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Some Early Nexus 6 Units Returned Over Startup Bug

Posted by timothy on from the radiation-from-the-offworld-colonies dept.

The Register reports that Motorola has issued a recall for an early batch of its hotly anticipated new Nexus 6 smartphones that were sold through U.S. mobile carrier AT&T, owing to a software glitch that can reportedly causes the devices to boot to a black screen. ... AT&T retail stores have reportedly been told to return their existing inventory of the Nexus 6 and wait for new units to arrive from Motorola, which has already corrected the problem on its assembly line. Any customer who brings a defective unit into an AT&T store will receive a replacement. Motorola's memo to stores says that only initial shipments were affected, and that the problem has been identified. However, as the article mentions, there's thus far less luck for those like me who've found that at least some original Nexus 7 tablets do not play nicely with Lollipop. (The effects look nice, but it's never a good sign to see "System UI isn't responding. Do you want to close it?" on a tablet's screen.)

39 comments

  1. What's old is new again by ArcadeMan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    System UI isn't responding. Do you want to close it?

    How are you going to close it if the system UI isn't responding? Isn't that like the old "Keyboard not found. Press F1 to continue." PC error?

    --
    Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
    1. Re:What's old is new again by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1

      How about the Slashdot error where http://slashdot.org/messages.pl doesn't seem to have anything, even new JEs?
      What: are they trying to force people to read the front page? That's like RTFA, or something.

      --
      Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
    2. Re: What's old is new again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just pull out the battery, dumbass. Wait,what? You were that much of a dumbass to buy a phone without a removable battery? Wow, you are dumber than George W. Bush!

    3. Re:What's old is new again by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Yeah, what's up with that? I usually see at least a half-dozen JEs from you ever week. They're my excuse for drinking early.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:What's old is new again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What: are they trying to force people to read the front page?

      Well, yeah! That's where the money making spam is. Why would they want to help you avoid that? :-)

      I'm sure Slashdot is for sale. Any takers?

      Posting AC, because hey, what's the point of signing in anymore?

      -f

    5. Re:What's old is new again by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 2

      System UI is the application which controls the navigation bar (back, home, recent) and the status bar/notification shade.

      The dialog for non-responsive applications is controlled by something else.

    6. Re:What's old is new again by ourlovecanlastforeve · · Score: 1

      I don't know why it's 2014 and error messages still don't just tell you what the actual problem is.

      Why not have the error say:

      "The application that displays the navigation bar stopped because of an error it couldn't recover from. I will now restart it. [OK]"

      Because restarting it is the only action that could possibly be taken.

      It doesn't make sense to tell the user that "system UI has stopped." The user doesn't care that "system UI has stopped." The user wants to know what the problem it is and have the only logical action taken for them.

      Saying that "system UI has stopped" and waiting for the user to perform some action breaks one of the fundamental principles of software design: Never make the user do something the software can do for them.

    7. Re:What's old is new again by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      Because that is likely a generic crash handler, and when you've crashed you cant exactly ask the crashed application what its purpose is. If your app WizzBang crashes, how is the crash dialog going to know what its job is?

      Easiest thing to do is to day "[App Name] isnt responding. Would you like to close it?"

      Why not just restart it? Because that could cause a crash loop. Maybe a recent change broke something necessary for the app to run.

    8. Re: What's old is new again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, that would even be dumber than Obama.

  2. OS issue by mrbester · · Score: 1

    It's also reported that the affected units are running Android 4.4.4 instead of the expected Lollipop. I'm sure that has nothing to do with it either...

    --
    "Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
    1. Re:OS issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The affected units are running an old version of Android because ATT needed to install carrier bloat on them. So the new Nexus from ATT has carrier bloat, running an outdated Android, and somehow ATT (and only ATT) managed to write a bug that causes the phone to brick. Meanwhile, none of the Nexus 6 users on other carriers, or people who purchased the phone outright and brought it to ATT (without the carrier bloat) are having problems.

      My question is: Why do people continue to purchase branded phones from the carrier?

    2. Re:OS issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My question is: Why do people continue to purchase branded phones from the carrier?

      For the carrier subsidy and the fact that, as you wrote, "none of the Nexus 6 users on other carriers ... are having problems."

  3. Oh noes, it's Nexusgate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It's the end of Apple, err... I mean Google!

    1. Re:Oh noes, it's Nexusgate by Moof123 · · Score: 1

      My thoughts exactly.

  4. Nexus 6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought it was well known that The Nexus 6 models had issues. Thankfully they'll only last four years at best.

    1. Re:Nexus 6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      These are android devices we're talking about here. Try 6 months.

      #defectivebydesign

    2. Re: Nexus 6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My nexus 4 barely lasted two years. First the headphone jack died, then the bottom of the screen, then the sim card reader. So it doesn't really surprise me that there are flaws in the new nexus, although I would have guessed hardware issues rather than software ones. Never buying another nexus, especially not a 650 dollar one.

    3. Re:Nexus 6 by plj · · Score: 1

      I thought it was well known that The Nexus 6 models had issues. Thankfully they'll only last four years at best.

      I still think they're defective by design. Heed my words: there'll be more trouble down the road unless the entire model line is cancelled.

      If Goo^H^H^HTyrell insists shipping them, then at least they should be kept off-world at all costs!

      --
      “Wait for Hurd if you want something real” –Linus
    4. Re: Nexus 6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've owned 2 Motorola phones in the last few years, both had screen failures way too soon. The first I chalked up to "shit happens" but the second on failed in a similar way. Oh, and the second on had a headphone jack failure and I hardly ever used it. Would not buy again. My S5 is doing great so far.

    5. Re: Nexus 6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoosh?

    6. Re:Nexus 6 by miller701 · · Score: 1

      The fact that it's a Nexus 6 Android actually makes me want to buy it

  5. This helps... sometimes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://9to5google.com/2014/11/19/2012-edition-nexus-7-running-slow-after-installing-lollipop-this-might-help/

  6. Screwing with it for bloatware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Somehow I see it as AT&T insisting on putting their crap on the unit instead of leaving it vanilla. Just like my Nexus player it did not come with 5.0 but immediately downloaded it when it was turned on and connected to the Internet. I imagine their bloatware was not tested on 4.4.4 for the N6 and it caused an issue.

    BTW, Lollipop is far from perfect. I am going to have to wipe my N5 because of continual issues with bluetooth and even it not asking for the password when booting even though it's encrypted.

  7. People still buying Motorola phones? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I certainly won't buy another one. Had a Motorola Backflip (ME600) back in 2011. The phone's hardware was OK, but the software was shit. The SMS messaging app would sometimes burn 20~40% CPU time in the background, slowing the whole phone to a crawl, even if you weren't using it. After 2 months the phone would be slow to dial numbers. I click "dial" and nothing happens, go back to the home screen. A minute later it starts connecting the call. Did a factory reset, installed nothing to the phone, problem came back. Fuck Motorola. They STILL have problems with their software. Never again.

    1. Re:People still buying Motorola phones? by wiredlogic · · Score: 1

      Motorola changed its act after Google sunk its claws into them. The current lineup is stripped of most bloatware and many of the power optimization strategies for lollipop have already been implemented in them. This is an issue with ATT's crappy customization job. The unlocked phones with pristine firmware work fine.

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
  8. Android Frankenstein is crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and Lollipop introduction is a complete disaster.

  9. built to a price/performance spec by Virtucon · · Score: 1

    All built to Google's spec. What's unfortunate is having to wait for a replacement after you shelled out over $600 bucks for one. Should have bought Samsung maybe? Note: I'm upgrading from a Note 2 and after seeing this I'm definitely thinking Note 4 now.

    --
    Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
    1. Re:built to a price/performance spec by Pinky's+Brain · · Score: 1

      I don't really like Samsung phones (I tend to go for low end phones, LG and Sony tend to have better offers) but I don't get the Knox thing. It's a security feature which requires system integrity, and after a platform has been compromised they flat out don't trust it any more ... seems sensible to me.

    2. Re: built to a price/performance spec by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OK, they have the right to void the warranty if one flashed unsigned ROM, but Knox warranty bit is set even if you flash older firmware from Samsung. Buying Samsung to play with alternative Roms like GPE or CM is highly unrecommended.

  10. This fix helped my Nexus 7 by Agrippa · · Score: 3, Informative

    Clearing the system cache significantly sped up my Nexus 7

    http://9to5google.com/2014/11/19/2012-edition-nexus-7-running-slow-after-installing-lollipop-this-might-help/

    1. Re:This fix helped my Nexus 7 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This made a very noticable difference, especially with things like loading/using the on screen keyboard on my Nexus 7 2012. Posting anon because I upvoted parent post...

  11. built to a price/performance spec by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For me Scheissung never again: Galaxy S4 noisy internal components, more than 50% swelled batteries in less than one year, terrible assembly quality (made in Vietnam) of flagship Tab series (they sell it for the same price as iPad for God's sake!), Knox eFuse....and something personal: for me oled displays are color fuzzy and much worse to read than LCD (and I am not talking about PenTile devices here).

  12. I just want you to know by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1

    My commitment to your hydration ain't flagon.

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  13. Glitch by Curunir_wolf · · Score: 1

    owing to a software glitch that can reportedly causes the devices to boot to a black screen.

    Oh, a "glitch"? Really? That's the explanation, right? That's all we need to know?

    Really sick of all this dumbed-down "tech news" these days. Is there a new phone out? Oh, then no tech news! Idiots.

    "Glitch" - it's why the IRS lost a bunch of people's emails. It's why nobody could sign up for Obamacare - oh, "it was a glitch". Why did the UK ground all flights for most of a day back it May? Oh, it was a "glitch".

    I'm really getting sick of this shit. Is the general public really this stupid?

    --
    "Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
    --- Jerry Garcia
    1. Re:Glitch by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Oh, a "glitch"? Really? That's the explanation, right? That's all we need to know?

      It's probably all that is publicly known at this time. But the urge to be first with a story leads to a tendency to fill in the details later.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  14. My Nexus 5 had the same issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The replacement works like a champ.

  15. Is anyone surprised? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping...."

  16. Good thing it wasn't apple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The /. severs would crash due to all of the outrage. Fortunately it was only an Android phone. Rest easy boys.

    1. Re:Good thing it wasn't apple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn straight! Can you imagine the backlash if that were an iPhone?! We'd have some sort of "startup-gate" crap in the news everywhere, but because it's an Android phone nobody cares.