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Is it normal that ALL my phones end up having USB problems?

5 points by Biganon ↗ HN
I've had Samsung phones for a few years now, and every single one of them ends up having problems with the USB port after about 2 years.

I have to wiggle the cable again and again until I find the one tiny angle at which the phones is willing to charge. I'm not doing anything fancy with the phone, it hasn't been underwater, no heavy rains or anything.

Am I just supposed to buy a new one again and again ?...

Contactless charging obviously works, but it's slower and not always convenient.

17 comments

[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 42.4 ms ] thread
keikobadthebad
Lint in the usb socket standing off the header from complete insertion? Small metal tools can often get it out, eg, precision tweezer head. Cable itself broken inside?
phs318u
This. So many times this has been the cause of the problem. First time someone pointed this out I was amazed at the amount of lint I pulled out and even more amazed that the port was - with some jiggling - able to function at all with all that crap in it.
scrapheap
Personally I'd avoid metal tools for cleaning it out as if you're not careful you can damage the socket. I just cut a thin slither off a bamboo skewer and use that - you can get a pack of 100 skewers for next to nothing at the supermarket and that'll last you forever - unless you actually make kebabs with them :D
jventura
I use a toothpick to clean the ligthning port of my iPhones. Toothpicks are cheap as well..
AnimalMuppet
Huh. I keep my phone in my pants pocket, and I never once thought about lint getting in that socket.
t-3
Do you use your phone while it's plugged in? That's the number one killer of both cables and ports in my experience, especially since all phones now have the charging port at the bottom.
ensocode
had the same with several phones - it's annoying. Now with a new phone when at home I am charging wireless and barely use the usb-c port. Additionally I am using a dust plug to further protect the port
sandreas
While this is good practise to protect your port, I stopped doing this as soon as I learned that you basically waste 25% or more of your charging power to generate heat.

This also often is the case with these magnetic / magsafe like charging cables, because they are mostly made cheap Materials.

My advice would be:

  Use a good (thick) charging cable (best case checked with an USB tester)

  Don't use your phone while charging (to prevent wiggling)

  Keep a charging level between 20-80% to keep battery healthy

  Do not use fast charging whenever possible

  If your phone is not charging, try to clean out the port Form dirt and dust (be careful)

  If this is not fixing it, use wireless charging or let it repair by a professional
Biganon
> Do not use fast charging whenever possible

More info on that? Because I use my laptop charger for everything, and since it's 65W, it's fast charging my phone

authorfly
Historically (especially on non-iPhone phones), fast chargers could cause battery issues. Bigger devices like laptops without great battery management strategies (read: Microsoft or Linux) also see battery health reduce 2-3x faster when charging to 100%.

But for phones/mobile devices - Nowadays it's mostly smaller devices like headphones that might be vulnerable.

I have still observed fast chargers causing issues: My USB-C bluetooth headphones died after 2 months (could only hold battery for 30 minutes rather than 8 hours).

I started using another pair and was refreshed by the full 8 hours, thinking the first pair was a random issue.

But soon they were also running out after 6-7 hours.

I switched to the charger they came from an voila, they have kept 6-7 hours for months. Frustrating, because now I have to charge them for at least an hour or two, rather than 10 minutes, but at least they'll keep the battery health now.

jaggs
100% to all the comments talking about lint/dirt in the usb port socket itself.

I've had exactly the same problems, and 10 minutes spent cleaning out the port with a small toothpick or similar works wonders.

Problem disappears instantly.

There should be a USB FAQ about this with every product sold.

indianmouse
The cables are also the point of issue. I have changed the charging cable which has resulted in proper charging. And the cleaning of the port. Lint accumulation prevents the contacts being properly connected with the charging pins.

Cleaning of the port using a wooden toothpick (shaven to a right size) and changing of the charging cable as almost always helped me across the 25+ of cell phone usage.

thorin
Yes I have this problem. I would assume it's a problem with all USB ports and it's just phones get charged and moved around more than other devices. Last phone the port was like that but I think USB C is more stable?

I went for the cheap entry level Samsung and it seems pretty much identical to the top line older phone I had but unfortunately doesn't have wireless charging as a backup!

I think cheap leads are a problem, because it can be difficult to buy a genuine charger now, there are so many "fakes". My last lead that I bought from a UK physical store melted while plugged into the car charger port recently, which was a bit of a surprise.

I used to use my phone at the beach quite a lot and found that getting sand in the port would often cause it to stop working. Now I always put it in a waterproof case if I take it there to avoid that.

leros
USB-C ports have a flaw in their physical design. Due to the shape of the port, dust and other gunk slowly gets jammed down into the port and eventually enough builds up that you can't get a good connection anymore. It happens after about two years for me and has happened on every USB-C phone I've had.

It's pretty easy to clean. I'll turn off my device, fill the port with rubbing alcohol, and scrub around with a pin of some kind. It takes me about 10 minute and you have to be kind of aggressive with it. I find that by the time I start having issues, the quantity of gunk I remove is about the size of a grain of rice.

Here is a short video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIoTlY1Wm4Q

ssc23
Get a case that has a USB-C cover. It will minimize the amount of lint and dust gathers over time while sitting in your pocket/bag pack
FloatArtifact
I have a friend that works at a cabinetry making shop where they deal with sawdust all day long. Usually, they have a magnetic U.S.B C adapter. and cable for charging. The adapter helps keep the ports clean. Not perfect, but better than stock :)