Is my new Pixel 3 Defective?

[Zarathustra[H]]

So, with how disappointing the Pixel 4 launch was, I decided the 3 was actually a better phone, and bough tit instead.

Having a weird charging issue though, which I wanted to check in with you people about.

When plugged into a regular USB3 port on a PC (not fast charging or anything like that) the phone with actually discharge slowly if in use.

We are not talking heavy use either. Just normal web browsing, email, etc.

Has anyone else experienced this? Did I receive a bad one?

Appreciate any input.

 

[CHANG3D]

Is it a safe USB-C cable? USB-C cables historically have been very iffy, and many aren’t up to specs (such as the usb-c cable provided by OnePlus)

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Is it a safe USB-C cable? USB-C cables historically have been very iffy, and many aren’t up to specs (such as the usb-c cable provided by OnePlus)

It's the white USB-A to USB-C cable that came with my first gen Pixel. It worked fine for my first gen Pixel

 

[uberjon]

Assuming full sized USB 2.0 and 3.0 have the same 500mah current, this would be 'normal'

5v @ 500mah = 2.5 watt charger

Your just draining it faster than it charges.

 

[Fremunaln]

Unless the pc jack supports fast charging, most phones cant sustain a charge and operate. I guess the 1st gen pixel, really sipped energy rather then chugged it.

 

[T4rd]

I have seen this on my 2 XL as well when plugged into a known damaged/bad cable into an AC adapter and also a seemingly good cable plugged into my PC's USB 3 ports as well. It seems as though the phone thinks it's charging without actually drawing any current. It doesn't happen consistently with the same cable though, so it seems like it's just a bad connection or something.

 

[Canon]

You really want a USB PD capable charger (USB C to USB C cable required) IMHO. Charging from a PCs port has been an unreliable experience for years in my experience (back to Galaxy note 2). Lots of PC ports will tend to output 500ma which isn't enough to charge and use the phone... Some can do 2000ma, but you won't get full speed charging with a USB A to C cable no matter what becaus would violate USB PD spec from what I understand...

Just get a proper USB PD charger or battery pack and put this behind you IMHO. I doubt your phone is defective....

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Unless the pc jack supports fast charging, most phones cant sustain a charge and operate. I guess the 1st gen pixel, really sipped energy rather then chugged it.

You really want a USB PD capable charger (USB C to USB C cable required) IMHO. Charging from a PCs port has been an unreliable experience for years in my experience (back to Galaxy note 2). Lots of PC ports will tend to output 500ma which isn't enough to charge and use the phone... Some can do 2000ma, but you won't get full speed charging with a USB A to C cable no matter what becaus would violate USB PD spec from what I understand...

Just get a proper USB PD charger or battery pack and put this behind you IMHO. I doubt your phone is defective....

Wow. Seems amazing to me that these phones are guzzling so much power now that a standard 500ma USB port can't at least keep them at an even charge.

I was not expecting a fast charge from it, but I was expecting a slow trickle...

 

[Mav451]

I don't understand the surprise here. We already saw this behavior when people were relying on old Apple power bricks for charging (that only output at 1A). Now you're expecting something outputting at half of that to be able to sustain *and* charge a phone - while it's in use.

 

[T4rd]

Wow. Seems amazing to me that these phones are guzzling so much power now that a standard 500ma USB port can't at least keep them at an even charge.

I was not expecting a fast charge from it, but I was expecting a slow trickle...

I don't understand the surprise here. We already saw this behavior when people were relying on old Apple power bricks for charging (that only output at 1A). Now you're expecting something outputting at half of that to be able to sustain *and* charge a phone - while it's in use.

Not sure if you missed my post or what; but I've see the same thing on my previous phones (2 XL included) and don't think it's actually pulling any current despite saying it's charging when that happens. Because most of the time it will actually charge (very slowly of course) off the ~500 mA USB port on my PC. But sometimes it seems that it's either a bad cable or connection to the PC and it doesn't negotiate power draw properly and continues to discharge, sometimes seemingly even faster than it would if not plugged in it. I've seen the same behavior with crappy (sub 1A) AC chargers as well; it sometimes charges and other times discharges.

 

[vegeta535]

Yes computer port USB charging is just crap. My pixel 2xl loses charge when plugged in and sitting idle lol.

 

[Mav451]

T4rd Oh my bad - no I didn't read your post about the bad cable possibility.

I have to admit, between the 5, 5x, and the Pixel, I had some odd problems with the PC to phone connection only with the Pixel. And I know my old Gigabyte board (P55-UD3R) had some specific USB charging thing that actually contributed to that data connection being unreliable in the first place. https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Motherboard/GA-P55-UD3R-rev-10#ov

Because of that experience, I guess I wasn't too surprised when my Haswell Gigabyte board had similar issues and just have really low expectations now lmao.

 

[vegeta535]

Yes computer port USB charging is just crap. My pixel 2xl loses charge when plugged in and sitting idle lol.

Well I got a warranty replacement for my pixel 2 xl Friday and went too hook it up to my PC to transfer all my files using the type c port on the ASRock board and it was fast charging properly. It didn't charge for crap on the MSI board the ASRock replaced. It would even take several mins to even detect the phone on the MSI board went plugged into the USB-C port on it.