15 Best USB-C Cables (2024): For iPhones, Android Phones, Tablets, and Laptops
With many different charging standards and technologies in play, it’s much harder to determine what a cable can do. There are a few things worth knowing when shopping.
USB Standard: The Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard dates back to 1996, but there have been many new standards, revisions, and connector types in the years since. Instead of going over all of them here, we try to highlight what’s important.
Connect: Even though USB-C is slowly becoming the standard connection type, you’ll still want a cable with the right connector for your existing device. Nowadays, that could still mean USB-A, Lightning, or even MicroUSB. Remember that the capabilities of any cable are limited to its oldest connection type.
Data: Data transfer speeds are always measured in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps). You will know the speed that the cable can achieve according to the standard:
- 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
Power: While cable manufacturers always list maximum charging speeds, your device will determine how much power it needs to draw, so it’s important to know which standards it supports and your cable combination. with correct power adapter. A cable’s charging speed is measured in watts (W). Sometimes manufacturers will list the specifications on the cable in small print. If no W is listed, you can calculate it by multiplying the voltage (V) and current (A), assuming they are listed.
The basic USB-C cable is passive and can only transmit up to 60 watts. Cables that can carry 100 watts or more, sometimes described as active, must contain an electronic marker chip to identify the cable and its capabilities.
The Power Delivery (PD) standard is almost the same as our general standard. Some manufacturers like OnePlus, Oppo and Xiaomi still have proprietary charging standards. Then there’s Qualcomm’s Quick Charge (QC) standard, the most popular standard for phones for years, although Quick Charge 4+ supports PD. PD even has a variant called Programmable Power Supplies (PPS), which is part of the USB PD 3.0 standard. PPS allows real-time adjustments to maximize efficiency and phone charging as Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series at a maximum of 45 watts instead of the usual 18 watts. The newest addition to PD is the Extended Power Range (EPR), which allows USB-C cables to carry up to 240 watts (previously they were limited to 100 watts).
Thunderbolt is a proprietary interface developed by Intel and Apple, but it is now open for royalty-free use (still certified by Intel). With Thunderbolt 3, this standard uses a USB-C connector and is capable of transferring data at up to 40 Gbps and can deliver 100 watts of power using the PD standard. Thunderbolt 4 brings various improvements, mainly related to video signals (supporting two 4K displays or one 8K display). It also supports the USB 4 standard and is backward 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 complies with specific standards. It gives you, as the buyer, peace of mind that your cable performs as the manufacturer claims. Certification can be expensive so many cable manufacturers stay away from it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean their cables are of poor quality. the USB implementation forum (USB-IF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing USB technology. Run by members such as Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft and Intel, it sets specifications and provides certification. If a cable is certified by USB-IF, it has been tested to ensure compliance with its standards. Apple has a separate Made for iPhone (MFi) certification for Lightning cables. Intel certified Thunderbolt cables. Certified cables often have the relevant logo on the connector. (For example, Thunderbolt cables have lightning.)
