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How To Choose USB Cables?
A USB cable is a product that everyone needs to use every day. Almost every digital device needs a USB cable, so it has also become an indispensable item in people’s lives. You may not need to transfer data every day, but charging your phone every day is essential.
Common cables are USB-A connector, USB-C connector, Micro USB connector, Lightning. In addition, USB cables have different lengths, jacket materials, appearance designs, and color styles, which combine countless products for different purposes. There are many types of data cables, even if they are used for charging, they are not the same. Choose the usb cable that suits you to bring a better experience.
Table of Contents
1. Application
The application of the USB cable is nothing more than data transmission and charging. At present, common digital devices use USB data cables to transmit data. The USB-C interface above the USB 3.0 specification has become the standard configuration of the latest mobile phones, data transmission speed is faster, and better power management is supported, making mobile phone fast charging more convenient. Laptops generally add a USB-C interface, which can support higher data transmission rates. Some high-end laptops are also equipped with a USB-C interface that supports the Thunderbolt 3 specification, which can use faster to transmit data by lightning cables.
This is the speed of different USB specification, you can choose the appropriate USB cables for data transmission according to the equipment you use. As for Lightning devices, except for the first-generation iPad Pro that supports the USB 3.0, other Lightning devices are based on USB 2.0.
In terms of charging, Android phones that support QC, PD, AFC, FCP, PE and other fast charging standard can use any USB cable, and the corresponding fast charging can be turned on as long as the interface matches.
Some laptops have a charging power up to 100W. Ordinary USB-C to USB-C cables can only carry a maximum of 3A. If you want to use a current of more than 3A, you must use a 5A cable.
For iPhone charger, its charging cables is Lighting cables, including: USB-A to Lightning and USB-C to Lightning.
2. Jacket material
In recent years, USB cables are covered with a variety of materials, including braided wires, metal wires, and so on.
PVC and TPE are more traditional data cable materials. The PVC material used for Apple cable before is easy to oxidize and yellow, the service life is not long, and the quality of the outer skin is relatively poor. Nowadays, this material is rarely used.
Most of the USB cables use TPE material. The advantages of TPE material are safety, non-toxicity, high elasticity, and easy injection molding. The wire made of TPE is soft and easy to mix with colorful colors.
Braided USB cable is currently a very HOT product. Its advantage lies in abrasion resistance and resistance to pulling. Some USB cable manufacturers will also add Kevlar fiber to improve the stretch resistance of the cable.
In addition, USB cable manufacturers have also designed different types of port materials, such as one-piece injection molding, PC shell, aluminum alloy shell, stainless steel shell, etc.
3. Length
Different scenarios require cables of different lengths. About 1 meter is the most common cable length, and it is also the most suitable length for daily use. It will not be too long to cause entanglement, easy to store, and not too short to connect to a socket.
As for the ultra-long data cable of 2 meters or even 3 meters, it is more convenient to use in some occasions, for example, you can enjoy unlimited charging when lying in bed. The short cable is more suitable for handheld use with a mobile power bank, and it is not easy to be entangled and knotted.
Summary
For the question of how to choose a USB cable, I think you already know the answer. iPhone users are better to choose the USB-C to Lightning cable, while Android users choose the cable corresponding to the interface. The material and shape of the cable depend on personal preference. The length of the cable is a factor that greatly affects the experience of use, which is related to your usage habits. Which length you choose depends on your own needs.