5 ms·

I had a Nexus 5X for a few years and the USB C port started progressively giving out at around 8 months. I had to lay it down flat find a position where it woul

I had a Nexus 5X for a few years and the USB C port started progressively giving out at around 8 months. I had to lay it down flat find a position where it would charge and hope no gust of wind would hit it. Forget charging it while using it for navigation. I like the idea of USB C, but actual my experience with it makes me happy to currently be on a micro. You just learn which way the plug goes. USB A on the other hand, that's trickier...

breakbread 7y ago
I had a similar problem with my Nexus 5X. I worked around it as you've described for quite some time before I realized that a small amount of lint had been compressed into the port, which was preventing the connector from going all the way in.
jfim 7y ago
While it's possible that the socket is damaged, USB C is designed so that the parts that are likely to break or wear out are in the cable. I believe micro USB is the same way.
- wrboyce 7y ago
  One of the things I don’t like about USB-C when compared to Lightning is that the USB-C socket has some kind of wafer inside it which strikes me as very breakable. I’ve not managed to break one yet, but why was it not put on the cable end as opposed to having the strange male-but-also-female cables we have now. Do you know what the reasoning behind this decision was?
  - amluto 7y ago
    The wafer has fixed metal contacts on it. The part that mates with the wafer has springy metal contacts, and those wear out. This is one of the major problems with the Lightning port — the springy parts are in the port, not on the cable. Lightning also appears to have severe problems with arcing.
    - wrboyce 7y ago
      I see! That makes perfect sense, thanks for replying. I had to search about the arcing problems you mentioned, and I now have an explanation for the blackened pins on my older cable!
    - SAI_Peregrinus 7y ago
      > Lightning also appears to have severe problems with arcing. Well, it IS "Lightning"...
    - jack_h 7y ago
      I have never seen or even heard of the spring contacts in the lightning port failing. The biggest issue I've ever seen is lint ingress preventing good contact/locking, which can be cleaned out. I can't speak to arcing problems.
      - amluto 7y ago
        I’ve seen attempts to clean the contacts damage them because they’re springy. I’ve also just seen them get deformed enough that they stop making good contact.
stevenwoo 7y ago
If I am only charging and not using the cable for data, I have started to rely on imitation Mag safe type plugs for phones and other portables. Since the lifespan on both USB-A and USB-C is limited, hope to make stuff useable until the battery needs to be replaced (if possible) instead of a mechanical failure of the port itself or wearing down the contacts too much for use - my 2012 Macbook pro USB ports are super loose and only work if I plug the cable in just right for this reason I assume.
- fwip 7y ago
  They make 20-pin magnetic adapters now that can carry data as well as power. Last I checked they were like $30 each.
toast0 7y ago
My Nexus 5X had decided to only accept about 20mA from USB-C (via common A to C cables) if the cable was oriented wrong. Fun times figuring that one out; this is after it had the board swapped or reworked for bootlooping around the original warranty expiration. Not likely to spend real money on something Google put their name on again.
notJim 7y ago
After like 2-3 months, every micro I've ever had has required me to stretch the cable in some way (i.e., place the phone on top of the cable) in order for it to make contact. Never had this problem with USB C.
- ssl-3 7y ago
  It's usually pocket funk, in my experience. Make a small tool (I use plastic food packaging from something like fresh strawberries) to grab and hook that stuff out of there. And then, it works fine.
amluto 7y ago
This is rather embarrassing: one of the design goals of USB-C is that it’s rated for a very large number of insertion cycles.
- robocat 7y ago
  Wikipedia: "Micro-USB and USB-C receptacles are both designed for a minimum rated lifetime of 10,000 cycles of insertion and removal". AFAIK an insertion cycles test is linear and extremely repetitive e.g. no bending forces and no foreign objects. It doesn't cover the wide range of real world stresses.

breakbread 7y ago

I had a similar problem with my Nexus 5X. I worked around it as you've described for quite some time before I realized that a small amount of lint had been compressed into the port, which was preventing the connector from going all the way in.

jfim 7y ago

While it's possible that the socket is damaged, USB C is designed so that the parts that are likely to break or wear out are in the cable. I believe micro USB is the same way.

wrboyce 7y ago
One of the things I don’t like about USB-C when compared to Lightning is that the USB-C socket has some kind of wafer inside it which strikes me as very breakable. I’ve not managed to break one yet, but why was it not put on the cable end as opposed to having the strange male-but-also-female cables we have now. Do you know what the reasoning behind this decision was?
- amluto 7y ago
  The wafer has fixed metal contacts on it. The part that mates with the wafer has springy metal contacts, and those wear out. This is one of the major problems with the Lightning port — the springy parts are in the port, not on the cable. Lightning also appears to have severe problems with arcing.
  - wrboyce 7y ago
    I see! That makes perfect sense, thanks for replying. I had to search about the arcing problems you mentioned, and I now have an explanation for the blackened pins on my older cable!
  - SAI_Peregrinus 7y ago
    > Lightning also appears to have severe problems with arcing. Well, it IS "Lightning"...
  - jack_h 7y ago
    I have never seen or even heard of the spring contacts in the lightning port failing. The biggest issue I've ever seen is lint ingress preventing good contact/locking, which can be cleaned out. I can't speak to arcing problems.
    - amluto 7y ago
      I’ve seen attempts to clean the contacts damage them because they’re springy. I’ve also just seen them get deformed enough that they stop making good contact.

stevenwoo 7y ago

If I am only charging and not using the cable for data, I have started to rely on imitation Mag safe type plugs for phones and other portables. Since the lifespan on both USB-A and USB-C is limited, hope to make stuff useable until the battery needs to be replaced (if possible) instead of a mechanical failure of the port itself or wearing down the contacts too much for use - my 2012 Macbook pro USB ports are super loose and only work if I plug the cable in just right for this reason I assume.

fwip 7y ago
They make 20-pin magnetic adapters now that can carry data as well as power. Last I checked they were like $30 each.

toast0 7y ago

My Nexus 5X had decided to only accept about 20mA from USB-C (via common A to C cables) if the cable was oriented wrong. Fun times figuring that one out; this is after it had the board swapped or reworked for bootlooping around the original warranty expiration. Not likely to spend real money on something Google put their name on again.

notJim 7y ago

After like 2-3 months, every micro I've ever had has required me to stretch the cable in some way (i.e., place the phone on top of the cable) in order for it to make contact. Never had this problem with USB C.

ssl-3 7y ago
It's usually pocket funk, in my experience. Make a small tool (I use plastic food packaging from something like fresh strawberries) to grab and hook that stuff out of there. And then, it works fine.

amluto 7y ago

This is rather embarrassing: one of the design goals of USB-C is that it’s rated for a very large number of insertion cycles.

robocat 7y ago
Wikipedia: "Micro-USB and USB-C receptacles are both designed for a minimum rated lifetime of 10,000 cycles of insertion and removal". AFAIK an insertion cycles test is linear and extremely repetitive e.g. no bending forces and no foreign objects. It doesn't cover the wide range of real world stresses.