Accessories Micro USB Cable Erratic; Unsure If It's The Phone Slot Or Cable?

[loulou]

I'm having problems with my Micro USB cable. For convenience I tend to connect my Desire HD's cable to any computer nearby, rather than plug it into the AC adapter.

The HTC-supplied one now seems very "loose" and slips out easily. The connection "tinkles" via Windows so I can tell there's something wrong.

So, to see if it's a fault with the cable or the phone, I bought a new one from ebay..and both ends were rusty! The Micro USB is "tighter". It worked yesterday and now doesn't work at all. Obviously a poor quality cable makes it harder to determine what the problem is. Even though it was 99p, I still complained

Has anyone else had issues with their cable/Micro USB slot in their phone?

 

[El Presidente]

There've been a couple. I'll see if I can dig up some old threads for you

 

[El Presidente]

http://androidforums.com/desire-hd-...ng/294891-dhd-car-panel-keeps-popping-up.html (random title, but it was connected to the USB Port).

http://androidforums.com/desire-hd-...rogram-error-ever-phone-has-mind-its-own.html

http://androidforums.com/desire-hd-support-troubleshooting/359367-loud-speaker.html

There are a couple, I was sure there was more though? I'll have a more in depth search when it gets quieter at work.

 

[sonesh]

I know that some of the cheaper ebay USB cables are only good for power. They wont transmit data. The computer doesn't even recognise anything has been plugged in, but they charge perfectly well.

If the HTC cable comes loose, on the slightly wider side of the micro USB plug, there are 2 tiny catches. Use a paper clip to spring these out a little and it'll hopefully keep a better grip when connected

 

[loulou]

The crappy (rusty) 3rd party cable doesn't work at all now, and the HTC is maybe just showing signs of wear and tear; was able to test both on another MicroUSB device now I'm home and it's still playing up.

The paperclip idea is ingenious, have to pinch one from somewhere! Thanks for the warning about cheapie cables..best buying another HTC one.

 

[RED_]

My HTC one broke when i pulled it out of the plug too quickly but i bought a cheap one and it works fine. Albeit not 99p but

 

[loulou]

The one I got from ebay turned out to be a dud; even the replacement. The wire was coming loose after about a week and was verrrrry slow at charging. Waste of 99p! So be careful where you buy from!

I needed one asap so I bought a PMS branded one from Poundland and it's perfectly fine.

This is even better. Official Blackberry cables for 79p: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0026P7GZY/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new (thanks to Hotukdeals).

 

[GalaxyEssToo]

I have the same problem. At first I thought it might be the phone, but I now realise it is just poor design. In theory it's great to have such a small port, but it needs to be fastened using a magnet like apple laptops, or clips like the ipods. The problem is when it gets jostled around while plugged in, somehow the connection between plug and port seems to get progressively worse until eventually the cable doesn't work. It has happened to me a few times with a few cables. I have found however that the original cable that came with my Galaxy S2, and another AC adapter that I use at home have not given me any trouble and have worked consistently. Also noteworthy is that these reliable cables seem to charge my phone a lot faster than the ones that stopped working after days or weeks. It can take 3 - 5 hours to charge my phone using those poor quality cables, and 2 - 3 hours to charge with the stock cable. The stock cable will also charge my phone in the car (albeit much more slowly) when my GPS and Bluetooth are activated, while the other cables would continue to discharge (albeit more slowly). I was suprised to see such a difference in performance between cables less than 2 feet long, but it appears as though there is a range of qualities when it comes to micro-usb cables.