Re:What Really Happened to Apple’s Airpower
by Aloha on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @05:22PM
(#18019264)
Has anyone ever seen a worn out lightning or dock port? I've seen plenty of damaged cables and plugs, but not the port itself
Re:What Really Happened to Apple’s Airpower
by kalleboo on Wednesday September 19, 2018 @08:30AM
(#18023682)
Yes, there's an issue where if the ground/power pins have a poor contact (due to a bad/dirty cable or whatnot), you end up up with a short on the pin which creates tiny shocks that leave a carbon discharge, and making it drop the charge. Your phone will now create carbon discharge on any new cable, spreading the "disease" to other iOS device. Look around at any "public" lightning cable for black spots on one of the middle pins.
Re:What Really Happened to Apple’s Airpower
by Aloha on Wednesday September 19, 2018 @09:35AM
(#18024048)
I think the connector is self wiping, and will eventually clear with repeated insertions.
Re:What Really Happened to Apple’s Airpower
by toomuchtodo on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @07:30PM
(#18020261)
Lightning cables are essentially consumables. I’ve spent at least two hundred dollars across our family on them. I’d rather have wireless and the efficiency hit that goes with it (in return for hardware longevity and cable cost savings).
Re:What Really Happened to Apple’s Airpower
by 4d66ba06 on Tuesday September 18, 2018 @10:34PM
(#18021212)
A 5S that I bought used off ebay eventually stopped detecting the lightening port, but obviously a very old phone as I think it was within the past year that it stopped.
I've seen quite a few complaints on the xda-developers board about people with various Android phones and tablets (Nexus 7 included) becoming more or less unusable because the microUSB port wears out after so many thousand plug-ins and eventually breaks, dislodges, or stops recognizing the cable, and the end-user is unable to charge their device anymore.
Since I wirelessly charge my Nexus 7 90% of the time (only using micro-USB if travelling or topping it off at work), the micro-USB port is still in great condition. Personally I've had four phones and two tablets and never had any of the ports break on me, but, I suppose fumbling in the dark trying to jam the cable into the phone late at night could definitely put some wear and tear on the device.
I've heard possible stories that wireless charging might be worse for the battery, though, so, trade-offs for everything I suppose.