Testing nine micro USB cables. As I understand it. Magnetic cable - convenient charging of any smartphone

Are all micro-USB cables the same? Why can prices vary several times? Which cable is better to buy? I will try to answer these questions with practical examples and experiments.

This article is dedicated to ordinary consumers who are familiar with physics as part of the school curriculum. But the test results may also be of interest to advanced users.

If you have an Apple device and you think that this does not concern you, and the tent is not for you, then you are very mistaken. At the end you will read why.

In most cases, the data transfer speed via micro-USB cable is not satisfactory. But with charging devices the situation is a little more complicated.

Let's first get to know how the process of charging mobile devices works.

Eat Charger, which can produce current with a certain voltage and a certain strength. Usually this is a USB charger that produces a current with a voltage of 5 V (there are also technologies fast charging with increased voltage, but we will not touch on them). The current strength (sometimes they simply indicate the charging power) can be different for each charger. For example, with one device there will be a charger with a maximum current of 1 A, and with another 2.5 A. Naturally, if the device cannot consume a current of more than 1 A, then no matter what kind of charging you connect - 1 A or 100 A , there will be no difference.

Eat mobile device: smartphone, tablet, watch, etc. that need to be charged. The mobile device has a battery and a charge controller. The charge controller regulates, using its algorithms, the strength of the current consumed.

The charger and the mobile device are connected to each other by a cable. In our case micro-USB. There are a huge number of offers on the market. Thousands of models from famous and unknown brands. Cables can be bought at a kiosk near your home, at a communication store, in a large shopping center, on the Internet, just anywhere. A strange situation arises with cables. With one cable, the device charges faster than with the other, under equal conditions. In some cases, the differences can be several times greater. This is mainly due to the resistance of the cable power lines.

To make things clearer, let’s get straight to the practical test.

Our tools will be:

2.5 ohm resistor (5 V, 2 A)

USB tester Keweisi
Adapter micro-USB (female) - USB A (female)
Xiaomi battery pack 5000 mAh and samsung smartphone Galaxy S5, which I borrowed from my wife
Charger Tronsmart TS-UC5PC. I would like to make a special mention of this device. There are disassemblies of this device on specialized sites. This is simply an amazing memory. I bought it a couple of months ago at a discounted price, replaced my excellent ORICO charger (they also have excellent chargers), because... I needed a port that supports Quick Charge 2.0. TS-UC5PC has 5 independent channels. 4 of which are with VoltIQ technology (in fact, this is just a “smart binding” of Data contacts to activate fast charging of any devices with such support, including Apple, a number of Samsung, etc.), and 1 with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0. This port is capable of outputting voltages of 5 V, 9 V and 12 V. The charger can easily withstand a load of 2 A simultaneously on all 5 ports, I personally checked this with resistors, with a very slight voltage drop. According to the specification, the device can withstand 2.4 A per channel.

We will test in two stages. The first stage is to check the power drop at the end of the cable using a resistor. The second stage - let's check the current strength that the smartphone will consume Samsung Galaxy S5 and Xiaomi battery pack while charging.

Our artists:

Cable LG, 120 cm - we will denote it LG1. Comes complete with many devices of the same name and is sold separately. Marked on the cable as 20 AWG for power lines. Thick and very tight. It costs from $2 to $3 on eBay and Aliexpress, but offline I’ve seen it for 300 and 500 rubles.

Cable Tronsmart, 180 cm - we will denote it TR1. It comes complete with some chargers of the same name, and is also sold separately in packages of several pieces. Thick and very tight. Costs about $2 (based on one cable) on Aliexpress and similar sites.

Cable Sony EC803, 100 cm - we will denote it SO1. Comes complete with some devices of the same name and is sold separately. Medium thickness, tight. Costs about $2.

Cable Sony EC801, 100 cm - we will denote it SO2. Comes complete with some devices of the same name and is sold separately. Medium thickness, tight. Costs about $2.

Cable Sony EC450, 100 cm - we will denote it SO3. It once came bundled with some devices of the same name. Thick and tight, with ferrite rings. Rarely found on sale.

Battery pack cable Xiaomi, 22 cm - we will denote it XI1. Comes complete with battery packs. Flat, flexible. Appearance not very impressive, because... he is already a year and a half old.

Noname cable - let's call it QC1, 200 cm. This cable is sold only by one seller YourCharger on eBay (aka YourCable). Perhaps they produce it. The Data contacts are already closed, the cable is for charging only. Medium thickness, flexible. This is a universal cable for activating fast charging (if supported by the device) on any charger. The same seller has similar cables for 3 and 5 meters, both micro-USB and Lightning (for Apple devices). Prices are above average.

Noname cable - let's call it QC2, 65-180 cm, “spring”. The seller and manufacturer are the same as the previous cable. The Data contacts are already closed, the cable is for charging only. Medium thickness, flexible.

Cable ASUS- we’ll call it AS1, 100 cm. It comes bundled with some ASUS devices (in this particular case, Nexus 7 2013), and is sold separately. Medium thickness, flexible.

Noname cable - let's call it QC3, 40 cm. Sold in the Fasttech store. There is a 18 AWG marking on the cable. Medium thickness. The Data contacts are already closed, the cable is for charging only. It is indecently cheap - about $1.

And now the purebred strays (or cables from Uncle Liao’s basements). There are simply hundreds of them different types. They are sold everywhere, both online and offline. And even in the stores of reputable retailers you can find them. They are often very cheap. For the test I will take 8 different pieces. I have a box at home containing about 50 different micro-USB cables, which I ordered at different times (looking ahead, this box contains “junk” cables according to tests). Very often they are sold under the brand (of course, counterfeit) Samsung, etc.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN1, 23 cm. Triple - microUSB, Lightning, Apple 30-pin. Fabric braid. Medium thickness, flexible.

Noname cable - let's call it CN2, 300 cm. Fabric braid. Medium thickness, flexible.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN3, 100 cm. Thin, flexible.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN4, 100 cm. Flat, flexible.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN5, 80 cm. Elastic.

Noname cable - let's call it CN6, 200 cm. Fabric braid. Flat, flexible.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN7, 100 cm. Thick, flexible.

Noname cable - let's call it CN8, 100 cm. Marking on the cable is 26 AWG / 28 AWG.

Power drop

Let's connect a resistor and measure the power immediately at the output of the charger - 10.2 W. Voltage 5.17 V, current 1.97 A.

Now let’s measure the power at the end of the cables and summarize all the results in a diagram.

LG1 8.82 W (4.82 V, 1.83 A)

TR1 8.34 W (4.69 V, 1.78 A)

QC1 8.33 W (4.71 V, 1.77 A)

SO1 7.97 W (4.58 V, 1.74 A)

SO2 8.19 W (4.63 V, 1.77 A)

SO3 7.42 W (4.62 V, 1.68 A)

QC3 8.87 W (4.85 V, 1.83 A)

QC2 8.22 W (4.68 V, 1.78 A)

AS1 8.19 W (4.63 V, 1.77 A)

XI1 8.27 W (4.75 V, 1.74 A)

CN1 8.9 W (4.84 V, 1.84 A)

CN2 4.56 W (3.48 V, 1.31 A)

CN3 5.42 W (3.79 V, 1.43 A)

CN4 5.34 W (3.76 V, 1.42 A)

CN5 5.73 W (3.90 V, 1.47 A)

CN6 5.84 W (3.92 V, 1.49 A)

CN7 5.18 W (3.7 V, 1.4 A)

CN8 7.83 W (4.55 V, 1.72 A)

So, we see poor results from the vast majority of cheap and no-name cables. Only the CN1 cable surprised me. I never used it after purchasing it, I just ordered a bunch of it.

Now let’s measure the current with which the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone will be charged (charge level 50%). Of course, this is not a laboratory study, but it will provide some information. The charge controller in devices operates according to its own algorithm. The tester showed an output voltage of about 5.2V in all cases, so it will only look at the current.

The result is consistent with the previous test. Branded cables show decent results. Cheap and no-name cables show incredibly poor results. For example, the current strength with an LG cable is 4.5 (!) times greater than with the worst nameless cable. Sony branded cables show mediocre results.

To clarify the result, let’s take another device - a Xiaomi battery pack (almost empty). Let's see what results the cables show with it.

The picture repeats itself.

High-quality cables can be considered: LG, Xiaomi, QC1, QC2, QC3, Tronsmart, CN1. Sony and Asus cables show average results; for branded cables this is not very good. The remaining nameless cables are 90% (roughly speaking) of what they are trying to sell you for cheap, complete rubbish.

Apple Lightning

In my review I did not include a test of cables with an Apple Lightning connector because I did not have the required adapter to connect a resistor. But in real tests with devices, the cables behave identically to those described. My two original cables are frayed, as is common with Apple cables, at the base. There are no problems with them. But 3 cables purchased in the range from $2 to $5 show a significant drawdown in current strength. One generally produces only 0.26 A. This does not mean that you need to run out and buy a cable from Apple for $20. For $20 and cables torn at the base Apple company deserves only a tasty spit in the face. You just need to choose the right and proven cable (I think there are already enough recommendations on specialized forums). And in emergency cases I use this adapter for a few cents:

No problem. In combination with the cable, LG charges iPad and iPhone no worse than the original cables.

conclusions

Never buy cables not from reputable brands (LG, Samsung, HTC, Lenovo, etc.) unless you clearly know what you want. The cable should be thick and tight (of course, there are exceptions - in the review you got acquainted with the QC1, QC2 and Xiaomi cable). If you have a suspicion that it is a fake, for example, a very low price offline, just do not buy such a cable.

All other cables can be purchased only if you clearly know that this cable is of high quality (someone tested it). Never listen to the advice of consultants: “But take our branded cable EurosetSvyaznoyKable, everyone takes it and is happy.” Until the consultant shows you the measurements of this cable with a tester, his words are worthless. Never rely on customer ratings when purchasing cables, for example, on Aliexpress. If you see a Samsung cable with a price of $1, several thousand orders and a customer rating of 98%, then with a high degree of probability this cable is ordinary fake junk.

To be more specific, one of the most optimal cables is the cable from LG. It can be bought in two colors offline in almost any communication store or online (on eBay and Aliexpress it costs from $2 to $3). If you need a long cable (2, 3, 5 meters), then take a look at the cables from the YourCharger store on eBay (aka YourCable) - the price is a little higher than usual, but you know what you pay for. If you need several cables of different lengths, then buy cable sets from Tronsmart (there are plenty of them in online stores). If you need a short cable for the battery pack, then for example, get a cheap cable from Fasttech.

P.S.. I forgot to write a small note about cables with closed contacts Data from the review (three pieces). These cables may also be of interest to those who charge devices from a laptop. With these cables, many devices think they are connected to the charger and not the computer, and begin to draw current at their maximum consumption. USB ports laptop will give everything they can. For example, my ASUS laptop with such cables it easily delivers 1.5 A, although this is not indicated in the specifications. At the same time, the old Lenovo is limited to 0.5 A in any case.

P.S.. II. Do you know which one is the most popular? micro USB cable on Aliexpress? Here it is for $0.68. 96% positive reviews out of 21004! Any colors. Sound familiar? Yes, you read that right, this is the CN4 cable from the review.

Are there people who have never had their charger cable break?

Everyone is familiar with the tips for increasing the service life of the cord: installing a regular small spring at the base of the plug, minimizing bends, careful storage, and so on. But all (or almost all) of these actions only delay the day when there will be a need to go to a mobile electronics store for a new accessory.

When buying a USB cable, a logical question arises: which one to choose so as not to make a mistake? The answer depends on many factors, because for some people the charging speed is important, and for others the main thing is that the color of the cable matches the new case. Let's figure it out.

Types of USB cables

The first step is to decide on the type of cable. This is not difficult, because there are only three of them: micro-USB, USB Type-C and Lightning. In our case, everything is simpler, because Lightning is necessary for iPhone owners, and for now it is used only on flagship devices. In most cases the choice will fall on micro-USB, but just in case you need to make sure of this one hundred percent.

Does it make sense to overpay?

The main function of the cord is to synchronize your smartphone with a charger or computer, so when making a purchase you need to pay attention to the quality of the materials and the country of origin. A high-quality cord may be a little more expensive, but it's worth it. A cable made of high-quality materials can speed up both smartphone charging and data transfer with a computer. The higher speed is due to less resistance.

Example: we have a charger that produces 2A, a cheap analogue from China for $2, and a high-quality cord that costs several times more. When comparing both cables, the charging process will be different, since through a cheap cord the current will be from 0.3 to 0.6A, which is, on average, 3-4 times slower than through a high-quality original USB cable. Overpay a couple of hundred and remove the phone from charging after 1-2 hours, or save money and charge the phone for 3-6 hours - the choice is obvious.

USB cable specifications

Material, presence of light indicators, length and a bunch of other factors are pricing parameters. It is important to understand what of all this is really necessary.

Material. A very important parameter, and this refers to both the material of the plug (plastic or metal) and the cord itself, which can be wrapped in fabric. It’s not only pleasant to look at, but also to know that the cable will last several times longer.

Form . It is also an important factor on which the lifespan of the accessory depends. So, there are three main shapes: round, flat and the so-called “spring”. The round shape has a low cost compared to its rivals, and that’s where its advantages end. The flat shape is different in that it hardly gets tangled (at least less than the previous one) and does not take up space in your pocket/backpack/any other place where the cable is stored. You just need to roll it several times to make it compact. Last on the list, but not least, the option is “spring”. It is compact, convenient and original, but if it somehow gets tangled, it may take several minutes to restore its previous shape. The cheapest cable will be round, the most expensive will be spring-shaped.

Length . Selected exclusively individually. What depends on the length? The charging speed of a shorter cable is higher, but not significantly (in fact, it is not noticeable). It is logical to choose a long wire if the outlet is located far from the sofa/nightstand/bed/any place where the smartphone is charged.

Light indicators. LEDs built into the plugs that light up when the smartphone is connected to a charger or any other device. This is more of an overpayment and a kind of “gadget” than a useful thing.

Color . In terms of characteristics, this factor does not affect anything. Sometimes users try to choose a power supply and cable of the same color for aesthetic reasons. There is no other meaning to this. A white cord is easier to find in the dark, in a car, or in a mess, but it gets dirty noticeably more often. No matter how beautiful the colors are, they are not worth the overpayment, because the iridescent wire makes the phone.

All of the above parameters have a greater impact on price than on quality, so it is not necessary to focus on them.

Results

If the cord is out of order and there is no way to charge the phone, you first need to decide on the type of connector. Having fulfilled the basic condition, you can go to the store and choose a cord, paying attention to the manufacturer, quality, material and length. If funds allow, you can experiment with color, shape and LEDs.

Phones usually run out of charge at the most inopportune moment, when there is catastrophically little time to charge. We turn on the first charger we come across with a wire and wait... Sometimes the charge occurs quickly, and sometimes it takes a treacherously long time, and after a while we are again left without communication.

Let's look at the process of charging a phone and all its components. And we’ll try to give recommendations that will help you choose the right chargers and always stay connected.

Modern communication devices are charged from 5 Volts, this is the voltage present on USB output connector of a computer, router, TV, and so on. Chargers that are plugged into a socket are usually equipped with this connector. But in addition to voltage, an important parameter is the current with which the charge occurs.

If we talk about a computer, then the standard maximum current value for USB 2.0 is 0.5 A (amps), which is not very much for modern devices. If the charging device requires a higher current (1-2 A), then charging will take a painfully long time and may never be completed.

Another USB 3.0 standard (the connector is indicated by blue plastic inside) provides a current of up to 1 A, which is much better, but such connectors are only available on modern computers (TVs, routers and other devices are usually equipped with a USB 2.0 standard connector or even a USB 1.1 standard). That is, if we need to charge the phone from a computer, we should, if possible, choose the blue USB 3.0 connector; the device will charge much faster.

It is no coincidence that universal chargers have different prices; in most cases they differ in the maximum possible charging current - the higher the price, the higher the current, as a rule, and, accordingly, the potentially shorter charging time of the device (in this case, we do not take into account the markup for the brand and design) .

Of course, it is important to know the capabilities of your device in order to choose a charger with the required parameters. As a rule, most manufacturers indicate a maximum current of 1 A. But not all actually provide it. To compare different chargers, we will use a tester that shows current and voltage, as well as simulating a consumer with different current consumption.

Ideally, the charger should output 5 Volts and the maximum current that the device being charged can consume. But in reality the picture is different. To eliminate the influence of the cable connecting the charger and the phone, we will connect the tester directly to the charger.

Test 1 (5 Volts and 1 A stated):

We see that the voltage is 120 mV lower than declared and the current is 70 mA less.

Test 2 (5 Volts and 1 A stated):

We see that the voltage is slightly higher than declared and the current differs from the declared one by only 40 mA.

Test 3 (5 Volts and 1 A stated):

We see that the voltage is slightly higher than declared and the current corresponds to the declared one.

Test 4 (stated 5 Volts and 0.7 A):

The voltage and current are significantly lower than the previous ones; you should not expect fast charging from this device.

Test 5 (stated 5 Volts and 1 A):

Voltage and current correspond to the declared ones.

Test 6 (parameters not indicated):

The voltage and current are lower than the previous ones, you should not expect fast charging from this device.

Test 6 (charger combined with a block of sockets, stated 5 Volts and 2.4 A):

Very decent parameters.

Test 7 (charger combined with a tee of sockets, stated 5 Volts and 1 A):

Very good results.

As we see, not all manufacturers were able to provide the declared characteristics, and in those cases where the voltage is lower than required and the current is lower, we will naturally get more long charging phone or tablet.

The second important element in the charging process is the cable connecting the charger to the phone. There are many options for such cables, some even with backlight. However, their main parameters are the material of the current-carrying conductors (preferably copper) and the thickness of the conductor (the thicker, the less the cable will affect the charging process). Let's test several cables.

Test 0 (tester connected directly to charger):

Test 1 (cable included with Sony Xperia Z3):

A good cable for a current of 1 A, at 2 A there is an overload and loss of parameters.

Test 2 (cable purchased separately):

Good cable for 1 A, loss of parameters at 2 A.

Test 3 (cable purchased separately):

Bad cable, charging will be very slow.

Test 4 (cable purchased separately):

The leader in fast charging, according to phonearena.com, is the Samsung Galaxy S6 (1 hour 18 minutes with a battery capacity of 2,550 mAh). In second place is Oppo Find 7a (1 hour 22 minutes with a battery capacity of 2,800 mAh), in third place is Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (1 hour 35 minutes with a battery capacity of 3220 mAh),

In fourth place Google Nexus 6 (1 hour 38 minutes with a battery capacity of 3,220 mAh), in fifth place HTC One M9 (1 hour 46 minutes with a battery capacity of 2840 mAh). Fast charging technology is also supported by: LG G3, OnePlus One, Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G4, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Apple iPhone 6, Motorola Moto G, Sony Xperia Z3 and a number of others.

So, if charging speed is important, you should choose phones that support QuickCharge technology.

Naturally, fast charging speeds are only possible when using high-quality chargers and cables that support the required currents and voltages. Of course, it is better to use the charger that comes with your phone. But if it is purchased separately, then when choosing, you should take into account the above described parameters.

An additional charging cable is far from the most necessary accessory in the house. Many phone owners have been using the included cable for years and everyone is happy. But if the cable frays, gets lost, bursts, or just needs a backup, you run to the nearest communication store or to a thematic website and... You discover dozens and hundreds of models and manufacturers. How to make the right choice in this case?

Introducing complete guide choosing a cable for charging your smartphone.

The first problem that buyers think about is often the choice between original and non-original cable. On the one hand, the well-known logo seems to be a guarantee of the reliability and long service life of the accessory. On the other hand, not everyone wants to overpay for a well-promoted name. If you have your own reasons not to buy an original cable, but to choose a suitable product from a third-party manufacturer, read below what criteria you should pay attention to before purchasing.

For Android smartphones

Thanks to standardization, most modern phones have one of two connector types, microUSB or Type-C. The latter is less common, as it began to gain popularity relatively recently.

The USB Type-C connector has a symmetrical shape, and when choosing a cable for it, you should take into account a very important nuance: which interface the smartphone works with, USB 2.0 or USB 3.0/3.1. Often Type-C is only a form, and there will be no advantages in the form of high data transfer speeds or increased maximum current, because inside it is still the same USB 2.0 with a bandwidth of 480 Mbps. Therefore, there will be no point in buying expensive USB cable 3.0 Type-C.

In addition to this nuance, cables with a Type-C and microUSB connector are selected according to the same criteria.

Plug and build quality

Try to look at the cable as best you can before making a purchase. If you buy an accessory on the Internet, give preference to sites with high-quality, high-resolution photographs that can be enlarged. The cable should not have any creases, protruding plastic, or crooked contacts of different sizes. The plug should not dangle or look flimsy.

It is worth paying attention to the connection of the cable and plug. This is a very vulnerable place for breaks, so you need to give preference to models with dense, rigid plastic corrugation at the plug.

Shape and length

The three most common cable shapes are flat ("noodle"), round and twisted ("spring"). Each type has its pros and cons. Flat cables are less tangled and more compact, but if the cable is of poor quality and too thin, it will quickly break. Round cables last a long time, but you should choose flexible ones rather than rigid ones, because... they are more convenient for everyday use. Twisted cables - a good choice for a car, since they will not get underfoot and, if necessary, can even reach the rear passenger seat. But if the twisted cable gets tangled, you will have to spend a lot of time putting it in order.

The optimal cable length is determined only by the user, but most often cables for smartphones are one meter long or a little more than a meter long. And if necessary, then any decent mobile accessories store will stock short USB cables and accessories with a length of 1.8 meters or more.

Braid

Maximum current

Unless you go shopping with a portable USB tester, you won't be able to accurately determine whether the cable delivers the stated amperage or whether the manufacturer is deceiving you. But to protect yourself from unscrupulous sellers, consider the type and price of the device. Since there are no miracles in the world, a cable for 50 rubles still cannot charge powerful smartphone or a tablet, and a USB cable as thin as a thread will not provide a current transmission of 2.4 A. This is contrary to the laws of physics and logic.

But remember that you can buy defective goods either from an unknown Chinese seller or from the company store of an influential mega-corporation. Therefore, choose products in stores that provide a quality guarantee and clearly describe the return procedure.

Additional features

If you are buying a cable not only to charge a smartphone, but also to connect a mobile device to a computer, choose models whose descriptions indicate the ability to transfer files and compatibility with specific operating systems.

Some cables are equipped with an LED operation indicator, which not only looks beautiful, but also informs the owner about the functionality of the gadget.

If your smartphone requires charging constantly, then connecting the cable every day will sooner or later loosen the power connector. To avoid having to spend money on repairing your smartphone, buy a magnetic cable with a detachable plug. The contact pad of this cable is installed into the phone connector and cannot be removed, and when you need to charge the device, simply bring the rest of the cable to the already installed plug. And the charge goes on, and the smartphone is protected from dust and dirt inside.

For iPhone

Cables for iPhones can be considered before purchasing in the same way as cables with a microUSB connector. However, if you want to choose a proven cable for your “apple”, but buying the original is expensive, but you don’t want an analogue one, there is a way out - look for the three treasured letters on the packaging.

Abbreviation MFi.

MFi stands for Made For iPhone/iPad/iPod. These accessories are designed for use with Apple products and, most importantly, have been certified by Apple as being of good quality analog accessories. The iPhone will not swear on them and a connection error message will definitely not appear on the smartphone screen. In the Partner online store you can buy MFi cables, and also check the authenticity of the certification on the official website https://mfi.apple.com/MFiWeb/getAPS if you enter the Partner name in the search using the Brand criterion.

Enjoy the shopping!

Are all micro-USB cables the same? Why can prices vary several times? Which cable is better to buy? I will try to answer these questions with practical examples and experiments. Welcome to the tent!

This article is dedicated to ordinary consumers who are familiar with physics as part of the school curriculum. But the test results may also be of interest to advanced users.

If you have an Apple device and you think that this does not concern you, and the tent is not for you, then you are very mistaken. At the end you will read why.

In most cases, the data transfer speed via micro-USB cable is not satisfactory. But with charging devices the situation is a little more complicated.

Let's first get to know how the process of charging mobile devices works.

There is a charger that can produce current with a certain voltage and a certain strength. Usually this is a USB charger that produces a current with a voltage of 5 V (there are also fast charging technologies with increased voltage, but we will not touch on them). The current strength (sometimes they simply indicate the charging power) can be different for each charger. For example, with one device there will be a charger with a maximum current of 1 A, and with another 2.5 A. Naturally, if the device cannot consume a current of more than 1 A, then no matter what kind of charging you connect - 1 A or 100 A , there will be no difference.

There is a mobile device: smartphone, tablet, watch, etc. that needs to be charged. The mobile device has a battery and a charge controller. The charge controller regulates, using its algorithms, the strength of the current consumed.

To make things clearer, let’s get straight to the practical test.

Our tools will be:

2.5 ohm resistor (5 V, 2 A)
USB tester Keweisi
Adapter micro-USB (female) - USB A (female)
Xiaomi 5000 mAh battery pack and Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone, which I borrowed from my wife
Charger Tronsmart TS-UC5PC. I would like to make a special mention of this device. There are disassemblies of this device on specialized sites. This is simply an amazing memory. I bought it a couple of months ago at a discounted price, replaced my excellent ORICO charger (they also have excellent chargers), because... I needed a port that supports Quick Charge 2.0. TS-UC5PC has 5 independent channels. 4 of which are with VoltIQ technology (in fact, this is just a “smart binding” of Data contacts to activate fast charging of any devices with such support, including Apple, a number of Samsung, etc.), and 1 with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0. This port is capable of outputting voltages of 5 V, 9 V and 12 V. The charger can easily withstand a load of 2 A simultaneously on all 5 ports, I personally checked this with resistors, with a very slight voltage drop. According to the specification, the device can withstand 2.4 A per channel.

We will test in two stages. The first stage is to check the power drop at the end of the cable using a resistor. The second stage is to check the current that the Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone and Xiaomi battery pack will consume when charging.

Our artists:

Cable Sony EC803, 100 cm - we will denote it SO1. Comes complete with some devices of the same name and is sold separately. Medium thickness, tight. Costs about $2.

Cable Sony EC801, 100 cm - we will denote it SO2. Comes complete with some devices of the same name and is sold separately. Medium thickness, tight. Costs about $2.

Cable Sony EC450, 100 cm - we will denote it SO3. It once came bundled with some devices of the same name. Thick and tight, with ferrite rings. Rarely found on sale.

Battery pack cable Xiaomi, 22 cm - we will denote it XI1. Comes complete with battery packs. Flat, flexible. The appearance is not very impressive, because... he is already a year and a half old.

Noname cable - let's call it QC1, 200 cm. This is the cable that is sold only from one seller (aka). Perhaps they produce it. The Data contacts are already closed, the cable is for charging only. Medium thickness, flexible. This is a universal cable for activating fast charging (if supported by the device) on any charger. The same seller has similar cables for 3 and 5 meters, both micro-USB and Lightning (for Apple devices). Prices are above average.

Cable ASUS- we’ll call it AS1, 100 cm. It comes bundled with some ASUS devices (in this particular case, Nexus 7 2013), and is sold separately. Medium thickness, flexible.

And now the purebred strays (or cables from Uncle Liao’s basements). There are simply hundreds of different types. They are sold everywhere, both online and offline. And even in the stores of reputable retailers you can find them. They are often very cheap. For the test I will take 8 different pieces. I have a box at home containing about 50 different micro-USB cables, which I ordered at different times (looking ahead, this box contains “junk” cables according to tests). Very often they are sold under the brand (of course, counterfeit) Samsung, etc.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN1, 23 cm. Triple - microUSB, Lightning, Apple 30-pin. Fabric braid. Medium thickness, flexible.

Noname cable - let's call it CN2, 300 cm. Fabric braid. Medium thickness, flexible.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN3, 100 cm. Thin, flexible.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN4, 100 cm. Flat, flexible.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN5, 80 cm. Elastic.

Noname cable - let's call it CN6, 200 cm. Fabric braid. Flat, flexible.

Noname cable - we'll call it CN7, 100 cm. Thick, flexible.

Noname cable - let's call it CN8, 100 cm. Marking on the cable is 26 AWG / 28 AWG.

Power drop

Let's connect a resistor and measure the power immediately at the output of the charger - 10.2 W. Voltage 5.17 V, current 1.97 A.

Now let’s measure the power at the end of the cables and summarize all the results in a diagram.

LG1 8.82 W (4.82 V, 1.83 A)
TR1 8.34 W (4.69 V, 1.78 A)
QC1 8.33 W (4.71 V, 1.77 A)
SO1 7.97 W (4.58 V, 1.74 A)
SO2 8.19 W (4.63 V, 1.77 A)
SO3 7.42 W (4.62 V, 1.68 A)
QC3 8.87 W (4.85 V, 1.83 A)
QC2 8.22 W (4.68 V, 1.78 A)
AS1 8.19 W (4.63 V, 1.77 A)
XI1 8.27 W (4.75 V, 1.74 A)
CN1 8.9 W (4.84 V, 1.84 A)
CN2 4.56 W (3.48 V, 1.31 A)
CN3 5.42 W (3.79 V, 1.43 A)
CN4 5.34 W (3.76 V, 1.42 A)
CN5 5.73 W (3.90 V, 1.47 A)
CN6 5.84 W (3.92 V, 1.49 A)
CN7 5.18 W (3.7 V, 1.4 A)
CN8 7.83 W (4.55 V, 1.72 A)

So, we see poor results from the vast majority of cheap and no-name cables. Only the CN1 cable surprised me. I never used it after purchasing it, I just ordered a bunch of it.

To clarify the result, let’s take another device - a Xiaomi battery pack (almost empty). Let's see what results the cables show with it.

The picture repeats itself.

Apple Lightning

In my review, I did not include a test of cables with an Apple Lightning connector because I did not have the necessary adapter to connect the resistor. But in real tests with devices, the cables behave identically to those described. My two original cables are frayed, as is common with Apple cables, at the base. There are no problems with them. But 3 cables purchased in the range from $2 to $5 show a significant drawdown in current strength. One generally produces only 0.26 A. This does not mean that you need to run out and buy a cable from Apple for $20. For $20 and cables torn at the base, Apple only deserves a savory slap in the face. You just need to choose the right and proven cable (I think there are already enough recommendations on specialized forums). And in emergency cases I use this adapter for a few cents:

No problem. In combination with the cable, LG charges iPad and iPhone no worse than the original cables.

conclusions

To be more specific, one of the most optimal cables is the cable from LG. It can be bought in two colors offline in almost any communication store or online (on eBay and it costs from $2 to $3). If you need a long cable (2, 3, 5 meters), then take a closer look at the cables from the store (aka) - the price is a little higher than usual, but you know what you pay for. If you need several cables of different lengths, then buy cable sets from Tronsmart (there are plenty of them in online stores). If you need a short cable for the battery pack, then for example, get a cheap cable from Fasttech.

P.S. I forgot to write a small note about the Data cables with closed contacts from the review (three pieces). These cables may also be of interest to those who charge devices from a laptop. With these cables, many devices think they are connected to the charger and not the computer, and begin to draw current at their maximum consumption. The laptop's USB ports will give you everything they can. For example, my ASUS laptop with such cables easily delivers 1.5 A, although this is not indicated in the specifications. At the same time, the old Lenovo is limited to 0.5 A in any case.

P.S. II. Do you know what the most popular micro-USB cable is on Aliexpress? . 96% positive reviews out of 21004! Any colors. Sound familiar? Yes, you read that right, this is the CN4 cable from the review.