Some quick comments:
The flickering could be the result of a known bug in the automatic brightness setting. They’re still working on a permanent fix, but there is a workaround.
The software update released today addresses some memory issues that were leading to frequent crashes of the phone - this may also help with the service crash you experienced.
The phone is notoriously picky about chargers (though it seems to be better after the update). It could be that using a different charger will breathe life back in to the device.
I’m also tagging @anon48893843, as he may be able to help.