this post was submitted on 02 May 2026
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So the shape of the plug is the same for all devices regardless of the spec... doesn't it just make things more confusing for non techies? I can already see people saying their new laptop is broken because their 5v 0.67A power brick won't charge it, or buying a USB-c charger just to find out it doesn't work. A lot of aftermarket chargers claim to support up to 120W etc. Except they mean 120W is a sum of all ports for a 6 port charger so really it's only 20W. For techies it can get annoying too if you like to play with hardware. You can just feed appropriate voltage DC over those barrel connectors, for example from a car battery with a buck converter or AA/18650 in series and it will work while usb-c charging needs to be negotiated.
That is called deceptive marketing.
If you plug in a weak charger or an inadequate cable you will get a message on the screen saying as much. Also, the new law doesn't prevent manufacturers shipping proprietary chargers alongside USB-C.
Yeah right, my laptop supports usb c charging, but it came with the usual power brick that I use if I need a faster charge.
I guess all those tech enthusiasts will have to buy a cheap bms board that can control those batteries and negotiate the charging. Their brave seven bucks sacrifice in that regard will have to suffice.
There 100% has to be regulation on charges and ports, maybe a colour system like how usb3 ideally is blue.
They already do that de-facto, I think all my high power usb3 charger ports are orange, regardless of manufacturer. Codifying it into law is probably a good idea
Nope.
There has been a lot of marketing done towards non techies regarding charge speeds, so most common people do know about it. Plus most people will also just buy the one the companies will suggest or bundle.
A little side thing that's also important is that in Europe the salespeople aren't simply trying to get you to buy their product with the highest markup, which means you'll get people that will actually look up your laptop and sell you a correct charger.
Aftermarket crap is a thing though, but from what I've seen most people will understand it's because they bought cheap Chinese stuff.