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submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by Sunny@slrpnk.net to c/mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world

Edit: see comments for clarifications.

I am probably late on this one, but god damn this is one nasty trick by Philips.

Context; I recently decided to upgrade my shaver, from a Philips One Blade to Philips an all-in-one-trimmer-7000. As you can see on the pictures below, they changed the charger for the adapter by maybe 1–2 millimetres, just so the old charger could not be used by the old charger. Now, this normally isn't a big deal, but with the new trimmer, the charger is USB-A only. Where's the previous one had the plug on it instead. To me this is mildly infuriating as I know need to get an extra adapter just to charge my shaver in the bathroom. They had the exact same design for the chargers, yet changed it just slightly so they wouldn't be able to be reused? Why... Philips... why?

Edit: many good points in the comments! I don't know how to manually check the voltage, but seems like folks figured it out in the comments too. Should have just been USB-C!

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[-] thantik@lemmy.world 265 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Having experience with electromechanics - I have seen times where this was done on purpose to make sure that people aren't trying to reuse an incompatible plug for charging purposes. NiCd doesn't charge the same as LiFePo, Li-ion, etc. Charging voltages, polarities, stability of power output, etc.

To be fair though, they just need to make everything USB-C anyhow. Especially shavers.

[-] mp3@lemmy.ca 32 points 9 months ago

I bought this one from Conair because it is rechargeable with USB-C.

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[-] moitoi@feddit.de 18 points 9 months ago

My next shaver will be USB-C. It's now a standard for charging whatever you want.

[-] AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 16 points 9 months ago

I know a lot of RC brands did this too. They didn't want people blowing up their Li-On batteries with old chargers, or getting complaints because it takes three days to charge.

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[-] ShadowRam@fedia.io 119 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

the new trimmer, the charger is USB-A only. Where's the previous one had the plug on it instead.

Maybe I'm confused.

Your new trimmer takes in USB (Low Voltage DC) power.

Your old trimmer took in Plug (High Voltage AC) power.

If that's the case, yeah of course the plugs would be different? You'd fry the new one with the old plug.

[-] zovits@lemmy.world 37 points 9 months ago

The OneBlade has a transformer in the wall plug part, the actual cable going to the handheld unit is only carrying low voltage.

[-] Creat@discuss.tchncs.de 32 points 9 months ago

What low voltage though? Unless it's 5V like USB (non-PD and non-QC), they should and need to be incompatible.

[-] Smokeless7048@lemmy.world 26 points 9 months ago

looks like the old one was 15v, while the new one is 5v.

Now, if it has used USB-C it could still be 15v...

[-] Smokeless7048@lemmy.world 27 points 9 months ago

came to say that. Looks like the old one was 15v, while if the new one is USB-A it was 5v.

Now, if it was USB-C, it could still have been USB-C!

[-] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago

Neither of them take AC power. I have an older one similar to OP's old one. It uses a wall wart and the input is definitely DC.

[-] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 86 points 9 months ago

Are you sure they charge with the same specifications? This might just be to avoid potential fire hazards & damage.

[-] june@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Yea, one might be ~~alkaline~~ nimh while the other is lithium. Or maybe even just different flavors of lithium.

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[-] HopFlop@discuss.tchncs.de 67 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Nice of then to make sure you cant accidentally blow up your new razor because you assumed the old cable would work if it fit.

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[-] rbesfe@lemmy.ca 58 points 9 months ago

The old cable supplies 15V, which would fry your shaver that is expecting 5V

[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 17 points 9 months ago

I think the real sin here is making the shaver dependent on stored charge instead of just letting it run immediately after being plugged in.

[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago

It's a common safety feature for wet & dry razors. It's so people don't take them into the shower or bath while it is plugged in.

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[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 42 points 9 months ago

Is the charge voltage the same on both?

[-] Magister@lemmy.world 20 points 9 months ago

I guess not, the USB one is 5V obviously, but the other one can be 12, 7.2, 8.4, 3.2, whatever

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[-] ra1d3n@lemm.ee 37 points 9 months ago

I have both of these and one charger is 8v and the other is 15v.

[-] gerryflap@feddit.nl 29 points 9 months ago

Isn't it to make sure that you're not mixing two incompatible chargers? I have 2 Philips chargers that do fit (as far as I can see), but are not the same voltage. I've previously also had something like this where 2 fitting chargers were completely different electrically, one 12V AC and the other 9V DC. One time a family member mixed them up, bit luckily the extra voltage didn't fry anything. I don't mind having to get an extra charger of it prevents me from doing something dumb and frying my electronics.

[-] BrownianMotion@lemmy.world 27 points 9 months ago

I can tell you for certain, I measured my plug phiips (foil and 'one') and they are both 14VDC. So short answer is that the plug charger would blow up the usb trimmer you have (which is 5VDC).

The reason I know this and measured them, was because I wasnt sure the two plug chargers were the same, and I didnt want to blow up my philips one.

[-] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

Also the charger is required to show its voltage and amperage output ratings.

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[-] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 25 points 9 months ago

God, why don't they just make it usb-c PD and be done with it?

[-] hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 9 months ago

This style of connector wedges itself watertight, so there's that

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[-] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 20 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Make sure the voltage and power requirements are the same. Maybe the old one cannot deliver enough juice for the new one.

That's one reason a lot of device designers go for USB C proper: it supports multiple voltages and multiple power levels, and in a way where the devices shouldn't be able to pull too much power from a smaller charger. (assuming they implemented the spec and didn't just use the plug anyways) In theory, one smart charger with enough oomph could charge anything that sticks to spec up to 240W.

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[-] vox@sopuli.xyz 20 points 9 months ago

are the voltages actually the same?

[-] moncharleskey@lemmy.zip 25 points 9 months ago

I don't see how it could be. One plugs into line voltage and the other 5v usb. The reason they changed the plug size is probably to keep OP from frying his new razor.

[-] hikaru755@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

One plugs into line voltage

Well, but that's not what's coming out of the end that you plug into the razor. The wall plug for it contains a transformer that steps it down to 15V. Would still be a bad idea, but it's not line voltage.

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[-] Boozilla@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago

Philips was a great company decades ago. They've really gone to shit. Especially their CPAP fiasco (Respironics recall).

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[-] Dumbkid@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 9 months ago

If they are the same voltage just take a razor and shave some of the material away, I had to do this to get a c7 connector to fit into my xbox one, the rubber was just molded too far to fit

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[-] usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca 14 points 9 months ago

The charging requirements have likely changed so the plug was redesigned sup you don't fry your new shaver using the old plug/adapter.

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[-] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

Everyone of my Phillips trimmers use a different shaped port

[-] sunbeam60@lemmy.one 13 points 9 months ago

They all do this. Every time.

I’ll await the EU enforcing USB-C here too.

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[-] GrayBackgroundMusic@lemm.ee 13 points 9 months ago

The battery died on my old shaver. Because I can't leave well enough alone, I decided to see if I could replace it. Spent so much time tracking down the battery model number and looking for a replacement only to find out it's a standard triple a. It's identity was obfuscated by the stupid labeling. Soldered it in and bam, razor still works for several years.

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[-] Zess@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago

So infuriating that they would send you a charger that works with the device 😤😤 how fucking dare they

[-] Saltarello@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

My Philips shaver does not work whilst charging. What's that all about?

Luckily the battery is good but it gives very little warning when its about to run out. I dont grow facial hair very quickly or very thickly but several times I've had to leave the house partially shaved. Doesn't make any sense. That's the whole point of electricity, to use stuff whilst plugged in!

[-] EvilLootbox@lemmy.world 25 points 9 months ago

Wet/dry shavers can't be used while charging because some moron will use it in the shower while plugged in. That's what the instruction booklet essentially said for my oneblade

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this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2024
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