[ot] best usb charging cable for phone?

[Stephen]

Hello,

I am looking for a usb cable (usb A to micro usb B IIRC) to charge a Samsung phone. One came with the phone but I'd like to replace it with a longer one and I'd like a second to leave in the car.

I have bought different makes but they all fail after a while because the metal micro USB plug becomes loose and waggles about in the plastic moulding of the plug. The OEM plug is made of hard plastic and does not suffer this problem (yet?).

Any recommendations for what cable will stand-up to repeated pluggings and unpluggings?

Thanks, Stephen.

[Lee]

Interesting you like the Samsung OEM one, the one they shipped with my Tab S2 gets really hot because it can't handle the 2.1A charging current :(

I use the fabric covered one that comes with the Xbox One Elite controller, that doesn't even get warm :)

Yes I know it's not what you asked and the idea was apparently that the sockets would be more resilient than the plugs. I tend to find it;' the other way around though and it's the sockets that wear.

Or maybe it's just me :)

[NY]

I bought a couple of Anker cables (a short one for connecting to my portable top-up battery and a longer one for my phone to connect to the mains charger on the floor) and the short one is fine but the long one fairly quickly has started making intermittent contact at the micro USB (phone) end: it needs to be pressed sideways slightly (or at least prevented from sagging the opposite way) in order for the phone (or any other device that it is plugged into) to charge. I ought to get Amazon to replace it because I'm sure it's still under warranty.

It seems to be charging pins only that are a problem; if I use it as a data cable, the PC can still see the phone even if the phone says it's not charging.

[polygonum]

I found the Lindy cables I have to be pretty good. With my old Samsung Galaxy S2, lots of micro-USB cables didn't work well. Some were difficult to plug in, some made unreliable connections. A Lindy Cromo one worked very well but their less expensive ones also worked well.

[Dave Liquorice]

Have a look at what CPC have under their Pro Signal brand. Maybe CS20591 (1.8 m, £2.172 inc VAT)). Nice flexable cable that is only coiled for delivery not folded so it's not full of kinks.

I have some "heavy duty" Anker leads as well but they are horrible to use as they retain the kinks from being delivered folded.

[Caecilius]

Not related to the insertion count, but it's worth looking at the wire sizes in the USB cables, as thin wires and long leads results in a voltage drop that reduces the charging current.

The thinnest leads are 28 awg, 24 awg are thicker, and 20 awg are thicker still. You'll often see something like 28/24 which means 28 awg for data and 24 awg for power.

[Capitol]

I frequently use Poundland ones without problems. The oldest one has done 3 years duty.

[JoeJoe]

I have around 10 of them around the house, various lengths, all cost

[Tim Watts]

JuicEBitz - had loads, available in lots of lengths and seem to be out lasting even genuine Samsung cables (one broke a pin off its microusb end the other week).

Never had a problem, at least up to 2m, with charging currents, though longer does drop the current (I have one USB PSU that has an ammeter).

[Muddymike]

I bought a cable from Aldi, not for a Samsung but another device with micro USB it was long and functioned perfectly for two years, it may still be good but someone in the office stole it!

I also use a USB to USB extension lead with my iPhone charger if its just extra length you need.

Mike

[Dave W]

This is a timely thread - I have just tried to get a friend's Hudle (ex Tesco) to charge. The socket contacts looked dirty, so I tried to clean them a bit with a sharp point and white spirit. Three charging cables were on hand, coloured black, green, and white. I don't know where they came from. The socket in the Hudl had flexible plastic holding the contacts, and the three cable plugs were variously loose in the socket, with black almost unusable, and white solid and almost perfect. The moral seems to be keep trying cables until you find one that fits tightly.

[Brian Gaff]

Maybe he is just cack handed or has a cat which plays with the end of the cable.

Brian

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I wanted a longer one that that supplied. Found one on Ebay - described as for charging only, so presumably larger power conductors than a universal USB lead. Been in use for a couple of year now, and OK. But do take care plugging in that deleicate little USB connector.

[therustyone]

Same problem with my Samsung tablet after jerking the connector. Now its Samsung cable charges everything except the tablet. Currently using a Belkin cable on the tablet, no further problems. Micro USB seem too flimsy for daily use, the old ones were better.

[DerbyBorn]

therustyone wrote in news: [e-mail]:

The sooner we get to inductive charging the better.

[charles]

My last phone - a Nokia - had that. So easy.

[Capitol]

Agreed.

[David]

Kindle ones from Amazon have been reasonable so far.

[David]

Coming back to this because some cables are failing and some of the cheaper ones don't carry much current. I can tell when my Sony Xperia Z tablet tells me that the battery is not charging whilst I am using it. Other cables (especially Samsung ones) charge well.

I looked at the Lindy site and they only seem to offer the Chromo ones at the moment but they look no more expensive than the Kindle ones.

I think I will try a couple.

Oh, and there was mention of the thickness of the wire; I can't see that mentioned.

Cheers

Dave R

P.S.

look interesting.

I was impressed by the price for the number of cables, the bragging about the reliability, and especially "Fully supporting Qualcomm Quick Charge

2.0 / 3.0 and other high speed USB chargers with speeds up to 3 amperes."

|However I think I can probably run faster than that (DC only).]

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I found cables on Ebay said to be charging only. Rather stiffer than ordinary USB. In a variety of lengths. Bought a couple and they've been fine. Used for charging my vaping thingie too as well as the phone, so a fairly good test.