Database Info

Been through hell and back!

Okay... So where to start? Alright, so I got this phone in December. I unlocked it and used it up until February... Like every phone I've ever had (this being the first Motorola phone though), I unlocked it and rooted it. I didn't think anything would go wrong, as long as I didn't **** up (software-wise). So the warranty was never a big deal. Never was. Until in February, my screen went black and wouldn't come back on. I could hear the sound from my boot logo, aswell as notifications once on... So I decided, it must be the LCD. So I bought a new LCD, installed it and turned it on to no avail. I figured it might be a faulty LCD, so I returned it and got a new one a week later. I installed that one, and once again, same issue. So finally, after being stumped for another week, I took it into a phone shop for a 'free diagnosis'. They examined it for about 3 weeks and determined it was a cable (the one that connects to the keyboard)... It was ripped, but it was so small that they had to use a microscope to see it. So I bought another Photon Q with a cracked screen for parts. Tonight, I just put in the cable from the Photon Q I just bought... I should mention, the first time I took my Q apart, I broke the digitizer... yeahh.... So, after buying the new digitizer I've spent about $150 TOPS repairing this phone (including buying the wrong part for it and foolishly breaking the digitizer). That's how much sprint would have charged me for the repair anyways, and I'd have gotten a refurbished phone to boot.
SO, my point here is - **** the warranty. It's too damn expensive to be paying for every month, then have to pay an extra $150 on top of that for a replacement. Sure it CAN be faster and more convenient (I spent money on parts and stuff as I got it, I didn't have it all at once so it took me a little while), but you can always figure things out for yourself. This is the first phone I've ever taken apart, and everything ended up being a flawless success doing it myself. So, if your phone's LCD burns out (or so it seems), don't give up hope. Oh, and my other point is... I have an extra brand new LCD I don't need, that I'd sell for $20 (half of what you'll find it for anywhere else) if you're interested haha. Also, I'm interested in buying another keyboard cable so I can finish assembly of this second Q I have here... Just for ****s and giggles

You do know in ever post it says this will void you warranty and tech at actual phone stores won't work on them... once your device is unlock and root you device your on your own or you have to go through your insurances.... I know this cause its what I do for a living....
Sent from my XT897 using xda premium

spyderkoz said:
You do know in ever post it says this will void you warranty and tech at actual phone stores won't work on them... once your device is unlock and root you device your on your own or you have to go through your insurances.... I know this cause its what I do for a living....
Sent from my XT897 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I'm completely aware of that. I've been rooting phones for year. My point is, that this was my first Motorola phone, also the first time I've had to 'unlock' the bootloader of a phone. Before, all I had to do is unroot it if I wanted Sprint to look at it.

T-Mobile Z3... dropped/Best way to root new one/Backup old one/Insurance Claim

So I dropped my Z3 on some concrete last night....
Device works just fine but it's ugly. Will they accept the claim provided it's just cosmetic or should I lie and say it is done for? What pisses me off is not the money for the deductible... it's the countless hours I've spent customizing it.
So I'm going to file the insurance claim today. I would like to know the best way to backup my device so that I can restore as much onto the new one as possible. I had the dual backup installed but will never boot into it, maybe ill try to reinstall.
Then as far as the new device... what's the best way to root it? Should I take the update? I have blocked the sony updater on my existing one for fear of it breaking root.
Lastly will Assurant check to see if I rooted my old one? Should I unroot it prior to sending it back.
Thanks in advance for your advice. My big thing is I'm not sending this one in until I get an exact replacement and I can get that replacement rooted. If I can't do that I'll pay $200-300 to get it repaired.

I do not believe cosmetic issues are covered. Granted I did not have insurance (They backdated Jump for me after my 3 refurb so had insurance technically) when I did my exchanges with T-Mobile but they made it clear that cosmetic issues are not considered plus you technically physically damaged it and it was not a factory defect, Unless its affecting the usage of the phone they won't, unless I suppose any damage to the frame affected water proofing, you could make that case if true. In my case of severe light leak on a few of them I convinced them waterproofing was compromised (failed pressure test) so they agreed to replace.
Oh and by the way T-Mobile does not have any new Z3s nor any new ones coming in, you will get a refurb..... And boy does the repair center do a bad job, I had to send 4 refurbs in a row back recently because they had issues ranging from severe light bleed to missing paint patch in bezel which acts like an extra LED near lower speaker on 2 of them to a streak of hot/dead pixels on one....
So basically unless they can get you factory sealed one, you will have to test your luck with refurbs, though depending on how bad your damaged Z3 looks it may well be worth it lol.

abhinav.tella said:
I do not believe cosmetic issues are covered. Granted I did not have insurance (They backdated Jump for me after my 3 refurb so had insurance technically) when I did my exchanges with T-Mobile but they made it clear that cosmetic issues are not considered plus you technically physically damaged it and it was not a factory defect, Unless its affecting the usage of the phone they won't, unless I suppose any damage to the frame affected water proofing, you could make that case if true. In my case of severe light leak on a few of them I convinced them waterproofing was compromised (failed pressure test) so they agreed to replace.
Oh and by the way T-Mobile does not have any new Z3s nor any new ones coming in, you will get a refurb..... And boy does the repair center do a bad job, I had to send 4 refurbs in a row back recently because they had issues ranging from severe light bleed to missing paint patch in bezel which acts like an extra LED near lower speaker on 2 of them to a streak of hot/dead pixels on one....
So basically unless they can get you factory sealed one, you will have to test your luck with refurbs, though depending on how bad your damaged Z3 looks it may well be worth it lol.
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Assurant always does refurbs, unless they don't have any they will give you a new one. It's at least a z3 they are sending, otherwise I'd tell to them to f*** off and I'd find a way to repair it.
I'm pissed that T-mobile doesn't carry anymore (some still available in stores). I think half the reason they don't sell is the salespeople at the mobile carriers and best buy are always pushing garbage samsung devices. If you go to Europe you can find accessories for any sony phone in any electronics store or airport shop. My friends in Canada say one in four in their group of friends have an Xperia. I have only seen one other out in the real world... and the individual was from Hong Kong.
I would rather purchase direct from Sony, but T-mobiles coverage is still spotty and I depend on wifi calling in some places I visit regularly.
Guy at T-Mobile said cosmetic is covered. The way I see it they'd probably prefer I pay $175 and get a device that's working just fine. I said the screen was cracked... but technically it's the glass on the back.

It's not T-Mobile's fault, they still sell the Z/Z1, reason they stopped sale of the Z3 is due to quality control issues and numerous returns. A rep told me that after I said I want a new one not any more defective refurbs. As I said I am on my 8th lol plus the 4-5 more (new) TMO store itself went through to get me my 4th so make it 10-12 total TMO sent back to Sony just for me...
Don't get me wrong I love the phone but needing that many returns is just ridiculous.....
The international version seems to have much better consistency in production and quality.
However honestly I'm glad I bought directly from T-Mobile they gave me immediate replacements for my first 4 (in Oct-Nov) which were new and 1 day shipping for the last 4 which were refurbs (recently). Sony support asked me to do a software reinstall to get rid of light leak from frame/glass where glue was clearly missing, facepalm. After that they said 3 week minimum turn around time for replacements. TMO reps seemed more knowledgeable.... They even offered to cancel my monthly phone cost and refeund tax if it happened again....
Well anyway, I hope you get a good replacement. Another idea is in the event you get a bad refurb, try to go through Sony and make them give you the international version instead.

abhinav.tella said:
It's not T-Mobile's fault, they still sell the Z/Z1, reason they stopped sale of the Z3 is due to quality control issues and numerous returns. A rep told me that after I said I want a new one not any more defective refurbs. As I said I am on my 8th lol plus the 4-5 more (new) TMO store itself went through to get me my 4th so make it 10-12 total TMO sent back to Sony just for me...
Don't get me wrong I love the phone but needing that many returns is just ridiculous.....
The international version seems to have much better consistency in production and quality.
However honestly I'm glad I bought directly from T-Mobile they gave me immediate replacements for my first 4 (in Oct-Nov) which were new and 1 day shipping for the last 4 which were refurbs (recently). Sony support asked me to do a software reinstall to get rid of light leak from frame/glass where glue was clearly missing, facepalm. After that they said 3 week minimum turn around time for replacements. TMO reps seemed more knowledgeable.... They even offered to cancel my monthly phone cost and refeund tax if it happened again....
Well anyway, I hope you get a good replacement.
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Click to collapse
As much as I liked the more squarish design of my z1s (though hated the silver accents)... my z3 seemed to be a much more quality device. Scared to try out this refurbed one. I'm charging it up and waiting until I find out the best means for rooting it. Hoping it's not a piece of crap. I remember a friend dropped my z1s, the replacement models vibrator would stop working.
Personally what upsets me most is the bootloaders that can't be unlocked and frustration with rooting. It's so easy on the international versions. And frankly while wifi calling is a nice feature it's a total load that I can't use it on any device and even more upsetting that it isn't compatible with third party messaging apps. I can't get mms to download over wifi calling with anything but that hideous bare bones stock messaging app.
"The international version seems to have much better consistency in production and quality." That right there says it all. If the international version is compatible on your service, why create a dumbed down version?

Regardless it's good to speak to someone that has experience with this, albeit unfortunate experiences. Good luck.

Make sure to check it at night, and look for light bleed and also any LED like effect from missing paint on front glass (That I believe is due to a tool mark), saw this on 3 refurbs.
As I said earlier if it does have issues try the cross model exchange with Sony. I see no alternative devices lol, the Z3 is still the most well rounded device even with the new guys in town.

Multiple Problems

Copying this over from reddit
Alright, I've had an Xperia Z3 D6616 for just over a year now. In that time I've had 2 screen cracks and 1 back screen crack(all 3 appearing out of nowhere). I am currently on my second phone.
I decided a few months ago that I was unsatisfied with the phone and I picked up a Nexus 6P, which I have been incredibly happy with.
However, today I left my charging cable for my 6P at a friend's house and I cannot go and get it until tomorrow. In the mean time, I decided that I would fire up my Z3 to use instead.
When I plugged in the phone, it
Showed a red notification light
Showed no notification light
Buzzed and showed a red notification light
Quickly flashed a green light
Showed nothing
And then repeated
After fiddling with the volume buttons, I am able to get the phone to show a blue light, but that's it.
I am at my wit's end with this phone. I want nothing more than for it to leave my possession. I have spent close to $400 on it plus the $500 for the actual handset, and it has caused me nothing but problems.
What should I do? My ultimate goal is to receive a refund from my carrier (T-Mobile), receive a replacement from Sony (so I can sell the phone), or get a free and under warranty repair from Sony (so I can sell the phone).
I have been with T-Mobile for a long time, so I might be able to "pull rank" and get something to happen. However, Sony is definitely not as friendly. How can I get Sony to repair or replace the phone for free?
TL;DR: Z3 is a terrible phone. I want my money back. How can I go about doing that?

Go to T-Mobile and be firm that you want a refund especially if you don't need two phones.
Carriers are more likely (from what ive seen) to refund/ replace a phone (not sure how it is where you are) so try them first. They sold it to you so it's their issue. Plus they wanna keep you for the contract money so they're more worried about that than the phone which if they replace they will send back to Sony anyway or refurb to sell again.
If all else fails push Sony to replace it. They will likely want to repair it, but if that happen they might do a full refurbishment so go for that. Then sell.
For me I've found Sony software to be amazing. Sony hardware... temperamental at best... Their warranty seems alright as long as you haven't unlocked the bootloader...
At the end of the day it's gonna depend on who you deal with and how willing to help they are. If you're lucky they will be kind and deal with it for you. Just be strong willed and you don't have to accept what they tell you.
Good luck and see what others have to say they might know better as I've only used Sony warranty once and never went through a carrier as I buy unlocked.

Thanks for the advice! I'll try talking to my carrier first. Like I said, that is probably my best option.
Dobsgw said:
Go to T-Mobile and be firm that you want a refund especially if you don't need two phones.
Carriers are more likely (from what ive seen) to refund/ replace a phone (not sure how it is where you are) so try them first. They sold it to you so it's their issue. Plus they wanna keep you for the contract money so they're more worried about that than the phone which if they replace they will send back to Sony anyway or refurb to sell again.
If all else fails push Sony to replace it. They will likely want to repair it, but if that happen they might do a full refurbishment so go for that. Then sell.
For me I've found Sony software to be amazing. Sony hardware... temperamental at best... Their warranty seems alright as long as you haven't unlocked the bootloader...
At the end of the day it's gonna depend on who you deal with and how willing to help they are. If you're lucky they will be kind and deal with it for you. Just be strong willed and you don't have to accept what they tell you.
Good luck and see what others have to say they might know better as I've only used Sony warranty once and never went through a carrier as I buy unlocked.
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Click to collapse

Motherboard faults, deliberate design?

With so many people needing to replace their motherboards, even in the Note Edge XDA forum and across other forums, well, everywhere, does anyone else think this could possibly be planned obsolescence on the part of Samsung?
Is it possible they have deliberately designed them to fail after a set period of time (This mostly occurs after the warranty period has ended) ?
I could understand if this was an issue due to numerous rom installs etc but it is also happening to people who have never rooted or flashed their phones.
I thought it was only happening to Note 4's but was thinking of buying a new Note Edge as I like the design and only want a phone with the stylus and a removable battery. So I had a look at the Note Edge forum on XDA. The same issue is happening with their phones too. I raised this issue with Samsung and when they advised it would cost me over $400 AU to replace the motherboard I was not impressed.
It would be more palatable to think it was an issue with the design of the phone but for it to almost always happen after the warranty period has expired... if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

o0o.paw said:
With so many people needing to replace their motherboards, even in the Note Edge XDA forum and across other forums, well, everywhere, does anyone else think this could possibly be planned obsolescence on the part of Samsung?
Is it possible they have deliberately designed them to fail after a set period of time (This mostly occurs after the warranty period has ended) ?
I could understand if this was an issue due to numerous rom installs etc but it is also happening to people who have never rooted or flashed their phones.
I thought it was only happening to Note 4's but was thinking of buying a new Note Edge as I like the design and only want a phone with the stylus and a removable battery. So I had a look at the Note Edge forum on XDA. The same issue is happening with their phones too. I raised this issue with Samsung and when they advised it would cost me over $400 AU to replace the motherboard I was not impressed.
It would be more palatable to think it was an issue with the design of the phone but for it to almost always happen after the warranty period has expired... if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I hate updates.
They usually add butt loads of bloatware and drive your phone nuts.
The harder it works, the faster it burns out.

o0o.paw said:
With so many people needing to replace their motherboards, even in the Note Edge XDA forum and across other forums, well, everywhere, does anyone else think this could possibly be planned obsolescence on the part of Samsung?
Is it possible they have deliberately designed them to fail after a set period of time (This mostly occurs after the warranty period has ended) ?
I could understand if this was an issue due to numerous rom installs etc but it is also happening to people who have never rooted or flashed their phones.
I thought it was only happening to Note 4's but was thinking of buying a new Note Edge as I like the design and only want a phone with the stylus and a removable battery. So I had a look at the Note Edge forum on XDA. The same issue is happening with their phones too. I raised this issue with Samsung and when they advised it would cost me over $400 AU to replace the motherboard I was not impressed.
It would be more palatable to think it was an issue with the design of the phone but for it to almost always happen after the warranty period has expired... if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bought the phone in late 2014. Still working fine and no issues on the MB side. Althogh i had to change the batteries 5-6 times during this period.

I received an update from Samsung. They've asked me to drop it off at a kiosk or service centre and the they will have a look at it so see if it is an issue with the motherboard (which it definitely is). If it is they "may provide me with a remedy". Not sure what that means but I am just happy they have said they will have a look at it
Thought I'd add, they know I bought the phone second hand so I wasn't sure if they'd even look at it. Really impressed with the service even if they don't repair it.
I just hope they don't offer me a newer Note, I just want my phone fixed. I'd hate a phone without a removable battery.

Keep Us Updated (or me), every detail. I know that its like pulling teeth to get a repair person to divulge details.... Would love to have a newer Note or even replacement.

My MB died due to too many apps 400+ and running very hot for 1 year. So be warned do not run it HOT. Replaced with new MB costing £150 in UK.

unimatrix725 said:
Keep Us Updated (or me), every detail. I know that its like pulling teeth to get a repair person to divulge details.... Would love to have a newer Note or even replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung did agree to replace the motherboard, the only issue I had was I had purchased the note second hand and didn't have proof of purchase. I'd taken it into the Samsung kiosk and they determined it was a motherboard issue. It had actually turned off and would only boot into the Samsung recovery when I took it in.
About a week before this I had to call an ambulance urgently and the phone froze three times. I had to keep taking the battery out. I finally got through. I pointed out to Samsung that a family member could have died from this. That may have swayed them a little but again as I had purchased it second hand they would not touch it. The guy at the kiosk said it was because it could have been stolen, so yeh on top of me freaking out because I was trying to call an ambulance they then made me feel like I was a thief. No it was not stolen, in fact I also have a note 4 that I bought brand new but I gave my daughter that one when her Sony phone died.
I ended up buying a Note Edge second hand again as a new one was going to take up to November to get here (unless I paid a stupid amount of money for delivery and even then it could have taken 4 weeks). I'll end up buying a new motherboard if this one dies too, hell I may even just order one when I have the money so I have it spare.
BTW the Note Edge is way more awesome than the Note 4.
I now have a new battery cover, a fake Samsung battery cover case thing and a few screen protectors on the way, I don't think they are glass and the glass ones on eBay are a rip off. I'll be able to charge the phone on my Samsung note 3 dock and the spare battery at the same time. When I have some spare $ I'll grab another spare battery (I like to have 3 batteries in case one starts to swell and die).
I would have taken this further due to not being able to call the ambulance but our consumer laws say that you must have proof of purchase, besides I'm visiting the hospital every day working full time and trying to do the family house work & cooking so I don't have enough time. I'm also still really shaken up by what happened so it's probably better that I let it go.

OnePlus Repair Center Nightmare!

So.. a couple of weeks ago, I dropped my phone and it stopped working completely. The back glass is cracked and at first it was completely dead, I wasn't able to turn it on or anything. Later it eventually booted and it's currently working fine (all hardware things are working fine). I decided to get a back glass replacement anyway just because it will cut my fingers when used without a case.
So, I requested a repair, and today OnePlus "approved it", they sent me an email message from UPS and here the nightmare begins.. I also got an email from the repair center that will be replacing my back glass, the only problem is... that this repair center is possibly the biggest scamming repair center in my country. When You Google their company name, You can find hundreds of bad reviews and threads on various forums where people talk about it how they got scammed or how they send their phones to that repair center with for example battery that was draining very quickly (phone still on warranty) and they got an email from the repair center that the phone suffered water damage and motherboard has to be replaced (even though the owner said that his phone never even got close to any liquid or water), and the cost of repair is literally 2x the price of a new phone. (Later the guy replaced the battery by himself and phone was working fine, so as You can see liquid damaged motherboard was BS)
I do understand that bad reviews are normal and most repair centers have at least one or two of those, but.. like 2-3 years ago I bought a tablet (it cost around $75). I just needed some cheap tablet to watch YT videos etc. After some time the tablet randomly died and I sent it to the SAME repair center that OP uses. After 3-4 weeks I got an email saying that tablet repair will cost around $100 (30 USD more than price of a new tablet) and guess what they said when I asked them what's wrong with it. They said that sim card pins are shorted and it killed the motherboard. Well. I'm not a phone/tablet repair expert so I can't tell if shorted sim card pins can break Your motherboard. (Later I tried shorting sim card pins on some old flip phone and nothing happened, but then again, newer technology might be more sensitive IDK) But! The problem is.. that tablet didn't have a sim card slot! . Eventually after 2 months of fighting with the store and the repair center, store agreed to give me my money back and I just saved it and bought Mi Pad 2 later from China (it still works perfectly!).
So as You can see, even I already had terrible experience with this repair center. Now, my question is. What am I supposed to do now? I don't really care about warranty as local repair services charge 1/3rd of the price for repair. So I can just give my phone to them and lose the warranty. Or I can order replacement back and replace it by myself. Or I can send my phone to that repair center that OP uses and most likely never see my phone again or get a 500 USD bill.
What should I do guys? Right now I'm thinking about replacing the back glass by myself. I've done it before like 3 times (on my family's phones) and everything went pretty smoothly. Or I could just give it to local repair service and they will fix it in 1 hour if I'll give them my phone and new back glass.
(Remember that this repair center isn't OP's official repair center, they repair a lot of no brand/generic smartphones and tablets, sadly including OP's phones.)

There are no easy answers. You can purchase the back housing directly from OP or from the following link for under $20
https://www.witrigs.com/oem-battery-cover-camera-lens-ring-replacement-for-oneplus-6-midnight-black
or you can look at iFixit website for the back panel
I would suggest taking it to the place like: https://www.ubreakifix.com/locations (Samsung uses their services). If they ask for around $50-$75 for the labor cost, you will get the back glass replaced for under $100 which (at least to me) seems reasonable cost. Good luck. Keep us posted which route did you end up taking?

Gr8man001 said:
There are no easy answers. You can purchase the back housing directly from OP or from the following link for under $20
https://www.witrigs.com/oem-battery-cover-camera-lens-ring-replacement-for-oneplus-6-midnight-black
or you can look at iFixit website for the back panel
I would suggest taking it to the place like: https://www.ubreakifix.com/locations (Samsung uses their services). If they ask for around $50-$75 for the labor cost, you will get the back glass replaced for under $100 which (at least to me) seems reasonable cost. Good luck. Keep us posted which route did you end up taking?
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Click to collapse
Huge Thanks for telling me about Witrigs website! They even sell all tools needed for the repair.
I decided that I won't send it to that repair center. Even reviews posted this month are negative. So they haven't changed for sure. I don't care about warranty so I'm just going to fix it by myself most likely. Tomorrow I'll go to my local repair service and I'm going to ask them how much they want for back replacement if I'll give them new back glass + phone. If it won't be too expensive then I'll order new back from Witrigs or AliExpress and then I'll give them everything and they will fix it. And if they are going to ask for too much then I'm just going to fix it by myself.
Last time I asked them for display replacement cost (Galaxy S6) they said that they will charge me $30 + new display price. It was some time ago though.
We will see. Thanks for the links!

Good luck!! I think other users will benefit if you loop back and let us know the total cost and difficulty in getting the parts, etc. Take care.

Do it yourself. Slow and carefully. Watch some youtube video how to do it. Good luck!

Another vote on doing it yourself, especially since you've done this type thing before. Just be mindful of trying to do this in a somewhat dust free environment since you are removing the camera cover... don't want to get dust or fingerprints on inside of that cover or the lens that will stay forever. And make sure to seal that camera good.
Good luck :good: