I’m a huge fan of the USB-C format, and I hated having to use different cables for different things. These days, the only thing that doesn’t use a USB-C cable is my Kindle, and that could be changing in the near future. It’s a lot better to be on a unified platform, and I can rest easy knowing the very same cable that charges my laptop can charge my phone, my Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, my Nintendo Switch 2, and my tablet. However, there’s still an underlying issue here that I only recently fixed.
While all USB-C cables look the same, they don’t all perform the same. Your simple phone charger won’t charge a laptop, and if it does, it’ll just be a small trickle. Now, most people wouldn’t expect a phone charger to be capable of juicing a laptop up, but it’s an assumption one could reasonably make when all the cables look identical. The problem is that it’s an all-too-easy mistake to make, and it feels like you need to keep several cables around. The answer to this for me was to grab a 65W laptop charger that I use for everything, but that’s obviously not the solution for everybody.
Quiz
USB-C cables history
Trivia challenge
Think you know your USB-C from your USB-A? Put your connector knowledge to the test.
HistoryHardwareStandardsDesignCompatibility
In what year was the USB-C connector specification first published?
Correct! The USB-C specification was published in August 2014 by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). It was designed to replace the confusing array of USB connector types that had built up over the years.
Not quite — the USB-C specification was actually published in August 2014. It was developed by the USB Implementers Forum and arrived at a time when device makers were crying out for a universal, reversible connector standard.
What is one of the most celebrated physical design features of the USB-C connector?
Correct! USB-C’s reversible design was a huge deal when it launched. Unlike its predecessors, you no longer had to fumble around trying to figure out which way the connector faces — it works in either orientation.
The standout physical feature is actually its reversible design. You can plug USB-C in either way up, which sounds simple but was a major quality-of-life improvement over older USB connectors that seemed to always go in wrong on the first try.
Which USB data transfer standard, often paired with USB-C cables, offers speeds of up to 40Gbps?
Correct! USB4 Gen 3×2 can reach up to 40Gbps and exclusively uses the USB-C connector. It also incorporates Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, making it one of the most capable standards available on modern devices.
The answer is USB4 Gen 3, which tops out at 40Gbps over a USB-C connector. It is worth noting that USB4 was based heavily on Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 protocol and requires USB-C — older connector types simply cannot handle the demands of the standard.
Which company’s laptop was among the first high-profile devices to ship with only a USB-C port, controversially dropping all other ports?
Correct! Apple’s 12-inch MacBook, released in 2015, launched with a single USB-C port and nothing else. It was bold and controversial, forcing users to buy adapters, but it also pushed USB-C into the mainstream spotlight.
It was Apple that made the controversial move. The 12-inch MacBook launched in 2015 with just one USB-C port for everything — charging, data transfer, and display output. The backlash was fierce, but it accelerated industry-wide adoption of the connector.
Which video output protocol is commonly supported over a USB-C cable, allowing monitors to be connected without a separate adapter?
Correct! DisplayPort Alt Mode allows USB-C cables to carry DisplayPort video signals, meaning you can plug a compatible USB-C cable directly into a monitor. This feature made USB-C enormously attractive for laptop manufacturers looking to reduce port count.
The correct answer is DisplayPort Alt Mode. This clever feature lets a USB-C port carry DisplayPort video signals alongside data and power, effectively turning a single port into a docking solution. It is one of the reasons USB-C became so popular on thin-and-light laptops.
What is the maximum power delivery wattage defined in the USB Power Delivery 3.1 specification, introduced in 2021?
Correct! USB Power Delivery 3.1, published in 2021, extended the maximum power output to 240W. This opened the door for USB-C to charge power-hungry laptops and even some desktop peripherals, massively expanding the connector’s usefulness.
The answer is 240W. USB Power Delivery 3.1 dramatically raised the ceiling from the previous 100W maximum, enabling USB-C to take on far more demanding charging tasks. Before this update, high-performance laptops often still needed proprietary chargers.
The EU ruling that mandated USB-C as a common charger for most consumer electronics by 2024 applied primarily to which category of device first?
Correct! The EU’s Common Charger Directive required smartphones and tablets to adopt USB-C by the end of 2024, with laptops following in 2026. The legislation was designed to cut down on e-waste from the proliferation of incompatible chargers.
Smartphones and tablets were the first category targeted by the EU’s Common Charger Directive, with compliance required by late 2024. Laptops were given a later deadline of 2026. The ruling had a significant real-world impact, pushing Apple to finally move the iPhone to USB-C.
Thunderbolt 3, which uses the USB-C connector and was co-developed by Intel and Apple, first appeared in consumer laptops in which year?
Correct! Thunderbolt 3 launched in 2016 and was a landmark moment for USB-C, as it demonstrated just how much bandwidth the connector could carry. Supporting 40Gbps, dual 4K displays, and 100W charging, it showed the full potential of the form factor.
Thunderbolt 3 actually arrived in 2016, first appearing in Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup that year. Its adoption of the USB-C connector was a pivotal moment, proving the connector could support the most demanding professional workloads and helping legitimise USB-C across the industry.
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Cables look the same, but they don’t perform the same
The downside to everything unifying
When each cable served a specific use, there was no way to confuse them. Now that everything looks the same, you need to keep track of what does what. On the bright side, using a good cable, like a 65W laptop charger, isn’t a bad thing because it’ll never push too much power into your device. Your device uses what it needs, so you don’t have to worry about damaging anything.
On the other side of things, however, you run the risk of having an underpowered cable being asked to punch above its weight. That’s typically not going to happen, and while it might fast-charge your phone, it won’t do anything for your laptop. You need to specifically know what each of your USB-C cables does in order to save yourself from a headache. To be honest, that was just a bit too much to ask of me, so I just keep my laptop charger in my living room and use it for everything. I have a phone charger in my bedroom, and that’s the extent of my USB-C cables that get frequent use.
For people who want to keep several cables around, there are some indicators that let you know the differences. The connector head is always one of the first places you should look, and it’s there you’ll learn the truth. For example, a Thunderbolt cable will have a small lightning bolt printed somewhere on it. Thunderbolt 4 can get up to 100W, so this cable is more than enough for most devices in a household. No, you don’t have to rush out and buy a Thunderbolt cable, as those can be pricey, but it’ll be something that covers all of your bases.
I think this is the biggest issue with USB-C, and it’s something that’s not easily fixed. Knowing a Thunderbolt cable is a Thunderbolt cable is only possible if you know what the symbol means in the first place. It might be common knowledge to somebody reading this article, but there are still people out there who don’t know the difference between DVD and Blu-ray discs. On top of that, not every USB-C port is created equal either.
USB-C ports don’t all do the same things
Very annoying for laptops
It’s something that’s being solved with time, but laptops that were early adopters of USB-C don’t all perform at the same level. For example, one USB-C port might charge your laptop while the other one is used to plug things in. That’s not a huge deal, but it can be annoying if your charging port is on the wrong side of your laptop, and you have to stretch a cable across your legs. The solution to this is to make sure all USB-C ports support charging and that you have USB-C ports on both sides of the laptop. Many laptops fit these criteria, but you’ll also find that many don’t.
At the end of the day, I’m overall happy with USB-C, and it’s really just this one issue that I have with the format as a whole. There’s no question that I’m much happier using one cable format than several, and once my Kindle finally gets upgraded, I’ll fully be on the USB-C bandwagon. It’s been a long time coming for something like this, and I hope we stick with it for a while. In many ways, USB-C mirrors HDMI, where the cables and ports are all the same, but they don’t all do the same thing. People seem to have things figured out on the HDMI part (mostly), so I don’t see why we won’t eventually get there for USB-C.
