Micro USB Charging Port Broken :(

[KevinMcD1116]

Sounds like the jury is still out on whether the surface 3 can be charged via the display port or the USB 3.0 port. Any one learn anything new?
I damaged the Micro USB port and now I have to lug the charging dock around on business travel. Almost defeats the purpose of going with a light and portable surface to begin with...

 

[netuser]

There are a ton of phone out there that have gone through the same problem with micro USB ports. A new product is coming out called ZNAPS. You plug an adapter into the micro USB port one time and an adapor on the charging cable snaps onto it magnetically so you never need to use the port again. IMO, a fantastic plan.

Sounded good, but appears to be vaporware. Not coming out anytime soon.

 

[GreyFox7]

Sounds like the jury is still out on whether the surface 3 can be charged via the display port or the USB 3.0 port. Any one learn anything new?
I damaged the Micro USB port and now I have to lug the charging dock around on business travel. Almost defeats the purpose of going with a light and portable surface to begin with...

Someone did an experiment recently proving that the dock charges using the DisplayPort.

 

[RandomSurface]

Comment 1st, then question.

Joined the forum for this very reason, as I was completely SHOCKED that MS did not want to be responsible for this badly designed idea of a Micro USB port that they sold us on.

How is a badly designed port the customer's fault? Mines degraded over time. And lasted from April to November. Went into the MS Store and they are great as always and would happily replace the product, but the Surface 3 LTE is not really stocked.

It completely broke over the course of the next 2 weeks, sent it in as planned, I got it returned with a "defect" label over the port.

This was all a waste of time and energy, as I had known to purchase the extended warranty. It will be replaced.

Dealing with the store vs. dealing with online and mail-in support is like night and day, so be weary about products you buy that are not usually sold in stores.

 

[RandomSurface]

My question is directed at looking for a solution, because the next item I receive will have a port just as badly designed as the one I received.

There is the dock, vs. magnetic charging (both of which defeat the purpose of the device) vs using the charging connection that the dock uses somehow.

Someone supposedly confirmed that it's using the mini DisplayPort to charge. Any ideas or information on lightening the load on the Micro-USB port are welcome.

 

[GreyFox7]

My question is directed at looking for a solution, because the next item I receive will have a port just as badly designed as the one I received.

There is the dock, vs. magnetic charging (both of which defeat the purpose of the device) vs using the charging connection that the dock uses somehow.

Someone supposedly confirmed that it's using the mini DisplayPort to charge. Any ideas or information on lightening the load on the Micro-USB port are welcome.

Not sure what you mean by lightening the load. If you put it in a Surface 3 Dock it will charge via the Display Port. The Dock doesn't have a micro USB connection at all.

 

[RandomSurface]

I use this device to be portable and do work (i.e., write) on. If it's going to be truly mobile, the dock will not be out and about very much while I'm on the road. It'll still need to charge. I'm sure the dock is great, but I'd love to tap into the mechanism MS is using to charge it while it's docked, but with a solo plug. This would leave it to be easily plugged up and charging while I'm using the Surface Pen.

As I said, wear and tear with a Micro-USB plug will degrade all Surface 3's sooner or later if it's in your hand while charging. It's a 1st Gen device that MS has obviously given up on. I see threads warning about the Mini-Displayport having the same issue where the the plastic pin connector breaks off there as well.

 

[RandomSurface]

Early research returns are what I suspected,... Mini-Displayport/Thunderbolt 2 capabilities go across the 3.3v/5v/12v spectrum. The product seems to be getting charged at a 12 volt, 4 amp rate from here for the 48 watts.

 

[GreyFox7]

Early research returns are what I suspected,... Mini-Displayport/Thunderbolt 2 capabilities go across the 3.3v/5v/12v spect, 4rum. The product seems to be getting charged at a 12 volt, 4 amp rate from here for the 48 watts.

You sure you're talking about a Surface 3?
You can use the free app Battery Bar to monitor the charge rate. The Dock power supply would also have to drive USB ports so it's rating for would be higher than the Surface itself needs.

 

[RandomSurface]

hence the reason I said "early returns." I can't find a manual for the dock, nor any full specifications for it. I see where someone stated it's 12v, 2A,....so 24 watts through the connection.

Either way, I will probably bite the bullet and buy one off Amazon for $45 or so, then figure it out from there since no one really has the charging specs that would allow me to test a wall connection out.

 

[GreyFox7]

I'm not aware of any Display Port chargers have you found one or will you make your own?