I got the OTA update to 7.1.1 on 7/15/2017. I don't usually fear Android system updates. But I wish I hadn't done this one.
My phone was great before this update. Then about a week after, I started having issues.
First, my phone started rebooting randomly. I would then get 2 identical errors after the reboot (or even after manual reboots): com.sonyericsson.crashmonitor has stopped.
Then, I noted on some of my calls that my screen would go black. I don't hold the phone to my ear, ever. If I don't have a Bluetooth or wired headset on, I put on the speaker. Anyway, this was very disconcerting.
Then, while watching YouTube, my phone got so hot I couldn't hold it and YouTube wouldn't play. There were 3 apps active: Sony Music (not playing), Six to Start's The Walk (but I wasn't walking) and YouTube.
I called Sony Support about this. First tech was really disrespectful and went right to telling me to factory reset my phone. I called back to someone else who gave me at least a few options before that. In the end, I did do a Software Repair on my phone.
Before I did the Software Repair, I removed my SDcard then I used Xperia Companion to backup my phone. Then I went into Backup and Reset in the Settings on my phone, and did a manual backup there. So glad I did! I also used my tablet to take pictures of my home screens, the contents of folders on my home screens, my playlists, my app drawer. I always do that and it's again a good thing I do.
I thought maybe the Software Repair had done the job. Phone didn't reboot, no com.sonyericsson.crashmonitor errors. It did take a day to get everything back. Xperia Companion did not restore my Contacts. The manual backup hadn't backed them or the Calendar up. At first I had no contacts but they came down, from Google, I suspect after 12 hours or so. The apps weren't restored. I had very few. But when I downloaded all those apps again (working from the pictures on my tablet), I could run the Restore from my manual backup and it would move all the apps into their right folders on my home screens, and restored the app data to where I left off as well.
For a day. I didn't get the errors, but my phone did reboot again. 5 times in one day. It wasn't hot at the time. I wasn't running a lot of apps. A lot of the times it rebooted, I had just set the phone on a surface.
I did the diagnostics test of the Ear Proximity Sensor after seeing references to that here on the forums. Mine vibrates before I ever cover it with my hand. It does not stop vibrating when I take my hand away. I have found I can put pressure on the upper right-hand corner of my phone and stop the vibration (or get my phone back from black if it blacked out on a call).
I called Sony again and they said I'd have to send it in for repair. Oh, but my phone was not made in the US. It was made in the UK. I bought it New on eBay. How was I do know?
On Friday, I drove home with my Z5 on the seat beside me. Once I parked, I picked it up and it looked like a new phone, like I'd factory reset it. It said "Welcome to Xperia" on the front. I didn't have many apps. I restarted it manually and I got my apps and home screen back. But yesterday, I found my playlists in Sony Music were all empty. Not cool.
I tried having my phone in Safe Mode for a few hours, but I couldn't even make a call or send a text so that wasn't feasible to continue.
Sony US doesn't deal with Sony phones made elsewhere. So I contacted the UK Sony Mobile Support through chat. I may have to send my phone there. However, I got a message today saying they've transferred my case. I'm trying to get clarification on that.
I really wish Sony would stand by its phones more. It's a global marketplace these days, guys. It's a Sony phone, Sony should take care of it wherever.
As it is, I just did a manual backup again. I still have access to the images my tablet took on Google Photos. I'm going to do a Factory Data Reset on my phone. I bought this phone in May. I hate to think it's going to become unusable.
