USB-C cables with magnetic connectors are a hard no

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  • Опубліковано 6 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 86

  • @nazovni
    @nazovni День тому +49

    So, this video is not about why magnetic cables are bad in principle, but about why these particular cables (or maybe all cheap chinese ones) are bad. But what would it take to design a good magnetic connection for USB-C? Will we see an official "Type M" next generation USB standard any time soon?

    • @kopasz777
      @kopasz777 День тому +17

      You would still be exposing your phone (or device with the magnetic bit) to ESD, as explained at 8:20.

    • @laurensweyn
      @laurensweyn День тому +17

      ​@kopasz777 If it's an official standard connector, they can enforce ESD and short circuit protection measures that must be present to be compliant.
      Apple's Magsafe works just fine, I don't see why a proper universal magnetic connector couldn't be possible.

    • @SpeedyGwen
      @SpeedyGwen День тому +2

      I always Dreamed of that, I would actually love if it was a standard for at least controllers and phones and portable devices, easy to connect and it wont break a port or a cable if u violently yank on it

    • @kopasz777
      @kopasz777 День тому +3

      @@laurensweyn "If it's an official standard connector..."
      If my dragon is red...
      If there was a new revision of USB with similar connector, how would you ensure backwards compatibility (ESD-wise in this case) like all other USB revisions have done so far?
      You would have devices with current connectors and shady USB-C to "USB-M" adapters that expose their data pins.
      Apple can do whatever they see fit, because they are vertically integrated and don't license their tech.

    • @duniek86
      @duniek86 20 годин тому +1

      I used to order cables from aliexpress bcoz they are cheap, I always go with BRANDED ones, not cheapest, baseus for example or other. Every usb A/C/lightning cable (8-10) which i bought failed in 1year.
      After that I bought 6 different cables but directly from baseus store. 2years goes by and everything still works

  • @SergTTL
    @SergTTL 21 годину тому +5

    The video title is very misleading, not all USB-C magnetic cables are bad.
    The two-contact magnetic cables (with magnet ring and a center pin) are quite awesome for tech-savvy people who value their comfort and don't need fast charging.
    I use them extensively for many years and I have those magnetic plugs in all my usb-chargeable devices at home, tens of them, it's super convenient.

  • @196cupcake
    @196cupcake День тому +7

    I used a USB-C magnetic connector adapter to charge my laptop. It worked for a few years but then I noticed it was getting hot often so I stopped using it. I really like the idea of magnetic connectors but I just don't think it works very well. The use case with a lot of value - like in a coffee shop - isn't much of an issue for me these days too.

  • @xorsyst1
    @xorsyst1 День тому +5

    I've used this style of cable for years - one great advantage is they keep dust out of the phone connector. But now you've got me thinking about whether it's a good idea or not :-D

    • @0v3rcl0ked4
      @0v3rcl0ked4 День тому

      I had magnetic cables with a connector similar to the purple cable in the video. I used them for micro usb devices since that port is hell on earth.
      It did keep the dust out and was working very good but it was a no no on the phone because if you drop your phone you risk breaking the magnet. I had 3 magnets break inside the phone connector and it is a pain to remove.

  • @jhbange
    @jhbange День тому +10

    I don't understand your fear of static discharge into the exposed magnetic connector on a phone. Static electricity wants to go to ground. How much ground potential does an UNPLUGGED phone have?

    • @ЯСуперСтар
      @ЯСуперСтар 11 годин тому +2

      Wrong. Static electricity is attracted to a different potential, not the ground in particular. And the current depends on the capacitor value between the two. It's still very unlikely but not impossible to fry a phone like that.

  • @-_o_o_-
    @-_o_o_- 41 хвилина тому

    I'm addicted to these cables. Despite the fact that they burn out charging ports and data transmission lines (damaging the ports on my phone, tablet, and power bank) and last no more than a year, it's impossible to give them up. They're just too convenient with their 360°+180° rotation and 2-meter length. Paired with a compact 8-port GaN charger, these cables make an unbeatable combo! By the way, the ones labeled as 65W are identical (both physically and chip-wise) to those labeled as 100W (at least when it comes to the Aufu brand on AliExpress). So, don't overpay.

  • @steffenstorli9327
    @steffenstorli9327 День тому +9

    Would have been interesting to have you tested this USB-C magnetic cable (Volta MAX 240W Cable All-in-1 Universal Magnetic Cable for ALL Apple Lightning, Micro USB, & USB-C Devices | USB 3.2 | 20Gbps Data | 4K Display | Thunderbolt)
    If this delivers up to expectations. it's a New Release then there's still a bit of a shipping issue.
    Different design on the magnet bit so there shouldn't be a problem with it exposing your phone (or device with the magnetic bit)

    • @quiescentcurrent
      @quiescentcurrent  День тому +3

      That would indeed be interesting, can you send me a link directly?

    • @steffenstorli9327
      @steffenstorli9327 День тому +2

      @quiescentcurrent Hi, sent you an email with a link.

    • @quiescentcurrent
      @quiescentcurrent  20 годин тому +2

      @@steffenstorli9327 Ordered the cable, thanks a bunch!

  • @geofrancis2001
    @geofrancis2001 День тому +2

    I use the non rotating cables for my laptop and it works fine, you must have got a faulty cable. the rotating connectors dont like high power but they are good for things like headphones.

  • @ka6989
    @ka6989 День тому +1

    I have been using magnetic cables (brand PZOZ) from China for over 3 years. I'm very happy with them. They claim 5A charging, don't know if it is true but the phone shows "Turbo" speed for charging when connected to a 33 Watt charger. And unlike the round cable design, there is no way of contacting the pins on the adapter.

  • @JessicaFEREM
    @JessicaFEREM День тому +8

    I only use these magnetic chargers with devices that use at most 10w or less, and I'd be connecting and disconnecting them repeatedly all the time with a danger of breaking the port if they're extra fragile, especially for MicroUSBs. I wouldn't dare use one of those even for something like my phone or laptop or if I was heavily reliant on a solid connection.
    Also the magnets themselves usually count as a pin. I have a "power only" model that only has a single middle pin.
    But also I would never buy a cable that so blatantly lies about the current like this one because it'll probably destroy crap.

    • @SmallSpoonBrigade
      @SmallSpoonBrigade День тому +1

      You can do it for pretty much any cable that has a USB A end on it. They max out at under 10w. If you want or need more, you have to use a USB C to USB C cable as those can negotiate more power.

  • @christianrottler
    @christianrottler 21 годину тому

    I bought a magnetic USB-C cable rated at 15 watts in Korea. Works a treat and I wouldn't dare using it with any more power than that. 240 watts is outrageous!
    Okay, the ESD might kill some devices..

  • @melgross
    @melgross 22 години тому

    Apple’s MagSafe connectors work very well. There’s no reason a similar connector for USB shouldn’t work as well, if it’s properly designed.

  • @simosagimain
    @simosagimain День тому +1

    Another annoying "feature" of magnetic cables is there is apparently no standard for the magnetic connector. Once I bought a USB-C angled adapter with magnetic connector on the plug side (using a multipin connector like the 2nd example in the video) and it was working ok. (*)
    Later I tried to buy a few more magnetic "heads" for the same adapter, but even selecting the same Aliexpress brand/maker, with connectors rated at same power, and although in picture they looked similar, they actually don't mate with the fixed part, as even the magnetic polarity is wrong.
    For curiosity I bought a few more adapters/cables and I noticed that crossing parts between different items almost never works.
    (*) It's for charging a tablet near a couch, so the convenience of the magnetic connector is that if the cable is accidentally yanked it's the magnetic connection that drops instead of exerting strain (possibly damaging) on the device USB.

    • @markifi
      @markifi 19 годин тому

      i fried a hard drive enclosure once by using a magnetic micro usb cable with another one's head from a different seller. they looked identical, so i thought they are compatible, but they werent. no harm to the hard drive though, so it wasn't an expensive lesson. things that look identical may not be

  • @VEC7ORlt
    @VEC7ORlt День тому +2

    Whats with the mittens anyway?

    • @MarkMichalowski
      @MarkMichalowski День тому +1

      Bionic hands!!!

    • @55jeb
      @55jeb День тому +3

      He talks about it in the video. They're ESD gloves.

    • @VEC7ORlt
      @VEC7ORlt День тому +1

      @@55jeb so that cables don't get accidentally zapped? wat?

    • @55jeb
      @55jeb День тому

      @@VEC7ORlt So that electric discharge from his hands does not damage his phone through the exposed contacts on the adapter.

    • @markifi
      @markifi 19 годин тому +3

      it's so people don't copy and print the fingerprint to access his phone. i made that up

  • @gblargg
    @gblargg 9 годин тому

    You'll only pry my magnetic connectors from my cold, dead hands. Never going back to plug-in for my main devices.
    I've gotten a lot of magnetic cables over the past year. I've tried 2-pin, 7-pin, 9-pin, and 24-pin. I've settled on 2-pin for everyday devices I charge at lower currents (5W and lower). They're cheap and work fine. I've gotten a number of 9-pin, which are good for USB 2.0 data. I use them for keyboards, portable cameras, and on some phones (they can do OTG). They're round like the 2-pin so easy to put on and take off at any angle. The 24-pin connectors handle every USB-C pin, but aren't round so harder to mate and take off. These can handle more power due to more pin connections. I use these for USB 3+ devices. I only use magnetic where I wand connection to be a breeze (charging things, devices I connect occasionally). I also use them to protect the ports from yanked cables. The ones with swivel ends are also very convenient to turn the proper direction no matter which way the cord goes, which makes charging easier wherever the device is placed.
    I don't use them for PD charging; I charge everything slowly, 5W at most. The cables tend to have thin power wires so will have significant voltage drop at many amps.

  • @Chickenbreadlp
    @Chickenbreadlp День тому +2

    I've seen at least one other style of magnetic USB-C cables before, which is the style used by the name-brand "Volta" as well as the Amazon no-name brand "NetDot". They also have an oval shape like the purple cable you showed here, but they use a different connector style inside:
    It features what almost looks like a heavily shortened USB-C connector, but with only 5 pins either side on the magnetic phone bit, with spring-pins guarded by a plastic rim on the cable side.
    Would be interesting to see if those fair any better, tho I haven't seen that style of magnetic cable with a USB-C plug on both sides...

    • @quiescentcurrent
      @quiescentcurrent  День тому +2

      Definitely, could you send me a link where to buy one?

    • @jruiz581
      @jruiz581 День тому

      I used Volta cables for a while. Many of them.Stopped using them all because they were unreliable and very expensive. Great idea in concept, but not ready for prime time at this point.

    • @Chickenbreadlp
      @Chickenbreadlp День тому

      @quiescentcurrent Sure ^^
      I don't know if sending links here in the comments is fine (had comments blocked many times for that) so would sending it to the E-Mail in your profile work?

    • @jruiz581
      @jruiz581 День тому

      Sure thing

  • @goldfishlaser
    @goldfishlaser 20 годин тому

    Interesting. I watched this to see if there was something I needed to know when making BusKill cords.
    Wish I had that cool cord tester thing.

  • @2ndAttemptPOG
    @2ndAttemptPOG День тому +1

    What about those Magnetic USB C adaptors (one female and one male) that you can add on any USB C cable? Been using one for my steamdeck on my dock and it has been solid for over a year.
    The only concern would be that I think USB2 won't work one way or something.

  • @krimke881
    @krimke881 22 години тому

    So how can NOT actually testing the cable, proving what it IS capable of, help?????

  • @uhtredthebold2
    @uhtredthebold2 День тому

    My mum loves these to keep the dust out of her phone usb port and she has bought me a few over the years.
    I disliked them from the start because they charge slowly and the magnet isn't that strong so if you move the device you're charging it disconnects.
    The interchangable heads get lost so easily and they just sat in my drawer for many years until i found one use case for them in my lego mils plate with integrated powerbank for lights
    The cables allow me to charge the power bank by feeding the cable through a small hole in the plate which snaps to the connector which is permanently installed in the power bank

  • @SpeedyGwen
    @SpeedyGwen День тому +1

    I was actually going to buy some magnetic conectors like those so to never wear down the plug of things like my controller and my phone and my console so I would never have to fix something not ment to be fixed, but from my experience, I Never had a USB C cable or port break, tho I was thinking of buying a USB C cable with a magnetic conector and an USB C extention cable for charging my vr headset while playing as I need something which is like 3 metter long and at least does 30W charging minimum and wont break when tangled or violentely yanked at or ripped off (especially for vr, its why I usually prefer taking a break instead of playing with a cable conected)
    when I saw the magsafe cable of apple laptops long ago as a kid, I was wondering why it didnt became a standard for cables, imagine cables that u cant break from ripping away from devices, cables easy to just magnetically connect without any issues, I Really wish it became a standard

  • @LucaOlivetti
    @LucaOlivetti День тому +2

    Interesting, I must have been very lucky then with my magnetic cables (similar to the second one but a different brand) which I've been using for the last 3 years to charge, transfer data, android auto and to flash custom roms with adb sideload.

  • @alexjohnson4270
    @alexjohnson4270 День тому +3

    Could your device detect a "spy" cables with malware embedded, like Snowden awareness?

  • @renakunisaki
    @renakunisaki День тому

    Damn, I really like the concept and the LED. Sucks they're no good. Is there any way to know if the cable is legit before buying it? Or are they going to be just like flash drives where even seemingly legit ones lie about their capacity and it's difficult to find one that's any good?

  • @paulstubbs7678
    @paulstubbs7678 День тому +2

    The cable with the rotating end were advertised like crazy on UA-cam the other year, and they are a scam! kind of makes ad's on UA-cam useless, who can trust them.

    • @SpeedyGwen
      @SpeedyGwen День тому +1

      tbh, I'll still buy that cable for the practicality even if I use a slow charger and no data transfer, its something I still want

    • @SmallSpoonBrigade
      @SmallSpoonBrigade День тому

      @@SpeedyGwen TBH, fast charging tends to destroy batteries and is left reserved for times when you really need to charge last minute. Personally, the magnetic charging cables I use have a USB A side on one end, which does slow them down quite a bit over what I could get with a USB C to C cable, but it's still plenty fast enough. If I run out of time, I've also got a battery pack I can bring with me that can charge the phone more than once.

  • @piciu256
    @piciu256 День тому

    I mean, yes the adapter itself lives a relatively short life, and technically does expose the phone to esd, but the adapter itself is cheap and easy to replace, while preventing the phone from damage by for example inserting a connector in dusty environment, plus its super convenient that the cable snaps on by itself. I've been using the oval type for 2 years now, in thag time I've gone through 3 adapters (all of them endex up falling apart from hitting the ground most likely) and one cable. I paid 10$ per set, much better than having to replace the connector inside the phone, much less hassle, plus I have no regrets cocxenting and disconnecting the charger 20 times a day, even for 5 minutes at a time. My cable does work at usb 3 speeds, it has all the data pins, I've been using it like that from time to time, but it feels king of sketchy when transferring large files obviously, as in the phone has to lie uninterrupted, unless you want to risk losing the connection.

    • @piciu256
      @piciu256 День тому

      Oh, my phone uses 30W at most, and the connector does get hot to the touch, so I doubt it could handle the advertised 60W very well, but it should technically work, since hot to the touch is not really that high for electronics.

    • @piciu256
      @piciu256 День тому

      I actually have the exact purple cable you tested last I believe

  • @a11aaa11a
    @a11aaa11a День тому

    Is there just theory here or actual evidence that the esd risk is real?

    • @jhbange
      @jhbange 23 години тому

      Static electricity jumping into an ungrounded phone wrapped in a rubber case? No, he just doesn't really understand how electricity works.

  • @wdheideman
    @wdheideman 15 годин тому

    If you redo this testing with cables from amazon instead of aliexpress it would be more useful and general in application. As is, it just tells us cheap aliexpress cables are trash, not that magnetc ones are trash. I use good magnetic cables and they have worked great for me for a very long time. I use them because constantly plugging and unplugging USB-c cables on my phone eventually broke the socket and I could no longer charge my phone.

  • @knghtbrd
    @knghtbrd День тому

    These cables are awful. I had a phone with a magnetic USB-C jack that was really nice, it was just a normal USB-C jack but it would let go of the cable in the event of a hard tug because it was held in place with a magnet. Otherwise it was a normal USB-C. These are a totally different animal though.

  • @ketas
    @ketas День тому

    i use 5v only ones for my devices. no visible esd damage yet. might be vcc being more durable on that. i bet they would have diodes there. 5v, so only ring and one pin. i have found silicone ones best. they do have blue leds but i burned them out on purpose. most of them don't blow up on 230v. note they don't break on lower voltages. i think breaking port is more likely than actual esd damage on power pins. or reverse polarity or so. it's sad that actual magnetic cables pretty much doesn't exist. as if everyone is hellbent on them to break. because everyone uses things connected. very likely laptops, but phones too. proper staged esd protected thing would be nice. most good laptops have power socket on pigtail inside because everyone uses them while connected and they break. with usb-c this got worse. we need this durability. noone buys new device a year and have it broken at port. one of reasons i can afford those esd risky cables because they are all used devices. imagine being phoneless if just one breaks. i could just take my alternate and use that instead. that still doesn't fix the stupid ports. batteries don't last for continuous use, so you plug in mains or bank. but then your device is soon fucked. damn

  • @JohnW118
    @JohnW118 День тому +4

    Never buy sketchy cables. Stick to namebrand only.
    Don't find a new 'feature' you desire? Then that 'feature' is a fake or detrimental so that name brand manufacturers wouldn't build it.

    • @cbs1710
      @cbs1710 День тому

      I'll do you one further:
      Never buy cables. Make your own.

    • @SmallSpoonBrigade
      @SmallSpoonBrigade День тому

      TBH, there's no particular guarantee that the name ones are any better. Amazon tosses all of the cables from multiple stores into the same bin, if they don't pay for their own. What this video tells me, is that I probably want to get a proper setup that can test the wiring and the resistance for anything that is drawing a lot of power. It hasn't been a problem for me because I don't generally use USB C to C cables, I usually use USB A to C cables and the maximum power provided by the port is quite low.

  • @markifi
    @markifi 19 годин тому

    oh no, i like Usilon

  • @John-vz1wq
    @John-vz1wq День тому

    I learned a lot today--that all interesting titles are not all are interesting.

  • @ABaumstumpf
    @ABaumstumpf День тому

    Well - Aliexpres is for when you want it cheap, not for quality (and no, Amazon also is NOT for quality - just high prices and getting it fast).
    basically Any electronics you can find and Ali lies about its capabilities (again - same on Temu or Amazon). And no - they did not put in an e-marker that is designed for a higher cable - they are specifically made to show false values. And if your phone breaks from ESD on the charging-port .... yeah no, that is the phones fault.
    This while video is like "i have this gadget and that is as far as the video goes".
    No actual tests, no measurements, just speculations.

    • @renakunisaki
      @renakunisaki День тому

      Did you watch the video? There are tests and measurements.

  • @Reiv311
    @Reiv311 День тому +3

    Video might be interesting but it should be like 3 min long, NOT 12 min 🤦‍♂🤦‍♂

  • @LawpickingLocksmith
    @LawpickingLocksmith День тому +4

    nearly 12 minutes wasted! I have been using magnetic charge cables for many years! A bit of cleaning at times but so many charge ports saved! Always buy them from ebay, never had an issue!

    • @ABaumstumpf
      @ABaumstumpf День тому

      ebay has just as many bad products and most likely whatever you got there is just as much a scam. These cables in the video work just fine for charging.
      But if you want products that actually can do what they claim to do - you need to go to a reputable electronics vendor directly.

    • @SmallSpoonBrigade
      @SmallSpoonBrigade День тому

      @@ABaumstumpf It all depends what you're wanting to do, the ones I've got off of eBay work more or less just as well as the variety without the magnetic connector. But, then again, I stick to the ones that have a USB A end, and I specifically don't want anything that pushes the maximum amount of juice that the device can handle. Most of the stuff I use these on can wait to be charged and even the things that may not be able to, I've got multiple battery packs and charging ports in the car to allow for me to keep charging as I go.
      Really, what this video tells me is that I probably should pull the trigger on a testing kit to verify that the cables are adequate for my needs. But, then again virtually any are as I'm not really asking much of them.

    • @ABaumstumpf
      @ABaumstumpf День тому

      @@SmallSpoonBrigade Yeah - i have a punch of cheap cables, including with magnetic connectors, that i rarely use but they are more than enough for what i use them for.
      I do not fast-charge my phone (i dont want to destroy my battery) and at just 5V 1A those cables are more than good enough. And why pay 20€ for a cable when the 3€ one does the job just fine?
      My comment was more about ebay (or as others mentioned amazon): There you basically get the same stuff. Some might be good, others might even be worse than the ones in the video. If you actually need quality then these places must not be used.

  • @clipblocks
    @clipblocks 8 днів тому +1

    Was this video set to January 6th by accident?

    • @quiescentcurrent
      @quiescentcurrent  8 днів тому +7

      Yeah, I'm from Europe so 6.1 is no special date over here ;)

    • @clipblocks
      @clipblocks 7 днів тому

      @quiescentcurrent ok

    • @mattstroker
      @mattstroker 2 дні тому +1

      It isn't in America either.

    • @clipblocks
      @clipblocks 2 дні тому

      @quiescentcurrent me too and i dont know why it would be a special date

    • @JohnW118
      @JohnW118 День тому

      @@clipblocks 2020 American coup attempt by Donald Trump and his armed MAGA crazies.