Accessories Kindle 3 Cable Quality

stephenwilks · 12-30-2013, 10:25 AM

I have had a Kindle 3 for about 2.5 + years. Recently, I noticed that the outer insulation of the recharging and USB connection cable was beginning to crack and shed off. So I taped it up a bit and it does still work OK. I tend not to leave the unit charging any longer than I have to. I wondered a bit if it was because I tend to leave it in the box coiled up (with quite loose big loops). So I resolved to change that habit. But I do have another lead. Trouble is I have now noticed the same problem developing (not really significant yet) with the other lead - despite it having been left largely in the box since I bought the unit.

Could it be something to do with the hot and humid climate I live in? I don't have an air-conditioner anywhere in the house, as I find the air-conditioning at work is not particularly conducive to good health. I somehow doubt that this is the real problem, however - because I notice all the other computer leads I've left lying around for years (exposed to room sunlight and the hot humid climate) are all doing just fine after much longer than 2.5 + years. And those would include leads from China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Thailand. Only the leads supplied by Kindle USA are exhibiting this problem.

I'm left wondering if the real issue here is that the build quality of the Kindle 3's Chinese manufacturer is a bit sub-standard. Perhaps we would better off paying a bit more, but having higher expectations. I really like the Kindle 3, but it did quite quickly develop a few dodgy-looking lines on the screen - although the legibility is still pretty good

One could be forgiven for thinking that the various problems reported on this site, and others, are some sort of indication of indifferent build quality. Well, I could always buy a new lead quite cheaply, but I would probably just buy a newer version - that is if I can get my head past wondering if some other more expensive device might meet my needs better in the longer term.

Do folks here have any thoughts about whether the newer basic Kindles, Paperwhites and Fires (and even more recent Kindle 3s) are of better build quality than the Kindle 3s sold in the first year o0f their production?

pidgeon92 · 12-30-2013, 12:14 PM

There isn't anything wrong with the quality of the K3s, I gave mine away last year and it is still going strong. I do recall quite a number of complaints about the cable insulation cracking off from cables included with that model. Fortunately it is a standard micro USB (or was it a mini USB?) cable. I think most people have several of these lying around. I've got at least a half dozen micro and mini cables and I use them interchangeably on my devices.

All eink screens are made by the same manufacturer. No retailer is going to have one that is less likely to fail than one from a different retailer. Amazon is probably the best at replacing defective devices without too much hassle.

kennyc · 12-30-2013, 12:17 PM

Yeah, my first Kindle cable did that.....I've got many many of those types of usb cables though so no big deal...

VictoriaP · 12-30-2013, 01:33 PM

I had the cracking/flaking issue show up with a Kindle Touch cord. I threw it out & switched over to buying AmazonBasics cables for my devices instead. They seem to much better made than any I've seen being given away with a device (regardless of manufacturer), and I've had no trouble with them over the two years or so I've used them.

As for the older (or newer) Kindles being better quality...no, I don't think so personally. If you were to go back and look at threads around the release time of each device, you'd find every model had more than its share of complaints. This is the nature of Internet forums. Those who are lucky enough to get perfect, long-lived devices generally don't have a need to post as much about them. They're too busy using them!

HarryT · 12-30-2013, 02:01 PM

I wouldn't give the matter a second thought. It's just a microUSB cable; get a cheap replacement for it, if you don't already have one.

stephenwilks · 12-31-2013, 10:14 AM

OK. I seem to remember having plugged in some other cable I possess and finding that it worked just fine. I certainly have also entertained the notion that forums beget complaints, while other satisfied users just get on with their reading But it is good to get some thought on this from more regular contributors, and to find that I'm not the only one who has experienced this. I guess a newer kindle is still as good a deal as any for someone who wants to READ rather than pose.
Thanks very much all! Happy New Year!

Barbara1955 · 12-31-2013, 04:36 PM

I have 2 white cables & 1 Black Not seeing ANY problems with any of them. 1 cable is 3 yrs old.

Ian.M · 12-31-2013, 06:27 PM

If any cable has been stored in contact with polystyrene for extended periods, expect trouble due to plasticiser migration making the jacket brittle.

stephenwilks · 01-01-2014, 09:30 AM

^Ian.M^ Thanks for that piece of advice, Ian. Certainly not the case, in my case, though. I suppose that is one of the reasons gadgets now generally come packed in moulded cardboard or similar - as was the case with my Kindle 3. Indeed, I kept it in the Kindle delivery box until that started to get a bit scruffy after about 18 months. Now it's in a Nokia mobile-phone slingbag, which is in turn kept inside a cardboard box that was used to deliver a satellite radio.

I'm now going to look out for a micro-USB to USB lead in our nearest local equivalent of Tandy/Radioshack/Maplin.

HarryT · 01-01-2014, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephenwilks

I'm now going to look out for a micro-USB to USB lead in our nearest local equivalent of Tandy/Radioshack/Maplin.

It'll probably be a lot cheaper to buy one from Amazon.

JohnnyBook · 01-02-2014, 07:00 AM

The K3 power cables insulation cracking and flaking off has been a problem for a LONG time.

After I had my K3 for about a year, I noticed that the insulation was cracking badly near the plugs. the wires were visible in the cracks. My Mother who I was visiting at the time, had a K2 for about 2 years and we looked and hers were just as bad. BUT she also had a spare cable she bought still in its origional cardboard sleeve in a cabinet. we got it out and even unused it was also cracking and flaking worse then either of the ones we were using. The wires were exposed due to some missing insulation.

So we taped up the ones we were using and Google-ed it. I found Lots of reports of people having the same problem.

So we contacted Amazon. They knew of the problem and happily send us each a free replacement cable. (But would not replace my mothers spare for free [only 1 per customer?] and said something like, if these went bad we would need to buy new ones) So I did bought a second cable at that time.

A year and a half later BOTH my cables are cracking and flaking badly. I tried taped them up again. and they just kept getting worse. Now one of them has 2" of bare wire on each end.

At that time I noticed that my GFs cellphone charger used the same plug and started sharing it to charge my Kindle, but could not use it to connect to my computer.

So I went to a local electronics store and bought a "USB to Micro USB" cable for under $4. and threw out the Kindle cables. (I still use the Kindle AC plug)

EDIT: And yes I am still using a K3 Keyboard. My original got a bad screen after 2 years. (Someone sat on it?) and I got a free K3 Keyboard replacement from Amazon just before they stopped offering them for sale.

HarryT · 01-02-2014, 07:32 AM

Probably a climate thing. All my Kindle USB cables here in the UK are absolutely fine.

JohnnyBook · 01-02-2014, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Probably a climate thing. All my Kindle USB cables here in the UK are absolutely fine.

Hmm, I don't think so. we live in different areas, and climates.

I think some people are just got lucky, but a lot were not based on the number of reports I saw a couple years ago.

Pistolero · 01-02-2014, 02:03 PM

Never had any problems with the cables as well, neither in middle European moderate climate nor the humid climate of Southeast Asia.

VictoriaP · 01-02-2014, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Probably a climate thing. All my Kindle USB cables here in the UK are absolutely fine.

Nope...I'm in the part of the US Pacific Northwest that most matches the UK in terms of latitude and climate. I still had a cable succumb to this issue. I think it was simply hit or miss in terms of production quality--there are plenty of similar stories about Apple iPhone/iPod/iPad cables, especially those with the 30-pin connector.

And it sure looks like Amazon's figured out there was an issue; their current cables appear to be better quality, and the AmazonBasics ones they sell are almost over-built.

12-30-2013, 10:25 AM	#1
stephenwilks Member Posts: 21 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle 3 Keyboard Wi-fi 3G	Kindle 3 Cable Quality I have had a Kindle 3 for about 2.5 + years. Recently, I noticed that the outer insulation of the recharging and USB connection cable was beginning to crack and shed off. So I taped it up a bit and it does still work OK. I tend not to leave the unit charging any longer than I have to. I wondered a bit if it was because I tend to leave it in the box coiled up (with quite loose big loops). So I resolved to change that habit. But I do have another lead. Trouble is I have now noticed the same problem developing (not really significant yet) with the other lead - despite it having been left largely in the box since I bought the unit. Could it be something to do with the hot and humid climate I live in? I don't have an air-conditioner anywhere in the house, as I find the air-conditioning at work is not particularly conducive to good health. I somehow doubt that this is the real problem, however - because I notice all the other computer leads I've left lying around for years (exposed to room sunlight and the hot humid climate) are all doing just fine after much longer than 2.5 + years. And those would include leads from China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Thailand. Only the leads supplied by Kindle USA are exhibiting this problem. I'm left wondering if the real issue here is that the build quality of the Kindle 3's Chinese manufacturer is a bit sub-standard. Perhaps we would better off paying a bit more, but having higher expectations. I really like the Kindle 3, but it did quite quickly develop a few dodgy-looking lines on the screen - although the legibility is still pretty good One could be forgiven for thinking that the various problems reported on this site, and others, are some sort of indication of indifferent build quality. Well, I could always buy a new lead quite cheaply, but I would probably just buy a newer version - that is if I can get my head past wondering if some other more expensive device might meet my needs better in the longer term. Do folks here have any thoughts about whether the newer basic Kindles, Paperwhites and Fires (and even more recent Kindle 3s) are of better build quality than the Kindle 3s sold in the first year o0f their production?

01-02-2014, 07:00 AM	#11
JohnnyBook Groupie Posts: 191 Karma: 126824 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Out There Device: K3 W/3G (Fixed screen!) & Paperwhite Wifi	The K3 power cables insulation cracking and flaking off has been a problem for a LONG time. After I had my K3 for about a year, I noticed that the insulation was cracking badly near the plugs. the wires were visible in the cracks. My Mother who I was visiting at the time, had a K2 for about 2 years and we looked and hers were just as bad. BUT she also had a spare cable she bought still in its origional cardboard sleeve in a cabinet. we got it out and even unused it was also cracking and flaking worse then either of the ones we were using. The wires were exposed due to some missing insulation. So we taped up the ones we were using and Google-ed it. I found Lots of reports of people having the same problem. So we contacted Amazon. They knew of the problem and happily send us each a free replacement cable. (But would not replace my mothers spare for free [only 1 per customer?] and said something like, if these went bad we would need to buy new ones) So I did bought a second cable at that time. A year and a half later BOTH my cables are cracking and flaking badly. I tried taped them up again. and they just kept getting worse. Now one of them has 2" of bare wire on each end. At that time I noticed that my GFs cellphone charger used the same plug and started sharing it to charge my Kindle, but could not use it to connect to my computer. So I went to a local electronics store and bought a "USB to Micro USB" cable for under $4. and threw out the Kindle cables. (I still use the Kindle AC plug) EDIT: And yes I am still using a K3 Keyboard. My original got a bad screen after 2 years. (Someone sat on it?) and I got a free K3 Keyboard replacement from Amazon just before they stopped offering them for sale. Last edited by JohnnyBook; 01-02-2014 at 07:08 AM.

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12-30-2013, 12:14 PM	#2
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	There isn't anything wrong with the quality of the K3s, I gave mine away last year and it is still going strong. I do recall quite a number of complaints about the cable insulation cracking off from cables included with that model. Fortunately it is a standard micro USB (or was it a mini USB?) cable. I think most people have several of these lying around. I've got at least a half dozen micro and mini cables and I use them interchangeably on my devices. All eink screens are made by the same manufacturer. No retailer is going to have one that is less likely to fail than one from a different retailer. Amazon is probably the best at replacing defective devices without too much hassle.

12-30-2013, 12:17 PM	#3
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,892 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Yeah, my first Kindle cable did that.....I've got many many of those types of usb cables though so no big deal...

12-30-2013, 01:33 PM	#4
VictoriaP Addict Posts: 298 Karma: 491576 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle PW2; Kindle Touch; Kindle 2; iPad Mini; iPad1	I had the cracking/flaking issue show up with a Kindle Touch cord. I threw it out & switched over to buying AmazonBasics cables for my devices instead. They seem to much better made than any I've seen being given away with a device (regardless of manufacturer), and I've had no trouble with them over the two years or so I've used them. As for the older (or newer) Kindles being better quality...no, I don't think so personally. If you were to go back and look at threads around the release time of each device, you'd find every model had more than its share of complaints. This is the nature of Internet forums. Those who are lucky enough to get perfect, long-lived devices generally don't have a need to post as much about them. They're too busy using them!

12-30-2013, 02:01 PM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I wouldn't give the matter a second thought. It's just a microUSB cable; get a cheap replacement for it, if you don't already have one.

12-31-2013, 10:14 AM	#6
stephenwilks Member Posts: 21 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle 3 Keyboard Wi-fi 3G	OK. I seem to remember having plugged in some other cable I possess and finding that it worked just fine. I certainly have also entertained the notion that forums beget complaints, while other satisfied users just get on with their reading But it is good to get some thought on this from more regular contributors, and to find that I'm not the only one who has experienced this. I guess a newer kindle is still as good a deal as any for someone who wants to READ rather than pose. Thanks very much all! Happy New Year!

12-31-2013, 04:36 PM	#7
Barbara1955 Non-Techy Posts: 4,455 Karma: 15499273 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: WV---USA Device: Samsung Cell Phone & Amazon Fires & Kobo eReaders	I have 2 white cables & 1 Black Not seeing ANY problems with any of them. 1 cable is 3 yrs old.

12-31-2013, 06:27 PM	#8
Ian.M Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 57134 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: Kindle 3 GB 3G	If any cable has been stored in contact with polystyrene for extended periods, expect trouble due to plasticiser migration making the jacket brittle.

01-01-2014, 09:30 AM	#9
stephenwilks Member Posts: 21 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle 3 Keyboard Wi-fi 3G	^Ian.M^ Thanks for that piece of advice, Ian. Certainly not the case, in my case, though. I suppose that is one of the reasons gadgets now generally come packed in moulded cardboard or similar - as was the case with my Kindle 3. Indeed, I kept it in the Kindle delivery box until that started to get a bit scruffy after about 18 months. Now it's in a Nokia mobile-phone slingbag, which is in turn kept inside a cardboard box that was used to deliver a satellite radio. I'm now going to look out for a micro-USB to USB lead in our nearest local equivalent of Tandy/Radioshack/Maplin.

01-02-2014, 07:32 AM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Probably a climate thing. All my Kindle USB cables here in the UK are absolutely fine.

01-02-2014, 02:03 PM	#14
Pistolero Gunslinger Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2013 Device: Kindle Keyboard	Never had any problems with the cables as well, neither in middle European moderate climate nor the humid climate of Southeast Asia.

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