sremick
Android Expert
Nope, says "SKU" right in front of it.
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Help Phone Shutting off randomly?
- Thread starter cryptarc
- Start date
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- samsung captivate
Nope, says "SKU" right in front of it.
@DynaBlue: Got my replacement phone. My new SKU looks like yours in format, so it is some sort of AT&T or Samsung ID. I think the former.
Anyway, we'll see if this works. I sure hope it does.
I will report if it fails immediately. If you don't hear, then it hasn't failed. After 60 days I'll call it fixed.
Notes about the phone:
Anyway, we'll see if this works. I sure hope it does.
I will report if it fails immediately. If you don't hear, then it hasn't failed. After 60 days I'll call it fixed.
Notes about the phone:
- Had plastic protectors all around as a new one would
- Was not tightly packaged, and included components I was not supposed to send back (the battery cover and charger)
- Has ECLAIR UCJH7 updated 2.1-u1 firmware pre-loaded
Timberline
Member
Well after thinking I'd solved my shutdown issues, it's still shutting down ... albeit not as often as before. My IMEI number is newer than the range shown in the ATT announcement, but fortunately there's a Device Support Center across town from me. I'm going to exchange it today and we'll see what happens.
The announcement I haven't read so don't know if it includes exact information on the nature of the HW flaw, but it is not inconcievable that your Li-Ion battery could be damaged. So, I hope you swapped batteries too when you got your new unit. I have, since I just got a new battery before-hand anyway. Also, since they sent a new charger (but no cord), I swapped it out in case it was defective and provided over-voltage (you never know).
I hope my experiences goes better with this new replacement. If they still haven't fixed it, then time to give up on Captivate. But I don't know how I get my money back...
BTW, interestingly, the back cover had a 'gi897v2' identifier on it, where as the original has a 'gi897'. I don't know if this means it is the second rendition of the cover, or the device. I will check under the battery later. Just gotta get old phone completely clean of my info and shipped off, then hopefully I can quit wasting time with this.
Glad I found this thread. It finally brought me to this forum. Just 2 days before my 30 were up. It seems if your build date was before Nov. 6th, there may well be a defect. Mine had a build date of Aug 27th. So I returned it and made sure they looked up the serial number on the computer to make sure the date was after Nov. 6th. My new build date is late Nov. I hope this resolves the shutting down problem. The link shows you the actual Service Bulletin put out by AT&T. I brought it with me for the exchange.
At&t captivate shut down press release - xda-developers
At&t captivate shut down press release - xda-developers
Thanks for the link!! I was very curious what this document actually said. Turns out not that much, but then again it is set of instructions to handle the issue rather than explanation, so is what I was expecting.
It DOES have the IMEI numbers affected, and mine WAS one of them. UPDATE: It was NOT in the list, but a few away. So, I think they got their numbers a bit off. The manufacture date was on or before the date listed though.
So, we need to tell people TWO things:
- One, they need a new phone
- Two, they need to GUIDE the AT&T Support Rep to that advisory, else the AT&T rep may (likely) not see it
The good news is that I suppose there will then be fewer and fewer of these claims.
What is messed up is this:
In other words, continue selling the defective phones and only give the user an exchange if they ask for it. That's messed up man. Quit being cheap asses and recall the units. If there is some % of good ones in the bad bunch by chance, you can sort them out and reuse. Cheap corporations man.. it is all about profits, all about that stock price.\
I should bill them for my time wasted.
In other words, continue selling the defective phones and only give the user an exchange if they ask for it. That's messed up man. Quit being cheap asses and recall the units. If there is some % of good ones in the bad bunch by chance, you can sort them out and reuse. Cheap corporations man.. it is all about profits, all about that stock price.\
I should bill them for my time wasted.
Actually, my IMEI was *not* in that list.. but manufactured about that time (some time before, iirc). I don't want to open it back up. I think the next batch was bad too and they understated the IMEIs by accident. This is further confirmed by them indicating newer devices have the newer firmware, which mine didn't.
I would wager that may be the error in their support system (IMEI numbers of affected models incorrect). Too bad there is no feasible way to tell them. It'd be presumptuous to even assume that is the issue, but it seems quite likely. Their system surely is set up up to show issues on affected IMEI numbers. It may explain some of the variance in ATT response too, though human factors explain that to a large extent.
Timberline
Member
Back from the ATT Repair Center - swapped phone with no drama aside from the usual questions (purchase date, factory reset, backup, etc.). The service tech I spoke with made a point of saying that he's of the opinion (and emphasized that it was just that) that this is a software (OS) issue not hardware issue. But if that's the case then swapping devices shouldn't make a difference.
We'll find out....
We'll find out....
Well, that *is* a possibility. However, what low-level component differs in the software of this model vs. the Samsung Fascinate at Verizon? You know, there are few differences at OS level (not talking about installed apps). Same with hardware too though, except more differences.
In the end, it could be either. If it is the latter, then new devices wouldn't matter. All I can say so far as mine hasn't crashed yet.. (1/2 day). Of course, if it is the latter, then Samsung lied on their recommendation on how to fix the issue.
In fact, it could even be a HW issue that is worked around by a software patch, so.. who knows
In the end, it could be either. If it is the latter, then new devices wouldn't matter. All I can say so far as mine hasn't crashed yet.. (1/2 day). Of course, if it is the latter, then Samsung lied on their recommendation on how to fix the issue.
In fact, it could even be a HW issue that is worked around by a software patch, so.. who knows
SamsungCaptivated
Member
Hello everyone. I also believe it's a software related problem. It could be that Samsung tweeking the Captivate for the AT&T network requirement is the cause of this problem. Somewhere in their tweeking, a bug got into the code and it's causing random problems. That's what I believe. I mean, really, how much difference could there be between the main android OS (2.1) in the Captivate on AT&T and Fascinate on Verizon? My friend's Fascinate doesn't seem to have any real issues (like the random powering down problem). When I return from my vacation and meet up with my friend, I will throughly check out her Fascinate and see what differences there are that I can detect. The reason why I think it's software is because (and yeah, I know Jack45 hates this...) is because CKA works on my phone. With CKA, my phone works correctly; without CKA, it dies randomly. I called AT&T (AGAIN) today and the salesperson did not know anything about the powering down issue. She told me the only memo in their system was a memo related to certain Captivate phones being unable to make or receive calls. Jcollake is correct in that AT&T shouldn't sell from their existing stock. They need to pull all their Captivates, identify which ones "should" work correctly and send the other ones back to Samsung.
Samsung has already announced that they will reveal the second generation Galaxy S class phones in the first part of 2011. That most likely means future development and updates to current generation Galaxy S phones is coming to an end real soon. Samsung will want to sell as many of the new second gen S class phones. It makes no sense to them to update the current phones to 2.2 or higher if that means current owners won't upgrade to the newer phones since Samsung will have provided the upgraded performance and functionality in 2.2 or higher for free to the existing phones. If I was Samsung and my goal was to squeeze every penny out of you, would I give you a free upgrade to 2.2 or higher to a phone you already own to match the functionality and capabilities of the newer phones or would I want you to ditch your current phone and buy the second generation phone? You do the math. I think you know what the answer is.
Samsung has already announced that they will reveal the second generation Galaxy S class phones in the first part of 2011. That most likely means future development and updates to current generation Galaxy S phones is coming to an end real soon. Samsung will want to sell as many of the new second gen S class phones. It makes no sense to them to update the current phones to 2.2 or higher if that means current owners won't upgrade to the newer phones since Samsung will have provided the upgraded performance and functionality in 2.2 or higher for free to the existing phones. If I was Samsung and my goal was to squeeze every penny out of you, would I give you a free upgrade to 2.2 or higher to a phone you already own to match the functionality and capabilities of the newer phones or would I want you to ditch your current phone and buy the second generation phone? You do the math. I think you know what the answer is.
SamsungCaptivated
Member
Ah, I just discovered another odd software bug. I don't have many apps installed on my phone (none which is related to SMS/MMS messaging) and it's pretty much in stock configuration. I have the notification volume control in the system setting set to the highest level because I need to hear the phone when a SMS message comes in. The volume level drops back to factory default constantly but at random times. I noticed the volume level was lower than I thought it should have been after receiving several messages. I checked the system setting and it dropped back to default level (about 30%). So I raised it back to 100%. After several messages, it drops back to about 30%. It's random but consistent. I don't know how many incoming messages triggers the volume level to drop back to default level but it is doing it. Anyone else care to try it and see if they have the same results? Very odd. I have the vibrate function turned off (I don't need a vibrator in my pants!)
The random powering off problem, I think is software related too. Whatever overlay program Samsung put into this phone on top of Android 2.1 OS is buggy. That's my (another) 2 cents worth of opinion. LOL.
Oh and my GPS is dead-on accurate. However, sometimes it takes up to 2 minutes to lock on to satellites. Tonight, though, it took only 5 secs to lock on to satellites all night. I was playing with Google Map all night on and off and it would lock on to the satellites very quickly. Another odd behavior from our beloved (sometimes) Captivate.
The random powering off problem, I think is software related too. Whatever overlay program Samsung put into this phone on top of Android 2.1 OS is buggy. That's my (another) 2 cents worth of opinion. LOL.
Oh and my GPS is dead-on accurate. However, sometimes it takes up to 2 minutes to lock on to satellites. Tonight, though, it took only 5 secs to lock on to satellites all night. I was playing with Google Map all night on and off and it would lock on to the satellites very quickly. Another odd behavior from our beloved (sometimes) Captivate.
The software and hardware of any system are closely interconnected and work together, so the real question is not where the bug originated, but whether it can be fixed with a software patch. To this date it has not been, that's for certain.
I also do NOT believe Samsung would recommend replacement of units in their advisory IF the problem was only software.
I can say this much -- For the FIRST time *ever* my NEWLY REPLACED phone lived through the night!!
SamsungCaptivated
Member
Hey jc, can you post your new phones firmware number, revision number, etc etc to see if those of us that supposedly have the "newer" batch of phones (still experiencing the powering off problem) have identical numbers? Thanks.
Other than the aforementioned difference, I don't know if there are any for sure because I don't want to open the box with my old one back up (shouldn't have sealed it). However, I did notice that the firmware has a slight variation -- and maybe I just didn't notice this last time so it is no variation. Anyway, it is of course 2.1-update1 I897UCJH7 , BUT the kernel build is 2.6.29 jataek.lee@sep-11 #2 .. Maybe that #2 was there before, I don't know. You do though, so let me know 
. I suspect it was there and I didn't notice. The kernel build date is the same, so surely it was.
On the inside, under battery, no indication of newer edition except there is a REV 0.4 (of something). No indication of a different product model change though.
My IMEI is in the range of YYYYYYY4xx4xxxx , FWIW. Where YYYYYYY is the same as all these phones. I just did that to throw off anybody searching for IMEIs. Manufacture date unknown. The x are censored because I'm paranoid. Chinese manufacturers are making chips without IMEIs, so the last thing we need is them cloning IMEIs (they must be protected with public/private key encryption else surely they would).
Side note: I hate opening these phones, always feel like one day I'm gonna snap one of those brackets off. It is a tight fit for sure, talk about some manufacturing precision.
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Also note that we may not know if mine really is fixed for some time. The original phone didn't immediately exhibit the bad behavior either. I think that is the standard experience, as strange as it may sound. I'm sure the actual cause (whatever it is) will back up that empirical finding.
. I suspect it was there and I didn't notice. The kernel build date is the same, so surely it was.On the inside, under battery, no indication of newer edition except there is a REV 0.4 (of something). No indication of a different product model change though.
My IMEI is in the range of YYYYYYY4xx4xxxx , FWIW. Where YYYYYYY is the same as all these phones. I just did that to throw off anybody searching for IMEIs. Manufacture date unknown. The x are censored because I'm paranoid. Chinese manufacturers are making chips without IMEIs, so the last thing we need is them cloning IMEIs (they must be protected with public/private key encryption else surely they would).
Side note: I hate opening these phones, always feel like one day I'm gonna snap one of those brackets off. It is a tight fit for sure, talk about some manufacturing precision
.---
Also note that we may not know if mine really is fixed for some time. The original phone didn't immediately exhibit the bad behavior either. I think that is the standard experience, as strange as it may sound. I'm sure the actual cause (whatever it is) will back up that empirical finding.
SamsungCaptivated
Member
Hey jc. Understood. My phone which is suppose to be a "newer" one from the factory (bought it Dec 16th) came with JH7, kernal 2.6.29 jataek.lee@sep-11 #2, firmware 2.1-update 1, ECLAIRJH7. From the sound of it, it looks like your phone and my phone have the same numbers. Mine started shutting down on me on the second day.
Oh, forgot to mention, it was manufactured in Nov.
Oh, forgot to mention, it was manufactured in Nov.
Chances are mine will too then, unless some hardware fix was real recent. Anyway, I also changed my charging habits out of suspicion damage to the battery was occurring. I have always only used their charger, same as before. Different than before us I do not keep it plugged in until it needs a charge. Li-ion batteries are sensitive to over charging and voltage irregularities. The lack of immediate occurence of this problem made me suspect the hardware surrounding battery charging, as the battery is the one component that degrades over time. Remember, I just got a new battery too.. Though am using old battery I think, not sure. Also, it never occurred while plugged in iirc, further suggesting the battery or power save functions are a factor. It likely never wakes from a partial sleep, which is why Samsung Captivate Fix app works as a bad hack around the issue. Anyway, the change in behavior with SAME apps and firmware means likely component damage (to me).
SamsungCaptivated
Member
jc, lithium ion batteries actually last longer if you don't let it wind down before needing a charge. Unlike the old ni-cad batteries that DO need to be fully discharged every 4th to 5th charge before fully charging back up (to prevent memory from setting in in the cells) the lithium ion battery chemistry changes with full discharge resulting in shorter life.
Look in your Galaxy Tab Basics Guide booklet on page 12. It says and I quote "Do not wait until your battery is completely depleted before charging your device. Repeating the process of complete discharge and recharge can reduce the storage capacity of any battery over time." I absolutely believe this statement. I have other cell phones that I have religiously charged back up at night after a days use (I never let the battery get to the point of "your battery is low, please recharge soon") and they still last all day and will only drain down a bar or two. In fact, I have one Nokia phone that I keep as a backup (the phone is about 6 years old) with its original lithium ion battery and when I turn it on it will stay powered on on standby for about 9 days before it needs a recharge. I've done this couple of times to make sure the phone is still operable. I have Motorola radios with lithium ion batteries that have been in the unit since 2006 and they still power the radio ALL day. I immediately charge it back up as soon as I'm done using the radio. I never let it wind down. I've had very good luck with long battery life in my Sansa MP3 player and my Zune HD player following this battery rule.
As for the Captivate's battery, I did check the voltage level with my voltmeter and it showed when it was 2 days old at 4.07 volts when fully charged (according to the display). It now measures 4.2 when fully charged at 100%. That just basically means the battery is broken in. Voltage reading will always be higher than listed for lithium batteries when fully charged. The lithium AA batteries I use for my work is listed at 1.5 volts but measures 1.8 on a Fluke voltmeter. I do believe that the battery measure/discharge program is buggy. As you've experienced, when plugged in and charging or running off the charger, the phone won't random power down. Only when the battery is fully charged and the phone is running off the battery then the mysterious random powering off event occurs. My CKA is set to turn off at 85% battery capacity. I have not had a single random powering off event while running CKA unless I deliberately induce the failure with the ALARM function while running on battery only. If plugged in, the ALARM works correctly.
Just my 2 more cents worth..... (I think I'm up to 8 cents now. LOL)
Look in your Galaxy Tab Basics Guide booklet on page 12. It says and I quote "Do not wait until your battery is completely depleted before charging your device. Repeating the process of complete discharge and recharge can reduce the storage capacity of any battery over time." I absolutely believe this statement. I have other cell phones that I have religiously charged back up at night after a days use (I never let the battery get to the point of "your battery is low, please recharge soon") and they still last all day and will only drain down a bar or two. In fact, I have one Nokia phone that I keep as a backup (the phone is about 6 years old) with its original lithium ion battery and when I turn it on it will stay powered on on standby for about 9 days before it needs a recharge. I've done this couple of times to make sure the phone is still operable. I have Motorola radios with lithium ion batteries that have been in the unit since 2006 and they still power the radio ALL day. I immediately charge it back up as soon as I'm done using the radio. I never let it wind down. I've had very good luck with long battery life in my Sansa MP3 player and my Zune HD player following this battery rule.
As for the Captivate's battery, I did check the voltage level with my voltmeter and it showed when it was 2 days old at 4.07 volts when fully charged (according to the display). It now measures 4.2 when fully charged at 100%. That just basically means the battery is broken in. Voltage reading will always be higher than listed for lithium batteries when fully charged. The lithium AA batteries I use for my work is listed at 1.5 volts but measures 1.8 on a Fluke voltmeter. I do believe that the battery measure/discharge program is buggy. As you've experienced, when plugged in and charging or running off the charger, the phone won't random power down. Only when the battery is fully charged and the phone is running off the battery then the mysterious random powering off event occurs. My CKA is set to turn off at 85% battery capacity. I have not had a single random powering off event while running CKA unless I deliberately induce the failure with the ALARM function while running on battery only. If plugged in, the ALARM works correctly.
Just my 2 more cents worth..... (I think I'm up to 8 cents now. LOL)