Does developing apps invalidate my warranty?

[Android Question]

I have been testing an Android application developed using Eclipse on my Samsung Galaxy tablet.
For no obvious reason it is no longer recognised by Windows7 and is listed as a GT3110 portable camera. Kies does not recognise it either.
Samsung have replied to my request for help as follows:
We can not offer support with Eclipse as it is a third party software which we have not developed and if you have tampered with the software on your tablet that could be considered as voiding your warranty.
Does this mean that using Eclipse can void my warranty?

And the real problem is this ... how can I recover from the apparent mal-function of the tablet. Ideas of strategies would be more than welcome

David Butland

 

[Hadron]

I think what the Sammy rep said is actually 2 unrelated things:

1) we can't help you with Eclipse development
2) if your problem is because you've modified the system software then your warranty may be invalid

However, they have phrased it very badly (perhaps because the rep doesn't really understand the issue - it wouldn't be unheard of). Developing or installing a user application does not invalidate the warranty as long as you've not replaced or modified the system software.

Unfortunately I don't know the answer to the main question - hopefully someone else will. All I can suggest is checking your connection type: I've seen in another post here that someone with a different device had the option of setting connection type on their phone to Camera or MTP, and if yours has something similar then that could be the answer. Try looking at the notifications when the phone is connected via usb, see whether there is a setting available.

 

[Deleted User]

Adding to what is stated above, as an Application and ROM developer I would like to state that creating and testing an app does not void the warranty. The exception here is rooting. If your device becomes rooted at any time in its life, the warranty is void. There is an ethical debate, however, that is very predominant in the Android community. Once rooted, there are ways to restore most phones to "Shipped Stock" because your phone has been restored, it appears to the OEM (Samsung, ASUS, HTC, etc.) as the phone is unmodified. This returns your warranty to the place it was before you rooted. The ethical logic behind this is your rooting of the device didn't cause the hardware to fail and therefor restoring the software warrants the OEM to replace your phones hardware for you.