[n0kia_a5hleyd]

I'm having issues charging my N8

If I plug in the CA 101 cable that came with the phone, into the phone and computer it works fine.

If I plug the cable into a usb wall plug adapter it doesn't charge the phone. I have tried this with 2 different usb wall plug adapters.

If I plug my friends HTC usb wall plug adapter and htc cable into the phone it charges fine???

Anybody know how I can get round this issue? Do I need to use a particular version of usb wall plug adapter that gives out a certain type of current or should it charge with any one?

[swifty8078]

 I think it to be current based, the AC charger doesn't have the current the phone is expecting. The standard USB port I think is 500 mA, so an AC charger should be that or above to work with the N8.

[n0kia_a5hleyd]

Ok so I checked the usb charger that came with my samsung camera and the output for that is 400mA. Also the output for another usb charger I tried was 500mA. Both chargers failed to charge my phone.

I checked the specs of my friends HTC charger that charged my phone with no problem and they were:

• Input: 100-240V/200 mA
• Output: 5V/1A

So My guess is that any usb charger I use needs to be at least 800mA like the AC pin charger that came with the phone?

What you think?

[n0kia_a5hleyd]

I have just purchased a usb charge that has an output of upto 1000mA and this still doesn't work.

As Well as trying the CA-101D cable I have also tried the CA-179 cable but still no joy.

Any help with this would be great.

I have also emailed nokia support for answers

[Pe_h]

When you charget the phone with htc charger did it show usb connection?
What about the other chargers?

My N8 won't charge thru usb unless connection is established.

[radical24]

i would make a trip to a nokia care and have them have a go at it. it does sound strange that it charges via computer but not via wall plug. i just connected a random nokia cable with a samsung usb plug connector from my galaxy s and it works like a charm no issues. trip to nokia care i would say mate.

[at0m]

Mines the exact same way! I have a real nice kensington 4 USB port wall plug, output up to 2A ( http://us.kensington.com/html/16238.html ) the N8 wants nothing to do with it, i have a nice car 1A unit, again N8 wants nothing to do with it...  I've bought 2-3 other wallwarts but returned them all as the N8 woudln't charge off of them... in my experience the N8 will only charge of the computer or laptop when it gets a full 'connection'.

I did find a friends blackberry charger it would charge off of, it won't charge off my wifes iphone wallwarts though ( the iphone is very picky too ).

There was a thread on one of the N900 message boards about hacking the usb cable to trick the phone into a connection ( you shorted out the middle two connectors ), however I haven't even ventured trying that with the N8..

i usually just make sure I have the standard 2mm wallplug with me I miss my USB charging infrastructure I had setup ( including portable batteries to charge on the go, + dell latitude keeps a port active for USB charging when it's powered off..  ).

[n0kia_a5hleyd]

I can't remember if it showed a usb connection with the htc one but none of the others did.

I really dont understand it.

I'll visit the local nokia care centre at some point to see what they say

[racerex]

My N8 charges with any micro USB cable I've thrown at it. Car chargers, blackberry chargers, Nokia chargers, computer port, etc.

The only difference between a computer port and a non-computer port is that in the non-computer port the D+ and D- minus USB data lines are shorted. This is how your N8 knows it's a non-computer port. Still though it should charge. In fact in this mode it can in theory charge faster because it is not necessarily limited to the 500mA limited by the USB spec.

[at0m]

what make and models of car chargers have you had success with? thats what i really need for when GPS is hoggin up the battery

the ones i've tried wouldn't work via microusb or my usb -> 2mm adapter.

[Pe_h]

I think problems charging thru usb is more a software than hardware issue.

But 2mm should be reliable/less picky (if provided with sufficient power).

My first thought was that it was intentionally programmed to charge only if usb connection is established, to make it less compatible with 3rd party usb chargers.
But if it works on some phones without usb data connection, it's propably not programed that way.

Would be nice to get more info on this, if someone gets answer how it should work.

[racerex]

USB enumeration is not required in order for the N8 to charge. That is how it is able to charge with dumb car chargers. In the car charger case there is no intelligence on the car charger side... the USB data lines are actually shorted together in the car charger and that's how the N8 knows not to try to enumerate. Many AC/DC chargers are the same way.

[varjohaltia]

I've gone through several different model car chargers (a couple of Belkins and a noname one), and various USB wall chargers (like the Apple one) and Sanyo's Eneloopy booster. Nothing that isn't an actual computer ever charges my N8 via MicroUSB. If I use a USB to 2mm adapter, that works with all of the above. I've used several USB cables, including the one that came with the phone. All work when plugged to a computer, none work on any other power source. My Sony reader's the same way; unless there's a USB data connection, no charging. It's really a remarkably weird design decision.

(I've tried Ovi Suite Mode, Mass Storage Mode, Media Transfer Mode and Modem Mode. None of them work.)

If there's a trick to shorting some pins to ground, to +5, to each other, or some resistors, I'd really like to know so I can cobble something together.

[Dan555]

I've noticed the following:

If the phone lock is on (meaning you have to put a lock code in to unlock it), no data connection is made with a computer, I guess this is a security measure. Also, the charging light doesn't come on.

If you unlock the phone, the data connection is made and the charging light comes on. You can then lock it again afterwards (or it will autolock).

If you connect it to a car charger (or at least my car charger which delivers the standard 500mA), it won't charge when locked or even when unlocked.

I suppose this means that N8 waits for a data connection before charging and car chargers don't make data connections.

I've also noticed that Android phones have a 'charge only' USB connection mode.

[aikonN8]

My daughters Samsung Galaxy S2 charges my N8,but other micro usb chargers don't

[aikonN8]

BTW the cable that came with the phone charges via the laptop USB port

[sourabh_23sep]

Nokia N8 requires a connection to be established for charging through its micro USB port.. But, when I tried charging it through Sony Ericsson W8's charger, it starts charging..!

[mariusnr]

Hi! I have the same problem with both CA-101 and CA-101D. I did not try CA-179, though. Now, this may depend also on the USB setting of the phone (OVI Suite / Mass Storage / Modem / Media Transfer), but I did not test them.

I have an External Battery Pack capable of 1x2Amps or 2x1Amp (two USB outputs). If I use the CA-101 / CA-101D cables, they do not charge, while the USB-to-micro-USB cable provided with the battery pack works like a charm.

Why this difference between the cables? While searching the net I found the following possible explanations:

1. The ID pin (Pin #4 out of 5). This pin can be:

- Not Connected - for data transfer cables, usually micro-B male adapter.

- Connected directly to Ground - for USB-On-The-Go data transfer cables, usually micro-A male adapter.

- Connected to Ground through a resistor of a certain value - distinguishing between different types of accessories.

See the following web sites:

http://pinoutsguide.com/CellularPhones-Nokia/micro_usb_connector_pinout.shtml

http://image.pinout.net/pinout_USB_files/micro_usb_pinout.jpg

2. Shorting the data lines with a resistor of a certain value:

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=46449

3. Shorting one or both data lines to ground with a resistor of a certain value:

http://pinoutsguide.com/CellularPhones-Nokia/micro_usb_connector_pinout.shtml

To fix it, I am using a different working cable. But a lot of fixes can be thought of, by modifying the cables or using adapters to add the required resistors.

Happy Fixing!