8 Sept 2013

Samsung Galaxy Note 1 charging problems and repair

My wife's Samsung Galaxy Note 1 ( (N7000) recently started having problems recharging. She asked me to have a look at it and exchanged it with my Samsung Galaxy SII.

Apparently there was something wrong with the USB port and for a while, the only way I could recharge it was via the USB cord connected to the PC. However, that stopped working after sometime as well.

While researching on the net, it became clear that this was a common problem with the Samsung Galaxy Note. According to one "expert", it often happens as a result of shock when dropped on a hard surface (has happened a couple of times) or due to water damage (had been caught in a shower once).

I was really excited when I found out that it could be fixed quite easily by changing one component. However, I found out that the repairs charged about £70 just to fix it.

When it looked like I was going end up with a bricked phone, I came across a YouTube video tutorial on how to repair the Galaxy note. Went through the video a couple of time and I realised it was quite straightforward (scroll down to the bottom of this post for the video).

To find the replacement part, I went to Amaxon.co.uk and found a few sellers selling the "BisLinks® USB Charging Dock Port Flex Cable with Mic". I bought one for just £5.99 from one seller who had the highest ranking. I received the part after a few days.

Replacing the component was quite easy and took me around 15 minutes.





I put everything together and eagerly tried out recharging and it worked. I was so happy with my DIY skills and the fact that I had saved a few quid in the process.

However, that is not the end of the story. 

When the phone was fully charged, I realised that there was no network reception. I am on Orange which is now on EE. The reception in our area has not been that excellent anyway but now I had none at all. The funny thing was that I could see both O2 and Vodafone networks. I know what network to change to next time. 

Now I had ended up with a very expensive mini tablet. I could still access all the features and call out using Skype using our wifi but could not use the phone. 

Anyway, this week I decided to have another look around but it looks like Samsung does not sell internal components. I found another seller, this time on eBay and decided to give it another go - slightly more expensive at £7.79 with free delivery. 

The component was delivered quite fast but when I opened it the package, found out that it was identical to the one I had bought from Amazon. 




I went ahead and fitted it in and with a bit of trepidation, put it on.

Yes! It automatically recognised the EE network. My phone has come back to life.

Epilogue

The phone works but the network reception is not as good as before. I often have poor or no service inside buildings and I am still looking for the original component. 

From my online research, I discovered that I am not the only one facing this issue and I hope Samsung has solved this issue in their newer versions of the Galaxy Note. 

If anyone knows where I can find the original USB Charging Dock Port Flex Cable with Mic for Samsung Galaxy Note 1, please drop me a line: ahoklah@gmail.com


Note: All pics here taken using my Nokia Lumia 900.

Warning: 
  1. Attempting to carry out this repair will definitely invalidate your warranty.
  2. If you are not into DIY, would like original components, have servicing carried out by qualified personal and money is not an issue, you would be better off sending your gadgets to the authorised dealer for servicing.
  3. Be careful. I dropped one of the tiny screws and I cannot find it anywhere. However, it does not affect the proper functioning of the phone.
Anyway here is the video I was referring to earlier:

2 comments:

Unknown said...

i have a original charging flex cable of same unit note 1
if your still interested this parts
pls call me ASAp 09238296570
for fast transaction

Dilip Mutum said...

Hi Ronnel, Thanks so much but I wrote this post year ago and have changed several phones since I last wrote this.