The FP4 USB-C port is badly designed

[OldRoutard]

@durm

attaching the loudspeaker screws like your life depended on it

Well … mind you don’t strip 'em! Maybe a bit of blotting paper (springy texture) between the loudspeaker and port would be better.

I rather think that Bluetooth was more in the designers’ minds than USB when they removed the headphones jack. Of course, that’s no reason for poor design though!

For your “Unknown issue”, maybe you can put the different parts of the module under your microscope. Likely a fissured solder I expect, again the result of physical force applied through having the phone with a connector in constricted moving spaces like jeans pockets.

Thanks for a nice write-up, anyway, and welcome to the forum.

[rokejulianlockhart]

@OldRoutard

I rather think that Bluetooth was more in the designers’ minds than USB when they removed the headphones jack.

@OldRoutard, the amount of effort that the fairbuds-xl designers put into Do the Fairbuds XL support USB-C to USB-C audio? would appear to demonstrate otherwise. I don’t know of any alternative that can do the same (despite how ultimately basic the functionality is).

[OldRoutard]

Probably not the same designers!

As for dual-screw locking … I’m used to thinking of that as being for stuff that’s semi-permanent, like the old VGA connector. Getting a bit bulky isn’t it? But I wouldn’t vote it out.

[rokejulianlockhart]

@OldRoutard

I’m used to thinking of that as being for stuff that’s semi-permanent, like the old VGA connector. Getting a bit bulky isn’t it?

@OldRoutard, how long does your power bank take to charge your phone? For me, it takes ⪆ 30 minutes, so it is in effect like that for some time, especially under heavy use whilst hiking.

[OldRoutard]

TBH I rarely have to charge my phone on-the-go. But as I said, I wouldn’t vote it out. Screw holes don’t take up much space inside and can be made so that they don’t affect water resistance.