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meerkt
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USB C-to-A cables for specific phone models?!

Thu May 25, 2017 11:05 am

Some sellers apparently sell USB type C cables for specific phone models.

Any idea what's the deal here?

There's the whole potential-for-over-current blunder in C-to-legacy cables (a combimation of the USB-IF lacking foresight + device manufacturers that don't protect ports properly), but I don't see how the type-C device matters here.
 
Arvald
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Re: USB C-to-A cables for specific phone models?!

Thu May 25, 2017 11:10 am

Current the cable can handle.
I saw a 2A and a 3A on the links you gave.

Some phones require the higher current for either faster charge or just charging at all.
 
meerkt
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Re: USB C-to-A cables for specific phone models?!

Thu May 25, 2017 11:20 am

I don't think that's the thing.

In some of these listing the price is the same for all cable types. Best business strategy: only use 3A cables.
In other listings there's more than two prices (just a few cents off anyway), which suggests maybe more than two cable types.
In yet another listing "2A" is stated in the title, so they don't claim 3A to begin with.
 
ludi
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Re: USB C-to-A cables for specific phone models?!

Thu May 25, 2017 11:46 am

meerkt wrote:
Some sellers apparently sell USB type C cables for specific phone models.

Any idea what's the deal here?

The seller has an auction template with a dropdown menu for situations like cases or screen protectors. They re-used it here in a backwards way to filter out buyers who may not have a USB-C device. It's odd, but it probably does stop some lazy people who otherwise click the BUY button based on title and pictures without reading the product description (and then want a return because "the seller sent me the wrong item").
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Vhalidictes
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Re: USB C-to-A cables for specific phone models?!

Thu May 25, 2017 12:07 pm

Arvald wrote:
Current the cable can handle.
I saw a 2A and a 3A on the links you gave.

Some phones require the higher current for either faster charge or just charging at all.


Can you explain, Arvald? IIRC a 3 Amp USB-A cable would be useless because A ports can't output 3 Amps. I thought that USB 3.0 standards only go up to two Amps?
 
Arvald
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Re: USB C-to-A cables for specific phone models?!

Thu May 25, 2017 12:24 pm

USB 3.1 is up to 5A
 
Topinio
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Re: USB C-to-A cables for specific phone models?!

Thu May 25, 2017 12:27 pm

USB BC is up to 1.8 A and USB PD is up to 5.0, I think.
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EndlessWaves
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Re: USB C-to-A cables for specific phone models?!

Thu May 25, 2017 12:37 pm

Vhalidictes wrote:
Arvald wrote:
Current the cable can handle.
I saw a 2A and a 3A on the links you gave.

Some phones require the higher current for either faster charge or just charging at all.


Can you explain, Arvald? IIRC a 3 Amp USB-A cable would be useless because A ports can't output 3 Amps. I thought that USB 3.0 standards only go up to two Amps?


USB 3.0 only goes up to 900mA. The higher output is part of add-on standards like USB Power Delivery or USB Type-C. IIRC the power delivery spec (up to 100W) was originally designed independently of the Type C connector.

I would imagine the drop downs are simply to increase visibility and attract sellers who search for a cable for their specific device rather than just for the generic cable.

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