Vibration issues and hw mod - Nexus 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi all,
I've been bummed by the atrocious vibration function of this otherwise fine phone. In my digging, I've discovered that the vibration changes intensity while it's on. It starts high pitched but very quickly (500ms) drops down in intensity and vibration. Also, it seems the motor can't stop quickly and you can hear the phone winding down after each impulse.
So I went to the Verizon store to look at possibly getting me a MOTO phone, and decided to test the vibration on a bunch of the display phones. Turns out, the phone sounded identical to the HTC One they had on display.
But more importantly, they had an LG G2 there and it sounded perfect (much like the S3/S4 or Moto phones). Constant pitch with negligible wind down times.
Long story short, I ordered the LG G2 vibration motor from ebay and I'll be trying to jam it in the back cover in a day or two. I'll keep you posted.
Wish me luck!

So motor came today. It is almost identical - the body is about 1mm thicker but that's it. You can feel it through the back of the phone and I think there is a rubber o-ring on the phone body that can be removed to make it fit a little better.
Unfortunately, the LG G2 motor did not work.
What I think is going on is that the N5 is a standard off-center motor. It can be powered (i did) with 2.5v and will vibrate but it will produce quite an inertial vibration so that you can hear the motor winding up/down. It is also more power hungry.
the LG G2 (and other phones) uses same sized PWM motor. That allows for nearly inertia-free vibration so that the impulses can be short and precise. It is also more power friendly since it can produce lower/higher intensity vibration without need for a regulator circuit.
so there is that. While physically the part is drop-in(-ish), it won't power at all since the N5 outputs standard, non PWM 2V to it.

caslca said:
So motor came today. It is almost identical - the body is about 1mm thicker but that's it. You can feel it through the back of the phone and I think there is a rubber o-ring on the phone body that can be removed to make it fit a little better.
Unfortunately, the LG G2 motor did not work.
What I think is going on is that the N5 is a standard off-center motor. It can be powered (i did) with 2.5v and will vibrate but it will produce quite an inertial vibration so that you can hear the motor winding up/down. It is also more power hungry.
the LG G2 (and other phones) uses same sized PWM motor. That allows for nearly inertia-free vibration so that the impulses can be short and precise. It is also more power friendly since it can produce lower/higher intensity vibration without need for a regulator circuit.
so there is that. While physically the part is drop-in(-ish), it won't power at all since the N5 outputs standard, non PWM 2V to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this is a standard DC-Motor (two contacts: V, GND), it should actually work, as long as the required volage is the same. The PWM just "emulates" an analoge signal using digital outpout.
EDIT: Image for visualization
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In my limited understanding, it doesn't matter how the pulse averages out. The pwm type motors also have 2 contacts, but they expect a pulse signal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servo_control. It is true that with PWM signal you can emulate analog for inert consumers (e.g. incandescent light or standard motor) and control their intensity. But for PWM motors what matters is the pulse width not the averaged voltage.
BTW, I may be completely wrong here. This was all just a guess of mine since the motor sounded like a servo when DC was applied to it(very short buzz). I haven't actually found any confirmation that the LGG2 motor is in fact a pwm motor. I guess I could try to hook it up to an adruino or something to confirm...

duplicate

caslca said:
In my limited understanding, it doesn't matter how the pulse averages out. The pwm type motors also have 2 contacts, but they expect a pulse signal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servo_control. It is true that with PWM signal you can emulate analog for inert consumers (e.g. incandescent light or standard motor) and control their intensity. But for PWM motors what matters is the pulse width not the averaged voltage.
BTW, I may be completely wrong here. This was all just a guess of mine since the motor sounded like a servo when DC was applied to it(very short buzz). I haven't actually found any confirmation that the LGG2 motor is in fact a pwm motor. I guess I could try to hook it up to an adruino or something to confirm...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure this isn't a servo, as servos have three inputs. GND,V and SIGNAL. Have you tried hooking it to a power supply or battery? You could also probe the output of the N5 with an oscilloscope if you have access to one. I'd love to do that, but I don't have my Nexus yet.
EDIT: A buzz sounds more like insufficient voltage to me.

Question, where exactly is the vibration motor located in the Nexus 5? Is it easy to remove and replace?
I got a 16gb with a good motor and just got a 32gb with a weak motor today. (returning the 16gb). But before I return, was considering doing a transplant... simple to do? Thanks.

aimfire72 said:
Question, where exactly is the vibration motor located in the Nexus 5? Is it easy to remove and replace?
I got a 16gb with a good motor and just got a 32gb with a weak motor today. (returning the 16gb). But before I return, was considering doing a transplant... simple to do? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The motor is attached with a double sticky tape to the backplate. Its round and flat, the size of a dime but thicker.

TAM1m said:
I'm pretty sure this isn't a servo, as servos have three inputs. GND,V and SIGNAL. Have you tried hooking it to a power supply or battery? You could also probe the output of the N5 with an oscilloscope if you have access to one. I'd love to do that, but I don't have my Nexus yet.
EDIT: A buzz sounds more like insufficient voltage to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I've seen as well. I wasn't sure how the thing is supposed to be powered (perhaps the casing could be GND). In any case, I tried 3V and 6V (2 or 4 AA batteries in series). I was able to power the N5 motor just fine with either 3 or 6v (the phone outputs 2V as measured with multimeter at the contacts). The G2 motor did not spin though - it just gave a very short buzz.
I remember i played with a servo on an arduino-type board and the servo gave a short buzz when DC was applied on it (don't remember which contacts)
Perhaps the answer is simpler - the G2 motor I just received could be defective...

caslca said:
That's what I've seen as well. I wasn't sure how the thing is supposed to be powered (perhaps the casing could be GND). In any case, I tried 3V and 6V (2 or 4 AA batteries in series). I was able to power the N5 motor just fine with either 3 or 6v (the phone outputs 2V as measured with multimeter at the contacts). The G2 motor did not spin though - it just gave a very short buzz.
I remember i played with a servo on an arduino-type board and the servo gave a short buzz when DC was applied on it (don't remember which contacts)
Perhaps the answer is simpler - the G2 motor I just received could be defective...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think chances are high that it really is defect. As you can see in the picture below, there are only two contacts and nothing else.
Beside that, I can't think of any reason for choosing a servo over a DC motor as vibrator. Servos give you position control and stuff, but all you need for vibration is a fast spinning motor with controllable speed.

So I opened up my 16gb with the good motor (which I planned on returning) and swapped it out with my new 32gb that had the weak motor. It was an improvement, but still not as solid as it was in the 16gb. Leads me to believe the problem is more than just a bad motor and perhaps something on the board itself.
BTW, in the process of opening up the phone, I managed to scrape up the edges of the phone - even when using a plastic pry tool. The plastic on the back cover is pretty soft and dents/scrapes easily. So I am definitely RMA'ing this back to Google. Grrrrr....

aimfire72 said:
So I opened up my 16gb with the good motor (which I planned on returning) and swapped it out with my new 32gb that had the weak motor. It was an improvement, but still not as solid as it was in the 16gb. Leads me to believe the problem is more than just a bad motor and perhaps something on the board itself.
BTW, in the process of opening up the phone, I managed to scrape up the edges of the phone - even when using a plastic pry tool. The plastic on the back cover is pretty soft and dents/scrapes easily. So I am definitely RMA'ing this back to Google. Grrrrr....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're going to rma a device you hosed up? Shame on you. :thumbdown:

I just dug out my old Galaxy S2. Low and behold, it has the same type motor inside as the N5 though with different connectors. I'm going to solder in new contacts and try it in the N5 see how it does.

jd1639 said:
You're going to rma a device you hosed up? Shame on you. :thumbdown:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was already hosed - the vibration motor was weak and noisy. I had two side by side and the newer one definitely has a problem. I was already going to RMA, but tried first to fix it myself and save everyone the hassle. That didn't work out, so back to my original plan of doing the RMA. Shame on Google.

aimfire72 said:
It was already hosed - the vibration motor was weak and noisy. I had two side by side and the newer one definitely has a problem. I was already going to RMA, but tried first to fix it myself and save everyone the hassle. That didn't work out, so back to my original plan of doing the RMA. Shame on Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gotta say I completely agree with the last sentiment. I feel like I got taken for $450 with this phone. It is infuriating that they would release it with such cheap vibrator and cheap speakerphone making these two functions borderline unusable.
Unfortunately, i don't see any better phone on the market today with a ~5" screen. MotoX comes close but has terrible camera which to me is important. I also went to the i-store to check out the dark side again(twice). Wasn't able to convince myself it is better than the N5 though

caslca said:
I gotta say I completely agree with the last sentiment. I feel like I got taken for $450 with this phone. It is infuriating that they would release it with such cheap vibrator and cheap speakerphone making these two functions borderline unusable.
Unfortunately, i don't see any better phone on the market today with a ~5" screen. MotoX comes close but has terrible camera which to me is important. I also went to the i-store to check out the dark side again(twice). Wasn't able to convince myself it is better than the N5 though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This may make the Moto X more appealing for you... They're having a $150 off sale on non-contract phones on Cyber Monday
http://www.motorola.com/us/motorola...ce=gplus&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=cmmotox
I actually just got one last week, perfect out of the box, no defects. I bought from Amazon, so gonna see if they'll price match, if not, will return and buy from Motorola direct on Monday.
The Moto X is good, but I liked the Nexus 5 better because of the screen and it's thinner. Then again, the active notifications on the Moto X are awesome. If the 3rd Nexus 5 I get still has issues, I'll probably stick with the Moto X then.

Related

Touch Pro wobbly keyboard issue

Has anyone else experienced the same issue:
- Keyboard is pretty wobbly on the base
- Top half of phone moves around when holding handset in talk mode (most annoying)
- You can actually twist the screen a bit on the base like it's loose
I am sending this unit back for exchange next week because I think it's faulty but just wondered if they are all like this or anyone else has found this to be an issue.
this is the same with my TP, so I think it's just the way the unit is assembled.
Same here.
But in this case I trust HTC, that it is stable enough. I always thought that the hinge of kaiser was too unstable to survive under heavy-use-conditions. But I was wrong. After over one year of heavy use the hinge of my kaiser became a bit flimsy but still was very stable. So I think the build quality of TP should be from the same quality.
Same here!
Just get over it dude, just wasting time. There is nothing special about your phone.
same here...
Made it even worse
OK, so just after getting the new unit it was kinda wobbly, but not too bad.
Now I was stupid enough to get myself a leather bag. It has a sheet of protective foil (0.5 mm thick) over the keyboard, so when the screen is closed, this foil is pushing the upper part away from the keyboard.
One week of using this crap bag and now I can actually pull the screen away from the keyboard 1mm or so (left side in closed position). And if I shake the closed phone holding the keyboard, i can see and hear the screen flapping.
I don't see a way of tightening it up myself. (Although I'm pretty do-it-myself guy, don't feel like taking this thing apart without instructions)
So I'm just getting myself an aluminium case, at least it won't get worse.
Yep, I posted a similar thread. You get used to holding it differently and it becomes less of a problem...
My latest gripe is that the top and bottom layer of keys (i.e. the space bar row and the numbers row) is slightly softer than the middle keys.
I think I'm just picky - deep down I really quite like this phone....
slimeSickle said:
OK, so just after getting the new unit it was kinda wobbly, but not too bad.
Now I was stupid enough to get myself a leather bag. It has a sheet of protective foil (0.5 mm thick) over the keyboard, so when the screen is closed, this foil is pushing the upper part away from the keyboard.
One week of using this crap bag and now I can actually pull the screen away from the keyboard 1mm or so (left side in closed position). And if I shake the closed phone holding the keyboard, i can see and hear the screen flapping.
I don't see a way of tightening it up myself. (Although I'm pretty do-it-myself guy, don't feel like taking this thing apart without instructions)
So I'm just getting myself an aluminium case, at least it won't get worse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be happy, because mine is even softer/flappier than yours according to your text.
Hmm... Seems like a lot of people's keyboard is wobbly. Mine seems pretty tight to me though. Doesn't wobble at all. So... are you sure it's supposed to be wobbly?
renx2 said:
Hmm... Seems like a lot of people's keyboard is wobbly. Mine seems pretty tight to me though. Doesn't wobble at all. So... are you sure it's supposed to be wobbly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only had mine for a few days now, but it is also very tight, doesn't wobble at all. Hope that doesn't change over time.
Sprint Touch Pro screen wiggle with loose keyboard & gap
I know firsthand that the HTC Touch Pro is NOT supposed to have a loose, wiggly screen/keyboard. Anyone that has this problem with their handsets has a defective device. I know that this is 100% correct because I purchased a Touch Pro the first day they came out and it had a perfectly tight keyboard/screen connection with no play whatsoever. I ended up having to bring it back to exchange it for a completely different reason, which I now severely regret. The second unit I received not only had the loose, wiggly connection between the two pieces where the screen (top piece) easily twists/rotates side to side and the keyboard would slide out too easily when you didn’t intend it to, but there was also a considerable gap between the two pieces (left side in closed position) so it was almost bowed. Before I brought it back for the second exchange I decided to call HTC customer service to see if they were aware of this manufacturing defect, since besides my own experience I had seen other posts on the internet regarding this exact same thing. HTC customer support did in fact confirm that they were aware of this defect with “some of the units” although the representative I spoke with did not go into detail since she really knew very little. The HTC rep did actually speculate though that she thought the rush to get enough units to market in time for the launch were to blame for the defects.
Someone also posted about this here: http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=514327
I also have this problem. top and bottom corners will now move 2-3 mm and you cant hit the volume buttons without holding the screen tightly square with the rest of the phone
renx2 said:
Hmm... Seems like a lot of people's keyboard is wobbly. Mine seems pretty tight to me though. Doesn't wobble at all. So... are you sure it's supposed to be wobbly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.. really?
@TouchProExchanger the same with me and many others..
So, we can send to service because of this? When I was to purchase the device I asked about this "slide movement" and he said that this is normal..
Some Pics
Here is how much movement mine has...
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This is for DSF and anyone else that has these defective units. The answer to your question of "can we send to service because of this?" is Yes. If you have only had the device for less than 30 days (which should be everyone that has a Sprint Touch Pro as of this posting) then you should be able to exchange it for a new one. As I mentioned in my last post, HTC is aware of these defective units, and I am assuming that at this point, Sprint is aware of this fact as well.
If you look at the pictures jbruns has posted above, you can see exactly what an extreme case of this defect looks like. His pictures clearly show what I have described, and I would think that anyone who encounters resistance from Sprint while attempting to return or exchange their device, could easily point them to this page and show them the pictures posted above. Considering how much we have paid for this PPC there is no reason why we shouldn't get one free of defects.
I'm about to send my TP back for exchange, but i have a couple of questions and been in a really bad mood the last couple of days:
1. Are they really about to change a 700€ device "just like that"? I mean, i would also like them to simply repair it, i have no intention to cut htc profits
2. could anyone with a WORKING device post some pictures? especially from the BACK of sliders underneath the display when the keyboard is opened? I always had a bad feeling, because it looks kinda bad sampled together on mine (will post photos as soon as a get another camera on my hands).
3. I own my device for approx. 28 days now, isn't this some kind of error i should get an exchange AFTER 30 days ? We have 6 months warranty in Germany and 1 month "right of withdrawal" (dict.leo.org, sorry), shouldn't i get this fixed after this period of time, too?
I'm really frightened i get some kind of an answer from o2, telling me that me myself forced the defect on my device. Is there a way to send it directly to HTC or aren't them responsible? I had a hard time getting the money together and just cannot look at my TP anymore without getting sad because it shows this defect and maybe falls apart one day.
Questions, questions, ...
Just got my fuze last week and got same problem. I went to my local ATT store yesterday and the unit they show me had same wobbly keyboard as well.
I just read a post on ATT Wireless Forums
" Apparently the wiggle that my device exhibits is normal. I had the AT&T rep pull 3 new ones and checked them all. I apologized for being a pain in the you know what - all are the same. New Tilts do the same thing.
Perhaps the phones that AT&T currently has in stock are all like this and it is a problem, but at this point I'm not worrying about it. "
It seems to me that I will get a replace unit with same problem if I send it back for exchange......
Mr.Sir said:
You should be happy, because mine is even softer/flappier than yours according to your text.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just get over it dude, just wasting time. There is nothing special about your phone.
ifu77 said:
Just got my fuze last week and got same problem. I went to my local ATT store yesterday and the unit they show me had same wobbly keyboard as well.
I just read a post on ATT Wireless Forums
" Apparently the wiggle that my device exhibits is normal. I had the AT&T rep pull 3 new ones and checked them all. I apologized for being a pain in the you know what - all are the same. New Tilts do the same thing.
Perhaps the phones that AT&T currently has in stock are all like this and it is a problem, but at this point I'm not worrying about it. "
It seems to me that I will get a replace unit with same problem if I send it back for exchange......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for quoting me
Unless the wobble moves more then a 1/16", I wouldn't worry about it. Every Fuze I saw this morning (all new out of the box) were like mine.
There is going to be separation on the left side of the Touch Pro because the sliding mechanism is on the right. There is nothing to hold the phone together on the left side when closed.
In the exact opposite, the Kaiser suffers from separation on the right because it slides to the left.
The more you fuss with it, the greater risk you are taking with potentially damaging it.

Do any Nexus 5s NOT have the loose button issue?

Hi all. Just got my Nexus 5 in the mail. It mostly looks great, but the volume and power buttons are loose and rattly, as many have complained about here. I had this problem with an old HTC phone, and it eventually drove me nuts. Not sure I can hang with it in this case either. Question is, is it worth going through the whole replacement process to try to get a better unit, or are they pretty much all like this?
I got mine today, buttons are secure and make no noise whatsoever. Give it a shot
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Out of all the problems this would be the least worrying for me. There's a good chance certain cases even would fix this and I would hate to receive a replacement with worse problems.
My power button wiggles but no audible sounds are heard with heavy tapping.
Mine is just fine.
My buttons are solid, no rattle or noises :good:
loose buttons?
all is fine here.
Didn't know there was a loose button issue
-----------------------
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I do NOT reply to support queries over PM. Please keep support queries to the Q&A section, so that others may benefit
Fine here also.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
My buttons were solid as a rock initially. They loosened up a little bit after about a week. Yesterday you could hear/feel the rattle whenever you were typing or pressing anywhere near the volume rocker or power button. They would also rattle and shake when you jiggled the phone.
I thought about exchanging it, but other than the rattling the phone was perfect. I didn't want to switch and end up with a worse problem, dead pixels, speaker issues, or whatever else people have been mentioning.
I ended up doing the fix that I saw on youtube, may have originated from someone here. Popped the case off and put tiny pieces of paper between the power button/switch and volume rockers/switches to eliminate the gap between the switch and the the floating buttons (they're not physically attached). The only difference was I used sticky notes with the tacky side facing out towards the buttons so the paper will never have a chance to shift out of place.
Buttons are rock solid again, even more firm than before.
*Last resort of course. Tinkering with the inside voids your warranty.
My first N5 had loose power button and loose volume rocker that rattled quite a bit so i replaced it. The buttons on my new one are perfect, no rattling at all
I wonder if anyone has tried picking up a PS4 and shook that to see if anything rattles?
Its not a £600 CNC machined statement to the world, its a 300 quid phone and how anyone can make a mountain of this particular mole hill is way beyond me. The mass of the buttons is so small the noise generated is hardly the equivalent of shoving your head in the speakers at a Prodigy gig.
FWIW my power button rattles if i shake the phone however i very rarely shake the phone in such a fashion that i would hear it and thankfully i am one of the few that owns a Nexus 5 and doesn't seem to live in an anechoic chamber
MrBelter said:
I wonder if anyone has tried picking up a PS4 and shook that to see if anything rattles?
Its not a £600 CNC machined statement to the world, its a 300 quid phone and how anyone can make a mountain of this particular mole hill is way beyond me. The mass of the buttons is so small the noise generated is hardly the equivalent of shoving your head in the speakers at a Prodigy gig.
FWIW my power button rattles if i shake the phone however i very rarely shake the phone in such a fashion that i would hear it and thankfully i am one of the few that owns a Nexus 5 and doesn't seem to live in an anechoic chamber
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I understand your analogy, your comparison is kind of ridiculous as the PS4 is not a device that's primarily meant to be used and abused, or handled in situations like a mobile device is. A smartphone is meant to be taken everywhere, tossed in bags/pockets, have fingers beating on it for hours a day... A PS4 on the other hand is primarily meant to be stationary with minimal movement. It's built to a different standard.
I can throw in an extraneous irrelevant comparison like yours. I've got a $90 Canon SD1100 IS from 5 years ago with a camera button that's meant to be pressed over and over again, it is also a floating button, and it doesn't rattle. It clicks as it's supposed to and remains solid otherwise. It was also dirt cheap but still built solidly. I've taken thousands of pictures with that thing and the button is still exactly the same as the day I bought it.
My Nexus 5 buttons were initially solid, but to have them degrade and become wobbly and flimsy after only a few weeks was a little disheartening. Sending text messages, or tapping the screen anywhere near the volume/power caused them to rattle. Yeah it was $400, and several hundred cheaper than other flagships, but it's still a button, designed to be pressed over and over again. To have it become loose and jiggly so quickly (or for some people, ship like that) is unacceptable to me. It was an easy fix for me, but for others I can totally understand them wanting to exchange it for a better built unit. The button rattle was even brought up in the Anandtech Nexus 5 review.
If you don't care about the rattle, or accept it because the cost of the unit is less than other phones, that's fine. But don't tell other people to disregard it because it's cheap. Like my cheap $90 5 year old camera, something can be cheap and still be built to a good standard. The Nexus 5 is a fantastic device, but a flaw is a flaw, and I understand people not ignoring it.
Had my n5 since launch on sprint on November 8th and all my buttons do not rattle.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
2 nexus 5s (1 had a defective microphone) and neither had loose buttons.
I guess I was lucky, no rattle at all. Doesn't matter anyway since I use a case.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
My first nexus 5 (which I returned for a different issue) had loose volume and power buttons that wiggled. The second one, only the power button wiggles. Seems like they may still be figuring out exactly how to fit the button's in right.
bblzd said:
Out of all the problems this would be the least worrying for me. There's a good chance certain cases even would fix this and I would hate to receive a replacement with worse problems.
My power button wiggles but no audible sounds are heard with heavy tapping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mine is the same. i use a spigen slim armor case and one other case and both fix any button "looseness"
My volume rocker rattles pretty badly. I hear it when I have haptic feedback on and am texting. It's almost gotten to the point where I think I just might get a replacement but the only problem is I would not have a phone while I am waiting for a replacement
There apparently has already been a new revision of Nexus 5 hardware out that fixes the rattle problems (and speaker).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2557699
You can see the housing around the buttons is much thinner/tighter now to prevent the lateral jiggling. The speaker grill holes are also larger.
My volume and power buttons are fine, although there's a slight rattle when I shake it due to the internal components (i.e. if I hold both rockers firm to the casing and give it a slight shake, I hear it).
However, out of curiosity I did the same thing with my N4 and it rattled too, which I noticed for the first time just then. Honestly, I don't even notice it. Like many have said, it's the very least of the problems and I wouldn't risk receiving a replacement with something worse like dead pixels.

Nexus 5 microphone only works in speakerphone [SOLVED!]

Hello everyone,
I am having a major problem with my Nexus 5’s microphone (LG-D820). Before I continue, I have searched for threads with the same issue but none appears to be the same, despite being similar. I keep finding that others mention that other people can hear them as if they're distant from the phone. Others mention a fix by plugging in headphones and toggling speakerphone as a fix. None of these are true for my device. I found a bug report thread on Google’s bug list for AOSP (https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=80251) but it has a small priority with no resolution to the issue.
Onto the issue: The microphone does not work at all unless I make a phone call and activate the speakerphone. Even sound recording apps or Google’s voice recognition search does not work. I have noticed that there is a 2 second static when trying to record audio using sound recorder, which is amplified by covering the mic on the top of the phone.
Since the mic appears to work on speakerphone, I figured it couldn't be a hardware problem. I tried restoring back to Google’s original build (4.4 KRT16M) for the nexus 5 to see if it was an issue with 5.0.1 and I had no luck. I literally tried every single build released by Google (KOT49H, KTU84M, KTU84P, LRX210, and LRX22C) and I have had no luck. I even went as far as installing Sailfish OS and Firefox OS to see if a non-android OS would fix the issue. No luck.
Desperate for a fix, I purchased the Charging USB Port Dock Connector Mic Flex Cable (for reference: http://www.ebay.com/itm/111297706019) to replace my old one and it didn’t fix anything of course.
At this point, I’m all out of options and afraid that I’ll have to buy another phone. I seriously do not want to stray from the nexus 5 but I don’t know what else to do.
Does anyone have idea what else I could try to fix the issue? Even any thoughts on why a non-android OS wouldn't fix the issue are welcome. Thanks in advance guys.
bump
Last shameless bump
You did a factory reset right?
zerosum0 said:
You did a factory reset right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes I did.
UPDATE AND FIX:
So upon reviewing the aforementioned AOSP bug list thread, someone posted a link to the product forums (https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/kUrmrlzYJ_o[301-325]) and then a user by the name of Alexandre Macedo suggested pressing on the battery cover, just underneath the camera/flash.
So i tried it and it did in fact fix the microphone issue. I opened the phone again to see what could be the cause of the problem. From what I can tell, the vibrator motor needs to be pressed down to connect with the motherboard.
In all honesty, I do not understand why the vibrator motor should affect the nexus 5's microphone at all.
In addition, I noticed I need to now press and hold the battery cover at all times in order to use my microphone. I tried another battery cover (from my brother's nexus 5) and i still need to maintain the battery cover pressed down.
Anyone have any ideas how to fix this new yet less serious issue?
FINAL UPDATE:
After applying manual pressure on different parts of the exposed motherboard, I isolated the pressure point to the left part of the connector that leads from USB Charging Port/Mic up to the motherboard.
I tried cleaning out the port and the connector and it doesn't seem to work without applying a bit of pressure on the connector. At this point I'm thinking it's just some wear and tear or a bit of malfunction on the motherboard port.
To fix the issue I ripped a small piece of my business card and used a bit of double sided 2mm tape to hold the piece of card between the connector and the chassis covering the motherboard. This pressure seems to be more than enough to establish a proper connection.
Alas the issue is fixed. Hopefully this will help someone else in the near future. Thanks everyone for reading at least.
seromba said:
FINAL UPDATE:
After applying manual pressure on different parts of the exposed motherboard, I isolated the pressure point to the left part of the connector that leads from USB Charging Port/Mic up to the motherboard.
I tried cleaning out the port and the connector and it doesn't seem to work without applying a bit of pressure on the connector. At this point I'm thinking it's just some wear and tear or a bit of malfunction on the motherboard port.
To fix the issue I ripped a small piece of my business card and used a bit of double sided 2mm tape to hold the piece of card between the connector and the chassis covering the motherboard. This pressure seems to be more than enough to establish a proper connection.
Alas the issue is fixed. Hopefully this will help someone else in the near future. Thanks everyone for reading at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey man ! I think I'm having the same issue on my nexus 5, if I press on the back under the camera, it hears me, but if not the phone doesn't recognize my voice.
Speakerphone is okay, voice calls are working..
Can you help me ? Can you explain how should I fix that ?
Thank you a lot I'm desperated
jordanl68 said:
Hey man ! I think I'm having the same issue on my nexus 5, if I press on the back under the camera, it hears me, but if not the phone doesn't recognize my voice.
Speakerphone is okay, voice calls are working..
Can you help me ? Can you explain how should I fix that ?
Thank you a lot I'm desperated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey man sorry for the late reply, i just got home from vacation.
so what i did to fix it (sort of) was put a little thick piece of paper between the plastic that covers the motherboard (top half of the phone, above the battery) and the battery cover in order to apply the pressure needed to press down on the connector/port for the Charging USB Port Dock Connector Mic Flex Cable (check my original post for reference) .
I used a bit of double sided 2mm tape to hold the paper in place. I had to sort of guess where to put the paper but it's pretty easy if you just take a look at the motherboard underneath the aforementioned plastic cover.
keep in mind i still have issues here and there when the battery cover shifts a little and removes the required pressure, so it's not a full fix.
if you need pictures, don't hesitate to ask. i'll post them asap if you do. good luck!
Having same issue exactly. I don't 'get' where exactly you put the piece of paper. Could you post pictures?
Thanks
newton23 said:
Having same issue exactly. I don't 'get' where exactly you put the piece of paper. Could you post pictures?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used MS paint to specify exactly where I placed the piece of paper needed to apply pressure. As a precaution, the photo with hands does not belong to me, I simply used paint on a photo from the iFixit website.
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The picture above shows the problem area (on my phone at least), which includes the USB charging port connector and the corresponding port on the motherboard.
This picture is an actual photo of my device. I used the 2mm double sided tape I had to affix the piece of paper on the white battery cover panel on the right. The red circle the left (the one on my actual device) is merely there to provide an idea of where you need to apply pressure on the phone in order to have the connector and port make a solid connection.
I started having issues with the battery cover getting a little bit loose because of the paper inside so I started using a tight case (a cheap $2 Chinese knockoff case i found on eBay) to keep the battery cover and paper intact.
Also keep in mind that the vibrator motor is right above the spot I mentioned for the piece of paper so if your phone begins to have a flaky vibration, the piece of paper may be too thick.
As I mentioned in previous posts, this is by no means a permanent fix to the issue. I've come to the conclusion that this issue is hardware related and most likely a problem with the motherboard. I absolutely love my nexus 5 and I can't think of another phone I would want instead, so this "fix" will have to do. If anyone else finds a better solution, please don't hesitate to let us know!
Mine stopped working halfway through the day yesterday. Made calls all morning then zip.....pressing on the back of the phone works fine for speech input but is intolerable for phone conversation. Switching to speakerphone works fine, so I'm assuming its not an actual microphone problem. Doesn't record audio when video recording either. This sucks. Love this phone.
rehpot1 said:
Mine stopped working halfway through the day yesterday. Made calls all morning then zip.....pressing on the back of the phone works fine for speech input but is intolerable for phone conversation. Switching to speakerphone works fine, so I'm assuming its not an actual microphone problem. Doesn't record audio when video recording either. This sucks. Love this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I had a lot of trouble pinpointing the culprit for this issue since it appears to be hardware related but has hints of software relation. I haven't found any other thread or website with anything similar to what I have tried so I don't have much information.
Seems like the only solution to the problem is pressing the back of the phone around that flash area but no one seems to try opening up the phone. If you find out any info not mentioned in this thread, please post your results so we can find a fix for it.
Thanks for that. I've put a small piece of thin cardboard with doublesided tape where you indicated. It is working... so far!
It's a pretty big workaround (in a way). Not sure what a more permanent solution would be. Hopefully this works for a while.
newton23 said:
Thanks for that. I've put a small piece of thin cardboard with doublesided tape where you indicated. It is working... so far!
It's a pretty big workaround (in a way). Not sure what a more permanent solution would be. Hopefully this works for a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm happy I could help.
I know it's kind of a hassle, I had to play with it a few times to get it to work again (either mic would give in and out or the vibrator motor wouldn't work).
Unfortunately for me, I dropped my phone and shattered the screen for the 2nd time and I decided it was enough money spent on my nexus 5... time to go check out the desolate page for the 2015 moto e.
rehpot1 said:
Mine stopped working halfway through the day yesterday. Made calls all morning then zip.....pressing on the back of the phone works fine for speech input but is intolerable for phone conversation. Switching to speakerphone works fine, so I'm assuming its not an actual microphone problem. Doesn't record audio when video recording either. This sucks. Love this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I bought a nexus 6 and decided to try and fix the nexus 5 by sending back to have it repaired. Because I bought the phone from the google website I started by going to their website clicking on support, reading about booting into safe mode, blah blah blah. Ended by clicking on the chat with us button.
After a little Q and A, ended up talking on the phone with someone in support (google) and they told me it was out of warranty but that I could send it into LG for repair. They transferred me to LG. Was told that LG would look at it and contact me with repair options. LG sent me a prepaid FedEx airbill that week, I sent it to LG. They sent me an email quote of $50 to repair or $150 to replace with refurbished. I chose repair. It's working fantastic. Your results may vary, but I was impressed with the process and the result.
The Same Problem
So... which is the final solution for this problem (I have this exactly problem). Have I to open it? if so, could you send me a video or something to guide me please.
It's works. Thank you!
seromba said:
FINAL UPDATE:
After applying manual pressure on different parts of the exposed motherboard, I isolated the pressure point to the left part of the connector that leads from USB Charging Port/Mic up to the motherboard.
I tried cleaning out the port and the connector and it doesn't seem to work without applying a bit of pressure on the connector. At this point I'm thinking it's just some wear and tear or a bit of malfunction on the motherboard port.
To fix the issue I ripped a small piece of my business card and used a bit of double sided 2mm tape to hold the piece of card between the connector and the chassis covering the motherboard. This pressure seems to be more than enough to establish a proper connection.
Alas the issue is fixed. Hopefully this will help someone else in the near future. Thanks everyone for reading at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem and after teardown my device many times I tried this and works!!
Thanks!
seromba said:
FINAL UPDATE:
After applying manual pressure on different parts of the exposed motherboard, I isolated the pressure point to the left part of the connector that leads from USB Charging Port/Mic up to the motherboard.
I tried cleaning out the port and the connector and it doesn't seem to work without applying a bit of pressure on the connector. At this point I'm thinking it's just some wear and tear or a bit of malfunction on the motherboard port.
To fix the issue I ripped a small piece of my business card and used a bit of double sided 2mm tape to hold the piece of card between the connector and the chassis covering the motherboard. This pressure seems to be more than enough to establish a proper connection.
Alas the issue is fixed. Hopefully this will help someone else in the near future. Thanks everyone for reading at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I have to replace my battery on the phone and before I could put it in my mic stopped working. I was considering calling Google, but didn't want to be without my phone. This was holding off my new battery replacement. Now I should be able to fix both. Thanks for the knowledge, I know what to look for.
seromba said:
I'm happy I could help.
I know it's kind of a hassle, I had to play with it a few times to get it to work again (either mic would give in and out or the vibrator motor wouldn't work).
Unfortunately for me, I dropped my phone and shattered the screen for the 2nd time and I decided it was enough money spent on my nexus 5... time to go check out the desolate page for the 2015 moto e.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear that you ended up needing to replace your Nexus 5 Pesky gravity. How is the Moto E working out for you?
This problem has come up recently for me during calls when I tilt my phone a certain way. No issues with voice recognition though. If you'd still bother to dredge this topic up, how did you find balance mic fix and vibration? I've been toying with the right size and thickness of the business card. Started off with a 9x3mm piece, which looked to fit about the red circle you had drawn--this worked but disabled the vibration. Tried pressing on the back of my battery cover, but vibration only worked for a couple seconds. Snipped it to 5x3mm and removed one ply from the card--vibration works but mic doesn't. I'm wondering if there's a certain way I should place it? Are there certain parts of the motherboard the card should or shouldn't touch (e.g. the metal surrounding the motor slot on the motherboard)? Been playing with this for the better part of 2 hours but don't know what considerations I should be making.
Much appreciated!!
Has anyone tried......
Has anyone tried to re-seat the the cable? I just did it to a co-workers N5 and it works just fine now.

[REVIEW] Sharp Aquos Crystal X (402SH)

There is very little talk of this device on Xda, other than some mentions here and there on the regular Crystal forums.
Also, I have not yet seen any english speaking people giving a review of it on Youtube (or anywhere else for that matter). So far it has just been hands-on at Sharp stands and such.
I therefore thought it might be of interest to some, that I share my experiences.
Now I know this smartphone is not gonna be widely adopted outside of Japan.
Not having cdma or the 800mhz(?) gsm band used in the U.S, it seems silly for anyone to import this back to the the states. Taking into account that you have to add on the cost of getting it sim unlocked, makes it pretty pricey for a high end device (with previous gen "flagship" hardware).
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At the time of writing this, I have only had this device in my possession for two days.
Keep that in mind. I will therefore have problems with assessing battery life and similar things that need a bit more time to be accurately evaluated.
I guess the natural place to start would be:
Appearance
Biggest selling point is of course the edgeless 5.5 inch display.
I previously came from the the M8, before that, Z1.
I love htc's screens (Atleast since the HOX).
We all know the viewing angles of the Z1 (coming from the Z before that, I was stumped that they managed to fail twice on that front), but straight on it has the most natural looking colors of any smartphone I have ever had.
Let's say that the Z1 is at one end of the scale, M8 in the middle, and typical Samsung amoled screens at the other end. The Crystal X would imo fall between the Z1 and the M8, not so far off the htc. It looks the best of the three, and I'm sure that is just because there's more screen to look at
Under
Settings > wallpaper & display > Quality mode
you can choose color modes (Standard quality, Dynamic, Natural, Relax).
I have not had time to scrutinize the differences on a ton of photos and graphics just yet.
I have tried out Dynamic (which is default) and Natural a little. Relax looks absolutely crazy, and makes white and light colors get a sort beige tint.
@ 157 grams, the phone is right in my comfort zone.
Even though there is no metal body, it does not feel plasticky or anything like that.
The power button and the volume rocker are not wobbly, but stiff, and give off nice satisfying clicks.
Being edgeless makes it a bit thicker than the competition these days, but thanks to being rounded at the back, it doesn't feel fat at all (I have turned a little out of shape the last couple of years, maybe I'm projecting my insecurities:laugh
I am going to even out the pattern on the back piece and spray paint it.
Tactile wise I don't feel it being bad or good, but I am doing it for two reasons:
-I like a sleek finish more then patterns
-the camera actually protrudes just a tiny tiny bit. This will hopefully neutralize that "threat", and avoid it being a resting point for the phone.
Innards
I could toss up the numbers here, but that is one google away, so just do that.
Key things to note here would be non-removable battery, and micro sd slot.
The "direct wave receiver... thingy (hell let's just call it a tiny buttkicker) works very well.
I was a tad worried when I read the instructions.
It says something along the lines of "make sure your entire ear covers the glass, to block out surrounding noise and to achieve the best audio experience"
The reality is, you don't even have to be near the screen. I have to actually turn the volume down quite a bit so it don't act as a speakerphone. Not to say it's so loud it's bothersome, or that people will unintentionally eavesdrop 10 feet away though.
If you are out and about in the city, the background noise would even that out easily.
My point is here that my skepticism was merely unfounded.
On to the:
Interaction
I have been running lollipop on my M8 and Nexus 9 for a while now, and liking it I might add. So naturally I would like it to land on the Crystal X as well.
Root is however more important to me right now (this phone badly deserves it)
So we are left with 4.4.4.
It is pretty close to stock. The notification panel looks a bit different.
Weirdly enough, you can't get to the brightness slider unless you go into settings. The brightness tile in the dropdown only gives you four choices (min, med, max and auto).
Rom is snappy, but certain apps introduces micro lags when scrolling.
There are other small features, like swiping from one side to the other on the status bar to take a screenshot or open image viewer.
Many (me included) hate those times when you are looking at media in portrait, and things are askew. So you tilt it just enough to see aaand blammo! auto rotation kicks in.
Grip sensors avoid this from happening.
It's been a while since I've been dependent on the power button for turning the screen on/off (and never going back). The grip sensors are therefore something I think everyone would greet with open arms (or with a firm grip I should say).
Just pick it up, and you're off to the races.
The speaker on the back is fairly loud. Nothing extreme, but well within my expectations.
Camera is something I have yet to fully explore. Looks a little sony-ish (not bad).
Not the fastest shooter, but seems like it takes good pics. I will pit it against my other relevant devices tomorrow.
Will be interesting to see how it fares against the M8 in low light.
In pitch black where you really rely on your flash, I think the Aquos might struggle more, because quite frankly, the flash on this thing is lackluster. Which means it's not a great flashlight either.
The final act:
Conclusion
When you add all that up in a blender, I will gulp it down and ask for seconds.
There is the question of: Will this device ever receive root?
Looking at the Crystal forums, it doesn't reassure me all that much.
One can just hope. I might also consider anteing up a phone and/or cash as a root bounty at some point.
All in all, no big letdowns. My worries were quickly put to rest.
If I had the chance to go back, I would buy it one more time
I hope there are already other owners (or future ones) out there, who stumbles over this thread and can chime in. Maybe we can group together and create a wave.
I will try to take som better photo's of the phone outside in the daytime a little later tomorrow. Also as mentioned, a camera shootout.
So what have we learned today kids?
Don't put Sharp-ie in pooper!
I absolutely love mine as well. I have owned it for 3 days and have been very impressed. My only complaint is that I only get edge and would love to be able to get at least 3g connection. I think it really is one of the nicest phones I have owned and I have owned a lot. I wish we could add radio bands to make the 3g possible. I find the little differences in the software to be nothing more than a little annoying. I actually shut off the swipe to activate feature as I found it always activating when I slipped it into the sleeve.
imapfsr said:
I absolutely love mine as well. I have owned it for 3 days and have been very impressed. My only complaint is that I only get edge and would love to be able to get at least 3g connection. I think it really is one of the nicest phones I have owned and I have owned a lot. I wish we could add radio bands to make the 3g possible. I find the little differences in the software to be nothing more than a little annoying. I actually shut off the swipe to activate feature as I found it always activating when I slipped it into the sleeve.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EDGE is brutal. I feel for you there.
Hopefully within a short time frame I will be able to test it on LTE-A (4G+), since around these parts they are rolling it out right now to several of the biggest cities here (I live fairly close to the capital).
I was quite busy yesterday, so I have not yet had time to take more photos. Hopefully I will have time a little later today though.
Thanks TS for the review. U got it from benny? . Just got my set yesterday.. Loves it..
.. install apex launcher and everything seen smoothly.
nakedtoes said:
Thanks TS for the review. U got it from benny? . Just got my set yesterday.. Loves it..
.. install apex launcher and everything seen smoothly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep!
Which color did you get?
benziii said:
Yep!
Which color did you get?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
White... Can't post pic yet lol
---------- Post added at 05:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 PM ----------
benziii said:
Yep!
Which color did you get?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
imapfsr said:
I absolutely love mine as well. I have owned it for 3 days and have been very impressed. My only complaint is that I only get edge and would love to be able to get at least 3g connection. I think it really is one of the nicest phones I have owned and I have owned a lot. I wish we could add radio bands to make the 3g possible. I find the little differences in the software to be nothing more than a little annoying. I actually shut off the swipe to activate feature as I found it always activating when I slipped it into the sleeve.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi how do u change the 4 menu buttons below to transparent? Thx
nakedtoes said:
Hi how do u change the 4 menu buttons below to transparent? Thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you can. Only seen a setting for changing the spacing.
I just force immersive mode to get rid of it.
I am happy to say that Lmt luncher is working great (V2.4)
This edgeless beauty can't be constrained by ugly black buttons
I use Go Launcher and that way it becomes transparent by default. I can also swipe up and it disappears completely. I can do the same for the notification bar as well.
correction, the 4 icons don't dissappear just the dock icons can.
install latest version of Apex ... thats it..
nakedtoes said:
install latest version of Apex ... thats it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, what Im saying is rubbish. I think even one of the default launchers do it.
Find something unusual during charging... I have this orico 4 (2ax2, 1ax2) ports charger that can output 1.1a to 2.0a to my other phones but for this 402sh only max 0.5a. Tried all kind of cables. Then using xiaomi 10400mah power bank can output 1A..
nakedtoes said:
Find something unusual during charging... I have this orico 4 (2ax2, 1ax2) ports charger that can output 1.1a to 2.0a to my other phones but for this 402sh only max 0.5a. Tried all kind of cables. Then using xiaomi 10400mah power bank can output 1A..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine has gone through three different chargers, and they charge much more than 500mah (Logitech 1A, HTC 1.5A, HTC 2A)
Have not even had time to roll back the Z1 and the M8 to stock yet.
Thinking of comparing the three in a couple of scenes in full resolution, 8Mpx, both with their respective cameras and the google camera.
Meanwhile, two quick "glam" shots:
Does anyone know the technical details of the phone?
Like aperture, and if it has ois?
@benziii , does it have the slow-motion (240fps) which is highlighted on the new zeta models ?
Thanks for reviewing this, any chance of a source link?
edit: I found the link; if anyone else want look, here: http://www.softbank.jp/corp/group/sbm/news/press/2014/20141212_01/
Battery life
Guys what is the battery life on the 402sh like? Also this is not hugely important but what is the colour of bezel on the black 402sh? Is it really black? Reason I am asking is Id like to get this in black but when I look at the pictures of the black version, the front still looks whitish to grayish rather than pure black. Can someone please confirm?
Awesome!
I really hoped this phone will get. root, but it seems we have failed to create a wave.
I have seen some websites that demand payments for rooting your device.
I'd like to know if they are reliable at all.

General First impressions

As per a request for first impressions in another thread, here you go...
Pre ordered a 256gb in green directly from Samsung in the UK. It arrived early yesterday after a surprise email saying it would come a week early. Spent Friday setting up so today was the first real day of use. Still updating apps and extra logins etc but I feel I have a decent idea how it will go as I move from a Note 10+.
Thoughts...
1. Packaging - nicely done and a little quirky. Adds to the event
2. Build quality-feels amazingly well screwed together. The hinge is absolutely solid and tight. No worries at all. The device feels light and is very easy to hold. It is an absolute delight to make calls from, the slightly narrow frame makes it so easy to hold in the hand for extended periods both for calls and screen use.
3. The crease - you can absolutely see it and feel it. After 10 min, honestly, you just don't notice it at all and if you do, it reminds you that you have a phone that folds in half!
4. Speed-it feels rapid and smooth. The 120hz is definitely noticeable and there is no lag at all
5. Battery - it is still optimising so hopefully it will adapt and improve. It came off charge at 7.00am today at 100% and went back on at 8pm with 10% left. This was with 30 min Bluetooth music, 2 hrs browsing, 30 mins gaming, 2 calls about 10 min each and around 50 messages through the day with 10 photos as I played with the camera (director mode?!). Also had a smartwatch bluetoothed all day too. About 5% an hour seems about what I saw today There is no way it will ever go from getting up to going to sleep without a top up but I expected this and am okay with it. To be honest, the note 10 + struggled with similar usage some days. Looks like about 1hr 25 to fill up again from 10% with a fast cabled charge.
6. Setting up - the transfer software is spookily good and it still feels like magic when your old phone home screen appears on your new device
7. Folding - it is a novelty I don't feel will wear off soon.... set mine to answer and end calls as I open and close and the satisfaction is just brilliant. No idea why and can't really explain, it just feels right.
8. Cover screen - far more readable than I thought and is great for checking notifications and dismissing them. I can definitely see the way it will work. Imagine mid range smartwatch abilities on the outside of the phone and you get an idea what it will do. It does more than enough and it doesn't need to do more.
9. Case-Samsung leather in green. Fits great, does what you want it to, will keep it safe enough. Looks really boring. Will probably change it when I get chance for something more in keeping with a fun phone
10. Regrets - yesterday I was a bit unsure, by the end of today I am completely converted and wouldn't dream of sending it back. Amazed.... it feels like a half a dozen steps forward over the note10+ in so many ways.
11. Other people - be prepared for other people to want to hold it and fold it....
Hope this helps someone and happy to try and answer questions if I can
Thanks for the review. I'm coming from a note 9 so looking forward to small form.factor.
Glad to hea opening and closing can answer/hangup calls. I assumed it would bt haven't found anyone mention it.
Regarding the leather case, does it make it much thicker? Does it feel like a thick wallet?
senergy said:
Thanks for the review. I'm coming from a note 9 so looking forward to small form.factor.
Glad to hea opening and closing can answer/hangup calls. I assumed it would bt haven't found anyone mention it.
Regarding the leather case, does it make it much thicker? Does it feel like a thick wallet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It isn't a thick case at all and really doesn't add much to the phone, it is maybe 1 - 2mm at most. It is very well made and feels good, I just find the green colour s bit boring
senergy said:
Thanks for the review. I'm coming from a note 9 so looking forward to small form.factor.
Glad to hea opening and closing can answer/hangup calls. I assumed it would bt haven't found anyone mention it.
Regarding the leather case, does it make it much thicker? Does it feel like a thick wallet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The setting is in the call settings rather than the main setting menu. Took me a little while to find it
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cd1yat said:
As per a request for first impressions in another thread, here you go...
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Jealous you received your early. However, what a great little review of what to expect! Thanks.
Loving my flip 3 but have a issue when it comes to using android auto, keeps disconnecting and crashes.
2017 vw golf
kedge said:
Loving my flip 3 but have a issue when it comes to using android auto, keeps disconnecting and crashes.
2017 vw golf
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Seems to be fine on my Mégane 2019. I know this doesn't help you though.
Just for info really. Maybe try the beta version?
kedge said:
Loving my flip 3 but have a issue when it comes to using android auto, keeps disconnecting and crashes.
2017 vw golf
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I have a 2018 skoda karoq which will have a similar infotainment system. I needed to remove the phone from the car and the car from the phone and Bluetooth as all settings had copied over but wouldn't work.
A re-pair of Bluetooth and then a fresh set up of android auto worked for me. I also used a new cable just in case as it often gets flaky after about 6 months use.
It is working reliably now.
Good luck
Quick thoughts since ...
The camera is really nice and produces decent photos. Not really missing the telephoto lens
And I had forgotten the joys of a fingerprint scanner that just works quickly and first time, every time. Why it ever moved from the power button (I had a Sony z series) I will never know.
Battery is week, but I was expecting it. With battery care charging to 85% it does not last full day for me. Taking of charge at 7.00 around 18.00 it is left with just few percent of battery. 1,5h on screen time. 2-3 hours bluetooth music (that looks to be eating battery fastest), 5 email acounts, 30 min of talks. Smartwatch (garmin - looks also eating quite a lot) connected all day long. + covid tracking app (bluetooth) on all the time.
Android auto connects no problem (MB e class 2017). There was a problem before due to cable. To my surprise just few cables worked out of 10+ i had. Only original ones worked or very thick one from amazon basics.
Tried to connect via wireless dongle (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/aawireless#/) but after connected after ~4-5 min crashes. Did not spend much time yet, but it seams that even if it will work in the end, will be not possible to use as battery is depleating by 3%/min and phone becomes very hot when connected.
Bought aramid cover. Looked nicer than black leather. As aramid cover is thiner by half an does not look to be so scratchy.
Bought samsung rectangular wireless charger with USB C. Wirelss charging works only when original (included with pad) ~18w charger is connected. Tried other lower 10-15w charges and with them the wirellses charging pad does not work. Tried borrowed older Micro USB samsung charging pad, so it charges with any charger, just slower.
Well, this is not good news
I've had my Flip 3 for 4 days now, and loving it. I have contacted tech support for a reason/answer why.
Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
Unlocking the bootloader of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 reportedly breaks all the camera-related functionalities. Read on to know more!
www.xda-developers.com
I got my phone yesterday too. It's great so far, the only issue I'm facing is excessive heating on the top panel. I'll see if today after more normal use it gets better. Did you experience heating on your unit?
ManuM15 said:
I got my phone yesterday too. It's great so far, the only issue I'm facing is excessive heating on the top panel. I'll see if today after more normal use it gets better. Did you experience heating on your unit?
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I've had mine for a week now. 8/128, black version F711B. The excessive heating under the cover display is quite disturbing. Noticed it mostly during video calls (GM, Skype, Wahatspp, etc.). When on video calls, it discharges the battery to 0 in about 70 minutes from almost full and heats up so much I can't touch it.
Hoping for a firmware update...
ManuM15 said:
I got my phone yesterday too. It's great so far, the only issue I'm facing is excessive heating on the top panel. I'll see if today after more normal use it gets better. Did you experience heating on your unit?
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The first day or so when it was downloading massive updates and restoring backups etc - yes. Not noticeable almost all of the time now, occasionally warm when charging
Coming from a Pixel 4 and after using the Z Flip 3 for the whole day, I will sadly be returning it to the box. I love the technology behind it and what the future holds, personally I am waiting for a "mini" version. I find the Z Flip 3 actually bulky and heavy for a device that is supposed to make foldbles more poket-able. To me, It does not feel light and it is not that small either when folded. Plus, I don't get it why they made the screen so tall when opened, it is wasted screen past a certain screen ratio (22:9 !?...c'mon). It is so tall the phone wants to roll around the fingers when texting, you have to squeeze it to hold it. Maybe the ergonomics are better and everything is just perfect if you have bigger hands and fingers? This is something worth trying individually. I didn't expect not to be able to get used to the Flip in my hand, before I received I was thinking it will be love at first sight.
For those who are used to and prefer screens this big and tall, you will most likely going to love the phone, the screen definitely delivers. The crease is almost a non issue. When looking straight at the phone, on a white background like in Messages or Chrome, you will not see the crease.
I have had the device since Saturday. Build quality is top notch and I like the form factor and love the portability. I am still not fully convinced. Battery life is as expected the biggest concern. I think it will get you through a light to medium use day. I mean the idea of the phone is too keep you away from it with digital wellbeing in mind. Checking for notifications on the cover screen should help keeping you from opening and using it all the time. At least this is my idea. I don't want to use my phone that much anymore.
There are still some software quirks which hopefully will get ironed out. And hoping for more features for the cover screen.
Btw I noticed one thing: The cover screen doesn't show an incoming Whatsapp voice or video call. You can only answer telephone calls from the cover directly via loudspeaker. Same for duo. I can't access a call from the cover screen. Can anybody confirm this behavior? Not even showing the Whatsapp ones is really annoying... I am lucky that my Garmin is connected and at least will show it on the watch
ManuM15 said:
I got my phone yesterday too. It's great so far, the only issue I'm facing is excessive heating on the top panel. I'll see if today after more normal use it gets better. Did you experience heating on your unit?
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Yes, heats up. Browsing web and listening to music via bluetooth heats up quite a lot. Installed samsung labs app and reduced max temp by 2 degrees to get earlier throttling. Not sure it had any effect. Even if it works, 2 degrees too little to notice.
I have had mine out of the box for literally 5 hours. So far, so good, I have noticed some heat build up when wireless charging bit OK when wired charging. Battery life so far is poor but it is still learning usage patterns so hopefully that will improve. The device is very solidly built and the internal screen is beautiful. I had been holding off buying a flip until the external screen size was improved and I am very happy with what Samsung have done here. Cameras are OK, I am no photography buff though! It fits into my pocket perfectly and you cannot beat that fold/ unfold action!
The camera is pretty bad. Coming from an iPhone 12 pro max and one plus 7 pro, it's super muddy. Zooming in, it's a muddy, pixelated mess. Even outdoors in a well lit area, the detail and sharpness is pretty meh. Pretty disappointing since I think I read it has the same camera sensor as either the s20 or s21.
E30Nova said:
The camera is pretty bad. Coming from an iPhone 12 pro max and one plus 7 pro, it's super muddy. Zooming in, it's a muddy, pixelated mess. Even outdoors in a well lit area, the detail and sharpness is pretty meh. Pretty disappointing since I think I read it has the same camera sensor as either the s20 or s21.
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It's the same hardware as the previous Z Flip. You're comparing phones that were in competition for best camera phone to one that tried to pack current Qualcomm hardware into a center fold. The camera and battery are where they brought the price down.
I'm honestly a bit surprised Samsung didn't follow Asus in doing a split battery. The first thing I thought of when seeing the ads for that on the ROG Phone 5 was the Z Flip.
I'm coming from a Note 20 Ultra with the 108MP camera and near perfect action shots. I can definitely appreciate losing quality, but it's also a personal question of whether it outweighs the novelty.

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