Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

Texrat, don't worry, people taking a stand for the community will never be forgotten. I can only anticipate how much effort you have put it (reading your posts here & other blogs concerning this issue), but rest assured, it will not be forgotten. You have proven once more to be a highly valued member of this community, and speaking for myself I am very very grateful for your input.

Let's see what is going to happen, but things are looking really good at them moment. Thanks to everybody involved, we really proved that we are a good and well functioning community.

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

Thanks Haus3r.

I'm really encouraged by the participation and patience shown here. This was a fatal problem that while still occurring in small numbers had (has?) the potential to get really ugly. Staying professional helps facilitate a better response from Nokia. Thanks to everyone who contributed toward a solution.

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

i purchased mine from MobilePhonesDirect. I checked with them to see if the warranty covers the Micro USB Port. They responded by saying:
The warranty will not cover physical damage, if it is an inherent fault and Nokia would need to admit it is a manufacturing defect then it would be covered under the warranty, Nokia have not made such claims to my knowledge so it would be a case of physical damage, for clarification please call Nokia Care on 08450455555

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

Yeah, that's the worst case scenario... The connector being literally the weakest link of the phone (as many close-up photos reveal), I fear that aa huge percentage of the N900 owners will face this problem sooner or later, in a week or in three years.

As for my case, I'm still waiting for a reply from the Finnish Nokia Repair Customer Service (or whatever it is called) as well as a reply from my insurance company. I suppose these things take time. I can cope with my E65 but still...

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

That "physical damage" caveat is being used way, way too broadly by those trying to weasel out of their obligations to proper customer service.

EDIT: the proper term is "mechanical failure".

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

Precisely Texrat, and this is where I expect trouble: how can I prove to Nokia that I did not force the USB Cable into the Port? Mine came off completely after +-2 Weeks through normal use, I am a bit worried that they will deny any repairs :mad:

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

All we can do is keep pushing, relying on facts and not emotion. ;)

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

The micro-USB plug on the Nokia charger, and the micro-USB plug on the Nokia USB cable, both have the USB logo on top. After a bit of practice you can easily feel the difference when you pick up the plug, so that you insert it the correct way every time, instead of pushing it the wrong way 50% of the time.

Because I had heard about the problems with the micro-USB sockets on the pre-production devices, I have always been extremely careful with mine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Also, the idea of filing off the two little springs on the plug seems like a good thing to do, to reduce the insertion/removal force.

Finally, isn't this an issue that could be taken up by the Maemo Community Council? They could liaise with Nokia to get an unambiguous statement that broken sockets will be fixed under warranty. Nokia promotes the N900 as a "Maemo Device", and I don't see any reason why the Maemo Community Council shouldn't get involved with issues relating to Maemo hardware.

Regards,
Roger

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

Roger, I'm on the council and as noted I have been working with Nokia as best I am able... so I'm really, really confused by your comment. :confused:

Re: Problems with N900 USB port becoming broken / loose and resulting warranty & repair issues
 

Thanks - I hadn't noticed that logo. That will surely help.