Bricked Galaxy watch 4

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188 posts

Master Geek

#3001767 26-Nov-2022 16:08

Mine is on GVK4. Got this watch update a few days ago and was surprised to find my watch flat the next day (as in COMPLETELY flat) at a time of day I would normally have loads of battery left. I have tiny wrists so am wearing the 40mm galaxy watch 4 which does have a smaller battery life than it's bigger brother. Anyway I should have been OK for another 10-11 hours. After I charged it from 0, I noted I was losing 20% of battery every hour, which is obviously not satisfactory! I was going to google for similar experiences in the coming days but the problem appears to have sorted itself before I got the chance to do a search. I'm now getting slightly better battery life than previously. It wasn't clear at all in the battery info what was causing it. There was no apps that had suddenly become very blood thirsty, all app usage was was as expected & as previously. Maybe it needed time to bed this new update in (for lack of a better more technical term). Not sure if I ever had the GVI3 firmware. I expect I did as I usually download all updates soon after being offered them. Luckily I didn't have the issue myself if I was on that version previously.

Sorry to hear of your experiences, but good to hear that the retailer are now following up with this as they should.

klyster

105 posts

Master Geek

#3001770 26-Nov-2022 16:17

Gordy7:

Gulp... How long did the watch take to brick with GVI3 firmware?

Just did a firmware update on my Watch 4... shows GVK4 on the end of the software version number.

Is GVK4 a rapid update on GVI3 by Samsung to overcome a bricking problem?

My watch has been running for 10 minute since the firmware update.

I had no idea I had GVI3 installed.

I restarted my watch at work as the bluetooth audio control was being a bit gammy, restarted both watch and phone (S22U), only the phone restarted.

The watch was at around 60-70% battery.

The only way I knew I had GVI3 as the firmware was that it was listed in the Galaxy Wearable app/About Watch/Software Information/Software Version/R890XXU1GVI3

A quick google and I discovered I was not alone.

I have heard GVK4 has bricked a few watches too.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyWatch/comments/yxh9p7/following_the_gvk4_update_did_your_watch_brick_or/

I hope yours is all good though.

klyster

105 posts

Master Geek

#3001771 26-Nov-2022 16:23

catspyjamas:

Mine is on GVK4. Got this watch update a few days ago and was surprised to find my watch flat the next day (as in COMPLETELY flat) at a time of day I would normally have loads of battery left. I have tiny wrists so am wearing the 40mm galaxy watch 4 which does have a smaller battery life than it's bigger brother. Anyway I should have been OK for another 10-11 hours. After I charged it from 0, I noted I was losing 20% of battery every hour, which is obviously not satisfactory! I was going to google for similar experiences in the coming days but the problem appears to have sorted itself before I got the chance to do a search. I'm now getting slightly better battery life than previously. It wasn't clear at all in the battery info what was causing it. There was no apps that had suddenly become very blood thirsty, all app usage was was as expected & as previously. Maybe it needed time to bed this new update in (for lack of a better more technical term). Not sure if I ever had the GVI3 firmware. I expect I did as I usually download all updates soon after being offered them. Luckily I didn't have the issue myself if I was on that version previously.

Sorry to hear of your experiences, but good to hear that the retailer are now following up with this as they should.

You're not alone.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyWatch/comments/z1z2nj/bad_battery_life_since_gvk4_update/

And thank you.

klyster

105 posts

Master Geek

#3001772 26-Nov-2022 16:25

Jase2985:

Jase2985:

hmmm been running that firmware for a while now

so seems like it happens when if the battery goes flat. It wont charge and wont power back on.

My battery was 60-70% but I restarted myself.

catspyjamas

188 posts

Master Geek

#3001800 26-Nov-2022 19:48

Wow, interesting. Thanks for that link @klyster , I hadn't had a chance to check it out yet. Just glad it seems to have come right now for me. The battery life on the 40mm is already not great to start with, so to go from needing to charge every day (or not quite sometimes), to every 5hrs, was quite an extreme difference! I'm getting about 3-4hrs more than I was before the update now.

nix

147 posts

Master Geek

#3002208 27-Nov-2022 16:35

My Galaxy Watch 4 40mm has been with Samsung for just over two weeks. It went flat quickly and then died and wouldn't charge or restart. I went straight to the Samsung Service Centre in Rosedale. It was put down as a warranty repair (despite being two months out of warranty) and I told them that I would be expecting that it would be handled under the CGA. Last week someone came back to me asking for proof of purchase. No response since.

Samsung are very slow responding but I am pushing for a repaired or replaced device. They broke it so they can get me back into the position I was in three weeks ago.

Avgeek88

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3004921 2-Dec-2022 21:16

Hi all, I am having the same issue of watch being bricked after the GVI3 update. My issue is a little more complex as my watch was purchased overseas in 2021 but I dont accept that warranty (or lack thereof) has any role in this case. There are multiple customers globally facing the same issue. A good number of them have got out of warranty free repairs after fighting this issue with Samsung.

I am doing the same and currently have a case logged for escalation and calling them every week. This week I finally got a sympathetic customer service agent to give me the following email to document my case and complaints in writing and I encourage other users to do the same to build some momentum.

nz.support@samsung.com

Thanks for listening!

Equinox IT

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klyster

105 posts

Master Geek

#3005092 3-Dec-2022 12:47

Avgeek88: Hi all, I am having the same issue of watch being bricked after the GVI3 update. My issue is a little more complex as my watch was purchased overseas

Yours was from Singapore right?

I think I read your post on Reddit, and I agree, it shouldn't matter which Market it was purchased in , the watch was bricked due to a firmware update, with nothing that the owner could do to avoid, apart from not updating, but Samsung didn't warn anyone in any meaningful way.

Best of luck, and I sincerely hope that Samsung sort your watch out.

An update to my issue, a parcel has been sent to me from SSC, I've redirected it as the service centre had my address wrong in my previous email from them.

I hope it's my repaired watch, we'll see.

A massive thanks to Nik T and Freitism for escalating my issue.

Avgeek88

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3005108 3-Dec-2022 14:14

klyster:
Avgeek88: Hi all, I am having the same issue of watch being bricked after the GVI3 update. My issue is a little more complex as my watch was purchased overseas

Yours was from Singapore right?

I think I read your post on Reddit, and I agree, it shouldn't matter which Market it was purchased in , the watch was bricked due to a firmware update, with nothing that the owner could do to avoid, apart from not updating, but Samsung didn't warn anyone in any meaningful way.

Best of luck, and I sincerely hope that Samsung sort your watch out.

An update to my issue, a parcel has been sent to me from SSC, I've redirected it as the service centre had my address wrong in my previous email from them.

I hope it's my repaired watch, we'll see.

A massive thanks to Nik T and Freitism for escalating my issue.

Hi yes that was me on reddit indeed! And thank you for the support, it's been a frustrating experience but I shall keep persevering.

I hope the package is your repaired watch too!

hairy1

3332 posts

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#3005304 3-Dec-2022 15:02

Interesting thread. This is a bit off topic but the Samsung Service Centre seem to be a bit random.

I have a pair of Samsung Bud2 Pro's that I purchased directly from the New Zealand Samsung website.

They have a faulty charging case (it doesn't charge wirelessly and goes flat immediately after charging the buds).

I sent it off to Samsung for warranty repair and they have sent me a quote for repair as they say it is an overseas model.

Very perplexing.

My views (except when I am looking out their windows) are not those of my employer.

klyster

105 posts

Master Geek

#3005307 3-Dec-2022 15:46

hairy1:

Interesting thread. This is a bit off topic but the Samsung Service Centre seem to be a bit random.

I have a pair of Samsung Bud2 Pro's that I purchased directly from the New Zealand Samsung website.

They have a faulty charging case (it doesn't charge wirelessly and goes flat immediately after charging the buds).

I sent it off to Samsung for warranty repair and they have sent me a quote for repair as they say it is an overseas model.

Very perplexing.

That's messed up, surely you gave some form of invoice?

I was a bit angry with SSC, but I think they run as a separate entity,
Samsung divisions appear like they are not all under the same umbrella or at least don't communicate directly with each other as far as I can tell.

I went through the Note 7 debacle, wasn't much fun but seemed to go a lot smoother than this watch debacle but SSC were not involved as far as I can remember. Every other dealing I've had with SSC has been quick and had great communication.

I hope you get you buds sorted.

hairy1

3332 posts

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#3005315 3-Dec-2022 16:32

Haha. Yeah. I've just started the process of engaging with SCC. I supplied the invoice and the model of my buds even has NZ in the name.

My views (except when I am looking out their windows) are not those of my employer.

klyster

105 posts

Master Geek

#3006079 5-Dec-2022 18:22

So, I had a call from SSC, my watch has been repaired and sent back to me, free of charge as far (as I can tell).

The man from SSC made a point to say the warranty was 1 year from purchase and this was a one-off repair for goodwill.

I'm okay with that, the result was actually preferable as I didn't want an upgrade to a Watch 5.

I hope everybody else gets their issues sorted.

Once again, special thanks to NikT and Freitasm for getting involved, thank you guys sincerely.

@NikT

@freitasm

linw

2849 posts

Uber Geek

#3006081 5-Dec-2022 18:50

Pleased for you @klyster but it still skirts around our rights under the CGA.

Not good.

nix

147 posts

Master Geek

#3008059 10-Dec-2022 12:21

nix:
My Galaxy Watch 4 40mm has been with Samsung for just over two weeks. It went flat quickly and then died and wouldn't charge or restart. I went straight to the Samsung Service Centre in Rosedale. It was put down as a warranty repair (despite being two months out of warranty) and I told them that I would be expecting that it would be handled under the CGA. Last week someone came back to me asking for proof of purchase. No response since.

Samsung are very slow responding but I am pushing for a repaired or replaced device. They broke it so they can get me back into the position I was in three weeks ago.

Here's an update on my experience. I got an email from Samsung asking for my original invoice. I sent it in and a couple of days later they said they would refund me the original purchase price.

This was a couple of weeks ago and so I immediately went out and bought a Galaxy Watch 5 in one of the Cyber-Monday sales. I bought the same model as my watch 4 so my straps and original charger fit fine. Best news ... It was on special so I am up nearly $100.

It took almost two weeks but the money arrived in my back account yesterday. I'm pretty stoked but note that this has not been everyone's experience.

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