The
N900's well on its way to developing a solid reputation as a hacker's dream, but here's the thing: hackers need a way to charge their device. Actually, we
all do, which makes a trending problem with N900s in the field particularly worrisome. It seems that the micro-USB connector's surface mount design is causing it to become misaligned or disconnected completely, and affected users seem to be having mixed results getting the issue covered under warranty. One of the symptoms of a misaligned connector is that it's unusually snug or difficult to connect, and thinking back to
our review unit, we did have some minor issues there but didn't really think anything of it at the time. Anyone out there run into this nasty little issue?
Update:
Mark Squires, head of social media at Nokia,
dropped by our comments with an update. In short, Nokia is looking into the matter and anyone who experiences the issue should be covered by local Nokia customer care assuming that the N900 hasn't been mistreated.
posted February 10th 2010 7:48PM
Was gonna pick one up today, kinda glad I didn't now, wait to see howwide spread this is
@DiGiC
Toyota says "Welcome to our world B****"
@DiGiC,
I've had 2 N900s since Nov, and they've been airtight and worry free. This isn't a widespread issue, and I wouldn't worry about it much. If you were planning on getting one of these, worry more about the microphone, not the USB. That has been the only real issue, and it was fixed with software.
@DiGiC
I don't know all the Nokia phone, but my 5800XM has screen failure(best known for multi color line screen, google it, it is widespread.), and the Nokia Care center wants to charge me 60 Dollars to fix the problem which is not made by me. the 5800XM also has the signal issue... anyway, I won't buy any more Nokia phone in the near future... perhaps 5800XM will be my last stupid nokia phone ever...
Hope you guy out there best luck with your N900.
@DiGiC I do not think it is wide spread... I have yet to meet someone with this problem and boy I know loads of geeks here in the company with this phone... All devices are prone to failures and everything. I heard something about cracking iPhone screens. Buy a rock if you are too afraid of buying something that will break with usage...
For much that I hate the constant bashing from Engadget towards Nokia I think this is post is more than well deserved. Whatever company that actually treats this kind of problems as a consumer problem is alienating its own consumer base. Apple is handling this issue with the iMacs in rather a good way...
Kudos for Chris (but I still dont love you).
@christexaport it's a mistake to assume small numbers now means people should not worry, Chris, so that's not very useful advice. The failure MODE is the cause for concern.
Nokia has acknowledged the problem at the Nokia Support Discussions for Maemo devices:
"Nokia responds to reports about the N900 micro-usb port getting detached"
http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/t5/Maemo-Devices/Nokia-responds-to-reports-about-the-N900-micro-usb-port-getting/td-p/629019#
---------------------------
We are aware of reports that under certain conditions, the micro-USB port of a very limited amount of Nokia N900 devices can be detached. Product quality is of utmost importance to Nokia and we are investigating this issue further. Consumers who experience this issue should contact their local Nokia customer care. The same warranty applies to the Nokia N900 as with any other Nokia device. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
---------------------------
To find contact details of authorized Nokia Care points globally, please visit
www.nokia.com/repair
awesome
/s
Any word on this (taken from the Tabula Crypticum article)?:
UPDATE: Nokia reports that the problem was fixed for production devices. I do not know details.
@mosk33toe
yeah, i dunno why this is news now because the for starters the post was posted back in Dec 2009! Most of the people reporting problems were early models sent out to be reviewed. Not a lot of problems have been reported with production models.
This is like any other device. If you don't treat it nice it will break off.
Mine works just fine. MicroUSB is a bit tighter than MiniUSB but it's not a problem.
Now what is a problem is that I can't use the MicroUSB port in Host mode and would have rather have a separate power connector so I could put the MicroUSB jack in host mode.
That issue was one of the main reasons for me to return my N900 after 10 weeks. Although the connector on my unit didn't fail I never felt very comfortable hearing about the problem from too many other users on maemo.org. It looks like the connector is just glued to the circuit board indicating a general design flaw. Lets hope the N910 will do better.
@muol
You returned the device based on the fact that you might have a problem with it and you know someone from a forum that had the problem? I sure you must return every singled device because as far as I know there isn't a device that is 100% problem free. Or as someone mentioned a rock might be.
I also don't understand why warranty wouldn't cover a fault like this. Where I come from a "warranty" is something manufacturer gives as a "bonus" like a hassle free way to deal with defects. _But_ if there's a problem with the device even if the warranty has expired they are still obliged to fix the problem if it's a manufacturing problem.
For example TV's should last longer than 2-3 years, so manufacturer must fix the tv still after 3 years even if the warranty was only 1 year. The same is true for mobile phones, but at least here Nokias warranty is already 2 years.
@muol, IIRC there were a total of 7 reported cases on maemo.org of MicroUSB connector dislodging. Seven of probably several thousands of N900 users there, and lets not forget that maemo.org community represents just a small percentage of N900 users.
What? Micro USB is not robust?
I know, I know, this isn't the connector's fault, nokia screwed something up. But still, they never did seem that strong to me... I really like Mini USB, but i guess everything's gotta get smaller when it comes to phones.
-Taylor
my seagate desktop usb drive mini-usb port broke like this, it's only connected with a few tiny soldering points.
I can see this posing some type of problem :-)
A fair few people have been reported the problem.. and most are told by Nokia that it isn't covered by the warranty..
At most junctions Nokia chooses the path that gives them the worst PR.. I don't get that company, sometimes
http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/t5/Maemo-Devices/N900-hardware-fault-mini-USB-port/m-p/627925/highlight/false
There's two people at blame here:
1) Nokia.
Nokia designed this product as compact as possible and sourced a microUSB connector that did not have any extra support other than its' five contacts to the board, which, in the world of surface mount, are already as small as is.
2) The end user.
The end user should be more careful with their device - after all, spending upwards of $600 on a device should make it a little bit more careful to handle and NOT force connectors or simply yank on them to disconnect them.
The solutions?
1) Nokia needs to either...
A) re-design the USB connector, or
B) find another part that offers additional support much like full sized USB B has.
2) The end user needs to not yank on the connectors as hard. Be gentle - after all, $600 is an investment to last.
@dragonfli I'd say the two people to blame are:
1) Nokia
2) Nokia
For not doing enough product testing. How do you know end users are "yanking" the connectors? Did you do your own study?
@dragonfli
While you are correct in that people should take more care of their device, it doesn't matter. Plus, how do you know the failed units were abused?
The point is, phones, especially expensive ones, simply have to be designed with a certain amount of expected abuse. Plus, we all know Nokia's reputation for making sure their phones can take a beating and keep going.
My guess is that the original engineering and prototypes were fine, but maybe they switched to another manufacturing facility late in the game, and someone (or some machine) got lazy or cheap with the soldering (or however these SM connectors are put on) and well... here you go.
@dragonfli
Hey you don't try to be a nice smart ass OK?
It is the hardware issue, it is THE mistake of the manufacturer.
Meh - this is not uncommon on the N85...I'd hoped Nokia's newer stuff was a little better put together.
@johdaxx
I have a NAM N85 as well and recently had problems with the micro usb port. Mine had actually fell a couple of times while charging, but still, i don't think that should've caused the connector to fall inside the phone. So i called it into Nokia repair and they had it fixed for free. The only thing now though is that the turn the phone over feature to snooze the alarm or silence the ringer when receiving a call doesn't work anymore - Yes i verified the settings. Also, they screwed up the key lock on the side - it doesn't move anymore. I'm thinking my next phone will be a N900 so i hope this is just a fluke for some units, and that Nokia addresses this accordingly.
OH MY GOSH THE USB PORT HAS BECOME SELF AWARE!!
Hah! How ironic...all the manufacturers were telling us that MicroUSB was way more reliable than MiniUSB and the connector was actually rated for 3-4 times as many connect\disconnect cycles compared to MiniUSB...I guess none of that matters though if the production and engineering \ implementation is botched.
Another job well done Nokia, world class leader of mobile devices!
@iPad
no... its true. happened to me
Problems happen, but its not very nice of Nokia to not cover it. Clearly how is it the users fault if this falls out?
I used to like Nokia, Now I distrust them, each time I think they have earned my respect back, they drop the ball again
I have owned mine for quite a while. Charging once or twice a day (1x only if I forget it @ home :)) , constantly using it to tether the data over USB which again involves this faulty connector on the micro end. All it takes is a sensitivity. You should feel it on the way in, not just ram it in there :)
The problem is not microUSB....
I recently designed a product that had similar issues in the prototype run. It turned out that the manufacturer was using too much solder, which was leaking into the connector making the connection very tight. They fixed the problem and have had no trouble... and trust me, we've been abusing some units for months now.
Our design is slightly different from this one because the microUSB part has pins that actually solder into holes in the board like a traditional solder connection. Otherwise those little feet midway along the shell are soldered to pads on the surface of the circuit board, holding it down. This can be a very secure connection if done correctly.
i've had my N900 for almost 4 months now and never had such a problem. I'm actually using it to post this comment.
@GonzoCoreXX
Hey since you have had your N900 for a while can you lend me some advice on flash quality???
The flash video's look terrible. and when i long press on a flash component on a web site(particularly flash video) i am given the option to low quality medium and high quality. It seems to be set at medium quality. so all the video's i watch are really grainy. i had a N810 for the longest and the flash video's worked much better and the quality was better aswell.
i went to the about flash page on adobe's website and it said i was using flash player 9. My nokia N810 had flash 9.4. and the N900 is advertised as having flash 9.4. i am updated to the latest firmware.
whats going on? how do flash vidoe's perform for you? and do you know of a remedy? thanks (please respond)
@Alexandertron I'm sorry but since day one my N900 has been just amazing. I watch flash with no problem. Maybe it's just the videos your watching are choppy. You may even want to try turning on and off your N900. I wish I was more help.
I haven't had any issues. I feel that the build quality is excellent.
I wonder if this is somewhat systemic with the micro-usb standard itself, or if it's limited to something in the way the N900 was manufactured. Admittedly, part of the reason I was willing to shell out the extra $45 on the Nexus One dock (which I still think is too expensive) is so that I didn't even have to deal with plugging/unplugging the charger.
@MJ
Oh sorry, you must have navigated to the wrong site. This is Engadget, not GSMarena, please re-direct accordingly, troll.
@ Engadget
As much as I appreciate you moderating the comments, if you delete one post, might as well delete my rebuttal to it as well. Otherwise it just looks like I'm crazy... :|
Actually the micro USB on my new BB 9700 is very tight, it takes two hands to pull it out with no fuss, and then it feels like youre yanking the port from its socket half the time. I just havent got any spare cash to invest in a charging pod for it.
My girlfriends n97 mini is similar, but that can be removed with one hand without feeling like youre gonna bust it open
@MJ
"Nokia proprietary OS"?
May want to rethink this statement...
@MJ
Damn, Android fanboys are the worst kind of fanboys.
I am pleased to see this problem highlight on engadget, I believe I can confirm this micro-USB connector problem with my n900. I takened delivery of my new handset last week (Friday 5th Feb) and between then and now (only 6 days later) the micro-USB socket on the handset has become looser and looser. From quite stiff and sturdy connection to wriggle around. It has taken no abuse from me, in this 6 days maybe I have charged it 4 times, it has never been dropped or violent shake, and I taken good care (extra care now, ofcourse) for plugging and unplugging the charger cable. It still lives in its box. I have treated it with kid gloves because I did not want any problems if I decide to return it during my mobile contract cooling off period. It has not separate from the circuit board yet like photo above but it feels only one sharp tug on cord away from being so like this. I discussed this problem today with my colleague who also has a n900, although his is over 1 month old age now, and he has told me that this micro-USB connector on his has also loosened and "got shakey". I am worried to see that Nokia has not been replaced these problem phones with the warranty, it is a lot of money to me and I cannot waste this amount of money for broken phone. So I will be return mine for cancellation before the contract cooling off period has end, I will look to some other phone.
My Nokia N810 with micro-USB has been fine for a year, but:
1) The USB port on the N810 is used pretty infrequently, since charging is through a different connector.
2) It sounds like Nokia attached the USB connector poorly on the N900.
3) Even if a part has an unacceptable number of failures, most people won't have a problem, so someone saying "mine's fine" doesn't mean anything.
4) I'd generally heard good things about Nokia's customer service, but this is abominable!
@duckduck
Based on the Maemo.org poll cited, the problems is impacting just over 20% of owners and that certainly is an unacceptable amount.
It be interesting to know whether the majority those experiencing the problem have pre-production (highlighted in the Tabula Crypticum post) or production units too. I have a production unit and so far so good (after two significant drops of my N900), but I read the earlier poster state that their new unit is problematic.
@Tehuti
I'm a member of Maemo.org, and I'll say beware the accuracy of the polls. There is a large faction of Android and iPhone fanboys that simply hang around to disrupt the forums and vote negatively on any polls available. Being open has its disadvantages, in a forums's sense.
It is a problem, mainly because there is nothing to prevent the USB connector from moving, putting stress on the surface mounted module. Evidently Nokia has devised a way to fix it, though it hasn't been a problem on mine.
The prerelease models were hardware complete. The prerelease moniker applied to the software.
The original iPod had the same problem with its firewire port. The only thing holding the port down was the solders to the board. The port didn't fall out but became loose in the case and unusable.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4345743664_f009d5ba84_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2762/4345743474_f8bd79f381_b.jpg
I'm one of the most loyal Nokia handset buyers that I know. This happened to mine yesterday. I'll see what NYC flagship has to say about it. I purchased mine in Mid Dec.
@konceptz
Those photos are making me real nervous. I hope they do the right thing and replace your N900.
I've had mine since the end of November.
@konceptz
Did you open the phone on those screenshots, the spacing between the bezels is too wide. Wonder what Warranty has to say?
@Slowmoe I've never opened the phone. Maybe it's just the camera angle.
@Tehuti. I'll report back after tomorrow's visit to the NYC Flagship store.
Cya all tomorrow. Criss your fingers for me! :)
I called in NOKIA's customer service to see how they would respect the 1-yr warranty. I was flat-out informed that *if* there is no physical damage they will *consider* for warranty and you will have to shell out for a repair if not. In addition to the hardware, Nokia falsely advertised full compatibility for business email exchange, there is no support for voice navigation, the calendar does not even have an option for recurring meetings, etc. All said there seems to be immense potential for the device in general and no update from NOKIA on this. Nokia's current PR folks need their asses collectively fired and fresh ones hired.
I am amazed that a company will treat their flag-ship product customers so cheaply.