[Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] leijonasisu:
Well I wouldn't say normally, it was pretty slow but there was definite noticable improvement.

Thanks so much for the app. I bought the pro seeing as it's only 0.50c

Now this is really confusing. I'm gonna do some testing now:

On the cheaper battery Ebay Battery

Using New 1.8m Shielded Cable With the OEM Wall Charger

If I plug the cord straight in

from the wall charger

without moving it the power starts off at 1000, then goes down to about 900, then after awhile to about 400, and then after awhile longer to 100. But I can't be sure that I am not bumping the cord even a tiny bit. Also the battery is at 94% so it could just be shutting off the charge in order to not overcharge. (Though before the issue the batteries always charged to 100%).

If I move the cord around and tap refresh the number drops by 100 - 200 every time I press refresh (all the way down to 100). Also if I move the cord perfectly back into the middle, the number doesn't go back up. It's like the more I move the cord around the lower the charge will be. If I leave the phone alone for a bit and look at it again after a minute, the rate has gone back up to 1000, then down to 900. Where it seems to stay.

The statusbar battery app shows that it is charging too (% is going up as normal)

At 97% charged on the cheap battery the phone only accepts a maximum current of 300. So it seems that the overcharge protection is working.

Though the battery can display fully charged and then drop to 97% after I unplug the cord. Which didn't happen before but it's an understandable thing.

Summery:

Moving the cord a lot causes the rate to drop dramatically.

When plugged in the current starts off at a full 1000, then drops to 900 (dunno if this is normal) so it seems to start off charging at max

The max concurrent, current that can be achieved from the wall charger with new shielded cable is 900-100 it seems.

The phone seems to

discharge faster when plugged in

(and current on 100) than when it's unplugged??!

Could someone please install the free app (Galaxy Charging Current), who isn't experiencing issues like me and wiggle their cord around and see if the rate drops too? I want to know if there's some sort of methodology that if the cord is moved around a lot the current rate is dropped,

and it won't return to normal

. Or if it's just my phone. Thanks so much!

====================================================================

Ok... tested with everything I could honestly think of. Ebay/OEM Battery, Both OEM/New Cord and USB/Wall chargers and etc,

Basically it's like this. Both cords are fine. Both charge the phone just as fast. Using the wall charger is faster than using a USB. (But not if the cord has wiggled so much that the rate has dropped lower than what as USB gives)

The current rate only drops

when the cord is moved

,

and here is the crucial thing:

When the cord is moved the rate drops anywhere from 100 all the way to 900. Meaning that the rate of charge can go from 1000 (max) down to 100 (absolutely nothing). Either in 1 go, or in bits every time the cord moves. Also if the cord moves EVEN ONCE, even the smallest bit the rate can just drop on its own.

So basically it seems that somehow there charging port has been damaged or something and the pins are no longer connecting and the phone or charger or SOMETHING has this incredibly bloody stupid thing where if the cord moves or if the rate drops,

it doesn't go back up

. So if the rate drops all the way to 100, it won't increase or go back to normal after a certain amount of time.

Or maybe I am wrong.. because if I push the cord even a little towards the back of the phone the charging light goes off completely, and the rate hits 0. Whereas if I pull it towards the front of the phone, the rate stays constant (at max) but if I take my hand off it, the rate drops to about halfway or really low. It just seems like the little connectors inside the phone are really.. really flimsy and loose. It obviously got damaged somehow. Either by constant connecting and disconnecting or bending or just you name it.

So does anyone have any suggestions? I might try and clean the inside of it with nail polish remover or something in case they're just dirty but I doubt it will do much. It seems definitely like the plug just doesn't fit in and connect well enough any more and that's where the power is being lost. It's gotten a bit loose, but really nothing out of the ordinary.

I can confirm that putting it in such a position where there is absolutely no chance for the cord to move at all, allows the phone to receive a constant rate of the highest possible charge.

I guess I could try and make the fit a bit more snug myself but it would be only really temporary.

I think I just need to get it serviced again, but I am not sure that I could because it's got a custom rom, it's rooted and it's already been repaired for one of those 'sudden death' issues already...

How generous is Samsung with their warranties?

Either way this is a terrible blow for me, I need my phone to pay my bills and stay connected with my work and friends. If I can't have it plugged in and still be able to move it around and use it. Then it's basically useless.

At least for now it seems to be charging okay just sitting completely still on the table.