Nexus S power button conspiracy theory/oddity - Nexus S General

My power button has been malfunctioning for about 2 months now. That isn't to say it is 100% dead, but at times it'll work if I smack the button about a few times, and sometimes it will be completely unresponsive. I have read up on the subject and found a thread with a response from a guy claiming to be an engineer who said the micro switches they use in these phones are somewhat weak and only work for a limited number of presses. Recently, I changed roms, and to my surprise the power button worked great for a short period of time. Since then, I've found that when my power button starts acting up, wiping the dalvik cache put it back to normal. This lead me to thinking, and I've come to believe it could very well be a hardware problem that is meant to happen. I am by no means a coder/programmer but I have studied it enough to know that certain code can be written for a device that sets a "timer" for a piece of hardware to die out or malfunction. If that's the case with this, then it makes sense somewhat that wiping the dalvik cache resets this timer for a short time. Anyone have any thoughts? Am I crazy tinfoil hat wearer or does this make some sense?

knarfrabot said:
My power button has been malfunctioning for about 2 months now. That isn't to say it is 100% dead, but at times it'll work if I smack the button about a few times, and sometimes it will be completely unresponsive. I have read up on the subject and found a thread with a response from a guy claiming to be an engineer who said the micro switches they use in these phones are somewhat weak and only work for a limited number of presses. Recently, I changed roms, and to my surprise the power button worked great for a short period of time. Since then, I've found that when my power button starts acting up, wiping the dalvik cache put it back to normal. This lead me to thinking, and I've come to believe it could very well be a hardware problem that is meant to happen. I am by no means a coder/programmer but I have studied it enough to know that certain code can be written for a device that sets a "timer" for a piece of hardware to die out or malfunction. If that's the case with this, then it makes sense somewhat that wiping the dalvik cache resets this timer for a short time. Anyone have any thoughts? Am I crazy tinfoil hat wearer or does this make some sense?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I AGREE! I thought it broke a while ago but I did a complete wipe and put a brand new rom on it. Heck I almost sent it to Sammy but for some reason it stared working. I dont think its the dalvik cache though. I have a feeling its ClockworkMod Recovery because sometimes it says a key was disabled and I had problems after that. I couldnt lock my phone.

knarfrabot said:
My power button has been malfunctioning for about 2 monthsnow. That isn't to say it is 100% dead, but at times it'll work if I smack the button about a few times, and sometimes it will be completely unresponsive. I have read up on the subject and found a thread with a response from a guy claiming to be an engineer who said the micro switches they use in these phones are somewhat weak and only work for a limited number of presses. Recently, I changed roms, and to my surprise the power button worked great for a short period of time. Since then, I've found that when my power button starts acting up, wiping the dalvik cache put it back to normal. This lead me to thinking, and I've come to believe it could very well be a hardware problem that is meant to happen. I am by no means a coder/programmer but I have studied it enough to know that certain code can be written for a device that sets a "timer" for a piece of hardware to die out or malfunction. If that's the case with this, then it makes sense somewhat that wiping the dalvik cache resets this timer for a short time. Anyone have any thoughts? Am I crazy tinfoil hat wearer or does this make some sense?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, you solved your own theory in your statement. since when does smacking your phone equate to a software issue? my power button went in august, mostly. it started showing the behavior that you described about 4-6 weeks beforehand. i say mostly, because the physical button doesnt work anymore(rarely a response from it). but ive figured out how to work it to my advantage/needs. i can wake my phone by shaking it now, and put the screen to sleep. also can be done with a light smack in the right place on the back of the phone. but to be practicle, i remapped my search button to use as a power button and wake my phone with the volume button. really, the only hard part is navigating in the bootloader menu since the volume buttons wont work there with the power button broken. so ive learned to work it by lightly, very lightly, tapping on a certain place on the back of the phone near the power button. this "loosens" the volume buttons and lets me navigate the menu. then i tap the phone again to make a selection. this in no way indicates a software issue/conspiracy to me. when it just started displaying this behavior, i thought it might be a software issue too. but it turned out to be all physical damage.

You know, the funny thing about when it stops working is that it's never all at once.
It's a degrading process of malfunction until it takes repeated button pressing, not so much force, to work. After that it works so seldom that I'm forced to do something about it. It's for those reasons I think it's something more than a hardware problem.
From your experiences, even after a full wipe/new rom installation, your power button still doesn't work, if only for a brief time?
P.S. The new touch based recovery from team win works really well for those of us who can't use our power buttons
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

@simms22
Hmm my guess is that there are multiple issues that result in a malfunctioning power button. Props to remapping your search button to lock your phone. It would be a great work around if my phone ever had this problem again. Have search to lock the phone and volume keys to wake it. I'm unsure how you remapped your search button though. Maybe you can tell me how?
knarfrabot said:
P.S. The new touch based recovery from team win works really well for those of us who can't use our power buttons
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed! If you have no access to a computer with adb/fastboot control the touch ClockWorkMod recovery would be very useful.

knarfrabot said:
You know, the funny thing about when it stops working is that it's never all at once.
It's a degrading process of malfunction until it takes repeated button pressing, not so much force, to work. After that it works so seldom that I'm forced to do something about it. It's for those reasons I think it's something more than a hardware problem.
From your experiences, even after a full wipe/new rom installation, your power button still doesn't work, if only for a brief time?
P.S. The new touch based recovery from team win works really well for those of us who can't use our power buttons
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ive been using twrp recovery for a while. even the non touch version has a no power button option. but i dont believe that theres anything else but hardware issues here. it is a degradation. at first it comes and goes, later it mostly just comes( ) and doesnt go. i can even hear a slight rattle in the power button area now if i shake the phone.
about after flashing.. at first, 50% of the time it would work after flashing, but it was just coincidence. but now no. btw, i flash many times a day, even then when it first started acting funny. flashing, wiping, it just doesnt make a difference, its coincidence.
---------- Post added at 09:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 PM ----------
Tw1tchy said:
@simms22
Hmm my guess is that there are multiple issues that result in a malfunctioning power button. Props to remapping your search button to lock your phone. It would be a great work around if my phone ever had this problem again. Have search to lock the phone and volume keys to wake it. I'm unsure how you remapped your search button though. Maybe you can tell me how?
Agreed! If you have no access to a computer with adb/fastboot control the touch ClockWorkMod recovery would be very useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ButtonRemapper app, available here on xda for free http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=9399440&postcount=1
you want v0241. i have all the power button functionality with my search key except waking the device(volume rocker wakes my device). short press screen off, long press power menu, long press plus volume down for screenshots.

@tw1tchy, I totally agree it is multiple factors, which is why I can only speak for myself based on my experiences, although your overall experience seems to be similar to mine.
@simms22, I have never noticed a rattle in my phone, its likely that you and I have different causes attributed to the power button failure.
Not trying to beat a dead horse but just for the sake of being thorough, have you tried ODIN? I noticed a substantial difference when I ODIN'ed back to stock.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

Me everytime I drop my phone on concrete my battery door opens and the battery falls of my phone...And you know what's the most odd part ...I get scratches on my phone when I pick it up .....Does anyone else gets this ??
Envoyé depuis mon Nexus S avec Tapatalk

I really like my Nexus S, but I kinda hope this power button self destruct kicks in soon. I see it as a feature - to make buying a Galaxy Nexus easier to justify. Good looking out Sammy.

I've had a similar problem for the last 4 months or so. It started when I dropped my nexus without the cover onto concrete floor. Not good I know.
But anyway...ever since then the power button been funny. Sometimes it didn't work at all and I couldn't turn the screen off and on. It was really bad. It took a while but now I kind of know how to handle it. Still annoying mind u.
Basically with mine the trick is to press the button really really hard towards the top end and it works fine. I've also noticed what some others are saying about changing rooms and doing resets etc. It seems to help as well.
But yeah...I still love my nexus. Lol. I think by me dropping it is the reason for my problems. It probably landed badly and loosened some part of the connection in that section or something. But as I said...all Is good now that I know the trick to it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I've had my NS since Christmas Eve 2009 and the power button completely stopped working 2 days ago. I did notice over the past few weeks that it wasn't responding properly. TBH, my NS has been through a LOT in the past 14-months (multiple impacts, spillages, kids etc), I'm surprised it's lasted this long
I'm now using the ButtonRemapper app to use 'search' as the power button. Works great! Plus my volume keys wake the phone up so all is ok.
I love my NS and wish I bought another one when CPW had them for £150 sim free!
It might be time for me to let go of the NS , just have to decide which phone is next (but thats for another thread lol)

ugh mine is under a year old. im very angry that this happened so quickly. im gonna try giving samsung a call. hopefully the will replace it. i shouldn't have to hack my phone in order to make it usable.

@rener78 You seem to have a vast misunderstanding of how sarcasm works. Just as future reference, posting dry, tasteless irony up on the internet as a smart-mouthed statement of ill will is about as practical as a chocolate teapot.
@staplebox Lol! Well played, sir or madam. I can't say posting a thread containing the words conspiracy theory doesn't grant me at least a well placed snarky comment. Although to be fair, I was kinda bored when I wrote it.
@ALL Yes, I get it, we've all dropped our phones before. I guess I expected a bit more from Sammy since my little old HTC hero that I beat halfway to hell is still going strong, while I pampered this nexus and its already giving me problems >1 year in but that's a whole different discussion I suppose.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

great mine just went out yesterday... had mine for a ltl over a year now.
No tapping certain areas or anything works.
I did notice it slowly degrade over the past few weeks.
I used the fix my power button app so my volume keys wake up my phone, but sometimes after using that 5 or 6 times it will stop working too so i have to plug my phone in the charger to turn it on. Is there another way of getting the volume keys to act as a wake button??
edit: i'm gonna try out that button remapper i saw in an earlier post.

tankmaster90 said:
great mine just went out yesterday... had mine for a ltl over a year now.
No tapping certain areas or anything works.
I did notice it slowly degrade over the past few weeks.
I used the fix my power button app so my volume keys wake up my phone, but sometimes after using that 5 or 6 times it will stop working too so i have to plug my phone in the charger to turn it on. Is there another way of getting the volume keys to act as a wake button??
edit: i'm gonna try out that button remapper i saw in an earlier post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are using an ics rom go to the main settings, security, lockscreen.. now disable the lockscreen. you can now wake your device with the volume button. its a feature built into ics.

interesting did not know this. Thanks, I think I'm still gonna use the button remapper to change the function of the search key to the power so I can reboot and stuff and go into recovery and such easier since i'm running cm9.

tankmaster90 said:
interesting did not know this. Thanks, I think I'm still gonna use the button remapper to change the function of the search key to the power so I can reboot and stuff and go into recovery and such easier since i'm running cm9.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats what i do. my search button has all the features of the power button but being able to wake the device.

Here's another question what if i need to pull the battery?? I'm rooted and running CM9 what if i go into a boot loop and i need to pull the battery with no charger around (i know how to do it with a charger) would the button remap solve this?

tankmaster90 said:
Here's another question what if i need to pull the battery?? I'm rooted and running CM9 what if i go into a boot loop and i need to pull the battery with no charger around (i know how to do it with a charger) would the button remap solve this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no. the button remapper app doesnt do anything when off or the screens off. honestly, i no boot many times a week(because i test the trinity kernel as its being developed before release), ive figured out a system of light taps near the power button to let the volume buttons let me scroll, and to select in the bootloader.so for me its a non issue. to power up from being powered up, i dont do anything. a, pluging in powers it. b, tapping the back powers it when no usb is available. c, it powers up by itself usually, seconds to a few minutes after powering off.

Being a heavy user of my nexus s since July 2011, the power button died last Sunday.
One of the most important problems i had after that was that i was unable to lock bootloader before giving the mobile to samsung service, because the stuck power button caused problems to fastboot commands and the bootloater usage(menu) in general.
Finally i decided to go to the service and give the phone. The result was that in about an hour they replaced the button and gave me back the mobile. The repair was covered by the 2 years warranty and the unlocked bootloader did not cause any problem to that.
Up to now i have a "brand new" nexus s and i hope that the new button will last much longer.

Related

Display on without using top button?

I have my Nexus One set to turn off the display and go into lock mode after 10 minutes. I would prefer 5 minutes, but that is not an option. I have owned the phone for about a month, and absolutely love it, but I have noticed that the top button (which I press to turn the display on) is no longer working as well as it use to. I have to press down on the top button fairly hard to get the display turned back on. I am guessing the wear and tear of pressing the top button dozens of times each day is slowly causing the top button to fail. Is there a way to set the Nexus One display to turn on by pressing something other than the top button on the phone? Perhaps press the volume button, or press the screen to get the display to turn on, instead of the top button?
-Greymarch
I write about technology, especially the Nexus One at my website.
greymarch.com
There's a fix for this.
hopefully there is nothing physically wrong with your phone.
If you have a custom rom and if it is slow it may make it seem like you have a physical problem with the button.
I've just started having this power button issue... Hard reset made no difference so I'm thinking it might be hardware related which is a shame.
HTC says return the phone for repair (had it for 3 weeks) and within the same breath without any prompting said, "And in case you're wondering you won't get a courtesy phone".
Bofslime, are you suggesting there's a specific fix or merely to ring HTC?
The top button still works, it just takes a little bit more effort to get it working. I gotta press down a little harder than I use to.
I am quite dependent on this phone, and have ABSOLUTELY no interest in shipping it back to HTC or google so they can spend weeks fixing a minor issue.
I am really looking for a way to turn on the display without having to press the top button.
-Greymarch
I write about technology, especially the Nexus One at my website.
greymarch.com
bofslime said:
There's a fix for this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed your link. I couldnt find the specific fix you are referring to. Could you be more specific?
Thanks,
- Greymarch
I write about technology, especially the Nexus One at my website.
greymarch.com
Sorry, in case it wasn't clear, I've had my Nexus One for three weeks (so over the 14 day replace period I'm guessing). HTC actually said it would take about 6 days to get it back to me. Which isn't bad really.
mjwatmough said:
Bofslime, are you suggesting there's a specific fix or merely to ring HTC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the phone needs to be repaired/replaced.
I had my phone advanced replaced without question or hassle because of dust other the screen. Sold my G1 2 day's before receiving my N1, its not the end of the world to fall back to a backup phone. My sidekick was happy to serve me again for the interim.
Ah ha!
I have found a couple of applications which will allow you to wake-up your Nexus One display using a button other than the power-on button:
http://lock20.wordpress.com/
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-blau-android-keyguard-qFj.aspx
- Greymarch
I write about technology, including the Nexus One at my website:
http://www.greymarch.com

Got a future N1 problem I would like some input on...

All of us N1 owners know that the power button can be prone to failure over time.
Right now I use the "NoLock" app as well as the Lock Widget to make sure I don't have to push the power button that much (I instead use the volume keys to wake up the phone and the Lock Widget to put it to sleep)
I was wondering though... If in the future (like a year from now) when/if my power button fails... How do I turn on my phone once it powers off? Is there a way to do this if the power button doesn't work anymore?
Also is there a way to do this WITHOUT rooting? Really don't like rooting my phone
You could always get a replacement flex cable including a new power button.
ap3604 said:
All of us N1 owners know that the power button can be prone to failure over time.
Right now I use the "NoLock" app as well as the Lock Widget to make sure I don't have to push the power button that much (I instead use the volume keys to wake up the phone and the Lock Widget to put it to sleep)
I was wondering though... If in the future (like a year from now) when/if my power button fails... How do I turn on my phone once it powers off? Is there a way to do this if the power button doesn't work anymore?
Also is there a way to do this WITHOUT rooting? Really don't like rooting my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its been almost a year and my power button is fine. Don't worry about things that might or might not happen
Remove the battery, plug in the USB/power cable and put the battery back in. Something like that anyway, I've already forgotten how I did it 2 months ago (lots happening here in Japan, many things aren't that important anymore in my memory! haha), and got my power button repaired anyway, but it worked.
siddharthsai said:
Its been almost a year and my power button is fine. Don't worry about things that might or might not happen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I believe only a very limited number of phones have this failure. Don't worry about it, if you've made it a year without issue, it is very unlikely you're going to ever see it.
I'm pretty sure this problem only affected the initial batch of N1's. So only those who bought in January would have this problem.
If you have the flat volume rockers you don't have an initial N1. Apparently the first lot have volume buttons that stuck out more and some other visible changes that I can't remember. They should be on these forums somewhere.
But correct me if I'm wrong...
My power button is almost dead, but the combination of trackball wake (with cyanogenmod) and screen off and lock (market app) assigned to long-press search is quite painless.
The only remaining problem is iPhone users making fun of you when you explain the issue to them ...
Yeah,
With roms like CM7 (vol- equals wake from sleep) and Quick Boot, the pwr button and TB almost become unneeded
I never turn my phone off--charger at work, home, and in car
I've had 2 power button cables die on me.
one, I sent back, and when I got a replacement, it died on me within a month. I still have a second n1 which is ok.
basically, if your button starts to get to the point where you have to do multiple pushes, then cable failure is imminent.
you can get the phone to turn on, by plugging in the charging cable, and removing/ inserting the battery. after that, you need to have no lock or some other way of unlocking your screen without the power button.
I just ordered a new flex cable today, I was going to sell off parts for my other n1, but figure that I might as well fix it.
I plugged my N1 in to charge while it was off and it booted into recovery. Not sure if this is related to Amon_Ra or not, but I figured it wasn't a bad thing. The DZ does this too, so I'm getting used to it
seydhe said:
The only remaining problem is iPhone users making fun of you when you explain the issue to them ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At which point you remind them of the SMS bug that allowed hackers to take over their precious iphones. Also, antennagate.
crachel said:
I plugged my N1 in to charge while it was off and it booted into recovery. Not sure if this is related to Amon_Ra or not, but I figured it wasn't a bad thing. The DZ does this too, so I'm getting used to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess some SW has to control the charge. It's a function that is done in the stock recovery (phone charging when it's off), on many Android phones.
I ordered three of the AT&T N1's - one for myself when they were first released, then two more (for my wife and a friend) just before they stopped selling them. None of us have had a problem with the power button, and none of us use trackball wake.

Is my touchscreen dieing?

I was running an older Paramid version of dunphp's ROM, and right before swtching the ROM my touch screen start to not function. I could not pull the ring up to unlock the screen. I rebooted multiple times. Cleared Dalvik and fixed permissions. It finally worked after attemptiing to unlock it for what seem like abother 500 times.
I was going to change over to his latest Deisre HD ROM anyway. So I did a Task 29, and cleaned and reinstalled everything from scratch. It worked perfectly for about 5 days. Now I am getting the same issue with my touch screen. It just seems to go out. Is this typically what happens when it's about to die?
Never mind. I Task29, and flashed a Windows Mobile ROM just to see, and yeah...it's dead...
cmajewsk said:
Never mind. I Task29, and flashed a Windows Mobile ROM just to see, and yeah...it's dead...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have semi-dead digitizer. But it is nothing you can't temporarily fix every time it happens. Just push red (end call) button really hard for a while and it will get fixed for a while. I recommend you using button savior and lock screen with it and unlock with any other button than red one, it should be permanently fixed then. Please hit the thanks button if I helped you.
lolkoz said:
You have semi-dead digitizer. But it is nothing you can't temporarily fix every time it happens. Just push red (end call) button really hard for a while and it will get fixed for a while. I recommend you using button savior and lock screen with it and unlock with any other button than red one, it should be permanently fixed then. Please hit the thanks button if I helped you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hit the thanks button as you gave me hope. I am currently using my old TouchPro 2 with an old NRG Titanium Rom on it for the time being, but will try this today. I’ll install “button savior”, but what am I supposed to do with the app? What settings do I run? I think you are totally right about this, as I noticed when I was unlocking my phone, using the green call button worked most often, but now that’s not even working.
cmajewsk said:
I hit the thanks button as you gave me hope. I am currently using my old TouchPro 2 with an old NRG Titanium Rom on it for the time being, but will try this today. I’ll install “button savior”, but what am I supposed to do with the app? What settings do I run? I think you are totally right about this, as I noticed when I was unlocking my phone, using the green call button worked most often, but now that’s not even working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have exactly the same problem as you have. My phone was working flawlessly for like a year and a half, but last week all of a sudden the touchscreen sometimes didn't work and sometimes it did. So I tried literally everything, I was fixing my permisions all the time, wiping dalvik, task29, remaking parrtitions, even bought a new sd card. But few days ago I found a solution, by pushing red button really hard (because the digitizer is right behind it) and not using it after. The Button Savior app is a simple app that makes a very little transparent icon on your screen and when you tap it, the menu of buttons will come up (with the same buttons as your hard buttons on your device) so every time you will want to lock the device you will do it on your screen, and won't have to push the hard button and come through all the hassle of pushing the digitizer. I really hope I helped you, as this very same problem was driving my crazy for the past few days.
lolkoz said:
Yes, I have exactly the same problem as you have. My phone was working flawlessly for like a year and a half, but last week all of a sudden the touchscreen sometimes didn't work and sometimes it did. So I tried literally everything, I was fixing my permisions all the time, wiping dalvik, task29, remaking parrtitions, even bought a new sd card. But few days ago I found a solution, by pushing red button really hard (because the digitizer is right behind it) and not using it after. The Button Savior app is a simple app that makes a very little transparent icon on your screen and when you tap it, the menu of buttons will come up (with the same buttons as your hard buttons on your device) so every time you will want to lock the device you will do it on your screen, and won't have to push the hard button and come through all the hassle of pushing the digitizer. I really hope I helped you, as this very same problem was driving my crazy for the past few days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, that didn't work...my digitizer must be completely dead. I held the Red Button for a while and holding it down really hard...made no difference..oh well guess a dumb phone until the Prime comes out....thanks anyway.
cmajewsk said:
Nah, that didn't work...my digitizer must be completely dead. I held the Red Button for a while and holding it down really hard...made no difference..oh well guess a dumb phone until the Prime comes out....thanks anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aww, that's a shame. I really tought it would help. It doesn't work every time, maybe you can try it few more times. If it's not even then going to work, then maybe you should get your digitizer replaced.
Cheers
lolkoz said:
Aww, that's a shame. I really tought it would help. It doesn't work every time, maybe you can try it few more times. If it's not even then going to work, then maybe you should get your digitizer replaced.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How long do you hold the red button? Also, I am pushing down really hard. I didn't know you could get the digitizer replaced...I wonder who would do that (no way would I send it to HTC and wait a month), and how much that costs...?
HTC sends phones back crazy quick. Atleast that's how it was for me. They actually sent it back the day they got it from what I remember. It did take a while though for the phone to arrive to HTC (this depend who and from where you send it though) If your phone still has warranty I seriously recommended you send it yo HTC. Just remember to flash it 100% stock before sending it.
Sent from my HD2 using XDA App
Well believe it or not, after pressing the Red phone off button for an eternity and applying a ton of pressure, it's working. I am sure it won't be for long. I have a shortcut to lock the phone on the screen. So basically your saying I should stay away from hitting the Red phone off button, or else that will kill it again? What about the other hard buttons?
I am in the UAE at present, so it might be better for me to just order a digitizer and do the repair myself. I see there are a lot of YouTube videos on the subject.
Thanks everyone for your help!

Power button behaving funny on Focus ...

My samsung Focus is about 1.5 years old.. I plan to switch carriers at the end my of contract since AT&T is giving me lots of dropped call at the new place we moved to.. The phone is obviously out of warranty, so I am looking to see if I can fix it myself.
The power button on my Samsung focus is behaving very funny lately. When I hit the power button with the phone awake, it thinks I did a "long press" of the power button and shows me the shutdown pull-down image! If I pull-up the image, the phone still reboots...
If I press the power button when the phone screen is OFF, instead of turning on the phone, it again shows the pull-down image, and the same behavior ensues - regardless of what direction I pull the image in, it shuts down the phone.
Some things I have already tried:
I have tried a hard-reset (camera+volume+power, and format the device), but the behavior continues.
I have removed my SD Card (I am using the AT&T approved one), performed hard reset, and problem continues
I have tried a different battery (from my wife's focus), and problem continues
At this point, I am guessing that most likely, the power button connector is loose.. but I am not 100% sure.. Any suggestions on things to try?
Seems like the spring in the power button is gone. I suggest when you want to press it, lean the phone to the right (with the power button towards the ground) so when you press it, gravity helps popping it back.
Or replace the power button.
EnderPsp said:
Seems like the spring in the power button is gone. I suggest when you want to press it, lean the phone to the right (with the power button towards the ground) so when you press it, gravity helps popping it back.
Or replace the power button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried the first trick... didn't seem to help..
Any tips on where I can find a replacement power button and how I can replace it?
See my response here (and the thread referenced in my second reply). Seems to be one of the issues that appear in time... And in another case it was the battery...
EnderPsp said:
See my response here (and the thread referenced in my second reply). Seems to be one of the issues that appear in time... And in another case it was the battery...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks EnderPsp!
I have ordered a new battery for now to see if it helps.. its a non-OEM battery off eBay.. Don't want to spend too much without knowing if that is indeed the problem..
I can't find a power button replacement part anywhere... I went over the video and the instructions to reach the power button housing does not seem very bad.. definitely do-able if I can find a replacement part..
walletless said:
Thanks EnderPsp!
I have ordered a new battery for now to see if it helps.. its a non-OEM battery off eBay.. Don't want to spend too much without knowing if that is indeed the problem..
I can't find a power button replacement part anywhere... I went over the video and the instructions to reach the power button housing does not seem very bad.. definitely do-able if I can find a replacement part..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The button itself is plastic (you can find some on ebay), and I don't know how it works, actually (If it's a spring or otherwise).
I suggest you watch a take apart guide and maybe, just maybe it's just dirt, which you can clean.
You'll know more and afterwards please share the result with us.
EnderPsp said:
The button itself is plastic (you can find some on ebay), and I don't know how it works, actually (If it's a spring or otherwise).
I suggest you watch a take apart guide and maybe, just maybe it's just dirt, which you can clean.
You'll know more and afterwards please share the result with us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And now its completely gone... the power button won't respond at all.. the phone has been shut all day. If I take the battery out and put it back in, the SAMSUNG logo shows up for a few seconds and then the phone turns off again.. No way to turn it back ON using the power key..
I sat down to open the circuit yesterday only to realize that I don't have a #000 screwdriver... the smallest one I have is #00 which is too big for the 7 screws that hold the back panel
Off to Grainger today to see if I can find a 000 driver.. It can't get any worse now, so might as well open the phone!
Sure thing - I will update the post later with what I find...
walletless said:
And now its completely gone... the power button won't respond at all.. the phone has been shut all day. If I take the battery out and put it back in, the SAMSUNG logo shows up for a few seconds and then the phone turns off again.. No way to turn it back ON using the power key..
I sat down to open the circuit yesterday only to realize that I don't have a #000 screwdriver... the smallest one I have is #00 which is too big for the 7 screws that hold the back panel
Off to Grainger today to see if I can find a 000 driver.. It can't get any worse now, so might as well open the phone!
Sure thing - I will update the post later with what I find...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't say if the same happens with the wall charger connected.
Now, If you're going out, try and drop near a phone shop. Ask them if they can help you test with one of their batteries, either for a Focus i917 or from a Galaxy S i9000
Good luck mate.
Dang i thought i was the only one with this issue...
Mine started acting up about 3 weeks ago and it was seriously annoying especially when driving. I would press the lock button to change songs, but it thinks i did a long-press and does the "slide down to power off" thing. Even if i swipe up, the phone would switch off.
Then today, i take my phone out my pocket to send a text and find it's powered off. Won't even switch on now
Ender:
Plugging the phone in does NOTHING. The screen remains black.
Reinserting the battery causes the SAMSUNG logo to appear on-screen but again, goes black after 4-5 seconds.
Holding down the power/lock button has no effect, it's unresponsive.
I'm so pissed off this is happening 6 months before my contract is up. -_-
Don't know what else to say... I hope you still have warranty?
EnderPsp said:
Don't know what else to say... I hope you still have warranty?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not extended no... :/
I've managed to get it into "download mode" now though, and my laptop recognises it as "SAMSUNG CDMA Technologies"... Huh?
---------- Post added at 05:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 PM ----------
If i have it plugged into my laptop,
hold vol down, power, and camera while inserting the battery i get to the hard reset screen. But then that disappears in the same 4-5 second window.
Ok, it's working again... I left the battery out for a few hours (literaly about 3), then pressed hard on the power button, and placed it (the battery) back in the phone.
Let it turn on and then back off by itself, then pressed hard on the power button.
pressed the button normally, and it booted up no issues. So far works fine.
I expect this issue is partly the power button, and something else unknown
EnderPsp said:
You didn't say if the same happens with the wall charger connected.
Now, If you're going out, try and drop near a phone shop. Ask them if they can help you test with one of their batteries, either for a Focus i917 or from a Galaxy S i9000
Good luck mate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes' same thing with wall power. New battery arrived and did not help. Went to a local cellphone repair and the guy said main board needs replacement.. he suggested to buy another phone since repair will be more expensive.. he said that he needs to remove soldering on the board reinforce an auxillary power button battery and resolder it in.. no guarantees and will cost atleast $150
Jfran71 said:
Ok, it's working again... I left the battery out for a few hours (literaly about 3), then pressed hard on the power button, and placed it (the battery) back in the phone.
Let it turn on and then back off by itself, then pressed hard on the power button.
pressed the button normally, and it booted up no issues. So far works fine.
I expect this issue is partly the power button, and something else unknown
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky you!! This seems like a common problem with several Samsung phones based on a quick google search
Also bummed that this happened with 6 months remaining ...Now I am somewhat stuck since I want to switch from AT&T due to call issues with several months remaining.. and dont want to buy one till wp8 is out...
Just for fun... I am going to find a 000 screwdriver and try to re-jig the power button.. nothing to loose with the phone refusing to start anyway!
For what it's worth, my power button had been getting increasingly creaky over the course of the last few months, and although not sticking, was requiring ever more pressure to operate. Also, the sound of rusty bedsprings every time I went to use my phone was getting somewhat embarrassing.
I found the sturdiest piece of paper that I could wedge in between the button and the rest of the phone, put a bit of PB Blaster on the paper, and wedged the paper in. The button has since been as good as the day I took the phone out of the box for a couple of months now.
*Edit: Should probably mention that the paper isn't supposed to stay in there - it was just used to apply the lube without soaking the phone.
Jfran71 said:
Ok, it's working again... I left the battery out for a few hours (literaly about 3), then pressed hard on the power button, and placed it (the battery) back in the phone.
Let it turn on and then back off by itself, then pressed hard on the power button.
pressed the button normally, and it booted up no issues. So far works fine.
I expect this issue is partly the power button, and something else unknown
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So its working completely fine now? No issues? I'll try that but im not hopeful.
I've been having the same issue, started yesterday. There appears to be no issues with the actual button itself, it doesnt appear to get stuck or anything to cause this, even without the external shell and just compressing the sensor itself.
walletless, you said that you tried reformatting it and everything? Damn. I was expecting it to be a software issue. I'll mess with the button mechanism a bit and see if theres anything weird with it
Phone is dead
re-jigging and cleaning around power button did not help.. I ended up ordering a chinese knock-off of HTC Note instead
Does any have this problem, but on a normal stock rom?
I was thinking it might be just custom roms, I don't think that would have anything to do with it
Its worth a shot though
titanhydro said:
Does any have this problem, but on a normal stock rom?
I was thinking it might be just custom roms, I don't think that would have anything to do with it
Its worth a shot though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone died last month. I only installed updates that came through Zune up to 7.5. I went into AT&T and they told me too bad because it was out of warranty. I called Samsung, and they wanted me to 'volume down, camera, power' reset my phone, which didn't work. Samsung told me to send it to them for $70 because I was out of warranty.
Instead I entered a developer competition for a Lumia 800 and won. Now I just have a dead focus, and a new 800. I'd still be interested if anyone finds out a way to fix the focus problem.

Custom roms and non-removable battery

So this phone has a non removable battery....
A few times now I have seen the need to do a battery pull when you're installing recovery or something goes wrong with a rom install....esp when you get into a bootloop....how will this play out on a phone where you can't?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
As it's been stated countless times, either a combination of button presses, or holding down the power button for a long period will cut off the power. The exact method varies by phone though
Check the HTC One X forum. Fixed battery, and no problem whatsoever with taking care of freeze ups or lock ups. Just hold the power Key & Volume - keys for like 10 seconds, and it reboots.
Zorachus said:
Check the HTC One X forum. Fixed battery, and no problem whatsoever with taking care of freeze ups or lock ups. Just hold the power Key & Volume - keys for like 10 seconds, and it reboots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i smell a bad future for me and this phone then. my volume keys are compeltly worn out on my phone right now, i can barly get to safeboot(power+volDown) as it is much less if any soft reset to break a freeze needs the buttons x.x
luckly this will be my second phone and ive found a way to nearly use every button from the screen already, still feels bad.
Besides after root you can install apps to reboot right into recovery mode or fast boot if you are a flashoholic like me to preserve volume keys
I saw a video about the phone that stated that holding down the power button for 10 seconds will turn the phone off. It's something they have to build into something that doesn't have a removable battery, not just for users but for them as well.
Same thing as a desktop, or laptop, or tablet, or any other phone that locks up. Hold the power button. It's a hardware-level thing, it works regardless of what state the device is in.
Zurginator said:
Same thing as a desktop, or laptop, or tablet, or any other phone that locks up. Hold the power button. It's a hardware-level thing, it works regardless of what state the device is in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. My HTC One X can do this anywhere - even fastboot and recovery. It's hardcoded to the button logic.
M.
It's the new Nexus, man! Hopefully you won't be putting as many ROMs on this as you would with other mobile devices.
I started doing it on my Galaxy Nexus a while ago and then I ended up going back to stock because it was just so good and I found I never needed a custom ROM on it. My HTC Desire on the other hand... well, let's just say that that thing has had a real beating with me flashing new ROMs on it almost every day! Haha!
On my Xperia T you must keep down the power button and volume up for five seconds, which forces the phone to shut down. Maybe it's the same?

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