Don’t Buy the Cheapest USB-C Cables: Some Can Cause Extreme Damage

USB-C is the next wave of cables which look to make our lives easier by offering high charging capacity along with very fast data capability. At the end of 2015 a USB-C cable scandal hit the internet and demanded a closer look at a number of cheap and supposedly "reputable" cables which were causing damage to devices due to poor charging control.

In a post by Dieter Bohn entitled, "USB-C cables are playing Russian Roulette with your laptop," he explains how trying to get to market first for these cable manufacturers has caused the quality control to be missed:

Over the past year or so, one of the biggest tech stories has been about one of the smallest things: a USB plug. Specifically, the new USB Type-C plug and port, which promises to become the single thing that we can use to connect all our devices, from monitors to phones to computers to whatever we dream up next.

USB-C has the support of the biggest companies in the tech industry. Apple and Google released the first laptops to use it, and now it’s showing up on computers, tablets, and phones all over the place. USB-C is reversible and can deliver huge amounts of both power and data very quickly. Importantly, it’s also backwards-compatible so that adapters and cables can get us through the awkward period between now and when it actually becomes the universal standard.

It’s that last bit that has USB-C in trouble. Right now, if you aren’t very careful, a USB-C cable can destroy your laptop. If you just go to Amazon and buy any pack of USB-C cables you find, you could end up with a wire that can destroy your machine in a flash.

That’s what happened to Google engineer Benson Leung, who, in the course of testing a USB-C cable, destroyed his Chromebook Pixel. It happened instantly. It also happened to me — I used a cheap cable I found on Amazon to charge my Nexus 6P and it drew too much power from my MacBook Air’s USB ports. Apple did a remarkable job engineering the MacBook’s ports — they shut down temporarily to protect themselves — but when they came back online, they only worked intermittently.

The problem is that when you plug a USB device in, it starts drawing power. If it tries to pull too much power, the device that supplies it can burn out. It’s not the Nexus’ fault that my MacBook got fried — it was just doing what it was supposed to do: ask for as much power as it can get. It’s not the MacBook’s fault either — its ports weren’t designed to handle delivering that much juice nor to know that they shouldn’t even try. It is the fault of the cable, which is supposed to protect both sides from screwing up the energy equation with resistors and proper wiring. This kind of failure is possible with any cable, but older kinds of USB devices didn’t draw this much power.

As you'll find, many of the branded USB-C cables tested by Benson Leung were really designed for mobile devices and couldn't handle the load of a larger device like a laptop. Unfortunately, this cable is more "universal" than any other so it needs to be able to handle both large and small devices. As AASHISH SHARMA explains in her article, "Beware: Cheap USB Type-C Cables May Harm Your Devices," some cheaper cables are ok for mobile devices but not for laptops or other high power draw devices....

The cables might be optimal for smartphones, but using the cheap ones for high-powered devices might do some damage. The problem is that the Type-C 1.1 specs clearly allow a power delivery of 3A which is used by the laptops. However, few adaptors are marked with USB to Type-C specifications but do not have an adequate hardware for that purpose.

In other investigation, Leung found that another adaptor manufacturer used easy methods to draw 3A current by using a 10 kΩ resistor rather than the standard 56kΩ. The adaptor would no doubt, Leung says, charge your phones, laptops or notebooks but will cause damage to the cable or the device itself.

Leung has been severe while giving reviews to the products that failed the standard specs.

So, simply said, you can use the cheap Type-C connectors and USB to Type-C adaptors for your smartphones but do not risk your laptop computer with these, instead stick to the official products or rather, the expensive ones.

This scandal first broke at the end of 2015 and while you can still find bad USB-C cables, Benson did all of us a great service by bringing the issue to light. Today most cables are built to much better standards than they were just a few short months ago. Still, be sure to look at end user comments and feedback for any cable you plan to buy.

If you're looking for power banks which support the new USB-C standard, check my article here and again make sure and get a good cable!

 

The post Don’t Buy the Cheapest USB-C Cables: Some Can Cause Extreme Damage is courtesy of Best USB Charging Store Blog

Quick Charge 3.0: The Latest Generation of Android Device Charging Technology

Quick Charge technology which was developed by Qualcomm is not exclusive to Android devices however today most of the licenses of this technology appears to be skewed heavily on the Android side like the Samsung Galaxy, Sony Xperia, HTC, LG lines of the world. While Apple also has rapid charging technology, if you want to use Quick Charge 3.0 you need to have a Quick Charge 3.0 AC adapter or power bank which supports it.

If your phone currently doesn't support Quick Charge 3, if it's an Android devices most likely it supports QC 2.0, especially if it was purchased in the last 2 years. For more information on Quick Charge 2.0, check out my article here.

In an article by Robb Triggs called, "Quick Charge 3.0 explained: what you need to know (Update: video added)" he explains is a great way what Quick Charge 3.o is and then the fundamental difference between all 3 versions of Quick Charge currently:

Quick Charge 3.0

Qualcomm boasts a fourfold increase in charging times over conventional chargers with Quick Charge 3.0, up from the 40 percent speed increase offered by its first generation technology. However, one of the interesting things to note is that Qualcomm isn’t touting massive increases in charging times over version 2.0, instead the company is focusing on improved efficiency this time around.

The major new feature with 3.0 is INOV (Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage), which allows for a fined tuned power output and a more optimized charging cycle. Firstly, different batteries require different charging voltages. Version 2.0 supported four modes at varying power levels, 5 volts/2amps, 9V/2A, 12V/1.67A, and a 20 volt option. Quick Charge 3.0’s INOV communicates with the device to request any voltage between 3.2V and 20V at 200mV increments, allowing for a wider selection of voltages. Read Full Article...

As I mentioned earlier, QC technology is licensed and many people think that a device needs to have the Snapdragon processor in it in order to support QC. This however is not true. There are a number of Samsung devices which use their own processor and still support QC so don't be afraid to get the device you want, most likely it will have this technology in it which is becoming a standard on the Android side. Further, it is rumored that Apple's "fast charging" technology is licensed from Qualcomms so while they may not call it Quick Charge and they have different specs for the technology, it very possible that all devices have similar tech.

Since my site is based around USB charging and in particular portable charging technology like a Samsung power bank, keep a look out for power banks and 3rd party AC adapters which also incorporate the latest Quick Charge version. Especially if you own an Android based device, these would be the best choice for you if you are considering a travel charger or portable battery pack.

In a post by Ron Amadeo titled, "Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 goes from 0 to 80 percent in 35 minutes," you can see how quickly this technology can either top off your device or get a low powered device back on its feet...

Qualcomm's latest line of SoCs have a new charging feature, dubbed Quick Charge 3.0. The new standard, which will ship on the Snapdragon 820, 620, 618, 617, and 430 next year, promises to take a phone battery from 0 to 80 percent in about 35 minutes. Qualcomm says the new charging standard will "improve fast charging up to 27 percent or reduce power dissipation by up to 45 percent when compared to Quick Charge 2.0." provided vendors use Qualcomm's "advanced parallel charging configurations."

The new standard uses an algorithm called "Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage (INOV)" which lets the device continually request a power level from the charger, from 3.6V to 20V, in 200mV increments. Quick Charge 2.0 only offered four charging voltages, but 3.0 offers 82 different voltage "sizes," which Qualcomm says results in "minimized losses, increased efficiency, and improved thermal performance."

Quick Charge 3.0 is backward compatible with versions 1.0 and 2.0 and is connector-independent. You'll need a new phone and a new charger to take advantage of the higher speeds.

Since charging our devices is an inevitable part of our mobile life, and our expectations for charging has changed from multi-day to charging it multiple times a day, we should all be using the latest charging technologies.

Check out the latest in Quick Charge portable battery technology at our store.

 

 

The post Quick Charge 3.0: The Latest Generation of Android Device Charging Technology Read more on: BestUSBCharging

Look for Power Banks which have USB-C As This New Connector Comes into Its Own

This month the new Macbook Air and Macbook Pro lines will probably be announced with the occurrence of the World Wide Developer Conference at Apple. It is widely speculated that both Mac laptop models will have only USB-C connectors and any legacy USB ports will be removed--bringing the rest of Apple's laptops inline with the Macbook which already has only USB-C since late 2015.
This probably spells the beginning of the end of the lightning connector on iOS devices as well. The flexibility of USB-C over Lightning means that power, video, audio, and data will go over one cable at roughly the same speeds as anything that lightning could offer.
From a power standpoint, USB-C for iOS devices in particular won't change that much. There are already cables which have USB-C on one side and the USB Type A cable on the other, which is the standard rectangular connector we all know and love. This means that your iPad Air charger or current power bank can already provide power to your iOS device with just a different cable.
What you should be thinking about, especially if you're in the market for a new power bank or USB charging device is whether or not it supports USB-C. Why? Because other than iOS devices or Samsung Galaxy tablets, a notebook could be powered by a large power bank while on the go through the USB-C connector. Think about this. If you have a notebook today and you were either on an extended trip or flight and you wanted to carry extra power for it, what do you do? Unless the airlines provides an AC plug for your laptop, you're out of luck, really. For the first time, we're seeing standard, albeit large power banks which many of us already use and love being able to power our laptops through one port: USB-C
To understand the difference between lightning and USB-C check out the article written by Vlad Savov on The Verge entitled, "For Thunderbolt and Lighting, USB-C is very, very frightening:"

The new MacBook represents Apple's vision for "the future of the notebook." That future is defined by thinness, lightness, and an almost total abandonment of external connectivity ports. Other than the mandatory headphone jack, there's just one port available on the MacBook: a USB Type-C connection that takes care of power, data transfers, and display output. Here's how Apple explains its choice of connector:
"As long as we were going to include a port for charging the new MacBook, we wanted to make sure it was the most advanced and versatile one available."
The new MacBook represents Apple's vision for "the future of the notebook." That future is defined by thinness, lightness, and an almost total abandonment of external connectivity ports. Other than the mandatory headphone jack, there's just one port available on the MacBook: a USB Type-C connection that takes care of power, data transfers, and display output. Here's how Apple explains its choice of connector:
"As long as we were going to include a port for charging the new MacBook, we wanted to make sure it was the most advanced and versatile one available."
There was once a time when Apple saw the connected future built around a pair of boldly titled interconnects: Thunderbolt for laptops and desktop computers, and Lightning for its mobile iOS devices. But the company's pursuit of a completely wireless laptop now bodes poorly for the future of Thunderbolt and even casts some doubt over the long-term prospects of Lightning.
Co-developed by Intel and Apple and introduced in the 2011 MacBook Pro, Thunderbolt promised to be the thing that made us leave USB behind. In simple terms, Thunderbolt is a much fatter and faster pipe for data transfers than USB, and it makes it possible to connect big storage arrays and high-resolution displays to your MacBook. Some four years after its introduction, however, Thunderbolt is still narrowly focused on high-end applications and hasn't been adopted or aggressively promoted by many PC makers beyond Apple.
USB 3.1 with the smaller, reversible USB Type-C usurps the entire purpose of Thunderbolt cables for regular consumers. It lets you plug in your external hard drives — which make up the vast majority of the 50 Thunderbolt products on Apple's online store — and pushes video out to external displays. Type-C is easier to use than Thunderbolt and appears to be cheaper to implement, making it a no-brainer upgrade. Simple, less expensive, and still fast. Read the rest here...

Today, there are a number of USB-C ready power banks to choose from. here's a quick list to help you decide if they're right for you...

• Anker PowerCore+ 20100 mAh
• RavPower 20100 mAh
• Jackery Giant S Premium 12000 mAh

Check back here for more USB-C products being added all the time or check out our store for other great USB portable and multiport products.
If you need a new power bank you should really consider the new ones coming out with USB-C ports. As USB-C becomes more popular, backed by Apple, you'll be all set to charge any of those devices!




IMAGE CREDIT: http://pocketnow.com
Look for Power Banks which have USB-C As This New Connector Comes into Its Own was originally published to BestUSBCharging

Quick Charge 2.0 explained from the Power Bank Perspective

Rapidly charging your battery is soon to become one of the most common features that any modern mobile phone/tablet will have. As we make these devices larger and larger, the battery will need to employ a rapid recharge cycle or it will take too long to get a significant charge for on the go people.

The term "phablet," was coined to describe a tablet sized device which was in fact a phone but looked like you brought a baking sheet up to your face and held it there. The Samsung Galaxy Note was one such example and so a Samsung power bank which you're considering purchasing, needs to support the right technology to charge this device right.

In an article by Luke Edwards, he writes about a significant technology you should know about called Quick Charge 2.0:

Battery life is one of the most talked about areas for improvement in smartphones. Longer life and faster charging are at the top of the want list for many who are frustrated with constant device recharging as our mobile demands grow.

Quick Charge 2.0 promised to alleviate these wattage woes when it was introduced by Qualcomm in 2013, but after its initial announcement, little more was heard about it.

But the Quick Charge 2.0 technology can change your battery charging relationship and alleviate some of those battery woes you might have been having. This is why it's important and why the technology should be at the forefront of your smartphone considerations.

What is Quick Charge 2.0?

Quick Charge 2.0 is Qualcomm's fast charging technology that allows a device to charge the battery faster without frying its innards. It's designed to speed up the charging process, so you spend less time charging your device at the wall. Quick Charge is a proprietary Qualcomm technology, integrated into Snapdragon chipsets.

According to Qualcomm, in a 30-minute test a traditional charger (5V, 1A) managed to power a battery up 12 per cent, while the first generation of Quick Charge (5V 2A) managed 30 per cent, and Quick Charge 2.0 (9V, 2A) filled it to 60 per cent in 30 mins.

That's a significant difference in charging speed.

Quick Charge 2.0 certified adapters come in two classes: A and B. Class A is capable of delivering 5V, 9V and 12V. Class B is capable of delivering 5V, 9V, 12V and 20V. Most adapters with Quick Charge 2.0 are now Class A.

There are two sides to this fast charging arrangement. In order to benefit from Quick Charge 2.0 a device needs to be coupled with a compatible Quick Charge 2.0 wall charger. Read full post here...

As you can see from the article, you need to look for Quick Charge 2.0 if your device supports it. Otherwise your device will charge but at a slower rate. Check out our store for a number of Samsung Quick Charge 2.0 power banks and charge your device to its full potential!

 

Featured Image: Image Credit

Quick Charge 2.0 explained from the Power Bank Perspective is courtesy of BestUSBCharging

Working with your iPad Air Charger and Getting the Most Out of Every Charge

Charging your mobile device is a pet peeve of mine. Certainly in 2016 we have more mobile devices than ever; people who never thought they'd be carrying around a tablet are doing just that. What many of us haven't done however is look a little deeper into how to get the most out of these devices and that includes charging them. You might think that plugging your phone into the provided outlet is "child's play" and there's no need to think about what works best. That may be true, if you use your device only at home, it's always near an outlet and you never drain even 50% of the battery--I think you can quit right here. There is a growing section of the population however who have battery issues because they use their device a crazy amount of time during the day. In this case, you need to understand what you received in the box (the charger) and how that may be a sub standard charging device which was included for cost reasons. In the following article from ipadpilotnews.com, they explain the ins and outs of the included adapter and have some great tips for getting the most out of each charge...

One of the standout features of the iPad is its long battery life–a fully charged battery should last you about 8-10 hours (4-6 when using an external GPS or ADS-B Receiver). Even though most general aviation flights rarely last that long, it’s always a good idea to charge the iPad the night before your flight and start with a full battery.

Using the included wall charger

One of the few accessories included with the iPad is a USB Power Adapter, which will charge the device from a 110V wall outlet. Easy–all wall chargers are the same, right? Unfortunately, no. If you look closely at the specs on the adapter, you’ll see different amp ratings depending on the model of iPad you have. The iPad 1, 2 and 3 came standard with a 10 watt, 2.1 amp charger. The iPad 4 and the new iPad Air include a 2.4 amp charger. The iPad Mini, iPhone and iPod Touch all come with a 1 amp charger. The difference between 2.1 and 2.4 amps isn’t really worth worrying about, so we’ll just call them 1 amp and 2 amp chargers. The full size iPads have large screens, which require a large battery to deliver that great battery life (this is especially true for Retina display iPads). The higher 2 amp charger allows the larger battery to charge more quickly than when using the traditional 1 amp adapter. It will take around 4-6 hours to charge a completely drained iPad battery, depending on the model. A couple notes here: You can still charge an iPad with a 1 amp USB power adapter, but it will take longer than 5 hours to fully charge. The iPad’s 2 amp charger is still safe to use with your other USB devices (iPhone, iPod, etc.) and will not damage them. You can’t overcharge them.

Charging in the airplane with a cigarette lighter adapter

You can also use a cigarette lighter charger in your airplane to top off your iPad. This is cheap insurance, and we recommend one of these if the airplane you fly has a cigarette lighter plug. But pay close attention before buying any old USB charger, as you’ll want to make sure it provides 2 amps for optimum charging. Cheap cigarette lighter chargers usually only have 1 amp USB ports. Also check to see if it will run off 12 or 24V charging ports. Most airplanes, even those with 24V electrical systems, have 12V cigarette lighters–but not all. The easiest solution is to buy a 12-24V, dual 2 amp charger – this will charge any device in any airplane. No thinking required. This model offers 2 USB ports, both rated at 2 amps, and runs on 12/24V. And if you need a replacement 110V home charger, this model also provides a 2-port USB configuration.

Charging from a computer

A third charging option is to connect your iPad to a computer that has a high-power USB 3.0 port (many new Macs and PCs have this). This will not charge as quickly as when using the wall power adapter, but can often be more convenient. If you see the note “Not Charging” in the iPad battery status, your computer most likely does not have a high-power USB port.

iPad Battery Backups

You can also charge the iPad when on the go with a portable backup battery. These are really handy, and not just in the airplane. Simply charge up the high-capacity battery pack and you have a go-anywhere device that can fully charge an iPad and extend its life by over 150%. This model has 5 USB ports, allowing you to charge multiple devices like an iPad and a Bluetooth GPS. And you can’t beat the price either–it’s available for under $100. A more deluxe iPad battery backup option is this larger pack that includes USB, 12V and 110V plugs. It can power your iPad (or any number of other devices) for days, and while it is much larger and heavier than the one above, it’s still only 2″ tall.

Final tips

When in doubt, go with the higher amp charging device. 2 amps won’t hurt your iPad Mini or your iPhone, but 1 amp won’t be enough for your iPad. About the only thing that isn’t interchangeable is the physical connector. Newer devices like the iPad Air, Mini and iPhone 5/5S use the smaller Lightning connector; older devices use the larger 30-pin connector.

Today's iPad chargers are even easier to use. With advanced detection technology, now any USB plug on your power bank can supply 2+ Amps of power for an iPad or Android tablet. Cell phones have advanced as well with most of today's models allowing a fast charge of 2 amps as well getting to full charge quicker. For more information on power banks, checkout my article here.

 IMAGE COURTESY OF ANKER DIRECT.

 Working with your iPad Air Charger and Getting the Most Out of Every Charge was first published to Best USB Charging

Qualcomm Responds to USB Type-C and Quick Charge 3.0 Compatibility Concerns

Despite the fact that USB Type-C was designed to make life easier with its error-less insertion initiative – it’s symmetrical after all – there have been a number of concerning issues that have cropped up. One such support scandal surfaced yesterday involving not one, but two brand new flagship phones. Specifically, the HTC 10 and LG’s G5 have been discussed, though the issue itself can pertain to a larger spectrum of devices.

Simply put, there is concern that the Quick Charge 3.0 technology on-board these new smartphones is incompatible with the charging standards of USB Type-C 3.1 specifications, which state that the port’s Vbus line should be held between 4.45 and 5.25 volts. Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, however, works by increasing the voltage to 9 or 12 volts, which clearly breaches the port’s baseline specifications. The nitty-gritty can be found in our coverage here.

In seeking to get to the bottom of the situation, Android Central contacted Qualcomm to get an official statement regarding this concern, and was provided with the following message:

Qualcomm Quick Charge is designed to be connector-independent. It can be implemented in a device that supports a variety of connectors, including USB Type-A, USB micro, USB Type-C, and others. When an OEM chooses to implement Quick Charge into their device, they can configure the voltage to fit within the specifications of the USB Type-C standard. We have received no reports of user experience or device malfunction issues with or without USB Type-C connectors. At Qualcomm Technologies, we are continuously working to provide the best solutions for our customers and consumers. Qualcomm Quick Charge is a leading edge fast charging solution with more than 70 devices and 200 accessories supporting one of the two most recent versions of Quick Charge, with even more currently in development.

On the surface the statement seeks to imply that there is no safety concern, and that no problems have been reported to Qualcomm in regards to any compatibility problems. At the same time however, there is no specific language that addresses the specification-related concerns with USB Type-C itself.

While Qualcomm’s PR department may be trying to alleviate the concerns raised recently, there are still relatively few devices on the market with USB Type-C and Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology. While no customer claims may have been reported so far as per the information in the above statement, it does not necessarily mean there won’t be in the future. This, in and of itself, is made even more problematic by the ongoing concern about third party USB Type-C cables and the potential hazards they may pose to the very devices meant to work with them.

This overall situation, is then further coupled in almost co-morbid fashion, with the fact that companies like Samsung have chosen to pass on USB Type-C for its Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge handsets. This will likely reduce the number of potential number accessories made using the standard as the largest player in the industry has decided to forgo its inclusion. Additionally, devices like the Windows 10-powered Galaxy TabPro S make use of USB Type-C but have just one single port on the entire device meaning that customers must purchase a USB Type-C adapter to even plug-in a mini-USB keyboard or other such accessory. It is literally the same problem as Apple’s 12-inch Macbook faces.

Until more companies begin to make USB Type-C accessories, there remains a usability issue with the standard. Until third party plug producers can put out products that don’t fry hardware, there remains a safety issue. And now – with this Qualcomm Quick Charge “problem” – there remains a potentially lingering concern that just using a device with manufacturer-supplied cables might still cause a safety concern.

Wrap Up

As pointed out yesterday, Qualcomm’s proprietary technology has always extended the USB standard, rather than being a part of it. Charging Type-C phones via a normal 5V USB connection shouldn’t present any problems, as we are simply looking at two competing standards for fast charging. Still, this new mini “scandal” is just another unfortunate blot on the image of what is designed to be the future of wired interfacing.

Assuming there is no possible safety issue, there is still a larger one for Qualcomm the company, as further perpetuation – or eventual reported problems – may linger throughout the year, not unlike what occurred in the last one with respect to the Snapdragon 810 chip-set and its much-publicized overheating problem.

What do you think? Is this issue getting out of hand, or are there legitimate concerns to consider?

 Qualcomm responds to USB Type-C and Quick Charge 3.0 compatibility concerns appeared first on http://www.androidauthority.com.