Micro-USB fragmentation

[Dari]

Just when you think you have something everyone can agree on, someone somewhere has to go and muck everything up. My work phone, the Nokia 920, has terrible battery life. Everytime I try to connect it to a non-Nokia micro-USB cable it refuses to come back to life. Only when I use the cable it came with does it start charging again. Another phone I have works with an older micro-USB cable sourced from an LG phone when it feels like. I thought the micro-USB standard was supposed to fix all this?

 

[pete6032]

Is it the cable or the charger? An old charger may not provide enough mAh to charge a newer phone.

 

[bearxor]

That's usually the charger, in my experience. I use a lot of different cables with my L920, have never actually used the one that came with it.

The TouchPad/Pre is one device that won't charge at all unless you're using the actual provider Palm/HP provided.

 

[Dari]

Is it the cable or the charger? An old charger may not provide enough mAh to charge a newer phone.

That's usually the charger, in my experience. I use a lot of different cables with my L920, have never actually used the one that came with it.

The TouchPad/Pre is one device that won't charge at all unless you're using the actual provider Palm/HP provided.

Cable. Charger. Same difference to me but I see the point you two are making. However, people expect things to work the same if they're the same.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Cable. Charger. Same difference to me but I see the point you two are making. However, people expect things to work the same if they're the same.

But they're not. The micro USB standard is a standard, chargers are not because they're designed to power different devices that have different power requirements.

 

[AstroManLuca]

My Lumia 521 charges just fine from my Galaxy Nexus charger. I've also charged the Galaxy Nexus from a Kindle Fire charger and vice versa, and both from a Logitech mouse charger.

I have a micro-USB charging cable from an old LG feature phone that didn't work as an actual USB cable, only for charging, but that doesn't surprise me. The only other irregularity is the Nook Tablet, which apparently only charges from the Nook Tablet charger. But that might be the charger only, not sure if the cable has anything to do with it.

 

[bearxor]

Cable. Charger. Same difference to me but I see the point you two are making. However, people expect things to work the same if they're the same.

I don't disagree with you. If it's a charger that has a USB port and puts out 5.1 volts and at least 500mah, then it should charge any phone connected to it regardless of what kind of USB cable is used to connect it, be it uUSB, mUSB, 30-pin, lightning, samsung, whatever.

 

[vshah]

some old lg feature phone chargers only put out 300-350ma and won't charge newer phones.

 

[Ravynmagi]

I notice my HP Touchpad won't charge with some micro USB cables. I found that the plug is kinda of deep and it only seems to work with micro USB cables with longer than normal tips. My old Nook Color was the same way.

And that Nook Color had one of those weird chargers where it would only charge with it's own specific charger and nothing else would work.

 

[Viper GTS]

Honestly 500ma chargers are not sufficient any more.

You need to be using 1A or better (2A preferable) AND you also need to be using the right kind of cable.

If you're using a detachable cable style charger and you are using a normal, data capable micro USB cable you're going to end up at the 500ma charge rate. You need to use a charge only cable to get over the 500ma rate limit.

Many devices simply will not charge when using a normal data cable.

Adapter to turn a data USB cable into a charge appropriate cable:

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-USB-Charging-Adapter-A-Female/dp/B009W34XMM/

Direct charge only cable:

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-USB-Charging-Cable-Micro-B/dp/B009W34X1I/

Use those, use a high output power cable, and your problems should disappear.

Viper GTS

 

[QueBert]

there's no standard, I couldn't access my HTC phone on my PC using my Samsung cable. My HTC cable wouldn't charge my Blackberry, I ran in to all sorts of problems, HTC had an extra pin or something, and Samsung use to have a different pin out. My BB cable seemed to not work with anything except my Curve. It probably also existed, but I never had this problem with Mini USB. Wish I could find a new phone that uses it, my car alarm FOB and my Turtle Beach headphones both use it for charging and syncing. If it wasn't for my Nexus 4 I wouldn't touch Micro USB.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

But they're not. The micro USB standard is a standard, chargers are not because they're designed to power different devices that have different power requirements.

Yes but I have yet to find one charger that will output less than 500mA. If any phone can charge off of 500 mA from a USB port, then it should charge from any charger.

there's no standard, I couldn't access my HTC phone on my PC using my Samsung cable. My HTC cable wouldn't charge my Blackberry, I ran in to all sorts of problems, HTC had an extra pin or something, and Samsung use to have a different pin out. My BB cable seemed to not work with anything except my Curve. It probably also existed, but I never had this problem with Mini USB. Wish I could find a new phone that uses it, my car alarm FOB and my Turtle Beach headphones both use it for charging and syncing. If it wasn't for my Nexus 4 I wouldn't touch Micro USB.

I think the access issue is more of a PC drivers issue. It just depends on how the phone is detected. I find myself sometimes unplugging and replugging in my phone because it doesn't show up as an MTP device.

The whole extra pin out is meant to support faster charging I thought, but the basic 500mA juice can be delivered through USB already.

I notice my HP Touchpad won't charge with some micro USB cables. I found that the plug is kinda of deep and it only seems to work with micro USB cables with longer than normal tips. My old Nook Color was the same way.

And that Nook Color had one of those weird chargers where it would only charge with it's own specific charger and nothing else would work.

The TouchPad should charge with anything I thought. My only issue I've seen is that if its drained, it won't charge unless you plug in a 2A charger. However if you charge it anytime when its already booted, you my computer will work. It just takes hours and hours at 500 mA.

 

[zerocool84]

Honestly 500ma chargers are not sufficient any more.

You need to be using 1A or better (2A preferable) AND you also need to be using the right kind of cable.

If you're using a detachable cable style charger and you are using a normal, data capable micro USB cable you're going to end up at the 500ma charge rate. You need to use a charge only cable to get over the 500ma rate limit.

Many devices simply will not charge when using a normal data cable.

Adapter to turn a data USB cable into a charge appropriate cable:

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-US...dp/B009W34XMM/

Direct charge only cable:

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-US...dp/B009W34X1I/

Use those, use a high output power cable, and your problems should disappear.

Viper GTS

http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=Micro+USB+

Much cheaper

 

[Dari]

Honestly 500ma chargers are not sufficient any more.

You need to be using 1A or better (2A preferable) AND you also need to be using the right kind of cable.

If you're using a detachable cable style charger and you are using a normal, data capable micro USB cable you're going to end up at the 500ma charge rate. You need to use a charge only cable to get over the 500ma rate limit.

Many devices simply will not charge when using a normal data cable.

Adapter to turn a data USB cable into a charge appropriate cable:

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-US...dp/B009W34XMM/

Direct charge only cable:

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-US...dp/B009W34X1I/

Use those, use a high output power cable, and your problems should disappear.

Viper GTS

Thanks for the information but that is exactly what I'm talking about. It should not have to be this way.

 

[Midwayman]

Thanks for the information but that is exactly what I'm talking about. It should not have to be this way.

Thank apple and their goofy USB charging methods.

 

[Viper GTS]

Thanks for the information but that is exactly what I'm talking about. It should not have to be this way.

I get the frustration, but if you understand the system it really isn't complicated - There's only two modes:

USB charge (500ma)
AC charge mode (>500ma)

USB charge mode at 500ma will take ages to charge modern devices if it charges at all

AC charge mode can be much higher than 500ma, and is triggered by the device detecting shorted data pins. The device then demands its AC charge rate from the charger.

If you have a charger capable of putting out the highest draw you will need (2A essentially at this point) and you have the appropriate cable to tell the device it's OK to draw in AC mode a single charger + cable can charge any micro USB device.

This system exists to prevent you from damaging components, as devices have grown more demanding the charger outputs have increased. Just get rid of all your low output chargers and you won't have this problem.

Viper GTS

 

[Ravynmagi]

The TouchPad should charge with anything I thought. My only issue I've seen is that if its drained, it won't charge unless you plug in a 2A charger. However if you charge it anytime when its already booted, you my computer will work. It just takes hours and hours at 500 mA.

Yeah, I think so. I meant it was my Nook Color that seems to only charge with it's own charger. My Touchpad I think works with other chargers, it's the cable that's the problem. The micro USB connection is more recessed into the tablet and it's own micro USB cable has a longer than normal connector to reach into the tablet. Generic micro USB cables I found usually don't have long enough tips to make a good connection with port on the Touchpad, so won't charge or recognize the USB cable.

 

[pete6032]

I just buy a bunch of chargers for the highest power device in my arsenal and then use them to charge everything. IE I bought 5 HP touchpad chargers, which are 15 watts (not sure volts/amps) and I use only touchpad chargers when I need to charge something. That way I'm never caught in a situation where I need a higher capacity charger but don't have one with me.

 

[bearxor]

The TouchPad should charge with anything I thought. My only issue I've seen is that if its drained, it won't charge unless you plug in a 2A charger. However if you charge it anytime when its already booted, you my computer will work. It just takes hours and hours at 500 mA.

Every time I plug my TouchPad in to an iPad charger, it throws up an error which says to use the charger that came with it.

I just buy a bunch of chargers for the highest power device in my arsenal and then use them to charge everything. IE I bought 5 HP touchpad chargers, which are 15 watts (not sure volts/amps) and I use only touchpad chargers when I need to charge something. That way I'm never caught in a situation where I need a higher capacity charger but don't have one with me.

Seriously, last I looked they were like $4 shipped off of ebay. They were super cheap when I ordered a couple.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Yeah, I think so. I meant it was my Nook Color that seems to only charge with it's own charger. My Touchpad I think works with other chargers, it's the cable that's the problem. The micro USB connection is more recessed into the tablet and it's own micro USB cable has a longer than normal connector to reach into the tablet. Generic micro USB cables I found usually don't have long enough tips to make a good connection with port on the Touchpad, so won't charge or recognize the USB cable.

Right. I think the issue here is the geometries of the cables and the tips and how it fits into certain phones. I had an issue with the HTC charger not working with my Samsung phone, but worked great with my gf's HTC phone. It was a fitment issue...

 

[Apex]

http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=Micro+USB+

Much cheaper

I love monoprice, but those are totally different.

The one Viper GTS posted are charge-only cables, with the data pins shorted. Some phones will not allow fast charging without this.