchased the device from and they didnt have the unlock code. Also the IMEI is clean because Samsung, Spectrum, and T-Mobile checked it.
Right now, you can either pay for an unlocking service or, and this is the REALLY hard part, wait until Spectrum's IMEI Database is updated with the new IMEI for your device. This will come from Samsung when they Sync, but no telling how often that is.
The bad thing is, it can take weeks or a month or more. No one knows.
If you are in need RIGHT NOW, I would look for a good Unlock Service and pay them, but it can also take a while with how new these phones are.
Talderon said:
Right now, you can either pay for an unlocking service or, and this is the REALLY hard part, wait until Spectrum's IMEI Database is updated with the new IMEI for your device. This will come from Samsung when they Sync, but no telling how often that is.
The bad thing is, it can take weeks or a month or more. No one knows.
If you are in need RIGHT NOW, I would look for a good Unlock Service and pay them, but it can also take a while with how new these phones are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know of any good reliable unlock services?
MAC20 said:
Do you know of any good reliable unlock services?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would suggest one, but I have not used one in so long I can't really suggest one. Sorry.
Talderon said:
I would suggest one, but I have not used one in so long I can't really suggest one. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
MAC20 said:
Hello
Hopefully someone here can point me in the right direction for help or assist.
I purchased a unlocked Galaxy Z Fold3 off of Swappa.com. Ive purchased many of phone off this site and had no issues including this Fold3. When I got the phone i placed my T-Mobile sim in the phone and all was fine since the phone was unlocked. When T-Mobile pushed the Android 12 update out we all know it caused issues with the phones network. Since i did not purchase the phone from T-Mobile i sent my phone to Samsung so they could fix the issue. Since they knew of the issue with T-Mobile they replaced the motherboard of the phone. Well that sim locked the phone to the original carrier which i found out was Spectrum Mobile. Spectrum states they cannot unlock the phone because they cannot see the IMEI on their network. T-Mobile sees the IMEI on their network from when i used the phone before the update, but they stated that since the original carrier is Spectrum, they have to unlock the phone. Samsung states that one or the other will have to unlock the device because they do not have carrier unlock codes even though they replaced the motherboard which cause the phone to lock again. After weeks of the back and forth i paid a site to give me a unlock code for the phone via Spectrum Mobile. the code they sent did not work and they refunded me my money. But now im stuck with a brick unless i get a Spectrum Mobile account. The phone works fine on their network but i refuse to get their internet service so i can get a mobile account just to use the phone.
Anyone have any advice as to how i can get the phone unlocked again? I reached out to the person i purchased the device from and they didnt have the unlock code. Also the IMEI is clean because Samsung, Spectrum, and T-Mobile checked it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an Unlocked Fold 3 also now using the T-Mobile network and keep experiencing network connectivity issues. In placed where I used to get good 5G signal now I only get LTE and sometimes my data connection drops to H or H+, sometimes just R for roaming.
So they believe the Android 12 update killed the Motherboard in our phones for T-Mobile? Also how long did it take to get your phone back from Samsung after the repair?
BigMosley said:
I have an Unlocked Fold 3 also now using the T-Mobile network and keep experiencing network connectivity issues. In placed where I used to get good 5G signal now I only get LTE and sometimes my data connection drops to H or H+, sometimes just R for roaming.
So they believe the Android 12 update killed the Motherboard in our phones for T-Mobile? Also how long did it take to get your phone back from Samsung after the repair?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung sent me a shipping label that was two day shiping to them. it took about a week or so to get back. Yes, something with the T-Mobile Android 12 update caused an issue where Samsung has been replacing the mother board of the phones. I found out when i was looking on T-Mobiles forums and a person stated that is what fixed theres. So i contacted Samsung and told them about the Andorid 12 update causing the issue and they had me send it in since they knew of the issue.
MAC20 said:
Samsung sent me a shipping label that was two day shiping to them. it took about a week or so to get back. Yes, something with the T-Mobile Android 12 update caused an issue where Samsung has been replacing the mother board of the phones. I found out when i was looking on T-Mobiles forums and a person stated that is what fixed theres. So i contacted Samsung and told them about the Andorid 12 update causing the issue and they had me send it in since they knew of the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply. I have had my Fold 3's screen fixed in the same day by going to a local UBreakiFix, any idea if they can also do the Motherboard swap out?
BigMosley said:
Thanks for the quick reply. I have had my Fold 3's screen fixed in the same day by going to a local UBreakiFix, any idea if they can also do the Motherboard swap out?
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im not sure. you may have to call them to see.
MAC20 said:
im not sure. you may have to call them to see.
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I'm going your route and sending in the phone to Samsung. I even noted others online shared the same experience I am having and the motherboard was replaced.
Talderon said:
Right now, you can either pay for an unlocking service or, and this is the REALLY hard part, wait until Spectrum's IMEI Database is updated with the new IMEI for your device. This will come from Samsung when they Sync, but no telling how often that is.
The bad thing is, it can take weeks or a month or more. No one knows.
If you are in need RIGHT NOW, I would look for a good Unlock Service and pay them, but it can also take a while with how new these phones are.
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@Talderon ive tried two unlock companies so far and neither have been able to unlock the phone. The person i bought it from wants me to mail it back so they can unlock it with a pc. Not going to happen so i won't get it back LOL. I think im just going to get on a friends Spectrum Mobile account and wait 30 so they can unlock it. Think thats my only choice.
If I'm on Google Fi (Which is T-Mobile) is it better for me to get the T-Mobile version of the phone off of Swappa/eBay so I don't run into these issues?
Just buy the samsung unlocked version and then flash the t mobile rom to I have the u1 one version I never had any issues with using t mobile on my z fold 3 and you need the rom bc its helps with towers bc I was using verzion rom on t mobile and I didn't get all the service or 5g uc always buy us unlocked version never buy carrier ones bc it's just easier to flash the rom you need than buy the carrier one bc it's can be relocked at any time bc when I bought t mobile version s21 it's locked the phone so beware
livejamie said:
If I'm on Google Fi (Which is T-Mobile) is it better for me to get the T-Mobile version of the phone off of Swappa/eBay so I don't run into these issues?
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Don't buy off swappa you get better deal on ebay bc you have money back guarantee
MAC20 said:
Hello
Hopefully someone here can point me in the right direction for help or assist.
I purchased a unlocked Galaxy Z Fold3 off of Swappa.com. Ive purchased many of phone off this site and had no issues including this Fold3. When I got the phone i placed my T-Mobile sim in the phone and all was fine since the phone was unlocked. When T-Mobile pushed the Android 12 update out we all know it caused issues with the phones network. Since i did not purchase the phone from T-Mobile i sent my phone to Samsung so they could fix the issue. Since they knew of the issue with T-Mobile they replaced the motherboard of the phone. Well that sim locked the phone to the original carrier which i found out was Spectrum Mobile. Spectrum states they cannot unlock the phone because they cannot see the IMEI on their network. T-Mobile sees the IMEI on their network from when i used the phone before the update, but they stated that since the original carrier is Spectrum, they have to unlock the phone. Samsung states that one or the other will have to unlock the device because they do not have carrier unlock codes even though they replaced the motherboard which cause the phone to lock again. After weeks of the back and forth i paid a site to give me a unlock code for the phone via Spectrum Mobile. the code they sent did not work and they refunded me my money. But now im stuck with a brick unless i get a Spectrum Mobile account. The phone works fine on their network but i refuse to get their internet service so i can get a mobile account just to use the phone.
Anyone have any advice as to how i can get the phone unlocked again? I reached out to the person i purchased the device from and they didnt have the unlock code. Also the IMEI is clean because Samsung, Spectrum, and T-Mobile checked it.
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See you shouldn't buy carrier phones don't do that bc you always have issues and it's hard to find unlocking service just resell the phone and just buy you unlocked us version off ebay and then flash t mobile rom and you be good and then you don't never have to worry about having a brick

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