I hope Nokia fix this issue soon, as I have yet to buy an N900. Grinding down the USB plugs doesn't seem like a very good workaround (although obviously better than pulling out the USB socket), as a loose cable might not make a good data/charging connection.

I did it, seems to charge just as well as when it had the clips on it. I prefer it this way still feels sturdy just not as much pressure when removing....

spring loaded clips don't push contacts against each other so as long you insert plug all the way in it will work as well as with the clips.
at the end of the day it is much cheaper to replace charger than n900 itself especially when you imported your unit like some of us did and with nokia not having international warranty as far i know i feel happy about grinding down few plugs and if you want to sell your n900 one day in its orginal condition just buy 2nd charger from nokia, and 2nd usb cable, they are cheap.
we not doing any modification to n900 itself so at worst if you grind too much of your plug it will only cost you pocket change to get new charger

I used a small hand grinder with a sanding disk wheel and of course saftey glasses also. I would not recommend using a file as the metal shavings could get down in the small gaps of the plug and bridge the terminals then short out the device.

The phone charges just fine and file transfers etc work fine also. If I ever need to unbrick it etc I can get out the original cable to be sure its got a good connection.

Hmm I didn't realize how common this problem is. I'll be sure to grind down the hooks on my connectors - or preferably build a short microUSB extension cable with the hooks ground down.

Someone mentioned using globs of epoxy to strengthen to connection to the board, any success? I wonder if it might be possible to do this without opening the case. I've repaired PDAs before but I don't want to have to open a brand new one (especially such an expensive one!)

I used an old file lying around the house, made sure to clean it out, dust it out after. I've noticed no shorting out etc over the past week.

Actually I find the charger and cable works better after shaving down those connectors. There is no doubt in my mind that the usb port would have eventually dislodged over the next few months. The spring loaded clips needed way too much pressure to remove the charger from the usb port which as we have already seen is not attached very well.

The problem happened to me...posted earlier in the thread. Adding more "glue" to the connection points will most likely "not" help, however adding some sort of cushioning, or bracing (few drops of rubber cement, or something to that effect) "above the USB port itself", will brace it against an internal housing, which is above the port. I believe it may be part of the camera infrastructure.

The space between the port and the housing is only 3-4mm, so anything "wedged" between the two, will keep the port from pulling up off the board.

FWIW, I'm using the charger from my Motorla Q9h, as the spring loaded pins are smaller...850mA and no grinding.

I took a nail clipper to grab the clips on the plug and rip them out. It was not difficult.

Now I don't get haptic feedback anymore when the connector is fully in (just gently push it in and its OK, apply no force) and it can be pulled out easily. It's a fine solution for overnight charging, as nobody is touching the device during that time anyway.

Bye, bye, paranoia! Finally I can sleep well again.

My box (UK) has nothing like that. Lots of bar codes, but no odd looking phone symbol, nothing to the right of the bar codes, and nothing with a year in anywhere. Except for "Copyright © 2009"

Here's my concern about some methods proposed: if all you're doing is bracing the usb connector against the housing with adhesive, that may not be effective. Adhering it to the board would be much better.

The problem stems from force applied to the PCB mounting pads. Placing some sort of restraint at the housing can actually exacerbate that-- the force has to go SOMEwhere, and the pads are the last weak link (and most critical). As we've seen, the pads are actually being ripped off the PCB. Side-to-side motion involved with connector insertion/removal can place a lot of stress on those pads.

The ultimate solution as I see it:

- switch to through-hole mount rather than surface mount (CRITICAL)
- switch to connector with flange
- apply adhesive underneath connector prior to soldering

I really believe all of those need to be implemented.

I may do a follow-up to my blog article once more data is in.