White frost on the front camera - Galaxy S 4 Mini Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I know this is outside of the usual Q/A the forum presents, but I'm hoping you guys have some answers?
Recently, my phone suffered some water damage when a bottle leaked in my bag, and it failed to boot for 18 hours, but works successfully now (after putting the battery and phone in rice).
However, now, my front-facing camera has a sort of "white frost", or a white covering on it. It means photos are now of a bad quality, and it's basically unusable.
Image showing this: http://i.imgur.com/NnaLpfB.jpg
Any ideas on how to fix it? Would I have to remove the back cover, and manually remove the front-facing camera like on the S4? I'd rather not do that, but if needed.
(This is also the International LTE GT-19195 version of the phone)
EDIT: If you encounter this problem, wait at least a week, it could go away naturally!

arrivance said:
I know this is outside of the usual Q/A the forum presents, but I'm hoping you guys have some answers?
Recently, my phone suffered some water damage when a bottle leaked in my bag, and it failed to boot for 18 hours, but works successfully now (after putting the battery and phone in rice).
However, now, my front-facing camera has a sort of "white frost", or a white covering on it. It means photos are now of a bad quality, and it's basically unusable.
Image showing this: http://i.imgur.com/NnaLpfB.jpg
Any ideas on how to fix it? Would I have to remove the back cover, and manually remove the front-facing camera like on the S4? I'd rather not do that, but if needed.
(This is also the International LTE GT-19195 version of the phone)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Must be the calcium etc that was dissolved in the water that is left when it evaporated, I can't think of any other way of getting rid of it other than taking the phone apart, I'm sorry to say. Though I've not taken the S4 apart it shouldn't be too hard as camera should be quite accessible. Though the sub assembly is a sealed unit (quite likely) that may be a whole different story .......
PS. Could it be related to this?
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...6-plastic-covering-galaxy-s4-camera-lens.html

IronRoo said:
Must be the calcium etc that was dissolved in the water that is left when it evaporated, I can't think of any other way of getting rid of it other than taking the phone apart, I'm sorry to say. Though I've not taken the S4 apart it shouldn't be too hard as camera should be quite accessible. Though the sub assembly is a sealed unit (quite likely) that may be a whole different story .......
PS. Could it be related to this?
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...6-plastic-covering-galaxy-s4-camera-lens.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying, but no worries! After about 3 days it started going away naturally. I was going to delete/redact this post, but I felt it'd just look weird.

arrivance said:
Thanks for replying, but no worries! After about 3 days it started going away naturally. I was going to delete/redact this post, but I felt it'd just look weird.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries. Must just have been condensation then I guess.

Related

Button inside of Sim Slot area?

So on my 3rd Lumia 900, I noticed the sim slot tray wasn't flush with phone... I never did get that fixed but whatever...
Anyways... I removed the tray and noticed 2 things 1) a stricker with some numbers, and 2) a second sticker that is actually used to mask some type of button or something. I didn't notice this on the first 2 devices I had (maybe they didn't have it, or maybe I didn't notice). I had to remove the plastic thick sticker on the right side to see the button or whatever it is... Took me forever to put it back on in place properly.
Anyone know what this is?
IIRC, it covers the slot that allows you remove the locking pin that retains the screen, so you can get inside the phone. You can use the SIM removal tool as a lever to remove the pin, then use a plastic pry tool to remove the screen.
This will void your warranty.
DONT TOUCH IT!!!
if you absolutely must touch it, be aware that your warranty is at stake. if you aren't familiar with the inner workings of a handset, its best to leave it alone.
You wouldn't start poking around inside of your TV if you found a small hole.
Zhariak said:
So on my 3rd Lumia 900, I noticed the sim slot tray wasn't flush with phone... I never did get that fixed but whatever...
Anyways... I removed the tray and noticed 2 things 1) a stricker with some numbers, and 2) a second sticker that is actually used to mask some type of button or something. I didn't notice this on the first 2 devices I had (maybe they didn't have it, or maybe I didn't notice). I had to remove the plastic thick sticker on the right side to see the button or whatever it is... Took me forever to put it back on in place properly.
Anyone know what this is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you press that button, the Lumia turns into an iPhone 5
alodar1 said:
If you press that button, the Lumia turns into an iPhone 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better not touch it than hahaha
Thanks guys, by removing that little sticker thing though, that wouldn't affect warranty would it? I didn't touch anything below it..
That's cool they made it easily serviceable though!
Zhariak said:
Better not touch it than hahaha
Thanks guys, by removing that little sticker thing though, that wouldn't affect warranty would it? I didn't touch anything below it..
That's cool they made it easily serviceable though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually.....it could void your warrently....if they checked that. Removing stickers on a handset is usually an indicator of a stay away area near hear...stay away.....
When they swapped by phone last week because of the vibrator....they definitely opened the sim slot and looked in...I had no idea why....but I do now.
Zhariak said:
Better not touch it than hahaha
Thanks guys, by removing that little sticker thing though, that wouldn't affect warranty would it? I didn't touch anything below it..
That's cool they made it easily serviceable though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Removing the sticker is what lets them know that you voided the warranty.
Megabunny said:
You wouldn't start poking around inside of your TV if you found a small hole.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I would. It's no wonder my parents got grey hair so quickly.
Zhariak said:
Better not touch it than hahaha
Thanks guys, by removing that little sticker thing though, that wouldn't affect warranty would it? I didn't touch anything below it..
That's cool they made it easily serviceable though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some stickers....whenyou remove them....say VOID VOID VOID. All you can say is OPPS OPS OPS OPS...because the they are 1 way stickers...usually....won't go back on.
Want to know whats under the sticker....go to YouTube and find the break down video....
Weird,
I removed the sticker a few times to look in, until finally posting this, each time I was able to put it back. It's NOT one of those tamper proof stickers, it just covers that hole...
Zhariak said:
Weird,
I removed the sticker a few times to look in, until finally posting this, each time I was able to put it back. It's NOT one of those tamper proof stickers, it just covers that hole...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread did make me go look. got the flash light out, the reading glasses, I'm looking inside there....and boom....I see the darn this right on the top. First glance....this is a "You void your warrenty" type of sticker. But thats my opinion. The one of the Dell Venue Pro was black and barely noticable...until you pull it back and it left its surprise.....but then you were looking for the SD card....
Strange...but cool to know.
I have to admit, the same day the YouTube video came up showing how to dismantle the phone, I went ahead and did it. It's pretty slick the way it's held together.
I wanted to see how the Vibrator Motor was installed to see if there was a good reason for the rattle and possibly a fix. Unfortunately, it's under the Main Board, and I was not that enthusiastic, so never got to see it. But I can confirm it's the Motor, or something close to it, and NOT the camera lense. I ran the vibrator while the phone was open so I could find the source. Again, it's under the Main Board, so could not see the actual rattle source.
I'm wondering if it might be one of the metal plates that clip on to cover the IC Chips, thus the different rattle on different phones. All the other parts seem to be solidly mounted.
PS: From what I can tell, there's no sign that the sticker had been lifted after I put it back in place.
SuperSport said:
I have to admit, the same day the YouTube video came up showing how to dismantle the phone, I went ahead and did it. It's pretty slick the way it's held together.
I wanted to see how the Vibrator Motor was installed to see if there was a good reason for the rattle and possibly a fix. Unfortunately, it's under the Main Board, and I was not that enthusiastic, so never got to see it. But I can confirm it's the Motor, or something close to it, and NOT the camera lense. I ran the vibrator while the phone was open so I could find the source. Again, it's under the Main Board, so could not see the actual rattle source.
I'm wondering if it might be one of the metal plates that clip on to cover the IC Chips, thus the different rattle on different phones. All the other parts seem to be solidly mounted.
PS: From what I can tell, there's no sign that the sticker had been lifted after I put it back in place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might do this when its out of warranty.... too knew yet to blow that!

[Q] A bit of help? Hardware problem

If I could kindly ask for some input...
I was helping a buddy sand his car down (old Midget ) for repainting with my phone directly next to my body. Got done and saw a bit of moisture in front of the front-facing camera lens. Touch screen unresponsive. Rebooted a few times, lots of ghost touches and hanging at the bootloader. Boots consistently now, but:
--Zero digitizer input but plenty of ghost touches
--No network access.
Can I maybe get some input on a plan, especially if anyone here has done hardware on these phones? I've replaced the screen on this one but that was months ago. Done a million different hardware issues but specifically wanting to know if there's any chance it's not worth replacing the screen. I feel bad asking for help on this but I really need to make the best decision.
Thanks Guys!
Vlad
Gen info: Slimkat 4.4.4, stock kernel
EDIT: The goddess of time has smiled upon my phone, and my phone smiled back. I waited 6 hours to post this and had the phone apart for at least that long, yet it looks like it hadn't dried out yet.
However....networking. Looks like the next step is flashing back to stock. Input?
been there, but weedeating
vladimirhtg said:
If I could kindly ask for some input...
I was helping a buddy sand his car down (old Midget ) for repainting with my phone directly next to my body. Got done and saw a bit of moisture in front of the front-facing camera lens. Touch screen unresponsive. Rebooted a few times, lots of ghost touches and hanging at the bootloader. Boots consistently now, but:
--Zero digitizer input but plenty of ghost touches
--No network access.
Can I maybe get some input on a plan, especially if anyone here has done hardware on these phones? I've replaced the screen on this one but that was months ago. Done a million different hardware issues but specifically wanting to know if there's any chance it's not worth replacing the screen. I feel bad asking for help on this but I really need to make the best decision.
Thanks Guys!
Vlad
Gen info: Slimkat 4.4.4, stock kernel
EDIT: The goddess of time has smiled upon my phone, and my phone smiled back. I waited 6 hours to post this and had the phone apart for at least that long, yet it looks like it hadn't dried out yet.
However....networking. Looks like the next step is flashing back to stock. Input?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
take it apart, see if there is any discoloration of anything(sweat...salt)
if you see any then be careful to remove it. i use lens cleaning clothes with a smudger
then. take a blow dryer to it
~*be careful*~ of course.(the phone can handle being soldered together so a blow dryer wont hurt it unless carelessly heating up one part.)
....i have never had rice work...
then let it sit for just a bit to air out. clean up contact, usb. gold contacts. headphone opening.
carefully...put it back together.
i suggest watching the youtube tear down of the phone

Dirt on back camera lens (under glass) s20 5G

I searched through 15 pages of topics, didn't find anything on this....But seems to be an issue when you Google it?
My s20 has been getting fuzzier and fuzzier with pics... I even get the dirty lens warning from time to time....Then today, I notices dark "blobs" on my pics of the snow.... Upon further examination, my lenses are really dirty under the back glass?!
I tried blowing air in the mic hole, but nothing changed.
Is there an easy fix for this? I'm taking it to UbreakIfix tomorrow to see what they can do, but figured I'd check here for an easier, non-evasive (cheaper) solution?
tele_jas said:
I searched through 15 pages of topics, didn't find anything on this....But seems to be an issue when you Google it?
My s20 has been getting fuzzier and fuzzier with pics... I even get the dirty lens warning from time to time....Then today, I notices dark "blobs" on my pics of the snow.... Upon further examination, my lenses are really dirty under the back glass?!
I tried blowing air in the mic hole, but nothing changed.
Is there an easy fix for this? I'm taking it to UbreakIfix tomorrow to see what they can do, but figured I'd check here for an easier, non-evasive (cheaper) solution?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had dust on my lens (ultra) and took it back. They replaced the back because there was no way to clean it. Pictures are still crap, but thats just the phone !
twismo1 said:
I had dust on my lens (ultra) and took it back. They replaced the back because there was no way to clean it. Pictures are still crap, but thats just the phone !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know its been over a year but did find a fix for this I have the same issue on my s20 ultra on the telephoto camera
I took it to UbreakIfix, they ran the SN and it had 3 months left on the warranty, so that covered the fix.
The fix was to actually replace the entire back of the phone (which has the camera window in it).
I still have my S20, keep it as a back up to my new phone.... I pull it out to test apps I'm not sure I want to put on my new phone. It still holds it's own almost 3 years later!
tele_jas said:
I took it to UbreakIfix, they ran the SN and it had 3 months left on the warranty, so that covered the fix.
The fix was to actually replace the entire back of the phone (which has the camera window in it).
I still have my S20, keep it as a back up to my new phone.... I pull it out to test apps I'm not sure I want to put on my new phone. It still holds it's own almost 3 years later!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for replying what I understand from this is only to clean the lens and change the camera glass not the full camera !
mohammadhaseb45 said:
Thank you for replying what I understand from this is only to clean the lens and change the camera glass not the full camera !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this was just the glass that covers the camera array.....Which is part of the entire back part of the phone.

Camera Not Focusing Properly

Hi - I just started having an issue where my camera focuses fine on anything close up, but is very blurry for anything medium or farther away.
I have tried to use the Manual Focus function but its still failing to focus on anything more distant than a couple of feet.
Please advise? Thank you
lirong said:
Hi - I just started having an issue where my camera focuses fine on anything close up, but is very blurry for anything medium or farther away.
Please advise? Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi bud
Please add phone details, root? twrp? and dual ,triple, quad camera... also if youre using a custom rom or stock firmware
thanks for the reply. sorry should have included more.
Its a stock S9 on AT&T. The normal camera that comes with that phone.
Sounds like the focus micromoter failed.
Dropped or gotten wet before the failure?
Any updates or new apps added?
Try:
Make sure the lense protector is clean.
Clearing the system cache
Hard reboot
Clear cam data
I did drop it a couple of days ago.
There are some cracks in the lower corner on the back, but not near the camera thats visible. You think thats whats causing this?
lirong said:
I did drop it a couple of days ago.
There are some cracks in the lower corner on the back, but not near the camera thats visible. You think thats whats causing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeap.
Hard to say what was damage. May just be a dislodge connector.
Likely the cam module or possibly the mobo.
Always use a good case; high G impacts can even damage chipsets internally although it's more likely a solder joint will fail.
blackhawk said:
Yeap.
Hard to say what was damage. May just be a dislodge connector.
Likely the cam module or possibly the mobo.
Always use a good case; high G impacts can even damage chipsets internally although it's more likely a solder joint will fail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply.
I know I always use a case - I had taken it off for a couple of hours to wash it and just hadnt gotten around to putting it back on. Ugh!
lirong said:
Thank you for the reply.
I know I always use a case - I had taken it off for a couple of hours to wash it and just hadnt gotten around to putting it back on. Ugh!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that fear...
When I do take the case off it's always on a bench top, table, etc. The phone stays there until the case is back on. The 10+ is a slippery fish with no case... I'm very careful about that.

Question Pixel 6 Pro Camera Problem

When I'm trying to take a pic in the dark, I noticed that the viewfinder and post picture has smudges/spots on them. It seems to only be on the main camera and in really dark scenarios. Can anyone confirm they have this as well?
@26donny There have been similar reports on Android-hilfe.de
look here: https://www.android-hilfe.de/forum/...le-pixel-6-pro-flecken-auf-kamera.989463.html
If you don't speak German you can use a web translator but in any case you will find that some users there have posted pictures very simiar to yours. The problem should also be visible when taking a completely dark photo...
Here is a collection of example pictures that other users have posted in regard to this problem. As you can see, it's a serious issue. I'd encourage everybody who bought a Pixel 6 to check if they have the same problem and write to Google support if so. They sooner they learn there is something wrong with some lenses the sooner they can do something about it.
Hmmmm, I don't seem to have that but maybe it needs to be darker?
You just need to move the phone slowly over a fairly dark uniform image, the marks will then become clear because they will show up as static parts of the image. This is very similar to the dirty screen effect on OLED and LCD screens. It looks like contamination on the sensor itself, either it hasn't been washed properly or a coating hasn't covered correctly when it was manufactured. Definately a hardware issue, if effected get the phone sent back, it can't be fixed by software.
I've checked mine and no sign of a problem, thankfully.
Batfink33 said:
Hmmmm, I don't seem to have that but maybe it needs to be darker?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm quite certain not every phone out there is actually affected by this. Maybe yours thankfully just is fine. But everybody should definitely check theirs. Also since I don't have one myself yet I'm not sure whether the problem only occurs when shooting in night mode or not.
Craphead said:
I'm quite certain not every phone out there is actually affected by this. Maybe yours thankfully just is fine. But everybody should definitely check theirs. Also since I don't have one myself yet I'm not sure whether the problem only occurs when shooting in night mode or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try again later when it's dark. Looks like a hardware problem.
I've got the issue. Any further info on this in English? I translated the website looks like no info from Google yet
I purchase my Pxl 6 Pro and the camara is showing just a black screen (
Has anyone had any further contact with google about this? They were supposed to contact me by friday after closing out my original ticket without ever actually talking to me... Here's a video of what it looks like through my view finder.
I just read an article about how Google doesn't recognize this as a hardware problem. I'm sorry for you guys here.
If it really is a hardware issue, we need to make more waves and get more attention so Google starts to act.
By the way, did you guys clean your camera lens properly? Did you try to look into it with a flashlight, to see if there is some dirt in there? And did you try a factory reset to see if it's not just a software issue? Or try it out in safemode?
chalan30 said:
Has anyone had any further contact with google about this? They were supposed to contact me by friday after closing out my original ticket without ever actually talking to me... Here's a video of what it looks like through my view finder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh boy, that looks terrible.
It's not on the camera lens, if it was you would see the pattern move as OIS moved the lens and most likely it would be out of focus and hardly visible if at all.
The problem is on the sensor, it's either happened in the assembly process of the phone and some solvent has ended up on the sensor then evaporated leaving a dirty mark, or the sensor was already marked when put into the camera module.
It isn't software causing that.
PhilipL2021 said:
It's not on the camera lens, if it was you would see the pattern move as OIS moved the lens and most likely it would be out of focus and hardly visible if at all.
The problem is on the sensor, it's either happened in the assembly process of the phone and some solvent has ended up on the sensor then evaporated leaving a dirty mark, or the sensor was already marked when put into the camera module.
It isn't software causing that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes sense, but you still never know with Google and their glitchy software, so a factory reset/safemode try might still be worth, well, the try.
A hardware issue like the one you describe wouldn't surprise me, as already discussed in other threads, we know because of the leaked Assembly video, that a human assembles the P6 Pro almost entirely alone by, well, hand. Which means there are lots and lots of rooms for error, it might even be just a protective film over a sensor that the human responsible forgot to remove.
As reference, a copy of the video that has not yet been taken down by Google
->
As you can see in 01:51, there are several protective films (2 layers, one on the backside of the chassie, one on the lens module part) that need to be manually removed by hand, without a tool. Even if the human removed them correctly, he might have smudged the lenses accidentally by having a contaminated glove.
Besides that, as you mentioned, it might also be a defective module from the beginning, because the sensor itself was contaminated in the assembly process. Even though that would greatly surprise me, since it's a Samsung sensor and we haven't heard about this problem with other phones that use the Samsung GN1 - and since Google doesn't use a custom one, but will get the finished lens module from Samsung and then just pack it on top of the pre-assembled 3-lens camera module... that would be odd.
Morgrain said:
That makes sense, but you still never know with Google and their glitchy software, so a factory reset/safemode try might still be worth, well, the try.
A hardware issue like the one you describe wouldn't surprise me, as already discussed in other threads, we know because of the leaked Assembly video, that a human assembles the P6 Pro almost entirely alone by, well, hand. Which means there are lots and lots of rooms for error, it might even be just a protective film over a sensor that the human responsible forgot to remove.
As reference, a copy of the video that has not yet been taken down by Google
->
As you can see in 01:51, there are several protective films (2 layers, one on the backside of the chassie, one on the lens module part) that need to be manually removed by hand, without a tool. Even if the human removed them correctly, he might have smudged the lenses accidentally by having a contaminated glove.
Besides that, as you mentioned, it might also be a defective module from the beginning, because the sensor itself was contaminated in the assembly process. Even though that would greatly surprise me, since it's a Samsung sensor and we haven't heard about this problem with other phones that use the Samsung GN1 - and since Google doesn't use a custom one, but will get the finished lens module from Samsung and then just pack it on top of the pre-assembled 3-lens camera module... that would be odd.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for that video. I have done 4 factory resets (no safe mode though) and the problem persists. The person who pointed me to this thread said google support told them to wait for the december update and if it was still there to contact support again.
chalan30 said:
thanks for that video. I have done 4 factory resets (no safe mode though) and the problem persists. The person who pointed me to this thread said google support told them to wait for the december update and if it was still there to contact support again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are still in the return window, DO NOT wait. Demand a replacement device. Never wait when you are in the return window. AS LONG as you are in the return window, you have power and Google wants to make you happy. After that, you will live in the shadow of their grace, which can be awful.
Other than that: If you tried 4 factory resets, safe mode will most likely not help in any way. Factory reset is always "stronger" than a safemode, since it rans a completely empty device (at least if you tried the camera app without having set up your backup, which would just create your old software problem, lel).
Morgrain said:
If you are still in the return window, DO NOT wait. Demand a replacement device. Never wait when you are in the return window. AS LONG as you are in the return window, you have power and Google wants to make you happy. After that, you will live in the shadow of their grace, which can be awful.
Other than that: If you tried 4 factory resets, safe mode will most likely not help in any way. Factory reset is always "stronger" than a safemode, since it rans a completely empty device (at least if you tried the camera app without having set up your backup, which would just create your old software problem, lel).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They just said I could send it to their repair team or take it to a place locally. Im going to send it back to them and see what happens. FML oh well
chalan30 said:
They just said I could send it to their repair team or take it to a place locally. Im going to send it back to them and see what happens. FML oh well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy it directly from Google?
A repaired device is usually a ****ty device. It will no longer have any decent seal and therefore your dust and water resistance is out the window. The assembly process is being done in a sterile environment, the repair process not so much. Which means that it has a lot of potential faults.
Especially this early on when Google didn't even have the chance to repair anything, it should be relatively easy to get a replacement.
Morgrain said:
Did you buy it directly from Google?
A repaired device is usually a ****ty device. It will no longer have any decent seal and therefore your dust and water resistance is out the window. The assembly process is being done in a sterile environment, the repair process not so much. Which means that it has a lot of potential faults.
Especially this early on when Google didn't even have the chance to repair anything, it should be relatively easy to get a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you are right. And yes I bought it from the google store. I am going to get in touch with them again and let them know that I need a replacement.
I suspect this issue is more widespread than it looks.
I initially thought I didn't have it, but it have it too. Not that marked, but i have it.
To replicate the test better:
- turn screen brightness at max.
- go into a very dark room, close to pitch black.
- open camera, point it to a homogeneous textured wall.
- move the camera around and notice if there is a stain that stays in a fixed position on the camera.
If you have the stains, contact google and let them know.
Attached a photo that makes you see where mine is.

Categories

Resources