Are USB-C Chargers Interchangeable?
- Thread starter Spymaster
- Start date
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Yes and no. Some won't deliver as much power as others. I can charge my phone with all of mine. Some laptop warns me they don't deliver enough power, some it won't charge it at all.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
But I won't damage my Dell laptop by plugging an iPhone charger into it?
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
No. Maybe be wary of very cheap ones, but Apple to Dell I'd have no qualms about.
Ted Striker
Foot's on the other hand
There are 2 key cohorts of USB-C from a power perspective, those with Power Delivery (PD), and those without. PD is a meatier charging delivery that has enough to power laptops (and other demanding devices), and to faster charge phones.
Also PD's have different rating (starting at 20w, up to 140w and beyond). Generally your laptop will need a minimum PD rating or else it won't have enough oomph to charge it (or it might only charge when the laptop is turned off). Dell are notoriously shits at this, but pretending (and nagging you with pop-ups) they won't charge on a 65W PD USB-C charger (but they might, and generally do).
If your cable ever has the 'old'/fat style USB-A connector (i.e. USB-a to USB-c), it won't be Power Delivery. PD only ever comes direct from a plug or a plug (or some devices) with a USB-C PD output (i.e; usb-c to usb-c)
Also PD's have different rating (starting at 20w, up to 140w and beyond). Generally your laptop will need a minimum PD rating or else it won't have enough oomph to charge it (or it might only charge when the laptop is turned off). Dell are notoriously shits at this, but pretending (and nagging you with pop-ups) they won't charge on a 65W PD USB-C charger (but they might, and generally do).
If your cable ever has the 'old'/fat style USB-A connector (i.e. USB-a to USB-c), it won't be Power Delivery. PD only ever comes direct from a plug or a plug (or some devices) with a USB-C PD output (i.e; usb-c to usb-c)
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Or refusing to start with one, but disconnect it whilst you turn it on and then reconnect and you get the warning and it charges fine.
Chz
Stark Raving Sane
So long as the charger is name brand stuff you're sure of the origin of it.
I had a "Dell" charger off Amazon that blew up two laptops. When I went to get a refund, the seller had already been delisted for selling fake gear. So I could get the price of the charger back off Amazon, but not much recourse for the laptops. (fortunately one was work's problem, and the other was under Dell Premium support who don't ask questions)
Chz
Stark Raving Sane
"iQ" is a fast charging standard. Of which there were many before USB-PD became the last man standing. Devices that support "iQ" will charge at up to 18W, tops.
lazythursday
Well-Known Member
I have a few different devices (a vape, and a shaver) that obstinately refuse to work with all my USB-C cables except for the one they came with (little flimsy things). I have no idea why.
Thanks. This is probably a stupid question but how do I know how many watts my phone can take from a charger. I know it can't take too many as that's how USB works (or so I believe). Probably a false impression but my Pixel phones seem happier with an oldish Pixel charger than the latest second generation one.
That's definitely true for data transfer in my experience.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
I'd google the spec of the phone. My phone takes 22w so shouldn't matter if I use a 22w or 45w.
I checked, both are 18w which explains why there is no change with the more modern Pixel charger. Thanks for the advice.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
So it's ok to use a higher watt charger than the device needs? It won't blow it up?
I assume a lower wattage will just charge it much more slowly or not at all?
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
That's correct. It will just take the power it needs.
kalmatthew
Lurker Extrodinaire
Also if its multiport remember the charger power is total not each port. I have a 65W travel charger that could charge my old work laptop as long as it was the only thing being charged as soon as you plug in a phone it wouldn't charge. Some chargers give certain ports priority and often use a picture of a laptop to show the high power port.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
Another question.
Laptop chargers have a kettle lead that plus into a box, from which the USB-C lead goes to the computer.
The iPhone charger has no such box. It's simply the USB plug into the mains from which the USB - USBC cable goes to the device.
What's that box for and why doesn't the iPhone charger need one if the laptop charger does?
Laptop chargers have a kettle lead that plus into a box, from which the USB-C lead goes to the computer.
The iPhone charger has no such box. It's simply the USB plug into the mains from which the USB - USBC cable goes to the device.
What's that box for and why doesn't the iPhone charger need one if the laptop charger does?
Some modern laptop chargers now look like largish phone chargers, the box and kettle lead types you mentioned look more 'solid' however IMO.
Chz
Stark Raving Sane
The box is a transformer and AC->DC converter. It probably doesn't need to be quite the size it is for the measly 65W (most of them are that) it outputs, but it lets them standardise on having one cable+box and several dozen cables that attach to that for every plug standard in the world. Most phones draw little enough power that all of this tech sits in the plug itself. You'll notice the laptop's wall plug has enough space for the wires and prongs and that's it. The phone plug will be chunkier.
On little things that won't charge off high-powered chargers: Yes, this is a thing. Yes, this sucks. These things are basically designed for standard USB charging and have a -C port thrown on them because it's "modern". A high powered USB-C charger needs to negotiate Power Delivery so that it doesn't fry the thing that's plugged into it. These old devices get the PD connection and don't know what to do with it. The charger gets no answer, so it sends no current. Older chargers would default to the USB minimum (2.5W), which is all these sorts of devices need really.
Edit: General rule is USB-A to C will charge them (18W max, 2.5W min), but USB-C to C won't (100+W max, but 0W min)
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Ahem.
www.urban75.net
The USB "standard" is decending into chaos
The consortium is merging Thunderbolt into USB 4 which is due at some point. In the meantime, they have also renamed USB 3.1 to USB 3.2 Gen 1 (SuperSpeed USB) - 5Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1×2 (SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbit/s) - 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 (SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbit/s) 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2×2...
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UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
Spymaster should try and charge his laptop with a 3kW lead and report back. He could get advice from gentlegreen on adapting the wiring to fit the laptop charger port.Well no. It wouldn't fit.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
I vaguely recall once having someone come to my office at work with a laptop that used a figure of eight plug for DC and had got the cables mixed up ...
I'm dead cautious about such things and especially dislike charger sockets built into mains sockets...
I follow some electronics channels where they strip down cheap USB chargers and they're often very scary indeed
I'm dead cautious about such things and especially dislike charger sockets built into mains sockets...
I follow some electronics channels where they strip down cheap USB chargers and they're often very scary indeed
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
It's a kettle lead!
Although it occurred to me the other day that the younger folks I work with have probably never seen a kettle with a lead like this.
Although it occurred to me the other day that the younger folks I work with have probably never seen a kettle with a lead like this.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
What kind of leads do young people’s kettles have on them?
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