Why does a high-quality charging cable matter?

March 13, 2022

New inventions have made our lives faster and more convenient. I am pretty sure that you all have heard of wireless charging! However, there are millions of people who are used to the most convenient way of charging, although they knew it might take a bit longer.

Now, if you are among these people, then I will have important news for you. The quality of your charging cable does indeed impact the charging process as well as the functionality of your smartphone.

Therefore, in this essay, we, first, introduce different types of charging cables. Then, we will discuss why it is important to buy a high-quality charging cable.

Table of Contents

What are the different types of charging cables?

To better understand what charging cables are, you need to know their differences with data cables. Although they are not the same but not very different. It might be obvious to point out that charging and data cables are mainly used for charging and transferring data, respectively. However, they can be used interchangeably but with not the same performance.

USB charging cables are the most common type in the market. Nowadays, they have been diversified significantly due to remarkable growth to make the charging process faster, more efficient, and easier. How many types of USB charging cables are out there?

Actually, USB type A and USB type B are the oldest charging cables in the market. Although being used for nearly 30 years, they are still popular among users.

The main disadvantage is their relatively large size. The next generation of cables was named USB Mini A and Mini B. they were smaller and more user-friendly.

These two types were then followed by even smaller cables namely USB Micro-A and B. However, Apple users use a lightning connector which is used in iOS devices.

the most practical advantage of lightning connectors is the fact that they can be inserted in either orientation.

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Are charging cables important?

So, we get back to our main question now. Can different charging cables impact the speed and/or efficiency of the charging process?

Yes, of course! Let me give you an example! USB charging cables have four wires.

The bigger each of these wires is; the more power they carry which eventually leads to faster charging.

Additionally, charging cables with the capacity to carry higher electronic current is advantageous compared to charging cables with a lower electronic current.

We can now conclude that your charging cable matters as it helps the phone gets charged more quickly.

What is in it for your smartphone?

It is true that the quality of the charging cable will indeed impact the charge rate. Therefore, it might be beneficial to dig into that and find out why this is the case.

Before that, you should know a bit more about the structure of common USB cables.

There are four wires inside a USB cable with four color indicators including red, black, green, and white. The white and green are used for the data transfer while black and red (5V each) carry electricity to power your battery. The amount of power carried by black and red cables is determined by the size of the wires inside them.

The larger internal wires are; the larger current can be transported. That is why using a reliable charging cable matters a lot.

According to the experts, although 28/28 gauge cables are standard and pretty much common, 28/24 gauge leads to a faster charging rate (28/24 gauge is 60% faster than 28/28 gauge.

The same is true with the current which is bearable for the charging cable. In fact, more efficient fast charging cables are able to carry up to 2A compared to 0.5A in standard cables.

Put your damaged charging cables away! It is not worth it!

I am pretty sure that it has happened to you when your charging cable has got damaged due to overuse.

In fact, considering the number of times each of us use the charging cable during the day, it makes perfect sense for it to be damaged gradually.

However, you should put away your damaged charging cable as it can severely damage the phone itself too. Let’s figure out why.

1- First of all, electricity will not be correctly flowed, if the cable is frayed. Therefore, even if the charging cable seems OK but it is pretty old, it is not unlikely that internal components of your device get damaged due to power surges.

2- Damaged or old charging cables might overheat the device and if you have left it to be charged unattended, the device can start a fire!

3- Damaged charging cables could not only destroy your phone but also threaten your health too, especially when the wires of the cable are unprotected. This might happen when the casing of the cable is torn apart.

So, if you come into contact with these dangerous wires, you might burn yourself very badly.

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What are the signs of damaged charging cables?

As we discussed above, it is not a good idea to risk the soundness of your device by using damaged or almost broken charging cables.

There are basically four common signs including slow charging, rust/dirty-ends, physical distortions, and tending to lose a connection which alarm you to get a new charging cable.

The best charging cables in 2022

Consider replacing your charging cable as soon as one of the abovementioned signs appears. For a versatile cable that can do everything, Anker Powerline II 3-in-1 Cable is the best option as it charges Micro USB, USB-C, and Lightning devices. Or, if you need a long charging cable, you should go for Grtoeud USB-C to USB-C Cable.