It’s no problem if the USB-C charger can provide 30W to charge the mobile phone. The problem is that it’s hard to make sure you’re using the right cable for charging. The same thing happens when trying to connect a device to a monitor: Will I actually be able to use the device the way I’m supposed to?

One port to rule them all. The USB-C connector has become the universal standard connector for our devices. The European Union has pushed to adopt it when charging mobile phones, tablets, headphones and other devices, and even Apple has abandoned the traditional Lightning connector on its equipment.

Many connectors in one. The USB standard has evolved a lot over the years, and for some time we have seen different types of connectors that respond to different specifications and features. The USB-C connector of course introduced an interesting proposition to unify them all, but in doing so it also eliminated something specific to each USB variant. It was nothing more than different formats and even colors to differentiate them. You can get an idea at a glance what kind of performance you can expect from a particular connector and cable: this is no longer possible.

Everything is USB-C anyway. Not only do different versions of the USB standard use these connectors anymore; Other standards for streaming, data or video transfer also make use of these connectors and complicate the picture. Alternate modes allow non-USB protocols to run over this cable, allowing us to connect DisplayPort, HDMI or Thunderbolt monitors using cables with USB-C connectors. The Thunderbolt 5 standard, which was fully announced in September 2023, also uses this connector.

We need to identify the cables…. The emergence of Thunderbolt 5 demonstrates a solution for identifying cables and connectors. Thunderbolt cables begin to use a cap (the plastic cap that covers the metal connector) that appears in addition to the Thunderbolt identification logo with a number indicating which version of Thunderbolt the cable supports. This is slowly starting to happen, for example, with USB cables whose headers indicate both maximum data transmission speed and charging capacity. Not all manufacturers follow this guideline, but it is certainly desirable.

…and also connectors. Some USB-C connectors on our devices display symbols to help you recognize them, but this doesn’t always happen and can create further confusion. For example, it is common for laptops to have multiple USB-C ports, but only one is used to charge the device. Once again, ideally, given the variety of options, each connector would have some definition to know to what extent we can benefit from it.

USB-IF recommends but does not require. This organization, which certifies cables, has been trying to provide a solution to the problem for a while. Their recommendation is precisely that cables should include an identification label, and although there is documentation showing these labels, they do not seem to be widely adopted in the industry.

And that’s where regulators need to step in.. The same European Union that has acted strictly in implementing the USB-C connector must now also act to ensure that cables and connectors are always clearly identified. This is the only option given the multitude of standards and protocols that leverage the USB-C connector

Image | Lucian Alexe

in Xataka | USB-C is the worst standard in history because it is nothing but a standard