Develop Bugs

[Q] Broken micro usb on g2

Wife's phone usb port is broke. It got mangled by a tough cord pull. It can't be straightened out. plastic is broken and contacts are mangled. After I did some research, I can see this issue happens on quite a few phones with micro usb such as the evo, but i have not seen too many people mention it about the g2.
Anyways, no warranty since I got the hardware from craigsist. Even if there was a warranty htc has not been covering this sort of damage on the evo.
From what i can tell there are a couple of possible fixes and a workaound.
fix one - new motherboard. too expensive
fix two - have a new replacement port soldered onto the existing board. i am not sure if this is worth it. i don't have much soldering experience, so i would probably have to send it somewhere. Does anyone have any idea of what that sort of thing would cost? is it pretty risky in terms of further damage to the board?
workaround - Get an external charger and possibly a second battery to reduce downtime while charging. This is probably what we will do for a while. Does anyone have a solid suggestion for an external charger for the g2? Is the battery the same format as other HTC phones such as the evo?
thanks!

Ah that sucks. From what i think if you know how to open the g2 then you wouldnt have a problem with fix 2 only thing i say is dont F..k up the motherboard lol... yoll have a fully broken phone. Dont know about fix 1.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

soreyes said:
Wife's phone usb port is broke. It got mangled by a tough cord pull. It can't be straightened out. plastic is broken and contacts are mangled. After I did some research, I can see this issue happens on quite a few phones with micro usb such as the evo, but i have not seen too many people mention it about the g2.
Anyways, no warranty since I got the hardware from craigsist. Even if there was a warranty htc has not been covering this sort of damage on the evo.
From what i can tell there are a couple of possible fixes and a workaound.
fix one - new motherboard. too expensive
fix two - have a new replacement port soldered onto the existing board. i am not sure if this is worth it. i don't have much soldering experience, so i would probably have to send it somewhere. Does anyone have any idea of what that sort of thing would cost? is it pretty risky in terms of further damage to the board?
workaround - Get an external charger and possibly a second battery to reduce downtime while charging. This is probably what we will do for a while. Does anyone have a solid suggestion for an external charger for the g2? Is the battery the same format as other HTC phones such as the evo?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't need a working micro USB port for connecting to your computer, just pick up one of those power mats that charge your devices by just placing them on the mat.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

OriginalGabriel said:
If you don't need a working micro USB port for connecting to your computer, just pick up one of those power mats that charge your devices by just placing them on the mat.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I looked into the powermat product last night. As far as I could tell, it seemed like they didn't have one for the G2. In that case, they provide a workaround, but it sounds like it also requites a working port of some sort.
"If your specific device is not listed in Step 1, we currently do not have a receiver for your model. By choosing "other" your solution will include a wireless Powercube universal receiver with 7 tips to allow your device to charge on a Powermat mat."
"The Powercube Universal Receiver Allows you to Charge Hundreds of Devices Wirelessly
The perfect accessory to your mat. Seven Interchangeable tips (micro USB, mini USB, Samsung, LG, Apple, Nintendo DSi, Sony PSP) allow you to wirelessly charge hundreds of mobile devices using just one receiver. Works with all Powermat mats."
After reading that, it stops sounding wireless at all. The universal powercube is wireless to the powermat, but it needs to attach to the handset with a cord. Pretty silly for $100. maybe there are other companies besides powermat?

I found a great thread about sanding chintech batteries. I ordered the two pack plus charger and will peel and sand them. So for now, I will use the external charging workaround.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=945090
In the meantime, if anyone else has a broken usb microport issue, post up your experience here. The issue seems rampant in the evo's, but maybe not so much on the G2. It is a heck of a small plastic tab in there holding the contacts.

Or get one of those 2 batteries + 1 charger deals on ebay and charge one while you're out and when you run out of battery just swap it. That's what I do and I think it's a hell of a lot more convenient.

Just chiming in
I have the same problem, except my micro usb connector still functions very testily. I have to plug and unplug it several times, and the slightest of jostles will disconnect it. Charging is more reliable than tethering, and I definitely use tethering, as I don't have a wired broadband connection at home. I'd love to get this repaired, if it's not too costly or difficult, so I'm going to watch this thread. Thanks for the suggestions on getting an external charger and extra batteries. If my connector continues to deteriorate, it makes me feel very relieved to know I'll have a backup. Thank heavens this phone has an sdcard slot!

Tethering and file transfer can be accomplished over wifi with some apps. Look for wireless tether and the samba or ftp apps

This is planned obsolescence at its worst. The switch from mini-USB to micro-USB doesn't save any space and makes the plug VERY VERY delicate.
Personally, I would take it apart, unsolder the micro-USB socket from the board, solder in a new MINI-USB socket, and reassemble. It is relatively low risk, as long as you are careful while soldering (use proper desoldering wick to disassemble). Be sure that you don't use too strong a soldering iron -- about 15 watt, and be sure to use one that is GROUNDED (three prong plug).

Thats some good advice. I was not aware you could swap out the interface in that way.

It's actually not quite that simple to change interface. You would first need to find a mini-USB connector having the same alignment pegs (to help with strain relief) and pad spacing as the current micro-USB connector. You will also need to hack the chassis of the phone some as well (and even then, a mini-USB connector will still probably stick out slightly).
Despite what was stated earlier, although both mini-USB and micro-USB have about the same width, mini-USB connectors are significantly thicker (or taller) and slightly longer (as far as depth). Micro-USB actually does give a pretty nice space savings for a hardware designer and can be more robust in design depending on the actual connector used.
Probably easier to just try and find the same connector HTC used if you are going to go through the trouble of replacing it.

I like to know all the great advise I was also worried about this when I just had the EVO. But to transfer files you could use a sdcard slot adapter for your pc or one of those usb sdcard readers I had used that when rooting my g1 along time ago LOL. Thanks for the backup ideas
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

soreyes said:
Tethering and file transfer can be accomplished over wifi with some apps. Look for wireless tether and the samba or ftp apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, soreyes I already use the wifi tethering now and then, but it really drains the battery and makes the phone very hot. In fact, I accidentally left my wifi tethering on overnight the other night and woke up to a dead battery and a radio that wouldn't work for half the day. I was actually worried I had fried my phone and turned it into an expensive PDA. After turning it off for about 8 hours, it worked fine again, thank goodness.
I definitely hadn't thought of FTP or samba for file transfer, but thanks for the suggestion. I hate taking out the battery to get to the sdcard, just to transfer a file or two.

Having this problem with a G2 as well
I started having charging issues a few months ago, before my warranty ended, but now, I'm screwed and the phone will not charge at all. I know it is not the battery.
I have a G2 from T-Mobile. I took it apart and it looks like the job to get the port off and replace it would not be simple.
Has someone actually completed that task?
Does anyone have the part number on the port? I see several very similar ones on ebay. (search for microUSB and android)
Or, has someone sent theirs off to be fixed out of warranty? I've seen a place called Mission Repair mentioned here and there on the web...
Thanks!
-g

I had always thought (if mine usb port broke) about trying these guys ( www.cellulardr.com ), i mean if your phone is not really working you could check them out to see if the price is right.
I know I sent my itouch off for screen repair and it was worth it.
gelainest said:
I started having charging issues a few months ago, before my warranty ended, but now, I'm screwed and the phone will not charge at all. I know it is not the battery.
I have a G2 from T-Mobile. I took it apart and it looks like the job to get the port off and replace it would not be simple.
Has someone actually completed that task?
Does anyone have the part number on the port? I see several very similar ones on ebay. (search for microUSB and android)
Or, has someone sent theirs off to be fixed out of warranty? I've seen a place called Mission Repair mentioned here and there on the web...
Thanks!
-g
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You might consider buying one of those G2's on eBay with the broken screen, and swapping out the motherboard, then along with that you'd get all kinds of other spare parts, including battery etc.
I've never taken apart the phone, so can't attest to the difficulty, but I've seen a few guides around.

Update on repair options
So I called a local shop and they said that it was too complex of a procedure for them and referred me to Mission Repair in KS.
Called Mission and they said they get several calls a day from folks with G2's/Evos/and Desires with this exact problem. The guy said that in 80% of the cases it is not fixable without replacing the logic board because the issue is often that the logic board connectors break. This is a known issue with these similar HTC phones.
On the other side of things, I called HTC and it turns out these phones have a warranty from 15 months of manufacture, which T-Mobile did NOT inform us about. They said they will take the phone and fix it for free if i hadn't voided the warranty.
Now if only I hadn't open the phone up after the T-mobile rep told me there was no hope. *arg*

Desire won't charge easily

Hi, My desire usb charge port is damaged. to get it to charge i have to keep moving the charger cable to various positions and get it just right to begin charging.
i sent it to htc for warrenty repair and they said It is not covered.
they say the part to replace is £3 or something and like £20 labour plus another £20 for the postage and for them to check it over.
i never responded when they emailed me to make a desicion to go forward with the repair. is it something i can do easily myself at home?
i only say this because the part is so cheap.
thanks
sam

Bump, any response welcome

Hi,
I would not attempt this myself. I have read of others who have tried this and failed. I had to return my desire to HTC (under warranty) and the service was excellent. Personally, I would send to HTC. Are you sure that this is a usb problem? I had a similar charging problem and changed to another USB cable and it worked fine. Although I had a new board fitted my USB when it was repaired the usb port still has a slight movement but I never have problems charging.

retrosling said:
Hi, My desire usb charge port is damaged. to get it to charge i have to keep moving the charger cable to various positions and get it just right to begin charging.
i sent it to htc for warrenty repair and they said It is not covered.
they say the part to replace is £3 or something and like £20 labour plus another £20 for the postage and for them to check it over.
i never responded when they emailed me to make a desicion to go forward with the repair. is it something i can do easily myself at home?
i only say this because the part is so cheap.
thanks
sam
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it's a good idea to get the slot replaced by yourself, it's not just like replace the LCD screen or what. Just give them the money and let those people get it repaired as soon as possible.

I agree.
I have not attempted this myself, but as you've already sent it to them, you will have to pay 20£ now anyway as they charge this for checking it.
you will have to pay the spare part too if you do it yourself so that's another 3£ on your bill (if you can get it in a shop near you. if have to order it, then you would have to pay postage on top).
So even if you manage to do it by yourself you'll be effectively saving 20£. In my opinion, that's not worth it, considering that there is still the danger of bricking it while trying to repair...

zaphodbeeb said:
Hi,
I would not attempt this myself. I have read of others who have tried this and failed. I had to return my desire to HTC (under warranty) and the service was excellent. Personally, I would send to HTC. Are you sure that this is a usb problem? I had a similar charging problem and changed to another USB cable and it worked fine. Although I had a new board fitted my USB when it was repaired the usb port still has a slight movement but I never have problems charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed on the cable. I've gone through a couple that get loose and give me hassle charging. I had the same problem and used my other halfs newer cable from her Desire and . . . . bam!! . . .charging perfectly My guess is that's all it is.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

I also would say you this that dont take the risk of attempting it your self,get it repaired whatever it may cost..
I wanted to know that is there something(alternative) one can buy to charge the battery if charging port does NOT work at all.

I'd say , pay for it. Don't try to repair it yourself. You'll mess it up.

I have the exact same problem. I have to bend the cable a little upwards for it to charge. On another charger it works fine. I have to admit, that it's a bit annoying. Paying about 50 € for a reparation or 3€ for a new cable. Simple answer

[Q] Faulty USB port, software problem or not?

Hi guys!
I am normally on Xperia phones, but a mate gave me a Desire Z to try.
But there is one problem, the phone won't charge.
Can this be due to a software problem, so reinstall the stock firmware (and where can I find the right RUU), or do I have to dissambly the phone to replace the usb port?
Sorry for asking it so directly, but as I said, phone is only to try/repair...
Thanks anyway!

i bought a g2 off ebay with a faulty usb port. i the got a new usb port for around 6 dollars that i was to solder in. but before i went through all that i decided to inspect the old one. turns out there was a small piece of copper wire or something stuck in there, i took a little pick and forced it out. now everything works great! well slightly touchy when plugged in but almost perfect. i dont think the metal piece was part off the usb port but rather just a random foreign object. who knows maybe you could get lucky too! anyhow you can always flash a different rom and if your problem persists then i would go straight to a hardware problem, good luck!

[UPDATE][FIXED!] Dead USB, Microphone Repaired!

So im from India and i bought the GNex even though it hasnt been released by samsung here. Somehow, within 2 months my USB port has got fried. The local cellphone repair man says my IC needs replacement and he hast been able to find the IC for weeks now.
So rather than giving up on this baby completely, i'm thinking ill pick up an external battery charger so that i can at least USE the phone (with ever so limited functionality). Anyway, since i'm in India, ill need to make a purchase from ebay USA and i need to be sure that the external battery charger im getting is right for my phone. Ive narrowed it down to this one
http://orders.ebay.in/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ImportHubViewItem&itemid=200730160116
Has anyone used this one...any reviews...or any other help anyone can offer me. I bought this phone for about $400 odd and dont want to part with it this easily. Thanks!
PS: I have the International GSM version i9250 with stock battery

Have you tried charging with the pogo pins? Plenty of people have made their own pogo pin docks that work great once you enable fast charge with a custom kernel.

earlyberd said:
Have you tried charging with the pogo pins? Plenty of people have made their own pogo pin docks that work great once you enable fast charge with a custom kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah haven't tried that. Any links/how-to's? Also, any thoughts about the external charger i've linked?

karankumar said:
Nah haven't tried that. Any links/how-to's? Also, any thoughts about the external charger i've linked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's two ways to utilize the pogo pins. The first option is that you can actually buy/make a pogo pin dock, and in essence you just set up the dock so that the pins press up against the contacts on the phone and provide a charging current. Samsung offers the car and desktop docks to do just that, though they're really expensive and hard to find lately. If you make one yourself, you only need to connect two of the three pins, but you'll need a custom kernel in order to actually charge at 1A instead of 500mA. The other option is to connect an inductive charger to the pogo pins, and it can even be done internally if you have the OEM extended battery cover.
Several tutorials for DIY pogo pin mods are available in the DIY Workshop thread.
The external charger should work just fine. However, personally I would try to find the official spare battery charger (Samsung sku EBH-1F2SBE), just to eliminate any risk of getting something that's incompatible. Expansys has them in stock, and they even ship to India. I checked Expansys and they seem to have the desktop dock as well.

Another option may be to simply replace the USB board. If you're feeling up to it, you can read the guide here. Keep in mind that you may need to find a different USB board for the GSM version, but the procedure should be pretty much the same.

Thanks a lot guys. Im a bit sceptic about making my own charging dock but i think i'll try and replace the USB flex cable. That might help. And thanks a ton for those expansys links. They're charging $30 for shipping but at least its genuine stuff. Will report back on progress.
Cheers!

Back with more bad news it seems...
I decided to give my phone to Samsung for repair. They managed to get my charging port to work but now my mic isnt working. They said they replaced the flex cable but i really dont know what they did. I was just wondering, are the mic and usb connector assembly both on the USB flex cable? So is it possible that they used a bad part? Any other possibilities? Any help would be appreciated guys. Is it worth ordering a flex cable and getting it replaced now?

BUMP!
any help at all would be appreciated please!

Fixed!
So all that was needed was a flex cable. Ordered it, got Samsung to hook it up, and everything works! Thanks to all for the help!

USB jack replacement

The USB Mini-B jack (the USB port) on my LG P930 Nitro HD needs replacement. (This is partly because the battery life on the device is so short I have had to connect the thing constantly, using a variety of cables). The metal guides in the socket first appeared to separate from the male plug and are now a mangled mess, mostly at the back of the connector.
Does anyone have experience with do-it-yourself (DIY) replacement of this port?
The phone is rooted and running a custom ROM, so I can't take it for warranty.
I find many tutorials on screen replacement, but all I can find online are the replacement parts (such as this). Not a word, anywhere it seems, on replacing that port.
It's not easy to tell from either phone teardown video or the part itself, but it appears the socket is soldered to the board. . If that's true, I won't attempt it.
Also, does anyone have experience with the national myPhoneMD franchises regarding hardware repair ?

I can't speak to the level of complexity for doing this replacement, but I can tell you that indeed it requires soldering and not your run-of-the-mill soldering that you can do with any hobby soldering iron either. The 4 posts from that part you linked are just to hold the component in place...(If I'm not mistaken) there's still the actual USB connectors and they're likely surface-mount (magnifying glass and pinpoint soldering skills required here).
You might be better off with buying extra spare batteries and using apps like WiFi Explorer for accessing files on the SD Card remotely.

micro soldering definitely required
Namuna said:
I can't speak to the level of complexity for doing this replacement, but I can tell you that indeed it requires soldering and not your run-of-the-mill soldering that you can do with any hobby soldering iron either. The 4 posts from that part you linked are just to hold the component in place...(If I'm not mistaken) there's still the actual USB connectors and they're likely surface-mount
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting idea using batteries & WiFi ADB, but this device gets heavy field use and serves as my GPS on long trips. Plus, removing and replacing the Ballistic case is time-consuming. It's really too bad because after the better part of a year, I finally found a stable ROM where the battery would not drain in 2 hours or where the phone spent 1/4 of the time rebooting.
I found a close up photo confirming your observation. The signal lead connections are definitely smaller than my hobby-level solder skill can manage. The part is available from multiple suppliers, so someone somewhere has the skill set to replace it. I just hope it's not a three-week ordeal.

I feel your pain. My young son has been playing with my Nitro and he's nowhere near as anal as I am about not straining the USB cable when connected. Lately I've been noticing that I'm not getting good connections with all the USB cables I usually use (won't charge from the car adapter anymore. )
I'm glad you're even able to use the GPS for extended periods. I'm using a Hyperion fatty and CM10.1 ROM and when the car adapter *was* working, it couldn't keep my Nitro charged while using the GPS...If I couldn't get there within a couple/few of hours, I was screwed....And it's a high-capacity car adapter too.
...These guys need to get this magnetic USB connector to market, ASAP!!!
http://outsmartingtechnologies.com/project/magnetic-usb-connection/

Namuna said:
I'm using a Hyperion fatty and CM10.1 ROM and when the car adapter *was* working, it couldn't keep my Nitro charged while using the GPS...If I couldn't get there within a couple/few of hours, I was screwed....And it's a high-capacity car adapter too.
...These guys need to get this magnetic USB connector to market, ASAP!!!
http://outsmartingtechnologies.com/project/magnetic-usb-connection/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS: I have the same problem with battery longevity on trips. I could not run the phone continuously--even with the screen off--without going to 0%. On long trips there has to be a "refractory period" for the phone either off or in minimal consumption mode, if I want some battery left at the end of the journey or when I really need the GPS. I've tried a variety of DC chargers, but even the Stanley PC1A09 inverter powering the stock LG A/C adapter ultimately loses the battery fight. I am guessing that the inverter's output does not provide the A/C waveform as a wall outlet.
That magnetic connector looks great, but there would have to be a micro-format version.
None of the local repair shops in New Orleans, Louisiana will take on solder work at this scale. I ordered the $6 part but probably won't even try to install it, as I might destroy the board. Now I'm deciding between a local used locked phone, or a "new" unlocked phone on eBay. One particular seller with the best price has 99% positive reviews, but nearly all the negatives are from people who got used when they paid for new.

Have you tried bringing it to an actual AT&T store? I think we can give up the hope that they'll fix it under warranty, but at least they should be able to fix it at a cost...And if it ends up being cheaper than buying another Nitro used, then you've got a better deal.

My quit working I can charge it by putting something under the cord u might want give that a try it work for me
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium

stickman1981 said:
My quit working I can charge it by putting something under the cord u might want give that a try it work for me
Sent from my LG-P930 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's been my mode for a couple of months. I had ordered a Monoprice cable that didn't fit tightly, but just on my phone (all the other Androids in the house worked fine with it). In retrospect, that was an early sign of trouble.
I think the housing was stretched or distorted by an accidental cable yank months ago, and the socket just deteriorated from there. The short battery life made for more frequent connect-disconnect cycles on the hardware than I would have liked.
I ended up ordering a new replacement with a warranty that I'll probably trade with my son, and then he'll have a plan-protected phone to take to college. He's going to be in Canada and will need an unlocked phone (or else win the lottery). I'll take his locked AT&T phone for myself.
And I will take the bad-socket phone to the AT&T Device store in my area and see what it will cost to replace that port. If it's under $80-100, I'll probably go for it.