LG ENV3 shutdown problem fix?

[onipar]

Oh well...just got the LG reply.  As I suspected, it was the normal form letter type response:

I recommend visiting your local service provider for repair/exchange assistance or a phone software reload as available and applicable to your current dilemma. If your service provider is unable to assist you, we will be happy to service your equipment at our repair facility. LG offers a one year limited warranty on our phones that begins on the date of purchase.  This warranty does not cover body, cosmetic, or moisture damages to the phone.

If you have other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us again either via email, or by calling our customer service division at 800-793-8896 at your convenience.

[MojaveMoon_]

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onipar wrote:

I sent an e-mail to LG asking if they are aware of how widespread this problem is, and if they were planning on addressing the problem with either recalls, or extended warranties.

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http://www.lgcommunity.com/forums/afv/topicsview/aff/6.aspx

LG has a forum, too, with a subforum for Verizon LG phones. I haven't looked through the pages of posts to see how many env3 threads there are. But there's a recent one on the first page of their Verizon subforum. Their LG representative on their forum is named "LG Product Pro"

[MojaveMoon_]

"Has Env 3 software update fixed the random shut off?"

http://www.lgcommunity.com/forums/aff/6/aft/5541/afv/topic.aspx

[onipar]

Thanks, Mojave.  I actually did come across those forums when I was researching the phone.  I did *a lot* of research before buying it.

I was just hoping to get some kind of official statement from LG as to their stance on the failure rate of this phone, and if they had any plans to correct it or what have you.  I wasn't surprised to get a form letter in return, but it was worth a shot.

I should start taking bets for how many more days it'll be before mine starts to malfunction!    We're on day 19 now...

EDIT:  Actually, the only thing I'm noticing (and it scared me a couple times) is that if I'm accessing the SD card for pictures with the phone flipped open, and then close the flip without clearing out of the picture viewer, the phone takes a few seconds to catch up.  In other words, I'll close the phone, and the exterior screen doesn't light up, so I'll open the phone again, and the interior screen remains black as well.  Then a second later (I hear the card working) it comes on.

I figure it's just because the phone is accessing the card, and I should probably clear out of the SD card memory before I go closing the phone.  But it did give me a fright, as I thought the phone had shut down on me. 

[connimc]

Here is my experience with the ENV3 shutdown problem. I had my first ENV3 33 days with no shutdown problem until Verizon installed the software update, before I was out of the parking lot my phone was going on and off, which it continued to do even just sitting on the desk. After three days of fighting with them to get a new (not certified like new) phone, they sent me a brand new phone. I have had that phone (no software updates thank you) for about two months now and have had no problems until today. I have had a Kingston 2GB micro SD card, I just bought a 4GB SanDisk micro SDHC per LG customer service the micro SDHC card should work), put it in and formatted it and the phone would not recognize it. I put it in my husband's Chocolate 3, formatted it and it wouldn't recognize it, I put it back in my ENV3 and there it was just fine, but then the phone started turning itself off and on continuously just sitting on the table, I took that card out and put my other one back in and now it's fine again, no problems. I am very hesitant to get the software update after my last experience but wonder why the phone started doing that with the 4GB card, the card was empty nothing on it yet, so I'm not buying the rep's reason about large capacity cards full of apps. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Thanks.

[onipar]

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connimc wrote:

Here is my experience with the ENV3 shutdown problem. I had my first ENV3 33 days with no shutdown problem until Verizon installed the software update, before I was out of the parking lot my phone was going on and off, which it continued to do even just sitting on the desk. After three days of fighting with them to get a new (not certified like new) phone, they sent me a brand new phone. I have had that phone (no software updates thank you) for about two months now and have had no problems until today. I have had a Kingston 2GB micro SD card, I just bought a 4GB SanDisk micro SDHC per LG customer service the micro SDHC card should work), put it in and formatted it and the phone would not recognize it. I put it in my husband's Chocolate 3, formatted it and it wouldn't recognize it, I put it back in my ENV3 and there it was just fine, but then the phone started turning itself off and on continuously just sitting on the table, I took that card out and put my other one back in and now it's fine again, no problems. I am very hesitant to get the software update after my last experience but wonder why the phone started doing that with the 4GB card, the card was empty nothing on it yet, so I'm not buying the rep's reason about large capacity cards full of apps. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Thanks.

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Unfortunately, my only suggestion would be to get the update...but I totally understand your hesitance to do so.

Just for comparisons sake, I have a 4GB card as well, but mine is Kingston.  Could you return the card you bought and get a Kingston instead?  Because it sure does sound like it's the card (especially since  there is nothing on the card yet), and if you want to avoid updating the firmware, this might be the best option (returning the card for a Kingston).

[connimc]

Thanks. I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with LG doing all kinds of things only to have him suggest that I call Verizon to find out what brands are compatible. He works for LG, the phone is LG and he can't tell me that? I talked to Verizon and they sell San Disk so apparently they should work. Is yours the micro SDHC or just the SD?

Thanks again.

[MojaveMoon_]

connimc:

In the upper-right corner of your Sandisk 4gb microsd card, is there a number inside of a circle ? According to Kingston's website, the microsd cards with storage capacities ranging from 4gb to 16gb use a speed “class” rating that guarantee a minimum data transfer rate for optimum performance with devices that use microSDHC

class 2, 4, and 6 guarantees minimum data transfer rates of 2, 4, and 6 MB per sec, respectively

Amazon.com shows that Sandisk makes a 4gb microsd card with a rating as high as 6.

Maybe the enV3 only handles 4 to 16gb microsd cards with a certain rating ?

[MojaveMoon_]

onipar:

What I meant was that maybe the posts from that LG rep in their forum are as close to an official response as we're going to get.

If the shutting off problems may be due in part to the battery contacts eventually losing contact with the phone contacts, maybe keeping the phone in the pants pocket (particularly pants with tight pockets) subjects the phone to pressures that over time distort the phone on a small scale just enough to cause the battery contacts to be out of alignment with the phone contacts.

[htcj07]

The card I was using was a Sandisk 2gb non hd card. The phone would go into continuous reboots when I tried to access the sd card when I was using about half the space for music. With the songs reduced to maybe 25 to 40, I had no problems. During one of my attempts I put a video on in mp4 format, but I was never sure what the phone would accept for formatting of videos - still with the video removed and all mp3s on there, it was attempting to access the card before it went into random shutdown mode..

Based on what I just read...I am willing to try a Kingston sd card to see if it makes a difference.