Xperia Z - micro USB port weak point

[Becky]

The micro USB port on my z has stopped receiving charge and won't even allow the charger to be plugged into it any more.

The port is uniform in shape which doesn't allow you to know which way round to plug the charger, so you have to guess. Guessing places stress on the pins inside the port. In my case, they seem to have suffered because of this (imho) design fault. USBs can only be inserted one way round, so the user needs to know which way to insert it.

I am wondering if this will be a common weak spot on these phones once they have been in circulation a while?

[vixs58]

Any one having any luck in Australia with Sony coming to the party for faulty charging sockets. I have just been quoted $350 to fix the charging socket for my sony xperia z as the pin snapped off after 7 months of use. I was told user fault. I asked to speak with someone higher up and put in an escalated claim. {where that goes- who knows} and  I only have 5 days to pay or my phone gets sent back un repaired.

When i mentioned al the forums regarding the same issue, i was still told that sony don't see the sockets as being faulty. I've never had a phone on a plan before, now i know why. Never again sony. This is so unfair. Can anyone advise me where to report this issue besides Sony.

[vixs58]

so what part of the phone does a dock fit into pls. Sony want $350 aus as the in snapped off in mine.

[rob1978]

I know here in the uk sony just aint interested in the slightest,they told me mine was B.E.R.(beyond economic repair) and wanted £14.40 to return the phone broken( see my previous post) anyhow i had mine escalated but the best they would do was send it back free of charge(wow thanks).

There is a charging dock you can buy off ebay for around £10 id just do that and forget the micro usb unless as also on ebay there is a repair service(legit) who will replace the brioken micro usb port for £25.

I also told sony i wouldnt be buying any of there rubbish again 🙂

[clark97]

Bought this thinking it was the greatest thing ever, how wrong I was!

First the mini usb port on the phone is square shape so the charger can be pushed in either way breaking the port (Just like the vita). So week later using a desktop charger and decide to take a photo, clicks camera icon and guess what... phone resets itself. Factory reset update etc and no change.

Just been googling the faults and it looks like lots of people have the same faults, about SONY did something before HTC take over the whole market!!!

[rob1978]

Mine went back to sony 3 months before the latest episode( usb port) with a camera fault (black holes shown on images and video taken).will never touch a sony phone with a barge pole or any sony product for that matter.

[ElBanditoAU]

I have two issues with my Xperia Z;

1. The earpiece cutting out when taking calls

2. The pin in the micro USB connecter snapped off

So I sent it in for repair. I've had it 8 months and I expected Warranty to cover both as the earpiece was internal and the micro USB was such an obvious flaw with the way the phone is constructed.

After having it and assessing it for four weeks, the technicians told me it would be $357 (AUD) to repair the phone as it was physical damage that resulted from incorrect usage of the device. Absolutely ridiculous! Both issues are no fault of mine.

I've told them that I don't want the phone back because I can expect that within 8 months I'll experience the same issue again, and get rorted for another $357. I'm stuck with it, though.

Never again will I purchase a Sony phone for myself, my partner or my family.

[Upset]

3 months old XperiaZ, USB not charging. Sony's crappy design. Sony does not fix - poor service
Will not buy next time.

[Nasser]

I have the same problame 3 days ago it started I can charge the phone only trow a dock Sony do something about it I have your product since 1980

[pkok10]

My internal piece also snapped out of the middle of my USB, after having my phone only two months.

I sent my phone to SBE Ltd, after contacting Sony Xperia support who asked me via an email to sent it in a jiffy bag to SBE.

To be assessed if the USB port damage was under warranty. ( I made in hindsight a mistake of contacting Sony direct instead of going through O2. As once you bypass them its no longer their problem, company policy I was Told ).

I explained that I had read this forum thread and I would be fobbed off and made to pay £14.40 to have it returned. I also stated, that it was a design flaw and loads of complaints are on the internet.

The Sony xperia support person replied " well its the first time I have heard of it, maybe its because i was looking for negative faults with the phone and not at the positives"!!!!.

Anyway sent it off to SBE they replied back that it was not under warranty as broken due to physical damage.

So would not be fixed and returned due to broken beyond economic repair.

Four days later my phone was returned not fixed or working, ( due to the fact that they had taken out my internal motherboard featuring the USB ) in one plastic bag and another bag containing screws and plastic pieces that they must have removed to get to the motherboard.

I was livid, so now I had a unusable phone with paperwork from SBE stating was return not repaired due to USB damage seen by EXTERNAL investigation.

After taking ages to get through to SBE, the person there said that it should not have happened and I need to return it again via Sony xperia support and another email with new ref number.

So I have had an email stating they have received it and I am now awaiting to see what happens next. I bought a USB docking station in the 2 and half weeks it has being away. I have written a letter explaining that the phone better be working on its return as I sent it in working order and it better be returned in the same state i sent it to them originally.

I will keep you informed as to the outcome of all this farce.

[oneeyejps]

I found that one workaround to avoid this issue is to push in the two metal tabs/pins (the ones on the charger). Some chargers are easy to do this. This will make the charging cable much easier to push in thus avoiding any force or stress to the charging port.