USB-C cables differ a lot. Some only allow power delivery and no data, while others support different levels of data transfer. Power delivery capabilities also differ.
Most cables do have an E-Marker chips that contain the relevant information. However, Android does not provide that information to the user when they plug into an USB-C cable.
Edit: After looking more into it, it seems while some cables do have E-Marker chips, most don’t :(
This was a shocking revelation to me, I only discovered it a few months ago when I was wondering why one USB-c cable was data transferring between my laptop and an external SSD so much slower than another. What is astounding is, at least in bricks and mortar retail, the price differential between different capabilities of cables. It’s so high sometimes as to not even seem like a good deal “this cable costs three times that one, but only charges 30% faster with only one device I have which is capable of that speed of charging”
Annoying civilisational inadequacy:
USB-C cables differ a lot. Some only allow power delivery and no data, while others support different levels of data transfer. Power delivery capabilities also differ.
Most cables do have an E-Marker chips that contain the relevant information. However, Android does not provide that information to the user when they plug into an USB-C cable.
Edit: After looking more into it, it seems while some cables do have E-Marker chips, most don’t :(
This was a shocking revelation to me, I only discovered it a few months ago when I was wondering why one USB-c cable was data transferring between my laptop and an external SSD so much slower than another.
What is astounding is, at least in bricks and mortar retail, the price differential between different capabilities of cables. It’s so high sometimes as to not even seem like a good deal “this cable costs three times that one, but only charges 30% faster with only one device I have which is capable of that speed of charging”