Benson Leung, a Google engineer, warns laptop owners not to cut corners and costs by buying offbrand cables.
He says that new USB Type-C connectors that come with Nexus and OnePlus mobile phones, Macbook and Pixel laptops, Pixel C tablets and Apple TV could charge so many devices because it could transmit currents up to 3A, which is 50 up to 100 percent more electricity than older standards, reports Engadget.
To help gadget users, Leung tested different cables sold on Amazon. He tested the cables on recent Pixel gadgets of Google and discovered many of the cables, advertised as Type-C, are not suited for laptop use. It is often not wired properly to charge a laptop or do not accurately identify the power source which has the potential to damage a laptop, USB hub or charger.
The Google engineer stresses that all new plugs. Connectors and cable must be certified to be 3A compatible. He adds that using non-certified 3A compatible cables is fine if it is plugged in USB-C.
Leung warns, "When you mix up cables with a C connector on one end, and older A or B connector on the other, adapters and legacy cables should use lower 1.5A or 2.4A charging." He says failure to follow that could cause problems because the charge on that end might not be 3A-rated for charging.
He recommends buying cables made by companies like FREiEQ, Belkin and iOrange that all passed his tests. However, the best option is still to purchase the first-party cables from the tech giants such as Apple and Google.
Phandroid notes that while Leung has done his part "to list the exact issues" in each review he made, because of the current standard, any manufacturer can produce a USB Type-C cable without the need to have the product certified before selling it. The tech portal warns, "It will inevitably lead to a flood of accessories which don't properly implement said standard."