5 ms·

This is a great answer, but for some reason the author left out the most obvious of reasons. Mini-USB put the mechanical strain of the connection on the socket

This is a great answer, but for some reason the author left out the most obvious of reasons. Mini-USB put the mechanical strain of the connection on the socket side, while Micro-USB puts that strain on the cable side. Since its much easier to toss a cable vs remove and solder in a new socket connector the average cycle lifetime became much less critical in general.

favorited 7y ago
For a few years I was bringing my Happy Hacking Keyboard to and from work every day, meaning (at least) 2 plug/unplug pairs per weekday. I'm kind of surprised it still works because it's pretty old. I eventually got a second one which I leave at the office, but was kind of surprised that years later they hadn't replaced mini with micro. There are some mods people are building to replace the mini port with type-c, and I expect I'll try something like that when it eventually starts to fail.
megaremote 7y ago
I don't see how that can be true: https://i2.wp.com/www.cheapharddrivesstorage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/c-appleus-lightning-smartphone-cable-type-_micro-usb-vs-mini-usb-c-appleus-lightning-connector-smartphone-cable-to-hdmi-cables-u-adapters.jpg https://i2.wp.com/www.cheapharddrivesstorage.com/wp-content/...
- rasz 7y ago
  Electro mechanical connection requires springiness action to be reliable - one side of the connector needs to work pushing pins together. In full size and mini USB elastic pins are inside sockets, plugs have rigid contacts http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/image/cache/data/rapid/mini-usb-plug-rewire-500x500.jpg http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/image/cache/data/rapid/mini-us... Micro swaps that around, moving prone to failure (bend/pushed pin etc) elements into the cable.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- duskwuff 7y ago
  The photo below "Micro USB" is not Micro USB. The connector shown there looks more like a USB Mini-A socket. A real USB Micro socket looks like this: https://cf.ydcdn.net/latest/images/computer/_MICUSB.GIF https://cf.ydcdn.net/latest/images/computer/_MICUSB.GIF
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- grosswait 7y ago
  That is not a micro USB socket shown in the picture
- metaphor 7y ago
  The receptacle shown above "Micro USB" is incorrect; it's a Mini-AB receptacle.
xattt 7y ago
What about the fact that mini-USB was mandated as a connector standard (1) in the European Union to standardize phone charger connections? (1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_external_power_supply https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_external_power_supply
- Godel_unicode 7y ago
  Except it wasn't. They standardized on micro-usb. Edit: from your Wikipedia article - "A common EPS must include a cable with a micro USB-B connector for connecting to a mobile phone." https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2009/06/10-companies-agree-to-standardized-mobile-phone-charger-in-eu/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2009/06/10-companies-agree-t...
  - xattt 7y ago
    I apologize, that was a typo. I did mean to say micro USB.
naikrovek 7y ago
This was true of the first revision of Mini-USB, I'm told, but not subsequent revisions. The wearing components were moved to the cable while retaining compatibility with the older design. The rumor of socket-side wear persisted well after the design change (all the way up to today, as evidenced by your comment, and many others) so Micro-USB was created to work around the confusion regarding Mini-USB entirely by simply creating a new connector.
- tjoff 7y ago
  I truly hope micro-USB wasn't created to avoid that confusion. For one, the number of people that even knew about the issue with mini-USB was barely none. And the massive confusion micro-USB has contributed to is just unimaginable.
  - naikrovek 7y ago
    Device manufacturers knew all about it, even though very few customers knew or cared.
justintoon 7y ago
I can speak to this. I have a Google Nexus 7 tablet with the mini-USB connection which I’m no longer able to use because the port simply will not hold a cable effectively enough to charge it.

favorited 7y ago

For a few years I was bringing my Happy Hacking Keyboard to and from work every day, meaning (at least) 2 plug/unplug pairs per weekday. I'm kind of surprised it still works because it's pretty old. I eventually got a second one which I leave at the office, but was kind of surprised that years later they hadn't replaced mini with micro. There are some mods people are building to replace the mini port with type-c, and I expect I'll try something like that when it eventually starts to fail.

megaremote 7y ago

I don't see how that can be true: https://i2.wp.com/www.cheapharddrivesstorage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/c-appleus-lightning-smartphone-cable-type-_micro-usb-vs-mini-usb-c-appleus-lightning-connector-smartphone-cable-to-hdmi-cables-u-adapters.jpg https://i2.wp.com/www.cheapharddrivesstorage.com/wp-content/...

rasz 7y ago
Electro mechanical connection requires springiness action to be reliable - one side of the connector needs to work pushing pins together. In full size and mini USB elastic pins are inside sockets, plugs have rigid contacts http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/image/cache/data/rapid/mini-usb-plug-rewire-500x500.jpg http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/image/cache/data/rapid/mini-us... Micro swaps that around, moving prone to failure (bend/pushed pin etc) elements into the cable.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
duskwuff 7y ago
The photo below "Micro USB" is not Micro USB. The connector shown there looks more like a USB Mini-A socket. A real USB Micro socket looks like this: https://cf.ydcdn.net/latest/images/computer/_MICUSB.GIF https://cf.ydcdn.net/latest/images/computer/_MICUSB.GIF
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
grosswait 7y ago
That is not a micro USB socket shown in the picture
metaphor 7y ago
The receptacle shown above "Micro USB" is incorrect; it's a Mini-AB receptacle.

xattt 7y ago

What about the fact that mini-USB was mandated as a connector standard (1) in the European Union to standardize phone charger connections? (1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_external_power_supply https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_external_power_supply

Godel_unicode 7y ago
Except it wasn't. They standardized on micro-usb. Edit: from your Wikipedia article - "A common EPS must include a cable with a micro USB-B connector for connecting to a mobile phone." https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2009/06/10-companies-agree-to-standardized-mobile-phone-charger-in-eu/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2009/06/10-companies-agree-t...
- xattt 7y ago
  I apologize, that was a typo. I did mean to say micro USB.

naikrovek 7y ago

This was true of the first revision of Mini-USB, I'm told, but not subsequent revisions. The wearing components were moved to the cable while retaining compatibility with the older design. The rumor of socket-side wear persisted well after the design change (all the way up to today, as evidenced by your comment, and many others) so Micro-USB was created to work around the confusion regarding Mini-USB entirely by simply creating a new connector.

tjoff 7y ago
I truly hope micro-USB wasn't created to avoid that confusion. For one, the number of people that even knew about the issue with mini-USB was barely none. And the massive confusion micro-USB has contributed to is just unimaginable.
- naikrovek 7y ago
  Device manufacturers knew all about it, even though very few customers knew or cared.

justintoon 7y ago

I can speak to this. I have a Google Nexus 7 tablet with the mini-USB connection which I’m no longer able to use because the port simply will not hold a cable effectively enough to charge it.