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Need ideas: Broke my camera. Still in trial period

curtisdr

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2010
144
4
I recently purchased a S4 which I was able to root. I'm still within my trial period. Tonight, even though it was in a Slim Armour case, I was able to smash the camera lens. :mad:

I really don't want a refurbished unit or take the chance that if I send it in for repair, that it will come back with MF3 on it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
 
I'm trying to determine what my options are.

Your options are:

1. Take it back to where you bought it and see if they can replace the camera on site (like a Sprint store that has on-site techs).

2. Send it in for warranty repair. You may get a refurb back.

3. Find a third party repair facility that will repair your phone.

4. Get rid of it (sell or donate or gift it).

5. Play Powerball and get a winning ticket and then buy a majority holding in Samsung.

I think that's about it.

p.s. Sorry to hear about your misfortune.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm not really thrilled with the idea of being stuck with a two year contract with a phone I'm not happy with -- for whatever reason. So if I canceled now, I'm not sure what would happen. I shouldn't get hit with an ETF, but who knows what they'd charge me once they see the phone or they might not even accept it. After 15 days, then it would just be the ETF I guess.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm not really thrilled with the idea of being stuck with a two year contract with a phone I'm not happy with -- for whatever reason. So if I canceled now, I'm not sure what would happen. I shouldn't get hit with an ETF, but who knows what they'd charge me once they see the phone or they might not even accept it. After 15 days, then it would just be the ETF I guess.

You can cancel your contract if you're in the trial, but you broke the phone and are therefore responsible for paying for it. At the end of the day, you broke the camera, so anyway you look at it you're going to take some kind of hit for it. I think your best bet is to take it in and see what it would cost to fix it.
 
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You may be able to buy just the board with the camera on it. If you look over at iFixit, their video show's that the S4 is very modular and very easy to repair. This could be something that you can do yourself if you buy a camera board.
Replaced one on a relatives Bionic and it was a piece of cake. Just searched around online and found what was needed and a guide to replace it. Might have cost him like $25.
 
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Replaced one on a relatives Bionic and it was a piece of cake. Just searched around online and found what was needed and a guide to replace it. Might have cost him like $25.

That's good to know. I never really looked at how the Bionic was made to see if individual components could be replaced. The Bionic may not be activated as a phone, but I am still using is as a GPS and as a video camera as it does 1080p. The S4 does a lot better at still photos.
 
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Thanks for all of the replies.

I considered doing the replacement myself, and even looked at iFixit. But after some investigation, there's a local guy who does phone repair that can replace it for < $40. I should have it all fixed up by mid-week.

It's nice too know that a phone this new can have something repaired like that for that inexpensive. Good luck.
 
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