Loose USB C connector on Samsung phone

kildarejohn

Whenever I plug a USB cable into my phone to charge, it falls out with the slightest movement or vibration. It is useless in the car, wont stay connected more then 5 min. The only advice I can find online is either (a) clean out socket - which I have done numerous times to no effect or (b) get a new USB socket fitted to the phone - which is too expensive.

Is there such a thing as a USB-C plug designed to be a secure & tight fit in a worn socket? I would pay €€€ for it if I could get one!

smilgy

Not to be stating the obvious, but have you cleaned out the USB C socket on the phone properly? I did have the exact same problem before, where there was a huge amount of fluff and lint compacted in the socket, that took a bit of work to clean out, with a sowing needle (although be careful not to damage anything. At the very least the phone should be turned off). Once cleaned, the socket was very firm again and cable did not fall out.

Squeeonline

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122077761#Comment_122077761

Seconded. Lint can get quite compacted in the port so you almost need to scrape inside the port. I did this on my last samsung phone and afterwards, the cables actually clicked into place again and all my problems were solved.

Kimbot

Try a cocktail stick for cleaning the port, shine a light in and make sure everything is out of it.

L1011

No such cables exist as you'd destroy any non damaged sockets they went in to, if it even solves the issue as the problem is more likely the connection between the socket and the board being damaged

CantGetNoSleep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122093363#Comment_122093363

Last time I had this issue only a pin would work, a cocktail stick was too big. I know you are not supposed to use a conducting material, but if you turn the phone off it should be ok. I was about to replace the phone over it but it was back to new after 5 mins with a pin - I was amazed at the amount of dirt that came out of it

Kimbot

If the stick needs to be thinner just shave it up a little with a sharp blade, always works wonders.

Fr Tod Umptious

I've had this problem for a few years with a Galaxy S20.

I got a wireless charger and have been using that to charge the phone.

After seeing this thread this morning I decided to go to sewing needle route and see if I could get the port working again.

And it did, it's now back changing with a cable, but it was like digging spuds the amount of lint I took out of the port, it had become very compacted.

kildarejohn

Thanks for all above comments. Cleaning the socket with a metal instrument works, but no doubt damages the delicate data contacts and shortens the life.

I did a "scientific" experiment (after cleaning the socket). I plugged the charger cable into my newer (USB C) phone, and the old style USB charger cable into an old phone. I held both of them hanging out of the cable - over a nice soft bed - and started swinging them back and forward. The USB C lasted 4 swings before falling out. the old style was still tightly holding after 20 swings when I gave up. QED - the USB C design is not fit for purpose.

swampy353

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122095094#Comment_122095094

USB c is not designed to act as a swing for your phone. It's the equivalent of saying that a loaf of bread is a crap car tyre QED bread is not fit for purpose

BeerFarts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122093448#Comment_122093448

If that's not available, cutting out a pointed segment from a plastic milk carton can often work. It's thin enough and strong enough to scoop out whatever is in the port.

kildarejohn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122095471#Comment_122095471

Sorry you're not impressed with my experiment. Would it impress you more if I said the old USB could withstand an extraction force of 1kN, whereas the new USB C can withstand only 0.5kN?

No doubt laboratories have done the measurement, and if you have access to real scientific data I would like to see it, but it is an undisputable fact that USB C falls out much more easily than the old type.

swampy353

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122095761#Comment_122095761

Very little you've said has been anyway impressive to me. It just such a spurious argument you're making.

kildarejohn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122096083#Comment_122096083

I was hoping that we could have some rational discussion on this topic. It is my belief, based on several years experience of both the old and new style USB plug/socket, that the new one pulls out with much less force than the old one. If you feel this is incorrect then please point out why you disagree.

One cannot accuse a person of being "spurious" simply because one disagrees with them.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122097248#Comment_122097248

Of course usb-C unplugs easier. It doesn't render it unfit for purpose though. It's perfectly secure enough to charge and to pick up and use a phone while plugged in.

swampy353

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122097248#Comment_122097248

As far as I am concerned once the socket is tight enough that the cable doesn't fall out, then job done.

It's not designed to swing your phone out of it, so saying that it can only x number of swings instead of y with usb b is not a measurement that has any substantive use for many people

28064212

I can swing my monitor around like a mace with a VGA cable secured. Tried it with a HDMI cable and it flew off and clattered my boss in the head. QED [sic] the HDMI design is not fit for purpose, and gets you fired.

Royale with Cheese

Been struggling to charge my Pixel 6 Pro as of late. Took a sewing pin to the port and scraped out a load of dirt there, working fine now.

kildarejohn

I have been doing a bit more research -

(1) Research project one; eat my breakfast cereal while charging phone. I plugged in the phone in the socket to my right. To read emails, I picked it up and held it in my left hand and tapped screen a few times with right hand. Then put it back on table to my right and ate a few more spoons of cereal. Repeat four or five times. Before I had finished the bowl the USB plug had fallen out.

(2) research project two; search online - found this - "The extraction force shall be within the range of 6 N to 20 N after 10,000 insertion/ extraction cycles." 6 Newton = c. 600 gram force. As my phone only weighs 200 gram, when I dangle my phone upside down by the USB cable, I am only applying 1/3rd the minimum force in the USB C standard specification

QED???