USB-C: What you need to know about Apple's newest port

Apple's new Retina MacBook comes with just one port – USB-C. Here's what you need to know about it and why it's important.

Apple's special media event last week wasn't solely focused on the upcoming Apple Watch. Per usual, Apple had a few tricks up its sleeve. Specifically, Apple surprised almost everyone when it introduced a new and incredibly thin 12-inch Retina MacBook.

What makes Apple's new MacBook so fascinating is that it only comes with one port – USB-C. Just one solitary USB port to rule them all, as many people have jokingly characterized it. In other words, there's no MagSafe, there's no Thunderbolt, and there are no additional USB ports. All of the ports we've come to know and love are nowhere to be found on Apple's new super light and stylish MacBook.
But just what is USB-C, exactly, and why are so many people exceedingly excited about its inclusion on the soon-to-be-released MacBook?
The answer is that USB-C may very well be the first Apple-inspired standard with mainstream appeal. Here's why.
First off, USB-C is fast. We're talking about theoretical speeds of 10Gbps, a throughput that would put it on par with the first iteration of Thunderbolt. And compared to USB 3, USB-C can transfer data twice as fast. Consequently, USB-C addresses one of MagSafe's limitations, namely that it was incapable of transferring data.
Second, and quite obviously, USB-C can transfer power. More importantly, it houses support for bi-directional power, meaning that a host device can charge a peripheral just as easily as a peripheral can charge a host device. Again, this is not something MagSafe can do.
Usability-wise, USB-C is great, borrowing some of the design elements of Apple's proprietary lighting port connector. Which is to say USB-C is entirely reverseable, thereby saving users the worry and hassle of accidentally plugging a cable in upside down. Additionally, USB-C cables look identical at both ends, so users will no longer have to worry which end of which cable goes into which device.
Size-wise, USB-C is extremely compact, measuring in at about the size of a micro USB.
Of course, the obvious question on people's minds with respect to USB-C is how they'll be able to go about their day-to-day computing with just one port. After all, it's not as if we live in a peripheral-less world.
Well, one of the defining features of USB-C is that it's a port of many, many talents. It can support DisplayPort, HDMI, USB, gigabit Ethernet, SD cards, VGA, and can even support 4K displays. Of course, utilizing a USB-C port for one of the aforementioned technologies requires a requisite adaptor, something which Apple and other third parties will only be too happy to sell you.
But more than anything, what makes USB-C an absolute home run for users, and for Apple, is that it's a completely open standard. MagSafe was undeniably an amazing Apple innovation, but it was proprietary and Apple was reluctant to let anyone even come close to copying it. USB-C, on the other hand, is open for everyone. Down the line, once USB-C becomes more ubiquitous, the ramifications will be apparent.
Right now we live in a world filled with endless types of cables. And frustratingly, only certain cables can charge certain devices. Because USB-C is universal, it will thankfully reduce the number of different cables people need to carry around. In other words, in a world where all PCs feature USB-C ports, swapping out charging cables with friends will be easier than ever.
Now, the downside to USB-C, as with any new transfer technology, is that it may take some time for the market to adapt. This means that in the interim, machines with USB-C ports will require adapters in order to interface with most peripherals. This is undoubtedly frustrating in the short term, but is really no different than the growing pains associated with any new technology. Just a few years ago, for example, iPhone users went through a similar ordeal when Apple replaced its iconic 30-pin connector with its new lightning port connector.
Another theoretical downside to USB-C is that, to be blunt, it's no MagSafe. MagSafe was great because it magnetically attached to a user's laptop. Whenever someone accidentally tripped over the cord, the MagSafe adapter would be ripped out, thereby preventing the laptop from tumbling to the floor. While Apple's new MacBook isn't MagSafe-compatible, this may be more of a theoretical problem than a practical problem. The thinking is that the MacBook, with its impressive battery life, may only need to be charged once in the morning to last throughout the day. And with 10 hours of battery life, it's certainly a compelling argument. Additionally, some have posited that the MacBook is so light that a MagSafe adaptor might easily pull a tethered laptop down to the ground with it.

 

Life With the MacBook’s Single Port Won’t Be Easy—Yet

Apple has a history of “addition by subtraction” when it comes to ports and drives. It has over the years ditched FireWire, Ethernet, and optical drives. Now, with the MacBook, it says goodbye to all but a lone pioneering port. This probably was inevitable. So just how big of an adjustment are you in for?
Bigger than you might realize. At least for now.
How we push data to and from our machines constantly evolves thanks to the steady progress of new standards, faster wireless connectivity, streaming services, and the cloud. Apple tends to anticipate these changes—and in some cases force the issue, often being among the first to banish old-guard tech from its devices. It’s been a successful strategy; just ask any phone with a physical keyboard.
But the new ultraportable MacBook doesn’t just nip an optical drive here and a FireWire port there. It cleans house. And while we’re accustomed to hermetically sealed, port-barren devices in our pockets and on our coffee tables, a laptop with plenty of connectivity options is part of what makes minimalism possible elsewhere. With the new MacBook, your “plug and play” options are a 3.5mm headphone port and a USB-C port—a standard that isn’t exactly swimming in compatible components just yet.
The good news is that USB-C is versatile. It’s a standard that, unlike the stalled Thunderbolt interface, will be embraced by many devices and peripherals that don’t originate in Cupertino. It’s capable, too; the port on the new MacBook can shuttle data at 5Gbps, it can charge and be charged by whatever it’s hooked up to, it supports video out, and it’s tiny. The only bad news about the shift to USB-C ports is the MacBook has one of them.

Dangling Dongles

Of course, there are ways to compensate, though not as many as you might think. The cheapest, most direct way to get your usb cable devices to play nice with a USB-C port is a $19 USB-to-USB-C adapter from Apple (or this $13 model from Google, whose Chromebook Pixel features two USB-C ports). That’s a good start, but it still limits your choices to hooking up a single device or charging your laptop.

For those who need more I/O in their lives, Apple now sells its own USB-C adapters that let you turn that single port into a three-headed hydra supporting HDMI-out, full-size USB 3.1, and a passthrough for power. Another version swaps the HDMI-out port for VGA-out. They cost $79. Each. That’s more than an Apple TV.
And even those pricey dongles don’t come close to replicating the ports on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. The 13-inch Air has a dedicated power connector, a Thunderbolt 2 port, an SDXC card slot, two USB 3.0 ports, and a headphone jack. The 13-inch MacBook Pro has all of that, plus an additional Thunderbolt 2 port and HDMI-out.
Apple’s message is clear: You don’t need all those cables. It’s better to carry something that feels almost weightless, something elegant and slim and gold than have some pört-gåsbord weighing you down. “Besides,” Apple seems to insist, “you can address all of your needs via Web services, or streaming, or iCloud, or one of the wonderful new features we’ve added to Yosemite. Would you like more ports? Well, we have inelegant dongles and more-expensive computers for that.”
At some point, getting data and electricity to and from your MacBook with just one port may be seamless and natural. Today, though, we’re at least a few dongles away. Here’s how the MacBook plays out in practice.

Photos and Video

If you use an iPhone for most photos and directly upload your shots to your iCloud photo library (or the cloud service of your choice), you’re set. But if you use one of those old-school “standalone” cameras and one of those dinosaur “SD” or “CompactFlash” cards, you’ll need to wait until somebody makes a card-to-USB-C adapter to get much use out of the MacBook. In the meantime, you could plug a USB card reader into a $13 or $19 or $79 adapter.
Potentially easing the frustration is the fact that most modern cameras have built-in Wi-Fi features, so you can hypothetically leave your card in your camera, beam photos to your phone or a cloud service, and use it as a passthrough to your computer’s hard drive. That sort of set-up would be basically unworkable for pro photographers shuttling RAW files, though, and probably more trouble than it’s worth even when dealing with JPEG files in any quantity.
The same solutions and limitations apply to video editors. Videos taken with an iPhone can be magically ported to the machine via iCloud, Dropbox, or most other cloud services of your choice, so that’s easy enough. USB-C can handle video files zipping back and forth (through an adapter or new cable, for now). Other wireless transfer options aren’t very practical for files of the sizes you’ll be dealing with. The most likely setup for a wired-in connection will be a USB 3.0 or 3.1 cable running from a video-capture device through a dongle.

Storage

Your USB-C external hard drive options are non-existent right now, but help is on the way. This summer, SanDisk will offer a 32GB thumbdrive with USB-C and full-size USB connectors. A LaCie external drive will offer up to 2TB of portable USB-C-connected storage when it’s out later this year. End of list so far. But now that there’s a demand, the USB-C drive market will grow. You’ll have plenty of options if you hold out a few months.
Meanwhile, the new MacBook will come with up to 512GB onboard, and cloud-storage services abound these days. That could be enough for most people, but anyone who’s been stashing years of valuable files and photos and music on an external drive would be inconvenienced by a MacBook today. To get the important stuff from there to your new machine, for the time being you’ll need an adapter.

Ethernet

While Apple already phased out Ethernet ports across its laptop lineup, there are a few cases in which having one generally comes in handy. If you’re dealing with crappy Wi-Fi service or that odd hotel that only offers jacked-in connectivity, yes, you’ll need a adapter for that. Belkin already has announced a USB-C-to-Gigabit-Ethernet adapter, but the pricing and release date are still a mystery.

External Monitors and Video Output

Anyone who uses a laptop as a mobile machine and the docked guts of their home/office scenario will absolutely need to fork over for a dongle or avoid the new MacBook altogether. For now, at least.
Multi-port docks for the MacBook are likely on the way, but without that $79 add-on you won’t be able to simultaneously charge your laptop and work on a bigger screen or use a dual-monitor display. Or use a non-Bluetooth keyboard or mouse when your single port is occupied.
What may be the strangest USB-C fallout? If you want to mirror your laptop screen on your television, your cheapest and best option at this point is to buy an Apple TV. It costs $69 and supports AirPlay mirroring, while Apple’s HDMI-out multi-dongle will cost you $10 more.

iOS Devices

Curiously—and this is bound to change soon—there doesn’t seem to be a way to charge your iPhone or Pad with the new MacBook without using an adapter. Apple hasn’t yet officially announced a Lightning-to-USB-C cable. For all we know, one may come in the MacBook box. Otherwise, for a wired connection, you’d have to use a dongle, plug the fat end of your Lightning cable into that, and charge or sync an iOS device with a cumbersome setup.
There’s a reason, though, that Apple has put concerted effort in making Yosemite interact with iOS devices in wireless ways: Continuity, Handoff, and AirDrop are all geared toward seamless interoperability between its mobile and desktop OS, no literal strings attached. And here’s the big thing on the horizon: Future iOS devices will likely use USB-C as their one and only port, which will be an instant fix. Until then, you’ll need an adapter or an as-yet-unannounced cable to charge your iDevice from a MacBook.
Here’s a fun resulting fact. As of right now, it will be easier to charge an Android device with an Apple computer than to charge an iPhone or iPad with one—just as long as you have this upcoming $20 Belkin cable. Again, USB-C is a standard, and it’s one that will show up on many other devices, too, so don’t expect this to be an issue for long.
In many ways, this new MacBook is an exciting harbinger of a bright future, one teeming with interoperability and free of proprietary connectors. We’re not quite there yet, though. And until we are, it’s going to be a long, dongle-paved road.

USB-C vs. USB 3.1: What’s the difference?

With the launch of the Apple MacBook and Google’s Chromebook Pixel, USB-C (also called USB Type-C) and the accompanying USB 3.1 standard are both hitting market somewhat earlier than we initially expected. If you’re curious about the two standards and how they interact, we’ve dusted off and updated our guide to the upcoming technology. The situation is more nuanced than it’s been with previous USB standard updates — USB 3.1 and USB Type-C connectors may be arriving together on the new machines, but they aren’t joined at the hip the way you might think.

USB Type-C: Fixing an age-old problem

The near-universal frustration over attempts to connect USB devices to computers has been a staple of nerd humor and lampooned in various ways until Intel finally found a way to take the joke quantum.

 USB Type-C promises to solve this problem with a universal connector that’s also capable of twice the theoretical throughput of USB 3.0 and can provide far more power. That’s why Apple is pairing up Type-C and USB 3.1 to eliminate the power connector on the MacBook. It’s a goal we agree with, even if we’re less thrilled with the company’s decision to dump USB ports altogether with that single exception. Google’s approach, in providing two USB-C and two regular USB 3.0 ports, is obviously preferable, even though it adds a bit of bulk to the machine.

Type-C connectors will be shipped in a variety of passive adapters (an earlier version of this story erroneously asserted that such cables would not be available, Extremetech regrets the error). The spec provides for passive adapters with USB 3.0 / 3.1 on one end and USB Type-C on the other.

USB-C, USB 3.1 not always hooked together

The Type-C plug can be used with previous standards of USB, which means manufacturers don’t automatically have to adopt expensive 3.1 hardware if they want to include it in mobile devices. Apple, to be clear, is offering USB 3.1 on the new MacBook, though the company hasn’t disclosed which third party vendor is providing the actual chipset support.

The disconnect between USB 3.1’s performance standard and the USB Type-C connector is going to inevitably cause confusion. One reason the shift from USB 2.0 to 3.0 was relatively painless is because coloring both the cables and plugs bright blue made it impossible to mistake one type of port for the other.
The upside to decoupling USB 3.1 from USB-C, however, is that companies can deploy the technology on mobile phones and tablets without needing to opt for interfaces that inevitably consume more power. Then again, some might argue that this would be a moot point — the USB controller can be powered down when it isn’t active, and when it is active, the device should be drawing power off the PC or charging port anyway. Heat dissipation could theoretically remain a concern — higher bandwidth inevitably means higher heat, and in devices built to 3-4W specifications, every tenth of a watt matters.
If I had to bet, I’d bet that the 100W power envelope on USB 3.1 will actually be of more practical value than the 10Gbps bandwidth capability. While it’s true that USB 3.1 will give external SSD enclosures more room to stretch their legs, the existing standard still allows conventional mechanical drives to run at full speed, while SSDs can hit about 80% of peak performance for desktop workloads. It might not be quite as good, but it’s a far cry from the days when using USB 2.0 for an external hard drive was achingly slow compared to SATA. Signal overhead is also expected to drop significantly, thanks to a switch to a 128-bit and 132-bit encoding scheme, similar to that used in PCI-Express 3.0.

 
The ability to provide 100W of power, as opposed to 10W, however, means that nearly every manufacturers could ditch clunky power bricks. There would still be concern about ensuring that connect points were sufficiently reinforced, but provided such concerns can be accounted for, the vast majority of laptops could switch over to the new standard. Hard drives and other external peripherals could all be powered by single wires, as could USB hubs for multiple devices.
The higher bandwidth is nice, and a major selling point, but the flippable connector and the power provisioning will likely make more difference in the day-to-day reality of life. As for competition with Intel’s Thunderbolt, USB 3.1 will continue to lag Intel’s high-speed standard, but as bandwidth rises this gap becomes increasingly academic. At this point, it’s the features USB doesn’t allow, like RAID and TRIM, that matter more than the raw bandwidth does in most cases.
Apple’s MacBook will be first out the door with USB 3.1 and USB-C support, with vendors scurrying to match the company on both counts. LaCie has announced a new revision of its Porsche Design Mobile Drive that takes advantage of the Type-C connector, but only offers USB 3.1. It’s going to take time for the 3.1 spec to really show up on peripheral devices, even those that adopt the USB-C cable. Motherboard support outside the Apple MacBook is probably 4-5 months away, though the first peripheral cables should be available well before that point.

Apple’s Official USB-C Adapters For 12″ MacBook

Apple’s Official USB-C Adapters For 12″ MacBook: Bringing High Efficiency To The Gorgeous MacBook

Apple has launched the most gorgeous 12″ MacBook ever made. With attractive features like retina display, unbelievably slim profile, MacBook has packed in everything a user would love to have.
The newest MacBook has a single USB-port charging. As a result, users will have to content with it for all the other use. If users want to use it with other devices, they will require an efficient adapter. Here is the list of some highly advanced adapters introduced by Apple itself. Let’s take a quick look!

 1. USB-C To USB Adapter

 This Adapter is equipped to support USB 3.1 with 10Gbps speed. It will let users not only connect iOS devices but also other industry standard accessories to MacBook with USB-C port.
You can easily plug USB-C adapter into the USB-C port of MacBook and after that connect camera, flash drive or any standard device. Besides, you can also connect USB cable to the USB-C port of MacBook in order to sync and charge your iPhone or iPad conveniently. It is priced at $19.

2. USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter 

This is a versatile VGA adapter which provides three kinds of connections USB 3.1, USB-C and VGA. It allows users to enjoy MacBook display on VGA-enabled TV. It requires a VGA cable in order to connect to your TV or projector. The best thing about this powerful adapter is that it allows display up to 1080p HD. It has the support of both video and audio outputs.
You can use the USB port to connect devices like, camera, flash drive or USB cable in order to sync or charge your iPhone or iPad. Moreover, it allows you to connect charging cable to the USB-C port in order to charge your MacBook. It has been priced at $79.

3. USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter

This is a multi-tasking digital adapter which offers three varieties of inputs such as, USB, HDMI and USB-C. This adapter allows MacBook display on HDMI-enabled TV up to 1080p HD. You will need an HDMI cable to connect to your TV or projector. It is capable of supporting both video and audio outputs.
As for functionality, this adapter works just like USB-C VGA adapter. Its market price is $79.

How The New Chromebook Pixel Gives The MacBook A Run For Its Money

USB-C normally gets mentioned as a new "reversible" take on the familiar old USB cable—i.e., one you can plug in either way. But there's way more to USB-C than its reversibility, although we certainly won't miss the days of trying to jam in a USB plug the wrong way up.

 USB-C also faster charging, quicker data transfer and the ability to handle a variety of tasks, from video output to copying files. It's likely to make the jump to smartphones and tablets in the near future, as well as the next wave of laptop machines.
In short, it's safe to say you're going to be seeing more of USB-C—a lot more, given the likelihood that it may simply displace many other cables and connectors. So let's take a closer look.

Development on USB-C began at the end of 2013, building on top of the latest USB 3.1 technology and the groundwork USB 2.0 had laid before that. From the start, "thinner and sleeker" product designs were the aim of the USB 3.0 Promoter Group behind the standard. (The group is comprised of representatives from HP, Intel, Microsoft, Renesas Electronics and Texas Instruments.)

USB Type-C has the capacity to charge up to 100 watts and 20 volts, which means USB-C can power laptops and monitors as well as phones. That, in turn, means an end to the chunky AC adapter bricks we're all used to. Charging happens more quickly, and data transfer can be handled at the same time.

For data transmission, 10Gbps is your maximum theoretical transfer rate, double that of USB 3.0 and enough to move a high-definition movie in a single second (until bottlenecks such as your hard drive come into play, at least). The underlying technology isn't an upgrade in the same way that USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 was—it's the physical connector that's the main difference.

By the way, don't be confused about a second USB update, the move from the USB 3.0 standard to USB 3.1. Think of it this way: USB 3.1 sets the protocols and internal technology standards for computers and phones that make 10Gbps data and 100-watt charging possible; the USB-C plug is effectively the "launch device" for that faster, more powerful technology. USB 3.1 has been around since July 2013, but both it and USB-C will be new to consumer devices.

It's worth noting, though, that it's possible for cable makers or hardware vendors to configure USB-C cables for USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 connections. Most USB-C cables should be USB 3.1 ready, but it's worth looking out for in specs lists.

The 8.4mm by 2.6mm 18-pin connector can be used both ways up, as we've already mentioned, and there's a quoted lifespan of 10,000 cycles (the same as microUSB). Identical connectors are used at both ends of the cable, so not only is there no danger of getting it upside down, you won't get it the wrong way around, either.

Like Apple's Lightning connector, USB-C cables contain embedded circuitry that let them work out which way around they are and what's required of them (power, data or video). Previous versions of USB only used "dumb" cables with no such integrated intelligence.

Plenty of future-proofing has gone into the new USB Type-C standard, so we should be using these types of ports and connectors for many more years to come. Like earlier versions of USB, it's an open standard, so won't be restricted to one company or manufacturer.

A thinner, more efficient USB standard means thinner and lighter laptops, as well as smartphones that charge more quickly. As always, it will take time for manufacturers to move over to the new standard, and you might have to put up with an awkward adapter or two—or the odd hybrid device—while the transition is underway.

As the new MacBook and the 2015 Chromebook Pixel prove, USB-C means fewer ports on your computer. That in turn gives rise to more compact hardware designs and fewer cables.

The distinction between large capacity, mains-powered external hard drives and lower capacity, USB-powered ones is going to disappear. Vendors now have the opportunity to make bus-powered "portable" external hard drives of much larger capacities, because USB-C can offer enough power to keep them running smoothly.

And that power can flow both ways—a peripheral device could charge a host device in certain circumstances (e.g., you could use a tablet or a battery pack to power your laptop). We'll get more flexibility when hooking up our various bits of hardware, and will have to stuff fewer cables away in a drawer somewhere.

Same with data and video. Something playing on your smartphone could show up on your laptop screen, or vice versa. A few years from now, you might well be using one cable to charge your laptop, tablet and smartphone—and to fling video or photos at on your big-screen television.

USB Type-C is going to make cables more versatile and standardized, our mobile devices smaller and able to charge more quickly, and that's just the start. In a few short years you may wonder how you ever did without it.

Micro 5 Pin USB Data Charger Cable for Samsung HTC Blackberry

20CM Bracelet Style TPE Flat Micro 5 Pin USB Data Charger Cable for Samsung HTC Blackberry White

Features:
1. For mobile phone with 5 pin jacket, such as Samsung,Blackberry, HTC, LG, Nokia, Motorola.
2. Bracelet style,fashion design, you can use it as a decoration while not use.
3. Charging and Data sync.
4. Light weight, compact and portable.
5. Tangle free falt cable.

Specification:
1. Length: 20cm approx.
2. Color: white
3. Light Weight: 10g.
4. Material: TPE.
5. Bracelet diameter: 6.3cm

Package Details:
1 x USB data cable

source from: http://www.beelike.com/20cm-bracelet-style-tpe-flat-micro-5-pin-usb-data-charger-cable-for-samsung-htc-blackberry-white-p-989.html

Random Order 2.1A Quick Charge 2.0 Micro USB Car Charger

Never leave home without this Quick Charge 2.0 car charger! Experience up to 75% faster charging speeds on your favorite QC-enabled devices and a standard 2.1A charge on all other devices.
This car charger is compact in design and features a USB port on the back for plugging in the included microUSB cable. While your QC-compatible devices are charging you'll see the LED glow orange, and for regular devices you'll see it glow green.
The black and silver coloring of this charger looks great in any vehicle and the 75% increase in charging speeds for QC-compatible devices makes it a no brainer!
Features:

• Charges QC-compatible devices 75% faster
• 2.1A charge for all standard devices
• LED charging indicator
• Glows orange for QC-devices
• Glows green for standard devices
• Compact design
• Includes 2ft. microUSB cable

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Oldshark Digital micro USB cable review

Today our phones are integral to our daily lives, however battery life can be a problem for a lot of us.  No matter if you use your phone for work, school or other things you can find your phone dead before the day is out.  Battery tech is improving, but still has a ways to go.  This makes a good micro USB charging cable a necessity.  A quality charging cable can give you more room to work, charge your phone faster and last longer than the OEM cable.  I’m always looking for a quality cable that I can throw in my bag, when I saw Oldshard Digital’s new offering I immediately wanted to give it a shot.
When I saw pictures of Oldshard Digital’s micro USB cable the thing that stuck out to me is how tough it looks.  When you open the package it doesn’t disappoint.  The cable is 6 feet long and is a flat tangle free design, but it feels heavier than most other cables I’ve tried.  It feels like it could stand up to a ton of punishment.  The end of each cable follows suit, they are made of metal instead of the plastic that most other manufacturers use.  The orange and black color scheme is attractive and even made the cable a bit easier to find in the dark.  When you plug the cable into your phone for the first time it snaps in solidly and feels very secure. This is easily one of the best designed cables I’ve used, right down to the orange velcro strap that helps you store the cable neatly.

The first thing I tried after attaching my phone to the Oldshark Digital cable were a few file transfers.  No problems there, files transferred quickly and without issue.  However charging speed doesn’t quite live up to the hype.  Oldshark Digital promises “turbo charging,” but that’s not very accurate.  When I tested the time it took my LG G3 to charge with various cables, the Oldshark Digital cable was solidly in the middle of the pack.  Oldshark’s cable beat the OEM LG cable, but was much slower than a Frieq cable I’ve been using.
After using the Oldshark Digital micro USB cable for a bit longer than two weeks I found a lot to like with this cable, but I had some issues as well.  Oldshark sent me two cables to review and the first one I used stopped connecting to my phone after about a week.  This disappointed me because of the seeming high quality of the cable.  I have to admit that I’m not very gentle with my cords, but I doubt most of us are.  After the first cable failed, I restarted my review process with the second cable and am happy to say I had zero issues.  While I feel like the first Oldshark cable should have held up better, I also have to note that any concerns I might have would be assuaged by the warranty the company offers.  They offer a lifetime warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  They’ll even buy you another companies cable if you aren’t happy with the Oldshark cable.
If you are looking for a high quality cable that you can throw in your bag the Oldshark Digital micro USB cable would be a good choice.  It might not be the fastest charging cable out there, but it will get the job done.  However, if speed is your only concern, it might be better to look elsewhere.  You can find the Oldshark Digital micro USB cable on beelike.com only for $1.99, hit the link below if you’re interested.