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Power problems for my Galaxy S4

R

RGraben67

Lurker
I've been using my Samsung GS-4 for about 4 years. Just recently the screen starts to flicker and then the phone shuts itself off. The only way I can restart it is to put the power cord in the charging port (regardless of the fact that the battery is near fully charged) then I can get it started again. Once started the phone stays on. Anyone else experience this issue?
Thanks for any input.
R Grabenstetter
 
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9500_galaxy_s4-5125.php
Is the battery in your phone the original battery it came with or have you replaced it at some point? I wouldn't be surprised if your problems are tied to the battery starting to fail. (... and don't be disappointed, it's apparently been doing its job for quite a while as far as smartphone batteries go) Given the S4 was first released in 2013 and you're estimating using it for four years or so, if you bought it new that also means it sat completely idle in storage for a couple of years, another factor that ages a battery prematurely.
Your model has a user-replaceable battery and looking online they're relatively cheap so that might be something to try. One caveat is most after-market batteries for dated phones will typically be pretty dated themselves, there's little money for battery manufacturers to make and store them. So perhaps instead of putting any money into your S4, even if it's not that much, it might be more prudent to just start thinking of getting a new or newer phone.

In any case since it is acting up be sure you have your saved data safely backed up, just in case there's something more serious than just the battery.
https://www.samsung.com/us/smart-switch/
 
svim said:
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9500_galaxy_s4-5125.php
Is the battery in your phone the original battery it came with or have you replaced it at some point? I wouldn't be surprised if your problems are tied to the battery starting to fail. (... and don't be disappointed, it's apparently been doing its job for quite a while as far as smartphone batteries go) Given the S4 was first released in 2013 and you're estimating using it for four years or so, if you bought it new that also means it sat completely idle in storage for a couple of years, another factor that ages a battery prematurely.
Your model has a user-replaceable battery and looking online they're relatively cheap so that might be something to try. One caveat is most after-market batteries for dated phones will typically be pretty dated themselves, there's little money for battery manufacturers to make and store them. So perhaps instead of putting any money into your S4, even if it's not that much, it might be more prudent to just start thinking of getting a new or newer phone.

In any case since it is acting up be sure you have your saved data safely backed up, just in case there's something more serious than just the battery.
https://www.samsung.com/us/smart-switch/
Click to expand...



I did in fact, bought a new battery from Samsung for the GS-4, but, unfortunately with no relief. If nothing seems to work to correct this issue I'm seriously considering buying a GS-10. Thank you for your input!
 
You might want to back up all your data and try doing a Factory Reset to see if that makes a difference. A Reset is more of a last resort option but given the age of your S4 it might be worth doing (the last resort being to flash a stock ROM).

Some lessor things you might also want to try is wiping the system cache partition. The system cache doesn't contain any of your saved data,its all just temp files the operating system uses so its safe to delete when necessary. It does require you do boot up your phone into its Recovery Mode and once in Recovery Mode its a text-only interface so you need to use the buttons indicated on the screen to navigate through the various menu options. So start into Recovery and then select the 'wipe cache partition' option, as explained here:
http://www.samsungsfour.com/tutorials/how-to-enter-samsung-galaxy-s4-in-recovery-mode.html
You might also want to start up your S4 into its Safe Mode and see if the screen flickers or whatever. I have doubts Safe Mode will reveal your problem but it doesn't affect anything to at least try. If it does however, at least that indicates there's some app you've installed that's probably the cause.
https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-103386/

But all these are software-related suggestions. Given the age of your phone a hardware-related issue might be actual source.
 
I'd assume if it was a dodgy battery then it would drain quickly or just shut off mid use. The fact the screens flickering before the shutdown suggest something else's the problem. Could just be that the phones old and needs replacing. I'd try packing the battery at the opposite end of the connection to see if it's just a loose fit.
 
The only way you would get a loose battery connection in a Samsung S4 is if the SPRING LOADED CONNECTORS had completely relaxed ALL tension, or the battery was smaller than normal size.
I have serviced 5 S4 phones and all are currently working in A1 condition.
 
Sorry, I meant to emphasize the mechanical feature that holds the battery in place. I would still question the looseness of a battery as the spring blade connectors control the tightness of the battery of the correct size and type. ;)
 
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