USB-C | The Verge The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts. 2025-11-06T18:15:05+00:00 https://www.theverge.com/rss/usb-c/index.xml https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1 Elizabeth Lopatto <![CDATA[Why your outdoorsy friend suddenly has a gummy bear power bank]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=781387 2025-09-22T20:10:47-04:00 2025-09-18T15:02:38-04:00

Like many backpackers, I'm a sicko. I have weighed all my gear in order to maintain a spreadsheet for pack weight on every trip I'm on. I've spent more money than I care to think about in order to drop pounds, or even ounces. This is why I'm the proud new owner of a power bank that looks like a toy.

It's the Haribo-licensed gummy bear power bank. It's the lightest-ever 20,000mAH power bank, it's got a gummy-bear themed built-in USB-C cord, and it's taking over the ultralight backpacking world. The specs say it weighs 9.9 ounces - and in a world where ounces count, that's a big deal.

Ultralight culture seems a little nuts to the uninitiated …

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]]> Thomas Ricker <![CDATA[Kuxiu’s X40 Turbo lays claim to best 3-in-1 travel charger]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=779884 2025-11-06T13:15:05-05:00 2025-09-17T10:43:40-04:00 The charger standing on a table next to some book charging an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro.
The X40 Turbo wirelessly charging an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

Kuxiu already made my favorite 3-in-1 Qi2 charger, and now it's back with an even smaller yet more powerful version. The MagSafe-compatible Qi2.2 charger folds up super compact for travel and unfurls into a "Z" to simultaneously charge an Apple Watch, AirPods, or other Qi-enabled earbuds, and a Qi2 25W phone like the new Pixel 10 Pro XL and iPhone 17 series - all from a single USB-C cable.

The $79.99 / €68.95 X40 Turbo charging stand supports the new Qi2.2 standard (aka, Qi2 25W), so it can wirelessly charge compatible devices at a maximum of 25W, up from 15W on last year's $79.99 model. That price also gets you a 45W USB-C PD charger, car …

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]]> Andrew Liszewski Jess Weatherbed <![CDATA[The best stuff announced at IFA]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=769573 2025-09-08T13:14:06-04:00 2025-09-08T13:14:01-04:00 A Lenovo laptop concept with a rotating screen.

The doors to IFA 2025 in Berlin, Germany, have officially opened and new gadgets, tech, features, and upgrades continue to pour out of Europe's largest consumer tech show.

There's a lot of news to stay on top of, and if you're struggling to ingest it all, here are some of the best announcements from the show so far, including innovative new robovacs, more affordable smart home devices, and even a portable home theater on wheels. You can catch up on all of The Verge's IFA 2025 coverage right here.

Lenovo ThinkBook VertiFlex Concept

Lenovo is no stranger to creating laptops with screens that offer unique functionality, such as the ThinkBook …

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]]> Andrew Liszewski <![CDATA[You can charge your Apple Watch, phone, and laptop all at once with this 240W USB-C cable]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=769123 2025-09-02T11:55:05-04:00 2025-09-02T11:55:05-04:00 An Apple Watch, iPhone, and MacBook laptop on a marble surface all being charged from a single USB-C cable.
The Zens Pro 3 USB-C charging cable includes additional inline wireless chargers. | Image: Zens

It's not an entirely new idea given Nomad's Universal Cable from earlier this year can charge an Apple Watch and an additional device at the same time, but Zens' new Pro 2 and Pro 3 USB-C cables offer additional functionality and some welcome future-proofing as chargers become more powerful.

The cheaper of the two is the €49.99 (around $58) Pro 2 USB-C charging cable that includes an inline Qi2 charging puck that can wirelessly charge a smartphone or earbuds at up to 15W speeds. It's not Qi2.2 compatible so you won't get faster 25W wireless charging, but it is compatible with 140W chargers so you can plug in a power-hungry laptop, and Zens …

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]]> Sean Hollister <![CDATA[Bye-bye barrel jack: Framework brings 240W USB-C charging to laptops]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=765542 2025-09-02T15:13:59-04:00 2025-08-26T11:05:00-04:00

Four and a quarter years ago, I told you how a USB-C cable could someday power all but the beefiest gaming laptops. Now, Framework is finally fulfilling the promise of 240 watts through a USB plug. Today, it's opening preorders for the first standards-compliant 240W USB-C PD power adapter ever sold by a computer company.

Since Framework also has the first laptop that can support 240W USB-C PD, it's the latest way that Framework, a startup company, is leading the PC industry. It's the only company that's ever delivered on the promise of modular, upgradable laptops. Today, it also appears it'll be the first to deliver "the holy grail" of upg …

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]]> Jess Weatherbed <![CDATA[This iPhone case switches Lightning ports to USB-C]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=712133 2025-07-23T06:07:04-04:00 2025-07-23T09:00:00-04:00
The USB-C port is seen here on the bottom right of the case, instead of the central position the Lightning port uses.

The engineer who beat Apple by creating the first USB-C iPhone has now evolved his work into a phone case that switches the Lightning port on older iPhones to USB-C. Ken Pillonel's latest project aims to fight planned obsolescence by giving people one less reason to replace their old iPhones, and builds on his viral mod from 2021 by improving support for fast charging.

"This time, I'm turning that one-off DIY mod into a real product you can own," Pillonel said in the description of his latest YouTube video. "This isn't just a hack anymore; it's the biggest project I've ever done."

The iPhone case is available for "most models" starting tod …

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]]> Andrew Liszewski <![CDATA[OnePlus’ 2-in-1 USB cable charges your phone and smartwatch at the same time]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=708231 2025-07-16T10:03:34-04:00 2025-07-16T10:03:34-04:00 A smartphone and smartwatch connected to a red USB-C cable which is plugged into a power adapter.
OnePlus’ new USB-C charging cable can deliver power to two devices simultaneously. | Image: OnePlus

OnePlus announced a new USB-C charging cable that does more than just pass power and data from one device to another. The OnePlus 2-in-1 Supervooc Cable features an inline pogo pin connector that can be used to charge the company's OnePlus Watch 3, Watch 2, and Watch 2R smartwatches while also charging a connected smartphone. It's a more convenient solution for travelers and can help reduce desk clutter by eliminating at least one redundant charging cable.

It's available now through OnePlus' online store for $29.99 and comes in a single length that's just over 47 inches long. It's the same price as the OnePlus Watch Charging Base that doesn …

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]]> Sean Hollister <![CDATA[How Nintendo locked down the Switch 2’s USB-C port and broke third-party docking]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=695915 2025-07-09T12:07:54-04:00 2025-07-02T15:47:45-04:00

There's always a reason why universal USB-C ports don't "just work" like you'd expect. In the early days, it was incompetence or naiveté. Later, manufacturers often cheaped out. But in the case of Nintendo's Switch 2, it appears to be intentional.

With the Nintendo Switch 2, it should be easy to plug your new, more expensive console into video glasses or TVs when you're traveling away from home. USB-C makes it so. But Nintendo has intentionally broken the Switch 2's compatibility with those devices, using a new encryption scheme and some form of dedicated encryption chip, two accessory manufacturers tell The Verge.

I haven't yet found pr …

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]]> David Pierce <![CDATA[One company’s quest for the perfect charger]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=678616 2025-06-03T10:07:02-04:00 2025-06-03T10:07:02-04:00

As the tech world has standardized on USB-C, charging your devices has become much simpler. But it's still not simple enough. Sure, most things plug into most other things, but now you have to worry about power and data throughput, making sure that everything works properly with everything else. That's why we've spent years longing for what we call the God Cable: the one with fast enough everything to be the perfect charger for devices from phones to power tools.

On this episode of The Vergecast, we start by talking about one company's effort to build its own version of the perfect charger. Twelve South didn't try to build the God Cable, a …

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]]> Andrew Liszewski <![CDATA[Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds boost battery life but ditch heart rate tracking]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=659516 2025-05-01T10:41:05-04:00 2025-05-01T10:41:05-04:00 Four sets of Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 wireless earbuds.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds boost battery life to up to 48 hours with their charging case and ANC turned off. | Image: Anker

Over two-and-a-half years after the last version was released, Anker's Soundcore audio brand is updating its budget wireless earbuds with the new Liberty 5. Launching next week for $129.99 - cheaper than the Liberty 4 that debuted at $149.99 - the earbuds will feature improved active noise cancellation, longer battery life, and Dolby Audio support. But in-ear heart rate tracking, one of the more notable features of the Liberty 4, is not being carried forward to the new model.

Although Anker hasn't formally announced the Soundcore Liberty 5 yet, or added them to its online store, they're already available through Anker's AliExpress storefron …

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