Help Terrible Bluetooth sound quality since 4.1 & 4.0.4

[SHIVA77]

I guess my current phone senses that a new phone is coming today, because it has started to act up. My email function is not working today. I use yahoo. anyone else with this problem today?

 

[SHIVA77]

VZW was kind enough to overnight me a refurbished Galaxy Nexus. After going back and forth between the two, making calls and testing out the Bluetooth in call audio quality on two Plantronics Voyager Pro headsets (just to eliminate a potential of a bad BT headset), the Bluetooth audio quality was exactly the same between the two SGNs and the two headsets, really identical.

So, VZW has no way of fixing the issue. We are now on the phone with a Samsung agent and I am planning to send the new unit to Samsung to resolve the issue.

What a mess google has made with the 4.0.4...

 

[Trooper]

VZW was kind enough to overnight me a refurbished Galaxy Nexus. After going back and forth between the two, making calls and testing out the Bluetooth incall Audio call quality on two Plantronics Voyager Pro headsets, the BT audio quality was exactly the same between the two units.

So, VZW has no way of fixing the issue. We are now on the phone with Samsung agent and I am planning to send the new unit to Samsung to resolve the issue.

What a mess google has made with the 4.0.4...

Figured as much that would be the case. Let us know what Sammy has to say.

 

[SHIVA77]

The replacement SGN has been sent to Samsung. It will take a while, probably up to two weeks with shipping, until I get it back. Will keep you guys posted. Meanwhile, I'll make sure Samsung is super clear as what the problem is, as their tech agent on the phone who took down the info sounded pretty clueless. But I spelled out the problem in detail and asked her to read it back to me.

 

[quickaudi]

possible to forward the tech to this thread as well?

 

[SHIVA77]

I was thinking of that. will see.

I can certainly confirm today that my battery useage has doubled since the 4.0.4. I took a day trip that I have taken many times before with my SGN and this was the first one since the upgrade and the battery was done by about 5PM. Previously it would last all day.

 

[quickaudi]

so your battery life is worse now too?

 

[SHIVA77]

Yea, I mention that somewhere in this thread as well. Have reported that to Samsung. Also have read of others on 4.0.4 with the same battery problem. My SGN was really flawless until the 4.0.4. I hope Samsung sends me a SIII and says sorry about your trouble...

 

[SHIVA77]

Samsung got back to me about my SGN saying that they couldn't find anything wrong. So I wrote back explaining further that:

"The issues are NOT whether Bluetooth works during a call session, they are about the fact that the Bluetooth audio quality has deteriorated substantially post 4.0.4 upgrade. The in call BT audio was crisp, loud and clear before the upgrade and now it's muddy, low in volume, and oscillates up and down and makes it impossible to hear the other party clearly. And this is constant.


The second issue is NOT whether the battery powers the unit, is that, after the 4.0.4 upgrade the rate of battery discharge has basically doubled.


Both of the above problems have been substantiated by other Galaxy Nexus users."

And I gave them a link to this thread.

 

[paleodust]

Samsung got back to me about my SGN saying that they couldn't find anything wrong. So I wrote back explaining further that:

"The issues are NOT whether Bluetooth works during a call session, they are about the fact that the Bluetooth audio quality has deteriorated substantially post 4.0.4 upgrade. The in call BT audio was crisp, loud and clear before the upgrade and now it's muddy, low in volume, and oscillates up and down and makes it impossible to hear the other party clearly. And this is constant.


The second issue is NOT whether the battery powers the unit, is that, after the 4.0.4 upgrade the rate of battery discharge has basically doubled.


Both of the above problems have been substantiated by other Galaxy Nexus users."

And I gave them a link to this thread.

Thanks. I hope they actually take it seriously, acknowledge the issues, and send out a patch. It's frustrating the heck out of me, since I use bluetooth all the time on calls where I have to be hands-free.

 

[SHIVA77]

UPDATE: Samsung got back to me. They said they had shipped the phone and

Original Problem:
ACCESSORY - BLUETOOTH ACCESSORIES - AUDIO ISSUES

Problem found:
LOCK UP DURING OPERATION (SW)

So, according to them the problem is that the phone locked up during operation. Is this bogus. Does it make sense to anyone? Why does locking up has to do with poor audio quality?

 

[SHIVA77]

I called Samsung, they said (SW) code means they had done a software reflash, which is what is understood to resolve the issue.

I'll let you guys know after I get the unit and test the BT.

 

[quickaudi]

Sounds like they don't know what the issue truly is. Wanna fly to their service center?

 

[paleodust]

It sounds like they're not paying attention.

 

[SHIVA77]

it's possible that flashing the rom could help. will see after I get the phone.

 

[SHIVA77]

well, I think we should have a collective laugh out loud at this time and I'll accept as many "I told you so's" as you care to throw.

After all the communication with Samsung while they had a SGN from me and my detailed explanation to them and links to this thread and so on. The phone was returned to me just now with the SAME EXACT POOR Bluetooth sound quality as before.

HA HA...

Also, the refurbish phone that VZW sent me, which I sent to Samsung is made in China and my own phone is made in Korea.

I don't see any reason to keep the refurbish phone and will return it to VZW today.

 

[paleodust]

Well, hopefully Jellybean will fix it. [Fingers crossed.]

 

[quickaudi]

No mocking from me. Sad, really, that it is so difficult to replicate something that took me 10 minutes to replicate.

 

[paleodust]

No mocking from me. Sad, really, that it is so difficult to replicate something that took me 10 minutes to replicate.

They clearly don't care.

 

[SHIVA77]

Thanks guys. While the refurbish phone was here, I unlocked it but wasn't able to successfully flash the BT rom. And I am pretty handy with tech. I sent the phone back to VZW today, because if they don't get it back by next week, they'll charge for me for it.

so, quickaudi do you have a quick solution in how to flash the BT? however, I don't think I'll try it with my own phone, because I no longer use a landline and it's my only phone, hence need to be carefull with it.

I think when Volume+ APP updates for 4.0.4 it should work real well for our BT issues, as it will boost up the volume and will not require root.

 

[SHIVA77]

paleodust: you know I had the two SGN's today here side by side and dialed the same numbers to test out the BT and using two different BT headsets to make sure that it's not the headsets and the in call BT audio quality was identical between the phones.

I think the problem is that, we are asking their tech department for something in the gray area. meaning we are not telling them that the glass is broken, or that the BT doesn't work at all, we are saying that BT audio quality has deterioted, even though it still works. I don't think they have a way of figuring out such requests, and it's a shame.

I called both VZW and Samsung today and there is nothing they can do. VZW was offered to send me another refurbish phone, I rejected it. It's just a waste of time. Samsung said to send the phone back, I rejected that as well. I provided painfully detailed, bulleted information to them with concise info and I get the phone back with the same problem. it's so silly, it's actually funny.

 

[paleodust]

It might be a job for Google. That's why I'm hoping 4.1 fixes it. All we know is that it worked in 4.0.2 and broke in 4.0.4.

 

[quickaudi]

shiva77: the "solution" is to unlock your phone, root your phone, and then flash the 4.0.2 radios. Trooper and I have discussed this via PM, and that's the only "fix."

I use quotations because that's not a final answer; it's more of a temporary countermeasure to a real problem.

 

[paleodust]

shiva77: the "solution" is to unlock your phone, root your phone, and then flash the 4.0.2 radios. Trooper and I have discussed this via PM, and that's the only "fix."

I use quotations because that's not a final answer; it's more of a temporary countermeasure to a real problem.

So it's definitely something with the radios. I hope the next OTA will have it fixed again. If they broke it in the last update, they should be able to repair it. That is, if they care enough to even acknowledge the issue.

 

[quickaudi]

So it's definitely something with the radios. I hope the next OTA will have it fixed again. If they broke it in the last update, they should be able to repair it. That is, if they care enough to even acknowledge the issue.

yup, it's in the radios. the only problem is that I don't know who controls (or how they evaluate) the BT radio function.

My assumption, and this is only an assumption, is that Google/Samsung work together on GSM radios, BT radios, and Wifi radios. Verizon then takes that code and makes it work for their CDMA network. I'm guessing that somewhere in that exchange is where this all went wrong.

Or, it could be that I'm obviously shooting in the dark and don't know WTF I'm talking about.