Just looking for confirmation from anyone else out there in the same situation. With the cables/accessories provide you can either use the charger/cable or the sync cable since they both use the same proprietary port on the phone. Using the sync cable to active sync, does NOT seem to charge the phone. So, I thougth with the "dongle/splitter" device you could do both. Apparently not. Though the charging and sync cable will fit on either side of the dongle, if you look closely their are little pics on the dongle and one side is of for charge/sync, the other side is for headphones/tv out. Did I miss anything?

thanks,

Larry

Using the supplied USB cable and plugging it into a computer and the phone provides me with both charging and data at the same time. I have my phone connected that way right now and it is charging while I am using mymobiler at the same time.

In fact that cable appears to be the same as the ones supplied with some other Samsung phones like the BlackJack-II. I tried it and it also worked.

While I've not tried it yet, I've seen references that using the same cable will not charge if you plug it into a non-computer USB port like a USB vehicle cigarette adapter.

I have one of the following coming which is supposed to get around all that. I prefer the retractable cable anyway.

Boxwave Link - miniSync™ - Samsung Omnia

I've not used any of the "dongles" yet.

So here's what I think is going on....

In order for it to charge through the USB from a PC you must have an active active sync connection.

SO... if you turn the device off it does not charge.

Interesting idea, BUT....my device charges great while driving in my car using the official Vzw car charger. As far as I know my Honda Hybrid Accord is not active syncing to my Omnia - but perhaps the car charger has some special properties?

-Jim-

Mine charges with activesync on or off.

If you plug it in, look at the power button... if it is RED, then it is charging.

Another instant clue as to whether your connection will charge is the sound notification. If you have a connection that will charge your phone, the instant you plug the adapter into the side of the phone, you'll get a cheerful beep. When you unplug your adapter, too, you get the same beep on terminating the charging connection. Plug your phone into a connection that won't charge, you don't get the beep (this assumes the proper sound notification is turned on your phone).

EDIT: tested with car chargers, official Vzw Omnia charger vs Palm USB

-Jim-

I meant using the usb cable. Mine works with the official wall cab;e too but not with any usb wall or car chargers nor does it charge while the phone is not connected to activesync when plugged into the usb.

You said you were tryng to sync and charge at the same time... That works with the data/charge cable that comes with the phone if you plug it into a computer's USB port.

Samsung is doing something cute here... if you take the same cable and plug it into a USB adapter like a cigarette lighter or non-Samsung power supply it won't charge.

You need to use something like:
miniSync - Omnia i910 Retractable Cable

Note that it has two phone connectors... one for using with a computer and syncing like the original cable, and the other for use in USB power supplies without data.

I got one of these on Saturday and checked it out. Works with everything including the USB car adaptor.

Also, if you go to Settings, Connections, USB Connection Mode, and change the setting from ActiveSync to Mass Storage, the device still charges based on 3 criteria.

1. red light on power button
2. Beep on plugging and unplugging adapter
3. Settings, System, Power applet - says "charging"

For further confirmation, if you go to WMDC (rightclick on SysTrac on WMDC icon-pick Open Sync Center, right click on your device, pick open Windows Mobile Device Center, under Mobile Device Settings, pick Connection Settings. Then uncheck Allow USB Connections. So with these settings, you've totally disabled a USB connection via ActiveSync yet the phone is still charging with the Samsung adapter. So as krelvinaz points out in the post before this, charging is more a hardware issue with the Samsung USB cable rather than a software issue involving an ActiveSync connection.

Doesn't depend on a software connection for a mass storage device because you can go to the Safety Remove Hardware icon in SysTray and eject the mass storage drive represented by the Omnia. So no ActiveSync, no mass storage device mounted at the software level, yet the device is still charging by the 3 criteria listed above.

-Jim-

Experiment time....

Try #1

1) Universal USB AC Adaptor
2) Stock DATA/Sync cable that comes with Omnia i910

Pug them in together... nothing... not a trickle of power.

Try #2

1) Same Universal USB AC Adaptor
2) This time the retractable USB Data/Sync cable that I mentioned above using the end that has the little Charge Icon on it.

Works like a charm... Charges right away...

Try #3

1) Same Universal USB AC Adaptor
2) This time the retractable USB Data/Sync cable that I mentioned above using the end that doesn't have a charge icon on it (for data/power sync to computer)

Again, no workie...

If you have a sync/data cable it won't charge off a non-Verizon USB adaptor, but it will charge off of a computer.

I suspect there are some pins missing on the "charge" end to allow this to happen.

I'm using a universal USB cigarette lighter adapter in the car, it charges great! Can't remember the brand...I'll look at it tomorrow. It was only like $10...much cheaper plus I always have my USB cable with me.

If I plug my Omnia with Samsung USB/charging cable into a USB 2.0 port of my Mac Mini, the following happens.

In Start, Settings, Connections, USB Connection Mode, no charging by the 3 criteria above if I pick "Active Sync" as the USB connection mode.

If I pick "Mass storage" as the connection mode, there is charging by the 3-criteria listed above. I can switch back and forth between charging and noncharging states by picking "Mass storage" or "Active sync" in the USB Connection mode applet.

So the above would indicate software, maybe operating system software does have an influence on whether current is allowed to pass through the hardware wire.

-Jim-

Switching to Mass Storage as the USB connection also allows my Omnia to charge on two WinXP SP3 computers out of USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 ports by 3 charging criteria listed in this post. Neither of these computers has device driver for Omnia installed (get failed install even when I allow WinXP to search the Internet), one computer only has Active Sync v3.8 installed (cannot find Omnia, prob. because device driver for it not installed), the other does not have Active Sync on it at all.

The Omnia will charge from neither of these computers with the USB Connection Mode set to "Active Sync."

Things would be sweet if switching to Mass Storage allowed the Samsung Cable to charge from a USB car charger. I have a vintage 2005 or earlier Palm USB car charger plug-in (converter from car DC to USB power). Unfortunately, the Omnia will not charge off that when switched to the Mass Storage USB setting.

I have been switching back to "Active Sync" connection mode to "Eject" my Omnia before unplugging it from USB. Using "Safely Remove" in SysTray on a desktop PC or EJECT on a Mac also terminates charging.

Tips & Trick Summary

-Jim-