Blacklisted S7 mic issues

[EmZed]

I recently sent my S7 (purchased from ebay) to have the LCD replaced and I was told they had issues with the mic that wasn't working so when they checked the IMEI, it came back as blacklisted. They couldn't get any signal and the way they explained it to me was that it was useless as a call making/receiving phone and could only use it on wifi.

I received the phone yesterday and I put my SIM card; not only did I have reception, I had a working 4G signal, could access the internet and was able to receive calls from my colleagues. Only problem? They couldn't hear me and I could only hear them on speakerphone, not through the external speaker at the top.

At home, I tried the Skype bot that lets you set up the mic and all and that was working, again only when I had it on speakerphone. Same on Google, when I say Ok Google the assistant comes up and I can 'voice search' just fine.

So I'm confused. I thought blacklisted means you get no signal, you can't make any calls etc but can a blacklist status affect the speaker/mic when on calls? The repair was about replacing the cracked LCD, could the new screen affect/disable the mic since the phone is not a European model (I got it from a now banned from ebay seller from Hong Kong)? And finally, should I be trying to un-blacklist the phone or fix the mic and the speaker?

Any ideas/recommendations are more than welcome. Many thanks in advance.

 

[mikedt]

So I'm confused. I thought blacklisted means you get no signal, you can't make any calls etc but can a blacklist status affect the speaker/mic when on calls? The repair was about replacing the cracked LCD, could the new screen affect/disable the mic since the phone is not a European model (I got it from a now banned from ebay seller from Hong Kong)? And finally, should I be trying to un-blacklist the phone or fix the mic and the speaker?

Botched repair by the sound of things, basically he was a cowboy. Maybe the mic is just disconnected?

For un-blacklisting, NOT POSSIBLE as the IMEI is basically permanently burned into the actual chip-set. Also attempting to change or clone an IMEI, ESN or MEID is illegal in many jurisdictions and countries, like the EU. As for repair, have a look at iFixit for appropriate disassembly instructions and the tools you need, or find a competent independent local repairer.

 

[EmZed]

...basically you can't trust cowboys. Maybe the mic is just disconnected?

No, you can't really. To be honest, I didn't think twice when I turned it on the first time and it was T Mobile all over even thought it was supposed to be a "brand new" Samsung S7. The seller by the way is "no longer a registered ebay user" so yeah.. definitely not a trusted cowboy!

I thought that the repair people might not have been very thorough or careful but the mic seems to be working in every app I've tried other than making calls. The top speaker is off as well so if it's screen/device compatibility issue, not much to be done I guess. But if it's a technical issue then yes, maybe someone who knows what they're doing might be able to tell me for sure.

Thing is I've spent so much money on this phone so far, I really don't want to give up on it, not to mention it's a bloody good phone! Anyway, thanks a lot for your reply.

 

[svim]

So you bought this phone off of Ebay but where did you have those repairs done -- at a local shop or did you ship it somewhere?
Also, some background details as to why the display needed to be replaced might indicate why there are other issues occurring. If the display was physically damaged, in an accident for instance, or was it just some functional problem?

 

[EmZed]

Ok @svim, so here's the long story: I bought the phone from ebay about a year ago and had it for four months before I dropped it on my bedroom for, flat on its screen and cracked the LCD on the lower left corner. Took it to repair shop right away, where they changed the screen and they told me it couldn't get reception probably because it wasn't a European model so the screen wasn't compatible or it was interfering with the signal/reception. By the time I got it back, the liquid crystals had spilled all over the screen and an hour later the screen was completely black. The plan was to send it back to Hong Kong to repair it but didn't have the money then.

Last week I sent it to another repair shop in Glasgow (I live in London) which sells the LCD on ebay and they can fit it for you as well (was planning to do it myself). I don't know why I was convinced I needed the G930F model/screen; I thought that was the model of the phone but it's actually the G930T. Which is why I'm thinking that might have something to do with it, somehow the LCD panel not registering the external speaker as the mic and the speaker at the bottom both work fine. Would be really useful if anybody knows if that's a thing, the LCD panel disabling or affecting the function of the speaker.

I am now thinking to have the LCD changed again to the G930T model to see if that works but I've already spent almost $500 on a phone I don't even use right now so not sure if I should just accept it's not going to work or take it to a repair shop to have that speaker checked, just in case something wasn't put back into place properly.

Hope this helps.

 

[svim]

OK, so it does look to be a matter where there's a mix of things going on. Different variations of the S7 model is an issue -- different processors when it comes to G930F <> G930T and most likely different cellular radio chips,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S7#Variants
plus it's not unlikely that during the screen replacement that perhaps other internal components where inadvertently affected. Smartphones are very dense products, designed from the bottom up to be as compact as possible. Replacing the screen involves almost a complete disassembly, this link shows you the steps involved, with graphics:
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Samsung+Galaxy+S7+Screen+Replacement/90298

But all that aside (just an offhand opinion), given this particular phone's murky background it might be time to weigh your options. Shopping around for a phone without taking into account what carrier you're going to be using is a gamble (In your case at least that worked out), and buying from sources like Ebay always involves vetting the seller carefully. You might want to put more money into having it repaired further, or maybe instead just put that money into buying a replacement? If you buy a phone that is a known entity (specifically compatible with your carrier, and with some kind of warranty), you shouldn't have to go through this same kind of drama. (... and perhaps get a case for your phone. They won't prevent damage for a big drop but usually help a lot when it's just something like getting knocked off a desk, etc.)