iPhone that won't charge: port, or charging chip?
Three cables tried, one that works as long as you hold the phone a certain way: we know what comes next. But it isn't always what you think.
When an iPhone stops charging, most people think of the Lightning or USB-C port. That is often right, but not always, and getting it wrong costs a repair for nothing.
The port
It clogs up (pocket lint compressed at the bottom, we pull out whole “plugs”) or wears mechanically. Symptoms: you have to wedge the cable, the cable doesn't hold, or charging is intermittent. We always start with a clean; if that isn't enough, we replace the port, at the price shown per model.
The charging chip
On the logic board a chip (Tristar, then Hydra depending on generation) handles the negotiation with the charger. A cheap car charger, a power strip hit by lightning, a counterfeit cable, and it gets damaged. Symptoms: the phone charges with no cable even a new one, drains very fast, or shows “accessory not supported” with genuine accessories. There, changing the port is useless: we replace the chip by micro-soldering, at the fixed logic-board price (149 €).
How we decide
An ammeter on the cable and inspecting the port under the microscope are usually enough to tell the difference in a few minutes. The diagnosis is deducted from the repair.
Prevention
A branded charger and a certified cable cost less than a charging chip. That is the best advice we can give.
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