Not All USB Type-C Cables Are The Same Proves Google Engineer

By Nathan Kirsch

Have you heard about the Google engineer that works with USB Type-C products for a living that has begun buying and reviewing USB Type-C cables on Amazon in order to point out the crappy ones? Most people might think that a cable is just a cable as long as it works, but it is being shown that is not the truth when it comes to USB Type-C cables that are just now becoming popular. Google engineer Benson Leung has posted Amazon reviews on 17 Type-C cables and found 14 of them were not working properly. He is being called a ‘white knight’ by some in the tech industry already for bringing this issue to light and showing what cables are not working correctly. Since he works on several products from the Google Pixel line that use the Type-C connector and knows the standard and its specification requirements very well it’s safe to assume that he knows what he is talking about.

type-c

It won’t come as a surprise, but many of the low cost ‘cheap’ cables he tested were found to not meet the USB Type-C Cable Connector Specification standard. While it appears that most of the cables he tried worked just fine for transferring data, the vast majority were having power/charging issues that prevented the Google Chromebook Pixel 2015 he was testing on from charging. This could lead to a potentially dangerous situation and no one would want to ruin their device, charger or damage a devices USB port.

The only three USB Type C cables that he’s reviewed and endorsed are the following:

  • FRiEQ Hi-speed USB 3.1 Type C Cable – Currently Unavailable
  • Belkin 2.0 USB-C to USB-A Charge Cable – $19.33 Shipped (Out of stock)
  • iOrange-E Type C to USB-A Braided Cable – $18.99 Shipped

He hasn’t reviewed the USB-C cable Google sells in its store, but changes are that it works and at $12.99 it’s also one of the best deals around. The only problem that USB Type-C to USB Standard-A cable is out of stock right now as well!

Benson Leung

If you already bought a ‘cheap’ low cost cable and are worried about it, Mr. Leung posted up details on how to test USB Type-C cables on the Google Chromebook Pixel yourself on his personal Google+ page. He also talks about how some cables have incorrect resister values are throwing off power specs by as much as 1 Amp! That is pretty bothersome as 3A vs 2A is a big difference in the land of mobile devices and that could cause physical damage.

Most people assume that cheap cables suck and while that’s not a hard and fast rule, the more expensive cables Mr. Leung just happened to test had a higher chance of meeting the proper spec!