The New USB standard, USB Type-C, provided numerous improvements and multiple new features over the old standard. It’s faster, lighter, reversible, has enhanced power capabilities, and supports built-in DisplayPort video and four channel audio, but unfortunately it can also fry your computer.

USB Type-C has greatly increased its power capabilities. It can now carry 100 watts of power for charging, up from the 15 watts USB 3.0 provided. This sizably increases the number of devices that can charge from USB. For example, most laptops require more than 15, so USB Type-C can now power most laptops and charge phones faster than ever.

However, the increased power capabilities don’t come without side effects. Since the new USB can carry more power, a faulty cord can draw way more power than your computer is rated for to your phone, essentially bricking, or rendering useless, both devices immediately.

This introduces a serious problem for the future of USB.

Curran Hyde, a senior in Advanced Computer Science, said he would not use the new cable “unless there was some sort of test before hand that reassures [him] that it will be a good cable.”

Luckily, there is, Benson Leung, an engineer at Google, has been reviewing all USB Type-C cords on Amazon after his own laptop was ruined by a faulty cable. Leung’s Amazon review page can be found here.

Mrs. Rountree, the computer science teacher said, “[She] would go for more expensive and spend more time researching” after learning the issues that come with the new USB.

While Leung’s reviews show that buying a more expensive cable most of the time is better, that does not mean the cable would be safe.

USB Type-C is currently not being widely used, but is beginning to be used in products by major companies. Apple’s new Macbook and Google’s new Chromebook Pixel are to name a few. So if you own a device with a USB Type-C port or are planning on buying one in the future, make sure you research and find a quality cable before you find yourself with a broken device.