Galaxy S3 Questions Answered: Warranty, Shortcuts, Flash, App Restore

The situation

The reader bought the Galaxy S3 at the end of June and returned it for repair in early July, unhappy with it. After getting it back around the 20th, it went back for repair the next day and was still away. The reader had previously used a Galaxy S2 LTE.

1. Extending the warranty

The answer was that Rogers would not care how long the phone was actually in use, since an agreement is an agreement. An exception would be a lucky outcome. Another editor added that a well-placed call to customer service might help, asking them to note the repair time in the account file. If that fails, a complaint to a consumer body such as the Better Business Bureau was suggested.

2. Direct dial shortcuts

You can place a contact widget on the home screen from the widget menu. It is not a true direct dial, but tapping it opens a contact bubble with options to call, send an SMS or email. A free widget pack called APW (Android Pro Widgets) in the Google Play store offers more contact and media widgets.

3. Live streams and Flash

Flash was installed, which is the main requirement. Check that the Flash setting in the browser is on always, and use the stock browser, since others such as Chrome may not handle Flash. It was also worth asking which app or site was being used for the streaming.

4. Apps not restored

Backup and restore can misbehave. If the option to restore apps was unchecked once, the backup may be removed. Make sure both backup and restore are enabled, then download the apps again. Google Play keeps a list of recent downloads, so reinstalling should be quick.