Liquid Zest Plus T08 will not recognize SIM card and has no IMEI

I have a Liquid Zest Plus model number T08 (Dual SIM) phone.

I attempted to manually install a newer build of Android for my Liquid Zest Plus by downloading version Acer.AV0M0.T08.1.015.00.WW.GEN1S from this Acer support webpage, and following the SD Upgrade SOP:

https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/6838?b=1

However, I didn't notice that I was downloading a WW_GEN1S build. I don't remember for sure, but I think my phone might have actually been a WW_GEN1 device. I'm not sure exactly what the differences might have been between WW_GEN1 and WW_GEN1S, but I suspect it might have something to do with single-SIM versis dual-SIM.

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a link on the support webpage for any WW variants of the phone other than WW_GEN1S.

Anyway, I followed all this up with a factory reset, so that I could start over with a fresh device. But now, I noticed the following symptoms:

1) The New User setup wizard does not run after rebooting from the factory reset.

2) The phone does not recognize my SIM card (the card works fine in several other phones).

3) I cannot access Settings by pulling down the notification bar, and the Home navigation button doesn't do anything. I think this is related to the fact that (1) went wrong.

4) If I go to Settings through the App Drawer, under About Phone, I see that the Baseband version is "Unknown".

5) And under IMEI information, there is only one entry (this is a Dual-SIM phone), showing and IMEI number of "Unknown".

Is the phone permanently broken? Are there steps I can take to bring it back to life? If I did download the wrong build (eg. Single-SIM versus Dual-SIM versions), is there somewhere I can look for the correct official OS for my phone, that might bring the Baseband and IMEI numbers back to life?

Thanks for any help that might be offered.

Accepted answers

unichips

Follow-up:After I gave up and set the phone aside for a while, I recently tried booting it up again to see if I could get anything to work.I immediately received notification of an OTA OS update. It installed, giving me a new security patch, but everything was still broken.

So I checked the support website, and I saw that several other SKUs had also received that security patch. I tried to download and install the latest updated TW_GEN1 and PA_GEN1 files, but just like before, the recovery rejected them because it thought their build dates were older than the build date for the WW_GEN1S build I was already running.

Then I decided to get creative. I checked out the contents of the PA_GEN1 file, and I saw that a particular script file (META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script) was explicitly performing the build date check. I theorized that I could delete that line from the script, and then maybe the update would install normally. Unfortunately, then the recovery refused to process the file because the patched ZIP file no longer had Acer's signature.

Next, I checked again to see if I could find a custom recovery because they generally are more flexible in terms of working with unsigned ZIP files. Finally I found a build of TWRP for my device. I used fastboot to directly boot into TWRP without overwriting the built-in recovery.

TWRP complained about the device model name being incorrect - I think that was actually a bug in TWRP, because the model name in the ZIP file was actually correct. But I discovered that the cause of this abort was actually in the same updater-script file. So I deleted that line too. Finally, TWRP allowed me to install this double-patched ZIP file.

And after I rebooted into the newly updated system, everything is working flawlessly. Both my SIM slots are recognized, the IMEI numbers are being displayed correctly, and the baseband version number is displaying a believable string again. (Previously it was showing "unknown" along with the IMEI numbers.)

So, problem solved!

All comments

Commodore_1995#

Inform the model part number!

unichips

The model number was already given in my original question.

Exactly as given on the sticker in the battery/SIM card compartment, it is:

Model No.: T08

In addition, the part number is:

Part No.: HM.HVSAA.002

Commodore_1995#

Is there any application called AcerCidswitch? If you have, hit a photo so I can see sku!

unichips

egydiocoelho said:

Is there any application called AcerCidswitch? If you have, hit a photo so I can see sku!

In Settings->Apps, after I enable "Show System", I can see that an app with that name does exist.

However, there was no direct way to open it.

After a bit of google searching, I followed a service manual's advice and punched in the following code in the Dialer:

#2237243#

This appears to have opened the AcerCIDSwitch app.

It displays the following information:

Current SKU: WW_GEN1S

Current CID: PA_US

After some more web searching, it seems that "WW_GEN1S" really does correspond to a single-SIM device. But my phone is dual-SIM. So I think I already did something very bad by initially downloading the wrong firmware update for my phone.

Commodore_1995#

How did you update the firmware? Was it through the memory card or the android itself?

According to the service guide, if it is not configured properly, some applications will stop working! I do not take any responsibility for any damage!

You can try putting pa-gen1 as in the service guide!

** If MB changed or repaired, please do CID Modification ** after flash image, If you do not execute "CID modification" after flash, there might be some APP or function not work properly.

1.

** CID Modification SOP **

1. Input # 2237243 #, enter the AcerCIDSwitch scenario

Show Current SKU and Current CID

2. Tap

Then show

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/9c/kv6v7fwqlai5.png

3. Choose the CID that you want to write

Then tap

4. Confirm it, after the completion of factory reset,

input # 2237243 #

display as just selected.

unichips

I updated the firmware using an SD card, and going through the recovery process as documented here: https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/Document/App. Guide/App. Guide_Acer_1.0_A_A.pdf?acerid=636310417046762627&Step1=SMARTPHONE&Step2=LIQUID ZEST&Step3=ZEST PLUS&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

Unfortunately, after inputting # 2237243 #, pa-gen1 isn't listed is the drop-down as one of the available options. I can only choose between aap-cus4, aap-gen1, emea-gen1, emea-gen2, ind-gen1, jpn-gen1, or default. I suspect this is also because of the fact that I started out by installing a firmware that wasn't intended for my device variant.

I tried selecting "default". The phone rebooted, and now it shows this in AcerCIDShow:

Current SKU: WW_GEN1S

Current CID: default

Commodore_1995#

With cid in the default mode, does it recognize the dual sim?

unichips

OK, so I've made some progress.

I tried selecting another option from the list: aap-cus4. This time, the phone rebooted and showed the normal New User wizard. The wizard started out displaying in Indonesian, which isn't surprising, I suppose, considering that I was fooling the device into thinking it was an Asia Pacific model. I selected English (USA) and the wizard proceeded.

I finished going through the wizard, and now at least the home button and notification area drop-down work normally.

However, under Settings->About, the phone now identifies itself as a Z630. The Baseband version is still "Unknown" and the IMEI number (one entry only instead of 2) is also still "Unknown".

Commodore_1995#

I think it's this link: https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/OS/OS/OS_Acer_Acer.T07.AV0M0.1.021.00.WW.GEN1_A60M_A.zip?acerid=636464999369834752&Step1=SMARTPHONE&Step2=LIQUID ZEST&Step3=ZEST 4G&OS=ALL&LC=pt&BC=ACER&SC=PA_3

However it is for zest 4g! Make sure it works on yours! It's the ww gen1 model! I do not take any responsibility for any damage!

unichips

Recovery refuses to install it.

Error message:

====================

This package is for "acer_t07" devices;

this is a "acer_t08".

Installation aborted.

Commodore_1995#

Right! I figured this could happen! Try to download the twn gen1 version from this link https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/OS/OS/OS_Acer_Acer.AV0M0.T08.1.009.00.TWN.GEN1_A60M_A.zip?acerid=636310410445366217&Step1=SMARTPHONE&Step2=LIQUID ZEST&Step3=ZEST PLUS&OS=ALL&LC=pt&BC=ACER&SC=PA_3 and select pa gen1 later!

unichips

Yeah, that one is refused because it is older than the WW_GEN1S build I had previously installed.

The PA_GEN1S build is also refused for the same reason.

unichips

Well, it's not an ideal situation, but the device boots, connects to WiFi, and I can install and runs apps.

Even if the SIM card and phone part is permanently broken, I guess I can at least keep on using it as a very tiny WiFi tablet

Commodore_1995#

Try now to check if there are any android updates on settings, about device, software update! There may be some more recent updates that have not been made available on the site!

unichips

Settings->About->System updates says "Your device is up to date."

Commodore_1995#

Make sure to put PA-US again and restart, it releases the dual sim! Is there a hole to reset the battery in this device?

unichips

egydiocoelho said:

Make sure to put PA-US again and restart, it releases the dual sim! Is there a hole to reset the battery in this device?

I cannot put it back to its original value of PA-US. It's not available in the list of options anymore.

Commodore_1995#

And putting PA_CA, the dual sim appears?

unichips

unichips said:

egydiocoelho said:

Make sure to put PA-US again and restart, it releases the dual sim! Is there a hole to reset the battery in this device?

I cannot put it back to its original value of PA-US. It's not available in the list of options anymore.

Probably a consequence of the fact that I flashed the wrong firmware on the device in the first place. I haven't found (yet) any way to put the correct firmware back on the device.

Commodore_1995#

Sincerely! If this firmware was wrong for your device, it would not install and consequently it would not be on the Acer page! There must be some way to fix this problem without reinserting the old firmware!

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