Call Drops & Network Signal Problem in Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 !!

[Arnab Dutta1]

Hi I am Arnab, from Ahmedabad (Gujarat - India). I bought a Samsung Galaxy S4 (GT-I9500) paying a whooping amount of INR 41,500/- on 08th July 2013. Within a week I suffered Mobile Network Signal Drop (NO SERVICE - ERROR SEARCHING NETWORKS) & Call Drops!!. I tried replacing my SIM card and trying other network provider's SIM too. But the problem persisted. I also researched the internet and came to know that many of the users have the same problem! It's definitely a handset fault. I contacted Samsung Customer Care on 16th July 2013 and they said that as a policy they could not replace my Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 as it has crossed 7 days period after purchase (NOT TO MENTION...RIDICULOUSLY SAMSUNG INCLUDES SUNDAYS TOO, EVEN WHEN THE CUSTOMER CARE CENTERS ARE CLOSED!!) Failing to solve the issue even after updating my software, now they have provided me with the option of replacing the motherboard of Samsung Galaxy S4 (GT-I9500). My charm of buying such an high-end phone has been completely lost and left me shattered fearing any more loss after motherboard replacement! I feel cheated buying a Toy of INR 41,500/-, when Samsung cannot even provide a stable BASIC necessity. It's even more sad for me since I have still not started paying my monthly installments! ( At great loss here buying this phone. I DO NOT recommend Samsung Galaxy S4 to anyone, unless you want to waste your hard earned money.

Does anyone else too have the same problem? Can anyone provide me with a solution to this?

 

[AMG_Roadster]

I had the problem of my S4 dropping calls and the only way to get it to reconnect was to reboot the phone. It was rather random when it would happy but often occurred once or twice a day.

Sorry I do not have a solution for you. The problem was never resolved. I do not have this problem with other phones in the same location and on the same network. Although I believe my GS2 suffered a similar issue.

I feel your pain. Good luck finding a resolution.

 

[avinashaec]

Hi,

Check following settings:

Settings---connections---more networks---mobile network--network mode ---- gsm only (if 2g) & wcdma only (if 3g)..

Check if this works for you ..

Thanks

 

[Neeraj Tiwari]

Well I also feel cheated with such a device and its actually a toy worth 41,500. I dont know why these people release the phones in the market without proper testing. I must say that they donot have the required expertise for such products. I would advice Samsung to slow down their pace of mobile phone release and focus on the quality of the products rather than quantity. I was a serious smartphone and android fan and hence purchased S4 on the 2nd day it was launched, but sorry to say that I am facing tremendous call drops due to which not only I am suffering but my clients too.

I tried contacting Samsung and sent them mail and complaints a number of times but did not receive any response till date. As a result I am not recommending Android Mobiles to anyone especially Samsung mobiles and I am eagerly waiting for the next Iphone so that I can throw away this piece of ****.

One thing I have learned from S4 experience that company that focuses on quantity, cannot delivery quality. Never.

 

[shyam sundar3]

I am having the same issue with my Samsung S4. It was working fine for a week later started giving trouble.
I handover my mobile to Samsung service center. The technician told that replacing mother board will resolve this issue.
When I went to buy new mobile I had a thought of getting Iphone. Later the shop person made me to buy this ******.
Now I am facing all kind of issues....I used Samsung Corby, Samsung Ace earlier and never ever had issues.
I am pretty sure, I will not buy samsung products anymore.
Bad Luck.

Regards
Shyam Sundar .p

 

[sputniknick]

Your phone should typically refresh its location with the local cell towers regularly for voice and for data, if you use the code in the dialer *#105* it will tell you the last time it refreshed its location with the nearby towers, if it's greater than a few hours, there is your problem of which a replacement phone will be needed most likely, swapping the SIM card etc won't do much. You could try (if this is the case) to select manual network, choosing a different network other than your own, it'll reject, do it again with yet another network, again it'll reject, then switch back to automatic network selection again and it should force a ping to the local cell tower, however this doesn't always work.

 

[MichaelBR]

Hi,

Check following settings:

Settings---connections---more networks---mobile network--network mode ---- gsm only (if 2g) & wcdma only (if 3g)..

Check if this works for you ..

Thanks

That's what I did here and it worked. The phone supports LTE (4G), and that's the default setting. But, a) I don't have a 4G plan, and b) here in Brazil 4G coverage is still very low.

I changed my settings to GSM/WCDMA Auto-Select (i.e. 2G or 3G, whatever is available),and it works fine ever since.

 

[Andrei Furs]

Had the very same problem, the solution was - a sim replacements, as a phone it's ok now but there so many bugs and faults - I have never experienced such raw, unfinished product in my life, paying EUR624 you kind of expect a premium phone but Samsung galaxy s4 is for amateurs or beta testers where you do not mind to lose some data or functionality or stability due to malfunctions!
VERDICT - NO GOOD!

 

[Kelly Dyke]

Im in the UK & have a S4 i9505 my plan is 4G, in network settings I had auto connect (4G,3G,2G) based on this i was only getting 1 bar if not no bars everywhere, i was concerned because I thought I had signal issues, however I spoke to Samsung & because I had it on 4G,3G,2G it was seaching for 4G 1st and because 4G is new in my area & low signal that is why I was having the issues, as soon as I changed my network settings to 3G/2G only my signal has improved & working, so for people having poor signal go to network settings & change it to auto connect at 2G/3G if your phone is still having issues it may be the phone, but it fixed my issue. maybe that is why alot of people are having low signal if its on 4G/3G/2G i think Samsung should have made customers aware.

 

[Andrew Campbell2]

I was having the same problem and getting very frustrated as well. Had replaced my SIM which also made no difference. Changing the setting as you suggested worked perfect.... THANKS!!!!

 

[shyam sundar3]

Guys,

Disabling the 3G from network setting is a workaround not a solution.
Do you think paying 40000 Rs to use mobile only on 2G mode?. It does not makes any sense.
I also experienced the same issue and worked with Samsung technical support for almost a month.
Meantime I have changed the SIM and service providers, but that did not resolve the Orignal Issue.
Also the service center people replaced the motherboard but no luck.

Original Solution:
Finally Samsung released a new updated OS which is Binary Edition.
Service Center people installed that OS in my mobile and that resolved the issue completely.
Now I am using my mobile both on 2G and 3G mode with out any issues.

Seems like the OS is having some compatibility issue. Anyways I am happy now.

Though I have spent lot of energy, my issue is resolved.

Thanks to Samsung...Thanks folks for sharing your suggestions.

Regards
Shyam Sundar .P

 

[mannyvigi1985]

Guys I know how you feel. I am in USA and have the same issues with the phone I contacted my provided and had the phone replaced twice and still same issues. Samsung needs to step up and recall these phones or do something and fix it . I suggest you contact Samsung and your provider and continue to complaint. This is the only way we will get them to fix this once and for all. I been a loyal Samsung customer (TV, Washer, Dryer, Mobiles and tablets for the family, my contracts are up next year I plan on switching to LG or MOTO, HTC or maybe Apple). I will never be a Samsung customer again.

 

[Kelly Dyke]

I havent turned 3G off, my setting is 2G/3G I have just turned off the 4G because 4G is low coverage it is looking for that thats why alot of users are having low signal bars

 

[sharad mittal]

Re: Call Drops & Network Signal Problem in Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 !!

I am also facing the same issue,my call gets dropped after every 3-4 mins.
I went to the service center they updated my OS but the problem is still not solved.
pls tell me what should i do??
btw where did you get your phone updated?

pls help

Regards,
sharad

- - - Updated - - -

I am also facing the same issue,my call gets dropped after every 3-4 mins.
I went to the service center they updated my OS but the problem is still not solved.
pls tell me what should i do??
btw where did you get your phone updated?

pls help

Regards,
sharad

 

[Prawaal Sharma]

Hi Has similar experience :
With lot of enthusiasm I had bought the Samsung S4 in May 2013. My enthusiasm was very short lived and I started facing so many issues with my phone. I have already taken it to the service center and got it repaired 3 times? Still the phone is not perfectly fine and I am extremely dissatisfied.
1.1st Instance :- The phone was getting overheated. It was becoming so hot that I was not even able to talk after 15-20 mins and had to use my blackberry for talking purpose. I took it to service center and it was repaired.
2.2nd Instance : The phone was shutting down every 10 minutes. When taken to service center it was concluded that the battery was defective and needed replacement.
3.3rd Instance : Every conversation on the phone with goes more than 3-4 minutes drops suddenly. The call drop was happening from the first day itself however it was dropping in 10 minutes. Now the call drops every 3-4 mins.
Voice calling is the core/basic feature of a mobile phone. That itself is faulty. This is very shameful for a company like Samsung which is a leader in consumer electronics including mobile phones. As of now, the phone is with the customer repair center.
I am very frustrated and tired of making trips to service center for having such a defective piece. As of now the phone is within warranty. However 6 months from now, when it goes out of warranty?.I don?t know what will happen. Had I purchased it from some shop they would have happily replaced it and I would appreciate if you being online store also replace the same.

Just to give you some idea on customer service for one of your competitors. I had an Apple IPod and it was giving issues with its Radio operations. Without any hesitance and insistence from my side, the device was replaced.
Brings me to a conclusion if buying S4 over iPhone was thoughtful decision.

After visiting 4 times to the service centre now they say the call drop problem is because of the faulty motherboard . They need to change it. When I say I want a replacement they say it is juts not possible. This is kind of service from Samsung for 40k handset.
They have already changed the battery and now want to change the motherboard which itself proves that handset is faulty. For faulty handset they are not ready for replacement even under warranty. I want to tell I started facing problems within 1 month of usage.
Beware friends before buying such expensive handset from Samsung they have pathetic customer service.

Also posted here : Defective S4 totally unsatisfie d with the product - Vidisha - iComplaints.in

 

[UmaSankar]

I had the problem of my S4 dropping calls and the only way to get it to reconnect was to reboot the phone. It was rather random when it would happy but often occurred once or twice a day.

Sorry I do not have a solution for you. The problem was never resolved. I do not have this problem with other phones in the same location and on the same network. Although I believe my GS2 suffered a similar issue.

I feel your pain. Good luck finding a resolution.

Dear Friends,

Just now I have followed the below suggestion. I am very lucky now I got the signal perfectly. My SGS4 GT-I9505 is working well. Thanks Mr.Avinash.

UmaSankar
17.12.2013.

Originally Posted by avinashaec View Post

Hi,

Check following settings:

Settings---connections---more networks---mobile network--network mode ---- gsm only (if 2g) & wcdma only (if 3g)..

Check if this works for you ..

Thanks

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Had my I9500 since April 27th, not a single issue with signal, never had calls drop, I actually fined my I9500 excellent when it comes to RF, be it WiFi, HSDPA+ or EDGE, just like my GS3 I9300 and GS2 I9100.

All that said, maybe I've just been lucky, I have read of signal issues on S4, and getting the mainboard replaced maybe the best way to go if they can't replace the unit. Personally, if I was in that sort of situation I'd complain to a Customer Protection type agency, if it's one thing that gets phone makers to listen its that as it can hurt their reputation.

If there's a lot of you having this problem then I say get together and take them on with the agency. Here in South Africa we have 'HelloPeter', once you put a complaint there companies will do kartwheels for you.

 

[Hassan Khambiye]

changing the thing to gsm (2g) actually helps
try it this helped me out

thanks whoever wrote that helped a lot

 

[Massaba Nehemia]

i can't change my network model to 3g and i am using samsung galaxy s4 clone gt-i9500 when i select 3g no changes

 

[NghtDrvr]

Was having a similar problem, calls wouldn't drop as much as they just didn't want to connect after making certain tower transitions, I travel for a living and am constantly mobile, switching to 3g only not only solved this issue, but made tower transitions considerably smoother when doing anything in a data network, yes it's slower than 4g but I'm not having to constantly refresh or reconnect every time I change towers.