Pro tip: Revive your Samsung Galaxy Tab when the battery has completely drained

Jack Wallen shows you how to get your Samsung Galaxy Tab to turn back on after the battery has drained completely. 

 

Recently, my wife handed me her Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 that wouldn't start. No matter how long she charged the device, it simply wouldn't respond. Since I was aware of this issue, I decided to help her get back up and running without having to return the tablet.
 
The solution wasn't exactly easy, but doable -- and it does come with a warning, because you have to take the back off the device.

That said, before I managed to resolve the issue, I tried the following fixes:

• Holding the power button down for sixty seconds: Nothing
• Holding the combination of power button, volume up button, and home button: Nothing
• Holding the power button down while touching display: Nothing
• Charging with various chargers: Nothing

One of the things I'd previously discovered was that, sometimes, devices need a trickle charge to get back on their feet -- so a charger with less than 2.0 amps or less is ideal (in other words, the Samsung Travel Charger).

In the end, what's going on with a seemingly dead tablet is that the motherboard still has a charge and (for some odd reason) prevents the battery from charging. To fix this, you have to disconnect the battery from the motherboard. That's right, you have to remove the back and pop off the battery connector. The only difficult part of this solution is removing the back of the device. I highly recommend using pry tools. I happen to have super-strength thumbnails, so I was able to pop the back off without the tools (I don't recommend this to anyone with mere mortal nails). To pry the back off, you insert the tool into the seam between the glass and the side, and carefully pop it out. There are a number of connectors, so this will take some time.
 
Once you get the back off, locate the white plastic plug that connects the battery to the motherboard (Figure A).
 
Figure A
  

The motherboard of a Verizon-branded Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Take another pry tool and carefully slide it under the wires of the connector and pry the connector off (Figure B).

Figure B

The battery unplugged.

Wait about 30 seconds and plug the battery back in. The tablet should now charge and turn on. Replace the back, and turn the device on.

Why this happens is a mystery, and Samsung really should address it. Until then, just make sure you don't allow your Samsung tablet battery to drain to zero.

Have you experienced such an issue? If so, what was your endgame with the device? Share your experience in the discussion thread below.

~ Jack Wallen

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Samsung chooses Intel to power Galaxy Tab 3 model

Summary: Can Intel's deal with Samsung improve the chipmaker's long-term prospects?

Stealing custom from ARM, Intel has secured a contract to power one of Samsung's new tablet products.

Announced on Monday, Samsung revealed two new products for its tablet line -- the 8-inch and 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 3, possibly designed to try and claw back marketshare from Google and Apple which have produced the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini tablet computers.

The 8-inch model features a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, a 1280 x 800-pixel HD screen and runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The tablet also sports two cameras, 1.5GB RAM, and is available with either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.

The 10-1-inch model also contains the same features, but according to Reuters, the larger tablet is powered by a 1.6 GHz Intel dual-core processor provided by Intel.

The U.S. chipmaker has struggled in the mobile market, but an agreement with Samsung is likely to boost the company's prospects and is expected to pave the way for Intel to expand its presence in the mobile device market. However, moving into the Android market will require vast time and resources, which may explain reports that the number of chip engineers based at Intel Korea has risen from six last year to over 50.

A Samsung researcher told The Korean Times :

"This is a win-win deal for both sides. Intel, which is trying to cut its heavy reliance on PC business, offered better pricing for Samsung that is shifting its focus toward tablets following its huge success in smartphones. Samsung wants to secure as many processors as possible at better pricing.

That's why Samsung Electronics has recently been diversifying its procurement channel in processor chips as a strategy to stabilize production yields of its in-house Exynos-branded processors."

In Q1 2013, Intel's financial results were hurt by the slumping PC market, and the firm reported gross margins of 56 percent, which were below expectations of 57.9 percent. This year, Intel projects low single digit percentage sales growth, but with the introduction of mobile-based chips and the deal with Samsung, the chipmaker may be able to improve its long-term prospects.

ARM, known for its energy-efficient technology, is by Samsung to extend the battery life of its Galaxy Tab series as well as the Samsung Chromebook. At this year's Computex conference, the company announced a new series of chips designed for mid-range smartphones, including the Mali-V500 which is designed to prevent the copying and distribution of video through mobile device streaming.

The chipmaker has also invested in mobile security and ecommerce; establishing a joint venture with Germalto last year to create mobile security solutions for corporations.

~ Charlie Osborne

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