MicroUSB cables ARGH!!!

[QueBert]

WHY can't all companies make products that just work with the damn standard cable? With my Samsung phone if I used the USB cable that came with my HTC phone I couldn't get it to connect to my computer as a removable device. I Googled this, and it's not just me, either HTC does something slightly different to their cable, or Samsung does something different to the port on the phone. Either way it's annoying and stupid.

With my Samsung cable my new'ish Blackberry Bold 9900 won't charge. When I try the USB cable that came with my Bluetooth Beats by Dre headphones my BB does nothing at all, it won't even damn charge. Is there one fricking cable I can buy that will work for every damn device I have? I'm tired of never knowing which cable will work with what.

I now have 2 phones and 3 different cables, yet I can't get one of them to charge and I can't get the other to work with my PC. SHIT

 

[ChronoReverse]

The generic cable I've been using worked fine with a Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note and One X.

 

[2timer]

I suppose some cables are "tweaked" in some way or another by the OEMs, that's the only reason I can think of.

Tell you the truth, I have an Evo 4G, I used the cable from my Samsung and it worked just fine? I don't know what to tell you man.

 

[jpeyton]

I use my Amazon Kindle microUSB cable for everything. I like it because it's quite long compared to all the others I've collected. It charges everything, and it connects everything correctly to my computer (which I rarely do these days). I use it for my GS3, Nexus 7, dumbphones, Logitech rechargeable mouse/keyboard, etc.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

I used all the same cable.

Nexus 7
Gnex
Droid 1
Samsung starosphere
S3

All work on the same cable.

 

[Chocu1a]

Don't have this problem. The cable that came with my Nexus 7, tons of generic cables, one from a Motorola, & several Samsung cables all work with my Note 2 & Nexus 7. Never had one not get recognized.

 

[dougp]

I never had an issue with my Samsung cable, but keep in mind that Samsung decided to go with the 11 pin vs. the 5 pin standard.

 

[jacktesterson]

Never had this issue. Use multiple cables and generic cables without issue.

Using a cable off a Sony Xperia Ray with my Note II right now

 

[el-Capitan]

The only problem I have with these micro USB cables is that I have too many of them.

 

[dguy6789]

Never had or heard of anyone having a micro USB cable that didn't work with all of their micro USB devices

 

[WelshBloke]

I dont have this problem either.

Charging HP touchpad, SGS2, SGS3, HTC Desire, a couple of generic USB power packs, probably a couple of other things as well.

 

[QueBert]

Never had or heard of anyone having a micro USB cable that didn't work with all of their micro USB devices

I can reproduce this with about a dozen different cables I've used, all of which work on other devices. When I get that message I also can't sync with the BB desktop software. I can also take any original HTC EVO cable and a Galaxy Note will not connect to a PC. Not sure about other HTC cables though.

 

[Tom]

I have an HTC Touch Pro 2 that will charge with a regular micro usb cable even though the original cable has a slightly different design.

Maybe that difference is why you can't use an HTC cable for other than HTC but a standard one will work with HTC.

btw, what's really annoying is stuff like my granddaughter's Nook HD that has a non-standard cable that no one sells for less than $20.

 

[pm]

The problem is that some manufacturers (Asus, Samsung, Blackberry) use a resistor wired across pins 4 and 5 of the microUSB cable to differentiate various functionality and also charging capabilities. I agree with Quebert that it's pretty annoying in general, but from a hacker perspective, it's kind of cool because you can turn a microUSB port into a video cable, or add in lots of audio controller functionality while leaving the connector the same.

Here's a thread with some of the functionality described. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=820275 For what it's worth, I took a microUSB cable and opened by drawer of resistors at home and played with a bunch of these with my old Samsung Galaxy S2 and it was kind of cool. But then when I go to plug in some device and it tells me it can't charge or sync, I have to admit that I get a bit annoyed.

 

[QueBert]

it's kind of cool until you have 2 devices and 3 different cables yet still can't do shit with any of them.

 

[iahk]

i use my htc evo's micro-usb cable to connect my note 2 (and galaxy s II prior to this) to the pc. i also use an hp touchpad micro-usb cable to charge my note 2.

 

[3chordcharlie]

I can reproduce this with about a dozen different cables I've used, all of which work on other devices. When I get that message I also can't sync with the BB desktop software. I can also take any original HTC EVO cable and a Galaxy Note will not connect to a PC. Not sure about other HTC cables though.

The only time I've seen this message was in a Hyundai Elantra, which has a USB port that refuses to work in any way, with anything other than an iPod/iPhone.

Edit, I should say, the only other thing I *saw* it not work with was a Samsung, but it was a Samsung branded cable... Which worked for both SGS3 and BB if I plugged it into a charger in the 12-volt.

 

[zerogear]

All my generic micro usb cables work fine with all my different devices, except iPad. Problem not found.

 

[Zaap]

Also no such problems with any of my micro USB devices or cables. Exception is the Nook Tablet, but then I knew from the start the Nook had a specialized cable and the reason for it is obvious. No surprise that certain people go out of their way to have trouble with their devices that seem to work fine for everyone else. More of the same.

 

[WelshBloke]

The problem is that some manufacturers (Asus, Samsung, Blackberry) use a resistor wired across pins 4 and 5 of the microUSB cable to differentiate various functionality and also charging capabilities. I agree with Quebert that it's pretty annoying in general, but from a hacker perspective, it's kind of cool because you can turn a microUSB port into a video cable, or add in lots of audio controller functionality while leaving the connector the same.

Here's a thread with some of the functionality described. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=820275 For what it's worth, I took a microUSB cable and opened by drawer of resistors at home and played with a bunch of these with my old Samsung Galaxy S2 and it was kind of cool. But then when I go to plug in some device and it tells me it can't charge or sync, I have to admit that I get a bit annoyed.

Yeah but the general USB leads dont tend to have any added "voodoo". Every USB cable I've ever had supplied was just plain USB, I had to pay for (or make myself) the ones with the "voodoo" (USB OTG, download jigs, etc).