The death of a Maxx

FoxKat

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Yeah its the battery. I have it plugged in right now and its barely able to charge.

One quick question for you in response to the statement above...was the phone powered ON when you determined the battery wouldn't take a charge? It's quite possible that the battery isn't toast. It may simply need to have one full charge (while powered off) and discharge cycle (to 15%) to re-stabilize the electrochemical reaction inside and bring the battery and charging/monitoring circuitry into sync.

Perhaps it's good for everyone to hear this. Batteries are a strange device. We're talking about a miniture electrochemical science experiment, a powerplant in a can/pouch, etc. If you think about it, it's really what I like to call "controlled chaos". It's really a very nasty environment with acids or alkalines, and for the most part one we wouldn't want to have exposed to us. One problem with batteries is that the reactions taking place inside are at an atomic level, but if not properly cared for can result in reactions not going as expected and damaging the electrolyte, the Anode, the Cathode or any combination of all three, not to mention the container itself whether a can or pouch (as our batteries are). There is a thin range between minimum charge level and maximum charge level (the operating range), and also a limited range of how fast you can take it from one to the other.

What is most notable however is that if the process of charging is not handled properly it can stress the components that make up the battery, and cause it to operate inefficiently, create unnecessary heat (bad for just about anything), produce undesirable byproducts (gas buildup, chemical breakdown, internal shorting, etc.) and ultimately shorten the life of the battery or worse - destroy it's ability to hold a charge. Even worse still is the possibility of a catastrophic failure.

I've said it before, and I'll say it here again. There's no benefit that doesn't come without a cost. If the perceived benefit of using a third party charger is either for convenience (I forgot or lost my charger), or to charge quicker (some may use 2.1 amp iPad chargers to charge faster for instance), the cost can be shorter battery life at the least.

These phone manufacturers play a delicate balancing act between long run times and short life verus shorter run times and longevity. When we "play" with that delicate balance by manipulating the charging system, we will have a direct effect on the balance. It is simple cause and effect. Likewise, the phone has limited range of high and low voltages in which it will operate. Anything too low and it will start to act very strangely (i.e. bootlooping, failure to power up, failure to power down, etc.), and anything too high may not only result in strange performance (force closes, etc.) but also potentially permanent damage to the motherboard or other components.

Play if you must, but be forewarned that you are at the very least technically voiding the warranty, and if the damage that ensues is caused by your playing you really shouldn't receive a free a warranty replacement.
 

cece5702

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Well....now we have it!!!! The FoxKAt has spoken. Very interesting!!! Thanks. :)
 

TRIKOTRET

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Yup the King of Android has spoken. :)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using DroidForums
 

ultra09hd

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Take it back and have them replace it..but ask to be kept in the loop as to what cause it to fail...I have my doubts that the charger is to blame. Unless the charger is damaged, wires broke or frayed warranty should cover it.

That's all I'm saying.
 

FoxKat

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Just food for thought. Cadex, perhaps the most widely respected battery analyzer/charger/conditioner companies in the world, states the following in an advertisement for one of their battery analyzers:
Cellular Phones

One of the primary applications for the C7000 Series of battery analyzers has been sorting and servicing high volumes of cell phone batteries in service centers and logistics processing facilities.

Whether operated by device manufacturers, carriers, or third party service providers (3PSPs), these facilities save significant amounts of money by salvaging and refurbishing the large volumes of batteries that have been returned by customers for exchange, either on their own or within devices perceived as faulty.
Battery Testing as a Service​
  • Up to 90% of returned batteries are still serviceable​
  • Service providers and their clients save money whenever a good battery is identified because they do not incur the cost of replacing it with a new one​
  • Testing batteries allows repair facilities to identify if the battery or the device is faulty and save money by repairing only the faulty component​
  • Refurbished batteries can be a significant source of supply for service providers that might have to purchase them elsewhere​
This may not seem like significant information to some, but it points to a big problem for the cell phone manufacturers. For every 10 phones they take in return due to a "defective battery" and for every 10 factory refurbished "Like New" phones they send out in replacement, 9 of those taken back with the complaint of "defective batteries" are fine and the problem had nothing to do with the battery per se. Which means it could be one of several other issues, a failed phone charging circuit, a bad supply block, or incorrect charging practices.

What does this mean to you and I? It means the next phone YOU get as a replacement for YOUR failed battery may actually be the phone the OP sent in, and it may still have the same battery in it! Odds are 90% that it will go back out to someone else and will have proven not to be the problem. And even funnier, they might actually have sent their phone in for a defective battery and will get someone else's that was sent in for the same reason!

I don't make them, I just use them - and when I do, I try to use them the way they were intended to be used so I can get the type of performance out of them that they are expected to produce. As always, YRMV, but caveat emptor.

;)
 
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weatherlover1

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Well I don't think they are going to be sending this phone to anyone with this battery.. The phone is now dead. I turned it off to try and charge it and it now will not turn on. It will not power up when plugged in or not plugged it. Its a 200 dollar paper weight at the moment. I got the first moto screen to pop up for 10 seconds and twice when I plugged the charger in a white light flashed from the lcd light but nothing more. At least its now cool to the touch. I can't believe I killed the battery but maybe I did I have no idea. My replacement phone shipped today so it should be here Wednesday. I am just annoyed because I did not get to factory reset it before it died. As much as my Droid X had its issues it never died. I could call and reactivate my charge for the next day and a half but I think I will just borrow my husbands basic cell. I am kind of annoyed at smartphones right now. :p
 

FoxKat

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I am so sorry you had all this trouble. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of problems for you with "smart phones".

We can be sure that the battery will be put through a barrage of tests before and if it remains in the phone when sent back out as a factory refurb.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using DroidForums
 

DarthKinetic

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well at least your Maxx didnt die when your son dropped his in the toilet... true story :(
replacement phone $99 and on back order...:mad:
 

justin82

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well at least your Maxx didnt die when your son dropped his in the toilet... true story :(
replacement phone $99 and on back order...:mad:

gotta love insurance though .. save you 550.00 :)
 
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weatherlover1

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I got my new phone yesterday. When I talked to the person when I first called I asked about sending the old one back and she said the info would be with the new one. There was nothing else in the box but the phone. Do I have to go online or did they not send me the needed info and I need to call them?
 

cece5702

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You need to call. They should have included a return shipping label with a bag to put your phone in.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX
 

huskur

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gotta love insurance though .. save you 550.00 :)

You can look at it that way.....saving 550.00 but how many months have you paid the 9.99 and how many more months do you have to pay the 9.99. 24 months X 10 (rounding up) = 240.00 and you just paid 100 so 240 + 100 = 340.00. (550.00-340.00) So when all said and done you saved 210.00. If you have another "accident" and need replacement then the 210.00 drops to 110.00

I am not saying insurance is bad. It's nice to have when you need it so you aren't out the big $ up front. I don't carry the insurance since i found out one of my credit cards covers my cell phone for loss or damage as a courtesy for having the card.
 
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