Why ?

[Channel Hopper]

Latest works phone is one of the HTC Windows phones.

Why have they got the connector that is on the right of the picture ?



Some sites suggest there is no issue with using the mini-usb charger when the original has been damaged/lost (with other sites going into detail on many circuit boards being broken at the charging point, possibly as a result of the above) , but why put such a conector on in the first place if it turns out to be electrically and mechanically compatible ?

 

[strs65]

Latest works phone is one of the HTC Windows phones.

Why have they got the connector that is on the right of the picture ?

View attachment 59716

Some sites suggest there is no issue with using the mini-usb charger when the original has been damaged/lost (with other sites going into detail on many circuit boards being broken at the charging point, possibly as a result of the above) , but why put such a conector on in the first place if it turns out to be electrically and mechanically compatible ?

I've read a possible explanation here, no idea if it is right (don't have an HTC)

http://www.tech65.org/2009/04/23/htcs-extusb-actually-supports-mini-usb-too/

DK and I made an interesting discover with this HTC phone we were playing. Out of curiosity, we tried to plug in an ordinary mini USB cable into the port, and without any difficulty at all, as if it was designed to, the mini USB cable plugged right into the port, providing both power and data!

Hmmm….

In fact, after doing some reading up, it turns out that this was intentional after all! The idea is that with a normal mini USB cable, you can charge and sync your HTC device, but with an ExtUSB cable, you can have audio/video input and output thanks to 6 extra pins! In essence, this is a “best-of-both-worlds” design, since you can just bring a single mini USB cable to connect all your USB devices (bonus if you have a mini USB to micro USB adapter, which I have) as well as to charge them all, and yet still support more powerful proprietary accessories thanks to the 6 extra pins! Consumers win!

.....

 

[Channel Hopper]

Thanks. Not much good if the last muppet with the phone has broke some of the connections on the PCB then.