New USB cable doesn't fit

[lotus49]

I just bought a couple of flat USB cables on eBay and they fit almost everything except my S4.

They look very well made and fit my wife's Galaxy Ace, my son's Blackberry, my daughter's Blackberry and a couple of other micro USB devices I have. In each case the cable snaps in positively, exactly like other good quality USB cables I have used.

However, the cables do not fit either my S4 or my son's S3.

Has anyone else had this problem? What is different about the micro USB sockets on the S4 and S3?

 

[Mehta23]

That seems strange, as far as I'm aware both use microUSB.
I assume you've tried flipping the device and trying that? (I've noticed that some device have the port mounted 'upside down'

 

[Harry2]

As far as I know the S3 and S4 have 11pin microUSB ports (six pins are deep in the socket) ... but a standard 5pin microUSB cable should fit.

Only the Samsung MHL and USB OTG adapters are using all of the 11 pins ...

Harry

 

[lotus49]

I think it must be something to do with the other pins although all my other micro USB cables fit fine.

Having looked at them carefully, I cannot see any difference between my new cables and the other micro USB cables I have, but the dual USB/MHL capability is the only thing different about the S3 and S4 sockets compared to all the others so it seems very likely that this is the reason. The plugs will go part of the way into the socket but won't click fully into place. The plastic around the metal part of the plug doesn't get near the phone so that isn't the issue. The MHL pins are the only cause I can think of.

It's not a big deal (they only cost me a fiver for a 1M and a 3M cable) but it is rather annoying.