Refurbished phones and a few words of caution

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Art Vanderlay

Retired Forum Moderator
Jan 2, 2014
3,461
2,649
Melbourne
Over the past couple of months Ive noticed a lot of posts made by people who have bought their phones from ebay or aliExpress among others, then bricked it by using autorec or flashing a kdz. This is a general rundown of what happens next:


  • The user bought a d802 or d800
  • They used Autorec or flashed their models kdz firmware
  • The phone inexplicibly rebooted to a black screen. No recovery, download or fastboot OR
  • The touch screen becomes unresponsive or erratic

Some of them removed the rear cover and included photos in their posts which shows a different models motherboard.
Here are a couple of examples to let you know what I'm talking about.

http://xdaforums.com/lg-g2/help/issues-refurb-d802-32gb-lg-flashed-t3034823

http://xdaforums.com/lg-g2/help/lgd802-stuck-fastboot-help-stock-t2965101

http://xdaforums.com/lg-g2/general/lg-g2-unbrickable-fix-real-hard-brick-t2904404/page34


When this happens without any user error, it's likely the result of a phone that was poorly refurbished.

Over a year into this phone's lifecycle, refurbished G2's are quite common among retailers, both official and independant, as they are with all brands.

A refurbished phone is a phone that has been returned or refunded and is then resold. Before it gets resold it undergoes a process of testing and cleaning and any damaged parts replaced like a cracked LCD screen or bad battery, or sometimes replacing all the internal hardware.

A reputable company will replace it with all the correct parts and test it thoroughly before releasing it.
A dodgy company will not. This is explained in greater detail in this ebay article.

Some dodgy companies (with sellers on aliexpress being among the common offenders) will go to extremes to disguise any variant as a d802.
This is because the international variant is the most marketable worldwide. Some of the tactics they use are:

  • D802 body with mainboard of other G2 variant
  • Build prop edited to report software information as d802
  • Modified D802 IMEI

Although it might work well for a while, these parts are not made to be cross compatible and these "Frankenphones" are extremely volatile and any flashing activity will almost certainlty result in a brick. System updates will also brick them.

The software including the ROM/kernel/partitions must match the model of the mainboard. It isn't always easy to identify a reburbished phone without removing the mainboard but I'll write up a list of common signs / things to look for.





Here are some precautions that you can take when buying a phone from an unfamiliar vendor or to find out your real model number:






  • Before you buy, always look at the description in the bottom. Some of them have refurbished in the title but you need to check the description for others


  • 2elb0uf.png









  • Remove the rear cover. This is a bit tough but It'll show you if the model number is different or if there are signs of tampering. These are signs of a poorly refurbished phone. There's a good video that explains how to do it here

    23tjg9y.jpg









    [*]The only way to be 100% sure of your model is to remove the motherboard and check the number on the unit itself. While the IMEI, stamps and battery cover can all be modified or changed, the marking on the back of the motherboard cannot be so this method is the most reliable method of checking your model.

    For a tutorial watch this video from 0.00 - 4.33
    https://youtu.be/O12UJMOCx1w




    jj8fuf.png







    Other tips:

    [*]Use common sense when buying a cheap phone online. The vast majority of sellers state that the phone is refurbished. Read the sellers negative feedback, read all the product details and the return policy. Only buy from a reputable vendor.
    [*]If your on android 4.4.2, use IOroot25 to root it. This also makes an EFS backup to your IOroot folder. You can also take this opportunity to check the model number on your recovery screen.
    [*]As an added safeguard you can dump your important partitions and move them to your PC. This way if you flash the wrong recovery you can easily restore your phone using these images. Dump your boot, aboot, recovery and laf this way using the android terminal. You will need root for this.

Code:
su

dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/boot of=/sdcard/boot.img

dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/aboot of=/sdcard/aboot.img

dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery of=/sdcard/recovery.img

dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/laf of=/sdcard/laf.img

Unfortunately if you have already bricked your device I'll include some links to guides and fixes below. Download your files for flashing after confirming your model number.


Again, this isn't bashing the whole industry, just a warning that frankenphones are out there and if you unwittingly bought one you should try to get your money back wherever you can. People have had varying degrees of success in flashing roms or unbricking them even after identifying the motherboard.
 
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No matter how I look at it, I can't figure out why the hell they would do that.
 

Art Vanderlay

Retired Forum Moderator
Jan 2, 2014
3,461
2,649
Melbourne
I don't think they're setting out to do it, maybe their supplier gives them a mixed bag of different models and they have to meet the demand for a certain one. People do anything to make money
 

Player-J

Senior Member
Dec 4, 2010
136
48
Seattle, WA
Possibly they reach into their "grab bag" of mixed phones and pass it off as whatever the buyer wants. Anything to make a dollar...
 

sandys1

Senior Member
Jun 4, 2010
763
165
No this is not sellers fault, it is LG's fault. I have a Claro d803, that came labeled as a d801. But the phone has d801 written on it by LG. It is only after I softbricked the phone and looked under the cover that I saw the exact chip name. LG has mislabeled some d803 as d801 or d802 for marketing purposes. It never took into account any flashing or modding. In fact there is a link where you put in your imei and get the correct firmware kdz.
 

Art Vanderlay

Retired Forum Moderator
Jan 2, 2014
3,461
2,649
Melbourne
No this is not sellers fault, it is LG's fault. I have a Claro d803, that came labeled as a d801. But the phone has d801 written on it by LG. It is only after I softbricked the phone and looked under the cover that I saw the exact chip name. LG has mislabeled some d803 as d801 or d802 for marketing purposes. It never took into account any flashing or modding. In fact there is a link where you put in your imei and get the correct firmware kdz.

Thats interesting. The d801 I can understand because it sounds halfway right. Just without the tmob branding
 

Murshad007

Senior Member
Apr 30, 2012
940
123
Lahore
Xiaomi Poco F3
Can Some one Tell Which model is this?

In Battery bottom its written D801/D803

Where as Top Right Corner its written LS980
 

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sandys1

Senior Member
Jun 4, 2010
763
165
my bet is that it is the Claro D801/D803 - Do you get the Claro logo when you start the phone ?

If yes, this is actually a D803 - do NOT flash any D801 ROM to it. Even when rooting it - always choose D803.

I'm not sure why is there a LS980 in there . If you can post screenshot of your "About Settings", we can help you better
 

Murshad007

Senior Member
Apr 30, 2012
940
123
Lahore
Xiaomi Poco F3
my bet is that it is the Claro D801/D803 - Do you get the Claro logo when you start the phone ?

If yes, this is actually a D803 - do NOT flash any D801 ROM to it. Even when rooting it - always choose D803.

I'm not sure why is there a LS980 in there . If you can post screenshot of your "About Settings", we can help you better

I Have an LG G2 D802 from Thailand Actually, when Suddenly I got a touch problem.. 4 5 6 row of my dail pad stop working..
Otherwise all phone is working good.

I reset my set twice but problem persists.

I flashed 32GB Open Europe, Through Flash Tool 2014 but my baseband becomes Unknown, and IMEI null,
My storage becomes 16GB, 10.42GB showing. An touch isn't working at all.

I flashed SEA TOT file of 32Gb also.
And flashed KDZ of China and Thailand also.. But still same problem..
Any solution?

So I figures it out a Little..
I opened My Mobile back panel.. And it seems to be Refurbished set..

As you can see in the picture, Top Right corner sticker says
S
LS980
0225


Golden Bar on Right side says.
Bend
EAX65224801_1.0_1_D800_F_Touch


Left Side Golden Bar says
Bend
(D800 / D801 / D803 / D800T)
YP1333-1

And bottom Left side sticker on Black body says
D801/D803
0904


So How can I conform which one is my Board actually?

Should I further open my Mobile and check the board?

Please help

I doubt that Fake Thailand D802 is entered in My mobile and its Board is different actually..

Sent from My LG G Flex LG-F340K Stock KitKat V20D on LTE Network using XDA Free Mobile app
 
Put your imei number into the website lgkdz.com . it will tell you what ROM your phone should use including the model number.

Sent from my LG-D802 using XDA Premium HD app

That doesn't always work. I had a frankenphone G2 from alibaba and I tried a dozen KDZ's. None worked properly. The closest I got was a booting rom and a touchscreen that didnt know where I was pressing.

Watch out guys :)
 
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zim2dive

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2007
775
58
NC
For anyone freaking out.. I ordered a D801 from ebay.. and got exactly what I was expecting.. complete with Tmobile Wifi calling.. very pleased... a nice side-grade from my Nexus5 (back one rev of Android, but at least I get the Wifi calling)
 

Art Vanderlay

Retired Forum Moderator
Jan 2, 2014
3,461
2,649
Melbourne
I doubt that Fake Thailand D802 is entered in My mobile and its Board is different actually..

Sent from My LG G Flex LG-F340K Stock KitKat V20D on LTE Network using XDA Free Mobile app

The stamp on the bottom left is probably the more reliable marking out of the lot. You said your IMEI was null. Did you root your phone using ioroot? If you did, you should have an efs backup in your ioroot folder which will come in handy later.
 

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  • 27
    Over the past couple of months Ive noticed a lot of posts made by people who have bought their phones from ebay or aliExpress among others, then bricked it by using autorec or flashing a kdz. This is a general rundown of what happens next:


    • The user bought a d802 or d800
    • They used Autorec or flashed their models kdz firmware
    • The phone inexplicibly rebooted to a black screen. No recovery, download or fastboot OR
    • The touch screen becomes unresponsive or erratic

    Some of them removed the rear cover and included photos in their posts which shows a different models motherboard.
    Here are a couple of examples to let you know what I'm talking about.

    http://xdaforums.com/lg-g2/help/issues-refurb-d802-32gb-lg-flashed-t3034823

    http://xdaforums.com/lg-g2/help/lgd802-stuck-fastboot-help-stock-t2965101

    http://xdaforums.com/lg-g2/general/lg-g2-unbrickable-fix-real-hard-brick-t2904404/page34


    When this happens without any user error, it's likely the result of a phone that was poorly refurbished.

    Over a year into this phone's lifecycle, refurbished G2's are quite common among retailers, both official and independant, as they are with all brands.

    A refurbished phone is a phone that has been returned or refunded and is then resold. Before it gets resold it undergoes a process of testing and cleaning and any damaged parts replaced like a cracked LCD screen or bad battery, or sometimes replacing all the internal hardware.

    A reputable company will replace it with all the correct parts and test it thoroughly before releasing it.
    A dodgy company will not. This is explained in greater detail in this ebay article.

    Some dodgy companies (with sellers on aliexpress being among the common offenders) will go to extremes to disguise any variant as a d802.
    This is because the international variant is the most marketable worldwide. Some of the tactics they use are:

    • D802 body with mainboard of other G2 variant
    • Build prop edited to report software information as d802
    • Modified D802 IMEI

    Although it might work well for a while, these parts are not made to be cross compatible and these "Frankenphones" are extremely volatile and any flashing activity will almost certainlty result in a brick. System updates will also brick them.

    The software including the ROM/kernel/partitions must match the model of the mainboard. It isn't always easy to identify a reburbished phone without removing the mainboard but I'll write up a list of common signs / things to look for.





    Here are some precautions that you can take when buying a phone from an unfamiliar vendor or to find out your real model number:






    • Before you buy, always look at the description in the bottom. Some of them have refurbished in the title but you need to check the description for others


    • 2elb0uf.png









    • Remove the rear cover. This is a bit tough but It'll show you if the model number is different or if there are signs of tampering. These are signs of a poorly refurbished phone. There's a good video that explains how to do it here

      23tjg9y.jpg









      [*]The only way to be 100% sure of your model is to remove the motherboard and check the number on the unit itself. While the IMEI, stamps and battery cover can all be modified or changed, the marking on the back of the motherboard cannot be so this method is the most reliable method of checking your model.

      For a tutorial watch this video from 0.00 - 4.33
      https://youtu.be/O12UJMOCx1w




      jj8fuf.png







      Other tips:

      [*]Use common sense when buying a cheap phone online. The vast majority of sellers state that the phone is refurbished. Read the sellers negative feedback, read all the product details and the return policy. Only buy from a reputable vendor.
      [*]If your on android 4.4.2, use IOroot25 to root it. This also makes an EFS backup to your IOroot folder. You can also take this opportunity to check the model number on your recovery screen.
      [*]As an added safeguard you can dump your important partitions and move them to your PC. This way if you flash the wrong recovery you can easily restore your phone using these images. Dump your boot, aboot, recovery and laf this way using the android terminal. You will need root for this.

    Code:
    su
    
    dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/boot of=/sdcard/boot.img
    
    dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/aboot of=/sdcard/aboot.img
    
    dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery of=/sdcard/recovery.img
    
    dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/laf of=/sdcard/laf.img

    Unfortunately if you have already bricked your device I'll include some links to guides and fixes below. Download your files for flashing after confirming your model number.


    Again, this isn't bashing the whole industry, just a warning that frankenphones are out there and if you unwittingly bought one you should try to get your money back wherever you can. People have had varying degrees of success in flashing roms or unbricking them even after identifying the motherboard.
    3
    @Sunandroid
    I've managed to connect my ls980 in diag mode and successfuly added all of the GSM/WCDMA bands and the LTE bands in the guidance of a tutorial for OnePlus One. I am testing it.

    for GSM/WCDMA bands i followed this guide: http://xdaforums.com/oneplus-one/general/guide-unlock-aditional-bands-qualcomm-t2877031
    for LTE bands i followed this: http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=56577252&postcount=455

    without problems i followed and finished the steps. basically i should be able to use the bands below:
    GSM: DCS-1800/P-GSM/E-GSM/GSM-850/Railways-900/PCS-1900
    WCDMA: Band I to XI
    LTE: Band 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 21


    If LTE works i will do a guide.

    UPDATE EDIT

    Using stock based rom and custom kernel, going into DIAG mode is possible and changes stacks (you should disable USB debugging and plug device in only charge mode so that qpst and qxdm works)
    I've tested it for a day all the bands GSM,WCDMA and LTE


    I could change GSM and WCDMA bands successfuly I've tried many variations on LTE nv values, I am pretty sure it stacked and unlocked some of the bands but could not get it worked.

    But I assume problem is below, this is why i cant get LTE work, I entered a value that only the bands 3,7,20 supposed to work but ##DATA# > LTE settings shows me this:
    Screenshot_2016-04-09-19-20-56.png
    3
    Hey guys. There are 2 videos that I have linked in the OP, one that shows how to open the rear cover and one that shows how to access the motherboard. Unfortunately the latter one has been made private by the owner. :(

    I'll try to replace it with another one if one exists otherwise I'll have to make my own video. I'll post again when I have something.
    2
    Any of you guys are experiencing a massive battery drain problem on your LG G2 phone? I bought a LG G2 D801 off eBay. The seller is "cell-world2016"

    Post your battery stats. But i dont think its a massive drain, its just your battery is old. When you buy a refurbished or used mobile you must also buy a new battery. I suggest you to buy this extended german battery called powercell akku on ebay which is 3200mah.
    2
    yeah my phone works normally just the recovery not work that's why i try reinstall the recovery stock or custom.

    I have done the backup of the EFS folder only had to change the target directories because my phone does not have the sdcard directory the changes were as follows:
    Code:
    dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/modemst1 of=/storage/emulated/0/EFS_Backup/efs1.img
    dd if=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/modemst2 of=/storage/emulated/0/EFS_Backup/efs2.img

    That's perfectly fine. The only thing that matters is that you keep them in a safe place.

    in the by-name folder on my phone there are several files:
    Code:
    aboot
    blus
    boot
    cache
    carrier
    dbi
    dbibak
    DDR
    drm
    encrypt
    eri
    fota
    fsc
    fsg
    grow
    laf
    misc
    modem
    modemst1
    modemst2
    mpt
    pad
    pad1
    pad2
    persist
    rct
    recovery
    rpm
    rpmbak
    sbl1
    sns
    spare
    ssd
    system
    tombstones
    tz
    tzbak
    userdata
    ve
    anyone knows for they are and if they are important to make a backup?

    I also found in my phone storage 3 .img files with the following names aboot, boot, recovery laf and apparently these files are a backup that made the app AutoRec because before using AutoRec were not there
    question can use these files to try to recover the stock recovery?:confused:

    Absolutely :good: Those 4 partitions are the most important ones you need. Aboot is

    your bootloader and laf is your download mode. The other ones in by-name aren't really worth

    backing up, but it wouldn't hurt if you did.

    Flashing those files should bring your recovery back. Make sure you flash all of them if you do.