HATE This Phone - Constant 'Force Close' of Numerous Processes
jimbosays
Enthusiast - Level 3

Not a violent, nor temperamental person . . . But this HORRIBLE Droid Charge phone unit just makes me want throw it as hard as possible against a brick wall and then smash into small bits! I AM an electronics/broadcast professional who DOES expect electronic items to work as advertised (or at minimum, be repairable by qualified personnel.)

I remain convinced that the problems most are experiencing with the Droid Charge unit are software based. Why? I'm on my THIRD unit that have all exhibited the same operational failures. At this point, I am still under contract for a few more months and just trying to keep it 'alive' until the S4 hits the shelves.

Problems you ask?

  • Constant force closing of most every feature on the phone (both factory apps/processes and the very few basic apps that I have loaded.)

  • Involuntary rebooting and involuntary 'Factory Resets'.

  • Unable to hook on to a WiFi signal (anywhere - with or without WiFi security.)

  • Failure to find GPS coordinates for more than thirty minute even outdoors in a clear sky (southern USA.)

I HATE this phone and all my local VZW store reps can do is offer a factory reset (like I haven't done THAT 100's of times) and offer to sell a new unit.

VZW you are quickly losing another corporate customer.

ANY assistance is always appreciated.

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JerryF
Specialist - Level 1

Jimbosays,

Because you are on your 3rd Charge Phone with the SAME problems I ask, have you used the SAME battery in all these phones???  It seems odd that three phones have the same problems so maybe it's something common among these three phones like a battery.  If the battery is swollen it's a sign that it's a goner!

Involuntary rebooting and force closing can/may be caused by a bad battery.  I mean a battery that does charge up to it's normal 3.7 volts and says it's fully charged BUT it cannot hold the amperage (power to run the phone).  In this case the battery is just "tuckered out."  The only true way to tell is to try the phone with a different good (probably new) battery.  The most cost effective way to do this may be to go a Verizon store and ask to try the battery that is in their demo Charge phone.

JerryF

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jimbosays
Enthusiast - Level 3

I'm a "battery fanatic" and have had two O.E.M. phone batteries and one aftermarket battery in the past 18 months. My phone is an important business tool and I cannot afford to worry about something as simple as power.

For that SAME reason is why I am 'over' VZW - I have got to have a phone that WORKS . . . As contracts expire, we'll be moving production unit communications back to Big Orange. Not because cell/data service coverage, but because of lack of customer service with store employees who can only offer a 'shoulder shrug' in the face of these issues.

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jimbosays
Enthusiast - Level 3

The Fun Never Stops!

About four hours after the battery was charged fully before going bed (as typical here) I hear the low-battery "beep" from the phone laying on the nightstand - SO I plug in the charge cable.

Two hours later I reach over to see the charge status (big day ahead) and found the phone so HOT I couldn't even hold it!

Immediately unplugged the Droid Charge (using a cloth to hold it) and pulled the battery to allow for quicker cooling.

Have charging again now (30 min. of cool down later) . . . We'll see how it goes (I've GOT to have personal communication today!)

Scary.

Can you be of any help VZW???

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vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Hey there jimbosays. I am sorry to hear about the continuous battery issues that you are having. We absolutely want to take a closer look into this for you. The battery should never be hot to touch, especially to the point where you need to place the phone on a rag.

One thing I want to recommend is to only charge the device is fully charged. The battery should never be left on charge much longer than that, because it could cause damage to the battery and cause it to become hot and drain faster.

Do you have any battery saver apps or task killers installed? If so please uninstall. These apps constantly run and can do more harm to the battery than good.  According to the specs the battery should have up to 11 hours of usage time. That could differ based on how you use the phone. How do you use the phone? Do you use it heavily throughout the day? What kind of apps do you use? Do you leave WiFi turned on, even when not in a WiFi area?

Of course we're here to help jimbosays. Please provide some additional detail and we can continue to troubleshoot.

NickB_VZW
VZWSupport
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

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meatverizon
Enthusiast - Level 2

Jimbo,

I have THREE Charges and ALL three have issues.   They all do what you describe and more.   A little after I got my phone I went to the Verizon store and they assured me that it would all be fixed in a software update that was coming out.   Well almost two years later and the problems still continue.   I am now off contract for all four of my phones and I am shopping to see what phone and company I choose. 

P.

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JerryF
Specialist - Level 1

Jimbo,

The #1 reason batteries get hot is that the battery itself has to much internal resistance to the charge current.  

Your battery has gone bad. 

Get a new battery.

JerryF

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jimbosays
Enthusiast - Level 3

@Jerry - I am on my third new battery with this Droid Charge phone unit (with an earlier deduction that a low amperage battery might be at fault in creating the multiple phone issues.)

The most recent is an OEM Samsung battery acquired in January 2013.

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