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Help Question regarding Nexus 4 wire

jo69

jo69

Android Enthusiast
I have read conflicting reports regarding micro USB to USB adaptors for android gadgets.

My question is just a simple one
I have a nexus 4 and a Kobo Touch reader.
I have got the wires mixed up. Know it may not matter but would be grateful if one of you nexus 4 users could tell me which cable is which.

One is a thickish wire, with a curved edge USB end. The other side of the usb there is a bin with a cross on.

The other wire is thinner with no markings at all.

Which is the nexus 4 cable?
Thank you
 
If you're asking which is the cable that came with the N4, mine was a relatively thin wire with very generic looking connectors on it.

Looks like this ...

nexus-4-cable.png
 
lunatic59 said:
If you're asking which is the cable that came with the N4, mine was a relatively thin wire with very generic looking connectors on it.

Looks like this ...

nexus-4-cable.png
Click to expand...

Thank you.
Is it completely plain with no markings on it?
Had thought the thicker better quality one with markings would have been the Google phone one.
 
I don't have it with me, but if I recall, there is a USB symbol on the large end but the micro connector only has a slight finger indentation on one side. These types of cables don't need to be heavy.
 
lunatic59 said:
I don't have it with me, but if I recall, there is a USB symbol on the large end but the micro connector only has a slight finger indentation on one side. These types of cables don't need to be heavy.
Click to expand...

Well confused now then lol The one I thought it was, the thinner one has no markings at all. Same as photo you showed
 
If both cables are of similar quality there will be little or no difference which you use - it's the charger that matters, not the USB cable used to connect it to the phone.

Note that some cheap cables are bad no matter which charger/phone they're used with, but I happily interchange cables from the devices I use from Motorola, LG (N4) and Asus (N7) all of which look slightly different but are completely interchangeable.

Bottom line: if the USB cable is good quality and has the right connector(s) it will be fine to use, no matter what device it came with.
 
That's pretty much what I'd assumed however, according to that MakeUseOf article it ain't necessarily so: just like chargers, cables have Ampage ratings, too :eek:

Seems that cables - regardless of the perceived quality - can be rated at say 1Amp or 1.5Amp. If you have a 1Amp cable, that could mean a struggle to charge your large screen phone if, say, you had the screen on.

Which is kind of a bummer given I don't recall ever seeing an ampage rating on a USB cable when I've bought them in the past ..
 
Thanks. You are being very helpful but just hoping to find out which is which anyway of the 2 micro USB cables I have
As really want to use the originals ( will mark them in future)

One is for my Nexus 4 phone
One is for my Kobo touch

The difference is one is a really thin cable and the plugs on the end are flat and completely blank.. No markings at all.

The other is a chunkier cable. It has curved edged plugs each end. With symbols on each end. USB logo and bin.

Which is the nexus 4 cable please? Somebody out there must have an original nexus 4 with cable :o
 
Mine is not exactly like either you describe, although the one you believe is the N4 cable looks very like the one that came with my N7 - which is from a completely different manufacturer and my N4 one looks a bit like the other you describe, apart from the markings. I think it's very likely that LG and others source common items like USB cables from multiple manufacturers so there's no guarantee that what you have will look exactly the same as that of others (like me).

Not very helpful if you really must identify the original, though. Sorry.
 
jo69 said:
Which is the nexus 4 cable please? Somebody out there must have an original nexus 4 with cable :o
Click to expand...

The thinner of the two is the one that came with the N4. I just checked mine and it has no markings and only a small thumb indent on each connector.
 
SiempreTuna said:
Seems that cables - regardless of the perceived quality - can be rated at say 1Amp or 1.5Amp. If you have a 1Amp cable, that could mean a struggle to charge your large screen phone if, say, you had the screen on.
Click to expand...

Ignoring cheap third party cables, those supplied with the phone/device are very unlikely to have a rating anywhere close to the actual required current.

For example my Nexus 7 is rated 2A - and it won't charge well from any charger other than the one that came with it. But it charges perfectly with any of my (original) USB cables, including two Mororola cables (one from a 1A charger and another from a 800mA charger), my Nexus 4 cable, and of course the original N7 cable.

There is absolutely no difference in charge rate that I can detect in use, I just make sure I use the right charger for the N7. I don't even worry about that for the N4 which I often charge with one of the Mororola chargers - it's a little slower but fine for overnight use and the charger is tiny. It's my standard "travel" charger :-)
 
Is it normal when charging the nexus 4 phone then that every few mins the screen lights up and then dims again?
 
No, that doesn't sound normal. What are your settings under "screen" in the settings menu? Do you have "daydream" turned on and if so what are its settings?

So many questions, so little information available :-)
 
Yes it is on.
Don't need it on.

Just done a bit of research to find out what it was lol
Only happening this week the screen kept lighting up on charging
Thought it was the cable fault.
Strange
 
I've had that problem with dodgy USB cables: basically every time the phone loses the connection or re-acquires it, the screen lights up - just like it's supposed to when you connect/detach a charger :D

The solution is fairly simple: use a different USB cable*



* see above for details - more details than you'll ever need :D
 
jo69 said:
Can't say I ever noticed. Lol.
What is it anyway? Clock is checked.
Does that mean its on
Don't need it on
Click to expand...

It's the thing that keeps the screen alive with a clock (whatever) while the phone is charging. You can turn it off if you don't want it, or change when it activates.

But as had been said it seems more likely to be an intermittent USB connection; simple to test (change the cable) so that's where I'd look first.
 
John Bean said:
It's the thing that keeps the screen alive with a clock (whatever) while the phone is charging. You can turn it off if you don't want it, or change when it activates.

But as had been said it seems more likely to be an intermittent USB connection; simple to test (change the cable) so that's where I'd look first.
Click to expand...

Ok. But that seems to be.( since I have been now told here) the correct cable for my nexus.
 
Turns out USB cables are ridiculously easy to damage. The cable that came with my last phone (an HTC) lasted a grand total of 4 charges before giving up the ghost.

Fortunately, the cables are cheap and easy to replace - I got some perfectly serviceable ones for around $1 each on ebay. Last time, I actually bought 3 coz I've had so many problems.
 
SiempreTuna said:
Turns out USB cables are ridiculously easy to damage. The cable that came with my last phone (an HTC) lasted a grand total of 4 charges before giving up the ghost.

Fortunately, the cables are cheap and easy to replace - I got some perfectly serviceable ones for around $1 each on ebay. Last time, I actually bought 3 coz I've had so many problems.
Click to expand...

Don't they have to be a certain type at all or is it the charger itself that decides that?
When I have accidently used the wrong cables ......( but correct chargers) my nexus 4phone, nexus 7 tablet and Kobo touch have taken a lot longer to charge.
 
SiempreTuna said:
Turns out USB cables are ridiculously easy to damage. ...
Fortunately, the cables are cheap and easy to replace - I got some perfectly serviceable ones for around $1 each on ebay. Last time, I actually bought 3 coz I've had so many problems.
Click to expand...

Cheap cables are the cause of the problem. Spend some money on a quality cable and you won't have such problems. I've been using the one that came with the N4 for a year now and still going strong.
 
hstroph said:
Cheap cables are the cause of the problem. Spend some money on a quality cable and you won't have such problems. I've been using the one that came with the N4 for a year now and still going strong.
Click to expand...

You're probably right. I think mine lasted about 6 months which is not bad, but then it got rather special treatment - no taking it to work, using it the car, that kinda thing.

Initially, I did buy more expensive cables but they didn't seem to be any more reliable than the cheapies. Certainly, given you can pay $15 for a cable here in the UK, the alternative of buying 15 cheap ones is a cost effective option.
 
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