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Is this thing supposed to get burning hot?

Like, even just using it as a phone, it heats up. Is this normal?

I get the same thing, it gets really really really hot. When I use it as gps, or go online especially.

yeah, its normal. never heard of it not happening

I cooked breakfast on mine this morning.

I put mine in my pocket... made myself sterile.

Brendo said:
yeah, its normal. never heard of it not happening
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I've got a Fuze and it was white hot too. I took it back after about a week and just got a replacement. This new one is not heating up. Although now the problem I have with this one is the 3G connection is not as strong as it was before AND google maps doesn't work for sh!t!! I'm looking for a fix.
Marc

Sounds like your 3G isn't really connecting, make sure you try all the forum posts on enabling and forcing 3G/HSDPA connections. Whenever I run mine on 3G it becomes a nice little hand warmer. Force it down to GPRS and it's not hot and has a useless data connection (but good for when the battery is almost dead).

Brendo said:
yeah, its normal. never heard of it not happening
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Normal? Extreme heat in an electronic device is normal? I don't think so. If any device you have is getting warm enough to be of concern TAKE IT BACK AND EXCHANGE IT!
BTW - mine doesn't get hot. I can feel warmth if it's charging, for instance, but I wouldn't call it hot.

The Norm
thehyecircus said:
Like, even just using it as a phone, it heats up. Is this normal?
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Pretty much yes they do especially when using heavy power draining functions ie: Wifi, GPS, etc.
Some of the claims here of cooking breakfast, becoming sterile maybe slightly over the top and I have never been actually burnt by the device. But I have yet to use a HTC device that did not get hot when using the above functions for a period of time.
Just my experience and I certainly would not be using one if it boiled my nuts.

It´s not normal for a electonic device to become that hot, some heat is normal but not EXTREME HEAT!
Try flashing another radio and see if that helps, if not then you should send it back for repair!

Err
branko.savic said:
It´s not normal for a electonic device to become that hot, some heat is normal but not EXTREME HEAT!
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mmmm, ever put something made of plastic near the heat exhaust vent on your laptop?? Most modern electronic devices that are based on a CPU generate exteme heat that is why they have cooling, heat sinks, etc.
I'm certainly not going to get into an argument about this but the bottom line here is that they do generate certain levels of heat. It definately should not be enough to burn you though.

BlueAnt1958 said:
mmmm, ever put something made of plastic near the heat exhaust vent on your laptop?? Most modern electronic devices that are based on a CPU generate exteme heat that is why they have cooling, heat sinks, etc.
I'm certainly not going to get into an argument about this but the bottom line here is that they do generate certain levels of heat. It definately should not be enough to burn you though.
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Yes but a laptop has X amount more power then a phone! And you know, if the laptop didnt have a FAN to cool it down it would not last you even a few minutes!
However, our phones are designed without fans and are not supposed to get EXTREMLY HOT!
Let´s face it, no electronic device should get extremly hot, if it does then something is wrong, or something will be wrong with it soon!

Mine gets warm, but never hot even when using the GPS or wifi for over an hour. During a 20 minute telephone conversation it will get warm, but again not hot.

after 20 min of phone call, connected to wifi, on ac adapter, it got warm, never hot.

the hottest mine got was looking at vid porn via SkyFire browser. It looked really great... but oh man... the phone was sizzlin'.

Well I don't know if my phone is getting warm or hot. It's not an unpleasant warmth, just odd.
And Skyfire? I thought Opera Mobile was the preferred browser of choice.

My phone doesn't get extremely hot, mildly warm while surfing net over 3G, but that is it.

thehyecircus said:
Like, even just using it as a phone, it heats up. Is this normal?
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This is absolutely not normal and is one of the reasons i returned mine and went back to my Treo. I've used lots of high end phones and this is the first and only one that just starts toasting by itself when doing simple stuff.
Strange thing is that everyone i know with a T.P complains about the same thing. I could be watching Youtube for less than 5 mins and it starts boiling..what gives. I Youtube on my Treo (via Coreplayer) and it never gets hot.
I'd say this is a problem or issue with most of all T.Pro's. Sad really, such decent hardware specs.

I've also been experiencing heat coming from the back of the device, but only when I hold calls over around 15 minutes or if I'm using the internet extensively. I also notice it can create a good amount of heat when it charges. Usually when electronic devices have excessive heat it's due to a build up of dust.

LordLugard said:
This is absolutely not normal and is one of the reasons i returned mine and went back to my Treo. I've used lots of high end phones and this is the first and only one that just starts toasting by itself when doing simple stuff.
Strange this is that everyone i know with a T.P complains about the same thing. I could be watching Youtube for less than 5 mins and it starts boiling..what gives. I Youtube on my Treo (via Coreplayer) and it never gets hot.
I'd say this is a problem or issue with most of all T.Pro's. Sad really, such decent hardware specs.
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So what am I to think? I have a few guys telling me NO! And the rest of you saying "It's normal" and ONE guy saying he exchanged his in and his new one DOES NOT GET HOT AT ALL!!!
what the hell!! I have like two weeks until my 30 days is up.

all triumph problems are here... do you need to exchange?

GROUND RULES:
Who should keep reading:
Current owners of Triumph or perspective buys who are trying to cut through all the trolls, flame wars, useless and/or misleading information from the (many) other threads, to find out what or if anything was wrong with their phone, how to identify these problems and most importantly, how to make intelligent decisions on whether to return or exchange before the 30 days run out.
Who should stop now and go read a book instead:
People who have (or think they have) perfect phones and feels it’s necessary to defend the Triumph’s honor at any mentioning of a problem. People who believes everybody else is clueless therefore it’s necessary to advertise basic settings changes as cure-alls (i.e. enable “use wireless networks,” it will fix your GPS problems). please give others more credit than that. And last but not least, people who hate the T and thinks it’s just the worst phone ever made… you have no reason to stay here.
Still with me? Good…
I have personally owned two T’s. the first one had several problems that I ended up returning, the second one was much better but not problem free. I also have access to two other T’s owned by friends. Everything I post here are based on facts that I have personally observed, not second-hand info or hear-say.
** GPS problem:
First of all, Google Map does NOT depend on GPS. Being able to see your location on the map means NOTHING when it comes to GPS location. In order to test if you have a GPS problem you have to either use an app like GPS Test or start Google Navigation. All tests should be done outdoors under open sky and while you have a valid data connection (for A-GPS data download). The GPS should lock-in within 2 minutes or less (Google Navigation should start showing your real time location as a blue arrow and start giving you turn by turn instructions).
A few minutes after a gps lock, you should have a location accurate to within 15ft or less. If google nav consistently shows a visible blue circle (of any size) around your current location, then it is unable to give you an accurate location lock, it is a problem.
If you have any problem at all with GPS lock or location accuracy, your phone has a broken GPS. Take it back for an exchange! Do not listen to people saying that you could fix it by running some magical software or do a special gps dance. You are wasting your time. If it wasn’t broken in the first place then you would have no need for those “fixes.” My first phone had an almost unusable GPS, the replacement and both of my friend’s phones have no problem whatsoever. Using GPS Test app, I was able to clearly see how the satellite signal levels were 30-50% lower on the previous T when compared to my OV, while the replacement had levels that are comparable to the OV.
** Data disconnect and/or drop to 1x when GPS is turned on.
I did not notice this behavior on any of the 4 Triumph I tested on. GPS and wireless signal can not interfere with each other, so if this happens consistently and is making data connection unstable or GPS lock problematic then there’s most likely a hardware problem. the phone should be exchanged.
** Screen flicker, white out, color cast:
If your screen ever turns white completely, or has a VERY heavy color cast, the answer is obvious, get it exchanged. meanwhile, all Triumph’s screen have overall “cooler” color when compared to my V. there were slight variations between each phone but as long as it was not extreme (i.e. making white look blue and red look purple) it should not be considered a problem. Just make sure you have removed the top layer screen protector before making a judgement.
slight screen flicker while turning on/off the phone repeatedly might not be worth an exchange for that reason alone. My first phone and one of my friend’s phone had the flickers, while my replacement and the other friend’s phone did not. The slight flicker did not both me or my friends at all.
**screen protectors:
Yes, there are two screen protectors. No, there’s absolutely no reason to keep the top layer. The second layer is very well applied and I doubt it’s meant to be taken off. You will never be able to apply another protector as well as that. If you have screen sensitivity issues, I’d suggest exchanging the phone rather than taking off that second layer of protector. None of the 4 phones I tried had any sensitivity issue with the protector attached. If you had to take it off then your phone has a problem.
** visible touch screen sensor elements:
If you can see “dots” on the screen under normal use, you are seeing the sensor elements embedded in between glass players. You should NOT be able to see them in any way during normal use. Exchange the phone if you do. it was a known LCD panels manufacturing problem on some earlier phones (mostly HTC). None of the Triumph I have seen had that problem.
** Signal level:
All four of the Triumphs had lower signal dbm numbers when compared to my OV. However, with my borderline coverage (-105dbm at home and -110dbm in the office), I had not experienced any drop calls on the T. Data connections were marginal but no worse than the OV. Do not make any decision based on dBm numbers alone. dbm is a relative value and do not mean what a lot of people seemed to think it means. In any case, exchanging the phone is not going to help in any way.
** WIFI disconnect:
I have not run into this with Triumph however, I had similar issue running AOSP rom on my OV while having no problem with other roms. This is likely something caused by the combination of router and phone software. My suggestion would be to try as many different routers as you can also try router settings such as G vs N, WEP vs WPA, hidden vs broadcast… if you have same problem everywhere then by all means try an exchange, I doubt it would help however.
** Touch button in sensitivity:
This happens randomly on all the T I have tested. It is likely a software problem that will not be fixed by exchanging the phone.
** Camera clicking while focusing:
All 4 phones had slight clicking noise while focusing but none had trouble actually gaining a focus. Exchange if you can’t get it to focus at all. the clicking seems to be normal however.
** Camera color cast:
None of the phones I have tried had problem with “green/blue color cast in the middle of the screen” as some have reported. If you have already removed the green screen protector on the camera itself then you probably have a real problem and should exchange the phone. just check your expectations – cell phone cameras have cheap plastic little fish eye lenses. Don’t expect results like your Canon or Nikon.
** phone stops charging while on:
I noticed two things: 1. some micro-usb chargers such as the one that came with OV would at times refuse to charge while the phone was turned on. Unplugging a couple of times may fix it. I haven’t had problem with stock T charger or the charger that came with my BlackBerry. 2. The charger will shut off once the phone temperature reaches 42c. this is most noticeable while in a hot car with phone on the dashboard. This is normal and is the result of an (over)sensitive overcharge protection.
** light leakage around bottom edges:
All the phones I have tired had various degrees of light leakage. It is consistent with problems reported on other versions of the same phone released earlier. the leakage was only visible in relative darkness so personally I did not think it was worth worrying about.
** Mismatched MEID:
To check your phone’s MEID, go to settings-> about phone -> status. The MEID should be an 18 digit number matching the stickers on the box, outside of the battery door and behind the battery on the back of the phone. Both of my phones had mismatched MEID. The phone itself was showing a 17 digit number while the stickers all have 18 digit numbers. an 0 in the middle is missing on the phones. One person (VM rep?) in an earlier thread had said VM was aware that 3,000 phones had this MEID mismatch so it seemed to be a known problem.
Some people have reported trouble using Google Voice on phones with mis-matched MEID. I have not been able to verify that myself.
** software version 38 vs 39:
Both of my Triumphs had version 38 software. the previous one had horrible GPS and some screen flickering while the replacement did not. There were also some obvious software differences between the two phones, despite the same software version. The replacement phone camera default to 5mp, while the previous one default to VGA resolution. The previous phone gallery had four random pictures referencing some Chinese websites (seemed to be leftover web cache). These pictures were in the ROM and did not go away after hard reset. The replacement phone had an empty gallery. One of my friend’s Triumph came with v.39 software which also had some screen flickers.
By itself, the software version did not indicate a good or bad phone. test everything!
The main thing to keep in mind is that there are many reported problems, not all of them were all that crucial. Given the obvious inconsistencies in build quality, it is a real possibility that the exchange would turns out to be much worse than the original phone. you really have to look long and hard at each problem and make an educated decision for yourself. Meanwhile, there’s absolutely no reason to put up with major things like a broken LCD or gps or insensitive touch screen. Take it back to the store!
This list was put together over several days, mostly as notes to myself. So please excuse me if it rambles a bit. Let me know if there’s something else you would like me to check.
Thanks and good luck.

I never even realized the 2 screen protectors but sure enough, they are there. As far as the light issues at the bottom of the screen, I definitely see it on mine as well.

microphone is awful.. sounds like there is tape on it. i checked, there isn't.
Heading to exchange it.

awesome write up. thank you sir

Another issue I just found out Im having is with my bluetooth. I have a Jawbone Icon and the sound seems overloaded. When I connect my older motorola BT headset to it, it works fine. Strange indeed!

My 30 day return period ends this weekend so I have to make a decision. GPS is really the only problem I have, and it is intermittent. I was hoping a software fix would come out so i wouldn't have to worry about exchanging.

As far as my bluetooth issues with the sound overpowering, I actually just bit the bullet and bought the a MOTO BT today to see how it would work. No issues. Fishy...

my biggest problem is that i cant seem to be able to stream music properly in google music. does everyone have this problem or should i exchange?
I even had full bars yesterday, and it was barely sputtering out any music.

crxmax said:
my biggest problem is that i cant seem to be able to stream music properly in google music. does everyone have this problem or should i exchange?
I even had full bars yesterday, and it was barely sputtering out any music.
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I doubt that is a hardware issue. Probably a result of VM's network. Try running a speed test app and see what kind of speeds you are getting. I prefer "Open Signal."

the speeds i got on all the tests were all drastically different. I say an average of about 350kbs...is that normal?

Battery Life Management Questions from a Smartphone Newbie

Hi everyone, I am a pretty technically savvy person, but a newbie to the world of smartphones. I just got a MT4GS this week and have been getting used to it for the past few days. My main concern is the battery life - understandably, compared to my old feature phone, the smartphone is going to use a lot more juice. I just wasn't expecting to charge it overnight, have it plugged most of the day at work, and still be down to ~70% power by the time I get home. I'm not even doing anything that intense with it. It worries me to think that my phone might die on me if I'm out somewhere for the day. And what is the point of having a phone that can run programs and do all these great things, if you're afraid to use it?
After reading around here, I've already picked up a lot of great tips: I ordered a set of the Anker batteries (my phone was purchased used, and while it is physically in great condition, who knows about the battery), and I installed the 2x Battery app. I've reduced my screen brightness; turned off background data; turned off GPS; and when I'm on WiFi, I have 4G off, and vice versa.
A couple of questions:
1) Without doing anything crazy to the phone or default OS, is there anything else you recommend doing to conserve battery life?
2) In 2x Battery, there is a setting "Pause when WiFi on." The description here is kind of confusing, and I can't tell if it's working or not. If I want the mobile data connection off when connected to WiFi, do I want this option checked or unchecked? Right now I'm connected to WiFi, but it appears that mobile data is on whether this box is checked or not.
Thank you so much for all the great info so far, and for any advice you can offer me )

Well, firstly, good call on the anker batteries. I have one, and it's changed my life with this device. I went from being exactly as you described (scared to go somewhere without knowing exactly where my next source of power was) to not paying it much mind.
Secondly, if you are unrooted stock - then you have a whole lot of apps working in the background and conspiring together to drain your battery. ...and there's nothing you can do about it because both T-Mobile and HTC saw fit to place them there, running around the clock and beyond your control.
This is known as bloat, and on this phone it's beyond out of control. It's out of control on other phones, but they took it to a special place of exasperation on this one.
I am not sure about this 2x battery app you're speaking of, i've never used it. Consider this, though, it's one MORE app running on your device and draining your battery - and if you are stock this may be something you can ill afford.
As far as the wifi/data dance, this is nothing more then a feel-good measure that really isn't doing anything for you except adding to your interaction with the device. The time your screen is on to make that change takes more battery use then you would save on several hours of having one or the other switched off.
Check this link below (another XDA post):
Everything you wanted to know about Li-Ion batteries but were afraid to ask!
...and it may help you out with battery care.
For me, running my custom ROM with an anker battery and all the apps/widgets I prefer to use I can get 6-8 hours out of a charge on the anker battery with semi-steady usage.
This is with both wifi, mobile data and background data on, and the screen on but at mostly dim brightness for 4-5 of those 6-8.
If I overclock the processor to 1.7Ghz (stock it stops at 1.2Ghz) and hook it up to a television using a playstation (game console) emulator...running flat out at full speed I can drain the (anker) battery in as little as 3 hours.
Something that may interest you as time wears on and you get used to having the anker batteries and using them is what is mentioned in this thread:
external battery pack! Awesome!
...and there are many out there and good deals to be had on some, poke around a bit and you'll find one suitable if such is your desire.
One last thing to consider - make sure you are using the proper charging port.
Most USB ports on computers only push half an amp, as well as nearly every single secondary port on chargers (think car chargers with an 'extra' USB port). Half an amp is not enough current to charge the device if being used, and barely enough to see positive battery increase if not.
Make sure whatever you plug into is pushing 5volts 1amp, or you'll see your battery level continue to drop as you are charging.
(oh, and GPS is something you WILL see more battery life from turning off if not using - so having something like a soundhound app widget on your home screen with location on will eat your battery before you know it's gone by activating the GPS.)
Dimming the screen if possible will see you the greatest gains in battery life, and then getting rid of any apps you can that are running in the background is the next biggest step - but again, if stock and unrooted there is only so much you can do on app management.
DON'T USE TASK KILLERS - EVER. (they do much, much more harm then any falsely perceived good you may think you are getting from them.)
Recap:
Screen = biggest battery drain.
GPS chip/use = second biggest drain.
Apps in background = third biggest drain.
Wifi/mobile data = negligable drain.
Hope this helps a bit.
Edit:
Oh, and welcome to XDA!

Blue pretty much covered everything that I was going to say. I also have the Anker battery, and I also have the Anker 5600 mah external battery, and I no longer have battery worries. I choose the Anker external battery over the other ones because of its small portable size, even though some of the other ones have more capacity. I find that I can get about two full charges of my phone with it, and it is small enough to fit in my pocket or purse with no problem. I highly recommend an external battery just for piece of mind, knowing that I no longer have to be searching every place I go for an outlet. I love that I can charge my phone while it is in my pocket or purse. Also the price isn't too bad, I bought mine for about $40, but I see Amazon now has it for $33. I bought it from a company called Laptop Mate on Amazon, and it was shipped amazingly fast even though I just got standard shipping. Laptop Mate then said if I wrote a review I could choose a free gift. The gifts were not anything spectacular, but the gesture was nice. At the time I could choose between a usb powered reading light, a card reader, and I forget what the other one was. Again nothing great, but it was just a nice bonus, I will definitely buy from that company again. So with my Anker internal battery, and my external battery, I could reasonably not have to plug my phone into the wall for at least two days, I could stretch it more if I was camping or something. I really like keeping my screen at full brightness, so that is where most of my drain comes from. Well, sorry for the long winded response, and welcome to XDA. I bet that in a month you will wonder what you ever did with out a smart phone.
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-Externa...on/dp/B005K7192G/ref=pd_rhf_gw_cpp_tab0_p_t_1

Thank you so much for your very thorough responses! I am happy to report that since making a few little changes (turning down my screen brightness, turning off the background data sync), performance is already noticeably better. Yesterday I was on battery power for close to 14 hours, was on and off WiFi, talked on the phone probably a couple hours total, and used it what I would consider a "normal" amount (e-mail, photos, some social networking)... and still had ~50% power left by the time I went to bed. That is much more reassuring to me, and I can only assume performance would get even better once I get those new batteries.
I understand about the "bloat" and having all these extra things running, but I think doing anything with the ROM is a little above my expertise at this point. For now, things seem to be working reasonably, so we'll see...
I like the external charger idea, but I am going to hold off for now. I ordered the 2-pack of Anker batteries, so once I get those, I'll have 3 batteries. One should be fine for a normal day, and if I'm really going to be out for a while and not have any opportunity to recharge, or will be using the phone a lot, I could just bring along a spare or two. (Good thing I am a lady with a purse - what do guys do?! Carry a man bag? My husband is considering getting the same phone, so this is a valid concern.)
I'm apparently too new to post a link to 2x Battery, which I've seen mentioned elsewhere on this board, but that's the name if you want to look it up in the Android Market. Even if it is using a little more battery power, I think it's worth it. It puts controls for things that use battery power all in one place, and it makes it very easy to monitor the current battery status. I think I'll stick with it, at least until I get a better sense of how my use affects the battery.

Per the question of a man hauling batteries, I just carry a spare battery or two I'm my front pocket. If I am carrying keys I will slap a piece of tape accross the terminals to prevent a short. One or two guys carry their spare gear in a camera case. I can haul most all I need in a corner of my Levi's front pocket.
I also used to run Juice Defender, it got irritating waiting for the data connection to spin up and the benefits were outweighed (IMHO) by the downsides. Killing data every time the screen turns off was grim.
Hastily spouted for your befuddlement

I have a zipper case I keep the phone in, and it's not much larger then the device itself. Above and beyond keeping dust out ( primary function ) it also has a small pocket on the outside I keep a few knick-knacks in, like a retractable micro-usb cable, backup memory card ( recovery purposes) mini flash drive and spare battery.
I highly recommend some kind of small zipper case for the device to keep out the dust, best $10 investment I've made for the phone.
Not in a position to link pics at the moment, but I'll do so over the next few days when I get the chance - especially floating loose in a potentially dusty purse it's something to consider.
I wish the video cable was something I could cram in to it as well, but that presents too much bulk for it to work, I have a mini camera case I carry sometimes with the A/V cable, AC adapter, another micro-usb cable and some memory cards and flash drives - something to consider for yourself for carrying cables and such since you most likely have room in your purse for a mini camera case with such things.
Sent from a digital distance.

Thanks for all the carrying tips!
Blue6IX said:
I highly recommend some kind of small zipper case for the device to keep out the dust, best $10 investment I've made for the phone.
Not in a position to link pics at the moment, but I'll do so over the next few days when I get the chance - especially floating loose in a potentially dusty purse it's something to consider.
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I'm not really worried about my own phone, it has its own little pocket inside my purse, and I don't know what kind of ladies you hang out with, but my purse is not dusty...

Please forgive - I meant no offense by it.
I threw in the word potentially because while I have seen some pristine purses, i've also seen some which haven't been vacuumed out in a long time, if ever. The very fine dust that gets in during the course of normal travel is what our enemy is here. (...and yours may be vacuumed out on a consistent basis, really only you can know.)
This need not just be dirt, even the fibers of the material wearing off in tiny fractions of an amount from simply carrying it around (material rubbing against material as it's shape stretches, bends and contorts) is enough to be a hazard to the device. Over time this adds up.
(though, saying it has it's own pocket/pouch within the purse itself lends a good deal more protection and paints a much better picture then the previous blanket statement of 'in my purse')
Due to the slide mechanism and the exposed back of the LCD screen it is very easy to get dust under the screen, in between the layers of it.
Slide it open with the screen at max brightness, then flip it over. Look at the very end of the slide channels on the screen side, from an angle on the side. You will be able to clearly see the light shining through opposite the T-Mobile branding on the backside of where the genius button is. Look past the greenish tint and see the whitish light, noticing how it extends inwards.
You can now look at the other side, right by the T-Mobile branding in the same spot and though you can't see the light shining through, you can see how very fine dust can work it's way in between the digitizer and screen.
'Dust under screen' is something that people who post here at XDA have made warranty exchanges over, as well as who knows how many who don't post have done. It's a valid exchange gripe that is in fact covered under warranty from what the people who have posted about it have led us to believe. There are also plenty of 'dust under screen' doubleshots on reduced price on ebay that you could look up this very moment.
Again, I meant no offense, but was simply trying to use the situation presented to illustrate a potential hazard your new device could fall victim of. Hopefully by bringing it to your attention you can take steps to minimize any damage, or at least present you with the opportunity to later be in a situation of:
'Oh well, at least I knew it was coming'
...as opposed to:
'Wow, I wish I knew that could have happened'
We only wish you to get the best experience possible from your Android, and while there is a lot of important info here...'tis easy to become overwhelmed by it all and miss some of the important things that could help you immediately, or should be known immediately.
Glad to hear you are already in better straights over the management of your available power!
By the way - thanks for endeavoring to clarify the app you were using for battery management, i'll definitely scope it out when I get a chance.

Blue6IX said:
Please forgive - I meant no offense by it.
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Click to collapse
None taken, I just thought it was funny
Thanks for the tips about dust, though. That wasn't something I had really considered, though I'm hoping to get a bit more life out of this phone than my last few (cheap, and switched on a whim), so I'll be sure to keep things clean. Is it ok to spray the back of the slide-out with some compressed air, or could that cause other problems?

Little update:
I did use a little compressed air to clean out the back of the phone, so hopefully I didn't hurt anything.
Two different cases are on their way to me - I'll see which I like more and return the other.
I've had the Anker battery in for just a couple hours, and it's already amazing! I've been using the phone a decent amount, turned on notifications and everything I'd switched off, and it's still at 100%! Also feels much cooler than the other battery. It was a tight fit, like everyone said, but I did get it in and fit the back cover over it.
But, weird thing: when I turn the phone sideways, the screen no longer rotates. It will still rotate if I slide the keyboard up, but otherwise it's like it doesn't recognize that the orientation changed. Did the battery mess something up?

The screen didn't rotate on it's own unless you slid the keyboard out if you are using the stock launcher - you may have made the same mistake I did in thinking it was so, but it wasn't.
Home screens, in the app drawer...etc... not made to auto-rotate.
You just happened to finally realize it - same thing happened to me.
I even argued against it, and couldn't figure out why it was changed.
A while later while I was going through the code that comprises Rosie (sense launcher) I actually saw that it wasn't made to do so.
So no, the battery didn't mess this up, it's the way it was supposed to be.
The reason for it is there is an alignment issue with some widgets when it switches from portrait to landscape in Rosie. I'm not sure how to fix it the way they have it coded, i've been scratching my head on this one for a while and tried a few things with no success.
HTC could learn a few things from some aftermarket app designers ( like the team that made GO launcher, for instance)
The way they built it, I don't think it's possible to fix their mistake, it's too interwoven and embedded in the design of the code.
Edit - it still and always has, autorotated while you are in apps themselves if they support it.

Oh you're right! That's funny, I never noticed before. In other apps, the screen does rotate normally, so I guess all is good...
Going on 12 hours with this battery, with all notifications, synching, etc. turned on, and I'm still at 67% ... And this is right out of the box, without the 4-5 cycles they recommend. I'm very happy with it so far!

[Q] My Z3 is bad. Was it bad luck and should I try again?

Hi,
I have a Xperia Z3 for a few months now. Software wise it's great, I really love it. But I have a series of very annoying hardware issues.
1) USB cable doesn't connect properly. Well, it does, but any movement breaks the connection. Touching the cable, even lightly, disconnects the USB. I lost a lot of time transferring files and accidentally pushing the cable, and it's super scary to install sensitive stuff via USB.
2) It gets really hot really fast. Playing simple games or browsing the internet for 5 minutes already makes it warm. Playing hardware intensive games for 20 minutes make the phone so hot that it's *really* uncomfortable to hold it. I can't play games outside because I can't stand holding the phone, and putting it in my pocket just makes my leg hot because the heat is spreading through my pants. Despite that, I never got a overheat warning. It happens with both stock and custom ROMs, so I don't think it's a software issue.
3) I got a small crack on my screen. I have absolutely no idea how it happened, but I don't think I was careless. Is the screen too fragile? I don't think so, this one is probably my fault , but might as well ask.
I'm asking all of this because these problems are really annoying me, and I want a new phone. I really love this software/spec-wise, so I'm thinking to get the same. But damn, if I buy another Z3 just to have the same issues I'll feel like the biggest idiot on the planet.
So, was it just a bad luck thing or should I go for another phone?
Thanks for reading.

Hi Hexenir
I've had my z3 for around 6 months now and think it's a great phone.
No. 1, have you maybe worn the USB port out by connecting lots and lots of times? (you mentioned you've used custom roms so I assume you've flashed more than the average user) Do you charge through that port too, thus increasing how many times you've used that port? I use a Magnector to charge so I only use the USB port to side load apps and mine is totally stable. I can move the phone around whilst it's connected and it doesn't break connection. Also, are you using the cable that came with the phone? Sometimes other brands can be sloppy fitting.
No 2, I can't really comment here because I don't play intensive games on mine. I have browsed reddit for easily a full hour and there might be a slight temperature increase but nothing I wouldn't expect. It's also sat in a case so I'd imagine it's harder for my phone to get rid of heat.
No 3, As I just said, I use a case so I've not got any cracks on mine (yet, touch wood) but I haven't ever dropped it either. I use a Roxfit case and I'm really happy with it. I always used to keep my other phones naked (no case) but the glass front and back made me feel paranoid about dropping it. There's also the issue that the z3 can slide if it's on a flat/smooth surface (mine slid on my bed duvet and I've heard they've slid across tables) so again, my case stops this.
These aren't cheap phones so at the end of the day it's your decision but if you do, I'd recommend a magnector and a case. Another thing I should mention, I switched to a magnector because I worried about wearing the water tight seal by opening it to charge every 3 or 4 days. Have you recently done a pressure test to see if you've worn that seal out?

The Z3 is a great phone, but ...
1)
USB - I usually use the magnetic port for charging and do most file transfers by wifi so the only usage of the USB port is for me flashing roms. Nothing happened yet but I guess this is something which can be fixed under warranty.
2)
My kids play Asphalt 8 on it and it does get warm but not hot. Before investigating further I would recommend doing a factory reset to see whether this resolves the issue. If not, warranty may help either.
3)
A pain in the ass and you are not the only one. Depending on your country you may have difficulties to get that repaired.

1- Bad USB? Have you tried using another cable and/or another computer to see whether the same problem persist? I highly doubt its software issue, wouldn’t harm to do a repair with Sony PC Companion. If you have tried all those mentioned above, I would assume it’s a defected phone, hardware issue.
2- I think its normal for the Z series, they do tend to get warm easily. I have the Z and now the Z3, both experienced the same thing. One thing is that heat disperse poorly on glass in compared to metal. This might be one reason why many OEMs do not use glass back anymore. I know its a shame, beauty or performance, your choice. However, i would say the Z3 disperse heat far better than the Z.
in addition to that, it also depends your location. Here in Vancouver, its mostly raining and windy, so heat isnt that bad in compared to Asia, Hong Kong/China etc.
Idle average CPU temp is 24 Celsius
Browsing average CPU temp is 30 Celsius - 40 Celsius
Playing games reaches 4x Celsius fast. I normally let it cool after reaching that high. Thus, i barely play games on the phone.
3- I do not believe that the Z3 has gorilla glass 3/4 so I wouldn’t bet on the glass is "tough." That said, I would advise you to put on a screen protector regardless of whether you like it or not. Trust me, a simple screen protector will hold the glass together. I had the Z before and dropped like x times and the screen didn’t crack at all. Dropped my Z3 few times and its still fine.

Well if I purchase a phone where the screen cracked randomly and have the issues u mentioned I would not buy it again.
With the screen crack Sony will refuse to repair it under warranty but u can still try.
I always have an insurance when I buy Smartphones. I paid 150€ and it covers everthing Sony will refuse to repair.

Screen lifting off from frame, still a serious safety concern if phone is only used for tethering?

So I live in an area with no high speed internet and thusly have to use cell data as my house's internet source. We have a separate line (and phone) that is solely dedicated to this purpose. So it basically just acts as a modem via USB tether that goes through a stationary laptop to a router (so it's not the phone's "native" wifi hotspot; the phone is simply USB tethering to the laptop).
I have a Pixel 2 that I retired a few months back because the screen started separating from the frame (this was only a couple months after receiving a replacement phone from Google right at the end of the 2 year warranty, so it was refurbished). I'm fairly certain that the screen separation is due to the battery swelling which obviously presents all sorts of issues, especially if the phone is still actively used/moved around regularly.
The phone still turns on and functions as it always has, however I didn't want to take the risk of keeping it as my daily driver, so I upgraded and now it's just been sitting in a drawer for months. Since the phone is newer/has faster connection speeds than the one we're currently using as our "modem phone" that literally just sits on top of the laptop 24/7, I was thinking about swapping in the Pixel 2.
The big question/concern here is safety. How probable is the "phone explodes/sets house on fire" scenario given the (assumed) swollen battery if I use it solely as described? I was hoping the fact that it's not being moved around/taken in and out of pockets and the fact that it will just be receiving cell data and providing USB tethering (with screen turned off) would minimize the risk from physical impact/heat but I obviously want to be certain before doing anything

Li's if they internally short out can make a mess. The swelling could cause internal disarrangement leading to a short. Who knows?
If you ever stuck one in a fire you get the idea. Sometimes the don't do much but often they turn into a flying little white hot fireball. Lithium burns much the way magnesium does but is more reactive.
So... are you feeling lucky?
You could try replacing/removing the battery (not sure if it would work with just extarnal power source but you could try that too).

blackhawk said:
Li's if they internally short out can make a mess. The swelling could cause internal disarrangement leading to a short. Who knows?
If you ever stuck one in a fire you get the idea. Sometimes the don't do much but often they turn into a flying little white hot fireball. Lithium burns much the way magnesium does but is more reactive.
So... are you feeling lucky?
You could try replacing/removing the battery (not sure if it would work with just extarnal power source but you could try that too).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'm not trying to spend the $150 or whatever to get the screen/battery replaced, I'd rather just buy a refurbished/used equivalent at that point.
I guess my main question would be: are the cases of phones exploding/catching on fire really all that common or are they just sort of sensationalized a bit because it happened a couple times in a somewhat surprising scenario (i.e. phone separating from screen).
Additionally, is it possible/at all likely that my screen was separating for some reason other than the battery swelling? I don't remember having any sort of battery issues before I noticed the screen separating but now I'm too afraid to put it on charge to turn it on and test it lol

Watch a tear down on that phone to judge if you want to give it a shot.
You need to verify the battery isn't the cause.
If it still has good capacity it may not be.
Swelling isn't their normal mode of failure so if it's doing so assume it could be a hazard.

Thanks for the quick replies btw, I'm now charging it while keeping a close eye on it and I'll see if the charge holds and goes from there. For reference, here is the degree of separation (lol) from the side.
As an aside, I always kept it inside a TPU rubber/plastic type case that just wrapped around the edges of the phone and I'm wondering whether or not to use it to help keep the screen in place or if that will just be detrimental due to the added insulation/heat. But I guess that depends on whether or not I can determine if the battery is the issue

Keep it out of a case as that will increase to heat and stress on the battery.
It will probably be ok.
Just remember if the battery leaks it's very caustic.