Very frustrating. I plug in the charger and start surfing the web or watching videos. Suddenly I get a low battery alert. The sneaky thing wasn’t charging.
I have to plug and unplug it to get it charging. Wiggle the cord and it’s not charging.
It’s supposed to charge in Turbo mode. Takes an hour. Instead it’s charging in regular mode and takes 3 to 4 hours. Once in awhile the connection gives me turbo mode.
Is there any way to tighten the USB plug connection? Should I take it to a repair shop? Or just buy a new $25 turbo charger?
I tried my friends charger and my phone charges fine. Went directly into Turbo charge.
I’m sure it’s my charger’s USB connection. I know it’s replaceable for $25. I just wondered if a repair shop could tighten the plug for $5. A 1 min fix. Or maybe I could do it.
Most repair shops don’t do component-level soldering these days. Parts are just swapped out. Most power supplies / chargers are a single part.
If it were mine, I could probably solder a new connector onto the end of it, but I’ve been soldering since I was a teenager (and I’m old enough to remember watching the first moon landing live on TV). The fact that you have to ask if it can be fixed makes me think that you don’t have the soldering skills required to do this yourself.
Your best bet is probably going to be to fork over the $25.
A $5 generic USB cheapie power supply from Wally World (Walmart) will work, but it won’t do turbo mode.
It doesn’t sound like this is the problem, but be sure you’re using at least a 24/28 gauge charging cable. The standard 28/28 gauge cables usually won’t support turbo charging. When you tested with your friend’s charger, did you confirm whether his charger worked with your cable and vice versa?
To be clear, is the loose connection at the phone end or at the computer/wall wart end? If the latter, then just get a new cable. They’re standard, common, and cheap.
It seems like wear has reduced the tension the plug applies to the socket. It slides in easier and looser than my friends charger.
I thought maybe this was common and easily fixed by bending the springs inside the plug. Maybe with a needle that can get in there. Micro USB is pretty small to work on.
If it’s not a routine fix then I’ll look into buying a new Turbo charger. Preferably one with a replaceable cord.
If this is micro-USB, my experience is that those little nubs on the bottom are really important, and can wear off. I’m not sure why the plug is so loose to begin with that it needs those nubs, but, if they aren’t the right size, the device will not stay plugged in.
I find that actual USB cables tend to be the best about having good nubs. So use one of those with those USB bricks that plug straight into the socket. You know, one of these.
USB is pretty much standardized today, with all devices ~5V, 0.5A minimum, and a few tip types, with Android favoring Micro USB. Some may use specialized cables, but generally speaking any “Turbo” chargers just run at a higher amperage (devices nowadays won’t draw more than they need to run safely), and so you really should not be spending more than a few bucks for a generic charger. You shouldn’t need to buy a particular brand, and $25 is rather steep. This is true of iPhones as well, you just have to get a USB-C tip instead.
You mean Lightning (USB-C isn’t used on iPhones). (Personally, every story I’ve ever heard of an iPhone catching fire was when it was plugged into a “cheap third party” charger, so I’d go for the licensed versions.)
In my experience the cables are what wear out, not the ports on the phone.
Also in my experience, I find giving the cable end a light squeeze with some needle-nose pliers, just enough to make the slot a little narrower, will make the contacts a little “grabbier”.
Third party can easily include Amazon Basics, Monoprice, etc. and still be quality. Millions of users have no problems and any reports seem more like hearsay. You pay a premium for the Apple or Samsung logo.
As far as quality and risk of overheat/fire, I don’t necessarily insist on OEM products, but certainly opt for the $10 generic replacement over the $2 one.
You don’t need the Apple logo; I’d argue you do want a charger from someone who’s licensed to produce Lightning connectors: they’re required to have the stuff be in spec and with proper safety concerns like grounding addressed. The cheap third party ones generally are just power wires hooked up to the connector, often incorrectly.
