220-1101 Mobile Devices Practice Question
A user reports that their Android smartphone will not charge. The technician tries a different charging cable and wall adapter, but the phone still does not charge. The USB port on the phone appears clean and free of debris. Which of the following components is MOST likely faulty and should be replaced?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that a clean USB port guarantees the charging circuit is intact, leading candidates to incorrectly blame the battery when the actual failure is an internal connection issue like a damaged flex cable.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Charging port flex cable
The charging port flex cable is the most likely faulty component because the technician has already ruled out external factors (cable and wall adapter) and the USB port appears clean. The flex cable connects the USB port to the phone's motherboard, and internal damage or wear to this cable can interrupt power delivery even when the port itself looks fine. Replacing the flex cable is a common repair for charging issues that persist after basic troubleshooting.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Battery
Why it's wrong here
A faulty battery could prevent the phone from holding a charge, but it would typically still show a charging indicator when connected to power. The phone not detecting the charger at all points to a problem before the battery, such as the charging circuit.
- ✓
Charging port flex cable
Why this is correct
The charging port flex cable is the correct answer because it is the physical conduit that routes DC power and USB data lines from the external port to the phone's main board. Repeated plugging and unplugging stresses the cable's connectors and internal traces, making it a well-known weak point; a broken cable can cause the phone to see no voltage on the VBUS line at all, so it never triggers the charging IC to begin charging. Replacement of this modular cable is a common repair that restores charging without touching the board.
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Screen
Why it's wrong here
The screen is incorrect because it is purely an output peripheral and does not participate in the power-delivery path from the USB port to the charging IC. Even if the screen fails completely, the charging circuit can still operate normally, although the user might not see the charging indicator. A lack of charge is a power-management issue, not a display issue, and a defective screen would not prevent the phone from detecting a charger.
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Processor
Why it's wrong here
The processor (System-on-Chip) is a complex component that rarely fails without other symptoms such as boot loops or random reboots. A completely dead processor would prevent the phone from powering on, but would not produce specific charging behavior.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1101 exam.