#MACBOOK USB C CHARGING CORD UPDATE#

Here's a look at some of the best USB C accessories I've been testing, which I'll update periodically. The 20 iPad Pro models use USB-C, so perhaps future Apple products will be able to benefit from USB-C ubiquity, but Apple didn't make the jump with its iPhone 11 or iPhone SE.įor those who want to be part of the future, USB-C (formally called USB Type-C) accessories can help you make the switch from old-style USB Type-A. Airports, airplanes, hotels, cars and other charging locations rarely offer USB-C charging ports, so there you'll need your charger and a power plug.Īnd iPhones and most iPads still use Apple's proprietary Lightning connector. Older or cheaper devices often use older USB connectors, so we're still a long way from one universal port. There are still problems moving from the earlier rectangular USB-A ports on PCs for two decades and from the smaller USB Micro B ports. Its biggest advantage: much smaller chargers. With older USB devices, charging was a convenient afterthought useful only for phones, but the USB Power Delivery technology - you'll often see 'PD' on accessory boxes and port labeling - can reach up to 100 watts, enough for high-end laptops.Īnother acronym to learn is GaN, short for the gallium arsenide chipmaking technology used in power electronics.

'USB-C is a truly universal connector for data, power and video, and it works across all device platforms from Mac to PC, iOS to Android, smartphone to computers,' said Sanho Chief Executive Daniel Chin, whose company has aggressively pushed to take advantage of USB-C with a range of power and data accessories.Īnother big USB-C benefit is that more powerful devices, like a laptop, can charge smaller ones like a smartphone, giving you a juice boost to bail you out when you can't find a power plug. If you're on the go, you can move your laptop charging cable over to your phone and back to keep both devices' batteries topped up. No more do you need lots of different chargers for lots of different devices (goodbye, Micro-USB!). That means one charger or one battery pack can be useful in a multitude of circumstances.

#MACBOOK USB C CHARGING CORD PORTABLE#

Increasingly, it can charge things like Bluetooth wireless earbuds, mice, Nintendo game controllers and MiFi portable hotspots. The biggest reason is that USB-C can charge both your phone and your laptop - at least if you have an Apple MacBook, Google Chromebook Pixel, or a higher-end model from Dell and HP.

But the updated design is leading to a profusion of new products to charge your gadgets. The move from old-style USB ports to the newer USB-C has had its share of growing pains.

Macbook usb c charging cord