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Comment by emj | Hacker News Reader

The USB-C connector is a lot easier to break than a normal power connector, it's also pretty fidgety to get right when you fix the connection on the laptop side. The fixability can be done better than normal charging ports, I've done a USB-C daughter board swap in about 2 hours of total time (research, ordering, mounting). The normal way though is doing soldering surface mounted USB-C connectors which is not something I like to do.

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Other than Apple's old magsafe connectors, I remember every power connector I've ever had on a laptop to have been pretty easily breakable using angular force, and I know of both myself and a handful of other people who have broken the power connector on our laptops, and yet I haven't seen or experienced such with my USB-C laptops yet (quite possibly as they are lighter weight), so I am surprised you say the USB-C is more easily broken. I do miss magsafe, though: that's the one non-USB-C power connector I think would be worth supporting. (That said I have some memory of magsafe connectors destroying themselves due to the slapping of metal at power, though I never hadn't one die myself.)

I am not sure why this is an issue.

For example my framework laptop USB C ports are replaceable (for the laptop side).

Also you can buy magsafe like connectors for USB C if you have a regular laptop.

Having one USB C charger for my phone, my laptop, my earbuds, my battery and my remarkable is such a life improvement on trip vs the old barrel connectors. It just doesn't even compare. And we just talk about charging here, one of the multiple uses of USB C.

I'd agree with this. 100%

I've done replacements of barrel plugs and also USBC ports and the barrel plugs are significantly easier to replace.

Now my USBC charging ports haven't failed me yet, i think that's probably because i have 4 of them on my laptop, and i charge from different ones depending on multiple factors. So I'm spreading the wear around.

That said. When one goes more than likely the others will go shortly there after.

Sure. But didn't we just agreed that the power adapter doesn't live that long? I better buy a new USB cable every year, that covers power, data and more than a power cable that covers power only for three times the price - if not more - every two years. Not to mention all the other advantages.

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