Develop Bugs

Getting a replacement from AT&T - Bluetooth issues

Hey all,
My Note 5 suffers from a terrible bluetooth connection. If the Wifi is connected the phone needs to be within a few inches of the Bluetooth device for any connectivity. If the Wifi is not connected, it can be within 10 feet, but still not much more than that. This thread on AndroidCentral shows a lot of other users with the same issue http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-5/570201-note-5-bluetooth-issue-5.html
I've tried all the fixes including a factory reset to no avail. I want to take it to AT&T and see if they will do a warranty replacement.
The issue is that the front glass is cracked. Just a slight fracture on the bottom near the back key, not enough to pay for a repair in my mind. How will AT&T respond? Will they outright refuse to address the Bluetooth issue because of the cracked screen? I'm willing to pay for the repair, but samsung asked for $250, which is steep for what needs fixing. (I realize the entire screen needs to be replaced, hence the cost, so I'm not arguing the cost, just not worth it when the crack is barely noticable for me). Just wondering if anyone has had experience with AT&T handling an issue like this. It wouldn't surprise me if they outright rejected me since how do they know the BT issue isnt' caused by the crack (it's not, was happening since day one, just affects me now that I have a smartwatch).

i would call them and then complain, if you go into the store im pretty sure theyll deny repair because of the screen or say its not covered by warranty. be VERY persistent about getting a replacement. say some bs story lol

guaneet said:
i would call them and then complain, if you go into the store im pretty sure theyll deny repair because of the screen or say its not covered by warranty. be VERY persistent about getting a replacement. say some bs story lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. Honestly, I'd be totally fine if they sent it to Samsung and specified "just repair bluetooth board" and left the screen as is. Ideally, it'd be great if they just sent me a refurb and I got lucky with the screen. But the Bluetooth issue is far worse for me. The screen really only will affect me when I go to sell it next year, since again, the crack is a hairline across the back button.
My worry would be that I get them to accept the return/repair over the phone, they get my phone back and see it cracked and send me a ridiculous bill. Not sure what my recourse then would be.

I have had nothing but good experiences going in to the at&t device support center. They plug the device in to check it out and can give you a replacement device in the spot. Just be very polite!

ekerbuddyeker said:
I have had nothing but good experiences going in to the at&t device support center. They plug the device in to check it out and can give you a replacement device in the spot. Just be very polite!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same exact problem. I called ATT and they sent me a new device, and I sent my phone off in a box they sent me. Problem solved....

I can second this. I had major Bluetooth issues with my day 1 note 5 but just recently did a warranty swap and am having no Bluetooth issue now.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Same here. Bluetooth was more than fine up until yesterday, and then just all of a sudden bottomed out. This is the second time for me. First went from launch to about a month ago. This one worked perfectly for a month.
I just can't figure out what could possibly trigger it. It's almost like something burns out or something.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Have the same bluetooth issue
Wondering what the problem is?

Speaker(ear) buzzing all of a sudden?

I got my 5x about a few weeks ago, and it's been perfect so far - until a couple of days ago. The earpiece speaker buzzes something awful when I'm talking to people. Any sound coming from that speaker makes this buzzing noise - almost like a blown speaker would. Oddly, I can't hear the buzz if I hold the phone up to my left ear.
I Googled around and haven't found anything about this which is odd because it's hard to believe it's just me. So, I'm checking in here to find out if anyone else has experienced this or heard of this problem.
Thanks!

I had this issue with my first 5X, a few weeks after launch. RMA'd it and haven't had the issue since.

powerdoesntrun said:
I had this issue with my first 5X, a few weeks after launch. RMA'd it and haven't had the issue since.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How long were you without a phone? Man, I'm stuck if that's the situation, because this is my business phone

burgertime78 said:
How long were you without a phone? Man, I'm stuck if that's the situation, because this is my business phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you bought it from Google, they send out advance replacements before you send back the defective one, so you never need to go without a phone.

powerdoesntrun said:
if you bought it from google, they send out advance replacements before you send back the defective one, so you never need to go without a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nice!!!!! Score!!!!!!

And no sooner than 1 week did my new, replacement 5x do the same thing. What a huge disappointment this phone has been. So, now I have to get a 3rd phone, and do the RMA process. I explained to the guy on the phone that I don't have any confidence in this phone now, and that I don't want to be stuck down the road with a phone that has this problem. He said the warranty runs one year from the ORIGINAL phone purchase. That doesn't help me very much unless the 3rd time really IS the charm, and this phone will not have this problem. I'm really hoping, and my fingers are crossed. I asked to just be refunded so I could get an entirely different phone, but he told me no.
I'll be back to update this.

Speaker buzzing
Got the same issue - has anyone tried to install a different ROM?

Nxus5 said:
Got the same issue - has anyone tried to install a different ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I just got phone #3. We will see how it turns out. I can't imagine installing a ROM would fix this. Plus, my phones were fine for a week, then this problem started.

burgertime78 said:
Well I just got phone #3. We will see how it turns out. I can't imagine installing a ROM would fix this. Plus, my phones were fine for a week, then this problem started.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not a software issue, it's a hardware defect. Keep sending it back until you get a good one. I had to RMA four of these things for hardware defects. QC of Nexus devices has always sucked, and until this changes, I fully expect to go through this with every purchase.

I had this issue and this going to sound weird but put your mouth on the speaker and blow in and suck out. It's weird but it worked for me. Of course RMA is the best choice

bdivs11 said:
I had this issue and this going to sound weird but put your mouth on the speaker and blow in and suck out. It's weird but it worked for me. Of course RMA is the best choice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's just crazy to me. I ditched my ATT Galaxy S4 (for multiple reasons), and I promised myself I would get an actual Google phone next time around. So, I did, and I always thought LG made wonderful electronics, but it seems not to be the case. Disappointed, but hopefully the 3rd time is the charm.

I bought one and I changed it myself. Spare part was different, made in plastic instead of metal. No issues till now

gpvecchi said:
I bought one and I changed it myself. Spare part was different, made in plastic instead of metal. No issues till now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bought what?

burgertime78 said:
Bought what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aren't we talking of buzzing earspeaker?

gpvecchi said:
Aren't we talking of buzzing earspeaker?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, you bought a new speaker. I was confused. Well, my third phone is doing the same thing, and oddly, blowing and then sucking from the speaker area fixes it temporarily.
I requested a refund from Google. I'm not interested in paying $350 for a phone that I have to blow into the speaker to make it perform properly - that just sounds silly.

Crackling Speakers -- Manufacturer Defect or Software Bug?

The phone speakers make a crackling popping noise periodically... i cant figure out what exactly triggers it and i dont think its necesarily just at high volume. The one way i know how to reproduce this every time is to run antutu benchmark and try to turn the volume all the way down and all the way up while the first video benchmark (i think its called maroon) is running. the speakers will crackle through several of the adjustements.
Anyone else experiencing this? Do you think this is a software issue or a factory defect? I could listen to music for a halfhour straight and not have an issue as long as im not doing anything else with the device which makes me think its more of a software issue when volume is being adjusted or other operation where the volume is being toggled (i.e it has also happened while receiving a notification where the first milliseconds of the notification alert will play and then it will "crackle-out")
I did a complete factory reset and booted total stock and still had the issue so its not root or any modification related.

Hey, i have the same problem! Did you contact the support?

CBlues said:
Hey, i have the same problem! Did you contact the support?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I contacted support and the tech said they didn't get any other reports of this happening and said it might be a hardware issue but then they forwarded me to Verizon to get a replacement phone... then Verizon told me it's not a hardware problem it's a software problem so I can't get a replacement. I am convinced that it is a software problem because of the symptoms of otherwise normally working speakers but at the same time I am very surprised that there aren't tons of other people bringing this up. I am also not sure where to report this bug to google

diabl0w said:
The phone speakers make a crackling popping noise periodically... i cant figure out what exactly triggers it and i dont think its necesarily just at high volume. The one way i know how to reproduce this every time is to run antutu benchmark and try to turn the volume all the way down and all the way up while the first video benchmark (i think its called maroon) is running. the speakers will crackle through several of the adjustements.
Anyone else experiencing this? Do you think this is a software issue or a factory defect? I could listen to music for a halfhour straight and not have an issue as long as im not doing anything else with the device which makes me think its more of a software issue when volume is being adjusted or other operation where the volume is being toggled (i.e it has also happened while receiving a notification where the first milliseconds of the notification alert will play and then it will "crackle-out")
I did a complete factory reset and booted total stock and still had the issue so its not root or any modification related.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I have heard of this... Its in the forums somewhere...
Tell VZW to STFU and send you a new one. :angel:

I've been experiencing a similar issue. Pixel XL 128GB.
I notice sporadic stuttering in the video and audio whenever playing videos, either through YouTube or Chrome. I don't really notice it anywhere else, which leads me to believe it's a software issue. Potentially a bug in the video decoders. I haven't contacted Google support yet.

I had the same exact problem with my Verizon one, it happened twice in a week of owning it, it bothered me so I ended up returning it, back to my s7e!
---------- Post added at 04:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:35 PM ----------
When it first started happening to me I couldn't find any others talking about the issue so I thought I was alone lol

My 32gb XL has been doing it too. I generally use bluetooth headphones, so it's not a big deal, but it is certainly something I've noticed when trying to use the in-phone speaker.

diabl0w said:
I contacted support and the tech said they didn't get any other reports of this happening and said it might be a hardware issue but then they forwarded me to Verizon to get a replacement phone... then Verizon told me it's not a hardware problem it's a software problem so I can't get a replacement. I am convinced that it is a software problem because of the symptoms of otherwise normally working speakers but at the same time I am very surprised that there aren't tons of other people bringing this up. I am also not sure where to report this bug to google
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously they are lying! See my post from 11/11/2016!http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=69576560&postcount=109
Scott said:
Actually I have heard of this... Its in the forums somewhere...
Tell VZW to STFU and send you a new one. :angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be me:silly:

Scott said:
Actually I have heard of this... Its in the forums somewhere...
Tell VZW to STFU and send you a new one. :angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ringochan said:
Obviously they are lying! See my post from 11/11/2016!http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=69576560&postcount=109
:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys, so I contacted Verizon and they had the nerve to tell me that they would replace it but only with a "like new" device. What a joke. So basically they told me well **** you and that sucks that we sent you a broken phone so here's somebody else's old broken one. such a slap to the face.
I didn't have the time to sit an argue so I will have to either call back another time or go to a store

I'm contacting support about this now. I only notice it when I'm using my Daydream View headset though. But does anyone know if it's safe to perform a factory data reset if I'm rooted with custom kernel?
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I have the same issue. Here is where I posted about it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-xl/help/pixel-xl-speaker-issue-t3483952/page3

I contacted Google. They want me to send my phone back and after they got it they will send me a replacement...

Being on Verizon I am also afraid that I'll get shipped a phone with a locked bootloader, I am still trying to figure out how I wanna handle this

Same here. Sending back for a new one.

diabl0w said:
Being on Verizon I am also afraid that I'll get shipped a phone with a locked bootloader, I am still trying to figure out how I wanna handle this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can send you phone back to the Google store if you speak to the right person. But you will have to send it then they will send you another. But beware they are already sending used phones as replacements just as Verizon is. Many have returned their device for many different reasons. This is a nice phone and we all like Google but this phone has the worst customer service I've ever seen displayed versus a nexus. Google will actually argue with you to assure you there's nothing wrong with your phone even though you have it in your hand and know there's something wrong. And in all honesty every phone should be recalled because of the lens flare if the camera. That's a major issue noteworthy if a recall. Google doesn't want scar of their first all Google phone to tarnish their image and branding. I spoke to Google cs and the rep was totally real and honest starting that the camera has caused many phones to be replaced knowing all of them have the same camera issue. He said they've replaced do many phones that it had caused a delay of others getting their phones. Google actually has phones that are new put aside for replacing defective phones and they've used all of their stock as replacements. Hence the reason after two months they are already sending out used replacements.

I think I am going to take it to a Verizon store tomorrow because the process of showing them the issue will be a lot easier and maybe they have older phones in stock that don't have locked bootloader

has anyone heard anything about the speaker buzzing

I'm pretty sure it's a well-known fact that the bottom speaker on the pixel 2 XL Buzz's in a lot of circumstances. In my case it's whenever I listen to voicemail or turn any video or notifications up past 50%.
Has anybody heard anything about Google acknowledging this and finding a fix?
This is a definite design flaw probably software-based because the volumes aren't balanced between the two speakers and I hate that nothing is being done about it.

i RMA'd
i RMA'd my device 3 days ago (sent it back for a new one) becasue of this and hopefully the next one i get dosnt have this problem.

ewaite21 said:
i RMA'd my device 3 days ago (sent it back for a new one) becasue of this and hopefully the next one i get dosnt have this problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on my third RMA. The last one I got was manufactured in January 2018 and it still has the same issue.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I don't know man I'm on my 6th device because of speaker issues. Two RMA's I got had dead pixels so those just went straight back to Google. I had ones with decent speaker max speaker phone call with next to no distortion but one of the speakers went out that has a build date of dec. The most recent dead pixel replacement was built in late dec and the speaker sounded like ****. I just got a new replacement from Google and the device was from the first batch of phones. Guess they really didn't sell that many black ones vs the panda. Anyways no dead pixels, some blue shift (like every single one) and the speaker sounds like absolute **** on calls after 50%. Not sure if I want to put up with this rubbish or not anymore. They know it's an issue and are gladly RMAing for it apparently. But you figure it's probably a software fix that they would push it out right away. It's already coming up on the 5th month since the launch. There hasn't been any official announcement from Google regarding the fix yet.

Static noise during a call.

Has anyone noticed strange static, buzzing noises coming out of the top speaker during the phone call?
It's not happening all the time but I can hear it on most calls. Sounds like internal antennas or something like that.
3XL UK, tried both EE and Three.
Some users reported that turning off HD calling may help but this is not available to do here in UK.
Already with Google customer service, waiting for their reply.
I wonder how many units may be affected.
Please post if you have this issue or not

wazka2 said:
Has anyone noticed strange static, buzzing noises coming out of the top speaker during the phone call?
It's not happening all the time but I can hear it on most calls. Sounds like internal antennas or something like that.
3XL UK, tried both EE and Three.
Some users reported that turning off HD calling may help but this is not available to do here in UK.
Already with Google customer service, waiting for their reply.
I wonder how many units may be affected.
Please post if you have this issue or not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this issue on one call, but now I don't but I did get an RMA for it.

DespairFactor said:
I had this issue on one call, but now I don't but I did get an RMA for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is your RMA device free from that problem?

wazka2 said:
So is your RMA device free from that problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't opened it yet to test

DespairFactor said:
Haven't opened it yet to test
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me know please

I too have this issue.
But this issue is more pronounced when I am on VoLTE calls.
Contacted Google Support and yet to receive a response from them.

I have been offered RMA from Google but I want to hold on for now to see if an update will fix it. I reckon most phones have it but not everyone notice it or is bothered.

RMA'd for this issue and replacement still had it but was much quieter than original phone. Keeping replacement. It's clearly a shielding problem. Thanks for playing pixel lottery.

djy said:
RMA'd for this issue and replacement still had it but was much quieter than original phone. Keeping replacement. It's clearly a shielding problem. Thanks for playing pixel lottery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for feedback.
From your experience, does it happens on every call you make?
For me I can only hear it on some calls.
Someone on Reddit posted that:
Update from OP : Today I met the Google technician at a public cafe - this is the guy assigned by Google support to pick my mobile for servicing. He calmly asked me to unlock the phone and hand it to him, I did, and then he popped out the sim. He switched to another sim, (he was carrying one) and toggled airplane mode and back.
He placed a call and handed the phone over to me. I was like, meh, I've already tried this. But surprisingly, I got no static, no noise. I thought it was a temporary thing, so I ordered coffee and we continued talking about the device while I kept trying to call friends and test the device. No issues again!
He then explained the issue to me - this device earpiece isn't the problem, the baseband/kernel on this device causes it to have lesser signal strength. As soon as I switched to a network with proper VOLTE, the issue disappeared. This is because not all network towers are compatible with this version of the modem's software. Either the networks need signal strength upgrades, or baseband kernels need fixing. Either way, Google is already working with service providers to fix such issues.
He then asked me to not submit the device for repair/factory inspection. I was so confused by not being able to reproduce the issue then, so I went along with his suggestion.
So now, I have a perfectly working device that suffers in poor signal conditions... What happened with your device?

Every call but some worse than others. Sounds like PSU or GPU coil whine.
Someone should ask that Google employee why it doesn't happen on my old S5 (which had over a dozen modems), my wife's 6S, and the Z3 in my car? Why is there static on wifi calls or bluetooth calls?
If it's bothering you, RMA now while replacements are still new phones.

Same problem. Already have the RMA in route.

Have you tried calls via WhatsApp, doing same?

djy said:
Every call but some worse than others. Sounds like PSU or GPU coil whine.
Someone should ask that Google employee why it doesn't happen on my old S5 (which had over a dozen modems), my wife's 6S, and the Z3 in my car? Why is there static on wifi calls or bluetooth calls?
If it's bothering you, RMA now while replacements are still new phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing , I tried friends Xiaomi mi 6 and it's perfectly clear without any background noises.
Mine is not always present it's coming and going. I am affriad I will get worse that the one I have now.
I will wait and see how much it bothers be
Probably all units got it to some degree.

I played the Pixel lottery and lost. The replacement was three times worse. Crazy... 100% sure this is a shielding issue. Google has promised to make it right. I am sending the replacement back and they are sending out another new unit. Round 2

Wow I had this issue on Pixel 2 XL and thought they might have fixed it on Pixel 3 XL.. Looks like they made it worse.. I wonder when Pixel phones will be free of bugs.. probably Pixel 10 XL

htusa said:
I played the Pixel lottery and lost. The replacement was three times worse. Crazy... 100% sure this is a shielding issue. Google has promised to make it right. I am sending the replacement back and they are sending out another new unit. Round 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sad
Keep us updated on this please?
ram4ufriends said:
Wow I had this issue on Pixel 2 XL and thought they might have fixed it on Pixel 3 XL.. Looks like they made it worse.. I wonder when Pixel phones will be free of bugs.. probably Pixel 10 XL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had same problem on my Pixel 2.

Just to update everyone. I have decided to return my phone and reorder with black Friday offering £40 off.
New phone has perfectly clear earpiece, no more static noises.
If it bothers you keep exchanging until you get a good one !

I have the same problem with buzzing in the earpiece during call. Additionally many people say that they can not hear me correctly, my voice is skipping. I hope that they will fix it in the next update as it seems to be modem related. Some calls are normal and some have these problems. Unfortunately I can not RMA as Google is not officially selling pixels in Poland.

wazka2 said:
Just to update everyone. I have decided to return my phone and reorder with black Friday offering £40 off.
New phone has perfectly clear earpiece, no more static noises.
If it bothers you keep exchanging until you get a good one !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried making calls in areas with poor signal that's usually where it's the worst. Sometimes my device has this issue and sometimes it doesn't on the 4th one so I gave up with RMA lottery.

zetsumeikuro said:
Have you tried making calls in areas with poor signal that's usually where it's the worst. Sometimes my device has this issue and sometimes it doesn't on the 4th one so I gave up with RMA lottery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first one was bad at my house and this one is perfect