Do New Smartphones Have An Extraordinary Amount Of Problems ?

[morrobay]

Are technical problems with new smartphones average ( whatever % that would be) or above average (%) ?

Because 3 weeks ago I bought this inexpensive AIS smartphone at Central Festival, Pattaya Beach at the AIS service center , 1900 baht.

And this morning could not turn on the phone. Went to the AIS center and they said phone needs to be sent to Bangkok for repair (3 weeks)

And since phone cannot be turned on to transfer data and repair will delete data, data lost. The tech there i had the bad luck to deal with is besides the question here.

[kekalot]

I wouldn't really buy any "smartphone" under say 5000 baht, otherwise they will be quite trash, slow and bound to have problems.

you should get something along the line of an Asus ZenFone 2 Laser or above and I'd expect you to have next to zero problems with it.

[Lannig]

Unfortunately these entry-level no-name smartphones often bundled with SIM by Thai operators are kind of a lottery.

Some of them offer relatively decent features for the price (I'm thinking of e.g. the "Lava" model that's fairly popular among young teens) and others border to being unusable due to unreadable screens, abysmal battery life and annoying instability (hung apps all the time).

Whatever, these models have very little QA done to them before reaching the shelves. That would be too costly.

So that's yet another lottery with a fair number of phones that will fail within the first days (if not hours) of use.

Unfortunately, it seems that you've picked up a wrong number at that lottery. I feel for you.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Lannig

[Pib]

You get what you pay for. While any phone can break, cheap or expensive, the cheap phones will have less of a reliability rate/have a higher early fail rate. Gosh, I have some Thai in-laws who always seem to have a new phone (cheap one). I ask them what happened to the other one...they answer it broke.

And then you have the issue of how well does the phone manufacturer keep firmware updates coming...usually the cheaper phones get dropped support-wise for firmware updates pretty early...but the more expensive phones get support longer...maybe up to around 3 years.

[jybkk]

As others have mentioned, cheap smartphones are a pretty risky purchase. Overall quality is very low and the manufacturers have little incentive to actively support those. They tend to last about a year before dying definitely.

On another hand, a refurbished phone that was a flagship 18 month ago (for example a Samsung Galaxy S5) will come at around 10,000THB and will easily last you 2+ years and provide immensely better performance and compatibility.

[MissAndry]

My experiences, they last 1 year then fail.

Two if you're really lucky.

Store all your photos on a dropbox or google cloud as you take them.

Same for your contacts and internet links.

[kaorop]

What is extraordinary is the amount of people sucked in by the marketing B s of calling a mobile phone "smart"

BTW My sony xperia z is the worst phone ever had.

I wouldnt buy another phony phone if it was 1000 baht!

Pure rubbish

[wpcoe]

And, at the other end of the spectrum, I've lost track of the number of months my B18,000 Sony Xperia Z3 Compact has spent at the Sony Service Center. I think it's been seven months in the 1.5 years I've owned it, and get this: I need to send it back again.

First time it needed repair was the ninth day I owned it: it powered off and nothing could revive it. Second time was when I noticed the back of the phone bulged so much I no longer could use the magnetic charging port in a case. Each time, it has been something different.

I've just replaced the SIM card for the third time in about 1.5 months because it keeps losing the ability to make/receive phone calls. At first, I wasn't sure if it were the TrueMove H SIMs or the phone, but after three failing SIMs I think my Xperia is killing the SIM. AND, yesterday, two days after the last SIM card replacement, I've lost all connection with data and voice, making it four SIMs now.

I've got my name on the waiting list for an iPhone SE at True and AIS, but neither one has a clue when they'll be getting more stock.

[WhizBang]

You bought an el-cheapo phone and it has problems. Wow, Big surprise.

Next time pony up for a half decent phone. I would think 5000 baht plus should be ok. Hardly a bank breaker.

The biggest problem I have encountered, as well as for most people I know, is battery problems. Usually very short life and/or not charging properly. These issues seem to be less with phones that cost more.

The other big problem I have seen, but not personally encountered, is thieft and dropping the phone (usually into the toilet).

Edited June 25, 2016 by WhizBang

[gandalf12]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and have never had a problem with it despite having dropped it several times. As one poster says if you want a smart phone pay the full price, never go for the cheap ones. As they say you get what you pay for. Pay cheap you get a cheap phone fraught with problems.

[gandalf12]

And, at the other end of the spectrum, I've lost track of the number of months my B18,000 Sony Xperia Z3 Compact has spent at the Sony Service Center. I think it's been seven months in the 1.5 years I've owned it, and get this: I need to send it back again.

First time it needed repair was the ninth day I owned it: it powered off and nothing could revive it. Second time was when I noticed the back of the phone bulged so much I no longer could use the magnetic charging port in a case. Each time, it has been something different.

I've just replaced the SIM card for the third time in about 1.5 months because it keeps losing the ability to make/receive phone calls. At first, I wasn't sure if it were the TrueMove H SIMs or the phone, but after three failing SIMs I think my Xperia is killing the SIM. AND, yesterday, two days after the last SIM card replacement, I've lost all connection with data and voice, making it four SIMs now.

I've got my name on the waiting list for an iPhone SE at True and AIS, but neither one has a clue when they'll be getting more stock.

One thing people forget is the back ground of the manufacturer. Sony is great at electronics sure but they are relatively new comers to the mobile market. Whenever I decide to buy a phone I look at the main experience a company has. Samsung, Apple, Motorola all have excellent track records. As with any company starting in a market that is new to them is bound to have teething problems and unfortunately this shows in their products.

Another way of looking at it is who would you buy a car from if you had to chose between Toyota and Electrolux? It is a no brainer I know but you get the idea.

[morrobay]

http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/lava-smart-phones-supported These are the Lava phones on sale at the AIS center. I was "assuming" the AIS was the maker of their phones and therefore a reliable product. Anyway im glad to see they are made in India (good engineers) instead of China. So yesterday I

upgraded to another Lava while they fix the first one for free (first year) So now I have two phones for 5000 baht. and a convenient full service center.

Edited June 25, 2016 by morrobay

[Gary A]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and have never had a problem with it despite having dropped it several times. As one poster says if you want a smart phone pay the full price, never go for the cheap ones. As they say you get what you pay for. Pay cheap you get a cheap phone fraught with problems.

I have had two Galaxy S4's. Both died premature deaths. Main boards on both. Not worth repairing. I'm finished with expensive top of the line phones.

[Jdiddy]

I only buy high end smartphones and make my purchasing decision after a ton of research online and ive had zero problems so far

[gandalf12]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and have never had a problem with it despite having dropped it several times. As one poster says if you want a smart phone pay the full price, never go for the cheap ones. As they say you get what you pay for. Pay cheap you get a cheap phone fraught with problems.

I have had two Galaxy S4's. Both died premature deaths. Main boards on both. Not worth repairing. I'm finished with expensive top of the line phones.

I have had my Samsung Galaxy S4 for about 4 years and never had a problem with it.

Some defective ones will always get through unfortunately but a lot less than with the cheaper brands

[canuckamuck]

The last 4 phones I have bought have all been Chinese brand androids in the 5000 baht range. All of them are good and still working fine except for the one I smashed accidentally.

[Gary A]

I had a 5,000 baht Lenovo. It had a one year warranty and it died in 13 months. I didn't like the Chinese crap on it and I wasn't smart enough to get it off the phone.

[wpcoe]

And, at the other end of the spectrum, I've lost track of the number of months my B18,000 Sony Xperia Z3 Compact has spent at the Sony Service Center. I think it's been seven months in the 1.5 years I've owned it, and get this: I need to send it back again.

First time it needed repair was the ninth day I owned it: it powered off and nothing could revive it. Second time was when I noticed the back of the phone bulged so much I no longer could use the magnetic charging port in a case. Each time, it has been something different.

I've just replaced the SIM card for the third time in about 1.5 months because it keeps losing the ability to make/receive phone calls. At first, I wasn't sure if it were the TrueMove H SIMs or the phone, but after three failing SIMs I think my Xperia is killing the SIM. AND, yesterday, two days after the last SIM card replacement, I've lost all connection with data and voice, making it four SIMs now.

I've got my name on the waiting list for an iPhone SE at True and AIS, but neither one has a clue when they'll be getting more stock.

Yesterday got SIM #5 from TrueMove for my Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. In the shop, she could call me and I could call her. Got home an hour later and couldn't make/receive calls.

However, at AIS they had an iPhone SE in stock, so I reserved it and initiated the MNP procedure from True to keep the same phone number. They gave me the SIM to put in my phone when the MNP takes place.

Now that I had an "adapter" I could use the True nano-SIM in my elderly iPhone 4 and it works fine. I transferred the SIM back and forth between the Z3C and the iPhone 4 several times and I could make/receive calls on the iPhone, but not on the Sony. The Z3C needs to return to the Sony Service Center again.

When I get the Z3C back from Sony, it'll be available. A bidding war via PM can commence at any time.

[dominique355]

My super expensive Smartphone Samsung Note5 has had absolutely no problems whatsoever since the date of purchase. And it's in daily use. Provider is AIS.

Backup to MacBook Pro also no problem.

Conclusion: sometimes the more expensive solutions are the cheaper ones.

[maxtwo]

In uk I supply a lot of my staff with phones.And it is the same people with problems all the time,so I think it's them not the phone.

[tifino]

I think Sony the newcomer missed the boat, and should have bought into the Nokia brand before Msoft got it

[wpcoe]

I see Sony is easing out of the USA (and some other) markets, as their Xperia phones haven't caught on. The Xperia Z Compact line has great specs on paper, but mine has been a super lemon from the beginning. Previously I had been an iPhone4 user, but despised iTunes so had great hopes for an Android phone. AIS now has reserved an iPhone SE for me, if True and AIS can only get their acts together for the MNP process. As much as I hate iTunes, I'm looking forward to having a reliable, modern smart phone again.

[Familyonthemove]

I had the original Sony Z1 and after 3 years heavy, trouble-free use including getting it soaked on a bike use during 3 Songkrans and use in a swimming pool, I replaced it with a Z5 Premium. The Z1 got handed down to a friend and it's still going strong.

Also had a low cost iMobile X phone before the Sony. It worked well for a 20 months then battery life got too short.

To be honest the iMobile was probably better value - as it was much cheaper then the Sony and was almost as good, while it lasted.... but if you want a waterproof phone there's limited options.

But other people in the office have had issues with cheap and expensive phones, so they seem to be a bit of a lottery.

[Lannig]

I concur that iMobile has some gems well hidden in their incredibly complex and moving line of products.

Finding the right one is a matter of luck or getting feedback from someone you know, though.

I've had two, including an old IQ-4 that's still alive and kicking with battery life only slightly shorter than it used to be some 4 years ago.

The IQ-5.7 is somewhat younger (2 years or so) and is a very reliable phone with a surprisingly good screen (I assume IPS).

As I mentioned earlier, the Lavas provided by AIS as so popular among youngsters that they must be somewhat good.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Lannig