It has so far been a nightmare, I'm sick, tired and I pray and hope that this doesn't happen to anyone else so I thought to let you guys know. This has nothing to do with the wonderful device nor Samsung, The entire fault is on me. Just me.
Do not attempt the Dual Sim + SD mod on the Note 7. I had it up and running perfectly on my Galaxy S7 Edge and I sold it to move on to the Note 7. Pre-ordered it in Dubai and purchased it right on the launch day August 3rd at 12.01 AM, most likely this is the first ever unit sold to an end User across the whole world. The device was fantastic, the leaks didn't do any justice, the real thing was way more awesome. Drew a lot of attention from strangers, especially when unlocking through the IRIS scanner. It was a whole new experience.
Didn't set it up, kept it on its special place at home waiting for the spigen I ordered to come as I didn't wanna risk scratches on the shiny unit.
Yesterday morning...., I swear if I had a time machine I'd go back...
I tried to put the Hybrid Sim + MicroSD card which I was using on the S7 Edge to the Note 7. I wish I had a save point to go back and revert this. The sim fit on the tray perfectly and slipped right in with much ease than it was on the S7 Edge. Worked like a charm, both stable, images in showed up, signals showed up. Done. My mod still works. Yeay.
Not so much.
Then I decided to remove it, as the phone is still not being used, let’s leave it aside for the spigen to come.
Tried to remove the tray again from the phone, so that I can defrag the microSD before putting it again. Makes the damned gallery load fast. Took the sim pin in the box, inserted through the hole in tray.. Not going in. Tight. Crap. It's a bit tighter than S7 Edge. Pushed it a little bit more inside, uh-huh, not going in. Applied a bit of force and damn it!!!!! The pin went right through like lightning, pushing whatever in ahead of its way. The sim ejection mechanism, the rubber thing you see under the hole of the sim tray was gone. Probably fell in to the inside of the phone. Sim tray didn't move a bit, still in its place. My hands trembled, heart stopped and I just sat there looking at it for a mere decade. I just couldn't believe what just happened, the shiny brand new phone.. Already broken beyond use, my own damned fault. Tried the sim pin again, doesn't even shake the tray. It's just jammed stuck in there. with the Hybrid SIM
Walked right into the Samsung store in the Mall,and the technician's held on to the phone for a few seconds looking at it having a hard time to believe what has happened. Must've thought what a clumsy ass I am, shiny brand new Note 7, not even available for regular customers who didn’t pre-order and he's already receiving one for repair. Might've been the world's first. I used all the Note devices down the line, you will find my posts in all the Note forums in XDA, and in my life this is the first time ever I walked into a Samsung Service Centre. The guy couldn't repair it, and told me in a disappointing tone that he doesn't even know how to open it up and even the tools are not available for it. Darn it. Wish I could slap myself across the face so that I’d wake up from this nightmare. Nope it's real. He’s reasoning was legit, even he was depressed and motionless. It’s too early for even a technician to know how to open this up. He didn’t give up, gave me an address to a main service center of Samsung.
Told me to take it to the main service Centre, and walked out with utter disappointment, my heart already sunken in, legs and hands still trembling. Main Centre was closed at that time, had to stay another day to know the fate and consequences of my mistake. After a long sleepless night, Got to the Service center, was there as soon as it opened. Gave the phone in, even the coordinator lady was surprised, such a new phone, and what have you done?
I know.
Got a rap sheet for the new phone, accepting for repair. Deep mistakes highlighted... Misuse, Warranty Void... Good Gosh. This is a nightmare. It will take 3 days Sir, We will call you when it’s done. It will be repaired, not replaced.
Repairs doesn’t do good to the water resistance of the device. Cannot drop it in water again. Never had a repaired phone in my life, but by experience I've seen a lot, they squeak and creek after being assembled again. It’s a goner. Just like that. One foolish attempt, and drained 3k just in a matter of minutes. Probably the world's first epic fail on Note 7. Can't imagine how the faces of the Samsung Service team would look, when they see what's stuck inside the phone. A MicroSD, uh.... no Wait, There's a sim on the back of it.... What! the heck is this ?
TL;DR - Word of Advice, Don’t jump into risky mods. Don’t ever attempt the SD Card + SIM mod on the Note 7. I've already risked my device, don't risk another device. It's a fabulous device out of the box, use it as it is.
Cheers Guys!
Damn man, I can't imagine how crappy you must feel right now about this. Hopefully your phone comes back in a good condition and you can possibly sell it and buy a new model.
another word of advice: if you're thinking about trying to defrag your SD card, don't. it doesn't improve storage speed and will shorten your SD's life.
HesThatGuy said:
Damn man, I can't imagine how crappy you must feel right now about this. Hopefully your phone comes back in a good condition and you can possibly sell it and buy a new model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a ton for the kind thoughts Mate.
Fingers crossed over here. !
najodleglejszy said:
another word of advice: if you're thinking about trying to defrag your SD card, don't. it doesn't improve storage speed and will shorten your SD's life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Just learned over at Reddit. Not gonna do it again.
Mod edit: Do not quote large posts, it clutters the forums.
You must be rich if you already had an S7 Edge and then you got a note 7... i can't even buy a meizu m2 note
eloy777 said:
You must be rich if you already had an S7 Edge and then you got a note 7... i can't even buy a meizu m2 note
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Had"
Sold it and bought the Note 7.
eloy777 said:
You must be rich if you already had an S7 Edge and then you got a note 7... i can't even buy a meizu m2 note
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He said he sold the S7 Edge to buy the Note 7.
If you used a credit card to purchase your phone, it should be covered against accidental damage for 90-120 days.
LOL! Defrag SD card! Facepalm!
Ugh, defragging an SD card...? Really?
How did you get yours shipped to USA? I want to buy one. Also how much was it total?
It's stated in the post he spent 3k! ?
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Hope they replace and give you a fresh piece. And thanks for the post, else I would have been the one trying that out.
Hi bro, can you post pictures of the LTE bands mentioned on the box... Looking for it to buy..
willstay said:
Hope they replace and give you a fresh piece. And thanks for the post, else I would have been the one trying that out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This post was made for those who are courageous like you! Glad that my Post at Least saved yours!
Cheers!
3k means 3000 Emirati Drhams, converted to 800$
I feel for you...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using XDA-Developers mobile app
Wow... Did you actually tell them what you did? Why wouldn't you just take it in and say "it's broke" ??
Sounds like those guys that start talking to the police after they commit a crime... Haha
Bummer! Hope it works out....
Sad, sad, story... But I love your writing style! Such emotion.
Related
Ok, so basically I was ODINing back to stock.
I left the phone in my lap without the battery cover, and it fell unplugging itself, and the battery also got removed.
Now the phone will NOT turn on no matter what I do!
Any help?
Have u tried holding the volume buttons and plugging in the USB?
Have u tried other ways to get into dl mode?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
shawayne21 said:
Ok, so basically I was ODINing back to stock.
I left the phone in my lap without the battery cover, and it fell unplugging itself, and the battery also got removed.
Now the phone will NOT turn on no matter what I do!
Any help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://mobiletechvideos.mybigcommerce.com/samsung-vibrant-unbrickable-mod-repair/
or DIY UnBrick the UnBrickable Vibrant
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1277056
jrafael said:
http://mobiletechvideos.mybigcommerce.com/samsung-vibrant-unbrickable-mod-repair/
or DIY UnBrick the UnBrickable Vibrant
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1277056
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not suggest the unbrickable mod unless you are extremely good with soldering and have eyes like a eagle. Id send it off to mobiletechvideos or Adam Outler for a professional debrick service. Ive been soldering since the 1970's and professionally since the 1990's for Qualcom and Intel and I decided not to offer this service after doing this mod to my phone and several customer phones. It is a very small working area and even with a 20x eye loop I found it just slightly to difficult to guarantee the work myself. Maybe its my old man eyes, but I would send it off to someone who has no problems performing this task on a daily basis... IMHO
SkOrPn said:
I do not suggest the unbrickable mod unless you are extremely good with soldering and have eyes like a eagle. Id send it off to mobiletechvideos or Adam Outler for a professional debrick service. Ive been soldering since the 1970's and professionally since the 1990's for Qualcom and Intel and I decided not to offer this service after doing this mod to my phone and several customer phones. It is a very small working area and even with a 20x eye loop I found it just slightly to difficult to guarantee the work myself. Maybe its my old man eyes, but I would send it off to someone who has no problems performing this task on a daily basis... IMHO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, sucks getting old, I did the mod myself with a $7 iron from radio shack in less than 10 min. Disclaimer: I sharped my soldering skills working for a military contractor doing micro smb rework with a microscope 8~10 hours a day for a few years.
But yes, very small parts very very easy to f.kd. if you don't know what you're doing.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium
jrafael said:
lol, sucks getting old, I did the mod myself with a $7 iron from radio shack in less than 10 min. Disclaimer: I sharped my soldering skills working for a military contractor doing micro smb rework with a microscope 8~10 hours a day for a few years.
But yes, very small parts very very easy to f.kd. if you don't know what you're doing.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes very much agreed, lol... I know what Im doing and my Iron is a standard Weller WES51 and I was using brand new 1/64 tips. I just could not properly see the damn thing. Below is an image of my resistor, its thinner then the finger print folds on my index finger, and my fingers are small lol. I have to agree its best to use a microscope set to something easy like 50-100x I would assume.
Vibrant T959 resistor to remove for this mod--> http://i.imgur.com/b6t8S.jpg
On another topic, several years ago I found out I am diabetic and I now can not read text even on my 55" HDTV, although I am near sighted (and it seems like I am focusing ok when using the loop) I have a feeling it must be my eyes not allowing me to see it clearly. After testing and RMA repairing thousands of Qualcom GPS units back in the day, I am not accustomed to failing at something I was normally always was good at. I guess the last 10 years of not working in the electronics industry has made me rusty (2001 I changed professions). My baby brother got to witness this mod taking place on his Fascinate and his jaw nearly dropped, and he mods car computers as a hobby. Its not something 99% of users could do I wouldn't think.
P.S. I have 6 years straight of RMA surface mount repair work on the GPS units you find in the trucking industry (the first few generations in the mid 90's), not only did I solder 8 hours 5 days a week, I also had to clean out disgusting coffee crap and cigarette/cigar residue (and only God knows what else), LOL... But it was fun. I would clean the disassembled units in a commercial grade dishwasher machine (just for electronics) using only hot distilled water, and then dry bake them in an oven, re-assemble them with new screens/keyboards etc and then go to town testing/repairing what ever it was that got it sent in for the RMA in the first place. The work was not even close to the small size this phones pcb and components are though, lol... not even remotely... haha, I would need a Microscope to regain my confidence to regularly work on this PCB again...
A $7 IRON????? Jeez and I barely could do it with descent equipment
Ironically I developed far sight problems, my doctor said was because of the extended hours working with a microscope and my eyes started to become lazy to focus at far objects, however my near vision improve ??? go figure.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium
WAIT, WAIT LOOK AT THIS FIRST, ADAMS BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND ITS LOOKING LEGIT TO BE ABLE TO DO AN UNSOLDERABLE JTAG!!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1397393
To the OP, I really hate saying this but I just have to ask. What were you thinking Odining your phone without the battery cover on??? This is just asking for a hard brick... Now that I got that off my chest I want to say I feel your pain. As jrafael has stated you can debrick it yourself if you can solder. But, I would contact Adam Outler here in the XDA forums and ask him if he is still doing this service. Below is his Vibrant DeBrick thread...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=17895947#post17895947
---------- Post added at 07:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:40 PM ----------
dseldown said:
WAIT, WAIT LOOK AT THIS FIRST, ADAMS BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND ITS LOOKING LEGIT TO BE ABLE TO DO AN UNSOLDERABLE JTAG!!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1397393
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to see it to believe it... this phone is getting more and more amazing
I can't thank you guys more for the responses.
I am trying them to see if I have any luck.
I Hear Ya Skorpn
I have to see it to believe it... this phone is getting more and more amazing[/QUOTE]
LMAO, I know it Bro!! It does seem a bit of a stretch, but I do respect Adams work in this area!
Especially since I myself once bricked my T959, by doing a KIES up-grade procedure, before I was warned by stumbling across a thread the next day after I made the fatal mistake, on the dangers of using KIES, Was dumb and newbee then!! = @#$%&* and even more cuss words! LOL
So anyways I've been looking and hoping for someone to be able to do what Adam says he's accomplished, and that is to be able to re-write corrupted primary and 2ndary Bootloaders W/O having to JTAG the traditional way!
But I'm not even disputing your word Bro, and I respect your contribution to this community as well. I'm still kinda lost as an Easter Egg with Linux, but I'm educating myself each week with it, so as to be able to perhaps execute a recovery if I brick my phone again, so I thought throwing that Post Link in by Adam might have some merit to it, and help this poor Guy out, I feel his pain, But like you I gotta wonder why he had the cover off, and had it set somewhere it would fall and unplug,etc!! Peace Bro!
dseldown said:
I have to see it to believe it... this phone is getting more and more amazing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMAO, I know it Bro!! It does seem a bit of a stretch, but I do respect Adams work in this area!
Especially since I myself once bricked my T959, by doing a KIES up-grade procedure, before I was warned by stumbling across a thread the next day after I made the fatal mistake, on the dangers of using KIES, Was dumb and newbee then!! = @#$%&* and even more cuss words! LOL
So anyways I've been looking and hoping for someone to be able to do what Adam says he's accomplished, and that is to be able to re-write corrupted primary and 2ndary Bootloaders W/O having to JTAG the traditional way!
But I'm not even disputing your word Bro, and I respect your contribution to this community as well. I'm still kinda lost as an Easter Egg with Linux, but I'm educating myself each week with it, so as to be able to perhaps execute a recovery if I brick my phone again, so I thought throwing that Post Link in by Adamhttp://media.xda-developers.com/images/editor/menupop.gif might have some merit to it, and help this poor Guy out, I feel his pain, But like you I gotta wonder why he had the cover off, and had it set somewhere it would fall and unplug,etc!! Peace Bro![/QUOTE]
I had the cover off because I was battery pulling because I was flashing MIUI, then ICS Passion v8 came along and i wanted to ODIN but was too lazy to put the cover back on. It was on my lap, i moved a bit and bam, it falls to the ground :/
thanks a bunch though, trying your thing first.
Good luck shawayne, I hope Santa is kind to you this year...
Still no luck sadly.... I think I am just going to have to sell it..
shawayne21 said:
Still no luck sadly.... I think I am just going to have to sell it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like your looking for an upgrade from the Vibrant. Why not just get it fixed? I think its only like $35 or along those lines to debrick it... might be wrong though...
I have just wasted so much money on phones its not even worth it anymore. I have a Samsung galaxy S2 Epic Touch which im thinking of using now. The vibrant was the best phone I have ever owned, and if its a free fix, i will stay with it, but I honestly do not want to spend over 20 more dollars.
shawayne21 said:
I have just wasted so much money on phones its not even worth it anymore. I have a Samsung galaxy S2 Epic Touch which im thinking of using now. The vibrant was the best phone I have ever owned, and if its a free fix, i will stay with it, but I honestly do not want to spend over 20 more dollars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
O, I hear ya. Good luck with what ever you do. The Vibrant is still pulling in good money even for bricked ones, so good luck to you...
Hey I hear ya, stuff happens, and if were smart, it doesn't re-occur!! LOL
Anyways food for thought, If you actually get the boot-loaders re-flashed and your phone turns on, awesome job, congratulations!
BTW, the primary Bootldr is for powering the phone back on, and is the most important one, the 2ndary Bootldr does the instructions for loading the OS or as we call it the ROM.
OK also, bear in mind, this resurrection Adams got going is for either GB or ICS Roms, so what I'm pointing out is. If you do get it to turn on, after doing the Bootldr's.
Remember to load a ROM that is specific in build to either GB or ICS!!!!
Otherwise it might cause a big problem, because if the BL's are written for those type of builds, then it can only seem logical to me to re-flash from the start one of those two types.
If it powers back on, you can let it roll and see what happens or pull the battery before it begins to load the ROM that may be on it. Have ODIN or Heimdall set up with a GB or ICS based build, extract the TAR file from whatever flavor you choose, and then set it up, with re-partician, and the 512 pit, and tick reboot after flashing or keep it un-ticked, wait for the Green Pass indicator on ODIN etc, and then un plug it, and hold the power rocker until it turns on, your choice!!
At least then if it successfully boots up with that ROM, you have a working phone that you can tear back down and start where you want or move forward to NEO's ROM, which I recommend Passions V8 as you were attempting that before this ordeal happened! I've been running it all day, and so far 0 defects, despite all the chatter I've read about problems, which aren't occurring on my install.
I always wipe, both caches before I do the 1st re-boot after a ROM flash! Prevents alot of bootlooping and problems!!
Anyways good luck with all this, and Please inform me on whatever happened good/bad/or indifferent. As I need to know if this is a new frontier we've crossed here concerning the Vibrants, and Adams brain child program!
My usb started going berserk and thinking it's in dock mode and randomly thinking it's charging when it isn't and disconnecting on the charger. The phone is rooted, custom rom and entropy kernel. I know they ask for all of that in warranty under about phone. What would KK6 be since I'll be returning to stock but not quite yet. Also is there a way I can talk my way into a new phone and not a refurb since I don't see how a clear defect warrants me getting stuck with a refurb phone. I've read on here there is a way but I can't think of where.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
I have never heard of a way to get a new phone vs refurb. I have gotten many replacements for smart phones through warranty, and while they were refurbished they all looked brand new. The warranty still lasts a year from the purchase date or 90 days what ever is longer.
I think you will have better luck getting a new one if you go in person vs phone call.
I have heard if you get 3 warranty replacements within 90 days of each other you can ask for a different phone, like a Note or vivid, etc.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
That sort of sucks... I've gotten replacements for "dumb" phones but they always come with a sticker inside covering imei and it's frustrating since I pay for a new phone. I've heard of the 3 phones and then qualifying for a new one and am considering a Note just for the size/stylus. My first smart phone (HTC Tilt) had it and I like it.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Just flash it back to stock and take it into an att warranty service center. They can swap it for a new one there. If you do it over the phone you're more likely to end up with a refurb. If they give you any guff at the store just act real offended and uppity, you shouldn't have any problem though.
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium
The nearest one is 50 miles from my house. Not worth the drive in my truck.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
May not be what you're looking for, but I had the same problem on my phone....USB thinking it was connected and wasn't, screen waking on its own, and other symptoms. Did a Google search, found I wasn't alone and came away with this fix.....
I dipped a small paintbrush in rubbing alcohol and swished it around in the USB port (powered down and battery out of course). Then I used canned air on it to make sure it was good and dry, powered back up and didn't have the problem again.
Now, I already had a replacement on the way, and went ahead and swapped out, so I don't still have the phone, but it worked fine for several days after I "cleaned" it out....even though I couldn't see any obvious debris.....and I rarely ever use the USB.
PS. A local AT&T rep gave me a number to call for a warranty replacement....unfortunately I can't find it right now...but surely a local store could give it to you.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA App
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA App
cdjaney said:
May not be what you're looking for, but I had the same problem on my phone....USB thinking it was connected and wasn't, screen waking on its own, and other symptoms. Did a Google search, found I wasn't alone and came away with this fix.....
I dipped a small paintbrush in rubbing alcohol and swished it around in the USB port (powered down and battery out of course). Then I used canned air on it to make sure it was good and dry, powered back up and didn't have the problem again.
Now, I already had a replacement on the way, and went ahead and swapped out, so I don't still have the phone, but it worked fine for several days after I "cleaned" it out....even though I couldn't see any obvious debris.....and I rarely ever use the USB.
PS. A local AT&T rep gave me a number to call for a warranty replacement....unfortunately I can't find it right now...but surely a local store could give it to you.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA App
Sent from my SGH-I777 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried the alcohol thing and it seems to have helped. I'll see how it goes for a few days before calling in.
Can anyone with a stock UCKK6 rom give me the build number, kernel number etc from About Phone? Just in case.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
My SGII was doing the same thing and I used air to clean out the USB port but it didn't help. I did not try any cleaning solution. My phone was actually fixed by a factory reset. Turns out mine was something in the OS or some app combination was going bananas. No issues since and this was back before Christmas. My phone was stock 2.3.4 when all this went down.
But the advise to try and clean the port is good because there are a large number of folks that have corrected theirs that way. But if that doesn't resolve it then try the factory reset (after backups of course). Worked for me for what it's worth.
I had the same problem a few days ago. Running stock 2.3.4. A factory data reset fixed it. No port cleaning at all. So it seems, as others have reported, this could also be a software glitch.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA App
Policy sucks
So I have taken advantage of the 3 swaps and a new model a few years back, actually got away with it twice, though it's described as a "One Time Exception" I had a buggy Samsung Epix WinMo phone, and decided to go HTC and they provided a Fuze (refurb, not new) - Well all the refurbs were a bit beat around, not at all up to the usual standards, and after a couple replacements of THAT, they asked me if I had tried a new handset. AND I LIED! I'm not proud of that, but I pay AT&T over $250 a month, and I DID pay for a top line phone. So they switched me up for a Tilt 2, which in 2009 was pretty slick.
Fast forward to 2012 - I had a few exchanges of my HTC Inspire 4G - A nice phone, but starting to feel a bit less leading edge. I WANTED a SG2 Skyrocket, but guess what? There is no more policy to switch handsets, they must have had too many people playing them for new phone models. I had to have an escalation done, and wait 72 hours for a response. The good new was, they approved me for a switch. The not so good was that they produced a list of what I could choose from. The Note was not on it, and it won't be on any list for a SG2 owner. I was making part of my claim that the 4G on Inspire sucked, had sucked from the beginning, and wanted an LTE swap out. Unfortunately, you don't get to speak with a rep to make your case (which I believe I could have) So they only offered other HSPA+ Models, some a real joke. Pantech Crossover anyone? Are you freaking KIDDING???
Typically, they offer what they consider "comparable" and crap-o-la, they did not consider the Skyrocket comparable. The best options they offered ME, were SGS2, and Infuse, as well as the ok, but gimmicky LG Thrill - Too much of a crap shoot, that one. So I did the obvious and got the SGS2 - I WANTED a 4.5" screen, but was NOT stepping back to the single core, Galaxy 1 based Infuse, as good of a phone as it was... LAST YEAR, LOL!
So the SGS2 they sent is sweet, but I will be making them send as many as it takes to get a perfect 1 (obvious scuffing on the bottom back where it contacts surfaces when put down on it's back.) They are going to wish that gave me a Skyrocket, LOL! Because I can claim defect until I get a perfect one. If they stop me for "slight wear and tear" I will switch up and claim something else is wrong. Dead pixel, capacitive button failure, I can come up with stuff all the live long day, mother ****ers! As I say, they probably should have sent me a Galaxy, heck A NOTE, even!
Just remember, all the Support Rep, and then Warranty Rep after that can do is exchange same for same, and refurb only. With the heavy use of plastics, the Samsung does not translate to a good refurb, the way the Aluminum Inspire did. Sigh. So it's a lot of work, but it's up to you. I may ask if I can pay the difference to step up to the Note, hehe.
Just a couple quick questions, sorry if they've been answered or seem redundant
How is the build quality?
Does it feel solid in the hand, or cheap?
Is the back textured or smooth? (please say textured I'm so tired of smooth finger print magnets)
Anyone using this on Simple Mobile? If yes, was it just a matter of popping in the SM sim and it worked?
I had planned on upgrading from my Mytouch 4G I've got running on Simple. All the JB roms I throw at it have issues, and it's just really starting too feel like a dated phone and I'm tired of messing with it and want something rather inexpensive yet has decent features. I feel like with the $200 price tag, and it being off contract this might be the new hot phone people jump on. Could be wrong tho. Thoughts?
pixelbat said:
Just a couple quick questions, sorry if they've been answered or seem redundant
How is the build quality?
Does it feel solid in the hand, or cheap?
Is the back textured or smooth? (please say textured I'm so tired of smooth finger print magnets)
Anyone using this on Simple Mobile? If yes, was it just a matter of popping in the SM sim and it worked?
I had planned on upgrading from my Mytouch 4G I've got running on Simple. All the JB roms I throw at it have issues, and it's just really starting too feel like a dated phone and I'm tired of messing with it and want something rather inexpensive yet has decent features. I feel like with the $200 price tag, and it being off contract this might be the new hot phone people jump on. Could be wrong tho. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can feel one at a T-Mobile store. It's a decent, light weight, and the back is textured.
alienkid said:
You can feel one at a T-Mobile store. It's a decent, light weight, and the back is textured.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I broke down and bought one tonight. I went to the Tmo store first, their display model didn't offer much to be desired. It was a dummy unit, and it was all beat to hell and didn't even feel nice at all. Decided to go to Best Buy and see if they had one on display, nope. Oh well, took the plunge anyhow (not like I couldn't return it ). Glad I did. The phone really does feel nice. Back is nicely textured which I like. Phone is on the light side, which is something I'm sure I'll get used too. Build quality is decent.
pixelbat said:
I broke down and bought one tonight. I went to the Tmo store first, their display model didn't offer much to be desired. It was a dummy unit, and it was all beat to hell and didn't even feel nice at all. Decided to go to Best Buy and see if they had one on display, nope. Oh well, took the plunge anyhow (not like I couldn't return it ). Glad I did. The phone really does feel nice. Back is nicely textured which I like. Phone is on the light side, which is something I'm sure I'll get used too. Build quality is decent.
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Battery life is awesome!
kevev said:
Battery life is awesome!
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currently sitting at 3 and a half days at 67% charge, albiet with fairly light use compared to most people (almost no calls, light wifi use, and checking my email a couple dozen times a day).
pixelbat said:
Just a couple quick questions, sorry if they've been answered or seem redundant
Anyone using this on Simple Mobile? If yes, was it just a matter of popping in the SM sim and it worked?
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I have it working on Simple Mobile. You know that Simple Mobile uses T-mobile cell towers so all Simple Mobile sim cards will work on all Tmobile phones. All you have to do is pop the sim card in and it works.
However, this phone uses a micro sim card. What I did was I had to cut my Simple Mobile sim card with a scissor so it would fit into this phone. Since this is a prepaid T-mobile, there is a T-mobile micro sim card that come in the box with the phone. So what I did was uses the T-mobile micro sim as a reference and then cut my Simple Mobile sim card. Just got to be careful and cut a small piece off at a time and measure it against the real micro sim card.
Or you can go to a cell phone kiosk at the mall and they will cut your sim into a micro sim card.
So far I love it. One of the first things I did was download Google Now launcher, as I was coming from a Nexus 6 and had the Nexus 5 before that, and the Nexus 4 before that. So yeah, I was really used to stock(ish) Android. I can deal with most of the software changes I'm dealt with, it's no big deal to change the way I used to do things. Sometimes I think purist Android users can be over the top, but that's like anything else in life.
It's fast as hell once I turned off animations like I always do. WIFI reception seems average, and so does the network. I love the thinness of it. (remember I came from a Nexus 6 which is wide as %$#@) It feels like it was made for my hand.
I'm obviously not going in order here, but even the unboxing experience was very nice. Very neatly packaged in a slick white box that screamed quality. And they included all of the necessary accessories to have a nice first impression. They included a USB-C to Micro USB converter for those that need it, a plastic screen protector, a clear case, a quick charge wall unit, and an over-the-top sim ejection tool that can be attached to your keychain. Nice. Sometimes it's the little things that really matter, and you can tell a company actually cares about its customers. Anker is one of the best when it comes to customer relations. Keep that in mind when buying cables or chargers.
After watching some of the Youtube reviews of this phone, (after I bought it) I was a little worried if I had made a mistake. After getting it and using it for a while, all of those concerns are negated. It's just fine, and a hell of a deal (I got it for $329 from Newegg). Even me being a long time Rommer and rooter, I don't feel the need to Rom. (that may change) Google Launcher works great, so I'm happy.
There's a bunch of tweaks I have to do yet, but so far it's been nice. I have no issues whatsoever. It's just a good solid phone for what you pay. $329 is actually a good price at this point. And even cheaper if you don't mind gently used. Thumbs up on this phone.
Thank you for your review. In particular I did not realize that in the box there is "an over-the-top sim ejection tool that can be attached to your keychain" until reading your review! . I would miss this practical tool, thinking that it was an useless piece of rubber.
dnlilas said:
Thank you for your review. In particular I did not realize that in the box there is "an over-the-top sim ejection tool that can be attached to your keychain" until reading your review! . I would miss this practical tool, thinking that it was an useless piece of rubber.
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I was trying to be semi-sarcastic.
I had much the same experience with mine, loving it at first, and also coming from a Nexus 6. I'm planning on selling mine now though as I've been unable to unlock the bootloader to get root and custom recovery. The stock software isn't bad compared to some, but compared to the freedom you have with the Nexus 6, being stuck on stock unrooted kinda sucks.
It's been kind of a pain trying to sell it again not at a significant loss though, so I'm thinking about trying to give it another go and unlock the bootloader. I was running into the problem of not being able to mount the SD Card in recovery to flash the B20 firmare.
It really is a great phone hardware wise. I absolutely love the bright, vibrant screen and the speakers are great. Plus I like the look of the phone overall. If I could just get the software I wanted on it I could live happily ever after, lol.
wolfen69 said:
So far I love it. One of the first things I did was download Google Now launcher, as I was coming from a Nexus 6 and had the Nexus 5 before that, and the Nexus 4 before that. So yeah, I was really used to stock(ish) Android. I can deal with most of the software changes I'm dealt with, it's no big deal to change the way I used to do things. Sometimes I think purist Android users can be over the top, but that's like anything else in life.
It's fast as hell once I turned off animations like I always do. WIFI reception seems average, and so does the network. I love the thinness of it. (remember I came from a Nexus 6 which is wide as %$#@) It feels like it was made for my hand.
I'm obviously not going in order here, but even the unboxing experience was very nice. Very neatly packaged in a slick white box that screamed quality. And they included all of the necessary accessories to have a nice first impression. They included a USB-C to Micro USB converter for those that need it, a plastic screen protector, a clear case, a quick charge wall unit, and an over-the-top sim ejection tool that can be attached to your keychain. Nice. Sometimes it's the little things that really matter, and you can tell a company actually cares about its customers. Anker is one of the best when it comes to customer relations. Keep that in mind when buying cables or chargers.
After watching some of the Youtube reviews of this phone, (after I bought it) I was a little worried if I had made a mistake. After getting it and using it for a while, all of those concerns are negated. It's just fine, and a hell of a deal (I got it for $329 from Newegg). Even me being a long time Rommer and rooter, I don't feel the need to Rom. (that may change) Google Launcher works great, so I'm happy.
There's a bunch of tweaks I have to do yet, but so far it's been nice. I have no issues whatsoever. It's just a good solid phone for what you pay. $329 is actually a good price at this point. And even cheaper if you don't mind gently used. Thumbs up on this phone.
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Good to go on the write up here. I went with a used one via Swappa, waiting for it to come in and I checked around with some XDA knowledge before hand. And they said it was a good device. I look forward to getting, although these days I dont have much time in "mod'ing / flashing" but I also had a N6P, which sold that via Swappa.
Thanks again for your thoughts here. :good:
Prozart said:
I was running into the problem of not being able to mount the SD Card in recovery to flash the B20 firmare.
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Sorry for totally off-topic, but I have no idea what you mean with flashing the B20 firmware. If it's the same process as the A2017G just using axon7tool (axon7toolkit might do it too, and probably easier) works. After you have TWRP you can spam the SD card option under Mount and it'll mount itself eventually. Or use the USB cable via MTP on TWRP. but again, what B20 firmware?
I don't know if I'll be able to help you, I just read most guides for the A2017G. Try axon7toolkit since it supposedly works for all 3 versions and can unlock your BL.
And the review, I honestly don't know what kind of mind control ZTE uses on the stock ROM, but I'm constantly going back to it after trying other ROMs. It works nicely if you don't count the things they break on every update, but hey, it gives a little of thrill to the whole situation (Will they fix Google Play? Will they even bother to fix exFAT? What about mobile data?)
What about the SIM tool? It is pretty awesome xd
Exfat is fixed in the new update b04 now u can use SD card upto 256gb.
I got my Sprint Note 8 a few days ago and it has a stuck pixel. Naturally I will have it replaced but I the phone has not officially released yet and Sprint can not exchange it until the 15th. This is the first time I have ever had a phone with a stuck or dead pixel. The pixel is green and I have tried numerous looping videos to get it unstuck.
I also received my 360 camera today as my free gift. Pretty awesome camera but for the price of the camera it should have come with an sd card. There is no card out of the box and the camera requires a card for firmware updates and recording/taking pictures.
I am in the process of trying out different cases and so far I might just go back to the official Samsung flip case. I have these 2 cases so far and I really do like the Spigen case because it holds my license and debit card behind the phone. The bad part is that it only holds 2 cards.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073RW14QK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0749D61C7/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
So I got my new phone and I decided to try and get another free gift from Samsung. It actually worked this time and I am now getting the 128gb card and wireless charger for free. I think it worked this time because I upgraded one of my 3 lines to the Note 8 and then switch my personal S8+ with the Note 8 which then probably created a different MEI number or something.
Lethal_NFS said:
So I got my new phone and I decided to try and get another free gift from Samsung. It actually worked this time and I am now getting the 128gb card and wireless charger for free. I think it worked this time because I upgraded one of my 3 lines to the Note 8 and then switch my personal S8+ with the Note 8 which then probably created a different MEI number or something.
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So you're not talking to yourself, I'm glad for you
lawtq said:
So you're not talking to yourself, I'm glad for you
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This is why I come here like once every 2 years. Place is filled with kids.
Lethal_NFS said:
This is why I come here like once every 2 years. Place is filled with kids.
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Seriously, wasn't meant badly. Can see how it Sounded sarcastic. And you're right there, the amount of insults this forum has is legendary.
My note is going back, perfect screen, but damn that battery, can't live with it
lawtq said:
Seriously, wasn't meant badly. Can see how it Sounded sarcastic. And you're right there, the amount of insults this forum has is legendary.
My note is going back, perfect screen, but damn that battery, can't live with it
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No worries man.
The battery on mine feels pretty much the same as my S8+. I just have to have the S-pen . I build decks for a living and it comes in so handy for taking notes and material lists.