Why the USB3.0 Micro-B connector sucks

That design flaw is with all micro-USB connections. It's a common failure point on external hard drives, mobile phones, and other things that use micro-USB.

 

I had the same thing happen on an external hard drive. It would be nice if manufacturers would come up with something more robust.

 

Like a B connector? Just kidding, those don't fit on skinny externals. I agree, it's a bad design.

 

More like attaching the cable directly to the hard drive, it's not like you can use it without the cable anyways.

But a more robust solution is the Seagate Backup Plus Portable:

When the USB connector breaks, you can replace the complete assembly on the cheap. Or replace it with the Thunderbolt adapter while you're at it.

 

I always thought Mini USB was just fine. Then they just had to go smaller.

 

AGREED!
Available space for connectors is almost non-existent in things like Cell Phones because they're also shoehorning batteries and displays into it, but that is hardly true for things like Hard Drives!
My theory is that since they're stamping micro-connectors out by the gabillion for cellphones the per-unit cost for suppliers to use em in hard drives is essentially zero.
I am fortunate to not have to be plugging and unplugging my small drives very often so I haven't busted a connector in years, but it used to be routine problem in my world.
That swappable base makes those Seagate drives quite attractive innmy opinion.
R in Mi.

 

Those Seagate drives are really nice to have. They're basically a SATA dock with a pretty case. You can stick any SATA drive on them if you wanted to.

 

The one that I hate is the USB 2.0 Micro-B. It's even less robust. If you look at anything that connects to it, its so flimsy. The Apple TV is probably the only one that isnt, and even then its only because they had to create a deeper hole in the plastic for it, thus it is braced by the plastic.

If you plug on into any non-Apple phone (as pretty much all of them use it now) they feel like they are going to snap. Whats even more annoying is that you can actually put it in the wrong way around, and it bends the pins on the port with very little pressure.

 

I have had zero failures of micro-usb connectors on a device or with a cable and I have been using them for a few years now.

This includes the micro -USB 3.0 cables for a year plus.

 

Some people are less than delicate with their cables

 

Not Really

I've never had a connectivity problem with USB until USB 3. It's wayyyyyy worse than any connector I've ever, ever, ever dealt with. It's a ridiculous design. All I have to is to touch the cable and it will immediately disconnect from the port.

 

The good news is that all of us can start the migration to USB 3.1 and the reversible Type C connector later this year. No more of the non-resersible Type A or B crap. Watch for the launch of the Retina Macbook Air.