Happy March, Seabrookers!
I was recently approached by a long-time customer on the island who had just purchased a new Apple device and was surprised by the new type of connector on her device. She wasn’t totally shocked, and none of us really should be. As digital devices have evolved, the connectors and cables that accommodate these devices usually change as well.
Back in 2022, the European Union (EU) approved the regulation known as the “Common Charger Directive”, which officially went into effect at the end of last year. It states that new devices (mainly small and medium-sized portable electronics) must have a common charging and power standard. These devices include phones, tablets, e-readers, video game controllers, digital cameras, and other small, handheld gadgets. The type of standard port that was agreed upon was USB Type-C. You have probably heard of this acronym, but it’s not yet required here in our country. This mandate reduces e-waste and minimizes consumer confusion by attempting to have one main standard cable that works with all of the gadgets you may own.
Click on Continue reading for more information as well as dos and don’ts about buying charging cables.
However, in trying to simplify things, did these lawmakers create more confusion? Let me attempt to explain. The industry standard was agreed upon to make USB Type C the de facto connector on most of our gadgets, but that connector just refers to the physical type of cable and plug. The ends of a USB-C cable look like a flattened oval, which is symmetrical, and that means you can plug the cable in any direction (top or bottom), and it fits. This differed from previous USB standards (Micro-USB and Mini-USB). However, herein lies the issue….
Just because a USB-C cable fits into your device, it doesn’t mean that cable will do what you intended it to do.
Pretty crazy, huh? Did an industry standard that was meant to create simplicity and streamline the cables we all need to carry now introduce this dilemma? Yes. That’s because two other factors are important with a USB-C Cable. The Power Delivery (how much “juice” the cable can send) and the Data Transfer Rate (how fast the cable can deliver information between end to end). For example, a Type-C cable that was included with your phone won’t charge your larger, more powerful tablet (or, in some cases, it will charge, but it will be slower than normal). For Apple users, there’s even something called a Thunderbolt Cable, which looks exactly like a USB-C cable but is vastly different internally.
This is the scenario that we find ourselves in these days. If you haven’t replaced your devices yet, then you’re still using older, but fully functional standards. An Apple iPhone 14 or lower still uses a “Lightning” type connector, but any phone newer than that will have a Type-C connection port. Any iPad from 2022 and newer also has adopted USB-C.
I could geek out further and go into more technical details on why these issues exist, but I’d rather just tell you some helpful things to know and remember in the current world of tech.
- Don’t cheap out on cables. Since you now know that not all cables are made the same, try and use the included cables that came with your device. (There was a time when Apple did not include cables with the purchase of a new device, but I think they have since resumed including them again.) If you need to purchase additional cables, you don’t necessarily need to buy only Apple branded cables (although you can know that paying more for those cables will guarantee them to work as intended), but if you’re out shopping, try and stick with name brand cables and not cheap imitations. I often tell folks to stay away from those cables at the gas station counter. You get what you pay for! In addition to Apple, brands that make good, reliable charging cables include Belkin, Anker, and Cable Matters.
- The charging block matters, too! Not only is the cable part of the equation, but the plug (charging block) matters, too. Generally, a smaller plug will charge smaller devices and may not be powerful enough to charge tablets (or it will charge them very slowly). A larger block may power your tablet, but it is not strong enough for your laptop. The rule of thumb is that before you buy a charging block, make sure you know what you’re trying to charge, and it helps to know the amount of wattage/volts a plug can support.
- A charging block with multiple ports can be helpful. Yes, these can cost you a bit more money than you might want to spend, but a charging block that can support two or more devices simultaneously can be a great thing to take with you on a trip to ensure that one block will serve the needs of all of your devices. Again, Anker makes great accessories related to this.
- Be careful with multi-tipped charging cables. A single cable that may have two or three different ends may seem like a wise choice, but sometimes those don’t give the necessary power needed.
I hope this helps you all understand and navigate the sometimes befuddling world of USB. Ironically, the U in USB stands for Universal, which implies consistency and uniformity over a given area. Perhaps it’s time to rethink that name as well!
-Submitted by Chad Droze, chad@compu-experts.com
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