Audio stops functioning occasionally

[dbeezley]

I've had the Nexus for 4 days. On three occasions that I noticed, the SOME sound functions from the external speaker stop. Nothing happens to provoke it, just pick it up and notice no sound:

No audio from music or videos
No keyboard, dial pad sounds
No audio phone call (Can't hear other end of conversation).

Ringtone works OK
Notification sounds OK
All sound OK using plugin headset (didn't try BT headset)

The first time it happened and drove to VZW store. By the time I got there, it self corrected. Before that I had turned phone off, but forgot about removing the battery.
Another time I noticed it but didn't have time to deal with it. Later it was working. Final time, same thing. I had set it aside for several hours and when I got back to it, working.

Obviously, the bad thing to happened that I haven't experienced yet is to take a call and find I can't hear anyone.

I took it into VZW a second time today. Rep found no other instances of this. Just trying to see if anyone else has experienced this.

Doug

 

[BayouFlyFisher]

I've been reading the forums, all over the web, on this phone since it was released and I don't recall seeing a post relating to this issue. I know there could be some and I just missed them, but I don't feel this is a wide spread issue. With that in mind, I would recommend a Factory Data Reset. Now I do know that this is a really big deal on this phone as it wipes everything!!! It wipes your sdcard (well, that built in storage area they call an sdcard)!! So be sure to backup all your media and other files that you want to put back on your card before you do this. I did one recently and all of my apps reinstalled (paid and free) automatically. Factory Resets cure a lot of ills with Android phones.

Good luck.

 

[mcattack44]

I've had the Nexus for 4 days. On three occasions that I noticed, the SOME sound functions from the external speaker stop. Nothing happens to provoke it, just pick it up and notice no sound:

No audio from music or videos
No keyboard, dial pad sounds
No audio phone call (Can't hear other end of conversation).

Ringtone works OK
Notification sounds OK
All sound OK using plugin headset (didn't try BT headset)

The first time it happened and drove to VZW store. By the time I got there, it self corrected. Before that I had turned phone off, but forgot about removing the battery.
Another time I noticed it but didn't have time to deal with it. Later it was working. Final time, same thing. I had set it aside for several hours and when I got back to it, working.

Obviously, the bad thing to happened that I haven't experienced yet is to take a call and find I can't hear anyone.

I took it into VZW a second time today. Rep found no other instances of this. Just trying to see if anyone else has experienced this.

Doug

Doug,

I've had the same exact issue as you. It happened for the first time this morning. I did a factory reset but it has not made a difference for me. I will keep an eye on this thread and post any updates. Frustrating

 

[mcattack44]

I ended up returning and exchanging with a new nexus at the Verizon Store.. No issues with the new one, knock on wood

 

[thechosenwonton]

Same issue.

Doug,

I've had the same exact issue as you. It happened for the first time this morning. I did a factory reset but it has not made a difference for me. I will keep an eye on this thread and post any updates. Frustrating

Yeah exact same issue. So weird that the ringer works just fine, but all media doesn't... which lends itself to a software issue?? I haven't done a reset, but have powered off and yanked the battery - still no sound. It started cutting out listing to a podcast - I thought the app was updating or something so I paused the audio and restarted the app - then no audio at all. Tried all of my media programs, and none work, but again ring tone works. Pissed, I have had this phone for a little over a week.

 

[thechosenwonton]

Well I contacted Verizon over this after trying a factory reset and still having no external audio - so strange that the ringtones and sound effects work, but audio doesn't - makes zero sense to me, if its a software problem (which that would lend itself to being I should think) a factory reset should fix it... Verizon agreed and is sending me a new replacement phone. Heres hoping that one has no issues; otherwise I have been SUPER happy with this new phone.

 

[ROBAR]

I ended up returning and exchanging with a new nexus at the Verizon Store.. No issues with the new one, knock on wood

I purchased on release day, hadn't even gotten to my car in the parking lot, had placed a call and could not hear the other party, but they could hear me. If I used speakerphone I could hear them, but no other way. I returned to Verizon for help to get audio to work about 10 minutes later and they called a test line and tested it with me and gave me a replacement immediately. I have not had the incall audio problem with the replacement phone, but I do still have media audio cut out on occasion. I usually close and reopen the media and it works again.

 

[Agent_10.7]

Just an idea but have you tried plugging in headphones and then taking them back out? Maybe for some reason its stuck in headphone mode or something :/

Worth a shot

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using DroidForums

 

[jrbmed08]

I have the same problem and registered so I could chime in. For me, the problem started two days ago and is not at all occasional. I have gotten sounds back randomly for a few seconds, and the they stop working again. The same set of sounds work vs. don't work, with the addition that neither I nor the person on the other end of a phone call can hear anything. That is unless I put it on speakerphone - then both of us can hear fine, but that is clearly not a long-term solution. The sounds also work if I plug in headphones but disappear again as soon as I unplug. I have done a battery and sim card pull as well as a factory reset, and neither fixed the problem. I think I need a new phone. My problem is that I bought the phone at Costco and none of the stores here have it in stock anymore, so I can't exchange it until they get it back in.

 

[thechosenwonton]

I don't think you need to go through Costco for that if you have a contract with Verizon - I could be wrong with that, but it can't hurt to call them. I got through right away, and was literally being sent a new phone within 10 minutes of calling them, couldn't have been easier.

Here's a weird thing that you all may enjoy hearing - the new phone should be identical - and it is - except now, the external speaker is at LEAST as loud as my original Droid, so I haven't bothered installing the Volume+ app I had before, which I wondered if that had anything to do with my problem - I don't think it did, as the phone was cutting out phone conversations on anything, the bluetooth audio went out completely, as well as the external speaker being shot.. but very happy with the replacement, as my only complaint other than the camera not being all that wonderful was the low speaker sound.

Its a new phone, there are BOUND to be bugs. I know Samsung specifically mentioned that the external speaker was drawing too much current initially, which was why they kept the volume low; and mentioned that would be fixed in software/firmware updates.

 

[jrbmed08]

Thanks for the advice about Costco/Verizon. I looked into it and was faced with the most ridiculous, convoluted story ever...

Regarding the warranty exchange through a VZW store, it's correct that I can do this, just not right now. Apparently when you're still in VZW's trial period, they process every exchange as a store exchange rather than a warranty exchange, even if the phone is defective. So since I didn't buy it at Verizon, I can't return it to them, and I can't get the warranty exchange until after 1/9, when their extended holiday return period is over.

Also regarding the warranty exchange, you get a "certified pre-owned" phone rather than a new model. I'm not sure how that's really different for a 2 week-old phone, but so be it. I would rather have a new phone than a pre-owned one since I paid for a new phone, but it's not that big of a deal, especially if I can get better speaker volume.

Verizon actually recommended returning the phone to Costco today and then re-buying it from their corporate store (surprise, surprise...). I checked this out, and here's the really frustrating part. I've owned this phone for 15 days. Costco has a 90-day exchange period during which I can exchange it for the same phone or a different model (e.g. Droid RAZR). However, I found out today that their return period if you just take back the phone and don't get a new one is only 14 days. After 14 days, they can't (won't?) reverse your new contract to make you eligible to buy the phone again from some other vendor. So here I am on Day 15, and I can't return the phone to Costco without completely getting screwed over for buying a new phone.

So here I am unable to return it to Costco or exchange it for a new one (because every single Costco in my area is sold out). I even called all the Costcos in the area where I'm going to be spending New Year's weekend (in another state). All gone and none of them know when they're going to get it back. My options now are:

(1) Buy another phone (e.g. Droid RAZR) at Costco, then either keep it if I like it or exchange it again once the Nexus comes back in.
(2) Keep this phone until 1/9 and bring it into VZW for a warranty exchange.
(3) Keep this phone until Costco gets the new Nexus, then finally exchange it.

Or instead of living with a defective phone, I could just switch back to my trusty OG Droid. Right now I'm just using the phone with Bluetooth and headphones, but if something gets worse, I'll do that.

Kinda ironic that the supposedly benefical extended holiday return period is screwing me over at VZW, while its nonexistence at Costco means I can't return my phone today. This would have been a good thing for Costco to tell me 2 days ago when I originally went in to ask about the audio problem.

Very promising that your speaker volume is better, though! Is the battery life about the same?

 

[thechosenwonton]

Battery seems to be a bit better, but that could just be me... to be honest, I have had what I consider to be pretty decent battery performance considering the specs - over 12 hours of usable battery is exactly what I need (and over 24 hours it you count going to sleep and using again the next day).

Still, I have the 2100mah battery and cover kit on the way, because for essentially no size/weight penalty, you get 13.5% more battery life.

 

[jrbmed08]

Cool, just wanted to make sure it wasn't any worse. I also have the extended battery.

I've been seeing more of this issue pop up in forums. Some say it may be a bad SIM card. I might try to go back to Verizon and get another SIM card in case that fixes it...
Other person can't hear me. - Android Forums

 

[jrbmed08]

Based on the other thread I linked to, I decided to try a new SIM card to see if it would solve the problem. No luck. But the guy at Costco who swapped out the SIM card said it's probably an issue with the headphone jack. He said a similar problem happened with his Nexus S...he would plug in a pair of headphones and have no sound after taking them out. So the person who suggested it may be stuck in some sort of headphone mode may be right. It also sounds like a hardware problem, and he suggested an exchange. The only thing that doesn't really fit is that my sound randomly stopped working in the middle of a call. I didn't have any headset on, plug-in or bluetooth. Anyway, I hope that helps a little, and I'll report back once I can find a Costco that actually has the phone in stock and I return it.

 

[jrbmed08]

Update: SIM card exchange did nothing. Back to waiting for a new phone from Costco.