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HELP! AT&T's forced update to next Android version (with One UI 5.1 etc.) bricked my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Over the weekend, I got the usual message to update Android OS, and it was compulsory (i.e. I couldn't reschedule it more than 3 times). Before the update, the phone had been working fine, no SIM card or battery issues etc. After updating, everything went wrong:
* Phone stopped recognizing the SIM card (even though I'd never taken it out etc.), giving Settings errors even when trying to click on the SIM manager
* Phone battery started draining very fast (and hot), even when not doing anything on phone, and nothing running in background.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, and the (compulsory) Android update was to One UI 5.1, G998U1UEU5EWB1 / G998U1OYM5EWB1 / G998U1UEU5EWB1, security patch level February 1, 2023.
I tried the following already:
* Reset network settings
* Factory reset (so I can guarantee there's no weird apps or settings that could be interfering)
* Went to AT&T Store and they put in a new physical SIM card (didn't work), then a new eSIM card (also didn't work)
* AT&T Store asked me to call Tech Support, which I did, they changed some settings on their end and said it should work within 3-4 hours of propagating (also didn't work).
Note: as far as I can tell, there is NO WAY to rollback the Android update, or I would do that!
Tech Support are now saying the phone is bricked and I should claim a new one on mobile insurance. However, as far as I can tell, this is a problem of AT&T/Samsung/Android's own making! They forced me to update the Android software, and that's what caused all the problems - plus wasted so much of my time on the weekend :-( I'm asking for advice on:
1. Is there a fix for the phone problems that I'm unaware of?
2. What should I do? Given AT&T is responsible, how do they fix & pay for this?
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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107.4K Messages
3 months ago
If it all on the software update, there would be more than your phone bricked. So that won't wash.
Make the insurance claim
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jokersmileyu
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3 months ago
@formerlyknownas the phone can otherwise boot and work on wifi, just it doesn't connect to mobile networks (SIM system is broken) and battery is now draining too fast. This can be traced directly and only to AT&T's forced software update over the weekend. Nothing else about the phone or its settings was changed, and it had been working fine for >1 year without incident
When I google this issue it seems other owners of S20/21/22 phones are facing similar problems with no real fixes
I also don't want to claim on insurance and pay a deductible when this is clearly AT&T's fault. Any further suggestions? e.g. (Edited per community guidelines) (Edited per community guidelines)?
(edited)
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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107.4K Messages
3 months ago
Not an att issue. It's samsungs update. And if I Google the issue it has hit random phones everywhere in the world. I just read one from a Vodafone customer on Samsung forums . So it's not AT&T and if you want Samsung to fix out of warranty, you have to talk directly to Samsung.
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jokersmileyu
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3 months ago
@formerlyknownas AT&T does control when to release the update, to which devices, and whether it's forced, right? So they could/should have done testing to ensure customers would not end up with unusable phones with useless wireless plans (I'm paying now $X a month for a line that now doesn't work in my phone?)
So yes, they are still legally responsible, even if Samsung & Android are too afaict!
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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107.4K Messages
3 months ago
Again, your options are to see if Samsung will warranty you're out of warranty phone because of their botched update, or use your insurance. AT&T takes no responsibility for the hardware
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jokersmileyu
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8 Messages
3 months ago
@formerlyknownas Again, this is not a device hardware problem. This is a software problem which AT&T is at least partly responsible for, because they control the timing, release & compulsory nature of the software updates for Samsung Galaxy phones on the AT&T network (which my phone is) - not Samsung or Google/Android
(edited)
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jokersmileyu
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8 Messages
3 months ago
Update: AT&T pushed an Android update today, which I immediately installed. However, it did NOT fix the problem :-(
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jokersmileyu
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3 months ago
Update: Samsung Authorized Service Provider ran diagnostics on the phone and confirm device hardware is perfectly fine, it is a software issue with the update pushed by AT&T. Will *no one* take responsibility for this?!?
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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107.4K Messages
3 months ago
Samsung authorized repair center has all of the software, they could have flashed the current software update and fixed your phone. Why didn't they?
And when I say hardware, I mean the phone. AT&T's responsible to provide service. The phones are not their responsibility.
Software update comes from Samsung. While AT&T tests the software updates before release, ultimately it is all on Samsung
@GLIMMERMAN76 care to weigh in?
(edited)
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jokersmileyu
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3 months ago
@formerlyknownas They only had time to run the diagnostic as it was near closing, offered for me to come back another day to flash the update but it would take 2+ hrs and only the current update (i.e. if that's causing a problem, won't fix it)
AT&T tests the software, but clearly didn't do enough testing on my specific phone (Galaxy S21 Ultra), though I would have thought it's not a niche/rare model?
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