yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] paul_one:
cheers, I basically work in converted warehouses close to the sea, sometimes go into server rooms, and wouldn't want my volume going haywire because of it.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Tung_meister:
I don't understand how this issue has slipped through onto production handsets. Since O2 are officially stocking and supporting the phone there is no way it won't have been through tests on their network before sale so surely this issue would have presented itself then. This leads me to believe the issue is probably related to the first production batch that's entered the UK or it somehow is a software bug that's only presented itself in the production ROM rather than the preproduction one that was probably used during testing.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
It's pretty obvious that the networks and Samsung / Google themselves haven't fully tested the phones. Already the O2 shop that I bought my handsets from have told me that they shall be stopping sale of the handsets in their store due to the problem, and shall be advising headquarters to stop sales countrywide.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] originlabs:
I bought mine on three yesterday, but am currently using my T-Mobile sim until my number ports. I've tried all the steps to reproduce (ie, locked to 2g, make calls, load webpages, wifi on/off, etc, but can't seem to reproduce this issue.

I'll see if I can borrow a friends O2 sim tonight to try.

Also, there have been no problems using the 3 Sim, as I assume that when it roams to 2G it uses the Orange network, which is still 1800Mhz.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] justabrake:
maybe a case will help
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Tung_meister:
I can't see how nether O2 nor Vodafone didn't do basic tests such as switching between 2G and 3G.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Chrono_Tata:
I have the same button placements on my old Galaxy S. You get used to it. :P When I first switched to the Galaxy S it took me about a week to get used to it cause my old phone had the rocker on the opposite side.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] WhiteHartMart:
Not that it helps if you have the problem - but I cannot force the issue at all using my 3 sim - I'm guessing as above that the 2G network they use isn't effecting the phone like the others?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
Vodafone have done testing and are holding back on selling the phone

What do you wanna bet that it's to do with this problem, eh?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] HUNZwiebel:
Yes, I have read it, and I'm just confused because I thought that in the UK there aren't any area where the data coming only on GPRS or on EDGE.

Btw, I hope they will can solve this issue...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] justabrake:
That's a good question, nobody said that yet
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] TonyHoyle:
There aren't that many where *nobody* provides 3G, but for any given provider there will be (often quite large) 2G only places.. and they're often not where you expect - I've had great reception in the middle of the peak district and zero reception in cities.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] jms.flynn:
So i have a replacement unit waiting for me at Phones4U, do i even bother going and exchanging it.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
yes, because at the very least it will highlight the issue to Phones4u, who should then pass on to Samsung / Google that there are issues.

Can almost guarantee that you will have the same problem with the replacement handset, though.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] gstadt:
Bet its more to do with Vodafone-specific apps
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] her0n:
In the meantime, Volume Control+ helps a little. If you lock the volume in the app settings, the app will do the 'fighting' for you.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] si450:
I don’t think this is purely coincidence but I’ve not managed to get the volume down bug whilst browsing in landscape, happens quite often in portrait, sometimes occurs as soon as I turn back to portrait whilst a page is refreshing. I've tried to keep my fingers on the volume slider in landscape but not recreatred issue so far. Anyone else want to confirm?

---------- Post added at 04:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:03 PM ----------

I'm sure I'm right about this no matter how bonkers it sounds!
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Tung_meister:
I'm sure if Vodafone had come across the issue they would have notified Samsung who would have in turn notified O2 and delayed the release themselves.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kristovaher:
Everyone who ordered from Clove, their awesome team is actually going to test couple of phones with 2G and O2 SIM before shipping.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] justabrake:
What exactly does a network have to do with volume on the phone

how can the network inter fear with volume
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
RF interference.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] justabrake:
has there ever been another phone that had RF interference on a phone to make it's volume react this way
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
I don't know, I don't have an encyclopaedic knowledge of every phone ever made.

I can tell you though that RF interference, particularly from 2G frequencies, can affect electronics.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] ref1ux:
Had this for a minute or so the other day, but I've had the phone for 3 days and that was it. Hoping for a fix soon but it's not a biggie for me.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Tom Servo:
Well, here's a test for anyone with a Galaxy Nexus (especially with that problem) that still owns his older Android phone:

Put your SIM card back into the old phone, configure it to GSM only, put the Nexus in Airplane mode (to disable everything, including emergency mode (I think)) then put the old phone with its ass close or next to the volume rocker of the Nexus. Maybe even overlap the phones, to have the antenna on top of it. GSM antennas are required to be at the bottom of the phone. Fiddle with the old phone to generate some radio traffic.

If you can manage to cause the volume drop that way, it's definitely RF.

--edit: I guess given that the wavelength of 900MHz is around 33cm, you don't need to be too exact with the placement, but right on top hammers the most power into it.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Rasty_plus:
with volume control + we can fix it?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Duddyroar:
This should get Samsung and Google's attention.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] aly19:
so if my network is only 3G i won't have this issue then?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kristovaher:
No, but you will have the issue when you drop to 2G for whatever reason or when traveling to areas of 2G, like majority of Europe, Australia, Africa and most of Asia.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] sblantipodi:
buffer overruns is software problem that doesn't need to occur also in case of problems because they must be managed.

this means anything so please don't create unuseful beliefs
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kristovaher:
Clove has received SIM-free stock now. Additional information from Clove, according to Clove, Samsung is already aware of this situation.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] dcsworld:
Hi, just to jump on bandwagon, i have a simfree nexus from O2, using a O2 simcard.

i didnt detect a problem initally

Then i thought id try 2g, so i go into settings and tick the "Use 2G networks only" option, and then messed around turning Wireless on and off, lo and behold, the volume goes wild!! quite random though, cant reproduce it 100% of the time
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] CJSnet:
As per my suggestion , forcing the phone into 3G only is the best current workaround.

If this idea helps you feel free to click Thanks. Thanks!
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] timshields:
Response from Samsung on FB

Lets flood their inbox :)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] justabrake:
So is this going to be a recall
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
until you can prove that those buffer overruns are not caused by the RF interference, this is all the information we have.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kristovaher:
Yes, it seems Samsung has finally woken up. Took a lot more effort than we hoped, but at least they have responded to most of the posts on their Facebook wall now. Attention from Engadget, CNET and others likely helped quite a bit.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Shodney:
Im afraid to say it, but that triggered the problem :(
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
it's about time.

---------- Post added at 05:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------

and there we have it people - undeniable proof that this is a hardware related issue
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Duddyroar:
I'd take that statement with a massive pile of salt. I highly doubt that Samsung have solved the issue that quickly.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] sblantipodi:
yes but this information don't prove any hardware issues, buffer overruns are software issues that may be caused by hardware but you can't say that the problem is in the hardware for sure.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] bigf00t:
Brilliant.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] raggers:
I've got this problem, bought from Three store in Crewe. Seemed to happen in low signal areas i think cause i'm working elsewhere in the country and its fine now
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] sblantipodi:
do you know that rf interference is normal and that an rf interference don't need to create a buffer overrun?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
this proves it is a hardware issue related to RF interference

---------- Post added at 05:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:33 PM ----------

you are ignoring the facts - an external device caused the exact same fault.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] sblantipodi:
this proves that we find the reason of the buffer overrun that is a software problem, as I sayed don't talk about things that you don't understood.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
you are grossly mistaken.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Chrono_Tata:
While it's pretty much obvious that the hardware is causing the issue I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the issue can be fixed with a driver update somehow. Having to wait weeks till they roll out a new production batch and going to exchange my phone isn't my idea of a fun time.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] JonyEpsilon:
Oh dear. I'd hate to be the head of QA at Samsung right now!

Jony
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Chrono_Tata:
You mean the ex-head of QA. ;)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Phrive:
I just did this with a Galaxy Tab on TalkMobile, a Nexus S on Vodaphone, and a HTC Desire on Orange...

The Galaxy Tab and the Nexus S triggered it, the Desire did nothing.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] :
right then, also just got to the uk to pick up my phone, same issue as all the others.

Told you guys, picking samsung as nexus maker (again) huuuuge mistake.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
your findings confirm the 900MHz problem, since Orange does not operate on 900MHz...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] TonyHoyle:
The reason isn't hard to imagine... a driver written to handle someone pressing the volume button max. 20 times every second suddenly gets hundreds, possibly thousands of 'button press' interrupts at once.

We're lucky they coded it well enough not to fall over completely...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Roni1979:
Would be interesting if Orange in Austria works on 900MHZ. Otherwise it would be good for me to get my Galaxy Nexus in two weeks...otherwise I´ve to wait....it would be very sad
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] qwerp_:
i can confirm the RF interference triggers the bug. here is the prove in a video of my GN interfere by a N1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIFRYY25fDo
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
what network was the Nexus One running on?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] qwerp_:
tesco mobile (o2)

switch to 2G mode only.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Tom Servo:
Hope people don't forget to credit me for enabling to prove this once for all. :cool:
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
so we have three people who have been able to successfully replicate the problem by putting the phone into airplane mode, and then bringing a completely different phone that runs on 900MHz in close proximity to the Galaxy Nexus.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] justabrake:
And oscillik,kristovaher for staying with it. Thanks
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] paul_one:
what the hell is samsung playing at!? improper rf shielding means any stray signal with the right power can cause your volume to suddenly drop..

Geez, when I saw the cpu and camera specs I thought samsung were being cheap, but skimping on the basic shielding of a radio transmitter? ...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] LadFromWales85:
Brand new out of box from o2 as of 6PM. No SIM in phone due to it being locked and me wanting to use a Vodafone SIM in it.

Gone through the setup wizard, held another phone (o2) near it, and down goes the volume.

I think I'll box it up before I get attached to it.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] pnnorth:
Interesting!

We now have the Samsung Galaxy Nexus in stock at Clove Technology and will begin shipping orders tomorrow. We are aware that some users that purchased handsets from other outlets last week have reported problems with the volume changing erratically. We have been in touch with Samsung regarding this and have been told that our stock has since been through an additional quality control check and should not have the problem. Nonetheless, we will also be testing several handsets ourselves to check for the problem this evening.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Matcarroll:
Do we think this issue could be having a negative impact on my battery?

Some people are reporting a great battery life but coming from a iphone 3gs, great battery life ISNT something i can report! I am having this erratic volume problem though and whilst its happening, if i am texting or emailing, i get severe slowdown from the keyboard. My battery has been terrible and i am hoping this and various other issues may improve it.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] kristovaher:
I've just been trying to rough enough feathers while I don't even have the phone yet. It's great what all the people have done trying to test the handset out. It is proven now that this happens on most likely in majority (if not all) handsets released in UK last week.

Only question remaining is if it is a major design flaw by Samsung, or a flawed batch. If former, then this problem will take a long time to fix and will possibly include a recall of all devices. If latter, then things are a bit better, but everyone who has the faulty device must still get their device replaced with one that actually works. I guess we will find the answer to this out in the next day or two, now that new batch is about to be released.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] paul_one:
my reaction: awwoooh-ho-ho, ho-ho-wwww... That's so sad!

I know what you are feeling and its painfully funny, like bashing your own knee under a table... Maybe try to get a refund as the hardware is clearly faulty and fit for purpose.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Tom Servo:
Might just be a manufacturing error, where the shielding component has gaps where there shouldn't be some.

Given that Samsung's so damn bold in claiming that currently arriving stock doesn't have that issue anymore means either:

a) They're lying through their teeth.

-or-

b) They noticed the issue themselves, but are trying to get rid of the faulty devices anyway, in hopes that some people learn to live with it, while others bother carriers and their warranties.

I hope it's b), because I have a phone pre-ordered.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Shodney:
Yeah, heres my video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXjARxvErjk

So if Samsung knew there was an issue and put some through further testing, why have they been largely ignoring it?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] justabrake:
Make a poll and see what we really think
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] LadFromWales85:
Can I take your post seriously or are you being sarcastic?

I'm assuming you mean not fit for purpose? Fit for purpose it certainly isn't. If the phones own radios are causing phantom button presses it's a serious problem.

I doubt every other phone on the market has been designed to ignore these presses at a software level. The phone is probably missing a piece of shielding hardware that costs fractions of a penny yet causes problems like this. Who knows what other problems it is causing to the phone.

I'm in no rush, I'll get this sent back, and will order another one once this problem is rectified. It's not something I am going to be able to live with, living in North Wales with no 3G at home and weak 3G at work.

Shame :(
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
Can someone please try to do this test, but while the phone is in either Bootloader or Recovery mode?

this can once and for all rule out Android as being a culprit here.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] qwerp_:
i believe this happens in boot loader as well.

because when i first got it, first item on the list is to oem unlock.

i switch into bootloader, and the volume button got jammed up (nothing hit me at that time, but it does reflex to me now).

and i have to pull the battery out and start again.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] TonyHoyle:
Suspect b). Recalls are expensive, and it would have meant slipping the release date (cue much embarrassment). Cheaper to replace the phones of the people affected - especially if they thought it wasn't that severe.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] dodo1431:
I'm on o2 and can replicate the issue with the phone on 2g and also with another o2 phone next to the nexus on 2g. I find it bonkers they haven't tested the device at 900mhz before release.

It seems to me this is both a hardware and software issue, I'm sure it could be fixed with a hardware change. But I don't see why the volume control driver cannot be changed to not accept the hundreds or indeed thousands of button presses per second, and only accept them if they come in once every 0.1 seconds or so.

I would expect a software update in the coming weeks.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] robrob777:
I guess I won't buy it for now, almost pulled the trigger on an imported GN here in the US.

on a side note, If the RF does this to the phone, imagine what it does to you... Use wired headsets guys...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] qwerp_:
here is a video to confirm that it happens in boot loader as well..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_mO_K7OYR0
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
that wouldn't help at all. doesn't matter whether it only accepts one button press at a time or not, the RF interference will still make your volume change.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Phrive:
Can confirm this happens in the bootloader also.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Chirality:
You can't fix this with software if the button is triggering a hardware interrupt in the CPU.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
please don't start with the cancer bull. RF cannot cause cancer. Ionising Radiation causes cancer. Phones do not put out ionising radiation.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] paul_one:
oops, sorry, I did indeed miss the 'not' out (I wrote it one way, then rewrote it, and due to my xoom keyboard lag, I missed it).
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Spinstorm:
RF interference behind Galaxy Nexus volume bug, here is a fix for now:

http://gazedice.com/2011/11/21/rf-interference-bug-behind-galaxy-nexus-volume-bug/
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Shodney:
Yeah, it happens in Bootloader.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Chirality:
I'm afraid I have some bad news for you...
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
that is not a fix that just sets the phone to only use 3G and HSPA bands, which is useless if you happen to stand in an area that has poor 3G/HSPA reception.

---------- Post added at 06:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:38 PM ----------

this bad news?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Tom Servo:
Actually you can. You time delay the actual volume changing action, while tracking the speed of GPIO interrupts related to the button presses. If it's too fast, ignore it. It still means that the CPU gets woken/interrupted to run driver code every event.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Shodney:
Why are people even suggesting this as a fix? All it means is that at the point where you would have had the volume problem before you will now have no signal instead, making the phone equally as unusable.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Evostance:
What else can we test that is RF? Has anyone tried putting it near a radio antenna or will that no cause an issue?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
how can you get the phone to tell the difference between an intentional volume change, and an RF interference, when as far as the OS is concerned, the button is being pressed in both instances?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Chirality:
Exactly, CPU interrupts triggering context switches to kernel mode handlers are very expensive. Even if the volume doesn't change you are going to have a quite unresponsive system.

---------- Post added at 01:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:42 PM ----------

You do realize that you can have RF radiation of higher strength than what cellphones put out, right?
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] CJSnet:
Nice of Gazedice to thank me for coming up with the idea :D "Thanks user Cjsnet!"

Whilst it's not a "fix", it is a pretty good workaround, and will quite often force to phone into a 3G state when otherwise it would've given up and gone with 2G.

I'm pleased to provide the full workaround specific to the Galaxy Nexus:

In the dialer type *#*#4636#*#*

Click "Phone information"

Tap "GSM/CDMA auto (PRL)" [or whatever is just above the "Turn off radio" button]

Select "WCDMA only"

Tap Home and you're done!

If this helps you feel free to click Thanks!... ;)
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] paul_one:
you also miss the point that if a user were to press the button whilst these signals were being processed, it wouldn't be able to tell tthe difference and so you wouldn't be able to lower the volume for a valid reason.

unless there's an analogue to digital converter here, where the sensitivity can be adjusted to get rid of the rf signal, I can only see a hardware corretpction 'fixing' this. especially as you said, cpu ticks would be used up, meaning lower performance and battery.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] dodo1431:
It's not a great fix, I know, but it is a software based fix Samsung may opt for, saving them many £'s in a recall.

Because one happens lots of times per second and one only happens a few times per second, the difference can be picked out by new code.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] qwerp_:
its not just about the phone.

it can be easily be interfere my your neighbouring friends. so, switching to 3G mode does not help.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
yes i do. and such RF causes heat. the worst you would get is a burn.

not cancer, since cancer is caused by ionising radiation.

anyway. enough derailing the thread...

This information needs to be passed onto Samsung since it is so very blatantly a hardware fault.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] CJSnet:
Can we make this sticky or add it to the first post to help all the others out? I'm on O2 in London and finding it a pretty good workaround - in fact I get a "H" or "3G" connection more often than before.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] qwerp_:
is it time to mass spam samsung UK, or even samsung international?

i just sent a email to

uk.technical@samsung.com

complaint about the problem.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] adrianblack:
I had an i-Mate JAQ Windows Mobile smartphone and it had a similar problem. Using the 850Mhz AT&T band in the US would cause it to keep pushing the "9" key on the keyboard. It was worse when the phone was up against your body or face (like when talking on it)

This horrible video I shot shows it happening when loading a webpage over EDGE. Each "tick" you head when I put it close to my chest is the 9 being pushed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCiQoBzW1D4

I contacted i-Mate and they told me this was a hardware flaw with RF interference on that band and there was no solution. (The phone was already out of production when I bought it.)

I fear Samsung will have to recall all of the phone sold already to fix this.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] Tom Servo:
GPIO is based on triggering. Either something's happened or not. The system won't be able to discern between actual button presses or RF induced ghosting. All it thinks it knows is that the volume button's being pressed repeatedly. The only thing you can do is calculate the frequency and ignore the events based on that. Since it doesn't know the difference, actual presses will forcibly be ignored, if they happen during ghosting.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] oscillik:
exactly my point.
[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] sblantipodi:
sent an email, hope the others will do the same.