[Windows Central Question]

I have a Samsung Ativ S and the one problem that I point at it it's that the cable that it came with is just too short. It can't reach the desk, and I don't like having my phone sitting on the floor, so I bought an unofficial cable online that was longer. It worked for half a year before it suddenly stopped charging my phone. As it was cheap, I just thought it was broken, so I bough a new one. It still didn't charge my phone.

I think the problem is the phone. I tried using another wall adapter, another battery, another phone, and it always worked. Except those cables with my phone specifically. The only cables that can charge it are the ones that are really short. It doesn't make much sense to me, as the longer ones worked before, does anyone know what to do?

[RumoredNow]

You may have a bent pin inside the charging port. The longer cable puts more leverage on the cable to tilt it away from connecting well and a shorter cable without all that weight pulling down does not.

[gpobernardo]

One possibility is Kirchhoff's Law - basically more resistance at constant voltage means less current. If the current goes below the minimum charge input, the battery won't be charged.

Longer cables mean more electrical resistance - that's why older external hard drives won't work with "long" cables. However, the resistance inherent in long charging cables should not bring the current below the minimum charging requirement. Also, since you mentioned that those cables worked before, it's possible that the charging port of that specific phone has accumulated some dirt, dust or corrosion - all of which increase electrical resistance.

Additional details would be helpful to the case: in using a different adapter, was the output current rating also different?

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