5 ms·

My experiences differ. I've had plenty of USB-C devices of which the port becomes very loose after a while of normal use. I'm glad my current phone has wireless

My experiences differ. I've had plenty of USB-C devices of which the port becomes very loose after a while of normal use. I'm glad my current phone has wireless charging, not because of its convenience but because that way I don't wear out the USB-C port. USB-A is so simple, two holes and some leaf springs make for a satisfying clunk that doesn't wear out so quickly.

atoav 3y ago
My experience was that most of the time it was the cable, followed by dirt in the port. Now PCB quality can also wildly differ and the bonding between substrate and pads can be a weak point if the manufacturer of the device went for the cheapest possible PCB. But for that you have through-hole USB-C connectors and cables that should break before the connector. So if your USB-C connector breaks off the PCB that is on the manufacturer of the device.
ericpauley 3y ago
Are you sure there isn’t just dirt in the port? Or a bad cable? I’ve consistently had luck cleaning gunk out of USB C ports and having them work like new.
lxgr 3y ago
> I've had plenty of USB-C devices of which the port becomes very loose after a while of normal use. I used to think the same thing, until I looked into how the USB-C plug actually operates: The movable spring parts are all in the cable, so if there's anything wearing out, it's usually that. Clean the plug/port (lint collecting in the back of the port prevents a proper connection and makes the haptic feedback feel off), possibly swap out the cable if the springs in it are really worn out, and things are as good as new. > some leaf springs make for a satisfying clunk that doesn't wear out so quickly. But once they do, you have a broken USB port.
- JohnFen 3y ago
  > so if there's anything wearing out, it's usually that. And yet, very nearly all of the USB-C connector breakage that I've experienced has been the socket-side, not on the cable.

atoav 3y ago

My experience was that most of the time it was the cable, followed by dirt in the port. Now PCB quality can also wildly differ and the bonding between substrate and pads can be a weak point if the manufacturer of the device went for the cheapest possible PCB. But for that you have through-hole USB-C connectors and cables that should break before the connector. So if your USB-C connector breaks off the PCB that is on the manufacturer of the device.

ericpauley 3y ago

Are you sure there isn’t just dirt in the port? Or a bad cable? I’ve consistently had luck cleaning gunk out of USB C ports and having them work like new.

lxgr 3y ago

> I've had plenty of USB-C devices of which the port becomes very loose after a while of normal use. I used to think the same thing, until I looked into how the USB-C plug actually operates: The movable spring parts are all in the cable, so if there's anything wearing out, it's usually that. Clean the plug/port (lint collecting in the back of the port prevents a proper connection and makes the haptic feedback feel off), possibly swap out the cable if the springs in it are really worn out, and things are as good as new. > some leaf springs make for a satisfying clunk that doesn't wear out so quickly. But once they do, you have a broken USB port.

JohnFen 3y ago
> so if there's anything wearing out, it's usually that. And yet, very nearly all of the USB-C connector breakage that I've experienced has been the socket-side, not on the cable.