Guest Geert4 Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 My iMate SP3i seems to be developing the usual keypad problems. All keys are still functional but some keys are 'sticky' or cause cracking noises when pressed. Since it seems it is almost impossible to have repair carried out easily (Don't want to wait for a month.....) I want to have a look inside to see if this can be fixed by myself. Does anybody have experience with opening up this phone? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest secret_squirrel Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 My iMate SP3i seems to be developing the usual keypad problems. All keys are still functional but some keys are 'sticky' or cause cracking noises when pressed. Since it seems it is almost impossible to have repair carried out easily (Don't want to wait for a month.....) I want to have a look inside to see if this can be fixed by myself. Does anybody have experience with opening up this phone? Thanks. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Where did you get the idea it will take a month? The imate service center in Dubai (Brightpoint) quotes a 4 day turn around. My SP3i went off to them yesterday - so it should be back in the next week or so. will confirm when it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Geert4 Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Where did you get the idea it will take a month? The imate service center in Dubai (Brightpoint) quotes a 4 day turn around. My SP3i went off to them yesterday - so it should be back in the next week or so. will confirm when it does. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I read around and some people reported waiting times this long...furthermore I worry that the same problem will re-occur after keypad replacement so it seems a bit pointless to me. Please let me know how quick you got yours back and if you notice anything different about the keypad (more 'solid' or so..) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkent_barbados Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 My SP3i took 10 days to ship to Dubai via DHL, 2 days to be noticed, was written and asked what was wrong, a day to get an answer to my response, and now waiting for another answer. I sent it with joystick problems but was asked if I wanted the "Bezel" (haven't figured out what part this is) replaced (not under warranty) as it was damaged. Wrote back asking for more info as the only thing broken when I shipped it was the joystick! So, still waiting for another email. I figure about a month in total, 3 weeks if I am lucky and it comes back by next Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Geert4 Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 My SP3i took 10 days to ship to Dubai via DHL, 2 days to be noticed, was written and asked what was wrong, a day to get an answer to my response, and now waiting for another answer. I sent it with joystick problems but was asked if I wanted the "Bezel" (haven't figured out what part this is) replaced (not under warranty) as it was damaged. Wrote back asking for more info as the only thing broken when I shipped it was the joystick! So, still waiting for another email. I figure about a month in total, 3 weeks if I am lucky and it comes back by next Friday. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> O no, no good! I definately don't feel like missing this awesome phone for a month...especially not if it comes up with even more things broken than it was shipped away with. Thanks for the report and hope you'll have it back and fixed a.s.a.p. I am still hoping somebody knows how to open up the top-back cover without damaging anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Confused Stu Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Hi. To answer your question about stripping the phone apart - I've posted instructions for stripping a C500 a couple of times, here's one topic it's in: C500 de-dusting Couple of words of warning though - to do it you WILL need to void your warranty and they WILL be able to tell. It's not complicated (a little fiddly first couple of times) but you could break your phone casing, and the manufacturer won't be too happy to replace it with the VOID sticker removed! :lol: That said, if you fancy giving it a shot and don't care about your warranty - do it my friend and join the nutters brigade! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkent_barbados Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Well, heard back on my phone, they sent a picture. That was not there when I sent it! Wrote back telling them that, but each reply takes a day to come (prolly because of the time difference, also they don't work Friday or Saturday, so I won't hear until Monday now I imagine). Asked them if DHL will pay for the repairs. Not sure if the screen is cracked yet either. :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Geert4 Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 I am also waiting for reply on how much the cost will be for keypad replacement. This shouldn't be too hard for them to tell but no answer yet..... I'll wait for a while but if it is too much I'll follow Confused Stu's step-through for taking the unit apart. Although it's for the SP3, it looks about the same. I wonder if I can get to the keypad though.... If I ship it, I'll make sure to take a picture of it to have some proof of in what state it left the country to avoid your problems, mkent_barbados. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkent_barbados Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 Ok, heard back this morning, say they will fix it as a special case. But that the shipping package wasn't damaged. Phew...glad they believed me cause I don't have proof, besides saying "it wasn't so!" In week 3 however, so looking like over a month to get it back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Geert4 Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 Ok, heard back this morning, say they will fix it as a special case. But that the shipping package wasn't damaged. Phew...glad they believed me cause I don't have proof, besides saying "it wasn't so!" In week 3 however, so looking like over a month to get it back... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Glad they consider it 'a special case'. Still strange how that extra damage occurred... I got a mail from them stating they charge USD 24 for replacement of the keypad (ex. shipping). Seems a bit low to me. My keypad is still working so I will probably send it in when it really fails. I won't try opening it up for 24 dollars but I don't look forward to missing my phone for a month..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkent_barbados Posted March 11, 2005 Report Share Posted March 11, 2005 Well, my phone is back. Joystick works, but tough to go DOWN rather than ACTION, always choosing action by mistake now. But the worse thing is--I can't connect to my network! I have a new IMEI number and they replaced the main board, I also ended up with an older ROM as I had WMP10 before I sent it, and now have WMP9. I have updated with two files from clubimate.com (one ROM update and one games package), but still stuck with WMP9. But as I said before, the real problem is connecting to my network. My provider is on 850 and 1900, and my phone before was an SP3i 850 version, not sure if it is any more. BUT should work on 1900 even if it isn't (have written to complain, but they don't work Fri-Sun so won't hear until Monday) and thats just not the case. When I turn the phone on I get full signal, but for operator is say "no signal", this goes to "denied, searching" and stays there. If I do a manual search, my operator does not show up in the list, and obviously none of the others work. Once or twice, trying and trying, i connected somehow to the network, but it just drops again, and thats it. Twice now I have taken out the sim and used it in my old phone for a while, and when reinstalled in the SP3i it works on boot for a time, but several other times this did not work. I have added my operator manually as a prefered operator but no luck. Really confused as to what is going on as my sim works perfectly in any other phone. Really pissed off too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest akay Posted March 15, 2005 Report Share Posted March 15, 2005 i used to work with racalvodac vodaphone 9 out of 10 times they replaced handsets with second user ones never fixed them thats why you have new imi number the ones that had been fixed the imi was still the same.very rare you would get your old handset back.as for your network problem its software not hardware they all can do 850/900gsm with the right software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mkent_barbados Posted March 16, 2005 Report Share Posted March 16, 2005 Well, I got my old phone "oustside"back, the sticker still had the same IMEI number on it. Or maybe thats what you said. It turns out they replaced my US version SP3i with a main board from a UK version, so I get to send it back to them again. ARRRGGGHHHH. Another month. sigh. At least they have owned up and are fixing it. Hope I get WMP10 back too! They don't seem to think its software, did not offer me another ROM to install at any rate. Strange however that I can't see my network on 1900 even, as I have a Nokia 6600 which is also 900/1800/1900 and it works fine. Anyways, back to Dubai for my phone. Bought it in December and have had 5 weeks use out of it so far!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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