Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini - No longer charging, phone dead!

[Anonymous]

Hi, hoping someone can help me?

I've had my S3 Mini since last February. Over the past 6 months, I noticed it was taking longer and longer for my phone to fully charge, and the phone was not holding charge well. Over the past 2 months, the phone stopped recognising when it was being plugged into the charger on & off - I have two other USB chargers (not very good ones) along with Samsung plug charger and kept having to change which charger and plug socket I was using. I would go to bed, plug in phone to charge and wake up to a lower battery or a dead phone. The slightest movement would cause phone to vibrate lightly (as if turning on) and stop charging. 

Now, none of the chargers are working from ANY of the plug sockets or USB ports. Managed to get it up to 53% this morning after I woke up to 4%, but had to leave for work and of course take phone with me. I had data/wifi off, power saving mode always on, lowest brightness setting and was not even using it - yet when I check my phone at lunch, it is 12% and dropping fast. Dead battery shortly after getting home today, and nothing is working. No response to Recovery boot mode (Vol up + Home + Lock button?) and first few times I tried to charge it while dead, a blank screen with a white buffering symbol popped up for 3 hopeful seconds before disappearing as the phone faintly vibrated and went dark again.

I am planning on taking in to my local o2 store, but have been told it will need to be sent off for repairs and this could take weeks. I need my phone to top up my smart meters, track my buses, wake me up, speak to my folks and so on. Is there anything else I can try? So frustrating, don't think I've sat without my phone since I was a little teen and have to say it feels odd!

[Cleoriff]

No...ours both were S3 models.....though with the added information you have just given (about it making a noise when you try and insert charger) ...it sounds as if it will be the charging port as said before. Let us know what happens when you take it to the O2 shop?

[MI5]

Defo a charge port issue.
If it's damaged it will be a couple of days, unless you are lucky and can get in house repairs done.
If you are really lucky it might just be dirty, but it's certainly where the problem is.

[Anonymous]

I can confirm that the problem lies with the charge port! It can take "up to" 2 days, but this is no problem as I can get replacement phone until then. I am ordering a new Samsung S3 Mini battery as well, just in case a charging problem re-occurs in the future and battery needs replacing anyway (would rather have it ready in case of emergency!).

More than one of the pins were out of place/bent out of shape, I intend to be far more gentle with handling my phone when charging and to NEVER use it while it is on charge - the extra pressure/strain on the cable and the port cannot have been good, and as everyone probably knows already it can also affect the battery.

Thanks everyone for your input! Looking forward to a well charged phone by end of the week  

[MI5]

As I thought.......