USB-Cable from Fairphone broke after less than a year

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1

Hello,

last year I bought the Fairphone 4 with the proprietary charger and charging cable. After the use of less than one year the USB-A-charging-end bend so much that it no more delivers power to my phone.

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I find this half ironic. The complete focus on not destroying the cable coating (it did not tear), Fairphone introduced a new vulnerability. Because the cable coat is so thick, it puts a lot of strain on the port, which does not let the cable last longer than standard cheap ones. I hope Fairphone rethinks their cable design.

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2

First of all wow, I didn’t think this thing could be destroyed by anything less than a nuclear blast… :dizzy_face:

Seriously now, you’re right, I’ve noticed that too, and this is indeed an issue, the cable itself is so rigid it puts a strain on the connector(s).
Which is why I fell back to a normal cable for everyday charging, to avoid my FP4’s USB port getting damaged over time. I keep the Fairphone cable for trips and such, where it has the undeniable advantage that a) you can’t overlook and forget it, and b) there is no question about who this cable belong to. And you can use it to tow your car if it breaks down… :grin:

That been said, I don’t think Fairphone designed it. They probably bought the design of-the-shelf and just branded it. There are lots of different extra-strong, Kevlar-clad, bulletproof USB-C cables out there (I have 2), and they all have the same rigidity problem. :slightly_frowning_face:

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3

At least it is still under warranty, so I think you will receive a new one if you contact support :slight_smile:
But the irony is indeed there…

4

I have zero advice to give in your suggestion. Maybe contact the place you bought it and check if the warranty applies?

I buy my cables from IKEA of all places. They cost a quarter of other cables and they are nigh-indestructible.

5

Have the same issue, only worse.

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On pulling out the USB-A plug from an iPhone charger, it ripped right off. A close inspection reveals that extremely little solder had been applied there and that the outer ‘fringes’ that were soldered to the adapter body have been designed very short. Not much mechanical resilience here; given the long lever of the usb-C-plug-cum-C2A-adapter, this would have required a more sturdy construction.

My FP4 has seen very light use; I arrived in mid-April 2022 and not use for 1/2 year before I started using it occasionally (until I finally found the time now to ditch the iPhone for good).

I have contacted support for a replacement today and hope for a replacement.

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