Does S2 suck or ICS sucks?

[ajkula]

Hi!

I bought a new unlocked S2 GT - I9100 a week ago and i updated it to ICS 4.0.4 the next day and as I'm using the phone more and more I get more and more disapointed... Here are some of the problems I have:

1. I don't know if it's only me but the SD card slot IS IN THE WRONG PLACE! It's not left of the sim card slot, it's under it. That wouldn't be such a problem if the phone read my sd card, but guess what, it doesn't!

2. THE PHONE RESETS DATE AND TIME WHEN I TAKE THE BATERY OUT! WTF, THIS IS A 400$ PHONE?

3. THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK IF THE PHONE HAS NO BATERY! WTF?

4. After I updated to 4.0.4, i can't lock the screen. I've set to unlock with pattern, but i can't lock the screen! When I press the lock key the light goes off as normal but the phone is not locked, if I press the home key the screen turns on as it's not been just locked.

5. Batery dies when phone says it on 20%. WTF? And also no warning sounds about weak batery, it just turns itself off when it's got no more batery.

6. Pictures taken at night are very bright and white. Before i bought the phone i read articles saying that this phones camera rocks, but it does not, it takes shitty cheap underaverage pictures at night.

These are some of the problems I'm having, I don't know if it's because my OS version is very bugged or just I expected too much from this phone. After 1 week of using I'm very disapointed... and please if someone can help me resolve some of these issues I'll be very gratefull. Thanks

 

[ironass]

Hi!

I bought a new unlocked S2 GT - I9100 a week ago and i updated it to ICS 4.0.4 the next day and as I'm using the phone more and more I get more and more disapointed... Here are some of the problems I have:

1. I don't know if it's only me but the SD card slot IS IN THE WRONG PLACE! It's not left of the sim card slot, it's under it. That wouldn't be such a problem if the phone read my sd card, but guess what, it doesn't!

2. THE PHONE RESETS DATE AND TIME WHEN I TAKE THE BATERY OUT! WTF, THIS IS A 400$ PHONE?

3. THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK IF THE PHONE HAS NO BATERY! WTF?

4. After I updated to 4.0.4, i can't lock the screen. I've set to unlock with pattern, but i can't lock the screen! When I press the lock key the light goes off as normal but the phone is not locked, if I press the home key the screen turns on as it's not been just locked.

5. Batery dies when phone says it on 20%. WTF? And also no warning sounds about weak batery, it just turns itself off when it's got no more batery.

6. Pictures taken at night are very bright and white. Before i bought the phone i read articles saying that this phones camera rocks, but it does not, it takes shitty cheap underaverage pictures at night.

These are some of the problems I'm having, I don't know if it's because my OS version is very bugged or just I expected too much from this phone. After 1 week of using I'm very disapointed... and please if someone can help me resolve some of these issues I'll be very gratefull. Thanks

Hello and welcome to Android Forums ajkula!

Sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing.

Could I ask you to check something before going any further. On your dial pad, could you type in the following... *#1234#

This will display 4 lines of information. Could you post that information so that we can better advise you.

Also, did you update your phone using the Samsung PC Suite, Kies, or was it an OTA, (Over The Air), update?

 

[Slug]

the SD card slot IS IN THE WRONG PLACE! It's not left of the sim card slot, it's under it.

What do you mean by "under"? A separate slot beneath the SIM holder or actually underneath the SIM requiring removal of the latter?

That wouldn't be such a problem if the phone read my sd card, but guess what, it doesn't!

Have you been able to verify that the microSD card works in other devices? What size and make is the card?

2. THE PHONE RESETS DATE AND TIME WHEN I TAKE THE BATERY OUT!

That isn't normal behaviour.

3. THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK IF THE PHONE HAS NO BATERY!

Correct. No battery = no power.

4. After I updated to 4.0.4, i can't lock the screen.

I can't help with that one as I've never used the feature.

5. Batery dies when phone says it on 20%.

All li-ion batteries have a safety limit that is above 10%, to prevent damage due to the way they work. Yours probably indicates 20% because it's still new and the software hasn't yet calibrated itself correctly. With a few days regular use and charging cycles it will indicate the true remaining capacity.

also no warning sounds about weak batery, it just turns itself off when it's got no more batery.

Someone else using a standard Samsung firmware will have to confirm, but I'm sure the default is to sound a warning (and a pop-up) when the "battery low" level is reached. I'm sure my own did this out-of-the-box.

6. Pictures taken at night are very bright and white.

Low-light photographs are poor, I agree. Using a flash sited close to the lens results in flare and over-exposure much of the time, and without flash digital noise is a problem as the ISO increases.

 

[Russell Ng]

Have you tried a factory reset? Its an update from GB to ICS afterall, and would be good to do a factory reset.

Also, there might be a problem with the battery itself. Maybe a defective one. Maybe look for a friend with an S2 to swap batteries for a day for testing.

As for resetting of date and time with removal of battery. I had that on my old phone. Reading up on it, it was mentioned that there is a small battery in the phone that keeps the memory intact. After many many charges (try 3 years), that small battery is pretty much dead, and when the main battery dies, there wasn't any juice to keep the memory stored.

I would like to say I don't know how true that is, just something I've read that try to explain the problem. But it hasn't happen with a new phone. If you just bought it, then make a complaint and tell them this isn't normal and try an get a replacement.

Good Luck.

 

[ukzen]

Dont think you will find a phone that does anything without a battery (iwish!!)
Time and date are usually updated over network anyway so i dont know what you mean mine does not have this problem.
Also have never owned a camera phone that takes good night shots full stop

 

[ajkula]

Hello and welcome to Android Forums ajkula!

Sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing.

Could I ask you to check something before going any further. On your dial pad, could you type in the following... *#1234#

This will display 4 lines of information. Could you post that information so that we can better advise you.

Also, did you update your phone using the Samsung PC Suite, Kies, or was it an OTA, (Over The Air), update?

PDA: I9100XXLQ5
Phone: I9100XXLQ5
CSC: I9100OXALQ5
Build Info: Thu Jun 28 13:53:07 KST 2012

I updated it with Odin.

 

[ajkula]

What do you mean by "under"? A separate slot beneath the SIM holder or actually underneath the SIM requiring removal of the latter?



Have you been able to verify that the microSD card works in other devices? What size and make is the card?

Yes, a separate slot beneath the SIM holder, I don't have to remove the SIM card to put the SD card in it, but it's in the wrong place, it's not in the place described in the user manual. And the card works just fine on my other phone, it's a normal size micro SD card by Toshiba.

That isn't normal behaviour.

I know, it was normal for this to happen on old model phones but on a new model "smartphone"?! WTF?!

Correct. No battery = no power.

Old model phones don't have this problem, even my old Samsung "wakes up" to sound the alarm when it's got no batery, I don't know why the ppl at Samsung did this with this phone.

I can't help with that one as I've never used the feature.

You never lock your screen/phone?

 

[ironass]

PDA: I9100XXLQ5
Phone: I9100XXLQ5
CSC: I9100OXALQ5
Build Info: Thu Jun 28 13:53:07 KST 2012

I updated it with Odin.

You are on the, "Open Europe", OXA, code for Android 4.0.4 for the GT-i9100.

Yes, a separate slot beneath the SIM holder, I don't have to remove the SIM card to put the SD card in it, but it's in the wrong place, it's not in the place described in the user manual. And the card works just fine on my other phone, it's a normal size micro SD card by Toshiba.

Just to clarify the SD card slot location on your phone. Here is a video showing the correct position for the GT-i9100's Sd card slot. See at 1' 54" into the video. This mirrors the position shown in the, "Users Manual", see screenshot, below. Is this identical to the one on your phone?

Also, you will see a white sticker in the battery compartment which gives your Model: This should show GT-I9100.

 

[ajkula]

You are on the, "Open Europe", OXA, code for Android 4.0.4 for the GT-i9100.

And what does that mean?

Just to clarify the SD card slot location on your phone. Here is a video showing the correct position for the GT-i9100's Sd card slot. See at 1' 54" into the video. This mirrors the position shown in the, "Users Manual", see screenshot, below. Is this identical to the one on your phone?

Also, you will see a white sticker in the battery compartment which gives your Model: This should show GT-I9100.

No, it's different, I took this picture (sorry it's blurry) maybe u can see.

 

[ironass]

You are on the, "Open Europe", OXA, code for Android 4.0.4 for the GT-i9100.

See post #1, here, for an explanation of CSC codes.

I can't make it out from your screenshot... but what is the Model: shown on the white sticker under your battery?

 

[ajkula]

See post #1, here, for an explanation of CSC codes.

I can't make it out from your screenshot... but what is the Model: shown on the white sticker under your battery?

The model is: GT - I9100... is there a possibility it's not an original phone? Everything else is as it should be (with hardware at least) except the sd card slot is not in the place described in the user manual...

 

[ironass]

The model is: GT - I9100... is there a possibility it's not an original phone? Everything else is as it should be (with hardware at least) except the sd card slot is not in the place described in the user manual...

If it says GT-I9100 on the sticker then I'm afraid it is not like any other GT-I9100 that I have ever seen and certainly does not resemble the one I am using!

Apart from the SD card slot being underneath the SIM card, your battery contact pins are on the top left hand side as opposed to the top right hand side on the genuine GT-I9100. See this video at 1' 53".

It would seem that you flashed a genuine Samsung firmware to a fake clone phone, which would account for the problems that you are experiencing.

This is a long shot, have you got the Google Play Store on your phone and can you download and install, free, Quadrant Standard. This has, "System Information", that gives a readout of the CPU and storage on the phone.

In the last 2 or 3 months there seems to have been an upsurge in fake Galaxy S2's that look exactly like the real thing.

 

[ajkula]

Quadrant Standard says the following:

CPU
Name: ARMv7 Processor rev 1 (v7l) (not original isn't it?)
Current freq: 1000 MHz
Max ferq: 1200 Mhz
Min freq: 200 Mhz
Cores: 2
Architecture: 7
BogoMIPS: 1592.52
Hardware: SMDK4210
Revision: 1

Memory
Total: 846872 kB
Free: 72092 kB
Inactive: 233188 kB

 

[ironass]

Quadrant Standard says the following:

CPU
Name: ARMv7 Processor rev 1 (v7l) (not original isn't it?)
Current freq: 1000 MHz
Max ferq: 1200 Mhz
Min freq: 200 Mhz
Cores: 2
Architecture: 7
BogoMIPS: 1592.52
Hardware: SMDK4210
Revision: 1

Memory
Total: 846872 kB
Free: 72092 kB
Inactive: 233188 kB

That's the correct specifications for the GT-i9100. It just doesn't look like a GT-i9100.

Before you give up hope... I shall consult with the wise men on this forum.

What does it show under the headings... System and Device?

If this is a fake... it's a blooming good one!

 

[ajkula]

System
SDK version: 4.0.4
ID: IMM76D
OS Name: Linux
OS version: 3.0.15-I9100XXLQ5-CL753921
Dalvik VM version: 1.6.0

Device
Model: GT - I9100
Product: GT - I9100
Board: smdk4210
Brand: Samsung
Fingerprint:
samsung/GT-I9100/GT-I9100:4.0.4/IMM76D/XXLQ5:user/release keys

 

[ironass]

System
SDK version: 4.0.4
ID: IMM76D
OS Name: Linux
OS version: 3.0.15-I9100XXLQ5-CL753921
Dalvik VM version: 1.6.0

Device
Model: GT - I9100
Product: GT - I9100
Board: smdk4210
Brand: Samsung
Fingerprint:
samsung/GT-I9100/GT-I9100:4.0.4/IMM76D/XXLQ5:user/release keys

All of the above concurs, by and large, with my Samsung Galaxy S2, GT-i9100.

It just doesn't look like any GT-i9100 that I have ever seen. They are all identical to the video and user manual, above. This is why I wondered if it was a Galaxy variant.

I have sent you a PM, (Private Message) to try and resolve this for you.

 

[Hawker]

Putting aside the debate on whether or not this is a clone phone or not, lets try to look at your issues.

1. I don't know if it's only me but the SD card slot IS IN THE WRONG PLACE! It's not left of the sim card slot, it's under it. That wouldn't be such a problem if the phone read my sd card, but guess what, it doesn't!

I've certianly not seen the SD card there in any non-clone versions. I do not know the innards of official GT-i9100 variants however, so perhaps if members on here with variant models (GT-i9100G etc) could have a quick look to compare, then this would be useful.

2. THE PHONE RESETS DATE AND TIME WHEN I TAKE THE BATERY OUT! WTF, THIS IS A 400$ PHONE?

Should not happen of course. What is your setting for Settings>date+time>Automatic date+time/Automatic time zone

3. THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK IF THE PHONE HAS NO BATERY! WTF?

This is 100% normal. Remember this is a smartphone running Linux and not an old Nokia 7250 running bugger all. Linux needs to be up and running in order for it to process any of its alarms etc. For this, of course, it needs power. If the phone was able to do this, the battery would drop drastically when switched off. If you want alarms overnight then either
a) keep the phone on charge
b) switch off everything (wifi/data/gps/bt) and put it into flight mode. The phone will last for days upon days like this.

4. After I updated to 4.0.4, i can't lock the screen. I've set to unlock with pattern, but i can't lock the screen! When I press the lock key the light goes off as normal but the phone is not locked, if I press the home key the screen turns on as it's not been just locked.

Can you lock with another method (eg password or pin?)

5. Batery dies when phone says it on 20%. WTF? And also no warning sounds about weak batery, it just turns itself off when it's got no more batery.

Try the following:
a) Switch off your phone
b) charge to 100%
c) take out battery for 180 seconds
d) reboot

6. Pictures taken at night are very bright and white. Before i bought the phone i read articles saying that this phones camera rocks, but it does not, it takes shitty cheap underaverage pictures at night.

What camera FW do you have? In the dialler type in *#34971539# then select Phone/CAM FW Ver Check

 

[ajkula]

Should not happen of course. What is your setting for Settings>date+time>Automatic date+time/Automatic time zone

It's off because currently I don't have network acess, it's set to manual. Also i noticed that the time/date reset only when I take out the baterry while the phone is stil on, if the phone is off and I take out the baterry then they don't reset... I think it's a OS bug...

Can you lock with another method (eg password or pin?)

No, it's all the same with every option, when I press the lock key, the screen turns off as it should, but it doesn't lock the phone, if I press the home key the phone acts as it's not been locked, it shows me the home screen (assumed that before I press the lock key I'm at home screen). I didn't had this problem when I was on GB, so I also assume this is an OS bug...

Try the following:
a) Switch off your phone
b) charge to 100%
c) take out battery for 180 seconds
d) reboot

Thanks I'll try.

What camera FW do you have? In the dialler type in *#34971539# then select Phone/CAM FW Ver Check

Cam FW ver: SCEF02
Phone FW ver: TBEC28

 

[ironass]

Hi ajkula!

Well, after consultation with the wise men of the forum, it would seem that your GT-i9100 is indeed the real thing in spite of all the differences physically.

None of us have seen that version of a GT-i9100 before and the best explanation for that is that it might be an NFC, (Near Field Communication), version that Samsung have released solely for the domestic Korean market.

This, I must say, is the best explanation we can come up with as your phone matches every other criteria except the layout.

If we can come across any further information we will keep you posted.

Any thanks for the above should go to, "Slug", who finally managed to confirm its authenticity.

 

[ajkula]

A big THANK YOU to both of u guys.

 

[amso]

seems like I have a galaxy s2 gt-9100 similar to yours and have the same problems as yours after I upgraded to Jelly beans. The battery drains very fast.
did you find any solution to your issues?

thanks.

 

[kaustav123]

A big THANK YOU to both of u guys.

Hi,can i know your contact no. i hv jst purchased a similar phone as of yours n i am facing the same issues as u.plz tell me whether my phone is a clone version of S2 or wat.plzz help,if it is aclone version i can still refund it..