Donate to e Foundation | Murena handsets with /e/OS | Own a part of Murena! Learn more

Skip to content

Fairphone 3+ turning off repeatingly (EDL - QUSB__BULK)

  • /e/ version: e_FP3-userdebug 10 QQ3A.200805.001 eng.root.20220527.183702 dev-keys,dev-release
    • Security Updates: April 2022
    • Vendor Updates: March 2022
    • Baseband version: 953_GEN_PACK-1.345890.4.356774.1
  • Device model(s): FP3+
  • Device rooted: yes (Magisk-24.3)

 

 

 

Summary

Beginning 29th of June 2022 my Fairphone 3+ started "turning off" suddenly. Happens when the screen is off, so the screen stays black when I press power. But also happens while the screen is on, then it turns black.

I changed nothing substential in the last weeks. So first I thought my hardware is becoming defect. Especially because the problem definetly happened increasingly often for a few days. But then I recognized something else. The problem only happened when I moved longer distances (bike, car, train). So I started thinking, it may have somethong to do with the mobile network. I usually live in Germany, but I'm currently on vacation in France. And the problem started on the third day in France. So I put the phone in flight mode and the problem indeed didn't appear anymore (tested for 3 days, with at least 1 crash every day before).

So my best guess is some incompatibility with the French phone network. In Germany I my network provider is O2 (Telefonica via WinSIM reseller). In France my phone connects to "F-Bouygues Telecom" as roaming provider.

I don't think we can solve the problem with the few data I've been able to gather. But maybe this report can be a hint if further FP3+ users experience the same problem.

 

 

 

Details

In Germany (where I usually live) 3G (UMTS) has been deprecated and turned off. But in France 3G seems to be still available (at least with "F-Bouygues Telecom"). And when traveling my phone sometimes get just an 3G or even 2G connection. Although I've never seen 3G directly triggering the problem. And sometimes I've even seen 3G working fine.
In the last two years I've also been to Denmark with the same phone (just older e/OS/ versions). And there I hadn't any problems of this kind. But my FP3+ has never been to France before.

 

 

Short story long:

Long pressing the power button made the FP3+ reboot and then it was working again. But after three days the problem appeared again. And then again after another day. Finally it's already turning off about every two hours.

 

When I connect the phone to a computer while the FP3+ isn't reacting and the screen is black, the computer reports the phone as
05c6:900e Qualcomm, Inc. QUSB__BULK
(lsusb output)

 

The problem sounds similar to what is being reported here. Except, the phone turns on again.
https://forum.fairphone.com/t/black-screen-not-booting-but-display-module-works-in-other-phone/67443

 

I didn't install an operating system update in the last weeks (just standard app updates). Before switching to flight mode I already tested removing my MicroSD card, disabling Bluetooth, opened the phone and cleaned some contacts. But the problem persisted until I enabled flight mode.

 

 

 

Solutions

Workaround

Put phone in flight mode.

Maybe WLAN/WiFi can stay enabled. And mobile connection to 2G (tested for two days) may also be fine.

Edited by kolAflash