AT&T Motherboard in a Verizon S3 Housing - AT&T, Rogers, Bell, Telus Samsung Galaxy S III

Ok. So. Let me start off.
I buy and sell phones through Craigslist. I have AT&T. I picked up a Verizon Galaxy S3 (because it's supposed to be unlocked. And it was a good deal.) Turns out the sim contacts were ripped out. *Derp.*
I bought an AT&T motherboard off of a friend of mine for $10.
Using wire cutters, sandpaper, and box cutters, I managed to dig out enough metal from the housing, around the power button, to fit the motherboard in snugly. (I'm a Russian. We like to come up with solutions like "Oh, the plane's wing is coming off? Duct tape it is.")
All the connections hooked up just fine. Booted up to a clean 4.1.2. Took my sim. *Yayyyy.*
The camera doesn't work. *I'm assuming this is a firmware difference?*
And my signal drops randomly. *Perhaps I should update the modem firmware?* But I do get LTE just fine with the original Verizon-housing antenna wire.
Thoughts? o.o Concerns? The camera and signal isn't a big deal, since I'm just going to dump this thing on somebody anyway, but it would be nice to sell a...not...completely...ghetto product.
Thanks in advance.

dereade said:
Ok. So. Let me start off.
I buy and sell phones through Craigslist. I have AT&T. I picked up a Verizon Galaxy S3 (because it's supposed to be unlocked. And it was a good deal.) Turns out the sim contacts were ripped out. *Derp.*
I bought an AT&T motherboard off of a friend of mine for $10.
Using wire cutters, sandpaper, and box cutters, I managed to dig out enough metal from the housing, around the power button, to fit the motherboard in snugly. (I'm a Russian. We like to come up with solutions like "Oh, the plane's wing is coming off? Duct tape it is.")
All the connections hooked up just fine. Booted up to a clean 4.1.2. Took my sim. *Yayyyy.*
The camera doesn't work. *I'm assuming this is a firmware difference?*
And my signal drops randomly. *Perhaps I should update the modem firmware?* But I do get LTE just fine with the original Verizon-housing antenna wire.
Thoughts? o.o Concerns? The camera and signal isn't a big deal, since I'm just going to dump this thing on somebody anyway, but it would be nice to sell a...not...completely...ghetto product.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your signal drop is mostly cause of your nv file (which seems to happen a lot to unlocked devices). You can use nv-reader-writer to copy another phone's file and replace yours.
As for the camera, either software issue or the connection isn't right. That being said, it should connect just fine.

Thank you for the reply, sir. =D

it's the case causing the signal drop, I ordered an international version of the S3 housing off ebay because it was black and mine was busted. The antennae in the housing doesn't line up with my AT&T S3 and causes terrible signal. Took a while to figure that out.
You need the right housing.

Related

Im currently Doing a Tmo tp2 housing swap to ebay housing

Just letting everyone know that im changing the housing of my tp2 right now.
currently follow the directions from
http://translate.google.com/transla..._touch_pro2/&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.fi
I just swap the motherboard out to the new housing. At first glance the motherboards fits in the new housing perfectly. with usb and sd card slots accessible. I think I might lose the reset hole on the side but its really not a big problem from me. I will update my post as I go along.
This is the kind of housing I bought from a different seller off ebay china.
http://cgi.ebay.com/HTC-TOUCH-PRO-2...wItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item27ab0d20bb
Wery interesting.
I was just wondering, what is the quality of this new housing, keyboard, slider...?
ladodo said:
Wery interesting.
I was just wondering, what is the quality of this new housing, keyboard, slider...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You read my mind.... even before I thought it!
Really this is awesome. please let us know the end result. If it turns out great this just might get a sticky. My tmo casing is thru. best of luck.
Any news??
Please do follow up how it went, and the quality of the housing.
At ~70$ a pop it's not quite cheap.
Pictures...
I am very interested in this as well. I would suggest taking some pics of the entire process though. I have thought about doing this as well. Don't know why Tmobile decided to make theirs look so fugly.

Replacement housing: an alternative to cases

Over the years, my preferred method of addressing the wear/tear was not by using cases (which add bulk), but my simply getting a new phone housing when the old one gets too scratched up.
And it looks like OEM-like housing for HD mini are beginning to appear on the market, such as here.
Looks like HD mini housing is absolutely identical to Aria's. I'm going to stock up on one and give it a try.
Please let us know how this works out, I wonder if someone will sell just the back cover.
Sent from my HTC Liberty using XDA App
With most phones now having glass in the capacitive touch screens, I just don't see your extra housing providing much protection from a drop.
It's still a good idea though.
yollasho said:
With most phones now having glass in the capacitive touch screens, I just don't see your extra housing providing much protection from a drop.
It's still a good idea though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed I'd be concerned about the screen in the case of a drop, but agreed its a good idea. Let us know how this works out, I'll have to keep it in mind if it does work on if/when my housing ever takes a beating
I bought 2 of these from ebay thinking the exact same thing. They were advertised for the HD mini as we all now know it is the arias winmo twin. When i received my housings I was very excited to try them on but ended up being very disappointed. The housing came with a few pieces of excess plastic from the manufacturing process which was no big deal. Next I noticed that there were no volume buttons, again not too big of a big deal as they can be carefully removed off the old case and hopefully attached to the new case. The absolute deal breaker was the fact that the Aria antenna IS the back cover, and this replacement did not include the antenna. I examined the original and I do not believe it is possible to remove the antenna and reattach it to a replacement. However this particular housing may be different, either way let us know what your results were.
check these out they look like oem with the htc
http://www.amazon.com/Amzer-Luxe-Argyle-Skin-Case/dp/B003TFDIZC/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_2
pcruz said:
The absolute deal breaker was the fact that the Aria antenna IS the back cover, and this replacement did not include the antenna.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right -- none of the HD mini housings I see advertised on Ebay have the antenna contact leads on the inside
b_atman said:
check these out they look like oem with the htc
http://www.amazon.com/Amzer-Luxe-Argyle-Skin-Case/dp/B003TFDIZC/ref=pd_rhf_shvl_2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a case, what's being discussed here is the actual body of the phone
It's too bad about the mini's back cover not having the antenna contacts, hopefully true Aria accessories will start coming out and you can get your hands on a real housing for it
ya sorry about that , it was deceptive looking the first one i looked at had the logo and tri-screw holes. thought it was a replacement back cover

Anyone gotten a replacement battery cover?

So despite every effort to keep my shiny new atrix shiny and new, it has taken 2 major spills out of my truck when exiting the vehicle. Big lift + big tires = LONG fall to the ground, which has resulted in a few scratches/scuffs to the battery cover (which I swear doesnt fit proper now ).
Do they have replacement covers out yet? Stock, that is? I am going out tomorrow and buying a beast of a case for this thing. I'm hoping the cover is just a little tweaked and none of the actual phone body is messed up so with a new cover it will fit just fine again.
I saw them for sale on the Bell website, and it seemed like they were in stock.... I'll have to look for the thread...
eh...they have original and ruggedized battery covers on their website.
Bell Atrix Accessories
does it appear the bell cover is branded as "bell" or is ut just branded with motorola? i havent even taken the sticker off the back of my phone yet but the case is slightly tweaked from the fall so I would like to replace it.
Norcalz71 said:
does it appear the bell cover is branded as "bell" or is ut just branded with motorola? i havent even taken the sticker off the back of my phone yet but the case is slightly tweaked from the fall so I would like to replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They should just be branded Motorola since they are OEM parts
I have one on the way currently from Motorola. I called their support told them I had scratched mine and asked them about buying one since the website does not currently list them. After a few moments the lady on the phone told me they were waiving the warranty exception and were going to send me one for free.
Support number was: 1-866-289-6686
can we get those Hybrid Cases in the states
Those cases are awesome. is it possible to get them in the states?
Lifted truck + phone in lap = fugged up. Ask my iPhone. It got 4 replacement screens haha. My Atrix got a case before it got out of the box! You are from GMfullsize right? Name looks familiar.
J-man67 said:
Lifted truck + phone in lap = fugged up. Ask my iPhone. It got 4 replacement screens haha. My Atrix got a case before it got out of the box! You are from GMfullsize right? Name looks familiar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before I clicked the thread I saw your username as the last post haha. on GMFS too.
I am going to possibly see if I can get the whole phone swapped at costco since for whatever reason the battery life has all of a sudden gone to hell in a hand basket. It was at 90% when I went to bed 8 hours ago and I woke up and it was at 60%.
Norcalz71 said:
So despite every effort to keep my shiny new atrix shiny and new, it has taken 2 major spills out of my truck when exiting the vehicle. Big lift + big tires = LONG fall to the ground, which has resulted in a few scratches/scuffs to the battery cover (which I swear doesnt fit proper now ).
Do they have replacement covers out yet? Stock, that is? I am going out tomorrow and buying a beast of a case for this thing. I'm hoping the cover is just a little tweaked and none of the actual phone body is messed up so with a new cover it will fit just fine again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Otter box is what you need..it will save your phone from those long trips from the truck to the black top
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App

Sprint G-Nex L700 Housing?

Looking to circumvent sprint repair/replace and fix my nexus.
Cannot locate a L700 housing, and by the pictures it looks like the VZW housing (i515) is a lil different. anyone know if i can maybe retrofit the vzw one on a sprint screen/mobo? are the screws holes the same? is it just the lte-sim card location that varies? or does any1 know who sells sprint (l700) parts?
bump for any info on sprint replacement parts (L700)
What is interesting about this is that if you are able to use the Verizon housing you would also then be able to buy the Verizon extended battery as the only thing stopping a sprint user from using it is the housing is different
Anyone figure this out, or will I have to be the guinea pig?
Just verified the answer with a coworkers Verizon GN. Its doable but its a hack job. Chassis has 6 mounting screws to the housing. 5 of them line up except the middle right screw. Its a totally different location on the Verizon one. Also each phone has 4 jump ports but some are in different locations. Housing could be drilled at the different locations, however don't know if I could live with one screw missing on one side of the phone.
Is there a source for Sprint housings yet? I've been looking all over and have found nothing.
I have a sprint OEM housing for sale brand new. LCD replacement. Battery door and side housing. Pm for jnfo and I can send you pictures
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Rate your Refurb

This thread is intended to discuss your experience with your refurbished Galaxy Note 2 from AT&T so others can decide if a refurbished device is the right choice for them. If you want to rate the quality of your device on a scale of 1-10 I will keep the OP updated with the average rating. I for one was somewhat skeptical about ordering a refurbished device but I took the plunge after reading another members good experience and so far I have had no regrets. Please follow XDA rules and have fun.
That being said I would rate the quality of my device as a 10 . I ordered the white model and I have not been able to find any flaws ( and I am anal about little things ) I had a very bad experience with AT&T when I had the HTC one X , They sent me 3 refurb's in one week and all of them had issues. I am very happy so far with my Refurbished Galaxy Note 2 and I have the insurance just in case something goes wrong after the 90 days.
I did run into the loose charging port that I read about in these forums and discovered it to be the actual cable , not the phone. my solution was to file down the upper part of the housing and now the charging usb actually clicks into place. Also this aftermarket usb cable from radio shack fits perfect. see attached image.
Average user rating 8.7
Just to toss this out not Note related however I bought my daughter a referb s3 and it has been flawless as well. Att seems to ensure your getting a quality referb device. When I was with tmobile the same could not be said..
sent from my Galaxy Note 2
9.5.. Clean, no scratches, Functions well. the only -.5 is because the batter installed was completely dead, and it didnt come with a headset/headphones.
j0hnny_5 said:
9.5.. Clean, no scratches, Functions well. the only -.5 is because the batter installed was completely dead, and it didnt come with a headset/headphones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought 2 brand new from Best Buy, and they didn't come with a headset, I don't think that something manufacturers do anymore. It's a shame though, considering the price of the phone
Captivate-me said:
I bought 2 brand new from Best Buy, and they didn't come with a headset, I don't think that something manufacturers do anymore. It's a shame though, considering the price of the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a refurbished Samsung replaced under warranty since my camera focus quit working**....it was basically flawless and in perfect condition. :good:
**Wasn't till later that I realized that my phone mounted on a motorcycle handlebar for a 2,900 miles trip might have contributed to the problem (i.e. vibration)?? Wasn't sure but makes sense. Anyway it quit working so I got a refurbished one which I still use on my motorcycle.
Haven't had a refurb note2 but my original note was replaced under warranty with a refurb and the first replacement had scratches on the camera lens, called at&t and told them that was unacceptable as I'm anal about my phone, most people probably wouldn't have even cared, they said no problem and sent me a new one.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
Captivate-me said:
I bought 2 brand new from Best Buy, and they didn't come with a headset, I don't think that something manufacturers do anymore. It's a shame though, considering the price of the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My new one from BestBuy also didn't have headphones.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
10. No physical flaws, runs smooth as butter, etc.
9.5
my back plate is super easy to take off... is that normal? with my skyrocket i had to pry it and pull with a little force. This GN2 just peels right off.
droidbabyxda said:
9.5
my back plate is super easy to take off... is that normal? with my skyrocket i had to pry it and pull with a little force. This GN2 just peels right off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Replaced the wife's 3gs with one.
Back is not hard to remove but doesn't seem it will fall of at all.
Some other things that I'd Ike to know if normal or not:
- very low call volume (still have to play with this more)
- beeps continuously while charging with my nexus one 1A (or less, don't remember) charger.
- &#%$&#%&$&#% lots and lots of AT&T crap ware. It kept trying to make me type my Gmail passwd on a att.com page during setup... riiight. Now every time I press contacts tab on phone app it shows a dialog about downloading contacts from att for a few seconds.
...will I be fine if I flash cyanogen or something else on it?
gcbxda said:
Same here. Replaced the wife's 3gs with one.
Back is not hard to remove but doesn't seem it will fall of at all.
Some other things that I'd Ike to know if normal or not:
- very low call volume (still have to play with this more)
- beeps continuously while charging with my nexus one 1A (or less, don't remember) charger.
- &#%$&#%&$&#% lots and lots of AT&T crap ware. It kept trying to make me type my Gmail passwd on a att.com page during setup... riiight. Now every time I press contacts tab on phone app it shows a dialog about downloading contacts from att for a few seconds.
...will I be fine if I flash cyanogen or something else on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't recall any of that happening to me, however you should be able to install some aftermarket firmware after rooting and installing a recovery using Odin or Heimdall (depending on your OS)
However if you still have the low call volume and whatnot, I'd say completely revert back to stock and return it. AT&T will give you a brand new one at no extra cost if they deem it unworthy xD
j0hnny_5 said:
9.5.. Clean, no scratches, Functions well. the only -.5 is because the batter installed was completely dead, and it didnt come with a headset/headphones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same for me(received my unit yesterday, (upgrading from a root and modded Skyrocket) excellent looking unit, battery was dead, no headphones... battery charged very quickly, much quicker than I expected... visually the phone itself is perfect, LOVE it.
What an incredible deal even with the specs of the IV that have been revealed over the last few days I feel VERY happy with this purchase, can't touch this battery life and screen size!
I've not received a Note 2 refurb, but for other's that I have; e.g. Skyrocket, S3, etc I only received the phone housing, never any other accessories such as battery, back plate, etc as I've always been told to keep those from the original.
Is the Note 2 different in that AT&T now provides those additional with a refurb replacement? Seems a bit odd they'd go through this trouble considering that would more than likely not have anything to do with the phone HW which is being addressed under warranty.
EDIT: Ah.... ok I mis-read this as I was under the impression this was in regards to warranty replacement... disregard.
RiPpeR_dUdE said:
I've not received a Note 2 refurb, but for other's that I have; e.g. Skyrocket, S3, etc I only received the phone housing, never any other accessories such as battery, back plate, etc as I've always been told to keep those from the original.
Is the Note 2 different in that AT&T now provides those additional with a refurb replacement? Seems a bit odd they'd go through this trouble considering that would more than likely not have anything to do with the phone HW which is being addressed under warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the posts here are from people who purchased the the refurb note 2 from the at&t .99 cent sale.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
I just wanted to say that if anyone wants a case with a kickstand, this is the case I got today from Best Buy, as they were out of cases at the AT&T store. I do quite like it (even though I probably won't be using it for its kickstand), but it is pretty thin and seems pretty durable for its thinness. It basically seperates into two by pushing on a specific area on the back and that way only (I tried prying it open via the sides for testing purposes and it wasn't budging). The kick stand is also magnetic and it works just fine on let's say, a table or other hard surface...
So yeah. Just thought I'd put it out there for anyone who needs a thin case and no I wasn't paid to post this xD
EDIT: I also have a question. I'm currently on the DataPro 4G 3Gig plan, but need to upgrade to the corresponding LTE plan. Will AT&T upgrade me to the 3Gig LTE plan (that's the same price) automatically or will they bump me down to a 300megabyte plan? Because I'm too lazy to call them oops.
estabien said:
I just wanted to say that if anyone wants a case with a kickstand, this is the case I got today from Best Buy, as they were out of cases at the AT&T store. I do quite like it (even though I probably won't be using it for its kickstand), but it is pretty thin and seems pretty durable for its thinness. It basically seperates into two by pushing on a specific area on the back and that way only (I tried prying it open via the sides for testing purposes and it wasn't budging). The kick stand is also magnetic and it works just fine on let's say, a table or other hard surface...
So yeah. Just thought I'd put it out there for anyone who needs a thin case and no I wasn't paid to post this xD
EDIT: I also have a question. I'm currently on the DataPro 4G 3Gig plan, but need to upgrade to the corresponding LTE plan. Will AT&T upgrade me to the 3Gig LTE plan (that's the same price) automatically or will they bump me down to a 300megabyte plan? Because I'm too lazy to call them oops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They should keep you on the same price. Open a web chat if you dont want to call lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Intub8 said:
They should keep you on the same price. Open a web chat if you dont want to call lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just call.. they have specific data plan names for 4g phones
Sent from my SGH-I727 using xda premium
estabien said:
I just wanted to say that if anyone wants a case with a kickstand, this is the case I got today from Best Buy, as they were out of cases at the AT&T store. I do quite like it (even though I probably won't be using it for its kickstand), but it is pretty thin and seems pretty durable for its thinness. It basically seperates into two by pushing on a specific area on the back and that way only (I tried prying it open via the sides for testing purposes and it wasn't budging). The kick stand is also magnetic and it works just fine on let's say, a table or other hard surface...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That case is $20 on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Seidio-CSR3SS...&qid=1363336856&sr=8-3&keywords=seidio+note+2
I don't know why the ones in BB are called "PT" though. All I've ever owned is Seidio cases, my last one held up great for two years and I am in the construction industry. Here is the one I got, it is 2 cases in one:
http://www.amazon.com/Seidio-BD4-HK...3336987&sr=1-1&keywords=seidio+note+2+convert
Received my Note II (both of them) also .. visually a 10, functionality a 10 .. both phones are flawless. Was surprised however that both phone came with 4.1.1 on them .. being refurbished, I would had expected AT&T upgraded them to current before shipping .. but then again, that helped me .. LOL .. both phones UNLOCKED before upgrading
The two we got are in really good shape, except I can't get them to use the home wireless -- which is supplied by AT&T ironically enough. They both keep saying "authentication error". We have tested them outside the home and Wifi works fine there, so they just won't work at home.
Regardless, the recipients are no longer jealous of my Note 2, which I bought on (AT&T) launch day.
LordGeek said:
Received my Note II (both of them) also .. visually a 10, functionality a 10 .. both phones are flawless. Was surprised however that both phone came with 4.1.1 on them .. being refurbished, I would had expected AT&T upgraded them to current before shipping .. but then again, that helped me .. LOL .. both phones UNLOCKED before upgrading
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