Help Samsung S3 Charging Conectors Unit Short Life

[babooy]

I bought my s3 in July 13. This phone eats up car or home charging units. I would estimate at least once per month I have to replace the charging plug unit adapters to the phone. I end up taking the charging adapter back to the seller and get another. As I've read elsewhere on these forums one person had a similar problem. With our phones being under warranty, I can't afford to send it away as she did and be without it for up to two weeks, while it's being "fixed". Still no gaurantee they will find the problem. Does any one know why Samsung would sell such a feature rich phone, but on the other hand have these kind of charging problems that are littered throughtout these forums? Does anyone know what the charging unit problem may be with my phone and if there are any remedies short of the nucleur option of mailing it in for repair?

 

[GTWalling]

Not sure about the others, I have had my S3 since August 2012 and using the same battery and Charger and have had no problems at all.

 

[Rukbat]

If you're talking about the charger itself failing, I have no idea. Most of them (not just Samsung) are well-designed and well-made. There's not enough in there to save money by making them "cheaper". Cellphone chargers are pretty much commodities these days.

If you're talking about the plug ... don't get me started. I've been in the electronics industry for many decades, and Samsung makes about the shoddiest connector I've ever seen. (Good enough for government use" doesn't even come close. "Good enough to fill the spaces in a landfill" might be closer.) Why? I have no idea, but they must be profiting from it.

As far as the type of connector itself, microUSB, the industry wanted to settle on a single connector type. A 2nd year industrial design student could have done better on a napkin while ogling the waitress. It's too easy to break the port, and the port can't be built to be well-fastened to the board. The only worse design I've seen is the power port on most laptops. I have 10 year old Motorola phones with flimsier connectors that are still working.

 

[babooy]

Sounds like you got a good one from Samsung. The original home charger maybe lasted a few months. After my first purchase of a charging unit from a big box retailer, I save the receipt and and boxing. So far I haven't had a problem getting them replaced free of charge. I thought maybe it could have been the cheaper replacement chargers . Not sure if Rocketfish is is consider a good brand. Going on a recommendation I bought it for $22 at Best Buy. I got 50 days use from it now it's going back. This problem with Samsung definitely has me thinking twice about my next smart phone purchase.

 

[babooy]

Thanks Rukbat, It seems to be the charger male connectors that wear out, leaving no connection. When I insert a new connector, the fit is snug but wears down within a month. What baffles me is the expensive Rocketfish charger stayed in one spot and the phone was not being used while charging overnight. So there was no chance that phone movement would loosen up the connection. To bad bad my only solution is to buy (exchange) these from retailers who will give me replacement chargers for free.

 

[Rukbat]

I have a 3 year old Samsung and a couple of nrewer ones, and never had a problem with the plugs loosening. (They all had USB connectors on the charger and a USB-to-microUSB cable.) The microUSB 2.0 connector is what doesn't last - it's 2 pieces of plastic snapped together.