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

4 days and status is "In repair
Your product is currently being analysed or repaired."
I was promised a call too and that never materialised.

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

Hello to everyone.
I have discover today that the USB cable connector have two too large hooks that may be one of the causes of broken the USB connector on N900.
These hooks are near the double of the long of the ones on a Sansung charger.
The charger (USA model) connector have bigger ones.
Sorry for my English.

Julio (Argentine)

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

thats known long time ago offcourse its not the main reason it but these 2 prongs helps making the port broken so if u know how to grind them do it or compress them with ur thumbs if possible read some pages in the thread ull find important notes :)

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

Hi, it's been almost 2 weeks, and i've got the same status

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

Mine broke yesterday morning, took it to Helsinki flagshop and they sent it to somewhere for repairs. Said that it would take about 2 weeks.

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

Two weeks!! The Nokia Service centre here said 5 days and that is bad enough.

I just don't understand the delay. It takes hours to asses and then decide upon a replacement. What are they doing for the other 13 days!!!

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

I think they say 2weeks to cover their arse, but usually should take about a week to resolve the issue :)

I'm happy that Nokia are identifying that the fault is a production issue and that consumers can rely on their warranty to get it fixed.

However, Nokia should give all existing N900 users the option of sending their phone into a repair centre so that the engineers can solder the usb port down, and ensure the damn thing stays on! :D

I can only see this becoming an issue for all N900 users at some stage of the product lifecycle.

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

Yes, they said 2 weeks, but I'm pretty sure that it will take much less than that. It is the basic rule of expectations management, overestimate and then the customer is happier when the result is better than the estimate.

Last time I had my N958GB serviced, they said 1 week and in the end it was like 2 or 3 days.

I also tried to ask, if they change the whole main logic board, but they didn't know. They just said that this is know issue and that they can't fix it in their repair shop and that they have to send it to factory for repairs. What happens, remains to be seen.

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

Are you guys kiddin? :P In Wavre near Brussels in Belgium they told me 3 weeks! And it's been more than a month now I cannot use my n900 anymore! I'm starting to feel I don't even own one!

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

i have known that one about a month ago. if i did not fetch this thread, i will never know that the CA-101 of n900 has such big prongs, (just compared it with my n97 which is the prongs are almost not noticeable)

I believe nokia put a bit bigger prongs on the n900 charger and cable coz some n97 users complained that their chargers and data cables dont bite that much or too loose. Well i just imagined that the very minor problem on the n97 is a big solution on the n900.

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

Exactly the same for me. Glad I didn't sell my n810 though..... :/

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

I had one N900 ordered from Amazon that had this problem in the first 48 hours or so. I sent it back to amazon and they immediately sent me a replacement.

Now my "main" N900 has the same problem. I got it from Mercadolibre (Ebay Argentina) and see no way of returning it there.

Of the 6 N900s I've had, 2 have had this problem. :(

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

this is my n900's usb port looks like, no problems so far, but still concerned.

im sorry for the flashy effect

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/y...y0131/Usb2.jpg

here is another one from a different angle

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/y...by0131/Usb.jpg

my manufacturing date is 52/2009.

if someone that has one's n900 repaired or replaced claims that the usb port looks the same as on the photo, i'll be a bit relieved

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

i gave my n900 to repair on January 20 with broken usb.
I still don't have my n900 back.
So stop complaining over 2 -3 weeks :-)

Seriously it makes me wonder if i will ever go Nokia again. I was a sonyericsson user for many years. Sure it was not always perfect in that camp either but this is ridiculous.
I had my device for 3 weeks. Been without it for 8 weeks now.
Once i get it back, if i get it back, it will be old and replaced with next model.
And nokia wont port meego to my then time to retire n900...

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

The port in those pictures looks OK to me.

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

Aye I think so too. Obviously we cannot comment on how rigid the port still is, but I would say that there's no need to worry for the time being, but keep an eye on it.

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

I thought that the photos are too flashy, but anyways....

thanks for the both of you, that helped me breathe, now i can share this with others that are also worried for their USB ports,

but still prevention is better than repair, so i'll always take good care of this, even sticking my n900 on my eyes if necessary :D:D

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

that is weird.

i had a nokia device that was sent for repair (i think that was an n97 or 5800xm or older device), they told me i should receive it repaired or replaced whatever the case maybe for about 6-8 weeks!, but i got the device for only 1 week and 3 days.

nokia often tell customers a longer period of time than what is expected. but your case must have some absolute reason.

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

It still stinks. For a device in warranty period having to wait more than 5 days is disgusting IMHO.

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

Unfortunately this weekend my Micro USB connector came off.
I was aware of the problem so had been extra careful but this did not seem to make any difference.
On inspection of the underside of the connector there are really only two pads holding the connector to the board.
I haven't taken the phone apart to examine the board, but it is obvious only small parts of the copper pads have been lifted. The underside of the connector has several very clean areas which point to poor bonding between the connector and solder.
I hope they won't refuse to repair it under warranty, I expect my unit was one of the early ones. What has been other peoples process for replacement, do I need to pack up all the accessories etc. will I be getting this phone back or not and therefore do I need to wipe it of personal data/back up.
Sadly my battery is flat, so if anybody can tell me the charging voltage/current for the battery it will save me investigating how I can charge it directly.

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

They will just want the phone minus the battery, sim, microsd card and stylus.

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

As far as we can tell Nokia has been replacing/repairing all devices for the last 2 weeks.

So you should be all right. They are taking a long while to return teh devices in a few places.

The best thing to to is contact the Nokia care HQ live within your courty. And ask to have it sent directly to them as this is what the remote care centres have to do anyway. A few remote centres seem to be taking longer to get the message then other.

But it has be en a while since anyone posted that their centre rejected the device.

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

In the past (770, N8x0) they also didn't want the battery cover. Basically don't send them anything they can lose and that they would then have to replace (most likely you'd get your device back missing something you included and then have to try and argue for a replacement for the lost part which will be an even more painful experience than the original repair).

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

So how long average does it seem to be taking? Just sent mine away today, hoping and praying for a week (I know I know massively unlikely!)

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

I sent mine in on Wednesday. They received it on Friday, and shipped me a replacement on today. Couldn't have asked for a better result.

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

While there might be some truth to it, there is at least one technical reason to use Micro-USB. You would think that a bigger connector is more robust, eh? But not ultimately so. Micro-USB is built to endure more plugging cycles than Mini-USB. (Mini-USB: 5000, Micro-USB: 10000)

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

That's awsome. So when the micro USB socket rips off the n900 system board we can rest easy knowing that the socket itself will still be working properly.

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

It's not the Micro usb that is at fault, more the way in which it is mounted so that there is too much stress placed on the solder joints to the Motherboard each time the plug is pulled :(

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

For mine I am certain poor soldering was the issue.
You wouldn't know your device suffered from it until it came off.
Usually connectors die from bent pins etc. but as you say the connector itself is very sturdy.
I was tempted to go and get some nice pictures down a microscope of it so you can all see where the fracture started/ where the solder wasn't, but I haven't had time yet and I am posting it off today.

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

My Microusb has pulled away from the motherboard and you could see the orange motherboard tracks still attached to the socket, so if anything I suppose the solder is too strong as when it fails it rips from the MB which makes economical repair unviable :(

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

Nice! Thanks:) Did they replace your phone completely or repair it? (My screen is a bit scratched in one corner so hoping for replacement;)

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

I realize it's easy to miss explanations in a big thread like this so I'll repeat (with additional detail):

- no such thing as "solder being too strong". If done properly solder joints actually form an alloy between the solder and two connected materials and is by design meant to be as resistant to breakage as possible.

- in the expected life of these products, there should be no "expected hard failure mode" for this connector. Soft failure is a different story, and would involve damage to the internals (like breaking the plastic tab inside).

- the problem here is not solder but the copper plating. It is coming free of the printed circuit board (PCB) much too easily.

The root cause fault is most likely with the PCB manufacturer, not Nokia (materials suppliers are supposed to guarantee their products' quality). However, I'm still of the opinion Nokia made a bad decision going with a surface mount connector. Even with copper plating issues, we would probably never have seen this defect with a through-hole mount.

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

do not make your phones in korea next time Nokia

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

Hmm although some copper came off in my case some places on the connector had no solder at all, which as you correctly say, shouldn't really happen, so I think its a bad solder which resulted on more stress on the copper which then came off the board in some places. I should have got those pictures then I could highlight this. Its in the post now, as I thought Nokia might want to inspect the connector to devise the failure mode, probably not economically viable to do that though.

I agree with you that it appears to be a marginal design which has highlighted this minor manufacturing flaw had they beefed the mounting up a bit it probably wouldn't matter if the solder wasn't quite perfect (or the copper pads if that is the problem). It is always gonna be hard to get a big bit of metal like that to solder perfectly to the board, it should have been secured some other way. I am sure it won't be just Nokia suffering from problems mounting these MicroUSB connectors, expect to see problems with many manufacturers as they all move to the european standard, most will surface mount there connectors like this.

Open source connector design anybody?

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

I still think it would be better if the MicroUSB was either attached to the outer case or is at least made in such a way that it cannot be pulled through the outer case so the case would prevent this sort of incident.

However this could complicate manufacturer and without my N900 to look at I do not know if it would be possible. I do not want to go down the expoxy route as doubtless that would invalidate the warrantee :(

I miss my N900, come on Nokia sort out that repair, you've been looking at it long enough.

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

Agreed. This would be the second best option in my opinion. 1st being as texrat states. through the hole mounting on teh PCB.

Problem is It is hard to design a port that could be fitted through the case and held in woth out making it hard or impossible to dismantle the divice for repair etc.

But if the port had some form of clip that would allow a sleave to be inserted from outside the device then clipped onto the the port. then the port sould be designed with spers that prevent it from being pulled forward of the case then the sleave would have a flange to prevent it being pulled into the case.

of course this would involve a special design for the USB port and the sleave. Maybe more expensive then I would think. But such an option would allow all current devices to be altered.

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

Usually what I've seen is that the port is lined up right where the top and bottom of the case join. Then you just have to make a dip in the wall of one side and the joint between the two cases makes it a fully closed hole.looking at a few devices sitting around on my desk, all but one does that. The other uses a top plate, bottom plate, and a plastic surround for the middle which has holes in it which you just pull away once you've gotten the top or bottom off (like a blackberry 8300 series). The thing I'm noting about it though is that they *all* have connectors mounted with the metal bit flush with the outside of the case, presumably for support or maybe just so it doesn't look weird and cheap.

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

Obviously that wouldn't fix current devices, though. Simulating the case on the inside might and it could be affordable. If they had a little piece of something hard that had arms that went under the case and a big arm that fastened over the top of the USB port, they could stick those on current models to reinforce them without having to use something that takes a long time to harden or could possibly break the device by oozing somewhere bad.

I'm thinking something very very loosely resembling this attachment.

If downward force is a problem, it could include a spacer that slides underneath the port to fill the gap between it and the PCB as well.

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

There is a lot of force required to plug/unplug those MicroUSB connectors. The port should have been soldered and pinned via thru holes. And then "captured" by the case so that there would be no shearing forces transferred to the PCB when plugging and unplugging the plug. Especially from a device that may need a plug shoved into it 5-10 times a day if you are using it a lot and traveling.

This is similar to how I/O jacks are done on audio gear. The port is thru pinned and then fastened in some fashion to the front or back panels.

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

I reckon I'll sell my n900 on Ebay when it gets back to me, I don't have time for a phone that I don't have use of for a couple of weeks as some of you are reporting.