15 Best USB-C Cable (2025): For iPhone, Android Phone, Tablet, Laptop
With a wide range of standards and charging technologies in the workplace, it is much more difficult to determine what cables can do. There are a few things that are worth knowing when shopping.
USB Standard: Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a standard date of 1996, but since then we have seen many new standards, revisions and connector types. Instead of running through them all here, we try to emphasize the important things.
connector: USB-C is becoming a benevolent and standard connection type, but you will need a cable with a connector that fits your existing devices. Today, it may still mean USB-A, lightning, or MicroUSB. Don’t forget that cable features are limited to the oldest connection types.
data: Data transfer rates are always megabits per second (MBPS) or Gigabits per second (GBPS). You can see that there is a standard speed that cables can do.
- 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
force: Cable manufacturers always list the maximum charging rate, but it is important to know and combine the standard that supports cables and combine them with the correct power adapter, as devices determine the amount of power they draw. The charging rate of the cable is measured in watts (w). Manufacturers may list cable specifications in small print. If the list is not displayed, you can calculate it by multiplying the voltage (v) and current (a), assuming the list is listed.
The basic USB-C cable is passive and can only carry up to 60 watts. Cables that can carry more than 100 watts are sometimes called active, but must include an electronic marker tip that identifies the cable and its functionality.
The power supply (PD) standard is as close as the common standard. A few manufacturers, such as OnePlus, Oppo, and Xiaomi, still have their own charging standards. After that, there is Qualcomm’s Quick Charge (QC) standard. This has been the most popular mobile phone for many years, but the Quick Charge 4+ supports PD. Even PD has a variant called Programmable Power Suppily (PPS), which is part of the USB PD 3.0 standard. PPS allows real-time adjustments to maximize efficiency and charge your phone Samsung Galaxy S22 Range It’s up to 45 watts instead of the regular 18. The latest addition to the PD is the extended power range (EPR) that allows USB-C cables to carry up to 240 watts of haul (previously limited to 100 watts).
Thunderbolt was a proprietary interface developed by Intel and Apple, but is now open for royalty-free use (certified by Intel). With Thunderbolt 3, the standard uses a USB-C connector, allowing data transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps, and can use the PD standard to provide 100 watts of power. Thunderbolt 4 brings a variety of improvements primarily related to video signals (support for two 4K or 8K displays). It also supports the USB 4 standard and is compatible in the reverse direction with previous standard.
Cable authentication: There are several cable certifications. If a cable is certified, it usually means it is independently tested and compliant with a specific standard. It gives you as a buyer a reassuring thing that your cable will perform as the manufacturer claims. Certification can be expensive, so many cable manufacturers avoid it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the cable is of poor quality. USB Implementer Forum (USB-IF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advances in USB technology. Operated by members such as Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft, Intel, and more, they set specifications and provide certification. If the cable is certified by USB-IF, it has been tested to ensure it complies with that standard. Apple has its own creation for iPhone (MFI) certification for Lightning cables. Intel certifies Thunderbolt cable. Certified cables usually have a logo related to the connector. (For example, Thunderbolt cables have lightning bolts.)