New Kin TwoM (2)?! - KIN Two Software Development

There is supposedly another version of the Kin TwoM that is even more locked than the original Kin TwoM. Someone stated that when sending in their Kin TwoM under warranty that the Verizon rep said that he would receive a newer version that would be somewhat different. I, myself believe this to be true as many have reported that their Kin device will not revert to the original Kin Two OS without a calculator or calender but with the Spot and Loop. I have a Kin TwoM that also will not revert to the original OS but will simply show the arrow and erase all data. I think this means that someone somewhere out there is indeed still working on the device and is trying to push us all further away from unlocking this device.
Pictures w/ a label of either a KinTwoM (1/2) will be very helpful! (And please choose the correct version!)
Update:
There are THREE different versions of the Kin TwoM that we have found on "Kin Twom Programming" on FaceBook.
Version 0 and Version 1 are basically the same. Version 0 will have 0 yellow dots on the back corners of the device (under the battery). Version 1 will have 1 yellow dot on the back corner of the device. I will be calling Versions 0 and 1 the Kin TwoM 2. These will NOT revert to the original Kin Two OS with the Loop and Spot.
Version 2 will have 2 yellow dots on the back corners of the device and will be called the Kin TwoM (1) which CAN revert back to the original Kin two OS.
Update:
There probably is a separate version of the Kin TwoM's but these are not newer, simply different. These are most likely original Kin Two's sent back to the manufacturer to get the "M" OS installed. Therefore, the revert to the original Kin Two OS will not work and possibly future hacks for this special Kin TwoM (2). A few of us on the FaceBook page facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_212064352155651 have found that if the M in the Model # (located under the battery) is uppercase then it will not revert and is a Kin TwoM (2). If the M is lowercase then it is a Kin TwoM (1).
Note: Italics w/ Purple mean that we are currently unsure if this is 100% true as there are mixed results.
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Kin TwoM (2)
Kin TwoM (1)

There could be a new version. The software could be locked down even further. Or not. Regardless, I seriously doubt anyone is putting in any further official work to IMPROVE these phones. They have no reason to, all the companies involved have other things to move on to and can't really justify spending the resources necessary to improve these phones when they know they won't see much if any return on it. They'd rather move on. Any changes are probably minor and by Verizon's request and/or initiative to ensure that we don't brick more phones by fudging with the software and thus request new ones for free on warranty and/or put a strain on their customer support. Hate to burst your bubble a little bit, but we're mostly on our own in this endeavor.

yep, that was me. The phone has no firmware differences, and it still says in "about your phone" firmware version 1.0.1, so who knows what this could mean.. maybe they made it more unlockable? maybe microsoft has plans for updates? we will wait and see.

Blasphemy58 said:
There could be a new version. The software could be locked down even further. Or not. Hate to burst your bubble a little bit, but we're mostly on our own in this endeavor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, but its not that there is someone working to improve the devices. Its that someone is still working on the devices. However, our new research shows that it probably is not an update. Simply Microsoft updating the firmware to the M from the original unsold Kin Two SmartPhones. This could be why the revert is not working because Microsoft instead of putting the M ontop of the original, they wiped the original and put the M on only the M.

yeey I have an m.
Umm I really really don't wanna lose my text messages. Need to back those up before resetting. -_-
Kins actually get quite a lot of attention.. But I don't see Verizon wanting more phones without a data pak, they lose money that way..

yeah, but instead of cutting out the Kin which seems to be getting quite popular now-adays, I think they should just cut out those other crap devices. I mean who uses a flip phone with a T-9 (or Multi-Tap) anymore? I'd love to see more Kin TwoM's come out hopefully a Kin TwoM (1) to enlargen our community and get a petition to Microsoft asking to lend us a hand or even update the OS to Windows Phone 7 for all of us.

I've noticed that on pictures of the original Kin 2, the model number is "PB20ZU" which is the same on my Kin 2m. Not sure if it's changed but it's something to look at and might make a difference on whether your Kin 2m is a (1) or (2)

Iggy95 said:
I've noticed that on pictures of the original Kin 2, the model number is "PB20ZU" which is the same on my Kin 2m. Not sure if it's changed but it's something to look at and might make a difference on whether your Kin 2m is a (1) or (2)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all of the model #'s should say PB20ZU before the M so that doesn't play a role, but do your yellow dots match the Kin TwoM 1/2?

I guess that the cause of downgrading or not it's on Verizon.
As it seems that the "Downgrade" hotkey i put, "format" the device and only "calls" them, it's probably them just sending the OS image accoding to their database.
For example: model 12345 has the image KIN_ORIGINAL.rom and model 12346 has the image KIN_TWOm.rom associated.
So that's why some phones work, some dont.

johnkussack said:
I guess that the cause of downgrading or not it's on Verizon.
As it seems that the "Downgrade" hotkey i put, "format" the device and only "calls" them, it's probably them just sending the OS image accoding to their database.
For example: model 12345 has the image KIN_ORIGINAL.rom and model 12346 has the image KIN_TWOm.rom associated.
So that's why some phones work, some dont.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that doesn't seem to be the case because say someone has their phone deactivated, I doubt that their device would connect to Verizon's broadband and ask for the files to downgrade. And, if that is the case it should take quite a while depending on your cell reception. If someone was in 1xRevA, it would take quite a while. And, if the device is on Airplane Mode, I believe that the FCC requires it to not transmit any signal whatsoever even if it wanted to get required files. Also, the model numbers on all of the devices are the same except for the way the M at the end of the devices are printed.

I can't update as i have no CDMA coverage, hence it's needed (i'm bricked cause of that, not the OS itself) .
And i guess that phone is in Airplane mode just when the OS is loaded, not before.

johnkussack said:
I can't update as i have no CDMA coverage, hence it's needed (i'm bricked cause of that, not the OS itself) .
And i guess that phone is in Airplane mode just when the OS is loaded, not before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you bricked because you were in airplane mode before the downgrade?

Antonpup said:
you bricked because you were in airplane mode before the downgrade?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, i set the factory mode to 1, which turned it into an state where needed OTA update from verizon to keep going, and i guess that using R+B formatted it even more .

johnkussack said:
No, i set the factory mode to 1, which turned it into an state where needed OTA update from verizon to keep going, and i guess that using R+B formatted it even more .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you tried C+B+POWER ? to reformat your phone...

Antonpup said:
have you tried C+B+POWER ? to reformat your phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't tell how many times

Kin Two & TwoM activation
I activated with Verizon both a Kin Two and a TwoM today. Both were from eBay. Verizon activated both as TwoM's which I verified on my web account. So no data plans. I did put in a data block just in case on both phones. The TwoM has 2 yellow dots on the label and the hand stamped M.
My question is, can I get upgrade software for the Two? It is annoying to have non-functional sections and the calendar and calculator would be nice to have.

ohbill said:
I activated with Verizon both a Kin Two and a TwoM today. Both were from eBay. Verizon activated both as TwoM's which I verified on my web account. So no data plans. I did put in a data block just in case on both phones. The TwoM has 2 yellow dots on the label and the hand stamped M.
My question is, can I get upgrade software for the Two? It is annoying to have non-functional sections and the calendar and calculator would be nice to have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will not be able to upgrade the Two to a TwoM. Maybe Verizon would do it for you, if you send it in.. but you'll have to contact them for information on how.

Related

Is there a way to tell if a T989 is new or has been used?

Other than the obvious ways is there some sort of hidden non-erasable call timer or counter on this device? If you call T-Mobile and give them the ESN will they tell you when (if) it was first activated?
Tmobile works with imei. Although i dont think they track that as well as sprint does. When you out a sim card in a new phone and it registers to the network it allows you to get a warranty for that phone meaning its new. If it has been used or another sim has been used to activate prior, their system will show no warranty. You take a gamble buying from non retail sources.
MisterEdF said:
Other than the obvious ways is there some sort of hidden non-erasable call timer or counter on this device? If you call T-Mobile and give them the ESN will they tell you when (if) it was first activated?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
Thank you, but that doesn't answer my question. I want to find out if it is new, not if it has a warranty.
chib1panda said:
Tmobile works with imei. Although i dont think they track that as well as sprint does. When you out a sim card in a new phone and it registers to the network it allows you to get a warranty for that phone meaning its new. If it has been used or another sim has been used to activate prior, their system will show no warranty. You take a gamble buying from non retail sources.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MisterEdF said:
Thank you, but that doesn't answer my question. I want to find out if it is new, not if it has a warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
were there 2 little blue stickers covering the sd card slot and the sim card slot? and to answer your question, besides those 2 blue stickers, yes, you can call tmobile and ask them, though they may or may not know for sure how to find out. it depends on the experience of the rep you get.
Enzopreme said:
were there 2 little blue stickers covering the sd card slot and the sim card slot? and to answer your question, besides those 2 blue stickers, yes, you can call tmobile and ask them, though they may or may not know for sure how to find out. it depends on the experience of the rep you get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if it has or had stickers, I don't have one yet. Other than the obvious ways (blue stickers etc) are you saying there is no "hidden" lifetime call timer menu that requires a dialer code like so many "dumbphones" used to have that can't be reset to 0?
Enzopreme said:
were there 2 little blue stickers covering the sd card slot and the sim card slot? and to answer your question, besides those 2 blue stickers, yes, you can call tmobile and ask them, though they may or may not know for sure how to find out. it depends on the experience of the rep you get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it could be misleading
i still have the 2 stickers in there, expecting to keep it as pristine condition as possible for when i re-sell it
AllGamer said:
it could be misleading
i still have the 2 stickers in there, expecting to keep it as pristine condition as possible for when i re-sell it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha me too. I never peel those type of things off.
____________________
Deebo took your bike too?
AllGamer said:
it could be misleading
i still have the 2 stickers in there, expecting to keep it as pristine condition as possible for when i re-sell it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have the sticker still on mine. The only way you can tell is by calling T-Mobile and asking them to send you a warranty replacement because you have software issues (I know you don't have any software issues). If T-Mobile sends a new unit then the phone has never been used!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
It depends on where you buy it from. An actual T-Mobile store cannot sell a returned phone as new. They must send it back to the manufacturer. It's a strict policy they have, and can be fined if not followed. If you buy online then it's a gamble, but the best way to tell is if the box is still sealed with the stickers on the sides. That is even iffy with the GSII. I saw all the new boxes in the T-Mobile store I got mine from, and all of them only had one sticker on one side, so if you were careful you could open it without removing the sticker, and then put it back, and no one would know. Other boxes usually have a sticker on each side of the box, so you can easily tell if it was opened. If you get a replacement from Samsung themselves then you could get a refurb, but if it's because of a defect you can demand (nicely) a "new" phone under the BBB act.
Sort of a silly question if you ask me. You want to know how to discern if a phone which hasn't been available for but a few weeks, is used or new. And you haven't yet bought one.
If it comes with an unused magenta gba sim card not yet punched out of its credit card sized card, it is likely new.
what is the reason you want to know? are you buying it off of someone on craigslist or something? if its been used, im sure you will be able to tell in some way shape or form..i doubt the guy covered all the bases
heinrich said:
Sort of a silly question if you ask me. You want to know how to discern if a phone which hasn't been available for but a few weeks, is used or new. And you haven't yet bought one.
If it comes with an unused magenta gba sim card not yet punched out of its credit card sized card, it is likely new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had you read the actual question carefully you would have seen it said "OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS." Besides, the SIM would prove nothing. I never use the "enclosed" SIM in a device and when I resell it the original unpunched SIM goes with it.
Reason the question was asked is I am going to buy a supposedly new & unused phone from a seller and before handing over the cash I wanted to confirm it was indeed new and unused as it was described. I don't care if the box was opened and if there is a SIM in the box or not, the issue was I wanted to be able to punch in (whatever dialer code) and confirm there were zero minutes used on the phone. Many "dumbphone" devices have a "lifetime timer" that cannot be reset without major programming or at all.
Once again, my question was and still is: Other than the OBVIOUS ways (which would be obvious ), is there any way to tell if a T-989 device has been used or not? USED obviously refers to making calls or using data. I'm not questioning warranty which isn't an issue, only to confirm if it has not been USED for making calls or surfing the web.
Don't need any warranty lectures or where NOT to buy from lectures just the answer to the question.
if the phone is literally brand new and unused the battery would be in a sealed bag...i bought my phone off of someone from craigslist...he said it was brand new..when i checked it, everything was in its original seal and the phone had the manufacturer screen protector on it (with text outlining the buttons)..so i believed him
---------- Post added at 05:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:36 PM ----------
also, when you are buying something from someone on craigslist/ebay there are ways you can get a feel if the guy is legit..ask him for proof of purchase (perhaps a receipt or something)...you can most likely tell if someone is lying to you or if they are shady...i was originally going to buy it from someone else, he responded immediately to all my calls and texts.. when i asked him to show me a receipt he flaked..thus confirming he probably stole it or something
haha this guy is probably trying to sell off his used Galaxy S2 as a new phone and wants to make sure the buyer has no way of finding out.
clninja said:
haha this guy is probably trying to sell off his used Galaxy S2 as a new phone and wants to make sure the buyer has no way of finding out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that actually sounds more likely than what he is proposing, he seems to be very fixated on making sure it is 100% fool proof...if its new, its new (you can tell)...just ask the guy if its literally brand new and unused or if its been used for a few days...if it has all the seals, its new...if not, then just ask him how long hes had it and his reason for selling...theres really no point of him lying to you...i am an avid seller on both CL/ebay..i wouldnt lie to someone for something so meaningless...i am as honest as i can be because i dont want phone calls at 2am saying he wants a refund cause i lied
Android for whatever reason in this regard sucks. Windows Mobile had call-tracking, etc, which you could only reset through extreme lengths or if you had the know-how (something which is not allowed to be discussed here, thank God).
For whatever reason, Android, or even webOS does not seem to carry this feature.
It's unfortunate but it's the risk you take buying it from a non-retail/corporate store.
A lot on people on the XDA Marketplace do not understand the term "BRAND NEW". Most of these jokers will have descriptions like "BRAND NEW OMGWTFBBQ OPENED JUST TO SEE IF EVERYTHING IS WORKING, BOOTED TO MAKE SURE RADIO WORKS ETC".
How the hell is that brand new? They could have "opened" it once for 36 hours and it would still count as a technical one-time boot.
This is why if you can avoid it, buy it locally on Craigslist and not on the XDA marketplace (know that XDA provides very little support if you're f**ked in the marketplace; one other reason to only buy from there if it's your last option). Do what others have said, typically, in many instances, if the guy is lying to you, your gut will probably give you a "fishy" feeling. Trust your gut in that case and back out of it. If it is too good to be true, IT MOST LIKELY IS.
Besides the obvious, there is NO WAY TO TELL CONCRETELY that the phone has not been used. The only thing I can think of is to bring a jeweler's magnifying glass with you and look between the bezel and the frame. It's very hard to clean dust out of those areas and the moment you've removed the factory screen protector, stuff is going to get in there very quickly. This is the only way I know how to tell if a phone is used despite having a PERFECT looking factory seal on there. Even a can of air can't properly clean those little nooks and crannies. Also, use the jeweler's magnifying glass to look inside the earpiece for lint, etc. New phones should not have this.
That's the answer, with android, there's simply no way to tell.
Good luck.
MisterEdF said:
Had you read the actual question carefully you would have seen it said "OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS." Besides, the SIM would prove nothing. I never use the "enclosed" SIM in a device and when I resell it the original unpunched SIM goes with it.
Reason the question was asked is I am going to buy a supposedly new & unused phone from a seller and before handing over the cash I wanted to confirm it was indeed new and unused as it was described. I don't care if the box was opened and if there is a SIM in the box or not, the issue was I wanted to be able to punch in (whatever dialer code) and confirm there were zero minutes used on the phone. Many "dumbphone" devices have a "lifetime timer" that cannot be reset without major programming or at all.
Once again, my question was and still is: Other than the OBVIOUS ways (which would be obvious ), is there any way to tell if a T-989 device has been used or not? USED obviously refers to making calls or using data. I'm not questioning warranty which isn't an issue, only to confirm if it has not been USED for making calls or surfing the web.
Don't need any warranty lectures or where NOT to buy from lectures just the answer to the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry but you asked if you could dial a code to see if there was a counter or minutes used? I don't think that's possible since you all the data is stored/transferred via the Sim card. If someone gives you a phone that has been used, but completely factory reset it. You could not dial anything to get that kind of data because it goes away with that persons Sim card Your question is hard to answer if you are asking in those terms. That is why I mentioned sprint or non gsm phones that do allow that kind of tracking.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
the call minutes, as far as i know is like the CAR's odometer, and it stays in the phone, and not the SIM
but it can be wiped with a new ROM
that's why we have the ROM flash counter, to see how many times you have flashed your ROM
Actually the warranty has everything to do with if it was used or not.. if you're phone shows up in the system without warranty then it means it was USED. if it has warranty when you first use it its NEW and NEVER USED
If there is no warranty it means it was registered with someones sim card as used for CALLS or DATA.
No matter where you purchase a phone if it is NEW you will have a valid warranty in tmobiles system
sent from my real Gs move in silence like lasagna
clninja said:
haha this guy is probably trying to sell off his used Galaxy S2 as a new phone and wants to make sure the buyer has no way of finding out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha Ha Ho Ho He He You're just so CLEVAH! <NOT!> ......
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I bought one from a guy off eBay for a "below market" price who says it's "Brand New" and I told him I would return it if it wasn't. I need a way to check it and prove it one way or the other when I got it. It's supposed to arrive Monday. I don't care how he got it, only that it was new. I called T-Mobile and they told me they would NOT give me any info even if I provide the IMEI.

Help Nokia solve the Lumia 900 "purple tint" mystery

A moderator over at the nokiausa.com forum is asking people to PM him details about phones that have the "purple tint" screen issue. His name is Kosh and he can be contacted HERE. He wants a PM with very specific information. He says to PM the following information...
Kosh said:
ref; Purple_tint
Device model:
Device IMEI number:
OS version:
firmware revision :
Hardware revision :
a short but detailed desctiption of your experience with this
You will find this information in Settings > About > more information
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He made this request in a thread about the "purple tint." Just create an account and PM Kosh the requested information in a succinct message. Hopefully they will figure out what is going on.
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The image on the left is medium brightness and the image on the right is the same phone on low brightness. The "purple tint" issue goes far beyond a different color keyboard while texting. The entire screen is affected no matter what you are viewing.
Update: I exchanged my phone
I exchanged by black Lumia 900 for a white Lumia 900. The new phone does not have the purple tint issue. It took some work to find a phone that doesn't have the issue. I had to go to three seperate at&t corporate stores over the course of three days.
The first thing I did at each location is walk in and set all the Lumia 900 display phones to LOW brightness. I then set my phone to LOW brightness. I then started a new text message on each phone and compared the keyboards. Most of the time the display phones will not have the purple issue or you may find 1 out of three with the issue.
Next tell the sales staff what the issue is with your phone. Every place I went into this week had no clue about the purple screen issue. Most people will be pretty accommodating and will easily do one swap out without any fuss. Unfortunately you may also encounter some people that will tell you that the purple keyboard in the text messaging screen is just a "feature." All you have to do is politely point out all their display models do not have this "feature."
Unfortunately in my neck of the woods there are a lot of Lumia 900s with the purple screen issue. So you may have to go through 3 phones at a location before you find one that functions as expected. Usually you will be told after two phones and certainly after three phone swaps they no longer have any in stock. I suspect in a lot of cases that is a lie but what are you going to do? Move on to the next location.
Try different colors. Be flexible. I went though something like 6 black phones before I tried a white one. The white one didn't have the issue. As the poll indicates there are problems across the product line. But it doesn't hurt to switch it up just for fun.
Interestingly the white phone I picked up this week did NOT have a green dot on the box. It had the latest firmware. I don't know if that means anything.
The phone on the left is medium brightness. The phone on the right is low brightness. The color balance on my digital camera which I used to take these pictures was not calibrated perfectly for the lighting conditions. I can assure you though there is no obvious color cast on the screen at both settings. Problem solved.
One rather unfortunate thing happened during this saga. I went to the at&t corporate store located at 172 Deming St Manchester, CT. As usual when I walked into the store they had no clue about the purple screen issue. The salesman that helped me out did a full exchange BEFORE checking the screen. When he finally fired up the screen and checked it it was purple. I wandered off to give him a chance to rectify the problem. I believe he checked another phone and it had the same problem. The first issue is they should not do all the paperwork for the exchange before confirming everything works as expected. It's a waste of time.
After his first mistake the next thing the guy did was finally come back and feed me this BS story...
The white male sales clerk, who shall remain nameless, with a straight face told me he did some checking and that a message had gone out to managers that this is a known issue and that Nokia is working on a firmware fix that should be out in less than a month. So this guy went from never hearing about the issue when I walked through the door to knowing exactly what the problem is and what the fix will be. Anyone else hearing this story or did I get filled full of bologna?
Anyway who knows what the issue really is. My philosophy is either return the phone and pick up a product from a different manufacturer or go out and aggressively try and find a working Lumia 900. I suspect once word gets back to corporate that people are coming in and trying out 3-4 different phones they are going to clamp down and start giving people BS about a "firmware update."
Thanks for the info. I was going to buy a Nokia Lumia today but after reading I guess I will wait
My friend has this same problem on her cyan Lumia 900. The screen was fine before the firmware update and just afterwards the screen turned to the purplish hue. :/
Definately interesting here as I too follow the Nokia Discussion-US Board forums, and my first White L900 had this purplish hue at the Low Brightness settings...
So I went to another AT&T Corp store and made sure that my second exchanged unit (White) did not have this purplish hue...making sure the store personnel were aware that I would also return this unit if it indeed displayed the issue after updating to the latest firmware: 2175.1002.8112.12084.
They documented my account for this: Updated through Zune went I got home and all was fine...no purplish hue.
However other issues still remain, and hopefully Nokia will rectify these troubling issues with an upcoming firmware update...
Has anybody tried re-flashing their phones to eliminate this issue? I went through six phones with a rattle before finding one that did not rattle. It has the purple issue, so guess what, I'm dealing with it. I rather an issue I can fix by changing the brightness than one that sounds like it's ticking when it vibrates. Lol.
This is definitely driver related guys. Take your phone, turn it to auto if you have the issue. Let it mess up the colors. Put your phone to light so it changes its brightness. Go back into darkness so it goes to low again. & your low setting will be normal colors.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
FiyaFleye said:
This is definitely driver related guys. Take your phone, turn it to auto if you have the issue. Let it mess up the colors. Put your phone to light so it changes its brightness. Go back into darkness so it goes to low again. & your low setting will be normal colors.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
on mine, allowing it to go to bright in light, then low in dark does NOT fix the problem.
But I agree, its probably software related. If it started happening after the firmware upgrade for some than it has to be software.
Nokia just responded to me on twitter, check wpcentral.com for the story as I made them aware of the tweet
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Just saw the info on twitter. You should post a URL for those who may have trouble finding it...
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Also, lets hope this isn't a software workaround for a hardware problem!
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Called Rogers Corporate support today for some un-related stuff...
Asked about the purple screen, they said this "isn't a normal issue, and they are not aware of it, if you experience it, you should replace your phone as it sounds like a hardware issue, and we haven't heard of any other users experiencing this"...
How are they not aware of it?
You're asking people who read off scripts... Not all of them are knowledgeable
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
WPCentral.com is reporting today (May 7th) that Nokia have found the source of the problem (firmware) and will be posting a patch 'soon'.
What if my phone doesn't have a problem?
drtolson said:
WPCentral.com is reporting today (May 7th) that Nokia have found the source of the problem (firmware) and will be posting a patch 'soon'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I find curious about this is why did I have two phones with the same "firmware" but only one phone was affected? I am not an electrical engineer or computer scientist. Does this pass the sniff test with you guys?
Secondly if my phone is okay now with the current hardware/firmware combination... what will a "fixed" firmware do to my phone? Is the firmware "fix" just removing the low brightness option from ALL phones?!
Same reason not all of us suffered the connection bug, so you're obviously congested. It could be a simple driver error.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
sitizenx said:
What I find curious about this is why did I have two phones with the same "firmware" but only one phone was affected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, you're absolutely right. It looks like Nokia is trying to minimize their potentially loss (because of defective screens) by firmware fixes. My replacement is on the way from Amazon Wireless (fortunately I have no problem at all with AmzWL - they just said "sorry" and send me a new phone). Hope that one will be fine.
However, I'm very upset of poor Lumia 900 quality, never expected from Nokia Too many problems for the "flagship" WP7 handset: "purple tint", "purple spot", short battery life with 4G/LTE, poor/noisy camera quality in low light etc. and so on... Never had that kind of problems with my old good "cheap" (he-he - see stupid topic in WP7 "General" forum) Samsung Focus!
sitizenx said:
What I find curious about this is why did I have two phones with the same "firmware" but only one phone was affected? I am not an electrical engineer or computer scientist. Does this pass the sniff test with you guys?
Secondly if my phone is okay now with the current hardware/firmware combination... what will a "fixed" firmware do to my phone? Is the firmware "fix" just removing the low brightness option from ALL phones?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
one scenario could be they may have used a part from two different suppliers that turned out to be mildly different. A firmware update would detect the different part and adjust the color output depending on the detected part (whatever it may be)
FiyaFleye said:
Same reason not all of us suffered the connection bug, so you're obviously congested. It could be a simple driver error.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was not around for the connection bug so I cannot speak to that.
Some people were saying that the N8 had a similar issue with the physical screen that required actual replacement. That was my understanding anyway.
Did I get bad information?
hash008 said:
Re: Nokia n8 display issue - purple screen
Options
26-May-2011 08:47 AM
Hello Everyone,
I had the Purple Screen Issue. And I got the confirmation from reliable sources that the issue is with the hardware (Display itself) and not with the software/ firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean, its pretty obvious that firmware problems can cause this. Maybe whoever supplied the screens changed something so minor during the production process that causes this. Or maybe a ROM on their servers was corrupted. For a company that just handed out $100 to every owner, regardless of issues or not, well after a fix was available, I doubt they would have any sort of conspiracy theory. They're focused on mindshare & satisfaction, they wouldn't try to screw you.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

Graphical glitches while using phone - am I the only one?

Since I got the phone, I've been having the occasional graphical glitch. A rather large pixelized screen appears for a fraction of a second and then dissapears. I managed to keep it on the screen only once and it went away when I tapped the screen.
Am I the only one? Please respond, as I wanna know if this is software or hardware.
Thanks!
Thinking you may have a faulty device ... I've never experienced that, and as far as I can recall haven't seen others reporting it.
G4'ed it!
Can you share with us when this happens? Is it random or is it when using a certain app? Are you rooted? What variant of the G4 do you have?
I haven't had anything like this happen personally.
Mine does it. It mainly happens when I'm playing games/videos in portrait mode. It takes up about 1/4 of the screen in the top-right (again, portrait mode) and last for a split second. It's like a big, fuzzy block.
It's totally random. It can happen in games, while browsing, etc. This was with stock unrooted and also does it while rooted.
It really does sound like a hardware fault or seems like an app that pops up on the screen... Hope it's not a hardware fault though.
I use a telus h812 by the way
I have had this problem since I got my phone new when it was first released. I have an h811 on tmobile US.
Has anyone contacted LG about this issue?
I am unrooted and bootloader unlocked although I was having this problem even before I unlocked the bootloader.
Ever since I've upgraded the phone to 10f I don't have the issue anymore... I guess it was software after all?
eremeya said:
I have had this problem since I got my phone new when it was first released. I have an h811 on tmobile US.
Has anyone contacted LG about this issue?
I am unrooted and bootloader unlocked although I was having this problem even before I unlocked the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also had the issue on my VS986 (Verizon). It happened while I was unrooted, rooted, screen protector, no screen protector, etc. I finally called LG because it was getting worse (especially missed touches) and they had me send it in for repair this past week.
Update: I just checked the status of my repair. All that it shows is that they closed the ticket and shipped it back to me last night (09/05). Really hoping they fixed it and it isn't just going to have a note saying they couldn't recreate the issue.
I just received a new LG G4 from Verizon. The graphics glitch you are experiencing is pretty much all the time on this one.
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Since it's new I'm going to send it back. If they won't cross ship a new replacement I'll probably just stick with my S4.
I upgraded to 10g and issue was resolved here...
dsteinschneider said:
I just received a new LG G4 from Verizon. The graphics glitch you are experiencing is pretty much all the time on this one.
Since it's new I'm going to send it back. If they won't cross ship a new replacement I'll probably just stick with my S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's scary, it's seems just like the display problem afflicting/ed Sprint customers, return the phone as soon as possible!
Called Verizon this morning, they were very nice, recommended I go to store to get replacement. A girl at the store in Trumbull CT looked at the above photo and promptly pulled out a new one and activated it for me. Love this phone, lots of interesting little features that I think are very helpful such as no password prompt when connected to my car's bluetooth. I didn't expect the screen to be so much nicer than my Galaxy Note 2.
dsteinschneider said:
Called Verizon this morning, they were very nice, recommended I go to store to get replacement. A girl at the store in Trumbull CT looked at the above photo and promptly pulled out a new one and activated it for me. Love this phone, lots of interesting little features that I think are very helpful such as no password prompt when connected to my car's bluetooth. I didn't expect the screen to be so much nicer than my Galaxy Note 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
glad is ended nicely! :good:
Anyone viewing this thread because their phone video subsystem is behaving as described by OP and others including myself should know that it's a hardware problem and they should get the phone replaced ASAP
Update: If new replace, if it means getting a refurb replacement perhaps try reflashing with the the stock image?
dsteinschneider said:
Anyone viewing this thread because their phone video subsystem is behaving as described by OP and others including myself should know that it's a hardware problem and they should get the phone replaced ASAP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's new and you can permit an exchange, sure... But then again, how do you explain that my graphic glitches dissapeared with a software update?
@karendar - I thought about your post while writing my recommendation to replace the hardware for this problem. I think I will modify the post to say if new get it replaced. Why would 11a start doing that new out of the box? Perhaps it was a bad firmware flash? It would have been interesting to follow the root instructions but use the stock firmware instead of a rooted variation and see if that fixed it.
karendar said:
If it's new and you can permit an exchange, sure... But then again, how do you explain that my graphic glitches dissapeared with a software update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's easy for any person, if you modify in any way the phone it's automatically you fault if it present problems now or in future, before unlocking, flashing other firmwares and so on it's better to think for a moment.
I don't know your case, mine was a general speaking.
I bought a branded g4 too, first thing I did was to unbrand, then unlocked ecc, but i'm aware that now I have no warranty.
SIRKRA said:
I think it's easy for any person, if you modify in any way the phone it's automatically you fault if it present problems now or in future, before unlocking, flashing other firmwares and so on it's better to think for a moment.
I don't know your case, mine was a general speaking.
I bought a branded g4 too, first thing I did was to unbrand, then unlocked ecc, but i'm aware that now I have no warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a canadian variant, happened without root. I updated to 10g, again without root, no mods, issue solved...
So the hardware issue isn't always a hardware issue. It could be partially due to software as well. Keep in mind lg's versioning begins at 10a... Our phones were released as 10b. No kdz released at launch... So bugs are bound to happen
karendar said:
I have a canadian variant, happened without root. I updated to 10g, again without root, no mods, issue solved...
So the hardware issue isn't always a hardware issue. It could be partially due to software as well. Keep in mind lg's versioning begins at 10a... Our phones were released as 10b. No kdz released at launch... So bugs are bound to happen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You bought the phone and out of the box was having those glitches or you had those updating from one firmware to another?
SIRKRA said:
You bought the phone and out of the box was having those glitches or you had those updating from one firmware to another?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, I have the Canadian variant. There are NO roms. Out of the box, I had glitches.

Roll back from the 60% latest firmware

Has anybody successfully been able to flash older firmware than today's 60%Green roll out?
I'm unaffected and have the green battery but would really like to know if it's still possible with ODIN, or if Samsung have made it more difficult somehow.
Just tried to flash the original firmware in Odin and it failed ...
I am also interested by a solution !
alltaken123 said:
Has anybody successfully been able to flash older firmware than today's 60%Green roll out?
I'm unaffected and have the green battery but would really like to know if it's still possible with ODIN, or if Samsung have made it more difficult somehow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of sheer curiosity, why would anyone not want to return the phone? If you received the update, presumably your phone was on the potentially compromised list. How do you make the determination that it's unaffected?
@tiroger
Every device will eventually be updated, mine is a 2nd batch device (replacement) so it was unaffected (Black square on box), hence the green battery. I agree people should be returning these devices, however, like yourself i'm curious and wondered if a firmware downgrade was still possible after this update.
I am concerned for grey market devices that have been purchased from abroad, Samsung are not replacing these unless back in the native device region, a little unfair IMO.
I denied the update by quickly restarting my phone when the countdown appeared and now im having mysterious battery drain issues =/ but ill exchange my phone this weak anyway
alltaken123 said:
@tiroger
Every device will eventually be updated, mine is a 2nd batch device (replacement) so it was unaffected (Black square on box), hence the green battery. I agree people should be returning these devices, however, like yourself i'm curious and wondered if a firmware downgrade was still possible after this update.
I am concerned for grey market devices that have been purchased from abroad, Samsung are not replacing these unless back in the native device region, a little unfair IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like I have some reading comprehension problem. hehe. I misunderstood your comment. I agree that the green icon is a bit of an eye sore. Hopefully it's temporary and will switch back to white if and when Nougat is released.
tossero said:
Just tried to flash the original firmware in Odin and it failed ...
I am also interested by a solution !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, any particular error? Which firmware did you try to flash from/to? (Obvious I know but we can build a clear view of attempts on this thread)
alltaken123 said:
Thanks, any particular error? Which firmware did you try to flash from/to? (Obvious I know but we can build a clear view of attempts on this thread)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried the one before the 60% update for France XEF (6.0.1 N930FXXU1BPH6 N930FOXM1BPH5 ) .
The error appears from the beginning , a red "failed" message. The file is ok since I've flashed it 2 times before.
Cheers~
PS: For the time being I am charging it to 80%(settings-device maintenance-battery-3 dots-advanced settings-uncheck "limit maximum charge to 60% ) thanks to @s_h_a_g_g_y , solution here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-7/help/battery-charging-limited-to-60-t3465566/page5
tiroger said:
Looks like I have some reading comprehension problem. hehe. I misunderstood your comment. I agree that the green icon is a bit of an eye sore. Hopefully it's temporary and will switch back to white if and when Nougat is released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's an eyesore that could and probably will go away once they get at least 97+ percent of the affected devices back. Maybe with the 7.x update. In any event there were a lot of updates to Grace UX in this and the Sept. security patches. Why on God's green Earth would folks take a white battery icon over the UI updates and security patches? it seems insane to me.
Wait what was this update? I was reading and heard a vibration then phone reset, I thought it was the phone resetting on its own randomly (hadn't happened once yet) then saw it updating. Is there a changelog we can see somewhere? I just see a green battery icon being different. (I'm on a new replacement Note 7).
alltaken123 said:
@tiroger
Every device will eventually be updated, mine is a 2nd batch device (replacement) so it was unaffected (Black square on box), hence the green battery. I agree people should be returning these devices, however, like yourself i'm curious and wondered if a firmware downgrade was still possible after this update.
I am concerned for grey market devices that have been purchased from abroad, Samsung are not replacing these unless back in the native device region, a little unfair IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imported the note 7 from Singapore into the UK and am receiving assistance
Taken from samsung's Singapore site http://www.samsung.com/sg/note7exchange/
What if I bought it in Singapore but now residing in another country? How can I ship it back and how can you send the units outside of Singapore?
Please contact the Samsung Customer Service Center in your residing country for information on the exchange process in your residing country. We assure you that we will be assisting all Galaxy Note 7 customers in the exchange, regardless of your residing country and the country where you purchased the device.
itsjustbilly said:
I imported the note 7 from Singapore into the UK and am receiving assistance
Taken from samsung's Singapore site http://www.samsung.com/sg/note7exchange/
What if I bought it in Singapore but now residing in another country? How can I ship it back and how can you send the units outside of Singapore?
Please contact the Samsung Customer Service Center in your residing country for information on the exchange process in your residing country. We assure you that we will be assisting all Galaxy Note 7 customers in the exchange, regardless of your residing country and the country where you purchased the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's amazing news. I bet it's a relief right?
I noticed initially that Samsung service centre's were playing hard ball on that issue.
stevierayvaughan said:
Wait what was this update? I was reading and heard a vibration then phone reset, I thought it was the phone resetting on its own randomly (hadn't happened once yet) then saw it updating. Is there a changelog we can see somewhere? I just see a green battery icon being different. (I'm on a new replacement Note 7).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the update brings a green battery icon (Showing you're unaffected by the recall) as you noticed and a few behind the scenes changes to the Gracenote UX. Anyone using a recalled device is limited to 60% charge by the same firmware update.
alltaken123 said:
That's amazing news. I bet it's a relief right?
I noticed initially that Samsung service centre's were playing hard ball on that issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They tried to get me to take it back to the retailer, i said im not going back to singapore anytime soon, i was put on hold a few times sometimes for 5 or 10 minutes and supervisors got involved, but they did agree to exchange it - saying i would get a UK version phone, i said i only want the international variant. the saga continues but yes i will hopefully get the replacement (and the right one)
alltaken123 said:
I believe the update brings a green battery icon (Showing you're unaffected by the recall) as you noticed and a few behind the scenes changes to the Gracenote UX. Anyone using a recalled device is limited to 60% charge by the same firmware update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not in all markets. Canada does not limit the battery, but has a pop up warning that shows up every 3 hours.
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P.S
I still have my old device and new and have not noticed any behind the scene changes. What have you noticed?
Edit: excerpt from an interview with Samsung Canada:
An software update that will change the color of the battery icon on new Note 7 phones from white to green is heading out, automatically installing itself on every phone. Data charges for the update are zeroed out by carriers.
“In the event that you have a device that hasn’t been replaced, the software will detect what battery is in there and prompt you to register for the exchange program,” Brannen said.
While Samsung can flip a “kill switch” to remotely deactivate every old unit or limit the charge of the battery, — a strategy the company has chosen to apply in the US and Korea — the Canadian division has opted instead for a somewhat gentler prod: a notification every three hours urging users to switch up to a new Note 7.
“We have worked very closely with HQ and we determined that’s the wrong message to send,” Brennan said. “The message that we want to send to consumers is: ‘I want you to exchange your devices.’ Allowing you to only charge a device to 60 percent is not going to drive a great consumer experience.”
Sent from my SM-N930W8 using Tapatalk
alltaken123 said:
I believe the update brings a green battery icon (Showing you're unaffected by the recall) as you noticed and a few behind the scenes changes to the Gracenote UX. Anyone using a recalled device is limited to 60% charge by the same firmware update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
tiroger said:
Out of sheer curiosity, why would anyone not want to return the phone? If you received the update, presumably your phone was on the potentially compromised list. How do you make the determination that it's unaffected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cause, they don't exchange it yet. So they want us to go around with a half battery. no way!
@jmitr Thanks for the info. I was reading on one of the recall threads today that a user was aware of some Gracenote UX improvements including security a little thin in detail but information none the less. I'll try and tag the user in once I find the thread.
Could you please post your firmware revision? It would be interesting to see if you're using the same as the US devices, only differentiated by region detection perhaps.
alltaken123 said:
@jmitr Thanks for the info. I was reading on one of the recall threads today that a user was aware of some Gracenote UX improvements including security a little thin in detail but information none the less. I'll try and tag the user in once I find the thread.
Could you please post your firmware revision? It would be interesting to see if you're using the same as the US devices, only differentiated by region detection perhaps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Old:
New:
Here you go.
Sent from my SM-N930W8 using Tapatalk
Omg that battery is ugly in blue background... rly hate Samsung now

Question Craigslist phone resets every 2H due to being "managed by your organization". Help?

My friend bought a P6P from Craigslist and it appears to be a Google corporate device, which wasn't visible on an EMEI check. Is she screwed?
I tried a few fixes from this thread, and removing the "Phone" permission from Google Play Services worked, I was able to complete setup, install all the apps and had a very happy friend... for a day, because then the message came back - somehow Google PS re-enabled the Phone permission and keeps doing it upon restart.
I flashed the factory image, that didn't help.
Will rooting and putting on a custom rom help? Is it even possible to oem unlock the bootloader on these corp issued devices? (I asked her about oem unlock option, don't know yet)
Anything else I can do that anybody knows about?
Thank you!
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Yep, nothing you can do about it. It was probably stolen. Rooting might help with a custom ROM, but who knows. I doubt if you can unlock the bootloader on a managed device, so which method did you use to flash the factory image?
Good luck!
roirraW edor ehT said:
Yep, nothing you can do about it. It was probably stolen. Rooting might help with a custom ROM, but who knows. I doubt if you can unlock the bootloader on a managed device, so which method did you use to flash the factory image?
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm wondering the same thing. If you were able to unlock the bootloader, getting rid of MDM should be fairly trivial. A clean factory flash should remove it, however Pixels on factory firmware are known to still arbitrarily install various apps - such as the My Verizon app for Verizon customers - so it is entirely possible that the MDM app is installed when the device contacts Google's servers. While this could probably be prevented with root, you'd need to know the domain names of the servers in question.
The best solution would be to contact the number/email on the screen, tell them you purchased the device secondhand, and ask if they can remove the MDM lock. I don't know if they'll tell you if it was stolen or reported lost, but if they refuse to help, chances are it was.
If there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that you should only buy used devices on Swappa.
Why go through all this trouble with rooting and all. Just contact the number on the screen and see if yo can't sort it out.
roirraW edor ehT said:
Yep, nothing you can do about it. It was probably stolen. Rooting might help with a custom ROM, but who knows. I doubt if you can unlock the bootloader on a managed device, so which method did you use to flash the factory image?
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, definitely sounds stolen, the guy she bought from stopped accepting calls and blocked her number.
I booted into recovery and did "adb sideload", this worked fine, I was then able to setup everything by not installing a sim card and not setting up wifi. It's when Google Play Services is started when it does some sort of server-side check and delivers the good news that it'll reset in 2h...
V0latyle said:
I'm wondering the same thing. If you were able to unlock the bootloader, getting rid of MDM should be fairly trivial. A clean factory flash should remove it, however Pixels on factory firmware are known to still arbitrarily install various apps - such as the My Verizon app for Verizon customers - so it is entirely possible that the MDM app is installed when the device contacts Google's servers. While this could probably be prevented with root, you'd need to know the domain names of the servers in question.
The best solution would be to contact the number/email on the screen, tell them you purchased the device secondhand, and ask if they can remove the MDM lock. I don't know if they'll tell you if it was stolen or reported lost, but if they refuse to help, chances are it was.
If there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that you should only buy used devices on Swappa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
She is going to bring the phone by today, I will check whether "OEM unlock" is enabled. It's definitely a server side check as I was able to bypass it for a bit by removing the "Phone" permission from Google Play Services... though it somehow auto-grabs it back eventually.
My friend said she called the number but wasn't able to get through to anyone who would help, perhaps I will also try.
Definitely wouldn't buy a phone like this, but not everyone is savvy and I have sold quite a few through CL myself so it's a pretty common method at least here in the SFbay...
phillymade said:
Why go through all this trouble with rooting and all. Just contact the number on the screen and see if yo can't sort it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My friend couldn't sort it out, she called the number and said they weren't helpful at all. I will also try this after I get the phone again, though reading reports on reddit people didn't have a lot of luck either.
I would email them and try to get a straight answer. Explain the situation honestly, provide the IMEI, ask if they have record of ownership, whether it was supposed to be sold, and if they can release it from their mobile management database.
If you could, post the emails here (with all personal information redacted, of course) just so we get a good picture of how Google handles this. There have been incidents where former corporate fleet devices were sent out as RMA replacements, too. Sometimes the device gets registered by mistake, often because a user tries to use work software and accounts on their personal device.
V0latyle said:
I would email them and try to get a straight answer. Explain the situation honestly, provide the IMEI, ask if they have record of ownership, whether it was supposed to be sold, and if they can release it from their mobile management database.
If you could, post the emails here (with all personal information redacted, of course) just so we get a good picture of how Google handles this. There have been incidents where former corporate fleet devices were sent out as RMA replacements, too. Sometimes the device gets registered by mistake, often because a user tries to use work software and accounts on their personal device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "OEM unlocking" option is grayed out, unlike on my regular Pixel, well crap.
Ok, just emailed the address, let's see if they get back to me.
Obviously Google didn't respond in any way... except when I asked an employee friend to look into the matter internally. After asking many questions about the perp's identity etc they denied the request to unlock it and had the gall to ask for the phone back with no reward. Shame.
"Hi <> in regards to the device, your friend unfortunately was scammed that is why i always advise about buying items like that from sites like that unless you really are able to test the device out fir. For the IMEI to be flagged it usually has to be reported to a carrier to be marked as stolen, additionally when someone has a stolen phone that they do a hard reset unless its removed from the previous owner profile it wont let someone register and set up the device. In this case the phone was literally just lost a few days and the ticket does have an escalation to UPS. They can always return it but we don't give out rewards since we don't want to encourage the behavior. I always feel bad when i get these escalations since i know the person is out money they can always call the local police department in the town where they purchased or met up with the person to purchase the phone."
So I guess the lesson is - don't trust a clean IMEI check and don't buy devices from randos on CL.
glebonator said:
Obviously Google didn't respond in any way... except when I asked an employee friend to look into the matter internally. After asking many questions about the perp's identity etc they denied the request to unlock it and had the gall to ask for the phone back with no reward. Shame.
"Hi <> in regards to the device, your friend unfortunately was scammed that is why i always advise about buying items like that from sites like that unless you really are able to test the device out fir. For the IMEI to be flagged it usually has to be reported to a carrier to be marked as stolen, additionally when someone has a stolen phone that they do a hard reset unless its removed from the previous owner profile it wont let someone register and set up the device. In this case the phone was literally just lost a few days and the ticket does have an escalation to UPS. They can always return it but we don't give out rewards since we don't want to encourage the behavior. I always feel bad when i get these escalations since i know the person is out money they can always call the local police department in the town where they purchased or met up with the person to purchase the phone."
So I guess the lesson is - don't trust a clean IMEI check and don't buy devices from randos on CL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess the phone can be used for parts. But yeah, this sucks.
mkhcb said:
I guess the phone can be used for parts. But yeah, this sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that was my advice to the person too - sell it as is on CL with a clear explanation of the situation. Other than parts, It's perfectly usable for a media player or camera or mostly anything with sideloaded apps... as long as you don't enable or need Google Play Services for them. Could be helpful to QA in some startup, I definitely sold a few phones to people like that just looking for test devices on the cheap.
glebonator said:
Yes, that was my advice to the person too - sell it as is on CL with a clear explanation of the situation. Other than parts, It's perfectly usable for a media player or camera or mostly anything with sideloaded apps... as long as you don't enable or need Google Play Services for them. Could be helpful to QA in some startup, I definitely sold a few phones to people like that just looking for test devices on the cheap.
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I mean...The right thing to do would be to send it back to them, as it's still their property. Yeah, you're out a couple hundred bucks, but integrity is priceless.
Contact police, provide contact details for seller to them. How was it paid for? If cash, not great. If electronic, GREAT. Contact payment broker. Keep phone and follow police instructions with respect to handling it.
96carboard said:
Contact police, provide contact details for seller to them. How was it paid for? If cash, not great. If electronic, GREAT. Contact payment broker. Keep phone and follow police instructions with respect to handling it.
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Possession of stolen property....he'd be better of returning it to Google as it's rightfully theirs. I hate to say it, but all too often cops don't care who actually committed the theft; simply being in possession of stolen goods is cause for arrest.
Agreed with @V0latyle. Selling property that you know was stolen is prosecutable, too. It might not happen but I wouldn't be willing to bet one way or other.
V0latyle said:
Possession of stolen property....he'd be better of returning it to Google as it's rightfully theirs. I hate to say it, but all too often cops don't care who actually committed the theft; simply being in possession of stolen goods is cause for arrest.
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Thats why you go with what the COPS INSTRUCT YOU TO DO. You don't send it back to gooble if the cops say they need it as EVIDENCE.
96carboard said:
Thats why you go with what the COPS INSTRUCT YOU TO DO. You don't send it back to gooble if the cops say they need it as EVIDENCE.
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Wrong. NEVER trust the cops to give you legally sound advice. If you get a good cop, then he'll tell you to send it back, because petty theft isn't worth the time or resources it takes to investigate. If you get a bad cop who just wants a notch in his belt, you'll get arrested and prosecuted for possession of stolen property.
Cops don't exist to make things right. They exist solely to enforce the law. They don't care about getting the phone back to Google; they care about progressing in their jobs, which is driven by statistics such as arrests.
This is the world we live in. You don't get rewarded for doing good things. The best you can do is do the right thing while covering your own ass.
If you don't believe me, talk to an attorney.
Here's my 2 cents, for what it's worth...
1. In most states, to be convicted of receiving stolen property you had to know or should have known or had reason to believe that the property you bought was stolen. Check your specific state for details. This element of the crime, or lack thereof, would probably shield you.
2. Once you do know it is stolen, you may be liable for possessing stolen goods (since now you know or reasonably should know the goods are stolen) if you don't take any remedial actions. Another element of the crime in many jurisdictions is the intent to permanently deprive the true owner of possession. Therefore any actions or non-actions you take regarding this can have a bearing on this element. Some states may require you make a reasonable effort to find the true owner. Other states, this may not help at all. Some states may require you to report the stolen property to the police. Again, need to check your specific state laws.
3. Because now you do know, or at least believe, it was stolen you probably have 4 choices:
a. See if your state or community has any free legal services and contact them about what you should do. Or if you know any attorneys or someone who does, contact them.
b. Contact the police and tell them the situation. Document the conversation. In some states, you may actually be liable for not reporting the stolen property to police. Again, check you local law.
c. Contract the rightful owners (Google in this case?) and see what they have to say.
d. Do nothing, throw it out, etc. and risk the consequences. Absolutely do not sell it for parts, sell it as is, give it away, etc..
V0latyle said:
Wrong. NEVER trust the cops to give you legally sound advice. If you get a good cop, then he'll tell you to send it back, because petty theft isn't worth the time or resources it takes to investigate. If you get a bad cop who just wants a notch in his belt, you'll get arrested and prosecuted for possession of stolen property.
Cops don't exist to make things right. They exist solely to enforce the law. They don't care about getting the phone back to Google; they care about progressing in their jobs, which is driven by statistics such as arrests.
This is the world we live in. You don't get rewarded for doing good things. The best you can do is do the right thing while covering your own ass.
If you don't believe me, talk to an attorney.
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Click to collapse
Go ahead and talk to a lawyer if you want to. This really is nothing to do with the cops, but rather it provides you with a legal fallback. Gooble tries to give you a hard time over it, you have documented evidence that the cops told you to hand it over to them. You are covered. Don't believe me? Go ahead and talk to your lawyer.
Now on the other hand, if you give it to gooble, you may end up responsible for DESTROYING EVIDENCE. That's a lot worse.
If the cops want it as evidence, they get first dibs. If they don't, THEN talk to gooble about what they want to do about it.

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