S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
stgmngr210
Enthusiast - Level 3

I am on my second S4 in two weeks.

1st S4 overheated until it fried itself (after a history of overheating until apps shut down with the "cooling down" message). Got a loaner S3 from a store in downtown DC. while a new S4 was being mailed to me. 24 hours into having S3, it got stuck in a boot loop, leaving me with no phone. Received S4, no battery or back cover, was directed to a different store to get a battery and cover. Got home, charged it...and 20 minutes after activation, it heated up to 104 degrees. I tried calling customer service, but was cut off when my phone got so hot it shut itself off. The phone had less than 10 apps on it, and the only service on was wifi.  I called Samsung, they say it's Verizon's problem. Verizon says it's Samsung's problem.

So, now I'm stuck with a piece of equipment in which I cannot use navigation without it overheating, and, if I take more than 10 photos in a short span, or, longer than a 60 second video, it overheats. There was bad weather last night, I needed to navigate around a street with a road closed because of a fallen tree, and text the babysitter.  I could not do any of it, because the phone overheated. I had to pull over, and hold it in front of the AC vent.

I CANNOT spend MORE time bringing this defective phone to stores, and service centers to be "evaluated". I have spent part of a labor day weekend TWICE going to a VZW store, and 90 minutes (of a 60 minute lunch break) during work, not to mention HOURS on chats with reps. I CAN'T EVEN CALL A REP BECAUSE MY PHONE HEATS UP! @

A rep at the downtown DC store told me to get an extended warranty on the S4, because IT WILL OVERHEAT AGAIN. "It's what they do".  3 days later, a VZW rep on the phone SHE is on her SECOND S4 because of overheating. 

I want to exchange my S4 for a Note 3. It is the only solution that is acceptable to me. It is absolutely unacceptable for me to pay through the NOSE for a service (wireless) that I cannot even USE on an UNUSABLE device that is HUNDREDS of dollars to replace...even WITH signing up for an additional Two year contract for a service...again...THAT I CANNOT USE.

Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy S4 MiniAndroid

Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

I'm sorry to learn that you are experiencing these issues with your phone stgmngr210! We certainly want you to have a working phone always! I understand your skepticism about getting another Galaxy S4 replacement. Your phone's manufacturers' warranty provides for a Certified Like New replacement http://vz.to/uyYF0o of the same model and we can definitely process another replacement for your as per the manufacturers' warranty. No need to visit a store to process another replacement, just reply to the direct message that I sent you and I will review your account and process your replacement.

AntonioC_VZW Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VZWSupport

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Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
shaggydog82
Enthusiast - Level 2

I am having the same problem.  I have had 4 replacement s4 sent to me over the last couple months and they all do the same thing - OVERHEAT!! First a warning box pops up saying "cooling down - the phone is getting too hot so it is taking steps to cool itself down".  Then a few minutes after that everything or anything ur doing shuts off and another box pops up saying " phone is overheating - 2 applications closed".  I didnt have this problem until the kit kat update.  And the battery drain is ridicules- even with a brand new battery.  Its very frustrating as a customer who has been with Verizon for over 5yrs and paid FULL RETAIL PRICE for a phone just so i can keep my unlimited data plan,  Verizon's  answer is always the same thing - "we will send u out another replacement s4".  I have wasted countless hours on this same problem and have done everything Verizon and Samsung have asked me to do and nothing has fixed this overheating issue with the s4.  I've had the battery replaced, wiped and reset my phones,  went to samsung and had them wipe phone and reinstall software but still NO FIX! Obviously there must be a bug in the kit kat software effecting the s4.  I'm an RN and rely on my phone alot. I need something dependable that won't overheat if I use the screen for more than 10-15min.  I just activated another s4 replacement phone today and within 20 minutes it overheated !   I have screen shot after screen shot of this problem and warning boxes constantly occurring.  I think I'm done with Verizon wireless.   I'LL go to tmobile or sprint who offer unlimited data for half the price each month of what I pay and I don't have to pay $700 for a phone as well!!   Please Verizon- Google s4 overheating and see the numerous results that come up.  U could have a lawsuit as well.  If a customer is constantly calling tech support and telling them the phone is overheating,  that's a safety issue.  And if Verizon does nothing to fix the problem or come up with a better solution than sending the same model phone over and over,  Verizon could be charge with negligence!   U better pray I don't end up getting burned from the phone.

Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
soundgun
Enthusiast - Level 1

I also ran into the same issue.  My phone is covered by Asurion insurance, so they replaced my original overheating S3 with an S4.  Two days in to ownership and during navigation the overheating issue rears it's ugly head while trying to find a client's address.  I asked the Asurion rep to replace the phone with a different brand, and much to my surprise, they complied and are sending me an HTC M8.  If this one also overheats (which it looks like it might based on some research on overheating kitkat devices), I'm moving on, flipping the M8 on eBay, and going (GASP) to iPhone. 

Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
shaggydog82
Enthusiast - Level 2

Once again the other night I spent over an hour on the phone with tech support explaining this problem with the overheating with the s4.  It's very frustrating that each time I call tech support I have to retell them over and over again how my last 4 replacement s4 phones have been overheating.   It's also very frustrating because each person will tell you a different story or answer.   Once again the other night,  Verizon tech support offered to send me out a 5th s4 phone!!! Like I explained to them, a 5th replacement of the same phone isn't going to fix the problem! ! One tech support person told me if the 3rd replacement s4 overheated,  they would replace it with a different model.  Well sure enough when my 3rd s4 overheated,   I called Verizon tech support &  that person said "no we can not send u a different model - It can only be the same model u currently have - an s4". I told that person what the previous Tech support guy had said or told me and this tech support person totally denied it and pretty much insinuated I was lying.   I have asked numerous times for a direct phone number to the tech support person I am dealing with so I can call them directly back because they know what's going on with my situation and I don't receive contraindicated info.  Tech support says they do not have direct numbers to reach them.  Over the last few months I've probably spoken to 20 different people having to tell them the same story/problem over and over again.  I work and am a single parent.  I do not have alot of free time and the little free time I do have I don't want to be on the phone with tech support or running from store to Verizon/samsung store. What also cracks me up is techs support answer to almost every issue I have ever had with any phone is to either do a factory reset or they send a replacement of the same model.  To me that seems like the easy way out.  I kid u not that's the answers I get from Verizon 99% of the times I've called.  I encourage ur technical support people to actually do some research on the individual customer's problem first b4 telling them to wipe phone or send a replacement.  I have tried to find the answer myself since Verizon and Samsung did not have one.  And if Verizon and Samsung do not have an answer,  it's OK to be honest with the customer and tell them "we don't know why ur phone is doing that - let's see what we can do to help u and ur situation".  I am really frustrated obviously - I have spent a lot of time  on this problem which I should not have too. DO U REALLY THINK A 5TH S4 REPLACEMENT PHONE IS THE SOLUTION! !!!  THE LAST 4 S4 PHONES I'VE HAD IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS HAVE OVERHEATED!!  OBVIOUSLY IT'S A PROBLEM WITH KIT KAT! CAN VERIZON FIX KIT KAT SOFTWARE? NO SO SENDING A 5TH S4 IS JUST GOING TO WASTE MORE OF MY TIME! I THINK UNTIL GOOGLE FIX THE BUG IN THE SOFTWARE,  YOU NEED TO SEND A DIFFERENT MODEL PHONE!

Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
suneyes3
Enthusiast - Level 3

I hope this is getting on the right forum.

When I get an email from the forum and log , it takes me to all the forums instead of the one I signed into from the email.....isn't anything easy?

I hear all your frustrations and have spent many, many hours on the phone with Verizon myself. You'd think the techs would all get the same training. ...?

I have not heard a good word from any Verizon customer regarding the s4 mini. And with so many of us having problems, why don't any of the techs know about them? Or the ones that do go and look--at something somewhere-- come back online and don't see any problems.

I went to my local corporate store and they made a note in my files--my many, many hours of files--about the phone and that I need another model.  Not the same phone.

As I really like this size,  I'd like an s5mini, for my time and trouble. Though they told me that probably won't happen,  I have been talking about writing Verizon about this,  since there is no way to get to a "higher up" person on the phone or by email.

I'm tired of the run around too: talk to the first person, go through  trouble shooting,  get tossed to next person, go through that again and some more stuff only to reset again. Then get another phone.

If Verizon is sending people 4 or 5 phones,  you'd think they know something is wrong.  I've gone through Samsung also,  and was told several times by several different people,  that there was something wrong with the phone and to send it in.  I couldn't spend 2 weeks without a phone so I got another one. This one acted up right out of the box. And I went and had this one flashed also.

The Best Buy people said something about carriers and the way updates get "pushed"to phones. Maybe the minis either didn't have a good "push" or something else is up with Verizon.

I don't know yet but I WANT SOMETHING THAT WORKS  also.

I haven't had the energy to call them to have to go through the process again.

I will say though, that many of the people have been nice and tried to be helpful, they just didn't have any idea. And the ones who helped and we're knowledgeable about trouble shooting, still didn't know anything about problems with them or maybe they would have offered another option about 20 phone calls back.

Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
B33
Legend

It's posting to the Correct forum..

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Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
stgmngr210
Enthusiast - Level 3

Our looks like wet are all in the same boat:

Samsung Galaxy S overheating.

Can't use EXPENSIVE device because it's defective

paying for EXPENSIVE plan, because of defective device.

Spent hours of personal time away from family and jobs communicating with multiple reps.

Customer service refusing to solve the problem (inherent problem with Samsung S). Simply replaces defective phone work another from defective line of phones.

I have my fourth Samsung S device coming in the mail.

I have decided that every time it overheats, I am going to start a new thread here, and on the Samsung site. I would like others to join me. For me alone, that likely means starting 3 or more threads everyday.

I don't know what else top do to be heard. I pay a lot of money for a dependable device, and a lot of money for dependable service. I have an unusable device, therefore, unusable service. How is that not breech of contract?

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Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
B33
Legend

Well as long as you don't over saturate the subject.. you should be ok.. but keep in mind of the Rules on the Forum..

Just for the asking what are some of the suggestion did the Reps pass along, Usually a Factory Reset can help a problematic phone, certain apps can cause a phone to warm if there running in back ground allot and what kind of Signal are seeing on the phone a week signal or phone that has a tendency to stay connected to the Tower mostly cause of week signal can cause the phone to warm up..

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Re: S4 overheating...but not as much as the owner/customer
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

suneyes3,

I am truly sorry to hear you are having so many issues with your device. We do want you to have a fully functional device. The warranty of the devices do cover the same make and model phone for replacement purposes. What exact issues are you having with your current device?

LindseyT_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

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