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

I didn't file the prongs off. I did compress them a bit, and took extra care connecting and disconnecting.

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

My usb port seems to wiggle when I plug it into the charger. I guess its going to fallout anytime.

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

Maybe there's hope for me yet then. Prongs on all my charger and data cables have been filed as flat as possible, taking care to blow them clean with compressed air afterwards.

Getting a bit tired of connecting things with microsurgical precision though :(

Are you gonna charge your batteries externally now, Texrat ?

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

As soon as I buy a charger... if I do. Not sure. I sent an email to Nokia to see what I should do about returning it. I doubt I'll warrant a third one. Back to my E71x if nothing else.

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

@texrat

for the second time this has happened will you recomend charging the battery externally?

i believe no.....coz a 500 buck device should be working okay without issues on charging.

maybe im back from charging my n900's battery via my external charger (5800 xm). and that is, removing my otterbox permanently (installing and uninstalling the case is a hasle).

now maybe nokia should know that the usb issue does not only affect a limited n900 devices.

Edit: i will kinda hate it if i bought this device in this moment and read about this thread. i'd be like ordering an external charger and a spare battery after i got the device.

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

if you filed the prongs of your charger to the finest, wiggles are normal and its the charger's microusb end that wiggle coz of reduced grip as a result of filing.

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

blogged again: http://tabulacrypticum.wordpress.com...sb-detachment/

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

I forget, is yours a summit device or similar? Going to take it to Nokia Care again?

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

i received a notification earlier via e-mail of your blog, and i was quite surprised.

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

Charging externally is better in general, because you aren't tied to an outlet so you can use your tablet like a mobile device practically all the time. Of course, you should also have more than one battery.

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

The original was a Summit device; replacement was production. I did not go through Nokia care before, and won't/can't this time either. I am not expecting another replacement

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

What are the chances of the bet-the-company hail mary device, the N8, having a surface mount USB port? High, I imagine. :(

EDIT: Attached is an image (sadly, low detail from the Nokia N8 assembly manual [PDF]) showing the USB port on the N8 circuit board - it's the silver box on the top edge of the PCB located directly above the three large shielded components on the left hand side. Does this socket look like surface mount, or through-hole? Or - most likely - is it impossible to tell (should the "through-hole" be located directly underneath the socket, or around it's edges - there doesn't appear to be much if anything around the edges of this socket).

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

Impossible to tell from that photo, Milhouse. Need a profile shot.

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

darn, my usb is getting loose! i used to think nokia create quality products.

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

Fair enough - fingers crossed it's through-hole (same applies to all sockets on the device, ie. HDMI etc.) as Nokia need to execute the N8 perfectly and can do without repeating a known design flaw likely to affect tens of millions of devices rather than the relatively small number of N900s that have been sold.

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

what do you mean loose? like the charger's microusb male end is wiggly?

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

Already this is being derided and downplayed on twitter. Very disappointing, considering the people doing so...

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

My blog comments about defect data and this poll: http://bit.ly/9QZpqf

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

3rd time :(, I'm lucky here in Jeddah KSA it only costs sar120 to fix, around $37. First 2 times i got it done from the service center which is obviously not helping. should i go to the service center again or void my warranty? :P

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

3rd n900? and 2nd time micro usb port fail? so filing the charger and date cable microUSB ports did not help you?

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

Just thought i'd add that i've had mine since nov. 09 now, and the usb port is still just as solid as it was when i bought it. so not everyone has a bad port :)

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

ok, my n900 doesn't charge using my wall charger anymore (if you jiggle it a bit it might charge but then any touch of the device or even if you breath on it it stops charging), but will charge using the usb cable
my wife's n900 doesn't have this problem at all, i charge her n900 using the same wall charger and it works fine.
can i RMA this?

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

Yeah mine is affected too. I am dealing with it like with an egg but still after 9 months of use it is getting loose and it stops charging when I touch the device. The port will propably break in near future. I hope it will manage few weeks more or I will have to get it repaired abroad.

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

have u tried changing ur charger, my n900 seems to charge fine with my brothers n97 charger but keeps disconnecting on my n900 charger.

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

update on my progress, I had to make a call to expedite my processing of course but I checked today and they are sending me a replacement unit, I love new toys. I will update if there are any changes in the port design among other things.

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

Hey, hey! I was joking!

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

Not you .

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

New member, 1st post here.

I've been wanting an N900 and finally broke down and ordered it yesterday morning.

That was BEFORE I stumbled across this thread.

I spent all day reading through this thread, first with growing horror at Nokia's inept and shameful handling of the problem, then with a little bit of reassurance (with posts starting around March 1) that Nokia seemed to be doing an about face and stepping up to make things right for people, then again with concern that getting repairs seems to be a hit or miss kind of thing.

My N900 is in transit and should come today or tomorrow and I'm wondering now if I should simply refuse to accept it when it arrives.

I bought it from Newegg here in the States and it only comes with a "replacement for defective" return policy but I think if I returned it without having opened it, I could get a refund although I would no doubt have to pay a 10-15% restocking fee. I'll call them as soon as they open and ask about it.

Or should I take it, handle it with extreme caution and hope for the best?

The 1st thing I'd do is file the prongs down on the cables, that's for certain.

For those of you who've owned it for a while, is the device itself worth the grief you may have experienced due to this problem?

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

Having read this thread before purchase I filed down my prongs on all my cables before I ever inserted them and so far have been fine for several months. Hopefully you will be fine too.

I do worry about the port every now and again, but it hasn't stopped me from enjoying the device. Whether you think the device is worth the worry is up to you. If you're the worrying kind, you might want to consider buying some form of additional handset insurance, although really you shouldn't have to pay extra to cover a Nokia design flaw.

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

You seriously exchange your N900 for your wife's N900

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

@free_fall

it was 2 weeks after purchase before reading this thread and filing down the charger and cable, after six months, still okay (but keeping an eye on it).

if you would purchase (or purchased already), file down the charger and data cable.

i really enjoy the device and want it with me all the time, so i got a spare battery and charger, a lot of work in charging but its fine, coz i have less time plugging charger on the micro usb, and dont have to wait for 2 hours to play with the device again.

EDIT: your device is on transit. have fun!

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

Hi, and thanks for asking :)
Yes, the device is WAY worth the extra hassle of worrying about this USB port. I had mine since november and for me too, the USB port is still rock solid. Anyway, Nokia knows the problem and they probably fixed it, right?

Just don't be too rough when plugging / unplugging the charger. Just file these two metal things a little, and way to go! You shouldn't have problems with it!

My USB port is still very fine but what I did is order an extra battery and a desktop charger. So I charge a battery and while I'm using it, the other one charges :) So I'm never out of battery and I don't stress my usb port! That may be a little paranoiac, but anyway I prefer doing it like this. And remember that you're on a forum. If 20% people had problems with their USB ports here, you must know that people who had problems with their usb ports WILL come here to talk about it. So you're reading a concentrated of problems!

Be a little careful, but don't go crazy over it! Accept it from the post, it is simply amazing! Overclock it right out of the box :D And come back here, developers have much to offer! N900 is getting so much better!!!

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

Heh, if you do send it back it'd be cool if you sent copies of the receipts on that to nokia care, or sales.. Lost sales maybe wakes them up..

Yes well, there's nothing else that even comes close. Laptop and 3g dongle perhaps, but that isn't mobile/portable enough. So yeah for me it'd be worth it.

9 nonths and usb port still fine on mine..

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

+1

***

Pro'ly the most important thing to remember is to make sure any cables used to charge or connect to the N900 come across the top of the desktop where you are seated.

If not, it is very easy to hook a dangling cord with a foot or chair leg while getting up or moving. Not only will this yank the whole connection, it will likely send the N900 flying.

I suspect that the one, two combination of the sudden yank and the shock when the sucker hits the floor will set the device up for a future failure.

Perhaps the quickest and easiest fix for Nokia during production may have been to fill the detentes in the device connector that all cables hook into so that you could use any USB cable, filed or not.

It may not have prevented all of these failures but I bet it would have reduced the total amount a bit.

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

Thanks for all the encouraging replies.

My N900 arrived this afternoon and, while I will most likely keep it, I haven't opened it yet because the Ottercase I also ordered won't arrive until Monday and I'd like to slap the screen protector on before I start dragging/tapping my grubby fingers on it. Still, curiosity might get the better of me ...

I am encouraged, too, since it eems like most of the problem units reported here were made in 2009 (with a few from January of 2010) to see that the manufacture date on the label shows the 11th week of 2010, so 3rd week in March, roughly. This is well after Nokia became aware of the problem *and* after they did the about face and started repairing/replacing affected units, which might mean they have also refined the manufacuting process somewhat to mitigate the problem by then.

I do like the idea of the separate battery charger, except for the problem of the Ottercase, which someone here mentioned is a pain to get off once it's been but on.

I'll write again in a couple of days, after I've opened it and played with it a bit.

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

You'll have your grubby mits all over the thing tonight. Don't kid yourself. :D

Enjoy!

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

I can attest, sadly.

But scarier still are the cases where USB ports fell out with little use and no abuse.

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

After 4 months of use and alot of plugging the phone in cause of short battery life, my usb connector broke. Sent to nokia for repair. Hopefully will be a quick turn around.

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

Slightly less blurry-cam image, if it helps (still not profile). :(


http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...H/Stuff/N8.jpg

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

i've had the same problem with the usb....just got it from repair centre this friday and got it back with another problem memory card corrupted which i solved it but not 100%