Potential to fix a sporadic Android bootloop

October 21, 2023 11:08 PM

I have a ~4 year old Samsung Galaxy s10e smartphone. Recently it has started powering off suddenly, about once a day. When this happens, to all appearances the phone is a brick. However I've found if I gently but firmly tap it against a hard surface a few times, it will power on again after 4-5 attempts. I'm seeking advice on whether anyone has experienced this before and opinions on best next steps. More detail below the fold.

Essentially I'm seeking opinions or even gut feelings on whether it's worth e.g. taking to a repair shop and having the battery replaced, in case it's a faulty connection there, or if it seems more likely to be a lost cause and I would just be throwing good money away which would be better used on replacing the phone.

One of the unusual characteristics of this is that if I plug it in to power while 'bricked', a power / charging screen appears immediately with no % indicated, and a few seconds later it goes to the Samsung boot screen, then powers off and back on to the Samsung boot screen, and this repeats until detached from power again (bootloop, I believe this is called).

Only the physical tapping seems to get it booting properly again until the next time it 'bricks'.

So I don't know... it's otherwise a very good phone so I'd rather fix it if possible, but don't want to waste time and money if futile. Appreciate any thoughts?

posted by chmmr to Technology (7 answers total)

Best answer: As you say, repeated percussive fixes on electronics normally indicate a loose connection, and based on your description looking near the battery seems like a likely spot. Possibly a weak solder joint or a loose pin connection.

I've personally had some bad experiences with the phone repair type shops (with them quoting and assuring an easy fix as they know exactly what's wrong, but then you leave it with them and suddenly the price goes up, etc.)

Ultimately it should be a simple fix. The likely challenge is getting access to and knowing the right part to fix in a reliable way.

If it's otherwise a good phone, it should be cheaper to repair than replace. But as we know many items these days are designed not to be repaired.

Do you have any 'repair cafe' style meet ups for electronic repairs near you?
posted by many-things at 1:16 AM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

>Appreciate any thoughts?

Back it up while you still can!
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:01 AM on October 22, 2023 [16 favorites]

Could be a loose connector, or a cracked flex cable, or a chip that's become partially desoldered from the mobo, or corrosion damage from moisture ingress. Only way to tell is to get inside the phone.

If your phone were my phone, I'd be calling my local repair shops and talking to them about it, until I found one who was completely up front about not offering a flat quote before getting inside the thing and telling me what they found. I'd be happy if I found a shop willing to charge me a flat fee for problem investigation and diagnosis before giving me an estimate for the fix. And I'd be going to independent repairers, not to Samsung or their dealers.
posted by flabdablet at 3:38 AM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

If I look around near where I am, just having arepair shop replace the battery (which a 4 year old Samsung almost certainly needs pretty soon anyway) is about half the price of a fully refurbished s10e. Assuming that the cost of diagnosing and fixing your problem is going to be in line with the cost of replacing the battery and you will end up paying for both, personally I would go with replacing it. If the problem is simple and obvious maybe it won't be as much as the battery replacement if you get them done at the same time so the precise costs will vary. Most places here will do a free diagnostic and give you an estimate which you can compare to the cost of just buying a refurbished model.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:31 AM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

another consideration for replacement is that the s10e does not appear to be getting any more security updates
posted by glonous keming at 8:41 AM on October 22, 2023 [3 favorites]

another consideration for replacement is that the s10e does not appear to be getting any more security updates

I was going to come in here and say "not true" but I see that it actually is true. Oh fudge! My S10e has been fine for me, and I actually just this summer invested some time and money in fixing the broken back glass* and then getting a protective case for it, just to extend the life one more year. Upgrading my phone is a huge time sink for me, what with all the apps and configs and whatnot. OK, gotta tackle this early next year ...

* which had been broken since literally day three of ownership; let's just say that the phone's design did not "sit well" with me ...
posted by intermod at 6:19 PM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for the responses everyone.

Absent any local electronics repair group I'll probably get the battery replaced (4 years is a good innings) and keep fingers crossed. 3 consecutive days with no issues atm.

All advice much appreciated as always, cheers.
posted by chmmr at 5:34 AM on October 24, 2023