Issue with Charging after Jelly Bean Update

siapplebaum · Apr 4, 2013

I'm not sure if this is specific to the Stratosphere II, or Android 4.1.2, or some weird interaction with one of the installed apps.

Ever since my phone was upgraded from Android 4.0 to 4.1 this last weekend, it has started complaining about many of the USB chargers I've historically used without problems.

I get the following pop-up screen (I've seen it mentioned nowhere in my Google searches):

"The connected charger is incompatible with this phone. To prevent damage to your phone, charging has been stopped. To continue charging, use the original charger and cable that were provided with the phone."

I'm not exactly sure whether this due to a slight change in voltage off the standard USB +5V signal, but it doesn't appear to be current related. I haven't correlated it with all of my chargers, but here's a list of various chargers with their rated output amperage and whether they induce the effect (it seems to be cable-independent):

no error:
550 mA (Motorola-branded USB adapter)
700 mA (Samsung-branded USB adapter)
765 mA (iGo green power supply for laptop, with extra USB)
3A (!) (Anker Astro3E portable battery)

error:
180 mA (Plantronics-branded USB adapter)
500 mA (Belken Mini Surge Protector with USB)
1 A (Bestek auto adapter with USB)
2.1 A (Bestek auto adapter with USB)

Again, it could be a voltage issue (I don't have a multimeter with me right now to measure average voltage and any "fluctuations"). But, I never had a problem before this last weekend. When the error occurs, the unit still does charge up, even though it says it is not -- but at a very slow rate.

Is anyone having this issue? Any ideas on how to undo this new "feature"?

JoeFresco · Apr 9, 2013

I haven't had this issue. I've charged off a Touchpad charger, computer, PowerGen car adapter, and a Jawbone charger with no issues. I've also used several cables, including a touchpad cable, a Samsung cable, and motorola cable.

I suggest going to a VZ store and trying to get the phone swapped out under warranty. Not sure they will agree, though, since it charges with their own charger.

siapplebaum · Apr 14, 2013

Joe,

I noticed in an alternate post that you have blocked the 4.1 update, which I think is the culprit. At least one other person has reported the issue:

https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/796527

I am considering going to a VZ store, but I think it would be a big waste of time, as I am pretty confident it is a firmware issue, not a hardware issue.

Has anyone seen this problem concurrent with the 4.1 update?

JoeFresco · Apr 19, 2013

The update was actually forced on me 5 days after it came out. I tried to block it and failed. I did have one issue with one port of my car charger with a regular USB cable. The other port or using a charging-only cable worked fine. You might try picking up a charging only cable. They are handy to have and force AC Adapter 1W charging instead of standard USB 500mw charging.

philnick · May 15, 2013

As a user of Windows CE devices since before they were phones - the original open platform, now abandoned by MS in favor of the "walled garden" Apple approach - I'm moving from my HTC TouchPro2 (WM 6.5 - the last iteration of WinCE) to my first Android, a Stratosphere 2, which upgraded itself to 4.1.2 Jelly Bean as soon as I got it. I'm still setting it up, and have the same issue of it refusing to charge with anything other than its own charger. Since I never tried to charge it with anything other than its own charger until after the upgrade, I don't know how it behaved before.

I came here specifically to find out how to deal with this issue - I was wondering if the polarity was reversed or the charge current was on different pins. I live across from the Microcenter in Cambridge, Mass., so I'll look for a charge-only cable and I'll report back whether (1) I can find one and, if so, (2) whether it solves the problem.

-Phil

philnick · May 16, 2013

I looked at Microcenter for a charge-only cable and the guys there had no such thing. One suggested trying a tablet / hub cable, and we plugged one into their generic USB charger. It worked, so I bought it, but when I got it home and plugged it into my Belkin Surge Protector (an outlet tripler with two USB charging jacks), it behaved the same as before, telling me to unplug it or else.

When I reconnected it anyway, the phone played dead and wouldn't charge with its own charger and cable - or even turn on - until I removed and reinserted the battery.

Next experiment may be to cover the two inner contacts on the large end of the cable to turn it into a charge-only cable - but I don't hold out much hope for that, since the Samsung charger and cable have all four contacts intact on the large end of the cable.

-Phil

philnick · May 16, 2013

Here's how to turn a standard USB cable into a charge-only cable:

1) Using a razor blade or pocket knife, strip away an inch or so of the rubber insulation in the middle of the cable, and then continue inwards, removing the shielding - which in the case of the one I used had two layers, braid around foil.

That will give you access to the four color-coded wires.

2) Leave the red and black wires alone - those are the power wires.

3) Cut the white and green data wires in the middle.

4) Strip a bit of insulation from the end of that pair that goes to the phone end (the smaller plug), and twist the conductors together.

5) Leave the two that go to the larger plug unconnected to anything at all.

6) Tape up the pair that goes to the phone so they don't contact the shielding, and tape up the ones that go to the charger so they don't contact anything at all. Just wrap the tape around and around, with the various wires at different layers. No electrical tape on hand? Use a flexible band-aid!

Tying together the data wires that go to the phone tells the phone that this is a fast-charge cable, and it can draw a larger current.

Leaving the data wires to the plug end connected to nothing means that if you plug it into a computer, it won't see the phone and won't try to make a data connection - no alert tones will be played by the computer.

I found instructions on-line that I've streamlined. The original instructions had you cut the whole cable and reconnect the red and black wires - my way was easier.

My Strat is now happily charging from one of my Beldon surge protector's USB sockets.

For emergency charging on the go, I've ordered a retractable charge-only cable at Amazon that I can keep in my pocket.

-Phil

Issue with Charging after Jelly Bean Update

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