Think I've just about had enough

[Edible Walrus]

Add muffled incoming phone calls and unexplained complete signal drops to the list of issues I've had and I'm about ready to get rid now. Was charging this overnight and it didn't achieve a full charge because it was charging at 300 mA rather than 1200. I was actually losing power with it plugged in. Over the year it hasn't worked as it should, or it did for three months and then started failing. I don't I'd get a new unit like I paid for. I think my options are refurb or repair.

Disappointed, but not surprised. Mirrors my experience of every Samsung product I've owned to be honest (except the SSD which is in my gaming PC, but being Samsung it'll probably fail in the next month) :/

Shame, since it did look like it was a really good phone

Posted via Android Central App

 

[B. Diddy]

Bummer. Good news is that there are lots of other good phones out there to try!

 

[monsieurms]

Boy, that sure isn't my experience with either S4 or Samsung in general. I didn't know much about them when I bought my first item, but with the exception of a printer, everything else has been simply brilliant and durable.

 

[alexcolka]

I wonder why are so polarized the level of satisfaction and enjoyment of this phone. Some are so happy with this phone, they do firmware updates, use micro SD cards, blue tooth accessories and no problem, system is fast, good battery life, etc. While some otherwise and a total nightmare.

My case (until now, one year) is the first one, all stock and no problems.

Perhaps a big batch of not so well manufactured S4s? I know the user has a lot to do as well (and his perception of the phone).

But for me this fact is intriguing.


Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

 

[B. Diddy]

I suspect it has to do in part with the huge volume of devices that Samsung puts out each year. With greater absolute numbers, a low rate of defects would still mean more total problematic units than a manufacturer with lower production but the same defect rate.

 

[scipper77]

I have a coworker who just got rid of her S4. Her unit was very problematic. I think the S4 was the worst of the S series. It just didn't stand the test of time as well as the S3 and is now overshadowed by the S5.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Edible Walrus]

Boy, that sure isn't my experience with either S4 or Samsung in general. I didn't know much about them when I bought my first item, but with the exception of a printer, everything else has been simply brilliant and durable.

I'm debating what to do with it. Right now it's working perfectly fine, but I could plug it in tonight and it might take twelve hours to charge. Tomorrow it might reboot several times an hour, or I may have no signal (not a good example anymore since I have moved somewhere that actually doesn't have good signal) when I actually have signal or I won't be able to hear anyone in phone calls. The SD card doesn't work anymore for media, just corrupts straight away. The phone even got a crack on the rim overnight when no one had touched it.

Debating whether to anytime upgrade it to an iPhone 6 (or the M8) even with bend gate, but I hear that only affects the plus. Or I could repair it and be without a phone for a bit, but it's free, but then I'll get the same problematic phone back. If it worked like it is now more often then it would be fine. Maybe because it's on 24/7 (I use it as my alarm), but my Nokia and iPod touch have worked under the same conditions for much longer and are fine.

/essay_

Posted via Android Central App

 

[monsieurms]

I have a coworker who just got rid of her S4. Her unit was very problematic. I think the S4 was the worst of the S series. It just didn't stand the test of time as well as the S3 and is now overshadowed by the S5.

Posted via Android Central App

Really? My S4 is absolutely perfect. Take a look through eBay at the prices being garnered for used S4s. It's selling pretty well for a device that doesn't hold up and is defective.

The only reason I'm planning on ditching it is that I want the bigger Note 4 screen.

 

[Nerf72]

Do what the apple handbook would tell you to do "


*The 5 R's
Reinstall
Reset
Restart
Retry
Restore

 

[AxlMyk]

Sometimes, tightening the circuit board screws helps with different problems.

AC App on SGS3

 

[Edible Walrus]

Do what the apple handbook would tell you to do "


*The 5 R's
Reinstall
Reset
Restart
Retry
Restore

I've tried master resetting, rebooting, new SIM. The problems are too widespread in the phone to pin then down.

I also can't format the card. It says it's done it, when it's actually done nothing

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Nerf72]

Factory reset?

 

[Edible Walrus]

Factory reset?

Already tried. Phone was okay for a bit then threw up new symptoms

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Bosbouer]

Already tried. Phone was okay for a bit then threw up new symptoms

Posted via Android Central App

As a last ditch resort, I would suggest that you flash the latest stock rom from SamMobile for your specific phone and region. You do not need to root for this neither would it affect the knox count. I have found ibtimes guides to give very clear guides for this operation.

 

[Edible Walrus]

Decision is made. As predicted yesterday, phone ran into a problem today. At about three forty five today I lost mobile data. Soon after I lost all mobile signal. It is now about 10 past five and the situation is unchanged. I think I'll bite the bullet and anytime upgrade this phone. Hasn't worked properly since January (switching to Angry Joe's style of talking), I give this phone a 4 out of 10. Would get a 7 if it worked, losing the remaining 3 because of Touchwiz, lag and poor build quality.

The M7 may have been a much better choice, has what I like, but Android can't go twice with me (iOS was going to be the next phone I picked had I been upgrading at the right time instead of being forced to do it. I did consider another droid after this one, but iOS needs its turn). My carrier is offering a free replacement of the same phone, but after the problems with this one, do I really want that? Don't think so. As of now I don't think I'll willingly spend money on another Samsung product, unless I forget that I said this or the Samsung SSD in my gaming PC changes my opinion. As I've said before, nine out of every 10 Samsung products I've owned have failed in a game breaking way at the 12 to 18 month mark, but this phone beats them all out with everything going bad in 12 months

 

[Nerf72]

IPhone are no more or less reliable than any other make.
I'd be wary of the I6. Seems to be quite fragile....

 

[Nerf72]

As a last ditch resort, I would suggest that you flash the latest stock rom from SamMobile for your specific phone and region. You do not need to root for this neither would it affect the knox count. I have found ibtimes guides to give very clear guides for this operation.

If it has a custom ROM on it already, that's probably the cause of these issues. Hardly Samsung's fault...

 

[Edible Walrus]

IPhone are no more or less reliable than any other make.
I'd be wary of the I6. Seems to be quite fragile....

Really? I've heard about bendgate, I thought only the 6 Plus was affected. Checked out a 6 today, seemed very solid. Will think a bit more on this

To the other guy, it's still stock Touchwiz. If my phone worked like it is now 100% of the time, there would be no problem, rather than 90% of the time (that 10% still accounts for a lot of time)

 

[Nerf72]

Then you have a faulty device.
Can you send it in for service?

 

[monsieurms]

Really? I've heard about bendgate, I thought only the 6 Plus was affected. Checked out a 6 today, seemed very solid. Will think a bit more on this
)

Actually, the 6+ is MORE durable, not less, according to Consumer Reports testing statistics. Although, relatively, speaking, it didn't do so well, either. The "regular" i6, according to the tests they released, bends at 70 pounds of pressure whereas the old i5 did not bend until 130--a very dramatic difference in build quality for that test between the two generations of phones. Consumer Reports indicated this was still acceptable quality, not a defect in their opinion, but it does indicate substantial degradation in this area, taking it from one of the most durable phones to one of the least, among the major ones they tested. The Samsung Note 3 was the most durable in their tests, by the way.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/09/consumer-reports-tests-iphone-6-bendgate/index.htm