What’s in a cable?
Recently, I received my first set of magnetic USB cable connectors. On some, I ordered the correct connector type but received the wrong color. In the past, I have made similar mistakes because of the large, and ever growing larger assortment of USB cable types. With the introduction of Type-C connectors and Magnetic connector nubs, this field is growing even more diverse. So, here are some factors to consider when purchasing a USB cable (or 2 or 3).
Connector Type
There are many USB connector types out there. However, there currently are 3 predominant types. These are Type-C (most current Android Phones), Apple (Apples 8-pin connector) and Micro USB (older Android Phones). If we go back further in time, there are many additional connector types including mini-USB and proprietary connector standards by each phone manufacturer and usually different across phone models. Since we are looking at current cables on the market in 2021, I am going to exclude these outdated/obsolete/non-standard cables.
Regardless of the phone connector standard, a phone charging cable will come with a standard USB type-A connector and that connect should be a male connector to plug into a charging device.
Type-C
The Type-C Connector is oval in shape and can be inserted in either direction (bi-directional/up or down) into your phone. It is one of the latest standards and is available on all of the latest Samsung phones. Samsung phones starting with the S8 series use the Type-C connector since it adds much needed convenience to connecting cables to your phone.
Apple 8 Pin
Apple has come out with it’s own phone connector standard. This is an 8 Pin standard and is typically referred to as an iPhone connector or Lightning plug. It is a standard connector for most of Apple’s products. You can identify this connector because it will have 8 Pins showing on the bottom or both top and bottom for bi-directional cables. The 8 Pin/Lightning connector is a proprietary connector and there are many folks out there with copies. To regulate these copies, Apple has come up with a licensing standard called mFI or “Made For iPhone”. Cables with this certification have been approved by Apple to function properly with their devices.
Micro USB
Micro USB is an older standard. However, it was a standard for a number of years and not only was it a standard for phones, it also became a standard method of charging everything from Raspberry Pi’s to any small device you can think of. So, why is it listed here? Well, there are so many devices out there using this standard that many cables sold today are for the Micro USB connector.
The Micro USB connector’s shape is similar to a rectangle with a trapezoid on top of it. This key’s the connector so that it can only be inserted in one direction. If you have tried to connect a Micro USB connector, you most likely will remember it due to the ease with which you can misalign the connector and either damage the cable or the phones charging port. Because of this, the type-c was born to make it much easier to connect and cause less damage to the phone over a 6 month period.
Power Rating
Not all cables and charging head units (CHU) are created equal. Luckily, most of the fast or slow charging rates are based on the CHU and device and not the cable. However, there can be some confusion here, so I want to clarify what Fast vs. Slow charging is. Namely, it is the amount of wattage that the cable can safely carry and how much wattage the charging head unit will supply. Anything less than 2.1 Amps is considered slow charging. 2.1, 2.4, 3.0, 5.0 Amps are considered as Fast Charging. There is a QC 3.0 standard which increases the fast charge performance by up to 4x by modifying the voltage.
Slow Charging: A lot of older charging heads supply 500 mA (which is .5 Amps) or 1 Amp. This will take a modern phone a few hours to charge depending on battery capacity and the actual Amperage. For today’s phones, I recommend you stay away from them unless you are charging overnight.
Fast Charging: Once you get into the 2.1 or 2.4 Amp range, you notice much quicker charging times. That’s because 2.1 is roughly 4x faster at charging than 500 mA. So, a 4 hour charge can now take about an hour with a 2.1 Amp charger. Newer standards are pushing the charge rates up to 3 Amps and soon 5 Amps. I would check with you phone manufacturer to make sure the higher rates (Amps) are compatible with your phone prior to using them.
Quick Charge (QC 3.0): Quick Charge charges your device up to 4x as faster than older charging standards up to an 80% battery capacity. After 80%, QC3.0 trickle charges to top off the battery to 100%. Both the charger and device need to be compatible with QC3.0 for this to work. It works by charging your device at 5/9/20 volts (dynamically switching) instead of 5volts to increase the speed of the charge. So, this is a great new technology to get you from, say 1%, to 20% or even 80% really quickly. If your cable is QC 3.0 compatible, it will provide the best possible transmission from your charger to your device. The cable will still work if it is not QC 3.0 certified, however, you will not get the best possible performance for charging. Non-certified cables still perform well, however, it is your decision on whether you want to pay the premium for a QC 3.0 certified cable or not.
Dual Chargers: I see a lot of cigarette/car adapters and power banks with dual charging ports. Always, always, always, look at the output and input ports to see if power bank fast charges and if the output ports fast charge as well. More likely than not, there will be a fast charge port at 2.1 or 2.4A and a second one at 1A or below. There is nothing wrong with this. I just make sure my friends use the 1A port in my car!
Takeaway: Look at the charging head you are using. Make sure it is 2.1A or greater across all ports or else you will be Slow Charging at some point. If your phone starts to charge slowly, then it most likely is a result of the charging head unit and not the cable itself.
Dual Charging QC 3.0 with 3.0 or more amps is my preference.
Device Connector Type
When connecting a cable to your device, you have 3 different options. Standard connector, Magnetic connector and 540 Magnetic Connector.
Standard: This connector type is a regular, wired connector. This option is the cheapest and plugs directly into your device.
Magnetic: This connector enhances the connection to your device by breaking the connection into a magnetic connector nub and a magnetic connection end on the charging cable. Why magnetize this connection? There are a few reasons. The first is that, once the magnetic connector nub is inserted into your device, it is simple to connect the charging cable to your device. If you have 3 different devices with three different connector types, you can insert the nubs into each device and just use one charging cable. So, simplicity is the main reason to use a magnetic connector. After simplicity? The magnetic connector can help save you from damage to the charging port. Rather than binding, the magnetic connection will break and save you from damaging the port — the charging port is the second greatest point of failure after your screen.
Why not use a magnetic connector? If you lose your nub, you cannot charge your device. If you have a magnetic connector, but your spouse does not, then you have charging cable issues. However, there are packs out there where you can purchase 3 cables and 9 connectors (3 of each type), therefore, in one purchase you can solve those issues.
540 Magnetic: This is an upgrade to the magnetic connector. It adds a hinge to the cable side of the connection and allows you to swivel and hold your phone a lot more easily. You can have a straight connection or 90 degree connection, or a slight bent connection. So, using your phone in bed is a lot easier. Turning your phone while charging is a lot easier as well.
My preference is the 540 Magnetic connector. Other than that, I use magnetic connectors because I do not want to bind my charging ports and it is really easy to connect the phone to the charger in the car.
Charging versus Data
To Charge or not to charge. 95% of what we do with our cables is charge our phones. Some of us like to synchronize data between our phones and our PC’s. So, when would I need a Data cable over a Charging Cable?
Data Cables: Use data cables when you want to transfer large amounts of data from your phone to your PC or back again. This includes your pictures and audio files and videos. You may also have lots of documents or downloaded files you want to transfer as well. When you start getting into the 20MB range or higher, then it becomes impractical to e-mail the files and blue tooth can take a long time if you decide to transfer 20GB of pictures, video and audio files. So, in this case, it is great to have a high speed data cable to help you transfer that data. Just remember though, your USB port on both ends needs to be high speed as well, or it might take a long time. Also, if the PC you are transferring to does not include Blue tooth, then your only other option might be to use a cable.
If you do calendar updates or stream music, then you do not necessarily need a data cable. Calendar updates are small. If both devices have bluetooth, it is quicker and easier to use bluetooth for those updates. Most streaming services can be taken over the air, so you just need a data plan and you can stream from Alexa or Amazaon Music or Google or whatever streaming service you use. Just remember, this costs data and you need a data plan (hopefully unlimited) to stream music through the cell provider.
Likewise, my kids are using WiFi now at home and stream all their videos and music files through WiFi so no data cables are necessary.
Charging Cables: If we take the data synchronization out of the equation, we are left with a cable with a single function — charge the device. That’s where most of the magnetic connector cables come into play. I have been using my Charging cables for over 6 months now and I have never needed to plug into a data cable.
Lighted or Not
Lights are great! They let you know you have power being supplied to your device. However, if the cable is on your nightstand and the light is too bright, they could distract you from sleeping. So, the best bet is to choose a cable with a light that is not too bright, but can be noticed in daylight.
Keep in mind that there are two types of lights. One, functional type of light is a simple indicator that shows you there is power through the cable. There is another type. It lights up the entire cable (LED Flowing) and is more for aesthetic appeal. These cables can be too bright on the nightstand for some folks. However, they do look great and are neat to show off too your friends.
With or Without a Charging Head Unit
A Charging Head Unit (CHU) plugs into an outlet and allows you to plug a USB cable into it for power. There are two types: Plug-in and Mobile. A plug-in CHU can be used in the home and plugs into an outlet. You then plug-in your Charging cable to the CHU. Mobile CHU’s plug-into a cigarette lighter in your car. You plug-in the CHU and then plug-in your Charging cable to the CHU.
In this day and age, there are many different places providing power for our devices via USB port. Because of this, Charging cables are sold separately from CHU’s and you should only purchase a CHU if you need one.
Wireless Chargers and Powerbanks
Everything is going wireless. Except for the powerbanks and wireless chargers themselves! You still need a cable to connect up to your Powerbank or wireless charger. Keep in mind, some magnetic mobile car mounts require a small, flat metal disk to be applied to the back of your phone. If you apply this disk, you will not be able to charge wirelessly.
Powerbanks come in many different sizes and have many different features. These are basically large batteries that allow you to charge your device while not connected to power. There are a lot of additional features you can get with your power bank. Namely, you can get a flashlight, compass, power meter, or even a feature to jump start your vehicle.
With powerbanks, mAh is the main feature to look for. The higher the number, the more charges it will store and the more you can recharge your device before you need to recharge the powerbank. 20,000 mAh is a decent value. I personally look for the highest mAh value and compare against size, weight and additional features. My son uses a 50,000 mAh powerbank because he does not need to recharge it frequently. My wife, however, hates that powerbank because it is a big, heavy block that crushes things in her purse. So, depending on the tradeoffs for each feature, you may decide on a bigger or smaller powerbank.
Additional must have features for a powerbank. Always get a powerbank with a power meter. An LED that shows a percentage is best. Four dots indicating 25% of remaining charge each is also helpful. However, no power charge remaining indicator will allows leave you wondering how much charge is left. I also like the flashlight feature since our family always loses flashlights. I always know where one is.
Another peripheral feature is the jump start option. I purchased a few of these. One for each vehicle in our family. This will allow you to jump start your car if your battery dies. This is helpful if you go camping and your off road vehicle’s battery fails. Likewise, if you have an older vehicle and they battery is unreliable, throw in a powerbank kit with the jump charge feature and you can feel confident that you will not get stuck somewhere waiting to be jump started.
