[Galaxy Note 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] shonkin:
I'm no hardware guru, but have a minor league rep among my friends for being able to resurrect computers and phones. The other day, a friend handling his company's phone needs handed me a OnePlus 2, made in China back in 2015 and which caused quite a buzz as "The Flagship Killer." "Do what you can... it's all yours," he said. Hmm.

The problem with my new problem phone remains undiagnosed, though the symptoms are many spontaneous reboots and sometimes just downright lock-ups with black screen. Now... what would *you* do with your Samsung Note 4 if you got a lock-up? I'll answer that rhetorical question. I'd open up the back of the phone (about five seconds) pop out the battery, pop it back in (about 3 seconds), close up the back and hit the on button. And nearly always, it reboots happily.

You just don't know how good you have it until you are faced with this same task holding a OnePlus2 (or any OnePlus if I understand right). First, off comes the back of the phone. Five seconds, cool. BUT... what is this? A second "inner" back, this one with - count 'em - 18 tiny phillips head screws. Oh, and six of them have tiny rubber plugs over the top of 'em. And oh, don't forget to remove the dual sim card holder before you pull that baby off. And when you unscrew that little last screw with the white paper top on it? You *just voided your warranty*. (Though the 2015 date on these makes that unimportant now.)

A heck of a lot longer than what I described with the Note 4 in this situation. Hold your Note 4 in your hand and be glad.... be very glad.

But now comes the battery. It isn't easily removable (wedged tightly into its seat and taped beneath with some infernal stuff). But the good news, unless you're replacing it, is this: Unplug it, replug it. A little square plug that though odd can be undone with the edge of a finger nail. Plug it back in. And let's say the phone reboots with out trouble.

Great! So now I put the back(s) on again, after all those screws... only to have the phone suddenly lock up again. And not start. With any button combination.

The only Note 4 I've seen do that consistently is one smitten with the dreaded emmc memory errors. But the OnePlus community forums are filled with people trying to figure out how to reboot their phones after such mysterious shut-downs. Half of the "answers" look suspiciously like voodoo. Look, the OnePlus2 is a year newer than the Note 4, and it does have a really nice fingerprint pad right on the front. And it works great (I did get to use it for a while before it once again shut off). But did I mention that though it can run two sim cards, neither one will allow for a micro-sd card? Look again at your lowly Note 4, and be glad.

I am *really* loving my Samsung Note 4 right now. And whatever comes in the future, any phone I use must have a removable battery, not to mention the extra micro-sd slot. The OnePlus 2? Pretty much, because of the insane battery design, this is how *not* to engineer a phone. (I won't diss the not so great screen... because I have a Note 4 with a great screen and mocking others without such a nice screen just wouldn't be nice.)

So... what have we learned?

Never buy a phone without an easily removable battery.

Never buy a phone that restarts constantly, in part because of (see above line).

And....

Look again at your Note 4, which you own. Yes, you made that decision. You could have had a OnePlus2. Yikes! And good job!!