Samsung Focus SGH-i1917 won't turn on

Hey all,

I have a Samsung Focus SGH-i917 that used to work very well, but no longer turns on at all! The issue began when the phone would start to display the "slide to power down" screen, or shut off completely when the power button was pressed. Essentially, the phone was acting as though the power button was being held down, even when it wasn't being pressed. Sometimes the phone would even power down without the power button even being pressed once or held down.

Now the phone will not turn on at all, no matter what I do. I've taken the battery out of the phone and waited 30-60 seconds, and then put it back in. I've tried using different charging ports and USB cables, plugging the phone into a computer or an outlet, and holding down the power button or plugging the phone in with the battery removed. I don't see a charge icon or hear a chime or other noise to indicate the phone is still working. I don't even see a Samsung logo or a reboot loop. Just absolutely nothing but a blank screen.

I didn't try to hack the phone, flash it to any unauthorized firmware, upgrade it, downgrade it, or any hacking whatsoever. Since there were no software issues occurring before the phone died, it leaves me to conclude that this is a hardware issue. If it's a bad capacitor on the board, ok fine, I'll accept that the phone is gone for good, and probably attempt to sell it for parts or recycle it at an electronics center. But I've also read that this issue could be caused by a bad power button. I've looked on eBay and found that the power button for the SGH-i1917 is available for purchase, so I'm considering replacing the power button myself.

Does anyone else here have any similar experiences with this non-power up issue with the Focus SGH-i917? I haven't tried another battery, but the battery itself doesn't appear to be swollen or misshapen in any way. Even if it was a bad battery, wouldn't the phone still power up if it were plugged in - with or without a battery?