Samsung Galaxy S3 Camera Failed

[Aisukaunta]

So my friend's camera doesn't work. Every time I use the camera app, it goes black screen, display the error message and crashes. I've already did the factory reset and saw no changes.

I know it has a problem with the rear camera because when I go into diagnostic mode (typing *#0*# into the phone), I can still use the face camera.

I know it's not the camera module's fault because I swap her phone's motherchip with my own and both cameras work. (Except it somehow broke my external speakers... but it works her motherchip...)

So I know there's something wrong with the motherchips. And I've also read that it could have been a firmware issue because I saw a lot of reports on the buggy 4.3. But only her phone was running firmware 4.3 and my was still 4.1.

So can anyone please list any more alternatives solutions to fix the phone?

P.S. The phones are not rooted, but we no longer have warranty.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Sorry, what do you mean by motherchip? Do you mean the microSD card? The SIM card?

If swapping your microSD card with your mother's seems to work, it may be that your microSD card is corrupt, which can cause various issues with the phone. Try a new microSD card.

 

[GSDer]

Sounds like a reference to the motherboard (mainboard, etc).

If the camera module works fine then it sounds like it's time to reload the firmware on the phone/mainboard that's having the problem.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk

 

[Aisukaunta]

Sorry about that. I was thinking motherboard while I was typing motherchip.
Neither phone uses a microSD card so there's no corruption there. No sim is used either on her phone also.

And the 4.4.2 Kitkat hasn't been released yet (although the news said it was just released today). (We're using T-Mobile).

Is there any other problem I should test for while I wait for the release?

 

[GSDer]

There's nothing else you can test for - you verified that the camera module worked when you connected it to your motherboard, so there are really only two possibilities:
- there's something wrong with the motherboard
- there's something wrong with the firmware on the motherboard (Note: there IS Camera-specific firmware on the motherboard!)

I think the latter is more likely, and if you load the firmware from scratch (not via OTA) then you should be able to solve that problem.

Out of curiosity, did you connect the motherboard that's having the problem to your camera?

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk

 

[Aisukaunta]

Oh I didn't know there was a camera-specific firmware. Is it embedded inside the Android firmware? Or can I get a isolated copy of it?

And I have two motherboards and two cameras.
Motherboard (broken camera)
Motherboard (broken speaker)

Motherboard (broken speaker) works with both cameras while Motherboard (broken camera) works with neither.

Vice versa. Motherboard (broken camera) works with both speakers while Motherboard (broken speakers) works with neither.

Is there also speaker-specific firmware?

UPDATE:

So I've tried to directly update the camera-specific firmware.
So I typed *#34971539#
And got Rear camera CAM Fw Ver: ZDFE02 for Motherboard (Broken Speaker) phone.

But I got Factory Test stopped for Motherboard (Broken Camera) phone.

Anymore insights on this?

 

[Arri Ferrari]

UPDATE:

So I've tried to directly update the camera-specific firmware.
So I typed *#34971539#
But I got Factory Test stopped for Motherboard (Broken Camera) phone.

Anymore insights on this?

I have exactly this problem after flashing back to n00t v9. Also tried camera patch.

Any solutions?

 

[bulldogray]

So my friend's camera doesn't work. Every time I use the camera app, it goes black screen, display the error message and crashes. I've already did the factory reset and saw no changes.

I know it has a problem with the rear camera because when I go into diagnostic mode (typing *#0*# into the phone), I can still use the face camera.

I know it's not the camera module's fault because I swap her phone's motherchip with my own and both cameras work. (Except it somehow broke my external speakers... but it works her motherchip...)

So I know there's something wrong with the motherchips. And I've also read that it could have been a firmware issue because I saw a lot of reports on the buggy 4.3. But only her phone was running firmware 4.3 and my was still 4.1.

So can anyone please list any more alternatives solutions to fix the phone?

P.S. The phones are not rooted, but we no longer have warranty.