Hello,
This does not directly relate to android or android devices but as this seems to be one of the more active communities, I thought I should give it a shot here.
I’m Wondering why the USB C socket and plug have the geometry they have. To me, it seems like the more complex hardware is located in the socket which is located on the more expensive device compared to the cable. Firebolt (is that the apple standard’s name?) seem to handle it the opposite by having the flat plug with bare contacts.
Background is that I have frequently had issues with charging my phone due to dust or other dirt getting suck in the socket. Lacking adequate household items, I had to use a small screw driver to get the dirt out, which I think in general a bad idea.
Are there any technical reasons to have the flat contact in the center of the usb socket rather than the plug?
Not an answer because I don’t know, but I recommend using magnetic cables. That way you don’t need to worry about damaging the connector on the phone, and you can use the same cable for USB-C, micro and Lightning.
Also yea don’t use a screwdriver to clean stuff, geez. Just cut a piece of paper or if it’s too stuck, get some isopropyl alcohol and toothpicks.
The magnetic cables can short the pins never meant to be shorted by attracting random metal shavings. For microUSB it was relatively benign with only 4-5 pins (lots of space between them) and low voltage. With USB-C I wouldn’t dare to try it due to it having much more pins and often much higher voltage (Power Delivery). It’s perfectly possible to fry a device with a bad short in such conditions.
Keep in mind that magnetic cables do not conform to USB C standards and specifications and are therefore never recommended for the sake of compatibility and safety. They may work for certain use cases but I wouldn’t use them personally.
I suppose… But considering how many devices I’ve lost due to broken connectors (and I’m pretty careful), and how many times has a magnetic cable saved a device, I feel like this is a smaller risk.
I probably wouldn’t use it for very fast charging, but then I’d try to not use very fast charging at all in the first place.
Well and now I hope I’m not jinxing it and the things won’t burn my place down or something…