Hey,
about one year ago my Fairphone 3 suddenly dies and i was never able to start it again. No LED Light, no vibration, no reaction on hard reset. Just dead, I tried everything I read online.
In a new attemp to get it running I ordered a new battery and a bottom module and changed it, still not working. I really would like to get my pictures and contacts from the internal memory back (no backup, I got the lesson).
Does anybody of you have an advice what I could try to get it back on or maybe a way to read the internal memory? I contactad Data rescue services, but they charge several hunded Euros
Thanks for your help!
Ciquo
P.S.: I already contacted the FP service. They said I could sent it in but all my data will be lost if they repair it…
smells like a defective core module / motherboard
if it were the display it should still turn on and vibrate
but it doesn’t respond at all. despite the new battery and button module
So I think it was wasted money and the FP3 is broken.
Even an angel won’t help you there
If FP repairs it, of course all data will be gone. they don’t bother reading the data. you simply swap the motherboard.
a data rescue service takes the trouble to go directly to the flash memory and read out the raw data. but that costs the said money
Yes, this is a problem with the notion that a phone can be repaired DIY, buying parts and using finances and time to resolve, not a great sustainability idea.
Let’s hope you can sell the new parts if you don’t invest in a new FP3 and maybe a #fairphoneangel can use the older phone for testing and parts.
You may be able to sell the screen and modules etc. via this forum
I read from a few people that they had the same problem. First problems with charging: sometimes not detecting the cable, sometimes charging very slow (sometimes just 20% overnight), sometimes everything was fine. Then it just died.
I just took the whole thing apart due to the ifixit teardown and clead all the contacts with isopropanol. Hopefully it will work after I let it dry. Otherwise I will look around for a service that reads out the intenal flash and is affordable (any recommendations in germany?).
Nevertheless my fairphone journey ends here. I had the FP3 for a little more than 2 years and problems began already after about one year (charging problems, dust getting in the lense, really bad photos, freezing) and after all it was the phone with the shortest lifetime I ever had.
Yes! I wouldn’t have bought if it wasn’t for the Fair trade aspect and have never recommeded the phone to anyone.
Still I have two, one that was dropped in the toilet and both are fine after two years.
Your use may not be suitable for a modular phone, for although I work in a dusty, field and wood burning environment I have no problems but I do have the slow/rapid charging issues that make no sense.
Hm, I work in a regular office job and have not more dust around me than the average person. Nevermind, mybe I come back in a few years to FP when the quality got better…
Cleaning and reassembling of the whole Phone did solve the problem If nobody else has an idea i would be glad if somebody maybe has a Tipp for an affordable Data Rescue Service
I think Ciquo probably meant “did not solve the problem”. Unsurprising given the general diagnosis of motherboard failure to which I would also subscribe, though a thorough cleaning was worth doing nonetheless.
Just a pity the phone was no longer under guarantee, but let’s note that the FP4 successor comes with a much longer guarantee period.
@everyone_except_Incanus (who is sufficiently wise ) this is also yet another reminder of the importance of doing your backups. Or, even better in many ways, taking steps to make sure your important data are synchronised automatically.
If you used the phone with all the Google stuff on default, a lot of your data like contacts and photos might actually be automatically backed up on your Google account. Have you tried to install your account on a different phone?
OldRoutard was right, I didnt mean to write “not”. I already checked my google account, no backup there
Fortunately we have the right in Germany to return products bought online within 2 weeks and get a full refund. When I asked Faitphone about that they refunded the money and said that they dont want the product back due to the high efford of handling. That might make sense from an economical point of view but it is not sustainable at all since I dont have a use for that. I know this kind of behavior from amazon etc but did not expect it from fairphone. I will try selling the parts on ebay so they will be used in the end…
Thanks for all your help. Maybe I will open a thread if somebody has experience with reading out the data of the internal memory
Hello, Ciquo. I am very sorry for your bad experience.
Just to inform you, in this forum there is a “marketplace” section to buy and sell Fairphone related products. Maybe you will find more people interested here.
What are you selling? A new lower module? I might be interested.
I am not sure, if they will accept it, since you got the phone for free.
But you could try the “Reuse & Recycle program” https://fairphone.cadaoz.com/en/device
And you could opt for local recycling “drop-off” points.
That would be more sustainable than mailing the phone hundreds of kilometers for the same purpose.
Just a short question.
When opening the thread you wrote, that the phone died one year ago and you were looking for help to recover your data.
Now you write, that the phone was fully refunded for dying within 2 weeks of purchase.
Is this the same phone? Then hopefully you didn’t lose too much data/photos collected in less than two weeks.
And in that case it seems like a faulty device from the beginning which (unfortunately) can happen anytime with all kinds of products. But seems like Fairphone did refund you without any troubles. Good to read.
As Mixigodo said, your best option is probably to sell the spare battery and bottom module in the “Market” category of this forum. You could also bundle the phone itself for spare parts, possibly retaining the motherboard.
Alternatively you might donate the whole lot to a nearby fairphoneangel “heaven” (there are a good number in Germany) which would ensure the materials get put to good use
) this is also yet another reminder of the importance of doing your backups. Or, even better in many ways, taking steps to make sure your important data are synchronised automatically.
. Chek this post: