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EU

The USB-C Charging Mandate Arrives in the EU (theverge.com) 107

Posted by msmash from the about-time dept.
From December 28th, a large percentage of the gadgets bought inside the EU are required to charge via USB-C. From a report: The goal for Directive 2022/2380, known colloquially as the common charging solution, is to reduce e-waste and solve market fragmentation. You may recall Apple and the EU butting heads over this a few years ago.

The requirement for USB-C is just the surface of this directive though. It also includes regulations on fast charging, unbundling charging bricks from retail devices, and the introduction of improved labelling -- and it has the potential to make life for gadget enthusiasts in the EU a whole lot simpler. If it works, of course.

The USB-C Charging Mandate Arrives in the EU More | Reply

The USB-C Charging Mandate Arrives in the EU

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  • Unbundling bricks (Score:3)

    by Registered Coward v2 ( 447531 ) on Friday December 27, 2024 @09:48AM (#65042739)
    While that may have an impact on ewaste, it also gives manufacturers a little extra profit since I suspect price won't drop and some % of power adapter sales will be from them.

    • Re:Unbundling bricks (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Luckyo ( 1726890 ) on Friday December 27, 2024 @09:56AM (#65042747)

      Since power adapters are universal (USB PD), you can just buy a generic one.

      • And the bundled chargers are typically not very good

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

          Depends on a brand. Some bundle really awful ones, some bundle decent ones, some bundle actually good ones.

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by dgatwood ( 11270 )

            And some bundle chargers that are awful, but become good if you spend an extra $19 for a three-prong cord. I'm looking at you, Apple.

            Whoever thought that those awful two-prong flip-out plugs were a good idea should be sent to purgatory and forced to use one on a cruise ship with worn out sideways power outlets for a year. Occasionally I was able to get one to make electrical contact, but only rarely. I ended up swapping my cord back and forth between my power supply (MagSafe 3) and my mom's (MagSafe 2)

            • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

              by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

              >Nobody should be using Apple

              Honestly, would've been sufficient :D

              I do like how according to you, Apple treats their customers like cattle with their electric prod. "Bzzt you stupid animal, why haven't you done as we expect you to do and bought a more expensive thingy?"

            • Or perhaps thatâ(TM)s just the crappy N. American electrical standards? Those sockets are also unstable with plug adapters that visitors use. UK, EU and China/Australia donâ(TM)t have these problems. Maybe the higher voltage required better designed sockets and plugs? Our Apple flip-out 20W adapters have always been solid: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/... [apple.com]

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by dgatwood ( 11270 )

                The adapter in your picture has three prongs. The Apple U.S. adapter has two.

                And the EU ones with two pins do result in the same problem with getting a mild shock. I'll grant you that they probably don't have problems with not making a good connection. :-)

                • Right, the UK only allows three prong plugs, even if the earth pin isnâ(TM)t connected, for example, in a double insulated device. This is because the sockets have internal shutters blocking the live and neutral holes that are opened by the longer earth pin going in to the socket first. However, if I put a UK to N. American plug adapter on to that charger, Iâ(TM)m pretty sure it would have exactly the same problem on the cruise ship because itâ(TM)s the crappy socket thatâ(TM)s the pro

          • Nope. I've never seen a bundled charger as good as some of the nicer 3rd party adapters, which usually are capable of charging multiple devices with different charging standards.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

              Absolutely. Bundled chargers are single output chargers.

              If you want a multi-standard, multi-output charger, you'll have to go to charger OEMs and their resellers. Not phone OEMs (other than likes of Xiaomi that actually are OEMs for both).

              But for a single output best compatibility with phone, OEM chargers are often some of the best. I'm reminded of oneplus vooc bundled chargers that actually tended to be better for those phones even after battery got worn down. Third parties tended to charge slower even wit

      • Since power adapters are universal (USB PD), you can just buy a generic one.

        I know, but in my experience a number of users will simply buy one when they buy the phone; whether it's for convenience or simply trust the phone manufacturer to make a quality brick capable of supplying the max charging power. I suspect convenience will be the driver for many buyers, since once you pay ~1000 for a phone ~20 for a brick is small change, if a bit annoying; and they don't want to have to search of a cheaper brick. That's why I said the rule will add a little marginal profit for phone manu

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by kqs ( 1038910 )

          Sure, but everything will be turned into more profit. Must remove chargers? Profit. Must bundle chargers? Bundle a shitty cheap charger and cable that barely works for this device, profit. I remember when every phone had a different port and charger combo. Big profit.

          Don't judge a rule based on whether or not it might generate profit; they will ALL generate profit somehow. Judge it based on the likely effects of the rule. And I for one welcome our USB-c overlords!

          • Sure, but everything will be turned into more profit. Must remove chargers? Profit. Must bundle chargers? Bundle a shitty cheap charger and cable that barely works for this device, profit. I remember when every phone had a different port and charger combo. Big profit.

            Don't judge a rule based on whether or not it might generate profit; they will ALL generate profit somehow. Judge it based on the likely effects of the rule. And I for one welcome our USB-c overlords!

            Not judging the rule, just pointing out it has effects beyond the intended.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Sique ( 173459 )
            Right now, you often don't get the gadgets with a charger, as everyone assumes you already have one at home. And if not, 6,99 at the thrift store buys you one. Main advantage is that whenever you lose your charger or forget to pack it for travel, just get a new one, and be done. I just have a charger in my backpack. and whenever a device needs charging, I have one. Same goes for powerbanks, portable accumulators with USB outlets. Just have a generic one, and you can recharge your device whenever the need ar

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by Teun ( 17872 )
              That's the idea behind the USB-C mandate, any charger will fit all gadgets.
              But of course there are differences in available power so the cheapest will not give you the fasted charging.
              Also, cheapo (Chinese) crap might be dangerous.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by Sique ( 173459 )
                Yes, often they are, but as soon as you burned through some of them, you are left with a handful of chargers which work, and they will do so for the next few years.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

          Absolutely, but then you'll buy your second phone. And you'll no longer think "I need a new charger". You'll think "I don't need a charger, I have a charger with same markings at home".

          That was one of the key goals of this regulation.

          • Way too many USB chargers at home. Kids toys, electric razor,... Almost any gadget is accompanied by a USB charger these days. I think the move to USB was great, but now let's stop selling chargers with everything.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

              Until recently, a lot of these chargers came with wide variety of USB types. I've seen a lot of USB-A, at least one USB-B, Micro-USB used to be common and only recently USB-C is becoming a norm.

              And now its getting standardized on USB-C.

            • I have tons of old USB charger bricks from old phones and tablets at home, but most of them have USB-A plugs.

              That makes the USB-C to USB-C cables that normally come in the box for the device kinda useless, and require me to either get a new charger or a bunch of USB-A and USB-C adapter cables. Either way, Amazon/Apple/Samsung gets their extra sale and we all end up with additional e-waste.

            • Way too many USB chargers at home. Kids toys, electric razor,... Almost any gadget is accompanied by a USB charger these days. I think the move to USB was great, but now let's stop selling chargers with everything

              What was your last purchase that came with a charger? I mean not with a cable, but with a charger?

        • One new year's resolution is to catalogue and then e-recycle my phone chargers. i.e. the half a dozen in various boxes. Yes, I am a hoarder! The one they included with a phone. e-reader, tablet, bluetooth speaker etc.

          Unbundling is a good idea provided that people do their research. Are GaN still the 'good' tech or should I look out for a better spec, I wonder...

          • One new year's resolution is to catalogue and then e-recycle my phone chargers. i.e. the half a dozen in various boxes. Yes, I am a hoarder!

            Same here. I have a large box of various chargers and cables, many of which I have no idea what device they charged or used that cable.

          • I have pulled a bunch of those old 5w chargers out and use them to put Wyze nightlights on various outlets with short USB cables. Now I have a ton of large, higher wattage charges, usually 65 watts, that sit in boxes.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          I prize lower powered chargers now. 500mA is ideal.

          No point stressing the battery with a 30W charge most of the time. 2.5W will get the job done over the timescales I care about, without the heat.

      • Are there any households anywhere that don't have at least five usb power adaptors from previous devices lying around?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

          USB-A, Micro-USB, USB-C.

          That's the other half of the formula. Standardize everything on USB-C and charging spec on USB-PD.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by brunes69 ( 86786 )

      The problem is they continue to bundle in very shitty USB-C cables of questionable quality and specs - some of them have data pins, some do not.. some support fast charging bricks, some do not. Almost all of these end up in the landfill.

      • The problem is they continue to bundle in very shitty USB-C cables of questionable quality and specs - some of them have data pins, some do not.. some support fast charging bricks, some do not. Almost all of these end up in the landfill.

        Which is why the whole notion of "one cable to rule them all" will not be accomplished by this rule; all it ensures is some very low level compatibility.

        • It sounds like you're complaining in that comment. So you'd rather be completely unable to charge because someone decided to make the plug shape differently (despite providing same / similar power) rather than at least getting your device to power up?

          • It sounds like you're complaining in that comment. So you'd rather be completely unable to charge because someone decided to make the plug shape differently (despite providing same / similar power) rather than at least getting your device to power up?

            Not complaining, just commenting. I remember when it first was passed people commenting on how they just will need one cable , when if you read the spec that is not the case. A cable would not even need be capable of charging and still have USB-C spec connectors at each end. It’s a great start but not a panacea.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

              That's not true. The rule is that USB C must be used for charging, and the spec says that USB C cables must at least carry 5V 1.5A minimum. Anything that doesn't do that isn't a USB C cable and doesn't meet the requirement for this mandate.

              I'm any case it's 100x better than it used to be, with hundreds of proprietary bullshit connectors and charging standards. I've been converting older devices to USB C, even stuff like 8 and 16 bit computers and game consoles.

              • That's not true. The rule is that USB C must be used for charging, and the spec says that USB C cables must at least carry 5V 1.5A minimum. Anything that doesn't do that isn't a USB C cable and doesn't meet the requirement for this mandate.

                The spec also allows defines the USB-C connector, which can be used in non-charging applications, per the spec. It's not a USB-C charging cable but the plugs are USB-C compliant; and thus not covered under the EU rule, which only addresses charging cables.

                Harmonization of charging cables is a good idea, but the rule does not ensure every cable is the same in terms of capabilities. Data is still the outlier, and can be confusing to end users when the cable they use to charge doesn't work for data; which get

    • Re:Unbundling bricks (Score:4, Insightful)

      by AvitarX ( 172628 ) <me&brandywinehundred,org> on Friday December 27, 2024 @10:42AM (#65042827) Journal

      Maybe, but I've thrown out at least a dozen crummy bundled chargers. I'll be happy to not receive them anymore.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by vlad30 ( 44644 )
      Interestingly I've moved everything over to wireless charging wherever possible beats plugging cables in especially in the car where the phone connects with bluetooth and wifi for CarPlay. Just put things on the charger and done. Cables are now only for data transfer if needed and for items like Laptops which wireless isn't offered yet

  • I'm not a "gadget enthusiast" and I'm not in the UK, but this has helped me already in my job. Every month I'm seeing less devices come with weird chargers as older devices hit EOL.

    The only downside I see is that there are better connectors, like MagSafe. But if I was really worried about ripping a socket out, I'd get a magnetically detachable USB-C cable. A small cost compared to stocking 5 different kinds of chargers. Also I'm not worried about ripping a socket out with the way I currently use my devices.

  • Recycled 5lbs of lightning cables (Score:4, Informative)

    by BeepBoopBeep ( 7930446 ) on Friday December 27, 2024 @10:26AM (#65042801)
    I moved family of 4 to iPhone 16. Just recycled 5lbs of lightning cables. Itâ(TM)s sick how much waste that one connector created. Apple had usb-c on iPad Pro in 2018. No excuse why they waited until 2023 to finally move to it.

    • Or the reverse: without that regulation, you wouldn't have had to throw out that 5lbs of cables; you could use them with your new equipment instead of having to get all-new cables.

      The e-waste argument was and is the dumbest justification for this regulation.

      • You think that perpetually selling unnecessary chargers is less wasteful than a one-time throwaway of obsolete cables?

      • I didnâ(TM)t buy new cables the iPad and MacBooks been using USB-c since 2018 and 2020. One wire charges them all. One laptop brick charges them all.

      • Re:Recycled 5lbs of lightning cables (Score:5, Insightful)

        by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Friday December 27, 2024 @02:47PM (#65043513) Homepage Journal

        without that regulation, you wouldn't have had to throw out that 5lbs of cables; you could use them with your new equipment instead of having to get all-new cables.

        No, you could not. Lightning was limited by physics to ~43W, and most cables wouldn't deliver even that much.

        The e-waste argument was and is the dumbest justification for this regulation.

        Show that your math is better than the EU's math.

      • If the long-term objective was to make devices that last, to minimize waste and make the most efficient use of the waste that is inevitably generated, then the entire argument as to whether this transition is bad would be mostly a moot point. We'd all know that the transition was purposeful, well-intentioned, and needed, and that the e-waste generated wouldn't be burned in a giant smoldering pit so a guy holding a rag to his face could dig the copper out of the plastic ash with his bare hands.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by drhamad ( 868567 )
      I'd argue this just created a ton of waste. You were formerly able to continue using those cables. Long term maaayyyybe it reduces waste but history tells us that cables are going to change over time regardless. Even if they use a similar design connector doesn't mean they do the same things (just look at the advances in HDMI cables despite the same connector for a couple decades). I'm not anti-this law but I don't see it as really helping much when it comes to waste.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Zocalo ( 252965 )
      That's not all on the connector though. 5lbs is a LOT of cables (even if you include some wall warts), so I'm assuming that this is from multiple generations of phone per person, e.g. it's also the bundling of yet another cable and a new wall wart with every single device instead of having them as an optional extra. While I'm all for standard connectors and only having to have a minimal number of identical cables and a single socket bank with the suitable number of ports on it, the real generator of waste

      • That's not all on the connector though. 5lbs is a LOT of cables (even if you include some wall warts), so I'm assuming that this is from multiple generations of phone per person, e.g. it's also the bundling of yet another cable and a new wall wart with every single device instead of having them as an optional extra. While I'm all for standard connectors and only having to have a minimal number of identical cables and a single socket bank with the suitable number of ports on it, the real generator of waste is the bundled cable and wall wart in every damn box, and that applies to Android phones just as much as it does Apple ones.

        Good cables are heavy. I am careful with my cables, but my wife and kids ARE NOT. We had to buy lifetime warranty cables because the standard ones would only last 2 months between them before the wires were exposed. They have heavier plastic shields and tend to be longer. They're very much worth it to me and the weight adds up.

        However, lightning was a disaster because it was slow and proprietary and nothing but iPhones used it for a long time. I still have lightning on my phone because I take good

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

        It's not just cables, but accessories. I've got Lightning accessories where to replace them would cost hundreds of dollars. Are you telling me this switch was a good idea, because so far costing me the use of the accessory doesn't seem worth it to me.

        I get the idea, but we have to remember the EU mandate was a long time coming - it was introduced when mini-B was the standard in play and we were supposed to all move to mini-B.

        Funny enough, Apple made a mini-B to 30 pin adapter. They also made a micro B to Li

    • > No excuse why they

      Apple loves lock in, proprietary, and control of users.

      That's their brand and reason.

      One can even interpret the mandate to maximize shareholder value to require sociopathic moves like that.

      Steve Jobs read The Innovator's Solution and became wildly successful and even more of an ass.

      • Steve Jobs is dead, he can't hurt you any more. Let it go.

        • Steve Jobs is dead, he can't hurt you any more. Let it go.

          Unfortunately, Jobs' spirit lives on. It will take some serious effort to lay that fucker properly to rest.

    • Re:Recycled 5lbs of lightning cables (Score:5, Interesting)

      by MacMann ( 7518492 ) on Friday December 27, 2024 @01:14PM (#65043281)

      No excuse why they waited until 2023 to finally move to it.

      Maybe because Lightning came to market before USB-C and once people bought up all the cables they needed each family of 4 would be producing 5 pounds of e-waste regardless of them moving to USB-C in 2015 or 2025. Maybe by waiting Apple expected to save people from having to toss out 5 pounds of USB-C e-waste by adopting USB-D or whatever, skipping over USB-C completely.

      I have to wonder if Apple or some other company was working on a new connector that was better than Lightning and USB-C and were only weeks from releasing it, only to have this EU mandate kill this for everyone. Government mandates are rarely beneficial to technological development. We can't know what better options we'd have because government mandate killed any effort to find the support needed to bring it to market. No point in offering anything better if it dies for not meeting government demands.

      There's no optimal solution here. I tossed out a lot of e-waste because Apple abandoned their 30-pin dock connector in moving to Lightning. The switch from mini-B to micro-B produced e-waste. Moving from analog NTSC to digital ATSC created e-waste. Moving from dial-up modems to DSL, then again moving to cable, and again to fiber, all created e-waste. If you want my DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem then you can have it, I haven't tossed it out yet but it does me no good any more.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        How many Lightning cables broke every year and needed replacing? They were not very durable, and seem to have been designed to damage the port as they died.

        Apple is part of the usb implementors' forum, so they knew USB C was only a year or so away. They jumped the gun.

        • Apple is part of the usb implementors' forum, so they knew USB C was only a year or so away. They jumped the gun.

          As members of the USB-IF Apple would have people that knew mini-USB lasted only 7 years before being replaced by micro-USB, and micro-USB was being set up to get replaced by USB-C also in about 7 years. The people at Apple may have been looking for a connector that had more longevity. Apple could not know how popular USB-C could be. It was possible USB-C would end up being a flop right out of the gate. For comparison the Apple 30-pin connector that Lightning replaced was on the market from 2003 to 2016,

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

            If Apple adopted USB C it would have been guaranteed to be at least as popular as Lightning.

            The reason they didn't was likely to prevent cheap USB C peripherals working with the iPhone, or customers expecting them to. Instead they got to pay for overpriced Lightning crap.

            • The reason they didn't was likely to prevent cheap USB C peripherals working with the iPhone

              We know that it was, because of Apple's Lightning cable DRM chip, which is also the chip that managed power delivery and is the reason why the cables couldn't carry a useful current for modern tablets and laptops. The chip is the main reason why Lightning is bad technically, since USB-C connectors also can and do fail.

    • Remember when Apple tried to go all-in on USB-C? Remember when people screamed bloody murder and spent a few years incessantly bitching about it and hating on Apple for doing so? Do you remember Apple capitulating and backtracking on their USB-C transition? Have you noticed that MacBooks are fatter and heavier now and have non USB-C ports again even though USB-C is a perfectly capable replacement, for example, for HDMI? And, for that matter, do you remember when Apple replaced the old 30-pin dock connec

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Teun ( 17872 )

        Remember when people screamed bloody murder and spent a few years incessantly bitching about it and hating on Apple for doing so?

        Yeah, typical Apple fans, if it ain't unique it can't be good.

      • Do you remember Apple capitulating and backtracking on their USB-C transition? Have you noticed that MacBooks are fatter and heavier now and have non USB-C ports again even though USB-C is a perfectly capable replacement, for example, for HDMI?

        USB-C is no replacement for MagSafe, I had to pay $200 to repair a MacBook because a USB-C cable pulled it off my table. Sure, I should have been more careful but accidents happen and this is what made MagSafe so popular to make a return. Also, HDMI is more capable than USB-C for video. The added resolution and frame rate may not appeal to many but the lack of needing a dongle to plug in HDMI displays is certainly popular. I don't have much in first hand experience on what it meant to see the SD slot re

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by antdude ( 79039 )

      Why recycle? Just give to people who still use old devices with lightning cables like my colony!

    • No need to recycle all that kit. There are inexpensive (about $2) Lightning to USB-C adapters widely available that will turn a Lightning cable into a USB-C charging cable. You can also buy USB-A to USB-C cables that will work with older bricks from Apple and and others as well as with USB-A outlets at airports, hotels and other places. This issue is a nothing burger.
  • If it works, of course

    It works. My new iPhone has a USB-C connector.
  • ... of "Bad USB-C cable - horror story" videos that YT was recommending to me of the last few days.

    It seems that there are complexities to the cables about negotiating power- and data delivery that can lead to significant issues. In particular "USB-C extension leads" (USB-C female one end ; male the other end) are a no-no becasue the power-supplying device can only talk to the first cable it encounters, and if the second cable in a chain is physically capable of only a lower power than the first device ...

    • Re:This would probably explain the plethora ... (Score:5, Funny)

      by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Friday December 27, 2024 @11:03AM (#65042889)

      Your first mistake was watching recommended YouTube videos.

      • Disparaging though I normally am of YT, in this case their algorithm did provide me with information I didn't know previously. With a total of 2 USB-C devices (one a phone of some 3 years old - which in itself makes a nothing-burger of this story ; regardless of outrage over "mandates", manufacturers are already choosing the port), I'd never once considered that the cables might be "active" in some way. It seems there are a lot of complications that don't occur in, say, signal conditioning on intrinsically-

        • Cables have been active for a long time now. It's hardly news that things work this way. All USB C cables are provided with both a power and a data rating, and they rather self evidently have to pass that information to the power and data providers which they are connected to or that will quite literally blow up very quickly.

  • Damn! (Score:3)

    by PPH ( 736903 ) on Friday December 27, 2024 @11:07AM (#65042897)

    Now it will take forever to charge my Tesla.

    • CCS2 is the EU standard for car chargers. All electric cars have that, including European Teslas.

    • Re:Damn! (Score:5, Interesting)

      by MacMann ( 7518492 ) on Friday December 27, 2024 @12:58PM (#65043215)

      That reminds me of how I was thinking yesterday how the NACS standard that was introduced with Tesla could find uses outside of charging cars. What brought this to mind yesterday was a YouTube video from the Technology Connections channel on a project he had of putting a NACS port on a portable electric heater. It makes sense after watching the video.

      I expect NACS connectors to be soon found on portable generators, and for more than just an emergency charging of a vehicle. NACS could prove popular as inputs for "house power" on boats, RVs, sleeper cabs on diesel trucks, and likely more I'm missing. Maybe we will see NACS as inputs on homes for backup power so people can plug in their Tesla, hybrid-electric truck, those portable generators I mentioned, or whatever during a power outage.

      USB-C and NACS share the ability to negotiate voltage and current between a "smart" power supply and a "smart" load. Having this capability adds safety and convenience. This assumes both the supply and load are properly designed, that recent Technology Connections video shows how NACS can be abused or tricked to do things that aren't exactly safe. USB-C has certainly been abused to bring many unsafe conditions so that is a shared "feature" also.

      I appreciate the joke, but it reminded me of NACS and how wider adoption of that standard is an improvement.

  • My wife bought a little battery operated vacuum cleaner. Comes with a USB-A cable. Got a travel razor with batteries for Christmas. Comes with a USB-A cable. USB-A is the standard for supplying small devices with power.

    Obviously nobody is throwing their old USB-A devices away. Nobody is throwing their old USB-A chargers and cables away. What will hppen that as devices are sold with USB-C plug, old USB-A cables will be thrown away and replaced with USB-C cables.

    Plus a warning: USB-C charging cables are

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by higuita ( 129722 )

      those usb-a will quickly go away, as they will not be able sell them in Europe anymore... and it is more expensive to have multiple connectors.
      of course, they will probably sell any usb-a stock to asia/america and then new ones will be usb-c... anything online still being usb-A will probably be very-cheap/low quality, that don't even care about following the law... so a good hint on NOT to buy that junk

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bn-7bc ( 909819 )
      I assume you are not in the EU then, or that the manufacturer wanted to get old stock out before 2025-12-28, when those devices could no linger be sold here (ref directive 2002/2380 [europa.eu])

    • My USB C charging and data cables handle 140 watts, and are perfectly compatible with charging everything I have which is USB C. They can also power my soldering iron without issue.

      There is no such thing as a generic USB C cable. Each and every one has both a power and a data rating, and some will have high ratings for both. Indeed, watch out what you buy, but don't stop at the header. Read what the cable actually can do.

  • ...to prevent people from attaching standards-based hardware (ie usb storage) from their hardware.

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