New Water Damaged S4 won't boot

[Septunie]

Hi all,

New here and just hoping for any recommendations... I'm probably grasping at straws, but there has been been so many knowledgeable people on the forum I thought I would take a shot.

I got a brand new purple Galaxy S4 from Sprint. It was my very first smartphone (upgraded from an LG Rumor). Like a dummy, I passed on insurance, thinking I would take better care of my new device than I would a child. Well, within 2 weeks of buying it on a shiny new contract, a pet incident happened at home that caused the phone to go through the washing machine...

I tried the rice trick after pulling it from the water. It was left on rice without trying to boot up for over 24 hours. Once I tried to boot it up, at first it only just flashed the S4 screen again and again and would not fully boot.

Then I restarted it from the custom OS mode and it booted up! I was so relieved and was thanking the gods. Then much to my dismay, I found that it wasn't charging. Hoping beyond hope, I left it plugged in the charger and crossed my fingers. It stayed on and worked perfectly (other than no longer vibrating) for about 3 hours. It could make calls, and I could hear fine/speak fine. No physical damages at all...

Then the battery died. Even while it was plugged in, it could not boot up. I took it to Sprint to see if there was anything they could do. They couldn't (and would not put a new battery in it either). So I took it to my local phone repair shop instead. The guys had it for a few days and tried replacing the charger component and cleaned it out too, as well as tried it with a new battery. Nope, still won't boot up fully... It just flashes the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen again and again. Even when trying to restart it from the custom OS mode like before, it just loops it after that menu.

Do any experts have any final recommendations before I bury my very short-term smartphone? I am so devastated that I ruined it so quickly... (after having my LG Rumor for 3 years without an issue -- and guess who's back to using the Rumor again? This girl.)

As a final note, it's a fat chance that I'll be able to afford another S4 while I'm stuck in a 2 year contract with a data plan that I can't use. If it's really the end for my phone does anyone have any recommendations for a lower budget smartphone to get?

And, do you think it would be possible to sell the S4 for... I dunno, scrap or parts? And if so, how much? (Assuming that it's a hopeless case...)

Thanks for any input.

 

[GiantJay]

Try signing up for the insurance through Sprint's website or by calling and then make a claim. It will still cost you money but not as much as a new phone. Other than that I'm sorry to hear this happened. Next time get insurance, but I think you know that. By the way you want to leave it in rice for 48-72 hours but to late now. There is no way a phone would work after going through a washing machine cycle though, not for long anyway.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Septunie]

So a few days have passed since this. I could still sign up for insurance, but somehow I feel like nothing would make me feel like a bigger loser than if I got caught for insurance fraud, and I gotta say it would be pretty obvious signing up for it and then making a claim so quickly.

My new battery I ordered came in today. I was able to power it up again when restarting from Custom OS mode again. Whenever I try to restart it normally, it still boot loops. Even with the new battery in it, it won't charge.

I'm going to try taking it to another cell phone repair shop tomorrow and just see if they have different expertise they can recommend. The motherboard/OS must be working overall, as once the phone boots up it works fine (other than not charging). It can do everything else. So perhaps there's something the other place overlooked.

In a worst-case scenario, I suppose I can always get an external charger and just swap out the batteries regularly since it won't charge through the phone. Desperate times, inconvenient measures and all that.

 

[njt462]

How is any of what you need to do insurance fraud?!?!?!?! That is WHAT insurance is for. Just call them ask them to add insurance to your phone for 11 a month do NOT say anything about it being water damaged hang up once added. Wait 24 hours make a claim pay the 150 and get a new phone. By the time you add up what all you are spending at these shops who can not do anything on a water damaged phone after you the 150 insurance deductible you are almost at a full retail price.

So please stop the nonsense and add insurance make a claim and be done with it or have fun on rumor for two years because Sprint is not gonna do crap since you passed on insurance. I lived and learned that which is why I add insurance after the phone accident make a claim the next day and drop the coverage the following the month Sprint dont care not their money on replacing it thats Signal insurance problem is how they see it.