Random phone question - -**WTF, WHY IS MY PHONE GARBAGE!?!**

[Suburban Rhythm]

Didn't see a topic where this would fit, so starting a new thread hoping for answers from the collective genius that is FOFC.

This past Saturday, my Samsung Galaxy S2 died. Totally randomly. Used it minutes prior, then started constantly vibrating. Rebooting I'd get 1/2 way thru start up screens, go blank, start buzzing again.

Was near the T Mobile we got the phones at (July 2012) so stopped in. Told me I'd get mailed a replacement, still covered under warranty, under a year. All good. Phone came in Monday.

In the 36 hours since...crazy battery drain. Battery is original battery, only a new phone was shipped.

Prior phone was still running gingerbread OS. New phone came with ICS OS. Loaded a handful of apps that night. Played around with it a little, went to bed with phone charging.

Yesterday morning, on my 15 minute commute, phone not running anything, battery dropped from 100% charged to 72%. Kept it plugged in most of the day at my desk.

Last night watching Pens game. Plugged in and surfing web...I was actually losing charge! Turned it off, allowed it to charge overnight while off.

This morning, no different. Seems to accept a charge fine.

Sitting at my desk, googling "Galaxy S2 battery issues", not plugged in...went from about 95% to 75% in 10 minutes. Also, with no cover on, the phone got extremely hot. Installed a battery monitor, said it was up to 114F.

After shutting down everything, plugging in and putting in sleep mode, let it sit. Phone got cooler while charging than while surfing (down to 100F).

So...what says ye FOFC?

Is it a simple answer, like the battery sucks? Or the battery can't run the newer OS?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Also to add, all possible power saving functions are on. Screen brightness at 10%, screen timeout at 15 seconds.

[dzilla77]

Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but could the battery have been the cause of your old phone's issues?

Otherwise I got nothing.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Stopped at T Mobile on the way home.

This seems to be an OS issue. Apparently the ICS rollout was junk. Next version, Jelly bean, was rolled out Monday.

They received enough complaints that this was an issue and sort of forced their hand to make the upgrade.

In the process of updating now, will report back.

[Suburban Rhythm]

So.............

DL the new OS. jump through all the hoops.

Same crap, different OS! Battery still heating up something fierce, and at battery still draining while running multiple apps even if I'm plugged in.

Went back to T Mobile, they are ordering a new battery.

[AnalBumCover]

So the GS2 for Tmobile is finally getting JB huh? I check on my wife's phone for her update. She has some problems with hers, but no battery drain issues.

Can you see on yours what app is using most of the battery? Go to Settings > Battery

[AnalBumCover]

Dola.

My initial guess would be a bad battery, BTW.

[Suburban Rhythm]

86% of usage from Display...and that's with brightness down to 10% and screen timing out at 15 seconds!

As far as JB...it was released Monday, however isn't yet available OTA or through Samsung Kies. I had to dig around the web to find it.

When I went back about the battery and told the guy (same who I first spoke to Saturday when initial phone died) wasn't surprised that it wasn't widely available yet.

I think that is what's pissing me off the most. I can accept equipment breaks, battery is wonky, whatever. But, had I not gone in because of this problem, how long before I heard from T Mobile and/or Samsung that JB was available?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by AnalBumCover

Dola.

My initial guess would be a bad battery, BTW.

This is making sense as well. Draining charge will still plugged in with 1-2 apps open, and every possible power saving mode on. If it was the OS, should have fixed tonight.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Bumping this thread, gonna add the to title...

Am I a total idiot with phones or something?

Since the original post:

1) got a 2nd replacement. Also heated up.
2) got a new battery. Still heated up.
3) 3rd replacement. Not heating issues. Screen would flicker some, but at this point, wanted a damn phone I could use daily.

Fast forward to today. Over my parents. I had not connected to the wifi since phone 1...just got tired of setting shit up everytime, just to end up sending it back again.

15 minutes after I connect...phone goes to shit! Will not power up, loads 1/2 through the startup screen, then vibrates ever 2-3 seconds. Unreal.

Just ordered a 4th phone in the past 2 1/2 months! Anybody heard of anything like this before? Am I just unlucky? Doomed?

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Stopped at T Mobile on the way home.

This seems to be an OS issue. Apparently the ICS rollout was junk. Next version, Jelly bean, was rolled out Monday.

They received enough complaints that this was an issue and sort of forced their hand to make the upgrade.

In the process of updating now, will report back.

It's definitely not an ICS issue. I got much better battery life with ICS than I did with Gingerbread. I have been running Jelly Bean for a few months and the battery life is noticeably worse, though nothing like what you were experiencing (losing 20% battery life overnight instead of 5%). In an effort to fix this I have disabled some of the extra unused Samsung apps today to see if that makes any difference.

[Ryan S]

I just noticed that the Galaxy S2 in the US is different to the model sold everywhere else in the world, so my experience is probably not relevant.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Bumping this thread, gonna add the to title...

Am I a total idiot with phones or something?

Since the original post:

1) got a 2nd replacement. Also heated up.
2) got a new battery. Still heated up.
3) 3rd replacement. Not heating issues. Screen would flicker some, but at this point, wanted a damn phone I could use daily.

Fast forward to today. Over my parents. I had not connected to the wifi since phone 1...just got tired of setting shit up everytime, just to end up sending it back again.

15 minutes after I connect...phone goes to shit! Will not power up, loads 1/2 through the startup screen, then vibrates ever 2-3 seconds. Unreal.

Just ordered a 4th phone in the past 2 1/2 months! Anybody heard of anything like this before? Am I just unlucky? Doomed?

If you keep doing the same thing expecting a different result...

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

15 minutes after I connect...phone goes to shit! Will not power up, loads 1/2 through the startup screen, then vibrates ever 2-3 seconds. Unreal.

Just ordered a 4th phone in the past 2 1/2 months! Anybody heard of anything like this before? Am I just unlucky? Doomed?

Clearly the model of your NSA brain chip is incompatible with your Galaxy 2 phone. Reboot your brain back to factory settings.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

If you keep doing the same thing expecting a different result...

Yeah, I know...unfortunately, only 1 year into contract, so kinda stuck. My options are buy a new phone at full price, or keep getting replacements and pray.

[CU Tiger]

ARe you rooting?
Have you replaced your charger? ( theory here, faulty charger is over volting and damaging new batteries causing a failing membrane and rapid decharge)

Do you view a lot of porn? There ARE phone viruses...

Are you running any specific non mainstream apps?
Finally, try turning off gps if you can, if not using Samsung has had some issues there. It's what pushed mento the bionic initially.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

ARe you rooting?
Have you replaced your charger? ( theory here, faulty charger is over volting and damaging new batteries causing a failing membrane and rapid decharge).

Not rooted.

Did not replace home charger, but using a newer charger at work.

Newest replacement was not having same issue as 2nd replacement of rapidly losing charge.

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Do you view a lot of porn? There ARE phone viruses....

Define a lot ever since the cool pic thread went downhill...

No, never. Really don't surf web a ton from phone, mainly mail.

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Are you running any specific non mainstream apps?
Finally, try turning off gps if you can, if not using Samsung has had some issues there. It's what pushed mento the bionic initially.

Nothing I'd say out of the ordinary. Yahoo and GMail. Candy Crush.

[fantom1979]

Are the warranty replacement phones you are getting new or refurbs? My sister in law went through about 4 Droid Xs back in the day because they kept sending her refurbed warranty replacements. Each one was just as bad as the one she had sent in.

[Izulde]

I know with the Droid Incredible 1 I had before the Galaxy Note 2, every replacement phone I had (and I got like 3) were refurbished phones.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by fantom1979

Are the warranty replacement phones you are getting new or refurbs? My sister in law went through about 4 Droid Xs back in the day because they kept sending her refurbed warranty replacements. Each one was just as bad as the one she had sent in.

Originally Posted by Izulde

I know with the Droid Incredible 1 I had before the Galaxy Note 2, every replacement phone I had (and I got like 3) were refurbished phones.

Just seeing these now. Yes, they are refurbs.