Encountered my first KIRF phone today - General Topics

For years now, I've been hearing about and seeing examples online of knockoff phones floating around. I never thought I would actually come across one, however, until today.
I work at a major retailer and a customer comes up to me today with a manilla envelope and says that she wants me to setup her phone. She had bought a SIM online from prepaid service and came to the store to buy an airtime card. She then pulls out a phone from the envelope. I see a white "Samsung" phone. It looked to be something similar to a Galaxy S III Mini or Galaxy Express. I didn't think of anything when I first saw it, but I did first look for carrier branding to make sure it wasn't carrier locked. I saw none. The phone also had a hard plastic case on it with a strangely-skewed Android logo on it.
Upon closer inspection when I took the phone over to my work counter, I noticed some oddities. The screen seemed a bit strange. It was resistive. That was the first alarm. I then noticed that the "Samsung" logos on the phone were actually decals or stickers stuck to the front and back of the phone as opposed to being screen printed on, like they should be. After prying the back off, I noticed a really lightweight, cheap looking battery, with no branding whatsoever. There were also two SIM slots with two different IMEIs. I know that some international variants of certain phones have two SIM slots, but I've never actually seen one. Another alarm was something that was printed on the back of the phone under the battery: "Model: i9300." This was defiantly not a Galaxy S III.
I called into the carrier and had the SIM activated. Everything on that end seemed to go through just fine. I put the SIM into the phone and booted it up. I was greeted with a really cheesy boot animation of a stylized Galaxy S logo. When the UI finally loaded, I noticed something reminiscent of a Gingerbread-based TouchWiz homescreen. The fonts were some really pixelated serif fonts and all of the icons and "widgets" on the homescreen were really bad looking icons. When I finally found the settings menu, I dug around looking for APN and after quite a while, I finally found them. I struggled to use the onscreen keyboard with a stylus and put in all the correct settings. I rebooted the phone and was unable to make any calls. A few other oddities that I noticed were an articulating extendable antenna popping from the top of the phone and a "WiFi" logo under the battery. I could find no actual WiFi functions in the software. After playing around with all the call and APN settings, I decided to break the news to the customer.
She said that a "tech-savvy" friend of hers bought the phone for her online for $80. It was hard to tell someone they just basically bought an $80 paperweight. She left and then came back after a short time (after saying she had cried) wanting to buy a "real" Samsung phone. So about $150 later, she had an actual Samsung that was actually able to function as a smartphone should.
Not sure what I want anyone to get from this story; I just thought it was interesting and I thought I'd share it. I just wish I had gotten pictures of the actual phone. Oh well.

Just wow. I've heard about good "fakes", but it's sad that that one was completely unusable.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

beanboy89 said:
For years now, I've been hearing about and seeing examples online of knockoff phones floating around. I never thought I would actually come across one, however, until today.
I work at a major retailer and a customer comes up to me today with a manilla envelope and says that she wants me to setup her phone. She had bought a SIM online from prepaid service and came to the store to buy an airtime card. She then pulls out a phone from the envelope. I see a white "Samsung" phone. It looked to be something similar to a Galaxy S III Mini or Galaxy Express. I didn't think of anything when I first saw it, but I did first look for carrier branding to make sure it wasn't carrier locked. I saw none. The phone also had a hard plastic case on it with a strangely-skewed Android logo on it.
Upon closer inspection when I took the phone over to my work counter, I noticed some oddities. The screen seemed a bit strange. It was resistive. That was the first alarm. I then noticed that the "Samsung" logos on the phone were actually decals or stickers stuck to the front and back of the phone as opposed to being screen printed on, like they should be. After prying the back off, I noticed a really lightweight, cheap looking battery, with no branding whatsoever. There were also two SIM slots with two different IMEIs. I know that some international variants of certain phones have two SIM slots, but I've never actually seen one. Another alarm was something that was printed on the back of the phone under the battery: "Model: i9300." This was defiantly not a Galaxy S III.
I called into the carrier and had the SIM activated. Everything on that end seemed to go through just fine. I put the SIM into the phone and booted it up. I was greeted with a really cheesy boot animation of a stylized Galaxy S logo. When the UI finally loaded, I noticed something reminiscent of a Gingerbread-based TouchWiz homescreen. The fonts were some really pixelated serif fonts and all of the icons and "widgets" on the homescreen were really bad looking icons. When I finally found the settings menu, I dug around looking for APN and after quite a while, I finally found them. I struggled to use the onscreen keyboard with a stylus and put in all the correct settings. I rebooted the phone and was unable to make any calls. A few other oddities that I noticed were an articulating extendable antenna popping from the top of the phone and a "WiFi" logo under the battery. I could find no actual WiFi functions in the software. After playing around with all the call and APN settings, I decided to break the news to the customer.
She said that a "tech-savvy" friend of hers bought the phone for her online for $80. It was hard to tell someone they just basically bought an $80 paperweight. She left and then came back after a short time (after saying she had cried) wanting to buy a "real" Samsung phone. So about $150 later, she had an actual Samsung that was actually able to function as a smartphone should.
Not sure what I want anyone to get from this story; I just thought it was interesting and I thought I'd share it. I just wish I had gotten pictures of the actual phone. Oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My friend got suckered into buying a phone that's similar to be the one you described. I took some pics of it. He's pissed as he paid $300 expecting a real GS3.

Related

[Q] broke my infuse glass

So, I broke the glass on my Infuse a week ago. The LCD touchscreen beneath it is in perfect condition without any noticeable defects. I have dropped my phone from over 5' onto concrete multiple times in the past and nothing broke those times, but I went to get out of my car and it slipped out of my pocket and fell one foot onto asphalt and the screen shattered, at least the bottom half. It sucks, but it happens, right? That is why I pay $5 /month for insurance, it is an expensive phone that i don't want to replace out of pocket. Well, it turns out that the last time I had to file an insurance claim they hadn't updated their pricing policy. It use to be $50 for a claim, but now it is $200! Ridiculously expensive if I say so myself. I went onto ebay and found that they sell the LCD, glass, and tools for $190, but this is an outdated phone, well AT&T doesn't sell it anymore at least. Why would I want to spend close to $200 for a new screen when I only spent $80 to buy the phone 15 months ago???
Now onto my real question:
1) Should I buy the screen replacement and fix it myself? I'm generally really good with electronics... and I've replaced screens in flip phones before.
2) Should I open a new line on my existing account for $10 a month and get the galaxy s3 for $170 and just put my sim card in the phone?
3) or should I go through AT&T's replacement service and get w/e phone they want to give me? (What phone replaced the Infuse anyway?)
What do you guys think I should do?
I have cracked glass on my Infuse (LCD still works fine in my case, I assume it does for you as well).
Here are what I think are the three best options (no particular order)
1 - Send it to Samsung for repair. They'll do it for about $156, including shipping both ways (they send you a shipping envelope). But you'll lose your phone for 1 to 2 weeks.Contact phone number: 1-888-987-4357
2 - Get a used phone on ebay, craigslist, etc.
3 - Live with it and hope it gets better. This may sound wacky, but I have a cracked phone glass and it really honestly seems to have gotten "better" over time. I'm not kidding.
Part of is switching your apps to dark background so you don't notice the cracks as much (and save battery anyway)..
part of it is getting used to the cracks so they don't catch your attention...
and here's the wacky part ... in my case some of the cracks have "gone away" or gotten smaller since the initial damage. I know that sounds silly and I certainly can't explain why it did that (other than to say this is not normal glass), but that is what I observed with my own eyes.
I don't think replacing the whole LCD unit is an attractive option. It costs $150 and you can get a new phone or have Samsung fix it for that much. It is a somewhat delicate procedure from what I have heard so after spending tht $150 there's a small chance you may not have fixed anything.
There is also Infuse Glass for sale for $10 or so but it is apparently unusable... can't replace glass without replacing the entire LCD unit (they're glued together)
you might want to double check ATT website. i got my refurbished infuse for 1 penny. flawless, looked and worked like brand new. so good, i got one for my sister too.
I have an infuse that I'm willing to sell for 150. Everything works besides the USB port being wonky at times...sometimes it works, others it doesn't. So for 150 you could repair your phone and gain another battery/everything else for the same price as sending it to Samsung.
I advise against adding a line...yeah its 170 up front but add another 240 for 10 bucks a month extra over two years. So that's paying essentially 410 for that s3...same with buying it for a penny online...paying 240 for another infuse over two years.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
electricpete1 said:
3 - Live with it and hope it gets better. This may sound wacky, but I have a cracked phone glass and it really honestly seems to have gotten "better" over time. I'm not kidding.
Part of is switching your apps to dark background so you don't notice the cracks as much (and save battery anyway)..
part of it is getting used to the cracks so they don't catch your attention...
and here's the wacky part ... in my case some of the cracks have "gone away" or gotten smaller since the initial damage. I know that sounds silly and I certainly can't explain why it did that (other than to say this is not normal glass), but that is what I observed with my own eyes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Attached are pictures immediately after I dropped my phone. I took them using front-facing camera mode.
Here are photos of the same phone (not repaired) today, about 5 months after I dropped it.
I was not able to recreate the exact same view (not sure how I originally managed to use front-facing camera and mirror to get photo of screen without seeing picture within picture type thing).
But I hope you can see it is a lot better. Tough to capture in pictures but there is no doubt in my mind the cracks somehow got better.
Your cracks got better likely because of the adhesive on your screen protector. That is a decent idea for the op to try though...if no chunks of glass are missing, they could try seeing if a screen protector makes the cracks less noticeable
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I have a screen protector on the phone right now and that is the only reason I'm able to use it. I'll post some pictures in a few showing how it looks.
captemo: How were you able to get an Infuse for $0.01? Was it an upgrade/new line/new customer deal?
electricpete1: they showed up when I posted my reply. Interesting...Makes me wonder what type of nearly self healing glass they implemented on your phone! lol Well, that is interesting, I can still see the impact site on the 5 months after photos, but the cracks seem to be nearly invisible now. [[]]edit[[]]For some reason your images are not showing up.[[]]edit[[]] I'll take a look on another browser and see what it looks like. But I am using a screen protector already.
welchertc: I was actually ready for an upgrade in a month but the account holder was a few hours late on his scheduled payment for an over due account and it bumped my upgrade deadline to July next year. So I would technically keep the new line for 7 months, then deactivate my current line and transfer the number over. (I believe that it possible...correct me if I am wrong though) I'll think about buying your infuse. Could you either show a picture of the screen or describe its condition? Mine was flawless, until it dropped that is.
So, my options are either buy a used one for $50 less, claim insurance, send to samsung (Should I keep the custom rom on the phone or will this send up red flags? I'm running Jellybean), or live with it until I can upgrade?
welchertc said:
Your cracks got better likely because of the adhesive on your screen protector. That is a decent idea for the op to try though...if no chunks of glass are missing, they could try seeing if a screen protector makes the cracks less noticeable
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have the same screen protector on there now that was on there when it cracked (didn't change it).
Maybe the screen protector somehow played a role in the appearance of cracks going away (even though it's the same screen protector).
Maybe the adhesive is soaking into the cracks. Maybe the protector started to pull away from the crack so hides it a little.
Beats me.
Rhamza161 said:
But I am using a screen protector already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as I was. For whatever reason, the screen that looked horrible 5 months ago after I dropped it looks great now... and I didn't do anything (including didn't change screen protector). I was on the verge of spending $156 to have Samsung fix it, and the only reason I didn't was that I didn't want to give up my phone for the period of 1-2 weeks required for that shipping/repair. Now, based on all the factors I mentioned (using black background, getting used to it, and cracked appearance going away somewhat) I'm glad I didn't spend that money.
here are the pictures:
To me, it looks similar to how mine looked. Heavy damage in one corner with cracks spreading accross the screen.
You could try waiting a month or two (three tops). If you see no change, then go ahead and find your replacement. But you might be pleasantly surprised with substantial improvement in appearance (like I was). In the meantime, set your apps and wallpaper to black for very dark backround.
I think I'll wait and see if I can live with it for a month, and if I cannot...then I'll see about replacing the screen first. I'll start the contact with samsung within the week though. I'd rather get the information now and be able to get the replacement screen as quick as possible if I decide to go that route.
Thanks for the advice guys.
Rhamza161 said:
I think I'll wait and see if I can live with it for a month, and if I cannot...then I'll see about replacing the screen first. I'll start the contact with samsung within the week though. I'd rather get the information now and be able to get the replacement screen as quick as possible if I decide to go that route.
Thanks for the advice guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. I think it was about two months before I noticed the change. I wasn't expecting a change and therefore wasn't looking for a change, so may not have been really observant. You on the other hand have very good quality pictures of screen and will be watching closely.
** Please do come back here and let us know how it turns out.
(I have zero doubt about what I saw, but I also understand it's difficult for anyone else to believe... would feel better if someone else reports similar observations)
I'm always on the forum, but rarely post because the only threads I usually watch are the ones dealing with development. I'll be sure to let you know about the glass though,
Rhamza161 said:
3) or should I go through AT&T's replacement service and get w/e phone they want to give me? (What phone replaced the Infuse anyway?)
What do you guys think I should do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to know what phone replaced the infuse too, especially since its officially considered an obsolete phone now.
As a matter of fact Rhamza, that's the case you should build to AT&T-that the phone is obsolete. I've heard plenty of cases, including myself, of complaints to service providers and getting whatever it is you want, so long as your nice and get a compliant tech in the line.
Tell them (if u want) that "my cat knocked my phone off the table, breaking my screen. I see that this phone is totally obsolete and unavailable to purchase at any authorized att retailers... I feel I deserve a replacement because"...etc..
I've heard of people getting galaxy phones for the infuse, so it always worth shot. The worst that could happen is they say no.
In this economy never pay a dollar more for something if you don't have to. Millionaires don't.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app
Hm, interesting. I'll give it a try. I mean it is worth a shot.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app on jellybean rom.
I finally just went ahead and called samsung and they said the replacement screens including the LCD would cost exactly $155.88 including shipping. I don't think I'll go that route. I get paid Thursday for over 50 hours so AT&T will be contacted about a broken screen.
electricpete1: I have noticed that some parts of the screen do actually look better, however the 4 buttons on the bottom of the screen are starting to not work because of lost glass even after placing a screen protector over the loose pieces. I think they just came off of the LCD portion.
Sliding the unlock to the right on JB (CM10 unofficial) is starting to require a little more pressure than normal.
honestly i'd send it to samsung unless you have insurance, i had bad luck with replacement parts from china despite them having official "samsung" branding and looking legit. the insurance might get you a phone you don't wan't. since i think (not sure) they deal in refurbed phones for insurance but it might however get you an i-777 sgs2 (a nice upgrade if you like the smaller size) since it looks like hey still have new and refurbed i777s in stock online depited it being long out of production like the infuse. but if they a replacement phone you don't want then samsung is the best way to go unless you find a repair service that has a good warranty policy. i've replaced the screen on one of my infuses myself for a single crack across the screen that was barely visable, the replacement screen burned out in under 2 months and it cost me more than what samsung quoted you to fix yours,at the time i didn't want to be without my phone while waiting for a repair and it cost me.
Well I went ahead and went through the insurance company. Supposedly I coudl have had a choice in the phone I was given, but when I clicked on the "Choose more" button it sent me to the same phone, the Galaxy S2 Skyrocket and it said "If you click on 'more options again, you'll be directed to an associate who will attempt to help solve your problem and will not be allowed to continue online at any point" So I stayed with the Skyrocket for now...I'm honestly not sure how I'll like it. Some websites say that the screen is 0.2" smaller than the infuse, other say it is the same. I love my Infuse, but I would rather get a new phone, not one that is a year old already (the skyrocket came out last year in October after all). The phone should be here tomorrow sometime, so I'll report back and let you guys know if it is refurbished or new. In a way I hope that there is something wrong or something I dislike so I can justify attempting to get a nicer, newer phone.
But at least it is coming with ICS and the screen is not broken and there is a modding community here that is amazing! So even if it isn't the best phone I've ever used, it'll still be better than nothing and I can have JB on it within the hour of it arriving. lol
well there was something wrong with it out of the box. (Of course right?) I called Asurion and she said "we'll send you a shipping label and you can send it back to us and when we receive it we'll send you another one right back."
"Wait, I don't have another phone to use while this one is being processed and shipped. What will I do without a phone? I need it for work!"
"Well, go to AT&T and see if they will loan you a phone for about two weeks while we send you another one, but I've never heard of them doing it before."
"Why can't you send me a new phone and when I receive it, I'll send the defective one back?"
"It doesn't work like that."
"If AT&T doesn't hand out a phone for a loan and I miss work because of it, will your company compensate me my $10/hr wage and contact my bosses and explain to them that it is your fault that I missed work?"
"Um, no we can't do that either."
"[[]]sigh[[]] just send me the shipping label and be done with it. This is ridiculous."
"okay. Have a good night." and she hung up the phone.
wth? Rude and not helpful at all. The new phone that I was sent had a defective mic, both on normal calls and speaker phone calls. The AT&T customer service person was really polite and helped me though their trouble shooting guide for the phone and ended up having me go down to AT&T to get a new SIM card. That didn't work, but they activated the new SIM and added the phone to my plan. So the next AT&T rep sent me a phone number to Asurion to get it replaced, because I have 30 days to report a defective device. Well the previous conversation ensued and I find that I am really not satisfied with their representatives. I should have been recording it! jeez.
Here are some photos I took of my Infuse before I put it into the shipping box three days ago.

Second faulty Z3 - screen glitches while scrolling

Hello all,
So my first Z3 broke the day I got it after getting wet. Was slightly annoyed. Spent two days finding an EE store that had one in stock to replace it. Finally, today I got my replacement Z3.
However, my joy was quickly shadowed by what appears to be faulty graphics, though hopefully one of you folks can shine some light on this issue.
Image: http://imgur.com/XmTsNNy
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuMhRA5dmtk
I'm getting black lines and glitches while scrolling in any app like Facebook, Reddit or even the phone's settings menu. The lines seem to actually replace entire letters, as you can see in the image above. I'm also getting some odd behaviour with live wallpapers, though games and benchmarks seem to run fine.
Anyone have any ideas? I've tried resetting it. I really don't want to have to go through the pain of finding a third replacement...
Edit: The actual problem seems constrained to one line of pixels, and flickers as text scrolls through that line.
kaineshutler said:
Hello all,
So my first Z3 broke the day I got it after getting wet. Was slightly annoyed. Spent two days finding an EE store that had one in stock to replace it. Finally, today I got my replacement Z3.
However, my joy was quickly shadowed by what appears to be faulty graphics, though hopefully one of you folks can shine some light on this issue.
Image: http://imgur.com/XmTsNNy
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuMhRA5dmtk
I'm getting black lines and glitches while scrolling in any app like Facebook, Reddit or even the phone's settings menu. The lines seem to actually replace entire letters, as you can see in the image above. I'm also getting some odd behaviour with live wallpapers, though games and benchmarks seem to run fine.
Anyone have any ideas? I've tried resetting it. I really don't want to have to go through the pain of finding a third replacement...
Edit: The actual problem seems constrained to one line of pixels, and flickers as text scrolls through that line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should've taken it to sony repair center earlier maybe it's because of that replacement you did? why not try taking it to repair center now?
I'd take it back again. They should give you a brand new one if its within 28 days.
Sony repair centres I believe are hard to find in England, at least i've never seen one.
Your gpu or software relating to gpu is nackered. Take it back to EE, there are no sony centres in most UK now and they will repair not replace. Be reasonable with EE and they'll swap it out again but when they do, you sit in store and check everything, I did in o2 and found a fault but because I was in store they just immediately swapped. Better than any more trips and you know you've got a solid phone.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
corallus said:
Your gpu or software relating to gpu is nackered. Take it back to EE, there are no sony centres in most UK now and they will repair not replace. Be reasonable with EE and they'll swap it out again but when they do, you sit in store and check everything, I did in o2 and found a fault but because I was in store they just immediately swapped. Better than any more trips and you know you've got a solid phone.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely agree with tihs. always open it in front of them and the fact you got a picture/ video as evidence will help your case.
corallus said:
Your gpu or software relating to gpu is nackered. Take it back to EE, there are no sony centres in most UK now and they will repair not replace. Be reasonable with EE and they'll swap it out again but when they do, you sit in store and check everything, I did in o2 and found a fault but because I was in store they just immediately swapped. Better than any more trips and you know you've got a solid phone.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I took it back and they tried telling me it was just because of a faulty sim card... -_- The same EE advisor also told me that the processor and RAM is inside the sim card, so I just needed to get a new sim and the issue would be fixed.
I'm not even joking.
Anyway, I was adamant that he replaced the phone and he did. The new unit is a beaut.
Thanks guys!
My beloved z3 cracked itself, let in water and died at 8 months old. I decided to claim on my insurance as I couldn't face the ordeal of trying to convince Sony that i hadn't damaged (or dropped/twisted/ hit/taken to below 1.5m of water etc) my phone and being told that I had damaged it myself and am either a liar or an idiot. My insurance company took nearly 3 weeks to return the repaired phone which was still very faulty, no Bluetooth, no wifi, no calls and no MAC address. I re-returned it, got it back again with the same faults and eventually got a new Z3 only to find screen faults of overall flickering and intermittent screen blurring like an old tv set.
I'll have to send this one back too, another week without a phone and another installation.
It is so sad that the Z3 which was by far my favourite phone so far and was hailed by Sony as robust and waterproof is so disappointing and fragile in real life. BTW my phone had always been in a case with screen protectors.

How to fix Galaxy S4 "Sim card removed" error

I'm sure plenty of you have had the dreaded "Sim card removed" error (as shown in the attached image) on your S4. I started getting this message mere months after purchasing my secondhand AT&T S4 (no warranty). But fear not, with about 20 minutes of your time and less than a dollar worth of parts, you can fix it!
(1st attached pic)
Why Does This Happen?
This error is usually due to a faulty connection between the motherboard and the SIM / MicroSD card tray. Likely it is due to a bad solder job on that connector.
Does a new SIM Tray fix it?
Extremely unlikely. Purchasing a new SIM tray will likely be wasted money. (EDIT: A new motherboard may fix the issue, and several people have had success with a new SIM tray)
How do I fix it already??
This is what you'll need:
Your S4
A micro Philips-head screwdriver
Scissors
A foam earplug (or something of similar texture)
Step 1: Disassemble your phone. Pull off the back cover, remove the battery and cards, then unscrew all 9 of the micro Philips screws. Then, take your fingernail and pry off the bezel from the rest of the phone, and slowly work your nail around the bezel until it pops off. (Don't force it!)
(Attached images 2, 3, and 4)
Step 2: Use your scissors or a razor blade to cut a section off of the foam earplug which is about the width of two dimes. I also cut a 1/4 segment out of mine so you don't see it sticking out when you put the bezel back together, but you don't absolutely need to do that.
(Attached images 5 & 6)
Step 3: Press down on the connector for the SIM / SD Card Tray until it "clicks" into place. (It may not click if it is still somewhat in place) This is the connector which has a bad connection.
(Attached image 7)
Step 4: Place your piece of foam on top of the connector in a way that it is right beside but not overlapping the camera (as pictured)
(Attached image 8)
Step 5: Replace your back cover, making sure not to move the foam you just installed, press down on it in multiple locations until it pops back together all around, and screw it back down. Note: if the bezel appears to be bulging out, your foam is too thick! This won't cause any problems, but it will be a noticeable bulge on your phone.
(Attached images 9 & 10)
Step 6: Replace your back cover and enjoy! Note that if you continue to receive the error, you may need either a thicker piece of foam, or you may need to reposition the foam, or even just press down on the connector a bit more before installing the foam.
Thanks to the folks over at Android Central in the thread entitled: Galaxy S4: Major problem - SIM card not detected for info on how to fix!
After applying this fix (took me three times to get it right) I have not seen the SIM card removed error in almost two months!
Post your success stories!
EDIT: A year after I posted this, and people are still using this thread to iron out their issues. I'm glad I could start up a conversation about this problem, with many good suggestions as to possible fixes. I don't use my S4 anymore, but it makes for a great backup phone!
Anyway, I just wanted to let anybody who is looking for the answer to this problem know that my fix may or may not work for you. It worked in my case, but several commenters have noted that the problem has remained in their situation. I would like to point out a few helpful comments and possible fixes right here so you guys don't have to go searching through pages of comments to find different solutions.
Best solution by far is by @Gonemad to re-flow the solder to that connector and to the NFC chip using a heat gun. See post #98 on page 10 and Post 114 on page 12, with a guide on post 122, page 13.
A replacement motherboard may fix the issue as well, but that's assuming you're getting a new one and not a used one. With used, the replacement board may do the same thing!
many of us have shimmed the connector 1000 different ways and still get the error. oddly enough, for me the only thing that has reduced errors was removing my sd card.
iateshaggy said:
many of us have shimmed the connector 1000 different ways and still get the error. oddly enough, for me the only thing that has reduced errors was removing my sd card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's interesting, and a shame. There's not enough room on my phone for all my stuff, I need that extra 32gb!
"Does a new SIM Tray fix it?
Extremely unlikely. Purchasing a new SIM tray or even a new motherboard will be wasted money."
It did in my case. I got a sim/sd card tray from a Verizon S4, put it in my AT&T S4 and it worked great!
This problem is extremely annoying. Purchased a new tray too, and for a couple of days thought the problem is fixed. Nope. 5 days later same stupid message. I had already tried putting more support on the connector which did not fix the problem. They could at least make a cancel button on it instead of just "reboot". Will try without sd card. Apparently this happens on ALL high-end samsung phones. I am adding crapsung to the "never again" list (in addition to LG now).
If removing sd card doesn't fix it then it will either be new mainboard (they go for around $100 CAD shipped) or a new phone if I have the money. Nexus 6 looks good now. Don't buy crappy Korean brands. Even Chinese brands seem more reliable.
Question: Since you say that you've already replaced the sd/sim tray and the problem returned, did you try putting another sim card in there to make sure that it's not the sim card that's the issue?
Yes, new sim did not solve it. Now i am actually trying earplug thing. So far so good (2 days), but as with any other method the message is expected to pop up again. I am thinking i did try to add support before, but only for the connector part. Earplug will press on all the components around the connector and the connector itself. Will see. I did cut out a thicker piece than in the OP, and made a cut on the camera side instead of oppoate (like in OP).
Buyimg new mainboard seems like a waste of money now too. Since so many devices have this problem chances are another mainboard will be the same.
Edit: with or without sd card - same thing.
It's known that the IMEI numbers with the last 6 digits in this range: 000000 - 560000 have been known to have this issue. Mine was in that range and had the issue. I think the mainboards outside this range are fine.
Mine is not in that range.
Thanks a lot
It took me quite a few tries with the earplug foam to get it right. Finding the correct thickness and shape was the biggest thing. Eventually I got it right and I haven't had the issue return even once since. I'm glad some of you were able to get your phones to work by just swapping the SIM tray, that's pretty easy to do. I don't think I would even consider swapping the motherboard on a 2 year old phone, might as well just get a new phone at that point.
Sean89us said:
It took me quite a few tries with the earplug foam to get it right. Finding the correct thickness and shape was the biggest thing. Eventually I got it right and I haven't had the issue return even once since. I'm glad some of you were able to get your phones to work by just swapping the SIM tray, that's pretty easy to do. I don't think I would even consider swapping the motherboard on a 2 year old phone, might as well just get a new phone at that point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear that this is working for some users. I just went with the M9 about a week ago and am going to give my mother my S4. She wouldn't have any idea how to handle any sim errors so when I get some time, I'll be buying an earplug or two.
It has been 9 days and the error hasn't returned. Today i put in a thiner peice to get rid of the bulge on the back. Will see how that holds up, but so far so good. Thanks to the O.P.
As for the mainboard - I never loxk myself into a contract with a discounted phone, not that Wind Mobile Canada has an option for it. So i paid almost 600 CAD for this puppy and expected it to last. For me $100 is not bad for a fix compared to at least $600 for a new phone. Only if it was for sure, but is seems like a gamble to buy a new board. BTW my phone was locked to rogers so I had to unlock it and enable AWS band.
I would get(have tried other phones) but for all its bad the S4 is hands down the most durable and usable phone I have ever owned. I like my nexus 5, but it is a very fragile unit, and on its second screen replacement due to minor drops that the S4 takes with aplomb. I like the phone so much I have bought a used one off ebay just in case this one ever fails. MHO
fargonaz said:
I would get(have tried other phones) but for all its bad the S4 is hands down the most durable and usable phone I have ever owned. I like my nexus 5, but it is a very fragile unit, and on its second screen replacement due to minor drops that the S4 takes with aplomb. I like the phone so much I have bought a used one off ebay just in case this one ever fails. MHO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm right there with you. I still love my S4, despite the SIM error and somewhat slow updates from Samsung / ATT. It's getting older but my phone is still very fast, has a beautiful 1080P AMOLED screen, takes awesome pictures, and now it's even running Lollipop! The only thing that might convince me to switch phones anytime soon is if the 2015 Nexus 5 refresh has a 5" - 5.2" screen (5.5"+ is just too big!), USB Type-C and the specs blow me away. Since that probably won't happen, it looks like I'll be using my S4 for a few more years.
I don't have these earplugs foams at home.. Which other material can I use for that?
I can't say anything else will be the same material. Just buy earplugs at a dollar store or something. They are cheap.
Mine had gotten really bad, to where it was giving the "sim error" message a good six or eight times a day. Did the earplug thing...didn`t fix squat. I took a narrow strip of a business card and "shimmed" the sim card in it`s slot (like many others have), but I made my shim extra long and folded it over a few times on top of the sim card receptacle as well. Been two days and so far so good. We`ll see how it holds up.
I had actually contacted Samsung about the problem and they claimed they had no knowledge of it`s occurrence. I emailed back and they said "we really have no idea what`s causing it. Sorry." I would call it a design flaw as every single person I know personally with an S4 has the problem, and there are hundreds upon hundreds of tales on the ol` internet about it, and even Samsung can`t fix it.
I've used this solution after my s4 gave the "sim card removed" error 5 times this morning. I used a piece of power sponge i.s.o. an earplug. Since then no error. If error occurs i'll respond again.
Thanx Sean.
I was having this problem. I did this fix but just used some folded up plastic wrap. Hasn't happened again yet.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Free mobile app

I'm out. I'm done with Essential

Edit at end of post.
This all goes back to before I even ordered the phone. I wanted the grey one. I emailed twice about it. They kept telling me it will be released soon and to watch their social media accounts to find out when it will be released knowing full well they weren't releasing those. This was months ago and those additional colors are still not out. So that was deceit #1. My last phone was an S6. Its connector was so loose a charging cable wouldn't stay in. Coupled with a diminished battery capacity, I needed a phone and I didn't want another Samsung.
I decided to go ahead and order the black one. As soon as I completed the order, I got a message asking if I wanted to know when the phone is certified by Verizon. Wait, what? At no point was that knowledge made public before my purchase. Android Authority put something out the next day or so. That was deceit #2.
About that time, the bandwagon of bad reviews based solely on what the PH-1 didn't have as well as the crappy camera app hit the media. I don't consider any of those things essential to a phone. I actually thought it was good to omit them and I didn't really care about the camera app. I'll admit, I defended Essential...a lot. I'm eating crow right now.
It arrived and the first thing I noticed was how freaking slippery this thing was. Unless it was on a perfectly horizontal surface, this thing was sliding off.
The second thing was the rough, fine sandpaper like plastic around the screen. I don't like the feel, at all, of that plastic. More importantly, why wasn't the entire side titanium? That's what was advertised. All I heard about is how durable the ceramic and titanium combination was. The drop test animation on their website show there phone hitting at a perfectly perpendicular angle to the surface. That was deceit #3. More on that later.
I put in the Verizon sim from my S6 and saw that my phone now had half the reception of my S6...half. Sitting next to my wife with her S6, she's pulling 4G and in out of 3G and 1X. All the settings were correct according to Verizon. I am in a weak cell area, yes, but never dropped calls. Calling now is virtually impossible without calling over WiFi...which brings me to the next issue. I'm with Verizon, so natively I have no WiFi calling or visual voicemail and whatever other features Verizon has limited me from using. There's even less signal in my area with AT&T so I'm stuck with Verizon. Wonderful. With some help from an XDA member, I was able to get Hangouts set up for WiFi calling but now I'm using two dialers.
Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone.
After one week, rub marks began to appear on the ceramic back of the phone. I ordered a skin to cover it up.
After 3 weeks, rub marks appeared on the screen! Listen, I am extremely anal about the care of my phones. No keys, no coins. The only thing that goes in my left front pants pocket, ever, is my phone. So, apparently cloth takes it's toll on this phone.
My phone was one of the ones with the cheap paper mesh over the ear speaker (really?). That thing is pretty much non-existent at this point. They wouldn't replace my phone for that like they did for everyone else before me but that's fine, they offered to repair it for free which I declined. I didn't want the hassle of being separated from the phone that long.
My phone freezes occasionally, like completely freezes, unable to even turn off the phone until it restarts itself after about 30 seconds or so.
The screen off wake up or whatever it's called never works when I pull my phone out of my pocket. I have to shake it to see the time - pointless, since, at that point, it's easier to just fingerprint unlock than to shake it.
Many screen touches don't register, this is probably the most annoying thing overall about this phone.
The camera is really laggy, but everybody knows that.
And then the thing happened, I dropped it. From pocket height, I dropped it and it hit on the Achilles heel of the phone, the edge of the screen. Remember that plastic? Well, that thin plastic curves up to the edge of the phone. It gets thinner and thinner towards that top corner of the screen and it doesn't protect anything, especially the weakest part of gorilla glass, the edge. It cracked the corner of the screen. If that edge is not protected that will be a deal breaker on all future phones. That edge was supposed to be covered with titanium, damnit.
It still works but it's an eyesore and every time I look at this phone, I feel taken. I feel like a fool for buying this phone. It is a very aesthetic but poorly designed cheap ass phone sold at a premium price. They literally cut corners on this build. They owe me some titanium and whole slew of accessories, btw, but they can keep it all. I'm not even going to buy another one for $450 which I think is the going price now.
Anyway, thanks for letting me rant. I was thinking maybe the Pixel 2, but it appears they have issues of their own....maybe a flip phone.
Edit 12/28/2017:
In order to get data working after being connected to any WiFi, a restart is required. After a restart, I'm connected to LTE+ or whatever is actually available. This is true every time after being connected to WiFi. Credit to another user in these forums.
The one I just got from best buy about 3 weeks ago is a very noticeable difference. I know what you mean and I also had 3 returns but the latest one after reading the comments on xda really led me to believe there is a bad batch. So before I left the store I inspected it and hand weighed it. Even asked the rep to hand weigh it and there was a difference. right now I have no problems to report and I'm quite happy.
Even the signal issue that is claimed I haven't experienced because it's on par with my m9 and assumably my x pure.
Honestly... I know your stuck with your rant... But give it the final xda try. Inspect it before leaving the store and you will notice the weight and the back is much less slippery.
Also... I recommend worth Ave group insurance. Had them for years, and it's 79 dollars for a year with 800 dollar coverage and 50 dollars deductible which is deducted from the 800 dollar claim
The charger is usb-c cause it uses usb-c power delivery, just like the pixel. That's the correct standard and can handle higher wattage.
The scratches on the back are the oleophobic coating, not the ceramic.
The gorilla glass 5 scratches just the same as other devices with that version of gorilla glass.
If you weren't happy with the device, return within the 15 return period. I did. You can always rebuy.
The reason Essential can't give a date for the other colors is because the manufacturing process for that ceramic is difficult. They're doing each color in batches because you can't make multiple colors of ceramic at once in one furnace. You didn't see Xiaomi making different colors of the mi mix. It was black and many months later the white. That's all, and they're a much larger company with more resources.
The phone has improved since launch. 1st production models seemed to have QC issues (one reason I returned mine)
I received mine on Tuesday from Amazon it took me all of about half and hour to figure its going back 15Dbm difference then my moto z force. Not acceptable.
The workmanship on my white one is stellar. Absolutely zero issues the connectivity is great better than any device I've ever had on Verizon. The cameras responsive works great I'm not a professional photographer, I don't need professional photographer level results, but I get very good pictures. Absolutely love this device and with the Incipio its running naked, no screen protector.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
Honestly i was excited to get this phone i could get pass all of the small issues but then I noticed the following problems with the screen.
The screen is really slow to respond to touch input My pixel xl did not have this problem.
The display itself is an IPS display but this screen is the worst one i have seen perform on a phone there is a lot of ghosting (image blur on a moving object)
I compared it to a unit that was on display on a store and it had the same slow touch input and ghosting issues.
So the slow touch input affects the phone as to how fast you can type and switch apps etc. The phone does not respond to fast actions very well and sometimes misses touch inputs.
You can drag your finger on top of an app and swipe it left or right and you can see that the app will be way far back where your finger was a second ago. s8, pixel xl, note 5 dont have this problem (I own them) The display on this thing is disappointing and you can also observe horizontal lines on the display.
I think this phone would of been successful if they used an AMOLED display.
I would say that the display has very realistic colors but thats it.
Whats the point of a high end spec'd phone but has an underperforming display....
I'm the sort of person who's not the first in line to get anything. I wait for things to percolate and germinate and then make my move. I also usually wait until cases are available before buying.
Just recently got my PH-1, just over a week old and it's just great. Haven't even bothered with rooting or modding, just fine stock. Got a nice Tudia case from eBay and all's well.
Using it with Sprint, no problems or issues of any kind. Best activation process i've had in all my years with Sprint (considering the horror that i went through with the Nexus 6P).
I'm in. Very in with the PH-1.
So I get a lot of what your saying, I went the other and have learned to love my PH-1. In-Fact I will go as far to say it is my Favorite phone to carry all the way back to OG Moto Droid...
One comment about your rant though:
"Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone. "
So many phones come C to C now. My desktop and laptop both even have a couple C ports. Spend the $3 on Amazon for a cable if you need one man, this is not a fault of Essential.
Here's what I got for USB to USB C
USB Type C Cable, Snowkids USB C Cable (USB 3.0)(2-PACK 6.6ft) Nylon Braided Fast Charger for Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 G6 G5 V20,Nintendo Switch,Galaxy S8 Plus,Google Pixel 2,HTC U11 Plus (Grey) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5KL10L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_X8MdAb1EMKPS8
---------- Post added at 12:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 AM ----------
LordLugard said:
I'm the sort of person who's not the first in line to get anything. I wait for things to percolate and germinate and then make my move. I also usually wait until cases are available before buying.
Just recently got my PH-1, just over a week old and it's just great. Haven't even bothered with rooting or modding, just fine stock. Got a nice Tudia case from eBay and all's well.
Using it with Sprint, no problems or issues of any kind. Best activation process i've had in all my years with Sprint (considering the horror that i went through with the Nexus 6P).
I'm in. Very in with the PH-1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol we're about the same boat except my first phone didn't activate on sprint
bigmook said:
The workmanship on my white one is stellar. Absolutely zero issues the connectivity is great better than any device I've ever had on Verizon. The cameras responsive works great I'm not a professional photographer, I don't need professional photographer level results, but I get very good pictures. Absolutely love this device and with the Incipio its running naked, no screen protector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must be going solely based on signal bar icons. If you compared dBm readings, you'll see essential is significantly worse than whatever phone you last came from. Signal is definitely one of the weakest points of this phone.
No sir I am going by real world usage as compared to my Nexus 6p which was totally functional. I don't look settings I just use it if it works it works. And it works very well.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
in case you did not know, they replace the phone for $200.
I got one from amazon for verizon and i havent had any signal issues. I am on Oreo beta now as well. As for the front screen i do have a slight knock in it as well not sure from what.. I did get the $13 tpu case off amazon and it does help quite a bit.. with handling it.
And I will prob be moving to the LG v30 when it comes available on amazon.. Since i can buy it try and if i dont like it return it with out being hit with stupid fee's
I wanted to pick up a oneplus 5T but people say oneplus doesnt support verizon..
Bye Felicia!
Titanium to the edge of the screen would break the screen if the phone got warm and then cooled down, since metal expands/contracts. So yea, dropping your phone on the edge is going to break the screen, but the alternative you're ranting about would cause the phone to break if you had it in your pocket and pulled it out in cold weather.
umx said:
I got one from amazon for verizon and i havent had any signal issues. I am on Oreo beta now as well. As for the front screen i do have a slight knock in it as well not sure from what.. I did get the $13 tpu case off amazon and it does help quite a bit.. with handling it.
And I will prob be moving to the LG v30 when it comes available on amazon.. Since i can buy it try and if i dont like it return it with out being hit with stupid fee's
I wanted to pick up a oneplus 5T but people say oneplus doesnt support verizon..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen some folk on reddit that dropped their already activated Verizon SIM in the 5 and had it connect to LTE with VoLTE. So long as you don't *need* the CDMA to work, it should work. Just don't ask Verizon for any help.
Seamonkey79 said:
Titanium to the edge of the screen would break the screen if the phone got warm and then cooled down, since metal expands/contracts. So yea, dropping your phone on the edge is going to break the screen, but the alternative you're ranting about would cause the phone to break if you had it in your pocket and pulled it out in cold weather.
I've seen some folk on reddit that dropped their already activated Verizon SIM in the 5 and had it connect to LTE with VoLTE. So long as you don't *need* the CDMA to work, it should work. Just don't ask Verizon for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as I get LTE and 4g thats all i care about.. verizon isnt of any help anyways lol..
umx said:
As long as I get LTE and 4g thats all i care about.. verizon isnt of any help anyways lol..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most LTE phones should work on Verizon 'out of box', provided they have the antennas necessary. I know the OnePlus 5 was missing a couple of Verizon bands, but the majority of them were there.
Seamonkey79 said:
Most LTE phones should work on Verizon 'out of box', provided they have the antennas necessary. I know the OnePlus 5 was missing a couple of Verizon bands, but the majority of them were there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea ill have to give it a shot.. and see.. worst case ill grab a v30 used or wait to next round of phones.
Ok, the rest of your rant is pretty justified. I feel you. These are valid points. However, you just start bringing up random stuff that doesn't make any sense to a complaint about the phone
bL1X said:
I put in the Verizon sim from my S6 and saw that my phone now had half the reception of my S6...half. Sitting next to my wife with her S6, she's pulling 4G and in out of 3G and 1X. All the settings were correct according to Verizon. I am in a weak cell area, yes, but never dropped calls. Calling now is virtually impossible without calling over WiFi...which brings me to the next issue. I'm with Verizon, so natively I have no WiFi calling or visual voicemail and whatever other features Verizon has limited me from using. There's even less signal in my area with AT&T so I'm stuck with Verizon. Wonderful. With some help from an XDA member, I was able to get Hangouts set up for WiFi calling but now I'm using two dialers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, wifi calling doesn't work because Verizon hasn't properly provisioned it in their system? That is a problem with the phone?
It seems like it is a problem with Verizon, which you should be asking them to fix.
Just leave it at: The signal sucks. I am looking at this phone right now. Signal sucks. I agree.
The whole Verizon thing just seems like a weird complaint
Why is the charger USB C? Why not USB to USB C like every charger I've had in the past? Are other companies doing this, too? I have only one cord that works with that charger and that's the one that came with the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Literally no phone with USB C comes with the type of charger you are discussing. ZERO.
USB C-USB C cables are capable of 3A
USB A-USB C is limited to 2.4A
All phones with USB C come with a USB C-USB C so that the phone will charge faster! Every single one since the Nexus 6p/5X
The screen off wake up or whatever it's called never works when I pull my phone out of my pocket. I have to shake it to see the time - pointless, since, at that point, it's easier to just fingerprint unlock than to shake it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have my old Nexus 5x sitting right here. I decided to run a little experiment.
The Nexus 5x was about as successful as the PH-1 at "wake up". It missed about 25% of the time.
This feature is notoriously iffy.
I mean, I get the rant. You seem upset. I understand.
Those three points just seem arbitrary and don't even reflect legitimate issues with the phone.
The essential phone is Verizon approved... Correct?
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk

Screen replacement. What does this part do? (Flappy thing)

I am starting to have a love/hate relationship with this phone. I love it. It hates me. (I'm including the whole story in case others have came across any of these other issues that I have, because at this point in time I feel like I could take this thing apart and put it back together in my sleep).
I bought one for a good price on ebay, get it and all is well for about 2 weeks. The case starts to appear to start splitting. I take the back off and the battery is swelling. I could have sent the phone back, but I found a battery for $12 and so I replaced it. Everything's working great.
About 2 weeks after that, I was walking up the stairs at work and tripped, the phone caught the corner of my wrist and the bottom left part of the screen shattered. I find a new screen/assembly and think, for $50 I got this...
After watching pretty much every video on YouTube, I'm feeling confident and get started. The screen came with the basic took kit and each of the two "guitar pic" type tools were destroyed in the process. (I even tried an actual guitar pic, ineffective and flimsy). Good basic concept with those, but they are pretty much a one time use thing. Glad there were two.
I tested the new screen before I took the whole thing apart, every test passed with flying colors. Take everything apart, attach the new screen, get to the end (the one part of the video I apparently failed to really pay attention to) the proper way to pop the screen back in. Get to the last part of that and crack. The screen, with very little pressure, cracks as the top left. Not bad, it was still usable. But I was so disappointing.
I was pretty bummed out and hobbled along. I should have went with the same source, but I ended up getting another screen from another source and when it finally arrived, I didn't think about it, and went ahead and took the phone apart, put everything on the new frame, getting ready to pop it on the back cover, decide to test it then. No response what so ever from the touch screen. It would power on, but nothing would make it swipe to the lock screen. (I also noticed in the top corner "No Service" (an issue that I have since seen people get but no real reliable fix). I put the old screen on. Works like a champ, take everything apart a couple more times thinking maybe I didn't get something right. Nothing. I contact the vendor and he is awesome and he sends me a free replacement.
This time I test the screen. Right off the bat I get Touch Disable Mode. Crap. Look up that and find the Settings Database editor solution. (I tried the volume up + power but as soon as the screen locked it enabled again). Screen passes all other test, but now there is that lingering "No Service" issue. I never really figured out what fixed that. But this is what I did. 1. took all of the red film off of the new screen, Now the phone shows my carrier, but still no service. So I did a factory reset. and Voila, good to go.
Which brings me to now. I have the new screen ready to go in and I notice 1 part that is throwing me off.
I really don't want to take this apart again...
I don't have a pic of the original screen as my phone is currently in pieces... But this is what I came up with if anyone has any ideas on how I should approach this, and what is the significance of this part? I can't find anything on it. From here on out said part shall be called "flappy thing":
The top two screens in the pic are two screens I now have in possession.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/picture.php?albumid=15076&pictureid=57893
Finally was able to link the image.

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