With a variety of standards and charging technologies, it is much harder than determining what a cable can do. There are a few things to know when shopping.
USB standard: The standard for Universal Serial Bus (USB) dates back to 1996, but there have been many new standards, revisions and connector types seen in the years since. Instead of running here, we try to highlight what is important.
Connector: While USB-C is friendly to be the standard connection type, you need a cable with a connector that fits your existing device. Today, this may still mean USB-A, Lightning, or even microUSB. Remember that any cable’s functionality is limited to its oldest connection type.
data: Data transfer speed is always at Mbps or Gigabits per second (Gbps). You will know that the cable should be at the speed standard can:
- USB 2.0 supports 480 Mbps
- USB 3.0 supports 5 Gbps
- USB 3.1 supports 10 Gbps
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 supports 5 Gbps
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 supports 10 Gbps
- USB 3.2 Gen 3 supports 20 Gbps
- USB 4.0 supports 40 Gbps
strength: While wired manufacturers always list the maximum charging rate, your device will determine the power to draw, so it is important to understand the standards it supports and combine your cable with the correct power adapter. The charging rate of the cable is measured in watts (W). Sometimes, manufacturers list the specifications on the cable in a microprint. If W is not listed, it can be calculated by listing voltage (v) and current (a), assuming they are listed.
The basic USB-C cable is passive and can carry up to 60 watts. A cable that can carry 100 watts or more (sometimes described as active) must contain emails that identify the cable and its functions.
The power transfer (PD) standard is as close as we have to be as common standard. Some manufacturers, such as OnePlus, Oppo and Xiaomi, still have proprietary charging standards. Then there is Qualcomm’s Quick Charge (QC) standard, the most popular phone in years, despite the fast charging 4+ supporting PD. Even PD has a variant called Programmable Power Supply (PPS), which is part of the USB PD 3.0 standard. PPS allows real-time adjustments to maximize efficiency and charge the phone (e.g. Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series Up to 45 watts instead of the usual 18 watts. The latest addition to PD is the Extended Power Range (EPR), which allows USB-C cables to carry up to 240 watts (formerly limited to 100 watts).
Thunderbolt is a proprietary interface developed by Intel and Apple, but is now open for royalty-free use (still certified by Intel). With Thunderbolt 3, the standard uses a USB-C connector and is capable of data transfer speeds of 40 Gbps and can provide 100 watts of power using the PD standard. Thunderbolt 4 brings various improvements related to video signals (supporting two 4K displays or 8K displays). It also supports the USB 4 standard and is compatible with previous standards.
Cable certification: There are several types of cable certification. When a cable is certified, it usually means it has been independently tested and meets certain standards. As a buyer, it makes your cable behave as the manufacturer claims that your cable will perform well. Certification can be expensive, so many cable manufacturers avoid it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean their cables are of poor quality. this USB Implementer Forum (USB-IF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing USB technology. Operated by members like Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft, and Intel, it sets specifications and provides certification. If the cable is USB-IF certified, it has been tested to ensure it meets its standards. Apple has the Lightning Cable Certification for iPhone (MFI). Intel certified Thunderbolt cable. Certified cables usually have the associated logo on the connector. (For example, lightning cables have lightning.)
