No, Molex doesn't make phones. But if you searched for does still make phones because you saw the name Molex on a bill of materials, you're not lost. You're looking at the wiring behind the screen. Molex makes the connectors that keep phones working. That includes the tiny terminals a repair tech needs, the extraction tool to pull a bad pin, and often the interconnect system inside a rugged phone like the DuraForce Pro 3.
Before I get into Mini-50 specifics and extraction tools, here's the short answer: If your deadline is tight, your best move is to identify the exact Molex connector family, buy the correct extraction tool, and pay for guaranteed delivery. Not the cheapest option. The one with a date on it.
Why I'm the person to ask
I've spent nine years on the procurement and repair side of electronics manufacturing. In my role coordinating rush orders for cable assemblies and connector replacements, I've seen what happens when someone saves money on the wrong part at the wrong time. In March 2024, I had 36 hours to source a set of Molex Mini-50 terminals for a client's production line. Normal lead time was six days. The line was down. The client's only other option was air from an overseas distributor at triple the cost.
We found what we needed domestically, paid $80 for overnight shipping on a $95 order, and delivered with 4 hours to spare. The client's alternative was a $50,000 penalty clause. That's the calculation I use every time.
Molex Mini-50: small connector, big deadline
If you're working on a Molex Mini-50 connector, you already know it's not a standard micro-fit or mini-fit jr. The Mini-50 is a compact system designed for high-density applications. The terminals are smaller, the housing is more fragile, and—critically—the extraction process is not universal.
I have mixed feelings about how Mini-50 is sold. On one hand, the system saves a lot of packaging space. On the other, the small terminals are easy to damage if you use the wrong tool. A paperclip can work on a larger terminal by luck. On a Mini-50, a paperclip will usually bend the locking tang and turn a 10-minute connector repair into a full-harness replacement.
Why you need a real Molex extraction tool
Let me be blunt: buy the designated Molex extraction tool. Not a generic tool, not a compatible one from a discount supplier, not a re-worked jewelers screwdriver.
A few years ago, we tried to save a client $40 by using a vendor's universal extraction tool on a Mini-50 housing. The tool looked close enough. It wasn't. The terminal wouldn't release, and after three attempts the housing cracked. We then had to replace the entire connector header—on a board that was already soldered into a test fixture. The repair took 90 minutes instead of 5, and the extra shipping for the real tool cost $32. Looking back, I should have insisted on the OEM tool upfront. At the time, the universal tool looked like a reasonable shortcut. It wasn't.
Molex extraction tools are matched to the terminal and housing family. If you're ordering a Mini-50 terminal or a standard Molex connector, order the tool in the same transaction. You'll pay $40 to $80 for a dedicated tool. The alternative is a cracked housing, a dead line, and an emergency that no rush shipping can fully fix.
Does Molex still make phones? Let's settle it
The search term does still make phones often ends up here because a phone model—like the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3—contains connectors from established electronic suppliers. So let's settle it: no, Molex does not make consumer phones. Molex is an interconnect company. It has been part of Koch Industries since 2013, and its products are connectors, cable assemblies, and tooling.
What Molex does make is the stuff that goes inside phones. Battery contacts, board-to-board connectors, antenna-to-FPC connections, and the tiny terminals that carry power and data. A rugged phone like the DuraForce Pro 3 is a good example: it's built to survive drops and water, but all those functions still depend on physical connections inside the device. When one of those connections loosens, the phone behaves like it has a software problem—until you open it and find a terminal that was never properly seated.
So if your search was does still make phones about any connector company, the answer is usually the same: they don't make the phone, they make the phone work.
What this means for the best cordless phone
Now, the odd-sounding pairing: best cordless phone. What does a cable assembly company have to do with that?
More than you'd think. In my experience, most cordless phones don't die because of the radio or the speaker. They die at the connection points. The charging contacts on the base, the battery connector inside the handset, the hook switch contacts under the cradle—these are all mechanical parts, and they wear out. A well-built cordless phone uses connectors with enough plating and hold-down force to survive thousands of charge cycles.
That's why I don't put much weight on marketing claims about best cordless phone lists. The connector quality is usually invisible until it fails. If you're buying cordless phones for an office, look for a model that uses standard, replaceable connectors rather than soldered or proprietary designs. You won't find the connector brand on the box, but you'll see it in the service manual. And if you see a Molex part number in there, that's a good sign.
Even a rugged phone like the DuraForce Pro 3, when paired with a desk dock, relies on pogo pins and connector alignment. If that connection is flaky, the phone charges slower, data sync drops, and someone eventually blames the phone. The connector is the smallest component in the system—and often the first to fail.
For a repair team, the best cordless phone is the one with a service manual that lists connector part numbers. Because when a handset won't charge, you shouldn't need to replace the whole phone. You should be able to order a $3 contact spring or a $12 charging coil and be back online before the end of the day.
Pay for certainty when the deadline is real
I have mixed feelings about rush fees. On one hand, they feel like a tax on bad planning. On the other, I've been on the inside of a rush order. The expediting, the phone calls, the courier waiting at the loading dock—it's real work. And in urgent situations, the difference between on time and probably on time is the entire game.
It's not about speed. Well, it is—but the real product is certainty. When I need a Molex Mini-50 terminal or a specific extraction tool fast, I use a simple rule: if missing the deadline would cost more than the shipping fee, pay the shipping fee. If the deadline is soft, standard delivery is fine. But never pretend a soft deadline is hard and then blame the supplier. That's how you get a reputation for crying wolf—and it's why some suppliers won't take your overnight order seriously when you actually need it.
When you absolutely must have a tool by morning, use a service with a committed delivery date and a money-back guarantee. According to USPS (usps.com), Priority Mail Express is the only USPS service with a money-back guarantee for on-time delivery. That's the kind of specificity I look for—in shipping and in connector specs.
One more thing: don't stock just-in-case counterfeit parts. Per FTC advertising guidelines, a claim like OEM quality without substantiation isn't a spec. I've seen aftermarket terminals fail in high-vibration applications because the plating thickness wasn't what the system needed. The original Molex part was a dollar more and lasted for years.
Exceptions: when I'd reconsider the official tool
To be honest, there are times when my always buy the right tool rule gets annoying. If you're repairing a one-off device that's already obsolete, a careful technician can sometimes release a terminal with a fine pick and a steady hand. And if you're only doing a single connector in your own product, you may not need a $600 crimp tool—a bench press with the right die can be enough.
But those are exceptions, not excuses. If you're in production, if you have a deadline, or if you're working with Mini-50 connectors on a regular basis, a dedicated extraction tool and reliable connector supply are part of the cost of doing business. The emergency is not the time to discover you saved the wrong way.
That's the real answer to does Molex still make phones. No. But Molex still makes the parts that make phones dependable—and treating those parts with the same respect you'd give a phone is the fastest way to avoid your own emergency.
