freecia

Some phone cases cutouts for usb-c are smaller than Thunderbolt or USB 3.2 speed plug casings, making it more work to plug-in. I've also read some Android Autos work with USB 3.2 only so it might be useful to pack one if you use this feature.

Of the cables I have, I can say an Apple USB 2.0 usb-c charging cable does fit fairly well with a single piece c connector (not stamped/seamed down the center) and slim port casing. It seems to stay snugger over time where others over time have wiggled in some of my old MBP thunderbolt ports which are my longest oft used ports.

ChargerLab did a tear down of AOHI 140W which I've seen in a YT travel video as staying in seat power sockets https://www.chargerlab.com/teardown-...rger-aoc-c012/ either USB-C port used alone can deliver 140W. Some 2C1A chargers only deliver max power via one specific C port.
UGreen also released some GaNInfinity chargers Nexnode Pro including a 65W https://www.chargerlab.com/ganinfini...1-gan-charger/ and the more credit card-esque 65W charger should probably be released in April (sits closer to the outlet) https://www.chargerlab.com/smaller-f...1-gan-charger/

I also picked up a few measurement tools since I have a pile of USB cables and a few chargers. Some of my devices are also a bit finicky like "does this power bank not support low voltage charging" and usb-c from a ~100W laptop or somewhat expensive phone to recent-ish small battery < $30 items (ie flashlights), some with PD profiles.
FNB58 USB multimeter including PD charging profiles which can help measure the cable resistance. It uses a fairly stable load module for a baseline. I found a usb battery-less fan around the house which worked.
Treedix cable tester to help tell what pins are connected.

Between these two devices I was able to separate out half into the "desperation or "lending" to people who I'd don't do (family) tech support for"* pile. A few of my shorter USB-A to C cables actually had similar resistance to 3 ft versions.

The BitTradeOne cable checker is also kind of interesting which I believe shows resistance https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/BitTra.../dp/B07Y8BPVV4

If you've read up to this point and wondered if buying new USB-IF/Intel certified cables from reputable companies is cheaper and faster than buying and using testing tools, yup pretty much but might depend on your devices. I still use the known branded cables rather than most of the unbranded cables which come with gadgets which aren't computers or higher end phones. If you have a pile of usb-c cables and haven't labelled them ( I use washi tape but have seen some use white out pens?) then you've probably wondered why it is so complicated. It's the stuff you can't see https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023...-ray-ct-scans/ and also improperly wired usb-c female ends in devices.

* Those I support/buy tech for get TB3/4 and/or display cable USB 3/4 "spare cables" because cables tend to look the same. Might as well spend a bit more and avoid some frustration when the cable won't work with their monitor/dock or transfers slowly. Or when the oem/primary cable decides to retire and the backup is needed. TB is the one with the lightning bolt on it.
USB4 8k 240 watt
TB4 8k 240 watt

freecia

One reason is some chargers don't renegotiate power all that well when you unplug a device and I'd rather not potentially fry a phone when some are > $1k USD. https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardwar...ng_on_and_off/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardwar...t_chargers_to/

I also prefer to slow charge when time allows to reduce heat which can impact battery life over time as I tend to keep phones longer than some.

moondog

Hmmm. My intuition was leading me in that direction. But, this seems like something that would be pretty easy to screw up if we have powerful charging blocks in our ecosystems. Do you think it's a valid concern with the products that have been mentioned thus far in this thread? If so, do you simply shield your phone from the big boys? Or maybe color code ports that should be off limits to smaller devices?

freecia

Anker and Ugreen have been making usb-c chargers for a while now with good recent track records. Satechi's another one of the "desktop chargers" which seems to be decent. ZMI is subsidiary of Xiaomi which actually has a pretty decent track record for producing usb-c PD gadgets with proper protocols. Belkin's parent is Foxconn and my Belkin usb-c stuff is unexcitingly decent along "it just works" but can be a bit higher priced than competitors like Anker. I also take a look at teardowns for the brand https://www.chargerlab.com/category/...argers-cables/ and reviews to rule out really shoddy quality in components or poor engineering. Higher wattage chargers aren't that simple to make in such a small size and lower price point so those who aren't electrical/hardware engineers can get an idea if something's definitely too good to be true if the manufacturing is rubbish.

Not many safety concerns with charging a Pixel, Samsung, Motorola, or iPhone with a compliant cable and above brands chargers. I do wait for reviews on new high wattage chargers, though, just to be sure the kinks are worked out because it isn't that easy to replace a (dead or iffy) higher wattage charger when traveling in some places. There's a few other phone brands which are really high and fast charge which are probably more popular outside US/within China.

I have marked one adapter with "don't use with phone" but it's a USB-A male to USB-C female connector plugged into a computer which is technically not USB-c compliant because https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardwar..._adapters_are/ I used it with a 2FA device in a computer without usb-c at the time so always low power and warned people not to borrow it (adapters and cables wander around work desks). In case you're wondering, usb-c magnetic cables are also not compliant and not advised https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardwar...bc_connectors/ Apple's Magsafe Macbook charger cables have an active chip in them, in addition to all that engineering power which produced a $159 cable which is the only option for those who really need those features (3m TB4 isn't common).

moondog

I have dozens of USB-A --> USB-C cables, which I've found useful because USB-A ports are so common (e.g. cars, airplanes, hotel room nightstands). My quick read of that Reddit suggests this is no-no? Or are there nuances to watch out for?

freecia

Most produced in the last 5+ years are probably fine for charging, especially with reputable lower wattage USB-A charger https://www.pcworld.com/article/1063...dangerous.html . I recently tested multiple cables from self purchased to included with something designed whoknowswhere purchased whoknowswhen and was surprised only one was a charge only cable. All of mine had low enough resistance that while some would be better than others for charging, the pins for charging were correct via treedix tester.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UsbCHardwar...t=share_button from Benson who raised the concerns about cables not following spec early on (and I believe he literally contributed some of the usb-c type 2 standards)

ETA: I'd be a little more wary of the USB-A ports and pack a small charger or power bank for data security (Juice jacking) rather than power safety. I've noticed most of those ports are low power (so low charging benefit) but people keep a variety of data on their phones, some of which could be worth a good bit of money to stay personal data (potentially high value) or operational. Some people will accept popups without reading, too, so someone might select the Trust option after plugging in which allows data transfer (don't ask me why people do this but the existence of ad blockers and revised browser functionality around popups tells me people get click happy). ETA2: Juice jacking might be less common IRL than ATM pin pad skimmers but with the way everything gets mass manufactured these days, plus AirBnB updating policy about all indoor cameras as a sign of changing times (which they probably wouldn't do if safety issue perception wasn't there or actual cases didn't exist)... it's just less effort to pack a good charger and stop thinking about both the cables and chargers.

gfunkdave

The power rating of the power supply is just "what's available". The device you plug in only pulls as much power as it wants.

USB-C PD adds the feature of the device and power supply negotiating with each other to agree on a supply voltage and max amperage. This is why there's a brief hesitation between plugging something in and it starting to charge, which you don't see when plugging into a non-PD (or USB-A) power supply. USB-A is always 5V.

HDQDD

This. The term "charger" is mostly a misnomer these days. Nowadays the charging circuitry is on the device. The "brick" that plugs into the wall is just a power supply. The device chooses voltage/current for charging and then tapers it off as the battery fills up (to avoid damaging the cells).

HDQDD

I would never use public or semi public USB power supplies. It's trivially easy to create malware that can be distributed via USB. Also you don't know what kind of current it can provide. Often they are really old and only support the early USB power standards (USB-A was limited to 500mA in the early days, which is useless by today's standards). Better to just plug your own AC/USB adapter into a proper AC outlet.

gfunkdave

But how common are these "malware via USB charger" problems in the real world? It seems like something to be more concerned with if you're a government official or CEO.

TGarza

I would be concerned about the current draw and cable quality from a public charger. A friend ruined his battery with an old charging setup which was cycling on and off. The battery had to be replaced after less than 3 months.

On an AA flight back in December, the set back port was cycling on and off which I noticed almost immediately. I used my power bank to recharge my phone.

LIH Prem

I also have a couple of those but they are so top heavy. Mine also didn't come with the suction cups, so I emailed anker, they asked for some info and sent me the suction cups. I still don't really like it. For power on the plane, the small cube single port nano (whatever version is current) is great. The two port one is ok as well. But unless you can plug the 735 in vertically ....

The 736 is a 7.2 oz traditional wall wort (cube isn't the right word), and isn't top heavy like the 735. No idea about the new version but it looks like a newer version of the 735. I have 2 736s. I gave up trying to use anything but the tiny nano single port usb-c charger on planes but the 2-port version works there as well if you need a little more power.

-David

moondog

Whatever we choose to call these things (can we try to settle on a nice term?)....



I'm curious to hear about how you guys triage/retain/pitch and categorize/label them. Unlike cables, I'm hard pressed to think of obvious --no special equipment required-- screening methods. And, while some of them are branding with labels that I recognize, I don't know whether there are strong brand/quality correlations for this type of stuff. Of course, they also all have various numerical specs printed on them; I suppose this is the most concrete differentiator I have to go with?

I'm not averse to buying one of those $65 tester gadgets mentioned up thread, by the way. At first, I agreed with the writer of the article (i.e. spending $65 on new cables/plugs and throwing away everything else makes more sense than the $65 tester), but now I might be having a change of heart...possible rationalizations are that my purchase could benefit many more people than just myself and I wouldn't be throwing away perfectly good cables.

freecia

I keep these kinds of "included with device" chargers

• Low 1A simple USB-A Best if it doesn't block other outlets and can be used to trickle charge or revive some stubborn devices. Possibly that LG
• Somewhat smarter USB-A which came with a phone which fast charges. Possibly Huawei
• Laptop, tablet, and pricier item bricks. These are usually higher wattage. Some devices want slightly odd power profiles or proprietary pin wirings for usb-c. If you pass along one of your devices to others when you upgrade, it's nice for the recipient to not have to guess about the cables and power supply compatibility (they might not be as tech inclined, too).

They should have UL or ETL mark. If it isn't from a major electronics brand, I prefer manufacturer from a power supply company (Vertiv, Flextronics, etc) than the brand name of the gadget it came with.

I probably qualify as an old techie and have peripherals which don't use usb-c. Even if I haven't used that peripheral myself recently, my family might. I also keep some of the old USB cables, usb hubs, usb card readers, dongles, hard drive enclosures, power supply cables, and DC wall warts in case I or a family/friend needs them because some proprietary ones are tricky to come by after that tech's generation. That's also partially why I bought the Treedix tester, so I can help troubleshoot some power vs cable issues.

Trouvaille

Nothing fancy but I have this model on my nightstand, desk, and travel bag.

Lenovo Go Charger

Only annoying feature are the lights at the front when you plug something into it. Used black electrical tape to cover it.

Between this and a varying array of cables — always seem to have what’s needed.