Anyone else have problems charging micro USB phones?

[SaltyNuts]

I had a Galaxy S4, and now an S6. After years the S4 became hard to get to charge. My S6, which I only got a month or so ago, is already starting to display the same problems - some times I literally have to press hard on the cable continuously for it to charge - if I release my grip it starts charging.

Anyone else have these problems? Any fixes? Almost makes we want to get an Iphone with their different charging cable!

Thanks!

 

[clamum]

Haven't had that problem on my last several phones (ZTE Majesty, ASUS Zenfone 2, and now S7 Edge).

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I've worked in wireless for a long time. For some unknown reason Samsung & LG tend to have very fragile charging ports its not unusual to unintentionally break them.
This may sound weird but I've found the Samsung chargers tend to work better once the port is loose like yours probably is. Low cost chargers are more likely to be loose.

 

[Puffnstuff]

I had to replace the micro usb port on my note 2 after it wore out.

 

[lxskllr]

Two years on my GS5, and it still works fine.

 

[Ferzerp]

Take a rated lifetime on the low end (spec requires a rating of at least 10,000 cycles), someone who treats them less than delicately, and is a chronic plugger, and sure, they can wear out pretty fast. Imagine you have someone who plugs their phone in every time they sit down, 5-10 times daily, and they're using 15-30% of the rated life in a year. Throw in cheap chargers that might be a little out of spec, and someone who uses a little extra force, and suddenly you have a person who repeatedly wears out connectors.

 

[Schmide]

Although I haven't had the troubles, I'm glad my OnePlus3 is USB-C. It is so much easier to use and seems solid.

 

[SaltyNuts]

I'm a sprint customer, can they (or someone else) change out the charging connector on my phone? I'm willing to pay a fee, just need to get it so it can charge!

 

[Red Squirrel]

No issues here on my Nexus 4. Sometimes I don't know what way to put it and have to try 3 times, but that is normal and part of the USB specification.

 

[Anubis]

never had an issue with the port, the cables can wear out and get damaged - luckily any micro USB cable works, also we have like 1000 of them at work that are free so...

the USB-C port on the nexus 6P is more robust

 

[trmiv]

It happened on my Note 5 and it turned out my USB port was filled with pocket lint. Try shining a light in there and see if there is lint. I dug it out with needle and then switched to a case with a port cover.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Speaking of USB cables, beware of Amazon and Ebay, check reviews before buying. A lot of them are "fake" and don't hold up to the proper specs. Ex: too thin conductors, or not perfect size connector, so it may not connect properly, etc.

 

[Ferzerp]

the USB-C port on the nexus 6P is more robust

Careful with that assumption. I mean, it may be, but not due to the spec. The spec around insertion cycles is exactly the same. Now, it may be that the reversible nature makes it last longer since you aren't ever trying to plug it in 5 times before it goes in properly.

 

[cronos]

1. Always make sure you're using either the oem cable that comes with it (most importantly, with the oem brick), or at least a good quality one.

2. Do you use a case? Sometimes they aren't cut right by the charging port (or warped/change shape slightly over time) and part of it covers the plug, making plugging the cable in imprecise. You're then gotten used to compensate by either forcing it in, or tilt it up/down, possibly bending the contacts inside, causing all sorts of trouble in the long run.

3. Check for pocket lints, as mentioned above. You'd be surprised.

4. Try a wireless charger! It's fantastic. No need to worry anymore about charging ports.

 

[cronos]

wth double post

 

[Anubis]

Careful with that assumption. I mean, it may be, but not due to the spec. The spec around insertion cycles is exactly the same. Now, it may be that the reversible nature makes it last longer since you aren't ever trying to plug it in 5 times before it goes in properly.

nah more so to do with insertion depth and robustness of the plug itself. much less flimsy feeling then every micro USB i have used

 

[gorcorps]

Buy better cables, and don't use the same ones forever. Especially with microUSB, there's little tabs on them that help keep them connected, and they'll wear out over time. Or in the case of the cheap ones, be made out of such soft steel that they wear out faster

http://i.stack.imgur.com/djvOc.png

 

[gorcorps]

the USB-C port on the nexus 6P is more robust

That doesn't stop the cables from being made poorly though. I have a couple of tech matte cables that I can already tell feel quite loose in the port, where my OEM I use nightly is still snug.

 

[Zaap]

Never this problem with 4 generations of Samsung phones so far.

I suspect some people plug cables into their devices much too aggressively.

 

[Oyeve]

Never had the problem with my dozen or so phone but I have gone through dozens of cables. It's because I keep rolling on them with my chair.

 

[tsupersonic]

I've owned many phones, and (knock on wood) I've never had an issue with the charging port. I have had one cable go bad - lightning cable, and it was replaced by Apple after 30 minutes of the "genius" inspecting it.

I'm a big fan of USB-C cables, especially the USB-C to USB-C cable included with the 6P. It has been very robust (though it only has seven months of use). I prefer USB-C to lightning cables - they just feel more sturdy, but only time will tell how it'll hold up.

 

[KentState]

Doesn't the S6 have wireless charging? I avoid using the wired port of both my S5 and Note 5.

 

[lxskllr]

Two years on my GS5, and it still works fine.

Thanks op. You wrecked my mojo :^D

I have a cheap cable at the office, and when I plugged my phone in today, the weight was slightly on the cable connection, and it connnected/disconnected/connected until I took the weight off the cable. It worked fine after that, but it's first time that happened.

 

[nerp]

Never this problem with 4 generations of Samsung phones so far.

I suspect some people plug cables into their devices much too aggressively.

Yes, some people are just really rough with stuff and they might not even realize it. I've had friends who slammed and banged stuff of theirs and seemed shocked when they broke.

 

[pauldun170]

No problems on my S4.
3+ years of abuse by me and the phone charges just fine. No issues with the port

Cables are another story.....