Help with phone flashing android start screen, boot loop?

[Android Central Question]

Hi.

AGM A8 purchased in July this year, stopped working in September in the middle of using maps for navigation.

When I plug it in and press the power button, the android screen will flash, varying numbers of times. Mostly 5, occasionally once, apparently more sometimes too.

To get it to 'repeat' this behaviour i have to remove battery and plug into charge again.

Have tried various combinations of holding power button, power+up, power+down, nothing seems to happen. I made a short video but I can't seem to post the link here without being identified as spam... You can find it on youtube under "AGM A8 won't turn on (Boot loop?)".

I bought this phone from the official shop on the AGM mobile website, which they now appear to have closed, and they won't respond to my emails. Does anyone have any bright ideas? Am I missing something?

 

[crocodilesmile1]

Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBqZaqT04To

After my last post, I figured out that I could put the stock ROM on a the micro SD, hold down all the buttons and it installed. But actually it didn't help - the phone will not respond to button pressing unless i unplug it, take the battery out, put battery back in, plug it in again and then press buttons.

So even after 'installation successful', it is doing the same as in the video above... :'(

 

[Rukbat]

First, plug in the charger and leave it overnight (just to make sure that the battery is fully charged).

Then, when it starts flashing on and off like that, hold the power button down until it does something else (or let it go after 30 seconds - if it doesn't do anything by then, it's not going to). It should restart.

Unfortunately, one of the problems with these unsupported devices is lack of support from anyone, even users. But I don't think that just putting the ROM on the SD card is going to install it.

 

[crocodilesmile1]

Thanks - left it on charge, but needed me to take battery out and put back in before it would start flashing again.

If I press buttons, it just stops flashing... I put the ROM on the SD card and held down all the buttons and it installed...

 

[crocodilesmile1]

... Not used to replies posting so fast on forums, sorry!

ERm, it installed but is still doing exactly the same thing, which I guess leads us to the conclusion that it's just stuffed. Maybe battery, but i don't have access to another A8 to check for a month or so. Man, I loved this phone.

 

[Rukbat]

The battery is removable. Take it out, lay it on a flat surface and tap a corner. If it spins, it's bulging, so it's shot. If it turns about half a turn then stops, it's probably still good. (Even after starting to bulge you should be able to get a few more months of use out of it, with a reduced time between needing a charge.)

 

[crocodilesmile1]

Thanks. Not bulging... Finally got a reply from AGM and they sent me a different ROM. Same thing though, so now just awaiting a new reply...