I swear for as smart.and.as great as this phone is, the easiest things to fix which pose the biggest.problems arent.fixed. Having the phone plugged.in.while using.it in landscape creates huge stress.on the port. So much that the cable gets looser as the pins are bent. Stupid samsung with their.idiotic location for.ports, but I.digress... has anyone found a longterm fix for this? . I thinking like a plastic moount that clips.to.
The bottom of the phone and.encases the beginning of the charger cable to prevent any stress in any direction? My temporary solution is I rubberband the beginning of the cable in a few loops as if I have it zip tied. This prevents any minor tugging from directly pulling the port.
First of all new USB 3 port cost about $14 and could be replaced by user in about 30 min even if you don't have 1 yr warranty. You can use any USB 2 wire to charge Note 3, some are much thinner and more flexible, than the factory cable. And with at least 6 hours screen time I can't imagine running out of power before night, when I put it on charger and go to sleep, but I do have full time job and little kids so actually never had a chance to use it for 6 hrs in 1 day anyhow. Maybe you need bigger battery and if you don't like Samsung design maybe another phone, I don't see anything wrong with it, otherwise would not buy it, heard Apple is a popular brand, but never actually used it.
pete4k said:
First of all new USB 3 port cost about $14 and could be replaced by user in about 30 min even if you don't have 1 yr warranty.
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Click to collapse
I hate giving a reply that doesn't really help the OP, but I can somewhat sorta agree with this comment. Sorta.
Because I got the Note 3 now but haven't broken its port yet.
However I did have the Note 2 and the Galaxy S2 and there was that issue if you're careless. Sloppy plugging and stress, sometimes a few drops of water falling on the port too and shorting it, etc. Anyway, I'm very unskilled and clumsy regarding basic electronics repairs but still managed to replace the USB board on the S2 with Ebay parts. It was less than 20 USD, the board and a kit of screwdrivers. It really is very easy to replace that part if you damage the USB port (getting the infamous "charging / not charging intermittent warnings, even when the phones are not connected to anything).
I seriously doubt the N2 or N3 are much more complex. (I used repair videos on YouTube for the S2, I'm sure they will pop up for the N3 if relevant)
Not so with other components (Screen, for instance). So take some care with it and don't worry too much because even home-repair is fairly accessible and cheap in that case.
Okay let me paint you a picture..I play aot of poker. there is an outlet under the table so I have my phone plugged in sitting on the rail behind my chips as I either watch 24/7 movies or play games.but since my phone is horizontal, naturally gravity works its magic and puts pressure on the port. not only that, but the less slack I have the more pressure is applied.
so as you can see my circumstances are very specific to my regular usage of this device. hence I utilize rubber bands.sometimes.
If you guys are really concerned about the usb port on the phone being damaged, maybe something like the qi wireless charger can help.
Or maybe buying a spare battery.
Or buy a right angled usb cable
Sent from my IdeaTab S6000-F using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Related
Hey guys, I created this thread to chronicle my attempt in fixing my Galaxy Note's broken USB dock connector.
The problem: The phone charges only when off. MTP/USB mass storage won't work. On some roms Car mode wackiness ensued. It seemed like it was possessed; exactly like another persons detail of the problem.
Attempt to fix it: Contacted three wholesalers in China at Alibaba.com for the dock connector for Galaxy Note. Waiting on response right now.
So far I have eleminated everything in my troubleshooting. I've tried multiple custom roms and went and tried two different stock roms with no luck. I also have tried plugging in different kinds of usb cables. I also tried plugging them in different computers.
Anyone can post they're problem-->solution here for future reference.
I found this on google and I thought it was very helpful. HERE IS THE SERVICE MANUAL FOR GALAXY NOTE:
http://letitbit.net/download/55297....68026c2/Samsung_N7000_Service_Manual.rar.html
http://www.samsungparts.ru/2012/01/%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%B0-samsung-gt-n7000/#more-2963
andruyd said:
Hey guys, I'm created this thread to chronicle my attempt in fixing my Galaxy Note's broken USB dock connector.
The problem: The phone charges only when off. MTP/USB mass storage won't work. On some roms Car mode wackiness ensued. It seemed like it was possessed; exactly like another persons detail of the problem.
Attempt to fix it: Contacted three wholesalers in China at Alibaba.com for the dock connector for Galaxy Note. Waiting on response right now.
So far I have eleminated everything in my troubleshooting. I've tried multiple custom roms and went and tried two different stock roms with no luck. I also have tried plugging in different kinds of usb cables. I also tried plugging them in different computers.
Anyone can post they're problem-->solution here for future reference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am afraid there is no solution for this type of behavior at this point. I am too had the same experience.
I am awaiting for another responds email from Germany(where my Note came from) to send mine in for a repair. Until then, I can still use my Note with external battery/charger that I got from Amazon.
good luck-
Are guys plugging the cord in upside down or something? Ive had galaxy s, sgs2 and now note since release day and havent experienced this issue.
GALAXY NOTE
Did you guys try use difference charger? I face the same problem once where the charging mode keep changing to dock mode on and off while charging. After i change it use others charger (spare), now everything is ok.
My theory is that the charger started to malfunction n produce too low or too high voltage which trigger the dock mode..my 2 cents.. ;P correct me if im wrong..
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
naimmkassim said:
Did you guys try use difference charger? I face the same problem once where the charging mode keep changing to dock mode on and off while charging. After i change it use others charger (spare), now everything is ok.
My theory is that the charger started to malfunction n produce too low or too high voltage which trigger the dock mode..my 2 cents.. ;P correct me if im wrong..
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can assure you it's not the charger or the data cable, as I have plenty laying around. My money is on the logic board.
naimmkassim said:
Did you guys try use difference charger? I face the same problem once where the charging mode keep changing to dock mode on and off while charging. After i change it use others charger (spare), now everything is ok.
My theory is that the charger started to malfunction n produce too low or too high voltage which trigger the dock mode..my 2 cents.. ;P correct me if im wrong..
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After having 2 SGNote units being bricked and (luckily) replaced with a new unit everytime, I found that the root cause for the SGNote being bricked is a weak USB interface and protection circuit. At first I thought I just messed up the rooting process that's why I bricked the device. When my 2nd replacement unit also got bricked, I traced back that the only common denominator was a rogue iphone charger that I used to recharge the device. Knowing that the weakness of the SGNote is the USB circuit, I'm now careful to use no other charger but the stock charger that came with the unit.
wolfmanx said:
After having 2 SGNote units being bricked and (luckily) replaced with a new unit everytime, I found that the root cause for the SGNote being bricked is a weak USB interface and protection circuit. At first I thought I just messed up the rooting process that's why I bricked the device. When my 2nd replacement unit also got bricked, I traced back that the only common denominator was a rouge iphone charger that I used to recharge the device. Knowing that the weakness of the SGNote is the USB circuit, I'm now careful to use no other charger but the stock charger that came with the unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this makes sense.
Anyway this is the part I'm trying to acquire:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/521953864/Dock_Connector_Charging_Port_Flex_Cable.html
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/521398121/For_Sansung_GALAXY_NOTE_N7000_I9220.html
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/521398854/I9220_charger_flex_for_Samung.html
I strongly believe that the Galaxy S2 USB problems are of similar nature and the solution was to replace the USB dock connector. This gives me a lot of hope since it's easy enough to do. There is no soldering involved AFAIK since it just came off during the Galaxy Note teardown video on youtube @2:28 and @3:36 (ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFDr3PQMTxw). Correct me if I'm wrong.
its definitely a hardware issue and has been traced to the usb port inside the phone. I have the same issue and I am also waiting for the part to replace the damaged one inside my phone.
here is what I am doing to make my phone function-able:
When you connect the usb cord to charge the phone you have to press it down hard and then slide it out. this will temporarily fix the physical usb port pins and allow your phone to function normally. you have to do this every time when you connect and disconnect the usb cord. I will use my phone like this until the part becomes available to buy. I have a feeling, this phone is very delicately designed and can get bricked all by itself.
My note does not charge with Three of my HTC chargers neither does it charge with another car charger.but charges fine with the Samsung charger.has sometimes issues with otg with Samsung otg cable and another otg cable. Even today when I used a Samsung otg cable to connect my note with a Samsung galaxy s2 via a Samsung USB cable, the otg features did not work, the s2 just said mtp and note said unknown device connected! So there are issues with this USB on the note.
I saw a youtube video for Galaxy S2 where he suspected that it was a malfunctioning USB dock. He replaced it and all the symptoms were gone. I'm really going full press on this and hopefully I can help myself and others who have similar problems. I've read up on USB problems the last 2 days from Galaxy Note users and Galaxy S2. They are very similar in design other than the screen/stylus.
bannork said:
I am afraid there is no solution for this type of behavior at this point. I am too had the same experience.
I am awaiting for another responds email from Germany(where my Note came from) to send mine in for a repair. Until then, I can still use my Note with external battery/charger that I got from Amazon.
good luck-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please keep us updated on your progress.
BTW to the folks having USB issues, are you having unusual battery drain? What other quirks have you encountered?
Has anyone compared the shape of the USB dock connector for Galaxy S, Galaxy S2, Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note? I wonder if they are all the same shape and if I should try and look at replacing that part only? If it is the same then I will get this http://cnn.cn/shop/samsung-i9000-galaxy-microusb-connector-p-10745.html since it's cheap and I've got nothing to lose if it doesn't work.
Looks like we have a new design flaw here..so, how long does it take for you guys to experience this problem from date purchase your note?
Mine already 1 month purchase and not having this problem.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
aftabbabar said:
its definitely a hardware issue and has been traced to the usb port inside the phone. I have the same issue and I am also waiting for the part to replace the damaged one inside my phone.
here is what I am doing to make my phone function-able:
When you connect the usb cord to charge the phone you have to press it down hard and then slide it out. this will temporarily fix the physical usb port pins and allow your phone to function normally. you have to do this every time when you connect and disconnect the usb cord. I will use my phone like this until the part becomes available to buy. I have a feeling, this phone is very delicately designed and can get bricked all by itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fully agree that it is a hardware issue. Samsung should come up with an extra dongle or maybe a protection circuit integrated with the USB cable that should be used in conjunction with the SGNote. Otherwise, this issue will just keep on repeating and they will end up with a bunch of bricked units on their hands.
If only I didn't like the display on this device, I would have opted for a change item instead of a replacement unit.
I still have the rogue iPhone charger and when I use it to charge an iPhone it keeps on repeatedly bringing up the charging battery icon on and off but it doesn't destroy or brick the phone. But when I connected it to the SGNote, it bricked it. I did it on 2 units. And it will surely brick any other SGNote unit I connect this charger to. I'm willing to demo this to Samsung to prove the point of their weak USB interface circuitry.
wolfmanx said:
...
If only I didn't like the display on this device, I would have opted for a change item instead of a replacement unit.
I still have the rouge iPhone charger and when I use it to charge an iPhone it keeps on repeatedly bringing up the charging battery icon on and off but it doesn't destroy or brick the phone. But when I connected it to the SGNote, it bricked it. I did it on 2 units. And it will surely brick any other SGNote unit I connect this charger to. I'm willing to demo this to Samsung to prove the point of their weak USB interface circuitry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like you I got the Note for the screen size because I don't like to read in small screens. I haven't had a phone in 6 years!!!! I've seen phones come and go. The screen size of the Note made it comfortable enough to read anything (PDF, comics, web pages, ebooks).
How sure are you guys that it is indeed the USB circuitry and not just the metal dock? To be honest I'm not sure right now.
andruyd said:
Like you I got the Note for the screen size because I don't like to read in small screens. I haven't had a phone in 6 years!!!! I've seen phones come and go. The screen size of the Note made it comfortable enough to read anything (PDF, comics, web pages, ebooks).
How sure are you guys that it is indeed the USB circuitry and not just the metal dock? To be honest I'm not sure right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh my! Looking at the charger flex assembly pictures, all I see are a bunch of passive components for protection. I see no active components on this board that would likely be used for over-voltage or over-current protection. I'm not sure if it's on the main board though. But normally protection circuitry are placed right next to the connector for them to be effective. There seems to be a lot of space on the board for even a single-chip USB protection circuit but the space hasn't been utilized for such.
I'd be willing to bet you that your problems will still be the same even after replacement of this flex assembly.
wolfmanx said:
Oh my! Looking at the charger flex assembly pictures, all I see are a bunch of passive components for protection. I see no active components on this board that would likely be used for over-voltage or over-current protection. I'm not sure if it's on the main board though. But normally protection circuitry are placed right next to the connector for them to be effective. There seems to be a lot of space on the board for even a single-chip USB protection circuit but the space hasn't been utilized for such.
I'd be willing to bet you that your problems will still be the same even after replacement of this flex assembly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I hope you are wrong or else I'm screwed over an $800 phone. Did you see that in the Service Manual? I've linked the service manual on the first post. QME02 is the part I want to replace.
naimmkassim said:
Looks like we have a new design flaw here..so, how long does it take for you guys to experience this problem from date purchase your note?
Mine already 1 month purchase and not having this problem.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me it was a month and a half before it started going crazy.
bannork said:
For me it was a month and a half before it started going crazy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, about 5 minutes after I plug-in the rogue iPhone charger... I did it twice... and luckily, since I still have warranty, I got both units replaced.
I strongly suggest for everybody not to use any other USB charger apart from the stock charger that came with the SGNote. Of course, this excludes plugging it into a PC or laptop as they should be fairly safe and well-protected (at least for name-brand units).
If you're going to use the stock charger, I would recommend plugging the USB cable in the charger and plugging-in the charger in the wall socket first BEFORE plugging-in the mini-USB connector to your SGNote. This minimizes the chances of having voltage spikes being transmitted through the USB connections into the SGNote, especially during the actual plugging of the charger to the wall socket. This is to be on the safe side in the case that the stock charger design is also flawed and doesn't prevent transients from reaching the load unit itself.
Is there a website or something from which we can call Samsung's attention on this matter? If indeed transients are the cause of the USB problems then all they need to do on the SGNote is to redesign the USB board assembly and stick it into units that have not been affected yet. This entails a product recall or as I mentioned in my previous post, maybe to offer us SGNote buyers a dongle or a USB cable with the protection circuitry.
---------- Post added at 11:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:53 PM ----------
andruyd said:
Well I hope you are wrong or else I'm screwed over an $800 phone. Did you see that in the Service Manual? I've linked the service manual on the first post. QME02 is the part I want to replace.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup on the service manual and on the links to alibaba that you provided on your previous posts. I looked at both sides of the sub-assembly and only found passive components.
Well I'm using a 2 amp charger from ebay for charging downstairs; a HTC 1 amp charger in the bedroom; the 1 amp Samsung charger in work, but I also plug it into the 800 mah charger that also charges an extra battery in situ. ... she's till working fine.
Right now, usb mass storage or MTP is totally non-functional for me. I'm still glad USB charging is working. I hope that parts holds up till I get a replacement for it.
Thank goodness for wireless and FTP!
Hi everyone,
First of all, I apologize in advance,
1. Because I know this isn't a tech support forum.
2. Because I don't contribute and help out as much as I should.
Coming here was a last resort, I don't consider myself a noob, but I'm really stuck here.
Please note that I appreciate every single response, and I will donate if anyone can give me a fix.
With that aside, let me get started
__________________________________
Okay so about a week ago, I accidentally bent my charger when it was charging my note.
It didn't charge at all that night
That morning, I blew into the charge port on my note, suspecting that dust may have been the cause.
Somehow, that helped, as my note charged fully that day, in about 2-3 hours
Then I tried charging it the next night.
It charged incredibly slowly, reaching about 70% after 10 hours charge
The next few nights were similar, but reaching no more than 40% charge after 10 hours.
It got progressively worse, it would only charge if I applied pressure to the mini-usb,
I looked around this morning, and stumbled across another guy with the same problem
(see here http://www.galaxynoteforum.net/galaxy-note-help/charging-port-issue/ )
He advised,
"Well I have figured out the issue. If you look into the charging port slot on the phone you will notice a small thin flat piece of metal which inserts into the charger. That was slanted and angled downward which would not let "ANY" charger or docking station charge correctly also causing it to drain the battery. Contacts on this piece and the phone were to close causing a minor contact draining power. I used a precision flathead screw driver and lifted the piece slightly and now works fine"
So I tried that, and it seemed to help, as the note began charging, (extremely slowly, reaching about 30%)
Then I tried pushing that "thin flat piece of metal up even further"
However, I went too far, and I couldn't fit the charger into the charge port.
So I tried pushing it back into the centre but I may have damaged one of the pins in the charge port (inside the phone)
I seen a little spark, and the note turned off.
I tried switching it on, and managed to boot to safe mode (no idea how)
So then I tried charging it, I applied pressure and managed to get it to start charging. (thank god)
This was about 30 mins ago, it looks to be holding the charge at about 20%, but it's not increasing
-----------------------------------------------------
I suspect one of the pins in the note charge port was snapped off.. although I'm not sure.. (it appears to be the one on the right)
1.Does anyone know how many pins there are on the charge port inside the note? (is it 4 or 5?)
2.What should I do?
If I broke a pin, it should not charge at all, right? (but it seems to be charging)
3. Do I need to replace the charge port, if so, how much would it cost?
4. Would I be better off getting a charging station, and charging the battery using that
5. Should I try moving the metal strip again? (inside the charge port of the note)
oops forgot to mention, when the problem started, and the note was slow-charging, an audible buzzing/humming could be heard in the wall outlet
also, I'm using my original samsung usb charger, not a generic one, and I'm charging directly into a wall outlet.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it, and any advise that you do offer.
Cyber735
Here my tipp: You can go to a service center, maybe they even repair it under warranty. Or you can order a new micro usb port and replace it. Google should help you to find a seller. Depends on whether you feel comfortable enough to replace it yourself or not. Oh one more thing, I would stopp using your Note to avoid any further damage.
Sent from my Galaxy Note running ICS
there are 5 pins on the charger slot, 4 I believe are for data transfer and the 5th being the one that draws power (charges the phone)
Have you tried transferring data from PC to Phone and see how that pans out ?
Its possible to replace the USB port, Ive seen a few threads about this on XDA, A quick search should chuck out some results.
But as mentioned above, Try to claim under warranty first, if you have it, or pay the Service centre to do it if you dont feel confident enough to do it yourself.
I think I recall someone with a similar issue and it cost him / her $60 for USB replacement (convert that in to your currency)
If you have a friend with a Note or a phone that fits the Note's battery you could always charge your battery in that phone and place it into yours until you get it fixed.
IF YOU MUST charge your Note ( you could if you intend to get a new USB slot) I would suggest to charge only via USB - as in charging from your PC / Laptop / TV / PS3 etc. As this will not draw as much current as it would coming directly from the mains supply!
Good luck on getting it fixed, And please keep us posted with the results !
http://pinoutsguide.com/PortableDevices/micro_usb_pinout.shtml
check this out. It gives the pin configuration. I am no expert but hope it helps!
altae said:
Here my tipp: You can go to a service center, maybe they even repair it under warranty. Or you can order a new micro usb port and replace it. Google should help you to find a seller. Depends on whether you feel comfortable enough to replace it yourself or not. Oh one more thing, I would stopp using your Note to avoid any further damage.
Sent from my Galaxy Note running ICS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
r
Thanks for the quick reply!
First of all, I can confirm that no pins are broken or bent, everything looks normal, it also seems to be charging better, as I centred the metal strip in the charge port.
As for warranty, well I didn't purchase any extended warranty or insurance, however, the standard warranty lasts 2 years.
Unfortunately
The Repair Warranty Exclusions are as follows: (i) Subject to the inclusions of the applicable manufacturer's warranty, a mobile that has broken down or is damaged as a result of: (a) abuse or tampering, (b) electrical damage, moisture, dampness, oxidation, corrosion or food, dirt or liquid ingress (c) accident, neglect, impact, actual or attempted theft, fire, power outages or surges, or incorrect voltage, (d) transportation or packaging (e) removable batteries or damage caused by battery leakage
Basically, the only thing that I'm covered for is "handset breakdown"
My phone is in perfect condition, and no pins are broken or bent (as discovered on closer inspection)
So do you class charging issues as "handset breakdown" or not?
I may purchase a new charger, just in case the issue is with the charger, and not the phone,
What d'ya think?
Thanks again for the quick replies azzledazzle & nipuna, I didn't notice them until now,
Yeah I'm 90% there's no damage to the pins on the charge port, and it seems to be charging now, slowly at least,
I've centered the metal strip as best as I can, (inside the charge port)
I'll leave it to charge now for a while, as I'm not sure if it's fixed or not
Then I'll try another charger if it doesn't work
If all else fails, I'll try getting it repaired under warranty
(although that's more of a last resort, as it will take a few weeks to get my phone back)
does anyone know if the standard galaxy s2 charger will work on the note?
I don't have it on me now, although I could borrow it from a friend
I know its an official samsung charger, although not sure if it's the usb or the other kind.
I'll let it charge for a while, then I'll try transferring data from the laptop, to make sure the pins are fine,
thanks for all your help everyone,
1st of all: if you go poking around in the usb port with a metal screwdriver, take out the battery first. Not only will it avoid shortcutting and maybe blow a fuse inside the phone, but it will also protect you from an exploding battery when shortcutted !
S2 charger will work
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
My Micro USB port seems to have a wiggle to it. I can't tell if it was like this when I first got the phone or if it's become worse overtime. Essentially when I plug in a Micro USB cable plugged into the port there seems to be excessive play from side-to-side. This excessive play doesn’t occur when pressure is applied up-and-down only when pressing from side-to-side. My Galaxy S2 does not have this wiggle and cables fit tightly. I'm concerned with long-term durability as I don’t want port to fail once I’m out of warranty. I feel silly calling Google and asking for a replacement if this is something that is normal. As I stated, the play seems excessive when compared to my Galaxy S2, but I have no other basis of comparison. My phone works brilliantly other than this very small issue. Does your micro USB port have some slack or is it tight?
Mine has some very minor movement, nothing that really concerns me much. If it really bothers you, I noticed that the official bumper case (when I had it) seemed to help stabilize things a little bit, so you could give that a try, though YMMV.
you could buy a wireless charging pad and make use of the Nexus 4's features. I too concern myself with long term plugging + unplugging will caus wobble side to side in the usb cable.
My GNexus had a slight wiggle, or formed one after 2 months usage.
I plan on buying a Qi wireless charging pad next week to not have this happen. Nexus 4 is my long term phone, a promise to myself lol.
Mine has a tiny bit of movement. But like the guy above me said, I plan on keeping this phone for quite some time so I got a wireless charging pad so I wouldn't put much stress on the port. Plus it's a really neat feature and everybody who sees it gets a kick out of it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
I got a good deal on a refurbished Tegra Note 7 so I quickly snagged it as I wanted a tablet for media consumption, some browsing + gaming! Now I've read all the reviews and came across the infamous ultra flimsy micro-usb port. I'm hoping that the tablet was refurbished because of a faulty port and they put in an awesome one! Anyway, do you guys have any suggestions for me so that I don't break the port like using a particular charger, any specific way to charge it(Wireless Charging without any soldering or other method that requires skills with tools?) or anything, really. Also, in case it does break, I'm guessing inevitably it will, has anyone found a convenient way except sending it to the respective manufacturers?
I just recently got a used one off eBay. The cord that came with it was a very tight fit and I could see how that would eventually break the port. Fortunately my samsung cord slips on the port very easily. And since it's white I marked the top of the cord with black magic marker so I never put it in wrong. So far it's working out great.
There's not much else to do but be extremely careful or go buy a Micro USB Type A cable. The whole problem with the port is that they used the wrong one.
http://www.yogaretnam.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/micro_usb_type_a_b.jpg
I never even knew there were two types of Micro USB connectors until I got this thing. I never bothered to get the right cable (and Nvidia didn't bother including the right one... did they even know there were two types?), and thanks to a minor fall while plugged in, I have to plug my cable in slightly crooked to get it to charge right. If I plug it straight in, it will show it's charging but actually drain the battery even if the stupid thing is off!
so I broke the tab in the usb port in my nexus 4. I bought an induction charger but it doesn't seem to be charging the thing very well. It will sometimes turn on and I can see the battery is at 0% and it shuts down. do you think there is a chance there is a short in the port itself making it so that the battery drains itself? I left it charging overnight with no luck. What to do next? remove the port entirely while I wait for the new usb daughter board to come in the mail?
mikkowus said:
so I broke the tab in the usb port in my nexus 4. I bought an induction charger but it doesn't seem to be charging the thing very well. It will sometimes turn on and I can see the battery is at 0% and it shuts down. do you think there is a chance there is a short in the port itself making it so that the battery drains itself? I left it charging overnight with no luck. What to do next? remove the port entirely while I wait for the new usb daughter board to come in the mail?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's more likely that the broken USB tab is causing either a short or has broken a connection the phone expects, which fools the circuitry into thinking the phone is plugged in to USB, which won't allow it to charge via Qi. You could try charging it with the daughterboard removed, but I'd be surprised if it works. Hopefully you have a back-up phone while you wait for the part, even if it's a RAZR V3 or Nokia 3310. SIM won't match, obviously, but you can probably pick up an adapter locally.
Planterz said:
I think it's more likely that the broken USB tab is causing either a short or has broken a connection the phone expects, which fools the circuitry into thinking the phone is plugged in to USB, which won't allow it to charge via Qi. You could try charging it with the daughterboard removed, but I'd be surprised if it works. Hopefully you have a back-up phone while you wait for the part, even if it's a RAZR V3 or Nokia 3310. SIM won't match, obviously, but you can probably pick up an adapter locally.
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That makes sense. I do have an old samsung tmobile phone that lasts about 4 hours on its battery. I guess I might be using that for a few days. I'ts at home though and I'm at work. It would be nice if this thing would just work. I need to find a t5 torx wrench and scew it up more......
mikkowus said:
That makes sense. I do have an old samsung tmobile phone that lasts about 4 hours on its battery. I guess I might be using that for a few days. I'ts at home though and I'm at work. It would be nice if this thing would just work. I need to find a t5 torx wrench and scew it up more......
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Some advice for someone who hasn't taken this phone apart yet:
First, go to ifixit and familiarize yourself with the teardown guide. There are also some youtube videos that are helpful (if you can't find them immediately, look for screen replacement guides.
Second, you'll need something thin and flat, and hopefully not with sharp edges. They make tools for this, but I doubt you'll be willing to order them and wait. Myself, I used the nail file from a keychain Swiss Army Knife. It's possible, even likely you'll cosmetically damage the plastic up a bit. If you have a hair drier (or even a heat gun), this can aid in softening up the adhesive. In any case, go slowly.
Do the disassembly over a fluffy towel. There are many tiny screws, and a fluffy towel will trap them rather than having them bounce away and disappear.
As I write this, another thought occurs to me. If you can, wait a few more days, but order yourself a new battery off eBay. Many sellers include the needed disassembly tools (including a T5 TORX, small Philips, and the plastic separating tools). Your Nexus 4 is probably 1.5-2.5 years old by now, which means your battery has had well over 500 cycles. At this point, you've lost upwards of 20% your battery's original capacity. Or don't wait, but order a new battery anyway and reopen the phone when you get it. The degradation of a battery is slow and one really doesn't notice it until that day you think to yourself "it seems like it used to last longer". Indeed, you may open up your phone to discover a puffed-out battery in desperate need of replacement anyway.
Planterz said:
Some advice for someone who hasn't taken this phone apart yet:
First, go to ifixit and familiarize yourself with the teardown guide. There are also some youtube videos that are helpful (if you can't find them immediately, look for screen replacement guides.
Second, you'll need something thin and flat, and hopefully not with sharp edges. They make tools for this, but I doubt you'll be willing to order them and wait. Myself, I used the nail file from a keychain Swiss Army Knife. It's possible, even likely you'll cosmetically damage the plastic up a bit. If you have a hair drier (or even a heat gun), this can aid in softening up the adhesive. In any case, go slowly.
Do the disassembly over a fluffy towel. There are many tiny screws, and a fluffy towel will trap them rather than having them bounce away and disappear.
As I write this, another thought occurs to me. If you can, wait a few more days, but order yourself a new battery off eBay. Many sellers include the needed disassembly tools (including a T5 TORX, small Philips, and the plastic separating tools). Your Nexus 4 is probably 1.5-2.5 years old by now, which means your battery has had well over 500 cycles. At this point, you've lost upwards of 20% your battery's original capacity. Or don't wait, but order a new battery anyway and reopen the phone when you get it. The degradation of a battery is slow and one really doesn't notice it until that day you think to yourself "it seems like it used to last longer". Indeed, you may open up your phone to discover a puffed-out battery in desperate need of replacement anyway.
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Cool. I did end up ordering a new battery because of just that thought. It will be coming Friday though so I might not want to wait. I'll probably end up opening it up twice.. I also happened to open the phone about a 3 weeks after I bought it as somehow the screen cracked. I also have a heatgun. The phone is pretty old. I got it on release.