topic Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues in XPERIA archive

App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

slaterlillieb — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 10:35:26 GMT

Hello! I upgraded to a Sony Xperia Z3v about a month and a half ago. Ever since I received the phone, I have had issues with it. At first they were minor ones, but now they are just piling up and it's extremely irritating! Here are the main issues:

1. My WiFi cuts in and out all the time. I can have perfect signal and yet the WiFi will continue to turn itself off and then back on.

2. My apps force close constantly. Sometimes I will be able to get on the app and mess around a bit before it freezes then boots me off while other times, it won't even open the app before displaying an error message.

3. My picture messaging is spotty. Sometimes I am able to send/receive picture messages, but most of the time it is a hassle and I have resorted to just sending them through Facebook Messenger. This happens even with perfect service.

4. My notification volume does not play as loud as it should. I can have the notification volume all the way up and it will be loud when I preview the tone, but as soon as a real notification comes through, it's so quiet! I miss it often. I have messed around with a few tones that are louder and the issue continues to be the same.

5. When I am in the middle of a call, a very loud alert beeps. It is not an alert that I have set for anything. It isn't an incoming call, it isn't a message, there are no alerts for lost service, it doesn't indicate the battery is getting low, or even the phone getting too hot. It just loudly plays and there is nothing with it. It's frustrating because it hurts my ear and it doesn't mean anything. Tonight it happened four or five times and two of the times were within a five minute span.

6. When I try to turn the phone off, my notification tone plays with the menu that pops up. I can't take a screenshot using the actual screenshot button, restart the phone, or turn it off without this happening.

I am becoming so angry with this phone. I love the screen size and the camera, but it's not enough to keep me happy when the phone has so many other issues. I have tried everything from deleting apps to even a factory reset with no back up. Nothing is helping. I have contacted the technical support center for Verizon and the only things they could tell me to do were to factory reset the device or turn it in to get a warranty replacement. I'm more than likely going to have to just get another phone through the warranty, but I would like to know if there are any ways to fix any of these issues beforehand. I would also like to know if these are common issues with Sony devices so that I can be prepared to possibly encounter any or all with the new device.

Thank you!

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

Qatrium — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 10:50:06 GMT

If you didn't try it already, I'd suggest that you do a PC Companion phone repair, this will do a clean installation of the latest firmware and will also wipe your internal memory. It's more effective than factory reset and totally different from it.

Open PC companion -> Support zone -> Phone/tablet software update -> Repair my phone/tablet (blue link style). Follow the steps given, do not connect your phone until prompted to press volume down while plugging USB cable.
http://www.sonymobile.com/gb/tools/pc-companion/

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

slaterlillieb — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 10:57:48 GMT

Thank you! I will try that! I'm hoping this will work because I really don't want to have to use my warranty so soon. I'm trying to save it in case I drop the phone or something else happens to it where it absolutely cannot be used at all.

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

slaterlillieb — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 13:29:12 GMT

Quick update. It turns out that my phone is not supported with PC Companion. I downloaded the program, hooked my phone up, found out it wasn't charged enough for the repair, waited almost two hours for the phone to be charged, and only ended up not being able to find my device in the listings. I did a Google search and found out on another forum that Verizon doesn't allow the Z3v to be paired with PC Companion because of a difference in software or something along those lines. I looks like I will not be able to use the repair to fix my issues and now, I will not be able to use PC Companion to safely assure future updates. Verizon will be getting a complaint from me very soon.

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

Uliwooly — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 16:22:43 GMT

@slaterlillieb

It seems that big red has done it, killing such a great feature (using PCC),

the alrternative

http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-123968/

http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-123010/

which is not good enough.

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

slaterlillieb — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 23:02:20 GMT

I contacted Verizon and the only thing they could do was send out a replacement. I guess it will be arriving on Tuesday. They have claimed that after a factory reset, the only thing left is to replace the device because it is then a problem with Sony and not Verizon since Sony is the manufacturer. Also, she told me that they have no control over the Lollipop update. I explained that part of the reason I agreed to get this phone was because everything said it would eventually receive Lollipop. I thought maybe that was part of the reason the system is going haywire. She says it isn't and that Sony will push out the update whenever they will and Verizon won't have anything to do with them doing that. I don't know if that is how it works or not. Either way, I can't do much else except wait for the second phone and hope it doesn't malfunction as much. I will bookmark those reset pages you have shared so that if the second one malfunctions, I have more options in repairing the phone. Go figure this would be the only thing Verizon would be able to do. They have killed a really great phone with nonsense and no ways to repair it.

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

stockyvillage — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 07:00:27 GMT

I think you were misled Verizon do control the update.The update has to be approved by them .The update will come through Sony.servers but not till it is given on.Plus didn't google pull the plug on them on the nexus 4 and 5 because Verizon wanted to put their software on them

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

slaterlillieb — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 07:44:30 GMT

That's what I thought too. I was always under the assumption that once a phone manufacturer pushed the updates out, it was then up to the carrier to test it and then send it out to their subscribers. Verizon is claiming that this is not how it works. Verizon puts their software on quite a few things I have come to realize. I wish they would have simply left the phone a Z3 instead of putting their own branding on the phone.

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

stockyvillage — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 08:28:16 GMT

Think the thing about the Z3v was all about money saving.Why use a Z2 and it put a few new specs in it and call it a Z3v.Its code name is Sirius which is same as Z2,whereas code name for Z3 is leo

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

Uliwooly — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 17:36:38 GMT

@slaterlillieb

As usual, a carrier doesn't want to admit their wrong doing, you are correct, Sony release the update > the carrier, Verizon, add their bloatware, customize it, test it then release it.

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

slaterlillieb — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 20:36:07 GMT

I knew it. I had a friend who tried to tell me otherwise as well. He was explaining that it isn't the carrier's responsibility to send out updates to phones. I didn't think that was correct. He was also trying to explain that I should understand why I can't use PC Companion because most companies won't allow that. I told him that every other Xperia device can be used with PC Companion. It is only Verizon that isn't allowing it. There was one issue that was resolved with the factory reset and that was my MMS not sending or receiving. Everything else is still continuing to go on. Once again last night, none of my apps would work. When I had initially called on Saturday night to report the issues, the second technical support person I talked to told me not to have the Vine app downloaded because that can mess with applications on phones. Clearly that isn't the issue because I haven't had Vine downloaded since the factory reset and the apps keep force closing all the time. Also, the WiFi has not been solved in the way they said it would either. I was told that whenever I have my mobile data on and my WiFi on at the same time, my mobile data will kick in whenever my WiFi signal isn't as strong as the mobile data signal. The way to fix this was to turn off my mobile data whenever I am on WiFi. I have done that and the WiFi continues to shut off and turn back on. I am not happy with the fact that no one at the carrier I bought the phone from can fix it. Their solution is to tell me to wipe it with a factory reset and if that doesn't work, they will continue sending me phones. "We can send you as many phones as we need to until we find one that works." as the warranty lady put it. That doesn't seem like a good way to resolve issues. I don't want to be stuck in an endless loop of getting a new phone sent to me when the one I currently have doesn't want to properly function. Does anyone know how warranties work by the way? Am I allowed one warranty replacement phone only and then after that, my insurance will have to replace the phone or will I just keep receiving phones through warranty as long as I have that and once my warranty is up, that's when my insurance kicks in?

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

Uliwooly — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 21:08:47 GMT

@slaterlillieb

http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/equipment-protection-faqs/

a perfect example will be the Xperia TL, exactly like the Xperia T but an AT&T variant, and guess what, you can use PCC

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

stockyvillage — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 05:31:27 GMT

Carriers have too much clout on Android and windows 8.1.Carriers have no say in IOS or Nexus Devices.Microsoft have just announced that carriers will have no say in Windows 10 phones when they come out.The carrier I use in UK 3 have unlocked all new phones and the apps they add to firmware can all be removed. That is only difference to customised UK firmware.But you still have to wait for them to approve updates to firmware.

Re: App, Alert, WiFi, MMS Issues

slaterlillieb — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 05:54:46 GMT

Verizon should have just left the phone alone. I didn't ever have these issues with either my BlackBerry or my iPhone. I never really had any issues at all with my BlackBerry and I seriously considered getting one for my upgrade. The deciding factor was that there are some apps that I use daily that you can't get on BlackBerry. I had other issues with my iPhones, but they could usually be solved by either Verizon or Apple. This is the first time in years that I have had an Android device. I didn't go with a Samsung or Droid because I find them too confusing. I like Android phones that are simpler to understand. I also liked that this one can be synced to my PS4 since I use my PS4 quite a bit. Now I'm just angry I didn't choose a different phone which is sad because this is a good phone. It's just the fact that the software is malfunctioning and Verizon has messed with it so much that nothing can be done to repair it. I understand it's a marketing thing. They made a phone that is specific to their network which isn't uncommon. However, they have given us a phone that can be riddled with issues and they have not thought through any ways to take care of those issues. There are quite a few apps on this phone that cannot be removed due to Verizon not allowing it. The only thing I can do is disable them.