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When looking to purchase a USB Type-C cable, I'm noticing a bunch of differences that I don't understand. Some USB Type-C cables purport to be a "Charge Cable." Some of those cables also claim to only support USB 2.0 speeds, while others claim USB 3.1 speeds. If I see a USB-C cable sold as a "Charge Cable," does that cable differ from another USB-C cable claiming to support the same speeds, but not claiming to be a charge cable?

I know the standard is fairly new, and barely supported, so that might help explain my question.

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    Usually it's "charge only cable" so without seeing the specific ads I can't say for sure, but typically that means it only supplies power to the device and is data null or unconnected. A popular use is to say plug a phone in at work with no chance of the phone syncing or sharing any data with the host computer.
    – Tyson
    Oct 27, 2015 at 0:43
  • @Tyson I'm specifically talking about amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011N8ZPZW?vs=1
    – skeggse
    Oct 27, 2015 at 0:50
  • That's interest because your link says charge cable, but also gives data transfer rates in the description, so I doubt my guess is correct.
    – Tyson
    Oct 27, 2015 at 0:58

2 Answers 2

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First off power output (useful for charging) and transfer speeds (useful for moving files) are two different numbers.

Transfer speeds are determined by the USB version (i.e. USB2.0, USB3.0, USB3.1) and power output is determined by the power source but limited by the cable.

A USB-C charging cable may have slower transfer speeds, as its purpose is to be used for charging and not for transferring data (such as a USB2.0 USB-C). USB-C cables have a power output up to 100W, though again how much power is actually going through the cable will be dependent on the source.

On the other hand, you may have a USB3.1 USB-C cable, which can transfer up to 10Gbps.

tl;dr All USB-C cables should be capable of both charging and transfer but the transfer speeds will depend on the version of USB and the charging speed will depend on what it's plugged into (e.g wall outlet vs a laptop).

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong on anything, I'm learning a lot here doing research!

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  • So I guess the past I didn't understand was that USB-C really is just the cable type (like Type-A), which differs from the specific USB version (e.g. 3.1).
    – skeggse
    Oct 27, 2015 at 0:57
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    Correct. You can have a USB2.0 USB-C, a USB3.0 USB-C, or a USB3.1 USB-C. If you want the best transfer speeds you'll want to make sure to get a USB3.1 USB-C but the charging capabilities of all those cables should be the same -- and again it'll depend on what you plug them into.
    – Hanna
    Oct 27, 2015 at 0:58
  • I'd recommend adding that information to your answer, for future reference. Maybe at the top with appropriate emphasis.
    – skeggse
    Oct 27, 2015 at 0:59
  • There you go, hope that's better and makes more sense. I learned a lot too!
    – Hanna
    Oct 27, 2015 at 1:02
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I've seen two kinds of USB-C charging cables. The kind Apple sells and includes with their laptops is actually a USB 2.0 cable, it will transfer data at USB 2.0 speeds but I'm guessing they advertise it as a charging cable so as to get nobody's hopes up on how much data it can transfer.

The other kind I've seen are actually not cables but devices with two captive USB-C cables, kind of like how a USB data transfer cable is actually two serial or Ethernet adapters back-to-back in what looks like a cable. These device style charging cables might not strictly adhere to the USB-C spec but if from a trusted manufacturer should be safe and reliable. An example of such cables (or "cables") is a magnetic break away charger cable. The computer doesn't see a data connection to the device on the other end, only a power connection with output limited to the cable or the power supply.

In either case the cable may be rated for 3 amps or 5 amps per the USB-C spec. Apple's charge cables are 5 amp rated, and I suspect (I don't know for sure) that the cables that come with most USB-C phones are limited to 3 amps.

There's other kinds of charge cables, I just haven't seen them myself. I've read some things about cables that don't adhere to the USB-C and USB-PD spec on power transfer, instead using some third party system on power transfer. I'm reluctant to name any such system as I may not be recalling correctly. I've seen them output power far beyond the USB spec for USB-A into a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging some USB-C phones.

There's one more category of cable, they are just junk. They don't adhere to the USB-C spec, or a third party power transfer system. Given that someone may simply find the cable doesn't work for them it may be difficult to tell junk from the others.

So, to me at least, there are 4 kinds of USB-C charging cables. First, there's those that are really USB 2.0 cables but are called charging cables to set data transfer expectations low. Second, cables that are really power transfer devices. Third, third party cables that are wired for something other than USB-C and USB-PD. Fourth, cables that are just junk.

How does one tell them apart? Pay close attention to what is being advertised and weigh that against how much you trust the source.

That's just limiting it to charging cables. There's more to be said about data cables that I won't go into great detail right now. To summarize there's 2 power ratings, 3 amp and 5 amp, and something like 6 different data rates. That might sound complicated but isn't really.

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