I was up at the AT&T store today to discuss some overcharges on my bill and during the conversation I mentioned my gps not working. The guy at the store acknowledged it was a problem but was under the impression that JH7 fixes it...which it doesn't. Long story short, I've been offered a replacement handset at the store level, brand new in the box, not a refurb.
So the question is, do I take him up on it? My gps is like most everyone elses and not all that useful and occasionally there's a phantom press of the search button. Those are the only problems I've had.
So, what's the likelihood that a new-in-box captivate will have the same GPS problem? Anything else I need to consider as I decide?
CoreyC said:
I was up at the AT&T store today to discuss some overcharges on my bill and during the conversation I mentioned my gps not working. The guy at the store acknowledged it was a problem but was under the impression that JH7 fixes it...which it doesn't. Long story short, I've been offered a replacement handset at the store level, brand new in the box, not a refurb.
So the question is, do I take him up on it? My gps is like most everyone elses and not all that useful and occasionally there's a phantom press of the search button. Those are the only problems I've had.
So, what's the likelihood that a new-in-box captivate will have the same GPS problem? Anything else I need to consider as I decide?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd keep the GPS issue rather than risking the random shut offs. Just my opinion though, especially since I am about to return my second captivate due to random shut downs.
Just wanted to followup on this. I did swap out my captivate for a new one at my local AT&T store. I even got the manager to put in writing that if I continued to have problems that I could switch to a different model.
The new captivate handset did the random poweroff trick three times the day after I brought it home. In an attempt to fix it I drained the battery and let it charge back up over night and haven't had a problem since.
GPS is also MUCH better than what it was on my original handset but still not perfect as it 'teleported' me from one road to another a few times using Navigation. I do however get a quick lock using only satellites and GPSStatus shows while driving that I was locked on to between 5 and 10 satellites with the norm being 8. With my original I'd lose a lock on all satellites once I started moving, so while not perfect, this is definitely better than my original.
Thanks for your input.
Man this GPS really frustrates me. I used to have your quality GPS and now it is broken. Thinking of flashing to stock and trying to.exchange it
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I was under the impression that if you exchange a phone through ATT they will send it to the Samsung service center, and there they threaten that if they find nothing wrong with it they will charge you $600.
This has always intimidated me since I only paid $60 and I don't want like not being in control of something (like whether or not they will charge me).
Is it really this easy to exchange for a broken GPS?
fatttire said:
I was under the impression that if you exchange a phone through ATT they will send it to the Samsung service center, and there they threaten that if they find nothing wrong with it they will charge you $600.
This has always intimidated me since I only paid $60 and I don't want like not being in control of something (like whether or not they will charge me).
Is it really this easy to exchange for a broken GPS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only time you risk being billed for a new phone at full price is if you send it back with problems, and there was physical damage or you're rooted and messed with things or running a custom rom. Now it's not guarenteed that they will bill you but i'd imagine that the likelihood increases.
As far as returning phones past the 30 day window it usually isn't a problem if you speak calmly to a manager. Explain that you have tried all of the fixes that Samsung has offered, nothing has worked, and you believe you were sold a defective product with which you are unhappy.
fatttire said:
Is it really this easy to exchange for a broken GPS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was for me...but I think that was largely because both the rep I talked with and the manager were aware of the GPS problems. I tried doing the exchange while the rep I had been working with was at lunch and got fed the "exchanges can only be done within the first 30 days of purchase" line by another rep. I came back later in the day and talked to my original rep who brought over the manager and it was smooth sailing after that. If you can believe it, the manager even apologized for the problems I had with the phone.
Worst case, have the manager at your local store browse this forum or do a little googling and he'll quickly see how widespread this problem is. And be sure you have the stock JH7 loaded up; that was the one check that the rep did when we started talking about an exchange.
looks like I spoke too soon - 3 random shutdowns today. Now to decide if I want to try a 3rd Captivate or jump ship and go with the HTC Surround. And here I thought I was done with all my research for a year or two.
fatttire said:
I was under the impression that if you exchange a phone through ATT they will send it to the Samsung service center, and there they threaten that if they find nothing wrong with it they will charge you $600.
This has always intimidated me since I only paid $60 and I don't want like not being in control of something (like whether or not they will charge me).
Is it really this easy to exchange for a broken GPS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As mentioned before it is easy to swap for gps issues and the $600 is only if you did something bad. If you rooted the phone you can restore to stock using 1-click odin and master clear, it passed scrutiny on my case (disclaimer: can't guarantee it would for you).
Sent from mobile xda
Captivate running Axura
I'm glued to this thread like a good tv series ahemm. I've had the exact same issue(s), namely the random search pop-up. It drove me crazy for quite some time, I could even shake the phone without touching any buttons and the search dialog would present itself (sometimes other apps popped-up). I eventually read up on roms and now run perception b8. I ran cognition previously, but experienced 2 deal breakers issues (bluetooth and radio problems). As for the search dialog, it no longer occurs. While on cognition I did experience two random shutdowns, and I thought the battery ran down in a hurry, just a beep and short vibrate and it was deadso. If you stay with the cap, read up on perception stat.
tsachi said:
As mentioned before it is easy to swap for gps issues and the $600 is only if you did something bad. If you rooted the phone you can restore to stock using 1-click odin and master clear, it passed scrutiny on my case (disclaimer: can't guarantee it would for you).
Sent from mobile xda
Captivate running Axura
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THanks, this helps. It's good to know a) whether they let you swap for gps issues and b) whether they check really hard or flash to stock odin lets you do it.
i appreciate your feedback.
i had a bad case with best buy where i returned a broken item and they claimed it was fine... it was broken... but they said it worked okay... had to pay a fee to get it back.. now i'm kinda paranoid about returning items for "subjective" issues (i.e. not a hard brick)
Quick update to the saga....on my 3rd captivate, worst one yet. Seems to poweroff if i set it down for more than 30 minutes. I've had it 3 days and i lost count of the poweroffs around 14 or 15.
Learned they will only exchange at the store 3 times, so i was advised to call customer care and/or samsung to have a fresh from the factory handset (see the poweroff press release thread) sent to me. Thought being that if the brand new one still had problems they could still put me into a Surround at the store.
Getting frustrated, starting to look for ways to migrate my text messages to WP7.
Other bit of info, guy at the store doesn't expect any new models until Spring at the earliest.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Related
Today as the first time I've seen a captivate turned on. It looks like an awesome phone. I talked to the sales guy for a while and he said it was the only worthwhile Android phone AT&T has.
I asked about the Bravo coming out and he didn't seem to stoked on it (plus, I've heard you can't get rid of MOTOBLUR).
Anyways, everything was great until the GPS. The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock. We updated to the newest firmware (without a hitch, probably because it hadn't been modded) but the GPS did not improve.
I need with the phone because Apps rely on location services and having GPS on a bus or walking is really nice. I'm hoping this gets fixed
Has 2.2 improved the GPS at all? Is the consensus that this is a hardware issue? Is there a difference between newly manufactured phones and older ones?
I want this phone sooo bad and the AT&T lineup for Android phones is garbage (sans this one).
JOe K.
It's a great phone. GPS seems to be hit and miss. If yours is a miss switch it out for a new one. You will love this phone.
I must say, when I was using froyo the GPS worked perfectly. I switched back to stock recently but still have had a great experience with the GPS, its just that it takes about a minute to get a good fix on me instead of the 5 seconds froyo did. For me, it was either this phone or a blackberry torch. Then I remembered that I was considering choosing a RIM product over an android phone, and quickly bought the captivate.
I love it.
And if you have a problem with the phone, well, there's probably an app that fixes it. That's why I love this little monster!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using AT&T's awful network.
JOe K. said:
The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol GPS is not designed to work indoors. Most phones and standalone GPS units will not get a lock indoors. Next time you're at the store, go into settings and enable use wireless networks in location settings. Then you will get your indoor lock.
If you get your location by using wifi it is hardly a gps lock, is it now?
I returned my first Captivate because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the perfomance of the GPS. After flashing Froyo it worked better but not as good as to wait for a new fix.
Yesterday I received a new captivate, I flashed Cognition's 2.2 Beta 5.5 and the GPS is perfect. I did a test drive today and I am very glad I got it replaced. Now I am 100% happy with my Captivate!! It's an awesome phone!!!
pilot_xphile said:
I returned my first Captivate because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the perfomance of the GPS. After flashing Froyo it worked better but not as good as to wait for a new fix.
Yesterday I received a new captivate, I flashed Cognition's 2.2 Beta 5.5 and the GPS is perfect. I did a test drive today and I am very glad I got it replaced. Now I am 100% happy with my Captivate!! It's an awesome phone!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
waiting for my 3rd one to come in myself and i have to say its funny. ive had different issues that have caused me to have to return the phone but..somehow...i still think this phone is great! and im starting to think that maybe the best solution for people is to keep trading in their phone till you get one from "the perfect batch" so to say. maybe on this next one the gps will be just perfect as the first was terrible. my current one requires me to stick my arm out the window to navigate *but can lock instantly from standstill*...crossing my fingers and toes when i get the new one
gtg465x said:
lol GPS is not designed to work indoors. Most phones and standalone GPS units will not get a lock indoors. Next time you're at the store, go into settings and enable use wireless networks in location settings. Then you will get your indoor lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS does work indoors, without wireless turned on. My stand alone unit does too. And I must be one of the lucky ones, bought my phone in July never had a problem with it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
JOe K. said:
Today as the first time I've seen a captivate turned on. It looks like an awesome phone. I talked to the sales guy for a while and he said it was the only worthwhile Android phone AT&T has.
I asked about the Bravo coming out and he didn't seem to stoked on it (plus, I've heard you can't get rid of MOTOBLUR).
Anyways, everything was great until the GPS. The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock. We updated to the newest firmware (without a hitch, probably because it hadn't been modded) but the GPS did not improve.
I need with the phone because Apps rely on location services and having GPS on a bus or walking is really nice. I'm hoping this gets fixed
Has 2.2 improved the GPS at all? Is the consensus that this is a hardware issue? Is there a difference between newly manufactured phones and older ones?
I want this phone sooo bad and the AT&T lineup for Android phones is garbage (sans this one).
JOe K.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Bravo (been testing it) and it is a decent phone, but it is not in the same league as the captivate. GPS is better, but that is the only thing better. It is more a midrange phone - slower, smaller, more plastic, etc.
As for MotoBlur - if you don't use it, it doesn't really bother you - so don't base to much on that.
If GPS is the number one thing you need in a phone - then wait for it to get sorted out or get a different phone. For me, the GPS works well enough. For walking, I can't imagine the GPS not working well enough - and you can generally see 100' in all directions to find what you are looking for anyway - even google maps is not that accurate as they always put stuff on the wrong side of the street or the wrong block.
cappysw10 said:
GPS does work indoors, without wireless turned on. My stand alone unit does too. And I must be one of the lucky ones, bought my phone in July never had a problem with it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poster said GPS was not DESIGNED to work indoors and he/she is correct. In most buildings it won't work indoors - especially commercial buildings.
If GPS were designed to work indoors it would use a different radio frequency. If it works indoors for you, it is because your house poses little interference - this is more an exception then the norm. In most houses, even standalone units don't work.
Im just wondering if anyone of you who said the gps works perfectly have tried the gps on captivate for several times. To me, the first time using gps whenever I upgrade new firmware or flash back to stock is very good. But after that it is very bad. I dont know if it is just bad using with google navigation, havent tried with offline gps yet. Maybe I should look for an offline gps apps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
bamonkey said:
waiting for my 3rd one to come in myself and i have to say its funny. ive had different issues that have caused me to have to return the phone but..somehow...i still think this phone is great! and im starting to think that maybe the best solution for people is to keep trading in their phone till you get one from "the perfect batch" so to say. maybe on this next one the gps will be just perfect as the first was terrible. my current one requires me to stick my arm out the window to navigate *but can lock instantly from standstill*...crossing my fingers and toes when i get the new one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are you waiting for your third one? Are you still within the 30 days? Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? Are you getting it from Samsung or swapping at an AT&T store? I can't afford to go without a phone for a day (which is sad).
Has there been a correlation between phone manufacturing date and GPS reliability?
Thanks,
JOe K.
GPS was never meant to work indoors. So don't bother to try and get a fix if you're sitting on your couch, that's just dumb.
I just drove to Morgantown, WV to go to WVU to see my friend. I used my GPS on the phone the entire trip. I did not use it as my sole resource for directions, I printed them out. But the entire trip (round trip 400+ miles from Baltimore) the GPS was pretty spot on. A few times it would go off onto the side roads that we're next to I-70 but it fixed itself pretty fast.
I don't believe there is any correlation between when the phone was made and it's reliability. Update to FroYo, and go for a long drive with Google Nav, you'll see a vast improvment.
How does AT&T's 30 day defect warranty return work?
If you get a new phone Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? I've seen people get 3 and 4 phones.
JOe K. said:
How does AT&T's 30 day defect warranty return work?
If you get a new phone Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? I've seen people get 3 and 4 phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its actually very painless. I am actually OUT of my 30 day warranty but the phone is covered for a year *i dont have the insurance btw...if you do just trade in store*
anyways call ATT and get to their tech support.. they will do some stuff that is required at the first level and then get you to warranty support. they will make sure your phone is still covered by the one year warranty..make you agree that your phone hasnt been put in a toaster or the like and then tell you a new one will be shipped and to send the defective one back in a prepaid RMA...oh this assumes you are in the states so they can send one out from a distribution center. so really no gap since they send you a new one first..just make sure you send the old one back in time or they charge you for a brand new phone
edit: i also wanted to note i bought mine USED off a random stranger..they still honored the one year warranty the very first time i had an issue
Did you have your phone rooted (with diff ROM's such as COG)? If so, did you restore it before sending it back (odin to stock, master clear)?
I'm wondering if Best Buy would have a better warranty policy. I'm gonna get a cap by the end of the week!
Thanks,
JOe K.
I've been messing with mine a bit and I've tried both the suggested settings as well as the stock ones and it hasn't been that great. Now I am running the stock rom right now. I'm going to update with the OTA one and see if it helps at all tomorrow. If not then I'll likely go ahead and exchange it at AT&T for another unit citing GPS issues while moving. It does get a lock while standing still. Usually once it sees 10 sats it decides to lock on half of them and hold that. It never really got a lock moving though. I had someone else drive while I kept it close to a window and nothing even with wireless assist.
JOe K. said:
Did you have your phone rooted (with diff ROM's such as COG)? If so, did you restore it before sending it back (odin to stock, master clear)?
I'm wondering if Best Buy would have a better warranty policy. I'm gonna get a cap by the end of the week!
Thanks,
JOe K.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first one couldnt even power on after a failed flash so i couldnt do anything. on the second i just odin one click to stock and master clear. its possible best buy 'might' have a better policy but being they are still selling through ATT i imagine there is still the 30 day in store policy like most..
just ask about the instore before you buy. i went into this knowing how i would be covered before hand id say do the same here too
So long story short I lost my phone a week ago, one with terrible gps I should add, I didn't get the standard 5 dollar a month insurance from the death star, the guy at the wireless place offered me some other option where you pay a hundred up front but the deductible was only fifty so I did it thank god.
The insurance was through protect cell. So i filed a claim and they two dayed me phone feddy ex new sim card all. So i activated the phone and what do you know it has constant, i mean extremely constant random shutdown, like every 20 minutes while the battery was over 50 percent. So i the insurance company back and what do you the had the cap on back order so instead of being able to over night me a phone I had to deal with random shutdowns for a few days.
So the new phone finally arrived today and so far no random shutdowns and I did a gps test today and it worked extremely better than ever before. Hopefully this continues. Because I did hear fresh phones are more apt to have a functionable gps.
So to everyone with some sort of issue I suggest using those one year manufacturers warranties until you get a completely functionable phone. I do understand that is a big hassle for most of us and we shouldn't have to do all that to get a working phone but imo its better then having a phone that is lacking in some of its functionability.
Now more testing on custom rom and I am all set, praying gps maintains cuz it's a dealbreaker for me
I got my replacement phone last week (random shutdowns). The replacement had 4 shutdowns in less than 24 hours, the phone I was replacing had 4 shutdowns in 2 months. Called and *****ed that the replacement was within the same IMEI range as the affected phones. They overnighted another phone without waiting for the first or second phone to be returned. Third phone is working fine so far. GPS on Andromeda 1.2 is awesome.
Yea my phone also falls into the random shutdown range sadly, but hey so did my first one and I hadnt had any problems with it. Curious do you have insurance through att or did you get your replacement through warranty?
Fortunately, I live within 25 miles of a AT&T Tech Center - right next to an AT&T Sales Store - and they always have the Cap in stock. I'm on my 4th one, due to hardware issues - all at 0 cost under warranty. They were nice enough to show me that the new phone would boot to recovery, lol.
Happily running Serendipity 5.12, and patiently awaiting Gingerbread.
Thanks to all the devs and members at xda forums for your tireless enthusiasm!
No insurance, all replaced under warranty.
well its day two and I'm now running andromeda, gps is decent but not spectacular. Scheming on an inspire now
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
Held out since Dec 2010...replacement on the way
There are quite a few threads about the Captivate Shutdown issue, and actually there are a few with some good observations on how to potentially correct it, but ultimately it needs to be replaced
So, what have I tried:
1) Captivate Keep Alive: Works, but battery drain...and non solution.
2) Load Monitor: Works, not a huge battery drain...still, does not fix the underlying issue.
3) Contrary to what many have said, a custom rom/custom kernel does not fix the issue.
4) It does appear some have had success with cleaning battery terminals, and a few have stated Samsung replaced the battery terminals and it fixed the issue.
I called At&t today, 03/08/2011, they asked me for the IMEI code and what color the water damage indicators where (pink or white?). No water damage here, so white please.
They are doing an exchange by mail, since I do not live close to a repair center...I have 14-days to ship the original back. It was quick and to the point. The replacement is a "refurbished device" direct from the manufacturer. Fingers crossed that I do not experience this again on the replacement as others have.
Hope this helps someone sitting on the fence on whether or not to ship theirs back. Remember to unroot, unlag, and otherwise un-fun your phone before shipping back
Enigma
Hi guys,
I just bought a captivate from a authorized ATT dealer, it is a refurbished and I have always been lucky with refurbished products so I did not think twice about getting it. However I won't have a warranty on it, so I am starting to reconsider, thinking that if I have one that randomly shutdown, I will be stuck with a faulty phone and will lose my money since apparently nothing really fixes the problem completely.
So, I have the option to return the phone within 7 days, should I just forget about this phone and just send it right when I get it and just pick another phone. If I had a year to try it, I would keep it, but 7 days... I just don't know what to do, any advice?
Did you already try using setCPU to up the minimum frequency to 200Mhz? Worked for me and many others!
wuddersup said:
Did you already try using setCPU to up the minimum frequency to 200Mhz? Worked for me and many others!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I am supposed to receive the phone on Tuesday, but I am asking in advance because I only have 7 days to return it and for what I read on the board the problem might not show up right away. If there was a fix that unanimously worked I had no issue keeping the phone but it seems like a lot of fixes only work for a minority. Am I wrong and I missed the fix that is believed to work for most?
Why would you accept a faulty phone when you know for the same price, you could have gotten a phone w/o fault.
Refurbs are warranted for 90 days.
wuddersup said:
Did you already try using setCPU to up the minimum frequency to 200Mhz? Worked for me and many others!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Confused on how changing the cpu frequency could prevent showdowns since the problem is faulty ram
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Like miami said. U should have 90 day warranty on a refurb.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I just recieved a refurb on warranty because my "New" Captivated had the dreaded shutdown issue. I tried SetCPU on it but to no avail. Funny thing is it didn't start happening until after the Froyo upgrade... darn closet gremlins. The refurb is an older build date than the one I purchased new and so far so good. I'd imagine that since it is a factory refurb it is up to par in specs since they recognized and addressed the shutdown issue. I wouldn't sweat it.
Well, it is a ebay purchase so the return policy is just what the seller is saying. So how would I get 90 days warranty?
Is it now sure it is a faulty ram? Would newer phone not have the problem then?
im not sure, you are going to have to look it up,
but the shut down issue only affects the older build numbers i believe.
i think... never had the issue so havent specifically read up on it.. just what i think i remember in reading though thousands of posts....
not sure what the build number was....
My build number and imei is in the range of the shutdown issue. It is a refurb from a insurance claim, so maybe that's why I don't have a shutdown problem.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Just my opinion!
I wouldn't even think or touching a refurb captivate from an ebay reseller unless the cost was so low that the risk was worth taking, for a couple of reasons.
I once bought a treo refurb on ebay. The first one would not receive phone calls so it had to go back. The second one worked fine initially, but the phone failed down the line several months later. I wound up using it as a pda and having another phone. Had no recourse because I got it cheap.
My Captivate, purchased from AT&T in August, developed the random shutdown problem. The first random shutdown was sometime in late November. Fortunately, since it was under AT&T Warranty, I got a replacement earlier this year that has been solid so far. But given the history of the Captivate, not only with random shutdowns, but GPS, etc., I wouldn't put any serious money into one without a warranty.
Edit: here's the info about imei numbers - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10037509&postcount=24
oh crap... i think this happened to me last night while i was on the phone....
rebooted straight to rom loading screen, no i896 or kernel boot screen...
is that how it behaves? or is that something new?
creepyncrawly said:
Just my opinion!
I wouldn't even think or touching a refurb captivate from an ebay reseller unless the cost was so low that the risk was worth taking, for a couple of reasons.
I once bought a treo refurb on ebay. The first one would not receive phone calls so it had to go back. The second one worked fine initially, but the phone failed down the line several months later. I wound up using it as a pda and having another phone. Had no recourse because I got it cheap.
My Captivate, purchased from AT&T in August, developed the random shutdown problem. The first random shutdown was sometime in late November. Fortunately, since it was under AT&T Warranty, I got a replacement earlier this year that has been solid so far. But given the history of the Captivate, not only with random shutdowns, but GPS, etc., I wouldn't put any serious money into one without a warranty.
Edit: here's the info about imei numbers - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10037509&postcount=24
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had refurbished products that worked great in the past, so this is not what really concerns me. But I guess overall people seem to be satisfied with the captivate that I was willing to give it a try, even with the gps problem. At first I thought it was on the first batch of captivates so I though I was fine, but I keep hearing people having a phone bought in Jan 2011 with the problem, so I am a bit anxious.
I paid $240. It is supposed to be manufactured refurbished, so I though it was a good deal considering even used captivates were going way over 300 on ebay. But maybe I just return it without opening it after all.
That too bad because the captivate is the phone that fitted most my needs with a decent price range.
TRusselo said:
oh crap... i think this happened to me last night while i was on the phone....
rebooted straight to rom loading screen, no i896 or kernel boot screen...
is that how it behaves? or is that something new?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure. Did your phone come directly from Rodgers? Are they known to have the random shutdown issue? I guess you need to find that out first.
My first phone only shut down when it was on idle, never when I was using it, and only once when it was on the charger. As far as rebooting after the shutdown, it behaved differently on different occassions, but it didn't reboot spontaneously. I would pick it up to use it, and it would be off. I would have to long press the start button to reboot.
caribbean_spur said:
I have had refurbished products that worked great in the past, so this is not what really concerns me. But I guess overall people seem to be satisfied with the captivate that I was willing to give it a try, even with the gps problem. At first I thought it was on the first batch of captivates so I though I was fine, but I keep hearing people having a phone bought in Jan 2011 with the problem, so I am a bit anxious.
I paid $240. It is supposed to be manufactured refurbished, so I though it was a good deal considering even used captivates were going way over 300 on ebay. But maybe I just return it without opening it after all.
That too bad because the captivate is the phone that fitted most my needs with a decent price range.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm guessing you don't plan to use the phone on AT&T, and maybe are not in USA? You might look into seeing if you would have warranty coverage directly from Samsung. In my life, $240 would be a bit much to pay if something goes wrong and you have no recourse. I paid around $200.00 directly from AT&T with 2 year commitment on my existing plan.
The random shutdown issue is well know to both AT&T and Samsung, and phones manufactured since about December seem to have good GPS as well as not have the random shutdown issue.
creepyncrawly said:
The random shutdown issue is well know to both AT&T and Samsung, and phones manufactured since about December seem to have good GPS as well as not have the random shutdown issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying to figure out if I have some kind of warranty through Samsung. Also, if what you are saying is correct about phones made after Dec, I will wait to see when the phone was made to decide it's fate. Do you have an idea how I can know when the phone was made?
By the way, thanks for your inputs!
Well according to the samsung website, warranty is only for original purchaser. Now I have no idea how that works for att authorized dealer on ebay.
I mean by calling atnt and having them send you a replacement? I was wondering what model numbers they are shipping and if anyone is having any problems? Ive gotten about 4 replacements in the past 2 months from my local device service center and they all have developed random shutdowns. Ironically my first phone (1009) didnt have a problem but I exchanged it for the gps. And all the replacements had perfect gps but all developed random shutdowns (1008 batches).
I noticed the first random shutdowns on the first few phones would shutdown in my pocket and would turn on normally. My most recent phone is shutting down while charging and the battery needs to be removed. These all all refurbished phones...
So I dont know if I should go to my local store and hopefully they got a new batch or contact atnt via phone and have them ship me one.
NascarFastcar said:
I mean by calling atnt and having them send you a replacement? I was wondering what model numbers they are shipping and if anyone is having any problems? Ive gotten about 4 replacements in the past 2 months from my local device service center and they all have developed random shutdowns. Ironically my first phone (1009) didnt have a problem but I exchanged it for the gps. And all the replacements had perfect gps but all developed random shutdowns (1008 batches).
I noticed the first random shutdowns on the first few phones would shutdown in my pocket and would turn on normally. My most recent phone is shutting down while charging and the battery needs to be removed. These all all refurbished phones...
So I dont know if I should go to my local store and hopefully they got a new batch or contact atnt via phone and have them ship me one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my wife just got a refurb about a month ago and her build is 1006
nyydynasty said:
my wife just got a refurb about a month ago and her build is 1006
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Click to collapse
I shouldn't thought twice because I know someone is gonna post about how the numbers dont matter. But I was just wondering. How is the phone doing? gps, shutting down etc? I just think my local store has a bad batch.
In october I took back original 1006 build with shutdown issue. Since it was radio shack and people around here dont know ****, they still had new ones so I exchanged it for a NIB. Another 1006 build, never a single problem with it.
Got a replacement two weeks ago for my Captivate that "disappeared" at airport security. Went through the call-in process and got a refurbished phone without sign of normal wear and tear. Build is 1010 and so far everything is perfect (including the GPS which had never worked on my previous 1008). I have it running on CM7 installed on the SD and I'm amazed how much better this unit is than the previous one. Makes me almost glad the previous one flew the coop.
FishDoc said:
Got a replacement two weeks ago for my Captivate that "disappeared" at airport security. Went through the call-in process and got a refurbished phone without sign of normal wear and tear. Build is 1010 and so far everything is perfect (including the GPS which had never worked on my previous 1008). I have it running on CM7 installed on the SD and I'm amazed how much better this unit is than the previous one. Makes me almost glad the previous one flew the coop.
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Click to collapse
How long does the transaction take to ship and get to you? I know they just send the phone without a battery cover and battery. They also send a box to send the old one back in? The service center is about 20 mins from me but I just dont risk another bad one.
I just got two replacements from ATT this week. One for me, one for wife. Both are build 1102. Both old ones were 1006 (need to mail those back soon). I noticed the three button combo works of stock froyo, but stopped working when I flashed stock eclair with Odin. I tried to flash GB on mine, same way I did with my 1006, soft brick. Had to buy a jig.
They wanted to give me free 5 day shipping, or charge for 2 day shipping. I explained I don't have a home phone, really need my cell to work and fast, they waived the fee. Called on Saturday night, arrived on Tuesday morning.
Sent from my Captivate running Cognition
I've gotten 2 from AT&T since January, one for me and one for my girl. I've had zero problems. Both are 1007 models. I've flashed every ROM available on XDA.... multiple times... Smooth as can be. Sucks your having so many issues. This is a great phone. Very easy to work with. You would think it would be easy enough for them to make it all but new other then the cosmetic blemish here or there. I'm a big fan of putting up a stink if I don't get what was promised to me. If anything else goes wrong, I'd push for an upgrade... With the infuse out now, that would be a great way to go. I'm waiting to make any trouble till the SGS II comes out, then I'll figure out a way to get one for free
Just got one a week and a half ago. build 1010
If there's a ATT repair store in your town, you can get a replacement in about 15min.
I sent my 1008 in for exchange due to random shutdown, paid for 2nd day shipping, received 1010 no shut downs and gps is ok.
NascarFastcar said:
How long does the transaction take to ship and get to you? I know they just send the phone without a battery cover and battery. They also send a box to send the old one back in? The service center is about 20 mins from me but I just dont risk another bad one.
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48 hours from call-in to delivery of the "new" refurbished unit.
axis01 said:
If there's a ATT repair store in your town, you can get a replacement in about 15min.
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Thats what I've been doing. But about a week or two in every phone develops shutdowns. I should make a fuss and see if they will give me a new one out of the box.
So wait ya'll haven't paid the $ for a refurbished cap through arts warranty?!
I got my refurbished cappy about a month ago,its a 1007 build.Had some issues with stock kb1 and a lota random restarts on ff 3.0 but ever since the switch to continuum 4(basicly onix kernel) all my issues were gone and became a happy cappy user About the gps : doesnt matter what rom I was on the gps fix from plumbob did it for me,get locks even with 70mph and tue tracking works just fine(no complaints) just be sure to follow the instructions prior flashing the fix.Also for me here in Hungary kb1 modem works the best but jk4 performance is acceptable to,so I dont feel the urge to switch to GB yet since everything runs smoooooth.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
xThe Enforcer said:
So wait ya'll haven't paid the $ for a refurbished cap through arts warranty?!
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Nope had about 4 refurbs in the past few months. Didn't have to pay a thing. But what fee are you talking about? But I never damaged a thing.
NascarFastcar said:
I shouldn't thought twice because I know someone is gonna post about how the numbers dont matter. But I was just wondering. How is the phone doing? gps, shutting down etc? I just think my local store has a bad batch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
phone is fine but no matter what ROM we put on there, her phone wont ring sometimes - which I dont understand how that is NOT a rom issue but its happened to all the rom's I installed since she got her refurb. Its random and a reboot usually fixes it for a while until it happens again. There are some other minor quirks that I can't remember too.
GPS is fine
no shutdown issues
NascarFastcar said:
Nope had about 4 refurbs in the past few months. Didn't have to pay a thing. But what fee are you talking about? But I never damaged a thing.
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Click to collapse
Well, I pay the $5 a month and I thought if you want a new phone through AT&T you have to pay some $?! Do they comp everyone who has the typical Captivate problems and waive the fee?
xThe Enforcer said:
Well, I pay the $5 a month and I thought if you want a new phone through AT&T you have to pay some $?! Do they comp everyone who has the typical Captivate problems and waive the fee?
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Click to collapse
I don't know. I don't have the $5 insurance. But every time I go get a refurb they offer it to me. But I never had to pay a dime when exchanging my phone at a service center and like someone said above it only takes about 10 mins.
Hmm, I'm using continuum now but I'm really not liking it. It has some issues like it lags on using the contact list. I've also had it randomly shut off. I was using fire fly before and it was fantastic, but I wanted to use netflix. Going to try out cyanogen.
Oh and I got a refurb 1007, which seems to have fixed my issues.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Well... As we all know, gps is **** on our captivates. That being said, i found a way to get a gps lock, and almost all the time..
However the method isnt as simple as opening up Gmaps and pressing my location.
I have only tried this with Apex 8.2
To do this.. you have to enter AngryGPS (*#3214789650#*)
Then go to tracking test... Wait for it to present values of your latitude and longitude.
Once these values are there... press maps, and voila
Uhhh seems like the code is for lbstest. Well if so... By using a test feature all you are really doing is turning your gps on(all the time). Which will basically always give you quick lock because the gps is always on unless you kill all your apps or re-open lbstest and back out. Not really a fix, more of a drain on your battery. Only true fix for older models of this phone is to get a refurb'd from atnt/rogers in your case. (not samsung).
Once opened, Angry gps looks just like lbstest. For some reason it was renamed.
Just need to figure out a way to do this with Tasker.
Ah, in that case.. cant you just program tasker to only turn gps on when you open maps or a navigation app?
kimocal said:
Just need to figure out a way to do this with Tasker.
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Yeah, but how do you program tasker to open up lbstestmode... then run the tracking test... wait about 10 seconds... then open up maps?
So let me see if I get this straight. You start GPS, wait till it gets a lock and then open maps and you have a lock?
that's what we used to do on Eclair.
NascarFastcar is right, the only real way to have a working GPS is to get a refurbished unit. Most of us early adopters are going past our 1 year mark, so if you haven't, get one quick!
I still have a couple months in my warranty left. What problem would I go to them with?
The GPS is fixed on a refurb?
supaphreek said:
I still have a couple months in my warranty left. What problem would I go to them with?
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Tell them the gps dosent work. That's all. They will most likely try to get a lock indoors lol and then they will just give you a refurbed. They like to use google maps. I tried to show them gps test etc and they tried to blame my gps not working via a 3rd party app.
ifederov said:
The GPS is fixed on a refurb?
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Click to collapse
Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.
NascarFastcar said:
Tell them the gps dosent work. That's all. They will most likely try to get a lock indoors lol and then they will just give you a refurbed. They like to use google maps. I tried to show them gps test etc and they tried to blame my gps not working via a 3rd party app.
Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay... but im currently running apex 8.2.. So i cant go to them with a rooted and rommed phone. Do i downgrade to a 2.2 stock rogers rom?
NascarFastcar said:
Well since april 2011. All refurbs seem to have been fixed. Still have to watch out for older modeled refurbs that still might have random shutdowns. I know had about 6 refurbs with shutdowns after a week or two. But they all had great gps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree that the gps is fixed. I just got a refurb about 6 weeks ago. The gps worked awesome for a few weeks. It now sucks eggs - actually worse than my last phone. Totally stock, just like my previous phone. I don't know the build number because it has a weird refurb sticker that doesn't have a build number on it.
-Rich
Take it back and get another one until they give you one that works.
cappysw10 said:
Take it back and get another one until they give you one that works.
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Click to collapse
I've learned how to use it. I know others have tried, but here are the ONLY real instructions that work:
1) You have to always look 2 steps ahead of what it says when using Google Maps on a Captivate because you never know when all of a sudden it will think you're on a different street and start giving you directions on how to get back on the correct path.
2) When she it starts telling you how to correct yourself (when you're actually already on the right path) learn how to IGNORE it or it will confuse you
3) It's ok for occasional use, but always and I mean ALWAYS have a real GPS handy in the glove compartment for the occasions when your Captivate decides that it isn't in the mood to lock onto any statellites even when it sees 7 or 8 with a with strong signals
4) Always have a real GPS handy when your Captivate can't locate ANY satellites.
5) When in Maine or rural New Hampshire don't even think about using your Captivate!!!
6) Overlook it's GPS defects because it's so awesome in every other way.
Does this post earn a sticky? We should coin a pharse that encompasses all of the above (you know your Captivate has trained you in a similar manor).
richb500 said:
I've learned how to use it. I know others have tried, but here are the ONLY real instructions that work:
1) You have to always look 2 steps ahead of what it says when using Google Maps on a Captivate because you never know when all of a sudden it will think you're on a different street and start giving you directions on how to get back on the correct path.
2) When she it starts telling you how to correct yourself (when you're actually already on the right path) learn how to IGNORE it or it will confuse you
3) It's ok for occasional use, but always and I mean ALWAYS have a real GPS handy in the glove compartment for the occasions when your Captivate decides that it isn't in the mood to lock onto any statellites even when it sees 7 or 8 with a with strong signals
4) Always have a real GPS handy when your Captivate can't locate ANY satellites.
5) When in Maine or rural New Hampshire don't even think about using your Captivate!!!
6) Overlook it's GPS defects because it's so awesome in every other way.
Does this post earn a sticky? We should coin a pharse that encompasses all of the above (you know your Captivate has trained you in a similar manor).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah but you see, i dont drive. Well i do... but i dont have a car. So public transport is what i use and luckily, google maps supports it. Basically all i need is a position lock, rather than finding my house, tracking down whatever streets i used to get to wherever i am, then selecting that as a point...
I returned my 1008 Captivate because of random shutdowns last week and received a 1007 refurb and the GPS was perfect on 2.2.1 and continues to be perfect on Apex 8.2. Also, no random shutdowns.
Exchanged a 1007 Captivate in My, got a 1010 refurb. GPS is about 98% as good as my Garmin GPS in one car. In the other, there must be some kind of interference scit doesn't keep a good signal in the location I put it navigate.
I find it fun to see the difference in the routes they provide.
The 1010 model can also track me walking on the sidewalk. I was watching Google Earth zoomed in as far as it would go.
+1 on returning the phone to an AT&T device service center. I went several weeks back and tested my phone when I got home and it was worse. Went back the next day, the girl there first turned on the "use mobile network" option and told me the gps was now working. I got a little aggrevated but politely pressed on, she then told me the samsung captivate has no gps in it, this sparked my asshole lawyer mode. After making the girl feel embarrased in front of her coworkers for insulting my intelligence I demanded a different rep work with me. I had him go thru 7 phones before getting one that had a working gps. After the 2nd, they told me I would have to call customer service, I laughed and told them that this is a customer service center and my contract entitles me to burn through every single unit they have until they fix my device issue. After the 6th the guy finally paid attention to what I was telling them about looking at the build number (because they have to send all those phones back to samsung). I now have an 1101 that has been working great for about a month. If it screws up again I will go ruin their day again.